My take on the classic races for my baronial setting
Tuathanas
Appearance: Most Tuathanas are over
six feet tall and have a smallish bone structure. Their hair and eye
color vary, with many capable of magics that allow them to alter such
things. Before the rebellion, lighter colors were popular.
Background: The Tuathanas of old were
slave owning, abuse wielding, eccentric jackasses. They abused their
humans slaves, using them for experiments, house cleaning, tending
the fields, and cleaning up after the failed experiments.
For thousands of years, the elves and
dragons ruled their respective lands. The lack of conflict bred
stagnation amongst the Tuathanas. Apathy and disinterest became
common in some of the elves, while others were completely overtaken
by mania. Arts were taken to the extreme and magic came to rule the
land. Eccentric-ism was the new normal and any elf not taking their
interest to the furthest extreme was quickly cast out of social
circles.
During the Age of Conflict, Tuathanas
began treating their slaves better, as an owner might treat a Roman
gladiator better than a field worker. The humans were needed as
cannon fodder. Against their better judgment, the Tuathanas decided
to teach a limited number of humans how to work Tuathanas sorcery. A
collection of the best human specimens were taken away for
instruction. In time, as the war with the dragons wore on, those
specimens were bred with each other and with Tuathanas. The latter of
which would lead to the half-elven race referred to as, “The
Children of Men.”
The Age of Conflict ended with the
dragon race wiped off the planet, the dwarves now enslaved by the
Tuathanas and considered even lower class than the humans, and the
gnomes pondering their next move. The sorcerer chantries set about
learning dragon magic from the dwarves while the less magically
inclines Tuathanas commanded the dwarves to begin moving the riches
from the caverns and halls of the dragons into the decadent homes of
the elves. Humans were appointed overseers to the dwarves, but more
often than not, they simply showed the dwarves how to avoid
punishment for wrongs not committed.
The Age of Strife brought the downfall
of the Tuathanas as a people and nearly removed them as a race from
the planet. Sensing a growing movement to revolt amongst humans and
dwarves, the Children of Men put together a plan to free their
relatives from the clutches of their overlords. By combining their
knowledge of sorcery with the martial abilities of humans and
dwarves, the Children of Men were able to strike at the heart of the
Tuathanas kingdoms. Within the first week, most of the leaders were
dead. However, the rebellion was not strong enough to win against an
organized Tuathanas people. The rebellion's inability to close the
deal in less than a month, allowed for the Tuathanas to recover,
analyze, and strike back. Whole villages and armies were extinguished
by single Tuathanas chantries.
Gnomes aligned with the rebellion
reached out to sympathetic Tuathanas, bringing them over to the side
of the rebellion. These turncoat Tuathanas were able to supply
knowledge and lend magical support needed to overthrow the Tuathanas
as a ruling race. In return, the gnomes cut a deal with the humans
and dwarves that these Tuathanas would not be killed. Instead, they
were sent to live in what would become the Barony of the Woods at the
lake of glass that was once a Tuathanas city named Lanark.
For three human and dwarven
generations, Tuathanas have primarily lived in Lanark. Some stayed in
the chantries in which they serve, others have begun wandering the
land, hoping for a better life than that which is Lanark. Lanark was
once a grand city among the trees. However, during the Age of
Conflict, a wing of dragons melted the core of the city with their
fiery breathe, leaving only a lake of glass. The new city of Lanark
is a constant reminder to the Tuathanas that they can be defeated.
Today, the Tuathanas are trusted by
those in positions of power, but still feared by the populace at
large. Horror stories are still told of the treatment delivered to
man and dwarf by their former masters. Tuathanas do not gather in
groups outside of Lanark, to ensure they do not incite fear or riots
among man and dwarf.
Half-elven
Appearance: Half-elves tend to have small to medium body types and
average near six feet tall. While their hair and eye colors can be as
varied as the Tuathanas stock they have been bred from, human traits
of darker colors run stronger than the lighter colors that can be
found amongst the Tuathanas.
Background: The Children of Men grew out of an experiment performed
by Master Magician Pyrrus. Master Pyrrus was curious as to the
ability of his own race to breed with humans in an effort to create a
more pure race of humans. He had already overseen experiments wherein
humans were bred with the beast men, who were born from the stuff of
chaos. The experiments with human and Tuathanas were successful and
thus were born the Children of Men, half-elven.
Master Pyrrus would later go on to experiment on the abilities of
beast men and Tuathanas to reproduce. Much to his dismay, they were
able to produce viable offspring. Master Pyrrus never released the
details of these experiments to the others within his chantry. He
ordered all participants burned to ash. Master Pyrrus attempted the
same experiments with dwarves, but found they could not be bred with
other races, outside of certain beast men.
