Uncommon Races of Eleroth

While humans, elves, dwarves, and the other common races are certainly the most prolific races to call Eleroth home, they are not the only ones. Some people can go their entire lives without ever meeting a member of these races, though they are certainly more common in bigger cities.

Aasimar (Nephilim)

 * Lifespan: Maturity 15 years; average lifespan ~150 years
 * Homeland: Human Lands, Galifar; The Golden City of Seraphel
 * Language: Enoccian (also called "Celestial")

Aasimar, derived from the Ancient word of aasimon (angel), are a race of celestial people with the light of divinity in their veins. They are descended from angels, though they are by no means all good. Their angelic heritage is usually several generations removed, but they still bear the mark of their celestial blood in different ways; appearing physically similar to extremely beautiful, graceful humans.

While not always benevolent, aasimar are more inclined toward acts of kindness rather than evil, and they gravitate toward faiths or organizations associated with celestials in some way. Their heritage can lie dormant for generations, only to appear suddenly in the child of two apparently human parents. Most grow up assuming they are human, and are cautious around others. Many assimar are often misunderstood, though never to the hateful extremes that the tieflings experience. Even those raised by understanding parents cannot escape their strangeness, or the curiosity (or even fear) that their unique nature sometimes provoked. Many aasimar suffer prejudice, something that deeply hurts the assimar in question considering their inherent empathy toward others.

Due to the purposeful nature of an aasimar’s creation, most have an angelic guide to provide them guidance, though only in their dreams. Thus, the angel’s guidance is not a command or a spoken word, but instead usually visions, prophecies, and feelings. This being is far from omniscient, providing guidance only by its own insight into the tenants of law and good.

Aasimar are especially beloved in the highly pious lands of Galifar.

For Aasimar racial traits, click here.

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Bullywug (Bul)

 * Lifespan: Maturity at 1 year; Average lifespan of ~20 years
 * Homeland: Swamps throughout Eleroth
 * Language: Croak (also called "Bullywug" or "Froggish")

The Bullywugs are a froglike race of humanoids who stand just over four feet tall, with mottled green and brown skin. They live simply, in small villages in their swamps, living on hunting, gathering berries, and large insects. Rarely concerned with anything that goes on outside of their home swamps, they are content to ignore and be ignored.

The Bullywug live in primitive, semi-organized communities that hunt and fish together. The hierarchy is based on strength, with respect and leadership given only to the strongest. They are territorial creatures who attack anyone who trespasses. Oddly enough, they rarely fight within the tribe, instead focusing their aggression on rival tribes.

A grouping of four bullywugs is called a "Pod". A pair of pods is called a "Float". Between two and six floats make up a "Pond" of bullywugs. These ponds often migrate in a constant search for territory and food. A unique trait is that they are irresistibly drawn to ale, and they drink until they pass out.

Their entire civilization is a theocracy, the leader of a bullywug village being a female shaman who is said to speak for "Froghemoth", the deity of the bullywug people.

For Bullywug racial traits, click here.

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Catfolk, Tabaxi

 * Lifespan: Maturity 13 years; average lifespan ~60 years
 * Homeland: The Vinta Plains, the Savage Frontier
 * Language: Merar (also called "Catfolk"

The Tabaxi are a race of catfolk who wander the Vinta Plains in southern Galifar, often clashing against the human riders or halfling nomads of that region. Like tabaxi elsewhere, they are driven by curiosity to collect interesting artifacts, gather tales and stories, and see as many of the world's wonders as they possibly can. The ultimate travelers, the Tabaxi rarely stay in one place for long. Their innate nature pushes them to leave no secrets uncovered, no treasures or legends lost.

These natural explorers rarely tire of trailblazing, but such exploration is not limited to searching for new horizons in distant lands. Many tabaxi see personal growth and development as equally valid avenues of exploration. While most tabaxi are nimble, capable, and often active creatures, there is also a strong tendency to engage in quiet contemplation. Tabaxi are interested in finding new solutions to age-old problems and questioning even the most steadfast philosophical certainties of the day. They are curious by nature, and tabaxi culture never discourages inquisitiveness, but rather fosters and encourages it.

