Races of Immoren

Immoren is home to many different races that make up its people, ranging from the mundane to the truly exotic.

## Humans

Humans are the predominant people of the Iron Kingdoms. Humans are fairly standard in Immoren, living about 70 or so years under good circumstances. The population of humanity drastically decreased due to the Claiming, though it will eventually recover. Humanity has proven its potential through the development of mechanika and the harnessing of alchemy.

## Elves

Elves are a conglomeration of two distinct but related lineages, with a third sub species arising in recent times.

### Iosan Elves

The learned and physically graceful people from the nation of Ios are the remnants of a once-vast empire that has long since collapsed. Though Ios has been bordered by Rhul almost as long as human civilization, these people originally came from eastern Immoren. The disaster that destroyed their old civilization led to other problems. While few outsiders know it, the race is dying; its numbers are dwindling, and the current generation faces a looming cosmological catastrophe that might occur within their lifetime. This has led to most Iosans being xenophobic and extremely secretive. Those who come to know them realize they are an intelligent and skilled people, equally well versed in combat and the arcane arts. While private about religious matters, most are deeply pious in their worship for a goddess named Scyrah.

Iosans live considerably longer than most races, which has given rise to a reputation for agelessness. Many enjoy over two centuries of life, for they are not prone to disease and rarely show the ravages of time even in their advanced years. Given the imminent doom their race faces, Iosan longevity is not seen as a great advantage. Iosans are generally pale and have a range of hair color, with some dying their hair exotic shades. Certain sects wear tattoos as a way to show solidarity, and a number have also chosen to shave their heads.

The Iosans have been reticent as long as humanity can remember, but in the last few decades their isolationism has taken an extreme turn. The nation has closed its borders and conducts little trade with outsiders. Not all Iosans have retreated to their homeland, however, and a number live among the human kingdoms. These tend to be exiles, pilgrims, or well-armed agents serving vital missions. Two Iosan religious sects have specific reasons to be abroad in human lands: the Seekers and the Retribution of Scyrah. The former tends to be friendlier than the latter.

### Nyss

Nyss are the rugged race that once inhabited the frozen north amid the imposing peaks of the Shard Spires—a region so inhospitable even the hardy Khadorans ceded it to them. They appear markedly different from their Iosan cousins, being taller and more physically robust, with black hair and extremely pale skin. They also possess an even greater longevity than the Iosans.

The Nyss are a tribal people who live close to the land as superlative hunters, trackers, archers, and swordsmen. Also inheritors of a long and ancient line, they know the forging of superior weapons as well as the crafting of supple leather armor. Considered the chosen people of the winter god Nyssor, the Nyss have an affinity for cold. Sorcery is common among them and is seen as a blessing that allows them to manifest the powers of cold against their enemies.

At one time the Nyss were more similar to the Iosans and lived alongside them, although they were never as xenophobic or insular as their cousins. Centuries ago they undertook a spiritual exodus to the frozen wilds and adopted a new way of life. This forever changed them. Traditionally the Nyss have always been a strongly devout people who see themselves as chosen by Nyssor, but their culture was recently shattered by the arrival of the dragon Everblight, who worked through his minions to enslave most of the Nyss as part of his legion. The few who escaped the dragon’s blight fled south as refugees and now eke out livings as mercenaries, hunters, or criminals. Even as they try to preserve their old ways, they know they must rely on other peoples to ensure their survival.

### Soulless

Soulless elves are a new development, beginning in the past couple centuries. Soulless were generally killed at birth, though some of them were spared to be used by radical Iosan sects who saw potential in their nature. Soulless are resistant to magic in the most peculiar way, often being unaffected by all but the most powerful magic. Since the death of the two remaining elven gods, there are likely more soulless alive in Ios than other elves.

## Dwarves

Dwarves are the sturdy and long-lived folk who hail from the northern nation of Rhul, a sprawling mountainous civilization based around extended family clans. Rhul is the longest enduring and stable civilization in western Immoren. Rhulfolk, as dwarves are commonly known, are stalwart in body and demeanor and generally optimistic about overcoming hardships or obstacles. They readily embrace mechanika, steam power, and manufacturing. They are relatively slow innovators but have shown superlative skill in adapting and improving upon these fields. Most dwarves take considerable pride in their individual areas of expertise, whatever that may be; performing good work is a core value of their culture. This has led to Rhul's reputation for fine crafted goods as well as exceptionally disciplined and professional mercenaries and soldiers.

