Races
The common races across the world. Do note that size does matter. Smaller races have a global -5 to toughness and robustness and a -10% movement speed while all large races have a global +5 toughness and robustness and a +10% movement speed. Humans being chimeric are the only race capable of choose their size and will be assigned these bonuses or penalties based upon that choice. As a note, each empire calls their deviating sub-races something different. The empire refers to theirs simply as deviants, while the federation refers to them as spirit touched and the legion refers to them as yokai.
Small Races
| Goblin | |
Goblin |
Common Names: Male: Robin, Seamus, Toby, Patrick. Female: Willow, Fiadh, Hollie, Mia. Commonality: Very Common Civilization: Onokrin Empire, Tribes/Outer factions Appearance: Short, varying colors, pointed ears, sharp teeth and claws. |
Goblins are a race of conflict, ranging from the vicious outer goblins belonging to the feral tribes known as the Stone Crushers or the more civilized and well-liked city goblins, colloquially called the Iron Bound. Goblins have often been likened to dwarves by many of the onokrins ogres, a diminutive race with a consummate need to tinker and create. Many goblins simply must have work or they will often turn to vice, their natures making them heavily inclined to all manner of maitenence, creation, and study of complex mechanics or magic. While goblins can be described as wild by the standards of the Onokrin, the city born Iron Bound have made goblins renowned for their ability to tinker, construct, and ultimately work extremely well with all things mechanical. This innate cunning also extends into other fields, such as alchemy and magic, allowing for goblins to supplement their small size and lacking strength for a wide variety of applicable skills. As a result, many goblins are experts in the way of magi-tech and even the humblest of goblins can boast a passing knowledge on such devices.
Subtypes
- Ironbound - The typical goblin, iron bound are almost exclusively from the Onokrin and view themselves as the proper standard for their race. While many goblins are prone to vice, they are far more civilized and proper than most other races beyond the empire's borders. Ironbound can be considered highly intelligent and are almost universally skilled with tools of any kind.
- Stone Crusher - Tribal goblins that eke out an existence in the southern plains, sometimes as independent tribes and more commonly as slaves or tribesman within gnoll tribes. Stone crushers are still good with tools and slightly stronger than their ironbound cousins, who view them with open disdain as most others do. Most stone crushers are also considered quite stupid and violent, but clever ones have been known to appear.
- Blue - Blues are an oddity among the empire for reasons that set them apart even from the oni. Superficially a blue resembles one, having varying shades of blue-tinted skin and sometimes small horns adorning their heads, however they differ in that blues are the only naturally psionic race within the empire. Like the lagus and kaxxis, they are predisposed to the use of psychic abilities and have an almost supernatural understanding biology, making many join the rosaria corps of the Sons of Baitaal to be conditioned into the roles of vitalist healers.
| Rodentfolk | |
Rodentfolk |
Common Names: Male: Barkov, Kurden, Gusev, Stelnikov. Female: Sultanova, Balakina, Mazhulina, Kozhukhova. Commonality: Very Common Civilization: Warren Federation Appearance: Rat-like Humanoids |
Rodentfolk are a wide spread and well known group of short rodent-like people who travel across the world in groups ranging from caravans, train crews, and sometimes ships. They are best known for their adept skill at merchantry and caravanning, a talent that seats them at the head of most thriving markets. While skilled at all manner of trade, rodentfolk are widely traveled and adept at both living and thriving anywhere, an aspect that has seen them at home in nearly any town or city. Within their own home federation rodentfolk often take up roles as engineers and industrialists, forming the complex and specialist labors while working closely with their federation allies.
Subtypes
- Mousefolk - Mousefolk are the shorter, thinner, and often times weaker residents of the rodentfolk, considered skilled scouts, gunslingers, and menials. Mousefolk tend to travel less, preferring to live in communities they are well known and work within as more humble positions, with a preference for cooking and food related work. Many regard the mousefolk as the best cooks in the world and others speak of their legendary skills with most firearms, but in truth mousefolk often pride themselves most by the communities they live within.
- Ratfolk - The tallest and often considered strongest of the rodentfolk, the ratfolk are prone to travel and trade and as widely spread as humans are. Most ratfolk were either part of, actively in, or know others connected to trading through either caravans or the railway lines dotting the world. Ratfolk are so synonymous with trains that it is said that if a ratfolk caravan appears more than once in a town, then a railway is soon to follow.
