Races (Shard Ne'Vaal Supplement)

“	Everyone is out only for themselves in this dying world. Try and prove me wrong, I dare you.	”
—Leylos, elven headhunter

The races of Shard Ne'Vaal are varied and diverse despite the ruined landscape. Most of the traditional Dungeons and Dragons races you may know roam the landscape still, but they are joined by a host of homebrew creatures, which should be checked over by a DM with caution for balance issues. Many are native to Shard Ne'Vaal, having been here since times of Paradise. There was once porous spatial rifts that allowed for beings to seep through onto the world, and creating their own populations here. Since the Gorge, these spatial rifts have all but collapsed, trapping pretty much everyone on the shards.

Many races were driven to extinction by the battle for survival which ravages the land still. The ones who survived are the ones on this page, though there is a R.I.P. section for the ones you may have been hoping to see. Assume that they were destroyed.

Primary races are the ones who have more political power due to occupation of more territory because they have a larger population. After that are the secondary and tertiary races, with the latter being the most scattered and nearly unknown due to dwindling numbers.

"Void-touched" is a term often used for races that originate following the cataclysm of the Gorge. The energy of the voracious void left stains in the world that tainted many living creatures, permanently changing them.

Primary Races

The primary races are known for prevalent numbers in composition of the world populace. Their cultures are usually very diverse across even their massive numbers. In Shard Ne'Vaal, however, even these races do not have extremely high numbers due to the harsh world environment after the Gorge.

Dwarf

Players Handbook p. 36, Heroes of the Fallen Lands p. 248
Dwarves were supposedly one of the first races in the Old World. They aided humans in the cultivation of their lands and were favored by Vatar the Sky Striker. It is even said they were made in his image. However, when the world was shattered, their original resources were lost en masse. Their stricter codes of life, devoted to forges and their clans, were inefficient at adapting to the harsh new reality that was Shard Ne'Vaal. Thus, their numbers have dwindled a lot since then, and many feel deracinated from their ancestors. What they have left are stories of their greatness from the days of Ba Xin, when their 63 tribes thrived across the country. But there is little hope of return to those days. Most dwarves remain around the trunk section of the World Tree, living among the most robust of humanoid civilizations left, though many communities have also found homes at other levels.

Shield Dwarves

Neverwinter Campaign Setting p. 52
Shield dwarves are the subgroup of dwarves found in Hocheim and Preius. Shield dwarves were known for their hardy nature, having toughed out lives in the cold mountains of the north. They populated the Arctic as well as monopolized the mines of the Igdrys Scepter back in the Old World. Their original stronghold of Durenheim was one of the shining jewels of civilization, and they waged epic battles against orcs and giants. However, this lifestyle had not prepared them entirely for what the Gorge brings. Most of their original home is lost, along with much of their greatest trophies and weapons, leaving them with scraps and broken memories.

Gnolls

Monster Manual p. 277, Dragon Magazine #367 p. 47
The savage and vicious creatures roam the lands of ruin and easily run the place with their ruthless cunning and hunger-driven demeanor. They are one of the better-equipped races for survival after the Gorge, and they revel in the chaos which has come after the fall of many kingdoms. Like humans, they are widespread throughout Shard Ne'Vaal. While being extremely cutthroat, however, they are not to be considered constantly evil. Rather, they have adapted to the harsh new realities dealt onto them by fate and embraced it better than others. In this setting, gnolls were not made by Yeehongu, but by the goddess Espera to spite Shabast.

Old World

Gnolls prior to the Gorge were much more subdued in population. They were almost completely limited to the continent of Okut, though some albino rarities were known to have been seen in the frigid reaches of the Himmländs. There were even some peaceful tribes at this time, who could coexist and be tolerated by other races.

Goblinoids

All goblinoids are believed to be creations of Quthok or collaborations with the god. While they are all generally classified under the single term of "goblinoid," they are a host of various races that have huge disparities in temperament, society, culture, and behavior.

