Races of Egoth

The aarakora have always stayed away from the other races, preferring the the mountains as their sanctuary. In Old Egoth they were hunted for their feathers, something still known to happen among the barbarian clans. Most aarakora flew to the far east of the land to get away from them. They settled their city of A'ur and have lived their every since. When humans came eastward and had civilized, the aarakora began to trade with them. They still keep to themselves, but now they are no longer hunted (for the most part). The aarakocra worship Solus, one of the reasons they prefer high peaks. It is not uncommon to see aarakocra flying through the skies with a flock of blood hawks behind, a deadly species of hawk that only the aarakora know how to train. Due to how deadly blood hawks are, few monsters prey on the arakora.

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Bison'vyder, also known as Buffalo Men, were one of the earliest races to inhabit Egoth. They were here before even the elves. The Bison'vyder are the original natives of the Horned Isle, which was named after them. Eventually the Taureans (a minotaur like creature) left the mainland to the Horned Isle via an ancient land-bridge. A great war between the two lasted centuries until the taureans were either defeated or fled to the Garweeze continent.

The Buffalo Men thought they at last had peace but then the grel came and hunted them for sport. Unlike the Taureans who fought against them for territory, the grel hunted for no reason at all beyond bloodlust. They were saved from being wiped out when real minotaurs came to the isle. They were unlike the previous taurens who attacked earlier with a higher sense of honor and preferring to fight the grel instead of the Buffalo Men.

Now there is a balance between the dominate races of the Horned Isle. The Bison'vyders are nomadic so they dominate most of the plains and forest areas, while the grel stay in the mountains and the Minotaur along the coast. The Bison'vyders are recently being persecuted by the minotaurs since the outlawing of Baca and other gawds.

Bugbears are race with very little known history. Most races have had to face them in battle and their women have a reputation as baby eaters. Like most goblinoids races of Egoth, they live mostly in the south and have often use goblins as servants, cannon fodder, and allies. Due to their strength in battle, bugbears are willing to fight at anytime. A good portion of them have began to "civilize" themselves since joining the Goblin Alliance. Modern bugbears have kept to the south and have lessened their fearsome reputation in the north. It has been many centuries since bugbears have caused problems in the north.

Only real histroy known about bugbears is their dislike for the orcs in the west. Bugbear lore says that orcs once lorded over them and they were slaves to them. They say a great beast came for the orcs and the bugbears were free. The bugbears claim this beast was sent by their gods to free them.

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Centaurs have lived in Haven Woods as long as they can remember. They claim to be created by gawd who sought the majesty of a horse with the beauty of humans. They said they were made to bring peace to their woods and other races. Often this peace is backed up by their bows and spears, but only as a last resort. Those who have lived among the centaur live in peaceful towns where everyone is helpful and kind. Visitors come back and tell their friends its the kind of place one could retire happily. This peaceful reputation has cause many an orc to underestimate the centaur's fierceness in protecting their town on more than one occasion.

While centaur society is a peaceful one, not everyone wants to live in paradise. A group of young centaurs left to form their own way of life of honor and combat, living as nomads and raiding other races for supplies. They turned from their gawds and a few learned magic. This group was given the name Syntaurs and are despised by centaurs and other races alike.

In the south a group of nomadic centaur broke off from their northern brothers long ago. Their society is less "nice" than the centaurs of the north, but they haven't become like syntaurs. They mainly stay to the Shadow Forest and trade with the various species there. They currently have no enemies, as even the hobgoblins don't view them as a threat. The Goblin Alliance suspect some centaurs may support the nomadic rakasta as occasional allies.

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Dracons are a strange race lizard like race. They have a hard time telling the differences between the humanoid races and often misunderstand their cultures. They stick to themselves, living off the Rune River and grasslands east of the Precarious Woods. It is unknown if the Dracons are native to Egoth, as the Giff of Galif claim their race if from the stars. The dracons of Egoth are much like their spacefaring cousins, preferring groups (the "herd") and dislike being alone. They are peaceful though quite willing to defend themselves, as they have had many conflicts with humanoids hunting them for their hide. The dracons have a particular dislike for gnolls of the Precarious Woods, and have learn to recognize them unlike most other races. They view centaur like races they meet as long-lost allies and other lizard folk will be accepted into their herds as disabled smaller relatives. They have a dislike for spider-like races, as their legends speak of a spider-like dark gawd who is their racial enemy.

The Duergar dwarves were once a magic using clan of the mountain and hill dwarves until their evil betrayed their brothers to the horrors and powers of the netherdeep. They were cast out and fled to the netherdeep. The strange radiations below changed them into the Duergar they are today. Since those ancient times they have warred against their brothers and all who oppose them. They have spread all throughout Egoth in its netherdeep. A few come to the surface, sometimes not recognized for what they are. Since only dwarves and occasional gnome actually runs into them, other races dismiss the threat they could become. It is believed that the rare dwarven wizard may actually have duergar blood in them. Rumors suggest a group of non-evil duergar may have settled somewhere on the surface or near the surface in a mountain.

