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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Gold Roger" data-source="post: 5290804" data-attributes="member: 33904">Placing the playing pieces. Part 1RacesOverviewThere are the four major races, which dominant scholars divide into the blessed (humans and dwarfes) and the wild (elves and halflings). Then there are the five rare unnatural  races (half-orcs, eladrin, dragonborn, deva and tieflings). Of course there are others (orcs, kobolds, gnolls and countless others), often lumped as beast people, but these aren't playable and rarely welcomed by the others, so they are of no concern here.The BlessedHumans and Dwarfes are called the blessed races, for they  claim to be created and favored by the Gods. They certainly are the  dominant races in civilised areas.HumansWell, we know these guys. But I might as well talk about the lands and cultural circles that figure into play. While the work is larger, play centers around one continent, which kann be divided into three main areas.In the North lie the Stormlands or, creatively, the Northlands. The Stormlands where once occupied by the realm of the Storm-Emperor, a legendary figure, said to have been immortal, gigantic, a brilliant mage and powerfull warrior, who came from the mountains and forced the primitive tribes and petty kingdoms under his unified rule, until he disappeared, together with his capital one day (theres a big hole in the ground where the city once stood). While the Storm-Emperor was a brilliant ruler, he was also oppressive and was well known to use orcs, ogres and worse in his armies. Today it is a cold to temperate wild and rugged land of forests, plains and hills. Petty kingdoms, often divided by wide untamed areas are the only civilised lands here. Stormlander humans are pale people, looking pretty much central to north european.To the South you find the Rainlands or what is nominally the "Holy Realm of the High Kings". The High King is an elected ruler from among the high nobility and priestship of these lands of marshes, tropic and subtropic rainforests and savannas. In actuallity the High Kings have controlled all of these lands and it doesn't help that their power has been declining for over 100 years so far. Southern humans are darker than Stormlanders, looking more like southeast asians or arabian, depending on the areas they are from.Between these areas lies the rocky and blasted landscape of the burnigng bride, also called the shattered cross. The only overland connection between north and south, this region of two crossing Mountain chains and deserts is plagued by volkanic activity and free flowing arcane magic. Most of it's inhabitants life nomadic or in small isolated communities, but it is well known for it's bizarre and proud city-states, that mostly stand by the sea. The human people can look like almost anything human, thanks to long times isolation and the free raging arcane magic.DwarfesOnce uppon a time Dwarfes lived in the area that is now the burning bridge, but the cathastrophe that turned it into what it is now drove the Dwarfes north and south even before the High Kingdom and Storm-Empire arose. Mostly today dwarfes live among humans today, whom they taught scripture and advanced forging and architekture. Dwares often have priveledged position and control important parts of the economy, including even banking.Dwarfes look pretty much how the PHB describes them. They grow older than humans, but still age pretty much the same way, just slower. They are monogamous and don't think much of gender roles (maybe because pregnancies are rarer and occur only when wanted).The WildConsidered wild, for they have never build realms of their own, still many halflings and elves live among humans and dwarfs.ElvesMost elves have lived the same way practically forever. Elves prefer a nomadic life in the woodlands, organised in clans without any official leadership or worship, though they talk with nature spirits and practise primal magic. They can be unwelcoming to strangers, not surprising considering the problems others often bring over a clan. To civilised humans and dwarfes such free elves seem amoral and barbaric, especially for their lacking interest in gods and concept of marriage and monogamie.In areas where slavery is practised (most of the south, parts of the other lands) elves are highly valued as slaves, while in many other places, especially the north, attempts to convert elves to a proper way of life are common, wether through missionaries or force. Some elves also travel voluntarily to the civilised land, thanks to curiosiy, while others are banished and have no other chance. Many elves have hard time living in villages and cities (when they can't afford or wouldn't even consider getting a home) and life as crimminals or beggars, while other do quite well, sometimes establishing places called elven sanctuaries, walled elven only parks in cities.Elves look much like the PHB describes, unless they have aged. Elves grow, like dwarfes a bit older than humans, but age very different, growing more feral looking with age (teeth and nails grow sharper, eyes catlike, posture more hunched).HalflingThere's two kinds of halflings.One, most only hear from in stories or see in major trading ports. These are growling fiercely pierced and tatooed raiders of the sea that live in fortresslike ships, that, some say, can submerge and even fly. Nobody knows where these halflings have their homelands, but they have them and sometimes they trade peacefully with rare items, no sees elsewhere. Sometimes a halfling ship wrecks on the shores or individuals are marooned and that is, how over time, the second kind spread.This kind of halflings lives among the other races, proudly calling themselfes landrats (or sometimes riverrats). Most of these halflings still travel much, trade and, so goes the prejudice, have their fingers in all things illegal.Both kinds of halflings have a surprisingly similar way of life. They love to gamble (with a luck that is just disgusting) and joke. They also have a not so pleasant love for traffiking and consuming drugs, which may be a reason for their bad reputation. Despite this reputation they are experts at being welcomed and adjusting to their sorroundings. Halfling women, for some reason are just more agressive and dominating, and halflings tend to live matriarcharly. Halfling marriage is an odd thing, halflings marry early in life and never divorce, but see little reason for fidelity but still, expecting it themself. Thus halflings are fighting or complaining about their spouse almost constandly, yet would never seriously denie their love.Well, so much for today, minor PC races later.</blockquote>

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