Races

## **Aasimar / Tieflings**

A race who bloodline has been touched by celestial and demonic power, respectively. Though often considered polar opposites, the two actually have a lot in common: neither race has a real homeland, neither has a place they truly belong and will always be outcasts, both draw looks and mutters where they go (though for different reasons). For reasons that are not quite clear, the amount their lineage shows varies wildly from person to person, some showing their bloodline just in their skin tone, while others have far more dramatic appearances (horns and tails for tieflings, glowing eyes and feathered shoulders for aasimar). The aasimar have it easier, though they are sometimes weighed down by the expectations of what someone with celestial blood should do with their lives. Tieflings, on the other hand, are rarely fully trusted anywhere, being judged by their demonic heritage. Many of them find little choice but to live up to those stereotypes just to survive, though others fight to prove that they are not defined by their blood.

## **Dragonborn**

A race created by the dragons to serve them, now left to maintain the volcano island of Dragonhatch. While most of loyal to their priests and volcano worship, some develop a wanderlust and leave their home. These traveling dragonborn find many places are distrustful of their kind (more due to how they look than any actions of the race), but can often find welcome company in the midst of adventurers, wanderers, and freelancers to whom their innate skills are a welcome boon.

## **Dwarves**

An industrious, hardworking, and notoriously blunt race. They trace their origins to the Pascal Mountains, but these days they are wide spread. Everywhere there is ore to mine you can usually find a community of the people nearby. The largest number of them are still in the north, underneath the frozen ground of the Frostlands or in mixed communities in Augustine (although they are second class citizens in the latter).

## **Elves**

The elves were once a united race before a great split. They originated in the Aenin'wyyn Forest (which at the time covered much more of the land) and served as its protectors. As they learned of the outside world, some left to find other groves that needed their protection. Some went to explore the possibilities of the Arcane Magic humans had discovered (and which the Elves found they had a natural proficiency for). And still others grew vengeful and hateful at a world that always seemed to be closing in on them and what they wanted to protect, and fled underground where that hatred manifested itself and transformed them.

## **Firbolgs**

A race of mostly peaceful, nature loving people. Rarely seen outside the forests and groves they call home, their giant-like features cause them to be distrusted when they do come into civilization. The largest colonies of them can be found in the Aenin'wyyn Forest.

## **Gnomes**

An inquisitive race said to have spawned from the rocks and mud at the end of the world. They pop up in communities all over, though they seem to get along particularly well with the dwarves. There are also a large number of them in Faiyme, where their natural curiosity makes them master tinkerers.

## **Goblins**

A primitive and savage race. There are actually many species of goblin, though do to similarities between them they are often grouped together. In the north the goblins live underground, like the dwarves, whom they are ancient enemies of. In the southern swamplands the goblins are one of many predators praying on the unwary. Individually, goblins tend to be cowardly and avoid conflict with other races, but together they may build up the nerve to strike against civilization.

## **Goliaths**

A race native to the cold lands of Rushgram, where live as nomads and barbarians. They perpetually fight with the other clans, with a particular hatred for orcs. They are rarely seen south of Rushgram except as raiders, which leads many to fear them even when they come in peace.

## **Half-Elves**

The child of an elf and a human, or of another half-elf. They have an awkward place in society, not quite fitting in the races of either of their parents. Some try their best to follow in their elven parent's footsteps, living with nature, while other try to blend in the human cities. Victoria sees a decent population of half-elves due to its policies of inclusion.

## **Halflings**

People like to stereotype the halflings as a fun-loving, goofy race, and while that is certainly true for many of them, in truth halflings are almost as diverse as the humans. The original halflings are said to have come from the fertile lands along the Lionflow River, where large halfling communities still exist, but today they are a widespread and abundant race and can be found just about anywhere humans can.

## **Half-Orcs**

Like the half-elves, half-orcs find themselves in the unenviable place of not being truly accepted by either member of their mixed lineage. Unlike half-elves, they don't feel the need to try to force themselves into a society that doesn't want them. Half-orcs tend to create their own communities, clans, and tribes. The success of these communities is largely responsible for the burgeoning half-orc population; only a very small number of half-orcs around would be considered 'first-generation.'

## **Humans**

The world's most widespread and adaptable race. It is said that the first tribal humans came down from the Frostlands, but because of their creativity, ambition, and flexibility, they soon spread to all corners of the known world. Humans have been widespread for so long that in most places they live there is little or no evidence of what was there before them. They are a race capable of great evil and great good, and come in as many forms as there are stars in the sky.

## **Kobolds**

From the depths of the swamplands the Kobolds crawled. These reptilian humanoids prefer to live in dark places and don't usually come to close to civilization (unless pushed by their leader). Like the goblins, the kobolds tend to be at their bravest when in large numbers. Unlike them, the kobolds hold a fierce loyalty to their leaders and will follow them (although reluctantly) even when the odds are not in their favor.

## **Lizardfolk**

A tribal race living in the Chikere Swamps who, depending on the level of development of their tribe, sometimes have more in common with their lizard relatives, crawling on all floors and hunting their food with their bare claws. The more developed still have many lizard traits, such as being easily distracted by food and being easily alarmed by perceived threats.

## **Orcs**

The orcs are a warlike race designed to the be antithesis of human-kind. The Evil Gods created the orcs to destroy an dismantle the civilizations of the fast spreading humans. The orcs were defeated and abandoned by their creators, and left on their own they developed their own tribal societies. The largest number of orcs can be found in Rushgram, where their clans compete with goliath and human clans. Other orc clans are scattered throughout the world, some which only want to mind their own business, some of which try to complete their ancestral mission of destroying human civilization.

## **Tabaxi**

A mysterious, cat-like race from a land far away. The tabaxi claim to come from an island to the far east (or the far west, depending on who you talk to), though despite the best efforts of Victorian explorers no one has yet been able to find it. The first tabaxi to arrive at the mainland claimed to be a part a part of the Tabaxi Expedition, there to explore and learn. As for as anyone knows, no tabaxi has ventured back to their homeland to report their findings. The tabaxi are extremely closemouthed regarding their homeland, but on all other matters they are open, friendly, and (obnoxiously) talkative. Despite being fairly uncommon, the reputed friendly nature of the Tabaxi makes them welcome in most places.