Choosing a Race

## THE RACES OF FAERODORN

Faerodorn has always been a vast eclectic multi-racial multicultural landscape where the peoples of many different worlds are forced to live amongst each other not only in peace, but in prosperity as well. Adventuring parties are no different. They are sometimes made up of vastly different racial makeups bringing together each race's strong suits to the forefront to further advance the group.

### **HUMANS**

Humans possess exceptional drive and a great capacity to endure and expand, and as such are currently the dominant race in the world. Their empires and nations are vast, sprawling things, and the citizens of these societies carve names for themselves with the strength of their sword arms and the power of their spells. Humanity is best characterized by its tumultuousness and diversity, and human cultures run the gamut from savage but honorable tribes to decadent, devil-worshiping noble families in the most cosmopolitan cities. Humans' curiosity and ambition often triumph over their predilection for a sedentary lifestyle, and many leave their homes to explore the innumerable forgotten corners of the world or lead mighty armies to conquer their neighbors, simply because they can.

**ELVES**

he long-lived elves are children of the natural world, similar in many superficial ways to fey creatures, though with key differences. While fey are truly linked to the flora and fauna of their homes, existing as the nearly immortal voices and guardians of the wilderness, elves are instead mortals who are in tune with the natural world around them. Elves seek to live in balance with the wild and understand it better than most other mortals. Some of this understanding is mystical, but an equal part comes from the elves' long lifespans, which in turn gives them long-ranging outlooks. Elves can expect to remain active in the same locale for centuries. By necessity, they must learn to maintain sustainable lifestyles, and this is most easily done when they work with nature, rather than attempting to bend it to their will. However, their links to nature are not entirely driven by pragmatism. Elves' bodies slowly change over time, taking on a physical representation of their mental and spiritual states, and those who dwell in a region for a long period of time find themselves physically adapting to match their surroundings, most noticeably taking on coloration that reflects the local environment.

### **DWARVES**

Dwarves are a stoic but stern race, ensconced in cities carved from the hearts of mountains and fiercely determined to repel the depredations of savage races like orcs and goblins. More than any other race, dwarves have acquired a reputation as dour and humorless artisans of the earth. It could be said that their history shapes the dark disposition of many dwarves, for they reside in high mountains and dangerous realms below the earth, constantly at war with giants, goblins, and other such horrors.

### **HALFLINGS**

Optimistic and cheerful by nature, blessed with uncanny luck, and driven by a powerful wanderlust, halflings make up for their short stature with an abundance of bravado and curiosity. At once excitable and easy-going, halflings like to keep an even temper and a steady eye on opportunity, and are not as prone to violent or emotional outbursts as some of the more volatile races. Even in the jaws of catastrophe, halflings almost never lose their sense of humor. Their ability to find humor in the absurd, no matter how dire the situation, often allows halflings to distance themselves ever so slightly from the dangers that surround them. This sense of detachment can also help shield them from terrors that might immobilize their allies.

### **RAJAKI**

he Rajaki (Or Cat-Folk) are the members of a strange race who travel from village to village, looking for money and company: they don’t have a permanent home and are always on the road. Constantly joyous and playful, Catfolk love to play and there is no end to the mischief they can wreak.

### **HALF-ELVES**

Humans and elves sometimes wed, the elf attracted to the human’s
energy and the human to the elf’s grace. These marriages end
quickly as elves count years because a human’s life is so brief, but
they leave an enduring legacy—half-elf children.
The life of a half-elf can be hard. If raised by elves, the half-elf
seems to grow with astounding speed, reaching maturity within two
decades. The half-elf becomes an adult long before she has had time
to learn the intricacies of elven art and culture, or even grammar.
She leaves behind her childhood friends, becoming physically an
adult but culturally still a child by elven standards. Typically, she
leaves her elven home, which is no longer familiar, and finds her
way among humans.
If, on the other hand, she is raised by humans, the half-elf finds
herself different from her peers: more aloof, more sensitive, less
ambitious, and slower to mature. Some half-elves try to fit in among
humans, while others find their identities in their difference. Most
find places for themselves in human lands, but some feel like
outsiders all their lives.

### **HALF-ORCS**

In the wild frontiers, tribes of human and orc barbarians live in
uneasy balance, fighting in times of war and trading in times of
peace. Half-orcs who are born in the frontier may live with either
human or orc parents, but they are nevertheless exposed to both
cultures. Some, for whatever reason, leave their homeland and travel
to civilized lands, bringing with them the tenacity, courage, and
combat prowess that they developed in the wilds

### **NAGUAN**

aurians are an ancient, noble race. The Saurian civilization was old when the other races were born, having survived the catastrophes that periodically cleanse the world. Ancient saurian scrolls tell of a time when the world was covered in jungle and giant reptiles stomped across the continents. Perhaps because of this pedigree, modern saurians feel a bit out of place in the modern world. While a proud, civilized people, the saurians are slow to adapt and lost much of their civilization during the last great catastrophe. Now scattered across a colder, unforgiving world, saurians maintain as much of their ancient traditions as possible while acknowledging their status as a dying breed. The typical saurian is stubborn, stoic, and resolute. His pragmatic approach and willingness to accept the inevitable sometimes and unfairly labels him as defeatist.

### **GNOMES**

Gnomes are welcome everywhere as technicians, alchemists, and
inventors. Despite the demand for their skills, most gnomes prefer
to remain among their own kind, living in comfortable burrows
beneath rolling, wooded hills where animals abound