TheAutarch
2012-04-09, 02:04 PM
Hi all.
What I'm looking for is some friendly critiquing of some writings of mine. I think I've done a decent job creating an interesting setting for a game of some kind, but of course there are things that I have not done well. If you could fill me in as to what could be fixed, improved, that would great. If you're interested, thanks already.
I have been slowly assembling a continent populated by about 10 different races who live mostly in nations that follow racial borders of the continent. The world is called Umaton.
I have tried to give a fairly comprehensive look at what the races are like, but as with every unique build-your-own-world there's a lot more to be defined than just the races; this world has its own religions, magic systems, even some of its own weapons. I'm going to list some of the primary terms down here for reference, and plan to have much more detailed listings later.
anima: the equivalent of mana. different individuals are imbued with different amounts purely by chance and by their racial background.
Umaton: the continent on which these races live.
The Pantheon of Jakaris: primary religion of the land. worshippers follow a pantheon of hundreds of minor gods and 7 major, not unlike the Greek system of old.
Holy Seasons of Blackhair/other religions: currently these are just filler. I'm working on their beliefs and what they do currently.
Any other questions, please don't hesitate to ask.
As for geographic locations, this would optimally be accompanied by a map which I do have drawn up all nice and pretty, but not yet transferred to the computer. I think the only profile that actually uses much in the way of geography is the Dwarves, but it isn't all that important where they are; this is mostly about the people anyway.
Enjoy!
The People
Note: The following people are all, essentially, a variation on the human theme. While some may be referred to as “elves” or “dwarves,” this is simply because they fit accounts made of these peoples to some degree. Additionally, it allows for an easy identification of some of their base characteristics. However, very few of the following races are anything but human. They vary from each other in the same way that a native Norwegian will vary from a native Afrikaner who will vary from a native Japanese. Descriptions of any non-human varieties will be included.
Note: There are many dotted letters in the titles of the different races simply to try to aid in pronunciation. Of course, here you have prononciation guides, but in the actuality of Umaton there would be no such guides. When translated into the primary language of Umaton, Este, there are usually pronunciation errors from the way the words are meant to sound in the native language of a given people, so dots and in-speak pronunciation guides are kindly added to the words themselves.
Maere (pronounced MARE)
Here you have your quintessential human. The Maere occupy the central portions of Umaton, an area with, typically, low, rolling hills scattered amongst large grassy plains and huge forests. Weather in this area is usually warm in the summer with thunderstorms and high humidity and cold and snowy in the winter with pronounced springs and falls during which all of the trees in the vast forests change color in a spectacular display. The area is widely populated due to its habitable climate and rich soil and the availability of flat farmland. However, the territory's few large rivers limit the trading that can be done outside of large cities, so many villages too small to be marked on maps can go years without any outside contact whatsoever.
The inhabitants of the area are, as stated above, plain, basic humans. The skin color is mainly an olive brown, something like the Italians of Earth. People vary in height, and very few break six feet, with most men hovering somewhere around five foot seven and women more around five foot three. Better nutrition can, of course, increase height, but many people living on farms in small villages are subsistence farmers and produce only enough for themselves, leading to occasionally underfed families.
The abilities of the people classified as Maere vary hugely. There are accomplished mages, warriors, foresters, summoners, priests, healers, blacksmiths, cobblers.....there is not any specific class tied to the title Maere. Your average Maere, however, will probably, like most other races, end up being a farmer. Maere do vary in physical composition as well, so warriors will range in ability from great knights to tiny nubs of people. While these people can be mages, their native anima amount is limited to average; the amount of growing that it can do is severely limited as well.
The religion of the Maere varies as much as their physical attributes; however, most conscribe to the Pantheon of Jakaris; in fact, they have adopted the religion faster than any other ethnic group. However, some lean towards more eclectic tastes, following after the Holy Seasons of Blackhair or Aeula's Rifled Spear. Many people in the area are, however, fairly conservative in their religious and social views; there is usually little variance found in views or religions found within individual towns or strongholds. Outsiders are treated courteously and in a friendly manner; however, if they are too different the greeting can quickly turn sour. Overall, though, the Maere are a usually friendly, hospitable, conservative people; but again, they are a race of great variance.
Resdom (pronounced REZ-dum)
The Resdom occupy the southwestern part of Umaton, with the Equator running through the northern part of their territory. As a result, it is a blazing hot part of the world to inhabit, though luckily they are free of the deserts of their eastern counterparts the Medäsu. Their land is primarily a tropical area with many low hills and light foresting that is broken up by frequent bald hills. As one travels south, the hills fall very slowly into a lightly treed grassland where a multitude of massive animals sustain themselves on grazing. The weather is hot nearly all year round, though in the southern parts of the land seasons become subtly more pronounced with noticeable summer and winter seasons. Temperatures fall as compared to the inland territory when one approaches their many coasts.
People defined as Resdom are again essentially nothing more than humans. However, due to environmental conditions in which they live, they have a typically much larger body size than any of the other races. Heights average at around six foot seven, and individuals can be much taller; body sizes are also large and solid. They do not stretch out like tall Maere do; a Resdom's body is simply massive. As is appropriate, they are very strong, and the weapon of choice among the Resdom people is a claymore, a weapon with blades frequently reaching five feet or longer in length. As is appropriate for their chosen weapon, the majority of Resdom are warriors. However, they are not warriors in the sense of the Maere or other groups; they feel most comfortable on their own or in small groups, suiting them best for solitary missions and not for the large ranks of assembled standing armies. There is, however, historical precedent for Resdom armies; typically it has taken a threat to their homeland to band together this normally individual people.
The population of the Resdom territory is dispersed following the patters of their psyche. There are few large cities, and those that do exist are small by the standards of other countries. Instead, there are many small villages and hamlets scattered through the relatively uninhabited land of the Resdom people. By the standards of larger other races, the Resdom have a fairly small, widespread population. However, the Resdom are,usually, while they may be quiet and reclusive, fearsome warriors. It is a matter of great pride in Resdom countries to master something, and once a topic is chosen, a Resdom will usually stick to learning it until they have it mastered. For this reason, experienced Resdom warriors are ferocious warriors, and intimidating especially due to their size. Warrior is also the primary class that the Resdom fight in; due to a quirk of their large stature, they have next to zero anima and cannot cast typical spells.
The religion of the Resdom varies, and most are not quick to share their views. However, if one persists, they might discover that they hold no beliefs at all, or perhaps follow the gods that their ancestors did. Surprisingly few Resdom follow the widespread Pantheon of Jakaris.
Nerälls (pronounced nur-ALLS)
The Nerälls inhabit one of the most northern territories of Umaton, laying claim to the vast snowy reaches of nearly the entire northeastern corner of Umaton. The land is fairly flat, tundra in the north and endless boreal forests in the more southern reaches of their huge territory. In the more northern parts, civilization tends to cluster around sources of water, as that resource is scarce in the surprisingly dry tundra wasteland. However, while vegetation may be scarce in the northern parts of the area, in the south there is essentially nothing but snowy forests. Evergreen trees stretch as far as the eye can see, covering hundreds and hundreds of miles of the Nerälls' more southern territory. The trees end about three-quarters of the way up Nerälls territory, and civilization diminishes accordingly. Seasons are apparent, with a short, damp summer and a bitterly cold winter, though even these seasons disappear as you travel farther north, disintegrating into eternal dry winter.