There is truth to the dwarven reputation as a law-abiding people. Primacy of law is vital in Rhul, where arbitration is overseen by the priests of their progenitor gods with sacred solemnity. Most dwarves do not make idle promises. This has encouraged a fondness for negotiating detailed contracts that other races may find tedious. Rhulic law includes stipulations for settling disputes by violent duels and feuds, which has led to martial traditions being enthusiastically embraced by all walks of life. Rhulfolk have been living in human cities for centuries and face no real discrimination. The solidarity of the Rhulic people is well known and well deserved, as even strangers will go to great lengths to look after one another.

Physically dwarves are shorter on average than humans, but they make up for it by being quite stout in frame. They can expect to live about half again as long as humans. Dwarves demonstrate a similar range of skin tones and hair colors as human ethnicities in the same northern regions. Most Rhulfolk have a pragmatic attitude toward clothing, armor, and weapons and prefer function over ostentation.

## Dhunian Races

The Dhunian races are those that venerate Dhunia, the earth mother. While the individual races aren't aligned beyond religion, they still are unlikely to come into conflict if it can be avoided.

### Trollkin

The Trollkin are the humanoid branch of the trollbloods, being more civilized than their full blooded troll relatives. Trollkin are a strong, hardy, and tradition-minded people renowned for their tenacity and resilience. These people have been among the most successful and diverse of the races of western Immoren. Persisting outside the laws of the Iron Kingdoms, trollkin are organized into large tribal societies called kriels which are comprised of multiple families called kith. Most trollkin wear distinctive quitari patterns that denote their connection to kith and kriel. Trollkin are the most deeply religious of the Dhunian races, and their shamans are spiritual leaders as well as leaders of sizable communities.

Trollkin are large and physically imposing, with distinctive skin whose hue may range from dark blue to blue-green, though their sorcerers tend to be slighter of build with much paler skin tones. They grow colorful quills rather than hair, and the faces of the males show calcified growths that  become more pronounced with age. Trollkin are blood relatives of trolls and boast similar, if reduced, resilience; a trollkin who is well fed can endure wounds that would kill a human. This vitality also leads to long lives, and they regularly live almost twice as long as humans. Some trollkin possess tremendously powerful, booming voices said to be able to crack stone and shatter eardrums.

The trollkin are divided between the wilderness kriels, who are often at odds with human civilization, and those who have integrated into the cities as citizens of the Iron Kingdoms. Few trollkin are comfortable on both sides of this divide, and most must eventually choose between them. Certain kriels have had increasingly violent clashes with human townships and armies in recent years. As a result, trollkin often face prejudice and fear in human cities, particularly in regions that have been beset by the larger, ravenous full-blood trolls. In general, trollkin are valued in cities for their seemingly inexhaustible stamina as well as their skill at a variety of crafts, particularly the art of armed conflict.

### Gobbers

Gobbers are an amiable and curious people inclined to violence only as a last resort, which differentiates them from their wilder cousins known as bogrin. They have had considerable success integrating into human society in both rural and urban areas. They include astute traders, skilled laborers, and innovative thinkers with a natural affinity for alchemy and engineering. Gobbers are a diminutive people, quite slender and wiry. They are hairless, and their skin is generally a mottled green-gray. This coloration can change drastically, however, often by mood, and some gobbers can control their skin coloration to a limited degree.

Gobbers are one of the three major Dhunian races that worship the mother-goddess, although religion is not a major aspect of their lives. Indeed, they seem irreverent and lacking in solemnity to some cultures, but this is merely an extension of their curiosity and general disregard for social barriers. Gobber society has little regimentation or hierarchy, with each gobber expected to speak frankly and contribute to the general well-being of his family and closest friends.

Gobbers who work and live together fall into a communal relationship where ownership of items like tools or weapons becomes meaningless, a behavior they may also exhibit with friends and colleagues of other races. Although they do not consider taking another's belongings under such circumstances as theft, those living in human society understand human norms, so they cannot make excuses to evade punishments for crimes. Small in stature, extremely nimble, good climbers, and naturally skilled at evading notice, gobbers do make exceptional thieves. This has led to unfortunate stereotypes. Gobbers usually prefer to create things of lasting value by the skill of their hands and equally nimble minds than to survive by pilfering. That said, they are often exploited in low-paying jobs, so many live in poverty and sometimes turn to criminal professions as an alternative. Others live as semi-nomadic junkers, a respectable trade among gobbers, and travel from town to town salvaging broken and discarded items to repair and resell.

