Nordock Awakening

Elves
Elves are slight and slender compared to humans. They are almost physically flawless and rarely succumb to disease or mutation and can live for hundreds even thousands of years. Their belief in maintaining balance rather than good or evil lends to them usually being seen as aloof, arrogant, and overly concerned with beauty and art, a reputation which is not completely unfounded for in return they generally view themselves as being superior to other races. tending to emphasize traits such as nobility and purity, with a particular emphasis on personal self-control. An Elven life expectancy causes elves to waver between gentle complacency and lack of urgency and, in contrast, a feeling of angst and a wish to live life to its fullest to avoid the pains of boredom. Nevertheless, shorter-lived races can have a hard time in understanding the irregular and slowly maturing processes of economic and political decision-making among elves. Elves hold an ancient enmity towards the Dwarves, ever since the disastrous War of the Beard when the two races fought a bloody war against each other that lasted for centuries. They have fought against the spread of Demons since they first appeared in the world, and had it not been for Elves the world would have been overrun by them. However their greatest foe remains their cousins the Drow.

Gnomes
Gnomes are a diminutive, wiry race of tinkerers who typically live underground. They are mechanics, inventors, and illusionists renown for their knowledge and eccentric nature. Gnomes are an amiable and kindhearted lot. They make and keep friends easily; other races often find disliking a gnome to be difficult. Gnomes are long lived and take a fatherly approach to other races, particularly humans. The eccentric, often-brilliant gnomes are one of the most peculiar races of the world. With their obsession for developing radical new technologies and constructing marvels of mind-bending engineering, it is a wonder that any gnomes have survived to proliferate.

Half-orc
Half-orcs are almost unavoidably insane to varying degrees from their conflicting nature. Some are reserved, some demonstrate public virtue, while others force acceptance through physical intimidation. When not living among orc tribes, half-orcs almost always live in human lands, as humans are more accepting of half-orcs than other races. Half-orcs are frequently rejected by civilized society. They are drawn to violent careers suitable to their temperament and physical strength. They often find companionship among adventurers, many of whom are fellow wanderers and outsiders.

Dwarves
Dwarves are short, stocky humanoids who possess remarkable levels of strength, toughness and endurance. They are highly skilled miners and metalworkers, and items of Dwarf craftsmanship and engineering are highly valued. It is often said that the Dwarfs are a race in decline - their once-great empire now lies mostly in ruins and many of the Dwarfs' mighty mountain holds have been abandoned or conquered over the years. Despite this, they remain fearsome adversaries in war, with their destructive war machines, mastery of arcane runes and ranks of formidable warriors proving more than capable of standing up to most of the threats they face. An enormously proud people, the Dwarfs are quick to react to any slight, real or imagined, and remember any such infraction for years, even passing on the responsibility of vengeance to their heirs through their Books of Grudges. It is said, the only thing that the Dwarfs love more than a good mug of ale is gold. A Dwarf in the throes of gold lust is a thing to behold. The race's legendary drive and stamina is brought into sharp relief when they are presented with the opportunity to acquire gold. As miners and experts on ore and metals, the Dwarfs are without peer. Items of Dwarf craftsmanship and engineering are the most valuable in all the world, revered even by the Elves.

Halflings
Most outsiders tend to view Halflings as being childlike, merry, naive, and non-too bright. However, those who truly know the Halflings know the truth is a different matter. The common view has a kernel of truth; in that Halflings tend to be quite cheerful in disposition compared to other races. Few, however, can be described as naive. For the most part, they tend to be inquisitive, curious, and straightforward. Halflings also have an unsavory reputation for mischief and larceny. This reputation mostly stems from young Halflings who have left their homes to wander the world. Almost every Halfling exhibits these traits at a young age. These young Halfligns enjoy both thieving and pranks, but such behavior is most atypical of Dale-dwelling Halflings. Major pastimes of Halflings are storytelling and music (especially singing). Many of these are tall tales; others may preserve bits of local skill and lore.

Demorocles
Demorocles are a heterogeneous population, made up of several peoples, and this has resulted in a population of light olive complexion, with brown hair and eyes being the most common. They are a notoriously hard working lot; most are driven by the desire of success. Each generation wants to live in better surroundings and clothe and educate their children better than the last generation did. Demorocles as a people are notoriously opposed to war but prefer to settle things by diplomacy. There is a diplomatic service known as the Demorocles Diplomatic Corps, whose function is to try to solve internal and foreign policy problems peacefully. It might seem strange then to outsiders to see the fascination that the Demorocles people have with protecting their honor through street dueling.

Norsk
The Norsk are a culture of valiant barbarians. Boisterous, strong-willed, and passionate, the Norsk are an independent people that swear fealty to no single being. Their history is one of heroes, spirits, and impossible deeds. They thrive in their mountain stronghold by the sharpness of their senses, the quickness of their wits, and the strength of their massive forearms. They are guided in this world by their Spirits of the Wild, who embody the virtues of the mightiest beasts. Each tribe serves a different totem who imbues that tribe with their characteristics. Some known tribes are Wolfborn, Swiftelk, Bear, Owl, and Wyrm, There other totem spirits too, some unworthy of veneration. some dead, some merely missing. As a people, they are quick to anger, even quicker to smile, and treat each new day as a personal challenge. They drink and feast and hunt with equal gusto, and fear few things. The Norsk have spread through the peaks of the north, and their distinctive homes can be found near the best hunting grounds and the clearest streams. They are not alone in these lands, however, and must fight for their homes--which is just as the Norsk want it.

