Races (Warcaester Setting)

Humans

The definitive most common race in Warcaester are the humans. Their feature are usually considered the norm in comparison to the other races of Warcaester. Due to the vast size of Warcaester and its distanced civilizations, each geographical area has developed its own ethnic features.

Mandisan Humans:

Mandisan humans tend to have rather similar appearances in comparison to the Wasteland Humans. Their skin is lightly tanned from the desert sun and their hair tends to stay on the darker side. Browns and blacks are the most common shades of hair color. Mandisan Humans can range from 5' to 6' typically.

Namuhtpurocian Humans:

Namuhtpurocian humans have lived their lives in the constantly smoking city of steel. Their hair colors range from jet blacks to ash grays. There can be a few outliers with brown hair, but dark colors are most common. The skin of Namuhtpurocians usually appears a white color, but the humans of Namuhtpuroc are very diverse and can appear with skin colors ranging all the way to a dark brown color. Namuhtpurocian humans have average heights of 5' to 6'.

Wasteland Humans:

Humans that hail from the Wastes of Hakorr tend to be quite physically different than humans from the other four nations. Their skin is commonly tanned and a bit rough due to the harsh environment they live in. Wastleland Humans dwell on the short side of the spectrum of human height, around 4'9" to 5'10". Hair colors seem to vary drastically and do not seem to be impacted by the Wasteland environment

Guodalirian Humans:

Humans in Guodalirian lands tend to have rather pale skin, considering the not so mild weather. Their hair colors are quite different than other nations, for the Guodalirians have nearly all the hair colors seen in the other nations. Guodalirians have a large range of heights but tend to stay on the shorter side of the spectrum. They range frim 4'8" to 6'.

Saratosian Humans:

Humans from the Empire of Saratos tend to have a skin color that looks almost like a mix of the color of the Wasteland Humans and the Guodalirians. The hair of Saratosians is surprisingly light. They have numerous blonde, red, and whites, but all hair colors are evident in Saratos. The humans of Saratos have heights ranging on average 5' to 6'.\

Elves

Elves are the second most populated species on the continents of Warcaester. They reach into each of the five civilizations that dominate Warcaester and are seen with varying features throughout the lands they live in. It is said that Elves have lived alongside humans since the dawn of time. There are a few subspecies of Elves that have evolved in different climates and region that we come to recognize today.

High Elves

The high elf is the most common elf variety. High elves average 5 feet tall and typically weigh just over 100 pounds. They live on fruits and grains, though they occasionally hunt for fresh meat. High elves prefer colorful clothes, usually with a green-and-gray cloak that blends well with the colors of the forest. They hail from every nation, with little variation across each nation.

Painted Elves

(As in Sandstorm)

More closely related to wild elves than high elves, painted elves commonly dwell in petrified forests—which in ages past, they claim, were their ancestral homes. The painted elves take their name from the nature of the wastes in which they dwell, but also from their habit of camouflaging themselves with pigments derived from the mineral deposits found in such places. Though they rarely see visitors—since painted deserts and petrified forests offer little in the way of treasure—painted elves are extremely distrustful of outsiders, and can turn on guests at the slightest provocation.

Drow

Also known as Drow, Dark Elves are underground dwelling elves that hail from a place called the Undercity that is rumored to span the entire underground of Warcaester. White is the most common hair color among drow, but almost any pale shade is possible. Drow tend to be smaller and thinner than other sorts of elves, and their eyes are often a vivid red.

Wild Elves

Wild elves are barbaric and tribal. Wild elves’ hair color ranges from black to light brown, lightening to silvery white with age. They dress in simple clothing of animal skins and basic plant weaves. This race is an umbrella term given to all of the elves that don't associate themselves with one of the civilizations, thus evolving differences. Wild elves are located all across Warcaester, usually in remote tribal camps.

Halflings

Halflings stand about 3 feet tall and usually weigh between 30 and 35 pounds. Their skin is ruddy, their hair black and straight. They have brown or black eyes. Halfling men often have long sideburns, but beards are rare among them and mustaches almost unseen. They like to wear simple, comfortable, and practical clothes. A halfling reaches adulthood at the age of 20 and generally lives into the middle of her second century. Halflings are native in the northern regions around Guodalir and Namuhtpuroc, but a few can be seen in the southern nations.

Mandisans

Believed to be a blessed version of the human race, Mandisans are born with a very pale skin color and rather light colored hair. No Mandisan in the royal family has had a brown or black hair color. They tend to have eye colors that add to the mysterious features Mandisans call their own. Typical eyes colors can be gold, silver, pure white, purple, and other cool colors. Mandisans tend to be a bit shorter than the humans they are so often compared to, standing from 4'10" to 5'10 and weighing from 100 to 200 pounds. Beauty is a natural and expected trait of Mandisans and due to their royal lineage, Mandisans are often seen in the finest cloths available.

