Showing posts with label Races. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Races. Show all posts

Tieflings

Tieflings

Tieflings were humans who made pacts with ice demons in order to endure the cold winters of Fimbulvetr. Instead of having dominion over fire, tieflings control the cold therefore their racial abilities protect them against cold and deal cold damage instead of fire. Tieflings are a rare sight, too rare for anyone to make an opinion about them. However they are looked upon with awe and fear.

Shifters

Shifters
Shifters are the descendant of Ulfhednars who were legendary warriors with the ability to become lycanthropes when in battle, they mainly became werewolves, however as they mixed with others not of their lineage, their offspring’s had the same abilities but lessen until they became a mixture of both their human and lycanthrope form. The Norsemen are weary of shifters since they are a constant reminder of dangerous werewolves who were corrupted by Loki.

Goliaths

Goliaths
Goliaths are called Halfjotuns or “Half-Giants” by the Norsemen. Goliaths are rarely seen and those who dare venture the lands of Midgard are usually viewed with respect and fear. Those who view them with respect for their strength usually accept them as companions in battle; those who fear them try to avoid any contact with them if possible.

Devas & Kalashtars

Devas & Kalashtars

Devas and kalashtars are known as Burrtivars in the land of the Norsemen. Some believe that devas are the offspring of the gods with their kin, others believe that they were Valkyries who have chosen to descend upon the mortal world. The Sasainns believe that devas were sent to protect and propagate the will of their god. The Alukhais see them as the reincarnation of their ancestors and are often treated with great respect. Gauls have no notion of devas and there for do not acknowledge them in their culture.

Changelings

Changelings

The Norsemen believe that changelings were humans that were granted the ability to change shape by either Freya or Loki, the ability to change shape, whichever the case, generally the sentient races do not trust them.

Humans

HUMANS
Humans are the most varied race. They exist in almost every environment, and they explore the world with great enthusiasm. Human settlements and farms spring up quickly in the explorers’ wake. Humans excel in commerce, the study of the arcane arts, and military campaigns. They worship every god, follow every alignment, and have a thousand myths of their own origins and creation… or so the story would go if it weren’t for the Great War in which the Norsemen conquered almost all the land around 2000 years ago and few civilizations remained. Then came the Great Flood which almost whipped mankind from the face of the world, then the Never-ending Winter (which is known as Fimbulvetr). After countless years of hardship only four main civilizations remain; the Sasainns, the Norsemen, the Alukhais, and the Gauls. The rest are wild men or nomads.




ALUKHAIS
Kanum Kotan is a vast land of prairies, forest, and tundra. Kanum Kotan is best known for its broad, barren steppes where horse-warriors and mammoth riders, masters of the powerful double-curved bow, gallop the great treeless tracts of land. Living in tribal clans and led by Khans, these warriors ride on raids of plunder. They are "lean horsemen in sheepskins and high fur caps lashing their horses and losing their barbed arrows". Before the Great Flood it had many cities that more or less firmly under the control of the Norsemen.
The Alukhais are fearsome warriors who pretty much look like the Mongolians of our time. Their horsemanship, combined with their carefully made saddles and skill at their chosen weapons, makes them a terrible raiding force. The Alukhais do not take slaves, at least not adult male slaves. Sometimes they take young children or non-Alukhaiian concubines, but otherwise they kill those who stand in their way.
"We do not want to rule over conquered peoples," say the Alukhais, "but over great pastures." The Alukhais have little fixed territory to defend but that little land they now have they defend it with flashing powder and sharp swords. The Alukhais are ancestor worshippers, who respect the accomplishments of men and their deeds for their people. They have no gods, as the Sasainns know the term, and whatever religious influence the Sasainns tried impose upon them has long since been rejected. 



GAUL
Gauls have a notorious reputation as formidable opponents, noted for their wild savagery and physical prowess. The people are typically fair-skinned and tall -- at an average height of 6 feet. As a rule, they seldom venture far from their homeland. The Gauls never developed a government. The land is divided into a number of semi-nomadic tribes where they live as hunter-gatherers with a mixture of skilled crafts, particularly in wood. Since horses are rare, Gauls fight on foot. Their tactics are probably similar to those of the Gauls in the time of ancient Rome, except of greater ferocity.


