Races and Cultures

Humans are essentially your standard fare--though slightly more colorful than the real ones. Strange hues of hair and irises are not unheard of.



Name: Vaesolhom -- "Vaesol"
Capital: Aevino -- "The Angelic Palace," a sparkling city still under construction near the Eastern Sea.
Affinities: Light, Earth, Spirit

Culture: The Vaesol admire bravery, indulgence, and beauty in their heroes, and admire the aristocratic and sensual things in life. Despite this, they are fine warriors, with the elite among them riding winged horses native to their homeland's mountains as "Golden Knights," who defend the north from Vulghom raids. They are ardent devotees of their royal family, the Saerluesse, most of whom are women with strange, glowing gold eyes and naturally powerful magic.

Location: The Golden Mountains south of the Hrolvulgh Wastes are absolutely beautiful--so named for the strange, divine air that seems to naturally pervade them. Ancient abandoned cities are occasionally found in the peaks, but for the most part these are uncharted or used as outposts for Golden Knights. Southeastern Vaesolhom is generally temperate farmland and coastal villages, while the northern parts of the country are very similar to the Wastes.



Name: Isohom -- "Isohom"
Capital: Isohom -- "Stillhome," a massive city with a variety of cultures and races living together in relative peace.
Affinities: Spirit, Earth

Culture: Isohom possesses a huge variety of cultures on account of its status as a melting pot, though the central government is somewhat fractured and weak, while district leaders possess most of the politic power. For the most part, the city-state as a whole is quite accepting of all, though there is a small prejudice toward Craelhom's Church.

Location: Isohom is a rather prosperous city-state that lies west of Vaesolhom, east of Craelhom, and northwest of Fyraahom--as such, it serves as an important political neutral zone between the three countries. The land itself is mostly forest and plains, with the western peaks of the Golden Mountains separating the nation from the Wastes.



Name: Hrolvulghom -- "Vulghom"
Capital: Om-Hrolvulghom -- "The City of Black Ice," tremendous obsidian fortress carved from a dormant volcano deep in the northern wastes.
Affinities: Darkness, Water

Culture: The Vulghom are a rather morbid people, seeped in occultism, blood worship, ritual sacrifice, and nihilistic philosophy. They frequently raid and war with the nations to their south for resources and slaves, with the latter being sold to Silver Elves and Brute Hives. Elaborate death rituals are a large part of their religious customs, as they worship "Old Norh," a death-goddess most often depicted as a shrouded woman. They believe that they are descended from the bones of Old Norh, and made animate by said goddess' blood.

Location: The Hrolvulgh Wastes are a dangerous, icy tundra in the furthest northern reaches where all manner of dark creatures lurk. Despite being covered in ancient ruins, the land is rarely explored or raided for supplies and artifacts, as the resources and stamina required to brave the cold temperatures and lethal blizzards are enough to deter all but the most tenacious and powerful of treasure hunters. Hundreds of miles of tunnels wind beneath the snow, but these are infested with dangerous monsters or guarded by Hrolvulghom soldiers. Rumors of a subterranean Stalker Hive persist as well.



Name: Fyraahom -- "Fyraa"
Capital: Jyaarlom -- "The Lonely Castle," a large fortress located near both TzoCsaavhek and Fyraahom. Serves as a bastion against the denizens of TzoCsaavhek.
Affinities: Fire, Air, Void

Culture: Those unfortunate enough to truly inhabit Fyraahom are survivors, hardened against everything by loss and stress. The culture itself promotes suspicion of strangers and loyalty to one's friends and companions, as teamwork and cohesion is necessary to withstand the strange creatures that emerge from TzoCsaavhek. Soldiers and goods are supplied by a coalition between Isohom, Vaesolhom, and Craelhom.

Location: Fyraahom is less and a nation and more a buffer against TzoCsaavhek. The land itself is an arid grassland, while the waste and south is largely desert and arid badlands. There is little to offer here, but strange stone altars and crude temples dot the landscape.



