Race Profiles

Races Overview
~Reference List~
Last Updated: 7/12/02

If you decide to play a non-human character, you'll to want to know a lot more about their race. Conveniently, I have a lot of information that may be just what you need. (Of course, much of it is only recorded in my head...) The entries on this page are quite long, so don't feel obliged to read all about races you're never going to use. If you want more information on a particular topic, let me know. To make things more interesting (and breakup all those paragraphs), I'm inserting subtitles at random intervals. Because I can!

Dwarves

~Overview

Even in the early days of this world, when dwarves were an entirely new creation, their duty was to care for its foundations. Legend tells that Aikeyz himself instructed them in this unusual task, and it is certainly true that no other creatures have the knowledge or skill necessary to work with living rock. (It is even rumored that dwarves work with the life magic of the earth itself.) The mission of the dwarves is significantly more dangerous than that of the other races--mishaps in tending land or people result in deaths of forests or even cities, but mishaps deep in the earth not destroy plants, animals, and people, they can destabilize the entire world. Due to the risks involved, dwarves take great care to prevent others from learning of their work, and this great secret made dwarven society what it is today.

And now... history!

When their task was just beginning, the dwarves--realizing that their neighbors would be curious about the time they spent deep in the earth--decided to cultivate an image as miners obsessed with finding ores and gemstones. In order to do this, they actually needed to mine, and in order to keep others from mining they traded the metals, minerals, and jewels that they found. Among non-dwarves, they made a point of speaking only of things we now consider typically dwarven. It was not much of a hardship, since even then they genuinely liked these things. Today, dwarves no longer pretend to only have stereotypically dwarven interests, for mining, crafting, a selling the products of their caves really are their chief interests--together with fighting, of course. (Even this originated in the need to prevent others from accessing their work areas.)

Dwarven Magic and the Mountain Lord

As far as the rest of the world is concerned, the rare remaining practitioners of dwarven magic are smiths who occasionally forge enchanted weapons or tools. Unbeknownst to others, nearly half of all dwarves are actively involved in magic as a full-time occupation. Most dwarves have a touch of magical ability (often only enough to have a built-in sense of direction and an instinct for rocks), and dwarves with usable magical talents invariably use them to either directly or indirectly care for the earth. For whatever reason, females have a higher affinity for magic than males. Part of the nature of dwarven magic is that it binds practitioners to their working place, so the only dwarves who leave their mountain strongholds are those with miniscule magical abilities, and these are invariably men. Merchant, warrior, and craftsman are necessary and important jobs-status is a function of age and skill rather than occupation.

Of all the Eshil Loyhalel, dwarves have the closest connection to Ureyth, the Mountain Lord, for reasons that I hope are self-evident. The relationship is rather peculiar, involving much head shaking and rolling of eyes on both sides. In their strongholds, Ureyth tends to take the form of a dwarf and regularly fools outsiders, but dwarves spot him right away-they'd tell you he's not serious enough, among other things. It is not that dwarves do not have a sense of humor; it is that dwarven humor is generally incomprehensible to anyone else, and they know how to hide their amusement. (It is not unheard of for a group of dwarves to burst into laughter all at the same time, much to the bewilderment of humans present.)

Character-Specific

If your character is a dwarf, he will never so much as mention dwarven magic or the Task of the Dwarves (they think of it in capital letters) to anyone, no matter how well he knows them. Although dwarves certainly have their own arts, it would never cross his mind to discuss these things with a non-dwarf. He might discuss weapons, jewels, rocks, selling things (as long as he is making a profit), the weather (dwarves don't like weather), the superiority of dwarven craftsmanship, the inadequacy of the road system, or why everyone should live in caves, but he isn't likely to discuss music or literature. He might deign to discuss philosophy, but dwarven philosophy only makes sense to dwarves.

