Syric People
 Syric Races from left to right, Elf, Gnome, Gigans, Dwarf, Human, Halfing, Half-Elf | |
| Total population | |
|---|---|
| 823,000,000 (1744 ASC) | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
| Mathaar, Samitesia, Sebrulia, Ynos | |
| Iblesia | 12.5 million |
| Cartulia | 11.2 million |
| Trodenheim | 24.7 million |
| Languages | |
| Iblesian, Cartulian, Troden | |
| Religion | |
| Syric Triad | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| Humans, Dwarves, Elves, Halflings, Gnomes, Half-Elves, Gigans | |
The Syric Races form the largest population group in Aenodh. They can be divided into six main racial groups; Dwarves, Elves, Gigans, Gnomes, Halflings, and Humans. There are numerous variations where intermarriage between these groups has result in offspring, most notably Half-Elves which have a human parent and an elven one. All of the Syric Races are mutually genetically compatible. The Syric Races are all humanoid and mammalian, with the same approximate proportions, this said they are extremely diverse in both appearance and culture thanks to their wide distribution across the world.
Etymology & Terminology
The Syric Races are named after the Goddess Syr of the Syric Triad, and were among the first mortal races to inhabit Aenodh. The first of the Syric Races to be created were the Gigans, followed by the Elves, both of whom were sculpted by Syr herself. Following this came the Dwarves and Gnomes, sculpted by Oldyr the eldest son of Syr. The Halflings were created by Gydo, Syr's only daughter, and finally came the humans who were created by Kaldis, the youngest of Syr's children. All of the Syric Races were drawn from the same spark of the Well of Creation and were sculpted from the same materials and as such all are members of the Mortal Races of Aenodh.
Gigans
The Gigans were the first of the mortal races to be given life and served as the prototype for the races that followed. Among the Syric Races the Gigans are the largest and tallest, but also the shortest lived and least numerous. A typical Gigans stands at around 215cm in height with a weight of approximately 180kg. Gigans are also the strongest and most durable of the Syric races, possessing considerable fortitude and stamina which allowed them to survive during the primal ages of the world when the land was still an inhospitable place. Gigans have a strong resistance to cold and disease, and are able to go for extended periods without food. Unlike the other Syric races though Gigans are entirely carnivorous which makes most of their cultures more nomadic in nature.
The areas most heavily populated by Gigans can be found on the continent of Ynos within the Yniir Foothills which is where the first mortal civilisations were born during the Dawn Ages. In these lands the ancient ruins of ancient Gigans monuments and settlements can still be found and are a point of fascination to the other races. Their nomadic nature however means that the Gigans are not an uncommon sight in the continents of Samitesia and Sebrulia, where individual Gigans, or small groups, tend to travel to seek wealth or a more comfortable life. Gigans are generally well regarded and accepted by the other Syric races because they tend to be willing soldiers and bodyguards and this martial culture has made them popular as mercenaries. The practice of recruiting young Gigans from the nomadic tribes found in Ynos continues to this day.
Gigans share a similar diversity in appearance to humans, though they tend towards slightly dark skin tones. Blue eyes are rare among them, with green eyes being the most commonly seen as the gene responsible is a dominant one where the blue and brown are recessive. A Gigans's flesh is thick and toughened like leather making dexterous movement difficult, but adding to their natural resilience. The most common hair colour range among the racial group is brown.
Magically speaking the Gigans are not particularly gifted, such magic as they are able to wield tends to be subtle and indirect and heavily adulterate by cultural practices and ritual. Very few Gigans are able to directly grasp the Thread and tap into its power and those who can typically struggle to manipulate large quantities of energy in any meaningful way.
Gigans reach adulthood at around the age of 14, and have a maximum life expectancy under ideal circumstances of about 60 years.
