Races In Veteria

Humans: Humans are the most diverse race, and can live just about everywhere, and do just about anything. The largest human civilization is Hemlock, and it is one of the strongest world powers in Veteria. Hemlock is known for its military might, and the nation is frequently at war. Because of this, they can be very discriminatory towards many non-human races. Petrea is also ruled by humans (sort of), but the humans of Petrea are far less discriminatory to other races. The royal family of Petrea is rumored to have a small amount of elven ancestry.

Elves: Elves are one of the most powerful and varied races in all of Veteria. There are many types of Elves, all with their own ideals, strengths and weaknesses. All of the main Elven subraces are listed below.

• High Elves: High Elves, also known as Sun Elves, hail from the country of Allysium, and are the most common type of Elf seen in Veteria. High Elves are extremely gifted magic users, and the Valia Academy of Magic is likely the most prestigious magical institution in all of Veteria. The High Elves are graceful and intelligent but can be condescending to other races on occasion. They went to war with Hemlock around 400 years ago, and since Elves can live up to 800 years, some still hold a grudge against humanity.

• Wood Elves: Hailing from the Darkwood, these Elves are the second most common type of Elf. They are less focused on magic, and much more focused on nature. The Darkwood is a large and dense forest, with trees the size of skyscrapers, and the Wood Elves make their home there. They are likely the most naturally skilled archers in all of Veteria, and they are also known for their druidic circles. They are extremely close with nature, and they defend their forests with ferocity few races can match. They are nimble and excel as rangers.

• Drow: Drow, also known as Dark Elves, hail from the Underdark. The Underdark is a huge network of underground caves and is so expansive that one can get to Petrea from Dahlia, just using the cave system. The Drow are incredibly at home in darkness and shadow, and uncomfortable in direct sunlight. Due to the Underdark being dangerous, many Drow are poor people in foreign lands, and there are many negative stereotypes associated with them, such as thievery and dark magic.

• Sea Elves: The Sea Elves are unique among Elves, as they do not usually dwell on land. Sea Elves can breathe underwater and communicate with sea life. They are friendly and honest people, though territorial, and live in almost every large body of water. The largest Sea Elf city is Ismenor, under the Thallasian Sea. They are very rare on land, though they can breathe air just as well as water.

• Shadar-Kai: Shadar-Kai, also known as Shadow Elves, are Elves from the Shadowfell, the dread realm of the Raven Queen. Most are descended from Elves that left that realm around 900 years ago, and they keep the same qualities as those born in the Shadowfell. They seem to exist in a state between life and death, and they are often gloomy, solitary individuals. They are mostly independent nomads.

Dragonborn: The Dragonborn are a large and powerful race of honorable warriors, who were created by Myrexia to serve the Dragons as slaves. They rebelled against their masters and formed multiple clans. They are an honor bound people with a strict code, and different clans usually have very little variation in this code, other than Clan Norixius. The largest Clan is Clan Jharthraxyn, of the city Ignistone. The clan Norixius is important because they worship Myrexia, which is considered evil by the other clans, and they have made many enemies. Myrexia worship is usually punished by death in the other clans. Some other large Dragonborn clans are the Delmirev of Tuchanka, the Turnuroth of Wystongir, and the Argenthrixus of Tempestia.

Dragontouched: The Dragontouched are an extremely rare race in Veteria, and they were created from other races that were modified to be slaves to Dragons. Any humanoid race can be a Dragontouched, but the benefits and culture of the race they come from is lost on them. There are four variations of the Dragontouched, those with a draconic arm, those with a draconic visage, those with draconic scales, and those with a draconic gait. Due to their slavery, they tend to value freedom above all else, and they hate Dragons. They consider Dragonborn to be their kin, due to their mutual slavery to the Dragons, and they tend to stay in Dragonborn strongholds. They are on great terms with the Dragonborn, and they respect them immensely. The Dragontouched have integrated into Dragonborn society very seamlessly, and some identify with the Dragonborn Clan they come from.

Dwarves: Dwarves are a hardy and strong people, despite only measuring under 5 feet tall. There are two main Dwarven Clans in Veteria, though there are some other smaller ones. The Mountain Dwarves come from the Dohmram Mountains, usually referred to as the Gloomy Mountains. The Capital city in these mountains is Khundarom. The Hill Dwarves come from the Hills of Dilborah. The Dwarven Capital here is Girnkohm. Dwarves are often heavy drinkers, and they seemingly endless reserves of pride. However, they are extremely loyal and are usually very good natured. They have had a rather tumultuous relationship with the High Elves, as they have gone to war several times, with most resulting in a truce.