Name: Daalluhom -- "Daallu"
Capital: None, but inhabit Yo-Daalluhom, "the Seafog Mountains," a wild and beautiful mountain range in the southern part of the world.
Affinities: Earth, Water, Air

Culture: The Daallu are a family-based people, whose nomadic lifestyle has made them suspicious to the point of xenophobia. They prefer subtly and reconnaissance to straight-out confrontations and interactions, and the few who choose to go into other lands are often considered shy and foreign. Part of their culture requires tattooing for every major life event--the older Daallu can be almost black with ink.

Location: Yo-Daalluhom is a gorgeous, virgin land to the south of Vo-Dryaam and is home to both men and elves. The mountains are both high and wild, and generally obscured in thick mists from the rain and sea. The fogs can last for days and even months, and the remnants of ancient civilizations can sometimes be found in the haze, slowly rotting away in the forests and swamps.



Name: Syaaggaelhom -- "Syaag"
Capital: Gaellhaalyhom -- "Light-Blessed City," a desert capital built from sandstone on white sands. Renowned for its beautiful architecture and masonry.
Affinities: Fire, Air, Light

Culture: The Syaag, like the Craelhom, are a deeply religious people who admire discipline and singularity. They almost rival Craelhom in size and influence, as their network of cities control much of the trade that flows between the north and the south--a matter that leads to conflict with the Yeorc. Criminals in Syaag society are brutally punished, and while the culture is militaristic, they do not like or appreciate violence.

Location: The northernmost part of the Great Desert, Yo-Dryaam, is an arid, white-sand desert dotted with the occasional grassland and oasis. There are few structures here save the cities of the Syaaggaelhom, but its proximity to TzoCsaavhek can lead to strange and mysterious events in the northeastern part of the country.



Name: Craelhom -- "Craelhom"
Capital: Saeo-Craelhom -- "High Whiteland," a beautiful city of marble. Craelhom's High Temple is located here.
Affinities: Light, Earth, Spirit

Culture: The Craelhom are exceptionally religious, have a natural inclination for war, and seek to expand their beliefs and economic influence to every nation, and have so far managed to become the largest and most influential country in the world. They are in a constant "rivalry" with Syaggaelhom, as the nations are split on religious differences, while Craelhom possesses most of the mines that supply the north with metal. Additionally, the nation as a whole is culturally supportive of war and expansion, as conflict is key to their religious beliefs, of which religious doctrine is law.

Location: Craelhom, being the largest and most populated of the northern nations, has a wide diversity of biomes. Frozen wastes lie to the north, while mountains rise to the south and east, and great swathes of forests and plains cover the landscape. Villages, towns, and even small cities dot the countrysides, but Saeo-Craelhom remains the largest city by far.



Name: Inornhom -- "Inorn"
Capital: Tol Inorn -- "Black Ghost Tower," a lonely castle at the south-easternmost tip of the continent.
Affinities: Darkness, Spirit

Culture: Those who inhabit, or really have spent any length of time in Inornhom, are spiritual, reflective, and seek knowledge and a deeper understanding of things. The "nation" is largely self sustaining, and due to its remotness and lack of contact with the swarming human populations of the north, the place is very peaceful. Scholars of all sorts come to Tol Inorn to study without interference.

Location: Inornhom is a strange land, near to some magic anomaly deep in the southern seas. The land itself is formed from jagged basalt cliffs, with nutrient rich soil trapped away in sheer valleys, and the skies at night swirl with strange colors and too-many stars. It is said that spending too much time in Inornhom can change a person, and the native inhabitants keep to themselves.

The elves are a race of "fallen" water spirits, made mortal when their God died in ancient times. They are usually long, thin, and uncannily disturbing to humans and other races.



Name: Tzrielues -- "Silver Elves"
Capital: Tzo-Mielunos -- "Ghost-Fountain Halls," the upper levels of a massive tower that sunk into the Eastern Sea in ancient times.
Affinities: All

Culture: The Tzrielues are an isolationist magocracy, who are ruled by four noble houses. While they are powerful mages, they are proud and vain, and employ slaves (usually humans or Brute Hives) to perform most of their manual labor, and they exchange magical technology for goods imported from the mainland. They adore intrigue, and as such are culturally skeptical and inquisitive, and they play their games with a great deal of intellect and social grace.