The Nerälls as a people are by far the most reclusive of any, surpassing by far even the Resdom. The borders that they share with other peoples are largely unoccupied; even their capital, Erestenum, is surrounded by uninhabited forest and does very little trade with any of the other powers in the area. Although the Nerälls have access to one of the largest trading hubs in all of Umaton, Lake Intrekest, they cast no claim on it; they have even opened all of their territories within 15 miles of the lake to settlement by other peoples. As shown, they have very little interest in trade and communication with the world outside of any given Nerälls' given village.
A typical Nerälls is of a height slightly taller than the average Maere, with pale skin, blond hair and light blue eyes. They have little anima, and therefore tend to specialize more in the warrior's arts. The Nerälls regard most guile, trickery and sneaking as contemptible and immoral, so there is very little in the way of specialization in assassinations, sneaking or thievery; in fact, there are very few archers, as according to the Nerälls, the best way to fight is with a weapon in your hand; any ranged weapons border on cowardice.
Nerälls villages are spread few and far between, with little contact between them. Anything that cannot be made in a given group of Nerälls is considered unnecessary. The few cities that exist in Nerälls territory are very spread out, with a middling population; the cities do not exist to be centers of culture or learning; they mostly exist for the availability of products that could not be produced by any one small group. Cities are very quiet places in Nerälls territory, with very little contact even between neighbors. Most cities have some form of religious institution, however; that is sometimes the only contact a Nerälls will get during their city week. Nerälls are split more or less down the middle in terms of religion, with about half following the gods of the trees and creatures in the forest, the original gods of the Nerälls people, and the other following the Pantheon of Jakaris. Most Nerälls are quite devoted to their chosen religion.
Medäsu (pronounced MI-dah-sue)
The Medäsu inhabit the driest parts of Umaton, the southern deserts bordering Maere and Vox territory. Their land is, as deserts are, flat, dry and sandy, with blazing hot days and chilly nights and evenings. Water is predicatably scarce, and groups of people tend to cluster around the precious resource, leading to cities and towns centered around the few rivers and oases that dot Medäsu territory. Mountains in this territory are virtually nonexistent; in their place, huge sand dunes, some up to 600 feet tall, crop up on their own or in fields of dunes that can cover hundreds of square miles. Much of the Medäsu territories remains unexplored due to its inhospitable nature, though some ancient groups of nomads have claimed that they know the entire desert like the back of their hand.
The Medäsu people are very dark skinned in response to the bright, hot sun of their territories. Their height is similar to that of the Maere, though they tend to be slightly more wiry and nimble than their occasionally lumbering counterparts. This people has a wide range of abilities, incorporating warriors, summoners, mages, priests of old and new religions, nomads and desert wanderers, smiths, armorers....the abilities of the Medäsu are not traditionally limited, unlike some other peoples, allowing for a very diverse culture and skillset options. Medäsu cities reflect this diversity, with a plethora of different shops and activites contributing to a bustling, busy feel and the ability to purchase anything one could possibly want. These cities are, however, somewhat few and far between; due to the massive size of the desert and its unliveable conditions, cities clusters along rivers and oases. These resources are, of course, somewhat scattered, leading to many cities being seperated by hundreds of miles and lending to each a unique culture and speliazed skillset. Undoubtedly, the Medäsu territories are one of the most diverse in all of Umaton.
The Medäsu have religious and social beliefs as varied as their skills and culture. A great many Medäsu still believe in their original, native gods, and subscribe strictly to the belief that the Medäsu were the first recognizeable, intelligent people, and that all current civilization emerged from the desert; another large group believe in the desert gods, deities whose power comes from dunes and sand; more follow the Pantheon of Jakaris, though followers of this belief are less prevalent than in other areas. Luckily, the Medäsu as a people hold the communal belief that all different people's views are valid, a system of thought that has evolved over hundreds of years as a way to cope with the fact that the Medäsu frequently had to, historically, ally themselves with the enemy simply in order to survive. Due to this nearly sacred level of acceptance, the Medäsu are certainly the most accepting of all the peoples in Umaton, if not the most.
Magical ability in the Medäsu territories ranges from little to nothing to a level that rivals the Arcane Elves; they are one of the most magical peoples in Umaton. However, much of their magic is based on an entirely different system than is used in the rest of Umaton, utilizing entirely seperate power sources like gemstones, staffs, swords, armor; inanimate objects that are inbued with a magical ablity. These magic items are, however, compatible with spellcasters using the alternate form of magic, allowing for collaboration between the two groups and the avoidannce of a complete magical gulf between the two groups.
Arcane Elves (pronounced AR-kane ELVS)
The Arcane Elves occupy the central western portion of Umaton, a fertile land with a multitude of forest and low hills blessed with rich soil and mild climates that allow for easy farming and living. The territory does ascend into craggy mountains along the northern and western borders, however, and these lands are less friendly towards settlement due to their rocky soil and colder temperatures. Seasons in the lowland areas vary, with the central and northern portions showing more pronounced winters and summers, though they do not reach the extremes of the more inland areas; winters remain mild and summers relatively cool, though the temperatures grow more extreme as one moves further inland. In the southern portion of Arcane Elf territory, there is a significantly more tropical climate, though less pronounced than what one would find in say, Resdom territory. Seasons here are subtle, with more of a wet and a dry season with little in the way of temperature change.
The title Arcane Elves is something of a misnomer. These people are no less than human than, say, a Maere, with slight variations on theme. The title is due to an original distrust of these “Elves'” highly magical nature, and has stuck around as an artifact of the past. These Elves are really nothing more than humans with an elevated magical ability, which is truly their defining characteristic. An Arcane Elf typically has four to five times the anima of a Maere, and sometimes up to ten times, though individuals with this level of anima are defined in a more specific manner. The chosen studies of the Arcane Elves typically reflect their magical ability, with most focusing on mastering the art of summoning, sorcery, or magecraft, though some do go on to become accomplished warriors or other users of the fighting art. For the most part, though, Arcane Elves utilize the arcane arts due to their innate gift for them. In fact, most labor in the Arcane Elf territories are performed with magic.
The Arcane Elves are generally fairly accepting of other peoples, though they have a reputation of being a tad stuck up do their, in their own eyes, superior abilities. The Arcane Elves are very accomplished traders, as is especially benefited by their established ports at major hubs such as Lake Intrekest and River Deäldfälle, and they hold a large hoard of wealth within in the confines of their many strongholds, fortresses and castles. Arcane Elf cities are large and bustling, with the focal point of their economies being magic and the accompanying goods, as well as technologies. Religion is a varied topic, with some Arcane Elves claiming no particular religious allegiance, some following the Pantheon of Jakaris and many others subsribing to the old gods of the Arcane Elves.
