A Word From the Author:
"Throughout time, several tomes of literature have been scribed onto pages, carefully cataloging the history of the world and its peoples. A staggering number of these historical documents have been lost, whether in battle, disaster, or the erosion of time itself. Today, most citizens of Zaelia, on all continents, have a broad knowledge of the world's history, learned through the pages of the most widely accepted and dispersed books on the subject, each a pillar of the scholarly mind and a glimpse into the writer's own time period."
- Keito Nomara, Literary Curator, Providence Temple, Leonidan
In these snippets from Keito's book, "A Comprehensive Study On Zaelian Life Through Time", we see snapshots of different time periods through the eyes of different Races. He summarizes the races today in his epilogue at the end of the text.
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v~^~v~^~v~^~( From Humble Beginnings )~^~v~^~v~^~v
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(The following work is a collection from the earliest known written text on Zaelia's Intelligent Races. The author is the Dwarven scholar Lokheyr Brimstone, and he is believed to have lived on Renth over forty thousand years ago. The text has been translated and modernized, though some colloquial phrasing and spelling from the time is preserved. Not much can be gleaned concerning the way of life of the time period, but it does interestingly point out the technology of the time, having only the means to sail to two continents. And most peculiar is the absence of Zaelia's Half-Breed Intelligent Races. -KN)
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= . =
"TODAY, MENN OF BULLSLAND SPOTTED FROM SHIP. MENN HAD SORDD, MENN HAD BOE. SHIP DID NOT LAND FOR FEAR OF MENN VITH SORDD AND BOE..."
"VESTRN STARS BRING SHIP TO LIONSLAND. MUCH FITING VITH ANIMALS THERE. MENN AND ELFS FITING EACH OTHER, NOT FITING DWARFS..."
"CAVES ON RENTH DUG DEEP, NOT DEEP ENOUFF. KING VURIG VANT GREAT CITY BENEETH MOUNTANN. DWARFS KEEP DIGGING. KING VURIG VANT TO KNOW MORE OF MENN AND ELFS. DWARFS KEEP SAILING..."
"CITY BENEETH MOUNTANN CALLED VURIGKLUIS. ANVIL IS HOTT, MAKES BETTR SORDD, BETTR HAMMR, BETTR ARMOR. NOW DWARFS CAN LAND IN BULLSLAND AND LIONSLAND..."
"SHIPS LAND ON BULLSLAND. MENN OF BULLSLAND FITE DWARFS AT COAST. MENN ARE TALL, HAVE VEAK ARMOR BUT DO NOT STOP FITING. KING VURIG WANT TRADE WITH FITING MENN. SHIPS LAND ON LIONSLAND, NO FITING WITH MENN AND ELFS. MENN AND ELFS HAVE PEECE VITH DWARFS. KING VURIG VANT TRADE HERE TOO..."
"KING VURIG DEDD. LONG LIVV KING SKORHAN. KING SKORHAN VANT MORE CITY BENEETH MOUNTANN, VANT MORE TRADE, VANT MORE SAILING. DWARFS MAKE BIGGR SHIPS AND PORT IN BULLSLAND, LIONSLAND..."
(The following work is currently housed in the Reliquary of Dracos, near the Cursed Plains, and was written, surprisingly, not by a scholar, but by an Elven warrior who took part in the thirty year battle for Eastern Dracos between the forces of Man and Elf almost twenty-three thousand years ago. An elder at the time of this text, Elven Archer Fenrir of the Southern Stronghold recalls life in Dracos during the spread of technology. The dialect and peculiarity of Middle Ages Elven script remains pungent in the translated text, which is a far cry from primitive Dwarven inscriptions. Notable additions from the last text are the Half-Breed Races. -KN)
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"We remember the ships,, -how frequent and laden they were with goods- ,,their arrival on our shores were received with gladness,, - ..We remember the Stronghold leader )*(FATHER TALANOR)*(,, -HE in HIS wisdom forbade us from accepting such gifts and opportunities,, - ..Yet,, -and sadly,, -we remember those who disobeyed HIM and took of the Dwarven gold,, -yes,, -those who left our fold and ventured to the land of (men),, -cursed and wicked they were,, -no doubt coerced by Half-ELVES they were,, -more (man) than ELF they were,, - .."
