Human
General Information
Humans exist all over Urð making their homes wherever they can.
Since the days of the human led Golden Empire, humans have been a common sight wherever a traveler might think to go, their culture being shaped by their geography and history.
Centre’s of human civilization can be found in North Thearos, the Mitterlands, South Thearos and the Zutraim Sultanates of the Azcrets
The Acrian Empire was the only all human civilization on Urð until the Blood War which began with the utter annihilation of the country of Acria.
Recent History
In recent history many humans have been caught in large scale conflicts, or been the direct instigators, and as a result the human civilizations around Urð have been unifying more and more. Some would say to a degree not seen since the Golden empire of the first age.
Most notably the council of lords of Thearos; a primarily human organisation, although not exclusively, that came together to face the threat of the invading Acrians and later the Blood Queens army.
The uneasy peace between the lords of Thearos is rumoured to be faltering now that they’ve lost their common enemy but regular meetings are still held and the council has formed an inquisition to keep an eye out for potential threats to the peace of Thearos.
Examples of Human Culture
As the most widespread species of Urð; human culture can take many forms and it would be best to read up on the descriptions of the different places of Urð to get a better idea of humanity's different cultures.
Playing a Human
Human characters have no specific costuming requirements.
Human characters gain no specific abilities.
Elf
General Information
Elves can be recognized by their pointy ears, ethereal nature as well as either a keen connection to the magic of the world or its nature and their very long lifespan.
These days Elves can be found all over the world but it is believed that all Elves originate from the ancestral home of Val’aria; four large islands connected by great bridges off the west coast of the mainland.
Recent History
At the start of the Acrian War; the Acrian Empire set their sights on the Elves’ homeland of Val’aria and unleashed a devastating and unprovoked attack on them. The Elven people were wholly unprepared for the sudden assault after the Acrians eliminated all magical protections that had kept the Elves safe until then. Nothing was left by the end and much of elven history and knowledge might never be recovered.
This has left many elves unsure of who they are as a people, especially those who barely remembered the homeland or had never seen it to begin with. They might yearn for their fabled homeland or simply view the places where they were born and raised as their true home. There are some who remember Val’aria, and many of those have their sights set on rebuilding and reclaiming the Elven paradise, tired of being displaced refugees.
Examples of Elven Culture
Elves can generally be categorized as either High elves or Wood elves. While there are indeed examples of many distinct elves throughout the world of Urð, at their core every elf will fit either of these two.
High elves have a potent connection to magic and keen minds more often than not well suited to magical knowledge. They are hard working and focused although they often fall prey to the stereotype of being haughty and aloof. High elves are masters of magic and some other species might judge them slightly for their dependence on magic. High elves like to make their homes within cities as well as places potent with magical energies. They enjoy elegant and beautiful architecture as well as tall, graceful buildings and their choices of fashion often emphasize their grace and etherealness with beauty and comfort being important.
Wood elves have a potent connection to nature and are extremely intuitive and resourceful. They are often rough around the edges and care little for the overcrowded cities, much rather choosing to make their homes within woodlands and other underpopulated places, even swamps. Wood elves put a lot of focus and effort on keeping harmony with their surroundings. They care less about creating beautiful architecture, trying instead to have a minimal impact on the nature of the places they reside in. Their choices of fashion are usually strong and sustainable, using natural colours that might help them blend in with their surroundings.
Half-elves are made from the communion of an elf and a human. They are more common these days, as elves populate countries all over Urð and love between members of the two becomes inevitable. Naturally most Half-elves are connected to the culture they are raised in, be it in a mostly elven, human or diverse community. Likewise their culture will be connected to the place they come from, which could be anywhere from the countryside to the bustling metropolitan cities. It is very common for Half-elves to adopt a very mixed fashion to celebrate their dual heritage.
Playing an Elf
To portray an Elven character, pointed ears are required costuming.
(Note: Elven characters may learn one of the two abilities, not both)
High Elf - Sense Magic (1 SP) Similar to the spell Identify Magic, by closely observing (although not necessarily touching) an item, person or small area (around 1m) within arm’s reach for a minimum of five seconds a character will be able to discern if the object person or location possesses any magical properties.
Wood Elf - Commune with Nature (2 SP) The user can attempt to speak with any Flora in the vicinity.
To commune with nature, the character must meditate for 5 minutes.
Note: the information received from the use of this ability can vary in usefulness .
Note: make sure to speak with the Organizers before performing this ability.