- Capybarakin - The 'spirit touched' as they are known in the federation, the capybarakin are short, broad, and often exceedingly calm compared to the average rodentfolk. Most are set apart by their broader noses and patient demeanor. They are most renowned for their engineering skills, making up the backbone of federation artisans that construct the amazing underground empire the federation calls home. Though calm, most of the capybarakin can be considered strong of temperament and brusque, with a passion for work. If mousefolk live by their stomach and ratfolk live to wander, capybarakin can be said to live to work.
| Kaxxis | |
Kaxxis |
Common Names: Male: Kristos, Pandaros, Tmolus, Phokion. Female: Omphale, Iaera, Leda, Eris. Commonality: Rare Civilization: Independent (Isolated Clans) Appearance: Caprini Humanoids |
Kaxxis mostly exist in the northern-eastern mountains with their salamander allies, living high on the peaks and keeping to themselves, often only interacting with the salamanders to trade or barter supplies. Kaxxis are psionically adept and believed to have killed and absorbed the avatar of their god in pre-history, making them supernaturally strong despite their size. This open fact of their history leaves them as often distrusted by other factions and races, but they can still be found being employed for their unique psionic talents that they make no pretense of not boasting about. Most kaxxis are unnaturally strong for their size after all.
Subtypes
- Caprinae - The more goat-like of the kaxxis who bear horns and are physically stronger. Caprinae are often considered the most arrogant of all despite their size due to their innate strengths, but compared to the ovinae can be considered less intelligent. Most make for good psions, if they train their innate abilities.
- Ovinae - The more sheep-like of the kaxxis, who lack horns and often have shaggier bodies of woolen fur. Ovinae are less arrogant than their goat-like cousins but are physically weaker, having far more accomplished intelligence and thus greater psionic abilities and aptitudes towards artisan work. Most ovinae still work in more menial roles, developing their psionic powers into hypnotic talents to beguile beasts into cattle, protection, or sometimes pets.
- Ifrit - An example of kaxxis arrogance, the ifrit are kaxxis born with natural talents towards magic over psionics, granting them exceptional control over natural pyromancy. This talent, similar to salamanders, makes many kaxxis believe their god in the old legends whom power they absorbed was a dragon they had slain. Aside from trading their super natural powers for magical, ifrits are similar to most kaxxis and can appear as caprinae or ovinae with impressive sets of horns. Though their draconic similarity makes them exceptionally arrogant, even by kaxxis standards, unless dealing with a salamander who they see as worthwhile cousins and equals.
| Kobold | |
Kobold |
Common Names: Male: Borisav, Darin, Lado, Wojslaw. Female: Svitlana, Merana, Bretka, Verka. Commonality: Common Civilization: Warren Federation Appearance: Short Draconic Humanoid or Short Canine Humanoid |
Kobolds are an often disregarded race hailing from the federation where they make up the largest demographic of unskilled and domestic laborers. Though often humble by nature, most kobolds are keenly aware that the federation largely lives and thrives on their labors and leverage this as a group. Once second class citizen in their own nation, they have since become a powerful political block and well respected within their areas of expertise. Kobolds are also one of the rare species who know how to intentionally create their spirit-touched, making them a race with a dichotomy split between their natural draconian appearance and a highly changed more canine appearance. Equally unusual, kobolds see no distinction between themselves and are loathe to be prejudicial, even to outside races.
Subtypes
- Draconic - The baseline kobold, being more common than canine kobolds, draconic kobolds are said to be sun-touched and come from kobolds living on the surface. Appearing like shorter salamanders with less fearsome features draconic kobolds can be found anywhere ratfolk can, as they are widely skilled and prone to wander.
- Canine - The second type of kobold, sometimes called dogbolds, are considered 'spirit touched' by the federation but unlike other off-shoot subtypes, canine kobolds can be reliably made and do not appear randomly. Canine kobolds are born when a kobold mother does not expose herself to natural sunlight for long enough. Dogbolds are stronger and tougher than draconic kobolds, but more dim-witted.
Medium Races
| Human | |
Human |
Common Names: Male: Lionel, Reginald, Benjamin, Edmund. Female: Maria, Elinor, Lucy, Anna Commonality: Very Common Civilization: Onokrin Empire Appearance: Human. |
Humans, you know them and either hate or love them. Humans are one of the most common races among the Onokrin Empire, letting them be known far and wide among all races for better or worse. As a result, humans are highly varied, in both physicality and in body as many humans are considered half breeds or chimerics, making them visually quite unusual in appearance as well as body and mind. All humans share an intrinsic bond to orcs, making them largely interchangeable in many regards. Most consider orcs the brawn and the humans the brains of the empire.
