Post by Game Master on Aug 21, 2016 15:29:49 GMT
Races of Atollamu:
The sentient races that make up the grand majority of Atollamu's population. Each has their own history, culture, and distinct traits.
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Dwarves- Their culture originating deep within the mountains of Norra, the dwarven race has a rich culture and a proud history. Known for their excellent mining, smithing and crafting skills, dwarves are a hearty and stout race, who largely value the same qualities that their patron god, Zoltar values: Common sense, straightforwardness, bravery and citizenship. Dwarves typically belong to a clan, and many clans may live within a dwarven city.
Over time, a decent sized population of dwarves migrated from below ground out into the world. Typically settling in hilly areas where they can build forts and well-structured villages, these so called "Hill Dwarves" are mostly tradesmen and hunters. The dwarves are slow to completely trust members of the other races, and their stubbornness is legendary. However, acts of valor, honesty, and wisdom tend to make them more agreeable.
The dwarves were involved in a war a millennium ago that left them without magic, and they are the only race without the precious advantage. This has informed their culture, and they have become ingenious blacksmiths, engineers, craftsmen and warriors in response to their limitations. Typically, dwarves live between 170 to 300 years.
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Elves- A people who are brimming with magic, elves seem to live in the world, but are not of it. They instinctively seek out places of utter beauty to make their homes, either on spires of silver and platinum, or in idyllic forests that pulse with wild magic. With their unearthly grace and fine features, many elves may appear hauntingly beautiful to humans and some other races. Largely, they value beauty, wisdom, logic, and skill.
Over the centuries, the original elves split into two people groups: The wood elves, or Wu'mera, who migrated to the mainland, and the Ali'mera, the high elves who remained to cultivate Summerpoint into an incredibly beautiful city, made of silver spires and golden temples.
One thousand years ago, another splinter group from the high elves enacted a ritual called the Black Gold ritual, and became the dark elves, or Di'mera. The ritual sapped them of all their emotions, turning them into cold, heartless creatures. The Di'mera were exiled from the island, and it is exceedingly rare to see one today. Still, the magic that suffused the dark elves may be tapped by some who seek that spiteful power they claimed.
Elves reach physical maturity at approximately the same rate as humans, though the elves' understanding of adulthood goes beyond physical maturity to encompass worldly experience. An elf typically claims adulthood and their adult name around 30 years old, and the strongest of them can live to 500. Elves value variety, freedom, and self expression, and therefore they lean strongly towards the gentler aspects of chaotic alignment. They value and protect the freedom of others as well, and they typically lean towards good alignment as well. This does not apply to dark elves, as their mage-blight has robbed them of typical emotion. They are often vicious and dangerous, tending towards evil, if not a callous neutral.
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Halflings- The comforts of home are most halflings' goals: a place to settle in peace and quiet, far from bandits and monsters; a roaring fire and an ample meal; fine drink and good companions. Though some halflings are part of agrarian villages and farming communities, others join bands of travelers that rove the world, lured by the open road and wide horizon to discover the joys of new people and places. But even these wanderers value peace, food, hearth and home, even if home is a wagon by a riverbend.
Surviving in a land full of much taller races has been a matter of avoiding notice for the halflings, and barring that, avoiding offending others. The halflings are typically a kind and curious folk, and their good nature extends to any who show them respect and goodness in return. Though they are not aggressive, they are not pushovers either, and a halfling with a sling in his hand is a dangerous prey for a would-be bandit to pursue.
They are a generous and empathic people, easily moved to pity and sharing what they have with those who are in need. Halfling is a term given them by other races, and while they don't mind it, they refer to each other as, "The Folk". A halfling reaches adulthood at age 20, and on average they live to 150. Various quirks of genetics have made some varieties of halflings swift and stealthy, and the term Lightfoot may apply to them. Others are a more hardy breed, referred to as Stout halflings.
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Humans- In the accords of most historians, humans are the youngest of the races to be birthed by the Celestials into the world. Bold and ambitious, some say they attempt great undertakings due to their comparatively short life-spans. Or perhaps they feel they have something to prove to the elder races. Regardless, humans tend to be the innovators, pioneers, and achievers of Atollamu.
The most adaptable and varied of all races, the humans have many varieties: Cosmopolitan Caerilians, swarthy and dark-skinned Jorrari, sharp-featured Shinji, Norrans fair of skin and hair, and many other subgroups and clans within the major nations.
