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| |title = [[Songaskia]] | | |title = [[Songaskia]] |
| |color = 8A7EF7 | | |color = 8A7EF7 |
| |image = Newsongy.png | | |image = Songalookac.png |
| |caption = The last hope of a long-dead power | | |caption = The last hope of a long-dead power |
| |text = In the far-off distant sands of Farah’deen stand the towering pearl cities of the Songaskian Masaya, home to the heirs of the Elders and the Great Old Ones. The Songaskian Empire spans the massive continent of Farah'deen and stands as one of the foremost threats to Regalian supremacy, equalled only by the Kathar Dread Empire. The Songaskians, who sport a turbulent and relatively recent history, do not have a very distinct mark on the world, but it would be foolish to not acknowledge their hand in nearly every modern event. The last remaining remnants of the Dragons, the Songaskians have proclaimed themselves the inheritors of the crown of the world, a title once held only by the majestic winged creatures that roamed the skies and lorded over the mortal races. Poised to strike from the great pearl cities built by their Sariyd forerunners, the Songaskians spread their proverbial wings across the oceans, gathering resources and manpower to achieve their own goals of world domination. Others yet continue to follow in the footsteps of their Draconian ancestors, living lives of study, self-exploration, and development to become the worthy descendants the Dragons wished them to be. | | |text = In the far-off distant sands of Farah’deen stand the towering pearl cities of the Songaskian Masaya, home to the heirs of the Elders and the Great Old Ones. The Songaskian Empire spans the massive continent of Farah'deen and stands as one of the foremost threats to Regalian supremacy, equalled only by the Kathar Dread Empire. The Songaskians, who sport a turbulent and relatively recent history, do not have a very distinct mark on the world, but it would be foolish to not acknowledge their hand in nearly every modern event. The last remaining remnants of the Dragons, the Songaskians have proclaimed themselves the inheritors of the crown of the world, a title once held only by the majestic winged creatures that roamed the skies and lorded over the mortal races. Poised to strike from the great pearl cities built by their Sariyd forerunners, the Songaskians spread their proverbial wings across the oceans, gathering resources and manpower to achieve their own goals of world domination. Others yet continue to follow in the footsteps of their Draconian ancestors, living lives of study, self-exploration, and development to become the worthy descendants the Dragons wished them to be. |
Revision as of 20:09, 7 September 2020
Aloria is brimming with a plethora of races scattered all about the lands and seas alike. Alorian races are all incredibly diverse and individually unique, spanning from the prosperous Humans and their excellent ability to expand to the Maraya, whose strong culture and ancient heritage has only recently begun to become more apparent to the world. What makes a race different from any other beast is primarily its sentience; a race has the ability to think, communicate, and is able to be aware of itself, while a beast cannot always do that. Races are playable on MassiveCraft while beasts are typically not, and when referenced, race names are capitalized and beast names are left lowercase. For example, a troll is a beast, while an Orc is a race.
Human
| Ailor |
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They prayed silently, side by side, for the continued supremacy of the human race. |
From the warm coastlines of Daendroc to the icy ranges of New Ceardia, the Ailor Humans rule supreme in Aloria. Peaking the social, political, and economic ladder, the Ailor, often referred to as Humans, consider themselves to be the height of society (to the disdain of the other civilized races). In the beginning, they existed as barbaric peoples in Ceardia. To their eventual rise and expansion outward, the Ailor Humans have proven to be the most progressive and aggressive people of Aloria, having conquered an assortment of populations and nations. The most prominent of these conquerors are those of the Regalian Empire, perhaps one of the largest ruling bodies in Aloria. Sometimes considered the inheritor realm after the fall of the Elven Empire, the Regalian Empire proves to essentially be the center of Alorian life and activity, the empire’s capital sitting as a cultural, political, and economic center. While maintaining a similar build to the other Human races of Aloria, the Ailor tend to be the most diverse. Ranging from paler complexions to dark tans, Ailor Humans feature a wide spectrum of physical appearances and culture, having been a widespread people throughout Aloria. Along with their unique physical aspects, the Ailor’s culture, customs, and traditions vary even more. |
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| Sihai |
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Small ships sailed between towns, propelled by breezes cast from tired mages. |
Quiet and elusive, the Sihai are no new people to the world of Aloria. These mysterious easterners are able to shift their form based on the position of the lunar cycle, rich in their own history and legends, dozens of centuries old. The Sihai Empire in the far west hides many secrets, the Sihai having all the means to unlock them, yet keep them hidden away from the world also. Seeking both isolation and contact with the outside world, entrepreneurs and explorers alike sail to the west, bringing exotic goods and tales to the eager mouths and ears of the Regalians, making a home far away from home, and bringing the wealth of the exotic cultures of their homeland to the west, enriching the whole world around them, and themselves in the process. |