Your profession choices are limited to those that would actually enable a dwarf to travel the world on his own. Dwarves engaged in mining, craftwork, or even subterranean farming stay in dwarven settlements, and dwarves who are professional soldiers guard settlements or caravans. A dwarf traveling on his own could reasonably be a Merchant or possibly an Explorer. (Or, heck, combine the two and say he's exploring the world to find new clients and resources for a merchant!) "Adventurer" implies a laissez-faire attitude that most dwarves can't quite manage.

If anyone really needs to know what dwarves look like, I can describe them for you. I imagine most folks already have a pretty good idea, so I won't bother you with information you don't need.

Dwarves and Healing

Dwarven NPCs: Grinchek

Shapeshifters

~Overview

A shapeshifter is basically a human who can shift into an animal. Shapeshifters live and work among humans, and do not have an entire culture of their own. In the broad scheme of things, they are classified with humans. However, most ordinary humans are afraid of shapeshifters.

Your animal is important!

Every shapeshifter shifts into one animal, which he resembles in character and appearance. Before you develop a shapeshifter character, it is important to get your animal approved. It would make sense for the animal to be something that could actually be found where the character comes from.

Your character's coloring depends upon her animal. If the animal can have fur or feathers of a particular color, so can the character, but otherwise she cannot. (For example, a wolf shapeshifter couldn't possibly have purple hair.) Her eyes may be any color normally available to humans, although keep in mind that as an animal she'll be better off if she doesn't stand out. Although nothing would prevent a shapeshifter from dying her hair or wearing contacts, neither would survive a shift. Your character will also share certain personality traits and instincts with her animal, as appropriate.

Did I mention that people fear shapeshifters?

Shapeshifters who live among humans (and most do) are inclined to be obsessive about secrecy. Shapeshifters do not join human organizations because someone might discover their true natures. As a result, they seldom join mage orders. (In any event, shapeshifters rarely have magical talents.) This prohibition applies to a wide range of organizations, including many starting professions.

An average person probably couldn't tell a shapeshifter from anyone else unless she did something stupid, such as shifting in plain sight or using her special skills too blatantly. (Yes, that means point ears, sharp teeth, and oddly shaped eyes are out.) It is possible for a knowledgable observer to identify a shapeshifter or at least tell that someone might be one. Shapeshifters may or may not be able to hide their natures from each other, depending on the animals involved.

Background Options

Most shapeshifters are not comfortable in cities, so they usually either live in isolated communities of their own or hide their natures from their human neighbors in villages and small towns. There are three possible backgrounds for a shapeshifter character: 1- grew up in a shapeshifter community, 2- grew up in a shapeshifter family in a human community, or 3- grew up entirely among humans. In the first two circumstances, the character could live with his own family or be an orphan, but in the third he must be an orphan, since at least one of his parents must have been a shapeshifter. An orphaned shapeshifter could have grown up with relatives, adopted or foster parents, or in an orphanage, and his profession could conveniently be Orphan. Alternately, he could come from any of these backgrounds and become an Adventurer, interested in seeing more of the world. A shapeshifter could also be a Disgruntled Farmer, and he could become something else after his first adventure.

Random facts about shapeshifting:

In ordinary circumstances, the shapeshifter can shift from human to animal and back again at will. However, a shift can occur involuntarily at moments of extreme stress, particularly among the young and impulsive.
A certain amount of matter either carried or worn by the shapeshifter can survive the shift, as long as it does not increase his mass by a significant amount. Clothing and small possessions are probably okay. For whatever reason, loose-fitting clothing shifts best-something worn too close to the body won't reappear afterwards. Certain materials shift better than others, and metal does not shift at all. Makeup and dyes do not survive, and neither do hair fasteners or decorations.
A proper shift takes only a few seconds, but it is not instantaneous. During the shift the shapeshifter is vulnerable.
Shapeshifters usually start shifting between the ages of 10 and 20. A child who does not have shapeshifter examples around him shifts later than a child who lives among his kind, particularly if he thinks he is an ordinary human. (So your orphan shapeshifter who just learned that he isn't human could be in his late teens, or even early twenties.)