Elves
The Elves were the second of the Syric races to be created, and the last race to be sculpted by Syr herself. In contrast to the Gigans the Elves were more ephemeral in nature, their physical proportions slight and their strength reduced. It is said that the Elves were to be Syr's favoured children, and granted dominion over the other mortal races. The Elves are not a particularly numerous race as they have long lives and long terms of gestation, making pregnancy and extended and risky business. Elves range in height from around 160cm to 170cm tall and usually weigh around 55kg to 60kg. Elves are the swiftest of the Syric races and are capable of great feats of agility, they are also born with the innate ability to detect magical fields and energy flows around them. However as a race they are slow to adapt to differing environments, a fact which has resulted in the development of multiple subraces of Elves who have, over centuries, adapted to specific environments at the expense of others. All Elves however are known for their incredible stamina.
Elves can be found throughout Aenodh, however the oldest branch of the species, known as the Wood Elves or Primal Elves, typically dwell within temperate forest regions where their natural speed and agility was of the greatest advantage. High Elves are the most numerous of the Elven subraces as they adapted to the more varied temperate hills and plains beyond the forests and are so named because of the great civilisations that they created in Ynos and central Samitesia. Dark Elves, sometimes referred to as Moon Elves, adapted to the colder climates of the far north and so have great resilience and fortitude than most, and are uniquely suited to subterranean and mountain regions. Sun elves adapted to the arid lands of southeast Samitesia, southwest Ynos, and Sebrulia, and have greater strength than their cousins elsewhere as well as a highly efficient body when it comes to storing water. Star Elves are the rarest of the Elven subraces, it is unclear to which regions they were adapted or what shaped them, but they are unique among Elves, being physically weaker and less durable.
Prothean Elves
Commonly referred to as Wood or Primal Elves, the Prothean branch of the Elven family is the oldest and some say original branch, or as the Prothean cultures see it - the trunk. Prothean Elves have the traits typical of all Elves, a slender humanoid appearance with tapered ears and angular features, and they conform in most respects to the more common stereotypes of their kind physically speaking. Prothean Elves typically have a pale skin tone, with green or amber eyes being most common and brown eyes less so. Most Prothean elves have either dark blonde or light brown hair. All Prothean Elves have an intrinsic link to the natural forces around them and their ability to sense magical forces around them is primarily centred around nature magic.
Prothean culture is ancient. Most are semi-nomadic, travelling between small settlements within the woodlands that the majority call home. Prothean Elves do not herd animals or cultivate plants and instead live in a hunter gatherer society. The magical arts of Boneweaving and Woodsinging both originate from the Prothean Elves, who developed these skills as a means to manufacture tools without needing to mine for metals or stone. Most Prothean goods are made from readily available natural resources and lack technological refinement, nevertheless their skill as craftsmen has been a cause for trade between them and the other races of Aenodh.
Prothean Elves have an average lifespan of 250-300 years.
Verean Elves
Commonly referred to as High Elves, due to the fact that most of the great Elven civilisations were created by them, the Verean branch of the Elven family is probably the most numerous. Verean Elves adapted to the large temperate hills and plains of Ynos and Samitesia and so were able to spread over large, resource rich areas. Much like the Prothean Elves they are slight of build with angular features and tapered ears, however they are on average somewhat taller than other Elves, standing at around 180cm in height. Verean Elves have light skin and dark brown or black hair, with brown or grey eyes being most common. Verean Elves are the most naturally skilled of the Elven races when it comes to wielding magic and are often capable of wielding far greater amounts of magical energy.
Verean culture is the oldest beside the Prothean culture. They were the first Elves to leave the woodlands and settle elsewhere, and were also the first Elves to begin building permanent settlements. Some Verean historians claim that it was their people who first started to cultivate land for farming, and who domesticated the first farm animals. The Verean Elves claim to have invented most of the early trappings of civilisations, including metalworking, stone working, and wine making - so there is considerable debate about the veracity of their claims.
Verean Elves have an average lifespan of 250-300 years.
