Races of Panumbra

From:  http://web.archive.org/web/19980204020638/http://www.shareplay.com/races.htm

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People living in the region around Montparsa and the Mines [ Humans ] [ Orcs ] [ Elves ] [ Dwarves ] [ Gnomes ] [ Goblins ] Humans are average in most ways, and are usually the race people compare other races to when saying things like "Minotaurs are strong" or "Elves are wise." They usually stand about six feet tall, and live about 70-80 years if they make it to old age. Some individuals are significantly taller or shorter than this, of course, and some humans can live more than 100 years, but on the whole, those measurements hold true. The reason many humans don't make it to old age is the one thing that sets them apart- they have a fiery, almost unquenchable spirit, and great curiousity. More humans go off looking for adventure and new experiences in their youth than any other race- and of course, many adventurers don't live long. Humans are uniquely adaptable creatures, and can survive in nearly any environment, even thrive if enough resources are available. They adapt just as easily to knowledge, learning most subjects equally well. They dive into learning with a gusto many races lack, so they can become powerful rather quickly, even though the most powerful of humans can be easily matched or outperformed by masters of the same skills from other races. They are an old race, despite their relatively short lifespan, and are known to have lived on Taera during and before the Golden Age. Most other races are used to their quirks, and humans are therefore able to find homes almost everywhere they go. Nearly every city has some humans living in or around it, somewhere. Much of the history of the human race has been forgotten (again, because of their short lifespan), but it is known that several Immortals were humans originally, including Lord Damok himself, so whatever history is left for discovery is undoubtedly full of grand achievements. Of course, it is also known that many rebel Immortals, including the reviled Annihilator, were human as well, so human history also contains some stunning atrocities. For game purposes, humans are a good race for beginners to start with, as they are average in advancement potential for nearly all skills, and gain levels slightly faster than the average. Also, advanced players unsure of what sort of character they want to play, or wanting to develop a character in many different areas simultaneously, may want to make their characters human, due to the equal advancement potential even in wildly different disciplines. Orcs are a short-lived race of humanoids with a reputation for quick tempers and brutality, undeserved in many cases, but barely scratching the surface in others. They usually stand about human height, but are broader and stockier, and typically have large, tusklike teeth, piglike noses, and gray or green skin. They are one of the so-called Elder Races which come from the Golden Age and before, but are one of the youngest of those races, and had to fight for a place in the world throughout much of their early history as a result. It is thought that this is the reason for their seeming hotheadedness and sour dispositions, which are still present in them despite centuries of being an accepted, and sometimes respected, people. They live even shorter lives than humans, typically only 50-60 years, but nevertheless know a great deal of their shared history, compared with other short-lived people. This is most likely due to their strong sense of racial discipline, a lifestyle which has only helped them survive in the cruel world after the Annihilation. Orcs are almost as adaptable as humans, and can also live nearly anywhere, but tend to be more comfortable in underground or barren places than humans are. They are also more stubborn than humans, tending to hold fiercely to what they think is right, and defending their territories with equal gusto. They were one of the first races to attempt life on the surface of the world after the Annihilation, and there are still many "tribal" orcs who live in roving bands, scrounging resources and living wherever they can. More civilized orcs have many kindoms and lands in the world, and orcish cities are usually well maintained and orderly, with strict codes of law and punishment. Of course, given their general stubbornness, there are also a large number of orcs still living underground, rarely if ever venturing outside their caves and mines. They tend to be stronger and healthier than humans, but not as smart or agile, and normally less likable as well. Having shorter lives than humans, orcs also try to learn things quickly, and often succeed, though not as well in magical or mental skills. In game terms, orcs have higher strength, willpower, and hardiness than humans on average, but lower intelligence, agility, and charisma. In addition, they have higher starting stamina, but lower starting mana. They have a slight racial resistance to poisons and diseases, and magic as well, though that is less pronounced than the other two. They advance in levels faster than humans do, but don't learn most magical, mental, and social skills as quickly. They are therefore better as warrior-types, though their high willpower allows them to often achieve better results with the magic they do learn. Players looking to play bash-em-up combative characters will probably find orcs appealing. Elves are an ancient, magical humanoid people who enjoy the longest lifespan of any humanoid race on the planet. They can live for many centuries, some even for millennia, and have traditions and stories dating back to well before the Golden Age, even today. They stand slightly taller than humans normally, thinly built, and with paler skin, though this doesn't seem to affect their resistance to sunburn. And of course, the most obvious characteristic of elves as opposed to humans, is their ears, which are pointed at the top. Aside from those, elves look much like humans physically, though elf men don't have hair anywhere but on the tops of their heads. That, combined