Uncivilized Races of Amb

Elves and Dwarves

Elves and dwarves are not really separate races so to speak. They are spirits that can sometimes choose to have corporeal form in order to aid people. These spirits can be benevolent or miscreant depending on what sort of spirit they are. Many colonies of dwarves and elves choose to remain corporeal because it amuses them; however, in times of danger, they turn to spirit and vanish.

Elves

Elves are about two feet tall and are often referred to as bush children. They are skinny with shiny silver or green skin. Small tufts of silky white hair grows only on the top of their head. On their hands and feet they have six digits, each one with one extra segment in comparison to a human.

There are two types of elves: Red Caps and Green Backs. Red caps are known by the bloody red caps they wear. These elves are carnivorous, prone to hot-headed violence and fiercely defensive of other elves. They tend to hold a grudge against those who would harm any elf. Green Backs are the benevolent elves. They are known by the fact that they wear green leaves as cloaks. They take care of plants and protect the forests. In general, they steer clear of humans, but have been known to help people with their abilities to manipulate plants.

Dwarves

Dwarves are small little brown furry men. They are usually about a foot tall and their entire face is covered with brown hair with just enough of their face exposed to reveal eyes and a nose. Hair covers their back and the tops of their hands and feet, but not their chest. Dwarves have feet without toes and their hands have two opposable thumbs with two fingers between them. Dwarves are known for their skill with earth manipulation.

They are split into three groups: Stony Dwarves, Rikshan and Brown Bottoms. Stony dwarves are usually benevolent but are prone to flights of fancy and caprice. They will help you one minute, and then wander off the next, distracted by something they find more entertaining. The Rikshan are sometimes called the Night Thieves. Whenever anything randomly goes missing, people blame the Rikshan because they are known for their quick fingers and inability to keep their hands off other people's things. They play pranks on people and often like to steal a single shoe or one stock or a single prong off of a fork. The Brown Bottoms are mean. They are also called Biters. They tend to jump out of little holes in the ground and bite people's ankles. If the person is unfortunate enough to sit on a Brown Bottom mound or rock, they will find a pair of teeth in their rear.

Orcs

Orcs are generally shunned by most people. Not because they are overly mean, but rather because they are seen as spreading bad luck. Orcs are large, fat creatures with incredible long arms. Their arms almost reach the ground when they are standing. This makes them fairly clumsy. They have a mane of black hair that grows on their head and necks and sometimes on their backs. Orcs are not really stupid. The things they do know, they know well. Anything beyond the things they know may take a couple of generations to learn.

People think orcs spread bad luck because they tend to chase off other creatures in the area. Elves and dwarves don't like them and keep away. They also like to eat locusts, grasshoppers, worms and other crop munchers. So, people think that wherever orcs are, there are bugs that will destroy their crops with them. However, most orcs eat things aside from bugs and they travel to the bugs and not vice versa.

Firsk

The firsk live in small communal groups with a deeply structured hierarchy. The firsk are a nomadic race and, because they have not mastered all six of the cornerstones of civilization, they are considered a 'lesser' race. Since they are nomadic, they have little need of creating permanent structures, but they do have an understanding of engineering as most of their domiciles are collapsible and portable.

They are very slender with light, pliable bones. They are on average about 3.5 to 4 feet in height. Their entire bodies are covered with a sleek, light coat of fur that varies in color from red to brown. Their eyes are about the size of a human fist and generally light green or yellow with a square black iris. Their ears are small and pointed resting just beside their large eyes. Their knees and elbows are ball joints that are fluid and can bend in any direction. They have four digits on their hands and feet.

Each nomadic group of firsk is broken into family units and the tallest adult member of the family unit acts as the 'head' of the family. In the group, the family heads act as a ruling body over the rest delegating tasks to everyone capable of work. In general, the ruling body decides things through votes. When two groups meet, they trade half of their family units between them to ensure that the genes to not thin out too much. Mates are chosen within groups by the ruling body as those that would best benefit the group as a whole.

The firsk make jewelry from stone and bone. They also make beadwork art that can be sewn onto clothing or hung as decoration. Their clothing is generally brightly colored and simple. They wear several pieces of jewelry to show off not only their skill, but also their wealth. The firsk occasionally trade inside of cities, but they always come and go in groups. You never see a lone firsk unless it has been captured from its group. In general, they avoid loud, crowded and enclosed places.