Racial Guide
[Andor Races/Andorians]
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[Deities]: Self-explanatory for the most part. Gods of various aspects of nature and the world as a whole, most of which are aligned to either the side of Light or the side of Darkness. Neutral deities are generally uncommon, but most that are of this alignment are too influential or hold a status high enough for the other deities to refrain from offending them. While Light and Darkness are constantly at a state of war, those that are of Demonic alignment receive their oddly mutual hatred. As such, when demonic beings invade Andor, even mortal enemies stand together to fend them off. (Average Lifespan: Ageless)
[Sages]: More of a title than a race, yet is far more than just a normal title. In essence, the bearer of the honoured title of Sage holds unparalleled reverence, even from their enemies, as each and every Sage stood out to bring civilization out of the chaos that lasted endless generations. Whatever race a Sage is, once they receive the title officially, they can live far longer than all others of their race, as the title is granted by the world itself rather than a deity, thus making Sages challenging to handle even for the most powerful gods. (Average Lifespan: Ageless)
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Alignment: Light
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[Humans]: The most populous race of Andor, humans have staunchly stood against dark forces for centuries, with most of the major civilizations bravely, or stubbornly, holding the front lines of Darkness back without backing down. While they have no unique qualities or powers, they make up for it with their prolific birth rates and well-balanced capabilities, along with being the only race than can interbreed with all other races. (Average Lifespan: 50-75yrs)
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[High Elves]: Descendants of the Ancient Elves born by the Goddess of Life, High Elves have incredibly high magical prowess, comprehension and talent. Despite being physically weaker than other races, even when compared to their brethren elves, they retain their status as the best users of magic among the races of Light, a status only matched by the Blood Elves of Darkness. They are also the only race able to awaken the Druid class. (Average Lifespan: 150-200yrs)
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[Wood Elves]: Unlike their High Elven kin, the Wood Elves adapted to life in the wild, trading immense magical capabilities for unrivalled survival skill. A Wood Elf bearing a bow or a pair of long knives is cause for caution, especially if they are aimed at you. Wood Elves are blessed by nature to very rarely miss their marks, and their skill in hunting and trapping their prey makes them a formidable opponent, no matter the location. It is said that the first Wood Elves came generations after a group of Ancient Elves discovered the seed of Yggdrasil that would one day become Haoma, their sacred tree, which they grew spiritually attuned to until becoming their own unique race.(Average Lifespan: 100-150yrs)
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[Dwarves]: The stocky, hardened earth-dwelling race of Dwarves have held the title of Andor's best blacksmiths since before written history. While magic is not their strong suit, nor is marksmanship, any dwarf worth his salt is a powerful fighter, as even the most common dwarf learns how to swing a hammer. Because of past conflicts involving elves, mostly due to differing ideals and morals, they frequently express distaste towards elven races, and, due to being very outspoken with their thoughts, have seemingly endless expletives for the lithe elves. The discovery and invention of mechanics, as well as magic engineering, are also a result of the dwarves' endless search to better their crafts. (Average Lifespan: 100-150yrs)
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[Beastmen]: Rather than one race, there are numerous species that are termed as beastmen, but all are consistent with their general description. All beastmen are anthropomorphized beasts, most of which are descended from ancient magical creatures that adapted to live among two-legged beings. Numerous reptilian, mammalian and avian races of beastmen bear their own unique specialities, but almost all beastmen are focused more on physical abilities, and, while quite a few can learn magic, it remains uncommon for them to become masters of magic. Each tribe has a unique transformation power that allows them to awaken their beast blood and take their feral form, the size of which varies greatly. (Average Lifespan: 50-85yrs)
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<Known Beastmen Tribes>
[Bear Tribe]: Born with innate raw strength and vitality matched by few other tribes, the Bear Tribesmen are all larger in weight, stature and muscle. An average Bear Tribe male can fight toe-to-toe with Lv. 5 Warriors, except in the case of dwarves. However, a Lv. 5 Bear Tribe Warrior can fight two-to-three Lv. 5 Dwarven Warriors without major disadvantage. Despite their great strength, their dexterity is less than ideal while their intellect is only average by mortal standards. Among the Beastmen Tribes, they are at the low end of the intelligence totem pole. However, their prowess has earned them a considerable reputation.
