The Races!

Here are the races we will be choosing from for our characters. And before anyone asks, yes, you can create a hybrid so long as it's believable. If you need help with making the parentage believable, ask for help. Don't try to force it.

Here we go!

Human - Exactly what we are now, only with the potential to use magic. Key word: "potential." Humans can use it, but aren't inherently attuned to it the way other naturally magical races like Elves are.

Human society is very diverse, practicing numerous forms of governance and social construction. No two cities are exactly alike, even if they share numerous traits such as architecture and layout. Society is always a mixed bag as well. Some have more problems than others such as sexism, racism, bigotry, etc. All the usual problems we have in our societies today.

Nymph - Looks exactly like a human, but is able to literally become one with nature. As an example, they can literally blend/melt into the bodies of trees, sections of blades of grass, patches of flowers in a field, etc. They can communicate with animals, naturally understanding their body language and vocalizations as if they were speaking English.

The Nymphs live in a naturally harmonious society with a single king and queen presiding over the entire race.They have no "classes" of people except the king and queen. And the royal family is treated with the utmost respect for one reason: they earned it. Through generations of hardship and effort, the royal family of the Nymph society has gained favor and trust with their people by negotiating peace with other races, enforcing protective measures and practices against other non-friendly races or groups, and ruling with a fair and even hand.

Uranus - Looks exactly like a human, though the average build of their males is less muscular. They are primarily an intellectual race, being able to manipulate the emotional state of other humanoids around them who are susceptible.

The Uranus people are intermixed with many other races, such as humans, because they naturally blend in and can conform to society. Their abilities to manipulate emotions is also a self-defense mechanism, protecting them from the less trustworthy individuals of whatever society they mix with. They often are employed in legal circles for their ability to manipulate emotion and compell their clients/the opposition to tell the truth.

Orcs - Just like you'd imagine them to be. They're large, muscular, and usually sport small lower tusks. They are generally a combative and physical race, not often dealing in magic or politics. Their version of politics is "we have a leader, everyone else follows." They live in clans of around one hundred or so, and though these clans usually are friendly to one another and avoid conflict, there have been skirmishes ending in bloodshed before.

Mithii - Humanoids with bird wings on their backs and slightly sharper ears. Their eyes are also slightly larger than those of humans, and their pupils about twice the size on average. They have incredible sight, good hearing, and have the ability to transform into a full-bird depending on their wing type. Falcons, Hawks, Eagles, Ravens, and Albatross are the most common.

The Mithii live in a unified monarchal society much like the Nymphs do. They have a single king and queen who rule their people, and even when living across the world they keep in communication with "home" via a special system of carrier birds at designated locations in the mountains where most other races cannot reach. For the most part the Mithii live in harmony with one another, but their separation from other races does give them some distance from them emotionally. The troubles of other people don't usually concern them.

Merfolk - Merfolk are humanoids who, when their lower bodies are exposed to enough water, transform into a half human, half fish. Their legs fuse into a long fish tail which they can use to swim rapidly and with great agility through the water. They can leap from it for several meters, and the females can sing when under water to lure unsuspecting or weak-minded people into traps and ambushes.

The Merfolk live in various undersea locations, but like the Mithii all are unified under a common ruler. A single king who has no queen, but who instead has a mistress who bears him children. He is a benign dictator with final say over the laws of his people, and he rules with a fair and even hand. However, he does have a temper like the sea his people occupy. And when it is stoked there can be hell to pay.

Taura - Looks exactly like a human, but in general are several inches taller on average with finely sculpted musculature even if they don't work out that much. The reason is increased muscle density, making them both heavier and far more physically powerful than regular humanoids. A healthy Taura male could, on average, bench press 4500kg (10,000 pounds, or 5 tons). However, this physical strength comes at the cost of having zero magical tolerance. Even healing spells will cause them great pain and potentially kill them. They must heal naturally from wounds, or risk death.

The Taura are a dying race. In fact there are fewer than 1,000 of them left in existence. The reason is their lack of magical resistance and the fact that almost all other peoples have magical potential. Thousands upon thousands of Taura deaths have occurred by accident simply because of how much magic is present in the world.

Cahleethe - A race of cat-human hybrids. Humanoid in appearance, but sporting permanent cat-like tails, ears, and eyes. They have long and durable sharp nails ("claws" to them), which they can use to run up softer surfaces like trees and wooden walls. They can see in the dark and are known to be mischievous, but very loyal and loving partners.

