Uncommon Races of Dharrenal

## **Aasimar (*Nephilim*)**

* **Lifespan:** Maturity 15 years; average lifespan ~150 years
* **Homeland:** Human Lands; The Golden City of Seraphel
* **Language:** Enoccian (also called "Celestial")

Aasimar bear within their souls the light of the heavens. Nobody is sure what the origin of the species is, but like their infernal counterparts, the tieflings, the prevailing theory is that they were first spawned in the Dawn Age, when humans consorted with angels, resulting in the otherworldly, beautiful aasimar. While they have angelic blood, they are by no means all good.

Most Aasimars are born thinking they are human before their divine nature reveals itself around puberty. From an early age, they receive visions and guidance from celestial entities via dreams. These dreams are meant to shape an assimar, granting a sense of destiny and a desire for righteousness. However, their free will as mortals can often skew this calling and there are those who come to see their abilities as a curse.

These disaffected assimar are typically content to turn away from the world, living as hermits in hinterlands or the Frostweald. A few become agents of evil. In their minds, their exposure to celestial powers amounted to little more than brainwashing. Such fallen Aasimar make deadly foes, the radiant power they once had corrupted into a horrid, draining magic. And their angelic guide abandons them, leaving them truly alone in the world.

Due to the purposeful nature of an aasimar’s creation, most have an angelic guide to provide them guidance, though only in their dreams. Thus, the angel’s guidance is not a command or a spoken word, but instead usually visions, prophecies, and feelings. This being is far from omniscient, providing guidance only by its own insight into the tenents of law and good.

Despite being celestial in nature, Aasimar find it no easier to fit in as Tieflings; Aasimars are sometimes declared heretics, and some religious organizations claim Aasimars are false prophets, as an angel would never have congress with a human. Because of this, Aasimars try to keep a low profile, though they tend to inevitably draw the ire of evil creatures or spirits wherever they go.

Aasimar racial attributes can be **found here.**

## **Bullywug (*Bul*)**

* **Lifespan:** Maturity at 1 year; Average lifespan of ~20 years
* **Homeland:** Swamps throughout Dharrenal
* **Language:** Croak (also called "Bullywug" or "Froggish")

Bullywugs are a race of humanoid frogs that stand just over 4 feet tall and have mottled green and brown skin. They are a race of primitive hunter-gatherers, living on large insects, berries, and fish found in their swampland homes, and are unconcerned about events outside their marsh.

The rare bullywug who leaves the safety of the swamp tends to be seeking to trade for metal or gems, or the exceptional individuals who have the ambition to become something more. They tend to be impulsive and it is often noted that they rarely sit still for long. Paradoxically, Bullywug are superstitious and a bit paranoid, especially when it comes to magic.

Bullywug live in small villages of squat mud huts in wetlands and bogs throughout Dharrenal. They fight in large groups, specializing in ambushes and poisons. They are highly superstitious, finding omens in most things around them. Their entire civilization is a theocracy, the leader of a bullywug village being a female shaman who is said to speak for "Froghemoth", the deity of the bullywug people.

Bullywug racial attributes can be **found here.**

## **Dragonborn (*Dray*)**

* **Lifespan:** Maturity 13 years; average lifespan ~100 years
* **Homeland:** Arkhosia (Bahamite); The Dune Sea of Casmaron (Tiamite); Seraphel
* **Language:** Draconic

The Dragonborn of Tyrind have lived in near-isolation for centuries, keeping to the lands of Casmaron to guard their culture, their secrets, and their rites from the opportunistic human cultures that have spread across the world.

The dragonborn have a history of conflict with their own people, with their people split into two main ethnic groups--the Bahamite and the Tiamite. During the Dawn War, when the gods and primordials went to war, the dragonborn people chose two different sides: the Bahamites chose to fight for the gods, much like other humanoid races, and the Tiamites sided with the Primordials. This has created a bitter rivalry that lasts into today.

The Dragonborn hail from the southern continent of Casmaron, though travel is common for their people, from ambassadors attempting to forge new alliances to adventurers on a quest to recover some relic for their people. Dragonborn have long dwelled in Seraphel, as well, so their presence is not entirely unheard of in Dharrenal.

The Bahamites stem from a Metallic bloodline and tend to possess tails from birth. Untrusting of outsiders by nature, the Bahamites hold an aloof and elitist air throughout their interactions with other races in the world, and attempts to build alliances are often stymied by pride and misunderstanding.

The Tiamites stem from a Chromatic bloodline and do not possess tails. They are tribal, nomadic, and aggressive with a brutal warrior culture and strict caste system.

Dragonborn racial attributes can be **found here.**

## **Drow (*Draewa*)**

* **Lifespan:** Maturity 20 years; average lifespan ~200 years
* **Homeland:** Xandir
* **Language:** Drowa (also called "Drow"); Drow Sign-Language

Few elves wish to be associated with their degenerate, twisted cousins--while most humanoids know them as Dark Elves, or Moon Elves, the elves of Illan instead call them Drow. In times long past, they were a wise, beautiful people with long, silvery hair and skin of ash. They were close allies, equal children in the eyes of Corellon Larethian to the Sun Elves, and they were the rulers of night and winter. The music and voices of the drow were like a haunting winter's wind.