Numians (pronounced NEW-me-ins)
Occupying the most northern territories in all of Umaton, the Numians are forced to deal with some of the harshest conditions of any of Umaton's peoples. Their territories are by far the most mountainous of any, with peaks in the Border Ranges scraping the skies at heights of nearly 50,000 feet. However, the mountains do not stop there; all throughtout Numian territory, massive peaks are a defining characteristic and landmark. Luckily, few of the peaks reach the immense heights of the Border Ranges, with the tallest summits rarely breaking 30,000 feet. In the more southern parts of Numian territories, dense boreal forests dominate the landscapce, but as one moves futher north they would eventually see the trees give way to flat grassy plains and eventually to tundra. Seasons are apparent, with summers short and barely warm and long, bitterly cold winters with sometimes tens or even hundreds of feet of snow in just a few short days. The worst of the Numian winters can be found on mountain peaks, where temperatures can fall to less than 100 degrees below zero.
The Numian people, having lived in the far north for as long as they have, have made adaptions to the climate. The average Numian is quite tall, with most breaking six feet, with light hair, pale sking and blue eyes. Additionally, most are covered in a thick layer of water repellent, downy hair that helps keep water off their skin and keeps them warm. Numians are born with very thick soles of their feet, almost like hooves in their hardness, that allow them to walk through snow and rock with cutting themselves. Numians usually have little anima, with a greatest amount being slightly less than the smallest for a Maere. However, they make up with their lack of magical ability with strength. While they are not built like the Resdom, they certainly rival them in strength, if not surpassing them, though they lack some of the typical Resdom finesse and grace. Numians are well suited to greatswords, warhammers, maces, battle-axes, and other massive, heavy weapons, which they weild while wearing hugely thick plate armor that reflects most any other weapons. Most Numians end up being warriors or performing labor of some kind, such as construction, smithing or farming.
The Numian people are reclusive, though not at all to the level of the Nerälls; they frequently launch trading expeditions to obtain materials inaccessible to them in the Utter North, or for food in the winter. They have a particularly strong allegiance with the Arcane Elves, as the two balance out each other's weaknesses. The Numian people are typically suspicious of new ideas and concepts, though once they've had time to mull them over, if they find them reasonable the ideas are quickly adopted into Numian culture. The Numian religion is almost exclusively based on their old gods, and they hold their beliefs very much to themselves. Numians are not typically very quick to expose information about themselves, as is befitting of their somewhat reclusive ethnic identity.
Night Elves (pronounced NITE-elvs)
The Night Elves are one of the three less human races to occupy Umaton. They occupy the Northern Marshes, the territory directly south of the Numian Border ranges and bordered by Akquämen and Nerälls territory. The land on which they live is muddy and wet, consisting primarily of low wetlands and marshes. Lagunas, swamps, river deltas, lakes and many, many rivers define this wet territory, where water is always abundant but dry land is in short supply. Seasons are relatively mild due to the mellowing influence of many large bodies of water, giving hot, humid summers and mild, rainy winters. Most crops do not grow well in this territory's soggy soil, but the Night Elves have varieties of water growing grains, fruit bearing marsh trees and shrubs and water loving tubers that thrive in all the moisture.
The Night Elves are a race that are deserving of a title other than human. While they share base physical characteristics with human beings, their dark, leathery skin, second eyelid, lack of external ears and long, webbed fingers and toes lend them a distinctly alien appearance that is not easily hidden. The hissing, sibilant quality of the Night Elf's voice also makes them not only look different, but sound different as well, making it nigh on impossible to hide a Night Elf's difference from other races. For this reason, there is a level of mistrust of the Night Elves among other races, which is also due in part to historical precedent for cheating during trade and turning on allies whenever it took their fancy. Night Elves are seen as guily tricksters, and to some extent that is true; their culture puts little value on up front honesty, so few individuals end up valuing it. This leads to a mistrust among other races, although that rarely stops trade; the Night Elves are prolific traders who put value on different items than the rest of Umaton, meaning that certain goods can be obtained for a lower price from Night Elves than nearly anywhere else. However, many traders do tell stories of being shortchanged or given sub par goods, which serves only to reinforce the reputation of the Night Elves.
Following their ethnic identity, most Night Elves chose subtle fighting arts, leaning away from open combat towards archery and stealth. Most Night Elves end up choosing, among the previously listed specialties, the art of poison-craft, summoning, assassinations and murder, or even blood magic. The magical abilities of these people is higher than that of the average Maere, but significantly less than that of an Arcane Elf or Medäsu. Most Night Elves, though, tend to stray away from the more traditional uses of anima and more towards arts such as blood magic, summoning and, in some cases, even necromancy. While these arts may be considered corrupt by most of Umaton, in Night Elf territories they are perfectly normal and mundane, adding again to the reputation of the Night Elves as bordering on evil. Interestingly though, most of the necromancy and blood magic occurring in Night Elf territory is performed by individuals of other races who have come to Night Elf territory just to practice these arts that are illegal elsewhere.
The religions of the Night Elves are varied, but most worship the old Night Elf god Extukies. Some others follow the Pantheon of Jakaris, and others still believe in the old gods of the swamps and marsh that were keystone to Night Elf culture thousands of years ago. The Night Elves themselves could not care less about what one's religion is; they are simply unconcerned with the views of others. Most practices banned elsewhere are legal in Night Elf territory primarily because the Night Elves do not care much what you think; they believe that you are free to think and act as you will, leading to something of a sense of lawlessness in many parts of Night Elf territory. Merchants travel with guards in the Northern Marshes.
Dwarves (pronounced DWORVS)
The Dwarves of Umaton inhabit nearly the entirety of its southeastern corner, covering an area hundreds upon hundreds of miles on side. Due to the size of the Dwarven territories, climate and land type varies greatly across the expanse of their territories. Much of the center of the Dwarven land is occupied by a large desert, approximately one-third the size of the Medäsu's great desert. Due to the fact that the Equator runs through the southern quarter of Dwarven territory, much of the southern parts of Dwarven land is occupied by dense rainforest which stretches up nearly to Mount Glenwyn, where it transitions to a lightly treed, fertile subtropical savannah that continues up to the mountain Gës. At this point, about two-thirds of the way up Dwarven land, temperate forests begin to take hold again, eventually devolving into hilly, Mediterranean land about 60 miles inland from the coast. To the west of the Lake of the Moon, the land is made up nearly entirely of fertile hills scattered with oak trees, until, again, Mount Glenwyn, where there is a transition to rainforest and jungle. Along the far eastern edge of the Dwarven lands, a high mountain range dominates the landscape and reduces the population due to rockier soil and more inhospitable lands. However, hardy mountain Dwarves lay claim to the land anyway, eking out a living from the unfriendly mountains. Most Dwarves live among the temperate forests of the north, or around Mount Glenwyn's fertile soil. Scattered settlements, towns and cities occupy much of the rest of Dwarven land, which the exception of the capital city of Crucible Peak in the far south.
Dwarves are, similar to the Arcane Elves, misnamed. Their heights are similar to those of the Maere, though they are slightly shorter. They received the title as a result of their tenacious mining and proficiency with war-hammers, as a side effect of their disproportionate strength. Dwarves have come to live with the title, and no longer resent it like they once did.