Subtypes
- Chimeric - See below.
| Orc | |
Orc |
Common Names: Male: Flynn, Aiden, Andrew, Lucas. Female: Abbie, Maeve, Sadie, Breagha. Commonality: Very common Civilization: Onokrin Empire Appearance: Humanoid, bulky, tusks, pointed ears, green to onyx skin. |
Orcs are often considered like humans, everywhere and common, what sets them apart is their greater focus on class, higher tempers, and much greater strengths. Orcs are loathe to act or be seen as bestial or tribal and hold a great deal of open and direct bigotry towards anyone they consider uncivilized. To an orc, nothing is more important than living as a gentlemen or lady and getting into vicious but sporting fights. Offer an orc a fine cigar and he will thank you, compare him to a pig and he will challenge you to boxing duel before beating you half to death with a tusked grin and a glass of vintage bourbon afterwards. Orcs are deeply bonded with humans, with most considering orcs the brawn to the humans brains.
Subtypes
- Onokrin - Onokrin orcs can be considered the common or standard orc, far more civilized and posh than other races by leagues. A proper onokrin orc dresses in fine, high class clothing, smokes quality cigars, and drinks only the best vintage. Despite this, onokrin orcs are strong and prone to indulging in 'sporting' violence through boxing, duels, and hunting. Orcs are consummate indulgers of vice, with a large portion of their culture centered around the intricacies of social rituals that they share with humans. Unlike other orc types, onokrin orcs are intrinsically tried to humans and consider themselves the same race in many ways even if they recognize their differences.
- Tribal - The rarest form of orc, tribal orcs are universally hated by their other kin, even the oni. Tribal orcs are seen not only as pariahs but barely sentient creatures. Many orcs are more than willing to kill a tribal if given a chance and an open bounty exists across the onokrin empire to bring in the head of known tribal orcs. Even bandit and outlaw orcs will refuse to associate with tribal orcs. This hatred and combative situation tribal orcs find themselves in often mean they only exist in small numbers in gnoll tribes, where they are respected for their great strength.
- Oni - A deviant orc, usually born as an oni or becoming one through a process that changes with every oni. Oni orc are similar to onokrin orcs but often lose some of their desire and focus to be more civilized, indulging heavily in drinking and growing far stronger as their appearance changes to grow horns and discolor their skin to more vibrant tones. Their more rambunctious nature is not appreciated in the empire, but members of the steel legion culturally believe that oni are good luck charms. As a result, most oni move to the steel legion where they are treated much better and often paid simply to appear in a daimyo's court as a symbol of that houses affluence and appeasement to the yokai.
| Salamander | |
Salamander |
Common Names: Male: Ashur Dan, Neen Eil, Shu-Kubum, Asinum. Female: Nineveh, Brat Eil, Ishtar, Yamima. Commonality: Rare Civilization: Independent (Isolated Families) Appearance: Hybrid draconic and humanoid. Scale color varies heavily. |
Salamanders are an offshoot of humans are considered stable enough to be considered their own separate race. The end result of magically compatible humans cross breeding with dragons in ancient pre-history, human-exemplar salamanders resemble humans in the face, torso, and upper thighs whilst their forearms, shins, feet, glutes, and head display draconic traits ranging from claws, scales, tails, horns, and slit-like lizard eyes. Draconian-exemplar resemble more of a dragon that has taken human shape by being draconic in all ways except for being bi-pedal humanoids. Salamanders are inherently magical, but this natural display of magic only manifests as pyromancy, though some salamanders do become mages to further train these abilities or branch out into other magics. Most however, tend to become blacksmiths, weaponsmiths, and armorsmiths as their affinity for fire and natural talents make them exceptionally skilled, with their natural magics easily being infused into their metallic creations much like how dwarves used runes.
Subtypes
- Draconic Exemplar - Draconic exemplar salamanders have better skills with magic and can be considered natural smiths when working with most metals and crafts. They are often tall, fearsome, and strong.
