Races of Heirot
Below are descriptions of Heirot’s dominant races. Heirot allows the creation of new races on a case by case basis, and almost always allows new professions. Your character need not be humanoid, though you should be aware of the limitations of roleplaying as a creature.
Races You Know:
(Wood) Elves:
The elves of Heirot stay mostly to the south of
Ighten and the north of Arken, living relatively solitary lives in the
forest, congregating on occasion when important matters must be
discussed. They are creatures of great achievements and often think of
others as inferior. They particularly despise dwarves. They like to keep
their race pure, and exhibit strong disapproval toward matches between
elves and humans as well as the half-elven offspring that result from
such matches. They average about 5 ½ feet tall with long pointed ears
and fine, angled features. They mostly stay in their homeland in the
forest, rarely venturing outside except in the rare case of wanderlust.
The elves tend to be reclusive, preferring not to be involved with the
other kingdoms’ affairs. They worship the forest goddess Atara, holding
nature and its inhabitants as sacred. A long healthy elven lifespan is
about 500 years. They age similarly to humans up to about age 16, and
then slow down considerably. An elf who looks 20 is probably about 40,
and an elf who looks 30 is probably about 150. After that, assume about
10 elf years per human year. Elves have exceptional dark and low-light
vision, acute hearing, and tend to be weaker in strength, but greater in
agility than humans.
Dark Elves:
The dark elf race (also known as the Drow) once
walked the surface with other elves, but turned away from their culture
and the ways of nature, preferring malice and greed. Their skin is pitch
black and their physical abilities are similar to those of surface
elves. Banished from elven society, they formed a new kingdom beneath
the ground of Arken, living in darkness until even their skin turned to
black. They age identically to normal elves and can see perfectly in the
dark. Prolonged exposure to sunlight causes them extreme pain and
dizziness. Unlike elves, they do not mind getting involved in political
situations outside of their realm, often hiring themselves out as
mercenaries or assassins.
Half-Elves:
Half elves are the result of unions between human
and elven parents. They average about 5’8" tall. An average half elf
lives about 200 years, and inherits strength and agility midway between
those of humans and elves. Viewed by elves as impurities to their race
and by humans as unwanted imposters, they have the unfortunate situation
of not really belonging in either society, and tend to lead very
difficult lives. They see well in low light, but do not have the dark
vision that elves have. Their hearing is keener than that of humans, but
not as keen as elves’.
Dwarves:
The dwarves of Heirot are masters at digging and
wielding an ax and any other weapon that fits their liking. They can
make almost anything out of metal and stone and dwarven craftsmanship
will hold up to any sort of weather or beating that you could give it.
They have always been known to stay in the Ebony Caverns, a deep city
with secret tunnels connecting Arken and Ighten under the ground. Hardly
anything is known of this place, and non-dwarves are not permitted to
see it. Dwarves do not side with either Ighten or Arken, preferring to
stay out of surface politics, but there are some dwarves though who have
chosen sides and joined in many of the things that either Ighten or
Arken have to offer. Their lifespan is similar to humans. Average
height is less than 5 feet. Dwarves are very robust and strong, but lack
agility and speed, and rarely wield magic.
Fairies:
Many in Heirot are not aware that this race
exists, but Queen Sinead has known about it for a very long time. They
are small, three-inch tall beautiful creatures with wings of any shape,
color, and style. They live in a kingdom above Ighten, but it is so
small that no one knows where it is and only fairies can travel there.
They can come to the ground of Heirot and look human, wearing cloaks and
things to hide their wings, but it's mighty hard to hide their fairy
dust. Physically, they are quite weak, but their magic is very potent.
Average lifespan is 250 years.
Humans:
Humans are a very versatile race. They take a
strong role in specializing their otherwise average physical and mental
abilities toward specific goals and professions, resulting in the widest
range of professions and skills of all Heirot’s races. Humans live
fairly tolerantly with many other races, but tend to distrust what they
do not understand, which often builds barriers between them and the
other races. Many other races have a low tolerance for humans. Humans
are quick to take sides for a dispute, being somewhat impulsive. They
cover much of Heirot with small villages and towns, and are the most
common race.
Vampires:
Unlike the Vampires you might have read about
elsewhere, these are not allergic to sunlight and are not affected by
garlic or any other plant crosses. They are undead and can not reproduce
except by ‘turning’ people through a lethal bite to the neck. They must
feed on blood or they will weaken and die. They are vulnerable to
silver, wood, fire, and holy magic and will die if struck through the
heart or decapitated. They can heal themselves very slowly, even to the
point of rejoining their own limbs, but wounds caused by silver or wood
will heal more slowly than others and cause excruciating pain. They are
very pale, but keep the appearance of their pre-bitten forms with the
exception of fangs. Their strength and agility are both far above those
of normal humans. They have perfect night vision and enhanced senses.
