Races

**Playable Races:**

There are a number of playable races in V&A, depending on the region. Most areas have some mix of all of these races, whether as tourists, prisoners and slaves or as full citizens.

Half-Elves - The rare interbreeding of humans and elves of any variety; at home in no world. Balancing the passion and curiosity of humans with the grace and creativity of elves, half-elves are naturally charismatic and beautiful, but rarely find perfect acceptance anywhere in society.

Human - The middle race, younger than the dwarves and elves, but older than the orcs, halflings and gnomes. They primarily reside on the Vidgart continents, though occasionally venture to the floating islands or into the dwarven catacombs. Standard Human Rules Apply for 5e.

Dwarves - The Children of Torag claim to the oldest races, and lay claim to the underground, with their vasty (but now fallen kingdoms). The Stout and sturdy forged people have a love for craftsmanship, family and discipline. Many have ventured forth to the surface world, in order to make their way and their fortune.

Elves - The longest lived races (and they claim, the oldest) lives originally in the floating island kingdoms. Intelligent and Graceful, they are capable of great magicks. They have ventured below and tend to view the other races with disdain.

Gnomes - Refugees from a pocket dimension, they migrated to Vidgart and ingratiated themselves into other communities, finding safehaven most easily with the dwarves. Curious and hardy, they are more flightly than their neighbors but more flexible and nuanced.

Halflings - the child-people find themselves being adopted, adapting or hiding so as to survive in a world dominated by larger peoples. The quick wits, fingers and feet of the halfling has meant that what they lack in size and strength is made up for in usefullness and skill.

Half-Orcs - What was a rarity now outnumbers their parental race. Half-orcs are the interbreeding of any other race with an orc. While racial variants do exist (half-dwarf half orcs tend to be shorter, half elves tend ti be thinner) all seem to carry their orcish roots more closely than whatever recessive gene they have.

**Rare or Area Specific Races:**

All of these races are geographically specific and cannot start outside of their region. Even within their region, all of them are essentially considered enemies, monsters or second class citizens.

Orcs - The green-men are one of the later races, first emerging with slight variation on the continent of Urktel, and Magrian. Clannish, Tribal and short lived, they are capable warriors, and more than a formiddable force. Pure blood orcs are becoming rarer, as they are one of the few races that can easily interbreed with any race to create half orcs. Thought of by foreigners as pirates, thugs and monsters.

Dragonbourne/Lizardmen - The most successful attempt by the powerful race of dragons to create survitors. Each Dragonbourne resembles superficiall the creator that made their original clutch. All Dragonbourne can breed, and bear physical traits of dragons, with the exception of wings, and breath weapon. Hunted to near extinction in most areas by the softskins, who derogitorally refer to them as lizardmen, pockets of dragonbourne civilization still exist, usually in hidden areas, or near where dragons still bear influence. They desire to be closer to their gods. Viewed with suspicion especially by elves, they are assumed to be in close alliance with all other dragons.

Tieflings - Not so much a race as an intermingling of demonic and humanoid blood. They resemble their father race, but have demonic traits otherwise. They are a rare race, because in most cultures they are killed by local priests and their parents are driven out. Most die in infancy at the hands of neighbors, and those who survive end up hiding their fiendish heritage.

Kobolds - Another draconic race, much more like pilot fish, spies and vermin. Kobolds can survive any where and almost universally craven. Good dragons rarely make them. Like Lizardmen, Kobolds are genetically programed not to hurt draconic creatures of any sort. As such they usually form a symbiotic relationship with both larger cousins. They are often thought of as vermin and thieves.

**Gnolls** - descendants of outcast Ushabti, they roam the wastes and mountains of Ushab, and also southern Urktel. Carniverous scavengers, the Gnolls are expert trackers, and brutal warriors. Most are scared by them, and view them as likely to eat them as to talk with them.

Goliaths - Thought of as half-giants, the Goliath tribes originate in the mounthains of Ush, and are officially welcomed only in the Nungar kingdom. Their strength allows them to survive in harsh elements of the mountains and raid against their neighbors. Those who have memory or hatred towards giants, automatically.

Goblins/Hobgoblins/Bugbears - Usually not a player race, there are occasions when any of the three races of goblinoid could be open to players, depending on the characters access to food, proximity to other goblins, but it is extremely rare. Most consider Goblins in the same way they view kobolds, and hobgoblins and bugbears as variants of of Orcs. The exception is dwarves, who will almost never trust a goblin and might try and kill them.

Aaracockra - Winged Birdmen of the Stratos and Rimlands, they rarely venture below. But an exile or a renegade has made a home with the landbound before.

Genasi - The rare interbreeding of a genie, one of the sentient elemental rulers of the middle elemental planes, and another intelligent race. Viewed in the same way as many would view a fae child, or a tiefling, they are often driven out and rarely ever see another of their own kind.

Centaur - The Horsemen of Hastur's Land rarely roam far from their hills and plaines, but it has been known to happen. Most people respond with wonder and amazement when they see one.

Triton - The mermen, were thought to be legend, but enough have emerged from the depths to talk about hidden cities and civilizations engaging in a war under the waves with mounstrous creatures. All that interact with the surface world are exiled, criminal, abandoned, or a survivor of a massacre in their never ending war.

Tortles - Hunted to extinction on the lands now occupied by the mongrel nation/free confederacy by the giants, tiny pockets of tortles still exist, and are left alone by their orcish neighbors. They usually remain hidden, but it is possible that a young rebel would be capable of adventuring. Warforged - Coming Soon