H U M A N O I D


Dwarf:
Dwarves are known for their skill in warfare, their ability to withstand physical and magical punishment, their hard work, and their capacity for drinking ale. Dwarves are slow to jest and suspicious of strangers, but they are generous to those who earn their trust. They stand just 4 to 4 1/2 feet tall, but are broad and compactly built, almost as wide as they are tall. Dwarven skin varies from deep tan to light brown, and their hair is black, gray, or brown. Dwarven men value their beards highly.

Arctic Dwarf:

Native from the Sridaht Expanse and other northerly regions, arctic dwarves are little known to the outside world. Unlike other dwarves, arctic dwarves have little interest in mining or crafts, instead devoting themselves to hunting, raising children and leisure. Traditional dwarven strictures, such as those imposed by family and clan hold little weight in arctic dwarf society. Arctic Dwarves are squat and hardy, with blocky bodies, pinched faces and stubby legs. They rarely exceed 3 feet in height and are nearly as broad as they are tall. They eyes are bright blue and their skin white, almost bluish.

Gold Dwarf:

Found largely in the south in the immediate vicinity of The Neverending Rise. Renowned not only for their smithwork and craftsmanship but also for their military progress and legendary wealth, gold dwarves have maintained their empire for millennia, unbowed by the passage of time. The skin of a gold dwarf is light brown or deeply tanned, and her eyes are usually brown or hazel. Both genders wear their hair long; hair color ranges from black to gray or brown, with all shades fading to light gray as time progresses.

Duergar:

Descended from a dwarf clan enslaved by mind flayers, duergar [gray dwarves] suffered for generations under enslavement and cruel experimentation at the hand of their cruel masters. Finally they managed to recover their freedom as a bitter and evil race with limited psionic powers. Male and female duergar are bald, and women do not grow beards. They are much thinner than other dwarves, with severe facial expressions, gray hair and gray skin.

Orecutter Dwarves:

Orecutter dwarves are a long forgotten offshoot of dwarves who have become one with earth and stone. Orecutter dwarves are taught to live in harmony with the environment that they see as great sea of earth and stone, ever changing and always beautiful. The skin of an orecutter dwarf is light gray and their eyes always silver. Both genders wear their hair long; hair color is uniformly gray or brown, with varying degrees of silver and black highlights.

Wild Dwarf:

Wild dwarves are primitive inhabitant of the jungle. They have largely rejected the clan based craft- and smith-oriented culture of their dwarf cousins, choosing instead to live in hunting bands with ever shifting memberships. Wild dwarves are dark-skinned, short and stout, with dark brown eyes. Their heavily tattooed bodies are covered with grease to ward off insects.

Elf:
Elves are known for their poetry, song, and magical arts, but when danger threatens they show great skill with weapons and strategy. Elves can live to be over 700 years old, and by human standards are slow to make friends and enemies, and even slower to forget them. Elves are slim and stand 4 1/2 to 5 1/2 feet tall. They tend to be pale-skinned and dark-haired with deep green eyes. They have no facial or body hair, prefer comfortable clothes, and possess unearthly grace. Many other races find them hauntingly beautiful.

Aquatic Elf:

The aquatic elves, also known as sea elves, are civilized and good hearted people who inhabit the seas. Most aquatic elves hail from underwater cities but small settlements of this race can be found in the seas along the coast. Aquatic elves hair is usually stringy and thick, cut short for warriors but otherwise worn long. Sea elves have radiant skin of deep green or blue with irregular thin brown or white stripes and patches. Eye colors for aquatic elves come in blue, green, green and gold shades.

Drow:

Drow, also known as dark elves, were cursed into their present appearance by the good deities for following the god Inai down the path to evil and corruption. Living in the Underdark, they built a matriarchal society based on power and deceit. The drow have black skin that resembles polished obsidian and stark white or pale yellow hair. They commonly have very pale eyes (so pale as to be often mistaken for white) in shades of lilac, silver, pink and blue. They also tend to be smaller and thinner than most elves. Drow females tend to be bigger and stronger than males. Drow society is theocratic and strongly matriarchal with females holding all positions of power and responsibility in the government, the militia and in the home. Their preferred class is cleric. Drow males tend to be smaller and weaker than females. In society they tend to fill the lower ranks as fighters, rangers and rogues although their aptitude for magic is equal, if not superior, to that of other elven subraces.

