Reverie Isles Ancestries
[GM Note: This is a list of playable ancestries and what role they play in the world of the Reverie Isles. If you want to play an ancestry that isn’t found within this folder, that doesn’t mean that you can’t play them; it just means that the absent ancestry doesn’t have a large enough part to play in the setting to warrant it having its own article. However, some ancestries might be too weird or too different from the rest to exist in the setting, so don’t get mad if your GM just says “No” at some point.]
Common Ancestries
Dwarf
Known as “dweomer” among their own kind, dwarves are a stout, hardy people well-adapted to life underground. Their compact frames make them resistant to the ravages of time and hardship, while their keen eyesight allows them to navigate tunnels as naturally as other folk walk open roads. Both dwarven men and women proudly bear beards, which they carefully braid to signify age and status, and most dwarves share the tendency to live in or around mountains, as they once did in their homeland of Urd beneath the Old World continent of Uferlos.
After the Syzygy, the surviving dwarven clans founded the subterranean city of Dol Volgrum to be a spiritual successor to their lost homeland. These families also implemented the now widespread tradition of forging unique “clan daggers” to serve as proof of their genealogy. Dwarven society values craftsmanship above all else, believing that to create something enduring is to achieve immortality. Tradition is their foundation, yet those who leave their mountain halls often find themselves drawn toward innovation, bridging old ways with new.
Dwarves reach physical maturity at the age of 25 (but are considered young until the age of 50) and typically live up to 350 years.
Elf
Elves are an extraordinarily long-lived people who first migrated to the Material Plane from the starlit realm of Annwyn, which was utterly destroyed during the Syzygy. Though they resemble humans in shape, their features are otherworldly — lithe, long-limbed, with almond-shaped, perpetually dilated eyes that once helped them peer through the dim light of their home plane with ease. Their ears taper to delicate points, a trait that differs slightly between elven bloodlines.
Their culture values preservation — of art, history, and the lingering echoes of Annwyn’s memory. Many elves struggle with the creeping erosion of their traditions, debating whether to uphold the ways of the past or adapt to the fleeting pace of mortal civilization. Though rare and growing rarer, some elves (proudly known among their own kind as archaics) still possess the longevity of their celestial ancestors, and are capable of living for millennia while others endure mere centuries.
Elves reach physical maturity at the age of 20 (but are considered young until the age of 100) and typically live up to 600 years.
Gnome
Gnomes are small, endlessly imaginative creatures driven by an insatiable need to create. First found sleeping among the glittering crystals of the World’s Core, their very lives are tied to spontaneous inspiration, for when an idea enters a gnome’s mind, they are supernaturally compelled to see it through. This compulsion generates an invisible field of possibility that subtly bends reality around them, allowing gnomes to accomplish impossible feats of artistry and engineering — so long as they believe in their creations.
However, their joie de vivre is not without its downsides, for gnomes are doomed to a slow death should they ever lose it. This condition, known as the Bleaching, drains a gnome of all color and vitality, reducing them to little more than a husk of their former selves. If left untreated, the sickly gnome’s body will harden, turn to brittle gray stone, and crumble into dust. To stave it off, they chase new ideas, pursue adventure, and surround themselves with vibrant company, knowing that stagnation will mean the end of them.
Gnomes reach physical maturity at the age of 20 and typically live up to 400 years.
Goblin
Goblins are scrawny, beady-eyed tricksters with sharp teeth, leathery orange skin, and an irrepressible enthusiasm that borders on manic. Whether feared or adored, goblins thrive on chaos, scuttling through life with short attention spans and a near-irrational love for fire, noise, and reckless invention. Though often dismissed as nuisances, goblin minds process information in a way few folk understand — solving most problems through gut instinct rather than logic, to the bewilderment of other ancestries.
Some scholars believe goblins share distant kinship with gnomes, as both similarly possess reality-warping auras. However, while gnomes bend possibility alone, goblins grow proportionally stronger in numbers, amplifying their collective belief until even the most harebrained schemes inexplicably succeed. This is why a single goblin’s invention is a disaster waiting to happen, but a dozen goblins together can make a rickety flying machine soar — at least for a few glorious seconds, before it all comes crashing down.
Goblins reach physical maturity at the age of 5 and typically live up to 50 years.