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| Dwarf |
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Deep underground, ingenuity sparked as bright as the forges that fueled them. |
Stocky and short, the practical and innovative Dwarven race is known as a source of great progress as well as tragedy at the hands of others. Inventors and expert axe fighters, the Dwarves continue to contribute to the world’s mechanical and forging advances while they cling onto what little remains of their proud heritage, marred by the betrayal and destruction caused by other races. At the hands of the Dakkar and betrayal by the collapsing Nelfin Empire, the Dwarves suffered greatly and lost many of their great kingdoms. Many fled to the surface, others remained to defend what little pride remained. For those who did flee to the surface, integration into the Regalian Empire was inevitable, bringing with them a wealth of knowledge on airships, cannons and other uses of gunpowder. Certainly, Dwarves are what gave the Regalians a technological advantage over the other major political players. Dwarves continue to fulfill an important role in the industries of this large Empire, being the only truly non-Ailor race that is universally accepted by them, albeit with some comedy at the expense of their height. The Dwarves dream of one day reconquering their Dwarven holds lost during the Dakkar wars, with or without the help of their Ailor cousins. |
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| Qadir |
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The gentle ticking of the Almuttaq divines the path to Esrah Alwattah in earnest. |
Qadir, or sometimes called Mansuriya, are the native people of the Farah'deen continent before the collapse of their civilization at the hands of the Songaskia. Meticulous and precise, the Qadir are known clockworkers, fine silver carvers and praised artists who take pride and value in their expertly crafted items. The Qadir are few in the world, but they are a resilient and inventive people, distrusting of outsiders since the fall of their great Empire, yet willing to teach the lesser races in the ways of their culture and knowledge. For every calamity that strikes their people, or the world, the Qadir have some invention that will give them a chance at beating the odds. The Qadir are ruled by a collective of clockwork machines, divining decisions for a race that has lost faith in the existence of gods a long time ago. Despite their small numbers, Qadir are ever present across the world, hired by the rich and famous for their skills and unrivaled sharp sight. Their Hadritya’s, places of learning, are yearned for many would be scholars, even if entry is ever so difficult to achieve. |
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In the far-off distant sands of Farah’deen stand the towering pearl cities of the Songaskian Masaya, home to the heirs of the Elders and the Great Old Ones. The Songaskian Empire spans the massive continent of Farah'deen and stands as one of the foremost threats to Regalian supremacy, equalled only by the Kathar Dread Empire. The Songaskians, who sport a turbulent and relatively recent history, do not have a very distinct mark on the world, but it would be foolish to not acknowledge their hand in nearly every modern event. The last remaining remnants of the Dragons, the Songaskians have proclaimed themselves the inheritors of the crown of the world, a title once held only by the majestic winged creatures that roamed the skies and lorded over the mortal races. Poised to strike from the great pearl cities built by their Sariyd forerunners, the Songaskians spread their proverbial wings across the oceans, gathering resources and manpower to achieve their own goals of world domination. Others yet continue to follow in the footsteps of their Draconian ancestors, living lives of study, self-exploration, and development to become the worthy descendants the Dragons wished them to be. |
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Magus
| Altalar |
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The ghosts of the Elven Empire whispered in the eaves of every town, city, and tribe |
Once the dominant race on Aloria, the Altalar are perhaps the most diverse and flexible race still existing today, and for good reason. In times since passed, the Altalar lived under the Allorn Empire, the precursor to the Regalian Empire, practising all forms of magic, perfecting every craft available to them, and setting the standard for politics and court intrigue from then on, becoming quite possibly the most influential race in the modern day. Three hundred years ago, their Empire fell, owing to a combination of circumstance, internal conflict, and invading Orcs. Coupled with the catastrophic Wildering that made their marble citadels uninhabitable, the Altalar quickly fell from grace, leaving the stage open for Ailor to take, and for every other Nelfin subrace to manifest. Still, in spite of their fall from grace, Altalar maintain themselves as formidable warriors, supremely skilled craftsmen, and powerful mages, hoping to prove to the world that, although they once fell, they are perfectly willing to climb the ladder to world dominance once more, once the opportunity presents itself, and the fates align. |
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| Avanthar |
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With a single kick, the horse was spurred with a cry as the arrows flew overhead |