Due to the rich natural resources of their territory, the Dwarves have found their fortunes in mining and farming, turning out large crops and finding frequent veins of precious resources. Dwarves have little anima, meaning that there are very few Dwarven magicians or sorcerers; in fact, most of their healing is done with poultices and potions. Instead of magic, the Dwarves lean in many of the same directions as the Numians, favoring battle axes, war-hammers, great-swords and longbows over the magic arts. Many Dwarves are proficient with smaller swords as well. When fighting in other people's territories Dwarves will wear heavy armor, but when on their own turf they frequently wear only light armor, sometimes none at all; this is primarily due to the absolutely sweltering heat found in much of the Dwarven lands. Dwarven cities are large and busy, with all kinds of trade, exchange and business being done all over the ever present sound of smiths working, ore being refined and construction taking place. The Dwarves, unlike their reputation states, have no love of the underground; they prefer the open savannas or humid jungles over the confines of underground living. Even their capital, Crucible Peak, which is built in an ancient, dead volcano, clings only to the top of the mountain to avoid being subterranean construction.
The Dwarves follow primarily the Pantheon of Jakaris. It is unusual, in fact, to find a Dwarf who does not subscribe to this belief; typically, anyone who does not follow the Pantheon believes in the Holy Seasons of Blackhair, which has a large group of followers in the city of Orok. Dwarves are not the most accepting of other beliefs, but if they find someone whose religious views differ from their own, they will typically simply avoid the topic entirely. Dwarves are usually warm and friendly people, ready to welcome you to visit them.
Akquämen (pronounced uh-KWA-min)
The Akquämen are on of Umaton's three less human races. The primary distinction between an Akquämen and a Maere is their ability to live underwater; while they are mammalian, they have the gills of a more traditional underwater creature. The Akquämen live nearly exclusively submerged in Meraton Bay, a huge enclosed body of water on the northeastern shore of Umaton. The water is typically rather cold, and as the bay reaches depths of up to 15,000 feet, temperatures can be freezing. Seasons change little for the Akquämen, though they do notice a change in currents and temperature during the winters and summers. Little is known about the actual cities of the Akquämen, as their primary cities and settlements are submerged at depths of more than 6,000 feet, making it impossible for humans to visit. However, the Akquämen do have some dry land cities that they use for trade purposes; some of them have relatively large populations of both Akquämen and other races. While the Akquämen can live on dry ground for a while, it is most comfortable for them when they are underwater; for this reason, the inhabitants of their dry ground cities are always changing as some Akquämen dive underwater and others emerge. The largest Akquämen city, Meraton, named for the bay, is the capital of their dry ground cities; the real capital is submerged at 10,000 feet and many times larger than Meraton.
The Akquämen differ physically from humans quite significantly. First of all, they are build very heavily, with thick layers of blubber to help keep them warm in the cold waters of Meraton bay. They have coloring similar to that of a walrus, and are viewed by most people as massively fat; this is incorrect, as the fat is contained in pockets of muscle and intended to be there as insulation. They have hugely elongated fingers and toes that are webbed in the same thick, chestnut brown skin of their bodies, and they have an extra tongue in their mouth for purposes unknown. They have little to no neck and short legs, and are nearly entirely hairless. Their eyes are small and black with an extra eyelid. All of these adaptions make them appear ponderous and slow, but in truth they are surprisingly nimble and light on their feet, as well as quite strong. Akquämen have been described many times as, essentially, humanoid walruses, though they are devoid of that species' tusks.
While the Akquämen are amphibious and can therefore spend time outside of the water, they much prefer the submerged life. For this reason, contact between species of the land and the Akquämen has always been sparse. For this reason, not much is known about their preferences or customs, though it can be safely assumed that they differ from those of most species of the land just because of the different requirements of living underwater. However, it has been gleaned from contact at trading points that the Akquämen prefer to use short-swords, spears, tridents and other weapons easily managed in the water. Their anima is slightly higher than that of the Maere, but they utilize an entirely different set of spells that take advantage of their aquatic surroundings. The native Akquämen language is one that has never quite been mastered by a human due to its requirement of an extra tongue, many Akquämen speak the human dialects well enough to be understood, so communication is, while primarily limited to trade discussions, possible. The Akquämen are usually quite friendly, and would probably be hospitable if the opportunity arose. Unfortunately, it is very difficult to learn much at all about these elusive underwater people.
Kspenns (pronounced KAHS-pins)
The Käspenns (pronounced KAS-pins)
The Käspenns occupy the southeastern portion of central Umaton, laying claim to vast wetlands veined with countless rivers, ponds and lakes. Few large animals call this area home, giving way to fish and birds that better suited for the wet terrain. The territory is hot and humid due to its proximity to the Equator, with nearly non-existent winters and days of always appoximately the same length. The warmth and wetness of Käspenns territory is the water growing plant's haven though, so the area is rich in water loving plants and mangroves that support a rich ecosystem of life. The few scattered pockets of dry land to be found in this area can be found in a plethora of low islands seperated by rivers of varying depth. The islands are frequently impassably thickly forested with tropical vegetation and trees that crowd as far as they can manage on the patches of relatively dry ground, often leaning well over the clear blue rivers of this territory. A plethora of small animals make their home here, many living exclusively in the canopy of the island trees, never once touching foot to the ground.
The people of this territory are another of Umaton's less human variety. As opposed to the nearly walrus-like build of the Akquämen, the Käspenns have a structure more similar to lizards, with a long snout-like face, a tale and scales covering their lean bodies. They share the needle-like teeth and ears of lizards as well, but are significantly more intelligent. The Käspenns are well developed for their watery habitat, having gills and webbed fingers as they do; however, they are significantly more versatile than the Akquämen in where they can make their home; there is no particular requirement for a Käspenns to return to water. However, they do take great pleasure in swimming easily through the warm, tropical waters of their home territory. Unfortunately, the Käspenns, being reptilian in nature, must in warm areas, lest they drift into a slow moving stupor. This has restricted the range of the areas they can travel to areas within around a hundred miles of the Equator, meaning that they have contact nearly exclusively with the Resdom and Medäsu.
Due to the limited nature of their contact with the outside world, relatively little is known about this unqiue people. However, the few explorers that have traveled far into Käspenns territory have reported that few of them speak the typical language of Este, but that they are more than willing to attempt communication, doing their best to understand and be understood. Several explorers reported seeing large cities spanning the territory's many islands, with tall towers and apparently large populations. The Käspenns with which the explorers interacted where reported to have carried a variety of weapons, though the primary was a spear topped with a blade the length of a short-sword at the tip; these were called by the Käspenns “Lantiers.” Several of these weapons were brought back to the Arcane Elves for study, where they were found to be made of an unknown, but very strong wood and metal, with a very deadly poison coating the tip of the sword. Specialties in the Käspenns territories are mostly unknown due to the language gap, though the few expeditions that thought to bring a Medäsu translator found that there was a focus in the arts of weilding weapons like the lantier, poison-craft and even hand-to-hand combat. The Käspenns are also great mathematicians, rivaling the very best of what mathematics the rest of Umaton can manage. Magic in this territory is different than in the rest of Umaton, and appeared to be an unusual art; however, there have been reports of some blood magic, summoning, shamanry, as well as more cryptic arts that were unknown to explorers which appeared to be based around the use of poisons other substances, which more closely resembled alchemy than anything else, but the Käspenns accompanying the explorers insisted that it was more than simple poison-craft. This point is still under some contention.
Due to the unknown and frequently impassable nature of Käspenns territory, it is difficult to know very much about this very different people. Expeditions to explore are unusual, and only those that bring along translators who have had contact by trading before seem to be succesful; these do, however, seem to be increasing in frequency as more becomes known about the natural potential of this unexplored territory and the scientific interest held in its inhabitants.
