Minor Races

There are far too many races across the isles in order to give each race its own page with in its encyclopedia, hence the point of this to list a scant handful of the minor races.

Fairies
One of the Numerous Fae races, the fairies as a result of centuries of breeding and evolution via magic has caused countless variants, often called tribes, to emerge over the centuries, however they all resemble small winged elves, things they share in common are a height of between 1-12 inches, most that the common folk see are female or appear so, and have wings upon their backs that can resemble those of Dragonflies, moths, butterflies, beetles, or even birds and bats.

In terms of personality, they are often bright and carefree however that again, depends on the tribe. Be advised when seeking out fairies that while most have the decency to wear loose open backed dresses, those from near the equator almost Universally have chosen to scorn clothing of any sort leaving them nude as they go about their business away from the hive.

Gnomes
While it would be fair to call them just half elves, gnomes are the result of any variant of Elf mating with any variant of Dwarf, with the resulting offspring being a short race with pointed ears that can, depending on who is writing on the matter, be classed as one of the fae races.

A highly energetic race that bounces, sometimes literally off the walls. It is advised to not give a Gnome any sort of stimulant unless absolutely necessary. Their exact appearance and Personality depends on the subrace of their parents, however the children of woodelves do have a chance to become "wild gnomes" and sprout deer like antlers upon puberty however they are rare in the extreme as most gnomes don't have the temperament for such a handling.

As for physical side of things Gnomes stand 3ftto four feet even and weigh 45lbs to 60lbs while resembling short elves with slightly pointed ears, frail builds and angular facial features but their dwarven ancestry stands through, besides their short stature in the ability of male gnomes to be able to grown facial hair in their older age.

Halfings
A sister face to Gnomes, a halfing is born when a dwarf and a humani have children together, meaning these simple humanoids are four foot tall 60-70lb tall beings who rarely leave their hollowed out hill homes if they can help it, preferring their simple but cozy homes to the dangerous world outside the walls of their settlements but a few in every generation yearn for more and will leave the settlements to explore and hopefully find treasure a-plenty.

Tabaxis
Tabaxis are a feline-esque humanoid species. They are characterized by their cat-like eyes, ears, tail, and claws as well as the coat of fur covering their bodies. They generally stand a slight bit taller than humani, averaging between six and seven feet. They have heightened senses as well as a natural ability to see in the dark. Curiously, they seem to possess high levels of natural magical ability, and have a great tendency to produce wild magic. As such they often lean towards more chaotic alignments. Tabaxi fur coloration largely depends on their Clan, as their tones tend to lean more towards blending into their environment when possible. For example, the Clan of the Forests tends to have more earthy tones, whereas the Clan of the Mountains has more grays and whites, and so on depending on environment. The only notable exception to this is the Clan of the Seas, where it’s just a mixed bag all around. Essentially, any color you would see on a wild or domesticated cat can appear in a Tabaxi’s fur.

Noteworthy Factions: Clan of the Forests, Clan of the Shores, Clan of the Seas, Clan of the Mountains, Clan of the Dunes, Clan of the Skies, Clan of the Meadows

