Humans
Humans are the current dominant race of the world. Despite being the most numerous and the most prosperous race in the world, humans are considered a relatively young people, and they often find themselves as inadvertent inheritors to the relics and creations of their forbearers.
Physically humans are fairly mundane, lacking any unique or empowering characteristics beyond mortal limits. Despite this they are highly adept at adapting to new knowledge, events and even their surroundings.
They are bipedal, with two arms and hands, four fingers on each hand and one thumb, two legs and two feet, with five toes. Their skin tone varies greatly, from pale pink to obsidian black. They live for approximately eighty to a hundred years old.
Elves
Elves are an elder race of magically gifted mortals with extensive lifespans. Once they maintained a vast Empire across the world, connecting cities and communities with their Waygates. Elves are believed by most historians to have died out after the great war between humans and elves decimated their population and resulted in the destruction of most of their cities and agriculture.
In truth, when defeat became apparent, the Elves gathered their people and hid themselves away within the Waygate network. To this day they maintain an isolationist bent out of both fear and cautious respect, with occasional scouting into the world to remain apprised of rapidly changing landscapes and people.
Dwarves
Dwarves are a short, stocky people with a natural magical affinity towards the earth. Stones, minerals and crystals have always been the dwarven people’s bread and butter in the world. Their skills with the earth have enabled them to build sprawling underground arcologies; farms, cities and mines all together underground.
The largest most notable Dwarven city is to the north of Ilvaria, across the ocean to an island nation. Without the land to expand outwards, the Dwarves dug deeply into the earth, and made the city of Aqua-Hearth.
While not isolationist, dwarves typically keep to themselves out of habit. And when talking to outsiders of their home and clans they are direct and blunt to a fault. They see this bluntness as being polite to others, putting aside clan and societal norms so that a basic understanding can be forged between eachother in the most direct and strong fashion possible.
Despite being so prosperous, their people are becoming less often seen in human lands, leading to theories of them retreating from the world, or even dying out.
Orcs
Orks are a bipedal green-skinned species that stand about as tall as the average human. They are physically adept in strength and endurance with larger built frames, but historically have not made the wisest of choices. Their teeth are more carnivorous than other bipeds, with their incisors extending into vestigial tusks, and are often a good indicator of an Orc’s age.
If one had to describe the relationship Orcs have with other sapient races, it would be that it’s complicated. Orks are divided into clans and their settlements, and each clan has different concerns, opinions and desires, which can be confusing for the uninitiated who might assume all Orc clans are alike. The most troublesome of these cultural quirks however is the always notable is their infamously nomadic movements and clashes with other nations and races over the routes of Ork Caravans.
Ork Caravans occur when an a clan begins to move to a new home or location. The clan carefully disassembles and stores away every piece of lumber, stone and metal that the clan owns into storage, or into constructing caravans to carry the materials. Shrines are stored away, forges packed up, houses disassembled, and when the Caravan is complete there is little to indicate an Ork settlement ever existed.
What exactly drives an Orc clan to form a Caravan is unclear, some clans claim divine providence from their chosen deity, others are simply because they want to move on, and sometimes they are just getting out of the way of a disaster their seers are believed to have foreseen.
Dragons
Near mythical since their disappearance, Dragons are the epitome of the balance between physical and magical species, blurring the definition of what is a mortal and immortal.
Despite their large size, a Dragon’s diet is surprisingly light. This is due to their inherent magical nature nurturing them, rejuvenating them and thus taking care of most of their dietary needs. This bounty of health also extends their lifespans indefinitely, as they will eternally live in the prime of their lives, and only become stronger the older and more experienced they grow.
Myths and stories of Dragons hoarding vast stolen wealth is oddly enough false. While many Dragons did accumulate great wealth, this was more often than not due to their near immortality affording them the time to acquire it. Many hoards consisted of merely minerals and gemstones that a Dragon had removed from the earth while creating or digging their home, and payments for services or alchemical regents. While rare, many powerful artefacts that have been found in hoards were actually created by the Dragon whom the hoard belonged to.
One of the most unique aspects of Dragons is their adaption to their chosen environment. Dragons have lived in all lands of the World, from under the sea, to volcanic mountains, to deserts, to grass and swamplands. From these diverse homes the Dragons have split into many sub-species that have grown to live comfortably within their domains, adapting over time to live comfortably within their chosen habitats in only a few generations or less. Despite this they all retain certain characteristics from their original ancestors. Over the millennia they have existed Dragons have changed, adapted and absorbed aspects of the environment of their homes, granting them an untold level of diversity among all the races. If one possesses skilled eyes and knowledge of Draconic anatomy, the family or lineage a Dragon comes from can be told by it’s appearance.
