Humans-
        Humans on Mizcathar are currently the dominant race in terms of culture and military prowess.  They possess a flexibility that boggles the minds of other races.  Entire human nations can change orientation or custom at what seems to be the drop of a hat.  This is the reason for both their current dominance and their fragmentation.
         This flexibility is reflected on the individual scale as well.  Humans adapt to new classes and forms of magic quickly and easily.
         In the central region, humans control Milandar, Alia, and Salidar.  Their lack of cohesion is obvious where these countries meet.  The northern kingdom, Alorin, is also dominated by humans.  Among the eastern lands only Malar and Suzerin aren't ruled by humans.  It is said there was once a powerful human empire that ruled the entire area from the orcish lands to past the Dragonfall Mountains.  However, little of this empire can be found.  History has proven their advances fleeting.

Elves-
        Surface elves are a race chasing a lost heritage.  They once were undisputed lords of the central region and, they say, the world.  However, their empire has fallen upon hard times.  Upstart races like the humans and orcs have claimed vast swaths of elven land, and they've even been driven out of the great forest.  Now only a thin strip of the Feywood is actually held by elves.  There a few elves, but their mystic might often makes up for it.  Between their natural skills and the treasures left by the old empire, the elves can hold their own against any opponent.
        Elves, more than any other race, are inclined to become mages.  The training time seems less daunting with their mindboggling lifespan and they advance through the early stages quickly compared to humans.  This leads to an amazing section of the population devoted to magecraft.  Most mages have other normal jobs, including many mages in the military.
        When dealing with elves its importent to remember that they are generally slow to anger but have very long memories.  Some elves simply fall into the cycle of hatred, but these are generally outcasts or loners.

Dwarves-
        For the most part, dwarves just want to be left alone.  For generations they've been harried from all sides by drow and illithids.  The vast majority of dwarves would be perfectly happy to be left to their craft and disturbed every couple years, if that.  Only a few strongholds under the Dragonfall mountains survive before the War of Shadows.  Dwarves are only rarely seen in human or elven lands.  When they do show up, they are usually given respect on the assumption that they are either a smith or a powerful fighter.
        Of the humans, only Salidar interacts extensively with the dwarves, with a powerful network of trade treaties keeping precious metals and gems flowing into Salidar.  Milandar is blocked from the mountains by the Swamp of Isgor and Alia is blocked by the length of Salidar.  However, individuals often make their way into the dwarven halls to negotiate cut prices.
        For an, as of yet, unknown reason dwarves are entirely unable to practice spell magic.  As such they depend on the Priests of Geon for their magic.  However, some older dwarves have skill in Alchemy and Rune Magic.  It is beleived the dwarves invented these arts, and still hold some of their deepest truths in vaults below Haothane.

Orckin-
        Actually several races, the Western Clans bring many under their sway.  Orcs, Ogres, and Goblins are represented in large numbers.  Goblins are actually not physically related to Orcs and Ogres, being of a different origin.  Although a few small tribes of Orckin are scattered around the continent, within the Western Lands they have a reasonably civilized society (lagging slightly behind humankind's).  Orcs (and to a lesser degree Ogres and Goblins) see order within the clan as penultimate.  Everyone outside the clan is a target to seize power from.  Inter-clan alliances are understood to be for only so long as they are mutually benificial.
        Orckin generally rely on outsiders for their spell magic, relying on spirits and some priest spells for their internal power.  Mages are considered something like a crown jewel by the chieftans.  A powerful magi is a symbol of respect and wealth.  They also come in quite handy for the wars.

Gnomes-
        A strange, technological race from the Southern Continent the gnomes come bearing strange gizmos and powerful weapons.  Only a few gnomes are scattered throughout Mizcathar, mostly wandering about and trying to soak it all in.  A few groups immediately became very fond of gnomes when they first appeared.  The Shadowknives and Kli's armsdealers were both extstatic when confronted with these new goodies.  Very little gnome technology has reached the public yet, and no humans (in fact, no gnomes on this continent) have figured out how to reproduce it yet.  Many theorize that it is in fact a strange form of magic (even though it is immune to all known forms of anti-magic).

Dragons-
        By far the most individually powerful, dragons are spread thinly over the continent.  Few of them wish to act together long enough to make a coherent nation.  Only Suzerin has succeeded in this regard, creating a dragonhunter's nightmare.  Dragons and humanoids are on two basically different scales of power.  A potent human can kill a weak dragon, but even archmages fear running afoul the Great Wyrms.
        Dragons have a system of spell magic not unlike humans and elves, but their's is more alien and complex.  Dragon specific spells are often obscenely powerful compaired to their human-made counterparts.  Unfortunately, only the draconic mind can comprehend or use them.

Drow-
        The dark elves broke away from the surface elves ages ago in an event referred to as the Schism.  Over their years in the Underdark, they quickly absorbed the radiation their and became attuned to their new environment.  Now the drow have become a hardened and powerful race.  Under the guardianship of Linith, the first matriarch, they've become a finely tuned machine.  Drow magic and fighting demonstrate this clearly, although their society is still a spiders-den of treachery.  Of all the humanoid races drow have the most personal power on average.
         Drow have a loose network of citystates extending under the central regions, western lands, northern expanse, and even some distance to the east.  Their control of the Underdark is not complete, but it is substantial.  Only the Illithids rival them.  Dwarves and orckin are comparitivly minor races in this regard.  Of course, terrors from deeper within the earth can seize regions from even the Drow.

Illithids-
        The mind flayers are generally ignored by the surface races.  Even when the Illithids begin a plot against the surface world, most who know ignore it.  People just realise that the Illithids are not to be meddled with, even as retaliatory action.  The mental powers of an individual Illithid are enough to overwhelm most towns or parties of adventurers.  And when the Illithids link together, their power grows exponentially.  For this reason most surface dwellers pretend they don't exist.
        Inside an individual community of Illithids there is little dissention, but all commmunities are totally independant.  Illithids control about a third of the civilized Underdark (drow are also about a third, minor races split the rest).  The Illithids powerful mental powers often come into direct conflict with Drow swords and spells.