In the very beginning, there were no Clans. Tabaxis were essentially wild animals back then, feral with only very simple communication. However, they began to quickly evolve along with the rest of life on the island as Anir’s talents grew and they began to focus more and more on their creations. Though still solitary in those early days, they became tunnelers, digging homes and pathways under the ground in order to avoid many of the dangers of Blacklin Isle. But other species began to adapt as well. Around the same time they became tunnelers, Tabaxis formed a sort of basic language, mostly spoken although there are a few records of writings as well. This formation of language moved them out of the Feral era. Realizing the need to band together as a species to survive against the deadly threats of the island they inhabited, they began to form several smaller Clans, none with any real names as they rose and fell fairly quickly due to infighting, and one big Clan now known as the Lost Tunnel Clan. Near the end of the tunneling era is when their true language began to form, which was where many of the traditions they still use to this day originated from. The tunneling era was ended by the Sinkhole, a massive event in which an earthquake caused the collapse of most of the tunnel systems, most notably the main den of the Lost Tunnel Clan, which formed a massive sinkhole in the earth. Deeming the tunnels too unsafe and not worth the risk for survival, Tabaxis began to make their homes on the surface. The remains of the Lost Tunnel Clan split to become the cores of the Clans of the Forests, Mountains, Dunes, and Shores. Each took in many Clanless Tabaxi. Meanwhile, the Clan of the Meadows also formed with their Leader having been formerly Clanless from the start. It was during this time almost all of the rest of the consistent Tabaxi traditions formed. For a long time, things didn’t change very much. Then came a son of the Clan of the Shores, a male by the name of Dark Waves, a powerful wild magic sorcerer. He fell in love with a Clanless Tabaxi, which is basically the one mating taboo. His strict Clan leaders exiled him, and so he fled in the night with his lover, Gentle Willow, as he knew they would try to kill her. Sure enough, the pair were chased out into the sea, and in a desperate attempt to save his love Dark Waves used his magic to take them deep into the sea. But something went wrong, and Gentle Willow drowned. Overwhelmed with grief Dark Waves released a surge of wild magic, bringing a castle up from under the sea floor, where it is rumored he still dwells, mourning his love, as a Demigod taken into divinity as the son of Aenlir themselves. A Clan believing the Old Traditions were wrong formed in his honor, the Clan of the Seas. They became fishers and traders, flying in the face of Tabaxi tradition and eternally warring with the Clan of the Shores. Shortly after, the Clan of the Skies formed. Time passed, and eventually it became the present. For such an adaptive species Tabaxi culture is quite slow to change. While tribes of Clanless Tabaxi still roam, they became increasingly less common as time went on, to now being virtually impossible to find.

Tabaxis are a very reserved and loyal species, choosing to keep to specific Clans and unlikely to ever leave the island they reside on. They are known to be as prideful as they are reserved, and their loyalty to their Clans tends to be almost blinding. They often choose a wide variety of classes, though sometimes there are some Clan specific tendencies, as variety helps them survive. Storytelling is emphasized as an important aspect of Tabaxi culture. Clans are very tight knit communities, and in fact it is extremely rare to find a Tabaxi living outside of a Clan. At birth, a Tabaxi is given a simple kit name. Once they reach the age where they can prove adulthood, they must pass some sort of Clan specific trial or challenge. These are often ceremonial rites of passage, and when successful are followed by a massive feast and party. The name they earn follows the usual Tabaxi naming system. Tabaxis are expected to mate for life, although it’s usually expected to mate outside of one’s own Clan. The mated pair will then choose which Clan to live in, and the new mate will almost always be accepted into their new Clan. There the couple will often raise kits (or adopt if non-heterosexual or otherwise unwilling/unable to produce kits on their own). As litter sizes range from one to seven or eight kits, with the most usual size being two to four, and the harsh nature of Blacklin Isle, there are often orphaned kits to adopt, and the familial nature of the Clans mean the kits will often if not always find a home regardless. When a Tabaxi dies, there is a Clan specific ceremony to mourn and celebrate their life. As death is very, very common, often several deceased Tabaxis can be celebrated at once, especially if they were a family unit or mated pair. In a Clan, there is one Leader, a Council made up of the Head of each Class living in the Clan. Tabaxi generally wear practical garments made of leather and fur, dyed different colors depending on their position in their respective Clan, although the meaning of the colors varies slightly from Clan to Clan. Most Tabaxi still don’t speak Common, exception being the Clan of the Seas whose members often know several languages as well as Common and the native Tabaxi tongue.

