Races (Borost)

File:Borostím in main article, male.jpg

A male Borostím displaying red eyes and black hair, the most common phenotype of the species. The Borostím are the most populous race to inhabit the peninsula of Borost.

Borost and the surrounding areas are inhabited by a number of different races, which is a general term to refer to sapient creatures. In a certain sense, nearly all races claim to have sprung in or near Borost, with the exception of the Dwaerkar, who first arrived in Borost from a land to the east.

Dwaerkar

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A male Dwaerkar, universally short and bearded.

The Dwaerkar (d-WAER-kar), pejoratively known by some as the dwarves on account of their comparatively short stature, are a race that inhabits Borost.

Legend says that the Dwaerkar first arrived in Borost after the hero, Ouwe the Founder, sailed into the land and founded Ouwestad. Since then, the Dwaerkar have achieved supremacy of the land through the Rise of the Dwaerkar, initially toppling Elven Borost and then the High Kingdom of Alenreic. Following these events, the Dwaerkar established mastery over much of the peninsula.

They primarily inhabit sovereign and independent realms known as Dwaerkar freeholds, which span Borost. The Dwaerkar freeholds, although often mistaken for a single realm, are wholly independent of each other, and in fact frequently find themselves in conflict.

Dwaerkar culture has become splintered and diversified because of the rapid dispersion of the Dwaerkar throughout Borost. Everything from the Dwaerkar's faith to their language to their political beliefs can vary tremendously from freehold to freehold, and, even today, Dwaerkar culture is rapidly changing and becoming more and more diversified.

The Dwaerkar primarily speak Aalderdwaer, a standard language created in +510, but this is only one of many Dwaerkar languages.

Mankind

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A male human, displaying brown hair and dark eyes, common human traits.

Mankind, known as Maenkar by the Dwaerkar, and also known as humans, men, wild-folk, and other terms, are a race that inhabits Borost. Their exact origins are unknown, and the fact that they do not speak a símic language implies that they are probably not indigenous to the continent. Until 40 and 50 years ago, they primarily inhabited Alenreic, a Kingdom to the north of Borost, but today they primarily inhabit the South.

Northern men

Millions of humans formerly inhabited Alenreic, but have been forced to vacate the land following Ythred's War and the Ban of Alenreic. They primarily migrated south of Borost. Today, they can be identified by their speech, the Borost:Boreal tongues, and by the fact that they refer to their proud families as "Houses" rather than "Clans."

Southern men

Men have lived in the south of Borost since time immemorial: Based purely on archaeological evidence, it appears that the South was the first place they inhabited in the continent. In recent years, they have been joined by their northern brethren, and there has been great syncretism between both groups. They primarily speak the Austral tongues.

Símic races

File:Borostim in main article, female.jpg

A female Borostím, displaying white hair and yellow eyes, both of which are traits associated with the Borostím nobility of old.

Borostím

The Borostím (bo-ros-TIM), known as Dulerlkar by the Dwaerkar, and commonly as dark elves, are a race that inhabits Borost.

The Borostím are the most populous race of all of the peninsula, surpassing the population of all of the other races combined. They inhabit nearly every segment of the peninsula, excluding mountain ranges and the Great Swamp. Borostím culture has profoundly shaped the development of all of Borost.

Recently, the proud realm of Elven Borost, which controlled much of the peninsula for milennia, was toppled by the Dwaerkar following Ÿphergund's War. Since then, the Dwaerkar-enforced Fatherhood has pressed some Borostím to accept Dwaerkar culture, although this has been minimal. In turn, the Fatherhood has given birth to many independence and resistance movements, the most notorious of which is the New Covenant.

Glarisím

The Glarisím, also known as the green elves, are a race that inhabits several locations in the continent. Most prominently, they inhabit the Borost:Libreth forest to the south of Borost. It is estimated that the total population of Glarisím is only a few tens of thousands.

Lynnsím

The Lynnsím, also known as the golden elves and sun elves, are a Símic race. They primarily inhabit the city of Borost:Avon Dyll, located to the immediate west of Tirsos, but a few thousand also live in Tirsos.

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A male Tirsosím, displaying the common Tirsosí traits of red hair and golden eyes.

Tirsosím

The Tirsosím (tir-so-SIM), known as Rallerlkar by the Dwaerkar, and by some as red elves or sea elves, are a race that inhabits the Tirsosi peninsula, to the far south of Borost. This símic race, although populous in Tirsos, is not as common outside of the city-state. Nevertheless, they maintain a significant economic presence throughout many of the trade centers of the peninsula, although their own economic power has waned over the last decades.

The red elves are mostly known as such for their flame-red hair, which they often keep in longer styles. Nonetheless, many of these Tirsosím have brown or golden hair.

The Tirsosím preside over the city-state of Tirsos, which has a long and fabled history. They claim some Draconic ancestry (Tirsos supposedly means 'star' in the language of the Draekar) in the form of Borost:Mandalos, who they claim established Tirsos and granted the realm to the elves. Nonetheless, the realm is trenchantly decadent, with its territorial extension falling rapidly over the last few centuries. At the moment, they only have the furthest extremity of the Tirsosí peninsula.