Bugbear

Monster Manual, p.276
Bugbears are rare goblinoids that primarily dwell within the more wild areas as either hunter-gatherers or nomadic hunters. This fact has not changed even during the Gorge. Of course, bugbears are more known than actually seen. They are reclusive ambush hunters that make extensive use of the terrain around them. Those who become adventurers excel as rogues and rangers, being a good mix of flexibility and strength. These traits have not changed for bugbears much, who are only now seen even less post-Gorge. They lurk primarily in wooded areas within the roots of the World Tree, whereas they were scattered across the forests of Preius before.

Goblin

Monster Manual p. 278, Into the Unknown: The Dungeon Survival Handbook p.34
Like the gnolls, these small but vicious creatures thrive in the current chaos of Shard Ne'Vaal. They mainly occupy the canopy and root levels, as the trunk is where many of the remaining powerful kingdoms could snuff them out. They are incredibly collective yet selfish at the same time, which has somehow attributed to their ability to survive. Most of their groups make a living hiding away from stronger monsters and stealing from caravans in transit.

Old World

Goblins were created by Quthok to be loyal but expendable soldiers for his stronger creations like orcs. Goblins are creatures very accustomed to abuse, but this helps obscure their true guile. They occupied the cave systems of Bevel mostly, with a more feral variety present in the wilds of Okut.

Hobgoblin

Monster Manual p. 278, Dragon Magazine Issue #419
Hobgoblins are goblinoids known for their discipline in battle, contrasting the straight savagery of bugbears and the chaotic cunning of goblins. They are considered the most rigid of the goblinoid groups. As such, they are usually assigned positions of guardianship and tacticians.

Orc

Monster Manual p. 278
Orcs are perhaps the race most unchanged by the course of the events since Paradise Lost. Since the old world, they've lived in their warbands and camps throughout the unforgiving areas of the world, honing their skills of plunder and savagery. They are therefore extremely hardy and dangerous. In the Old World, they often clashed with other kingdoms, and even might dragons and giants led lives devoted to physical strength and conquest. Their land was wherever they should desire it, and they brutalized those who stood in their way. This is particularly true for tribes in Himmländ. Elsewhere, like in Okut, orcs were very tribal and isolated, though they sometimes would trade with other races. In Dasoon there were orcs among even scholars. The Gorge has splintered much of the old continents and therefore mixed the bag of orcs, but they have simply just reverted to a more primal instinct of protecting their own by seizing what others have. Most people see very little difference.

Secondary Races

These races usually became severely diminished as a result of the world's destruction. Many prospered prior to Paradise Lost. Some, however, rose in number after the Gorge.

Dragonborn

Player's Handboook, p.34

• Note: The Dragonfear variant is not included in this setting.

Dragonborn in Grisaire are fairly well-known as a race of people valuing honor and their own above all else. The concept of "kurjh", Draconic for "our own", is a critical element of dragonborn culture. They are steadfast allies that hold true to those they declare kurjh, which is an equivalent of family. In the Old World, dragonborn tribes speckled the Karas Plains as well as the continent of Bevel. Following the Gorge, many of these tribes were eliminated or fractured with disaster. Few tribes could survive in the Root level and most migrated up the World Tree to either the canopy or set up nomadically around the Trunk. Following the destruction of many of their original kurjh, it has become only more important for dragonborn to watch out for one another, even non-dragonborn. All that matters is their kurjh.

Drow

Monster Manual p. 276, Forgotten Realms Player Guide p. 8, Heroes of the Fallen Kingdoms p. 246
These dark elves came into larger numbers after the Gorge, making some believe the influence of the void warped some elves and turned them into creatures of darkness. This is largely erroneous, however, since drow precede the Gorge and have lived mainly just out of view in subterranean networks. However, once the Old World was destroyed, the terra was changed so drastically that it forced most of them to the surface. Due to their dislike of the sun, they usually dwell now among the roots of the World Tree. There they conduct themselves like normal elves, as they are not devoted worshippers of Lolth in this setting. However, there is a great stigma against them still due to the suspicion that they might be void-touched cultists of Graghk.

