Common Races of Dharrenal

From the rolling steppes of the eastern plains to the shores of the Sea of Glory, the inhabitants of Dharrenal are as distinct as the regions from they hail. During your travels through Dharrenal, you may come across numerous creatures and peoples from all walks of life, though some are undoubtedly more common than others.

For information on the more unusual or uncommon races found in Dharrenal, check here.

Dwarves (Dwarva)
Dwarves are a hardy, long-lived race who dwell in massive underground cities they call "Thaigs". Strong, stocky, and shorter than humans or elves, the dwarves are skilled builders and merchants, boasting a long tradition of courage and martial skill that has served them well. The dwarves once inhabited twelve major Thaigs throughout Dharrenal, with a population that rivaled human lands. However, their civilization was all-but destroyed during the Calamity War, and they are now a race in decline. Despite this, you would be hard-pressed to find a people prouder of their history and accomplishments than the dwarves. And they have done much of great worth; their architectural feats alone are staggering. But their greatest triumphs are all long past, and their pride eclipses them.
 * Lifespan: Maturity - ~20 years; average lifespan is ~150 years
 * Homeland: The Fral Thaigs
 * Language: Sharok (also called "Dwarven")

The dwarves are natural miners and smiths, and they control most of the precious metals found naturally across the continent of Dharrenal. Powerful dwarf families mint coinage and operate secular banks, issue letters of credit, hold loans, and collect debts. Dwarf bankers and merchants wield a great deal of economic power throughout Dharrenal, and they are well respected as a result. To an extent, they are also feared, as dwarves have a reputation as ruthless in collecting unpaid debts.

Dwarf society is ruled by a complex, interrelated, and rigid caste system. Most dwarves take their caste and jobs very seriously, even those in the lowly servant class. Duty is duty. Their law is complicated and dense, and meetings of the Dwarven Assembly are drawn out, steeped in red tape, bureaucracy, arguments, and examination of laws and code. Dwarven politics is cutthroat.

The Thaigs are each independent city-states, each ruled as a constitutional monarchy, and bound together through ancient decrees supposedly passed down from Moradin himself. The twelve thaigs of old had massive influence across Dharrenal, and trade with each other was once enough to sustain them. Since the Calamity, the remaining five Thaigs have been forced to open up trade with the surface on a much wider scale in order to survive. As such, dwarves from all walks are a common sight in many large cities or in busy trading outposts.

Dwarven racial attributes can be found here.

Elves (Aelda)
The elves were the first people of this land. They were awoken in the heart of the dark, mysterious Forest of Illan, where the Heartgrove now stands, by Corellon Larethian in the Dawn Age, centuries before the first humans or the dwarves emerged into the light of the sun. All elves, regardless of their background, call Illan home.
 * Lifespan: Maturity - ~20 years; average lifespan is ~200 years
 * Homeland: Illan Expanse
 * Language: Aelish (also called "Elven")

The elves are known for their natural grace and beauty; they stand a full head taller than humans, with lithe physiques, larger eyes, and pointed ears. Long, long ago the elves were the dominant race in Dharrenal. Their civilization was based in nature, the spirit world, and magic.

Elves are a semi-nomadic people by nature, whether it be with Clan or with a group of like-minded adventurers. They value privacy and freedom, with an intense hatred of slavery of all kinds. While permanent elven cities certainly exist, such as the marvel of Elvhanen, most elf communities are mobile, often following the migration of various beasts. Many elf communities or clans have a patron animal, who is the philosophical spirit of the community. No two communities share a patron animal.

Like all creatures of fey ancestry, the elves (called the Aelda in their own tongue) are bound to nature in all of its forms, and many prefer living in woodlands or isolated mountain glens than crowded cities. They feel a natural bond with nature and strive to live in harmony with the natural world.

The elves of Illan are also known as Sun Elves. Connected to the magical energy of the sun, they are strongest in the spring and especially the summer. Much like the sun itself, elves are intense and charismatic, equally capable of nurturing growth, as well as destruction.

This has led to a dual reputation among outsiders: the elves are at once alluring, charming, and beautiful, but also mysterious, dangerous, and aloof.

Elven racial attributes can be found here.

