The Races of Aarklash

The Elves
The Elves are very much a race divided; few other races differ so much between
cultures as do the elves. They originate in the forest of Quithayran and appeared
well after the other races had settled on Aarklash. Their existence seems to be
closely tied to that forest and the Fayere who inhabit it; so much so that Elves
live longer the closer they are to their ancestral home. The original stem of the
elven race, the Daikinee still dwell within the forest and follow a seemingly
primitive Sylvan existence. A curse levied on the Daikinee by the widow (the
matriarch of the Akkyshan elves) means that Daikinee women die after they birth
their first child. The Akkyshans split from their Daikinee cousins after the elven
princess now popularly known as the widow was cursed by the dark goddess
Lilith. The Akkyshan often bare arachnid features due to their devotion to Lilith
and their dark magical practices. The final race of Elves are known as the
Cynwall, which in their tongue means exile. The Cynwall left the forests to
dwell in the high mountains and contemplate the mysteries of Noesis; they pay
respect to no gods but have formed potent alliances with the Dragons of the
peaks and learnt many secrets from the ruins of the ancient Asham-Re.

Half Elves
The pairing of human and elf (or even human and half elf) bears children known
as half-elves, also called the accursed or the impure. While they possess the
grace and agility of their elven parents, the impure lack the connection to the
Quithayran so do not benefit from the long life or resistance to disease that elves
do. Most of the half elves live in exile on the Ynkaro River ruled by Morgar the so
called king of the impure.

The Humans
By far the most influential race on Aarklash, almost all cultures and people feel
their influence. The Humans descend from the people of the lost continent of Kel
who fled to Aarklash after being forced from their native lands. All human
cultures descend from the people of Kel, who over the years fought each other
and the other races of Aarklash until only a few of their tribes remained. The
Kelts who settled in Avagadu swore themselves to the goddess Danu and
became the Sessair tribe, their tribe split in two over the succession of the great
king Cernunnos with those who remained loyal to the old kind retreating
underground to become the Drunes. Further south the tribes of the Ylliaar and
the Lahnar (literally the people of the Moon and the people of the sun) warred
until brought together by the Chimera, an avatar of Light. The now united tribe
became the Bahran kingdom and later spawned the remaining human nations of
Akkylannie, Archeron and Shamir. Most humans are physically similar to their Kelt
ancestors, though the Drunes developed keen night vision due to their lives
underground and the people of the Shamir tend to bare the hallmarks of their
cultures genetic experiments. (The vast majority of the Syhar are clones)
The Goblins
The children of Rat are possibly the most numerous race on Aarklash, as well as
the one with the greatest genetic variance. It is said that the Goblins originally
occupied the Aegis Mountains and were used as slaves by the dwarves. When
they started following the Rat god they fled their dwarvern masters and settled
in the swamps of No-Dan-Kar. Since then they have spread all over Aarklash,
settling where many other races refuse to or often even within the cities of other
cultures. The Goblins are infinitely adaptable, changing their cultural behaviour
to suit their neighbours and displaying a great deal of inventiveness. Goblin
culture is expert at the use of the unstable Naptha as a power source for devices,
which are often as dangerous as they are inspired. Goblin society also breeds an
increasing number of Brats (small, mentally degenerate goblins) and mutants
whos deformities range from the minor to the monstrous.

The Dwarves
The Dwarves are said to have existed on Aarklash from the dawn of creation,
some legends saying that they are the children of the earth itself. The Dwarves
are a stoic and enduring people, known for keeping themselves isolated from the
rest of the world save for times of great strife. The Dwarves are experts at metal
craft, stone craft and the arts of steam technology.

There is only on major cleave in Dwarf society, the followers of Mid Nor. Tales say
that Mid Nor was a Dwarvern hero who pursued the escaped Goblin slaves into
the deepest depths of the earth where he encountered the dread Hydra.
Abandoned by his fellows Mid nor was defeated by the Hydra and raised in its
service. The dark dwarves of Mid Nor are all captured or dead dwarves who have
had their souls bound to Cthonic puppets by dark magics. These dwarves are
halfway between living and dead, retaining their individuality but all driven by
the spirit of the Hydra; many bodies but one overarching mind.

The Ogres
The Ogres are a race whose brutal customs and terrible curse almost destroyed
them. Ogres have very little survival instinct, relying on their massive size and
strength to deal with hardships. In the mists of time the Ogres acquired a curse,
their lives would be short but they could remain young by consuming the flesh of
the innocent. This sadly led to many Ogres cannibalising their own children to
remain young forever. The last survivors of the Ogres on the mainland took
refuge in Cadwallon, and the race has continued with the Free city as their new
homeland. Most Ogres are fostered by non-Ogre parents; something that is
considered a great honour amongst the upper city families.

