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Races of Novitas
The world of Notivas is populated with a variety of races, each with their own affinities and traits to make them unique. The following list describes those races that are considered possible for player characters.
Player Character Races
Creatures of Novitas
Those wandering the realms of Novitas will undoubtedly notice that Earthkin, Humans, Elves, Drakes, and Snow Goblins are far from alone in their inhabitance of the realm. While none have documented each individual type of creature that one might encounter, there are known to be 12 different general categories, each with their own unique history, abilities, and place in the realm. These are Constructs, Elementals, Fae, Goblinoids, Humanoids, Insectoids, Lycanthropes, Piscenes, Plants, Reptiles, Spirits, and Undead.
Constructs
Made of flesh, of earth, of metals, of magic, the term Construct names any creature brought to life by powerful magics and sciences rather than natural birth. These golems, scarecrows, and homunculi can usually be traced back to their “parent” sorcerer, though it is not uncommon for some types of golems to exist beyond the lifetimes of their creators.
The appearance of a Construct certainly means that the will of a powerful being is in play. Never do golems decide to guard a tower, or sack a village, or rebuild a bridge on their own. Instead they are best understood as the extensions of powerful distant sorcerers. Flesh Golems may be their messengers. Earth Golems their beasts of burden. Iron Golems their war machines. Homunculi their poisoned lovers.
In all cases, the advice is the same: beware.
Elementals
Elemental creatures are beings native to one of the elemental planes of existence (air, earth, fire, and water) and usually bear traits in keeping with their plane of origin. The two most common sub-categories are elementals and genie. For each type of element, there is a direct opposite. Air is opposed by earth and fire is opposed by water. These opposing characteristics manifest themselves in the creatures’ personalities as well as statistics.
Fae
The fae are descendants of a race called faeries in the old world, created by the dreaming god Illumitas. When the trio of dark powers was released upon the world from its prison, the dark ones tainted the hearts of many faeries into malevolent beings. In the aftermath the faeries lay divided into two separate offshoots, differing first and foremost by their general outlook and moral foundation. Today these two types of faeries are known as dark and light fae.
Goblinoids
The first foe any new adventurer is sure to run across is a member of the twisted races broadly categorized under the term “Goblinoid”. While academics have dissected and categorized these creatures, the easiest way to tell if something is a Goblinoid is to follow your nose. If it smells like a bad night at the tavern that you’d rather forget, chances are fairly good that the lumbering idiotic thing in front of you is one of these beasts. And, chances are just as good that he isn’t alone.
Humanoids
The term humanoid is a generic one describing many of the sentient bipedal beings who roam the lands of Novitas. In reality, humanoids are anything but generic. Humanoids are spread all throughout the world, living in nearly every environment possible. From the Yetis in their mountain dwellings, to the nomadic, plains-roaming Catfolk, to the underground Skaven, all humanoids have made their mark on the world and have found some way to survive. out livings based on their knowledge. Perhaps the humanoid's greatest strength is the wide variety of skills available to them. Some creatures may only know how to hunt and defend themselves like the fearsome, predatory Kazvaks.
Insectoids
Of the wild and dangerous flora and fauna of Novitas, the Insectoids are perhaps the most bizarre creatures wanderers may encounter. These giant bugs, beetles, and the like are found seemingly at random throughout the lands, though curiously they are most numerous in the Freelands themselves.
Lycanthropes
Simply put, a lycanthrope is any being who shifts its body and mind between two forms: civilized and bestial. Lycanthropy is a curious matter, part curse, part disease, part psychology. Scholars often say it is the perfect expression of Nox’s touch. Others claim that it is a gift shared by Draconus, as transformations take place either in conjunction with lunar cycles or high animal emotions, such as rage, lust, competition, or hunger. Some individuals are infected with Lycanthropy, some inherit it, and others - in rare cases - seek it out.
Piscenes
The Piscenes are the aquatic children of the dragon Pisces. The great dragon found the other races not to his liking and thus traveled far into the seas. It is rumored that he gave intelligence to the sea life, but no detailed information exists.
Plants
While the Elemental is the god concerned with agriculture and re-growth, she is also the facet of The Sept that espouses mindless destruction. Faced with the nearly insurmountable task of protecting all flora and fauna on Novitas, the Elemental was forced to seek help. But rather than beg help of her other brothers and sisters, she chose to create her own guardians.
She took plants of many types, and gave them minds so that they might speak and communicate. She gave them mobility so that they might move about doing her will. She granted them reason, so that they might know right from wrong. She gave them emotions so that they might know passion. Finally, she sent them out into the world to grow and mature.
Reptiles
The races comprising the category of reptiles include a number of bipedal, cold-blooded, scaled creatures of mixed intelligence. Reptilians are an ancient people, children of the dead god Illumitas. When the old god fell, Draconus rose up from the remains and created the true dragons, mythical creatures of ages past. The sordid relationship between drakes and reptiles started long ago when the newly created dragons began subjugating entire species of reptiles to be their servants. This relationship was mutually beneficial at first, as the dragons provided protection for their underlings and taught them many things, including the use of magic.
Spirits
Spirits linger between the living world and the afterlife, like a hurricane – a powerful, massive swirling nothingness. Immaterial beings who can stalk the manors and footpaths of their previous existence, Spirits are cousins to the Undead, but their genesis is more remarkable than mere Necromancy or curses.
Undead
Many believe that the undead are a haphazard collection of zombies and ghouls, mindless in their purpose yet single-minded in their malevolence. They point to the roving bands of flesh-eating monstrosities, the shambolic hordes moaning for brains, the reclusive Lich in his subterranean lair, and say that this is evidence of a lack of collusion amongst the various undead.
Mortals who would meddle in the affairs of the undying would do well to move with extreme caution, lest they become that which they seek to destroy. The undead are not forgiving, their reach is long, and their memories are infinite.
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