Gully dwarves are like a race of homeless bums. Most are dumb, cowardly, dirty and live in filth. They are also one of the most resilient races known. They can live in disgusting filth that would kill most races. They are adapt at living near other races, hiding in their own sewer systems if necessary. Many races find gully dwarves a pest and dwarves view them as dangerous and insulting to their race. Dwarves claim gully dwarves descend from feeble, stupid, genetically defective dwarves who escaped and reproduced. Gully dwarves don't know their origins and aren't smart enough to care or remember. While dwarves dislike gully dwarves, they have found them useful as laborers. The few who actually know of this arrangement view what the dwarves are doing to the gullys as almost slavery and obvious exploitation. Gully dwarves clean the streets, the sewers and anything else too messy for the normal dwarf to deal with. This doesn't mean the gullys don't have freedoms and many are happy to be so useful to dwarven society. These gully dwarves often know the underground passages and cracks of normal their dwarven home better than the dwarves who live there. These gullys live in their little dirty slums far away from proper dwarves with some happiness, thinking of it as their little kingdom all their own. Sadly this kingdom has a river of urine and feces, but they don't care.

Gullys living outside of the dwarven kingdoms tend to live in ruins and slums of other races. They sometimes use their abnormal strength for proper jobs and humans often pity gullys for what they perceive as "innocence" rather than stupidity. The gully dwarves do have one legend common among them that one day there will be a gully dwarf who will unite them and lead them to their promised land. He will be the strongest and bravest gully dwarf to ever live and his deeds will be great and he will be their true king. Dwarves laugh at the notion of this happening, though some wonder if the gullys once had clan status under the moutain before becoming what they are today.

Half-Dwarves, often called Muls, are the union of humans and dwarves. Muls are often hairless, stout and taller than dwarves but shorter than humans. Muls are infertile and unable to reproduce. In ancient times muls were used as slave laborers for their impressive endurance. It is believed Muls descended from native ancient Egothians were able to reproduce, but those Muls and humans were wiped out long ago. It is unknown why the dwarves of Egoth produce Muls, while the half-dwarves in the lands to the west produce more dwarven looking offspring with hair. Some sages believe that the dwarves of Egoth might have tainted their lineage with gully dwarves, causing Muls to be produced on Egoth. Usually such sages receive an axe to the neck when they suggest such theories in the presence of a dwarf. The more logical theory put forth is primal dwarves and mountain dwarves mated long ago and the primal blood is what creates Muls. Most Muls found today are in Helmguard due to the high dwarven and human populations there.

Aquatic elves of Egoth keep to the waterways as much as possible. Due to the size of the Great Rune River, it is not uncommon to find aquatic elves living in it. They tend to their own matters and often ignore the other races. They often serve as guardians of the waters, protecting vessels and sailors from horrid fates. While they do not always succeed in their defense, they are vigilant in their duty. Sailors often tell tales of a love between a human and an aquatic elf, though they often end in tragedy. Whether these tales are true or not, there have a been a few half-aquatic elves seen from time to time.

Desert Elves are descended from the wild elves native to Egoth. After the destruction of the Nydrians, some wild elves inhabited the northwest lands. When Egothian humans rose to power, they claimed the northwest lands for themselves. Many wild elves were taken as slaves and their society was shattered. When the human empire fell, many adapted to the desert of the Lost Empire. They swore never to be slaves again and became traveling nomads who motivations were sometimes devious. Some of these desert elves left for the deserts of Hot Sands. Today desert elves still travel the Hot Sands and the Lost Empire Desert. They live off the land and take what they need from other races. They come into conflict with thri-kreen, often being hunted by them for the taste of their flesh.

Some desert elves have left their deserts to join with the grel, as both races share much in common. There's s saying among other races that you should never turn your back on a desert elf for they will either stab it or rob you blind or both.

Drow are the dark betrayers who turned from the surface when they lost a war against the surface elves. While the Grel fled to mountains to continue a guerela war, the drow became changed by the radiation and darkness of the netherdeep. The drow turned to darkness and evil to become a scourge to all other races. Not all drow are evil, though those who are not are rare. This is where the drow of Egoth began.

The drow of Egoth were not natives to Egoth. They came to Egoth long ago via a magic portal. The drow who fled were good drow who worshiped Eilistraee. They settled Egoth will little problem with the native populations, as none had ever seen or heard of a drow. It wasn't until elves from the west came during the Year of the Long Shadow that drow began to feel racism once more. The drow of Egoth have kept their distance from where the elves have settled, generally only to have to deal with the grel. While the grel dislike drow, they are less aggressive than other elves about their dark brothers.

Drow of Egoth have kept to themselves for generations, with a few traveling beyond their hidden forest city to explore the land. In the last century evil drow from other lands have began to settle the surface world of Egoth. These new drow have begun to sully the reputation of the good drow in the land. While no where near as bad as the other lands, the good drow worry about the day the other races turn on them. Some of the good drow believe the only way to save themselves is to destroy the foreign drow when possible. Hopefully before the evil drow find a place to create an underground city to continue the viciousness the race is known for.

One note on the good drow is their society different from the evil drow, as men and women are equals. Just as many men and women serve as warriors, priests or wizards. Their life on the surface has reduced some of the magic in their blood, while enhancing others features that have adapted to life below the sun.

Grel have been terrorizing the races of Egoth for a long time. During the great war between the elves, the grel took to the mountains and deep forest of many lands. During the Year of Long Shadow when magic did not work, the grel delighted in attacking the elves who fled their homeland as orcs attacked. The elves that fled east to Egoth were quickly followed by grel. The grel were delighted in not only knocking down their old enemies a peg or two, but found races of these lands worthy of fighting.