Silver Elves are physically more frail than humans, but far more powerful with magic.

Location: Tzo-Mielunos, whose original name has long since been forgotten, was once a towering-island city in a shallow sea. After the Great Change, the vast majority of that city sunk into the now fathomless-depths, leaving only the top of the highest spire above the waves. Even so, the architecture is quite large, a testament to the size of the ancient city, and while the Tzrielue nobility inhabit the upper levels of the tower, there are still many abandoned halls and chambers near the sea level. The city beneath the waves is haunted by spirits of drowned men and powerful, monstrous leviathans lurk in the sunken ruins.



Name: Tzroelues -- "Natural Elves"
Capital: TzoVhoemye -- "The Scorched Temple," a gigantic temple in the deepest part of Tzyo-Dullaa that was burned in some ancient era. The red stone remained, but bears massive scorch marks.
Affinities: Fire, Earth, Water

Culture: The Tzroelues, as a whole, are reclusive naturalists who prefer to live and hunt in their homeland. However, as the Natural Elves go through several life cycles as they age, their values change with maturity:

1. Age 20-70. The young Tzroelues are promiscuous and violent daredevils, throwing themselves with reckless abandon at whatever they desire. Most are killed in battle or die from curiosity, and they are relatively common in mercenary groups and prisons. Compared to a human, they are stronger, but less intelligent. (Playable as a character)

2. Age 70-200+. The more mature Natural Elves keep almost entirely to TzoVhoemye, and serve their society as intellectuals, scholars, craftsmen, farmers, etc. Additionally, they assume a rather strange hierarchy that alternates between male and female leaders: Earth Mother -> Druids -> Princesses -> Priests -> etc. (Nonplayable)

3. Ancient. Once the body has become too aged and decayed to support life, the Tzrolue will commit ritual suicide, and his or her soul will become imparted to the natural environment as a racial defense. Destruction of the environment destroys the soul. (Nonplayable)

Location: The deepest parts of Yo-Dullaahom are know as Tzyo-Dulla, and are the ancestral homeland of the Tzroelues. The trees here grow thick and ominous, and the land seems to be more magic than nature. In ancient times, this was human land, but now it has been claimed by the elves and the elves alone.



Name: Tzrehlues -- "Nomad Elves"
Capital: None, but inhabit TzoCsaavhek, "The Place of Empty Winds"
Affinities: Void, Water, Air

Culture: Nearly all Tzrehlues are individualists and survivors. They live in small traveling groups, and have few children. In terms of appearance, the Nomad Elves are exceptionally creepy, with too-large eyes, waxy skin, and an unnaturally still demeanor. All of them, even those not blessed with Void, can naturally sense magic.

Location: TzoCsaavhek is a festering scar on the world from some horrific desecration, and the fact that the Tzrehlues can live their at all is a testament to their tenacity. The land is a blighted wasteland, and while at a glance it seems to be nothing more than an eerily-quiet grassland, the perceptive observer might notice that distances are impossible to gage, strange shadows lurk at the corners of one's vision, and it is hard to become very warm in both spirit and body.

Affinity: Earth, Light, Darkness, Fire

The Kohm, or dwarves in common speech, are a small, brutish race descended from humans that were drenched in the blood of a dying titan. Their features are often blunted and ugly, and the men sport luxurious beards while the women are envied for their beautiful hair. All dwarves are capable of seeing in the deepest darkness, and are much stronger than humans or elves.

Dwarven culture generally revolves around violence, intercultural competition, and discipline. All dwarves are encouraged to glorify violence and war since birth, and to train rigorously for warrior tournaments. This is not purely in vain--the subterranean depths that the Kohm mine swarm with dangerous creatures, and the fact that every dwarf is a soldier is a necessity of life. Furthermore, curiosity is demonized in dwarven culture, and any Kohm who dares to venture above ground is immediately and permanently exiled. The exception to this are the Noble Caste, who may walk freely under the sun as diplomats and scholars.

Religiously, the Kohm worship the Zraevyaar-God that they believe made them. However, religion is not a prominent part of dwarven society, rather, philosophy and discipline is much more prevalent, as well as a pursuit of education and alternative practical vocations.

