Races of the World

Centaurs: Centaurs are a strongly built race of humanlike creatures with the legs of a strong horse.  They typically sport a mane running down their back.  Centaurs are a chivalrous and noble folk of hale demeanor and honorable personality.  They can sometimes be found as knights and shock troops in the armies of goblin, elven, or human lands, though they do hold their own homeland on the outskirts of the Eternal Empire.

Dragons: Though not a race per se, dragons are a mighty enough influence on the world to be included.  Dragons are huge, flying creatures of great magic and power.  They are typically green, red, or gold, though black, white, and silver (or mixes of two) are not unknown.  Dragons are able to manifest powerful magic and can breath cones or lines of caustic materials, typically fire or acid.  It is said that ancient dragon hunting territories have defined the borders of nations even today, as defined by the Convocation of 873.

Dwarves: The dwarves are a broken race which for centuries has been beset upon by foes numerous and unyielding.  These stout, hearty miners and warriors once ruled a vast kingdom which stretched from the peaks of the south around the great Spine all the way to the Starpeaks.  Then numerous battles with elves, humans, giants, and goblins proved too much for the great kingdom, and it broke into four nations, all who claimed the glory of the old lands.  The Falling was the last of the might of the dwarves, drowning fully a third of their number in broken halls which sank beneath the waves.  Dwarves today are a people of lost glory living in kingdoms which 1,000 years ago were ten times as large and one hundred times as opulent.  There are three major types of dwarf.  The western dwarf, or duergar, are gray skinned and typically hairless.  They have become sailors and mercenaries of high caliber, and are the origin of the gunpowder weapons slowly making their way across the continent.  The eastern dwarf, or shield dwarf, are fair skinned and brown or black haired, and are generally of a cheerful disposition.  They are fine miners.  The third type of dwarf, the derro, are a strange, degenerate subtype which are the end result of a duergar or shield dwarf's fascination with the elder magics.  It is said they are sickened by the light of Solis, and whisper of forbidden knowledge, at the cost of their sanity.

Elves: It is said that the elves came from far lands beyond the horizon in the young days of the earth, to raise the Three Empires upon landing on the shores of Maraghentium.  For centuries, these long lived folk expanded and conquered the untamed wilds, until one day their empires crumbled from within. Only a decade was needed before the influence of the elves had waned to the present day, rulers of only a few small nations.  The elves are divided into three kinds.  In the far west, the Wood Elves are copper skinned, red headed folk.  In the center of the continent spreading forth from the Witchwood lay the lands of the Gray Elves, pale skinned and dark haired.  Finally, on the island of Velesia lay the lands of the High Elves, fair haired and skinned, said to the be the eldest race of elves, and held most high.

Faen: Strange, child-like creatures of great knowledge and magic, the Faen were kin to the elves in the old days.  Their earliest legends speak only of the Elven Empires of Rocletia and Velesia, and their carefree days under the elven skies.  Faen are now scattered in small groups across the whole of Maraghentium, typically living in and around the cities and towns of more populous races and adopting their customs.  There are three types of Faen in Maraghentium- the loresong and quicklings, and sprites.  Loresong faen are powerful in magic, while Quickling faen are dextrous and nimble.  Sprites are faen who have undergone a strange metamorphosis, entering a crysalis and emerging as a tiny, winged being, with even more innate magic than a Loresong.

Giants: There are two races of giant in Maraghentium, the common giant and the Jotun.  Common giants are typically only a head or so taller than a human, though elder or more powerful giants can grow to a height roughly double that of a man.  They have ash white or light gray skin and dark hair, though this is often cut short.  Jotun, on the other hand, are always much taller than a man, 11 to 14 feet tall, and are extremely primitive and evil-minded creatures found across Maraghentium.  Giants can be found in the remains of their kingdoms across the center of Maraghentium.

