Sylvans (or Elves, as they are often called) are smaller and much more slender than kine. Their delicate, fragile bodies are both graceful and quick, but it is in the domain of the arcane where sylvans truly excell. Sylvans possess an affinity to magic which is so strong that they have learned how to resist its influence. This innate affinity comes with a cost: like all arcane creatures, sylvans are vulnerable to the bite of cold iron. Elves also have considerable skill in the physical world. Their keen eyes can detect heat as well as light, and all elves have innate, permanent infravision. Elves make excellent magic users with one exception: they find necromancy extremely difficult to master. Elves also make great clerics, bards, warriors, rogues, and templars; they are not very successful barbarians.

There are many sylvan settlements throughout Rhia, but the one closest to Arinock is in a large valley to the north.

Base Stats – Strength: 20 Intelligence: 25 Wisdom: 22 Dexterity: 24 Constitution: 19

Drow are most closely related to both avariel and sylvan; they are a race of elves which has adapted to life underground. Unlike their above-ground kin, drow value violence as a way of life. Their culture, patterned on deceit and and cruelty, is tied to their physical appearance and ability in many ways. Since a surprised drow is often a dead drow, they have the innate ability to sense life they cannot see by using infravision. Drow can also sense (and so parry) incoming blows while blindfighting. This increased sensitivity also explains the drow vulnerablity to bright lights. Drow typically have pitch black skin which helps conceal them as they sneak through tunnels in perfect darkness and hide from their many enemies. Since drow culture is rooted in violence, often within their own family, drow are quite suspicious by nature and will resist attempts to charm them. Although most drow are raised under the earth, they have a natural sensitivity to disturbances in weather which may allow them to harm or expose the enemy through fogs, earthquakes, and so on, though it must be developed through class training to be effective. Drow make excellent magic users, bards, rogues, and warriors. Though very capable in a fight, they are too delicate to make good barbarians. Drow contempt for nature, healing, and faith in general make them poor druids, rangers, monks, clerics and templars.

The drow settlement in Rhia is called Har’Oloth.

Base Stats – Strength: 20 Intelligence: 24 Wisdom: 22 Dexterity: 25 Constitution: 20

Avariels are a variant of the sylvan race. Born with wings which allow innate, effortless flight, they have adapted to life in the tree tops. The avian lifestyle has made avariel elves extremely dextrous, and stronger than their more grounded kin, though they are even more slender and delicately built. Avariels have above-average intelligence and are known for being an exceptionally wise people. Due to their delicate, slender bodies, avariel elves are vulnerable to damage from extreme winds. Like all elven races, avariels innately understand how to sneak and hide, though not all classes develop these talents. Avariel skin ranges from a light yellow-green to a muddy reddish-brown. They share the pointed ears of all elves, but their most stunning and unique feature is their large, beautiful feathered wings. Avariels make excellent magic users, druids, bards, and warlocks, but their extreme fragility makes them poor barbarians.

Their stronghold in Rhia is known as the Avariel Kingdom.

Base Stats – Strength: 21 Intelligence: 24 Wisdom: 25 Dexterity: 26 Constitution: 18

OhmygoodnessaKENDER! These little rascals are possibly the most unique race in all of Rhia, at least when it comes to their personalities. Kender typically resemble kine children at a glance. Due to this, perhaps, they consider wrinkles to be both distinguished and attractive as well, and try to develop their growth at an early age. They are very dextrous and curious, and have a natural affinity for “finding” things that do not belong to them… usually in their own pockets. Kender have no conception of what it means “to steal” as others might define it and typically consider their endless thefts as quite innocent, which often, they are, since kender tend to treasure the unique far more than the valuable. Kender are physically incapable of feeling fear, and thus often find themselves in the most unwise situations. However, they are also a very intelligent race and can usually escape through sheer charm or cleverness. In fact, kender are so clever that they naturally resist mental attacks. Kender possess an impressive sense of smell, which allows them to detect hidden creatures in their vicinity. They are great pranksters, and their natural hide skill often helps them not only in this capacity, but in many other careers which provide training in hide. Due to their small size and extremely low strength, kender are not well suited to the life of a fighter and their naturally cheerful optimism also makes for poor necromancers or warlocks. They are, however, excellent druids, bards and wildmages, and there is no rogue quite as talented as a kender.

Although they tend to settle easily into civilizations of any race, pockets of feral kender (known by the derisive term “peck”) can still be found on the southern continent of Toaira.

