Anthropology is the science
that tells us that people are the same the whole world over -
except when they are different.
Nancy Banks-Smith
Within this text, a race is defined as any intelligent species which has developed language and culture. Khoras was once very much like earth. Originally, only humans lived in the world. Extreme planetary conditions (the stellar fission of Drellikar and subsequent effects of stellar radiation on evolution) have radically altered the evolution of all species on the planet. The most important, of course, is the wide diversity of races which evolved from the core human race. After the Sundering, the World Storm served as the catalyst that initiated all manner of accelerated evolution. Elves, dwarves, ogres and more all appeared in the relatively short span of one millenium while the core human race continued on and thrived. A similar pattern of species splintering was occurring with the animals and plants.
In addition, magic was employed in a military capacity for much of the Great War. Whole species were engineered and released onto the battle fields (saurians, baenites, morphians, tuskweed, shadow orchid and others). Even disease was tampered with and unleashed upon innocents in the name of patriotism (the Stiffening). The result of all this is a world abundant in life.
This text divides the races into two groups : the Greater Races and the Lesser Races. A Greater Race, as generally defined by most scholars, is one which has a population greater than 10,000 and is able to self reproduce. Political and historical influence also plays a part as to what races are considered "greater". There are exactly eighteen well defined greater races. The Lesser Races consist of a miscellany of misfits and partial breeds. Some are classified as lesser because of small population. Others are not true races (i.e. a class of aberrants) and cannot self reproduce.
Aswani
The aswani are a primitive, bestial race of semi-humanoids.
They are mammalian bipeds with snouts and long ears. Males have short, curved
horns. They are covered in soft
fur and have tails. The aswani are a race of hunter/gatherers that dwell in the tropical
lands of eastern Qeshir.
Avarians
The Avarians are a winged humanoid race with pronounced avian
characteristics. They have large feathered wings, lean bodies and hollow bones which makes
them capable of true flight. The Avarians were originally mountain dwelling human clans
that underwent accelerated evolution during the World Storm. It is not known why they
acquired avian characteristics. However, according to texts of the time, a powerful human
mage lived in that mountain range... a mage who was fascinated with birds and flight, one
who had developed many specialized forms of magic that directly related to birds. It is
almost certain that he had a profound influence on the evolution of the human clans in the
area.
Baenites
The baenites are a reclusive race of desert dwelling humanoids.
Baenites are easily recognized by their tall, lean frames, black skin and bestial faces.
The baenites were engineered during the Great War through magic. The Mage Lords of the
Thullian Imperial Assembly created artificial beings called "Adapters" and sent
them out into the Great War to fight. These warriors were designed to adapt to any
environment or condition. Only one small group of adapters survived the war. When the
empire fell, this group was left to fend for itself. They regrouped in an area that had
been devastated by a battle of wizards, the Baen Desert. This group eventually evolved
into what are now known as baenites. Their adaptive magic crumbled over the years.
Borrellians
The borrellians are a humanoid race, very similar to humans, who
live in the Ice Rock Mountains and are well adapted to the extreme polar conditions there.
To escape the war, many humans fled to the icy north. They thought that if they went far
enough away, no war would be able to touch them. While the wounded star rained down
hellish radiation on the world, these northerners evolved, both physically and mentally,
to their frozen homeland. The Borrellian evolution was a gradual change and only slight
compared to many of the other races.
Dwarves
The stout and dour dwarves appear as short, broad shouldered men
with long beards and grim faces. The dwarves evolved by aberration. A
group of humans fled the Age of Chaos by going underground. They adapted physically and
mentally to a subterranean existence. Many scholars believe that during the early years of
the World Storm, environmental energies were much more intense than they are now, possibly
even penetrating deep into the underground to affect the changes that resulted in the
dwarves.
Elves
Woodsmen in the far west also underwent a form of forced
evolution from aberration
and adapted to a life in the wilds. Scholars believe that the concentrated life energy in
the deepest woods augmented their alteration and the result was the elves. The elves are a
diminutive race of forest dwellers very similar to humans in form and thought. They are
highly magical creatures akin to the faeries of the world.
