WORLD
OF GREYFEATHER
The
World
Races
The
races of Greyfeather
are somewhat different from the races of other fantasy worlds.
There
are nine races that live in Greyfeather, each distinct and rich in history.
WORLD
OF GREYFEATHER
The
World
Races
The
races of Greyfeather
are somewhat different from the races of other fantasy worlds.
There
are nine races that live in Greyfeather, each distinct and rich in history.
Aspenleaf Elves: The Aspenleaf elves live in the Aspenleaf Forest which is located in the central part of Greyfeather Island. They branched off from the ancient race of elves that originated in the southern part of the island over 3000 years ago and settled in the forest to call it home. They are small and lithe for the most part, with the average height being 5’6” and weighing around 150 pounds. Their hair color and eye color vary with each individual, but all Aspenleaf elves have a bronze tint to their skin from their enjoyment of the outdoors. The one thing that sets them apart from any other race in Greyfeather is the animal totem they have tattooed over their right eyebrow. The village elders determine what animal best represents the elven child and that image is drawn on them. This totem stays with them until their deaths. They love the forest and take very good care of it, punishing anyone severely if they harm the forest or its inhabitants in any way. They live longer than normal life spans, on average, living 700 years for more.
Elvenwood Elves: The Elvenwood elves live in the Elvenwood Forest which is located in the south central part of Greyfeather Island. This was the location of the original Be'metrial elves of Greyfeather from almost 4000 years ago. Those that remained here after the two separate migrations northward were considered to be Elvenwood elves. They are taller than their Aspenleaf cousins, but still slim and lithe. Average height is 5’9” tall and they weigh around 160 pounds on average. They are fairer of skin than their cousins, preferring the indoors and heavy canopy to block extreme sunlight and their hair color tends to be a bit darker than those of Aspenleaf elves. Where the Aspenleaf elves love nature and the outdoors, Elvenwood elves love knowledge and learning. They see themselves as more civilized than their cousins, enjoying the amenities of life rather than “roughing it”. Therefore, they come off as snobbish at times. Like all elves, they live longer than normal life spans, on average living 700 years or more. Dwarves: The dwarves of Greyfeather are hearty, hard-working, and love a good scrap. The one thing that sets them apart from most dwarves is, they do not all speak with a Scottish accent. Many are well spoken and educated. They live underground in the Ogre’s Teeth Mountains, which is located on the western edge of Greyfeather Island. All of their cities and villages are built within a massive tunnel system beneath the Ogre’s Teeth Mountains. They are mostly miners and excavators, though a few will venture out of the mountains to try their hand at adventuring. They mine precious metals and ore, then turn that into weapons, armor and other tools to be sold to the outside provinces in trade. They are short of stature, around 4’ tall on average, but they are stocky built and very muscular, some of them reaching 200 pounds in weight. Their beard is like the rings inside of trees, the longer the beard, the older the dwarf. It is a status symbol to them, but unlike other worlds, female dwarves on Greyfeather do not have beards, nor can they grow one. They live longer than normal life spans, on average living 300 years or more. Gnomes: The gnomes of Greyfeather are very much like the gnomes of other worlds. They are short, beardless and very talkative. They are an intelligent race that loves the art of conversation, sometimes talking for days without stopping. They live in the underground tunnels of the Dragonspire Mountains which are located on the eastern edge of Greyfeather Island. Their claim to fame is their mining of precious gemstones. This is a racial trait that all gnomes share, and it is the main source of trade for them. They live entirely underground, rarely venturing out, though there are a few who choose to brave it in the outside world as adventurers. They average around 3’9” in height and weigh around 150 pounds on average, but this weight is mostly carried around their mid-section. They love to eat and it shows, but do not let the pot belly fool you, they are strong and sturdy people who can put up a good fight when need be. They normally avoid combat when possible, but when pressed they are ferocious fighters. They live longer than normal life spans, on average living 350 years or more. Halflings: The halflings of Greyfeather are very much like halflings on other worlds. They are small in stature, friendly to a fault and love to travel. They have larger than normal, hairy feet and most are fair haired. The wandering spirit of the halfling is the stuff of legend. Many halflings are prone to just leaving their village one day for no other reason other than to see the world, sometimes returning home years later with a plethora of stories to tell. They are curious by nature, attracted to the unknown like bees to honey. This sometimes gets them into trouble quickly, but their natural agility helps them wiggle out of this trouble when it arises. Most Halfling villages can be found in the hills on the western slopes of the Dragonspire Mountains, though a few have sprung up in the hills on the eastern slopes of the Ogre’s Teeth Mountains. They stand 3’4” tall on average and have small pot bellies, putting their average weight at around 120 pounds. They can be ferocious fighters when cornered though they do not like to fight normally. The norm is, Halflings have never met anyone they did not like, until given a reason to do so. This makes them wonderful traveling companions and great storytellers. They live longer than normal life spans, on average living 225 years or more. Highland Barbarians: The Highland Barbarians came to Greyfeather Island from the icy south seas some 3000 years ago. They thrive in the cold, frozen climates, so when they arrived, they ventured into the upper elevations of the Dragonspire Mountains to live. Due to the inhospitable