Basically the Clan of the Sea just flies in the face of Tabaxi norms


 * They literally worship Dark Waves

Firbolg
Appearance:

Firbolgs are not unlike the average humans, though they are much taller, ranging from about 7-10 feet tall, some even taller if they have more giant blood in them. Firbolgs tend to be very strong, they sport tough skin that comes in various shades of green, blue, and pink and hair (that is typically worn long) that comes in almost every shade (excluding lots of dark colors). They range from 200-600 pounds depending on their height (though firbolgs from the Material Plane tended to be lighter). The voice of a Firbolg was deep and smooth, sounds rolling off the tongue, lending to their gentle giant nature.

Noteworthy Factions:

N/A, other than their clans, Firbolgs are a very isolated society, rarely interacting with the outside world.

History:

Most of the Firbolg history is very obscure, given the race’s reclusive nature. But what is known about them is that they were created by the peaceful god Freja with the objective of spreading peace to the rest of the world. However the species became an isolated society, thereby failing Freja’s intentions. Shortly after this was when the main clans were created, all different intentions of peace. Thurisaz sought peace through honor and loyalty. Jera sought peace through harvest and nourishment. Inguz sought peace through stubbornness and the will to keep fighting. Othila sought peace through spirituality. Berkana sought peace through art. And lastly Clay sought peace through sharing their spoils. Their founders, of the same name as the clan, tried to form under one name, but their different philosophies lead them to part peacefully. They hold no grudges to the other clans, only viewing the split as a minor disagreement. Contact between clans nowadays is very sparse, but not uncommon.

Culture:

The Main Clans


 * Thurisaz-Warrior clan, very honor and code driven. This clan wears special gauntlets crafted by the clan armorers that signifies their devotion to the Thurisaz code.
 * Jera- This clan prides themselves on their nomadic lifestyle, rarely staying in one place. They bring a harvest with them to give life to the ground, something that is very sacred in their culture.
 * Inguz- A hunter-gatherer culture, this clan has a home in a typically harsh and cold environment. This has made them adaptive to the weather, wearing large coats and furs. Sharing and community takes precedence in their culture.
 * Othila- Of the clans, Othila is the most spiritual. They place special importance on ancestors and heritage, often naming children after dead ancestors, believing them to be reincarnations of those people.
 * Berkana- No firbolg can rival the craftsmanship of Clan Berkana. These skilled woodworkers can make almost anything out of a piece of wood, whether it is for a practical purpose or an artistic one, the clan prides themselves on their handiwork.
 * Clay- This clan enjoys peace to its fullest. Of all the clans, they have had the most contact with the outside world (though it is just limited to giving medicine and healing). They seek to spread their peace to the outside world.

Culture varies clan to clan, but most Firbolgs are very honest and have a hard time going against their morality. Most Firbolgs take the name of their Clan as their last name.

Clothing inspiration can be drawn from real life Norse clothing.

Favoured classes: Druid and cleric

Deerstalkers(Vyiani)
Monsters which stalk Valstoria's forests and have raided human settlements, but through druid hands they were created, and through druid hands they are slowly being tamed and made into a proper, safe culture to communicate with the greater world, though fear still hold strong at the site of one of them in the homelands.

Changelings
A strange humanoid people with the ability to shape shift and customize their forms, they have slipped into many cultures but a few of them still keep to their old ways. They are also the progenitors of golemancy as their blessing is what made them realize that clay is so powerful. Though some of them still have the wrath of the old ways many are trying to become peaceful with the others around them rather than letting the fear continue.

Werewolves
Appearance: When the curse is not in effect they resemble normal individuals of their race however when the curse itself comes into effect they become larger canine like bipeds with differences reflecting their normal form, for example tieflings have short horns while a gnome is shorter than most other werewolves.

In addition they have a thick coat of fur that is naturally water repellent so many hunters will try to slay one and take it's pelt as their own.

Noteworthy Factions: The Voulkrin a faction that practices old warrior techniques and a few have become knights. The Irkreign are a faction which believe they are better than non werewolves and perform bandit-like raids and mercenary work or chaotic criminal acts, most known ones would have bounties. Finally are the Monkruki, following the ways of the original wizards attempting to figure out the transformation.

