Relatives of the skaag, though larger, more ferocious, and far less friendly toward other races. The Twaan stand between five and six feet tall, with the same burrowing claws and earth-toned fur as their smaller cousins, but their builds are heavier, their temperaments darker, and their trust nonexistent.
The Twaan feel betrayed. Ask them by whom, and answers vary—humans, elves, orcs, "everyone." The details of the original betrayal have been lost or deliberately obscured, but the wound remains fresh. They retreated to the Twaan Forests in the northeastern Westwilds generations ago, and they've made it clear that outsiders aren't welcome.
Society
Twaan live in sprawling underground burrow-settlements that honeycomb the forest floor. A single warren can extend for miles, housing dozens of extended family groups in interconnected chambers. Above ground, the forest appears wild and trackless. Below, it's a civilization—complete with politics, grudges, and endless bickering.
Family homes house nearly a dozen Twaan across three or four generations. Privacy is rare; personal space is earned through dominance or negotiation. Competition within families is constant—for food, for sleeping spots, for status. This extends to inter-family and inter-clan relations as well. The Twaan argue about everything, loudly and at length.
Despite the internal chaos, they present a unified front to outsiders. Whatever their disagreements, they agree on one thing: the forest is theirs, and everyone else can leave.
The Fire-Wood Trade
The Twaan control access to the Burning Corridor—a strip of fire-touched forest along the fire ley line in Zlyverth Korn where the trees have become living flame. This fire-wood is immune to burning and extraordinarily valuable for shipbuilding, enchantment, and alchemy.
The Twaan harvest carefully, never taking too much, and sell small quantities at enormous markup. They've repelled dozens of attempts to take the corridor by force, and they've become expert at using the burning forest itself as a weapon. The monopoly makes them wealthy by Westwilds standards, but it also makes them targets.
Their defensive paranoia isn't just cultural—it's practical.
The Betrayal
Every Twaan knows the story, though no two tell it the same way. Long ago, before the forest, the Twaan lived among other peoples. They had lands, treaties, neighbors. Then something happened—a broken promise, a war, a massacre. The Twaan were driven out, scattered, hunted.
They found the forests where the Earth ley line made impossible woodland grow in the arid Westwilds. They dug in. They survived. And they swore never to trust outsiders again.
Some scholars believe the betrayal was real—perhaps connected to one of the great wars that reshaped Clueanda centuries ago. Others think it's a founding myth, a story the Twaan tell to justify their isolation. The Twaan don't care what outsiders believe. They remember.
Relations
With Skaag: Complex. The Twaan acknowledge kinship but consider their smaller cousins naive and too trusting. Trade happens occasionally; friendship rarely.
With Goblins: Hostile. The Gymlstik goblins raid Twaan territory regularly, and the Twaan kill them when they can. Neither side has gained advantage in generations of skirmishing.
With Everyone Else: Suspicion at best. The Twaan trade at the forest's edge, briefly, with weapons visible. They don't invite guests. They don't accept invitations. They watch, they wait, and they remember.
Homeland
The Twaan Forests—comprising Turxis Golathi, Sorix Melar, and Zlyverth Korn—occupy the northeastern Westwilds. See the Twaan Forests atlas entry for details on the region.