Races

Three groups comprise the Races of Teilequin, the Immortals, the Ascended, and the Anomalies. Together, these races are the superior lifeforms that dominate Teilequin's globe. They have intelligence beyond mere beasts, and wisdom that has been passed down from generation to generation. They possess various cultures, traditions, and worldviews. Each have left their marks on the pages of Teilequin's history, and each are capable of leaving additional marks on its pages.

The Immortals
When the Dragons had created the world of Teilequin, they did so in steps. They took their time experimenting with the various aspects of it until last of all they created sentient races. The first set of races which were created are the immortals. Immortal not in the sense that they cannot die, rather it is in the sense that they are essentially ageless beings. They are capable of dying and it certainly isn’t unheard of, but never from age.

Dragons
Despite sharing the same name, Dragons are but lowly pale imitations of Dragons. Regardless, Dragons are a rarity among rarities and have a splendor all their own. Their powerful wings grant them flight and their draconic blood grants them strength beyond their already impressive size. They also have powerful breath attacks that can vary based on their sphere mastery. Their size and power will only grow with age and they are unexpectedly cunning. Their connections to the creator Dragons are unknown to all but a few, and many mistakenly assume them to be the only dragons in existence. The most impressive quality about Dragons is their presence which demands attention.

Elves
Long ago, even before the Dragons had created their namesakes, they sculpted creatures from special stones and gems. They bathed these sculptures in solar magics and implanted a fragment of their essence within these stones. The creatures that emerged came to be known as Elves. They are long and lithe with pointed, angular ears. Among their own, they are hunched over as they move around, but they will artificially adjust themselves to mimic the movements and behaviors of those that they are around. Their flesh holds the appearance and properties of stone and yet somehow doesn’t hinder their movements in any way. They lack mouths and nostrils, and communicate primarily through the light in their eyes. Some of their kind also have exposed veins of light chiseled across their bodies, the function of which seems to determine their capacity for magical output. Elves are natural guardians and will seek to protect and prosper that which they choose to devote themselves towards.

Dryads
Deep within the forests of Teilequin dwell the Dryads. They are born from trees and upon their eventual death they become trees themselves. For all intents and purposes they are sentient plants, but they are also natural shapeshifters that may assume a variety of forms. While there are certainly exceptions, an easy way to spot a transformed Dryad is its size and weight. Due to the difficulty in amassing additional size for transformations, they generally stay the same size as their natural form which is about five feet (1.5m) tall. Their relative light weight also gives them a sort of supernal grace all their own. Dryads are lovers of nature and typically look down on things that they personally deem as being too artificial. The Dryads purposefully make themselves alluring to the other races for a variety of reasons; worship, pleasure, fun, etc. It is assumed that this is exclusively for their entertainment. While Dryads enjoy spending time with the mortal races, they are incapable of fully grasping their ideals and morals.

The Ascended
Nearly a thousand years had passed after the creation of the immortals, and the Dragons had grown bored. The Dragons would fly to and fro unchallenged. The Elves kept to themselves tending to the land, and many Dryads had simply lost their desire to continue on. Thus the Dragons held a contest among themselves to see who could create the most interesting race by the ascension of one of Teilequin’s many beasts. Thus the Ascended were born.

Basaran
Bearing a few similarities to Dragons, the Basaran are race of wingless lizardmen. They are horse sized reptiles that are very strong and very durable. They can be bipedal, quadrapedal, or both depending on their kind and come in a variety of shapes and colors. Every Basaran also has the ability to project a potent burst of breath as a defense mechanism, and the exact type is determined by the climate in which they were raised (ex: fire, ice, poison, etc.). They experience and process emotion on a higher level than the other mortal races, and this has led them being considered the most violent and war-like race of Teilequin. While there is certainly some truth to that, they can also be the most passionate and friendly race under different circumstances. If you befriend a Basaran, you have made a friend for life.

Mojuu
The Mojuu are an avian people, slightly smaller overall than the average Human and covered in an impressively vibrant plumage. Their wings double as arms, with the ends bearing hands with retractable talons. Though their faces are more animated than ordinary birds, they are still unmistakably bird-like. Mojuu are able to imitate a wide variety of speech patterns and noises, but their most preferred form of communication is whistling. While they are capable of flight, it is only through magic that it can be achieved. Their feathers are capable of storing magic, and are also very striking and pretty. In the past they have been hunted on the scale of genocide for their feathers and as such, they have adopted an isolationist ideology that has led to them being uncommon outside of their home, the Roc Archipelago. The Mojuu are obsessed with appearances and have many customs related to their individual plumages. They are a decisive people that spend little time in deliberation.