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[Lion Tribe]: Lion Tribesmen are gifted with great dexterity as well as strength only below that of the Bear Tribe and its contenders. Few Lion Tribesmen are anything other than lithe and/or muscular and are famously great fighters. In terms of intelligence, they are well above average, though the females tend to inherit more intellect than their counterparts. At present, the Lion Tribe has held the royal status in the Beastlands for six generations, the longest uninterrupted reign of a single tribe since the nomadic people conglomerated together.
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[Raven Tribe]: Unlike most of their kin, the Raven Tribesmen are not blessed in any physical way, to the point where they are only as useful as a child in battle. At the cost of battle capabilities, they instead inherit a unique ability that allows them to peer slightly into the future. For most, especially those untrained, this ability, precognition, can see no further than five seconds into the future and often leaves its bearers dizzy after experiencing it unexpectedly. When trained to its peak, precognition can evolve into prophetic vision, which can see into the future for unknown lengths of time. The furthest on record was an early Storm Era shaman who witnessed and experienced through the ability two entire years ahead.
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[Tiger Tribe]: One of the closest relatives of the Lion Tribe, the Tiger Tribe have fewer capabilities with agility and dexterity as a trade-off for having a uniquely powerful ferocity that overwhelms their enemies with relentless, heavy strikes. In a head-on fight without any class-based abilities, only the physical prowess of the Bear Tribe can match them. Due to them possessing the same racial ability as the Orcs, [Enrage], they have been feared and revered for being the most dangerous tribe to face in combat.
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[Hawk Tribe]: As a tribe of avian people, the Hawk Tribe specializes in both reconnaissance and anti-air combat. Upon transforming into their feral forms, which range from twice to sextuple the size of even the largest hawk, their talons become the sharpest weapons of the avian tribes. After the fall of the Empire of Blessed Light, they pledged to be the protectors of the Raven Tribe to atone for their discriminatory actions. As such, a Raven Tribesman is always accompanied by a Hawk Tribesman.
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Alignment: Darkness
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[Dark Elves]: As with all elves, Dark Elves are descended from the Ancient Elves, with their respective forefathers finding comfort in the dark areas of the world, especially the underground. Some of the greatest assassins or users of dark magic were Dark Elves, and they are often referred to as the best assassins in the world. While Dark Elves can still walk in daylight without issues, it is confirmed that their abilities are weakest around midday, though this is still hard to use to one's advantage due to their great prowess. (Average Lifespan: 100-150yrs)
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[Blood Elves]: Descendants of Ancient Elves that desired greater power over magic at any cost, Blood Elves use magic that manipulates blood, especially their own. They are often called the elven vampires because of this. Some of the most powerful users of Blood Magic among them can kill entire armies by causing them to commit suicide, or even manipulate spies from great distances. Finding the traces of blood magic on a target is very difficult, making Blood Elf influence difficult to discover. (Average Lifespan: 100-150yrs)
[Orcs]: As the tallest of the known two-legged races of Andor, Orcs were once considered to be annoying and bothersome to deal with, just like humans were before they became as powerful as they are today, thus Orcs are comparable to humans with how their societies and capabilities adapt and reform. While they are prolific, though not to the extent of humans, their physical capabilities make even the hardiest dwarf wary. One orc warrior is often said to be a match for five human warriors, and an army of Orcs invading will cause evacuation far faster than invasions by other races. They also possess the power of [Enrage], which doubles their strength at the cost of all defence for a period of time. (Average Lifespan: 75-125yrs )
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[Fallen]: The Fallen were once humans, or so the stories go, that fled to the depths of the earth after facing endless wars that pushed them to the edge of extinction. The God of Darkness gave them his blessing in exchange for their devotion, and they took it without a second thought. While they are physically similar to the surface-dwelling humans, the generations of life spent in the dark underground made the Fallen adapt to match their surroundings. With skin as grey and dull as Dark Elves, universally dark-coloured hair, and their famous red or orange eyes, the Fallen have far less population than humans, but they have far greater talent, especially when it comes to combat and assassination. (Average Lifespan: 50-75yrs)
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[Undead]: A conglomeration of various undead races, such as Liches, zombies and wraiths, the undead are considered far more dangerous than all other dark-aligned races due to their abilities. With powers spanning diseases, plagues, and necromancy, a strong undead is capable of flattening entire kingdoms. That said, because of their unique racial abilities, they are weak to the powers of Light and fire, especially those of divine nature. It should be noted that they are defined by a ranking system similar to those of Demons rather than a letter-grade or a level-grade. (Average Lifespan: Not Applicable)
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Alignment: Neutral