Currently, the city-state remains locked in civil strife. The Borost:Tirsosí Civil Wars, most recently punctuated in the War of the Ten Claims, have pitted Ainé, the Exiled King, of house Gailhaid, against many noble claimants, including the houses of Aodhnait and Geilás.

Coldbloods

Skink-folk

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A skink, equipped with a smallbow.

The Skink-folk, who know themselves as the Tend Ley, generally known as Skinks, and to the Dwaerkar as Skeenkar, are the smallest sapient coldbloods. They are mostly found in Borost as companions to the Lizard-folk society. The Skink-folk speak a language known as Leyan, which they share with the Lizard-folk.

Lizard-folk

The Lizard-folk, who know themselves as the Tred Ley, and known as the Ledenkar to the Dwaerkar, are a race of humanoid coldbloods. Although often confused with Serpent-folk, Lizard-folk are distinguished by their shorter necks, more bipedal posture, and -- although uncommon -- presence in the southern reaches of the peninsula. The Lizard-folk speak a language known as Leyan, which they share with the Skink-folk.

Serpent-folk

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A man-serpent, outfitted for battle.

The Serpent-folk, known as Tokalkar by the Dwaerkar, and also known as the serpent-people, man-serpents, and myriad other names, are the inhabitants of the disease-infested swamps to the north of Borost and the west of the Borost:Grosseberg mountains.

Speaking an incomprehensible language of which no written records have been discovered, the name used by these people for themselves is unknown. Nevertheless, numerous specimens have been collected following the Invasions, and their biology is well-understood.

No individual person of the Serpent-folk has been found in Borost; the only time they are found in the land is during one of the Invasions. The motives behind these suicidal incursions remain elusive to even the most accomplished of the Borost:Serpent scholars, although studies are ongoing.

No expedition that has gone more than a few hundred units into the Great Swamp has ever returned or been found, dead or alive.

Terbolds

Terbolds, known to the Dwaerkar as Terboldkar, are a large, powerful race of coldbloods. The name they give to themselves, if any, is unknown. They appear to be members of the Serpent-folk society, and participate with their smaller companions in the Invasions. Although seemingly dimwitted, they unleash great destruction with large mauls and maces, while their thick, heavy scales, nearly impervious even to advanced Dwaerkar rifles, allow them to weather the storm.

Basilisks

Basilisks, known to the Dwaerkar as Slechtenkar, are a large and mysterious sapient race.

Zuleran races

Chtzuler

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A Chtzul warrior, well-outfitted for the frigid fighting conditions of the Izlenteft mountains.

The Chtzuler (c-TZHU-lehr), singular Chtzul, known as Kzuelkar by the Dwaerkar, and often pejoratively as orcs, are a race that inhabits the Izlenteft and Drusseberg mountains and the adjacent areas to the immediate North of Borost.

They live in loose clans and chiefdoms, and survive of subsistence farming in the glacial valleys and hunting the plentiful game of the mountainous forest.

The Chtzul have successfully resisted the expansion of the Dwaerkar on many occasions, most recently in the (technically ongoing) Izlenteft War.

Chlatzler

The Chlatzler (c-LAETZ-lehr), singular Chlatzl, known as Klatzkar by the Dwaerkar, and often pejoratively as goblins, are a race that inhabits the Izlenteft and Drusseberg mountains and the adjacent areas to the immediate North of Borost.

They are the vassals of the Chtzuler, and have adopted their language, religion, and many of their customs.

Not much is known of the origins of this small race, although it is believed they prefer to live in caverns and burrows than in the villages of the Chtzul.

Mixed-race

Humans and many other races are fully sexually compatible, and can father fully-fertile children of a mixed race.

Half-elven

A child with mixed human and símic blood is known as a half-sím or half-elf.

Half-zuleran

A child with mixed human and zuleran blood is known as a half-zuleran, and disparagingly as a half-orc.

Donnsím

When the union occurs between Borostím and Tirsosím persons, the child is known as a brown elf (a Donnsím). A large number of Donnsím inhabit Tirsos and the Free Cities, the product of the mixture between the red and dark elves.

Possibly sapient races

There are other races that, by the lack of contact or study, cannot be positively ascertained to be sapient.

Draekar

Dragons, known as Draekar to the Dwaerkar, Dyrnredím to the Borostím, and many other names, are a possibly sapient race in Borost.

It has been theorized, based on old Borostím lore, that the Draekar are sapient, and speak a peculiar and wordless language, wherein communication takes place through the Skeleton of the World. Borostím legends speak of certain heroes who, by own volition or that of the Draekar, were able to engage in conversation with them. In modern times, however, the sapience of the Draekar has yet to be verified.

The Draekar are known to inhabit several aeries in the summits of the tallest mountains in Borost. These are entirely inaccessible to non-flying creatures. Only rarely are the Draekar observed in lower elevations, as they are believed to prefer colder environments. The Draekar are the largest mobile lifeform known to exist.

Roekar

Rocs, known as Roekar to the Dwaerkar, Royním to the Borostím, and many other names, are a possibly sapient race in Borost. They nest in the unreachable heights of cliffs and at the tops of great trees. They are very proficient at eluding Dwaerkar researchers interested in studying them.