But with time, their society grew decadent and cruel, and their leaders fell to the alluring whispers of the Titan known as the Spider Queen, and they allied with their venomous mistress against the sun elves and against Corellon during the war with the Titans. When the Spider Queen was defeated, the drow were cast out from elven society and formed their own civilization in the shadows of the Katol Mountains.

The drow are strong, intelligent, aloof, reserved, and considered by many to be ill-fated. They are an isolationist people, keeping to themselves except for the occasional raiding party into neighboring kingdoms. They harbor a bitter hatred of the sun elves, considering themselves superior. The drow today are notoriously decadent, petty, bloodthirsty, and cruel.

Magic permeates every facet of a drow's life; they have used magic to warp their environment into something almost alien, and their society operates on a strict hierarchy that largely depends on magical ability and power. As such, every drow knows a smattering of arcane magic, and most drow are knowledgeable about magic. Ambition and magical power are hallmarks of their people. The ruling elite use magic to spy on, to sedate, and to punish those beneath them. Drow slaves live inhumane lives of demeaning labor, suffering, humiliation, and torment.

As the counterparts to the sun elves of Illan, the drow are magically connected to the energy of the moon, and are at their most powerful in the light of the moon. The autumn and winter are their time. Their natural abilities in stealth and speed make them well-suited to the work of assassins.

Drow stats can be **found here,** using the base elf stats and then the Drow subrace.

## **Faun**

* **Lifespan:** Maturity at 10 years old; average lifespan of ~50.
* **Homeland:** The Forest of Illan, Slazka, Vanar, the Frostweald
* **Language:** Sylvan

Of the various fey races that roam Dharrenal, the faun are among the most benevolent. Generally playful, quick-witted, flighty, and highly social, fauns delight in games and revelry, music and dance, sarcasm and satire. Their society is marked by a strange social economy of slights and favors, repaying the former tenaciously with mischief rather than violence, and the latter with a fervor bordering on religious.

Female fauns tend to stick in small groups, with males rarely staying with them past reaching maturity. Males often travel alone or pairs at the most. Fauns of all walks never tell their true names; such knowledge is kept a closely guarded secret their entire lives outside of faun society. Instead, fauns go by nicknames.

Fauns tend to be jovial; they delight in singing, dancing, debauchery, and feasting. They are known for having simple sort of wisdom, believing strongly in common sense. They have remarkable perception, with a keen eye for omens and keen insight.

They tend to balance toward chaos and mischief, neither leaning toward good or evil. Fauns rail against law and authority. They live peaceful existences in the forests and are friends of beasts, especially deer, sheep, and goats. The songs of their panflutes and singing can be heard from all corners of the wood, and fauns see themselves as shepherds of the wood.

Fauns dislike large cities and large crowds, preferring the quiet of the wilds.

Faun racial attributes can be **found here.**

## **Firbolg**

* **Lifespan:**Maturity 30; average lifespan ~300 years
* **Homeland:**Forests of Dharrenal
* **Language:** Dethek (also called "Giant")

Humble giantkin who dwell in remote forest homes, the firbolg are a peaceful people who prefer to spend their days in quiet harmony with the woods. When provoked, firbolgs demonstrate formidable skills with both weapons and magic. They are intelligent philosophers, and they usually live in small, loosely-affiliated colonies, though you’d be hard pressed to call a small collection of ecologically-friendly cabins a settlement.

Firbolgs love nothing more than a peaceful day spent among the trees of an old forest. They see forests as sacred places, representing the heart of the world and monuments to the perseverance of life. In their role as caretakers of the wild, they live off the land while striving to remain in balance with nature. In their eyes, there is no greater fault than greed, believing that the world remains healthiest only when they take what they need.

They are pacifists by nature. Even in the face of intrusion, firbolg prefer a subtle, gentle approach to prevent damage to their territory. But when driven to war, the firbolg is a terrifying sight, indeed. Like the goliath, the Firbolg are distant cousins to giants, and they are known to wield massive weapons capable of cleaving grown men in two.

They don't tend to like cities, finding them crowded, noisy, and too cut off from the natural world for their liking. Animals are their friends and some older firbolgs even have the ability to shapeshift into great beasts to protect their domains and their charges. Firbolgs are universally vegetarian and abhor the idea of eating the flesh of animals.

Firbolgs stand between 6 and 7 feet tall, and are covered in dark, thick hair that is almost like fur. Their skin is a strange pale blue to grey. All firbolg have almost bovine-like ears, and some firbolg have noticeably more bovine facial traits than others. This is largely dependent on location; as fey-like creatures, their physical appearance can change drastically depending on their homeland.