- Human Exemplar - Human exemplar salamanders appear more human, having less skill with magic but a wide variety of talents and skills, even in smithing. They can be likened to the best aspects of dragons and humans combined.
| Gnoll | |
Gnoll |
Common Names: Male: Nakai, Omawnakw, Chunta, Hono. Female: Takhi, Humita, Hantaywee, Haiwee. Commonality: Uncommon Civilization: Scattered Tribes Appearance: Hyaenidae humanoids |
Gnolls are perhaps the most contentious of all races, being violent and vicious slavers who form tribalistic war bands to raid and attack various other tribes, villages, and even factions. While the average gnoll can be described as sadistic and cruel, this trait is not universal, with many gnolls treating their more useful slaves and family members in a way that could be somewhat considered respectful. A Gnoll's natural endurance and will to dominate makes them difficult to root out, leading to them being widespread in the wilds as both bandits and mercenaries. Gnolls are well known (and hated) for hitting supply caravans and committing train robberies, but a few isolated gnolls are accepted into various more civilized society despite the obvious prejudice they face.
Subtypes
- Tribal - Your standard gnoll, xenophobic, violent, and prone to taking slaves. Gnolls believe that every creature they kill is forced to serve them in the after life, as a result gnolls are consummate killers and prefer to pick the strongest and most dangerous targets to further improve their standing in the afterlife. Aiding them is the fact that gnolls are absurdly durable and exceptional fighters, capable of surviving wounds that would kill other races.
- Hel-Touched - A gnoll considered to be touched by Xaal, trading their absurd durability for a ferocious and unstoppable frenzy. Hel-touched cannot hold a position of leadership in gnoll tribes besides temporary war host leaders and raider captains, as a result they are often seen as a bad omen, as seeing one usually signals an impending gnoll raid.
- Civilized - The rare few gnolls that choose to live outside their tribes, often facing prejudice and hatred from not only their tribal kin but most other races whom have a great dislike for gnolls in general. They are considered weaker than most gnolls, but still carry their absurd durability in their tough hides.
| Deerfolk | |
Deerfolk |
Common Names: Male: Sa, Ryon, Kung, Hwang. Female: Min, Yong, Kwon, Sang. Commonality: Very Common (Legion Territory), Uncommon (Elsewhere) Civilization: Steel Legion Appearance: Humanoid deer. |
The deerfolk make up the commonfolk of the steel legion, forming most of the servant and menial labor roles beneath their minotaur masters. Deerfolk are often seen as second class citizens within their own nation despite the fact their minotaur masters would not survive without them. Deerfolk are adept farmers, sailors, artisans, and the creators of the life weaving magic path. Though accomplished and treated poorly by their bovid masters, deerfolk are loathe to leave their island nation as it is the only place one is safe from wild predators, as the minotaurs have slain them all and ensured the safety of their small island nation.
Subtypes
- Nodo - The landbound deerfolk who make up most of their kind, humble and skilled farmers and artisans whom work the lands and commerce of the steel legion. While considered second class citizens, deerfolk are the only ones capable of using the weaving machines that minotaurs lack the ability or training to do. Many nodo deerfolk, despite their status, live peaceful and largely happy lives.
- Yayoi - The coastal bound deerfolk, adapted to swimming and sailorwork and most likely to travel the world aboard vessels of trade and monster hunting. Yayoi are often conscripted as footsoldiers and sailors for minotaur vessels, be they merchant or hunting ships seeking to take down kaiju for meat and magical reagents. As a result, yayoi are more often adept warriors compared to the nodo.
- Yuki - Known as the yokai of the deerfolk, the yuki are set apart by their fanciful white pelts that they are born with, though they usually gain their coloration later on during puberty, the only remaining sign being white speckles within the fur. Yuki are magical conduits, much the way that ogres are and thus are often taken by their local daimyo to be raised in the art of magic, life weaving, or as court officials to be displayed as a sign of status like oni.
Large Races
| Ogre | |
Ogre |
Common Names: Male: Tiberius, Titus, Lucius, Agrippa. Female: Marcia, Fulvia, Caetronia, Pompilia. Commonality: Uncommon Civilization: Onokrin Empire Appearance: Massive lumbering humanoids, varying skin tones. |
Ogres, sometimes called oni, are massive hulking creatures of incredible strength and intelligence. While ogres are both cunning and brutal, their main claim to fame comes from their innate magical prowess, allowing them to become powerful wizards, mages, and summoners in addition to warriors, leading many ogres to becoming mage knights, battle wizards, and elemental warriors. Ogres and Oni are considered one in the same by most, though ogres internally have a distaste for oni, leading to ogres to having widely varied appearances, from blue and red to brown and pink skin tones, varying numbers of horns from one to three (which they are loathe to use as weapons), or glowing eyes of unusual colors and numbers, such as one or three eyes. All ogres have thick manes of hair, sometimes curly and sometimes straight, usually colored red, white, black, or gray. Among themselves, ogres believe themselves to be the eldest race behind dwarves and dragons and therefore have a level of haughty nature sometimes considered reasonable given their exceptional talents.