What I'm looking for is some friendly critiquing of some writings of mine. I think I've done a decent job creating an interesting setting for a game of some kind, but of course there are things that I have not done well. If you could fill me in as to what could be fixed, improved, that would great. If you're interested, thanks already.
I have been slowly assembling a continent populated by about 10 different races who live mostly in nations that follow racial borders of the continent. The world is called Umaton.
I have tried to give a fairly comprehensive look at what the races are like, but as with every unique build-your-own-world there's a lot more to be defined than just the races; this world has its own religions, magic systems, even some of its own weapons. I'm going to list some of the primary terms down here for reference, and plan to have much more detailed listings later.
anima: the equivalent of mana. different individuals are imbued with different amounts purely by chance and by their racial background.
Umaton: the continent on which these races live.
The Pantheon of Jakaris: primary religion of the land. worshippers follow a pantheon of hundreds of minor gods and 7 major, not unlike the Greek system of old.
Holy Seasons of Blackhair/other religions: currently these are just filler. I'm working on their beliefs and what they do currently.
Any other questions, please don't hesitate to ask.
As for geographic locations, this would optimally be accompanied by a map which I do have drawn up all nice and pretty, but not yet transferred to the computer. I think the only profile that actually uses much in the way of geography is the Dwarves, but it isn't all that important where they are; this is mostly about the people anyway.
Enjoy!
The People
Note: The following people are all, essentially, a variation on the human theme. While some may be referred to as “elves” or “dwarves,” this is simply because they fit accounts made of these peoples to some degree. Additionally, it allows for an easy identification of some of their base characteristics. However, very few of the following races are anything but human. They vary from each other in the same way that a native Norwegian will vary from a native Afrikaner who will vary from a native Japanese. Descriptions of any non-human varieties will be included.
Note: There are many dotted letters in the titles of the different races simply to try to aid in pronunciation. Of course, here you have prononciation guides, but in the actuality of Umaton there would be no such guides. When translated into the primary language of Umaton, Este, there are usually pronunciation errors from the way the words are meant to sound in the native language of a given people, so dots and in-speak pronunciation guides are kindly added to the words themselves.
Maere (pronounced MARE)
Here you have your quintessential human. The Maere occupy the central portions of Umaton, an area with, typically, low, rolling hills scattered amongst large grassy plains and huge forests. Weather in this area is usually warm in the summer with thunderstorms and high humidity and cold and snowy in the winter with pronounced springs and falls during which all of the trees in the vast forests change color in a spectacular display. The area is widely populated due to its habitable climate and rich soil and the availability of flat farmland. However, the territory's few large rivers limit the trading that can be done outside of large cities, so many villages too small to be marked on maps can go years without any outside contact whatsoever.
The inhabitants of the area are, as stated above, plain, basic humans. The skin color is mainly an olive brown, something like the Italians of Earth. People vary in height, and very few break six feet, with most men hovering somewhere around five foot seven and women more around five foot three. Better nutrition can, of course, increase height, but many people living on farms in small villages are subsistence farmers and produce only enough for themselves, leading to occasionally underfed families.
The abilities of the people classified as Maere vary hugely. There are accomplished mages, warriors, foresters, summoners, priests, healers, blacksmiths, cobblers.....there is not any specific class tied to the title Maere. Your average Maere, however, will probably, like most other races, end up being a farmer. Maere do vary in physical composition as well, so warriors will range in ability from great knights to tiny nubs of people. While these people can be mages, their native anima amount is limited to average; the amount of growing that it can do is severely limited as well.
The religion of the Maere varies as much as their physical attributes; however, most conscribe to the Pantheon of Jakaris; in fact, they have adopted the religion faster than any other ethnic group. However, some lean towards more eclectic tastes, following after the Holy Seasons of Blackhair or Aeula's Rifled Spear. Many people in the area are, however, fairly conservative in their religious and social views; there is usually little variance found in views or religions found within individual towns or strongholds. Outsiders are treated courteously and in a friendly manner; however, if they are too different the greeting can quickly turn sour. Overall, though, the Maere are a usually friendly, hospitable, conservative people; but again, they are a race of great variance.
Resdom (pronounced REZ-dum)
The Resdom occupy the southwestern part of Umaton, with the Equator running through the northern part of their territory. As a result, it is a blazing hot part of the world to inhabit, though luckily they are free of the deserts of their eastern counterparts the Medäsu. Their land is primarily a tropical area with many low hills and light foresting that is broken up by frequent bald hills. As one travels south, the hills fall very slowly into a lightly treed grassland where a multitude of massive animals sustain themselves on grazing. The weather is hot nearly all year round, though in the southern parts of the land seasons become subtly more pronounced with noticeable summer and winter seasons. Temperatures fall as compared to the inland territory when one approaches their many coasts.
People defined as Resdom are again essentially nothing more than humans. However, due to environmental conditions in which they live, they have a typically much larger body size than any of the other races. Heights average at around six foot seven, and individuals can be much taller; body sizes are also large and solid. They do not stretch out like tall Maere do; a Resdom's body is simply massive. As is appropriate, they are very strong, and the weapon of choice among the Resdom people is a claymore, a weapon with blades frequently reaching five feet or longer in length. As is appropriate for their chosen weapon, the majority of Resdom are warriors. However, they are not warriors in the sense of the Maere or other groups; they feel most comfortable on their own or in small groups, suiting them best for solitary missions and not for the large ranks of assembled standing armies. There is, however, historical precedent for Resdom armies; typically it has taken a threat to their homeland to band together this normally individual people.
The population of the Resdom territory is dispersed following the patters of their psyche. There are few large cities, and those that do exist are small by the standards of other countries. Instead, there are many small villages and hamlets scattered through the relatively uninhabited land of the Resdom people. By the standards of larger other races, the Resdom have a fairly small, widespread population. However, the Resdom are,usually, while they may be quiet and reclusive, fearsome warriors. It is a matter of great pride in Resdom countries to master something, and once a topic is chosen, a Resdom will usually stick to learning it until they have it mastered. For this reason, experienced Resdom warriors are ferocious warriors, and intimidating especially due to their size. Warrior is also the primary class that the Resdom fight in; due to a quirk of their large stature, they have next to zero anima and cannot cast typical spells.
The religion of the Resdom varies, and most are not quick to share their views. However, if one persists, they might discover that they hold no beliefs at all, or perhaps follow the gods that their ancestors did. Surprisingly few Resdom follow the widespread Pantheon of Jakaris.
Nerälls (pronounced nur-ALLS)
The Nerälls inhabit one of the most northern territories of Umaton, laying claim to the vast snowy reaches of nearly the entire northeastern corner of Umaton. The land is fairly flat, tundra in the north and endless boreal forests in the more southern reaches of their huge territory. In the more northern parts, civilization tends to cluster around sources of water, as that resource is scarce in the surprisingly dry tundra wasteland. However, while vegetation may be scarce in the northern parts of the area, in the south there is essentially nothing but snowy forests. Evergreen trees stretch as far as the eye can see, covering hundreds and hundreds of miles of the Nerälls' more southern territory. The trees end about three-quarters of the way up Nerälls territory, and civilization diminishes accordingly. Seasons are apparent, with a short, damp summer and a bitterly cold winter, though even these seasons disappear as you travel farther north, disintegrating into eternal dry winter.