Firbolg racial attributes can be **found here.**

## **Genasi**

* **Lifespan:** Maturity at 15 years; average lifespan ~75 years
* **Homeland:** Human Lands
* **Language:** Elemental Language (Aquan, Auran, Ignan, or Terran)

Tyrind's lands are rife with magical power. Primordial energy constantly flows into the world from elemental rifts across the land, and such powerful primal forces have a tendency to influence or alter the nature of their surroundings. This is also true of those who spend years in proximity to such a place of power. Such individuals are touched by elemental power, which takes root in their blood and harbor the potential to give birth to genasi, people born with the power of the element that changed their parents.

Though Genasi still bear features resembling their parents' race, they have clearly become something else entirely. Their facial features are augmented with elemental traces and subtle abilities manifest with adolescence, becoming almost alien and something new altogether. While such people are rare in Dharrenal, they are more common among the druidic tribes. Those who risk living among common society are often met with stares, ridicule, or dubious curiosity.

Genasi racial attributes can be **found here.**

## **Goblin (*Golin'dar*)**

* **Lifespan:** Maturity at 5 years; average lifespan ~25 years
* **Homeland:** N/A
* **Language:** Gobbeldygook (also called "Goblin")

Considered nothing more than murderous pests by most, goblins dwell on the fringes of other societies, scavenging their waste and building their society in squalor. Weak on their own, goblins often gather in huge numbers to overwhelm their foes.

Goblins are short, emaciated creatures about the size of a halfling. They have large, flat ears and a mouth of needle-like teeth. Their skin is often leathery and grey, wrinkled and covered in tiny scars, warts, and scabs. Goblins grow little hair, and when they do it is course and thin. They dress in rags and scraps cast off by other humanoids and bear cobbled-together equipment.

Known for their unique biology and aggressive behavior, many goblins are trained by orc blood packs as mercenaries due to their savage nature and adaptability to different environments. Their unique biology allows them to adapt quickly to their environment, allowing them to acclimate to virtually any environment; developing thicker skin after being burned, for example.

They are known for a unique biology that carries a striking set of advantages and disadvantages, which allow goblins to adapt quickly to their environment, along with the ability to heal from injuries faster than other species. This adaptive ability allows goblins to acclimate to virtually any environment; developing thicker skin after being burned, for example. This makes them immune to almost all non-magical diseases.

Goblins rarely build their own structures; they prefer to use terrain and natural defenses to their advantage, often settling in sewers, caves, or mines. They rely more on scavenging than hunting to get by in modern times. They gather in packs of up to a few dozen, led by a Chieftan and a few sub-chiefs who are simply the strongest members of the pack. Goblin adventurers tend to stick with groups of "big people" for means of protection, often because they were exiled from their pack or left for other reasons.

Goblins love to collect treasure, but value appearance over utility. Thus, a shiny but ultimately worthless trinket is valued over a powerful but ugly magical item.

Strangely, goblins have a near-pathological fear and hatred of horses and dogs, and they are not strong swimmers. Similarly, Goblins are extremely superstitious and tend to worship things that scare them; their society is full of ridiculous myths and legends, often fixating on odd-shaped natural features.

Goblin racial attributes can be **found here.**

## **Goliath (*Oread*)**

* **Lifespan:** Maturity 18 years; average lifespan ~150 years
* **Homeland:** Mountains throughout Dharennal
* **Language:** Dethek (also called "Giant")

A race of rock people inhabiting the mountainous regions of Dharrenal. Most folk of giant blood ignore the political nonsense of the smaller folk. As the old goliath saying go, “Only people with little strength like to talk”. Goliaths are of stone giant blood--however distantly--and keep many old stone giant traditions. As goliaths keep no written history, it’s unclear what their origin is.

Most dwell in the mountains of Dharrenal, living in small, close-knit semi-nomadic hunter-gatherer tribes. Some have ventured down into the Eastern Plains to roam as nomadic raiders, taking what they wish from the unprotected few. Other lone Goliaths can be found as adventurers, or among bandit or mercenary companies. A small number have been taken in by the wealthy elite of the Ozmit Empire, Slazka, or Vanar and given jobs as bodyguards; some out of charity, others for these nobles’ own amusement.

They tend to be very tall and powerfully built. Goliaths are proud of their strength and jumping ability, and athletic contests among their people are the norm, especially boxing, sumo wrestling, and obstacle courses. Goliaths live in close-knit, semi-nomadic communities in the mountains. They are very respectful of their own kind, calling other Goliaths “Brother” or “Sister”.

They are not an overly hostile race, at least not violent for no reason, and they are slow to trust outsiders, and may come off as cautious or even aggressive. However, if an outsider can prove their worth, the tribe will accept them and may even call them a brother or sister. Most people of Dharrenal meet goliaths with curiosity, not animosity. Many people who live near the mountains tend to be more apprehensive about dealing with goliaths.