While the Children of Men were originally humans bred with Tuathanas,
they would eventually be bred with each other, instead of sullying
the Tuathanas blood. After all, the goal was to improve humans, not
water down the blood of pure Tuathanas stock.
Before the rebellion, the Children of Men were bred to help with
sorcery and the upkeep of the chantries. They were taught rudimentary
magics as to be able assistants to the Tuathanas wizards. As the war
with the dragons wore on, the half-elves were eventually taught how
to read grimoires and cast powerful spells. Many amongst the elves
did not agree with this practice, but the overall concern that the
Tuathanas nation needed more spell casters in order to defeat the
dragons won out. This also allowed for fewer Tuathanas to be on the
field of battle, as the half-elves could replace them as war-casters
Following the defeat of the dragons, the Children of Men became the
go-between from the Tuathanas and the slave races of man and dwarf.
The Children of Men were no longer taught high end magic, but instead
were taught how to use their magics to control the slaves. A lucky
few half-elves were allowed to lead exploration parties into the old
dragon caverns where they could lead as they desired and not be the
whip upon their parents' backs.
In time, the seed of rebellion would be planted across the known
world. Human, dwarf, and half-elf would join together in a bid for
freedom. Allies amongst the gnomes were levied to gain help from
sympathetic Tuathanas. The rebellion was over in under a year's time.
In every major battle, the Children of Men were present, often
leading the charge.
Today, half-elves can be found across the land in the same roles as
their human and dwarven allies. They tend towards roles where their
education in the elven chantries would prove to be a benefit:
alchemists, smithing, providing healing, and as instructors.
Humans
Appearance: Most humans range in height from 4'10” to 5'8” and
have dark colored hair and eyes. Their bodies tend to be from medium
to heavy stock and quite muscular.
Background: Humans were brought into the world by the Tuathanas to
be their slaves and play-things. They served as housekeepers,
farmers, beast keepers, fisherman, hunters, laborers, and the subject
of magical experimentation. There was no job too low for a Tuathanas
to assign a human to perform.
Until the Age of Conflict and the war with the dragons, mankind was
not allowed to bear arms or armor. When the Tuathanas discerned they
would need more help to defeat the dragons and their slaves, the
dwarves, the Tuathanas began to train men on the art of war. Man was
never given plate armor, not instructed on how to create it. Nor was
he taught how to work special metals such as the moon metal that fell
from the sky. The hunters of beasts among mankind taught some of
their brethren how to draw bow, but most found this unnecessary with
the Tuathanas ability to support armies with spell casting.
Following the war, mankind was slow to give up the arms and armor
they had been provided. They realized the potential freedom they
could attain with these things formerly forbidden. Those few who had
learned the ways of crafting mail and sword secretly passed that
knowledge to their offspring. Mankind was given a standing above that
of the dwarves. While some took advantage of this decision by their
Tuathanas owners, most attempted to work with the dwarves more as
equals.
No one recorded the event that led to the uprising to begin the War
of Strife. Three generations later, no one cares. Humans bore the
brunt of the rebellion. They were ever-present in the lives of the
Tuathanas and the first to be punished by the Tuathanas. They had
also been allowed to breed at will, with no checks or balances in
place. This gave them number superiority in the rebellion. Yet,
thousands died the first night the Tuathanas finally organized
themselves and began fighting back properly.
With the dwarves providing additional martial support, the Children
of Men wielding magic, and the eventual deal brokered by the gnomes
with sympathetic Tuathanas, the humans were finally able to gain
freedom for themselves and all other enslaved races. All Tuathanas
who refused the same deal brokered by the gnomes for the sympathetic
Tuathanas, were executed in public. Tuathanas took to the woods and
the mountains in an effort to hide from the doom that came for them.
Humans and dwarves hunted those elves down, killing them, and
bringing their ears back as proof.
Those humans in positions of power today have modeled the lands and
their leadership on the former models developed and used by the
Tuathanas for the Tuathanas. They know it is not the best model, but
it is the only model they know. Differences exist between the
baronies and the barons that rule them.
Dwarves
Appearance: Dwarves range in height from 3'10” to 4'8” and all
are of heavy stock. Their hair and eye color tend towards the dark
colors seen amongst humans. Long hair and beards are common and were
originally grown to help keep them warm while in the depths of the
caverns or upon the mountaintops.
Background:
The dwarves were created for the same reason as humans, to be
another race's slaves. In the case of dwarves, it was to serve the
Nathair-Sgiathach, dragons. While the working conditions were no
better overall, the dragons were quicker to teach dwarves how to use
rune magic and alchemy and allowed them to develop their own culture.
