This is a touch of a cop out article but it's simply to note the differences between high and low races and some races that have dissapeared from the face of Bore-Na.
Now what races are considered high and which are considered low may surprise people but in any case where there are differences I'll say why without giving too much away. Which races have been lost may also surprise people as not everything has survived the fading of the world. Once again I'll detail why they're gone if it's a particular shock.
High Races:
Human:
Humans are, according to legend, the first race to have ever walked the face of Bore-Na. From them all other races were based and so they have been one of the high races since time immortal.
Elf:
Elves came forth from the deep woods and secluded areas of Bore-Na, their protection of the wild and understanding of the balance of the world has assured them a place among the high races.
Eladrin:
Soon after the creation of Humans came magic, and with magic came the Eladrin. Their race has been fading along with the magic of the world but they still hold their place until they fade from memory.
Gnome:
Hold place as advisors and scholars Gnomes have long been considered born from the very fountain of knowleadge.
Kobold:
While small in stature Kobolds can trace their lineage back to the first dragons and so hold a place of engineers and artisans of note. Kobolds are also the worlds greatest historians attempting to peer back to when the world was young, hoping to find a way to stop the fading.
Dragonborn:
Tracing their lineage back to the first dragons Dragonborn have long stood as the protectors of Kobolds and the ideals of the draconic race....and they clock in at around 7' tall.
Dwarf:
Supposedly the second race to appear on Bore-Na dwarves have long memories and longer lives. Their innovations and work in farming and archetecture easily elevated them to a High race.
Deva:
The Deva are proof of the divine as preached by followers of the new gods. Upon their appearence on Bore-Na they were immediately reckonised as a high race.
Changeling:
Changelings do not exist, they were hunted down and destroyed along with the dopplegangers thousands of years ago, never the less changlings live as members of the high races keeping their true race secret from all.
Kalashtar:
While the seemingly beastial Kalashtar race may seem an oddity among the high races they have stood as shamans and priests to the old gods since time long forgotten. Due to this they are still held as a high race, rare though they may be.
Low Races:
Human:
Humans are humans and human nature means that for every free human that walks the world at least 3 more are held in slavery somewhere. Vast tribes of humans are held as work herds for many of the more powerful lesser races and the irony of the change of circumstances is not lost on them.
Bugbear, Goblin, Hobgoblin and Orc:
The goblinoid races still swarm the land, either as slaves, low paid labourers or in fierce tribes that roam the land living how they always have. They vastly outnumber all the high races combined but their factionised nature prevents them from ever overthrowing their rulers.
Gnoll:
Gnolls live in the ruins of the Shadar-Kai cities that stand in the Shadowed Desert feedling like the scavengers they are from the bones of the ancient civilisation of vanished peoples. Having claimed their empire they are more interested in fighting wars amongst themselves than setting their sights further afield.
Minotaur:
Dispite appearing to be a mingling of races the sheer size and power of minotaurs saved them from extinction. They now live in clans who are hired out as expert labourers and bodyguards to the rich and powerful.
Duergar:
Duergar are the secret slaves of the dwarves. They toil deep beneath the earth mining in a hellish dark world to satisfy the needs of the world above. Thanks to the dwarves forsight of keeping their females locked away from the males they control every aspect of their existance from food to light and air.
Bullywug:
Bullywugs were nearly wiped out until a few higher raced nobles took them in as slaves. The small, clumsy frogmen made the perfect jesters and their rubbery hides protected them from thrown mugs and boots easily. Now the entire race exists as a number of small families working within the larger cities to provide entertainment for the noble classes.
Halfling:
Halflings are the small servants, cooks, jesters and servants of much of the higher races. They're all but invisible to most people or mistaken for children by others. The great families of halflings all keep in constant contact and gossip incessantly amongst themselves. There are dark rumours of a halfling crime sydicate which runs the underworld but just one glance at a halfling will tell you they couldn't do such at thing.
Goliath:
Goliaths are all that remains of the proud giant race, once they existed as ambassadors to the wider world as their masters contemplated the universe and the deep mysteries of life. When a sickness wiped their masters from the earth they were forced into slavery by many races, both higher and lesser, and now serve as shocktroops and two legged pack mules.
Wilden:
Wilden were once reveared as aspects of the natural cycle of the world and were welcomed all over the face of Bore-Na. Now only the tribal lesser races and the occasional exccentric Kobold scholar treat them as such. To the average member of the higher races they are an embarassing anacronism of a time when they slept in huts and mated under the stars.
Thri-Kreen:
The Thri-Kreen are survivors, they exist as messengers and general body slaves to the higher races. With their quick minds and swift feet they count money, move post and work a thousand other small jobs. While they're often ignored they are everywhere and often know their masters affairs better than they do.
Changeling:
Changelings are the most hated race when found out. Those lucky enough to not be killed are worked or raped to death and their bodies mutilated. No punishment is to horriffic for something that can change which race it is and slip unnoticed from high to low.
Lost Races:
Doppleganger:
Thousands of years ago dopplegangers attempted to overthrow the high races with the help of the Drow and for it they, and all their children, were destroyed. Those that were left bred with non-dopplegangers and created the changeling race and with them the last of the shapeshifters.
Drow:
The drow were swiftly wiped from the face of Bore-Na when the dopplegangers were destroyed. Even those who had renounced their evil kins ways were slaughtered without mercy.
Githyanki and Githzerai:
Before the high races came to power the world was ruled by two mighty factions of the gith. They constantly warred with each other and when the world began to fade they launched one final outright attack at each other committing all of their slaves to the war in one final push to ensure victory. This ended when the slaves overthrew their weakened masters and destroyed them.
Shadar-Kai:
An entire empire of Shadar-Kai existed within the Shadowed Desert until one day they all simply vanished. Not a trace was left of the millions of shadar-kai that once ruled and empire spanning a continent; not even their dead.
Shifter, Kenku, Half-Elf, Tiefling, Half-Orc, Mul and Genasi:
The mingling of blood was considered an abomination above all else in the distant past and those who shared blood with another race were destroyed. Even the bestial races continue this tradition preventing impurities in their blood which would one day lead to their downfall.
Warforged and Shardmind:
Both warforged and shardminds were created to make their masters lives easier. They dug ditches, fought in wars and copied out tomes then one day they all stopped. Each and every last one became as still as statues and have never moved since. Some cities still have warehouses filled with rank upon rank of silent waiting warforged and shardminds, some still midway through the last command they recieved.
Changeling:
All changelings are dead, the bastard offspring of dopplegangers would never be allowed to live in Bore-Na. Those that are killed for being changelings are either freaks or unlucky.
So there you have the major races of Bore-Na that the players may use. While other smaller races live in the cracks of the world for the most part the races detailed above are all there is.
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