Goliath racial attributes can be **found here.**

## **Hadozee (*Kong*)**

* **Lifespan:** Maturity 13 years; average lifespan ~50 years
* **Homeland:** Kongo Bongo, The Stepping Stones
* **Language:** Kong (also called "Hadozee")

A race of simianlike humanoids hailing from the island of Kongo Bongo in the Stepping Stones, hadozee (an elvish word) are often referred to as "winged deck apes". It's easy to see where they would come by such a moniker; they look like apes and they have leathery flaps beneath their arms that allow them to glide along air currents. Because they're good climbers and balancers, they find themselves particularly well-suited for life aboard seafaring vessels and airships.

Hadozee stand about 6 to 6 1/2 feet tall, though seem a little shorter due to their stooped posture. They tend to weigh between 200 and 250 pounds, most of it solid muscle. Hadozee do not traditionally need clothing, due to their thick, shaggy fur, but many who are going into human lands will at least wear pants, vests, neck ties, hats, or some other basic humanoid clothing to seem polite.

Their home is on the large, forested island of Kongo Bongo where they live among tree tops and in small villages built on the side of cliffs. They live relatively peaceful lives, but since making contact with the outside world, they have become increasingly curious, possessed by a wanderlust. They are often very active and feel their emotions intensely.

Hadozee racial attributes can be **found here.**

## **Kalashtar (*Samsaran*)**

* **Lifespan:** Maturity 15 years; average lifespan ~150 years
* **Homeland:** Plane of Dal Quor; the City of Dreams (Forest of Ilan)
* **Language:** Deva (also called "Kalashtari")

The Kalashtar are a compound race: incorporeal entities from the plane of Dal Quor, the Realm of Dreams, bound to humanoid form. Mysterious people with pale blue flesh and transparent blood like the waters of a trickling brook, the Kalashtar are an enigma to those they walk among.

As the sentient embodiment of dream-spirits, they do not view life as a linear progression of birth to death. Life and death, both have their use and meaning, but they know well what lies beyond our world. All existence, in any form, is simply a part of the journey. When their physical bodies are destroyed on this plane, they will return to Dal Quor until such a time that they are reincarnated, bound to a new body to begin the journey of life all over again.

Beings of walking paradox, the Kalashtar possess keen intellects but are not beings ruled by logic. They seek the harmony of their bodies and spirits, often to the exclusion of most other pursuits. They are generally warm and compassionate, but their manners and ways are alien to the native races of Tyrind. They are more interested in the potential of the mind than in the magic that pervades Dharrenal, and often lace their discourse with esoteric terms such as "matter", "kinetics", and "ectoplasm".

As a race, the Kalashtar do not dream; they are cut off from the realm of their origin so long as they dwell on the Material Plane. They say this is the price they pay for walking the solid earth, but it has left them slightly inclined toward madness. They are generally chaotic in nature and are inclined toward good.

Whenever a Kalashtar dies, its essence returns to the Realm of Dreams until it reincarnates anew as a young Kalashtar to live a new life. Their past memories remain vague and indistinct, and each new incarnation is as different a creature and personality as a child is to a parent. They are capable of recalling the lessons and failings of their previous incarnations with some degree of difficulty. But opening themselves up to their past lives also opens them up to potential possession and madness.

The Kalashtar recognize the gods, but they do not revere them. They follow another entity who they call "The Dream Waking" or "Morpheus", who they call the King of Dreams. They claim that he is older than any god, who was already ancient when the gods first wandered into the mists of the dawn age. The Dream Waking is the source of inspiration, who touches and visits each of us at night when we dream. They say he knows each mortal better than they know themselves.

Kalashtar racial attributes can be **found here.**

## **Kenku (*Tengu*)**

* **Lifespan:** Maturity 11 years; average lifespan ~45 years.
* **Homeland:** Lucain Coast, Eastern Plains; Zhao-Tian (originally)
* **Language:** Kaaw (also called "Tengu")

Kenku are a race of crow-like humanoids who originally originate from distant Zhao-Tian, though they first arrived in Dharrenal nearly 1,000 years ago. They are not as physically adept compared to most species, so Kenku mostly make their influence felt through trade and commerce, and they have a surprisingly large presence in the Lucain Coast and Oliad.

Kenku are not a religious people; if asked whom they worship, most simply reply “Coin”. Kenku society highly respects their elders, finding them the most qualified to lead.

Kenku culture is dominated by trade, whether it be of land, resources, or even other tribe members. The Kenku have a reputation as traders, bankers, and merchants, and many work as some of the best financial advisers. Due to the Kenku not being physically adept, they tend not to be outwardly aggressive, and can even seem cowardly to other, more militant races. The Kenku entirely lack the romantic view of war found in other cultures, like humans or dwarves. Physical skirmishes between Kenku clans rarely last long, and are almost always ended by social castigation, or bargaining agreements.

Kenku have two names, but no family names. According to Kenku sensibilities, one cannot own a living being, and using a family name would essentially be laying claim to their offspring. They tend to refer to others by their race instead of their name or other descriptor; as “Human”, “Elf”, or “Dwarf”.

