As is well known, the world of Ghea is home to many strange and singular
creatures, many of whom arrived here through the Chaos Gates at one point or
another. So far as scholars can determine, the original inhabitants of this
globe were humans. Yet certain races have been here for so many thousands of
years, and have become so populous and well-known that at this point we may as
well speak of them as native to Ghea. This article describes the characteristics
of these various peoples.
Dwarves
The dwarves are less well-documented then the elves. They lived originally in
the Molen-Tei Mountains of Ikhazdur. A religious and political schism split the
Ikhazdur kingdom some fifteen hundred years ago; many dwarves migrated south to
Alastari. The largest colony lives under the Daggerspine Mountains, having
outposts all the way from Arkers to Rodeki, but smaller groups live in Murska
and Lapur.
Dwarves are shorter than elves or humans, averaging four to five feet in
height; they are heavily built and strong for their height. They have large
heads, with strong jaws and large noses. Many dwarves are bearded, but this is
not invariable. Female dwarves do not have beards, contrary to popular rumor.
They are middling fair-complexioned, with hair colors ranging from black to
brown. They usually have dark eyes, but blue or grey isn't unknown. Redheads are
common but blond dwarves are rare.
While it is possible for a dwarf and a human to produce offspring, dwarves
and humans do not find each other attractive all that often, so half-dwarves are
extremely rare.
Elves
There are two main races of elves on Ghea, the Araoi and the Kyan. They share
a slender build, sharp features, pointed ears and slanting eyes. The Araoi are
by far the less common; they live, for the most part, in the kingdom of Alfhame,
to the northwest of Alastari. They are an ancient people, tall and fair. They
are known to be masters of wizardry, and have a reputation for pride and
indifference to other races. In these late years, it is reputation only, for the
lords of Alfhame have not ventured out of their northern fastness for many
hundreds of years, secluding themselves since the devastation of the last Chaos
Wars.
There are several Araoi colonies which were left adrift after the main
kingdom closed its doors five hundred years ago--Monuntial is the most insular
of these, still ruled and inhabited largely by elves. The Araoi of Fratsfa have
for the most part interbred with the Fratsfans; few of pure blood remain; and
the same may be said of the Karian Araoi in Lirith Kai.
The Kyan are smaller, often shorter than neighboring humans, and darker in
coloring, ranging from the middling-fair Ardiventi to the dark-skinned Shagornan
elves. They are less apt to magic than the Araoi, but quick and fierce in
battle. Unlike the Araoi, the Kyan often intermarry with humans, and in some
places, such as the Ardiventi Barony, there is little to distinguish elf from
human.
Giants
The Shewish Giants live, unsurprisingly, in the Shewish Forest. The are
indistinguishable from their Harkeny neighbors in every respect save height;
Shews average seven to eight feet tall. Shews and humans can interbreed; in
fact, some scholars claim that Shews are simply a tribe of very tall humans and
ought not be classed as a separate species at all.
Karragit
Karragit are a small, secretive people who prefer to dwell in marshes and
along seacoasts. They are seldom more than five feet in height, with lank,
grey-green hair and greyish skin. They have large, round eyes which may be pale
green, yellow, or blue. They have webbed fingers and long, webbed toes. They are
sometimes referred to as goblins, but this is considered insulting. They are
reputed to have an uncanny connection with the marshes they live in, and tales
credit them with all sorts of nebulous magical abilities. They are superb
swimmers and divers.
Unlike the other races so far discussed, karragit cannot breed with humans
without magical intervention. Some mages in times past made the experiment, for
there are humans in northern Alastari, notably Stormcrowe and North Fork, with
karragit blood.
Orcs
Orcs are fairly common in northern Alastari, Serevada, and Ferencia; their
original homeland appears to have been to the south, in Urhaurek. They are very
similar in appearance to the humans which inhabit these lands--middling dark,
with black hair and eyes. They tend to be taller and more heavily built than the
average human, but the main difference is in the jaw. Orcs have large heavy jaws
with elongated canine teeth, comparable with a gorilla's. The tusks are larger
in males and seem to have evolved for sexual display rather than any dietary
need. Orcs and humans can and very often do produce offspring; in many areas,
such as Stormcrowe, there are so many humans with orc blood and vice versa it's
difficult to separate the two races.
Pridefolk
Rare in Alastari, the Pridefolk are a species of intelligent bipedal felines
who live to the south on the Rirorni plains. They look rather like upright
cougars and are nomadic hunters and herders. They cannot interbreed with any of
the other races.
Northwights
Northwights are a reclusive species of humanoid adapted to extreme cold. They
live far to the north, on the glaciers, and feel uncomfortable at temperatures
much above freezing. Save for their bluish-grey skin they look very human, but
they are very different internally; they cannot interbreed with any of the other
intelligent species.
Trolls
Trolls are large, vaguely gorilla-like bipeds of dubious intelligence. They
are not mammalian, but not exactly reptilian either; they are warm-blooded, with
tough, pebbly hide and sparse, coarse hair. They have formidable fangs and
enormous strength. They do not turn to stone in daylight. They appear to be
right on the borderline of sentience; they can be taught language, but they do
not possess it themselves. They cannot interbreed with any of the other races.
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