Races of Arthuria

Arthuria and the lands surrounding it are home to a number of humanoid races, some of which are more prevalent than others.

Major Races
Four of the races within Arthuria and its surrounding lands hold more political power than all the other races combined; for this reason, they are considered the "major races."

Humans
Main Article: Humans

Humans are the most prevalent of the races in Arthuria and its neighboring lands, to the point that other sapient races are more often than not grouped together under the term "nonhuman." They are also considered a very versatile race, with many of them believing they can do anything the other races can if they just work hard enough. However, humans lack the wisdom of elves, the strength of orcs, or the raw power of Psychics, often causing the other races to look down on humans as jacks of all trades and masters of none.

Elves/Faekyn
Main Article: Elves

Elves (or, as they prefer, Faekyn) are a race that is deeply connected to nature and magic. They age at a much slower rate than humans, and are taller, slimmer, and (according to many humans) more beautiful. What they lack in physical strength they make up for in innate magical prowess and wisdom. This wisdom, however, tends to make them arrogant, looking down upon the other races as dumb brutes or (in the most severe cases) mere animals.

Orcs
Main Article: Orcs

Orcs are large, strong, beastlike humanoids that are known for their combat prowess. Their reputation tends to paint them as mindless, savage brutes; however, in Arthuria and its neighboring lands, orcs have developed a more positive reputation through military service. In fact, virtually every army in the land has at least one orcish commander. While far from the mindless brutes some believe them to be, orcish cultures have a heavy focus on combat and many orcs struggle to learn magic, especially since a majority of them will frown on the use of magic as "cheating."

Quartz Psychics
Main Article: Psychics

Quartz Psychics are unique in that they are not a race in the same way that elves and orcs are; rather, they are humanoids (typically humans) that have undergone a ritual to seal their souls in quartz crystals. However, they are still considered a race by many Arthurians, especially those that are unaware of their origins. Psychics age much more slowly than regular humans and have a wide range of abilities, but each individual Psychic effectively has access to only a small handful of powers, based on the type of quartz crystal they possess. Despite their limited numbers, they have greatly influenced events in Arthuria over the years.

Minor Races
Races that are native to the area around Arthuria, yet lack the magnitude of influence shared by the main four, are called "minor races." It should be noted that the minor races aren't necessarily less intelligent or civilized than the major races, even if they are treated as if they are.

Goblins
Main Article: Goblins

Goblins are small, squat humanoids that dominate the caverns beneath Arthuria and its neighbors, having adapted perfectly to their environment. Despite being highly intelligent with their own language and culture, they do not worship the Arthurian pantheon to any extent and are regarded as animals or even monsters by most surface-dwelling races. Due to generations of mistreatment at the hands of the major races, they are generally disdainful or even hostile towards outsiders.

Hybrid Races
As humans, elves, and orcs are all interfertile, hybrids between the three races in Arthuria are a common sight. However, some hybrids are more common than others.

Half-Elves
While the name implies any hybrid with an elf parent, the term "half-elf" is almost exclusively used to refer to someone born to a human parent and an elf parent. Half-elves lack a culture of their own; however, there are certain attributes associated with them (such as wanderlust), and they are so common that many Arthurians consider them to be a separate race from humans or elves. Half-elves tend to display the versatility of humans with some of the magical capabilities of elves; however, they lack the inherent wisdom of the latter.

Half-Orcs
Similar to half-elves, the term "half-orc" is almost exclusively used to refer to someone to a human parent and an orc parent. While far less common than half-elves, half-orcs still exist in respectable numbers, and have many of the features of their orcish parent.

Cambions
Cambions are the hybrid offspring of a seducer and a mortal; the exact race of the mortal doesn't matter. Physically, they resemble the race of their mortal parent, though they often have physical features that betray their inhuman parentage. Most choose to embrace their demonism, as not only do all cambions feel an inherent "pull" towards their demonic nature, but the negative stigma surrounding demons causes many to be ostracized.

Sub-races
Sub-races, like Psychics, aren't true races in their own right, but are members from other races that were transformed through magic. However, they are prevalent enough that they are worth acknowledging.

Vampires
Vampires are mortals that have been transformed through a powerful curse; consequently, some mistakenly see them as demons. They are made infamous by their inability to age, their need to consume blood, and their weakness to sunlight. Despite them having a reputation for being bloodthirsty killers, it is said that there is a library somewhere near Arthuria maintained entirely by a group of benign vampires following Niscia, goddess of wisdom.