Races
There are many races on Dawn of the Ages (DoA) from which to choose. We divide them into minor races and major, or reinc, races. Minor races are those races players may choose from when first creating a character on DoA. Reinc (short for reincarnate) races may be chosen when the character reaches level 50 and undergoes the reinc area. We describe the minor races in detail below. There is also a page detailing the various reinc races you may find interesting.
Human
Humans - Humanity is the most diverse and populous of all humanoid races. Humans are versatile, adventurous creatures with a considerable capacity to absorb magical and martial training, and they make good wizards and soldiers as well as traders, merchants, farmers and artisans. They are the dominant species of Ayreon. Humans vary somewhat in height from individual to individual and also depending upon their general racial type. Few humans exeed seven feet or are shorter than five feet. Ayreon is a tough place; the humans who inhabit the kingdoms and wildernesses have grown up amongst all sorts of perils and hardships, and are much stronger and resilient than a typical modern human of our world. Humans can be of any alignment, but most of them are neutral.
Highmen - As the name says, the highmen are the tallest of all human races, being about six feet tall. Furthermore they are the most sophisticated and cultured of them. The largest cities of Dawn of the Ages, Midgaard and New Thalos for example, are highman settlements. They built the eastern road, one of the most important trading routes in the western world. The highmen spend much time developing their spiritual abilities and keep up a friendship to the high elves who often are their teachers. On the other hand, today only a few highmen become fighters because of a loss of physical toughness over the generations studying art and magic. They work hard, though, on keeping up a fighter elite known as the knights of the western alliance, to protect their homes from attacks of the evil spawn. Most highmen are lawful good.
Darkman -
There is a legend telling about the origin of the Darkmen: "In the Davorian
lands there once was a small village mainly inhabited by peasants. During an
age of famine and bad crops some of the denizens prayed to their Gods for
relief, but there was no answer. Blinded by desperation, they turned their
prayers to the dark Gods. And the dark Gods heard their supplications and
they answered. They gave them water, they gave them food but they took their
atrocious tribute and infected the souls of the peasants with their own
blood to strengthen their power over mankind. As the years went by the
peasants became more and more twisted from their former selfs, paranoia and
hate spread in the village leading to incest and massacres, and the once
friendly inhabitants where scattered over the land." {From the Book of Mythos
from the 5th year of the second age}.
More information can be found in The Inquisitions logs from Davoria: "Today
at the 11th Day of the Month of Walkana, Year 2 of the Second Age the
Inquisition got hold of one of the dreaded creatures known as 'Darkmen'. He
was taken to our camp for interrogation but was too infected with evil to
answer any question about its spawn. We will probably have to terminate it
before dawn, as we don't know what kind of maladies it may spread over us."
Signed Tevorn, Archbishop of the Inquisition."
The darkmen are known to be great warriors; some of them are skilled in the
arcane arts. They look very much like like the common human but have some
things that sort them from others in a crowd. They have pitch black hair and
black eyes, filled with hatred. Still, there are some Darkman known to seek
the world for a power strong enough to forgive them the mistakes of their
ancestors and giving salvation to their tortured dark soul.
Nord - The Nord are the inhabitants of the almost unexplored northern areas, a cold and harsh land, where the mountains march right down to the seas and snow covers their peaks. Most of the valleys are heavily forested, though the inhabitants clear the forests and farm as best as they can. The typical Midgaardian tends to regard the Nords as uncivilized barbarians. Nevertheless, during the last major Incursion of Chaos, the Nords proved indomitable allies. The northern areas are populated mainly by humans, the fierce and warlike Nords. They share their barren land with the hardy mountain dwarves and wulfens, who wage a constant running battle against the hosts of a number of underground goblinoid races. The land is noted for its large population of Ogres, who conspire with the landscape to make the northern mountains some of the most dangerous in the known world.