Nedean Elves
Commonly referred to as Dark Elves of their dark grey skin, or Moon Elves because of their bright silver hair, the Nedean Elves are one of the more numerous branches of the Elven race. Nedean Elves are adapted to the colder climates and harsh terrain of northern Samitesia and Ynos, but can also be found in high mountainous regions elsewhere. Nedean Elves appear to be stockier of frame than most other Elves and tend to weigh more due to a naturally denser muscle structure and increased stores of fat. Nedean Elves all have dark grey skin and silver hair, but their eyes are incredibly diverse in colour with no one colour seeming to be dominant. Heterochromia is common among the Nedean Elves. Nedean Elves are somewhat stronger than the other races but no less agile, and are considered to be among the finest metal workers among the mortal races. Their innate magical abilities seem to centre around the earth, rocks, and metals.
Nedean culture is something of an enigma. They are known to have existed as a distinct ethnic and cultural group since at least the 2nd century ASC due to written records from Ynosi civilisations. The Nedean Elves are meticulous recorders of history and records in general, however their written language is unique and a closely guarded secret meaning that little of what they have recorded is known outside their own culture.
Nedean Elves have an average lifespan of 200-250 years.
Apolean Elves
Commonly referred to as Sun Elves due to their natural adaptation to warmer more arid climates, the Apolean Elves are one of the more numerous branches of the Elven race. Apolean Elves are the descendants of those elves which travelled to the warmer desert and tropical climates of southern Ynos, southern Samitesia, and Subrulia. Apolean Elves are usually somewhat shorter than other Elves with a height range between 145cm to 155cm and are even slighter of build. Remarkably Apolean Elves have adapted to have highly efficient bodies in terms of water usage and storage, allowing them to go for expended periods without needing to drink. Apolean Elves have a varied skin tone range from copper to dark brown, and usually have darker hair colours such as brown or black and similarly dark eyes. Apolean Elves are well known for their natural skill at pyromancy.
Apolean culture is highly varied due to the large and varied regions they have settled. The culture of Apolean Elves in the desert regions is substantially different from the culture found in more tropical locations. Generally however the Apolean Elves are a settled culture rather than nomadic or migratory, and rely upon highly developed and complex agricultural methods in order to support their civilisations. Apolean Elves tend to be much more open, and freely intermingle with other races.
Apolean Elves have an average lifespan of 200-250 years.
Stelean Elves
Commonly referred to as Star Elves due to their pale skin and silver or white hair the Stelean Elves are the rarest of the Elven race. Stelean Elves are something of a mystery, for they appear in even the earliest historic texts, and yet there is never any mention made of where they came from or how they came to be so different from their cousins. Stelean Elves can be found all over Aenodh in small insular communities. They seldom build great nations or empires though a handful of kingdoms have been ruled over by a Stelean royal line. Stelean Elves are physically frail, much thinner than their cousins, and with this frailty comes a reduction in their physical attributes such as strength, agility, and fortitude. What Stelean Elves do have is near inexhaustible stamina, and the rare ability to see rather than just sense the flows of magical energy around them. Stelean Elves have skin so pale that it is almost white and their hair is similarly pale in colour, their eyes are what make them stand out however as they appear to have no iris or pupils and instead are pure white.
Stelean culture is highly spiritual and ritualistic. Because of their enhanced ability to see and feel magical energy they are as a race given to deep introspection which is speculated to be the reason why they tend to live in small secluded communities. A Stelean Elf will choose at a young age a particular path or skill to go down and will subsequently devote the rest of their life to perfection in this area, this makes Stelean artisans all but unmatched throughout Aenodh, but also makes Stelean society incredibly rigid and unbending.
Stelean Elves have an average lifespan of 500 years.
