Characters

Dwarves

Halflings

Half-Orcs

Humans

Gnomes

Elves

Dwarves - Long ago, the dwarves ruled far-flung kingdoms in the mountains of the world, and traded their mighty works with Numanthaur and Iridian.  But when the Wrath of the Gods destroyed those ancient civilizations, the dwarves were safer in their mountain fastnesses and so thrived in the long centuries that followed.  

But pride destroyed what the gods had not.  In the wake of the Ancient Empire's ruin, great hordes of humanoids entered the realms of Vatheria for the first time.  Uncounted numbers of orcs, trolls and hobgoblins wandered into Vatheria from the east and south and in their pride, the dwarves sought to drive them out of the rich, empty lands.  So began the great wars of the dwarves, and the great waning of their race.   Now dwarves are few in Vatheria, for though the great wars have been over for millennia, the dwarves breed only slowly and late in life, and other races have taken from them their ancestral lands. 

There are many spells and feats unique to dwarves.  See the Theeurth Book of Feats for details.  An excellent resource for dwarves in a Theeurth campaign is Hammer and Helm by Green Ronin press.

Dwarves in Tirgonia - Dwarves are uncommon in Tirgonia, but not rare enough to excite comment.  Each of the seven cities have small dwarven populations who are usually either smiths or traders.  Small dwarven villages exist here and there throughout Tirgonia's many mountain ranges.  The only large concentration of dwarves in the region was Naharadûm, a large town in Skaneholme.  It was sacked by the army of Hoarwinter in 2892.

Dwarves in Conorria - Dwarves are common in the north of the Empire, near the Worldspine and Talamakas mountains, but less common in the south, along the Valesian Sea.  Still, the hardy race can be found in each  of the Empire's cities. The great dwarven kingdom of Dhûnazhar lies on the northwest border, 

Halflings - Halflings are everywhere in Vatheria, living almost anywhere that humans do.  

Halflings in Tirgonia - Halflings can be found in every city and most towns in Tirgonia, as well as in large numbers in the Barony of Purple Hills.  Hoarwinter's brutal reign has been a disaster for the small folk, and their numbers have dwindled to a tiny fraction of their former numbers.

Halflings in Conorria - They can be found throughout the Empire, particularly many pleasant villages along the lower Phaedon and Esharias river valleys. There is an entire nation of halflings on the south shore of the Golden Sea, known as Aelissia.

Half-Orcs - Brutal orcs live in vast numbers at the periphery of most civilized lands. Their raids are a constant part of life in these areas, and the result is often many, many half-orcs, creatures that are part-human and part orc.  In most cases, these brutes must struggle for existence  within the orcish tribe that bred them.  

Half-Orcs in Tirgonia - In Tirgonia, the Daeron occupation left many such half-breeds in the cities and towns Sirion, Estwilde and Sothwall.  The subsequent reign of Hoarwinter has assured that half-orcs have been spread throughout the north as well.  They reside in great numbers throughout Tirgonia.

Half-Orcs in Conorria - The Orc Dominion of the last century left a legacy of millions of half-orcs throughout the Empire.  In the wake of the Great Crusade, many were murdered or enslaved, and all were relegated to the lowest levels of society and forced into the most menial or dangerous of labors.  

Humans - Human society is among the most varied in Vatheria.  Those humans from Conorria and the Successor states tend to be tall, with increasingly pale skin as one heads north.  Those from the Valesian Sea region tend to be shorter and more compact, with skin tones ranging across the entire human spectrum.  South of the Valesian Sea, humans tend to be tall, but thinner, with skin ranging from deep tans to nearly jet black.

Humans in Tirgonia - Near Tirgonia, four main human races cohabit.  The native Alatians tend to be somewhat short, with males averaging 5'7".  Dark hair and eyes are common.  The Skane are tall, pale barbarians with reddish or brownish hair.  Pale blue or green eyes are common.  The Rhanalorians are men of average height with hawklike features and reddish or brownish hair.  The Conorrians are tall, with blond or brownish hair.  Blue or grey eyes are common.  A Tirgonian human might easily be from any of these four races.

Humans in Conorria - Most humans in Conorria are natives, but millennia of immigration have created a cosmopolitan population, particularly in the cities and along the coast.  Humans of all colors, nationalities and types may be found throughout the empire.  There is little prejudice based on these origins.

Gnomes - Probably the least well-known of the major races, Gnomes figure little in the great histories of Theeurth.  This is because of a long tradition within gnomish society that urges them to remain apart from the struggles of the other races.  That inclination is changing, however, as an increasing percentage of younger gnomes feel that their communities would be better served by greater involvement with outsiders.  Despite this, gnomes remain a clannish and secretive people.  Those few outsiders that know much about them at all are aware that they are exceedingly clever engineers.

Gnomes in Tirgonia -  The largest population of gnomes is in the Dun Hills of Estwilde. Prostrate under the heavy heel of Hoarwinter, they nonetheless endure, providing engineers and scribes for the evil god's nation.

Elves - Elves are rare almost everywhere in Vatheria.  As a race, they are tall and slender, appearing more graceful than any of the mortal races.  Indeed, they are not mortal, dying only when slain. Age and disease never touch them. 

Player characters may not play elves.

Elves in Tirgonia - Elves once frequented the western city of Alqualondë, where their ships still traded from their homes beyond the sea.  But no longer.  Those elves too unfortunate or too stubborn to leave before the invasion were slaughtered without mercy, second in Hoarwinter's hatred only to the priests of the gods of the Chalice.

Elves in Conorria - No part of the Empire has a large population of elves.  Nonetheless, it is not uncommon for small families to reside within the Empire for a century or two before returning to their homes in Celendor or, more rarely, the Neldorean Wood.