The Nerälls as a people are by far the most reclusive of any, surpassing by far even the Resdom. The borders that they share with other peoples are largely unoccupied; even their capital, Erestenum, is surrounded by uninhabited forest and does very little trade with any of the other powers in the area. Although the Nerälls have access to one of the largest trading hubs in all of Umaton, Lake Intrekest, they cast no claim on it; they have even opened all of their territories within 15 miles of the lake to settlement by other peoples. As shown, they have very little interest in trade and communication with the world outside of any given Nerälls' given village.
A typical Nerälls is of a height slightly taller than the average Maere, with pale skin, blond hair and light blue eyes. They have little anima, and therefore tend to specialize more in the warrior's arts. The Nerälls regard most guile, trickery and sneaking as contemptible and immoral, so there is very little in the way of specialization in assassinations, sneaking or thievery; in fact, there are very few archers, as according to the Nerälls, the best way to fight is with a weapon in your hand; any ranged weapons border on cowardice.
Nerälls villages are spread few and far between, with little contact between them. Anything that cannot be made in a given group of Nerälls is considered unnecessary. The few cities that exist in Nerälls territory are very spread out, with a middling population; the cities do not exist to be centers of culture or learning; they mostly exist for the availability of products that could not be produced by any one small group. Cities are very quiet places in Nerälls territory, with very little contact even between neighbors. Most cities have some form of religious institution, however; that is sometimes the only contact a Nerälls will get during their city week. Nerälls are split more or less down the middle in terms of religion, with about half following the gods of the trees and creatures in the forest, the original gods of the Nerälls people, and the other following the Pantheon of Jakaris. Most Nerälls are quite devoted to their chosen religion.
Medäsu (pronounced MI-dah-sue)
The Medäsu inhabit the driest parts of Umaton, the southern deserts bordering Maere and Vox territory. Their land is, as deserts are, flat, dry and sandy, with blazing hot days and chilly nights and evenings. Water is predicatably scarce, and groups of people tend to cluster around the precious resource, leading to cities and towns centered around the few rivers and oases that dot Medäsu territory. Mountains in this territory are virtually nonexistent; in their place, huge sand dunes, some up to 600 feet tall, crop up on their own or in fields of dunes that can cover hundreds of square miles. Much of the Medäsu territories remains unexplored due to its inhospitable nature, though some ancient groups of nomads have claimed that they know the entire desert like the back of their hand.
The Medäsu people are very dark skinned in response to the bright, hot sun of their territories. Their height is similar to that of the Maere, though they tend to be slightly more wiry and nimble than their occasionally lumbering counterparts. This people has a wide range of abilities, incorporating warriors, summoners, mages, priests of old and new religions, nomads and desert wanderers, smiths, armorers....the abilities of the Medäsu are not traditionally limited, unlike some other peoples, allowing for a very diverse culture and skillset options. Medäsu cities reflect this diversity, with a plethora of different shops and activites contributing to a bustling, busy feel and the ability to purchase anything one could possibly want. These cities are, however, somewhat few and far between; due to the massive size of the desert and its unliveable conditions, cities clusters along rivers and oases. These resources are, of course, somewhat scattered, leading to many cities being seperated by hundreds of miles and lending to each a unique culture and speliazed skillset. Undoubtedly, the Medäsu territories are one of the most diverse in all of Umaton.
The Medäsu have religious and social beliefs as varied as their skills and culture. A great many Medäsu still believe in their original, native gods, and subscribe strictly to the belief that the Medäsu were the first recognizeable, intelligent people, and that all current civilization emerged from the desert; another large group believe in the desert gods, deities whose power comes from dunes and sand; more follow the Pantheon of Jakaris, though followers of this belief are less prevalent than in other areas. Luckily, the Medäsu as a people hold the communal belief that all different people's views are valid, a system of thought that has evolved over hundreds of years as a way to cope with the fact that the Medäsu frequently had to, historically, ally themselves with the enemy simply in order to survive. Due to this nearly sacred level of acceptance, the Medäsu are certainly the most accepting of all the peoples in Umaton, if not the most.
Magical ability in the Medäsu territories ranges from little to nothing to a level that rivals the Arcane Elves; they are one of the most magical peoples in Umaton. However, much of their magic is based on an entirely different system than is used in the rest of Umaton, utilizing entirely seperate power sources like gemstones, staffs, swords, armor; inanimate objects that are inbued with a magical ablity. These magic items are, however, compatible with spellcasters using the alternate form of magic, allowing for collaboration between the two groups and the avoidannce of a complete magical gulf between the two groups.
Arcane Elves (pronounced AR-kane ELVS)
The Arcane Elves occupy the central western portion of Umaton, a fertile land with a multitude of forest and low hills blessed with rich soil and mild climates that allow for easy farming and living. The territory does ascend into craggy mountains along the northern and western borders, however, and these lands are less friendly towards settlement due to their rocky soil and colder temperatures. Seasons in the lowland areas vary, with the central and northern portions showing more pronounced winters and summers, though they do not reach the extremes of the more inland areas; winters remain mild and summers relatively cool, though the temperatures grow more extreme as one moves further inland. In the southern portion of Arcane Elf territory, there is a significantly more tropical climate, though less pronounced than what one would find in say, Resdom territory. Seasons here are subtle, with more of a wet and a dry season with little in the way of temperature change.
The title Arcane Elves is something of a misnomer. These people are no less than human than, say, a Maere, with slight variations on theme. The title is due to an original distrust of these “Elves'” highly magical nature, and has stuck around as an artifact of the past. These Elves are really nothing more than humans with an elevated magical ability, which is truly their defining characteristic. An Arcane Elf typically has four to five times the anima of a Maere, and sometimes up to ten times, though individuals with this level of anima are defined in a more specific manner. The chosen studies of the Arcane Elves typically reflect their magical ability, with most focusing on mastering the art of summoning, sorcery, or magecraft, though some do go on to become accomplished warriors or other users of the fighting art. For the most part, though, Arcane Elves utilize the arcane arts due to their innate gift for them. In fact, most labor in the Arcane Elf territories are performed with magic.
The Arcane Elves are generally fairly accepting of other peoples, though they have a reputation of being a tad stuck up do their, in their own eyes, superior abilities. The Arcane Elves are very accomplished traders, as is especially benefited by their established ports at major hubs such as Lake Intrekest and River Deäldfälle, and they hold a large hoard of wealth within in the confines of their many strongholds, fortresses and castles. Arcane Elf cities are large and bustling, with the focal point of their economies being magic and the accompanying goods, as well as technologies. Religion is a varied topic, with some Arcane Elves claiming no particular religious allegiance, some following the Pantheon of Jakaris and many others subsribing to the old gods of the Arcane Elves.
Numians (pronounced NEW-me-ins)
Occupying the most northern territories in all of Umaton, the Numians are forced to deal with some of the harshest conditions of any of Umaton's peoples. Their territories are by far the most mountainous of any, with peaks in the Border Ranges scraping the skies at heights of nearly 50,000 feet. However, the mountains do not stop there; all throughtout Numian territory, massive peaks are a defining characteristic and landmark. Luckily, few of the peaks reach the immense heights of the Border Ranges, with the tallest summits rarely breaking 30,000 feet. In the more southern parts of Numian territories, dense boreal forests dominate the landscapce, but as one moves futher north they would eventually see the trees give way to flat grassy plains and eventually to tundra. Seasons are apparent, with summers short and barely warm and long, bitterly cold winters with sometimes tens or even hundreds of feet of snow in just a few short days. The worst of the Numian winters can be found on mountain peaks, where temperatures can fall to less than 100 degrees below zero.
