The Races of Pelagia

The Common Races

Before the time of the Great Cataclysm, the current Common Races did not exist - or rather, they did not exist as fixed forms. The Ancestors had the ability to shapeshift at will and they frequently assumed other forms to suit specific tasks.

The backlash from the Great Cataclysm froze the surviving Ancestors in whatever form they happened to be in at that time. It is from these shapes that most of the sentient races of Pelagia arise.

Each of the Ancestors had a favoured form and they usually returned to this form to rest. It was this favoured form that most of the inhabitants of Pelagia were bound to at the time of the Cataclysm.

So, to a certain extent, when you talk about the culture or characteristics of a given race, you are actually discussing the tradition of an ancient profession, morphed and evolved by long history.

The following are brief descriptions of the Common races of Pelagia, their role in the world of the Ancestors, and the distinct identities they hold today.

Human

Humans were the most common form that the Ancestors would take.

Although they could shift, such things required a great deal of energy and exertion. When the Ancestors didn't require the special abilities of some of the other forms they might take, the human form represented a flexible and versatile option.

As such, humans are quick to learn new and varied skills.

The language of the humans was the Common tongue (hence all the races speaking it now). It was the language used by all people's of Pelagia, and represented a sort of 'Low Pelagian'.

Although the Ancestors were a highly mobile race, over time, certain regions gave rise to certain characteristics of the Ancestors living there. Thus, the appearance of the human form varies greatly by area and by culture.

Many humans of the Second Age have a dash of nonhuman blood in them - elf and orc being the most common.

Dwarf

Dwarves were a popular shape among the Ancestors when toughness, stamina and a hard head were needed.

For fighting, for mining, for the weighty tasks of engineering and construction, the form of the dwarf was ideally suited.

The compact and dense form of the dwarf gave rise to a compression of the vocal chord, giving the dwarf form a characteristic gruff accent. This has been heightened by the sequestering of those shape-shifters specialising in the dwarf form in the mines and on the battlefields of the ancient world.

The language of the dwarves began as a technical language used to describe engineering, mining and other physically constructive tasks, as it was better suited to the expression of these terms. Over time it evolved to be more wide-reaching in its use until it became the common tongue for dwarves.

Although the Ancestors were a highly mobile race, over time, certain regions gave rise to certain characteristics of the Ancestors living there. Thus, the appearance of the dwarven form varies greatly by area and by culture.

Elf

The Elf form was used by the Ancestors for the manipulation of magic. For the delicate and intricate work of spellcasting, no other form could harness and direct the flow of mana more effectively, save perhaps for the Gnome.

Lithe, strong, intelligent, and deadly if necessary, the Elf form suited the finer tasks that faced the Ancestors.

Many of the Elvish words now used in Common speech are in fact remnants of the old tongue of magic, used to direct and control the works of the magi. The language of the elves followed a similar evolution to that of the dwarves, save that it was used to describe and direct magic, rather than the physical creations that the dwarves favoured. Over time it evolved to be more wide-reaching in its use until it became the common tongue for elves.

Although the Ancestors were a highly mobile race, over time, certain regions gave rise to certain characteristics of the Ancestors living there. Thus, the appearance of the elven form varies greatly by area and by culture.

Half-Elf

The Half-Elf form came to be in two ways; the first half-elves were the Ancestors caught between forms by the Cataclysm that ended their power to shape-shift. Fortuitously, due to the compatibility of the forms, those caught between human and elf could still live without the pain and madness that struck down many other half-forms.

Others were created later through the pairing of elf and human parents.

Gnome

Akin to the elf-form in application and ability, the Gnome represented a more solid and less delicate form than the elf.

For experimentation with the methods of magic and workings of the arcane arts, the gnome represented a form that could direct mana to the pursuit of magical ends. What it lacked in the finesse, compared to the elf-form, it made up for in hardiness.

