Peoples of the Queendoms

NOTE: This is still a work in progress, and while all of this maps to standard D&D races, it may not be clear, and some of the Queendom names are still too stupid. TODO! TODO!

Across the Ten Queendoms, the "Civilized Peoples" include a great variety of origins, languages, cultures, tribal affiliations, and appearances. Who exactly qualifies for this state of "Civilized" is not always clear cut, and differs in some particulars from queendom to queendom. Moreover, since there are new arrivals from other worlds, the following is of necessity an incomplete annotation of the Civilized Peoples.

In this Gazetteer, we avoid the term "race" because it pretends to be an accurate indicator of language, culture, origin, and appearance, but this is almost never possible. Instead, these loose groupings of peoples should be considered as a very loose summary, as much known by self-identification as anything.

We further group the peoples of the Queendoms into the First Peoples, the Established Peoples, and the Known Peoples. The First Peoples are those who date their tribal lineage to the founding of the Queendoms (although some of these peoples continue to wrangle over precedence). The Established Peoples are those who have are an integral and ubiquitous part of at least several Queendoms. The Known Peoples are those who one would not be astonished to encounter, but who are either recent or rare additions to the Queendoms.

A word on origins: although there can be many interesting narratives of the origins of a particular People, we attempt to annotate the various peoples by our best understanding of origins, which mostly fall into the categories of the Other Worlds, the Fey, the planes of Darkness, and the planes of Light. But, as with everything, this is incomplete and may not be accurate for any given tribe or culture.

The First Peoples

The Myconids

For centuries there was some debate as to whether there are still myconids in the Queendoms at all, but all the ancient writings refer to the wise and friendly—but inscrutable—"Spore People" as the most ancient of peoples, the only peoples who predated the arrival of the Goddesses themselves. Recent events have removed questions about their survival.

The Dwarves

Dwarves are a proud, hardy, and sturdy people, among the most loyal across the Queendoms. They have communities in every Queendom, and with one notable exception, are universally welcomed. The dwarves are thought to have been the first peoples brought by the Goddesses to help establish the safety and security of the land. Dwarves have a common language, although local and regional variations may be detectable by lanugage and grammar. The dwarvish script is one of the great written languages across the queendoms, most commonly used for commerce. The dwarves have a long tradition of serving across the queendoms in a capacity of maintaining order, security, and peace. There are several notable branches of the Dwarven Peoples:

The Mountain Dwarves—these are the peoples most known for creating the great underground cities especially in the Eastern Queendoms.
The Hill Dwarves—these are peoples more likely to live above ground, with towns and villages of stone and wood, and are more commonly found across the Western Queendoms.
The Shadow Dwarves—there are some communities of Shadow Dwarves that do not acknowledge the rule of the Queens, and would not be considered members of the Civilized Peoples, but there are some scattered communities of Shadow Dwarves who participate in the constructive and creative life of the QUeendoms.

The Quiet Folk

The Quiet Folk are short of stature, and elusive when they want to be. It is thougth that there are many communities of the Quiet Folk who are not known to any but their own clans. Not all are friendly, but for the most part, the various tribes, clans, and lineages of the quiet folk support Queen and Goddess. The Quiet Folk use dwarven script but have their own languages, although these are mutually comprehensible. There is some debate as to whether the Quiet Folk have their origins in other worlds, or are from the Feywild, and the correct answer is probably both. All branches of the quiet folk typically get along well with each other. The most notable branches of the Quiet Folk are:

Gnomes/The Rock Folk—sometimes called gnomes, the rock folk are common throughout the queendoms as tinkerers, cobblers, weavers, and other craftspeople. They have their own distinct language.
Gnomes/The Forest Folk—also sometimes simply called gnomes, the forest folk know the ways of the deep forests and are generally more reclusive, often proficient in the ways of herbs, potions, and natural sorcery.
The Deep Folk—sometimes confused with gnomes, other times with dwarves, the Deep Folk are indeed their own people. They are reclusive and rarely seen, but have strong alliances with the Mountain Dwarves and are thought to be a people of great wisdom.
The Hairfoots—sometimes called halflings, Hairfoots are a nature-loving sedentary people known for exotic agriculture and a love of story telling. They are often more learned than they appear, especially with regard to history.
The Leatherfoots—also sometimes simply called halflings, the Leatherfoots are more commonly encountered in the towns and cities of the queendom. They are quick, quiet, nimble, and cheerful. Although often found amongst the rogues and thieves of the world, they are nonetheless considered Civilized people and give their allegiance to Queen and Goddess.