Halfling
Halflings are a resourceful and unassuming folk, their diminutive size belying a quiet resilience that has carried them through countless ages. Their origins stretch back further than even the elves can recall, with ancient stories describing the “little folk of the hills” as the first people to walk the Material Plane. But unlike most races, who carve empires and wage wars, halflings have always preferred the simple life — tight-knit communities, warm meals, and all the comforts of home.
Yet, their kind has an uncanny knack for survival, as if luck itself guides their hairy-footed steps. Where others rely on magic or brute force to get what they want, a halfling simply follows their heart, dodging danger with a mix of wit and well-timed fortune. Their adaptability and curiosity have led many to integrate seamlessly into the larger societies of the world, where they often find work as merchants, innkeepers, and, more discreetly, thieves who nobody ever suspects.
Halflings reach physical maturity at the age of 20 and typically live up to 150 years.
Human
Humans are the most widespread of all mortal races, their indomitable spirits allowing them to thrive in any environment. Unlike the elves and dwarves, whose societies stagnate over time, human history is one of rapid change, ambition, and reinvention. They are the architects of great cities, pioneers of industry, and rulers of continent-spanning empires, though their short lifespans often mean that their legacies fade as quickly as they’re made.
What sets humanity apart is their single-minded drive — for power, for progress, for meaning. Some rise to greatness in a matter of decades, while others crumble beneath the weight of their own angst. Their ability to commingle with other ancestries, mixing bloodlines and forming new alliances, has made them the unifying force of the Isles, for better or worse. To humans, the world isn’t merely a mystery to be revered — it is a frontier to be conquered.
Humans reach physical maturity at the age of 15 (but are considered young until the age of 20) and typically live up to 90 years.
[GM Note: Admittedly, I am neither a social anthropologist nor a minority, so I’ve tried my best not to perpetuate any negative stereotypes nor objectify any real world people when writing this section. That being said, racism as it exists in real life simply doesn’t in the Isles. Humans may not be united beneath a single banner, but they are a more unified people, as they’re but one of many biologically, culturally distinct fantasy races. That being said, ethnicity does still exist. In the Old World, the environments on each continent varied so greatly that it gave rise to a number of unique appearances for the native humanoids (not just for humans, but for gnomes, halflings, and others as well), which have been passed onto their living descendants in the Isles. In the North, Malkovians were commonly born with features well-suited for cold weather, with sturdy builds, coarse black hair, colorless gray eyes, and pale skin that grew noticeably whiter during the long night of winter. In the Far East, Yamakirins were commonly born with slimmer frames than those of other humans, with silky black hair, striking angular green eyes, and an olive complexion. In the West, the Uferlosi were commonly born with medium builds that grew considerably heavier or thinner with age, with blonde hair, blue eyes, and fair skin that tanned easily. However, due to the sheer size of their homeland, there was greater variation in appearance between humanoids across Uferlos. For example, those who hailed from around the demesne of Epping on the northwestern coast had curly reddish hair and freckled skin, while those from the Sildran Peninsula in the southeast had locks of fine brown hair and a more honeylike hue to their skin. In the South, the Zambesti commonly stood a head taller than other humans, identifiable by their thick black hair (which they either styled into rope-like braids or shaved off completely, depending on the region), brown eyes that verged on black, and dark skin that ranged from bronze to ebony. In the Far South, the Janni were commonly born with slender frames, dark hair that turned white early into adulthood, and hazel eyes resembling rings of amber, with caramel-colored skin that resisted severe sunburns.]
Orc
Orcs are a race of towering humanoids known for their green-hued skin, tusked lower jaws, and sturdy bones. Believed to be some of the first mortals to inhabit Malkovia, where orcish settlements constantly fended off nocturnal predators for survival, their kind have been honed into natural warriors. Many among them still practice the ways of their Malkovian ancestors, where honor was earned through physical trials, and every scar told a story. Others, particularly in urban centers, have taken new paths as blacksmiths, scholars, and thespians.
For all their might and ferocity, their culture is a deeply spiritual one, extending far beyond the field of battle. Unlike elves, who look to the past, or humans, who hunger for the future, orcs live entirely in what they call “the eternal present,” drawing strength from family and the forging of new traditions, which they hold just as highly as those long-established. However, orcish elders often have a reputation for being stubborn and short-tempered, having grown stronger rather than weaker with age (yet scarring more easily and healing more slowly).
