Species

There are various sapient **species** on the world of **Xemliya**, each with their defining traits/characteristics that root them in the setting.

The first name is preferred and the alternate names are mostly used by less savory people, usually used as a derogatory remark about an individual or group of a given species; with some exceptions where it can be used as an honorific.

## Sapient Species

### Humanoid (Ludie/Flesh**)**

The term **humanoid** was created after the Founding of Xemliya which encompasses all species that share similar properties to their namesake, in the past this group was referred to as **ludies**; "the people of flesh and blood".

*(The name ludie is based off the Russian word for people, люди; lyudi.)*

#### Goliath (Giant/Gigas)

Goliaths are known for their extraordinary strength and resolve, they usually live in groups of tribes on top of high mountains, with their natural resistance to cold allowing them to fortify peaks into strongholds.

#### Dwarf (Forger/Miner)

Dwarves are known as material handling masters from their skill in refining various raw materials into more useful ones, one of their greatest feats was discovering and unearthing an incredibly strong and metahmaterial known as mithril.

#### Gnome (Tinker/Crafter)

Gnomes are masters of engineering and science, they are renown for their ability to create Metah-tech crafts such as batteries, engines, and various types of energy weapons. They are few in number due to very strict and complicated cultural rules and guidelines that need to come into account before they can become "married" and reproduce.

#### Human (Invader/Flea)

Humans were brought into the world during the Founding of Xemliya. They were led en masse from their dying world onto this new thriving world by their last living god, Vvalk. Only a small fraction of the human population was able to escape from their old world.

Humans are one of the most adaptable and versatile races in the world, usually opting to be a jack-of-all-trades instead of a specialist in any single field.

### Sylvan (Derevo/Bark)

The term **sylvan** encompasses all species stemming from **Sylf**; the Elvish name for the "true" elves who first immigrated into the material plane of Xemliya from their original plane; the Lifestream. In the past this group was referred to as **derevo**.

*(The name derevo is based off the Russian word for tree, дерево.)*

#### High Elf (Sylf/Sylvan)

Sylvans are humanoid plant creatures that resided within the Lifestream, a plane on Xemliya that encompasses all aspects of life and creation - which takes the form of an endless forest filled with various creatures and plants.

#### Elf (Branch/Twig)

Elves originated from the Feywild as Sylvans, plant like versions of their current selves. As more chose to reside permanently after travelling via Plane Shift they began to lose their plant like physiology and started to adapt to the planets environment.

Elves are known for their non-technological metah crafting ability, being able to craft "natural" magical items such as scrolls, magic items, and potions.

#### Orc (Swine/Pig)

Orcs were brought into the world during the Founding of Xemliya. They were created when a rogue group of elves and humans worked together on a magical endeavor of human design which caused all the elemental planes to merge simultaneously; this caused a feedback loop which slowly started to transform about half of the elf population into orcs over a painful but quick timespan of a day.

Orcs are known for their aggression and violence driven mindset, losing much of their former elven grace and intellect the orcs have become much stronger and durable as a result of the merging of planes. Many of the orcs have become roaming violent nomads who rarely interact with outsiders and usually require actions to speak louder than words.

### Outrealmer (Refugee/Migrant)

The term **outrealmer** was created after the Founding of Xemliya which encompasses all the species who were unwillingly brought to the material plane of Xemliya. In the past they were called **refugees** and **migrants**, a name they never asked for from a choice they had no part in.

#### Genasi (Genie/Djinn)

Genasi were brought into the world during the Founding of Xemliya. They were displaced when a rogue group of elves and humans worked together on a magical endeavor of human design which caused all the elemental planes to merge simultaneously.

### Ardling (Animal/Pet)

The term **ardling** refers to the native bipedal and animalistic species found on Xemliya, some even believe them to be the true native species of the planet.

#### Drakkon (Scaly/Lizard)

Drakkon are said to have originated from aspects of Vorashè during the Great Creation, and represent power and determination. This species encompasses everything reptilian, draconic, and scaly.

* Dragonborn
* Lizardfolk
* Tortle

*(The name drakkon is based off the Russian word for dragon, дракон; drakon.)*

#### Zhivot (Furry/Beast)

Zhivot are said to have originated from aspects of Leuhmin during the Great Creation, and represent wisdom and resolve. This species encompasses everything furry and mammalian.