Grel infest the mountains of the Minotonus, though a few have come to the mainland in recent years. The minotaur sense of honor is similar to their own and though the grel raid them often, it has become almost a ritual of respected fighters enjoying a never ending battle against each other to test their limits. In some towns, a single minotaur and grel fight each other. If the grel wins, the minotaurs give them what they desire. If the minotaur wins, the grel still attack but that minotaur is viewed honorable and respected among the grel. Rumor has it some minotaurs have joined the grel, particularly those who are exiled or worship Baca.

Most mainlain grel live in the Shadow Forest, raiding the local humanoids. They have teamed up with the Rakasta and some Thri-Kreen, becoming a very effective fighting force. Most of the southern races want the grel gone, though none have succeeded as the grel become more daring and powerful.

Grey elves came with the other elves when they fled to Egoth. The Year of the Long Shadow hurt the grey elves the most, as they relied on magic more than the others. When rebuilding their society in Egoth, they strove to seclude themselves from others on an island that could easily be defended should magic fail again. They are the fairest of the elves, with light skin, delicate features and most have grey hair and eyes. Magic and knowledge is the focus of their lives. They respect those who respect magic and often leave their seclusion to visit cities based on magic societies. They highly respect what the Nydrians accomplished before their fall, as Nydrian mastery of magic is the stuff of legend. A few Nydrian have met with the grey elves and the two races are becoming close.

Half-elves are the union of elves and humans. Very few races can mate with elves, so all half-elves are almost always half-human. Half-elves either are raised in human society or elven society. Most half-elves are from Helmguard, with very few living on the Elvish Isles. A few half-elves have tried to create a half-elf only society but have yet to succeed. Half-elf populations have been growing in Helmguard, so it might be only a matter of time.

Most half-elves are from either high, grey or wild elf stock. You'll usually find half-wild elves on the Wild Isle and half-grey elves among the grey elves.

Half-Grel elves are very common among grel tribes in the south. They live and die as a grel elf and often have more than just human and elf blood in their veins. They tend to be less graceful looking than other half-elves. Grel are always looking to increase their numbers, so mating with any race they capture or convert is almost always done. Once recognizes a half-grel elf, one must assume they are Grel in spirit or suffer the consequences.

Half-drow, also known as darkmen, are a rare site on Egoth. The good drow have occasionally mated with humans but their numbers are small enough already that few unions happen. With the import of foriegn drow, darkmen are becoming more common as many see Egoth as a new opportunity for themselves that they would not get in a normal drow society. Not all are evil, though those wary of drow are wary of darkmen.

High elves are foreign elves who fled to Egoth during the Year of Long Shadow. They came with the grey elves and settled the Elvish Isles. Two factions formed, those living on Egoth main and those on the isles. Over time the elves of the isles became reclusive and slightly xenophobic and restrict foreigners from their lands. Those that live on Egoth main were attacked continuously until their cities fell. They fled from the south and forced themselves upon the humans settled at Helmguard, claiming the site was of religious significance (just as other races have). These elves, humans, and eventually dwarves fought over the site until coming to a mutual agreement. Since then there have always been two settlements of high elves, one of Helmguard who are friendlier to non-elves and those of the Elvish Isles who view non-elves as threat. The Elvish Isles have never been invaded, something they often rub in the faces of the main coast brothers.

Wild elves have an unknown origin. Some think they were the first native elves of Egoth who were not changed by destruction of the Nydrians like the desert elves were. They have always inhabited the wild isle and none have tried to claim it. Even the Nydrians ignored it during their reign. Due to their reclusive nature, some think elves are not native this part of the world. The wild elves have always been closer to nature than other elves. They worship their ancestors, spirits and gawds known by animals names to them. Their skill with spear and bow might put a grel to shame. They culture is pure, untainted by the other races. They believe that when it is their time to move on to the next world that a spirit of their gawds will visit them and guide them to the next realm. These elder elves disappear at night, fading from this world.

The wild elves use small canoes to travel the elvish isle when hunting. Other elves leave them be, respecting their ancient way of life. It surprises the foreign elves that the wild elves consume more meat than themselves, as most elves prefer not to kill other creatures. After the fall of the Nydrians, before the rise of man, wild elves travel to the inner lands of Egoth. Those that were cut off from the Wild Isle have lived, hidden, in Haven Woods. Those that leave the woods often disguise themselves as normal elves, so few even know wild elves exist at all.

Fremlins are believed to be a group of gremlins taken in by the fae. These gremlins were changed by their exposure to the fae magics and become fremlins. They viewed the pixie-fairy as their rivals for the attention and love of the fae. After the fae left, the fremlins and pixie-fairies rivalry eventually turned into open conflict. This conflict would have continued longer if not for the forest gnomes forcing the two to make peace at the ends of their spears, for their battle endangered the forest. Due to this, the fremlin moved to the south section of the Haven Forest to be away from the pixie-fairies. Of course those same pixie-fairies moved to the Dissapearing Forest, leaving the northern Haven Forest pixie-fairy free.

Fremlins of Egoth live in relative peace from the occasional predator. It has not been unknown for Grel to use Fremlins as spies to help find the locations of pixie-fairy meets. Fremlins living outside of the forest are rare, though it is not unknown to find a few at wizard schools.

Gensai are rare planetouched, often standing out in most cities in Egoth. It is believed their population was larger in the past, particularly during elemental worship around the time of the fall of the Lost Empire. Many gensai today still carry the blood of their elemental ancestors. The few that wander Egoth live in tolerant communities or live far way from most towns. Many seek locations tied to their parents element, often creating bonds with elemental creatures in order to survive. The best place to find a gensai is in Helmguard, due to the melting pot of races that congregate there.