History: Centuries a group of human warriors gathered together & under the leadership of a trio of early wizards, performed a ritual to give them the strength they needed to defeat their enemies, but something went wrong & instead of being able to keep their forms, they were given a new form, alike to that of wolves crossed with their original human forms, although the original werewolves were forced into only this form, unable to change it, over time as their bloodlines mixed with other bloodlines, werewolves began to have two forms & were able to switch between the two based on the orbits of the various moons.

When humanity first learned how to sail the seas and travel outside their archipelago werewolves went with them, and so over time the werewolves grew apart, mainly via a split between the Voulkrin and Irkreign as their people simply had different wants to the point a rebellion broke out and shattered their original faction. Meanwhile a smaller sect of werewolves chose to research their transformations and those slowly became the Monkruki.

Culture: Due to the Voulkrin and Irkreign’s close history they share relatively similar cultures albeit Irkreign tends to be more brutalistic and focus on strength or skill over actually acting as a unit together. Meanwhile Voulkrin culture will usually be more light and communal, most if not all of them are trained in some type of weapon or a tool that can easily double as an emergency weapon but usually they use these skills only in defense, guarding, or going out to become knights and adventurers. The Monkruki have a much simpler culture in comparison to the other two as they practice control of the transformation, research to its deepest nature, and keep secrets as to everything they have learned.

Locations: across the islands but like to hide in pockets of wilderness.

Abilities: increased strength and stamina, rapid healing (even outside of cursed form meaning many live far longer than normal for their kind), increased senses.

Weaknesses: when in their werewolf form their thick oily coat is a fire hazard so many have a fear of fire, in addition they have a resistance to both silver, and more particularly Mithral.

Favoured classes: Fighters, Barbarians, Monks

 Bullywugs 

Tortle:
Tortles resemble giant, bipedal turtles much like what can be in the waters or lands in some areas, however no one knows quite who created them beyond the fact that the goddess Mortia has since time immorial, used one as her vessel whenever she has to deal with Mortals in order to hopefully help them deal with their fates better.

Aarakocra
Appearance: humanoid birds each Aarakocra is around five feet tall and has four limbs, including their wings which have a three fingered hand midway down it's length,

Noteworthy Factions: the Sol guardians:

History:The origin story that the Aarakocra themselves tell to one another is that over twenty thousand years ago, the deity Tor-Front created for themselves a pet in the form of a giant bird larger than any other the deity had created before or sense, and that bird was a thousand colours however one day the bird was slain, Nx although Tor-Front grieved over it, not even they could bring it back and so to honour it's memory took its feathers and made many things from them, not the least of which were the Aarakocra themselves, however it is impossible to know for certain although Arcanolosgists do say that ancient artwork suggest that Aarakocra are indeed ancient however are dubious about their claim of direct bird descendant whereas Tor-Front has declined to say anything. But in their long history few Flocks have risen to any significance so most of their history is fairly blank.

Culture: soaring through the skies are Aarakocra flocks of between a dozen & two hundred individuals, each of whom is lead by the eldest male and aided by a cleric, however Aarakocra flocks rarely land and only do so to trade with land dwellers ( even then at the highest place the landers can reach) as well as for a year every five years, a number of flocks will go to a rocky area where they will build large nests and begin mating rituals to produce eggs, with each female laying between one and five eggs, each sired by a different male, these eggs take six months to hatch then another six months or so are required for the hatchings to be ready to return to the people's nomadic ways.

Favoured classes: fighters and clerics to air related deities.

Levoliuan (Silk Singers in their native tongue)
Tall moth people with gentle wings and a culture of togetherness and weaving. Recently plunged into war and The Cidel Empire's control, they now stand at odds with the gatorfolk (subtype of Lizardfolk). They have a curiosity of the other cultures and power of magic which has rushed them to explore when not in battle.

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