Atavians
It is said that atavians were humans gifted with wings long ago by Vastar, the Skylord, but the details of their beginnings remain shrouded in mystery. Regardless of their actual origin, it is true that most share a traditional devotion to Vastar. Many reside in Arcadia, a floating city hidden beyond the clouds, though a second settlement, Genji, within the Vashnar Mountains, also holds a high concentration of atavians.
Aside from their wings, atavians are a race very similar to humans. Their wings are typically white, though it is common to see a blue or grey tinge to the feathers. Other hues such as red, gold, and brown are unusual but do occur naturally. Their skin is pale and tans easily, though dark-skinned atavians are very rare. Hair and eye colour conforms to the typical human spectrum, as does their physique - that is, they may be found in all shapes and sizes.
This race has the following traits:
- The ability to Fly.
- Can Hover off the ground.
Dwarves
Created by Phaestus and given a soul by Proteus in return for Phaestus's eternal loyalty, dwarves are doughty and loyal humanoids. Grouped in clans from the central Siroccian Mountains to Inbhir Ness in the far north and the Vasnari Mountains of Meropis, they prefer the relative solitude of the highlands to the hustle and bustle of cities. Nevertheless, they are often found in leadership positions as everyone has heard the maxim: dependable as a dwarf.
Dwarves are unmistakably stocky, with muscular builds that retain their strength even into extreme old age. Skinny or slender dwarves are very rare. Most stand around four feet short, though there are rare cases of giant dwarves who grow to reach human height. Their skin tone is naturally pale or ruddy, but those with tanned and dark skin are not unheard of, and their facial features are rounded, often with button or bulbous noses. Beards are prevalent among male dwarves, and most consider a long, thick beard to be a mark of pride. Many of the females can grow beards as well, though they have a tendency to remove their facial hair. Red or dark hair is very common, though blond is not particularly unusual, and it is generally thick and/or curly in texture. The eyes, too, are typically dark (brown or black) but many have blue, green, or grey eyes as well.
This race has the following traits:
- Resistant to magic damage.
Resistant to fire damage.
Resistant to cold damage.
Resistant to poison damage.
Fayad
This race has the following traits:
- Mana elixirs or similar have a small chance to heal more.
- Irid moss or potash consumed will give 25% of any wasted health when consumed to mana instead.
Grook
A race of humanoid amphibians, the grook seem to be a fairly recent race, perhaps produced via experimentation with powerful magic. They have no memory of their origin in any case, and their only known settlement of note is upon the island of Ulangi.
Grooks are the most intelligent of the mortal races and exhibit many frog-like features. Standing around five feet tall with slender builds, their eyes are typically round or bulbous, found in all colours. Their skin ranges in hue from green to blue and from pale to dark, and their hands and feet may be webbed to varying degrees.
This race has the following traits:
- Can breathe underwater.
- Regenerate health in aquatic environments.
- Natural swimmers.
Horkval
Horkval are powerful, though not particularly intelligent, insect-like humanoids. Used as shocktroops by Aegis, God of War, during the battle on Nishnatoba, horkval are fearsome allies, who show no fear in battle, and who work together on a level surpassed only by the crystalline Kx'khrah. Their origin is not known, but it is almost certain that they did not originate on the continent of Sapience, and possibly not even on this world. The largest concentration of horkval lies upon the island of Ulangi, where they exhibit a hive-like social structure.
Horkval are characterised by armour-like exoskeletons or carapaces in many different colours. They stand taller than most humans, on par with rajamala and xoran, but are generally shorter than trolls. Some have more insectoid features than others, such as mandibles and antennae. Hair, while uncommon, is not unheard of.
This race has the following traits:
- Very resistant to cutting damage.
- Very resistant to blunt damage.
- Can not wear armour.
- Have the ability to Leap.
Humans
The history of mortalkind is dominated by that of humanity, for they are the most vibrant of the races. Offspring of the rape of Maya and a being of Chaos, the birth of their race sparked a war that set the very Gods against each other. Having survived this, the race has proven tenacious and enduring, and their inherent combination of chaos and order has led to their dominance in the lands.
This race has the following traits:
- Higher chance of critical hits.
- Chance of increased health gain from elixirs.
Mhun
The mhun are a race of underground dwellers who are distant cousins of humanity. Moghedu, the ancestral home of the mhun, lies southwest of the great Mhojave desert. The harsh living environment has forced them to be survivors and though they command perhaps less respect than the other races, they are wily, clever opponents. It is said by some that the mhun as a race seek to someday enter back into the glory in which they once resided. Mhun rarely hold leadership positions, as their first loyalty is generally to their race, rather than to their house or city.
Of human size, mhun are a bit weaker, but more agile. Most often they have lithe, wiry, or skinny frames, but it is not uncommon to see a heavily muscled mhun. They are seldom overweight. Their skin is naturally pale or wan but tans easily, and their features are typically sharp and angular. Those of pure Moghedu ancestry have slanted, opaque eyes and wide, thin-lipped mouths, but these features are not definitive, and some mhun are nearly indistinguishable from their human brethren. Overwhelmingly, though, their hair and eye colour is black or dark brown; light or red hair and pale eyes are very uncommon.
This race has the following traits:
- Can see in low-light conditions.
- Has extra movement speed.
Rajamala
The rajamala are a race of proud, fierce, tiger-like humanoids from a distant planet. The first that history speaks of the rajamala is when they fought with the Triumvirate, under the command of the god Agatheis, during the great battle on Nishnatoba. Their origins are not known. They mingle easily with the other races and seldom form communities of their own, though one village in the valley of Xhaiden Dale is comprised mostly of rajamala.