Tenebrien - Tenebrian are the descendants of an ancient race inhabiting a continent far to the east. It is rumored they once had been riding dragons and exercising the greatest circles of magic. It is also known that they had treaties with the most perverted Gods of Chaos. The Tenebrians are known to be almost emotionless, donating their Gods living sacrifices without any scruple. The Tenebrian tend to be taller then the common human, and are more slender. Their eye color varies from black over red to sometimes white, and they also use to have a rather pale skin. Altough cruelity glistens out of their cold eyes, they use to be prettier than the typical human of the western empires. The Tenebrian are frowned upon in the cities of the west, whose inhabitants hate and fear the ancient race, but some insist on the Tenebrians not being evil, but having a conscience not understandable by other humans' standards. The Tenebrians kept a part of the intellect and wisdom of their ancestors and are also able to see through the darkest night, but their physical powers have degenerated over the years.
Halfling - Most halflings are about three feet tall and weigh 60 to 70 pounds. They are generally plump, with round, broad, and often florid faces. They have curly hair atop their heads and on the tops of their typically bare feet. The average life expectancy of a halfling is 150 years. Halflings are a sturdy and industrious people, generally quiet and peaceful. They enjoy all the creature comforts and while not overly ambitious, they are friendly and open. Their homes are well-furnished burrows, and most of their work is done out in the sunshine. Halflings get along well with the other races, including humans, and they can be found in practically any civilization. The most common halfling, hairfoots, prefer rural settings. They are practically-minded people, and there are many bakers, millers, farmers, and innkeepers in their society. Their complexions run from pale peach to ruddy to dark brown, and their eyes are usually dark brown or black. Their hair can be blond, brown, red, black and shades inbetween - though with few exeptions it is always curly. Hairfoots are distinguished from other halflings by their lack of facial hair. Most hairfoots are lawful good.
Elven
Dark Elf - The dark elves live underground. Nearly all of them are evil, and they have used their wicked intelligence to become masters of much of the Underdark. Most intelligent creatures shun them. In many ways dark elves are twisted, corrupt versions of their above-ground realtives. Drow have jet black skin to hide their movements underground. And they tend to be shorter than the other elves. The only other physical difference drow exhibit is their eyes, which glow a feral red - evidence, perhaps, of the hatred that burns in their hearts and minds. Physically the dark elves tend to be really great fighters due to their unusual agility and speed, and dark elves have great power in the realms of magical lore, practicing the evil arts to an extent only surpassed by their high elven cousins. Even feared among the dark kind are the priestesses of the Dark Gods which are both cruel and beautiful in their maddened world of chaos and destruction. Dark Elves receive the sneak skill as racial bonus.
White Elf - White elves average 5', 130 lbs. It is unknown why they are known as white elves, as they vary in coloration from pale white to light pink to dark tan. Magical potential is extremely common among white elves, although the mageborn are less common than among high elves. Physically immature white elves closely resemble physically immature humans, though exceptionally fine-featured and pointy-eared; often, mixed blood goes unnoticed until the halfbreed is in his or her teens. White elves tend towards nomadic lifestyle, but maintain shires throughout the lands that they travel - their cities remain stable, but the populations wander through rather than settle in a particular area. Some shires are dedicated to particular endeavors - shrines or libraries or fortresses - but most are just living-spaces. They can be found in most of the areas where other humanoid races dwell. White elves generally maintain friendly relationships with most other races; however, they tend to take the long view in dealing with problems that other races consider immediate and overwhelming. They rarely involve in wars, for example, as they are perfectly willing to wait the thirty or fifty years for the political chaos to die down; similarly, they often have difficulties concerning themselves with saving the lives of those who will die anyway in just a few decades. They are generally considered politically unreliable for this reason. White Elves receive the sword skill as racial bonus.
Wood Elf - Wood elves descended from the same stock as other elves. However, they prefer to live a more primitive lifestyle, more in touch with their roots in the primeval forests they have made their homes. They are geared towards simple survival, and they concentrate on their enviroment rather than on philosophical debates and the study of magic, much unlike the high elves. Sylvan elves enjoy the singing of a bird, the patterns of an intricate spider web, and their own practice of tattooing. They are the most temperamental and emotional elves. Sylvan elves are more muscular then any of the other elves, and their complexions are darker. They have a yellow to coppery-red hair and brown eyes, tough some rare cases of hazel or blue eyes are known. A sylvan elf born with hazel or blue eyes is considered ar good omen for the tribe, believed to be destined for personal greatness. Sylvan elves normally dress in browns and greens, the better to blend with the forest. Unlike most of their brethren, wood elves tend towards neutral alignments. Wood elves receive the loudless skill as racial bonus.