The Numian people, having lived in the far north for as long as they have, have made adaptions to the climate. The average Numian is quite tall, with most breaking six feet, with light hair, pale sking and blue eyes. Additionally, most are covered in a thick layer of water repellent, downy hair that helps keep water off their skin and keeps them warm. Numians are born with very thick soles of their feet, almost like hooves in their hardness, that allow them to walk through snow and rock with cutting themselves. Numians usually have little anima, with a greatest amount being slightly less than the smallest for a Maere. However, they make up with their lack of magical ability with strength. While they are not built like the Resdom, they certainly rival them in strength, if not surpassing them, though they lack some of the typical Resdom finesse and grace. Numians are well suited to greatswords, warhammers, maces, battle-axes, and other massive, heavy weapons, which they weild while wearing hugely thick plate armor that reflects most any other weapons. Most Numians end up being warriors or performing labor of some kind, such as construction, smithing or farming.
The Numian people are reclusive, though not at all to the level of the Nerälls; they frequently launch trading expeditions to obtain materials inaccessible to them in the Utter North, or for food in the winter. They have a particularly strong allegiance with the Arcane Elves, as the two balance out each other's weaknesses. The Numian people are typically suspicious of new ideas and concepts, though once they've had time to mull them over, if they find them reasonable the ideas are quickly adopted into Numian culture. The Numian religion is almost exclusively based on their old gods, and they hold their beliefs very much to themselves. Numians are not typically very quick to expose information about themselves, as is befitting of their somewhat reclusive ethnic identity.
Night Elves (pronounced NITE-elvs)
The Night Elves are one of the three less human races to occupy Umaton. They occupy the Northern Marshes, the territory directly south of the Numian Border ranges and bordered by Akquämen and Nerälls territory. The land on which they live is muddy and wet, consisting primarily of low wetlands and marshes. Lagunas, swamps, river deltas, lakes and many, many rivers define this wet territory, where water is always abundant but dry land is in short supply. Seasons are relatively mild due to the mellowing influence of many large bodies of water, giving hot, humid summers and mild, rainy winters. Most crops do not grow well in this territory's soggy soil, but the Night Elves have varieties of water growing grains, fruit bearing marsh trees and shrubs and water loving tubers that thrive in all the moisture.
The Night Elves are a race that are deserving of a title other than human. While they share base physical characteristics with human beings, their dark, leathery skin, second eyelid, lack of external ears and long, webbed fingers and toes lend them a distinctly alien appearance that is not easily hidden. The hissing, sibilant quality of the Night Elf's voice also makes them not only look different, but sound different as well, making it nigh on impossible to hide a Night Elf's difference from other races. For this reason, there is a level of mistrust of the Night Elves among other races, which is also due in part to historical precedent for cheating during trade and turning on allies whenever it took their fancy. Night Elves are seen as guily tricksters, and to some extent that is true; their culture puts little value on up front honesty, so few individuals end up valuing it. This leads to a mistrust among other races, although that rarely stops trade; the Night Elves are prolific traders who put value on different items than the rest of Umaton, meaning that certain goods can be obtained for a lower price from Night Elves than nearly anywhere else. However, many traders do tell stories of being shortchanged or given sub par goods, which serves only to reinforce the reputation of the Night Elves.
Following their ethnic identity, most Night Elves chose subtle fighting arts, leaning away from open combat towards archery and stealth. Most Night Elves end up choosing, among the previously listed specialties, the art of poison-craft, summoning, assassinations and murder, or even blood magic. The magical abilities of these people is higher than that of the average Maere, but significantly less than that of an Arcane Elf or Medäsu. Most Night Elves, though, tend to stray away from the more traditional uses of anima and more towards arts such as blood magic, summoning and, in some cases, even necromancy. While these arts may be considered corrupt by most of Umaton, in Night Elf territories they are perfectly normal and mundane, adding again to the reputation of the Night Elves as bordering on evil. Interestingly though, most of the necromancy and blood magic occurring in Night Elf territory is performed by individuals of other races who have come to Night Elf territory just to practice these arts that are illegal elsewhere.
The religions of the Night Elves are varied, but most worship the old Night Elf god Extukies. Some others follow the Pantheon of Jakaris, and others still believe in the old gods of the swamps and marsh that were keystone to Night Elf culture thousands of years ago. The Night Elves themselves could not care less about what one's religion is; they are simply unconcerned with the views of others. Most practices banned elsewhere are legal in Night Elf territory primarily because the Night Elves do not care much what you think; they believe that you are free to think and act as you will, leading to something of a sense of lawlessness in many parts of Night Elf territory. Merchants travel with guards in the Northern Marshes.
Dwarves (pronounced DWORVS)
The Dwarves of Umaton inhabit nearly the entirety of its southeastern corner, covering an area hundreds upon hundreds of miles on side. Due to the size of the Dwarven territories, climate and land type varies greatly across the expanse of their territories. Much of the center of the Dwarven land is occupied by a large desert, approximately one-third the size of the Medäsu's great desert. Due to the fact that the Equator runs through the southern quarter of Dwarven territory, much of the southern parts of Dwarven land is occupied by dense rainforest which stretches up nearly to Mount Glenwyn, where it transitions to a lightly treed, fertile subtropical savannah that continues up to the mountain Gës. At this point, about two-thirds of the way up Dwarven land, temperate forests begin to take hold again, eventually devolving into hilly, Mediterranean land about 60 miles inland from the coast. To the west of the Lake of the Moon, the land is made up nearly entirely of fertile hills scattered with oak trees, until, again, Mount Glenwyn, where there is a transition to rainforest and jungle. Along the far eastern edge of the Dwarven lands, a high mountain range dominates the landscape and reduces the population due to rockier soil and more inhospitable lands. However, hardy mountain Dwarves lay claim to the land anyway, eking out a living from the unfriendly mountains. Most Dwarves live among the temperate forests of the north, or around Mount Glenwyn's fertile soil. Scattered settlements, towns and cities occupy much of the rest of Dwarven land, which the exception of the capital city of Crucible Peak in the far south.
Dwarves are, similar to the Arcane Elves, misnamed. Their heights are similar to those of the Maere, though they are slightly shorter. They received the title as a result of their tenacious mining and proficiency with war-hammers, as a side effect of their disproportionate strength. Dwarves have come to live with the title, and no longer resent it like they once did.