------------------------
Dragonborn- Born of dragons, as their name proclaims, the Dragonborn walk with dignity and pride through a world that greets them with suspicion and fear. Said to have been grown by their patron god from the scales of dragons, they hatch from eggs like reptiles. Some belong to the nation of Dracilon, which they share with the gnomes, and others become professional soldiers or sages in foreign lands. And yet others simply drift until they can find a true dragon to call lord, and serve as their vessel.
To a typical dragonborn, their tribe means more to them than life itself. Many tribes exist in Dracilon, and they vie for political power in the Senate, seeing how they can increase standing for their conglomerate. Each dragonborn has the blood of a distinct type of dragon running through their veins, and this affects not only their personality, but their powers. Dragonborn hold self-improvement as a cultural ideal, and mastery of a craft or skill is a common life goal for them. They get along well with ambitious and self-reliant people. Dragonborn reach adulthood by 15, and live lifespans up to 200 years.
Dragonborn who follow a deity tend to go to extremes with their alignments, choosing to either strive for good or evil as a conscious decision, reflected in either a devotion to Albain or Toshka, or a dedication to a fey lord who can provide them with great and terrible power. Historians have their suspicions about how this plays into the study of magic, but many ancient magical runes were written in Draconic, rather than Elven, even ones found in Elven settlements.
-------------------
Gnomes- Bursting with nervous energy and twitchy curiosity, gnomes are a race that was born to invent. They form tight-knit communities and neighborhoods, and spend much of their energy in building and creating new and exciting things. They are insatiable in their curiosity about how things work, and they honor self-expression above almost everything else.
A gnome's appearance says much about them, and they often dye their hair and clothes in bright colors that reflect their personality. They smile often, and their wide eyes are often filled with wonder. Gnomes often speak quicker than their ideas can catch up with them. They love names, and most have half a dozen of them.
Gnomes age around the same rate as humans, but they are expected to settle into their adult roles at the age of 40. Gnomes can live as long as 250 years. In terms of alignment, most gnomes are some form of good. The ones who lean towards lawful tend to be sages, researchers, engineers, scholars and inventors. The ones who tend towards chaos are usually minstrels, tricksters, wanderers, or performers.
Gnomes tend to love pranks, and even the most mischievous among them tend to be more playful than vicious. Though evil gnomes are rare, they are incredibly dangerous as mad scientists and manipulators.
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Half Elves, Half-Orcs, Tieflings, Aasimar and some forms of beastfolk are all rarer races. If you're interested in playing one or learning more about them, ask me directly.
The sentient races that make up the grand majority of Atollamu's population. Each has their own history, culture, and distinct traits.
----------------------
Dwarves- Their culture originating deep within the mountains of Norra, the dwarven race has a rich culture and a proud history. Known for their excellent mining, smithing and crafting skills, dwarves are a hearty and stout race, who largely value the same qualities that their patron god, Zoltar values: Common sense, straightforwardness, bravery and citizenship. Dwarves typically belong to a clan, and many clans may live within a dwarven city.
Over time, a decent sized population of dwarves migrated from below ground out into the world. Typically settling in hilly areas where they can build forts and well-structured villages, these so called "Hill Dwarves" are mostly tradesmen and hunters. The dwarves are slow to completely trust members of the other races, and their stubbornness is legendary. However, acts of valor, honesty, and wisdom tend to make them more agreeable.
The dwarves were involved in a war a millennium ago that left them without magic, and they are the only race without the precious advantage. This has informed their culture, and they have become ingenious blacksmiths, engineers, craftsmen and warriors in response to their limitations. Typically, dwarves live between 170 to 300 years.
-----------------------
Elves- A people who are brimming with magic, elves seem to live in the world, but are not of it. They instinctively seek out places of utter beauty to make their homes, either on spires of silver and platinum, or in idyllic forests that pulse with wild magic. With their unearthly grace and fine features, many elves may appear hauntingly beautiful to humans and some other races. Largely, they value beauty, wisdom, logic, and skill.
Over the centuries, the original elves split into two people groups: The wood elves, or Wu'mera, who migrated to the mainland, and the Ali'mera, the high elves who remained to cultivate Summerpoint into an incredibly beautiful city, made of silver spires and golden temples.
One thousand years ago, another splinter group from the high elves enacted a ritual called the Black Gold ritual, and became the dark elves, or Di'mera. The ritual sapped them of all their emotions, turning them into cold, heartless creatures. The Di'mera were exiled from the island, and it is exceedingly rare to see one today. Still, the magic that suffused the dark elves may be tapped by some who seek that spiteful power they claimed.