Orcs reach physical maturity at the age of 15 and typically live up to 90 years, if they haven’t already been slain in battle.
Uncommon Ancestries
Catfolk
Known as “amurruns” among their own kind, catfolk are natural explorers, traders, and storytellers, with lives driven by passion and curiosity. They are distant descendants of the ailuros, Janni spirits of the wind and sand, from whom catfolk inherited their razor-sharp reflexes, piercing gaze, and sleek fur, which comes in striking patterns and colors. Having developed in far-flung desert oases, splintered and isolated from other societies, their culture often has odd notions about love, luck, and outsiders.
Similar to ordinary felines, catfolk are restless by nature and place personal freedom above all else. Once, they trekked across the Old World in lengthy caravans to trade goods with foreign lands, guided by the belief that the best way to understand one’s place in the world is to see it in its entirety. Although some purr when pleased or hiss when startled, nothing earns a catfolk’s ire faster than being compared to a common housecat, and to call one ‘kitty’ to their face is a surefire way of making a lifelong enemy.
Catfolk reach physical maturity at the age of 15 and typically live up to 70 years.
Diluvian
Diluvians are amphibious humanoids who hail from the deep-sea realm of Tezcatl, where domed palaces and coral reef gardens thrive beneath the waves. Their scaly, mostly hairless skin ranges from sable to viridian green and oceanic blue, often accented by gills, webbed fins, or even bioluminescent markings, which is seen a sign of divine favor. Though capable of venturing onto land, most diluvians prefer the embrace of the sea, where they move effortlessly with the gentle, ever-present pull of the current.
First engineered by the Cipactin, a long-extinct species of eldritch crustaceans, diluvians have inherited a deep reverence for the ocean. However, Tezcatlan society is uncompromisingly isolationist, an attitude born not of prejudice but self-preservation. Though courteous, they remain wary of any non-diluvian, believing that contact with the surface can only bring corruption and ruin. Those who leave are rarely welcomed back, for they know that once the tide carries something away, it’s rarely returned the same.
Diluvians reach physical maturity at the age of 15 and typically live up to 100 years.
Garuda
Garuda are an ancient, proud race of bird folk, their plumage varying from raptor-like austerity to parrot-like vibrancy, depending on their lineage. Semi-flightless, they possess unmatched agility, using their powerful legs and wings to leap great distances and glide on thermal winds. Their origins stretch back to the early days of the world, when their ancestors first nested along Zambesa’s rocky coast, building sanctuaries into sheer cliffs overlooking the sea, where garudan seers studied the movement of the stars.
To the garuda, the night sky is both a path and a scripture, leading their kind toward a destiny written long before their birth. Their society is separated into an array of broods, each with its own distinct hierarchy and culture. These broods pass down wisdom through oral tradition, each tale layered with a mix of history, prophecy, and lessons from the past. Though sometimes mistaken for tengu, garuda take great offense to such comparisons, insisting that their bloodlines are as old as the Old World itself.
Garuda reach physical maturity at the age of 20 and typically live up to 100 years.
Hobgoblin
Hobgoblins (referred to as “hobs” by other races in the Isles) were born from the volatile planar energies of the Syzygy, their existence a byproduct of latent genes awakening within goblin bloodlines. Taller and leaner than their less-evolved kin, who seemingly flock to hob leadership like lemmings, they possess iron-willed discipline, with a society structured around order, hierarchy, and rigid martial codes. Though they are not born into war, many are forged by it, raised in regiments that demand unwavering loyalty and obedience.
Their culture sneers at magic, religion, and whimsy of any kind, believing such things pollute the mind and weaken one’s resolve. Instead, they put their faith strictly in strategy, mental prowess, and absolute control over their own fate. Hobs have little patience for dreamers or idealists, valuing pragmatism and cold utilitarian fairness. Though feared for their militaristic rule, they are not without honor — those who prove their strength, wit, or dependability can earn a hob’s respect, even if they will never fully earn their trust.
Hobgoblins reach physical maturity at the age of 10 and typically live up to 100 years.
