Races

Races of Arkrath

Players have access to a near limitless choice of races to choose from during character creation. Here we will outline the more common races found in Arkrath as well as outline suggested costuming ideas. Please note these are cultural norms for each race as they appear in Arkrath and as with any cultural norm there are outliers and exceptions. The main goal is to facilitate roleplaying with a “gold standard” for each race, please reach out to the plot team if you are unsure of your character concept or how they would fit in with the world and we will gladly assist!

Humans

The humans of Arkrath are one of the most common races found. With a shorter lifespan than most of the other races, humans tend to be more ambitious and adaptable to the ever-changing landscape of Arkrath.

City Folk. These humans have created a more sedentary lifestyle behind the protection of city walls. From behind their walls the City Folk continue to expand their knowledge on the workings of the world and create a system of governance that allows for a caste of wealthy nobles who can offer protection to the workers below them. Other’s form groups of like minded individuals as a guild to help facilitate their agendas.

Wanderers. These humans have embraced the dangers of the wilds, moving from area to area as a tribe. Some groups try to predict when and where rifts will open so that they may be there to collect any items of interest left behind, while other groups travel to avoid the rifts and the potential dangers they present.

Costuming Guidelines
Humans tend to wear clothing that reflects their status, whether that is a guild symbol, a house crest, tribal tattoos, etc.  They tend to be the most versatile when it comes to costuming. 

Dwarves

The dwarves of Arkrath have long avoided the rifts by holing up in the mountains of the realm. Adventuring dwarves were almost unheard of until the destruction of Shakar caused a series of tremors to destroy many of the deeper mines in the Dwarven Ancestral home (located in the Mountains to the west of Shakar).

Gold Dwarves. This is the noble class of Dwarves who tend to live closer to the surface than their counterparts. The Gold Dwarves tend to be expert metal crafters and enchanters who love to show off their skills by adorning their beards with rings of gold, silver and gems.

Iron Dwarves. The Iron Dwarves are the working class of Dwarves, as skilled with a pick as they are with an axe and hammer. Iron Dwarves do not have the luxury of keeping their beard as well-kept as the Gold Dwarves and as such they tend to be more wild looking with any adornments being made of cheaper materials such as leather.

Costuming Guidelines
The main distinguishable trait of a Dwarf from any of the other races is their magnificent beard.  As mentioned above Gold dwarves tend to utilize a lot more jewelry and Iron Dwarves are a lot more plain/wild.

Elves

Unlike most other races, Elves can live long lives in some cases even centuries. This has caused them to be one of the few races that often still keeps themselves separate4 from the rest of the world, with some of them viewing the changing of the world as too hasty. There are still many Elves that leave their cities looking for adventure, knowledge, or even to have a hand in the changing landscape. Many outsiders take up residence in their homelands, taking advantage of the long memory of their hosts and their great stores of knowledge and history.

Wood Elves. Wood Elves tend to live within nature itself, attempting to live at a pace with nature itself rather than let the speed of their lives be determined by politics and the conflicts of the other races.

Dark Elves. Dark Elves tend to live well beneath the surface in the caverns and passages of the Underdark. While they tend to have a reputation for conflict with any outsiders, this is mostly due to the actions of specific Houses.

Costuming Guidelines
Characters portraying Elves should have pointed ears and eyebrows.  

Small Folk

Gnomes and Halflings are inventive and crafty. It is said that many of the technological marvels around Arkrath are due to their ingenuity and engineering, often involving things brought to the world through the Rifts. Their homeland has been lost from memory.

Costuming Guidelines
Characters looking to portray one of the Small Folk should incorporate either suspenders or plaid somewhere in their costume. 

Beastmen

The Beastmen tribes encompass a wide variety of bestial humandoids from the feathered Kenku, to the scaled lizardmen. Once the beastmen lived in their own separate tribes far to the south of the Merchayne, however, years of war and misfortune due to the rifts has seen the tribes banning together. Many Beastmen take up a life of adventure as the southern lands become increasingly more hostile. The list below are some of the more common tribes of the Beastfolk that existed before they banned together.

Gnolls. Gnolls are the wolfish/dog-like humanoids of Arkrath. They tend to rely on staying with a close “pack” where they can overwhelm their opponents with wit and force.

