Races (Teregia Supplement)
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The Many Races of Teregia
Humans
Of all the races that inhabit the world, humans are the most numerous. Like most races of the world, they were created by the aboleth to serve the titans. Aside from complexion and minor cosmetic differences, humans are quite similar physically and mentally, and have no mechanical differences. Where they truly differ is in their culture and morality, which differ greatly based on which state they live, and of which people they descend. The following are the most common human culture groups.
Scornian
Hailing from the Isle of Mist, the scornians have some dstinct similarities in culture and identity, though most care more for the culture of their home regions. Most scornians trace their origins to ancients settlers led by the champion Erding Frith, at the dawn of history. The modern scornian culture however, did not appear until Lord Carrick coalesced the petty tribes and kingdoms into the Kingdom of Carrickdon, several thousand years later.
Their nobles may lead easy lives, but few have access to great wealth, so most scornians are used to rough living, doubly so on the frontiers. They prefer simple colors in their clothing, with men growing elaborate beards and moustaches if they have the wealth and time to do so, and most women preferring to wear fancy hats instead of showing their hair. They are known for their love of stews, and have the amazing ability to mix even the most exquisite ingredients together into nondescript tasteless slop. The old powerful realms of Scorne send their traders far into foreign lands, and although their power have since waned, the scornian language remains are common trade language throughout the world, often simply called 'common' to dissociate from the many confusing scornian dialects.
Helnic
The people of the center, and the true rulers of Titania, at least according to themselves. The great champion Lena, laid the foundation for her people to live on the shores of giant bay, but her and her peoples' thirst for power could not be quenched so easily, but nor could they agree on anything important. Their disparate city-states prefer to rule themselves, though they often ally to ward off worse threats.
The warm climate of their homeland, means they prefer loose clothes, often without much color. Most men keep themselves clean shaven, while the women keep their hair long and loose. They subsist mostly on bread and oil, and earn their wealth through mining and agriculture. Their language Helnic, is often used for scholarly texts in other parts of the world, as many scholars learn their trade among them.
Asafid
The asafid are a curious people, an amalgation of the various cultures of eastern Titania, who have influenced and integrated themselves into each other, over the course of history. Many of their citites are ancient, tracing their origins back to the Time of The Champions. Beacause of these factors, they are by far the most populous of the human cultures, and the most regionally varied as well, though they certainly have some similarities.
They are known for they vibrant multicolored clothing, while they keep their beard and hair simple. Their food is full of fragrant spices, and what they don't use themselves, is exported to the rest of the world and sold at a high price. They prefer to speak and write in their own language and alphabet, and most would never admit to writing in Helnic, even on the pain of death, though they grudgingly tolerate common.
Vereg
Hailing from the cold and unforgiving shores of the Asgir Expanse, these rough clansmen often seem like uncultured barbarians to many of the 'civilised' men of warmer climates. Few however say so to their faces, for the veregs are proud warriors, and don't take lightly to having their honor questioned. The settled the shores of Cealand long ago, preferring to live in their clan villages and strongholds, rather than forming great nations. They are expert seafarers, and many traders and pirates hail from it's shores; it's not uncommon to see vereg privateers fighting in foreign wars.
The veregs are known for their intricately patterned clothing and art, and both men and women braid their hair, much to the bemusement of many upperclass scornians. Most travellers who visit vereg lands quickly leave again, not because they are unwelcome, but because veregs insists on eating pickled fish with everything; or if your unlucky, the world-reknowned 'delicacy' lutefisk. Veregs have no original script of their own, preferring their oral traditions, but write official documents in common.
Elves
Being the construct of abhorrent aboleth magic, the elves were first created to serve the titans as organizers and playthings. Most elves were originally one people, but would split into new subraces later on.
High Elves
The original elves, who were the first to settle Teregia. Led by the ruthless champion Melwyniac, they made war with, and defeated the iron giants, and created the first and greatest of the elven civilizations. Though they engaged in ruthless expansionism, they believed their actions were good and just, for the world was theirs by right. The arrogance of these elves have often brought them into conflict with both neighboring veregs, and goblinoid tribes. More than that, it has on several occasions led to internal struggles, and even outright civil war. As powerful as high elven leaders can be, they rarely win more than Pyrrhic victories, for their numbers are almost always lower, and their techniques often outdated, kept in active use by stubborn generals.
The high elves are known for their white clothing, fancy jewels, and long hair. Their bear themselves with pride, with even the lowest among them seeing themselves as more important than even the most powerful humans dwarves. They are however also skilled diplomats, and know when it is best to keep their opinions to themselves. The are the most prominent users of the elven alphabet, and most elven writing is made by high elven hands.