* Loxodon
* Leonin

*(The name zhivot is based off the Russian word for animal. животное; zhivotnoye.)*

#### Teachkah (Bird/Poultry)

Teachkah are said to have originated from aspects of Malgum during the Great Creation, and represent tradition and honor. This species encompasses everything feathery and avian.

* Aarakocra
* Owlin
* Kenku

*(The name teachkah is based off the Russian word for bird, птица; ptitsa.)*

#### Oshib (Bug/Insect)

Oshib are said to have originated from various aspects of Vorashè, Leuhmin, and Malgum during the Great Creation, and represent order and chaos. This species encompasses everything insectoid.

* Thri-kreen

*(The name oshib is based off the Russian word for bug, ошибка; oshibka.)*

### Synth/Sync (Aberration)

The term **synth** and **sync** was created to denote species that were "created", usually from crossbreeding and rarely by other means such as metah manipulation or technological or biological advancement.

#### Half-Elf (Sprout/Crossbreed)

Half-Elves are born when a pure blooded elf has a child with another race. They usually keep some elven traits like their long ears but maintain some of their other races physical traits too.

#### Half-Orc (Swinespawn/Crossbreed)

Half-Orcs are born when a pure blooded orc has a child with another race. They usually keep some orcish traits but maintain some of their other races physical traits too.

#### Halfling (Footman/Crossbreed)

Halflings are occasionally born when a small and medium sized race produce a child, they physically take on traits from exotic races such as dragonborn (scales), tiefling (horns), elf (ears), but inherit the halfling racial traits and stats. For some reason, they usually all prefer to walk barefoot and seemingly suffer no downsides from doing so.

#### Tiefling (Fiend/Daemon)

Tieflings were brought into the world during the Founding of Xemliya. They are a creation of metah transportation leading individuals in and out of the infernal plane, also known as the Abyss, their creation is discussed only in hushed private rooms so information is scarce.

#### Hivebot (Bot/Machine)

Hivebots are a race of metamaterial constructs who were designed and created by the gnomish deity Maniastorm; which marked the beginning of the Ceaseless Ravaging. Some people say he created this new form of life since he wasn't able to have children of his own, others say he wanted to ascend much like a lich and transfer his body into one free from the burden of flesh and decay, the original story has been lost to time and each variation of the story alters it in one way or another.

Hivebots are led by a **Hiver**, an omnipresent leader who communicates to their people via telepathic messages. Hivebots are divided into various "types" and spend most of their time following their assigned roles and orders without question, these activities can include things such as gathering materials, repairing structures, "healing" aka maintaining hivebots, excavating, etc.

Hivebots are split into three "types" which vary them in some ways, this also usually determines what the Hiver will ask that particular hivebot to do.

* Envoy
* Skirmisher
* Juggernaut

Hivebots that suffer greatly, either physically or mentally, can grow erratic and become errant; potentially becoming an incredibly dangerous threat if left unchecked.

* Fleshswapper
	+ An incredibly dangerous errant, this hivebot is without "flesh" and walks around as just a skeletal system with muscles and organs, more often than not these hivebots are delusional and assume that they are flesh and blood, killing people and using their bodies like a disguise, slowly rotting away until they need to find a replacement.
* Eradicator
	+ A hivebot superweapon, when a Hiver decides that quality is more important than quantity, they take all their resources and energy and focus it into one durable, deadly and huge sized hivebot, it stands over 25ft tall and weighs several thousand pounds.
* Nanite
	+ A nanite is a hivebot shrunken down to the size of a grain of sand, although it can be deadly on its own the real danger lies when a Hiver takes control of a swarm of nanite hivebots, leading them like a swarm of hungry microscopic mosquitoes.

*(Hivebots are Xemliya's Warforged.)*

#### Kobold (Gemspawn/Trapper)

Small draconic creatures ranging in scale colors, the are created by dragons to protect and serve them, born from metah infused gems coated with the blood of a true dragon

#### Goblin (Imp/Gob)

Small humanoid creatures with various dark colored pigmented skin which can range from green, red, yellow, or more. They are supposedly born in pure darkness; a complete absence of light, as long as there is enough ambient metah in the area they will continue to spawn until the area is devoid of ambient metah.