The language of the gnome-form has elements in common with both Dwarven and Elvish, just as the gnomes themselves. It was a distinct technical dialect developed in the great research houses of the Ancestors, and has evolved over time to its present form. Its uniqueness is in part due to the fact that those Ancestors predisposed to the gnome-form tended to cluster in insular communities for the purposes of invention and experimentation. This tendency has continued to the modern gnome.

The questing and curious nature of the Ancestors favouring the gnome form can still be seen in their distant descendants.

Although the Ancestors were a highly mobile race, over time, certain regions gave rise to certain characteristics of the Ancestors living there. Thus, the appearance of the gnomish form varies greatly by area and by culture.

Halfling

Exemplifying nimbleness and speed, the Halfing form came to be of use to the Ancestors in any number of ways.

Tasks requiring dexterity and fleetness of foot, or simply the ability to move without sound called for the form of the halfling. Though tiny, the halfing form offered skill and resourcefulness.

The language of the halflings was less well developed in the time of the Ancestors, although it was distinct from Common. Beginning as a sort of Cant used for swift and quiet communication, the short life-spans and gregarious nature of the halfling meant that it evolved and changed much more quickly than the more ancient tongues of the elves or dwarves.

The inquisitive and somewhat chaotic nature of those Ancestors favouring the halfling can oftentimes be seen in the descendants of these ancient people.

Although the Ancestors were a highly mobile race, over time, certain regions gave rise to certain characteristics of the Ancestors living there. Thus, the appearance of the halfling form varies greatly by area and by culture.

Orc

When there was fighting or hunting, carrying or digging to be done, the sturdy and extremely powerful form of the Orc was useful to the Ancestors. With the tendency for anger, strength, slowness of thought, the orc of today survives less by wits and more by strength, although exceptions do exist.

The language of orcs developed from a kind of shorthand Dwarven. Ancestors in orc form and dwarven form frequently worked together on farms, in mines and on construction sites. The gutteral dwarf language suited the dense orc throat perfectly.

The appearance of the orc form varied greatly by area and by culture. Although the Ancestors were a highly mobile race, certain regions would give rise to certain characteristics of the Ancestors living there. From this we get the many variations of the orc form.

Half-Orc

The Half-Orc form came to be in two ways; the first half-orcs were the Ancestors caught between forms by the Cataclysm that ended their power to shape-shift. Fortuitously, due to the compatibility of the two forms, those caught between human and orc could still live without the pain and madness that struck down many other half-forms.

Others were created later through the pairing of orc and human parents.

The Wild Races

A number of other forms and half-forms existed in the time of the Ancestors, and continue to exist. Some of those Ancestors who were caught between forms at the time of the Cataclysm were blessed and able to find a way to live without the madness and pain that blighted so many of their fellows. It is from these blessed few that we have Wemics, Centaur, Minotaur and a number of other half-forms. Generally, these are known as the Wild Races.

When trapped between two incompatible forms, some Ancestors went mad with fear and pain, and it is the cursed descendants of these half-forms that give us races such as the half elf-half spiders known as Driders.

The Other Races

A number of other forms existed in the times of the Ancestors, and continue to exist. They range from the very small Fey to the very large Giants and Giant-kin. There are also the specialised forms of the Goblinoids races and the Reptilians. Even though these races may seem very different from the Common races, it must be remembered that they are all decendants of the Ancestors.

Planetouched

Not only did the backlash of the Great Cataclysm freeze the forms of the Ancestors into the various modern races, it also disrupted the magical barrier between the material world of Pelagia and the Starsphere - the realm of the god, Bercairn, and the home of the Outsiders.

As a result, a number of Outsiders found themselves torn from the Starsphere and dropped onto Pelagia - unable to return to their home beyond the skies. The descendants of these Outsiders are known as Planetouched.

Aasimar

These are the descendants of Celestials. On the whole, they are accepted by Pelagian society.

Tiefling

The descendants of fiends, Tiefling tend to be treated with suspicion. Many Tieflings try to hide their supernatural heritage in an attempt to fit into Pelagian society.