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CurrentAffairsSentientRaces

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Sentient Races of the Known World

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Major sentient races:

Dragons:

The Outer Lands surrounding the Known World are inhabited by sea dragons, most of whom are unfriendly. Dragons have lifespans of thousands of years. Many young dragons briefly become interested in the antics of the younger races, and visit the Known World in humanoid guise. This is where half-dragons come from.

Tritons:

Tritons are the first people of the world. The average lifespan of a triton is 5000 years, but it is suspected that some of them can live as long as dragons. Adult tritons isolate themselves from other civilisations in the Known World, keeping to their cities in the Inner Sea where they contemplate the fickleness of life as compared to the eternal, unchanging rhythm of the sea. They worship Sarin, the elemental goddess of water, and are friendly with various water elementals. They do not brush their hair - you can often guess the age of a triton by estimating the volume of coral, seaweed, barnacles and other sea life that he carries on his head.

Owing to their long lifespans, tritons seldom have children. Usually only one or two tritons are born in a century. Like young dragons, young tritons often undergo a phase of fascination with the shorter-lived peoples. They scorn the isolationist ways of their parents, and leave the cities in search of adventure. After the first millenium, however, when even their elven friends are dead, they inevitably realise that all the young civilisations are fleeting and pointless, stop brushing their hair and go home.

To a certain extent, tritons consider themselves to be caretakers of the Known World - its water and stone rather than its people. They will intervene in the affairs of other civilisations if they perceive them to be a threat to the very rhythm of the sea.

Tritons are fully water-breathing creatures. They can survive out of water as long as their gills are wet - after that they suffocate and die. They cannot interbreed with any other race except dragons and outsiders (a special case) and sirines (a different sort of special case).

• Triton culture is Neutral.
• Favoured classes of the triton: Cleric (of Sarin), Sorcerer (usually specialising in elemental magic).

Elves:

Sea elves:

Sea elves are the remnants of the great empire of Adralendrinor, which entered the Known World through a dimensional gate in what is known as the First Invasion.

Upon their arrival in the world, the elves made the merfolk their vassals and the locathah their slaves. Although both races have since won their independence, many elves still consider them to be inferior. Some elven nations are on friendly terms with their non-elven neighbours, but most maintain an attitude of elitism and arrogance. The elven race as a whole tends to be stereotyped in this way.

Two subraces exist among the sea elves. The high elves have very pale skin and hair and are on average taller than a man. The so-called grey elves are shorter and darker. Skin and hair colour in both subraces comes in various shades of blue and green.

The offspring of a grey and a high elf will bear almost all the characteristics of one of its parents, and a few minor traits of the other.

The sea elven class structure still follows racial lines - the high elves are the nobility, while the grey elves tend to be closer to nature than to civilisation. In large cities, grey elves are usually servants and artisans. High elves seldom live outside cities. Small elven villages are populated almost exclusively by grey elves.

• Elven culture is Neutral tending towards Good. High Elves are usually more Lawful, whereas grey elves are more Chaotic.
• Favoured classes of the high elf: Fighter, Wizard.
• Favoured classes of the grey elf: Ranger, Druid.

Land elves:

Land elves arrived with the colony of what would become the human empire of Cathlaigh, in the Second Invasion. Most of them tend the forests of Talenantar, and are determined to ensure their survival at any cost.

The Talenantari elves hold a monopoly on the surface world's wood. They have previously witheld this resource (during the Great War), and successfully defended Talenantar from the ensuing invasion attempts. Surface trade depends on the elves, and so do the lives of the significant portion of the surface population which lives on ships. The elves are perfectly aware of this.

They are resented, but also respected and feared - their influence on surface politics is considerable.

There is a minority of non-Talenantari elves on the surface. Most of them have lived in the ship city Avarantal since the Great War. They still bear a grudge against Talenantar for refusing them sanctuary in the Forest during the war.

Land elves are also divided into high and grey subraces (and a genetic drow occasionally pops up), but the distinction matters little on the surface.

• Land elven culture is Chaotic Neutral tending towards Good.
• Favoured classes of the Talenantari elf: Ranger, Druid.
• Favoured classes of the Avarantal elf: Ranger, Rogue.

Minor races:

Half-dragons:

Dragons are extremely magical creatures, and can interbreed with just about anything. Half-dragons are very rare.

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