Gnome (Lanni)
The gnomes are a race of strange, energetic creatures who hail from a place they don't seem to remember. They possess a hyperactive metabolism; they think fast, talk fast, and move fast. To gnomes, other races seem sluggish and dull. Unfortunately, this leaves them with a relatively short lifespan; gnomes over the age of 40 are a rarity.
 * Lifespan: Maturity - ~10 years; average lifespan is ~40 years
 * Homeland: Unknown
 * Language: Lanni (also called "Gnomish")

Gnomes harbor a thirst for knowledge that can only be described as lust. They believe that every piece of information, no matter how trivial, may someday have value. Combined with a surprisingly meticulous nature, this love of learning makes gnomes superb librarians, accountants, bards, and alchemists. However, this side of them can also have a sinister side. The same talents that make an accomplished minstrel can produce a skilled spy, and gnome society is filled with webs of intrigue and blackmail that often pass completely unnoticed by human eyes.

The gnomes have no history of empire building, but their talents for diplomacy and espionage have allowed them to maintain their independence throughout the history of Dharrenal. In addition to their skill as alchemists and tinkerers, gnomes reputed for their skill at elemental binding, which they use to power the machines that aid their lives in the clockwork city of Zhivago, located high in the mountains of Alfine.

Gnomes are known for their strange sense of humor, observational capability and non-linear thinking. This tends to manifest as an aptitude for research and espionage. They are constantly experimenting and inventing, and it's generally accepted that gnomes always know more than they are letting on. They excel at invention, preferring to use cutting-edge technology ingeniously blended with magic.

Gnomes live in loose clan structures, preferring cold regions. Their clans operate in a matriarchy, and their laws are a strange labyrinth of paradox, double-talk, and offbeat humor. Humor, indeed, is and important part of gnome society. Gnome lives are short, after all, and most believe that whatever your trade, laughter is the great equalizer.

It should be noted that gnomes have next to no recognition for traditional power structures; from childhood they're often left to their own devices, and gnome "law" is more of a suggestion than anything else. To the gnomes, everybody is responsible for their own actions, and gnome society as a whole really only exists for the purposes of protection and cooperation. This extends to religion. The gnomes are not particularly religious, instead practicing a form of atheism called "Gnome Philosophy".

Gnome racial attributes can be found here.

Halfling (Wes)
Halflings, or the Wes as they refer to themselves, are not native to Dharrenal. In their homeland, the halflings are nomads who ride domesticated dinosaurs across the wild plains. This heritage also serves more urbanized halflings, who migrated to the continent generations ago, and they have established themselves across Dharrenal as merchants, politicians, barristers, healers, and criminals.
 * Lifespan: Maturity - ~15 years; average lifespan is ~80 years
 * Homeland: The Eastern Plains
 * Language: Wessit (also called "Halfling")

Many halflings still live a nomadic lifestyle in the Eastern Plains and the Lucain Coast, but can also sometimes be found in the cities. Halflings often blend in with the rest of the population and display only the occasional reminder of their nomadic roots.

The halfling race originated in the Vinta Plains of the kingdom of Galifar in Eleroth and still thrive there, continuing the nomadic traditions they have practiced for thousands of years. They migrated away from that continent generations ago, first settling in Seraphel before continuing eastward, and are now found in almost every city in Dharrenal. They bring their glib tongues and quick minds to whatever trade they choose to follow.

Of particular note is House Allanda, a noble halfling family hailing from the city of Vorasco in the northern reaches of the Ozmit Empire. A family of entrepreneurs, House Allanda operates a number of inns and restaurants throughout the Empire and beyond.

Halfling communities tend to be tightly knit nomadic tribes found throughout the Eastern Plains, though in more human-controlled lands, halfling communities or neighborhoods are rare. Halflings look to family elders to guide them, valuing experience over blood right. They have a strong sense of community, and a strong fondness for stories and legends in a rich oral tradition. They tend to be superstitious concerning magic, and they distrust advanced technology, such as airships.

Halfling racial attributes can be found here.