As long as the dwarves accomplished what the dragons set them forth
to perform, no care was given to any other excess they desired.
When the Age of Conflict began and the dragons went to war with the
Tuathanas, the dwarves were brought into the war immediately. The
Tuathanas never thought to bring their humans into the battle until
being routed more than once by fields of dwarves, armed with their
heavy mining tools and the scales of dead dragons as armor. The
dwarves proved themselves worthy adversaries and gave as good as they
got. This martial prowess and mutual respect given to their
opponents, the humans, allowed for an easier than expected transition
to their new masters following the deaths of the dragons.
To say the dwarves missed their former masters were be an incorrect
statement. Yet, it was also be incorrect to say that they hated their
former masters – they did not. They would learn to hate the
Tuathanas and their treatment of dwarves and humans, alike. Moreso,
they pitied the humans forced to lord over the dwarves and deal
punishments unearned.
There are those among the dwarven communities that claim the dwarves
provided the leadership needed to start the rebellion against the
Tuathanas. Humans rarely argue this point, instead glowering over the
topic and attempting to move the conversation along to other topics.
Following the War of Strife, most dwarves retreated to their caverns
and mountaintop homes. Most of these communities were self-sufficient
before being enslaved by the Tuathanas and they would become so once
again. The most public dwarven community is the Barony of the
Mountain, lead by Baron Ponoshich. The barony rests to the west of
the Barony of the Woods, where they can provide an extra set of eyes
upon the elven city of Lanark.
Gnomes
Appearance: The shortest race of people in the known world, gnomes
typically stand between 2'4” and 3'8”. Their hair and eyes run
the full gamut of colors, including those not found amongst human,
dwarf, or elf. Their body frames are typically very slight.
Background: Gnomes are from another land, a land lost to memory and
time. They entered the known world and immediately created a place
for themselves as go-between for the Tuathanas and Nathair-Sgiathach.
Diplomats, traders, and deal makers were the perfect role for this
small, unassuming race of people. They quickly mastered the tongues
of both races, finding the Tuathanas language much easier than that
of the Nathair-Sgiathach. In practice, they were more likely to speak
the dwarven version of the dragon-tongue, then the natural tongue of
the winged giants.
A deal gone bad was the cause of the Age of Conflict, though none
know this today. Diplomat Vipponah the Elder was attempting to cut a
deal where he would benefit, not the elves or dragons whom he was
employed by. A mis-translated word in the dragon-tongue lead to a
violent display of emotion by an elf in front of his dragon host. The
Nathair-Sgiathach removed all of the visiting Tuathanas via
teleportation magic to a realm of chaos formerly unknown to the
Tuathanas. The Tuathanas retinue fought their way out of the Chaos
realm by striking deals with new demon allies. New demon allies that
would supply new magics in the War of Strife.
Vipponah the Elder was imply eaten by the dragon for bringing an
insulting Tuathanas into the home of a Nathair-Sgiathach.
Gnomes did their best to stay hidden during the Age of Conflict.
While no one knew that Vipponah the Elder had caused the rift between
their two sets of customers, the gnomes knew that to get into the
middle of the elves and dragons would only result in death. Instead,
they took on miniscule roles within the various kingdoms that allowed
them to stay safe.
Following the Age of Conflict, some gnomes returned to their roles of
old as traders and diplomats between the different Tuathanas. No
longer were they the movers and shakers of dragon hordes and elven
art. Instead, some tried their hands at leading raids into the old
caverns and mountaintop palaces of dragons. Many of the gnomes took a
liking to this life of adventure and investigation. While most lead
from behind a wall of human and dwarven buffers (you never know where
an old dragon trap might exist), they were none the less present in
the field.
When the airs began changing and the War of Strife was beginning, the
gnomes were very quick to decide which side to support. During the
war, they would serve as spies for man and dwarf. They would lead
explorers to old caches of magic and arms. They were able to work
within the Tuathanas system and find sympathetic Tuathanas that
understood the futility of fighting a war they could not win. They
even went so far as to broker a life saving deal for the Tuathanas
and their former slaves turned conquerors that allowed for the
Tuathanas to live if they helped free mankind, dwarves, and the
Children of Men.
With the end of the War of Strife and the beginning of the Age of
Recovery, gnomes continue to branch out into other roles. No longer
do they only serve as diplomats, traders, and deal makers. Some serve
as heralds in the courts of the new world, while others study magic
in the chantries, and others have decided to try their hand at
farming or fishing.
Racial Modifiers
Elf
Dwarf
Gnome
Half-Elf
Human
with 