These humanoids are bonded into what might be akin to clans. They have species with the traits of cats, lions, tigers, leopards, jaguars, minx, bobcats, etc. All of these different traits coincide with a different "group," or "clan" within the species as a whole. And these clans usually keep to themselves although they have friendly relations with one another.

Silthir - Snake-like humanoids whose entire bodies are covered in scales. They have the lower body of a snake, and the upper body of a humanoid. They have generally poor eyesight, but make up for it with an increased sense of hearing and touch, being able to detect vibrations in the ground much better than other species.

These beings live in a world without "society." They are not bound to any ruler. Nor are they bound to any particular code or faith. They are born, and they live their lives as part of a family unit until they're old enough to fend for themselves and explore the world to their heart's content.

Elves - They come in three types: High Elves, Dark Elves, and Elves. High Elves have the highest magical potential of any humanoid race, bar none. Their ears generally point either straight to the side, or slightly downward, and their skin is usually creamy and lightly sun kissed. Dark Elves have greater vision and hand-eye coordination than any other humanoid race, bar none. Their ears point downward, and their skin is usually well tanned. And your standard Elves have the highest intelligence of any humanoid race, bar none. Their ears are a bit shorter than Dark Elves, and their skin a bit lighter. They also are the only Elf species with naturally blonde hair.

Elves have one of the most complex societies of all next to humans. They live in distinct monarchal tribes all throughout the world, and each one is unique unto itself. They have different laws, different emphasis on faith and the Gods, different political and social views, different languages, etc. But all of it is rigidly maintained and organized, leading to little corruption or negative influence upon their system.

Ahlpas - Humanoid, but they can transform into whatever animal their physical traits resemble. If they have a wolf tail and ears, they'll be able to transform into a wolf. If they have a cat tail and ears, they can transform into a cat. But it is always a land-based creature. No avian or aquatic Ahlpas exist.

These humanoids live in tribes of between 200 and 1,000 individuals. They have large territories, and are spread out throughout the world. They have a single ruling family within the tribe, and all those within bend to their will.

Halflings - Hobbits, basically. Not much else need be said. They're about half the size of humans and like to keep to themselves and out of trouble. They live in a simple society, similar to humans, but with far fewer chances for corruption due to their mutual desire to simply live their own lives without interfering with others or getting involved in politics beyond necessity.

Dwarves - Stout humanoids with hot tempers and a penchant for stone and steel. If it's precious gems, mining, excavation, blacksmithing, or weapon/armor sales, a Dwarf is sure to be there. They are, hands down, the finest blacksmiths in the world. No one else even comes close.

The Dwarves are all ruled by various tribes, each with its own ruling family and set of laws. Despite their aversion to Elves, they have a similarly rigid and well organized society. Everyone has their place, and everyone knows what they're supposed to do and how to benefit Dwarvish society.

Kamodons - Lizard-like humanoids with scaly skin and a lizard-like tail. They are swift, agile, can climb on walls and ceilings, and can see and hear incredibly well in both the light and dark. They are some of the best assassins in the world due to these traits.

These creatures live in clans ranging from 500 to 1,000 individuals. Rather large for such a societal structure. Each clan has an Alpha, instead of a King. And the Alpha, despite having authority over the clan, can be challenged for their position at any time by another. This is unusual behavior, given similar reptilian behaviors in nature. But it is a societal method of existence they have held onto since ancient times.

Kepans - Tall humanoid rock creatures with stony bodies and rugged, tough personalities. They generally stick to their own, and spend their time isolated in the mountains. But occasionally one or a few will integrate with a humanoid civilization.

These creatures are solitary for the most part, and do not have a mass society. They exist. That is all they need and all they want.

Kobold - Small lizard-like creatures with a penchant for mischief and thievery. While not normally aggressive towards other races, they do have a natural tendency to like shiny objects like the coin used for currency by most others and covet it like a Dragon covets gold for its lair. If you show a Kobold a shiny trinket, hold tight to it or risk losing it forever.

Kobolds live in large groups, sometimes getting as high as 5,000+ members. A small town or city, in some cases. These creatures generally have a "If I can take it, it's mine" attitude, so thievery is commonplace in their "civilized" society. If you find something missing from your home, it's because you didn't protect it well enough.