Many tabaxi are seen as quirky extroverts by members of other races, but within tabaxi clans there is no shame in eccentricities, minor peculiarities, or foolhardiness. All but the most inwardly focused enjoy being the center of attention, but not at the expense of the clan. Tabaxi tend to be both generous and loyal to their family and friends.

Self-expression is an important aspect of tabaxi culture, but it is mitigated by a strong sense of community an group effort. In the wild, tabaxi are hunter-gatherer nomads. The pursuit of personal power never comes before the health and well-being of the clan. More than one race has underestimated these seemingly gentle people only to discover much too late that in their cohesion in great strength.

The tabaxi are deeply spiritual, usually worshiping the Traveler, the god of horizons and travel. Some follow the teachings of the nature god, the Green Shepherd, while others still respect the Ocean Mistress or even the Laughing Rogue. Few tabaxi hold much respect for the Dawnfather, the Platinum Champion, the Lawbringer, or other gods popular in human lands.

For Tabaxi racial traits, click here.

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Centaur

 * Lifespan: Maturity at 13 years old; average lifespan of ~80 years.
 * Homeland: The North; the Fields of Gladden; the Vinta Plains; the Savos Desert
 * Language: Sylvan

In the sprawling wilds of the north, centaurs roam the lands in massive tribal herds. At one with the natural world, centaurs have a deep love of wide spaces and the freedom to travel. Even when they find themselves in towns or cities, as much as they can, centaurs run--in wide plazas, spacious parks, and expanses of rubble and ruin. They race the wind, hooves thundering and tails streaming behind them, until the next wall looms in their path and brings them to a stop.

Centaurs have the upper bodies, down to the waist, of lean, athletic humans, displaying all of the human variety of skin tones and features, depending on the region from which they hail. Their ears are usually slightly pointed, though wider than the ears of elves. Below the waist, they have the bodies of horses, with a similar range of coloration. Most centaurs style their hair and their tails in a similar way. The Selesnya centaurs, who hail from Savos, favor long, flowing hair. Gruul centaurs, found in the north, cut their hair in rough, spiky styles.

Their height is only slightly taller than a human; their lower equine half measures about four or five feet at the withers. This makes them smaller than a human mounted on a horse, but they are still usually larger than a human by a head. They are sometimes called "Nature's Cavalry" for their method of hit and run strikes on the battlefield.

Centaurs have an affinity for the natural world. They celebrate life and growth, and the birth of a foal is always cause for festivities. At the same time, they revere the traditions of the past, and among all centaur varieites they are voices of memory and history, preserving the old ways and keeping alive the legends of ancestral heroes. They feel a close kinship with wild animals, and delight in the feeling of running alongside herds and packs of other beasts.

During the Brecilian Wars, the centaurs were among the most staunch and powerful allies of the elves. They were feared by all who faced them on the battlefield. Due to this connection, most human lands have a strong mistrust of centaurs, viewing them as savage and cruel.

For Centaur racial traits, click here. [not yet added]

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Darfellan

 * Lifespan: Maturity at 12 years old; average lifespan of 60 years
 * Homeland: The Besmarah Principalities
 * Language: Aquan

The Darfellans were once a peaceful race of hunter-gatherers who lived among the surf and sea stacks of forbidding coastlines. Then the sahuagin discovered them, beginning a century-long struggle that almost ended in the extinction of the Darfellan race. The remaining darfellans are brooding wanderers who crave the chance to exact a final measure of vengeance against the sahuagin who wiped out their kin.

A typical darfellan has a hulking, muscular build with a broad back, powerful arms, and a wide neck and head. A darfellan stands not much over 6 feet tall and weighs nearly 200 pounds.

Their most striking feature is their jet-black skin, glossy and hairless, broken by varied white markings. The size, shape, and location of these white areas distinguish family groups and quickly identify their heritage among the darfellan. Occasionally, individuals are born who are entirely black or, much more rarely, wholly white. Such births are seen as bad omens.