with their natural grace, makes them seem somewhat androgynous to other races sometimes. Being so long-lived, elves tend to take the long view on everything, and have very even tempers, which makes them more likable than most people. They make excellent diplomats, and often serve in that capacity in multiracial nations. The fact that they also tend to be highly intelligent is even more helpful in that, but also highlights their natural affinity for all things magical- elves are powerful wizards when they choose to follow the paths of magic. They have very keen senses, and can maintain better discipline than shorter-lived people, due again to their legendary patience, so they can often fight as well as they cast spells. Having such a long-term perspective, however, means that they take their time learning things, advancing much more slowly than most races. Also, they aren't as strong as humans, and not as tough, so though they can become good fighters, they usually have to augment their fighting abilities with some magical skills to become truly powerful on the battlefield. It is also known that most death magic is more effective against elves than other races, for some unknown reason. Elves in the game have higher intelligence, willpower, agility, and charisma than humans, but lower strength and hardiness. They have higher starting mana, and less starting stamina. They have no natural resistances to anything, but do have the notable weakness against death magic, which includes some draining spells and undead-style powers as well. They advance slowly, but partially make up for it by learning some skills (especially magical ones) quickly, on a point-for-point basis. And of course, once Aging is in the game, they will have a longer lifespan than any other humanoid race. Players who like magically oriented characters, and don't mind taking their time to build them up to truly formidable heroes, should find elves appealing, but impatient players will probably become frustrated by the slow speed at which they advance. Dwarves are a race of underground-dwelling humanoids known for their excellent stone and metalwork. they are about as old, racially, as humans, meaning not as old as elves, but still reaching back before the Golden Age. Since they live much longer than humans, they remember those long-gone days better in their legends and stories, though they live less than half as long as elves do. Dwarves, as their name suggests, are short and stocky folk, standing a full head or two shorter than the average human, though just as broad, or broader. Unlike elves, dwarves have facial hair, and lots of it- dwarven men are known for being proud of their beards! One of the best ways to insult a dwarf is to suggest his beard is too short, and public shaving is a humilating punishment in their culture, akin to flogging for humans. Dwarven women also have facial hair, though not as much, and many of them shave regularly, since they aren't nearly as uptight about it as the men are. Dwarves generally spend their lives in their vast underground cities, mining metals and precious minerals out of the mountains they favor for their cities, and turning those metals, stones, and jewels into weapons, armor, and crafts of stunning beauty and legendary strength. Despite their shortness, they are very strong, more so than humans anyway. They've also grown to resemble the rocks they love so in two important ways- first, they're often more stubborn (and, frequently, grouchy) than mules, and second, their endurance, toughness, and general health are unsurpassed. Telling a dwarf he has the constitution of a brick wall is actually insulting, because brick walls aren't normally as strong as the bedrock they're built on! Dwarves, for the most part, spend their lives in their cities, with only merchants and diplomats leaving to trade and communicate with others. However, every so often a dwarf will get the urge to travel and see more, and these dwarves go adventuring like (and among) the surface dwellers. Although dwarves do have spellcasters among them, they don't have a natural bent toward any magic which isn't earth or rock-related, or directly people-related (like healing). They do, however, make excellent fighters, and dwarven bands of mercenaries are not uncommon on the surface world. Since they are long-lived, like elves, they tend to be more patient than other people, but not to the same degree. Their general tendency toward stubbornness makes them loath to try new things, and they therefore learn skills and advance their powers more slowly than normal. Dwarves in the game have higher strength, willpower, and MUCH higher hardiness than humans, but lower intelligence, agility, and charisma. They learn many weapon skills quickly, but have few magical skills to speak of, so the usual dwarven (adventuring) career is a warrior. They also have slight resistance to magic and poison, which also helps them survive on the front lines of a battle. Dwarves advance slightly slower than the average rate, though not nearly as slowly as elves, so impatient players are again likely to be frustrated by them, although less so than with elves. Dwarves are, therefore, good choices for players who want to take time building a tank-like fighter who can take lots of hits and still keep going. Gnomes are a race of underground-dwelling humanoids known for their excellent gem and precious metal work. The similarity to dwarves in that description isn't entirely inaccurate- ignorant people often confuse dwarves with gnomes and vice versa, a fact which is endlessly funny to the gnomes, and cause for the dwarves to get very indignant, insulted, and just plain angry. It's not that gnomes and dwarves don't get along, or that they don't look at all alike. It's that the gnomes are a very happy-go-lucky and free- spirited people, and the dwarves (who aren't normally either of those) are disgusted by those attitudes, and want to stay as far away from asssociation with them as possible. There are physical differences.  