Sunday, December 2, 2012

D&D Nerdery: Winterthur Part 2: PC Races

Races

Winterthur, as most cities that formed the old empire, is a human dominated.  Other civilized races may have turned inwards but it does not mean they do not exist.  This here is a listing of the various races in the Players Handbook and the Players Handbook 2.

Deva

These are notoriously rare and largely unknown.  Those with a scholarly past may have heard something of these beings.  The scholars guild may have a work or two on them, but most inside that guild still would not have heard of them.  

As a race, if a Deva is found it is going to be a being of power. A being trying to do something.  One will not find one as a merchant in some far off corner of the world.  This need to do something, often something Good, is one of the reasons they are unknown even to most scholars.  The drive to do something often meets with a premature end.

Dragonborn

These were unheard of until the last century of the empire.  Formerly a nomadic tribe, they were assimilated into the empire as they wandered across its territory.  Most joined the military and emigrated to the border marches to defend the empire from external threats.  The internal, however, is what finally killed it.

After the empire fell many dragonborn stayed in the cities they had chosen to protect and formed small communities.  Some others wandered off and have disappeared.

Winterthur, as the northernmost city of the empire and one that faced threat from the notorious barbaric tribes from the north, has a decent population of dragonborn.  But one that is starting to dwindle as many find themselves drawn to wander outside the city.

Dwarf

The Dwarven race was well known to the all humans, especially those of Winterthur.  The trade with the dwarves is what caused Winterthur to be as wealthy as it was during the empire's time.  Of course now the dwarves have turned inward and sealed the passages into their underground kingdom, so trade has dwindled.

However there is a thriving dwarven community inside of Winterthur.  Many lived there before the dwarves ceased contact, and occasionally an exile or dwarves fleeing their old home comes to rest inside the city.

Eladrin

These are almost as unknown to the human societies as the Deva.  The Eladrin may be known to highly educated or highly placed scholars, but most have never seen one.  

A player character of the Eladrin would either be one who fled from their homes in the deep forests of the west, or one who was exiled.  There are no communities of them outside of their home.

Elf

The elves, like the dwarves, used to be a major trading power of the empire.  After the war that decided nearly a quarter of the border.  The elves turned inward shortly after the dwarves did and their old trading posts have been abandoned.

The trading post nearest Winterthur has long since been eaten by the forest the elves call home.  And so has many farms and a couple villages.  Inside the city there is a small aging elven presence.  Only a few youngsters have been born to it.

Gnome

Gnomes are rather new to human scholars, and a source of some controversy.  As the forest began making its way westward, gnomes began to appear living in the edges of the expanding forest.  Once the city tried to fight the gnomes but many of the soldiers sent into the forest were not seen again.  Gnomes have since sent several emissaries to the city and begun a dialogue revealing that they are not a part of the forest expanding, but have just taken advantage of it.  

They have begun some small trading with the city to try to smooth over relations, and gnomish adventurers pop up inside from time to time.

Goliath

Goliaths were known by the dwarves and the knowledge passed to the humans.  They wander in tribes in the mountains, generally to the northeast of the city.  The city has had no contact with any but rumours of them being seen with the barbarian tribes to the north have begun to increase.

Half-Elf

Half-Elves have been around since the war that settled the boundaries between the Elves and the Empire.  Mostly in border lands, some chose to wander farther into the empire to learn more.  Initially seen as spies it took a long passage of time, and much goodwill, before a half-elf could be regarded without suspicion.

They are increasingly found inside of Winterthur, and are one of the reasons why so few elven young are born in that city.  As well as, for some reason, many half elves of other cities have begun to travel to Winterthur.

Half-Orc

Now this is a new race.  Orcs were mostly unheard of, except in tales the dwarves told, until the past couple of decades.  As such half-orcs were not even thought possible.

Some are around in the city of Winterthur, those who survived childhood on the eastern borders of the realm, but most end up in the various gangs of the Vorstadt.  They are immediately untrusted and seen as products of animals.

Halfling

They have always been amongst the humans.  Scholars are unsure of where they come from, but they have formed communities inside of human cities for centuries.

There is a large community of halflings along the river near Winterthur.  They are trusted as traders and craftsmen and frequently welcomed with open arms.

Human

They're everywhere.  This whole city is dominated by them.  Must I really talk about them?  No?  Good.

Shifter

These were a shock when Winterthur was first established.  The first battle with the barbaric tribes to the north had many shifters taking part.  Superior arms, weapons and tactics led the empire to victory but this the tribes have remained a threat.

There are some shifters inside Winterthur, as civilization is like a magnet that draws many in.  But not many.  Viewed with suspicion, when one can tell it is a Shifter, they tend to live more on the fringes of society.

Tieflings

Tieflings have been inside the empire since it was founded.  It is not known how they came about or why, but they immediately were a strong part of the empire.  Even more disturbing, they are occasionally born randomly to two human parents.

Due to their appearance they are generally untrusted.  But their inherent intelligence and charisma often tends to cause the Tieflings to rise up, at least in the more unsavory professions found in society.  Some have cast that aside and used their abilities in the military, but often they do not rise up far in that due to mistrust by the nobles as well as society at large.

No comments:

Post a Comment