Darfellans are naturals in the water, many of whom were raised in hidden communities tucked away in lost coves among the islands of the Besmarah Principalities. Repeated hunts from the sahuagin have reduced their population to scattered villages and isolated families. The darfellans once had a rich, vibrant, clan-based culture. Now most those clans' names are dust, memories half-remembered by only the elders. They are a race of refugees, often the move.

For Aasimar racial traits, click here. [not yet added]

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Duskling

 * Lifespan:
 * Homeland: The Fallen Lands, the Bleak Coast; western Aldor, the Bramblewood
 * Language: Sylvan

As enigmatic and they are capricious, Dusklings are small but savage fey native to the shadowlands. They boast an inner connection to the shadow that no other race possesses--as a dryad is one with a tree, they claim, the duskling race is one with the shadow.

Dusklings stand about 5 feet tall on average and are even more lithe. Their skin is generally pale, and their hair ranges from light blue, to darker shades of blue, pink, and purple. They have a wild look about them--their hair grows long and tussled, and they have a strong love of tattoos and piercings.

Dusklings are solitary fey who dwell throughout Eleroth, though they can only be born from areas infused with shadow. They travel constantly and rarely have any relationship with other dusklings, not even their families. They tend toward true or chaotic neutral alignments.

They have no lands of their own. They set up camps for a week or perhaps a month at a time, very rarely as long as a season, before moving on to a new location. They favor thick forests and tall grasses, and unlike other fey, they feel right at home in the shadows of populated cities.

For Aasimar racial traits, click here. [not yet added]

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Elf, Winter

 * Lifespan: Maturity - ~20 years; average lifespan is ~200 years
 * Homeland: Evermeet, the Moonshea Islands
 * Language: Sylvan

The Winter Elves, also known as Pale Elves, are a race of isolationist elves who have lived in the city of Evermeet in the Moonshea Islands for thousands of years. They are seen as elitist and care little for what happens on the mainland. Haughty and arrogant, winter elves typically feel superior to most other races, including other elves.

Winter elves firmly believe that staying in the Material Plane was a mistake. According to them, the winter elves stand as the sole protectors and inheritors of the Archeart's legacy in the world. Patient and deliberate in everything they do, they demonstrate an orderly nature uncommon to most elves, preferring to master a skill before applying it rather than learning as they go.

Rushing is out of their nature. While they are less versatile than most races, they have a mastery of whatever they apply themselves to. The only true exception to this is arcane magic, which nearly all winter elves have training in.

Unlike most elves, winter elves organize their society along firm and hierarchical traditions. Communities are typically run by members of an esteemed nobility, some of whom can trace their ancestry to The Awakening. There is a difference, however, between winter elf and human monarchy and where a human king typically accumulates influence through the ownership of land or command of soldiers, a winter elf noble commanded authority through the prestige of their family name or the magical power they hold at their behest, a power often demonstrated through the grandeur of their home.

The winter elf qualities of patience and haughtiness are both demonstrated in their art. Architecture, while undeniably beautiful, is often flashier than what other elves commonly build, a quality in party due to the fact that winter elves accept nothing short of perfection. Contrastingly, winter elves prefer clothing that is at once beautiful and understated, with subdued colors like blue or green over bolder hues. Most decorate themselves with gold or mithral embroidery in subtle patterns woven into the design of their clothes.

Winter Elves are less motivated to become adventurers than sky elves or sun elves. For the most part, they prefer to keep to themselves. Those driven into the world to forge a path among other races often do so as spies or scouts on behalf of their people, or perhaps as vigilant watchmen against possible threats, or to accomplish a very specific goal. Others might be drawn to adventure by a desire to explore ancient ruins and accumulate more magical knowledge and power.

For Winter Elf racial traits, click here.