They ‘live’ forever unless violently killed.
Werewolves:
Werewolves here usually live in a pack, like
wolves. They take on human form by day and the form of a monstrous wolf
every night. They are usually ruthless killers, but some are not. They
steal, pillage, and.... anything else that a crook and careless person
would do if they had super human strength while being human at day and
being a wolf at night. They retain their mental faculties while in their
canine form, but are much more aggressive. An average werewolf lifespan
is slightly less than that of a human. They reproduce by biting humans
while in their wolf form, which then join into their pack. Even in human
form, they have the heightened senses of smell and hearing of a wolf.
Unicorns:
Unicorns are sacred beings of the forest, created
by the forest goddess Altara to look over her creatures. They are
extremely light and possess great speed. They have little offensive
ability, but possess the magic to heal and protect, having very strong
protective instincts. They are weak to the scent of blood, to the extent
that they may be paralyzed in its presence. The forest is the source of
their energy and magic, and if they leave the forest for too long, they
will weaken and die. They can heal themselves, but will die if seriously
wounded or deprived of their horns. They have telepathic abilities and
can take on human forms.
Races Unique to Heirot:
J'rageth or J'ra:
The J'ra are found in the southern part of Ighten
where the flowers are in bloom year round and the sky is never gray.
They look human, but have golden skin and long flowing white hair. Their
eyes are either blue or pink and they usually wear all white. These are
wise and peaceful people, but if put in a situation where they must
fight, then my suggestion to you is run. Oddly, despite their pacifistic
nature, they are trained since birth in the art of combat and possess
knowledge of martial arts most have never heard of, let alone mastered.
These skills are studied to hone their minds and bodies, and only
applied in defensive situations. Unfortunately, few know not to attack
them, for they rarely leave their home and their existence verges on
myth in some parts of Heirot.
Ichtass:
The Ichtass live close to the capital of Arken and
are well-used mercenaries to the Witch Queen. They are like the J'ra
except for the color of their skin and eyes. Their skin is gray, their
hair is white, and their eyes are glowing red or deep black. The other
difference between them and the J’ra is the horns that curl out from
both sides of their heads. Unlike the J'ra, who try and not use their
gifts as fighters, the Ichtass abuse their gifts and use them to help
their queen.
No Life Kings:
(Ask an admin before creating) A new race of
Vampire created by men in the pursuit for science. Many people wanted to
know exactly what made a vampire tick. They are dead, yet living, but
not like a zombie... so what separates them from zombies? No Life Kings
are Vampires who were experimented on in this search for an answer so
far past the point they should have been that they became tolerant to
anything that would normally harm them. Somehow, these scientists
developed a way to keep the Vampires from dying once struck through the
heart. Their limbs, if cut off, can be reattached by their own will.
They can turn into any creature they want to and can possess other
extremely powerful magic abilities. They are immortal, but can be harmed
by anything that is blessed or Holy. Death can come only through
separating their heads from their bodies or a powerful Holy spell. Using
their magical and physical abilities requires varying amounts of energy
that must be gained from blood. Although they can not die of starvation,
they will run out of power without blood at hand.
Raiths:
The Raith clan was originally ruled by ruthless women, similar to Earth’s amazons. The men of the tribe resented the women’s abusive rule, so long ago they sought the help of a powerful wizard. He too hated the thought of women in power, so he gifted the men with incredible magic. When the men returned to the village, the women found that the men had changed and no longer wanted to be known as humans, but Raiths. The wizard’s spell endowed them with powers that changed them physically as well as mentally. Their eyes were no longer human, but vivid yellow with slitted pupils and excellent eyesight, their skin pale as ice. When looking into their eyes, you begin to feel an overwhelming sense of fear and your body is drawn to them against your will. The Raiths also acquired a spell known as Control, a one-time healing spell that can recover any wound. Once healed, the target of the spell is subject to the Raith’s physical control for the rest of his mortal life. In addition to Fear and Control, Raiths can change into any form they choose and open up a red portal to go anywhere their minds imagine. The men of the tribe now rule with iron fists over their former female masters. Women in their society are little more than slaves and playthings. Birth with full Raith powers is rare in their tribe, but at least 1 out of 500 have been born Raiths. Children born without powers are often disposed of. Those without full powers accept an inferior status in their society and live harsh lives.