Despite most Kenku distinctly sounding like males or females to other humanoids, Kenku genders are a mystery to outsiders. The Kenku themselves consider the question both intrusive and hilariously irrelevant, to the point that Kenku often give blatantly false information on the subject. With little else to go on, people simply assign an arbitrary gender based on what they sound like, and the Kenku don’t seem to really care.

Kenku racial attributes can be **found here.**

## **Kiloren**

* **Lifespan:** Maturity 1 year; average lifespan ~300 years
* **Homeland:** Forest of Illan; starting to awaken in other forests across Dharrenal
* **Language:** Sylvan

Awakening deep in the hearts of primeval forests are the Kiloren, a race of powerful fey creatures that blend nature's patience and power with the ambition and aggression of a humanoid race. The ancient places of the world stir with a power all their own, and from this power have sprung the answer to the growing might of the humanoid races.

Kiloren are at once young and eternal, newly brought into the world but with unknowably ancient ties to the heart of nature. As fey, they have a tie to nature unmatched by even the elves, but unlike other fey, they are not content to wait in the dark recesses of the dwindling forests. They walk through the cities of man as easily as they meditate in the glades of a verdant forest.

They range from powerful and zealous defenders of nature to gentle, inquisitive, insightful students of philosophy. They are observant and rarely speak except in situations of great importance.

There are not many kiloren in the world as yet, but their numbers are quickly growing. So far, these adaptable fey have only come into isolated conflict with evil or overambitious, greedy corporations bent on draining nature dry, but it is becoming increasingly clear that they are destined for more. The kiloren have started making their presence known in the world, and a few far-seeing and learned sages wonder at the implication of their growing power.

The kiloren do not as yet have any lands or kingdoms of their own. In fact, there is only a single kiloren settlement if stories are to be believed. No outsiders have seen this enigmatic city and the kiloren do not speak of it. The settlement is governed by an entity known as "Gaia", though who or what this entity is--whether it is a particularly old or powerful kiloren, an archfey, or something else entirely--is unknown.

Kiloren racial ability scores can be **found here.**

## **Lizardfolk**

* **Lifespan:** Maturity 3 years; average lifespan 30 years
* **Homeland:** Swamps and woodlands across central and southern Dharrenal
* **Language:** Draconic

When traveling through the swamps or humid woodlands of Dharrenal, it is best to be wary of what lurks in the shadows--it just may be a Lizardfolk. These feral, tribal humanoids are feared across the continent, and for good reason. They are savage warriors, expert hunters, and possess almost alien minds.

They cold, calculating, and fearless. Their behavior can appear random to outsiders, but a lizardfolk operates on a sort of logic that makes sense only to their own kind. They rarely find a place among civilized lands, as they are borderline unable to operate among police society. However, they are valued as mercenaries and bodyguards, and any company of traveling adventurers who manage to win the trust of a lizardfolk have gained a powerful--and fearsome--ally indeed.

Lizardfolk racial attributes can be **found here.**

## **Raptoran (*Aarakocra*)**

* **Lifespan:** Maturity 12 years; average lifespan 80 years
* **Homeland:** Oliad, Lucain Coast
* **Language:** Rito (also called "Raptoran")

The Raptoran are a race of birdlike humanoids who claim to be distantly related to both elves and triton. They possess beaks, wings, and feathers; they have completely avian forms with humanoid builds. Their plumage tends to be very bright, with blue being a common color.

They have a spiritual relationship with the wind, which they believe is the embrace and whispered words of their wind goddess, *Liiora*. They live in high mountains and tall trees. Nowhere are Raptoran more comfortable than in the sky. They can spend hours in the air, and so go as long as days, locking their wings in place and letting thermals hold them aloft. In battle, they prove to be acrobatic fliers, moving with remarkable speed and grace, diving to lash opponents with weapons or talons before turning and flying away.

Their resemblance to animals isn’t limited to physical features. They display many of the same mannerisms as birds: they are fastidious about their plumage, for example, frequently tending their feathers, cleaning and scratching away any tiny air passages they might have picked up. Many Raptoran also punctuate their speech with chirps.

The idea of ownership baffles the Raptoran. After all, who owns the sky? Even when explained to them, they still find the notion weird and confusing. As a result, Raptorans who have little interaction with people might be a nuisance as they drop from the sky to snatch something when they feel they need. They find it hard not to pluck shiny objects and other treasures and not bring it back with them to beautify it.

Confinement terrifies them. To be grounded, trapped underground, or imprisoned by the cold, unyielding earth is a torment few Raptoran can withstand. Even when perched on a high tree or a bar stool, they appear alert, with eyes moving and bodies ready to take flight.

Alcohol is poisonous to Raptoran.

Raptoran racial attributes can be **found here.**

## **Ratfolk (*Skaven*)**

* **Lifespan:** Maturity 3 years; average lifespan ~20 years
* **Homeland:** Human Lands
* **Language:** Skitter

Ratfolk are small, rodent-like humanoids; originally native to subterranean areas in dry deserts and plains, they are now more often found in nomadic trading caravans. Much like the pack rats they resemble, ratfolk are tinkerers and hoarders by nature, and as a whole are masters of commerce, especially when it comes to acquiring and repairing devices.