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Faun

 * Lifespan: Maturity at 10 years old; average lifespan of ~50.
 * Homeland: The North, Aldor, Touissaint
 * Language: Sylvan

Of the various fey races that roam Eleroth, the faun are among the most benevolent. Generally playful, quick-witted, flighty, and highly social, fauns delight in games and revelry, music and dance, sarcasm and satire. Their society is marked by a strange social economy of slights and favors, repaying the former tenaciously with mischief rather than violence, and the latter with a fervor bordering on religious.

Female fauns tend to stick in small groups, with males rarely staying with them past reaching maturity. Males often travel alone or pairs at the most. Fauns of all walks never tell their true names; such knowledge is kept a closely guarded secret their entire lives outside of faun society. Instead, fauns go by nicknames.

Fauns tend to be jovial; they delight in singing, dancing, debauchery, and feasting. They are known for having simple sort of wisdom, believing strongly in common sense. They have remarkable perception, with a keen eye for omens and keen insight.

They tend to balance toward chaos and mischief, neither leaning toward good or evil. Fauns rail against law and authority. They live peaceful existences in the forests and are friends of beasts, especially deer, sheep, and goats. The songs of their pan flutes and singing can be heard from all corners of the wood, and fauns see themselves as shepherds of the wood.

Fauns dislike large cities and large crowds, preferring the quiet of the wilds.

For Faun racial traits, click here.

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Fetchling

 * Lifespan: Maturity - ~15 years; average lifespan is ~70 years
 * Homeland: The Fallen Lands; the City of Cym
 * Language: Human Tongues

Descended from humans born near the World Scar, fetchlings are creatures of darkness and light intertwined. Generations of contact with the magics of the Fallen Lands have made Fetchlings a race apart from humanity. They outwardly resemble frail, pale humans, almost always with raven black hair. They are adaptable and affable, better able to survive in western Eleroth than most due to their natural resistance to its corruption.

Fetchlings are adaptable creatures, and as such display no singular preference for moral philosophy or rule of law. Most mimic the cultural norms and governmental structures of those they live near or those they serve. Their tenacity, versatility, and devious pragmatism have helped them survive the harsh environs of the lands around the World Scar and plots of the deadly creatures who dwell within it.

The ever-present hazards pose great danger to fetchling adventurers, but also great opportunity. They are at one with the shadows, and excel at professions that allow them to take advantage of this, such as spies, assassins, and thieves.

For Fetchling racial traits, click here. [not yet added]

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Firbolg

 * Lifespan: Maturity 30; average lifespan ~300 years
 * Homeland: The North, the Moonshea Islands
 * Language: Dethek (also called "Giant")

The Firbolg are a race of humble, gentle giantkin who dwell in the quiet, wild places of the world. Firbolg tribes tend to cluster in remote forest regions, preferring to spend their days in quiet harmony with the natural world around them. Beasts and plants alike are their friends. But when provoked, they demonstrate formidable skills with both weapons and natural magic. They are considered the most intelligent of the giantkin races.

A nature-oriented, free-spirited people, firbolg live in the expanses of the North. They are rarely ingrained in society, as they tend to be awkward and have trouble fitting in with human-settled lands. They prefer to avoid contact with civilized lands. The forests are sacred to them and symbolize the heart of the earth and the adaptability of life. They see themselves as the forests' caretakers. As such, they have always been close friends to the elves and fought on the side of the elves during the Great War.

Firbolg consider greed to be among the worst vices. They believe one should only ever take what they need and no more. As a culture, they see little value in gems or gold, but sometimes find prankish ways of taking valuables from strangers, out of a sense of fun. Firbolg believe that charity was a virtue but also believe that it is harmful for the recipients to know the identity of their provider. Because of this, they appear reclusive even with their own people, but they tend to be very sociable and generous to their friends.

They have a family-centered, clan based society. Their settlements are found in remote hilly, forested areas. A typical firbolg home is often a large, one-story building with strong walls, a large fireplace with multiple openings, and a central common room. As caretakers of the woods, they carefully and resourcefully live off the land, making sure to ensure balance. They store excess food so that they can provide for the animals during winter.