Gorvol
The Gorvol are large primates with a shocking twist. They possess massive strength and the capacity to produce bio-electricity for a variety of purposes. Legend has it that the first Gorvol was a regular gorilla that was struck by lightning from the gods. Enlightened by the experience, it immediately shared the divinity which it had been imbued with across others of its kind and they were the first Gorvol. The Basaran and Gorvol fought numerous times and the Basaran almost always won, forcing the Gorvol to relocate. They became nomads and stayed that way until they allied themselves with the Mojuu. Together, they prospered and through their many years of cohabitation, the Gorvol learned to fully harness their innate magics. The Gorvol are a peace loving race, but they are divided in philosophy as to whether they should fight for peace or simply embrace pacifism. After rising to the clouds on the Roc Archipelago, life has remained largely static for the Gorvol. However, every once in a while a Gorvol will charge off the islands to see if Teilequin is still as resistant to their kind as it once was.

Xogar
The Xogar are an arachnid race that once reigned supreme over all of Caevaria. They are about what one might expect from an arachnid people; spider-like in their appearance, generally about the size of a large dog, coated in hard chitin that ranges from black to brown to gray to green, and with occasional bits of thin hair here and there. Most notably, of course, they are an eight-limbed race, and each of these limbs has prehensile capability to perform a variety of functions. Their primary form of communication is a clicking noise produced via their mandibles, but they are also able to excrete a silky web-like substance that can be used to write out what they wish to say. Xogar are notoriously unfeeling, almost exclusively operating based on logic and reason. Unfortunately, what they find to be logical and reasonable often differs from the other races, and their intent is frequently misunderstood. The Xogar are valued for their incredible potential as tinkerers. These eight-limbed inventors developed an understanding of magical crafting that to this day eludes the other races.

The Anomalies
For one reason or another, additional races began appearing in the world long after the Dragons had disappeared. These races have little in common outside of the anomalous nature of their birth. That being said, the anomalies are capable sentient beings just like the other races.

Humans
Within the world of Teilequin, there is no race more ambitious than the humans. Despite their relatively short life spans, or maybe because of it, they are the fastest growing race and have left significant marks on the pages of history. They are adaptable and diverse, and can vary greatly depending on their climate, culture, and exposure to the other races. As individuals they are resistant to change, but they are capable of adjusting themselves as needed to various situations. While they lack any special powers or abilities that are unique to them, they also lack any clear weaknesses. Their capacity to excel in any path of their choosing is perhaps their most dangerous quality. It should be mentioned that there exists two particularly notorious mutations of humanity; the Vampires and the Werewolves. Considered to be monsters by many, these mutations grant Humans power beyond their kin.

Fae
It is from the lingering souls of children who died an unclean death that the Fae are formed. Sometimes called Faeries, these creatures will never grow more than ten inches (25cm). They are tiny parodies of whatever race they originated from and have no memories of their former lives. At an indeterminate point in their lives, they will form a chrysalis and stay within it for a year. If they manage to survive the year, they are born anew with wings that grant them additional mobility. Non-winged Fae lack any sense of maturity, while winged Fae have a superficial sense of it. Regardless, both varieties feed off of the emotions of others. The benevolence/malevolence of such an act depends entirely on the individual Fae’s disposition. It is almost impossible to tell what a Fae will do next, their actions are chaotic and spontaneous. They like to play “games” with others and typically see their own lives as one big game.

Giants
An immeasurably powerful force of will that refuses to die, this is the core of what forms a Giant. It is at sites of great massacre that they are born, Giants are essentially massive walking graveyards. When one or more souls refuse to die at these battlefields, they wrangle the hate, the rage, and the sorrow of the less willful souls and form an amalgamous blob of darknened life magic. The dominant wills within will gather body parts with tendrils and sew themselves a new singular body. This new body typically ranges between ten and twenty feet (3-6m) tall, and has unnatural proportions that give it the visage of always seeming slightly off balance. Instinctively, a Giant knows that it must form a totem to focus its many souls, this totem generally comes in the form of a wooden mask. Without the mask, a Giant will roam wild and destroy everything in its path. With a mask however, a giant is actually capable of being vaguely normal. Giants are desperately driven to complete some sort of final business before passing on.

Trivia

 * Dragons are the only race that aren't available for writers to create characters from, the rest are freely available. Dragons are a special case for a variety of reasons, but they will appear in the narrative.
 * Only humans wear clothing for the sake of modesty, other races certainly wear clothing, but for different purposes and in different styles. It isn't unusual to find members of the other races "naked" if they have no particular need for clothing or equipment.