Though some are shrewd merchants who carefully navigate the shifting alliances of black markets and bazaars, many ratfolk love their stockpiles of interesting items far more than money, and would rather trade for more such prizes to add to their hoards over mere coins. It’s common to see a successful crew of ratfolk traders rolling out of town with an even larger bundle than they entered with.

Ratfolk have a strong attraction to shiny jewelry, especially copper, bronze, and gold, and many decorate their ears and tails with small rings made of such metals. They are known to train giant badgers, which they often use as pack animals and mounts.

Ratfolk are extremely communal and live in large warrens with plenty of hidden crannies in which to stash their hoards or flee in times of danger, gravitating toward subterranean tunnels or tightly packed tenements in city slums. They feel an intense bond with their large families and kin networks, as well as with ordinary rodents of all sorts, living in chaotic harmony and fighting fiercely to defend each other when threatened. They are quick to use their stockpiles of gear in combat, but prefer to work out differences and settle disputes with mutually beneficial trades.

When a specific ratfolk warren grows overcrowded and the surrounding environment won’t support a larger community, young ratfolk instinctively seek out new places in which to dwell. If a large enough group of ratfolk immigrants all settle down in a new, fertile area, they may create a new warren, often with strong political ties to their original homeland. Otherwise, individual ratfolk are inclined to simply leave home and take up residence elsewhere, or wander on caravan trips that last most of the year, reducing the pressure of overcrowding at home.

Ratfolk racial attributes can be **found here.**

## **Shifter**

* **Lifespan:** Maturity 14 years; average lifespan ~80 years
* **Homeland:** Human Lands; most commonly found in Vanar
* **Language:** Human Languages

Shifters are subtle shapeshifters capable of disguising their appearance. They evolved through the union of humans and doppelgangers, eventually becoming a separate race distinct from either ancestral tree. They do not possess the full shapeshifting ability of a doppelganger, but they can create effective disguises at will. This ability makes them consummate spies and criminals, and many shifters live up to this potential.

In general, shifters are prudent and cautious, preferring to take risks only when they feel the payoff is worth it. They appreciate the finer things in life and take great pleasure in the comforts of a wealthy lifestyle when they can obtain it. They avoid direct confrontation, preferring stealthy strikes and hasty retreats whenever possible. In conversation, they are soft-spoken but have a gift for drawing out more information than the other party intends to reveal.

Shifters strongly resemble their doppelganger lineage, with only a passing nod to their human heritage. They stand between 5 and 6 feet tall. Unlike true doppelgangers, shifters do have genders in their natural form, although they can adopt any shape they like. In their natural forms, shifters have pale white skin, and their hair is thin and fair. Their limbs are long and slightly out of proportion compared to humans, and their faces have more distinct features than a doppelganger, including the hint of a nose and lips. Their eyes, however, remain blank black and they possess the overall look of being 'unfinished'.

Shifter racial stats can be **found here.**

## **Skinwalker (*Lycan, Werefolk*)**

* **Lifespan:** Maturity 18 years; average lifespan ~100 years
* **Homeland:** Human Lands; most commonly found in Slazka and the Eastern Plains
* **Language:** Human Languages, Beastspeech

Skinwalkers are descended from humans and true lycanthropes. Skinwalkers have a diminished ability change their form, but are free from the influence of the moon. While they cannot achieve a full lycanthrope transformation, they are able to take on more animalistic features--a state that they call "Animalism". Skinwalkers have evolved into a unique race that breeds true. They have a distinct culture with its own traditions and identity.

The personality and behavior of Skinwalkers are influenced by their animalistic heritage. Many are boorish and crude, while others are quiet and contemplative, and others are shifty and solitary. Just as most lycanthropes are carnivores, skinwalkers have a predatory personality and think of most activities in terms of hunting and prey. They view survival as a challenge, striving to be self-reliant, adaptable, and resourceful.

They appear to be basically human, but their bodies are often exceptionally lithe and muscled. They often move in a crouched posture, springing and leaping while their companions walk alongside. They often possess certain bestial traits, which are enhanced to become more feral and animalistic during their Animalism transformations; in such instances, they have flat noses, large eyes and heavy brows, pointed ears, long sideburns, fangs, and clawed fingers. Their eyes, as well, take on a more bestial appearance and sheen. Their forearms and lower legs grow long hair, and the hair on their head is thick and worn long. Their body hair is also accentuated during periods of Animalism.

Many people feel uncomfortable around skinwalkers, who in turn feel out of place in civilized lands. They tend to be neutral, viewing the struggle to survive as more in line with the natural order of the wilds. In terms of religion, they ultimately all follow Obad-Hai, but each tribe has curious beliefs regarding animal spirits. Each skinwalker has animal traits connected to their lycanthrope heritage and, as such, often worship like totem spirits. For example, a tribe of Wolf Skinwalkers (descended from werewolves) often worship the Great Wolf. Skinwalkers believe these totem animal spirits are the children of Obad-Hai.