Base Stats – Strength: 19 Intelligence: 24 Wisdom: 20 Dexterity: 26 Constitution: 21

Half-elves (or fey, as they are often called) are born from a mix of sylvan and human blood. Thus, they exhibit characteristics of both races, as well as certain qualities of their own. Fey are typically weaker than kine, but much stronger and sturdier than full-blooded elves. While fey are not quite as quick-witted as elves, their above-average intelligence does help them resist the charms of others. Half-elves are also blessed with sylvan grace in movement, and innately understand how to sneak and hide, though not all classes try to develop these talents. Half-elves also benefit from their mixed heritage in that they are often wiser than members of either “pure” race. Like kine, half-elves are a versatile race capable of excelling at any class. This similarity is shown in their appearance, which resembles slender, graceful humans in every way except one: even the smallest drop of sylvan blood will result in pointed ears.

Base Stats – Strength: 22 Intelligence: 24 Wisdom: 24 Dexterity: 24 Constitution: 22

Dwarves are short, stocky humanoids hailing from a small mining kingdom east of Arinock. Though about the height of a kine child, dwarves are nevertheless stronger than the average human. So much muscle on such a small frame makes them naturally less dextrous, but dwarves have many natural abilities to make up for any physical shortcomings. Many a man has grumbled about dwarves who seem to be born with the ability to haggle, and many a student attempting to learn the battle focus skill has envied his dwarven counterparts for whom it is innate. Due to their hardy constitutions, dwarves also innately understand fast healing. Dwarves do not like magic and will resist both its effects and its call: though some dwarves may choose the life of a magic user, it will be a difficult one. Dwarves spend a great deal of time underground searching for precious gems and metals, and so have developed infravision. For all their strengths, dwarves are remarkably awkward in water, and in fact are actually vulnerable to water-based attacks. Dwarves are terrific fighters, and their stubborn, ornery personalities also make for great clerics and warlocks.

Base Stats – Strength: 24 Intelligence: 21 Wisdom: 24 Dexterity: 21 Constitution: 24

Still in the goblin family, orcs are human size but retain many of the characteristics of a goblin. They’re usually greenish in color and tend to have short tusk-like teeth that protrude from their mouths. Orcs tend to be stronger and sturdier than kine, as well as more dexterous, but they are also known to be extremely dimwitted. This slow-minded approach works to their benefit in combat because their slow, cumbersome minds are naturally predisposed to battle focus, if the orc can be trained. Orcs innately understand how to deal enhanced damage and their unique physiology (and tendency to eat anything) helps them to resist poisons and diseases of all types. However, the mental ineptitude of orcs makes them vulnerable to mental attacks. Orcs are quite agile, and so have an innate understanding of the sneak skill, though they require training to use it. They have poor vision, but to compensate, orcs have developed permanent infravision, allowing them to sense heat sources. Due to a limited intelligence, orcs don’t
make good magic users, though they do possess a talent for necromancy and the negative magics of a warlock. Orcs are generally excellent fighters and rogues. Their single-minded tendency to believe makes orcs good clerics but their crude ways make them poor templars and bards.

Orcs and their goblin kin can be found all over Rhia, and they keep a stronghold in the Dwarf Forest east of Arinock.

Base Stats – Strength: 24 Intelligence: 21 Wisdom: 20 Dexterity: 24 Constitution: 24

Ogres are similar to orcs in appearance, with one major difference: size. Ogres are HUGE in size, dwarfing almost every other race in Rhia. Their bulky frames are built to withstand nearly anything: ogres can resist even the most extreme heat or cold, and damage that might cripple an ordinary kine would only show as scratches on this extremely sturdy race. Due to their incredibly massive builds ogres are not exactly light on their feet; in fact they are very clumsy and not well suited to any activities requiring dexterity. Ogres are also the stupidest race in Rhia, and like orcs, this single-mindedness tends to aid them in combat as their battle focus is an innate skill waiting only to be trained. Ogres also have innate skill in dishing out enhanced damage and flattening foes via bash, once they have received proper instruction on these abilities. Like orcs, ogres are vulnerable to mental attacks, for which they have next to no defense. Ogres are terrible magic users, and in fact any class which requires magical prowess will be very hard for an ogre to master. They are, however, excellent warriors, rangers and monks, and no race is better suited to the fearsome barbarian class than this gargantuan race. Like draconians, ogres can easily wield a two-handed weapon in one giant hand.

