The S’harin – Desert Elves
The S’harin are a proud and resilient elven people, tall and lean with sun-darkened skin and eyes like polished amber or deep obsidian. Their long limbs and wiry frames are well-suited to the vastness of the desert, allowing them to move swiftly and silently across the sands. Known as masters of survival, the S’harin have perfected the art of living off the sparse resources of the desert, relying on deep wells of knowledge, innate magic, and uncanny endurance.
Nomadic by nature, the S’harin wander the desert in tight-knit clans, fiercely guarding their secrets from outsiders. They value independence, self-sufficiency, and strength, seeing reliance on others as a weakness. They have little patience for those who intrude upon their lands, and to enter S’harin territory uninvited is to invite a swift and silent attack.
The S’harin are adept in the natural magics of the desert, drawing power from the wind, sun, and sands themselves. Using mirages, illusions, and enchantments, they are known to create entire camps hidden from view, or to blend seamlessly into the dunes to avoid detection. Some speak of seeing entire clans vanish into thin air, leaving behind nothing but wind-stirred sand. Their spiritual connection to the desert is strong, believing that the Land of Forgotten Horizons is sacred, holding memories of ancient life and spirits bound to protect it.
The Ura’da – The Wild Halflings of the Verdant Rise
The Ura’da are a ruthless, enigmatic and xenomorphic people, often described as wild-hearted and dangerously cunning. Dwelling in The Verdant Rise, a lush, elevated oasis hidden deep within the desert, they are one of the few societies to thrive in an environment otherwise harsh and unforgiving. While they are small in stature, the Ura’da are feared for their ferocity and their dark rituals. They fiercely protect their verdant homeland, regarding it as sacred and inviolable—a divine gift meant solely for their kind.
These halflings are known cannibals, believing that consuming the flesh of intruders and raiders grants them strength and fortitude. They paint their skin with bright pigments derived from desert plants and wear carved masks of sacred, twisted wood, shaped into grotesque visages that terrify those who encounter them. Each mask is unique, fashioned to honor the wild spirits of the land, and only the Ura’da know the rites to imbue them with protective magic.
Though they are largely isolated in The Verdant Rise, the Ura’da periodically raid the desert below, hunting both beast and outsider with unmatched fervor. They strike with little warning, moving in coordinated packs that rely on ambush tactics and an innate knowledge of their terrain. Their war chants echo across the sands as they descend, leaving those who survive these encounters haunted by tales of the masked halflings who carry their dead away to their high, green land.
The Dunmir – Half-Giants of the Desert’s Edge
The Dunmir, whose name means “Keepers of the Sands,” are a race born from a mix of human resilience and giant strength, created in ancient times through means now lost to history. Standing well above most humans, with muscled builds and sun-scorched skin, the Dunmir have become a familiar sight along the borders of the desert. While their giant kin terrorize the sands, wading down from their mountain strongholds to raid and pillage, the Dunmir are often seen as guardians, working with human settlements to protect them from both the hazards of the desert and the menace of giants.
Though smaller than their full-blooded giant kin, the Dunmir are still incredibly strong, with powerful endurance that allows them to traverse the vast, unforgiving sands. Known for their calm yet watchful demeanor, they make excellent warriors, scouts, and stoneworkers, contributing their physical prowess and ancient knowledge to the communities that welcome them. Many have embraced roles as protectors, taking pride in defending their homelands from the same giant bloodline that haunts their past.
The Dunmir are deeply attuned to the land itself, some possessing primal magics that allow them to shape stone or draw strength from the earth. Their heritage is a source of both pride and challenge, as they often walk a fine line between their connection to the giants and their desire for peace and belonging among humans. The Dunmir, loyal and fierce, remain steadfast along the edges of the Sea of Dust, a living testament to resilience born of two worlds.
The Krinari
These desert-dwelling insectoids are collectively known as the Krinari, with each subspecies embodying a different aspect of desert adaptation. The Krinari are an ancient, adaptable race, organized into distinct groups that have evolved unique physical traits suited to the harsh sands.
Krinari Subspecies
- Leõmhann (Leum Han) – Moth-like Krinari The Leõmhann are Krinari with a striking, moth-like appearance, known for their gentle, wispy antennae, large expressive eyes, and intricately patterned wings that shimmer in the desert sun. Unlike their more martial cousins, the Leõmhann tend to avoid direct conflict, using their wings to traverse the desert at night and blending into the sands. They are often seen as mystics and seers within Krinari culture, revered for their deep connection to the desert’s spiritual essence.
- Dalegg – Beetle-like Krinari The Dalegg are the hulking, beetle-like Krinari, with chitinous armor as thick as rock and powerful, stocky builds suited for enduring sandstorms and the harshest desert conditions. Their dark, glossy shells protect them from predators, and they are often tasked as the Krinari’s defenders. Known for their stoic demeanor, the Dalegg are steadfast and formidable warriors who value strength and durability above all.
- V’shekk – Mantis-like Krinari The V’shekk are the swift, deadly hunters of the Krinari, bearing the traditional mantis-like appearance with sleek, agile frames and razor-sharp forelimbs. They are renowned for their prowess in combat, moving with grace and precision unmatched among their kin. Their large, angular eyes give them exceptional vision across the sands, and they use natural camouflage to stalk their prey. The V’shekk serve as the Krinari’s scouts and elite fighters, often leading expeditions into the vast desert to protect their territories and acquire resources.
Each Krinari subspecies serves a vital role, and together, they form a resilient and enigmatic society, thriving where few others can. Their bonds are strong, and their unique adaptations make them a force both feared and respected in the desert.
The Un’Thrall
A Thrall is an incredibly tough crossbreed of a human and dwarf (a half-dwarf). They retain the stature, agility, and mental flexibility of humankind, coupled with the physical resilience and endurance of their dwarven heritage –a rare combination of qualities that makes thralls more than a simple blend of the two races. They stand around 6 to 7 feet in height and have a point to their ears. Many of their facial features are that of a dwarf.
Because they are strong, tough, quick, and blessed with fantastic endurance, thralls are high prized as slaves. In fact, most muls are born into slavery, products of the slave pits —owners recognize the thralls’ assets as gladiators and laborers, and so order the births of as many muls as can be managed within the ranks of their slaves. Thralls are born sterile —they cannot perpetuate their kind.
Born as they are to lives of slave labor, with the taskmaster’s whip taking the place of parents and family, thralls are given to a gruff personality and violent reactions. Understandably, many never seek friends or companionship but live out their lives in servitude, driven by hatred and spite. Most, however, learn who to trust in the slave pits and who not to, gaining favor and reputation among the other slaves.
Many slaves have either escaped or otherwise won their freedom and now live independent lives all over Thaldor. Of these, a large percentage have bartered their combat prowess, making their way as soldiers or guards. A few others, given to more cerebral pursuits, have turned to priestly devotions or the mental disciplines of psionics.
Thralls are half-dwarves, a cross between a male Dwarf and female Human. Because of their large bone structures, the pregnancy is hard on both the mother and Mul, usually resulting in the child having to be cut from his/her dying mother’s body.