Elf

Players Handbook p. 36, Heroes of the Fallen Islands p. 260
The elves were a proud race that supposedly migrated to the Old World eons ago when the world was young. The gates of the fey world were open long enough for a large diaspora of the elven people to populate a good deal of the continent of Bevel. Seldom did they stray from there, but they built a great empire which rivaled Preius for the longest time. They fared better than dwarves after the Gorge, but the effect of the void is believed to shortened their lifespan due to the halt of fey and primal energies circulating the world. Nowadays, they die around 200 years of age. This significantly reduced their numbers, as their culture normally banked on their longevity to tide their population for generations to come.
The legacy they left in the Old World can still be seen in many places, from their old academies to forest fortresses. However, they rarely have the strength to hold these forts down, and have mainly joined human civilizations for safety. Most elves dwell either in the canopy or trunk layer of the World Tree.

Gnome

Monster Manual p. 277, Player's Handbook 2 p. 10
The gnomish race is fairly tenacious. Prior to the Gorge, a majority of them were confined as second class citizens within much of the Bevellian continent. While there existed an independent gnomish territory in the country of Labare, it was a relatively modest duchy. The empire of Preius seemed always looming on the horizon, just over the Fhalatian Range. The gnomes were a tributary in the Old World for Preius, and they were expected to contribute to industrial efforts of the larger nation. Many gnomes ended up recruited by Preius engineers and forced to crank out blueprints and inventions for their daily bread.

After the Gorge, much of the gnome populations became split among the canopy and trunk, specifically the shards of Alei and Ytel. Their natural cunning and ingenuity has allowed them to make a living by utilizing old technology and scraps to make makeshift weapons and other household goods. A good deal of them travel about the World Tree as traders and scrap collectors.

Tinker

Dragon Magazine #422 p. 9
Dazreor, the gnome-father, created one tinker gnome among every fifty of his children. The tinker gnomes were notably gifted for their legendary need to innovate and invent. To them, it is as simple as breathing. Their genius was renowned, and after the rise of Preius and the conversion of much of east Labare into tributary states, tinker gnomes were among the chief resource Preius sought. They commonly vetted gnomes for the specialist tinkers among them, taking their genius for the empire. Many tinker gnomes were all too eager and easily enticed by the posh life afforded inventors, as well as the vast resources the empire could offer. As such, many tinker gnomes are seen as traitors to their own kind.

In the post-Gorge years, tinker gnomes continue to do what they do best. They usually are the brains of operations of salvaging materials in the gnomish scrap-trades. As their ingenuity is beyond that of even normal gnomes, they are all the more valuable. However, now, they work for themselves.

Half-Elf

Players Handbook p. 42, Heroes of the Fallen Kingdoms p. 252
Elvish kingdoms originally constituted a fair number of independent duchies and regions within Camus. However, after consolidation and the cataclysm that shattered the continental mass, elves never quite recovered their level of prestige as a civilization. While they fared better than the eladrin, the elves became fearful of what temperaments drove the gods and were ultimately suspicious of powers that lay above mortal hands. Thus, many elven tribes seemed to withdraw into their own territories littering the wilderness.

Half-elves, both of elven and eladrin descent, are a remnant of when these two races were more prominent. They remain within most societies mixed with humans than other humanoids. Half-elves are regarded in some areas as better by face value, and sometimes not. Following the Gorge, it was strange, but the numbers of half-elves actually stayed steady, percentage-wise. Though it is largely by the dilution of their blood and the cultural collision following the catastrophe, half-elves cling to the slim normalcy of the world that remains.