Dwarves
The Dwarves are the third of the Syric races to have been created, and the first not to have been shaped by the goddess Syr herself. Dwarves are a product of Oldyr, the eldest son of Syr and one of the earth gods. According to Syric lore Oldyr created the Dwarves to be shapers of the land who reaped the bounty of the deep places and excelled at metal and stone work and so were built for their toughness and strength. Dwarves are the second most numerous of the Syric Races after humans, and are arguably one of the most physically robust, an adult dwarf can rival even a Gigans for toughness and an elf for stamina. Dwarves range in height from 135cm to 150cm and typically weigh around 80kg to 90kg, most of their weight is made up of muscle, but they also tend to store more fat than most races too. Dwarves are not a magically talented race, though they can learn to wield modest magical abilities, and instead of raw power rely upon intelligence and artifice when wielding such powers. All Dwarves are natural herbivores and lack the varied types of teeth that the omnivorous members of the Syric Races have.
Dwarves are mostly found around their traditional homelands which are generally located inland in rocky or mountainous regions. They are a primarily subterranean race and so usually only hold such territories above ground as they need to grow crops. The Dwarven race has a natural caste system, with each caste possessing distinct physical traits which differentiate them from the others. These natural castes are not inherited through genealogy and as yet no clear explanation has been found for this fact; furthermore dwarven birthrates almost always produce sufficient children of each caste to fill the needs of the society as a whole.
Male dwarves are known for their rapid hair growth which continues unabated throughout their adult lives, as a result in most dwarven cultures the men wear long, heavily decorated beards. Female Dwarves do not grow such beards under normal circumstances (though it has been known), however hair growth elsewhere seems to be just as fast as in men making long hair common. In terms of physical appearance dwarves are as varied as humans, with a number of skin tones, hair colours, and eye colours being featured. It is a dwarf's eye colour which allows their natural caste to be identified.
Gold Caste
The Gold Caste are born with yellow eyes and develop analytical and arithmetically gifted minds. They build up fat more quickly than muscle and so usually appear to be stockier and more roundly built than other dwarves. Members of the Gold Caste usually develop into excellent engineers and in some cases craftsmen. A particular gift of the caste is their ability to judge a stone or metal object's weight and strength just by looking at it which means they are occasionally trained to test metals for their purity.
Gold Caste dwarves have an average lifespan of 150 to 200 years.
Silver Caste
The Silver Caste are born with silver eyes and have an instinctive understanding of stones, minerals, and metals and their properties. Members of the Silver Caste are thus often employed as foremen in mines, but also as mineral sifters, architects, metalsmiths, and builders. They share the Gold Caste's ability to judge the weight of a stone or metal object by sight.
Silver Caste dwarves have an average lifespan of 150 to 200 years.
Bronze Caste
The Bronze Caste are born with brown eyes and form the majority of dwarven society. They are the toughest of the dwarven castes and display great stamina and fortitude which makes them ideal workers in almost every physical context. Members of the Bronze Caste are also the most varied in terms of their abilities and preferences with some developing into avid miners, while others develop into skilled cultivators. Bronze Caste dwarves are also the shortest lived of the Dwarven castes.
Bronze Caste dwarves have an average lifespan of 100 to 150 years.
Steel Caste
The Steel Caste are born with blue eyes and form the largest minority of dwarven society. They are the strongest of the dwarven castes and as such typically become either soldiers or heavy manual labour workers alongside members of the Bronze Caste. Members of the Steel Caste are known for their stubbornness, pride, and calmness, even under stress. It takes a great deal to panic a dwarf of the Steel Caste.
Steel Caste dwarves have an average lifespan of 130 to 170 years.
Copper Caste
The Copper Caste are born with green eyes and posses strong logical mind, keen eyesight, physical steadyness, and considerable fine dexterity. Typically weaker and shorter than other dwarves the Copper Caste generally become artisans or enter highly skilled professions such as medicine, herbalism, or chemistry. Copper Caste dwarves are renowned for being highly efficient and purposeful in every respect and have such fine physical control of their bodies that they are able to fashion objects of incredible detail and intricacy. They also make excellent marksmen.