"The (men) of Mereklund,, -a city called keston at the time before the Great War,, -traded much with the Dwarves,, - ..They had much in the way of gold and supplies,, -much to build higher towers,, -much to arm better warriors of men(),, -much to invite more Dwarves and Halflings,, -more (man) than Dwarf they were,, - ..It was the city of keston, led by the cursed (kest) himself,, -that decided they knew better than our )*(FATHER TALANOR)*(,, - ..Thus,, -the wicked (kest) himself led (men) into our forests to cut our trees and cull our herds,, - .."
"Of the Great War,, -nothing should be said,, - ..Our brothers and sisters in the tribes of Leonidan should forget we,, -of the Southern Stronghold,, -ever existed,, - ..The fight was long,, -spread too long over the land,, -and took more lives than necessary,, -both ELF and,, - .. .. - .. -and Men,, - ..It is unforgivable not to respect the dead,, -and the Races of the Great War,, -whether they ELF,, -MEN,, -HALFLING,, -or HALF-ELF,, -deserve that honor,, - .."
"Now,, -years since the Great War,, -and years since the honored Merek communed with the dying )*(FATHER TALANOR)*( to strike peace between the nations,, -ELF and (men) live coridally,, - ..The Cursed Plains on which we trod remind us ever of the needless deaths,, -of the many killed for hubris,, - ..Even today,, -Gnomes live among our fold,, -coming from the very origin of our calamity,, -and we honor them,, -for their ingenuity,, -better served here than in Dwarven hands,, - .."
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= . =
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v~^~v~^~v~^~( Persistant War Can Bury Hope )~^~v~^~v~^~v
.
(The following work is in the form of collected letters between two condemned lovers of Leonidan almost eight thousand years ago. Lorek, a Halfling imprisoned among the Atrox Pride on the western coast for violating Atrox law, and his bride-to-be Svurit, a Gnome imprisoned by the Barbary Pride on the eastern coast for collusion with the enemy. The letters, while heartfelt and agonizing to some, also give us a window with which to look into the war-torn lands of Leonidan and its Four Prides. It pains the author of this collection to know that such diversity can still breed such hatred. An interesting note: The Gnome Svurit in these letters refers to the triad of original Races as Man, Elf, and Gnome, in an effort to discount the Dwarves and lift up the half-breeds. -KN)
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= . =
"Lorek, my Love,
It is damp here. The Gnomes have constructed quite a prison, as only we could be genius enough but vile enough to make and use. I can only hope our letters continue to find each other now that I am in constant peril. This one is short, as I cannot trust my sparrow to stay quiet for long in this cell. I pray to the gods and to all the creatures of the Wilds that my sparrow might fly true, and at least bring a few words of relief to your ears and heart that I, your love, am still alive."
"My Darling Svurit,
It tears me apart that you are kept in such conditions. I cannot fathom how someone could look into your perfect eyes and decide to torture you in this way. I only know how much it pains me to be apart, and I wish that whatever pain you feel could be passed to me as well through this sparrow, so that you might feel no ill will toward anyone and exist only in happiness that you deserve. I send all my love, and I hope you send all your pain back with this frail bird."
"Lorek, my Life,
How happy I was to know that our sparrow has made the trip twice more! My condition worsens, but my love for you grows. I am weak, with hunger and with love. I hear the groaning of gears and metal all day and night, weapons of war being made by Gnome, Elf, and Man to be put against more Gnome, Elf, and Man. When will this fighting stop? I fear that only then would we be able to come together at last. Please give me hope, Lorek!"
"My Dearest Svurit,
My heart is ripped in two. The Men and Halflings in charge of this prison block have discovered three attempted escapees this month, and all three were put to death in their cells. I cannot escape for fear of leaving you alone, but I cannot stay here and continue to write to you for fear of being discovered! I send our sparrow and the entirety of my love. I wish I could grasp one of its feeble legs and let it carry me to you from this wicked place. Perhaps I can strike a deal to fight with the Atrox against the Barbary? If I have to kill my family to get to you, my love, I would!"