Halfling

Players Handbook p. 44, Heroes of the Fallen Lands p. 266
Halflings are a race of humanoids that had always more or less retained a strangely consistent number in the world. In times of disaster, their numbers would not be crushed like that of others affected. In times of bounty, they also did not explode like rabbits. This balancing act is sometimes thought to be an act of the divine, which is bolstered by the fact that halflings all inherently have a slight edge of luck that seems to help them a lot. Mechanically, we know this as the second chance racial encounter power.

In the old world, halflings primarily dwelt along mid to south Okut, making their homes in the highlands about the Etisimar Mountains. They thus lived in rather close proximity to races like orcs and goblinoids that roamed those wild lands. Halflings are not strongly characterized as fighters, and would often use stealth or tactics to avoid direct confrontation while protecting their own territories. Some halflings did also live in Dasoon, making their living as semi-nomadic peoples in the Karas Plains.

After the Gorge, halflings have scattered across all three levels of the World Tree. Due to many fragments of Dasoon and Okut making up the roots, there are still halflings there. However, they have migrated upward overtime. In fact, halflings have a reputation for being particularly good at traversing up and down the tree due to their slip of luck and boldness.

Half-Orc

Player's Handbook 2 p. 14, Heroes of the Fallen Kingdoms p. 258

Tertiary Races

These are races occupying small areas and are very specific to certain regions. Some may be on the verge of extinction.

Duergar

Monster Manual 2, p.220

Eladrin

Player's Handbook, p.38

Goliath

Player's Handbook 2, p.12

Hengeyokai

Dragon Magazine Issue 404, p.51

Humans

Players Handbook p. 46, Heroes of the Fallen Lands p. 272, Heroes of the Forgotten Kingdoms 264
Humankind are a somewhat fragile race in comparison to others in existence. They were considered one of the weaker races in comparison to elves and dwarves, who were also longer-lived. Regardless, humans have a colorful melange of cultures and they speckled much of the entire Old World. Following the Gorge, many human settlements have all but died out or been subjugated by stronger creatures and their civilizations. For example, an entire human settlement was captured by orc and half-orc raiders in the Roots, on the shard of Shomba. Some small groups of humans exist nomadically along the Trunk of the World Tree.

Old World

In the Old World, humans were much more numerous, being a secondary race. They had kingdoms rivaling that of elves and dwarves due to their versatility. Their adaptability and myriad of talents created vividly colorful nations which were as prosperous as they were strong. But they were not united by any means, and warred with one another frequently over resources and land.

Kalashtar

Eberron Player Guide p.30

Kenku

Monster Manual 2, p.220 and Dragon Magazine Issue 411, p.7

Kobold

Monster Manual, p.278 and Into the Unknown: The Dungeon Survival Handbook, p.40

Minotaur

Player's Handbook 3, p.10 and Monster Manual, p.278

Mul

Dark Sun Campaign Setting, p.20

Shifter

Monster Manual, p.279 and Player's Handbook 2, p.16

Thri-Keen

Dark Sun Campaign Setting, p.22

Tiefling

Player's Handbook, p.48

Warforged

Eberron Player's Guide, p. 32

Wilden

Player's Handbook 3, p.14

The wilden of Shard Ne'Vaal came about as a result of Orelia when she sacrificed herself to become the world tree. Bits of the tree formed the wilden, who are the trees designated and devoted keepers and guardians. They actively monitor the tree, living inside and alongside it to better seek threats. Often times, they will travel up and down the entire length of the trunk and even the roots to seek out threats.

Niche Races

The following races are playable, but severely lack any real substantial numbers to constitute a society in the setting.

Bladeling

Manual of the Planes, p.117

Note: Also, see bladeling trait variant for a more souped up version.

Bladelings are considered "plane-stranded" people, along with various other races hailing from other planes and the Astral Sea soup. These peoples in particular are stragglers from the interdimensional city of Sigil, where they crossed from the portals onto Shard Ne'Vaal when the world was still connected by such. These scattered bladelings in Shard Ne'Vaal eke out a living along the lower branches of the World Tree, mostly. They often work as mercenaries with their rugged bodies or even resorting to banditry if needed to survive.