Copper Caste dwarves have an average lifespan of 220 to 250 years.
Heterochromatic Caste
The Heterochromatic Caste are one of the rarest of the dwarven castes and are identified by the fact that they have eyes of different colours, or multicoloured eyes. Heterochromatic dwarves also tend to have bright and unusually coloured hair, ranging from wild pink to electric blue. Heterochromatic dwarves are born with innate magical skills beyond those seen in any other caste among the dwarves, and are also polymaths. Perhaps two or three Heterochromatic dwarves are born each generation and they always make a substantial impact upon society.
Heterochromatic dwarves have no 'average' lifespan since their lifespans seem so incredibly varied.
Obsidian Caste
The Obsidian Caste are the single rarest of the dwarven castes and are identified by their completely black eyes. Members of the Obsidian Caste are extremely long lived and show the physical traits of the Bronze and Steel Castes combined. However what is totally unique about the Obsidian Caste is that they are born with the ability to recall the memories of every member of the Obsidian Caste in their 'line' before them, and with great effort they can even recall the memories of their descendants. There are twelve lines of Obsidian Caste dwarves, meaning that there are never more than twelve members of the caste in the world at any one time, how these lines are maintained is unclear but it is certainly not by blood.
The oldest recorded member of the Obsidian Caste was 994 upon their natural death.
Gnomes
Gnomes are the intellectual offspring of the god Oldyr. Where the dwarves represented the physical manifestations of Oldyr's powers and place among the Gods the Gnomes were created to show his skill, cunning, and artifice. The average height range for Gnomes is 140cm to 150cm, with an average weight of about 40kg to 50kg. Gnomes are slight of build and have roughly human proportions, just scaled down for their height, and though their core strength is considerable they are physically weaker than the other Syric Races save for halflings. In terms of physical capability Gnomes are not vastly gifted, they have a good deal of fine manipulation dexterity, but apart from that they can be characterised as sub-par. Gnomish lore claims that these physical deficiencies are due to Oldyr's gifts of perception, intellect, and creativity; true or not Gnomes are known for their impeccable eyesight, and enhanced sense of touch which allows them to study and interact with objects in a unique way.
Out of all the Syric races Gnomes are the most unlike the others. Their minds operate in a fundamentally different way. Gnomes are not ruled by emotion or physical motivators, nor do they covet power or great wealth, for a Gnome knowledge and accomplishment are of the greatest value because their minds are hardwired to seek out the ephemeral. The Gnomish psyche approaches its entire existence as a question to be answered, and sets off answering it in a highly analytical manner - this leads to some very unusual behaviours, and a particular mental illness which plagues the Gnomish people known as Obsessive Progression Syndrome. Gnomes suffering from OPS become single mindedly obsessed with the progression of a single train of thought to the absolute exclusion of all others. In those cases where a Gnome is able to be supported by their family or friends this may lead to some incredible leaps of deductive reasoning resulting in great inventions or new philosophies, however more often sufferers waste away as they neglect even feeding themselves as they seek answers.
The Gnomish mind is a constantly expanding and branching thing which operates on multiple levels and trains of thought simultaneously. The result is that to other races they seem distant and distracted, often even aloof and rude, however at the same time since they do not value material things Gnomes can also be the kindest and most generous people in any society. Each and every Gnome follows their own path of logical reasoning, choosing at each junction which questions they want to seek answers to. No Gnome will ever outright accept a fact, principle, or theory without rigorously testing it out for themselves or trusting the judgement of a fellow Gnome whose obsession is more relevant to the topic in hand. For instance a human may see a piece of wood and reason that it floats, therefore it would be good to make a boat out of wood; a Gnome would see that the wood floats and question immediately why it floats and how the very concept of floating works. This is not to say that all Gnomes follow a reliable scientific method, as with any mortal race they are fallible and some are given to eccentric behaviours and beliefs that lead them into making incorrect conclusions.