Ogres can be seen toiling effortlessly in the quarry south of Visegrad, and they have a small village in the Dwarf Forest.

Base Stats – Strength: 26 Intelligence: 20 Wisdom: 20 Dexterity: 20 Constitution: 26

Werekin are a strain or variety of the human race whose family bloodlines are overwhelmingly populated with werecreatures. It is said that werekin are born with the gene, though most of the time it lies dormant, resulting in werekin which are not capable of changing their shapes. Regardless of whether or not a werekin can shift, the presence of the gene manifests in certain undeniably animalistic qualities: they are stronger and sturdier than ordinary kine, but also less intelligent and less wise. Werekin also often exhibit feral traits in appearance, such as slightly fanged teeth, excessive facial or body hair, strong, sharp fingernails, etc. Like their actively shifting kin, members of this race who are infected with vampiric blood will suffer madness and death. As with all humans, werekin are a very versatile race capable of excelling at virtually any class. The sole exception is necromancy, which werekin may find difficult to master.

Base Stats – Strength: 24 Intelligence: 22 Wisdom: 22 Dexterity: 23 Constitution: 24

Liches are strange, unnatural creations. Formerly of any race, these beings gave themselves to Syrin in sacrifice to be reborn as undead with strange new powers. Syrin, in his mockery of Tyrin and Rhian, has granted his followers the ability of true sight, and gifted their undead bodies with innate skills of fast healing and meditation, though the newly undead lich must be trained how to use the latter two. Lich usually resemble whatever race they were in life, but decay sets in and continues after the physical death, rotting away flesh and clothes until only skull and bone remains. Lich resist ill effects of negative magic, since this is the magic used to bind them, but the process makes them vulnerable to its opposite: holy magic. Lich exclusively follow Syrin, and are by their mere existence members of the Church devoted to this god of chaos. Any deviation from this worship, or disobedience to his Avatar, Suqlaheru, may result in death or instant, painful transformation into a weak and worthless kine. Due to extremely high intelligence lich are skilled magic users. Their natural affinity with negative magic makes them great warlocks.
Though lich have trouble using holy magic as clerics, they do make excellent templars: the only fighter class to which frail undead bodies are suited.

All lichnee are expected to be familiar with the Ziggurat: the temple to Syrin.

Special Notice: The Lich is a different type of race. They exclusively follow Syrin and may have enemies naturally before making any RP contact with anyone. If you are new to Dark Risings or mudding in general, you may not choose lich as a race to start with due to the nature and restrictions of their RP. Lichnee have natural enemies, can’t have a + flag, and are expected to know their way around the game.

Base Stats – Strength: 21 Intelligence: 26 Wisdom: 24 Dexterity: 23 Constitution: 22

Originally from the Astral Plane, Githyanki can be hard to see without the aid of magic. They are unusually tall and thin, resembling malnourished kines in stature. Their leathery skin typically ranges from a pale white to a pallid green, and their faces are characterized by sharp angles, flattened noses, and long, orcish ears. Githyanki are highly intelligent, and this most often takes the form of shrewd, suspicious cunning. Giths trust no one, and often prey on the stupid or trusting for their own gain. Any githyanki seeming to be helpful or friendly is always running a scam of some sort. Though they are now a free race githyanki were enslaved by a powerful lich for generations, and therefore giths are often highly suspicious of religion. Some githyanki still do follow the faith taught to them by the lich, but giths attempting to become priests of Syrin risk instant and total destruction by Suqlaheru. Clearly, relations between gith and their former oppressors will remain strained until the stigma and subsequent rage over their prior enslavement has faded from memory.

Most gith on the Astral Plane are warriors, and githyanki who walk Rhia excel in this class. Some githyanki hone their considerable mental talents to become psionicists or warlocks, and others learn, surprisingly, to master nature as druids. All githyanki understand the use of meditation, and though they have to be taught to use it, they possess an innate talent for this skill. Since electrical storms are common in the Astral Plane, githyanki have developed a resistance to lightning. Before the lich invasion, religion was unknown in the Astral Plane; thus gith are vulnerable to holy-based attacks. As the portal to their home plane remains open, more and more githyanki can be seen in Rhia.

Base Stats – Strength: 23 Intelligence: 25 Wisdom: 22 Dexterity: 22 Constitution: 22