"Lorek, my Last Breath,
I write this letter to no one, holding in my hands the dead body of our sparrow. It feels as though I hold the very dead body of our love. The sounds of war above my cell have not ceased, and added to it now is the commotion of your kin assaulting the keep. I can only assume they will succeed and kill us all, or fail, in which case the Gnomes will use their terrible machines to kill you all. It is hopeless. I had hope for so long, but persistent war buries such hope. Such trivial feelings. I write this letter to myself, fully aware that it will never leave these bars, nor will I. Little sparrow, so brave yet frail; you have done a great service in giving me extra time with my love. Perhaps I write this letter to you, sparrow. Fly to Vargen with your wings, and tell him of our love."
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v~^~v~^~v~^~( EPILOGUE: The Races Today )~^~v~^~v~^~v
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I, Keito Nomara, of Providence Temple, have studied the Races and their histories for decades. To summarize my lifetime of work in so short a text is embarrassing and rude, but I shall try.
MAN: I have found that Men of Zaelia, while varying in culture from the shores of Svalbard to the plains of Bulund, share a few common characteristics. They are prideful, but not displaying hubris. At least, no longer. They are resourceful and not above manual labor. Men are comfortable in any role of any civilization, but they certainly prefer the company of other Men or Halflings. Men are numerous, living en masse on Bulund, where they rule, Dracos, where they keep a general peace with Elven Kingdoms, Leonidan, where they quarrel with every Race, and Svalbard, where they work the mines and guard the shores alongside any able body.
Men have a tall build, with fair to tan flesh, a wide variety of eye and hair colors, and an average lifespan of 100 years.
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= . =
ELF: The Elves of Zaelia are, if nothing else, careful. They may analyze an important decision for decades before casting lots, and when they do, you can rest assured every possible outcome has been deliberated. Living mainly on Dracos, where they have an immense stronghold, on Leonidan, where they control the better part of two Prides, and on Bulund, where they stick to treeline communities, the Elves are sparse but concentrated.
Elves have fair skin, a tall thin build, light hair and eye colors, and an average lifespan of 300 years.
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= . =
DWARF: The subterranean species of Dwarves, found most commonly under Renth but spread throughout all of Zaelia, are a peculiar sort. Stubborn and boisterous, proud and loyal, adventurous and never complacent, the Dwarves are always eager to rise to their next challenge (or dig to find it).
Dwarves have thick hairy skin, a squatty build, dark eyes and hair, and an average lifespan of 200 years.
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= . =
HALFLING: A product of Man and Dwarf, the Halflings are diverse people. Generally carrying more Man-like personality, Halflings are shrewd businessmen and tend to live in civilized areas as working class citizens. Across Leonidan, Renth, Bulund, and Dracos, the Halflings thrive in communities of Man and Dwarf, and often can be found among the military of their respective homes.
Along with the mixed personality of clever Man and proud Dwarf comes the small body type of the Halfling, similar in height to a Dwarf but much lighter, with varying eye and hair colors, and an average lifespan of 150 years.
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= . =
GNOME: From loins of Dwarf and Elf, an uncommon relationship indeed, spring the Gnomes. The least populous race in all of Zaelia, these people are small but clever. More often than not, the Gnomes will lean vastly toward one side of their ancestors, living either in treetop villages and practicing magic with their Elven kin, or close to the ground (and sometimes under it) creating mechanical automatons and working Zaelia's soils with the Dwarves.
Gnomes are the smallest race of all Intelligent beings, frail and fragile, but fiercely capable due to their immense understanding of both Essence and Logic. With small bodies, wildly colored hair and eyes, the Gnomes have a life span of around 250 years.
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= . =
HALF-ELF: The spawn of Man and Elf, both Vargen-born races, is a common halfbreed, more so than the other two. Half-Elves share the adventurous and conquering spirit of Man as well as the reclusive and wise nature of Elves, making them more often than not a mentally fragile race, though still capable of warfare as well as diplomacy.
With tall frames and slender features, the Half-Elves share the look of both Man and Elf gracefully, sometimes called the most beautiful of all races. They carry eyes and hair of varying colors, and a life span that ranges from 150 to 250 years, depending on their ancestry.