Kholo
Kholos are a communal, once-nomadic people whose bestial appearance and macabre traditions have earned them a misunderstood reputation. Hailing from the rolling savannas of Zambesa, most resemble spotted hyenas, with coarse fur and toothy maws made to strip flesh from bone. As other cultures worship The Nine, their kind venerates their dead, carrying the bones of ancestors with them wherever they go. Outsiders often detest this custom, but to kholos, it is a sacred act — one that ensures the souls of their forebears are never far.
Though other mortal races often dismiss kholos as primitive, or even monstrous, those able to look past the cultural peculiarities find spirited, adaptable folk who are loyal to kin above all else, who see betrayal as a slight that can never be forgiven. Despite their characteristic pre-Syzygy wanderlust, entire bloodlines of kholos have since settled down in Craven’s Ackerland as farmers. Some venture beyond the safety of their homes as rangers and mercenaries, but no matter where they now choose to roam, they carry their ancestors with them.
Kholo reach physical maturity at the age of 15 and typically live up to 80 years.
Kobold
Kobolds are short, crafty reptiles from the red rock plains of Yamakiri, their scaly hides, sharp claws, and keen minds betraying their draconic nature. Descended from the Drakkin, they were once the loyal servants of Mythras, the Great Wyrm, but over the ages, their stature slowly diminished along with their power. Despite this, many still believe themselves to be the last true dragons, and therefore inheritors of the entire Material Plane — clinging to their lost legacy with a fervor that borders on religious zealotry.
Though their bodies have shrunk, their intellects are as mighty as ever, becoming masters of strategy and deception. On the edge of the Frontier, with wide-open spaces similar to their Old World homeland, kobolds dig elaborate networks of trenches and tunnels, filled with traps and hidden chambers. Some still possess remnants of draconic magic, breathing sparks and invoking elemental sigils. To a kobold, survival isn’t just their instinct — it’s proof that they are still worthy of their so-called inheritance.
Kobolds reach physical maturity at the age of 10 and typically live up to 60 years.
Ratfolk
Known as “ysoki” among their own kind, ratfolk are tenacious scavengers that physically resemble rodents, their squat frames and quick minds allowing them to acclimate to any environment. Their kind once lived humbly in the dense wooded underbrush between Luminor and Yamakiri, making do with what they had. But after the Syzygy, while greater civilizations crumbled, many ratfolk endured in the ruins of the Old World for centuries before setting sail for new opportunities, becoming the latest culture to arrive in the Isles.
Contrary to common stereotypes, most ratfolk are meticulous and hygienic, prizing tidiness and efficiency in their homes and daily routines. Though often seen as unscrupulous and crass, they possess a deep sense of kinship, forming tight-knit family units within burrowlike communes, where cooperation and organization is paramount. Rather than scattering across the Isles, the majority of ratfolk dwell in the squalor of Craven’s Waterways, harvesting scrap metal and treating its damp tunnels like a private path across the city.
Ratfolk reach physical maturity at the age of 15 and typically live up to 60 years.
Tengu
Tengu are avian humanoids with black feathers and broad beaks, who share many physical characteristics with blackbirds, such as crows, ravens, and magpies. Though no tengu is naturally capable of flight, a few possess vestigial wings, whom their garudan kin pejoratively refer to as grackles. Originally hailing from the mountains of Yamakiri, tengu are a gregarious people that have assimilated into a myriad of communities all across the Isles, and are seen as good luck by those who sail the Sea of Tears. Most tengu find themselves gripped with an insatiable wanderlust, which only gets stronger as they age.
Tengu reach physical maturity at the age of 15 and typically live up to 60 years.
Vanara
Vanaras are distinctly apelike humanoids who once built expansive treetop villages within the forests of eastern Luminor. In the context of their folklore, the vanaras were originally created to be the eternal servants of a simian nature spirit named Ojukokoro, but were freed by a divinely-favored hero among their kind known as Prince Wukong. Many vanaras have faith that, so long as they continue to travel the world and maintain their sense of humor, Wukong’s blessings will also be theirs. It is this deep-rooted belief that drives their culture to take such a hands-on approach to life, valuing learning through experience.
Vanaras reach physical maturity at the age of 15 and typically live up to 70 years.