Orange fur with black stripes is the traditional colouring of rajamala, but many have coats that mimic that of other felines: tawny and golden, white, black, silver, and more. They may also be spotted or striped in many combinations. Rajamala stand six feet tall on average, with a sleek or muscular physique that seldom becomes overweight. Their eyes are often amber or yellow and brown, but they can be blue and green and black as well. They are born with tails, and some have manes and whiskers that can be styled like human hair.
This race has the following traits:
- Can consume the corpses of fallen foes.
- Additional chance to dodge attacks.
- Resistant to cold damage.
Satyrs
Satyrs are a jovial race composed entirely of males, and are famous for a love of wild entertainment and women. Due to some unknown reproductive property inherent to them, their children are either satyrs or the race of the mother.
Satyrs possess the upper body of a human man, and powerful goats' legs below. Hair and eye colour is as varied as the human range, though that of their lower body is generally coarse and brown or black in colour. Most have horns on their head, ranging from small, pointed nubs to large and curling projections like that of a ram. Facial hair is common.
This race has the following traits:
- Regenerate endurance at an increased rate.
- Has the ability to Headstomp.
Sirens
Sirens are a race of beautiful females who are not only easy on the eyes, but possess the magical ability to seduce men, so that the men will not hurt them. Like satyrs, children born of a siren may be either a siren or the race of the father.
Similar in most ways to humans, sirens' unblemished skin, luxurious hair, and captivating eyes can range in hue from very dark to very pale, and anything in between. Most often they possess a voluptuous body, heavy-lidded eyes, and full or pouty lips, but as the idea of beauty varies from place to place, so does the range of features become more varied than any of the other mortal races.
This race has the following traits:
- Resistant to poison damage.
- Has the ability to Seduce and Beguile.
Tash'la
The racial home of the tash'la people lies not upon Sapience, nor even Meropis, but on a world far from the homes of most adventurers. Beneath the shattered moons of a distant world upon Yggdrasil's boughs reside the tribes of the Kelstaad, roaming across violet and gold prairies and delving deep into earth and soil for riches undreamed of. Since their now-legendary Freeing and overthrow of their old ways to embrace the new, they have held firm alliance with Elemental Earth, spreading out across the great expanse of the World Tree's branches. Arriving upon the world of Achaea in 759 AF during the great Elemental turmoil, the tash'la began to spread out, seeking ever more awareness of the Prime Material Plane and the new world unveiled to them.
A race of boar-like humanoids, they generally disdain the mystical arts, working as close-knit, resilient groups in the depths of a melee. Crystalline growths adorn their joints and flow forth from their skull in place of hair, brought forth by the mineral dormium from an early age and infusing them with some of Earth's legendary resilience, bolstering an already formidable race to new heights of fortitude. Tending towards the violets and indigos of dormium, there are nevertheless other colours represented upon their geodesic mutation, ranging from cool turquoise to rare, fiery red.
This race has the following traits:
- HUNCH (conveys the standing firm defence)
- Rare minerals consumed will last 10% longer than normal
Trolls
The racial home of the trolls originates deep in the swamps south of the Savannah, though the race has since spread far from the fabled city of Kasmarkin. Descended from the legendary giant Gruul and a human woman, physically they have a metabolism completely different from humans and are only slightly less intelligent. Their dependence on their physical gifts has, however, made them less magically adept than other races. Nevertheless, during the Wars of Succession, troll mercenary legions were said to contain mages, thus disproving the theory held by many that trolls are not intelligent enough to wield magic. In modern times, trolls have often been the generals of armies for their aggressive nature serves them well in war.
Trolls are large, slender humanoids with great physical prowess, with most reaching a mature height of seven feet or more. They often have strong or heavy facial features, coupled with a hulking or burly stature that can contribute to an unfavourable stereotype. Their skin has a grey cast to it, sometimes greenish in tone, although very human-like shades have been seen. Consistent with their human ancestry, their hair and eye colour spans a broad range, though yellow eyes - unusual in humans - are common among trolls.
This race has the following traits:
- Resistant to electrical damage.
- Chance to stun on blunt attacks.
Tsol'aa
An ancient people, the Tsol'aa were the first race of intelligent beings created by Ayar-now-Sarapis. Though the majority of them live a peaceful, isolationist existence in the remote Aalen forest, a handful have emerged to interact with the other races. In general, the Tsol'aa are bewildered by the hastiness of humans, but seek to understand why humanity has managed to attain such dominance.
Physically, the Tsol'aa are lithe beings of approximately the same height as humans, and to someone not familiar with both races, they are difficult to distinguish from each other. Brawny and muscular builds are uncommon due to their lean physique, but unchecked, they can become overweight like most other races. Their skin is naturally pale but often tans with exposure to the sun, and their facial features are smooth and elegant, with eyes in a range of colours (brown, blue, green, black, grey, even violet). The hair is usually straight or wavy and worn long; colour is commonly brown or black, sometimes blond, and rarely red or curly. Facial hair is uncommon but not unheard of, and their ears are similar to rounded human ears.
This race has the following traits:
- Can Swing Up/Down in environments with trees.
- Can Hide in jungle or forest environments.
Xoran
Powerful and intelligent, the xoran is a race of humanoid lizards from a world beyond Achaea. How they arrived on Sapience is also not known, but by now, they have become a familiar sight, assimilating into the many communities that span the continent.
Commonly standing six feet tall or more, xoran have a generally muscular physique, and their skin is scaled in a variety of vivid colours. White or pale scales are extremely unusual, and hair is uncommon but not unheard of. They are typically characterised by long tails that sweep the ground, hands that may have talons or claws, and snouts that range from short and rounded to elongated and almost crocodilian.
This race has the following traits:
- Resistant to fire damage.
- Can breathe fire.