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[Sea Race]: The ocean-dwelling beings that make the humans prolific status look pitiful by comparison, the Sea Race and its twin deities, the Sea God and Sea Goddess, dominate the depths of the waters that surround the great continents. Numerous unique races exist within this all-encompassing racial title, each with abilities capable of rivalling all of the land-dwelling races, making them just as feared as the Demonic alignment, though respected by a greater margin due to the well-established neutrality between the land and sea. (Average Lifespan: Unknown)
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[Dragon Race/Clan]: The strongest of the nearly incalculable varieties of magical beasts in existence, both on land and in water, the Dragons are considered to be aspects of magic and nature that, instead of becoming divine in nature, became nearly immortal beings that resided in the mortal world. Due to how sensitive to the workings of the natural world of Andor, they are also deemed as the keepers of order, desiring to keep Andor from descending into chaos of any kind, whether it be caused by mortal, divine, demonic or even natural causes. The weakest of all known dragons, even as a hatchling, was still categorized as a Threat Rank D, while the oldest and strongest are of the few beings which have the status of Threat Rank Incalculable. It should also be noted that the Dragon Race/Clan is the only race to have ever had a deity ascend from it and that there is no known limit as to their aging, which appears to be indefinite.
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<Known Dragon Species>
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[Chromatic Dragon]: A broad spectrum encompassing coloured dragons, the colours of which correspond to their respective element. Each coloured species has its own behavioural peculiarity, such as the Red Dragons being easily angered and the Blue Dragons seeming to be emotionless. The most famous of these odd personality traits are possessed by the Brown Dragons, who are known to be extremely chatty. As they inhabit caverns or deserts, they are usually alone for extended periods of time and can chat for days on end when given the chance. For this reason, adventurers fear meeting this species. (Average Lifespan: 250-1000yrs, unknown age limit)
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[Metallic Dragon]: Rarer than their elemental kin, these species came about as a genetic mutation, making them at least twice as strong as their base species. Rather than being coloured like gems, their scales are metallic, hence the name. Their colour and personalities still match with their base race, but their power is anything but the same. (Average Lifespan: 250-1000yrs)
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[Stellar Dragon]: The legendary 'imperial' bloodline of the Dragon Race, the Stellar Dragons were supposedly rendered extinct after an inter-species war between Dragons and the Sea Race. Stellar Dragons are uniquely capable of manipulating the power of the stars, a power that has no known equal. The only ascended deity from the mortal world was also a Stellar Dragon. (Average Lifespan: Unknown, suspected to be ageless)
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[Mirror Dragon]: Another legendary Dragon Race bloodline that was supposedly extinct millennia before the Sages arrived. Possessing the unique Mirror Magic, a Mirror Dragon at the peak of their strength can rival deities without suffering disadvantages. That said, they have never truly ascended to godhood, as the last Mirror Dragon failed to ascend. (Average Lifespan: Unknown, suspected to be ageless)
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[Magic Beasts]: With nearly uncountable species and variants, some of which held an alignment in some form, Magic Beasts once reigned predominantly during the earliest ages of the Chaos Era over mortal races, were subsequently pushed back from civilizations, and eventually retook their dominant status. With the coming of the Sages, the dominating race of the continent was once again pushed back away from the civilized parts of the world and deep into the wilds. It should be remembered that Dragons are considered members of this race, though having its own separate class, just like those of the Divine Beast category. (Average Lifespan: Varies by species and Threat Level. Rough estimates point to a general average of 250-500yrs)
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[Divine Beasts]: These species are not those born from a deity or a species from which a deity has arisen from. Only the Dragon Race/Clan has had a deity ascend from them. Instead, they are Magic Beasts who were blessed and bestowed unique powers by a deity. Vermillion Birds, Xuanwu, and Celestial Tigers are among these species and are the three species considered to be rivals and allies of the northern Dragon Race/Clan. (Average Lifespan: 250-1000yrs, potentially ageless)
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Alignment: Demonic
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[Succubus/Succubi]: Demons associated with the Aspect of Lust, Succubus Demons are an all-female species that use their inherent Charm Magic to outwit, seduce and, eventually, devour the life force of their targets, with their favourites happening to be those of Humans due to their incessant vices. While few in number, a Succubus is extremely hard to pick out from mortal species due to their Charm Magic also being capable of manipulating their appearance. The largest known incident of a Succubus attack was a single demon devouring the life forces of an entire city, 1500-some people, in a single night before, in her greed for power, exploding and wiping the location off the face of Andor. (Average Lifespan: Unknown)
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[Ash Elves]: Wood Elves twisted by demonic powers after their sacred tree, Haoma, was corrupted. Their appearances adopt an ashy grey skin tone while their eyes become hollow, with only a tiny glow like dying embers. They possess their own egos, twisted after becoming corrupted, and are the natural predators of their former kin. Most of their abilities, should they be elemental-based, become warped and use ashes instead as their power, which is a bane of natural abilities.