"Throughout time, several tomes of literature have been scribed onto pages, carefully cataloging the history of the world and its peoples. A staggering number of these historical documents have been lost, whether in battle, disaster, or the erosion of time itself. Today, most citizens of Zaelia, on all continents, have a broad knowledge of the world's history, learned through the pages of the most widely accepted and dispersed books on the subject, each a pillar of the scholarly mind and a glimpse into the writer's own time period."
- Keito Nomara, Literary Curator, Providence Temple, Leonidan
In these snippets from Keito's book, "A Comprehensive Study On Zaelian Life Through Time", we see snapshots of different time periods through the eyes of different Races. He summarizes the races today in his epilogue at the end of the text.
.
v~^~v~^~v~^~( From Humble Beginnings )~^~v~^~v~^~v
.
(The following work is a collection from the earliest known written text on Zaelia's Intelligent Races. The author is the Dwarven scholar Lokheyr Brimstone, and he is believed to have lived on Renth over forty thousand years ago. The text has been translated and modernized, though some colloquial phrasing and spelling from the time is preserved. Not much can be gleaned concerning the way of life of the time period, but it does interestingly point out the technology of the time, having only the means to sail to two continents. And most peculiar is the absence of Zaelia's Half-Breed Intelligent Races. -KN)
= . =
= . =
"TODAY, MENN OF BULLSLAND SPOTTED FROM SHIP. MENN HAD SORDD, MENN HAD BOE. SHIP DID NOT LAND FOR FEAR OF MENN VITH SORDD AND BOE..."
"VESTRN STARS BRING SHIP TO LIONSLAND. MUCH FITING VITH ANIMALS THERE. MENN AND ELFS FITING EACH OTHER, NOT FITING DWARFS..."
"CAVES ON RENTH DUG DEEP, NOT DEEP ENOUFF. KING VURIG VANT GREAT CITY BENEETH MOUNTANN. DWARFS KEEP DIGGING. KING VURIG VANT TO KNOW MORE OF MENN AND ELFS. DWARFS KEEP SAILING..."
"CITY BENEETH MOUNTANN CALLED VURIGKLUIS. ANVIL IS HOTT, MAKES BETTR SORDD, BETTR HAMMR, BETTR ARMOR. NOW DWARFS CAN LAND IN BULLSLAND AND LIONSLAND..."
"SHIPS LAND ON BULLSLAND. MENN OF BULLSLAND FITE DWARFS AT COAST. MENN ARE TALL, HAVE VEAK ARMOR BUT DO NOT STOP FITING. KING VURIG WANT TRADE WITH FITING MENN. SHIPS LAND ON LIONSLAND, NO FITING WITH MENN AND ELFS. MENN AND ELFS HAVE PEECE VITH DWARFS. KING VURIG VANT TRADE HERE TOO..."
"KING VURIG DEDD. LONG LIVV KING SKORHAN. KING SKORHAN VANT MORE CITY BENEETH MOUNTANN, VANT MORE TRADE, VANT MORE SAILING. DWARFS MAKE BIGGR SHIPS AND PORT IN BULLSLAND, LIONSLAND..."
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v~^~v~^~v~^~( Necessity Breeds Invention )~^~v~^~v~^~v
.
(The following work is currently housed in the Reliquary of Dracos, near the Cursed Plains, and was written, surprisingly, not by a scholar, but by an Elven warrior who took part in the thirty year battle for Eastern Dracos between the forces of Man and Elf almost twenty-three thousand years ago. An elder at the time of this text, Elven Archer Fenrir of the Southern Stronghold recalls life in Dracos during the spread of technology. The dialect and peculiarity of Middle Ages Elven script remains pungent in the translated text, which is a far cry from primitive Dwarven inscriptions. Notable additions from the last text are the Half-Breed Races. -KN)
= . =
= . =
"We remember the ships,, -how frequent and laden they were with goods- ,,their arrival on our shores were received with gladness,, - ..We remember the Stronghold leader )*(FATHER TALANOR)*(,, -HE in HIS wisdom forbade us from accepting such gifts and opportunities,, - ..Yet,, -and sadly,, -we remember those who disobeyed HIM and took of the Dwarven gold,, -yes,, -those who left our fold and ventured to the land of (men),, -cursed and wicked they were,, -no doubt coerced by Half-ELVES they were,, -more (man) than ELF they were,, - .."