Subtypes
- Traditional - The standard ogre, often called the traditional ogre, ogres seem themselves as the current eldest race that is only contested by the salamanders. Intelligent, exceptional at magic, and quite strong, a traditional ogre represents the pinnacle that others should strive for, or so they believe. Ogres see themselves as the guides and shepherds of other races, despite their low numbers and their destroyed kingdom. While haughty to say and thus rarely said aloud, ogres understand that it is through their magical prowess that the onokrin empire has risen to the heights it currently maintains.
- Oni - The deviants of ogres, sometimes born this way and other times changing through a process that is not at all understood. Oni lose the intelligence and refinement the average ogre carries and, much like their colorful skin and horns, gain more vibrant and wild personalities. Most oni are not looked upon favorable by other members of the empire and thus move to the steel legion, where oni are considered signs of good luck and prosperity. Most oni are thus share kinship with orc oni and the yuki deerfolk, of which they find similar ground.
| Troll | |
Troll |
Common Names: Male: Tingenek, Masaaraq, Huq, Irniq. Female: Aglakti, Sesi, Takiyok, Akrittok. Commonality: Extremely Rare Civilization: Independent (Isolated Families) Appearance: Massive lumbering humanoids, varying skin tones. |
Trolls are by no means stupid, but their sheer physical power and lack of education often leads to this misconception. Physically trolls are the strongest race around, hulking in size and easily able to overpower ogres and even orcs thanks to their natural brawn. Trolls are solitary creatures, however, and are extremely rare as a result, often living as hermits or in singular family units claiming wide swathes of wild territories to hunt or farm in. Though trolls generally enjoy solitude, this is by no means required, and it is not unusual for a troll ranger or woodsman to appear from time to time in various rural towns where they come to trade. Trolls also eagerly sell their skills as mercenaries for exotic and unusual foods, making them a common sight in populated areas as even the most frugal mercenary company is willing to put up with the logistics of keeping a troll fed and happy, if it means having one under their command.
Subtypes
- None - Trolls are so rare and wildly different from each other that there is no true consensus on what a true troll is or looks like.
| Minotaur | |
Minotaur |
Common Names: Male: Nakajima, Hirano, Asukai, Watanabe. Female: Hara, Nomiya, Amakusa, Sano. Commonality: Common (Legion Territory), Rare (Elsewhere) Civilization: Steel Legion Appearance: Massive lumbering bovine humanoids, varying horns. |
Minotaurs are an unusual race of giants, being huge, amply armed, and strong of body and mind. Minotaurs are considered the larger cousins of the Kaxxi and Deerfolk, due to the faint visual similarity. Minotaurs have a reputation for being as brutal and dominating as orcs, with a known trait among them being their cultural desire for dominance in both males and females. As a result, many minotaurs are looked upon with more apprehension than even the Kaxxi, but are tolerated due to their propensity to work in large families living together as formidable, intelligent for-hire workforces for a wide range of basic physical tasks ranging from building, transport, security, fighting, or even artists and specialized artisans.
Subtypes
- Auroch - Auroch minotaurs favor a more bull-type feature, with larger horns and heavier muscles. Auroch minotaurs are often warriors, said to be stronger and faster than others of their kind. However, unlike other racial groups, one is not born an auroch but established by their growth and training. Technically, any minotaur can become an auroch if proven strong enough.
- Bovine - The remaining minotaurs who do not focus on physical training or lack the title of samurai are considered bovine. They still carry the speed and ability in combat most minotaur do but focus more heavily on other pursuits such as politics, administration, artisanry, and promotion of prosperity. Though often in higher echelons of society, some bovine minotaurs end up in menial or lower ranked positions amongst the deerfolk.