The dwarves live in a sprawling network of caves and subterranean city-states that run beneath the Great Desert, and organize their societies into "castes," which are determined largely in part by wealth and personal ability. For example, a particularly talented Kohm may "buy" his family into position of Hyekohm, or if he possesses a great deal of magical ability he may be "promoted" to Sikhom.

The castes, and a description of them, are as follows:

Gaekohm: "Exiles" -- non-subterranean dwarves who are not acknowledged by dwarvenkind. Mostly act as craftsmen and soldiers in human societies. (Playable character)

Kohm: "Stone Caste" -- While these are the lowest caste in standard dwarven society, they are not mistreated by the superiors and serve their cities in a variety of way. Militarily, they function similar to a militia. (Nonplayable)

Hyekohm: "Iron Caste" -- Middle class. Craftsmen, smelters, and soldiers. (Nonplayable)

Vehkohm: "Steel Caste" -- Upper class. Weaponsmiths, armorers, and engineers. Essentially act as dwarven knights. (Nonplayable)

Sikohm: "Noble Caste" -- Ruling class. Consist of magic users and theologian aristocrats, who may walk freely under the sun. (Playable character)

"Insect men" is somewhat of a misleading title--most of them do not resemble men at all, but rather much larger than usual insects. There are two distinct "Hives" -- Stalkers and Brutes.


Cunning, intelligent Hives who are ruled through manipulation and subtle, decade-spanning internal politics. They are much less sociable than their Brute counterparts, and as such prefer more secluded environments, such as deep forests or subterranean locales. Stalkers value intellect, subtlety, and control.

Czoshaa Hives are generally underground, or in otherwise shady, cool areas. While usually secluded from large social areas, most Hives ae not hostile to outsiders and welcome trade, particularly custom metalworking and masonry. The outermost levels of a hive are often inhabitted with Doliaa, while middle sections serve as barracks and breeding halls for Vyaam. The center of the Hive is a mass of tangled webs and silk and is the lair of the Xikohsohk, who only rarely appears to outsiders.

The Doliaa, or "Cicadas," of a Czoshaa Hive are merchants, craftsmen, and general workers. Often they are stupid, "chatty" in their own languages, and their incessant chattering (while outside of most humanoids' ranges of hearing) can drive those who subconsciously "feel" it away or insane, serving as a natural defense for the hive. (Nonplayable)

The Vyaam ("Mantis") of a Hive serve as assassins, guards, and enforces. Generally, more insect-like vyaam stay with the Hive, while more humanoid vyaam more travel to other affinities. All Mantis of a hive seek possess a unique coloration that reflects their mother Hive, their blessing, and their age. Magical affinities: Air, Water, Darkness, Light (Playable character)

All Stalker Hives are ruled by one, or very rarely two Xikosohk, or "Spiders." These overlords possess psychic abilities that allow them to command each individual that is a part of their hive, and are capable of living for hundreds of years. (Nonplayable)


Violent, majestic Hives who organize themselves by brute force and strength, the Yeorc possess a love of all things that glitter. Their "capital," which is less a central government and more just a tremendous Hive, is Myagoeth, "The Desert Ruin," a once-abandoned white marble city deep in the middle of Yo-Dryaam, the Great Desert, and serves as an important waypoint and trade hub between the north and south of the content. There are very few, if any "natural"" Yeorc Hives--most live in the ruins of ancient cities, or better, a conquered city. These environs change by location, by the Gyoerth overlord of a Hive will always possess the largest, most opulent building it can.

