Races Of The Western Realms

Humans

Found almost everywhere, they are the commonest intelligent race within the realms. Their short lives and fecundity have allowed them to populate almost all of the lands west of the Sunbirth range. There are several sub-race of humans all adapted to thier different environmental niches. The tall blond peoples of the eastern mountains, the short, dark Bormarians, the green eyed, red haired peoples of the north west plains and the slim doe-eyed denizens of the Kasirov Archipelago. These are of course broad generalisations, years of conquests and migrations have led to these distinctions breaking down. They regard all humans as brothers, they are the People, the Folk. They share common bonds and common enemies .

Elves

Persecuted almost to extinction after the Great Plague, the long lived elves are struggling to survive as they have few children. This is due more to habit rather than biology and messengers have been sent out to the smaller forests from the Elf Queen bidding her subjects to have more children. Sadly this seems to have fallen on deaf ears, a depression has taken the elves heart and it may never give it back. The elves occupy scattered colonies throught the Realms, one of the largest is on the Free Isles at Deepdale. There are also a few communities of sea-elves living in and around the limestone atolls off of the southern coasts. Shadow elves live in carverns beneath the mountains of the Carontine Wall and rumours tell of disaffected adolescent woodelves leaving the forests to join with the shadow elves. They have been seen fighting alongside each other against the hated humans and dwarves.

Dwarves

Short, stocky, bearded, heavy drinkers, foul tempered and dark hearted. Tree haters, Dark dwellers, Kinslayers. Fearless, boisterous, strong, clever. Dwarves in the Western Realms are feared and respected in equal amounts. They have brought wealth and security to many nations with their mines and inventions but have never had a land of thier own, prefering instead to create cities above and below ground within the boundaries of other countries. There are two types of dwarves in the Realms. The black haired (Kurdenrast) and the red haired (Blysdenrast). The former are dark, scheaming and greedy,tending to secrecy and plotting, the Kurdenrast keep themselves to themselves and live in carverns deep below ground. The Blysdenrast are hot tempered but more warm hearted and tend to mix better with humans. All dwarves however dislike elves to a lesser or greater degree and fear giants.

Giants

Giantish legends say that the giants were ther first people, carved by the gods from the mountains themselves. From the chips and splinters grew humans, dwarves and the other creatures of the world. All other creatures apart from elves that is, who were created separatly. The giants have a lot of respect and love for the forest folk, seeing in them a shared love of life and art. While giants carve stone, elves work with wood. Where giants look after mountains, elves tend the forests. The giants love and care for the mountains brings them intto conflict with the dwarves. Giants don't object to the harvesting of of rocks and minerals, but some dwarves (particularly the Kunderast) have been ripping the hearts from mountains in their hunger for wealth.

Halflings

Jolly, bumbling, devil-may-care are the impression given by most halflings to the outside world. These attitudes may be true but they also have a serious streak. They care deeply about right and wrong, about justice and have a love of fairness. No race despises them, the dwarves see them as below thier concern while elves look upon them as children. Through this they have got by without being oppressed or hurt by other races. They have often risen to places of power in courts around the Realms as advisors and judges, especially in the rolling hills and green pastures of Doralin where most live.

The Undersea Peoples

As well as the sea-elves' cities other intellegent races have made their home beneath the waves. The Sahuagin, ancient enemies of the sea-elves along with the tritons and the merfolk also have cities in various places around the shores of Doralin and Bomaris. Just as their counterparts on the land have been persecuted, so have thier aquatic relatives. The land based races know little of these peoples, other than tales passed down to children. The undersea peoples tend for the most part to ignore their land based cousins unless they stray into one of their holy sites.

The Serpent Folk

There is one distinct area in which few humans, elves, dwarves, giants or halflings live. The jungles and swamps of Coranos. The hot humid air, the thick vegetation and low lying swamps criss-crossed by meandering watercourses are the home to the serpentfolk. Tall with tough scaley skin in various shades of green, brown, gold or a mottled combination of all three they would strike fear into any who saw them. Walking on two knobbly legs which end in 3 toes feet, each toe ending in a curved claw. Their fore limbs are short but strong with nimble fingers. Thier faces are narrow with long snouts full of sharp serrated teeth from between which a long red forked tongue flicks out, ceaslessly tasting the air. It is said that the serpent folk are the most magically adept of all the races of the Western Realms. None that have ventured into the jungles have returned to tell whether this is true or not.

The Leopard Men

The jungles of northern Coranos are dense and almost impossible to penetrate. Within these forests live the Leopard Men or as they call themselves Tabaxi. They mistrust and avoid contact with others especially the Serpant Folk who enslave them whenever they can. They are graceful and inteligent, artistic and cultured. These feline like humanoids tell tales of a long lost Tabaxi civilisation that existed in the Western Realms long before humans arrived.

Dragons

Dragons are rare in the Western Realms. They are restricted to the Carontine Wall and the inland peaks of Doralin and Bomaris. Hunted for thier skin, their teeth and thier treasure most are now reclusive and mistrustful of all bar the elves and giants. They are wise and thoughtful beasts, though some have been twisted by grief, greed and a desire for revenge.

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