climate there, they are rarely bothered and rarely bother anyone else. They are expert hunters and trappers, living off the land of the frozen peaks. On rare occasions, a barbarian warrior will choose to leave his village and venture down the mountains to try his/her hand at adventuring, but this wanderlust tends to be temporary and they return home after only a short period of time. They are racially considered humans, but a different variety of human. They are tall, strong, and tribal, living by a completely different code than other races, including humans. Honor and integrity are the most important attributes to them, and they guard these with zest. They do not trade with other races, preferring to hunt for their food and use the animals they hunt for furs. This makes them completely self-sufficient. They stand 6’8” tall on average, with some reported as tall as 8’. They are built strong and muscular, on average weighing around 300 pounds or more. Their skin is dark tan and leathery in appearance from the unforgiving climate in the mountains. Their hair and eye color are variable. Due to the climate they live in, they live shorter than normal life spans, on average living on 70 years, but rarely longer than that. Humans: The humans of Greyfeather are the most undistinguished race as they basically jacks-of-all-trades. They can be anything they wish to be and do anything they set out to do. Most prefer to live in civilized locales and try to find their niche in life, though some will go anywhere to earn a few coins. You can find humans anywhere on Greyfeather Island, including in the underground tunnels of the Dragonspire and Ogre’s Teeth Mountains, mostly working as merchants. The human population, on average, stands at around 6’ tall and weighs 175 pounds. Their hair and eye color are variable and their ideology is as variable as the winds of the land. The drawback of all humans is their relatively short life span compared to most races of the land. On average, they live to be 90 years old, but on rare occasions, some have lived to just over 100 years old. Half-Elves: The half-elves of Greyfeather are a mix between a human and an elf. In Greyfeather however, half-elves are not automatically shunned by both races, though it sometimes happens. For the most part, each race they sprang from accepts them for being half of that race, completely ignoring the other half (i.e. humans would accept them for being half-human, ignoring the fact that they are also half-elvish). Half-elves can be found pretty much anywhere on Greyfeather Island as they do not congregate in any one location. Some live among their human kin and some live among their elven kin, it varies. They tend to be a quite handsome race, taking many of the good physical qualities of each race. Depending on the race of elf they originated from, their looks can vary quite a bit. They are generally distinguished by slightly pointed ear tips, or near almond shaped eyes, or their delicate elven features, though this is not always the case. Some half-elves look exactly like their human ancestors with none of the elven qualities. Being of a mixed race tends to make them more tolerant of other races and ideology, though not always. Their hair and eye color can vary widely, as can their height and weight. Due to their mixed bloodlines, they live a longer than normal life span, on average living to be around 425 years old. Dark Elves: This is the most enigmatic race in all of Greyfeather. This race of elves, formerly called the Ty’larenthar elves, once lived on the surface some 2000 years ago, but a war ruined their forest and their actions during this war caused them to be shunned by their elven cousins. Without a place to call home, they declared war on their kin to try and take their lands from them. This war ended poorly for the dark elves and they were forced underground, literally. They found a series of gnomish tunnels in the Dragonspire Mountains and moved in. Soon after, there were clashes with the gnomes over territory and the elves were forced even further below ground, until such time that they were the only race of being there. The tunnels had been carved many years before by gnomes and dwarves alike, seeking out rich mineral deposits. These tunnels now served as home to the unlucky Ty’larenthar elves, now known as “dark elves”. Their defeat and exodus caused them to be bitter and develop a hatred for all surface dwellers who enjoyed living under the sun and moon. This hatred has been on-going for 2000 years. Their years underground without sunlight has affected their bodies in such a way that they are easily distinguishable from any other race. Without sunlight, their skin is ghostly pale and their hair is black from the dirt and rock that hangs above them at all times. Their eyes, which are still almond shaped, are a bit larger than their elven kin on the surface, and their pupils are huge. So huge in fact that their true eye color can only be determined by close examination and only a tiny fraction of the color shows on the outer edges of the pupil. Even though they hate surface dwellers, they do not come to the surface as the sun would burn their skin permanently and they would go blind from the bright sunlight. It is not completely unheard of for a dark elf to be seen on the surface, but when this happens, the dark elf in question has been exiled from the underground world, putting them at risk of execution by the surface dwellers, just for being a dark elf. The average life span of a dark elf is 500 years or more, due to the fact they live underground without sunlight, they do not live much longer than that.In 870 A.R., during the war against the Shadow Queen, the king of the Ty’larenthar elves, King Gest’latal, signed a cultural exchange treaty with Queen Samantha Kensak, thus opening the door to free trade and an exchange of knowledge. Ambassadors from both sides have opened new dialogs with each other to further this treaty and possibly bring an end to open hostilities between those who live below the surface and those who live above it. The Ty’larenthar’s hatred of their elven cousins still runs deep, but it is the hope of the Queen and the Ty’larenthar King that this hatred can eventually be stamped out.
| World of Greyfeather 2006 |