Dwarven
Chaos Dwarf - The Chaos Dwarfs are a black-hearted race that has been altered by the warp. Filled with an industrious nature the Chaos Dwarfs have turned their homelands into a smoke-filled wasteland, always searching for slave labor to man their foul factories. They are similar to the other dwarves in appearance, but use to have black or white hair and dark piercing eyes. Almost all chaotic dwarves are chaotic evil, very few are neutral aligned.
Mountain Dwarf - This dwarven subrace lives beneath the mountains in isolated strongholds. Most mountain dwarves value their privacy and avoid contact with outsiders. A typical mountain dwarf stands five feet tall and weighs 170 pounds. Their hair is lighter than their high dwarf cousins', and their skin tends to have a reddish tint. Mountain dwarves are often wary of high dwarves, as they are suspicious of their cousins' dealings with the outer world. They are the toughest of all dwarves and make good climbers. Also they are reknown for their unsurpassed skills in the art of smithing and recognizing weaponry or arcane, dwarvenbuilt structures. Most of them are neutral aligned, some of them are good.
Gnome - Distantly related to dwarves, gnomes are smaller - averaging three to three and a half feet and weighing about 70 pounds. Gnomes have deep tan or brown skin and white hair. The most distinguishing feature are their noses, in which they take great pride. For some reason, all gnomes have very large noses - compared to the rest of their facial features. The average life span for a gnome is 350 years. Gnomes tend to live in hilly meadows and rocky woodlands. Their small size makes them wary of larger races, though gnomes are not hostile unless the larger folks are evil. Gnomes are much less dour than their dwarven relatives, with sly and lively senses of humor. Many people - mostly gnomes - say that gnomes have elevated practical jokes to an art form. Gnomes also love living things and finely wrought items of all types. But most especially they love gems and jewelry and are considered by many to be the best gem cutters and jewelers there are. Rock gnomes are the most common gnomes, and they can be encountered in a variety of climates and enviroments. Their eye color is predominately blue, altough brown or green are seen occasionally. Their hair is usually white or pale gray. Rock gnomes are typically neutral good, but the whole gnomen society is open to any align. Of all the mortal races, the gnomes are the most adept at mathematical and spatial manipulations, and they are thought to be the most naturally intelligent of the humanoid races. Even gnomes raised among other cultures are natural tinkerers, and have been known to drive entire villages wild with their toys.
Halfbreed
Half-Elf - Half-elves are the offspring of human and elven parents. They average six feet in height and weigh about 160 pounds. Long ago some elves decided to make a crossbreed with the humans to achieve 'the best of both worlds'. But their children did not feel familiar in either the elven or the human society. They live much longer than the humans, about 300 years, and tend to have the beautiful appearance of their elven part. Maybe this fact made the humans they live with jealous; many of them were expelled from their homes. On the other hand, the elves don't like the - in their eyes - too-short tempered and rough half-elves, but in most cases they at least tolerate them. Other half-elves are no children of love but the consequence of a rape. But although many half-elves are embittered about their situation, they all have the deep will to assert themselves in life. Fighting for their rights, today there are half-elves who are legendary knights or clerics in the world of Dawn of the Ages. As half-elves possess elements of both parents' heritages, they can be of any align or ethos, as their parents can be of any of the human and elven subraces.
Genie - Genies are elemental crossbreeds of human and air. Their upper torso is usually the one of a good looking human while their lower body parts, beginning with the waist, seem to consist of whirling mists. Therefore they are always flying, moving with exceptional speed. Their hair and skin colour varies from shades of blue to white. It is obvious that these people are the outcome of a magical or even godly experiment. Though, as they are mostly good aligned, they seem to be no chaotic mutation. The Genies are a rather new race to the Midgaardians, as they have been spotted the first time only 20 years ago by some explorers, who were searching for Cherubim settlements in the mountains near the City of Korum. The Genies are known to be at very good terms with the Cherubim, as most Cherubim settlements are inhabitated by both Genies and Cherubim. These days, the Genies are often seen on the streets of Midgaard. Using their outstanding magical abilities to help the weak, the Midgaardians always give them a friendly welcome. It is still a mystery to the common man how the Genies increase their population, although both male and female are seen. A rumor tells that a male and a female Genie merge their minds together when the day has come, creating a new Genie. It is also heard that this procedure means death to one of the 'parents'.