Half-Giants were created long ago with magic for the Nydrian Empire as shock troops and for their strength. These half human and unknown giant served their masters well, usually to the bitter end. A few survived the Nydrian purge and reproduced. Half-Giants are a rare sight outside of their mountain valley domain. Half-Giants adapt to the cultures around them, reflecting it to the best of their ability. Some cultures take advantage of this aspect of their personalities.

This race of hippomen are not native to Egoth, and perhaps all of Rune. The Giff of Egoth came from the stars and crashed landed long ago. The giff have since lost the ability to leave Rune and have settled in the city of Galif. They are a proud, military minded people who get along with gnome titans surprisingly well. Giff soldiers often head out into Egoth and serve as bodyguards for other races. Their the only race on Egoth that knows the secrets of firearms and mass producing them, something others races fear and envy. They hold the market on smokepowder, though it is believed the gnomes have created a dangerous knockoff that is more dangerous.

Githzerai are a race native to the outerplanes. After throwing off the chains of their mindflayer masters, the githzerai began to expand their own influence. Aside from their unending battle with the githyanki, the githzerai are a peaceful people. Some time ago an outpost city named Gih was created on Rune at a stable, and permanent, portal from Limbo. The githzerai use Rune as a training place for their monks and as an outpost in the Runganium Sphere. The Githerzai that leave the outpost do so to inspect the land for githyanki activities and to learn of the neighbors who are unaware of their presence. Many will disguise themselves as human or half-elf in order to travel without suspicion.

The deep gnomes of Egoth were once apart of the rock gnomes who were cursed. The curse was amplified with them to an extreme level (possibly the result of wild magic) and their want for caves and gems turned into an obsession with gems and want for darkness. This group fled underground through a natural fissure and have lived underground ever since. A few tribes have kept close to their roots at Mt. Boom, often trading with the gnomes who live there.

Forest Gnomes have been around as long as any fey creature has. The forest gnomes are believed to have been the first gnome of Egoth, later spawning all other gnomes. They served as protectors of the forests and of fey creatures, especially fairies. When many fairies left for the fae lands, they turned to protecting their lesser offspring: the Pixie-Fairies. Unfortunately due to the Pixie-Fairy flightiness and short lifespan, the gnomes grew frustrated and abandoned the pixie-fairy to their own devices. Now the forest gnomes protect the creatures of the forest they live in, especially those of Haven Forest. Occasionally a Forest Gnome will travel outside their forests to learn what they can from those who live in Egoth. This often inspires them to quickly return home with the knowledge to protect their lands from the aggressive humanoid races across the land.

The rock gnomes are descendants of the forest gnomes who decided they did not wish to serve the fae. These forest gnomes wanted to live caves and sought pretty stones. The fae respected their freedom and wants. The fae liked the gnomes and gave them what they wanted in a twisted curse. The cursed forest gnomes lost their affinity for the forest, became more independent minded and lusted for gems. They fled the forest and settled to the far west at Mt. Boom. They adapted to their new lands, killing the kobolds and goblins who infested the mountain and became the modern rock gnome. Some say the curse also made others view the rock gnomes in a better light. Most races view the rock gnomes innocently, without fear (except for the kobolds and goblins). This has allowed the rock gnomes to travel quite freely around the land and are rarely viewed as a threat. Of course a rock gnome trying to act threatening is often dismissed until they actually prove to be a threat.

Tinker gnomes are just an offshoot of rock gnomes obsessed with technology. Out of every ten rock gnome births, one will be a tinker gnome. Over time many tinker gnomes have mated, creating almost a new race. It is believed the fae curse for the love of gems twisted into love for other specific things, such as technology for tinker gnomes. Such a society has formed that Mt. Boom was named after the amount of daily explosions caused by tinker gnomes. Compared to rock gnomes, their features are often slimmer with smaller noses. They're also not as stout looking as gnome titans.

Gnome Titans are foreign to Egoth, having come from the lands beyond the western ocean. Some believe that the original gnome titans were from the same stock as the rock gnomes that turned their curse into an obsession with military life style above ground. When the Lost Empire fell, they left Egoth for the lands to the west due to the devastation to their homes. Ancient scrolls that survived from the Lost Empire spoke of small stature warriors of great ferociousness, some believe these ancient warriors were gnome titans.

Eventually the gnome titans came home, a fleet blown off course to the islands west of Egoth. Eventually colonization efforts were placed on the east coast of Egoth, absorbing the gnomes of Mt. Boom into their empire. Gnome Titans of Egoth are particularly disliked by goblinoids of the area, as they now protect the once easily targeted Rock and Tinker gnomes. Even the northern barbarians respect the strength of the Gnome Titans. Some races worry that the militaristic nature of the Gnome Titans could eventually lead to conflict as they expand their influence and test their might.

Gnomelings are the crossbreeding of gnomes and halflings (kender are unable to create gnomelings). The most common is that of rock gnomes and halflings, though with the increase in Gnome Titan population has led a few Gnomeling Titans. Gnomelings are often smaller than both their parent races, with fairer features. They are excellent at stealth and often used by Gnome Titans in scouting parties. Most gnomelings hail from the city of Fern, where it is not uncommon for the Gnome Titans to breed and raise them to serve in the military as scouts. The gnomelings from loving married couples are often found in Helmguard, where rock gnomes and halflings often meet.