"The (men) of Mereklund,, -a city called keston at the time before the Great War,, -traded much with the Dwarves,, - ..They had much in the way of gold and supplies,, -much to build higher towers,, -much to arm better warriors of men(),, -much to invite more Dwarves and Halflings,, -more (man) than Dwarf they were,, - ..It was the city of keston, led by the cursed (kest) himself,, -that decided they knew better than our )*(FATHER TALANOR)*(,, - ..Thus,, -the wicked (kest) himself led (men) into our forests to cut our trees and cull our herds,, - .."
"Of the Great War,, -nothing should be said,, - ..Our brothers and sisters in the tribes of Leonidan should forget we,, -of the Southern Stronghold,, -ever existed,, - ..The fight was long,, -spread too long over the land,, -and took more lives than necessary,, -both ELF and,, - .. .. - .. -and Men,, - ..It is unforgivable not to respect the dead,, -and the Races of the Great War,, -whether they ELF,, -MEN,, -HALFLING,, -or HALF-ELF,, -deserve that honor,, - .."
"Now,, -years since the Great War,, -and years since the honored Merek communed with the dying )*(FATHER TALANOR)*( to strike peace between the nations,, -ELF and (men) live coridally,, - ..The Cursed Plains on which we trod remind us ever of the needless deaths,, -of the many killed for hubris,, - ..Even today,, -Gnomes live among our fold,, -coming from the very origin of our calamity,, -and we honor them,, -for their ingenuity,, -better served here than in Dwarven hands,, - .."
= . =
= . =
.
v~^~v~^~v~^~( Persistant War Can Bury Hope )~^~v~^~v~^~v
.
(The following work is in the form of collected letters between two condemned lovers of Leonidan almost eight thousand years ago. Lorek, a Halfling imprisoned among the Atrox Pride on the western coast for violating Atrox law, and his bride-to-be Svurit, a Gnome imprisoned by the Barbary Pride on the eastern coast for collusion with the enemy. The letters, while heartfelt and agonizing to some, also give us a window with which to look into the war-torn lands of Leonidan and its Four Prides. It pains the author of this collection to know that such diversity can still breed such hatred. An interesting note: The Gnome Svurit in these letters refers to the triad of original Races as Man, Elf, and Gnome, in an effort to discount the Dwarves and lift up the half-breeds. -KN)
= . =
= . =
"Lorek, my Love,
It is damp here. The Gnomes have constructed quite a prison, as only we could be genius enough but vile enough to make and use. I can only hope our letters continue to find each other now that I am in constant peril. This one is short, as I cannot trust my sparrow to stay quiet for long in this cell. I pray to the gods and to all the creatures of the Wilds that my sparrow might fly true, and at least bring a few words of relief to your ears and heart that I, your love, am still alive."
"My Darling Svurit,
It tears me apart that you are kept in such conditions. I cannot fathom how someone could look into your perfect eyes and decide to torture you in this way. I only know how much it pains me to be apart, and I wish that whatever pain you feel could be passed to me as well through this sparrow, so that you might feel no ill will toward anyone and exist only in happiness that you deserve. I send all my love, and I hope you send all your pain back with this frail bird."
"Lorek, my Life,
How happy I was to know that our sparrow has made the trip twice more! My condition worsens, but my love for you grows. I am weak, with hunger and with love. I hear the groaning of gears and metal all day and night, weapons of war being made by Gnome, Elf, and Man to be put against more Gnome, Elf, and Man. When will this fighting stop? I fear that only then would we be able to come together at last. Please give me hope, Lorek!"
"My Dearest Svurit,
My heart is ripped in two. The Men and Halflings in charge of this prison block have discovered three attempted escapees this month, and all three were put to death in their cells. I cannot escape for fear of leaving you alone, but I cannot stay here and continue to write to you for fear of being discovered! I send our sparrow and the entirety of my love. I wish I could grasp one of its feeble legs and let it carry me to you from this wicked place. Perhaps I can strike a deal to fight with the Atrox against the Barbary? If I have to kill my family to get to you, my love, I would!"