Snow Elf:

Snow elves are much like their southern brethren. They make their home within nature, building grand cities of ice on the tops of distant mountaintops, only rarely leaving them to visit the outside world. They have special resistance to the cold, but their cities and magic protects them. One of their few differences is their eyes and hair, both white as the snow surrounding them.

Sun Elf:

Sun elves, or gold elves, are famed for their command of both arcane and divine magic, which exceeds that of any other living race. Works of elven high magic thousands of years old still survive in the hidden refuges of sun elves. Sun elves have bronze skin, hair of golden blond, copper or black, and eyes of green or gold. They favor contemplation, lore and study over the quick games and light-hearted songs of other elves, but seem to embody the unearthly beauty, grace and presence of elven folk.

Wild Elf:

Wild elves, also known as green elves, are insular and savage. As a result they are rarely seen outside their forest homes. The green elves were always close to nature, even more than other elves, but they have forgotten many of the high arts and lore of their people, choosing stealth and survival over learning and enlightenment. Their skin tends to be brown and their hair ranges from black to light brown, lightening to silvery white with age.

Wood Elf:

The wood elves do not view their homelands as a land apart. They understand better than their kindred that, for better or for worse, their fates are bound up with the fates of the humans, dwarves and halflings of the land. Also known as copper or sylvan elves, these people have coppery skin tinged with green, and brown, green or hazel eyes. Hair is usually brown or black, occasionally blond or coppery-red.

Kagonesti:

The kagonesti are a spiritual breed of elves, honoring the spirits within every object. They believe the best way to live is in harmony with nature, and resent being forced out of their forest homes by encroaching civilization. They are a more hot-tempered and fierce bunch than their cousin elves. Physically they are shorter than other elves, with dark brown skin and dark-colored hair. They tend to wear leather with fringe, feathers, and silver or turquoise jewelry.

Hazriin:

Hazriin are the oldest and most hidebound of the Aethus elves. They have a haunting beauty, but are also equally cold and aloof. Their culture has changed little in 3000 years, typically only when forced to, and they consider themselves superior to all other races, even their Kagonesti cousins. They stand about 6' tall, and are typically fair-skinned. Their hair and eyes come in a spectrum of colours.

Gnome:
Gnomes are in wide demand as alchemists, inventors, and technicians, though most prefer to remain among their own kind in simple comfort. Gnomes adore animals, gems, and jokes, especially pranks. They love to learn by personal experience, and are always trying new ways to build things. Gnomes stand 3 to 3 1/2 feet tall, with skin that ranges from dark tan to woody brown. Their hair is fair, and their eyes are often some shade of blue. Gnomes generally wear earth tones, but decorate their clothes intricately. Males favor carefully-trimmed beards. Gnomes live 350 to 500 years.

Svirfneblin:

Deep gnomes, known also as svirfneblin, have become understandably distrustful of all strangers after centuries of living with the everyday perils the Underdark. With strangers, most deep gnomes are sullen, reserved and suspicious, almost to a fault. Their skin is the color of the rocks among which they live. They have dark gray eyes, tending towards black. Their hair is of similar color, although it's only seen in a woman as the men are entirely bald and beardless.

Forest Gnome:

Forest Gnomes have a great love for nature, particularly deep and quiet forests far from civilization or even anyone's home. For this reason many people, including others of their kind, have never seen a forest gnome. Unlike other gnomes, forest gnomes wear their hair and beards long, often to the almost to their feet when unbound. The males often trim their beards to a fine point or curl them into hornlike spikes extending to either side of their faces. Their skin is the color of bark, and their eyes are usually brown or blue. Their hair is brown or black, becoming gray or white with age.