Gnomelings are born sterile and unable to reproduce with any other races, including themselves. Gnomelings mating together have all that is needed to reproduce but all attempts of reproduction have failed. Recently rumors abound of a gnomeling was able to reproduce with another gnomeling, creating the first true born gnomeling without magic. The gnomeling claimed his halfling parent was a true hafling, not the water down and crossbred halflings that exist now. This revelation could lead to a larger population of gnomelings, something the gnomish military has a vested interest in.

Halflings have been around almost as long as humans. Where and how they came to be is unknown, though some say they were humans who evolved in an area where shortness was needed. Others says halflings were the union of humans and gnomes, others say dwarves and gnomes. Either way, halflings of Egoth gravitate towards living around or near human settlements. It is believed that during the time of the Lost Empire, halflings were a servant race that was highly regarded by humans. Dwarves claim humans often had halfling "pets" when they entered their lands after the Lost Empire's fall. Halflings themselves don't care, as they enjoy the protection humans bring and how often food can fill their belly.

After the fall of the Lost Empire, halflings sought protection from any race they could come across. In the end three distinct types of halflings groups formed from their friendship and matings with elves (Tallfellows), dwarves (Stouts) and humans (Hairfeet). Over time the three groups have interbreed, though it seems the Stout line has become dominate and will eventually breed out the other bloodlines. Most halflings currently live in the Footshire Hills under the protection of Helmguard, though it is not uncommon to find halflings in almost every city. These city halflings are often referred to has "Thug Halflings", especially in cities where halflings are relegated to ghettos and other undesirable locations. Surprisingly the halfling population of Rotwood is completely thug halflings and are known as skilled diplomats.

The feral halfling are relatively unknown to those who live outside the Disappearing Forest. They few that have left the forest are often mistaken as dirty halflings. They are generally found living near the mountains on the western border of the forest. In the last century they have slow been moving eastward. This has caused some of the them to come into conflict with the barbarian clans in the area as they push outward from the forest. Some of the clans are superstitious of the feral halflings, viewing them as tiny earth demons who somehow survive in one of the most dangerous mountains of Egoth.

Sages suspect that the feral halflings are the descendents of halfling survivors from the destruction of the Lost Empire. The survivors did not rejoin their cousins in the far east, probably being trapped between the dangerous forest and the mountains. To survive the feral halflings hunted, killed and ate anything they could get their hands on, including other humanoids. Once the halflings had mastered their lands, they had forgotten about their eastern cousins. Why they push eastward now is unknown.

No one knows where they came from, they just one day appeared in Egoth. It is believed a large ship crashed where Handville is today and the kender were on it. Either way they had a population boom and can be found almost anywhere on the main land. The halflings shy away from kender, as they do not want to be associated with them and their behaviors. Luckily you can easily see the difference between a halfling and a kender, as kender have pointed ears and no hair on their feet and slim frames. The kender rarely leave Egoth and have no boats of their own, so some think they were brought here by others. It is suspected it was a slave ship but most do not believe this and kender are horrible slaves who escape often and do not fear their owners. One sage believes they fell from the stars on a giant ship but most laugh at this idea. Either way kender are here now and any purging campaign by minotaurs has failed so far.

Koi-Huagin are race of water dwelling humanoids created by Klaw-Keel long ago. A mix between a sahuagin and koi fish. Blessed with psionics, this race has loyally followed their gawd since their creation. Even when Klaw-Keel was slain, they waited with faith until his eventual rebirth. Found scattered throughout the land.

The Kwarf is a hybrid race that mixes dwarven and kenders into a whole separate race. It is unknown how this race came into being, as there are no known offspring from a union between the races. It generally believed that a community of dwarves and kenders from the village of Calmer were cursed or magically fused together. Surprisingly it is possible for dwarves and kenders to mate with kwarves, though the child is always born a kwarf. One sage had the following to say:

"A kwarf is a crossbreed between Dwarves and Kender. How this happen is unknown. Kwarves state that long ago there was a settlement contested by dwarves and kender. The dwarves sought to remove the kender from what they perceived as their land and the kender did not understand why the dwarves were so upset. The two sides argued for months and years over who was there first and until one day a kender prayed to the gawds. The kender understood why the dwarves wanted the kenders gone, but he wanted to help the dwarves see their point of view also.

A gawd heard the prayer and merged the races together, turning them all into kwarves. With the two people combined, the arguments stopped and they lived together in peace. Sages theorize that it was a trickster gawd that did it, as the kwarf were what no one expected and the side effects of their mental instability is an obvious reason. Some theorize the cursed witch Cursella caused it.

Kwarves have many of the strengths and weakness of their parent races. The largest obvious weakness is their mental instability. All kwarves have multiple personality disorder, with one personality being distinctly dwarf and the other being kender. Kwarves are known to suddenly change at random between their kender and dwarven sides. Often sometimes bluring the lines and having kender personality traits mix with their dwarven personality. From the kwarves perspective this is perfectly natural and both personalites are aware of each other and overlap often. This multiple personality disorder is far less debilitating as it is in other races, so there is no need for separate skills and mental stats. The personality is always the same sex and age of the kwarf, they share the same flaws, but could be completely different in attitudes and outlooks on life.

Kwarves are stockier than kender but slimmer than dwarves. They have the pointed ears of a kender but can only grow patchy stubbly facial hair on their faces akin to someone gluing hair on their face to look older. Some are capable of growing goatees, which annoys many gnome titans as they view it as their cultural distinction. Their hair color is similar in range to humans but red is the most dominate color."