Skinwalker racial attributes can be **found here.**

## **Tabaxi**

* **Lifespan:**Maturity 13 years; average lifespan ~60 years
* **Homeland:**The Eastern Plains, Lucain Coast
* **Language:**Merar (also called "Catfolk"

The Tabaxi are a race of catfolk who wander the steppes and plains of Dharrenal, driven by curiosity to collect interesting artifacts, gather tales and stories, and see as many of the world's wonders as they possibly can. The ultimate travelers, the Tabaxi rarely stay in one place for long. Their innate nature pushes them to leave no secrets uncovered, no treasures or legends lost.

The great tribes of tabaxi roam where they will, putting passion into every moment of their varied lives. These nomads roam the grassy plains, living in tribes that are segregated by their physical traits.

Unlike the Ronso, the Tabaxi are much smaller (rarely breaking 5 feet) and lithe, but are much faster and extremely clever with a good head for numbers. Quick in movement and thought, tabaxi rely on short bursts of energy to accomplish nearly any task, making other races seem plodding and dedicated in comparison. They respect gnomes, who seem to get where the tabaxi are coming from.

Tabaxi tend to travel in large family-based tribes, governed by a council of wise elders. There are no gender roles in tabaxi society, with both genders considered equal in every way. They tend to keep to their own, wandering close to human fringe settlements in small groups to trade. The tabaxi roam great distances in their travels and do not become attached to specific territories the way other humanoid nomads do.

The tabaxi are deeply spiritual, usually worshipping Fharlanghn, the god of horizons and travel. Some follow the teachings of the nature god, Obad-Hai, and others still respect Melora or even Olidimmara. Few tabaxi hold much respect for Pelor, Heironeous, St. Cuthbert, or other gods popular in human lands.

Tabaxi racial attributes can be **found here.**

## **Tiefling (*Cambion*)**

* **Lifespan:** Maturity 15 years; average lifespan ~100 years
* **Homeland:** Human lands
* **Languages:** Abyssal (also called "Infernal")

Those who bear the mark of Hell are first met with mistrust, and then curiosity--and, in more rural areas of Dharrenal, with fear. Countless scholars have delved through thousands of years of history in search of the origins of the tieflings, to little avail. The most prominent theory is that, back during the Dawn Age, warlocks of noble blood consorted with dark entities, and many of these unions resulted in children neither wholly human nor fiend. These children denied their ashblack fate and traveled across the world in hopes of finding a place in the world to call their own.

Tieflings have seemingly lived in Dharrenal as long as humans have, though they have never been counted among the Free Peoples. They spent most of their history fleeing persecution from a world that thought their very existence was an abomination. Many tieflings are said to have refused to fight during the Calamity War--when a people have experienced so much hatred and cruelty, a certain amount of nihilism is expected.

Not all tieflings declared neutrality, however; a great many served under the Demon Prince as a way to get back at their abusers. The most notable of these companies was “The Black Rams”, a brutal company of mercenary cutthroats and warlocks. It should be noted, though it is rarely brought up, that just as many fought against the demon, and due to their elemental resistances they tended to serve in the most dangerous parts of the War. The most notable were the “Ashen Brothers” and the “Cloven Arrows”. Cesarus Azenti in particular was a tiefling adventurer who was said to have saved countless thousands of people during the Calamity War.

In the centuries after Golden Treaty, the tieflings were once again marginalized and looked upon with suspicion. They fell to the shadows on the edge of society, where they find they thrive. Most avoid rural areas, sticking to more robust and cosmopolitan cities, such as Ibrido or the free coastal city of Havengrad on the edge of the Ozmit Empire, which in particular seems to be a haven for tieflings.

Tieflings have a certain reputation as liars, thieves, killers, and criminals. Many gleefully embrace their fiendish ancestry, finding their callings in foul deeds and shady business.

Tiefling racial attributes can be **found here.**

## **Tortle**

* **Lifespan:** Most can walk from birth; maturity 15 years; average lifespan ~50 years
* **Homeland:** Coastal areas of western Dharannel; notably the Snout of Omgar
* **Language:** Aquan

What many tortles consider a normal life, others might call a life of adventure. Born near sandy coastlines, most become nomad survivalists as soon as they are able to walk, eager to explore the world around them and meet new people.

A tortle hatches from a thick-shelled egg and spends the first few weeks of its life crawling on all fours. Its parents, often old and near death, spend what little time they have left telling stories to their offspring. Within a year, the young tortle becomes an orphan, though not before it learns how to speak and forage to survive on its own.

Young tortles inherit the tools of their parents and tend to live in sibling groups for the first 15 years or so of their lives, which are spent in relatively confined, isolated areas. At about fifteen years old, they will strike out on their own, most never seeing their siblings again.