Dwarf
General Information
Dwarves can be recognized by their elaborate and intricate facial hair. Facial hair is extremely important in dwarven culture and used to display social status: Long beards denoting a wise dwarf and intricate braids and jewellery indicating standing and power.
Dwarves are known for their resilience, stubbornness and strong ties to tradition. Their trust is often hard to earn, but strong once earned as Dwarves are dependable and loyal.
Within the Dwarven community lie the most incredible craftsmen, with a keen eye for detail and unparalleled patience and persistence when it comes to their craft.
Recent History
The Dwarves of Urð have made incredible strongholds within the Divide Mountains and to this day that remains the place most populated by Dwarves.
Generally not the best at adapting to the world around them, the hardheaded Dwarves have made it routine to adapt the world to them instead. In recent history, travelling bands have been formed and, on at least two occasions, Dwarven fortresses have been built out in the plains, east of the Dividing Mountains. The Azcrets desert remains the one land the Dwarves have yet to make their own, permanent, home in.
Examples of Dwarven Culture
Dwarven communities usually form in mountains, digging elaborate tunnel networks and grand chambers deep below but there are also those Dwarves who choose to travel above ground and explore the wonders of the world.
Most Dwarven societies are divided into tightly-knit clans built along family ties, which are highly valued by Dwarves, and political allegiances. These clans were usually led by hereditary rulers, often monarchs of a sort and descended from the founder of the clan.
Within Dwarven clans, elders are particularly respected, from whom they expect sound leadership and the wisdom of experience.
Playing a Dwarf
To portray a Dwarven character, a beard is required costuming.
Untrappable (2 SP) This skill allows the character to escape from traps and other bindings after 5 minutes of trying to get loose.
One-Handed Cleave (Learned when becoming a Dwarven Mentor) This skill allows the Character to Cleave shields with a one-handed weapon, provided it looks the part. *Cleave is a Prerequisite
Shade
General Information
Shades tend to copy what they’ve seen of Urð through the dreams of its people, oftentimes leading to a “distorted” view of the world.
Their white face and expressions fixed in place like a mask has made it hard for the general population to approach them and stories of their Nightmare counterparts hasn’t helped the Shades cause but while there are tricksters and ne'er do wells amongst them; most only want to enjoy the world they have finally been allowed to enter.
Recent History
The shades are a recent development for the world of Urð as they are creatures of the void.
For as long as any Shade can remember, the only way for them to interact with other realms was through the dreams of mortals, existing in the background of a person's dream, sometimes even shaping it.
Now those mortals have built doors to the void across the lands to create a magical transportation network.
The shades, who were initially treated with a healthy level of fear, quickly did their best to make deals to guarantee safe passage for themselves through Urð in return for safe passage for visitors going through the void.
Now several years have passed since then and the shades are becoming a more regular site in most major cities across urð but they may still have some difficulty in the wider countryside and smaller towns where news doesn't travel as quickly.
Examples of Shade Culture
Shade don’t have a culture as such, as there is nothing in the void, save themselves, the quickly fading structures that they can build there and hazy windows into the dreams of Urðs mortal populace.
This hasn’t stopped the emerging shades from taking inspiration from and copying the things they like; resulting in a dream-like amalgam of styles in their structures and fashions.
Shades have a history that they don't like talking about, the shades are after all only one half the story and in every shade there exists the potential of turning into a Nightmare.
Should a shade loose themselves, which is a rarer occurrence now, they will turn into an otherworldly horror, with no other longing than to destroy the realm that was denied to them for so long, as per the last orders of the Nightmare king.
In the First Era all shades could be considered Nightmares, a hive mind ruled by the Nightmare king, first son of the Void.
The king had found a way to cross between realms and into Urð but was met by a witch when he first tried to take his hoards across.
The witch, having seen his intent clearly, spun the passageway that was to be the king's triumph into a prison, trapping the king and the most powerful of the Nightmares with him, dooming them to slowly waste away.
The rest of the Nightmares were cut off from their king and their hive mind fractured, each one becoming a being of their own. Many were consumed by madness and grief, remaining Nightmares for all of time but many more found what they believe is their true self and became the shades.
It wasn't until a few years ago that the shades had reason to remember their old king, when they all suddenly felt his anger and a link to their hive mind again. While short lived, this connection sent many reeling and put fear into the minds of most others.
Playing a Shade
To portray a Shade character, a white mask is required costuming. The level of detailing on the mask can represent how close to mortality a shade is.