Lizardmen tribes once doted all of Egoth. These cold-blooded humanoids were greatly feared, with stories of lizardmen eating babies and sacrificing humans to their dark gawds. Over time the lizardman population has reduced and is not the threat it once was. They spread further into less civilized lands to reduce the hunting they endured by many other races. While the more "civilized" ones have settled Lizmia, you can still find many primitive tribes roaming the many waterways of the land.

The Lupin are a race of dog-like humanoids who dominated the northern area of the Shadow Forest. They often came in conflict the Rakasta back then, before the goblinoids began to target both races. Over time the Lupin began to emulate human culture and technology. The Lupin live mostly in the city of Cora, but you can find many of them serving as trackers, hunters and merchants all across the land. They revere a gawddess known as the Red Hound Sage, appearing as a female dog of different breeds (a bulldog being the most common type) all over Egoth to those seeking guidance. The Lupin believe the Red Hound Sage protects them and Lupin with red fur are believed to be blessed by her.

Their origins are believed to have been tied to those of the Nydrians. The Nydrians were known to breed the lesser races though evolution or magic. The first true lupin is believed to be the mother of them all, the Red Hound Sage. Her purity so strong that her lifespan was beyond her creators, yet she was a slave to them. She was forced to breed with many other canine species, eventually creating all the different breeds of Lupin. She prayed for freedom and was answered by Nutar, gawddess of healing and prophecy in those ancient times. The Red Hound Sage escaped her imprisonment and hide from her hunters. When the Nydrians fell, she was free to gather her people to her from across the worlds and bring them to her. They worshiped her as a gawddess. Sometime after Nutar had died, she forsaw her death and passed on her divine energy to the Red Hound Sage. Eventually the Sage ascended to replace Nutar in the heavens but still watches over her people despite Maroth's attemps to corrupt them.

Due to the breeding of the Nydrians, there are many Lupin breeds across Egoth. Not all Lupin live in Cora, though it is the place to find breeds of all sorts. Many breeds prefer to stick to their own kind, though the occasional mixes happen. This has kept certain breeds in certain social classes. Click here to learn more about Lupin breeds of Egoth.

The minotaurs of Egoth are proud, arrogant, and strong race. In their early days on Egoth, they took what they wanted and fought all they could. It wasn't until they were taught the ways of honor did they become a civilized race. The male and female minotaurs live in society as equals and together forged a nation on the Horned Isles for themselves. This land was and is still dangerous as many powerful monsters lie deep inside the mainland. The minotaurs often fight amongst themselves through challenges and duels, especially to prove their point and win political challenges. This is how leadership is earned and generals made. There is often infighting among many clans and other minotaur subspecies (as true minotaurs call them). This has caused them to focus their fighting internally, rather than attacking other lands. Also the grel who live in their mountains keep them on their toes.

The island is currently ruled over by Pharacon Darkhorn whose life is near its end. Pharacon outlawed the worship of Baca and the use of magic when he took power, betraying his family with the Darkhorn line and their allies fleeing to the main continent to form the city of Chino. The demon lord Taur'Raad is the only allowed "god".

It is unknown how mongrelmen came to be. It is suspect horrible magics or ancient experiment gone wrong. They live on the outskirts of most societies and are often ostracized and even attack for their horrible appearance. You can find small mongrelmen groups living in the sewers of every major city in Egoth. A group of mongrelmen gathered together and sought a life of freedom beyond the sewers and fled to the sunken wastelands. There the group created their hidden underground town and have survived in the harsh land there.

This beautiful and reclusive race have hidden on their island of the First Isle for as long as any race can remember. The First Isle is aptly named as they are considered the first race to enter the lands. Long ago Nydrians lived on all the worlds of the sphere, using their magic to travel between them. They subjugated all the lesser races to serve them, using their High Orc warriors and mages to enforce their control. So great was their power that they ignored the gods themselves. For their arrogance, the gods destroyed their empire and forced them into hiding from the terrible things sent to destroy them. After the race was brought to near extinction, Luvia stepped in to prevent their destruction. The Nydrians of Rune were spared most of the destruction of their peers, as they had hid away the First Isle and learned to hide among other races by shapeshifting. During the destruction, other races rose to power in their place. Luvia warned them that for being the last sustainable population of their kind in the world, they were tasked to warn the other races of what happens to those who turn from the gods. The Nydrians accepted Luvia's offer and watch the lands for the time they are needed.

Only once in history were they called upon, when the humans of Egoth rose to power in their old lands and sought the power of the gods for themselves. Many Nydrians were slain in fear as they tried to warn the Old Egothians. Only the people of Old Zarakas listened and fled the lands before the gods sealed the land away, turning it into a desert. Those who fled became the Zarakian Tribe who dedicated themselves to Zarakas and protecting and avenging those who could not help themselves.

While the Nydrians are reclusive, many among their kind are sent among the other races to keep up on their current events. It is not uncommon for Nydrians to marry and reproduce with the humans they watch. Their children, these "half-Nydrians", often are unaware of their Nydrian nature until full maturity. Often times these half-Nydrians take over the roles of their parent, watching over the races of Egoth when the parent returns to the First Isle. In recent times the Nydrians have made a small place for themselves among the other races, greatly reducing the fear of them others once had. Only in remote places or less tolerant and primitive peoples will mistake a Nydrian for a Doppleganger, often resulting in the Nydrian's death.