Red Dragons settled in mountains that contained active volcanoes. Their bodies are living furnaces, and their breath is stronger than the mightiest of wildfire. Their bodies produce a natural aura of heat and warmth permeating their being.
White Dragons lived within the icy peaks of the mountains, and frozen lands of the far north. Their blood turned cold and icy, and their breath became a blizzard of frozen air and ice so cold that it burned. They hibernate often compared to their cousins, living in only the most remote of places.
Green Dragons were attracted by the forests and swamplands. Their blood and breathe became imbued by the energies around them, infusing them with the powers of nature. They can breath deadly mists of sickly poison that can paralyse and kill the mightiest of creatures, or they can heal those same afflictions and staunch the worse of wounds.
The Bronze Dragons lived in the deserts and sands. Their wings became smaller, and their bodies sleeker, allowing them to dive into the sands as if it were water, and their blood cooled and became not quite cold but not quite hot either. Their fire weakened and became nearly non-existent, but in return their lungs and throats became mighty bellows, and their breath became razor winds that could carve stone, steel and scales asunder.
The Blue Dragons lived in the oceans and lakes. Their blood turned cold, their claws webbed, and their wings became gossamer fins. Gills grew under their scales, and they drank deeply of the waters they called home. Their flames were extinguished, but in turn they could breathe the ocean itself upon their foes.
Black Dragons dove deep into the earth. They forwent meals of flesh and blood, instead feasting upon the metals of the World itself. Their bodies changed into mighty metallic behemoths of iron, gold and mithril. So mighty they can barely rise their bodies into the sky if they ever surfaced to meet the sun, and their breath became boiling steel, silver and more.
Wyverns
Wyverns are powerful, but animalistic, creatures that resemble Dragons. Often mistaken as being related to Dragons, Wyverns are actually physical creatures with strong magical capabilities that have a connection to Dragons, but are not related to them.
Wyverns can live for up to three hundred and fifty years of age depending on their environment, and grow approximately twice as large as a horse, with powerful clawed wings to enable their flight, assisted by their inherent magic.
They can spray a flammable paralysing agent from their mouth to inhibit prey and intruders of their territory, and many Wyverns can ignite this spray with their inherent magical abilities. Their teeth and claws are actually more blunt than sharp, well suited to climbing mountains or grasping prey, but when needed they can sheath their teeth and claws in magic to sharpen them into blades capable of piercing steel plates and even the hides of other Wyverns with ease.
Their relationship with Dragons was both complex, and simple. Most often they could be equated to the bond humans have with dogs. Dragons would often use them as protectors of their homes and grounds.
Since the Dragon’s exodus sightings of Wyverns have decreased over time. It’s believed that when the Dragons left, the majority of Wyverns followed them.
Elementals
Elementals are creatures of magic and consciousness born into a natural phenomena that occurs in the World. They are tied to Concepts, but are neither Gods nor Demi-gods. Rather they are formed from a Concept or even multiple Concepts in some cases. They are, essentially, equivalent to Celestials and Angels formed from the Concept of Good and the Demons and Devils formed by the Concept of Evil.
When a Elemental is born, it forms a core around a certain natural phenomena in the World, such as a storm, a fire, a landslide, a tornado, or even machinery. This is due to the consciousness and the energy that makes up that consciousness comes from the energies from an ‘Elemental Plane’, a fragment of Infinity contained within a Concept. For a brief moment the idea’s and thoughts of a Concept will ‘leak out’ into the World and take form by combining with the energies of the World, granting it consciousness, awareness, and sentience if not total sapience.
Elementals vary greatly in their intellectual capacity, with some being merely elemental forces that perpetuate themselves magically without thought. Most fall into this category, either deliberately summoned by magic users, or with a naturally short lifespan.
Occasionally however elementals have been known to either form with or grow capable of higher reasoning, allowing them the capacity of sapience and logical, if non-mortal, thought. Some may form contracts with mortals in return for favours, others may wander about without care, and a very rare few will seek to return back to their Concept and home elemental plane.
Elementals can naturally manipulate and generate the aspects of the phenomena they were born from, as is appropriate of a creature linked to a Concept. A Storm Elemental can manipulate mixtures of lighting, wind, water, while a Fire Elemental can control flames and heat. No two Elementals are born the same, and no two Elementals may develop and grow the same either, though similarities are not uncommon.