### Bogrin

Bogrin are related to the more common gobbers, but they are taller, heavier, and hardier than their diminutive cousins. Quick, sly, and considered more than a little underhanded, bogrin are a  Dhunian race, though some tribes are more closely associated with the Devourer Wurm due to the collective ferocity of their tribal societies. Naturally able to resist extreme temperatures, bogrin range across all of western Immoren in areas as varied as the Wyrmwall Mountains and the Bloodstone Marches, and they are one of the few races that inhabit the Burningfrost Plains

Bogrin stand four feet tall on average and have lithe, wiry builds. Their heads are broad, and their ears are long and pointed. They have the same mottled green-gray skin gobbers do, but the sagittal ridge running from above the nose to the back of the head provides a distinctive look that separates them from the more common gobber.

Bogrin societies are loose knit, violent, and almost incomprehensible to most outsiders. Bogrin appear tribal on the surface, but factions within each tribe vie not only against one another, but also against the tribe’s chieftain. Those who are strong enough to take something from another view it as their natural right. This chaotic structure carries over to their dealings with their allies. Although bogrin living among other groups forge loyal relationships with members of their “adopted tribe,” their aggressive nature can get the better of them, and a simple misunderstanding can escalate to violence in moments. Bogrin often end up instigating trouble among their adopted brothers and sisters in pursuit of their own goals. Like gobbers, they care little for the idea of personal property and can find themselves in the midst of arguments and accusations of thievery.

### Ogrun

Ogrun are fierce-looking, formidable creatures who tower over most other races and are capable of remarkable feats of strength. They are also a tremendously honorable people who have earned a place for themselves in the Iron Kingdoms, primarily as laborers and peerless warriors. While scattered tribes of ogrun still exist in isolated pockets, most have integrated into the kingdoms' cultures. The largest concentration of ogrun is found in Rhul, where they are counted as full members of the dwarven clans to whom they have sworn fealty. Ogrun loyalty is legendary, and they have a reputation for being among the most dedicated and fierce bodyguards in western Immoren. Mercenary ogrun are deemed more trustworthy and reliable than other sell-swords and can command a premium wage.

Ogrun are one of the major Dhunian races, and while their society within Rhul has changed, they remain a spiritual people. Traditional ogrun culture is rooted in a simple but effective system of feudalism whereby young warriors called bokur must eventually find worthy leaders to serve. Elder ogrun in turn hope to prove worthy enough to earn the binding oaths of young bokurs, for whom they then carry a certain responsibility. The ogrun in the leadership position is a korune—a lord—and there can be multiple layers of vassalage in an ogrun tribe, with the leader being whoever boasts the largest chain of subordinates. General obligations are secondary to personal oaths, and even Rhulic ogrun feel the urge to find a worthy korune,  Generally after an extended period of wandering and self-testing.

Rhulic ogrun have adopted many of the beliefs and priorities of dwarven society, including taking pride in work. While the combat arts are chosen by most, there are many accomplished ogrun smiths, masons, and mechanics who tackle these professions with the same dedication as a bokur mastering his battle-glaive.

### Farrow

Farrow are an opportunistic and hardy race of boar-men that has thrived on the fringes of civilization for centuries. They are found among the unclaimed badlands of Cygnar and are particularly numerous on the habitable fringes of the Bloodstone Marches. Their territories are dotted with farrow villages led by local chieftains, with populations ranging from a few dozen individuals into the hundreds. The mightiest of these local leaders are self-appointed warlords, each of whom has dominated numerous lesser chiefs. Many farrow make a living as guides, scouts, and traders, and some sustain themselves as brigands, attacking travelers on the trade roads of western Immoren to pilfer goods. Farrow also make for excellent cooks. (Bacon makes everything taste better.)

Farrow are a sturdy, strong race possessing a natural talent for physical activity. They stand about as tall as humans but carry themselves in a stooped, hunchbacked posture. A farrow’s face is much like that of a boar, with a long tusked snout and a flat cartilaginous nose, but the eyes betray a keen intelligence. Farrow are quite shrewd and have a deserved reputation as peerless scavengers. They waste little; in their raids they will take anything that isn’t bolted down and will transform even cast-off materials into effective weapons, tools, and armor. Though life on the fringes requires many to indulge in opportunistic banditry to survive, farrow settlements are generally open to trading with other races, and farrow warriors often sell their services as mercenaries and guides. Grun, the farrow tongue, has a simple grammar and includes a large number of words borrowed or modified from Cygnaran, peppered with emotive grunts and squeals irreproducible by humans.