The d'Yom, or "Ants," of a Brute Hive are single-minded workers and soldiers, and all would give their life to the Hive in a moment. The sparse bits of self-aware culture they possess are usually based around violence and work. (Nonplayable)

The Maawlaevi ("Moths") of a Yeorc Hive serve their people as sociable merchants and diplomats. They are quite beautiful and colorful, and their massive, dusty wings are arrayed with all sorts of brilliant hues and hypnotic designs. Nearly all Maawlaevi posses a good deal of magical ability, and have an affinity for Air, Light, Fire, and Spirit. (Playable character)

All Brute Hives are commanded by exactly one Gyoerth, tremendously large Scarab kings who rule through violence and intimidation. They possess a keen intellect, powerful magic, and a love of gold and gemstones, and frequently plate their own bodies in precious metals and stones, as well as hoard away massive treasures in their palaces. A Gyoerth may often receive visitors to its Hive, but usually only to intimidate or even ransack them of their valuables. (Nonplayable)

The strange men of the world are not technically "men," but posses humanoid qualities and are sentient. They live in the most remote parts of the world, and have philosophies and lifestyles much, much different than humans. All strange men are available for playing as characters.


The sytvaak are a race of violent, usually nomadic bird men. Sytvaak are much larger than humans, with most standing around 11 feet tall, and possess powerful, feathered arms that allow them to fly. Their appearance changes over, with the size and color variety of their plumage determining their age--the younger appear more as ravens, while the older resemble colorful, plumed owls. Culturally, these people are proud, prone to violence, and quite alien--for example, a sytvaak will kill a person for touching their plumage without permission, submit to the punishment doled out without complaint as per the laws of the offended party, but never comprehend what transgression they committed and will happily do it again. As such, many sytvaak prefer to stay hidden in high mountain ranges and other remote areas, where they live mostly solitary lives.

The sytvaak have no capital, but rather converge at Tom Sytvaak--"Mount Sytvaak"--every ten years for their elaborate mating rituals, which end with a bloodbath orgy in which roughly a third of their entire population dies. In this, a hierarchy is determined--sytvaak with younger parents are generally considered weak or useless by their peers, while to have older patronage is a sign of distinction.

The age of a sytvaak determines much of their physical and magical ability. Younger sytvaak posses iridescent black plumage and are often burlier and more prone to violence then their older counterparts, and due to their size and extreme loyalty, are often employed as bodyguards by particularly wealthy men and elves. Older sytvaak, in comparison, are relatively weaker (though still far stronger than the average human) and possess a much greater capacity for magic in addition to their sharper intellects and deeper understander of other cultures.

Additionally, sytvaak are ravenous carnivores and carrion eaters, and possess no qualms about feasting on rotten meat or consuming the body of a slain enemy.

Affinities: Fire, Air, Void


A race of eerie people who come from the southern seas near Inornhom. They possess translucent, luminous skin and have long, silvery hair, but lack both eyes, nostrils, ears, and mouths--as such, they usually wrap their heads in rags or wear masks when traveling through the cities of men, as their natural appearance is incredibly disturbing and frightening. Culturally, they are a mystical, fatalistic people who are exceptionally polite and eloquent--though rather than expressing themselves with spoken words, they have the natural capacity to communicate telepathically.

Though very frail, the Muu'oloth are exceptionally powerful magic users, with an affinity for Water, Darkness, Spirit, and Void. Additionally, as a way of "feeding," they must stand naked beneath starlight at least once per week.


The Lhomae are living statues who dwell in a city located in the deepest parts of the Great Desert. They are fashioned in a variety of vaguely human shapes, but their most common form is that of the body of a man or woman with the head of an elephant. They frequently gild themselves in metal and jewels, as they place great worth on aesthetics and beauty. They are quite group-oriented, and lack much of an individual streak, and while they occasionally have spiritual or religious whims they are often completely incapable of understanding metaphysics, morality, or philosophies in general. They do in a way worship "The Maker"--who they believe to have fashioned the first lhomae, Rom--but rather than express their devotion through prayers, they frequently build shrines to The Maker wherever they go.

Their capital, Dyomaedle--"The City of Statues"--is located far away from any major lines of trade in the most inhospitable part of Vo-Dryaam. In the burning heat, vicious sandstorms, and dessicated land the lhomae live in peace and prosperity without need for food or water. The city itself is quite beautiful, and very reminiscent of ancient architecture, though its inhabitants work diligently to keep it well maintained. Those few lhomae who live outside of their city often prefer the subterranean palaces of the dwarves, though the very few who live among humans are often treated with awe, fear, and fascination.

The lhomae are strong magic users, and possess an affinity for both Earth and Light.