Rock Gnomes:

Rock gnomes are the most common of their race in Aethus. Although many adventuring gnomes have taken up illusionary magic, most gnomes prefer the bardic life. Gnomes adore animals, gems, and jokes, especially pranks. They love to learn by personal experience, and are always trying new ways to build things. Gnomes stand 3 to 3 1/2 feet tall, with skin that ranges from dark tan to woody brown. Their hair is fair, and their eyes are often some shade of blue. Gnomes generally wear earth tones, but decorate their clothes intricately. Males favor carefully-trimmed beards.

Whisper Gnomes:

Whisper gnomes are creatures of stealth and suspicion. In profession and behavior they range from peaceful recluses to dangerous spies, lacking their cousins' jovial nature and easy outlook on life. Whisper gnomes are slightly taller than other gnomes, standing 3 1/2 to 4 feet tall, with a thin, almost gaunt build. Their skin ranges from light grey to light green, though the variation is rarely noticeable without careful attention. Their hair is dark, and their eyes are often some shade of blue or grey, though rarely bright or striking.

Hafling:
Halflings are clever, capable, and resourceful survivors. They are notoriously curious, and show a daring that many larger people can't match. They can be lured by wealth, but tend to spend rather than hoard. Halflings have ruddy skin, hair that is black and straight, and brown or black eyes. Halfling men often grow long sideburns, but rarely beards or mustaches. They prefer practical clothing, and would rather wear a comfortable shirt than jewelry. Halflings stand about 3 feet tall, and commonly live to see 150.


Half-Elf:
Half-elves have the curiosity and ambition of their human parent, with the refined senses and love of nature of their elven parent, though they are outsiders among both cultures. To humans, half-elves look like elves. To elves, they look like humans. Half-elves are paler, fairer, and smoother-skinned than their human parents, but their actual skin tones and other details vary just as human features do. Half-elves tend to have green, elven eyes. They live to about 180.


Half-Orc:
Half-orcs are the short-tempered and sullen result of human and orc pairings. They would rather act than ponder and would rather fight than argue. They love simple pleasures, such as feasting, boasting, and wild dancing. They are an asset at the right sort of party, but not at the duchess's grand ball. Half-orcs are as tall as humans but their brutish features betray their lineage. They also regard scars as tokens of pride and things of beauty. They rarely reach 75 years in age.


Orc:
Orcs are aggressive humanoids with a reputation for war and destruction. They are stronger than their Half-Orc cousins but not as wise to the world beyond their surroundings. An orc's hair is usually black and he sports lupine ears with reddish eyes. Orcs believe that survival depends on conquering as much territory as possible, which makes relations with other creatures very difficult. Orcs often make their home in caves but are capable of building organized cities below ground. They wear their battle scars proudly as signs of achievement.


Human:
Humans are the most adaptable of the common races. Short generations and a penchant for migration and conquest mean they are very physically diverse as well. Skin shades range from nearly black to very pale, hair from black to blond, and facial hair (for men) from sparse to thick. Humans are often unorthodox in their dress, sporting unusual hairstyles, fanciful clothes, tattoos, and the like.


Dragonkin:
Dragonkin are large humanoid creatures believed to be cousins to dragons. Standing 8 to 9 feet tall, they are covered with a scaled hide that could be colored anywhere from dark yellow ochre to reddish brown, sometimes with darker spots or bands. Their heads are decidedly draconic in shape, with a mane of thick hair behind small horns. Their wings vary from gold and green, to colors that match their scales. They tend to either live in barbarian tribes or serve human masters.


Grig:
Grigs are a race of mischevious and lighthearted sprites. They have no fear of larger creatures and like to pull minor pranks on them. They are also fierce by sprite standards, ready to fight back with dagger when needed. These small creatures are only 1'6" tall on average, and boast light blue skin, forest green hair, and brown hairy legs. They typically wear brightly colored tunics or vests, with tiny gems for buttons.