Bullywug

Monster Manual 2, p.220
These swamp-dwellers lived along with grung within temperate to humid swamps and watery riverlands. Following the environmental destruction of the Old World, they now reside solely at the lowest level of the World Tree. They are surprisingly diligent and act as guardians for the roots of the World Tree. However, they are extremely selfish with their territories and will deny water to even travelers.

Changeling

Eberron Player Guide, p.28

Githzerai

Player's Handbook 3, p.8

Githyanki

Monster Manual, p.277

Revenant

Dragon Magazine Issue 376, p.34 and Heroes of Shadow, p.116
Revenants are likened to corpses animated by the scourge of the void. This is considered their origin, as revenants did not exist before the creation of Shard Ne'Vaal after the Gorge. They retain twisted personalities of their original selves, touched by despair and nihilism. They are extremely rare in the world of Shard Ne'Vaal, and are reviled for their void-touched appearance. They usually travel from place to place, eking a living as vagrants. Revenants all claim origin from the Gorge, when many cemeteries of humanoids were desecrated and unearthed with the cataclysm, thus rousing them with insidious energy.

Satyr

Heroes of the Feywild, p.34

Shade

Heroes of Shadow, p.121
Like revenants, shades did not exist before the onset of the Gorge. Shades are similarly void-touched creatures, but they are not unwillingly raised like revenants. Shades are actually the result of forbidden rituals attempted by ambitious humanoids to harness the power of the void. It has since corrupted them whilst they are alive, turning them into a shade. They are able to use the power of the void to a degree, but it is a scourge on their very self. Shades have twisted personalities and bodies as a permanent reminder of their hubris.

Homebrew Races

The following is open-source, unofficial content made by fellow wikians. Be sure to consult your DM about the eligibility of these races as their powers may vary wildly from that of an official race.

R.I.P.

The following races were either rendered extinct or cut out by the creator for the following canon or meta reasons:

Pixie

These little guys were of questionable balance to begin with, being made the only race with a real flying speed. The compensation for pixie, including its size, really makes it feel purely monster-like or just too suboptimal compared to playing another race. You can still reasonably use this race if desired. Pixies would normally be found as sort of sparsely spread encounters within the woodlands of the Old World. After the Gorge, many of these scenic landscapes became withered or warped. This would be reflected in the pixies that survived, turning them into resentful creatures.

Vryloka

They follow a very specific ritual and family lineage that didn't fit well with the narrative. Also, shadow power source seems to be their main thing, and while the shade is workable into the concept of shadow instead being the void, this one doesn't go as well. If you wish, you can still include them as an anomaly in the setting.

Shardmind

They are formed of the living gate primarily, which is either not a thing or too far across the Astral Sea for them to have wandered here. In canon, their numbers here were few, as they were hunting the Far Plane influences of the gith and mindflayers who found their way here amid the Astral Period. However, these small numbers were snuffed out in the Gorge.

Deva

Thematically their closeness to the divine doesn't sit well with the theme of the world. In the story however, they were once there, having settled in the Old World. But when the Gorge occurred, they were among the first casualties, and eventually they were rendered extinct.

Shadar-Kai

The Plane of Shadow is not very prevalent here. However, you can use this race flavored as a void-touched elf.

Genasi

As the power of the void grew, the elemental arcane and primal energies dwindled and so the genasi were no longer sustained as a race. If you wish, you may have corrupted versions of genasi in your campaign, using the options from Dragon Magazine, issue 380. Instead of being corrupted by the Abyss, they are called Void-touched.

Hamadryad

Being more tied to the powers of the Feywild than other counterparts like satyrs or elves, the hamadryad fared poorly when the fey energies were cut off and primal energies waned. They used to populate some of the forests, which are now all but silent. Instead, supposedly their vengeful spirits remained mired there, making much of nature a haunted nightmare.

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