Races of Grundleworld

A number of races are known to populate the realm.

The "Civilized" Races

• Humans

Humans are the most numerous race in the realm, especially on the western continent. They're comparatively short-lived when compared to most of the other "civilized" races and are often seen as a bunch of meddlesome upstarts. Despite that opinion, humans are often quicker to take action and are some of the first to lay their lives on the line when a danger threatens the entire realm. The most prominent human settlements are the kingdom of Albright and the cities of Grundlewood and Phyllisca.

• Dwarves

Dwarves are among the oldest races who currently populate the realm. They work hard, but they also play hard. Dwarves love all of the following things equally: contests of strength, ale, battle, whiskey, yelling, wrestling, and headbutting. They're well-respected as laborers and as artisans, especially when working with metal or stone. The most prominent dwarven settlement is the city of Dwarrowdune, although dwarves have settle in most of the cities throughout the realm. Dwarves and humans get along fairly well, as do halflings and dwarves (except for certain territorial disputes related to Dwarrowdune/Farefall). Dwarves often don't get along well with elves, whom they see as far too dainty and refined for their tastes.

• Elves

Like Dwarves, the Elves are one of the oldest races in the realm. In general, Elves tend to be more aloof and analytical than the other races, and as such, often appear to be snooty. Years ago, a societal split occurred in the elven culture, between elves who favored a close association to nature and those who favored a close association to magic. Thousands of years of tension led to a bloody war between the two factions that saw the death of millions of elves. The blood of the unthinkable numbers of elves who died on the battlefield fed the soil, from which grew the sinister trees of the Shadow Wood. After the conflict, the elves split into two distinct subcultures. The subculture known as "elves" made their settlements in the forests near the Shadow Wood and have kept their close ties to the natural world. The group of elves who favored magic have come to be known as "eladrin." The eladrin have settled primarily in Luthoria, a city of magical wonders that is largely closed to non-eladrin. Because of their ancient war and a rather low birth rate, elves have the smallest population of all the races in the realm. Members of either subculture are rarely found outside of their respective settlements.

Rumors persist of a race of "dark elves" that dwell far underground, but so far there is no evidence to support such tales.

• Halflings

Halflings are nearly as ubiquitous in the realms as humans. They're a lighthearted folk that get along well with people of nearly any race. They're especially known as merchants and traders. Few people know that they're also accomplished spies and have an intelligence network that spans much of the realm. The main halfling settlement is Farefall, which is actually built beneath the dwarven city of Dwarrowdune. Very few people know of the existence of Hylia, a secret halfling kingdom located in the Unnowne Territory.

• Dragonborn

The Dragonborn are a relatively rare race encountered in the realm. They are known primarily as a race of proud warriors and are often highly sought after as soldier and bodyguards. They have no settlements they call their own. Certain historians claim evidence of an ancient Dragonborn empire that crumbled after a war with the tieflings, although there is little evidence to support this claim. Rumors persist of a remnant of this empire existing on Thunderwyrm Isle, although no one has gone there and returned, making the rumors difficult to prove.

• Tieflings

Even rarer than Dragonborn or Elves, most people don't even believe that Tieflings exist. Historians conjecture that the Dragonborn and Tieflings fought a war thousands of years ago that nearly wiped both races out. Many today consider Tieflings to be creatures of legend. Those who do know of their existence conjecture that they may be the offspring of humans and demons.

The "Uncivilized" Races

• Goblins

Foul little creatures, goblins are among the most despised of all the races in the realm. They are filthy creatures who enjoy cruelty. Although once very numerous, many of the major goblin settlements were wiped out by other races. Today, they exist in small tribes that rely on thievery and marauding in order to survive. Halflings especially are known to hate goblins. Caltor seems to have a certain fondness for goblins. He also posses the Burnt Sienna stone, which allows him to exert control over them.

• Hobgoblins

Hobgoblins are a militaristic race that cherish little besides fighting wars. They often hire themselves out as mercenaries and are well-respected for their fighting prowess. Hobgoblins claim to have once had a mighty empire, with many of the other races under their sway, but nearly everyone believes this to be a lie.

• Kobolds

A small race of reptilian humanoids, kobolds are the punching bags of nearly all the other races. They were often used as slaves by more powerful races, such as gnolls, orcs, and lizardmen, until recent times. Kobold legends say that the Dragonborn fought to release them from their bonds of slavery. As such, many kobolds have a strong hero-worship toward Dragonborn. Despite their low status among the other races, a strong sense of racial pride permeates through kobold culture. They claim to have draconic blood running through their veins. A number of kobolds have distinguished themselves through intense military training and expertise.

• Orcs

Orcs are a savage warrior race that hail from the north. They once cut a path of terror from the north to many of the lands to the south, conquering and pillaging along the way. Once a major force in the realm, orc populations fell after the other races banded together to drive them back and from infighting between orc tribes. King Albright negotiated a peace treaty with the northern orc tribes, which mostly tends to keep them from causing trouble any more. Orcs are still common in seedier cities, such as Dredhaven.

• Gnolls

Gnolls are a nomadic race of killers. They take delight in torture and depravity. Gnoll raiding packs terrorize towns, devouring some and enslaving others. Gnolls worship demons and seek to emulate their gods in their heinous acts. Gnolls are most commonly found in the Unnowne Territory.

Constructs

• Warforged

Created over a thousand years ago by a combination of dwarven ingenuity and arcane magicks, the Warforged are a unique race of mechanical warmachines. They were first created to fight the threat of the undead, since they would be immune to most methods that are known to turn living beings into undead creatures. They were programmed with combat tactics and were mostly uniform in appearance. In addition, they were given a degree of sentience to allow them to adapt to the ever-changing condition of the battlefield. The exact process of their creation is a carefully guarded secret. After the battle, the surviving Warforged were deactivated. At least one Warforged, Argol, has been shown to develop a higher degree of sentience and independence. It has yet to be seen what exactly caused this in Argol, and if something similar could be induced in his brethren.