"Lorek, my Last Breath,
I write this letter to no one, holding in my hands the dead body of our sparrow. It feels as though I hold the very dead body of our love. The sounds of war above my cell have not ceased, and added to it now is the commotion of your kin assaulting the keep. I can only assume they will succeed and kill us all, or fail, in which case the Gnomes will use their terrible machines to kill you all. It is hopeless. I had hope for so long, but persistent war buries such hope. Such trivial feelings. I write this letter to myself, fully aware that it will never leave these bars, nor will I. Little sparrow, so brave yet frail; you have done a great service in giving me extra time with my love. Perhaps I write this letter to you, sparrow. Fly to Vargen with your wings, and tell him of our love."
= . =
= . =
.
v~^~v~^~v~^~( EPILOGUE: The Races Today )~^~v~^~v~^~v
.
I, Keito Nomara, of Providence Temple, have studied the Races and their histories for decades. To summarize my lifetime of work in so short a text is embarrassing and rude, but I shall try.
MAN: I have found that Men of Zaelia, while varying in culture from the shores of Svalbard to the plains of Bulund, share a few common characteristics. They are prideful, but not displaying hubris. At least, no longer. They are resourceful and not above manual labor. Men are comfortable in any role of any civilization, but they certainly prefer the company of other Men or Halflings. Men are numerous, living en masse on Bulund, where they rule, Dracos, where they keep a general peace with Elven Kingdoms, Leonidan, where they quarrel with every Race, and Svalbard, where they work the mines and guard the shores alongside any able body.
Men have a tall build, with fair to tan flesh, a wide variety of eye and hair colors, and an average lifespan of 100 years.
= . =
= . =
ELF: The Elves of Zaelia are, if nothing else, careful. They may analyze an important decision for decades before casting lots, and when they do, you can rest assured every possible outcome has been deliberated. Living mainly on Dracos, where they have an immense stronghold, on Leonidan, where they control the better part of two Prides, and on Bulund, where they stick to treeline communities, the Elves are sparse but concentrated.
Elves have fair skin, a tall thin build, light hair and eye colors, and an average lifespan of 300 years.
= . =
= . =
DWARF: The subterranean species of Dwarves, found most commonly under Renth but spread throughout all of Zaelia, are a peculiar sort. Stubborn and boisterous, proud and loyal, adventurous and never complacent, the Dwarves are always eager to rise to their next challenge (or dig to find it).
Dwarves have thick hairy skin, a squatty build, dark eyes and hair, and an average lifespan of 200 years.
= . =
= . =
HALFLING: A product of Man and Dwarf, the Halflings are diverse people. Generally carrying more Man-like personality, Halflings are shrewd businessmen and tend to live in civilized areas as working class citizens. Across Leonidan, Renth, Bulund, and Dracos, the Halflings thrive in communities of Man and Dwarf, and often can be found among the military of their respective homes.
Along with the mixed personality of clever Man and proud Dwarf comes the small body type of the Halfling, similar in height to a Dwarf but much lighter, with varying eye and hair colors, and an average lifespan of 150 years.
= . =
= . =
GNOME: From loins of Dwarf and Elf, an uncommon relationship indeed, spring the Gnomes. The least populous race in all of Zaelia, these people are small but clever. More often than not, the Gnomes will lean vastly toward one side of their ancestors, living either in treetop villages and practicing magic with their Elven kin, or close to the ground (and sometimes under it) creating mechanical automatons and working Zaelia's soils with the Dwarves.
Gnomes are the smallest race of all Intelligent beings, frail and fragile, but fiercely capable due to their immense understanding of both Essence and Logic. With small bodies, wildly colored hair and eyes, the Gnomes have a life span of around 250 years.
= . =
= . =
HALF-ELF: The spawn of Man and Elf, both Vargen-born races, is a common halfbreed, more so than the other two. Half-Elves share the adventurous and conquering spirit of Man as well as the reclusive and wise nature of Elves, making them more often than not a mentally fragile race, though still capable of warfare as well as diplomacy.
With tall frames and slender features, the Half-Elves share the look of both Man and Elf gracefully, sometimes called the most beautiful of all races. They carry eyes and hair of varying colors, and a life span that ranges from 150 to 250 years, depending on their ancestry.