- Yak - The yokai of the minotaur, with shaggy fur and broad horns the yak have much bigger, broader bodies than normal minotaurs. Where an auroch or even bovine is exceptionally fast, a yak loses this for immense durability and staying power. Many liken them to gnolls, with hides tough enough to withstand shotgun blasts and still keep moving.
| Lagus | |
Lagus |
Common Names: Male: Fridrik, Hervin, Johan, Hylur. Female: Luna, Enja, Hafdis, Roska. Commonality: Common Civilization: Warren Federation Appearance: Giant humanoid lagomorph |
Lagus are a race of giant humanoid lagomorphs who are the most adept psions in the world yet are set apart from the other races of the worlds due to their strange nature and communal living styles. Lagus formed the Warren Federation in league with the kobolds and later rodentfolk, creating a vast underground empire where they made marvels of stone masonry and architecture supported by their telekinetic abilities. While considered the de-facto leaderships and administration of the Warren Federation, Lagus can be found at most levels of their society and have extreme body dimorphism between males and females coupled with an extreme disparity between birth rates, setting them apart from others and leading some to believe male lagus do not exist due to their rarity.
Subtypes
- Hare - The hare lagus is often thinner, taller, and much more prone to travel and speed than the other variations. Known to be good with firearms and quicker to draw steel than the normally diplomatic rabbit lagus, the hares are thus prone to wanderlust. Many can be found among ratfolk caravans, serving as coachman or employing their natural psionic abilities for pay. Those who remain within the federation often become enforcers and guards, thanks to their natural talents.
- Rabbit - The physically weakest of the lagus, the rabbit lagus are the most adept at psionics, carrying exceptional levels of intellect that set them apart from most races, not merely their own. The rabbit lagus are the best psions in the world, barring perhaps the kaxxis. They make up the majority of the direct political administration within the federation, serving all manner of positions from clerk to minister to diplomat.
- Jackalope - The spirit touched of the lagus, jackalopes are set apart by the growth of antlers on their heads, their teeth replaced with fangs, and their normally herbivore nature becoming obligate carnivores. Jackalopes make for poor psions, but are much tougher, faster, and stronger than even the hares. While a hare can be said to be quick to draw steel, only the jackalopes are known to actively seek conflict. This aspect often sees them falling in with the garm, whom they find kinship with given their similar physical changes and monstrous natures/appearances for those garm whom become afflicted.
| Garm | |
Garm |
Common Names: Male: Koll, Trygg, Sigurd, Armod. Female: Estrid, Drifa, Raghild, Hildirid. Commonality: Rare Civilization: Independent (Federation Residents) Appearance: Humanoid wolves, many suffering from monstrous mutation. |
The garm are from a destroyed kingdom further south than even the warren federation, being victims of the elves first outward incursions. Formerly a civilized assembly of clans living in partially buried homes that formed large communities, much of their culture and ways have been destroyed in the preceding wars. Many garm also suffer from an affliction known as the feasting, a supernatural curse that causes garm to eventually devolve into wendigo if exposed to too much death and violence, a fact that leads many garm to face prejudice, if not outright bigotry.
Subtypes
- Pure - A pure garm that has not been afflicted by the feasting, looking normal and otherwise unscarred.
- Afflicted - A garm that has started to show signs of the feasting, usually manifesting in longer black claws, bigger more vicious teeth, eye color darkening, or horns/antler beginning to grow.
- Wendigo - A garm that has fully succumbed to the feasting but managed to retain their sanity instead of becoming a supernatural beast. These garm are inherently monstrous, with the most common manifestation being the flesh of the face falling off and being replaced with bone-like dermal deposits that appear skull-like. Despite not becoming a full-fledged monster, wendigo are said to be undying revenants with unholy life-forces.
Chimeras
Chimeras are an off shoot race that came about as a result of humans interbreeding or being weaved into a separate and distinct race. Chimeras can range from a human who merely exhibits minor cosmetic changes, like a half-orc or has slightly pointed ears, subdued tusks, and red eyes to full blown changes that barely resemble humans at all. Many more exotic chimera are the result of weaving, a type of life magic commonly used in the Steel Legion, that for other races only allows minor changes from hair and eye color to the regrowth of bones, missing limbs, and other bodily repairs. Humans are the only known race to be easily and readily weaved into greater changes, with some humans even being weaved to resemble other races, at least in appearance.
Under normal circumstances, interbreeding between races results in a child of the sire. Ergo, an orc male and salamander female produces a full blooded orc child. In humans, regardless of sire the child can be a pure blooded human or exhibit qualities of the non-human parent. In some rare circumstances, such as with salamanders, this creates a stable sub-race but more often than not the resulting changes are merely considered chimeric. Most groups recognize chimerics as human and they can be found anywhere.
For rules regarding custom chimeric lore or custom races, see the Chimerics page.