A mask with no detailing means the Shade might be turning into a Nightmare.
Unnatural magic (2 SP) This skill allows a Shade to learn a spell of their choice, regardless of if they have the skill “access to magic” or not. When learning a spell this way, prerequisites still apply.
A Shade may learn this skill up to three times.
Goblin
General Information
Wherever there are orcs one is viable to find goblins, that does not mean they don't have a culture of their own or that they don't form their own tribes. In fact, in most cases, an orc tribe will have to negotiate with a goblin tribes leader to get them onboard, or so the goblin lore keepers would say.
The tribes and bands of goblins exist far and wide on Urð but most prefer the shade of rock or trees. This preference has led many tribes into conflict with dwarves and elves, in both cases the goblins are usually pushed out, leaving them scouring the mountain tops or darting through valleys.
There is one notable exception in the form of the goblins’ “Bigg’r’than’yor” cave, a formerly dwarven city that they managed to take, exactly how this happened has been lost to time and no dwarf will speak of it.
Recent History
During the Acrian war, no goblin leader was invited to take part in the fight. However some tribes, bordering the wilderness, noticed what was happening and took the opportunity to attack nearby settlements that were left with little or no defences.
They managed quick attacks, overwhelming defences with huge numbers; some tribes joining together to take on better defended areas.
Using hit-and-run tactics on smaller villages, stealing supplies and armaments to then use for larger assaults on bigger settlements the goblins took over much of the large forests in northern Theros, clashing with elves and humans already in the region, and large parts of it are still under goblin occupation.
Some goblins joined the orc warbands having already made or making deals with their chiefs for land, loot and status within the warband. When the council of lords that recruited the orcs went back on their deal; those same goblins joined the warband in their ongoing raids in south Thearos.
Examples of Goblin Culture
Goblins are very chaotic by nature, you can never be sure what to expect when meeting a new tribe.
The structure of a goblin tribe often seems something like a chiefdom but while some truly are; a tribe is almost just as likely to be a direct democracy, matriarchy, autocracy or even something they call a “gobarchy”, where the one who is the most goblin is made the leader. Although no goblin has been able to adequately describe to non-goblins what it means to be the most goblin.
Goblins might not seem to be the smartest of the species but this isn't always true. Goblins can be very smart and even specialise in certain ways, you might even find master surgeons or alchemists among many goblin tribes.
Camp structures and fashions tend to be whatever they can get their hands on, often scavenged or passed down from one goblin to the next for generations.
Playing a Goblin
To portray a Goblin character, a Goblin mask is required costuming.
Untrappable (2 SP) This skill allows the character to escape from traps and other bindings after 5 minutes of trying to get loose.
Uncontrolled Bashing (3 SP) This skill allows the Character to knock down opponents that have a shield up
Note: the use of this skill causes no damage and has no effect on targets that do not have shields.Proper Diet (learned when becoming a Goblin Mentor) With this skill a Goblin may ignore the effects of 1 potion every hour.
orc
General Information
On the mainland there are three large Orc warbands, aside from them there are many tribes and camps dotted across the lands.
Each tribe and camp is going to look rather unique to an orc but outsiders might not see the differences. War, fighting and combat are deeply rooted in orc culture and the brutal rituals and bloody acts often don’t translate well to outsiders. Goblins being the exception, their brutality and lack of regard for others making them an excellent addition to any camp (Although sometimes only as travel rations).
Orcs tend to shun magic and faith, not trusting such powers to exact a price equal to the service it offers, instead orcs rely on the power of their fallen comrades sent to them from the Hall of the Ancestors.
Recent History
The leaders of the three largest orc tribes were convinced to join the Council of Lords after Acria began expanding its borders once more. These three leaders formed the largest warbands seen since the first era.
Shortly thereafter, when the gods fell, the ancestors were lost and the living orcs were briefly weakened. This didn’t last long however as the orcs were the first to arrive on the frontlines for the Acrian- and then the Blood War after that, their hall of the ancestors soon being filled again.
After defeating the Blood Queen, the Council ordered the warbands disbanded and offered the orc chiefs a fraction of what they had initially promised for their contribution. Ownership of lands where they had lived before, bordering the hostile Wilderness, and some land bordering Acria, which was now more dangerous than ever before; with the primordial magic welling within and the beasts beginning to emerge from the suddenly appearing forests.
Generally this is viewed by almost all orcs as the worst betrayal in their history and the chiefs have refused to disband, now raiding across the south of Thearos.
