Humans

Man is seen and known to be born rather simply, yet painfully and mostly through the best of intentions by other men. As children, they flourish from the bosom of their mothers and survive by the strength of their fathers. Most who live through the required service to the Kingdom come out with the conflict of understanding equality, but being hungry for the gratification of individual achievement. They either remain in service or, after whatever tutelage they receive, they are eventually shuffled into the grand market to be paid for what they can provide. Many of them are deemed only skilled enough to return to the militia. Those who have saved enough during their five years of mandatory service can afford the time it takes to master a worthy trade. Then there will always be those who follow the trade of their fathers as well as those who seem so naturally adept at something it was as though they were born for it. The Race of Man relies heavily on its population and trained military for survival and the enforcement of the standing treatise between other races. Man also struggles with their environment as they devour the resources necessary to survive with very little attempt to replenish them. They are born, they live, die and leave little to be brought to the next life other than the stories of their achievements and the hopes of becoming a memory of their lineage. Due to their mandatory service in the King's Army, all Humans are trained in basic weaponry by the age of 14. See the entire Human Race Packet .
“It’s like a Man to do all that he can until he is spent, only to have enough left to be buried.”

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Dwarves

Of brawlers, swindlers and dealmakers, it is the stalwart brotherhood of merchants who comprise the race of Dwarves. Those whose worth lies solely in their ability to turn a profit pay homage to the matron of riches known as The Keeper, believing in dragons merely on the possibility that their skins may be gold and silver. Were it not for wars and tools, they would have needs to be more enterprising to survive in a world. They would end up being the thieves and braggarts whose disdain for community is only thwarted by the knowing that a good pay is sometimes earned through a hard day’s work, even though it would benefit another. The Dwarves are less a Kingdom and more of a guild. He who has the most is in charge. There was a time when strength was the ruler of the day, but in a world of many resources, money can provide the most for a people. Here is where they were not given enough credit for using their minds instead of their brawn to overcome extinction. So, they not only pay respect to The Keeper, but also to the lineage of who laid claim to their home of Kogolar, named for him. He is worshiped also, as though he were The Keeper’s patron who spread her knowledge throughout the race. What need had they to sustain their knowledge of magic? Only the trick of “Fool’s Gold” was ever useful, and then only to small degrees when dealing with the race of Men who made up nearly the whole of their clientele in purchases of armor and weapons almost monthly. Kogolar was the first Dwarf to enlist a system of manufacturing for such a demand of supply, and in doing so provided work for others as well as wealth for himself which he was less than greedy with. It became his business to provide for others, which led obviously to the provisions of his Race. Unfortunately, this philanthropy was soon lost on his descendants. The struggle for individual achievement had laid its sickness on yet another race. See the entire Dwarven Race Packet .
“He whose worth is most is most worthy.”

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Quicken

As each race is recorded here, you must remember that they are referred to by the names mostly used by the race of Man. Thus, the race of half-men, are known as Quicken or Swiftlings. They would be given this name for various reasons, mostly having to do with their speed and agility. They are usually no taller than 5 feet and have thin yet strong frames. They not only move with renowned reflex, they are also prone to speaking very quickly as well as not taking much time to ponder many decisions, which has led them to war with other races on more than one occasion. They are adept with wielding two short blades in battle to enhance their reliability to parry rather than block blows as a shield fighter would. Though this would seem less than threatening, their strength lies in accuracy, speed and organization. Just as they live by their utility in their society, they also move with the same unity of purpose. Where one is blocked, the other gets through. There have been battles described as almost sacrificial to their numbers and advantage, but most of these retellings end with their victory. Since they do not suffer for not replenishing their resources as Man does, they are quite comfortable to stay within the boundaries of their Kingdom. Many races have learned that it is best to let them live rather than use resources to conquer a land unwanted in the first place. Their home is not only at the end of a desert, but over a mountain range to reach their border only to end on a peninsula. See the entire Swiftling Race Packet .
“He who hesitates…. where are we?”

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Striders

As there are half men, there are also a breed of Man much larger than average. Sometimes called Giants, they are known as Striders for their obviously long gait. They tend to mature to seven feet tall, some even taller. Though proportioned similar to Man, they seem a bit less susceptible to being heavy in weight or overly thin. There are some cases of variety of course. And, whereas the dwarves usually dwell within mountain ranges, Striders make their homes on or near the bases of mountains and cliff faces like those of the Gorntek Range. Fortunately for the other races, like the Quicken, they are content as well as peaceful. They are one of the few races that have continued to teach Magic, though theirs is mainly a form of healing. This could account for their fair skinned appearance and longevity. Their nature is far less militant and their creed is closely mirrored by the Elves where respect for each other and the lands are concerned.
Striders have a long gait and it is difficult to bind their feet to the ground. They are Immune to Root effects. Their height gives them a distinct advantage in combat. If they recognize a dying victim, they can heal them at a distance. See the entire Strider Race Packet .
"The Spirit our Father, the Earth our Mother, we are merely wandering children of wonder."