Rare Ancestries
Anvilwrought
Anvilwrought are living automata that were built to aid in the construction of Craven. The inventors and dweomercrafters of House Tyrell perfected the art of distilling planar energy into a physical substance, which takes the form of a smokeless flame within an anvilwrought’s core called Soulfire. This energy most often originates from the plane of Nexis, which anvilwrought occasionally report glimpses of during near-death experiences or moments of déjà vu. Although they’ve only recently gained their sapience, the anvilwrought have already made an impact on Craven’s working conditions, seemingly for the better.
Anvilwrought are functionally immortal, as long as their soulfire is never extinguished and they continue to receive regular maintenance.
Centaur
Centaurs are large, stocky folk native to the Fanes, who are renowned for being some of the most skilled survivalists and soothsayers in the Isles. The average centaur has the torso of a humanoid with an equine lower body, however, to call them “half-human, half-horse” would be a gross oversimplification. Though there are no records of centaurs existing within any Old World wilderness, many of their artifacts and cultural practices predate the Syzygy. Thus, some historians believe that the twelve centaur tribes spontaneously materialized (history and all) to protect the natural order during the founding of Craven.
Centaurs reach physical maturity at the age of 20 and typically live up to 300 years.
Fetchling
Known as “Kayals” among their own kind, fetchlings are the result of a symbiotic bond between humans and a race of living shadows called shae. Fetchling sages say that their people were first created when a portion of humanity (largely from the continent of Malkovia) was pulled into Limbo during the Syzygy. With no way to return, they had the choice to either adapt or die, and adapt they did. Now, most fetchlings resemble monochrome humans with undulating dark hair and luminescent pupil-less eyes, whose elongated shadows possess supernatural properties, even acting independently of them sometimes.
Fetchlings reach physical maturity at the age of 15 and typically live up to 180 years.
Leshy
Leshys are, in essence, intangible nature spirits housed within temporary bodies made of otherwise ordinary plant matter. Countless in number, they were originally created by the Luminari elves to be fixtures for their carefully-cultivated gardens, but after realizing that the spirits of their creations had wills of their own, the elves freed them and sent them out into the world to find themselves. Since the Syzygy, many leshys have had a difficult time adapting to a life without the vast wildernesses of the Old World; to cope, a few were taken under the metaphorical wing of the arboreals, who once shared in their current plight.
A leshy’s spirit is immortal, and can regrow a physical form like any ordinary plant. However, its body reaches maturity at the age of 1 and typically lives up to 30 years.
Lizardfolk
Known as “Iruxi” among their own kind, lizardfolk are reptilian humanoids that evolved to live in or around water. Vaguely resembling bipedal iguanas, they hail from (and were usually only found on) the newly discovered continent of Delaine, but lizardfolk that choose to leave their homeland are becoming increasingly common, acclimating to their new lives in the Isles quite readily. Rumors say that those who embrace the traditions of their ancestors worship a divine being known only as the Winnower, who is theorized to be a prehistoric aspect of the Hearth Mother, Rhen, but may be separate from the main pantheon entirely.
Lizardfolk reach physical maturity at the age of 15 and typically live up to 120 years.
Minotaur
Minotaurs are . . .
Minotaurs reach physical maturity at the age of 20 and typically live up to 200 years.
Ophidian
Ophidians are an enigmatic people that superficially resemble humans, with only their venomous blood, snakelike eyes, and subtly scaled skin to reveal their true nature. Their culture has called the archipelago of the Isles home long before any other humanoid ever even set foot upon its shores. Although their true origins remain unknown (perhaps even to themselves), some legends speak of the lost continent of Orilla: a fertile land of mild winters and lush summers, where the first ophidians lived off olives and wine, worshipped gods foreign to even the most skilled theologians, and spoke their own hissing tongue called Orillan.
Ophidians reach physical maturity at the age of 10 and typically live up to 200 years.
Shoony
Known as “inushuni” among their own kind, shoonies are small, stocky, and highly sociable, their blunt snouts and round, furry features giving them a distinctly canine appearance. Most shoonies resemble pugs or bulldogs, their soft eyes betraying an inherent warmth. Their ancestors once settled along the winding rivers of lowland Yamakiri, where they lived peacefully off the land. However, the spread of the Withering Disease, a degenerative affliction that weakens them with age, greatly reduced their population, even before the Syzygy.