Goblinkind: Goblins are an old race coming into their own only recently after centuries of barbarism and primitive tribalism.  There are three types of goblin, all of which exist in a sort of caste structure in any goblin land.  Low goblins, by far the most common type, occupy the lowest jobs and meanest livings.  They exist as peasants and laborers.  Hobgoblins, the leaders and soldiers of goblin lands, exist as a sort of soldier caste, protecting the more numerous goblins and keeping them in line (goblins are well known for short attention spans).  Bugbears, the largest and strongest of the goblin race, are a strange throwback to the early goblin race.  They are dimwitted and bestial, but also in a quirk of fate, the most able of all the goblin races to learn magic.  Goblinkind worships a progenitor being known as Old Wolf, and the vast majority of Goblins live in the huge lands which sprawl across the east-center of the continent, the mightiest nation in all the world, the Eternal Empire of Great Aranthras.

Gnolls: Gnolls are a smelly, dirty race of brown-furred dog men, powerfully built but primitive.  They exist in the middle of the continent as raiders and second class citizens, and often can be found far from their homes as mercenaries, brigands, or hired laborers.  Some gnolls have been known to become good sailors, and they seem to have an eye for fine metalwork, though not so good as a dwarf.  Northern gnolls are slightly shorter and are sometimes known as flinds.

Humans:  There are many different races of human, from the Voorg of the eastern coast, who are fair skinned, dark haired raiders, to the midnight skinned Shieldlanders, to the blue skinned Kasurans of the Free Cities.  Typically encountered in the east are the Voorg, Eastern Tribesmen (fair skinned), Ontrosi (fair skinned and fair haired), and Vicians (olive skinned and dark haired).  

Kenku: These mysterious birdmen hold much of the Starpeaks.  They are said cunning rogues and merchants, and are said to secretly control the politics of many lands.  For this they are often mistrusted.  Kenku have black feathers with some white, purple, or brown highlights, and intelligent yellow eyes.  Kenku are well known for having master swordsmen and powerful, well trained militaries.

Lizardfolk: A once powerful, ancient race whose culture fell with the coming of the elves.  Lizardfolk are now primitive scavengers and mercenaries.  Their lands lay far to the west.  Lizardmen typically stand a head taller than a human and have green or gray scales.

Minotaurs: A race of humanlike creatures with heads that resemble bulls or goats.  They are master sailors and raiders who control much of the Falling Sea and Sea of Sendam.  Minotaurs stand around eight feet tall and are dark skinned, tapering to a white or black furred head with black horns and red, bloodshot eyes.

Troglodytes: A race of evil-tempered creatures resembling some sort of salamander or lizard.  They are primitive and typically dwell underground or in swamps.  They are found far to the west.  They typically stand a head taller than a human and have clammy, moist skin of a gray or purple complexion.

Closest Nations, and Powerful Nations across the Continent:

Nearby-
Bear Mountain Tribes: A loose knit confederacy of various races living on the slopes of the Great Bear and Little Bear mountains.  They are primitive but have a fairly complex society and religion.
Bria: Bria is the most powerful nation of the shield dwarves and one of the last bastions of their might.  The ruling family has persisted since the time of Grammon the Slayer before the rise of the Giant kingdoms above.  Bria is known for its deep mines and extensive complexes of abandoned tunnels.  It is said that once, a dwarf could walk from the walls of Erom's View to the furthest south of Grindjarm and never see the light of day- but those days are long gone, and most dwarves rely on the paths since hewn in the rock above for travel.
Grampan: A backwater kingdom composed primarily of thieves and scoundrels, or so the people of Reynir think.  Grampan is really pretty similar to Reynir culturally and geographically, as well as politically, though Grampan typically does a bit more fishing and a bit less raiding.
Makat Gore: A strong nation of humans, said to be controlled by the interests of the elves and kenku who reside in its borders.  Makat Gore has a well deserved reputation for magic and learning, as the Library of the Archon of Kestrel is the finest east of the Empire, and arguably on par with Aranthras' personal holdings.  Makat Gore is a major stop for traders and merchants heading around the northeastern corner of Maraghentium, and has many fairly rich cities along its coast.  Further inland, it rapidly grows poorer and meaner.
Reynir*: A backwater land composed primarily of farmers and peasants, with a strong raiding tradition and culture of warfare dating back to the earliest settlers.  Reynir is a poor nation, sparsely populated inland with the majority of towns along its rocky coast.  Reynir is ostensibly a kingdom, though in practice each town and keep is semi-autonomous.
Shyl: A land similar to its neighbors Reynir and Grampan, though wilder and even less populated.  Shyl is a much more religious nation than its more northerly neighbors as well, a legacy of its higher centaur population, a devout people.  
Vermin Tribes: Tribes of primitive, foul dwarves and humans whose wretched conditions forced them into degenerate pacts with the monsters that infest the ancient ruins of the dwarven holds.  They are cannibals, murders, and blasphemers of the worst sort.
Vorgand: A strong nation from the Isle of Velesia, slowly expanding from its humble beginnings there.  It is culturally similar to Reynir and Grampan, though more influenced by the elves than the dwarven influences found in those nations.
Wolf Tribes: Land of goblins and humans who follow the totem of the Wolf, and do honor to him by roving in loose-knit packs, making war and raiding all who oppose them.  

