Humanoids

Humans are a versatile race, possessing the strength and mental capacity to take on a wide variety of roles and vocations. They are also by far the most numerous, with a tendency towards large family units and a heightened drive to reproduce. This is attributed by some to a natural instinct to compensate for their relatively short lifespans. Because of their large population and the belief that they are the closest approximation to the original physical form of the Third Creation, they are often used as a measure to compare other races.

Despite being considered the base humanoid species, humans do possess some of the most variety internal to their species; with height, weight, skin tones, hair color and other such features capable of varying drastically by region, climate, and blood lines. This variety is further encouraged by the fact that Humans can be found living almost anywhere, though they do tend to congregate together. Their societies can be incredibly primitive, organized by tribes or clans that tend to live in wilder regions, but they re also capable of building culturally sophisticated societies, with cities, kingdoms, and even empires stretching over vast territories.

It is said that all humans have a natural born fear of darkness and are never truly comfortable in the absence of light. As well, something within most humans seem to call out to the divine and Holy powers of Creation. There are many who believe that this is evidence that humans are descended from those in closest relationship with the Angels of the First Creation, thus explaining their affinity for Light and Holy powers. However, this certainly should not be confused with a propensity for good versus evil, as Humans are quite capable of both.

Humans are renowned for their ambition; they are capable of great acts of heroism, but also prone to deep character flaws. They are known throughout the lands as smooth talkers and quick thinkers, making them excellent merchants and traders, at ease plying their wares across vast distances on land and sea.

Most telling of their features is their ears, larger than humans and coming to distinctive point, garnering elves the derogatory nickname of ‘Knife Ears”. While generally weaker than humans, they are superior in almost every other way, possessing a keen mind, quick reflexes, and a remarkable otherworldly beauty that seems to often catch the eye of humans in particular.

Elves have lifespans much long than any other race, thought to be proof that before the downfall, all of the Third creation possessed longevity of life. It is not unheard of for Elves to live for a thousand years before finally succumbing to the ravages of old age, though most elves will die of other causes long before reaching the natural end of their life cycle. As such, elderly Elves are rare and much revered. Elven children are also rare, for it is said that with so much time available to them relative to the other races, Elves seem to almost forget about the necessity of breeding in order to propagate their race.

Several variants of True-born Elven bloodlines exist:

High Elf

The High Elves are those Elves who have used their long years to pursue art, literature, music, academics, law, and all the things that epitomize a highly civilized culture. They are expert craftsman and warriors, often spending the equivalent of an entire human lifespan simply training and honing their craft. Their historical records are some of the most complete archives, reaching back into ancient times, though always marked by a hint of racial superiority. Though they do not necessary look down on the other races as flawed and inferior, it must be considered that as a race they were exploring the higher mysteries of the cosmos and complexities of the mind and soul while humans were still discovering fire and developing spoken languages.

As some of the first peoples of the Third Creation to develop advanced societies most High Elven cultures are seen to be in their twilight, having grown to establish vast empires only to have slowly declined as other races, namely Humans, rose to dominance. What humans often seem to forget is that their own rise to dominance was likely only possible due to the sacrifices of the early Elven Kingdoms and Empires. For of all the Third Creation, Demons despise Elves most of all, perhaps because they are the most resistant to their corrupting influence, or even simply that they are said to still possess a measure of the angelic beauty of the Eternal Realm. Regardless, Elves and Demons have fought many long and destructive wars stretching far beyond the recorded histories of human kind. In many ways, High Elves have always been the sword that has kept the Demons at bay, sacrificing much to prevent them overrunning the Realm of Strife. Countless Elven Kingdoms have risen and fallen, with once great Empires now reduced to ashes, each owing its demise in some form to the demonic Abomination of Creation.

Wild Elf

Wild Elves share much in common with their High Elf cousins; size, stature, features, and long life spans. The commonalty ends there, however, for they possess a deep and almost spiritual connection with the natural world that is unique to their race and they are never willing to exploit it for the sake of advancing their civilizations. In many ways this has held them back as race, making them appear almost primitive to outside observers. This is not necessarily true—some Wild Elf civilizations are quite advanced in philosophy, art, and self governance, even building large empires and sprawling cities. There is always a marked difference between a Wild Elf settlement and any other, regardless of how primitive or advanced, for Wild Elves spend their long years shaping the environment around them to allow all living and growing things to live together in harmony. This doesn’t mean they reject activities essential to the survival of any race, such as hunting or harvesting timber, but in doing so they recognize that they are just one part of the grand cycle of the natural world.