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[Abyss Elves]: The third of the three Dark Elf Royal families became infatuated with demonic power following the Heroic Era. Through centuries of secretive collaboration, they eventually turned traitor during the first wave of demons in the Second Andorian War. At the cost of their Andorian magical heritage, they gained nearly unmatched magical prowess with demonic powers, to the point that even some natural-born demons couldn't rival them. They were also responsible for the eventual corruption of Haoma and the twisted Ash Elves.
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Alignment: Unknown
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[Snow Elves]: The fifth elven race said to be descended from the Ancient Elves, very little is known about them due to their inherent isolationism. Aside from a handful of records from the Ancient Elf Empire, little is known about them other than their appearance being all white in both skin and hair colour. The only exception was their eyes, which were always a shade of blue. They are said to exist far to the north, coexisting with the Dragon Race/Clan, and were nicknamed by their ancient kin as the rulers of ice and snow. An expedition was once attempted during the Heroic Era to make contact with them at their supposed homeland of Hylaneas, but none returned. (Average Lifespan: Unknown)
As of 4:49 Divine, new information about the Snow Elves has come forth. The Snow Elves are ruled by the original Snow Elf, a great Pseudo-Sage named Uilos, who chose the name of his kind after discovering their powers over the forces of winter. He is one of the two protectors of the Shrouded Lands, titled as the Lunar Guardian, and is responsible for maintaining the flow of information to the secret realm of the Ancient Elves. A single survivor of the expedition was rescued by the Snow Elves and continues to live among them, with Uilos's kindness eventually leading to his marriage with a Snow Elf.
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[Bardor Races/Bardorians]
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[Ancient Elves]: The ancestral race of all modern elven races, the Ancient Elves once ruled a mighty empire spanning the entirety of the continent that was once the only one in Andor, in an era far before any Sages took form. A handful of High Elves have specialized in learning their predecessors' ancient texts and pieced together enough to understand one thing most clearly: Andor was once the name of the continent, named by the Ancient Elves nearly ten thousand years prior to the Sage Era, and later was believed to be the name of the plane itself. Aside from their legendary empire's technology, magics and culture, the Ancient Elves ruled Andor until a certain event two thousand years prior to the Sages. The event in question has never been properly identified, but the result was the subsequent collapse of the Ancient Elf Empire and the formation of a subcontinent that took 10% of the Andor Continent's landmass with it to parts unknown to the modern age. Aside from this, the entire species appeared to have vanished into thin air, leaving only ancient artifacts and distant descendant races behind. (Average Lifespan: Unconfirmed, suspected to be between 500-1000yrs)
As of the year 4:49 Divine, new information about the Ancient Elves has come forth. The Ancient Elves sealed themselves in a secret realm called the Shrouded Lands, protected by a great barrier maintained by an Ancient Elf Sage that kept the extremely powerful spatial turbulence used to keep it hidden away from its people. It is ruled by an Emperor and the most ancient and powerful High Priestess, who often sleeps due to her immense power. Six Elders maintain the order of the realm as the hands and feet of the Emperor, while two ancient Pseudo-Sages stay in the main world as the guardians of the Shrouded Lands, each with their own mission. They escaped from the brother planet of Andor, Bardor, when it was devoured by the demonic beings.