Those tribes and camps that were pressed into the warband have been released from service but most have stayed.
Examples of Orc Culture
Orcs are mostly found on the edges of the Wilderness, stretching from the south by Acria to the frozen northern mountain ranges of the dwarves or in the north of the Azcrets.
While ferocious and uncaring, orcs do have a certain code of honour for example;
“A duel shall never be interrupted”,
“Victory over your chief is a victory over your whole tribe/camp” and
“To gain entry to the tribes/camps territory you must prove yourself worthy”.
In essence “Might makes Right” but with an emphasis on conducting yourself in a manner you can be proud of.
Unfortunately due to their sordid past, orcs tend to view most non-orcs as inherently dishonourable and therefore exempt from the traditional codes of conduct.
Once an orc has done something to bring pride to his tribe or camp; they may attempt the Ko’Ha’Gor, a journey to challenge one's mind, body and spirit.
Should an orc attempt it and return from it victorious; they will return changed and may grow their hair out so all may know of their success.
Orc camps and fashion usually both rely more on natural materials found in their environment or taken from prey than on anything processed.
They generally consider it wasteful not to use every part of the hunted creature and often take trophies from hunts they are particularly proud of.
While camps and tribes will trade between each other; they rarely engage in trade with any non-orcs, every camp has some story of just revenge against the other species for attempted trickery or swindling, and since they often move their camps for better hunting or are driven away; they tend not to bother with large, delicate tools such as looms or spindles. This has all led to many “finer” materials being lost on them as impractical but they will happily take what they deem sturdy and usable when raiding or defending themselves.
Although they abstain from most larger material processing, there is an exception; the forge, weapons and armour being a sign of power and prestige guarantees that every tribe or camp worthy of being called such will have a forge and blacksmith present. Even beyond that, it is fairly common for orcs to know smithing or leatherworking, as they are expected to maintain their own equipment to the best of their ability.
As for the equipment itself, the older and longer lasting a weapon or piece of armour is, the better. Signs of wear, tear and repair, especially damage taken from combat, being proof of the equipment’s quality and the owner's skill.
Playing an Orc
To portray an Orc character, an Orc mask is required costuming.
Ancestral Spirit (3 SP) With this skill an Orc may ignore the effects of 1 Mental Spell or Curse every hour.
Two-handed Dual-wield (5 SP) This skill allows the orc to wield two two-handed weapons, one in each hand. *The skills “Ambidexterity” and “Two-handed Weapons” are a Prerequisite.
Note: This is difficult to do and any orc that wants this skill will have to prove to an Organiser that they are capable of using this skill safely before it is granted.Soul Strike (Learned when becoming an Orc Mentor) This skill allows an orc to swing 1 powerful blow that deals 10 DIRECT damage to the target. This skill will drain the orc and affect them as a Heavy Weapon spell.
undead
General Information
The undead come in a variety of forms, each species having lost some to the ever rising numbers of the living dead. Some look like nothing more than walking corpses while others have shed their flesh and become something like wraiths.
While the undead are shunned almost everywhere in Urð, there are a few places they can call their own; the abandoned and ruined White Isle, where the undead first arose in Urð; the southern tip of the Divide Mountains, surrounded by the Wilderness few mortals ever dare to approach and the Deadwoods of Azcrets, surviving amongst the monsters that call these places home.
Recent History
In the aftermath of the Blood War, with the Paladin orders shattered and an abundance of bodies scattered along the south Theros, the undead have begun coming out of hiding.
While the undead have some places where they can exist unbothered by the sentient living, coexisting with wildlife and monsters has made many of them bitter and wanting to take or build a proper kingdom of their own. Now there are rumors floating around of a collective seeking to claim Acria for the undead.
Example of Undead Culture
The History of the undead is largely obfuscated and generally each sentient undead will have their own unique opinion on the topic of culture. There are however a few notable groups of undead who share in ideology.
The Walkers of the Path, who call themselves death knights, seek to use their immortality to strengthen themselves while avoiding unnecessary conflict with the mortal world.
The teachings of the path say that undeath was a curse the gods placed on him who would reach above his station, so it should be used to free oneself from the influence of the gods.
Followers of the Forsaken are not an organized group per say but rather an alarmingly large collection of individuals who share the goal of wanting one of their number to rise to godhood, as the Forsaken had done, becoming the God of Undeath. Of course each of them wants to be the one to ascend but they all agree that in the end it doesn't really matter which one does it first.