Young men are expected to be fit for raiding and war by approximately the age of 15. Those who dwell deep in the forests commune with the spirits and the elves of the land and learn to venerate nature. Abundant harvests and healthy crops are important, and the depredations of wild animals can be terrifying. But a person who has embraced the wildness of nature rather than the comforts of home is somewhat learns how to coexist with their environment.

Gauls do not worship gods, rather they venerate nature and primal forces of the world, because of these druids are held in high regards and are often the leaders of their tribe The Gaul’s affinity for the wild lands is a useful heritage to those who follow the path of the druid. Gauls who become druids often seek out the remote, harsh lands where few others can thrive and survive.




SASAINNS

“The angels” as they call themselves in their native tongue, they claim to be descendants of Earendel, a radiant being suffused with positive energy. It appears in many forms: a pulsating globe of light, a humanoid (either gender or androgynous) with brightly glowing silver or gold skin. They were akin to the Norsemen, but after the Great Flood they no longer shared the gods with the Norsemen and adopted their current name.
Since then, the Sasainns have tried to convert other sentient creatures into their religion – either by choice or force – which caused numerous conflicts with the other races. While their culture is now ruled by one deity, this doesn’t mean that all Sasainns are religious; in fact most of them take religion as an excuse to explore other lands and more than one Sasainn appears as a hero in foreign lands. When it comes to physical qualities, the angels are no different than any other humans in Nordica except that they possess a paler complexion than the rest and hair colors ranging from black, brunette, red and white, the later being the most common.

Norsemen
The Norsemen worship strength. Written poems often describes their excitement at traveling in a fast Viking ship on the open sea, the sudden attack of a village, the share of a robbery, and the drinking party they used to have afterwards. They are often seen as merciless and blood thirsty monsters, however they see themselves as heroes, which explains some of their actions. Luckily not all Norsemen are hostile. After Fimbulvetr, space became too limited for the Norsemen in Mannheim. The soil could not keep up for more than one generation, and, as a result of what they had seen abroad, many decided to somewhat settle.

Halflings



Halflings
The call to settle and reside in place is strong in the hearts of most of the civilized races. The lands of the humans, elves, dwarves, and gnomes are static. A change in borders requires a disruption on an epic scale. In and between these peoples there is a place for another lifestyle, a life of the road, of change, of wandering. Having their homeland destroyed, the journey of the halflings began in the distant past, and it shows absolutely no signs of ever ending.
In a world filled with adventure, halflings may be the most natural adventurers. They are adept at avoiding trouble, but they often seek it out anyway. Halflings are eager to hit the trail in quest of a great story or personal reward. They are fast, quick-witted, and resilient—ideal virtues for the adventurer’s life.

Half-Orcs

Half-Orcs
Half-orcs are the offspring of a demon and a human of Alukhai origin. In their land they are known as half-bloods or half-Alukhais. The Alukhai culture embraces orcs as demons of battle and interbreed with them to produce potent warriors. On the frontier, the lines between the civilized races and the savage races are blurred. From time to time a child is born of mixed heritage, carrying some of the traits of the savage orcs and some of the traits of the civilized humans. These children live a difficult and challenging life.

From birth they are subjected to racism, hatred, and prejudice. Those who survive infancy grow swiftly to maturity. The signs of their parents’ legacies are visible: the orc facial features and great strength, the dexterity and intelligence of the human. In the human lands, half-orcs find that they can dominate by strength and toughness. In the wilds of the orc lands, half-orcs are usually smarter than those who oppose them. In either case, they are driven to survive against all odds, and those who do make formidable heroes.

Half-Elves

Half-Elves

Half-elves primarily live in either the community of their human or elven parent. Though they struggle and sometimes feel like outsiders, such characters usually follow the cultural norms of the community in which they are raised. The half-elves and humans share much in common. Humans get more feats and skills than halfelves, but half-elves have racial advantages that humans do not. On a case-by-case basis, half-elven characters can choose to seek a heroic path similar to their human or their elven parent. For that reason, no specific class suggestions are provided for half-elves. If you’re looking for guidance, simply browse the section for the race that raised you.

