The Races of New Moon

Humans are just as you'd expect - like you and I. Humans form the most predominant race on the main continent of Heliopa, tending to cluster in the densely-crowded cities of Heliopolis and Leviatha. They are the normal race by which all other races on New Moon are judged. By normal it is not meant to indicate other races are abnormal (try telling that to a troll anyway!), just that humans have no special abilities or disabilities. Boring some might tell you (ask any dwarf). Perfectly adjusted others might say (ask a human).

The Drow are descendants of the surface elves, driven underground centuries ago. They were once like the Wood Elves and the High Elves, separated only by their deap-seated beliefs in evil. However, the High Elves came to despise the dark ways of the Drow and cast them out from the elvish homelands, driving them deep beneath the ground into the darkest bowels of the planet. The nature of their life underground has turned their skin black and their aptitude for magic has grown stronger, focused by the darkness around them. In appearance, Drow are slender beings, fast, nimble and quite tall for elvenkind. They are highly intelligent, scheming and often ruthless, often relying on brains rather than brawn.

The Dwarves are often considered short humans, but this is not so and you would be foolish to suggest this to a dwarf face-to-face. A proud and haughty race, their many generations of mining have made them more rugged than men. Most dwarves sport a beard of some kind, even the women ! They are strong, hale and tough, often stocky in appearance. Although far from stupid, they lack the sharpness of intellect of some other races and are not given to deep thought. Consequently, it will be unsual to find a dwarven mage in your travels. Indigenous to the mountain regions of New Moon, they take immense pride in their subterranean halls, caverns and tunnels which are burrowed deep beneath the surface.

The elves are an ancient race, steeped in lore and mystery. Some say they are an immortal race, but all that is known for sure is that elves are blessed with a great longevity. Slight of build and fleet of foot they are excellent archers and whilst they fight hard, they are not ideal warriors, lacking the strength and stamina of humans. Their advantage lies in their renowened dexterity, excellent sight and awareness and of course their stunning intellect which makes them masters of magic. There are two main branches of elvenkind in New Moon, the High Elves and the Wood Elves, both residing in the forests of the mainland. The Wood Elves are the more gregarious of the two and are less reticent to mix with other races and even visit the cities on occasion. The High Elves on the other hand are deeply secretive and shrouded in mystery. Few have ever seen the magical beauty of their Elvenholme, hidden deep in the Sylvan Forest. Even fewer have returned to describe it.

Without doubt, gnomes are the wisest of the races of New Moon and their longevity is surpassed only by the elves. Inquisitive by nature, gnomes are great hoarders of information and are steeped in the history and lore of New Moon. The majority of gnomes reside deep underground in the natural subterranean caverns of New Moon and in the intricate tunnel and cave complexes carved out by their master rocksmiths. A few gnomes have ventured above the surface to set up small towns and villages among the "big people" but usually they shy away from the aggression of the "bigger folk". Small, weak and fragile, gnomes aren't much use in a fight, but their exceptional wisdom and above-average intelligence means they are powerful wielders of magic and faith.

Half-Elves are brought about by the union of human and elf. They consider themselves elves, but physically they resemble men and elvish society merely tolerates them. As a consequence, half-elves are more likely to be found living among humankind than elvenkind. Often it is only possible to detect someone of half-elven stock by the hints of elvish in their features and their general tendency to be slightly weaker and more slender than the average human. Half-Elves are quite dextrous and intelligent, but less so than true elves. They pride themselves in being good all-rounders, a perfect blend of everything elvish and everything human.

Half-ogres are huge lumbering creatures brought about by the unlikely union of human and ogre. They are so strong and powerful that they make exceptional, if clumsy and unimaginative, fighters and they are often hired as mercenaries by the barons, lords and city militias of New Moon. However, their large size creates some problems for them living in cities, such as getting stuck in doorways and generally making a nuisance of themselves, and their utter stupidity makes anything remotely magical far beyond their grasp. These hulking beasts are often the brunt of many tavern jokes and it is just as well their intellect doesn't sparkle sufficiently to get the punchlines.

Hobbits, sometimes also known as halflings, resemble children to human eyes, not only because of their physical size, but also in their unsurpassed curiosity and dexterity. They do not seem to have the physique for fighting, being small, but they can often surprise other races in a fight with their bravery and tenacity. Hobbits are homely folk by nature, given to tending the fields and the quiet rural life. Very few of hobbit-kind venture far from their villages and farmsteads to seek adventure in the big cities, but those that do sadly often seem to put their exceptional dexterity and powers of stealth to ill use, turning to the dubious profession of thievery.

Orcs were perhaps once men, but history is unclear on their origins. What is known is that evil forces have ravaged their bodies into deformed and twisted forms. Most orcs are unwelcome in the civilized towns and cities of New Moon and even those that have chosen to shun the vile ways of their wilder cousins and live among men still tend to find they are ostracized wherever they go. Orcs are tough, sinewy and strong, but not exactly noted for their intellect and wisdom. They are naturally excellent and ruthless fighters, but they seldom study the magical arts beyond ritual shamanism. Orcs have superb night-sight and can often see when other races are blinded, but shy away from the stark light of day.

Trolls are enormous, powerful beasts. They can crush most opponents easily, despite their ponderous speed and are one of the most feared races on New Moon. They are most probably the ugliest too. To say that trolls are not blessed with the delicacy of elves would be kind. To say they have the complexion of a swamp would probably be unkind, to swamps that is. But few are foolish enough to mock a troll and indeed trolls have come to gain a lot of respect due to their trustworhy, steadfast nature and willingness to give their lives in defence of their friends and those they serve as mercenaries. Awesome fighters they may be, but magic is unknown in trollish circles, due to their low intelligence. Trolls have enormous difficulties seeing in bright light and shun the daytime, hiding in their dark caves. But come the night, no-one can see better than a troll and they emerge to rule the hours of darkness.