Peoples

Of the many varied peoples of Æsëa, roughly a dozen or so account for nine-tenths of all civilised folk who live in the world today. The race of men is easily the most numerous. They are a race of kingdom-builders, merchants, wizards, and priests whose crowded cities lie scattered across the fair face of the world. Young and vigorous compared to the other, older, races, men hold the future of Æsëa in their hands-for good or for ill.

Yet while men were still eking out a subsistence in scattered, disorganised bands, older races raised mighty realms across the old world. The zenith of these elder folk is now past, but Æsëa is filled with wonders of stone, wood, and magic they wrought at the heights of their power. Grim dwarfen halls filled with the clamour of industry and breathtaking elvhen cities as graceful and intricate as spun glass still stand, even as year by year the dominion of man grows.

Though they once commanded the power of both the dwarfs and the elfs and raised empires to dwarf even the greatest kingdom of man today, the tieflings have since fallen to the ravages of time and hubris. Though the tieflings have survived their fall by taking advantage of the cultural conflicts between the other races, they hold lands exclusively for their people in only a handful of disparate places, but can still be found throughout most of the lands of men.

Other peoples are considered civilised too, despite their smaller numbers. Scattered dray bands wander the Old World selling their services and wares to the highest bidder. Genasi tribes rule vast domains on the rocky crags of Storval. Proud dalu roam the endless plains of the west. But their numbers are few compared even to a small kingdom of man.