Player Races: Humans: Elves: Half-Elves: Hobbits: Dwarves: Orcs: Half-Orcs: Other Races: Goblins: Kobolds: Gnomes: Fey: Ratmen: Centaurs: Gnolls: Trolls: The Elder Races: Giants: Dragons: Nagas:

 

Player Races:

 

Humans:

Humans in Liathen are like humans anywhere.  They are relatively short lived, but resilient, adaptable, and have an unusually great capacity for heroism.

 

Elves:

Elves in Liathen are unique in their ability to wield arcane magic, and this has lead the other races to distrust them.  Elves rarely leave their own lands.  Their magic is characterized by use of magical patterns to alter the patterns and structure of the world around them.  Elves also possess an affinity for nature. Elves traditionally wield katana-style or rapier-style swords.

 

Half-Elves:

Rare in Liathen due to the mistrust between humans and elves.  They more frequently live with humans, who mistrust them, then with the elves, who see them as a disgrace.

 

Hobbits:

Hobbits have long been a focus of prejudice and derision among the other races, although this has slowly begun to change.  Hobbits were once forced to live in urban ghettos referred to as "holes" and were frequently ostraciszed, bullied, and enslaved.  As a result of their hardships, many hobbits remain quick to anger and skeptical of authority, but the race has also developed vibrant art and music.  Winken, the god of fire, was a hobbit before his ascension to replace the previous fire god.  His followers have grown influential among hobbits, encouraging hobbit solidarity, fellowship with other races, and total loyalty to friends.  Through Winken, hobbits have access to significant magic (fire magic and illusions), and every hobbit has the ability to impart some of his own magical essence into a traditional wooden club called a wappy stick.  Hobbits are also renowned for their artful use of skip rocks, another traditional hobbit weapon.

 

Dwarves:

Dwarves in Liathen are insular and rarely leave their halls under the mountains except to trade.  That trade has spread small numbers of dwarfs into foreign lands and also made them a significant naval power.  They excel at craftsmanship, possess a simple and strict code of honor, and deal straightforwardly.  Their preferred weapons are short spears referred to as Assegai.

 

Orcs:

Orcs are an ancient race of Liathen and dwell in the Corian Empire to the east.  Orcs are governed by a code of honor that often puzzles outsiders, and have a fearsome reputation as warriors.  They have a long running feud with the elves, and relish battle with them.  They do not worship gods, and do not use divine magic.  Their magic is shamanistic and based on the spirits of their ancestors.  Facial disfiguration is the gravest possible offense among orcs, as it prevents ancestors from recognizing their descendants and leaves them without their protection from the rag man.  The number eight is of great significance to them.  They favor long polearms, curved swords known as Shabriyas, and kukris.

 

Half-Orcs:

Uncommon, but numbers of half-orcs live in the orc lands and the border areas.  They are large and strong by human standards, and some have access to spirit magic.

 

Other Races:

 

Goblins:

Small and cowardly, but dangerous in large numbers.  They worship a spider goddess.  They use whatever weapons they can scavenge, typically small weapons like daggers and short swords.

 

Kobolds:

Even smaller and more cowardly.  They live underground and fight almost exclusively by setting traps.  They will fight only if cornered.

 

Gnomes:

Now extinct, thanks to the Dwarves.  According to legend, the gnomes were an advanced race of tinkerers, but very annoying.

 

Fey:

Thought to have departed Liathen under the belief that the Dwarven Prophecy was being fulfilled, the fey have been making an effort to reopen the links between our world and theirs during the current game.  Many fairy magic items are created using bits of their creator's own essence, similar to the manner in which hobbits make their wappy sticks.  Several distinct varieties of fey have been seen: nobles, which look like blue elves, leprechauns, who act as guards and wear large magical boots, Quicklings, which are small, lithe, and supernaturally fast...

 

Ratmen:

Ratlike humanoids are rare, but present in the dengrens, especially near the coast.

 

Centaurs:

Now extinct, the last of the Centaurs were hunted down and killed by an Orc warrior named Ranik.

 

Gnolls:

Doglike humanoids that live in the mountains, constantly at war with the trolls.

 

Trolls:

Live in the mountains.  Have the ability to regenerate, but are vulnerable to fire.

 

The Elder Races:

 

Giants:

Humanoids standing approximately (15ft) tall, the handful of remaining giants in Liathen live in the mountains.  They greatly prize tales.  In past ages they fought great wars with the Orcs, and successfully used illusion magic against them.

 

Dragons:

Once ruled Liathen, now nearly extinct.  Most now hide in human form.  Most hoard social power and influence rather than physical treasure.  Few humans believe that they ever truly existed, and many confuse true dragons with a species of flying lizard that occaisionally plagues the Dengrens.

 

Nagas:

Nagas have humanoid torsos and long, snakelike bodies.  They are exceedingly rare, but are known to live in swamps.  Nagas are effectively immortal and possess a perfect memory, so they can be great sources of information when they are not hostile.  They are also said to be able to predict the future.