Gnomes


Gnomes

The lands between gnome communities are generally left wild and unmonitored. These swaths of natural forest and wilderness are often home to various predators such as bears, wolves, and more dangerous monsters. Travel between the various gnome groups is thus somewhat dangerous. In some remote corners of Gaul territory where the land has rarely if ever felt the tread of the bigger races, there are gnomes of such an unusual temper and background that they can almost be considered a separate race from their more genteel cousins. These barbaric gnomes are truly a people of the land.
Their constructions are of wood and vine, and their music heeds the beat of the drum and the earthy tones of the woodwinds. These people live in close touch with all the spirits of nature, serving and protecting the unspoiled beauty that surrounds them. Yet those who have seen these gnomes whisper tales of shrunken heads, pits of bone, and strange tribal totems made from the ears of their enemies. No civilized person would give credence to any such fantastic story!
In times of great need, the barbaric gnome becomes as enraged as a thunderstorm, screaming defiance and of incredible feats of strength and endurance. When moving through the shadows of the trees, the barbaric gnome is fleet of foot and sure of every step. Able to pass through gaps and openings far too small for the larger races, the barbaric gnome seems to shift mysteriously from point to point, pausing only to sense the clues on the wind and watch for motion in the distance.

Elves


Elves

The elves of the present day are descended from the green elves, ancient settlers who emerged from Alfheim to dwell in the mortal world. After vicious wars and terrible betrayals, the elves withdrew to the isolation of the wilderness. While peaceful, the elves have a long history of conflict with monsters, evil races, and schisms in their own lands. Perhaps it is their basic nature to seek resolution to conflicts by force of arms, or perhaps those battles are thrust on them unwillingly. In either case, martial power is so respected that every elven child is taught from birth to use the sword and the bow and to ride, however do not prefer horses as mounts, rather they ride dire wolves, aurochs, and even allied centaurs into battle, and their stories are filled with tales of brave warriors and powerful mages fighting desperate battles against overwhelming odds. Elves that dwell in the lands of the Norsemen try to remain isolated from the rest of the world and in contrast, those who dwell in the lands of the Gauls, coexist with the human tribes. 

ELADRIN

ELADRIN
Eladrin, also known as high elves, are graceful warriors and seers that originated from Alfheim, also known as the realm of the Feywild. The study of runes comes so easily to most eladrin that virtually all become at least somewhat familiar with rune casting and psychic abilities used for divinations as they age. Their society is divided into two simple castes: The noble eladrin which serve as oracles, healers, seers, and rulers and the warrior caste which are your average wood elves.
 Eladrin, like elves, grow at a decelerating rate throughout their lives. Very young eladrin mature at a rate comparable with humans but during adolescence slow to a near stop until about 110 years of age, at which point eladrin are considered mature. Elves then remain vigorous and active until the middle of their third century. Even so, after this most eladrin suffer few of the infirmities of old age that plague other races, remaining full of life until the end.

Dwarves

Dwarves

Dwarves are the most stalwart race. They lead lives of duty and obligation, living in underground complexes mining ore, smithing a wide variety of metal goods, and defending themselves against the evil creatures that lurk deep in the earth. The center of every dwarven community is the hearth, the individual home of a dwarven family. The ties that bind each family together are strong and deep. Dwarves have few children, and those born to the stout folk are cherished but raised with strict discipline and a strong work ethic.

Monarchs rule most dwarven settlements, often known as delves. Most monarchs pay homage to Heimdall, Skadi, Thor, or Tyr. Each hearth swears allegiance to the monarch and the monarch rules by divine right, counseled by the wise rune priests. Dwarves are seldom seen outside of their vast underground kingdoms, and those that are seen are either outcast who left their homes searching for a better life on the surface, exiled dwarves who did not abide by their strict law of conduct, merchants who try not to dwell too far from the entrances on the surface that lead to their underground lands or the rare noble who eschew his privileged life for a more adventurous one in the hopes to uncover marvelous  artifacts and perform great deeds in the name of their hearths .

Dragonborn

DRAGONBORN

Dragonborn are known in Nordica as the Drakkarnid, which means 'sons of the dragon' in the tongue of the Norsemen. They are more popularly called Drakkar, or Draks. Contrary to the Dragonborn in other planes, the Drakkar are reckless nomads, and did not possess any vast kingdoms in the past, nor were they honorable and brave.
The Drakkar are prone to rages, focused on physical prowess, illiterate, and at home in the wilderness than in the streets of any cities. It is rumored that the Drakkar are the offspring of humans and dragons, though some scholars believe that they are the descendant of a dragon slayer who bathed and drank dragon blood. In either case, they are not trusted and are often feared for their strength and savagery. It is not rare, though, for you to see the Drakkar in the company of Norsemen warriors for it is in their land that they are often seen.