Due to the rich natural resources of their territory, the Dwarves have found their fortunes in mining and farming, turning out large crops and finding frequent veins of precious resources. Dwarves have little anima, meaning that there are very few Dwarven magicians or sorcerers; in fact, most of their healing is done with poultices and potions. Instead of magic, the Dwarves lean in many of the same directions as the Numians, favoring battle axes, war-hammers, great-swords and longbows over the magic arts. Many Dwarves are proficient with smaller swords as well. When fighting in other people's territories Dwarves will wear heavy armor, but when on their own turf they frequently wear only light armor, sometimes none at all; this is primarily due to the absolutely sweltering heat found in much of the Dwarven lands. Dwarven cities are large and busy, with all kinds of trade, exchange and business being done all over the ever present sound of smiths working, ore being refined and construction taking place. The Dwarves, unlike their reputation states, have no love of the underground; they prefer the open savannas or humid jungles over the confines of underground living. Even their capital, Crucible Peak, which is built in an ancient, dead volcano, clings only to the top of the mountain to avoid being subterranean construction.
The Dwarves follow primarily the Pantheon of Jakaris. It is unusual, in fact, to find a Dwarf who does not subscribe to this belief; typically, anyone who does not follow the Pantheon believes in the Holy Seasons of Blackhair, which has a large group of followers in the city of Orok. Dwarves are not the most accepting of other beliefs, but if they find someone whose religious views differ from their own, they will typically simply avoid the topic entirely. Dwarves are usually warm and friendly people, ready to welcome you to visit them.
Akquämen (pronounced uh-KWA-min)
The Akquämen are on of Umaton's three less human races. The primary distinction between an Akquämen and a Maere is their ability to live underwater; while they are mammalian, they have the gills of a more traditional underwater creature. The Akquämen live nearly exclusively submerged in Meraton Bay, a huge enclosed body of water on the northeastern shore of Umaton. The water is typically rather cold, and as the bay reaches depths of up to 15,000 feet, temperatures can be freezing. Seasons change little for the Akquämen, though they do notice a change in currents and temperature during the winters and summers. Little is known about the actual cities of the Akquämen, as their primary cities and settlements are submerged at depths of more than 6,000 feet, making it impossible for humans to visit. However, the Akquämen do have some dry land cities that they use for trade purposes; some of them have relatively large populations of both Akquämen and other races. While the Akquämen can live on dry ground for a while, it is most comfortable for them when they are underwater; for this reason, the inhabitants of their dry ground cities are always changing as some Akquämen dive underwater and others emerge. The largest Akquämen city, Meraton, named for the bay, is the capital of their dry ground cities; the real capital is submerged at 10,000 feet and many times larger than Meraton.
The Akquämen differ physically from humans quite significantly. First of all, they are build very heavily, with thick layers of blubber to help keep them warm in the cold waters of Meraton bay. They have coloring similar to that of a walrus, and are viewed by most people as massively fat; this is incorrect, as the fat is contained in pockets of muscle and intended to be there as insulation. They have hugely elongated fingers and toes that are webbed in the same thick, chestnut brown skin of their bodies, and they have an extra tongue in their mouth for purposes unknown. They have little to no neck and short legs, and are nearly entirely hairless. Their eyes are small and black with an extra eyelid. All of these adaptions make them appear ponderous and slow, but in truth they are surprisingly nimble and light on their feet, as well as quite strong. Akquämen have been described many times as, essentially, humanoid walruses, though they are devoid of that species' tusks.
While the Akquämen are amphibious and can therefore spend time outside of the water, they much prefer the submerged life. For this reason, contact between species of the land and the Akquämen has always been sparse. For this reason, not much is known about their preferences or customs, though it can be safely assumed that they differ from those of most species of the land just because of the different requirements of living underwater. However, it has been gleaned from contact at trading points that the Akquämen prefer to use short-swords, spears, tridents and other weapons easily managed in the water. Their anima is slightly higher than that of the Maere, but they utilize an entirely different set of spells that take advantage of their aquatic surroundings. The native Akquämen language is one that has never quite been mastered by a human due to its requirement of an extra tongue, many Akquämen speak the human dialects well enough to be understood, so communication is, while primarily limited to trade discussions, possible. The Akquämen are usually quite friendly, and would probably be hospitable if the opportunity arose. Unfortunately, it is very difficult to learn much at all about these elusive underwater people.
Kspenns (pronounced KAHS-pins)
The Käspenns (pronounced KAS-pins)
The Käspenns occupy the southeastern portion of central Umaton, laying claim to vast wetlands veined with countless rivers, ponds and lakes. Few large animals call this area home, giving way to fish and birds that better suited for the wet terrain. The territory is hot and humid due to its proximity to the Equator, with nearly non-existent winters and days of always appoximately the same length. The warmth and wetness of Käspenns territory is the water growing plant's haven though, so the area is rich in water loving plants and mangroves that support a rich ecosystem of life. The few scattered pockets of dry land to be found in this area can be found in a plethora of low islands seperated by rivers of varying depth. The islands are frequently impassably thickly forested with tropical vegetation and trees that crowd as far as they can manage on the patches of relatively dry ground, often leaning well over the clear blue rivers of this territory. A plethora of small animals make their home here, many living exclusively in the canopy of the island trees, never once touching foot to the ground.
The people of this territory are another of Umaton's less human variety. As opposed to the nearly walrus-like build of the Akquämen, the Käspenns have a structure more similar to lizards, with a long snout-like face, a tale and scales covering their lean bodies. They share the needle-like teeth and ears of lizards as well, but are significantly more intelligent. The Käspenns are well developed for their watery habitat, having gills and webbed fingers as they do; however, they are significantly more versatile than the Akquämen in where they can make their home; there is no particular requirement for a Käspenns to return to water. However, they do take great pleasure in swimming easily through the warm, tropical waters of their home territory. Unfortunately, the Käspenns, being reptilian in nature, must in warm areas, lest they drift into a slow moving stupor. This has restricted the range of the areas they can travel to areas within around a hundred miles of the Equator, meaning that they have contact nearly exclusively with the Resdom and Medäsu.
Due to the limited nature of their contact with the outside world, relatively little is known about this unqiue people. However, the few explorers that have traveled far into Käspenns territory have reported that few of them speak the typical language of Este, but that they are more than willing to attempt communication, doing their best to understand and be understood. Several explorers reported seeing large cities spanning the territory's many islands, with tall towers and apparently large populations. The Käspenns with which the explorers interacted where reported to have carried a variety of weapons, though the primary was a spear topped with a blade the length of a short-sword at the tip; these were called by the Käspenns “Lantiers.” Several of these weapons were brought back to the Arcane Elves for study, where they were found to be made of an unknown, but very strong wood and metal, with a very deadly poison coating the tip of the sword. Specialties in the Käspenns territories are mostly unknown due to the language gap, though the few expeditions that thought to bring a Medäsu translator found that there was a focus in the arts of weilding weapons like the lantier, poison-craft and even hand-to-hand combat. The Käspenns are also great mathematicians, rivaling the very best of what mathematics the rest of Umaton can manage. Magic in this territory is different than in the rest of Umaton, and appeared to be an unusual art; however, there have been reports of some blood magic, summoning, shamanry, as well as more cryptic arts that were unknown to explorers which appeared to be based around the use of poisons other substances, which more closely resembled alchemy than anything else, but the Käspenns accompanying the explorers insisted that it was more than simple poison-craft. This point is still under some contention.
Due to the unknown and frequently impassable nature of Käspenns territory, it is difficult to know very much about this very different people. Expeditions to explore are unusual, and only those that bring along translators who have had contact by trading before seem to be succesful; these do, however, seem to be increasing in frequency as more becomes known about the natural potential of this unexplored territory and the scientific interest held in its inhabitants.