Cat-Folk. Counter to the Gnolls, the Cat-Folk of Arkrath tend to be more solitary, relying on their agility and nimbleness to get out of many dire situations (typically caused by their own curiosity).

Lizardmen. The Lizardmen are of a nobler tribe of Beastmen, they tend to have a higher lifespan than the other tribes. With this higher lifespan sprung a sense of wisdom and honor among many Lizardmen that the other tribes do not typically possess.

Kenku. The bird-like humanoids of Arkrath tend to be of the more cunning breed of Beastmen. Many have a penchant for haggling and thus an affinity for shopkeeping while others are strategists who thrive when manipulating the battlefield.

The Many. Once the largest tribe of the Beastmen, The Many is composed of the Beastmen with Mouse, Rat and/or Raccoon traits. Often considered a lower class of the Beastmen by outsiders due to their ability to thrive in inhospitable areas, The Many are adept at scavenging and making the best with the situation they are in.

Costuming Guidelines
The Beastmen vary in costuming based on the animalistic traits you wish to display.  It is recommended that player costuming should include ears, tail, and other characteristics of the animal you are representing.  If you wish to play a Beastmen with animal traits not described above feel free to do so, just make sure it is reflected in your costuming.

Elemental-Touched

Every once in a while the Aetheric energies in Arkrath imprint on a newborn child imparting them with elemental energy. Less common though are those who utilize technology and Aethercrystals to imbue themselves with a similar elemental affinity.

Natural. Those born with the power of one of the four primary elements, the natural Elemental-Touched can be found born to any of the races. Often this extra power is celebrated by the Elemental-Touched’s family/hometown, however their differences from the others tends to lead to many Elemental-Touched being outcasts until their adult years.

Artificial. In every race you can find those who wish to augment themselves with the power of the elements going through a series of modifications until they are “reborn” as one of the Elemental-Touched. These artificial Elemental-Touched are often ambitious by nature and tend to live for the thrills of adventure and discovery.

Costuming Guidelines
Both Natural and Artificial Elemental-Touched tend to wear clothing the color of their elemental attunement, while many take it a step further and dye their hair or wear makeup of the same color.  Most Elemental-Touched have some markings on their bodies that match their element’s color.  While these markings may look similar to tattoos or arcane markings, they are a part of their body, a reaction to the elemental energies contained within them. 

Aetherborn

The Aetherborn are usually people imbued with a large amount of Aetheric energy at birth, though sometimes these traits are gained later in life through external means. This energy, however, is not attuned to any particular element, it is just the raw magical power of the Aether. Often The Aetherborn are viewed as being blessed by the gods themselves as they tend to have a connection to the Aether that make them more adept to ritual casting.

Costuming Guidelines
The Aetherborn are often born with strange markings, similar to the Elemental-Touched.  Additionally many are born with odd features such as horns or a crystal formed on them (typically on their chest, forehead or hands), these features drive the belief among some that they are blessed by the gods.

Primal

The Primals include Orcs, Goblins, Half-Orcs and Half-Ogres of Arkrath. While the Primals tend to be isolationist, forming their tribes away from other civilizations, there has been a recent ideology that they should work with the other races as the dangers of the rifts continue to grow.

Orcs and Goblins. In recent years many of the Orcs and Goblins of the land have tired of their lifestyle of raiding caravans and towns and have started moving towards a life of adventuring or employment as guards. Their knowledge of the wildlands outside the civilized towns makes them more willing to get some of the more dangerous jobs done and brings a certain honor that was previously only found through pillaging and combat.

Half-Orcs and Half-Ogres. Having a parent parent of one of the other races, the Half-Orcs and Half-Ogres were some of the first of the Primals to leave the Tribal lifestyle in favor for the stability found in the towns and cities of the other races. While they still face some ostracization from both sides of their heritage, many still work to bridge the two cultures together.

Costuming Guidelines
Players wishing to play a Primal should wear a green face paint (a band around the eyes is sufficient) and many have tusks.  Many Primals wear tribal ornaments in their hair as a sign of honor after a victorious combat. 

Riftlings

Riftling is a term that the residents of Arkrath have taken to calling the people that have come to Arkrath through the rifts. These are varied and often have appearances that are do not have similarities among the natives of the realm.

Costuming Guidelines
Your costume should be representative of the character you are trying to portray.