Role Playing Guide to Races
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Humans: Humans are the most common race, and often used as a sort
of measuring stick for comparing other races. They are the most
well-rounded race, but also one of the most ambitious, innovative, and
varied. Humans come in all manner of shapes, sizes, colors and
dispositions and almost always live in towns or cities. They usually
have good relations with all other races, but can show remarkable bigotry
toward mixed races, especially Half-Elves.
Elves: Elves are roughly
human-sized, a bit taller, more graceful and more slender than the average
human, and extremely beautiful. Their most defining features are long
upswept pointed ears and sharp high cheekbones. They are a long-lived
race - an elf is rarely considered mature before 100 years of age. Due
to their longevity and their excellent memories, they are quite intelligent
and have wisdom that surpasses almost all the other races. Elves are
known for their fine, sometimes magical, craftsmanship and strong affinity
with nature. They tend to be aloof of other races, and generally look
upon what they consider lesser races as children who must be tolerated and
supervised at best. They usually have a strong dislike for Half-Elves,
Orcs and Half-Orcs.
Half-Elves: Half-Elves are the product of the
rare union of a Human and an Elf. They are larger than the average
elf, but have the similar, if somewhat less prominent, elven features of
slightly pointed ears and great beauty. They tend to be shunned by
both Human and Elven society.
Dark Elves: Dark Elves
are are solitary, secretive creatures. They live deep in
underground cities and have charcoal gray to blue-tinged skin and very pale
usually almost white hair. They have the very unique ability of
Infravision, meaning they can detect patterns of heat in the absence of
light, essentially allowing them to see in the dark. The details of
their matriarchal society are closely held, and they look down upon all
other races as inferior. Many Dark Elves mix the Common Tongue with
their native languages.
Halflings: Small and amazingly agile, Halflings are one of the little
races and rarely grow to more than 4 or 5 feet tall. They are
excellent farmers and have a great love for food and often carry a pipe and
pouch of tabac with them at all times. Halfling feet are typically hairy and
thick skinned and they are quite a trademark for this race. Few wear shoes
since they have little use for them. While low in endurance, they are strong
in will and heart. Halflings are exceedingly friendly and tend to have
good relations with all other races, though they are usually wary of
Saurians who are more likely to try to eat them than anything else.
Gnomes:
Gnomes are the tiniest of the major races of Syndar, and famous for being
very intellectual and wise. They are also a long-lived race, but not
very hardy. An affinity for things of nature is evident in their
homes, normally made in hollow tree-trunks or in underground warrens.
Gnomes much prefer to rely on being clever and diplomatic than resort to
open confrontation. While not possessing remarkable physically
attractiveness, due to their intellect Gnomes are highly respected and
regarded by other races.
Dwarves: Stout and hardy, Dwarves are
small yet powerful packages. They rarely exceed 5 feet in height yet
are extremely strong and resilient. Dwarves, both male and female, are
always bearded. They are known for their outstanding craftsmanship,
especially in the arts of metallurgy. They are renowned miners and are
most comfortable deep underground. Traditionally they favor axes and
hammers as weapons.
Goblins: Distant cousins to the Orcs, Goblins
are as small and agile as Orcs are huge and lumbering. They do share
the Orcish resistance to toxins and poisons, and have the same leathery
greenish skin. Much more intelligent than their savage cousins,
Goblins are renowned healers, prized for their ability to outlive more
fragile races in combat.
Saurians: Saurians are easily the tallest race in Syndar, often
topping 7 feet in height. While extremely strong and incredibly agile,
they are not terribly bright and tend to be very single-minded. They are
huge lizard-like beings with slitted eyes and scaly skin. They have
long snouts and if they have hair it is usually black or dark brown coarse
hair that grows only from the very top of the scalp, often worn in a
topknot. Their normal way of greeting people is to lick them on the cheek
with their long flicking tongues, which, much like snakes, is how they
smell. Saurians are very sensitive about their long tails and other
races would do well to avoid touching them in all but the most intimate
situations. They are generally friendly to all races, but find the
smaller races to be particularly tasty treats and are especially fond of
eating Halflings.
Half-Orcs: These giants are a product of Orcish
savages and, much more often then not, an unwilling human woman. They
have tough green-tinged skin and are huge, very strong and endurant, but
lumbering, awkward and ham-handed. They are often known for being
dim-witted and anti-social. Those Half-Orcs who were lucky enough to
have more Human than Orcish traits passed on are a notable but rare
exception to the normally cruel and violent rule. One fortunate legacy
that all Half-Orcs receive from their Orc fathers is a resistance to toxins
and poisons and the ability to regenerate at an amazing rate.