Firbolgs stand between 6 and 7 feet tall, and are covered in dark, thick hair that is almost like fur. Their skin is a strange pale blue to grey. All firbolg have almost bovine-like ears, and some firbolg have noticeably more bovine facial traits than others. This is largely dependent on location; as fey-like creatures, their physical appearance can change drastically depending on their homeland.

For Firbolg racial traits, click here.

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Hadozee (Kong)

 * Lifespan: Maturity 13 years; average lifespan ~50 years
 * Homeland: Kongo Bongo, The Stepping Stones
 * Language: Kong (also called "Hadozee")

A race of simian-like humanoids hailing from the island of Kongo Bongo in the Stepping Stones, hadozee (an elvish word) are often referred to as "winged deck apes". It's easy to see where they would come by such a moniker; they look like apes and they have leathery flaps beneath their arms that allow them to glide along air currents. Because they're good climbers and balancers, they find themselves particularly well-suited for life aboard seafaring vessels and airships.

Hadozee stand about 6 to 6 1/2 feet tall, though seem a little shorter due to their stooped posture. They tend to weigh between 200 and 250 pounds, most of it solid muscle. Hadozee do not traditionally need clothing, due to their thick, shaggy fur, but many who are going into human lands will at least wear pants, vests, neck ties, hats, or some other basic humanoid clothing to seem polite.

Their home is on the large, forested island of Kongo Bongo where they live among tree tops and in small villages built on the side of cliffs. They live relatively peaceful lives, but since making contact with the outside world, they have become increasingly curious, possessed by a wanderlust. They are often very active and feel their emotions intensely.

For Hadozee racial traits, click here.

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Half-Orc

 * Lifespan: Maturity - ~13 years; average lifespan is ~60 years
 * Homeland: N/A
 * Language: N/A

The Orcs and Half-Orcs of Eleroth are a reclusive people who dwell in the frozen mountains and forests of the north, particularly in the Savage Frontier. Long have the men of the north and the orcs fraternized, producing the hardy half-orc people. They were crucial in the battles in the Northern Campaign of the Great War.

While they are looked down upon as savages in more civilized lands, the half-orcs are actually a relatively simple and spiritual people. They have a very druidic culture, communing with nature and worshiping the Green Shepherd.

Strength is a valued asset among the orc people, but not savagery. A common phrase among their people is to "be as the rolling thunderstorm. Still and poised--until you aren't".

For Half-Orc racial traits, click here.

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Ifrit

 * Lifespan: Maturity at 18 years; average lifespan of ~110 years
 * Homeland: Various
 * Language: Ignan

Ifrits are a passionate, but fickle race of fire elementals who dwell in mountainous, desert regions throughout Eleroth. No ifrit is satisfied with a sedentary life; like a wildfire, ifrits must keep moving or burn away into nothingness. Ifrits not only adore flames, but personify multiple aspects of them as well, embodying both fire's dynamic, ever-changing energy and its destructive, pitiless nature.

They vary in appearance as widely as their elemental ancestors do. Most have pointy ears, bronze or charcoal skin, and hair that flickers and waves as if it were aflame. Ifrits favor revealing and ostentatious clothing in bright oranges and reds, preferably paired with gaudy jewelry.

They are most often born into human communities, and rarely form societies of their own. Those who grow up in a city are almost always imprisoned or driven off before they reach adulthood; most are simply too hot-headed and independent to fit into civilized society, and their predilection toward pyromania doesn't endear them to the local authorities. Those born into nomadic or tribal societies fare much better, since ifrits' instinctive urge is to explore and conquer.

Ifrits are a dichotomous people--on one hand, fiercely independent and on the other, imperious and demanding. They are often accused of being morally impoverished, but their troublemaking behavior is rarely motivated by malice. They are in it for the sheer thrill.