Half-Elf
Elves and humans, despite their rocky history, are known to lie together on cold nights; the elf attracted to the human's energy and the human to the elf's grace., These relationships often end as abruptly as they began, but sometimes result in an enduring legacy--a half-elf. These individuals have no real culture of their own, finding no home in either their human or elf halves, and most are forced to find their own purpose and identity apart from their parentage.
 * Lifespan: Maturity - ~18 years; average lifespan is ~110 years
 * Homeland: None of their own.
 * Language: N/A

The life of a half-elf is hard, their social status often depending on where in the world they are. For example, in Afline or Vanar, humans adore half-elves. To them, it is not only a great honor for an elf family to join their bloodline, but it is a point of patriotic pride, demonstrating the strength of the bond between modern elves and humanity. To others, such as the men of the Ozmit Empire, half-elves are tolerated as half-breeds who are expected to prove their value and earn their place. In other places still, such as Slazka or Ibrido, half-elves can find a niche without concern for their parentage.

The elves of Illan, however, often look upon their mixed-race children with pity at best, and contempt at worst. They are often called "ill-born" and carry the stigma of impurity and the mark of lessened potential due to the diluting of their superior, magical elven blood with that of a human. That a half-elf had no choice in the matter is irrelevant. Few half-elves find prominence in Illan, though some find acceptance among the more open-minded nomadic clans.

Many half-elven adventurers are wanderers not by choice, but because they have few other options.

Half-Elf racial attributes can be found here.

Half-Orc
As seen by most civilized races, half-orcs are monstrosities, the result of perversion and violence--whether or not this is actually true for the individual. They are rarely the result of a loving union, and as such are usually forced to grow up hard and fast, constantly fighting for protection or to make a name for themselves. They tend to resent this treatment, and rather than play the part of the victim, they tend to lash out, unknowingly confirming the bias of those around them.
 * Lifespan: Maturity - ~13 years; average lifespan is ~60 years
 * Homeland: N/A
 * Language: Parental Tongue (Common and/or Orc)

Humans don't care for half-orcs, seeing them as ugly, stupid, and destructive by nature; ultimately no different from their bloodthirsty orc parent. Orcs have no love for these half-human whelps either. To an orc, they are soft and weak, their lust for slaughter dulled by emotion and a capacity for compassion. Unloved by either parent, half-orcs must often find their own way to survive in a world that cares nothing for them. They are passionate, driven, and eager to prove themselves. Half-Orcs tend to be short-tempered and sullen, the violent tendencies of their orc nature often simmering just below the surface despite their best efforts.

Some go to great lengths to earn acceptance through action; some exemplary half-orcs have risen throughout history, renowned for their bravery and valor. The honors heaped upon some have led to some settlements becoming a bit more open minded, but most human communities still meet half-orcs with disrespect and even open violence. Others reject humanity, having seen its ugliest side. These half-orcs see both halves of their lineage as equally monstrous; one side is just better at hiding it.

Half-Orcs have no civilization of their own and, due to the orcs' siding with the Demon Prince during the Calamity War, half-orcs are marginalized, feared, and hated. Many go their entire lives only meeting two or three other half-orcs, and very few sire children together. Discussion of parentage between half-orcs is a deadly taboo.

Half-Orc racial attributes can be found here.

Human
While dwarves, elves, and halflings laid early claim to these lands, the humans who journeyed here quickly created the most widespread civilization on Dharrenal. Diverse in skills and quick to populate, their cities rose and spread to the eastern shores.
 * Lifespan: Maturity - ~15 years; average lifespan is ~70 years
 * Homeland: Human Lands
 * Language: Common, Regional Language

Their triumphs are among the greatest in recorded history, and their missteps nothing short of catastrophic. Human adventurers can hail from anywhere in Dharrenal, though most call the lands known as the Glorious Domain their home.

Humans are an ambitious and industrious race, able to thrive seemingly anywhere and adapting to the local environment tremendously fast. There tends to be a human-centric bias throughout Dharrenal art and history.

They are a race of contradictions. They are among the most devout and the most heretical. They are erudites and fools, warriors and pacifists; human culture is a misnomer, as their culture various from nation to nation, region to region, town to town, and even by individual.

Humans in Dharrenal can be found in a number of different ethnicities. The most common are Dharrenali, though others exist.

Human racial attributes can be found here.