Eshtari
The eshtari are a human like race of farmers and fishermen. They
are easily distinguished by their dark skin, long hair and colorful dress.
Their society is a peaceful one and the mindset of the eshtari is serene.
Grum
Aberration
forced the central farming communities to evolve and the change was even more slight than
the Borrellians. Shorter, hairier and plumper, this group changed into the Grum. This
variant race is simply an offshoot of the main human race.
Humans
As mentioned above, the humans evolved naturally over millions of
years from lower life forms. While many races evolved from humans, the pure strain human
race has maintained a strong holding due to the innate resistance to stellar radiation
that some organisms exhibit.
Magrakians
A large, squat race blessed with great strength and greater
fortitude. The magrakians are a friendly, gregarious race that are loyal to
their friends and fierce on the battle field. While physically very powerful,
they are not exceptional thinkers. Blessed with a lack of imagination, the
magrakians like literal, straightforward things.
Ogres
The ogres are a large and heavily muscled warrior race. They are
an offshoot of the original human race that was adversely affected by the Drellisian
radiation and mutated at a rate much greater than natural evolution. Ogres were greatly
affected during the World Storm. Even now, they seem
more susceptible to drellisian radiation. This is evident in their subtle mutations and
genetic variations (tusks, tails, claws, etc) which vary from individual to individual
within the race.
Phellysians
The phellysians are humanoid blend of man and cat. These
fur-covered creatures stand five feet tall, are incredibly agile, have excellent senses
and often run on all fours. Phellysians were another engineered race created during the Great War. An
arch-mage by the name of Rexilar decided
to create a new life form to serve and defend him during those troubled times. The
phellysians were never intended to be sent into battle in large numbers. Rather, they were
a pet project of a single man. When Rexilar disappeared unexpectedly, these creatures
began interbreeding and developed into a full race.
Saridians
A tall, thin very intelligent humanoid race with a unique brain
structure. The brain of the saridian has two separate and independent halves,
resulting in two separate personalities and identities. This "dual nature" of
every citizen has greatly affected their culture and society.
Saurians
The saurians are a reptilian humanoid race with scaled skin,
snouts and tails. They are wild, fearless, untempered creatures with a love of battle and
fierce, uncontrollable natures. The saurians were engineered during the Great War by the Jakar for battle conditions in the
swamps against the Alliance. They were originally
designed to function independently for long periods of time in the wilderness. At survival
in the wilds, the saurian proved to be exceptional. It is no wonder that they have easily
made the inhospitable swamps their homeland.
Secambru
The secambru are a race of primitive giants who are slowly dying
out as a race. Once lumbering Gods that turned the tide of wars, the secambru
are now a failing breed. With each generation, they grow weaker.
Sybrenar
A powerful warrior race with vaguely demonic physical
attributes. Fangs, claws, horns and scaled skin lends credence to this belief.
They have six fingers and their scales vary color depending on mood. Scales will
be tinged red when angry. The sybrenar rule a powerful nation bent on dominating
all other races. The sybrenar belief themselves superior to all others and
destined to rule.
Trossoli
Trossoli is the name by which the Sarthak are known on Aggradar.
On Aggradar, there are a great and terrible presence. Using their great
telepathic and magic abilities, they wage war against the other races in the
underground. In Aggradar, the Sarthak have come to the surface and conquered a
primitive nation. In that region, they are known as the Trossoli.
Vaullians
The vaullians are a race of large, obese grey skinned humanoids. These ponderous
creatures are brilliant thinkers, philosophers, wizards, naturalists and
priests. They are unsurpassed as poets, historians and writers.
The Lesser Races
The world of Khoras is filled with a wide array of mutants,
genetic offshoots, unique creatures, subraces, crossbreeds and more. Collectively, these
are known as the Lesser Races. The most common of which are the orcs, the skrell and the
merfolk. More rare and wondrous are the giants, faeries, trolls, karthasians and etherbane
of the world.
This page last updated Saturday, July 01, 2006. Copyright 1990-2006 David M. Roomes.