Nixie:
Nixies are aquatic sprites who dwell in and protect pristine ponds and lakes. They are not bound to the water though, and can survive on land indefinitely. They are more reclusive than most fey and treat intruders to their territory with hostility and suspicion. Physically they resemble slim and comely humanoids, with lightly scaled, pale green skin and dark green hair. They stand about 4' tall, and typically wear clothes made of seaweed.


Nymph:
Nymphs are nature's embodiment of physical beauty, and are the guardians of the sacred places of the wild. They hate evil, and take a dim view on those who despoil nature. Those who respect the wilds however are often shown kindness, but a nymph's demeneor is mucurial and could change at a moment's notice. They are most friendly towards elves, half-elves, and druids, knowing them for friends of nature. Physically nymphs are about the size and weight of a female elf. They are so unbearably lovely they can blind onlookers if the nymph does not take precautions, and the glance of an angry nymph can stun almost any creature.


Pixie:
Pixies are merry pranksters that are known for leading travelers astray. They are equally known, however, for being roused to surprising ire when dealing with evil creatures. They are naturally adept with magic, with a high spell resistance and an affinity for spell casting. Being mischievous, they are particularly drawn to illusionary spells and can, in fact, cast invisibility on themselves with no specific magical training. Legend claims that pixies die only through injury or disease.


Satyr:
Satyrs are a hedonistic race of creatures that frolic in the wilds. They love fine food, strong drink, and passionate romance. They are more likely to be found carrying a bottle of wine or a musical instrument than a weapon, but they are more than a little mischevious and sometimes seek fun at the expense of others. Physically about the size of a half-elf, satyrs resemble horned men with the legs and hooves of a goat. Their hooves and horns are jet black in color, while their hair and fur is usually red or chestnut brown.


Animalfolk:
Animalfolk are a race of animal humanoids who typically roam wherever they please. Physically they resemble a cross between a human and a animal, with a lightly furred humanoid body and the head of an animal. Animalfolk have a lifespan similar to that of humans.


Imps:
The result of noble houses of sun elves breeding with demons in an attempt to strengthen their bloodlines, imps are a type of planetouched that breeds true among their kind. Marked by their fiendish blood, imps are rare among most planetouched in that they have a self-sustaining community, so they are raised among their kind. In general form they resemble sun elves, although all have large bat-like wings. They have one or more unusual features: fiery red eyes, long pointed tail, bat-like ears or deep red skin.


Air Genasi:
Air genasi see themselves as the inheritors of the sky, the wind and the very air of the world. Their emotions vary quickly between calm reserve and great intensity. Air genasi look human except for one or two distinguishing features: light blue or pale white skin or white or blue hair.


Earth Genasi:
Earth genasi are patient, stubborn and contemplative in their decision making. Marked at birth with obvious traits reflecting their heritage, earth genasi are often shunned by others, but their physical gifts make them able to defend themselves against most attackers. Earth genasi are obviously not human, but have mostly human features except for one or two distinguishing traits related to their elemental ancestors like earthlike skin, eyes like black pits or gems, very large hands or feet, iron gray hair or a metallic sheen to skin or hair.


Fire Genasi:
Fire genasi are usually thought of as hot-blooded and quick to anger, and they have earned that reputation. Mercurial, proud and often fearless, they are not content to sit and watch the world pass by them by. Fire genasi are obviously not human, having mostly human features except for one or two exceptional traits related to their elemental ancestors like: charcoal gray or deep red skin, red or orange hair, or large red teeth.


Water Genasi:
Water genasi are patient and independent, used to solving problems on their own and not afraid to take a lot of time doing so. At times they are fierce and destructive like terrible storms, but more often than not they present a tranquil appearance, despite whatever emotions run underneath that quiet surface. Water genasi look human except one distinguishing feature related to their elemental ancestor like: blue-green skin or hair, large black-blue eyes or clammy flesh.


Spirit Folk:
Spirit folk are the descendants of humans and various spirits of nature. They tend to be serene and calm, in tune with their surroundings, and show little desire of manipulating them with magic. Physically they look human, with small mouths and slender eyes. They tend to have a fair or golden complexion, and no body hair, though the hair on their head is fairly luxurious.