To many, the Avanthar are the wild horse masters of the plains of Daendroc and the open fields stretching into Lusits. While originally being an Elven race, the Avanthar have since their first interbreeding changed far away from their Elven lineage due to their belief that the Elven race was physically inferior to the Ailor (and other races for that matter), and that they should absorb the strengths of other races. In many ways, the Avanthar have become a half-breed race, but they have developed their own unique features that set them apart from other Half-Elves. Their culture is also a far cry from the old Elven high standard of living, having reverted to being pasture nomads, but isn’t nearly as barbaric as it is often implied by ignorant Daendroque settlers. Avanthar engage in an aggressive guerrilla-style warfare employed against primarily Orcs, while taking the unofficial mantle of the protectors of the plains, and all that live within. Skillful with a bow and large in number, the Avanthar are primarily a war-like race that continue the fight against the Orcs. Even three centuries after the last semblance of their Empire collapsed, the Avanthar steele on in the hopes of one day cleansing their lands of the green menace and taking up a leading role in what they call the Nelfellim, the resurgence of their Empire. |
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| Cielothar |
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A gentle wind blows at the windmill, the only movement on a quiet plain. |
Cielothar as a name refers to the more agrarian Elves who are also commonly called the Wind Elves. This nickname comes from the fact that central to all of their settlements stands a massive windmill that doubles as their main granary as well as their social gathering center. The Cielothar are often seen as the antithesis of the Altalar, believing in a tranquil existence in worship and respect of the forest, in harmony with nature and the land and at peace with the wildlife of the world. The Cielothar have returned to a much simpler agrarian existence, rejecting the urban and decadent lifestyle of the Altalar Elves and all war-like behaviors associated with it. Ironically enough this always causes the Cielothar to be seen as the victim Elves, their strong adherence to pacifism making them soft targets for Orc raiders or Human bandits. The Cielothar are often seen as infantile and naive by the other Nelfin denominations, though they are exceptionally skilled when dealing with animals and taking care of their needs. |
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| Sihndar |
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Their armies stood strong against the Void and Exist Incursions, whilst hunting down corruption across Aloria with extreme prejudice. |
The Sihndar are the remnants of an ancient people known as the Drovv, a now extinct race of people which had been incorporated into the Allorn Empire. The Grandening period of the Altalar history saw the rise of the Cult of Dronnal, a militarily inclined cult formed by the Altalar which the Drovv people developed. In the end as the Empire fell when the Cataclysm beset them, they too fell, though a different event occurred upon Drowda, this event being referred to now as the Wretched Tear. This catastrophe infected their people with the Northern Taint. Their skins turned dark purple and grayish-blue, and their hair turned white. Many of them died, poisoned by the Void and Exist energies that infected them, but those that survived would eventually form the foundation of Sihndar society. Forged by their newly acquired scars these survivors would learn to inhabit the very world twisted and warped around them. They developed the strategic belief that while they needed to remain stalwart at home and keep Drowda clean of taint, that the rest of the world also needed to be cleansed in order for the healing process to truly commence. To this day, the Sihndar roam the world, hunting what they consider vile corruptions wherever they can find it, making enemies, but also alliances, with other Races and other people wherever they go with the ultimate goal of redeeming their Race. |
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| Isldar |
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They faded and returned before anyone could fathom what had happened. |
An elusive and mysterious race, the Isldar prefer to remain shut off from the rest of the world, instead weaving their way into Elladorian legends. This Nelfin subrace holds a central belief that Dragons gave life to the world. They say the more elusive Isldar remain sheltered away, tending to the remaining Frost Wyverns and Frostweaver. Thanks to their icy seclusion, this subrace bears very similar features, including pale, blue-tinted skin, blue eyes, and white hair. Naturally, Isldar share the typical angular features and pointed ears of other Nelfin. As the existence of most Isldar revolve around their religious beliefs, any Isldar who leave the hold are often considered traitors or heretics for violating religious beliefs. Aside from these beliefs, Isldar appreciate song and music but generally lack the intellectual decadence of other Nelfin sub-races. Many Isldar cannot read or write, speak solely Nelfin or broken Common, and are assumed dependant on magic. Other aspects of Isldar culture and beliefs still remain a mystery as the Nelfin sub-race continues to guard its society, embedded in the worship and fear of the ancient Frostweaver dragon. |
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| Kathar |
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The darkness of the Void eventually tainted their skin, their lives, and their souls. |