Other Places of Note:
Eternal Empire: The mighty, crumbling empire of the goblins, The Eternal Empire of Great Aranthras has existed for six hundred years, and four five hundred and eighty of these expanded steadily outwards from its humble origins at Kerak’s Mount.  Twenty years ago, a group of unknown assassins succeeded in destroying Aranthras’ physical body, sending a shockwave through the empire that succeeded in fomenting several rebellions.  Now, the empire is still the mightiest nation in all of Maraghentium, but that power wanes with each passing month as former allies and neighbors take chunks of the flanks of the once mighty nation.
Kingdom of the Brugai: The mightiest nation of the human race known as the Kerai, the Kingdom of the Brugai stretches north from the Empire to the Hand of Bria.  While not as sizable as its neighbor the Kingdom of the Sebuchai, it has a much firmer warrior tradition due to constant skirmishes with the Empire over the last centuries.  
Shieldlands: Dividing the east from the west sprawls this xenophobic land of humans ruled by a strict theocracy.  Nonhuman intelligent races and magic are shunned in this strong nation, with executions and witch-burnings being extremely common.  The only way to cross the Shieldlands for a nonhuman is in a heavily guarded coach between the border of the Tribes and the Free City of Opor.
Tribes of the Raven Children: The mightiest nation of the Kenku race, the Raven Children are said to have their feathered hands in the politics of all the nearby nations, and have succeeded through religious conversion in taking three provinces in the heart of the Empire.

The World of Maraghentium

The Afterlife
Most races of Maraghentium believe that if you are pious and of good character in life (which is highly subjective based on culture) that you will be resurrected or otherwise entitled to an eternity of happiness after death.  All races, however, agree that the land of the dead is far beneath 

Coinage
Amongst the human nations, coins are typically copper or silver and weigh about the same.  They are roughly the same size as a dime, and depending on the nation, the silver coin is the same value of eight to twelve copper.  Gold coins are not unheard of in richer or stronger nations, typically at a value of ten silver to the gold.  Along the eastern coast, the human nations call their copper “spokes”, silver coins “wheels”, and the value is set at ten to one.  Gold coins are rare, with larger transactions typically being done on a barter system or with gem stones.  The dwarves of Bria use copper coins called shields, larger copper coins worth three copper each called thrones, and debased silver crowns known as holds, each worth nine copper.  The ancient dwarves also used a larger silver coin, worth three holds, known as a stead, but this has fallen into disuse.

The Convocation
Nearly every mage of power belongs to this fellowship, with chapter houses and libraries strewn across the whole of the continent (even in some very unlikely places).  The Convocation is an extra-political entity whose overt goals are to mediate disputes and record the tide of history.  Some critics say that the Convocation has sinister motives, but to the vast majority of people across the continent, the Convocation’s influence is felt by the village priest who heals them or the archmage on the hill who keeps the storms away.

Firearms
A recently development in the western part of Maraghentium are strange weapons which propel a bullet like a sling’s at high speed using an alchemical powder.  These weapons are slowly making their way across Maraghentium in small numbers, and the Duergar seem loathe to share the secrets of their creation.