There is one other obscure enclave of Ogres, the Dai-Bakamono who dwell on
islands north of No-Dan-Kar. The Dai-Bakamono are distinct from the cadwe
Ogres culturally, and physically possessing paler skin and large tusks.

The Orcs
The Orcs began their existence as the Khorda clones, grown in the vats of the
Syhar alchemists in an attempt to combine human and goblin. The Khorda clones
were more intelligent and powerful than their creators realized; they rebelled and
destroyed a number of Syhar labs in the process before fleeing to the plains of
Bran-O-Kor. The Orcs are the youngest race on Aarklash and have quickly
developed a tribal culture worshiping the various animal spirits they encounter
on the plains. The Orcs have even developed a distinct form of Instinctual
magic that differs in many ways from the elemental magic common on Aarklash.
There are two racial groups of Orcs; the Orcs of Bran-O-Kor are lean and powerful
creatures capable of incredible brutality. The second smaller group settled in the
Behemoth Mountains and are a broader more enduring people.

The Wolfen
Few creatures inspire the fear that the Wolfen do in other races, a wild race of
predators the Wolfen have stalked Aarklash ever since the wars of the gods. The
Wolfen shun technology and cities, usually forming nomadic packs or sedentary
packs that guard sites precious to their goddess Yllia. It is said in legend that
Wolfen are the greatest predators creation has known, were it not for their strict
codes of law would terrify all the other races of Aarklash. The Wolfen are massive
bipedal wolves and endowed with almost supernatural senses. A few Wolfen
leave the wilds due to exile or a lust for adventure, these are the most commonly
encountered in civilised settings and are often shunned by their own people.

The Centaurs
Like many of the first races, the Centaurs were children of the goddess Danu, but
unlike their cousins the giants their tendency to wander saw them refuse the
simple life of worship. The Centaurs travelled south from Avagddu and founded a
city known as Koldan. The Centaurs suffered when the first peoples warred
against the men of Kel and Koldan was destroyed.

The remaining Centaur eventually integrated with the Kelts of Avagddu whose no
ASIC lifestyle suited them. The Centaurs now live alongside the Sessairs as equal
members of their tribe.

The Giants
Like the Centaurs the Giants were born of the plains of Avagddu and worshiped
Danu and her pantheon of gods. They were led by the legendary king Ogrimos
and were known as the Ogmanan after him. Like the Centaurs, the Ogmanan
giants fought with the people of Kel when they arrived in Aarklash, a long a
bloody war that only ended when Danu herself arranged the truce between the
warring sides.

The Ogmanan are now part of the Kelt tribes that dwell on the plains, their
culture has become integrated with that of the Sessairs where they dwell as
equals. Many Sessair clans are made up entirely of Giants, while elseware they
are intermingled with humans. Giants are massive stout beings, possessed of
great power and size.
The Minotaur
The Minotaurs are not natives of Aarklash, they are in fact beings that originate
from Shenroth, one of the Elemental realms. They were greeted by the original
inhabitants of Aarklash as wise scholars and emissaries, so when they warned of
a dark prophecy upon the arrival of the people of Kel their words were heeded by
all the old races. They prophesied that the humans would trigger a terrible war
that would engulf Aarklash and encouraged the Giants and others to repel them.
After being defeated by the Men of Kel, most of the Minotaurs returned to
Shenroth but a few remained and joined the Kelt clans. Minotaurs are now found
as members of Sessair and Drune clan groups; far removed from their ancestors
the Minotaurs are no longer the wise scholars from a foreign realm but often
brutal mercenaries and guards.

The Trolls
Trolls were an unknown race in Aarklash up until a few centuries ago when they
encountered the Goblins whilst they were settling the swamps of No-Dan-Kar.
The Trolls were a brutal race, who kept limbs of their defeated foes on poles as
warnings to leave their settlements alone; but they had no desire to expand their
territories preferring to live in small fishing enclaves. The Goblins were the first
new creature the Trolls encountered who did not seek to raid or conquer them;
instead the Goblins just set up near the troll villages and started to infiltrate Troll
culture. Soon without noticing it the Trolls were integrated into the No Dan Kar
Empire. Trolls now serve in the Imperial army and many also recognise Rat as a
deity and today can be found in almost any Goblin settlement.