This philosophy tends to place Wild Elves at odds with the rest of the world, for most of the other races view themselves as the dominate form of life with an inherit right to exploit the natural world for their own benefit. Throughout the long history of the Realm of Strife, this has led to conflicts beyond counting, from small skirmishes to all out warfare.Though most Wild Elves tend to be reclusive by natural, they are quick to rise to the defense of their beloved forests and wild places of the world.

Wild Elves are most often found in tribal units, living as nomads within the deepest forests and most remote hills. When they feel their presence in a particular area has placed too much strain on the natural cycle of life they move on so that it may recover. When they do build permanent cities, they shape the very trees themselves into grand halls and sprawling terraces, so harmoniously designed that it can be difficult to distinguish them from the natural forest around them—a most clever form of defense.

Being of Elven heritage, Wild Elves too have drawn the ire of Demons from the very beginnings of the Realm of Strife. By their nature they tend away from direct conflict, preferring to strike hard and fast and then melt away into the forest.

The Elven bloodline is found to be very dominant, when mixed with other races, and as such Half-Elves strongly resemble true-born Elves. However they tend to be more muscular, and for males at least, their mixed heritage is most evident by the presence of facial hair, which is rather uncommon among true-born elves.

Physically they appear almost half the height of the average human, but typically possessing the same mass. This makes them well muscled and broad of shoulder, renowned their strength and stamina, with a tendency toward slow movement and clumsiness at times. They often have a propensity for rotund bellies, though this could simply be due to their unquenchable thirst for ale and mead (or any kind of strong drink).

Thick beards are prevalent among males, and usually have a strong cultural significance as well, being a sign of manhood, courage, wisdom, and experience. You can learn much about a Dwarf from the braids in his beard, as each one represents a significant moment in their such as a victorious battle or grand discovery. Even among Dwarven females, facial hair is common, though it is often trimmed or swept up into extravagant braided hair styles.

Dwarven lifespans are still considerably shorter than the long-lived Elves, but generally they live two to three times longer than humans. This gives them ample time to perfect their trades, and as such Dwarven craftsmanship is highly prized, particularly when it comes to metal and stone works. Ever a pragmatic race, their designs are predictable, following sturdy geometric patterns and valuing function over form.

Mountain Dwarves are by far the most common species of Dwarf and typically this is to whom the term Dwarf refers. However other variant species exist, such as Hill Dwarves, who become even grumpier than normal when mistaken for a Mountain Dwarf.

Mountain Dwarf

With a natural affinity for the earth, Mountain Dwarves often make their homes underground, carving vast pillared halls and grand underground highways as they delve deeper into the earth in search of highly coveted precious metals and gemstones. Tales abound of hidden mines and long forgotten caches of untold riches beneath the mountains, drawing greedy adventurers below ground in search of the fabled wealth of the Dwarves. Of course none are as greedy as the Dwarves themselves, for as a race they are often born with an uncanny lust for all that glitters and sparkles. In some cases this has proven disastrous; as they delve deep they sometimes uncover the dens of vile subterranean creatures, or release unspeakable horrors from long forgotten prisons, or even unearth the leftover anomalies from the formation of the Realm of Strife, known as the Shards of Creation.

With vast kingdoms and empires beneath the surface, Dwarves are mistakenly assumed to be isolationists. This is not necessarily the case for their cultures’ thrive on trade with outside world. Merchants are the most likely to be found above ground, though entire Dwarven communities exist on the surface, for it is certainly much simpler to grow food and hunt game there. Having spent so much time underground, Dwarves have also developed a limited form of infravision that allows them some capability to see in the dark, a highly valuable skill for underground expeditions when a failing torch could mean certain death for other races. However, living with the constant presence of a rocky ceiling overhead does cause some Dwarves to be fearful of the sky when traveling above ground. While this is viewed humorously by surface dwelling races, a profound fear of falling endlessly upwards into the great blue void of the sky is considered to be very reasonable for a respectable Dwarf.

While some would mock the Dwarves for their stature and strange ways, few can deny their wealth, influence, and power.

Hill Dwarf

Hill Dwarves are slightly larger in stature than their Mountain Dwarf cousins. While they are still quite comfortable working underground, they do not fear the sky the way their counterparts do, and instead make their homes above ground, or burrowed into the side of a hill.

Much rarer than Mountain Dwarves, Hill Dwarf clans live in isolated communities, tending away from grand settlements in favor of modest towns and villages. These isolated clans are said to be exiles from the mountains; whether this was a self-imposed exile or the outcome of losing some ancient war of the clans is highly subjective. As Dwarves are prone to holding grudges, it is best to avoid the topic altogether when visiting a Hill Dwarf community.