Wood Elves
Splitting from the high elves of Conrani, after a 'squable' between the champions Melwyniac and Tarmara, the later and her host fleet from Cealand's shores. They found a new home in western Teregia, settling in the dense tropical forests, which they upon their encounters with the local fauna named the Great Dragon Forest. They disliked the high elven way of large cities and giant strongholds, preferring to live their lives in one with nature.
They live their lives without needless luxuries, and prefer natural hues of greens and browns. While they tolerate city builders, they prefer to live closer to nature, and never feel truly comfortable in cities. The love good wine, and can be seen to drink quite a lot more than other elves, even when it's only cheap beer that's on the menu.
Dark Elves
The dark elves, or drow as they call themselves, are dark skinned elves, that live underground away from the sight and minds of surface dwellers, but always plotting and scheming against them and each other. They were the unfortunate product of a sinister plot to depose the current rulers of Conrani, by blowing up the grand temple during mass. While the plot was indeed successful, the traitorous noblemen had attracted the divine wrath of Lord Elador, to whom the temple was dedicated, and through his mortal followers he cursed all who had taken part in the plot. Their skin was darkened, their hair lost it's color, their eyes could no longer adjust to sunlight, and worst of all, they were forever denied a chance to have their souls sent to The Faelands after death. Hunted by Lord Elador's faithful, they fleed underground, were they settled away from the light of the sun. They are an embittered people, cruel in their appetites, and ever thirsty for revenge and the chance to spill the blood of their surface dwelling cousins.
Despite the spartan look of their dwellings, the drow have a endless desire for extravagance and hedonistic pleasures. They wear clothing of most colors, but prefer darker shades, especially warriors. Hair length is strictly regulated, the longer the hair, the higher the rank. Only high priestesses my keep their hair long enough to touch the floor, and while having a haircut above your station is usually punishable by death, those foolish enough to have their hair longer than a high priestess, will soon beg for it.
Sea Elves
Not all elves followed the champions in their war against the titans. Some took no part in the fighting, or fought the titans by themselves, and among these, the most prominent were the sea elves. The sea elves do not mingle much with the rest of the mortal races, preferring their own coastal homes, or undersea colonies, but a few do make their to elven or human settlements.
The sea elves are people of the water (obviously), and feel great discomfort if they do not submerge themselves in water often enough. This combined with their natural swimming abilities, and preference for maritime environments, means they almost never wear fabric that absorbs or is damaged by water, or especially sea water. The live mostly of fish and seafood, but they do have a liking for the breads and cakes of other cultures.
Dwarves
Dwarves were more loyal to the gods during the war on the titans than any other race. Forced to drudge in great futile construction projects, they chaffed greatly under the titans' rule, and remembered every slight and wrongdoing the titans committed against them. When the war came, they paid them back for their cruelty, with terrible vengeful fervor. The dwarves are not to be messed with, for they might be short, but their frames are powerful, their hands industrious, and their memories very long.
The dwarves don't have any real subraces, except for their shunned kin, about whom they will not speak. Despite this they do develop som different skills depending on whether they live beneath the mountains, or on the surface. Those beneath the earth are called mountains dwarves, while those on the surface prefer to make their homes in rugged terrain, and so are called hill dwarves.
Duegar
The duegar are shrouded in mystery, and no dwarf will speak of them willingly, for they are a source of shame and hatred for their proud race. When the dwarfs united to take on the titans, some dwarves refused to take part in the conflict. They went so deep into the mountains, that none could follow them, but as a parting gift, they took all the dwarven valuables they could find, enslaved those whom they found useful, and killed those to weak to resist. Because of this, no race instill more hatred among the dwarves, not even the orcs.
Little is known of the duegar, but the few rumors that appear now and again. They are said to shun the light of the sun, they raid other races for slaves, sometimess even their own kind, and they sell them to more sinister forces beneath the earth.
Halflings
The halflings have a long an troubled history. Like most of the mortal races, they fought against the titans in the war, but they had a hard time trying to settle the world afterwards. Humans, orcs and elves, all pushed them around, and encroached upon their lands. After an invasion by xanthosi forces, the various extended halfling families adjusted differently. The lightfoots accepted to become a client state, and lived among the humans, while the stouthearts refused to be ruled by conquerors, and fleed in secret to live in the hinterlands.
Gnomes
The gnomes were never as united as the other races, and few of them knew how to fight or stand up to the titans. It all changed when the gnomish champion Archibald Rumblebottom, sought to unite them. Granted, he wasn't the most charismatic of people, in fact he was a socially inept shut-in who didn't really care for leading, but he was powerful and intelligent, and the gnomes respected that. The gnomes care more for intellectual prowess, than strength or wealth. While Archibald would spend the rest of his life fleeing from responsibility, the gnomes eventually settled the islands of Hubukh, where they hoped they could live in peace.
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