Although gnomes are short like dwarves, and the men often grow long beards, they aren't as stocky or strong as dwarves, and in fact their bodily proportions most resemble human norms, albeit on a smaller scale. They are normally shorter than dwarves, about half as tall as average humans, though tall gnomes can stand head-to-chest with humans (some stand on tiptoe). They're a younger race than humans or dwarves, although still one of the Elder Races which come from before the Golden Age. They also live fairly long lives, but unlike the elves and dwarves, like to live in the moment, not caring about the past, and just having fun as often as they can. "Fun" usually means good drink, good music, good company, and most of all, good jokes. Gnomes love a good joke, and even the most serious-minded of gnomes can't help but chuckle when a really good one comes off. They especially like practical jokes, and that in particular is something dwarves tend to find offensive. Still, their fun-loving approach to life, although rather dangerous for the gnomes (and their friends), generally makes them likable to other people, unless those people are the butt of the latest big joke. Gnomes are quick, agile, and intelligent, but weaker than most people, and rash to the point of foolishness, especially where something fun (or potantially fun) is involved. Many gnomes feel a desire to see the world at some point in their lives, and go off adventuring as a result. Because gnomes live in the moment, they learn things faster than most long-lived races, at a more or less average rate in fact. They are good at magic, and good at sneaking around, but tend to be unreliable in combat (except from a distance), and are usually trouble magnets. As a game race, gnomes have high intelligence, agility, and charisma, but lower strength, and willpower.They start with higher mana, and less stamina, than humans, but not very much either way. They have no racial resistances or weaknesses worth mentioning. Magical skills come naturally to them, especially the flashy ones, and they learn those skills quickly. Weapons are slower going for gnomes, but their naturally high agility helps them use thrown and missile weapons, and any weapons which rely on speed or aim above raw power. Gnomes advance at the average rate, so they are good for players looking to build a good magically-oriented character quickly. They can be warriors as well, but shouldn't be shy about leaving when the going gets rough- gnomes are small and easier to kill than most other races, having trouble gaining hit points. Goblins, the so-called "dwarf orcs," are a mutant race of orcs that lived underground in or near Wild Zones and areas of strange radiations, which changed them in several ways, so that they now look and behave very differently from their unchanged cousins. They are miners, much like the dwarves and gnomes, though their crafts aren't known for high quality. Goblins usually live in tribes which stake out territories and defend them fiercely, whether or not other races want them. Life in their tribes is often hard, but they don't live very long on average (not even as long as normal orcs), so they don't tend to try to change it much. They look much like small orcs, having gray, brown, or green skin, sharp teeth, and small piglike noses. However, their ears are larger than orc ears, giving them an excellent sense of hearing, and their eyes can see much better in the dark. They are also, of course, much smaller than normal orcs, standing a bit shorter even than gnomes. In contrast to the staunch discipline of orcs, goblin society is very chaotic- the tribes are usually led by chieftains, but the chieftain isn't always the strongest or biggest warrior. Many goblin tribes are led by the oldest members of the tribe, or the weakest, or the smallest child, or the woman with the most children, or... well, anybody. Exactly what is the measure of a tribal chief in a goblin tribe changes from tribe to tribe, and even from year to year in some tribes. Goblins are very individual creatures, however, which means that the chief's position doesn't matter as much to them as it might to outsiders, and a single tribe member may very well disobey or ignore the chief if it suits him or her. Also because they are raised to do whatever and whenever they want, goblins have a fun-loving attitude similar to gnomes, but their idea of "fun" is often very different from the gnomish one, as a result of their hard life. Bigger people tend to pick on goblins and put them down, so goblins like to do the same whenever they get the chance, and practical jokes are the most benign method they use- outright torture or other misery is often visited on their victims when goblins are in a bad mood. They have also, due to this attitude and their generally unsavory reputation, gotten very good at making others angry- if there's one thing goblins are acknowledged to be the best at, it's insults. Being supremely individual, goblins often go looking for adventure/trouble, and usually find it quickly. They are weaker than most races, not as tough, and often despised, but they are very intelligent, quick, and agile, and can be very persistent when they want to be. Goblins are even better at sneaking and skulking than gnomes, and favor ambush tactics in all types of combat. They try to leave combats that get dangerous, and are very good at escaping when they do. As a game race, Goblins have low strength, hardiness, and charisma, but high intelligence and willpower, and very high agility. They start with mana, stamina, and hit points lower than humans, but advance very quickly, learning the magic and weapon skills that they can learn about equally well. Clearly, they prefer to fight at a distance like gnomes, but goblins can dodge better than any other humanoid race, so they can survive toe-to-toe confrontations by simply not getting hit much of the time, even with low hit points (they gain hit points slowly). Players who want to advance fast, like stealthy types, and don't mind starting small, should consider playing goblins. Further, when thieving skills are added, goblins will be extremely good at them, for obvious reasons.

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