For Ifrit racial traits, click here. [not yet added]

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Maenad

 * Lifespan: Maturity at 18 years; average lifespan of ~120 years
 * Homeland: Various waterways and coastlines of Eleroth
 * Language: Aquan

Maenads are an aquatic race with flesh and hair that mimics the colors of lakes, seas, and oceans. They are a proud race and show little outward fear. While good natured and somewhat playful among their own kind, they behave with slightly more reserve and seriousness in the company of non-maenads. They have excellent emotional control, often coming across as serene and graceful. They are not moody and do not quickly become angered. As close friends, some find them overly possessive, as they are very protective of those they care about.

They often settle near water, usually in warmer climates. Though land-dwellers, they spend a fair amount of time in the water. For this reason, most dress sparsely, wearing only enough to protect themselves from the elements, and few wear shoes. Maenads pursuing martial paths often specialize with weapons they can wield equally well on land and water.

Maenads do not have communities or homelands of their own, instead settling among human communities. They hold no bias toward any other race, though they tend to get on well with elves. They do not tend to lean any particular direction in terms of alignment, instead sticking toward center neutral.

Often, maenads will venture forth to seek out a life of adventure in the wide world. Like water itself, maenads feel compelled to move and adventuring gives them ample excuse for living on the road.

For Maenad racial traits, click here. [not yet added]

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Shifter

 * Lifespan: Maturity 14 years; average lifespan ~80 years
 * Homeland: Human Lands; most commonly found in Savos
 * Language: Human Languages

Shifters are subtle shapeshifters capable of disguising their appearance. They evolved through the union of humans and doppelgangers, eventually becoming a separate race distinct from either ancestral tree. They do not possess the full shapeshifting ability of a doppelganger, but they can create effective disguises at will. This ability makes them consummate spies and criminals, and many shifters live up to this potential.

In general, shifters are prudent and cautious, preferring to take risks only when they feel the payoff is worth it. They appreciate the finer things in life and take great pleasure in the comforts of a wealthy lifestyle when they can obtain it. They avoid direct confrontation, preferring stealthy strikes and hasty retreats whenever possible. In conversation, they are soft-spoken but have a gift for drawing out more information than the other party intends to reveal.

Shifters strongly resemble their doppelganger lineage, with only a passing nod to their human heritage. They stand between 5 and 6 feet tall. Unlike true doppelgangers, shifters do have genders in their natural form, although they can adopt any shape they like. In their natural forms, shifters have pale white skin, and their hair is thin and fair. Their limbs are long and slightly out of proportion compared to humans, and their faces have more distinct features than a doppelganger, including the hint of a nose and lips. Their eyes, however, remain blank black and they possess the overall look of being 'unfinished'.

For Shifter racial traits, click here.

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Simic

 * Lifespan: A simic's lifespan is slightly accelerated, reaching maturity at ~12 years, with an average lifespan of ~40 years. A Simic Elder--the mysterious leaders of their society--can live well past 120 years.
 * Homeland: Formene
 * Language: Vedalken

The Simic Combine uses magic to fuse different lifeforms together, including themselves. They consider themselves a highly evolved race, and their altered forms bear little resemblance to their original selves. The goal of these experiments is, ostensibly, to survive the harsh environment of their homes.

A simic's biological enhancements means that the appearance between two simics can be drastic, though all have the same basic form. Their forms are augmented with characteristics of animals, mostly aquatic, reptilian, squid tentacles, wings, fines, and the like. They are the product of the Simic's centuries of magic and alchemical experimentation.

Their names are long and difficult to pronounce, so when working with other races they either adopt simple human names or they use names that get across the sort of aesthetic they want to get across, such as "Shadow" or "Grim".

For Simic racial traits, click here. [not yet added]

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Strix

 * Lifespan: Maturity at 12 years; average lifespan of 80 years
 * Homeland: Forests and cliffs of Eleroth
 * Language: Strixi

Humanoids tell horrific tales of slaughter woven with frightened suspicion when speaking of the Strix. The Strix, however, tell a tale of encroachment and a struggle for land and resources. For ages, humans have been fighting bloody battles against the fierce, owllike creatures they claim to be winged devils.