Despite their dwindling numbers, many shoonies see joy as an act of defiance, believing that laughter is as vital as food or shelter, and that the best way to meet hardship is with high spirits and a can-do attitude. They often excel at farming, fishing, and handicrafts, finding fulfillment in their work and pouring love into all that they do. Though it is easy to dismiss them as harmless, one must never mistake their kindness and optimism for weakness, for those who threaten a shoony’s home quickly learn that even the smallest dogs have teeth.
Shoonies reach physical maturity at the age of 10 and typically live up to 50 years.
Sprite
Known as “Sidhe” among their own kind, sprites are a relatively new species, only just emerging from the forests of Faerie after the events of the Syzygy. These tiny winged folk come in a variety of shapes and sizes, from the elflike to the insectile, but they all share one thing in common: the immortality of their soul. As fey, all sprites will reincarnate after death, but only if they die within the metaphysical bounds of their home plane. The primal magic of the Otherworld suffuses the entirety of their being, which often fosters a sense of playfulness and childlike (though never naïve) curiosity about the natural world within them.
Sprites reach physical maturity at the age of 100 and typically live up to 1000 years or more.
Non-Playable Ancestries
Arboreal
Arboreals are a solemn people that emerged from the roots of the World Tree many eons ago. Resembling elves made of flowers and tangled vines, they are known throughout the planes for their curious lifecycle; for arboreals live and die in decade-long incarnations, before being born again from the seed-like remains of the previous incarnation with most of their memories intact. Not even the arboreals know why they exist, but some scholars posit that they have some unrevealed destiny to fulfill.
An arboreal’s seed pod could theoretically live forever, but its otherwise mortal form typically lives up to 20 years before beginning a new cycle.
Cyclops
Cyclopes are . . .
Cyclopes reach physical maturity at the age of 20 (but are considered young until the age of 40) and typically live up to 100 years.
Ghoul
Ghouls are pale, lean undead that are infamous for their ravenous appetite for flesh, which they must occasionally indulge to survive. While some are able to tame these cravings with remains foraged from ancient crypts, many more hunger for fresh flesh, and wouldn’t hesitate to kill for even just a taste. Born from corpses inflicted with an elven curse, their kind were given the exonym of “ghouls” by the living, but they refer to themselves as aswangs, which comes from a Cimmerian word meaning ashen ones.
Ghouls typically remain the same apparent age they were when they died, requiring neither food nor rest to sustain their existence.
Merfolk
Merfolk are . . .
Merfolk reach physical maturity at the age of 15 (but are considered young until the age of 30) and typically live up to 300 years or more.
Oghman
Oghmen were once a race of whalelike folk that hailed from the far northern coasts of Malkovia. With large mouths and soulful eyes, oghmen typically had blubbery gray skin and dense sacks around their shoulders and ribcage that retained large amounts of salt. Their native tongue was a series of low, mellow tones called Ogham, descriptions of which range from poetic to oddly haunting. Sadly, the Syzygy dealt an irreparable blow to their population, leaving only one oghman left in all of existence.
Oghmen never reach a classically defined physical maturity, as they will continue to live and grow for as long as their environment can sustain them.
Satyr
Satyrs are horned, goat-legged fey that arrived on the Material Plane soon after the Syzygy, emerging from Faerie around the same time that sprites did. These relatively rare but influential folk are known to delight in revelry of all kinds, never letting anything stand in the way between them and their merrymaking. Despite the fact that all satyrs are male, their people live on by interbreeding with a race of all-female fey called fauns; identifiable by their love of music and distinctly deerlike features.
Satyrs reach physical maturity at the age of 20 and typically live up to 80 years. However, a satyr that dies in the Otherworld will reincarnate like any other fey.
Tanuki
Tanuki are shapeshifting tricksters that resemble pudgy raccoons in the true forms. Some folk say that tanuki are created when mortal souls are warped by the magical twilight of the Otherworld after death, while others believe that they are merely nature spirits that got lost in the Netherworld. Either way, accounts of their existence (largely sourced from Yamakiri) describe them as verminous pests. The few that lived through the Syzygy did so by hiding aboard ships in the shape of common household items.
Tanuki reach physical maturity at the age of 10 and typically live up to 80 years. However, tanuki stop ageing whenever they assume a form that isn’t their own.
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