Minotaur - Most Minotaurs are cursed humans, or the offspring of minotaurs and humans. Minotaurs are powerfully built and tower more than seven feet in height, with the head of a bull and the body of a human male. Minotaurs revere physical strength above all else, and they believe that the strong should naturally rule the weak. Minotaurs view surrender as an admission of weakness, and are likely to fight to death regardless of the circumstances. Many minotaurs are brutal savages, but they are not always mindless killers. They are ruthless, harsh, and stubborn, but they can be surprisingly intelligent and introspective.Every now and then, a minotaur's horns allow him to stun an opponent in combat.
Cherubim - Cherubim are a race of intelligent bird-men, looking almost like normal humans with large wings on their back. They have a pale skin, with a skin tone varying from bright blue to white. Their feathers can be of nearly any color and pattern, as they often paint them with a special tint that can last for life, similar to tattooing. Cherubim live between the highest mountain peaks. The average cherubim stands about five and a half feet tall, with a wingspan of nearly 20 feet. Like all true avians, cherubim have hollow bones, and most weigh no more than 80 to 90 pounds and on that account they are vulnerable to bashing attacks. They are strong and swift flyers, allowing them to travel great distances without tiring. As a race cherubim are very claustrophobic, and dislike being indoors or underground. As there are some renegade cherubim, who have turned their energy towards evil, cherubim can be of any align or ethos.
Ogre - Ogres are gross, ugly humanoids who love to fight and kill. However, they are not particularly discriminating, and will lend their services to the highest bidder. They are not an overly cruel race, but they are brutal and have little respect for the weak or helpless. Formerly human, they were tainted in the unfathomably distand past by the effect of Chaos upon their northern homeland. Ogres were once as common as Nords, but now they are a rare and diminishing race. They live for eating and fighting, and their main god is called "The Great Maw". Although their digestive systems are puny compared to those of the Trolls, they will eat almost any animal or vegetable matter, and their terms for other races always translate into "food", "vittles" or some similiar term. Ogres are large humanoids, about 12 feet tall and almost as broad. Their bones are massive, and their entire skeleton is of heavy build, giving them a coarse appearance. Ogres are very well adapted to withstand cold and adverse conditions, with very few nerve endings or blood vessels on the surface of the skin. Their skin, which is almost as thick as that of a bull, is ususally a dark, dull, brown or grey colour and their coarse hair is normally black, grey or white.
Other
Centaur - These powerful and noble creatures have the torso and the upper body of a human and the lower body of a horse. They are a strong and proud race, easily offended and impulsive. Centaurs can make use of any human weapon, but they are especially fond of maces and lances, the latter of which they can wield in the same fashion as a human rider on a warhorse. Centaur society is generally pastoral and peaceful, but they can be fierce warriors when the need arises. Like many woodland creatures, they have a great respect for nature's balance, and try not to disturb the world they live in. Centaurs are on good terms with elves, gnomes and halflings, but are suspicious of humans and dwarves.
Orc - Orcs are powerful warriors - the toughest of all the goblinoid races, and often install themselves as leaders of their weaker cousins. They are replusive monsters who love inflicting pain, and delight in cruelity and slaughter. Orcs are always fighting, and if they cannot find enemies to fight they will fight each other. The whole of orcish technology and culture is geared towards conflict. They are dangerous individual foes, but lack the organisation or motivation to present any long-term threat to humanity. Orcs are the largest of the goblinoid races, and can often reach almost seven feet in height. They are sturdy built, with crooked legs, and shambling, ape-like gait. Their arms are long, so that their huge hands almost reach the ground. Their faces are brutal with huge teeth and jaws, and their small piggy eyes peer from underneath ugly, overhanding bony ridges. Their skin often is of greenish or dark olive brown color, and is covered with warts, scars and filth.