Gnomes

Gnomes stand about 3 to 3-1/2 feet tall and weigh 40 to 45 pounds. Their skin ranges from dark tan to woody brown, their hair is fair, and their eyes can be any shade of blue. Gnome males prefer short, carefully trimmed beards. Gnomes generally wear leather or earth tones, and they decorate their clothes with intricate stitching or fine jewelry. Gnomes reach adulthood at about age 40, and they live about 350 years, though some can live almost 500 years. Gnomes live exclusively in the north of the western continent of Warcaester. Guodalir has become a ghome to many Gnomes, but they tend to have labs and colonies elsewhere.

Forest Gnomes

They are the smallest of all the gnomes, averaging 2 to 2-1/2 feet in height, but look just like regular gnomes except with bark-colored or gray-green skin, and eyes that can be brown or green as well as blue. A very long-lived people, forest gnomes have an average life expectancy of 500 years. Forest Gnomes are well known for being a sort of Feral version of the Gnomes known widely throughout Warcaester.

Rock Gnomes

Rock gnomes are the most common variety of gnomes. Rock gnomes stand 3 to 3-1/2 feet tall and weigh 40 to 45 pounds. Their skin color ranges from dark tan to woody brown, their hair is fair, and their eyes can be any shade of blue. Rock gnome males prefer short, carefully trimmed beards. Rock gnomes generally wear leather or earth tones, though they decorate their clothes with intricate stitching or fine jewelry. Rock gnomes reach adulthood at about age 40, and they live about 350 years, though some can live almost 500 years. Rock Gnomes are the Gnomes that are known and loved (or hated) throughout Guodalir. The Rock Gnomes are known for being quite adept at tinkering so they are quite often used as an easy labor force.

Whisper Gnomes

(As in Races of Stone)

Whisper gnomes are slightly taller than other gnomes, standing between 3-1/2 and 4 feet tall. Whisper gnomes are skinny, almost gaunt creatures, and rarely weigh more than 40 pounds. Their skin ranges in color from light gray to light green, although none of this variation in skin tone is noticeable without careful attention. Whisper gnomes have gray or blue eyes, but again they are rarely bright or striking in intensity. Whisper Gnomes are much like Rock Gnomes in terms of daily life. Both races live in the large city, but Whisper Gnomes, instead of tinkering and laboring, tend to veer towards crime as a profession.

Dwarves

Dwarves stand only 4 to 4-1/2 feet tall, but they are so broad and compact that they are, on average, almost as heavy as humans. Dwarf men are slightly taller and noticeably heavier than dwarf women. Dwarves’ skin is typically deep tan or light brown, and their eyes are dark. Their hair is usually black, gray, or brown, and worn long. Dwarf men value their beards highly and groom them very carefully. Dwarves favor simple styles for their hair, beards, and clothes. Dwarves are considered adults at about age 40, and they can live to be more than 400 years old. Dwarves are rarely seen outside the mountains in the Bitter Peaks where they have created a civilization for themselves.

Orcs

An orc’s hair usually is black. It has lupine ears and reddish eyes. Orcs prefer wearing vivid colors that many humans would consider unpleasant, such as blood red, mustard yellow, yellow-green, and deep purple. Their equipment is dirty and unkempt. An adult male orc is a little over 6 feet tall and weighs about 210 pounds. Orcs are feral and beast-like beings. Almost all of Warcaester revere Orcs as pure monsters. Some Orcs attempt to be civil, creating tribes and civilizations, but their traditions are rather animal in nature, frightening most.

Goliaths

(As in Races of Stone)

A typical goliath is larger than the largest half-orc. Most stand between 7 and 8 feet tall and weigh between 280 and 340 pounds. Unlike with most other races, there is no appreciable difference in height or weight between male and female goliaths. Goliaths have gray skin, mottled with dark and light patches that goliath shamans say hint at a particular goliath’s fate. Lithoderms—coin-sized bone-and-skin growths as hard as pebbles—speckle their arms, shoulders, and torso. Their skulls have a jutting eyebrow ridge, wide jaw, and occasional lithoderms as well. Female goliaths have dark hair on their heads, grown to great length and always kept braided.Male goliaths generally have hair only on their limbs. Goliaths are considered the original natives of the western continent as their existence dates back centuries. Due to the extremely large size of Goliaths, they tend to be feared, but most Goliaths are known to be gentle giants.