Elves reach physical maturity at approximately the same rate as humans, though the elves' understanding of adulthood goes beyond physical maturity to encompass worldly experience. An elf typically claims adulthood and their adult name around 30 years old, and the strongest of them can live to 500. Elves value variety, freedom, and self expression, and therefore they lean strongly towards the gentler aspects of chaotic alignment. They value and protect the freedom of others as well, and they typically lean towards good alignment as well. This does not apply to dark elves, as their mage-blight has robbed them of typical emotion. They are often vicious and dangerous, tending towards evil, if not a callous neutral.
----------------------
Halflings- The comforts of home are most halflings' goals: a place to settle in peace and quiet, far from bandits and monsters; a roaring fire and an ample meal; fine drink and good companions. Though some halflings are part of agrarian villages and farming communities, others join bands of travelers that rove the world, lured by the open road and wide horizon to discover the joys of new people and places. But even these wanderers value peace, food, hearth and home, even if home is a wagon by a riverbend.
Surviving in a land full of much taller races has been a matter of avoiding notice for the halflings, and barring that, avoiding offending others. The halflings are typically a kind and curious folk, and their good nature extends to any who show them respect and goodness in return. Though they are not aggressive, they are not pushovers either, and a halfling with a sling in his hand is a dangerous prey for a would-be bandit to pursue.
They are a generous and empathic people, easily moved to pity and sharing what they have with those who are in need. Halfling is a term given them by other races, and while they don't mind it, they refer to each other as, "The Folk". A halfling reaches adulthood at age 20, and on average they live to 150. Various quirks of genetics have made some varieties of halflings swift and stealthy, and the term Lightfoot may apply to them. Others are a more hardy breed, referred to as Stout halflings.
---------------------
Humans- In the accords of most historians, humans are the youngest of the races to be birthed by the Celestials into the world. Bold and ambitious, some say they attempt great undertakings due to their comparatively short life-spans. Or perhaps they feel they have something to prove to the elder races. Regardless, humans tend to be the innovators, pioneers, and achievers of Atollamu.
The most adaptable and varied of all races, the humans have many varieties: Cosmopolitan Caerilians, swarthy and dark-skinned Jorrari, sharp-featured Shinji, Norrans fair of skin and hair, and many other subgroups and clans within the major nations.
------------------------
Dragonborn- Born of dragons, as their name proclaims, the Dragonborn walk with dignity and pride through a world that greets them with suspicion and fear. Said to have been grown by their patron god from the scales of dragons, they hatch from eggs like reptiles. Some belong to the nation of Dracilon, which they share with the gnomes, and others become professional soldiers or sages in foreign lands. And yet others simply drift until they can find a true dragon to call lord, and serve as their vessel.
To a typical dragonborn, their tribe means more to them than life itself. Many tribes exist in Dracilon, and they vie for political power in the Senate, seeing how they can increase standing for their conglomerate. Each dragonborn has the blood of a distinct type of dragon running through their veins, and this affects not only their personality, but their powers. Dragonborn hold self-improvement as a cultural ideal, and mastery of a craft or skill is a common life goal for them. They get along well with ambitious and self-reliant people. Dragonborn reach adulthood by 15, and live lifespans up to 200 years.
Dragonborn who follow a deity tend to go to extremes with their alignments, choosing to either strive for good or evil as a conscious decision, reflected in either a devotion to Albain or Toshka, or a dedication to a fey lord who can provide them with great and terrible power. Historians have their suspicions about how this plays into the study of magic, but many ancient magical runes were written in Draconic, rather than Elven, even ones found in Elven settlements.
-------------------
Gnomes- Bursting with nervous energy and twitchy curiosity, gnomes are a race that was born to invent. They form tight-knit communities and neighborhoods, and spend much of their energy in building and creating new and exciting things. They are insatiable in their curiosity about how things work, and they honor self-expression above almost everything else.
A gnome's appearance says much about them, and they often dye their hair and clothes in bright colors that reflect their personality. They smile often, and their wide eyes are often filled with wonder. Gnomes often speak quicker than their ideas can catch up with them. They love names, and most have half a dozen of them.
Gnomes age around the same rate as humans, but they are expected to settle into their adult roles at the age of 40. Gnomes can live as long as 250 years. In terms of alignment, most gnomes are some form of good. The ones who lean towards lawful tend to be sages, researchers, engineers, scholars and inventors. The ones who tend towards chaos are usually minstrels, tricksters, wanderers, or performers.
Gnomes tend to love pranks, and even the most mischievous among them tend to be more playful than vicious. Though evil gnomes are rare, they are incredibly dangerous as mad scientists and manipulators.
------------------
Half Elves, Half-Orcs, Tieflings, Aasimar and some forms of beastfolk are all rarer races. If you're interested in playing one or learning more about them, ask me directly.