The Kathar, or Dread Empire Elves, are the westernmost Nelfin species that occupy the Shadow Isles, the Kathar Steppes, the landmass of Saivale, and the Wolond Walds that make up the Dread Empire. The Kathar are seen by many other races as a force of true evil, and their Empire is at war with nearly every other state in the world as a result, constantly butting heads with the other Elven States, the Orcish Tribes and the Regalian Empire.. The Kathar themselves, often also referred to as Shadow Elves, are a fair but gray and pale skinned race of Elves with peculiar physical characteristics that set them apart from the other Nelfin species. Furthermore, they have vastly differing cultures and societies that make them seem otherworldly in comparison to other Elves. From inside their walled Khalor cities, the Kathar keep the old Elven Empire alive in a far more depraved and vile state, corrupted fully by the Void Essences they sought to bring into the world. To say they worship the Archdemon and serve him as leal followers would be wrong, however. Through the centuries, the Kathar have managed to master the Void Essences that once controlled them to turn the tables and harness their unlimited energies to wage war on the world both in body and in mind. |
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| Yanar |
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From nature they came, and to nature they would lovingly return. |
From the extensive forests to the rising cities reborn from the destruction of the Elven Empire, the Yanar can be seen about Daendroc and other great holdings of nature, tending to their groves and gardens as their lady Estel has instructed them. Well known for their plant-like appearance, these humanoids grow flowers, bark, fungus and fruit seemingly out of (or in place of) their flesh. Yanar are elegant and pure in their youth, but withered and decomposing in their older ages, towards sixty years. Their hair and eye colors reflect the norm of the Elves; that of golden, green, blue and brown eyes, to match brunette, black, and blonde hairs (if they have hair). As mentioned before, the Yanar all bear some resemblance to a plant, whether it be fruit or vegetation. These flowery folk were born when Estel saw the need to warn the Altalar within the Elven Empire of the most recent Void Invasion. But the Altalar had strayed too far from nature, and they could not understand the Yanar. When the Kathar did come, they were able to infect the plant-like people with a mildew substance, slowly deteriorating the physical and mental states of the host until he or she turned into a dark entity of Behaesal: A corrupted Yanar. Following this, the Yanar began slowly being incorporated into Elven society, splitting with the Yanar at the Elven civil war. Now, they are renowned for their healing abilities using their general knowledge of the plantlife of Aloria, serving Regalia in that aspect and being treated with according respect. |
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Maia
| Maraya |
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Exotic in color, ancient in culture, unique in body |
The last remnants of the ancient Meraic Civilization and survivors of the Void Invasion, the Maraya, otherwise known as the Sleepers, are the oldest still-living race in Aloria. When faced with imminent extinction, the greatest minds and mages of the their world-spanning Empire came together and constructed the Tohn Valeer; massive underground stasis vaults intended to preserve their species in an centuries-long slumber. Their slumber could only last so long, however. At the end of the Void Invasion that had pressed them into their vaults, Magic was drained from the world, an event unforeseen by the Meraic. With each passing century, extinction loomed ever closer to the sleeping race, with Tohn Valeer vaults worldwide failing without the Magic used to sustain them. While some vaults became the final grave of their inhabitants, others managed to preserve the lives of their inhabitants, and others still were subject to magical corruption, altering the biology of the Maraya within. Eventually, with the destruction brought by the Cataclysm and the Wildering in the Allorn Empire, the vault seals were broken and exposed, and the sudden burst of Magic preceding these events re-activated the magic of the vaults, awakening those inside. Wrought by memory loss and the effects of long term hibernation, the Maraya that emerged into a world that was alien and hostile to them. Guided by their Tohn Sona (holy scriptures of the past), they set out in the world to try and reclaim some of their lost glory. In immediate opposition to the Allar and Slizzar, the Maraya continue to struggle in a world where they increasingly come to realize that their past is long behind them, and that they have to adapt to survive in a world that is too full of other Races all fighting for dominion. |
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Gorr
| Allar |
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Written on their scales was the rich heritage from which they'd come—ancient history. |
The Allar race has had a sorted and ancient history starting back before the Cataclysm on their home continent of Sendras. The main line of the Allar, the Al-Allar, were the most numerous. Skilled in alchemy, they crafted a new race to serve them, the Sa-Allar as cousin races the Zu-Allar and the Es-Allar rose to their own prominence. But with the coming the murderous Mu-Allar, the Allar fled with their Sa-Allar servants to Hadar. There, the Slizzar incorporated them into the nation and soon, their united kingdoms under the banner of the Essa Empire. When the Regalian Empire came to the island chain however, intent on ending the growing threat to their imperial power, the Slizzar slipped away to leave the Allar to face the brunt of the Regalian assault. Despite suffering atrocious casualties in the war, the Al-Allar and Sa-Allar survived to seek revenge on the Slizzar, massacring them as the Chrysant War came to an end. Now serving as dutiful subjects to the Regalian Empire, their people working to grow again after the horrors inflicted on their people. The Allar as a whole share the same general traits of dark green to brown to grey and even yellow scales covering a reptilian body with spikes and horns growing from their edges with a rigid tail growing out behind them. While the Al-Allar are frail in build, the Sa-Allar were designed to be bulky workers with natural muscular while the Mu-Allar’s defining trait is their feathered bodies. Alchemy as well as wider science are the central focus of many Allar lives. Glassblowing, an art they perfected years ago, is also important to them. |