Skaven - Skaven are a race of beastman combining the natures of man and rat. They came into being among the ruins of the Old Slann civilization, when giant rats were mutated by their exposure to a mighty source of raw magic, imbued with all the corrupting power of chaos. This material is known as 'Warpstone' and in its unrefined form it is very dangerous - prolonged exposure to it producing severe mutations or death. Skaven strongholds are scattered beneath ancient ruins all over the known world from which a spider web of tunnels and warrens connects them to the sewers and drains beneath living cities. They worship a chaos god known as 'The Horned Rat' whose high priests go by the name of the Thirteen Lords of Decay. The direct servants of these priests are an order of shamans called the Grey Seers, while the bulk of Skaven society is organised into clans. Skaven wear dark, ragged clothing over whatever assorted armour they posses. This is usually made from animal hides augmented with metal plates, studs, and tattered bits of mail scavenged from battlefields. Clan symbols are prominently displayed on clothing and shield, and sometimes dyed or even branded into fur. Favourite weapons are long knives with notched or serrated blades. Skaven take the form of giant rats in a twisted parody of human form, between four and six feet tall. Except for their ear and tail, they are covered in close-growing fur. Most are either brown or piebald, but some are black, white, or grey. As Skaven are rendered chaotic and anarchist beings, they are not protected by the law.
Lizardman - A lizardman is a reptilian humanoid standing between six and seven feet tall. They weigh between 200 and 250 pounds, and their hides are covered with tough scales of dark green to brown color. Lizardmen have long, dangerous claws and thick, powerful tails up to four feet in length. They are exeptional swimmers and can hold their breath twice as long as most air-breathing creatures, but they are slow and somewhat clumsy on land. They live in the deeper regions of natural cave systems, sometimes emerging to raid and take captives where the lower levels of Dwarven or Goblin holds break into these formations. They are almost exclusively a subterran race, and rarely seen out in the open exept sometimes at night. The only recorded lizardman settlements have been small communities of fifty or fewer individuals, with crude drystone huts in larger caverns, but on the whole they seem to move from place to place in semi-nomadic hunting parties. Lizardmen are socially primitive, but quite capable of organising themselves to fight or to produce the few material items they need. By the way, they are coldblooded...
Wulfen - Wulven measure approx. 5' at full stance, 4' in normal crouch, weight about 170 pounds. They have thick body fur, golden-brown to black to silver/white. They are humanoid, capable of a bipedal crouching stance but preferring quadrupedal stance for movement, and wolflike in facial appearance (extended snout and muzzle, pointed ears). Their front paws are wide and three-toed capable of holding items, but not designed for manipulating tools. They have retractile claws. Wulven are carnivores, with strong hunting instincts. They are agile, and have extremely acute hearing and olfaction, though their vision is poorer than human. Most Wulven are instinctive fighters; formal combat training is rare. Similarly, there seems to be an instinctive pattern of dominance/submission behavior that results in heirarchical social structures throughout all Wulven communities. Wulven are found all over the world in small packs and villages. In general, the Wulven do not consider other races their equals - the Wulven term translates into something between "servant" and "resource."
Racial Stat Bonuses
Race Str Qui Dex Int Wis Con Cha App highman 0 0 +5 +15 -5 0 +5 0 human +5 0 0 0 +5 +5 0 0 darkman +5 +5 0 +5 0 0 0 0 nord +10 0 0 -5 0 +10 0 0 tenebrian -5 0 0 +15 +10 -5 0 +5 white elf +5 0 +10 +10 0 -10 +15 +10 wood elf -5 +10 +15 -10 +10 -5 +5 +10 dark elf 0 +5 +10 +20 -10 -10 +10 +15 mountain dwarf +15 -15 0 -10 0 +25 0 -10 chaos dwarf +15 -15 0 +5 -10 +20 -5 -10 cherubim -10 +5 +15 +10 0 -5 +5 +10 half elf 0 +5 +5 +5 +5 -5 +5 0 genie -15 +10 +5 +10 +20 -15 +10 +5 ogre +25 -5 -5 -20 0 +20 -15 -15 orc +10 0 -5 -5 0 +15 -10 -15 centaur +10 -5 0 -5 +5 +10 +5 0 halfling -10 +10 +25 0 -10 0 -5 -5 gnome -15 +5 +5 +25 +5 -10 -10 -10 skaven 0 +15 +5 +5 -15 +5 -15 -25 lizardman +20 +5 -10 -15 0 +15 -20 -20 wulfen +15 0 +10 -15 0 +5 -5 -15 minotaur +20 0 -5 -5 -15 +20 -10 -15