Smaller gatherings of undead are fairly common, with many of them being forced to work together to defend themselves from the larger mortal communities and more powerful liches raising legions of undead in secret to guard their tombs or take the fight back to them.
Regardless of their ideology all sentient undead suffer an inescapable hunger, being unable to create energy to sustain their unlife on their own they are forced to steal it from the living.
Some do this passively, taking only what is given freely but many more see themselves above the living and take whatever they can find. This is the main reason for the living's hesitancy to allow the undead to exist and some holy orders, who see a beings life energy as a most sacred part of that beings soul, have gone on and pushed for crusades against them.
Playing an Undead
To portray an Undead character, facial prosthetics or make-up is required. The Undead should look undead, such as rotting corpses or wraiths.
The Undead must feed on mortals on a regular basis. (Deal at least 1 point of damage to a non-undead character per event.)
Immunity to Potions (This skill is Passive) Potions, whether they are helpful or harmful, have no effect on undeads.
Cannibalism (3 SP) This skill allows an Undead to devour and cannibalize other “living” creatures to heal their own wounds.
Reanimation (Learned when becoming an Undead Mentor) This skill allows an undead to come back from the dead. This skill requires a tremendous amount of power and will leave the undead in a weakened state for 12 hours.
changeling
General Information
The term changeling is used as a catch-all for any kind of shape changer, whether this power came from a curse, blessing or ancient ritual, as such the details on history and lore surrounding them are unique to each individual or group.
Often changelings are referred to as the specific group that they belong to rather than being called a changelings, such as the werewolves/lycanthropes, spirit-bonded or wyldsouls.
There is a notable population of changelings in the Zutraim Sultanates, rumored to be blessed by the region's long absent outer gods, and the far north of Thearos, where the veil thins and communion can be had with things outside the realm of mortals.
Most who know of changelings have not had pleasant encounters with them, as they have a tendency to lose control of their wilder side, often endangering those around them and destroying their environment.
This, along with their reputation, has caused most changelings to hide their nature and stay away from larger settlements; preferring the wild forests and untamed mountains where they are not persecuted and where they can not bring undue harm to others.
With time a changeling can learn to tame their wilder side and most do try so they can more easily integrate into society.
Recent History
There are a few well known individuals who have worked hard to show the world that they are more beneficial as allies than enemies and during the Acrian and Blood wars they were especially helpful to the Thearosian alliance, serving as living siege engines that would break through defensive lines or martyrs that took on hoards to allow their friends time to escape.
Examples of Changeling Culture
While there are many more smaller groups and individual examples of changelings, here are a few of the better known examples
Werewolves - Perhaps the most well known example of changelings comes in the form of werewolves and lycanthropes.
Appearing as a regular mortal most of the time, these changelings lose all control over their wilder side during specific phases of the moon.
There are accounts of lycanthropy being passed via a bite wound but there is little actual evidence of this, most seeming to acquire it through some kind of initiation ritual or curse, depending on a person's opinion of the benefits and downsides.Spirit-bonded - These changelings are individuals who have made a pact with some spirit of the natural world, allowing the spirit to merge with their bodies.
The precise details of the pact can vary greatly from person to person and spirit to spirit but there are examples of a pact being formed when a person is close to death as a means to save themselves and the spirit is allowed a host to affect the mortal world in return. Others may have sought out the spirit and offered it their service and devotion in return for the spirit's power.Wyldsouls - Groups or individuals who have inherited or devised great rituals to connect themselves with Urð itself. The exact means of becoming a Wyldsoul are kept very secretive, even within their own established gatherings, although rumors would suggest that while the group generally views it as a blessing; the price paid is one that can never be refunded and many would see reason to regret their actions once it's paid.
Playing a Changeling
Changelings must pick one time of the month where they can not control their transformation nor their actions while transformed (such as a werewolf on a full moon) otherwise they can change once per day at will. The changelings should not stay in their changed form for longer than half an hour at a time.
Changeling costuming can vary greatly depending on the character but a changeling's altered form should include at least face and hand coverings.
(changeling costuming must be approved by the Games Organizers before it can be used)
Inner Power (This is skill is Passive) When in their “Changed” form a changeling has 3 extra health points
Controlled Transformation (4 SP) This allows a changeling to stay in their transformed state at length and can transform 2 more times per day at will.
Hidden Strength (Learned when becoming a Changeling Mentor) This allows a changeling to perform a DIRECT damage physical attack once every 5 minutes while in their “changed” form.