A piece-by-piece campaign setting

[GreatWyrmGold]

Now, for your next history lesson!

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Expanding Territories
In 1015, Seelund had explored its continent (which is now, creativly, called Old Seelund (by the humans at least)). As such, Seelord (read: king) Zojan II had explorers sail east. The found many island, and, eventually, a continent, soon dubbed New Seelund. (Those Seelunders were sure creative, huh?) By 1050, Seelund had essentially explored the world as known today (1075), except that Perilous Seelund had to wait for settlement until 1071, and East Seelund was still mostly unsettled.
Seelund Today
Now, Seelund is doing its best to explore/settle/conquer the rest of the world. Explorers are payed large sums of money because most unexplored areas are such due to danger. The current Seelord, Zojan III, is trying to accomplish his grandfather's promise. He needsa soldiers to defend against threats, real and imaginary, and to conquer unexplored areas.
Many local lords, mostly far from Seahawk, tule lik dictators, and war with one another. High-level spellcasters may be asked to connect two distant locales, often across oceans, to improve communication and order. They are usually willing to pay 15,000 gp +15 gp/mile for permanent Teleportation Circles, mostly to places across oceans.
There are many exotic monsters in far-off places, some of which are brought to (usually private) zoos. Need I say that they sometimes escape, especially the ones that are dangerous?
Candidates for various public offices race for votes in a cutthroat competition (often literally). It's hard to win when you're six feet under.
Much of this is done in far-off locales, requiring travel across (sometimes stormy, sometimes rocky, sometimes monster-infested) ocean.
(And, yes, the adventure hooks are on purpose.)

And, races!

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Dwarves:
As written, but too many lived through the Elf Wars to consider an elf a true friend (or even an ally) without extenuating circumstances. (Those should come in an adventure or so.) They don't like other races much more.

Gnomes
Gnomes are, and have always been, tinkerers. They are good friends with elves, who teach them alchemy and sorcery, but get along nicely with everyone else, too. Their bonus to Craft (alchemy) checks is only +1 (and due to elve's teachings), but they also have a +1 bonus on Diplomacy checks.

Halflings:
As written, but they look up to elves.

Humans:
As written.

Half-elves:
Another race with an overhaul!
Due to the Elf Wars, most half-elves alive are either born from half-elf/half-elf marriages or were born in 1000 or before. Even before then, elf/human couples were rare. Now, they are nonexistant.
Half-elves have the restless ambition of humans and the patient study-loving of elves. Some half-elves are insane. Unlike the (out-of-the-Greyhawk-assumed)general lwfulness of full elves or the variety of humans, half-elves, torn between thair two halves, are almost always chaotic.
Stats:
+2 Int: Half-elves are as intelligent as elves, but less haughty.
+1 on Diplomacy checks against non-dwarves: Half-elves, while unattractive by elven standards, are still fairly beutiful, and share part of the bond to the wee folk that elves do.
Spell-like abilities: 3/day: Prestidigitation. If a half-elf's Intelligance is at least 17, add 1/day: Detect Magic, Read Magic.
Half-elves have a bonus feat.
Automatic languages: Common, Elven. Bonus languages: Any
Also, for age, roll on the elf starting age/aging tables.

Half-orcs:
These do not exist. If you really like them, your DM might let you play a deformed/ex-enslaved human that is statistically identical to the half-orc.

Any comments on the balence of the elf/half-elf?