One thing the Nydrians regret is the that their destruction was brought upon the Orinyar (the High Orcs). The High Orcs were the favored of the Nydrians during their empire, and those that survive now live as equals among the Nydrians. The Nydrians hope to help repay the High Orcs loyalty with the restoration and re-population of the race. The Nydrians plan to repay this debt, even if it is at the cost of their own race.

Lore on the Nydrians

The First Race: Nydirans by Cassius Vonkoff

Half-Nydrians have been around in some form another since the Nydrians first conquered other races. The most common half-Nydrians are a union between humans and a Nydrian. They tend to look more like their non-Nydrian parent but are generally thinner, taller, statuesque features with dark hair, and on rare occasion white or silver hair. Their eyes are often silver but on rare occasions their eyes will be gold or amber in color. They are often attractive and have lovely voices. People gravitate to them and most enjoy the attention. They easily blend with their non-Nydrian parent's society and few know of their Nydrian blood. A half-Nydrians unaware of their Nydrian parent might never known until their minor shapechanging abilities manifest during puberty. Half-Nydrians excel in wizardry and entertainment, often allowing them in circles few could get in. This makes them excellent spies, especially if they are spying on the other races for their Nydrian parent.

On rare occasion half-Nydrians from species of other races occasionally happen. Due to the Nydrian's flexible nature, they have a higher chance to breed with other races. In the past they used to make with their high orc servants. Today Nydrians will mate with the races they wish to plant a spy in when it requires someone to fit in better than can or it is too risky for a true Nydrian.

Ogre-Kin

There are many types of ogres in the world, many descended from Nydrians but twisted by magic, environment or other factors. While there are many ogres across the land, the following are commonly seen and involved in activities across the land:

Hedge Ogres: Hedge Ogres are believed to be descended from Nydrians and high orc blood. They were believed to be a breeding program designed to bolster their warriors before the fall of their empire. Generally the hedge ogres were second generation of these unions with the half-breed breed with a full high orc. They were then subjected to magics and training until the hedge ogre was created. Among ogre kind, they are best of what the race could be. After the fall of the Nydrians, the hedge ogre changed further into its modern incarnation. They retained the keen mind of their ancestors and the strength to boot. It is suspected other ogre breeds might actually be descendants of tainted and corrupted hedge ogres. Today the hedge ogres have formed a small society for themselves with no memory of their creators. The hedge ogres have no reverence, no sympathy and no feelings in general about Nydrians. They view them like all races, potential threat they might have to eliminate to survive.

Common Ogre: Common Ogres are what most people think of them they hear the word ogre. These creatures were a plague to most early races after the fall of the Nydrians. Corrupted, twisted and dumb; all deadly combinations that led to them attacking and eating any race they could get their hands on. Their population has diminished once the other races knew how to combat them, but they still thrive in their own lands. Rare is the ogre outside of their lands, and rarer is one that can live among other civilized people.

Ogre Magi: Ogre Magi were created by the Nydrians for use as spies in other lands. Created like the Hedge Ogre, except the second generation parent was Nydrians rather than High Orc to retain their ability with magic. Sent off to far lands in groups, over time these Orge Magi adapted to the strange lands and places they inhabited. After the fall of the Nydrians, the further developed into what they are after the "abandonment" of their "parents." The Ogre Magi do remember their origins but view their creators as relics of an ancient time and inferior to what the magi have become. Some of the magi returned to Egoth over the centuries and their numbers are beginning to grow once again.

The High Orcs, the Oyiran, were the first orcs of the land, serving their Nydrians masters long ago. The Nydrians cultivated the original High Orcs and absorbed them into their society with ease. They were honored and treated extremely well, better than any other race absorbed by their empire. This led the High Orcs to serve their Nydrians masters without question and with a joy not seen in most cultures.

High Orcs resemble elves but are slightly taller with longer arms and a more muscular build. Their complexion is pale green or blue and their eyes are yellow with no "white". Their hair ranges from deep brown to blue-black. They have neither tusks or facial hair.

When the ancient Nydrians were hunted, they were loyally protected by their high orc protectors and many were wiped out in the process by magic, war, and plague. Those who survived either fled with the surviving Nydrians, hid in valleys and caves or were twisted by the magics unleashed, turning them into the many "low" orcs seen today.

There is only one known surviving group living among the Nydrians of the First Isle, surviving as guardians and protectors of the hidden island. Few ever leave the isle, and are often mistaken for strange looking elves in other lands, as few know of the race. When elves came to Egoth from the west, they mistook the High Orcs as elven descendants.

There is rumor of other High Orc settlements hidden in Egoth. The only suspected ones are two High Orc tribes hidden in the Valley of Ancients on the Elvish Isles. Their numbers were devastated by a plague before the elves arrived and some were spotted when the elves settled there. The elves mistook the High Orcs as a different kind of elf and incorrectly believed the Nydrians ruins were created by the High Orcs, a belief still held today (though many High Orcs helped build those structures long ago). The tribes of the Valley of Ancients fear leaving it as they believe the destruction brought on them long ago will reawaken and destroy them completely.

High Orcs were the first race to use blood magic, something still used by them to this day. It is believed this early use of blood magic is why many other races fear its use, as their ancestors were the target of their spells. Unlike the Nydrians, few races even remember the existence of High orcs. This might have been due to Nydrians and High Orcs sharing similar skin colors, often lumping the two together due to the high status High Orcs had in Nydrian society.

