Races of the World
Denarae - The denarae are physically idential to humans in every respect except skin tone. Denarae skin is uniformly gray, with some variations in lighter and darker tones of gray. Some denarae are light enough they can pass for humans in proper lighting, while others have flesh more akin to charcoal. Denarae are a despised race and typically exist on the fringes and dregs of society. Their villages are far from cities and are constantly at risk of marauders or xenophobic humans stirred to violence. The other demi-human races look down on denarae, but rarely with the sort of mindless hatred that is often found in the more dominant humans.
Dwarves - Dwarves are universally shorter than even below-average humans and thick of build (with gnomes, they are commonly referred to as "halflings"), but they have surprising manual dexterity. Dwarven craftsmen are responsible for the world's finest works of metal and stone and design the sturdiest buildings and bridges of any race. Though not as prodigously inventive as gnomes, dwarves are undoubtedly superior craftsmen and have been known to perfect and popularize designs created by the other race. The dwarven love of stone and order permeates their society, and dwarven structures are always laid out with right-angles and evenly spaced dimensions whenever possible. The dwarven capital/fortress of Den-Furral has stood as the center of dwarven politics for centuries.
Elves - Elves are, on average, shorter and of narrower build than humans. Elves are reclusive and prefer the wilderness to the larger cities favored by the other mortal races. Even elven "sectors" of a city are modified according to their racial building habits, and structures are narrower and more vertical than those preferred by other races. A non-elf walking through a street of elves can expect to be pointedly ignored. Elven society is divided into four sects, each of which uses a prefix to denote the affiliation of an individual or community (El, Li, Si, and Do - pronounced "doe"). Little is known about these sects, due to the uncommunicative nature of elves. The seat of elven power is the large island to the northeast of the mainland continent. The capital city of El'aman'niren'a occupies a lake-bound island at the center of the larger island.
Gnomes - The gnomish race is divided into two breeds, the Dale Gnomes and the Del Gnomes. All gnomes are shorter of stature (with dwarves, they are commonly referred to as "halflings") and have a yellow-hued skin ranging from a pale wheat to an almost golden hue. Unlike dwarves, gnomes are typically whipcord thin with wiry muscles and nimble fingers. Gnomes are driven by an insatiable need to discover new things, and gnomish inventors are responsible for most of the scientific breakthroughs throughout history. The primary difference between the two breeds lies in their success. Del gnomes are haphazard in their creations and are typically driven solely by the process of discovery and creation, regardless of is practical application or safety. Dale gnomes, by contrast, are more methodical and may spend years or decades perfecting an invention before turning to a new thought. Gnomes are the least-populous of all races; many speculate this is in part due to the catastrophic nature of many gnomish inventions. Before the Cleansing War (a genocidal war wrought on the Dale gnomes by the dwarves), Dale gnomes historically had a low birthrate compared to their Del cousins, and typically when anyone from another race says "gnome" they mean a Del gnome. Gnomes live alongside humans in all major cities and trade freely with all races.
Humans - The human race has dominated the history of Lokka since the Dark Ages, and they are by far the most populous and powerful race in the known world. The only lands without a dominant human presence are those populated by elves, especially the elven island. The prominence of humankind has led to organizations and even an entire nation devoted to the ongoing domination of the world by the human race, and the majority of wars in the modern era have been at the hands of such men trying to expand or solidify their racial stranglehold.
Dwarves - Dwarves are universally shorter than even below-average humans and thick of build (with gnomes, they are commonly referred to as "halflings"), but they have surprising manual dexterity. Dwarven craftsmen are responsible for the world's finest works of metal and stone and design the sturdiest buildings and bridges of any race. Though not as prodigously inventive as gnomes, dwarves are undoubtedly superior craftsmen and have been known to perfect and popularize designs created by the other race. The dwarven love of stone and order permeates their society, and dwarven structures are always laid out with right-angles and evenly spaced dimensions whenever possible. The dwarven capital/fortress of Den-Furral has stood as the center of dwarven politics for centuries.
Elves - Elves are, on average, shorter and of narrower build than humans. Elves are reclusive and prefer the wilderness to the larger cities favored by the other mortal races. Even elven "sectors" of a city are modified according to their racial building habits, and structures are narrower and more vertical than those preferred by other races. A non-elf walking through a street of elves can expect to be pointedly ignored. Elven society is divided into four sects, each of which uses a prefix to denote the affiliation of an individual or community (El, Li, Si, and Do - pronounced "doe"). Little is known about these sects, due to the uncommunicative nature of elves. The seat of elven power is the large island to the northeast of the mainland continent. The capital city of El'aman'niren'a occupies a lake-bound island at the center of the larger island.
Gnomes - The gnomish race is divided into two breeds, the Dale Gnomes and the Del Gnomes. All gnomes are shorter of stature (with dwarves, they are commonly referred to as "halflings") and have a yellow-hued skin ranging from a pale wheat to an almost golden hue. Unlike dwarves, gnomes are typically whipcord thin with wiry muscles and nimble fingers. Gnomes are driven by an insatiable need to discover new things, and gnomish inventors are responsible for most of the scientific breakthroughs throughout history. The primary difference between the two breeds lies in their success. Del gnomes are haphazard in their creations and are typically driven solely by the process of discovery and creation, regardless of is practical application or safety. Dale gnomes, by contrast, are more methodical and may spend years or decades perfecting an invention before turning to a new thought. Gnomes are the least-populous of all races; many speculate this is in part due to the catastrophic nature of many gnomish inventions. Before the Cleansing War (a genocidal war wrought on the Dale gnomes by the dwarves), Dale gnomes historically had a low birthrate compared to their Del cousins, and typically when anyone from another race says "gnome" they mean a Del gnome. Gnomes live alongside humans in all major cities and trade freely with all races.
Humans - The human race has dominated the history of Lokka since the Dark Ages, and they are by far the most populous and powerful race in the known world. The only lands without a dominant human presence are those populated by elves, especially the elven island. The prominence of humankind has led to organizations and even an entire nation devoted to the ongoing domination of the world by the human race, and the majority of wars in the modern era have been at the hands of such men trying to expand or solidify their racial stranglehold.