Genasi: Genasi are elemental beings descended from genies. There are Earth, Fire, Water, and Air Genasi, with each having distinct looks based on their element. Earth Genasi are large, and they have skin that resembles stone. Fire Genasi are flamboyant but destructive, and they have deep charcoal or red skin tones, as well as having fiery red hair. Air Genasi have blue skin, and hair that either blows constantly in a phantom wind, or appears to be made of clouds or vapor. Lastly, the Water Genasi have blue or green skin, and hair that either resembles seaweed, waves as if in the water, or even looks like water itself. Genasi are usually nomads, and there are no cities made up mostly of Genasi.

Gith: Gith are strange and mysterious people, once enslaved by Mind Flayers. They were forever changed by the Mind Flayers, gaining psionic abilities. The Gith are split up into two groups, the Githyanki and the Githzerai. The Githyanki are a violent, warlike people, and they often form skilled raiding parties in order to kill and steal from other races. Despite this, nobody is quite sure where they come from, as they have no particularly large settlements. The Githzerai on the other hand, are philosophers and focused ascetics. They value order, and turned their backs on their warlike kin. The Githzerai have a small city, Xykoth, and several monasteries.

Gnome: Gnomes are a very excitable and energetic race, and they stand as one of the shortest races in all of Veteria, being a bit smaller than Halflings. There are three types of Gnomes, the Rock Gnomes that live in and around Brassborough, the Deep Gnomes of the Underdark, and the Forest Gnomes of Feldsparn. Gnomes are surprisingly common, and the Petrean Hold Coldhall has a large population of Rock and Forest Gnomes.

Goblinoids: There are three distinct Goblinoid Races, and only one of them has a city under their control. The Goblins are small and usually short lived Goblinoids, usually around three to four feet tall. They live in brutal tribes obsessed with power, but they are small and are usually dominated by the other Goblinoids. Goblins usually live around thirty to forty years, except for the Dankwood Goblins, which are much more peaceful and live to around 80 years. Hobgoblins are bigger than Goblins, and tend to be smarter. They, like Goblins, often make their living by raiding and pillaging, but unlike Goblins, they don't just pick easy targets. The Hobgoblin city of Dolgrum was once an Orc stronghold, until the Hobgoblin of the area enslaved a group of Goblins and they all took the city. Hobgoblins can be kind, and there are good Hobgoblins, but their society is very corrupt, and they enslave Goblins to do most manual labor. The last Goblinoid race is the Bugbear. Bugbears are huge and intimidating, and they often team up with Hobgoblins to work as shock troopers in battle, in exchange for access to the city of Dolgrum, and spoils of war.

Halfling: Halflings are a kind and simple people. They are very small, smaller than Dwarves, and they love to lie about and enjoy the comforts of home. While most Halflings are very lazy, they can also be very adventurous and inquisitive. All Halflings love food and comfort, and they make their homes in peaceful areas away from danger. There are two types of Halflings. The Lightfoot Halflings live in the land of Easyshade, a large agricultural community, and they make a large portion of Veterias agricultural products. The Stout Halflings live in the City of Dunder, next to the Dwarven Capital of Khundarom, on the Gloomy Mountains. The Stout Halflings are protected by the Dwarves, and in exchange, they supply them with agriculture.

Lizardfolk: Lizardfolk are native to swamps in Petrea, and they are a relatively recent addition to world politics. They are divided into tribes, with the largest tribe being the Sharptooth Tribe of Scalefall. Lizardfolk have tough scales, and a ferocious bite. While they are considered a civilized race, they are more xenophobic than most races, and some tribes will attack outsiders, or anyone who is not a Lizardfolk.

Mothkin: The Mothkin are a race native to Petrea, and they are the most adaptable race in Veteria. Mothkin will begin to adapt to their surroundings after only two or three generations in an area. This resulted in many subraces of Mothkin. The Forest and Fey Mothkin of the Dankwood, the Royal Mothkin that reside in cities, the Stout Mothkin of Gravelmark, and the Soot Mothkin of the Greystone Caves.

Orc: The Orcs are a violent, tribal people. They are extremely large, and form into dangerous tribes. These tribes are dangerous and will raid and pillage other races in their endless goal of conquest and glory. They enjoy violence, and rarely, if ever, use magic or advanced technology. Despite this, intelligent and wise Orcs do exist, and there are many Orcs that wish to end the fighting, though these Orcs are usually killed for expressing these ideas to the tribe. They can have children with humans, the Half-Orcs, who are usually large and powerful, just not to the extent of full Orcs, but they are more intelligent on average. Orcs are constantly at war with someone, but very difficult to defeat in battle, and Orc numbers tend to swell very quickly if left to their own devices, and many see them as a sort of plague on the land.

Tiefling: Tieflings are descended from humans with demonic blood. They look human, but have distinctly demonic features, such as horns and a tail. They are not necessarily evil but suffer harsh discrimination in almost every culture and city, as most people seem to think that the demonic blood has made them evil. Tieflings do not come from a particular area, and there are no cities that are primarily made up of Tieflings.