Pixie-Fairies have long hidden from the troubles of the larger races for quite a long time. While many hid in the forests of the land, the largest settlement known was in the Disappearing Woods. An ironic name when much of their woods in the south were set on fire by a group of adventurers. After that event, they fled east to Green Haven in the Haven Forest and joined the specially protected town for forest creatures led by the ranger Athorus. Their new community in Green Haven was safer then the spider infested woods they left and less likely to catch fire. Since then many pixie-fairies have been exploring the land, some even living in cities and forming their own communities, such as one in Twilight Village. There are still many small pixie-fairies village across the land, though the meet in Green Haven is the largest and most popular, as Grel do not risk attacking it.

The Rakasta of Egoth are broken into two groups: the Nomadic Rakasta and the Civilized Rakasta. The Nomadic Rakasta live predominately in the Shadow Forest and often raid and attack goblinoids of that area. The Civilized Rakasta left the Shadow Forest long ago and settled across the ocean in the city of Bogon. The Civilized Rakasta culture has began to reflect that of culture of Rokugan but with their own touches. The Nomadic Rakasta have some contact with their civilized neighbors but only in regards to trade. Rakasta rarely travel the northern lands of humans, though you will find the occasional Rakasta merchant in Helmguard. It is believed that humans may be secretly supporting the Nomadic Rakasta in their guerrila warfare with the southern gobliniods, as this keep them busy in the southern lands.

Samurai Jackals are a recent addition to Egoth, brought from lands far away by Klaw-Keel. The Samurai Jackals serve as a police force for the Klaw Hegemony and are quite deadly in combat. These Jackalmen were trained in the way of the samurai and take it quite seriously. They view the ways of the civilized Rakasta as a threat to their culture and often have rivalries with them (something the civilized Rakasta are now becoming aware of). As more Jackalmen come to Egoth, some have broken off from their samurai ways and fled into the Shadow Forest to return to their less civilized roots. These "deserters" are hunted down by Samurai Jackals and slain for their dishonor. Oddly enough, a few jackalmen have joined the primitive Rakasta and Grel as a way to protect themselves from their samurai foes.

The thri-kreen of Egoth were once viewed as pests in Old Egoth before its destruction. Most fled to the Hot Sands where they slowly built relationships with the other races. While distrusted by elves due to their taste for their flesh, the race has gain acceptance. They can be found hunting all across the land in packs and often trade game for metal weapons at other humanoid cities. Thri-kreen avoid the politics of other races and few try to gain them on their side. There have been a few rare instances where individual thri-kreen will join war parties of other races they have bond with. There are a few thri-kreen believed to be involved in the Rakasta guerrilla movement. Even few have worked well with the grel, probably due to their flesh not being as pure the other elven races and thus not tempting enough to eat. Thri-kreen come in many colors, generally based off the environment they hail from. It is believed there are quite a few different thri-kreen breeds still roaming the deserts of Old Egoth, believed to be far more aggressive than their "New" Egoth counterparts.

Tieflings received mix reactions depending on the lands they visit. Being descended from demons and devils often causes folk to react aggressively in ignorant lands. In the past there were very few tieflings in the land, often killed by farmers and barbarian alike. Today the tiefling population is thriving in comparison. Depending on how demonic they look, some can pass hidden in many societies. The days of hunting tiefling have been forgotten, though they are still viewed with distrust until they can prove themselves. The recent surge of tieflings is mostly due to the devil outbreak at Southwind many years ago, though demon sightings have increased in other parts of Egoth. Tieflings could be what damns or saves the land if the Blood War comes to Egoth.

Tortles are generally reclusive, spiritual people who are quite friendly once you get to know them. Having lived on a secluded island for centuries, they hardly interact with the other races. A few tribes of tortles have left their home island and expanded out, though they have no real connection to their homeland. The tortles have a cool relationship with lizardmen, though they have often fought in the past depending on the tribe. Their home island has built a civilization in conjunction with lizardmen. This peace has led to opening diplomatic relations with their neighbors. They have great diplomatic relations with the civilized Rakasta, leading to both races have cultural and economical exchanges.

Wohali are creatures with unknown origins. Wohali claim they were created by a nature god but were cursed by his chaotic enemies to never be truly apart of nature. Wohali have this delusion that they believe they look similar to humans. Apart from their human-like faces, their bodies are draconian looking. They have bat wings, horns, scales on their skin, a tail and claws. Many a wohali have been targeted by their enemies when they thought they were blending in with a demihuman crowds. Wohali are not inheritable aggressive and can be quite friendly. This friendliness does not overcome their ability to accidentally insult other races and monstrous appearance. Chaotic by nature, wohali rarely form large groups beyond a village to return to after they have gone off to explore the land. The wohali have no priests among them due to their curse but every wohali has some ability with psionics. Having only been on Egoth for a few centuries, most races are wary of them but a few cities are allowing them in. Surprisingly they get along with dwarves quite well, though this is due to the metals and gems they trade with them.

Yakotaur are a offshoot of Minotaurs. Unlike their aggressive cousins, Yakotaur are very intelligent and quiet. They observe more than boast, using their insight to defeat opponents rather than flexing their strength. They are the real power behind the Minotaur empire, as their guidance has keep the empire from collapsing on itself. They were the first bovine humanoids to develop psionics and magic. Few races know the extent of the Yakotaur influence over the land, but many cultures respect the seemingly peaceful Yakotarus. Yakotaurs will resort to strength only when absolutely needed or as part of a intricate plan. Those who have mistaken Yakotaurs as weak often don't live to make the mistake twice.