In reality, the Strix are the birdlike beastkin native to this land (a cousin to the Raptoran of Dharrenal) and are much closer to nature, living in nomadic, shamanistic tribes. Over time, they have developed a hatred for human and dwarfkind, and fiercely protect their dwindling numbers. They get on better with centaurs, firbolgs, and elves.

The Strix are territorial of their small realms and have a shamanistic culture, worshiping nature itself and both of the gods associated with it. They believe that the Green Shepherd and the Wildmother are not separate gods but are the dual-faces of a single nature deity. They find religious expression in communing with nature. They have a tendency to gather twigs and rocks, press leaves and flowers, and other small things in that vein.

For Strix racial traits, click here. [not yet added]

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Suli

 * Lifespan:
 * Homeland: Savos
 * Language:

Sulis, or suli-jann, are the descendants of mortals and jann, the most common variety of genie to live in Savos. They manifest their otherworldly heritage in adolescence, or when awakened by an encounter with a genie. Strong and attractive, these dynamic individuals can call forth elemental energies to augment their prowess in combat. Neither genie nor human, sulis stand in two worlds and often feel as if they don't belong in either--which is fine with them.

The Suli are charismatic and universally welcome wherever they happen to go. While the race can trace is origins to Savos, they tend to possess a fierce wanderlust and a desire to explore, experience new things, and meet new people. Suli rarely are happy standing still or staying in one place for too long. They are always pursuing excellence at some new hobby or art. They don't often keep their attention on it for too long, making many Suli experienced at a long of things but masters of none. Like their genie ancestors, Suli love riddles and gemstones, particularly jewelry. Suli of both genders often wear many necklaces, rings, and earrings. Long hair is common for both genders, as well.

These eccentric individuals are as wild and untamed as the winds, with a strong love of wines and games of chance. The suli are always the center of attention in any room they enter. They excel in positions of leadership, or as actors, musicians, or con-artists.

For Suli racial traits, click here. [not yet added]

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Tiefling (Cambion)

 * Lifespan: Maturity 15 years; average lifespan ~100 years
 * Homeland: Human lands; reviled in Galifar
 * Languages: Abyssal (also called "Infernal")

To be greeted with stares and whispers, to suffer violence and insult on the street, to see mistrust and fear in every eye; this is the lot of the tiefling. Their appearance and nature are not their fault, but the result of an ancient sin, for which they are their children and their children's children will always be held accountable. They are also known colloquially as "hellspawn" or "horns".

Plagued by a dark and sinister heritage, tieflings walk through the shadows, savoring the darkness or trying their hardest to escape it. Tieflings are scattered throughout Eleroth, littered geographically in a reminder of a distant time when devils and demons exerted an active influence over the lands.

Tieflings face heavy discrimination and are rarely welcomed in human society due to their fiendish ancestry and outwardly fiendish appearances. As such, many tieflings live in ghettos and other undesirable areas of town. Some attempt to counteract this stigma by amassing personal wealth or power, while others seek to form communities with other tieflings where they can live without needing to hide their natures. Occasionally, tieflings may associate with other marginalized or distrusted species, such as half-orcs.

Some tieflings choose to ease their solitude by adopting pets. Many animals are put off by the scent of fiendish blood, but this can be overcome with time and training. Ravens, rats, and cats are favorite animals among tieflings, though of course it varies from individual to individual.

Tieflings are rarely religious, although some seek faith to find the acceptance and affection that their lives often lack. Many tieflings who tend toward religion are often driven off from the major good deities, instead being drawn to the Moonweaver, the Laughing Rogue, and the Mistress of Coin. Some find solace within the halls of the Everlight, who believes all creatures deserve compassion and a chance to prove themselves.

Tieflings have a certain reputation as liars, thieves, killers, and criminals. Many gleefully embrace their fiendish ancestry, finding their callings in foul deeds and shady business.

For Tiefling racial traits, click here.