These folk have a saying: "we wear our homes on our backs". Their shells provide all the shelter they require. Consequently, they don't feel the need to root themselves in one place for too long. Any tortle "settlement" is really only a temeporary place of lean-tos and torches, used for moots where tortles can socialize with each other, share useful information, and trade in relative safety.

Most tortles like to see how others live and discover new customs and ways of doing things. They embrace a simple worldview: the world is a place of wonder, and they see beauty in the ordinary. They live for the chance to hear a soft wind blowing through palm trees, to watch a frog croaking on a lily, or to simply stand in the middle of a busy human marketplace. They marvel at the works of other races, especially humans. While they spend much of their time in relative isolation, tortles are social creatures that like to form meaningful relationships.

Tortles universally worship Meloraa and believe that she watches over them and other creatures faithful to the sea. They believe the moon is the eye of Melora that watches over them in darkness. Tortles feel most at peace in the light of the moon, especially the full moon. They become nervous or uneasy when neither the sun or moon are visible in the sky. Tortles are most uncomfortable underground.

Tortle racial attributes can be **found here.**

## **Triton (*Undine*)**

* **Lifespan:** Maturity 20 years; average lifespan ~200 years
* **Homeland:** Zotaria; various bodies of water
* **Language:** Aquan

An aquatic folk who possess fish and amphibian traits, including fins, webbed feet, and gills, which allow them to swim and thrive underwater. They come in many shapes and sizes, but in general, they are humanoid with long tail fins on their heads and finned appendages on their arms and heads. Their skin is like that of a dolphin or shark; smooth and tough, ranging in color from white, blue, grey, dark green, red, or brown.

The Triton are a well-spoken but haughty race who harbor a mistrust of the surface world. Their people weathered the attack of the Demon Prince well, withdrawing from the Calamity War to safeguard their own domain. They have mostly remained apart from the surface since then, and most of their kind are strangers to the surface and its odd ways.

Tritons are a long-lived race, their longevity nearly rivaling the elves. A Triton reaches adulthood around 25 but can remain hale for centuries, and some live up to 400 years old. Tritons are well known as skilled crafters of enchanted objects. Their most famous is a tunic that allows the wearer to breathe while underwater.

Triton are usually found in or near large bodies of water, and rarely stray far away from them. Their capitol city is known as “Zataria”, which translates as simply “The Domain” in Aquan; a massive, cavernous fountain with beautiful architecture that is said to rival that of the elves. Triton are a peaceful and spiritual people, and they pride themselves on speaking clearly and eloquently. Despite their reputation, they are not above waging war if the need arises.

The Torrential Vanguard is a unit of highly trained warriors, fighting with tridents, pikes, and enchanted War Nets. Zataria employs legois of war-octopi and specially-bred Dire Dolphins serve as mounts. Other Triton settlements use Dire Otters, Dire Sharks, or even Dire Eels.

Triton racial stats can be **found here.**

## **Uldra**

**Lifespan:** Maturity 13 years; average lifespan ~300 years

**Homeland:** Slazka, The Frostweald

**Language:** Sylvan

Even in the frozen reaches of the Frostweald, the power of nature is no less strong. With that power come creatures connected to it: the Uldra, small fey connected to the primal power of the arctic wilderness. They live at peace with the natural world, and are especially fond of the animals found there. They see themselves as guardians and protectors of such creatures, especially in cases where civilization encroaches. While they generally seek to avoid conflict, Uldra are quick to rise to the defense of local wildlife.

Uldra are exceptionally emotional creatures, and their reaction to new situations are always powerful and expressive. An uldra can be laughing with joy one moment, screaming with rage the next, and then be as calm as a winter snow the next. To an uldra, these ever-changing mood swings are normal and logical, but they often project a feeling of insanity in more civilized folk.

Nothing brings joy to their hearts quite like watching, playing with, or helping wild animals. They find domesticated animals to be somewhat depressing and are often incensed at the "unjustice" of it all. Some even stage midnight raids to "rescue" dogs, cattle, and other animals by kidnapping them and returning them to the wilderness. Uldra have a strong dislike for cities and civilization in general, and many take it upon themselves to harass and annoy obvious city-folk.

Uldra are free-spirited feykin, and unlike most humanoid races, they have no interest in living in communities or building cities. They prefer to live in hollow trees or empty caves, dense thickets, or icy glacial tunnels. They are usually solitary, but can sometimes be found living in small family groups of three to six. Their lives are nomadic, and their "society" anarchic. They tend to be fiercely territorial, and usually react rashly to any attempt to cultivate or alter natural geographical regions by civilized races. They are less antagonistic toward explorers, wanderers, travelers, and adventurers, although if such creatures penetrate too deeply into their lands,the uldra won't hesitate to voice their displeasure.

As with most fey, the uldra do not worship the gods, though many do respect the Raven Queen and Obad-Hai. They prefer to live as one with the natural world.

Uldra racial attributes can be **found here.**