Elementals of lower intellect are generally short lived, and will quickly expend their energies and lifespan without thought, while those of a higher intellect can not only survive, but also thrive. Particularly long lived Elementals typically keep to themselves in habitats or homes that they enjoy.
Spirits
Spirits are naturally occurring intellects born of magic. These beings are formless minds that live incorporeally, however are fascinated with the physical world and will form bodies to interact with the world around them.
Spirits usually only have a childlike understanding of the world around them, and they do not understand death or morality as other creatures do.
Brownies
Brownies are spirits that form within bogs, swamps, wet darkened caves and other similar locations. Their physical form’s are typically created from the mud, dirt, and detritus found within these places.
They are notorious for both their inquisitive attitude and their thievery upon travellers on the roads of the Divided Lands, with some incidents being deadly to unfortunate travellers.
Wisps
Wisps are spirits that can form in a myriad of places, typically however they will form in windy passes or fog-consumed lands. They form their bodies from mist, air and light, leaving them as near intangible as they would be without a body and with an earie glow.
Wisps are notorious for leading travellers over cliff-sides or into danger with their lights, bewitching and enchanting many to meet their doom.
It is not clearly understood wether or not these Wisps are oblivious to the consequences of their actions, or if it is done out of malice.
Imps
Imps are semi-spiritual creatures that share a connection to certain locations or energies, and they exhibit various strengths, powers and appearances that reflect that connection. Imps are one of the few beings spawned in such a manner that can leave their ‘home’ seemingly indefinitely without peril or harm, and as a result they often find themselves as messengers between neighbouring spiritual communities.
The Fey-Folk; Fairies, Pixies and Griggs
Traditionally called the Fey-Folk by both peasant and wizard alike, the Fey-Folk are semi-spirit entities that are born from their environment. Typically, fey-folk will keep themselves hidden from others, forming their own communities in secret and attending to the environment which birthed them.
Fairies are the most common, and the most secretive of fey-folk. They work and live in harmony with their surroundings but hide themselves from both mortal and magical beings alike. A highly private people by nature, meeting a Fairy is a rare thing indeed.
Pixies are the innovationists and idealists of the fey-folk. They are often leaders or at least provoke action among their fellow fey-folk beyond the norm. They are most often the ones responsible for fey-folk moving to either help or hinder other creatures or people to the betterment of their home and environment, and if the fey-folk are spoken with as a community, Pixies are usually the ones that will act as their voice.
Griggs are by far the most commonly encountered of the fey-folk. Similar to Pixies, but lacking the desire to lead others, Griggs are considered both some of the strongest and the most independent of the fey-folk, and are naturally adverse to the status quo. This often leads to them to having mischievous behaviour, giving them a reputation as pranksters, and a willingness to leave their community or home to seek out the world around them and experience new environments, sensations and situations.
Plantfolk
Plantfolk are the result of trees and various plants whom have absorbed the natural magic of their environment in such a way as to attain consciousness. Through this quite literally magical attainment of sapience Plantfolk are inherently at one with the magic of their environment, and can manipulate the natural energies around them.
The majority of Plantfolk are typically born from elder trees deep in forests that have lain undisturbed for centuries, but in certain circumstances more youthful plantlife can also bear Plantfolk consciousness’s. Plantfolk will inherently resemble the plant they are born from, for they are that plant. However their natural ability to channel the natural magical energies of their environment grants them the capacity to grow and change their physical forms, including the ability to mimic the physical characteristics of animals and other creatures.
Gods and Concepts
Gods are beings whom have either acquired or achieved a connection to a Concept and have subsequently mastered it with their force of will and consciousness. From the mastery of that connection Gods transcend mortal limits and boundaries, and gain great influence over their Concept.
Gods ask or demand sympathetic prayer and faith from worshippers to reinforce their own control and influence over their Concept. The greater the faith a God is given by their worshippers, the more easily they can afford to divide their attention, focus, and will. In return for this assistance, Gods will usually reward their followers by granting them a portion of their own power.
The need for faith and prayer fluctuates greatly depending on the individual God in question, and it is known that some of the eldest Gods retained, and continue to retain, their divinity without worshippers for hundreds, of not thousands of years.
For a God, there is no true death. To fail, or to falter in their mastery of their Concept is to be subsumed by it, as to connect to a Concept so strongly is to become that Concept. Gods are defined specifically by performing the near impossible, and instead bending the Concept to align with themselves instead of being overwhelmed by it’s power.
Those whom are connected to a Concept, yet haven’t crossed the threshold of controlling it, are known as Demi-Gods. They are capable of drawing upon a Concept’s power, but at the very real risk of losing themselves to it.