Farrow society is brutal by the standards of some outsiders, as the strong dominate the weak and disputes are commonly resolved through violence. Dhunian shamans hold a respected position in farrow villages and can sometimes mediate escalating conflicts that threaten the community. Though religion is not a central aspect of farrow life, most tribes venerate Dhunia to some degree, depicting her as a pregnant female of their race. Farrow warlocks and bone grinders often rise to leadership thanks to their special talents. The greatest farrow warlords are those who can control porcine warbeasts and employ them to crush would-be rivals. Nonetheless, there is room in farrow society for other roles, and those who are clever or skilled seek the protection of stronger allies who value their talents.

## Other Races

The following races are less populous than the other and are fairly unique among others.

### Gatormen

Bipedal reptiles endowed with formidable natural weaponry, gatormen are primal hunters who dwell in deep swamps and along remote rivers, dominating any area they inhabit. They are feared predators notorious for guarding their territories with bloodthirsty efficiency and will eagerly assail any trespassers.

Gatormen have long jaws lined with large, sharp teeth for rending flesh, and their bite has bone-shattering power. Their thickly scaled hide overlays exceptionally dense muscle, providing tough natural armor. A gatorman’s mind is that of a cold-blooded predator always searching for prey to consume. Gatormen can live incredibly long, and they spend the majority of that prolonged life jostling for dominance among their own kind. Tribes tend to be independent of each other if not openly antagonistic, competing for resources and hunting territory. Gatorman tribes are led by bokors, feral witch doctors who command predatory swamp spirits and necromantic powers.

Ruthless but pragmatic, gatormen will often barter with outsiders who bear offerings. Swamp denizens must placate or otherwise come to terms with local gatorman tribes if they hope to survive. Gatormen do not lightly break their word—whether a promise of safe passage or a vow of vengeance—and are rigid in interpreting such agreements, savagely punishing those  suspected of betrayal.

### Skorne

The skorne are the dominant race of eastern Immoren. Though tall and lean of build, they are strong and naturally rugged. From their roots as tribal nomads, the skorne rose to build an empire that stretches from the Mizrah Sea to the great Abyss. The desolate land they call home has forged the skorne into an impressive race. While not as physically robust as trollkin or ogrun, the skorne ability to press on despite pain or physical injury is terrifying to the men of the west.

The skorne have no gods and believe in no afterlife. When they die, their souls are consumed by the Void. The skorne combat the finality of death through exaltation, the preservation of the spirit in a sacral stone. This privilege is reserved for the greatest skorne, those warriors who die in glorious battle.

This belief shapes skorne society. Their culture is stratified into several castes, with the warriors at the top of the hierarchy. Skorne warriors live by the tenets of hoksune, a philosophy and code laid out by the ascetic and peerless warrior Vuxoris the First Exalted. Even non-warrior castes make it their life’s work to support their house’s military, since all tasks are geared toward elevating the greatness of the house and its ability to wage war.

### Efaarit

Tribal nomads native to the Bloodstone Desert, the efaarit are a hardy yet slender race of talented survivalists. Standing slightly taller than a human they glide across the desert. They are fleet of foot and are often employed as scouts for the many armies that exist across Immoren. It is not uncommon to see efaarit atop tamed mounts to make their nomadic trek across the desert even easier.

### Satyxis

Satyxis are fearsome women from the island of Satyx, a legendary place hidden somewhere among the fog shrouded Scharde Islands. Theirs is an old race, known for its cruelty and skill in combat. Once they were human, but for over a thousand years they have been known as the foremost living servants of Lord Toruk. They are easily distinguished by the twisted horns growing from their skulls, a physical manifestation of the dragon blight that transformed their race.

Some mainlanders think the Satyxis’ form is connected to Toruk, but this blight originates from a different dragon, now deceased. In 1650 BR, over six centuries before the founding of Cryx, the Dragonfather battled the white dragon Shazkz in the skies over Satyx. Though Shazkz tried to defend himself, Toruk savaged the lesser dragon and consumed his essence. Blighted blood rained down on the island. The lands were corrupted and changed, the sands poisoned, and the men of Satyx withered into malformed husks. The women of the island, though, changed in different ways. They became something inhuman, growing their characteristic horns and having their already heightened cruelty twisted and refined into something truly terrifying. When Toruk came to claim the island as part of his domain, the Satyxis queen was quick to join the fate of her people to the great dragon, offering him warriors and worship. From that day forward, many skilled Satyxis raiders have sailed among Cryxian pirate fleets as sea reavers. Their society is inextricably bound up in blood rituals and cycles of predation upon those living on the mainland, making them feared and despised by the majority of nonCryxians. Satyxis are killed on sight in most mainland towns and cities and are treated warily even in those few pirate dens where they are sometimes seen.