Mulrok
Mulrok is a decadent city ruled by a council of Arch Wizards. It is a town run by magic-users, for magic-users. Their goal is to promote the arcane and make it the leading power in the world. At the center of their canals and towers stands Asceneum the Great wizards college where most Mulrokian mages and countless number of foreign spell-casters come in a pilgrimage to acquire the finest Mulrokian techniques in magic-use. Due to their predisposition towards wizardry Mulrok has attracted an especially eccentric sect of Elves to their lands. The powers that be in Mulrok treasure the recovery of hidden knowledge over all things which has led them to open their boarders to all races including those from the Underdark. Any who wish to trade lost arcane knowledge will find this place a perfect if indulgent home.

Aspian
The Aspian people are also called the shining people due to their fair skin and fixation with polished appearance. They inhabit the Duchy of Brosna, the largest and most powerful territory in the Southern lands. They are a cultured society that is bred for leadership, honor, and a sense of duty. Due to the importance of these qualities Aspians make up a large membership in knighthoods and political associations of the realms. Though there are strong reasons why it shouldn't be, Aspian lands are a steadfast and prosperous. Despite an often-violent past, constant armed vigilance against beasts and border perils, and frequent treasonous intrigues, Aspians remain loyal, content, prosperous, and peace-loving folk. While the recent passing of their beloved Duke has shaken the kingdom, Aspians expect better days ahead and are willing to work to achieve that goal. The long reign of the Duke, aided by his Royal Magician, gave the realm a legacy of stability and prosperity that's the envy of much of the known world. Beneath the royal family is a wealthy, sophisticated, often fractious group of noble families of long lineage, influence, and demonstrated loyalty to the crown. The Knights of the Crown, Led by a The Knight Vigil - temper both royal and noble excesses. While most Aspians are farmers, ranchers, horse-breeders, foresters, or crafts-folk. The country also maintains a large, capable army

Rhumanian
Mysterious and suspicious - both words the other human cultures would use to describe the Rhumanian. The curious thing is, a Rhumanian would probably agree with that statement. The Rhumanian are not natives of Nordock but rather immigrants from another world or plane of existence. The Rhumanian are mainly river-barge and caravan traveling folk, many living near the town of Port of Prize or along the shores of the Benzor River. Rhumanian are a gypsy-like culture, with a matriarch most commonly found making the decisions of the tribe or clan. Strangely, with the exception of the matriarch, most females are considered to be more of a possession than an equal to the males of the clan. Their skills vary wildly, although most are competent boatsmen, with some knowledge of hunting and fishing. Because of stereotypes and prejudice, the Rhumanian are exploited and harassed, i.e., stopped to pay extra taxes, prohibited from trading areas, jailed for lacking fishing permits, but are driven away by illegal fishermen, etc. This is especially true in the Duchy of Brosna, where the Rhumanian are persecuted by the highly militant elite cavalry of the Duke. Because of this, and their cultural differences, they are insular and keep to themselves. They have social taboos that are perceived as virtually unbreakable that prohibit such things as marrying outside of their own culture. They also have cultural standards that allow them to treat non-Rhumanian differently from their own people. They can lie, cheat, steal, and deceive outsiders but these actions can end up with them being banished from Rhumanian culture if they are done to others of their own families.

Hebdezi
The windswept deserts of Abiz is a barren wasteland that dominates the North, a huge mass of steppeland, rocky wastes, and true desert. Many kingdoms were swallowed whole by these mystical wastes, and their ruins remain buried beneath the sands. It is as inhospitable a place as can be found on the surface of Nordock. For the longest time, these great sand wastes were considered to be totally uninhabited. However, recent activity (including an attempt to create a cross-desert trade route) have brought to light a number of intelligent people who make the desert their home. Among them the human Dervishers are a nomadic race of desert riders and sheikhs and their kindred dwellers of the town Hebdezi are swathed in mystery. However little is still known and those who remember are the magical creatures unseen who sit on the thrones of ancient buried cities.

Jacala
The Jacala have skin of a rich red-brown or dark brown color. Their hair is always black, and their eyes are dark, from medium brown to nearly black. Jacala have high cheekbones and high-bridged noses, a trait less strong in those of common birth. Some nobles still flatten the foreheads of their young, for a high, sloping shape is considered beautiful. The Jacala occupy the jungles and islands that band the southern known lands, raising a number of trade based city-states from the twisted vines and steamy darkness. What sort of culture the Jacala originally had is obscured by their early adoption of the ways of alien gods. These beings made the primitive Jacala their followers. The Jacala Empire was a hybrid of tribal monarchy and theocracy, with hereditary emperors and warlords ruling alongside shamans and astrologers. Their warlike nature is persistent but unrefined, colored by their harsh environment. In the outskirts they still practice ritualized warfare, often collecting heads or animating corpses, but they prefer to use stealthy raids and ambushes against their enemies. While Jacala clothing tends to be simple and monochromatic, such as a split skirt, loincloth, or shawl- like upper garment, they have fantastic methods of decoration, using beads, stones, feathers, bones, metal, and wood. These items decorate their clothes, weapons, and especially ceremonial items such as elaborate headdresses. They also favor divination magic that allow them to understand the world around them and perhaps comprehend the omens of their distant gods.