Bhukas

(As in Sandstorm)

The bhukas are one of the only goblinoid people in Warcaester and claim to be descended from the first inhabitants of the world. They are consummate survivors of the waste, having a talent for finding water and many physical adaptations that allow them to function in a harsh environment. Their culture celebrates and preserves ancestral ways of living. Bhukas are found in tribal camps in the middle of the desolate Wastes. Bhukas are slightly built, with sand-colored skin and brick-red, tightly curled hair. They have little facial or body hair. Their large ears, networked with veins, fold fl at against the head to retain heat in the cold desert night and keep out blowing sand. A frill of skin about the neck contains numerous spines that can lift the frill and raise it for cooling. The face of a bhuka is flat, with slitlike nostrils protected by flaps of skin. A bhuka’s eyes have long lashes to keep out sand and dust, and the skin surrounding them is darker than the rest of the face, giving a bhuka the appearance of wearing a mask. Bhukas have wide, splayed feet that help them move easily over sand, and they do not wear shoes. Body paint is used to signify social position and ranges from a simple stripe on a low-ranking youth’s neck frill to an elaborate pattern of spots, stripes, and whorls covering the arms and upper body of a matriarch. A typical bhuka stands between 4 and 5 feet tall and rarely weighs more than 90 pounds.

Uldras

(As in Frostburn)

Uldras are small fey that dwell in the arctic wilderness, living at peace with the natural world. In particular, uldras are quite fond of the wild animals of the world, and see themselves as the guardians and protectors of such creatures, especially in cases where civilization encroaches. Although they generally prefer to avoid confl ict, they are quick to rise in the defense of local wildlife. Uldras are short and thin, standing anywhere from 2-1/2 to 3 feet tall and typically weighing 30–40 pounds. They are fairly long-lived, rivaling the elves for longevity. An uldra becomes an adult at approximately the age of 100, and can live to be more than 600 years old. Their limbs are long and thin, and each of their hands possesses three long fingers and a thumb. Their toes are also long and thin, with long sharp toenails. They tend to walk or run on the balls of their feet or their toes. Uldra skin is generally pale blue or even snow white. Hair color is typically some darker shade of blue or black, frosting to gray or light blue in advanced age. Their ears are large, but their nose, mouth, and chin are fairly small, giving their faces an expressive but undeniably alien look. The most startling feature about the uldra’s visage, though, is its eyes; an uldra’s eyes are quite large and colorful, and can be nearly any color (and often have two or three hues). Combinations of green, gold, and red are the most common. In the dark, their eyes seem to glow with a soft light. They prefer to dress simply in rustic clothing, and often eschew clothing altogether. The major exception is hats; uldras have a deep love of hats (especially pointed hats) and it's rare indeed to see a hatless uldra.

Mongrelfolk

(As in Races of Destiny)

Mongrelfolk range in height from a little under 5 feet to almost 6 feet tall, and they weigh between 125 and 230 pounds. Their skin ranges from pale to dark, perhaps with gray or pink undertones, and their hair ranges from fine to coarse and black to white-blond. They usually have large green or brown eyes, which can be dark or pale or (as is often the case) indeterminate enough to look dark in shadow but pale in bright light. Their ears are slightly upswept and come to mild points at the upper tips, and they usually have heavy brows and jaws. Mongrelfolk favor simple, functional clothing and rarely wear jewelry. Those people who have heard of mongrelfolk know them as brutish, ugly creatures who bear the worst features of all their parent races. And that is exactly how the mongrelfolk like it. In actuality, mongrelfolk can pass for members of their parent races—any of them. In fact, when someone meets a mongrelfolk, he always assumes the new acquaintance is a member of one of the other major humanoid races—just not his own.

Half Ogres

(As in Races of Destiny) Half-ogres are taller than humans or half-orcs, but not as tall as ogres. Adults are typically closer to the height and weight of an ogre than of a human. Their skin color ranges from dull yellow to dull brown. Their thick hides sport patches of dark, warty bumps, and their heads are topped by a mop of dark hair. With the connotation of Ogres in Warcaester, Half Ogres are freaks of nature. Much like Orcs, Ogres and Half Ogres are monsters in society and banned from most civilizations.

Restricted Races

All the races listed below are restricted from players as they do not exist or are not known to exist for one reason or another. Of course, feel free to make any changes you wish to make for your campaign.

• All outsider races: In Warcaester, there is only one plane of existence that the people know. The idea of other planes is insane to most of Warcaester's natives. Of course, the planes do exist, but they go about their business unknown to the native inhabitants of the material plane.

• Goblins: The only goblinoid race in Warcaester are the Bhukas. Normal Goblins never seemed to evolve with the barrier between orcs and other races.

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