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| Slizzar |
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Serpents slithered across endless streets, both deadly and magnificent. |
As mysterious and secretive as common snakes, the Slizzar are the rarest race in Aloria; only a few thousand still exist in the entire world. Slizzar were once abundant in the Essa Empire and before, though war and racial cleansing seriously diminished their numbers. Slizzar are distrusted, yet alluring to most other races due to their inherent shape-shifting abilities. Slizzar continue to do what they do best nowadays: worming their way into the trust of individuals in power, and then using that to better themselves. They can often be seen as courtesans and advisers, but are also successful assassins or spies. Few can be found in the open, though all of them travel back to Ssasrakand every year during the solar eclipse day. |
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| Varran |
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The salty sea air in his hair, Kahn roared to the waves. |
Varrans, one of the oldest pre- Elven Empire races of Aloria, are a race of feline humanoids that inhabit the deserts of Ithania and surrounding lands. Varrans are known for occupying two ends of the freedom spectrum. On land, Varrans in Ithania are known to be the pinnacle of servitude and slavery to the Elves, but on the high seas, no other race equals the Varran Corsairs in personal freedom and self-determination. Fierce and communal, the Varrans have a difficult place in modern society. Their ancient history has been mostly wiped out by the Nelfin, who continue to try and diminish the Varran identity to this day. Despite the many hardships these people face as a beastly race, Varrans have been able to mostly free themselves of slavery in the wake of the collapse of the Elven Empire, venturing into their history in the hopes of rebuilding some of their racial identity that was lost centuries ago. |
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| Orc |
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Crude weapons crushed by crooked tusks; they fought with passion and fury. |
Large, hostile, and in possession of tusks capable of goring an enemy, Orcs have earned their reputation as fierce and intimidating warriors. Even their young are left to fight it out in ‘pits’ where litters are reduced to only the strongest few survivors. Throughout their lives such strength and ability in battle will always determine their social status. Not surprisingly, tribes tend to maintain distance from one another, and even then, infighting has always limited the growth of any large scale Orcish empire. Physically, they are sometimes called grotesque, perhaps due to their gray or green skin, imposing musculature, and less than sunny disposition, but that hasn’t deterred other races, such as the Humans, from employing them to do the heavy, dangerous work in battle. But whether recruited into war or self-motivated, theirs is a history defined by conflict. In particular, Orcs have been engaged with the Elves ever since first fleeing the increasingly poisoned air of their homeland, Guldar. Once they even brought the Elven Empire to its knees in a war culminating with the ‘Big Boom’ that wiped the capital of Ríë off of the map. |
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| Url |
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Hunters on the prowl, sprays of crimson on the white snow. |
The Url are a race of half-beast half-men that hail from Jorrhildr, though the truth behind their existence is far more disturbing. The Url were originally not the creatures that are known around the world, but a symbiotic worm and a non-Url host that fuse into what is commonly known as the Url nowadays. Once in symbiosis, the Url are strong and pensive, and possess an unquenchable hunger for the Beast Hunt: A search for large and dangerous game. The Url are stoic and reserved, rarely lording their physical prowess over other races, though quick to anger when disrespected and insulted in their great pride. As beast-men predators, the Url face a choice that no race ever has: Salvage their old lives, or abandoning them in favor of embracing the Horned Throng, the Url Hunter confederacy, living their lives as feared hunters. |
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Special Races
| Half Races |
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Belonging to neither, but masters of both. |
The Half Races are people who belong to neither and both races of their parents, a rare and unique blend between two members of different races pairing. Half-Races are reviled among many of the societies of Aloria as something unnatural, but often they are the product of love transcending racial boundaries, and have a unique appeal to the world by themselves that is entirely different from either of their parents. Whether it be the Half-Orcs trying to find a place to exist, or the Half-Elves who are enslaved and expelled from their Elven homelands, each Half-Race has their own unique troubles in the world, but also their own unique outlook on things and a flexibility that is not often seen in any of the other races as they seamlessly flow between societies. |
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