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Tortle

 * Lifespan: Most can walk from birth; maturity 15 years; average lifespan ~50 years
 * Homeland: Coastal areas of Eleroth; notably Savos
 * Language: Aquan

What many tortles consider a normal life, others might call a life of adventure. Born near sandy coastlines, most become nomad survivalists as soon as they are able to walk, eager to explore the world around them and meet new people.

A tortle hatches from a thick-shelled egg and spends the first few weeks of its life crawling on all fours. Its parents, often old and near death, spend what little time they have left telling stories to their offspring. Within a year, the young tortle becomes an orphan, though not before it learns how to speak and forage to survive on its own. Young tortles inherit the tools of their parents and tend to live in sibling groups for the first 15 years or so of their lives, which are spent in relatively confined, isolated areas. At about fifteen years old, they will strike out on their own, most never seeing their siblings again.

These folk have a saying: "we wear our homes on our backs". Their shells provide all the shelter they require. Consequently, they don't feel the need to root themselves in one place for too long. Any tortle "settlement" is really only a temporary place of lean-tos and torches, used for moots where tortles can socialize with each other, share useful information, and trade in relative safety.

Most tortles like to see how others live and discover new customs and ways of doing things. They embrace a simple worldview: the world is a place of wonder, and they see beauty in the ordinary. They live for the chance to hear a soft wind blowing through palm trees, to watch a frog croaking on a lily, or to simply stand in the middle of a busy human marketplace. They marvel at the works of other races, especially humans. While they spend much of their time in relative isolation, tortles are social creatures that like to form meaningful relationships.

Tortles universally worship the Moonweaver and believe that she watches over them. They believe the moon is the eye of the Moonweaver that watches over them in darkness. Tortles feel most at peace in the light of the moon, especially the full moon. They become nervous or uneasy when neither the sun or moon are visible in the sky. Tortles are most uncomfortable underground.

For Tortle racial traits, click here.

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Ursan

 * Lifespan: Maturity at 14 years; average lifespan of ~50 years.
 * Homeland: Savage Frontier, Husland
 * Language: Rahr (also called “Bearish”)

Ursan, also known as Bearfolk, are massive people of iron resolve and deep nobility. Hailing from the coldest, harshest climates Eleroth has to offer, ursan put their trust is family to stand against the world. In defiance of their brutish appearance, they are deeply spiritual and artistic.

The core of ursan society is the immediate family. Villages act as extended families, living by the old adage that it takes a village to raise a cub. This connection is the backbone of ursan culture. Cubs are quick learners and the elders are respected for their experience and greater perspective. Building on this respect, ursan venerate their ancestors at a nearly demigod level and they believe the spirits of their ancestors guide them. The tribe holds druids in high respect and looks tot hem for guidance.

Ursan villages establish homes that gravitate toward striking a balance with nature and their impact on it. Even the most urban minded of them prefer parks and greenery, and take pains do not disguise the landscape any more than necessary. When possible, they love to incorporate existing caves and rock formations into their architecture. Settlements always hold a totem, statue, or some other representation honoring an ancestor of virtue at their center.

They place a high value on honesty, trust, hard work, and community. These virtues bring an ursan honor, and make an outsider welcome. Laws governing ursan life are simple and loose. They trust in their core values to guide them wisely when disputes arise. They rarely turn to violence to settle disputes, preferring discussion and, if needed, turning toward an elder to mediate.

Their intimidating mien is no veneer, and have a deep and impressive capacity for violence when roused to anger or in defense of their own. Their passion run as strong as their bodies, and banter that pushes boundaries into insults and bruised honor often leads to more--much more serious bruises. Their great physical strength means they excel at battle, and many ursan wear scars from physical contests, both simple competition and more serious matters than honor.

A note on ursan names. They are given cub names by their parents, and when they come of age they earn a new name, which is bestowed on them by an elder--or, more rarely, one they choose themselves. This name befits a deed undertaken during their rite of passage into adulthood, describing an honorable or prominent trait, such as Fireheart, Stonebones, or Moondancer.

For Ursan racial traits, click here. [not yet added]