Core Design Principles

  • Races are proficient in one melee weapon type and one elemental magic school at the start.
  • Proficiency begins at 50 points (out of 100) in both their weapon and magic.
  • Players may reallocate these skill points over time to specialize differently.
  • Races provide attribute bonuses (max +8) but do not impose hard restrictions.
  • Bonuses should guide play without forcing it; avoid “required” playstyles.
  • No negative perception of “good” or “evil” races; all are self-interested, opportunistic, and culturally diverse.

The Races

Humans

  • Attributes: +2 Strength, +2 Intelligence, +2 Dexterity, +2 Psyche.
  • Weapon Proficiency: Swords.
  • Magic Proficiency: Fire.
The “baseline” race is not inherently superior in any field, yet it remains adaptable. Humans are culturally diverse with no universal homeland or archetype. Other races view them neutrally, neither hated nor admired. Their breadth of capability often frustrates more specialized peoples, who see humans as “jack of all trades, master of none.”

Human Cultural Subclasses

  • Commerce: Driven by mercantile ambition, they establish vast trade networks that connect disparate cultures, viewing prosperity as the ultimate unifier.
  • Warfare: Professional soldiers and strategists who have elevated combat to a science, respected and feared for their tactical discipline.
  • Culture: Artists, historians, and diplomats who believe human ingenuity and expression are the keys to lasting influence and understanding.
  • Science: Relentless innovators and scholars who seek to unravel the mysteries of the world through empirical study and invention.

Dwarves

  • Attributes: +4 Dexterity, +4 Psyche.
  • Weapon Proficiency: Hammers.
  • Magic Proficiency: Earth.
Hardy, reclusive, but kind and bound by a moral code. They create self-sustaining societies that live within mountains, deserts, forests, and tundras. Dwarves are not limited to caves or mines. They do not seek out other races, yet remain respectful when approached. Outcasts face exile only when they break the social contract of respect and kindness. Their resilience is both physical and mental, creating a race built for endurance.

Dwarven Cultural Subclasses

  • Masonry & Metalsmithing: World-renowned artisans who view their craft as a sacred duty to shape the bones of the earth with reverence.
  • Prospecting & Delving: Driven by an insatiable curiosity to uncover hidden veins of ore and lost subterranean highways, viewing the underground as a library of history.
  • Tradition & Law: Stoic guardians of dwarven custom who believe that adherence to their ancient moral code is the bedrock of their resilience.
  • Brewing & Agriculture: Masters of cultivating hardy mountain crops and brewing legendary ales, fostering community and trade through their craft.

Elves

  • Attributes: +4 Intelligence, +4 Dexterity.
  • Weapon Proficiency: Bows.
  • Magic Proficiency: Water.
Naturally gifted in magic, agility, and subterfuge. They harmonize with nature, though they are often arrogant toward outsiders. Elves are intelligent, cultured, and outwardly diplomatic, yet rarely without self-interest. They remain isolated in their own regions, but they are more open to trade and interaction than dwarves. Comfortable in both melee and magic, they are not limited to “only” spellcasters.

Elven Cultural Subclasses

  • Naturalism & Harmony: Seek to live in perfect balance with the natural world, acting as its stewards and drawing strength from its vitality.
  • Arcane Scholarship: Devote themselves to the mastery of magic, viewing it as the highest form of intellectual and spiritual expression.
  • Espionage & Subterfuge: Serve as the silent protectors of elven interests, using their natural agility and grace to navigate the shadows of diplomacy and conflict.
  • Artistry & Diplomacy: Shape culture and politics through their mastery of the arts, wielding beauty and eloquence as tools of influence.

Orcs

  • Attributes: +4 Strength, +4 Dexterity.
  • Weapon Proficiency: Axes.
  • Magic Proficiency: Wind.
Once a warlike race that clashed with all others, the orcs fractured into distinct subcultures after peace. They remain fiercely intelligent but brutal and unsympathetic in how they exploit nature and resources. Strength and survival define leadership, with constant tests of might from within. Modern orc societies range from warbands to industrialists, farmers, and spiritualists, all shaped by their opportunistic relationship with the natural world. Others view them as fractured, unpredictable, yet undeniably powerful.

Orcish Cultural Subclasses

  • Warbands & Raiding: Cling to the old ways of strength and conquest, believing that power is the only true currency in a fractured world.
  • Industrial Engineering: See the raw materials of the world as components for grand machines, pioneering powerful but often brutal technologies.
  • Shamanism & Rituals: Commune with the primal spirits of the land, seeking to harness their savage power through ancient rites and elemental bargains.
  • Agriculture & Husbandry: Turn fierce pragmatism toward the land, becoming master survivors who can cultivate life in the harshest environments.

Goliaths

  • Attributes: +8 Strength, -8 Intelligence, -4 Dexterity.
  • Weapon Proficiency: Spears.
  • Magic Proficiency: Void.
Physically unmatched but slow of mind and rigid in thought, the goliaths value order, discipline, and martial hierarchy above all else. Their culture mirrors the factionalism of Warhammer 40K Space Marines, with divergent orders that follow distinct codes of law and methods of creating order. One subclass operates as Mercenary Orders who fight for other races only when the contract aligns with their worldview. Coin is accepted but never the primary motivator; they must believe their intervention creates order. They embody the antithesis of the Fae. Where the Fae revel in Radiant-driven change, the goliaths ground themselves in Void-driven structure.

Goliath Cultural Subclasses

  • Mercenary Orders: Martial companies who hire out only when aligned with their vision of order. Coin alone is never enough.
  • Other factions mirror different orders of law, discipline, and order-keeping, much like philosophical militaries.
  • Where the Fae thrive on Radiant change, the goliaths anchor societies through Void-driven structure.

Fae

  • Attributes: +8 Intelligence, -8 Strength, -4 Psyche.
  • Weapon Proficiency: Daggers.
  • Magic Proficiency: Radiance.
Intrinsically bound to nature, the Fae wield Radiance as a force of creation and enhancement. Radiance amplifies the base elements (fire, water, earth, and wind) into healing, transformation, or chaos. They are politically self-serving, masters of influence and manipulation, yet fragile in direct conflict. The Fae prefer to have others fight for them rather than taking the battlefield themselves. They do not destroy; they seize opportunities, reshaping society when it suits them without caring for permanence. Humans and elves are most vulnerable to their influence, while dwarves and orcs are largely immune to their charms.

Fae Cultural Subclasses

  • The Bloomtide: Focus on life cycles and Radiance-nature synergy. Masters of agriculture, medicine, and “natural shaping.”
  • The Ember Masque: Channel passion, decadence, and cultural upheaval. They use art, philosophy, and indulgence to spark social transformation.
  • The Luminarchs: Treat Radiance as pure creation. They see the world as unfinished and constantly seek to “complete” it, often overriding others’ intentions.
  • The Veilbound: Subtle manipulators who act as political kingmakers, rarely ruling directly while engineering power shifts behind the scenes.

General Race Dynamics

  • No race is inherently good or evil. Each is self-interested, working for its own survival and influence.
  • The current era is peaceful, but political maneuvering, fractured cultures, and opportunism define inter-racial relations.
  • Conflicts rarely escalate into overt wars; most friction appears as political tension, economic pressure, or cultural rivalry.
  • The world is designed to echo the tone of Game of Thrones, full of diplomacy, opportunism, and shifting alliances.