Shapeshifter NPCs: Dar, Ruscina

Elves

~Overview

The various "sub-races" who make up elvenkind all share many characteristics. Some are obvious—elves have slightly pointed ears that distinguish them quite clearly from humans, they tend to live slightly longer than humans, and they are usually quite comfortable with nature. However, these traits are merely superficial—the common bond among all elves is their mandate to care for nature. Some elves care for trees, some smaller plants, and some animals, but all have a clear sense of purpose and responsibility. Most elves live in small communities, away from human civilization, although this is not universally true.

The "life magic signatures" of some elves actually look more like plants or animals than people. Many elves have learned to emphasize this effect so that a mage using his magical senses probably wouldn't be able to distinguish a Wood Elf hiding among trees from her surroundings. (Although a healer couldn't be fooled.) This in part explains the Wood Elves' uncanny ability to disappear into the Forest. They can encourage anyone with even a touch of magic to simply see another tree.

The description of Wood Elves will also include further information about elves in general, as it is really impossible to discuss elves without bringing in examples of specific types.

Wood Elves

Although not all elves who live in forests are necessarily Wood Elves, Wood Elves nearly always live in forests. They are, after all, specifically responsible for trees. They take this responsibility quite seriously even though they also have a complex society in which not all occupations revolve around trees. A Wood Elf would be utterly incapable of felling a tree under any circumstances.

Wood Elves tend to live in small, isolated communities deep within protective forests, and they have a natural connection with the woods. In fact, the life magic signature of a Wood Elf is so similar to the trees he cares for that it only takes a slight manipulation for him to vanish completely from the sight of anyone with a touch of magical capability (which encompasses nearly everyone). Every Wood Elf can do this, and it’s hard to say exactly how much the ability actually accomplishes, and any Wood Elf could easily hide among trees even without invoking a special gift. By training and temperament, Wood Elves also have significantly sharper senses then humans or dwarves.

Wood Elves use their particular talents to good effect in the defense of their homes and woodlands, preferring to avoid and outwit their foes without ever resorting to actual confrontation. Over centuries, they have developed into a peaceful race, with a deep distaste for violence, but they defend “their” trees quite fiercely. When thinking about Wood Elves it is generally helpful to consider trees, from which they take many traits. For example, their conception of time is quite unlike that of most people. I can best explain this by saying that they tend to think in the long term. A Wood Elf sees his own life as a very short part of a much longer whole. As a people, their patience is nearly legendary.

There are many roles available in Wood Elf society. Their healers tend to be either highly-educated herbalists or tree healers. (This special branch of healing is discussed further on the page on healing magic.) An average-sized community has one master tree healer and one or more of her students. One advanced healer with helpers is sufficient for the healing needs of a well-tended region, and the pool of assistants can always be supplemented by elves from other professions, as many Wood Elves have some slight ability in this area. There is always a need for wandering tree healers to look after trees in regions not populated by Wood Elves, so when a student completes his education he can find plenty of work to keep him occupied. Very few Wood Elves are mages, and those that are devote themselves to practices unknown to the rest of the world.

Most Wood Elves never leave their own woodlands. However, there is always a small segment of any elven society that travels. The fascination with nature that transfixes most elves to one spot drives some to see new places and new things. It is not unheard of for elves of many professions to pack up their belongings and leave in search of something new. Most eventually find new homes, often in other settlements of Wood Elves. Wood Elves who are fighters invariably specialize in archery. (Most Wood Elves can use a bow and arrow, which they would carry before any other weapon. An Elven Archer would have specific training, and was probably once in his community’s Guard.) Occasionally, Wood Elves travel as envoys, sent either on a specific errand or as a general representative of their people. Whatever they may be, Wood Elves never wander without a sense of purpose, but, while Adventurer is therefore not an option, Wood Elves do sometimes become Explorers.

Wood Elf NPCs: Teyni

Home Forums Links World Help Members New Members SFT Site