Fey-Folk

Fey-folk are very long-lived and it is almost never surprising to find them in positions of authority. The first fey-folk are often simply called "Elves." Many of the Queens are elves. Although in origin, all fey-folk spoke Sylvan, the Fey-folk of the material plane have a branch language called Elven which is possibly the second most common language across the planes. Elven is the language of record for government documents and histories across the Quendoms. The most ancient branches of the Fey-folk in the Queendoms are:

The Noble Ones—When most people think of elves, they think of the Noble Ones: tall, elegant, beautiful, often many hundreds of years old. They are brilliant, and tend to think strategically, with very long-term plans and projects. The Noble Ones love remote, high places; they love their own beautiful enclaves; but they also love to hold positions of authority and power in the great cities. Other peoples widely regard the Noble Ones as haughty.
The Wise Ones—Sometimes also called Forest Elves, the Wise Ones are crafty, love music, wine, and a good celebration. They are more likely to be found exploring the queendoms as bards, wizards, warriors, or even rogues. Many of the druids of the Queendoms are from the Wise, and some druid enclaves are purely populated by the Wise. There is almost no place at all that it would be surprising to find the wise. Some have even been known to live in the depths of the dwarven kingdoms mining and carving!
The People of the Sea—Also called Sea Elves. Sea Elves maintain, with very little support from any other people, that they in fact pre-dated the dwarves and were the first peoples of the Queendoms. Some make the outrageous claim that they predated even the myconids. Nonetheless, Sea Elves are most often found shipboard: merchants, navies, and pirates are all dominated by Sea Elves. They will be found in every port city, but far less commonly inland. Note that Sea Elves are by background quite different from Jalalin and Sea-folk: on sea-going vessels, Sea Elves rarely mingle much with Jalalin or Sea-folk.
Fey Elves—all elves have trace some history to the feywild, but the Fey Elves far more directly, often with close relatives in that dangerous and unpredictable realm. Although most common in Buvaresh, Fey Elves are common enough in all queendoms except Duumaba. Fey elves are commited to beauty in all things, and love to employ magic and illusion to enhance themselves and their surroundings.
The Clever Ones—black of skin, and typically dark of nature, the clever ones are proud, sometimes haughty, and often skilled in the ways of magic. The clever ones are about as serious as the Noble Ones, taking their own society and company very seriously; but they consider themselves generally discriminated against, and accordingly are mostly looking out for themselves, which tends to manifest in a lawful neutral demeanor when among their own kind, and more chaotic neatural in the company of others.

Children of Darkness

The Children of Darkness are often misunderstood, and regarded with fear and alarm; but are productive, law-abiding citizens in every Queendom, even Bagali. The Children of Darkness are those with a heritage originating in the planes of Darkness, also called the lower planes, or the realms of fiends and devils. The Children of Darkness are usually hard to miss, having physical features that reflect their specific origins, but they typically identify not with themselves as a people but rather with their specific clan or family. The Goddesses have their interests in the Realms of Darkness, and these refugees and settlers were some of the first to arrive in the Queendoms, bravely battling the hazards of the wilderness to help found the Queendoms.

The Draconic Peoples

There are four main branches of the Draconic People. Their origin is debated by scholars, but their status as a First People is undisputed as all the very most ancient writings are in draconic, rather than elvish. The most commonly held belief is that the Goddesses brought in all types of dragons as wise—but ruthless—custodians of the earliest peoples, sweeping the skies and battling the monsters of the wilderness, at least until the Queendoms were eventually established and the land was more widely cultivated. Where dragons go, so go the draconic peoples. All the draconic peoples speak the draconic language. The branches are:

Draconid Servants—sometimes mockingly called "kobolds" or "gremlins" or (confusing and erroneous) "goblins". Draconid Servants are small, quick, and crafty. They are the most common of the draconic peoples to be found in towns and cities, often in serving roles.
The Dragon-bred—although humanoid, the Dragon-bred have the facial features of dragons, and often scales reflecting their draconic origins. They are somewhat surpriginly common, but they make excellent soldiers, warriors, and guards, and are known to be deeply loyal. It is thought that the dragon-bred all trace their heritage back to a union of a female dragon in her humanoid form and a humanoid male.
The Draconid People—are far less commonly encountered in the queendoms, but have as much right to claim First Peoples status as the Dragon-bred. Draconids have the initial appearance of an elf, but a more careful look may reveal a the hint of scales and, although sometimes concealed in polite society, they have tails. Draconids are often suspected of being in service of dragons, but this is likely due to their more reclusive nature and less frequent sightings. They are most commonly found among the Dwarven Peoples, especially in the great halls of the Mountain Dwarves. It is thought that the draconids all trace their heritage to a union of a male dragon in his humanoid form and a humanoid female.
Finally, there are dragons themselves. However, dragons are not often considered "civilized people," so their inclusion in this list is purely for completeness.

The People of Tattvas

Whether the People of the Tattvas were in the world before the Goddesses arrived, or whether they came shortly thereafter is a metter of great debate among scholars, but what is not debates is that they are ancient.

Prthvin—often encrusted with stones and sometimes even gems, the Ones of Earth are tough and have an affinity with the depths of the earth; with stone and soil.
Jalalin—having a great affinity with the seas and other bodies of water, the Ones of Water are thought to be the most ancient of People of the Tattvas. There is a story among some of families that the Ones of Water ruled the world before the Goddesses came, although that is laughed at in most pubs and taverns.
Tritons/Seafolk—Seafolk are proud and noble protectors and warriors of the sea, and rarely found far from it. They are not often mistaken for Jalalin, being more distinct in their oceanic appearance, although the ignorant might sometimes confuse one for the other.
Tejalin—impulsive, sometimes seen flickering with their own flame, rumored to bleed flame, the Ones of Fire tend to be the least popular of the People of the Tattvas due to their unpredictable and often violent nature. But despite a few troublesome apples, the Ones of Fire are also much in demand where bravery in the face of magics are concerned.
Vululin—the joke is that the ones of air have not noticed that any other peoples even exist: they are thought to be lost in their own world, and their own culture. While there can be a seed of truth, this is not a fair characteristic. The Ones of Air have a variety of communities and tribes from the highly-reclusive to the deeply engaged.
Akashalin—Akasha can be interpreted as "spaciousness" or "dimensionality"--but whatever the philosophical intent, the Ones of Akasha have several ancient tribes scattered throughout the Queendoms, but are generally reclusive. An Akashan outside their interplanar peoples is a surprise, and they are sometimes confused with the Dream-Folk.

Vidyan

The Goddesses and their servants brought many peoples into the Queendoms, forming the total of the First Peoples: they brought the Vidyan as the earliest scholars, assigned to inventory, catalog, organize, and plan the Queendoms. Once they were ubiquitous in all the courts of all the Queendoms, but at some point in early history they felt their work for the Queendoms in general was complete, and they gathered in Mataga, where they rule to this day, and lead the great Universities.

The Established Peoples

Asurlin

Another of the "Children of Darkness", the Asurlin are those peoples who are descended from demonkind. Demonic traits are very dominant, so there is rarely any mistaking them for anything but what they are. The Asurlin began to find their way into the Queendoms as soon as the borders were opened, but it took many centuries before they became both common and accepted. Initially treated with suspicion and prejudice, Asurlin are now generally welcome in most towns, communities, and queendoms. The exception is Bagala where none of fiend-kind are welcome... and yet even there Asurlin have their presence and allegiances. The Asurlin typically work hhard to maintain a strong and stable presence in any community, especially where they are regarded with suspicion.

Fey-folk

Not all fey-folk are elves, and not all elves are of the first peoples, which makes the category somewhat difficult to properly organize. (Worse: some of the Wildfolk also have fey origins, which complicates things further.) Still, we do the best we can. The later arrivals of fey-folk include:

Horsefolk—or more traditionally, "Centaurs". The Horsefolk could certainly be considered Wildfolk, and Catfolk and Harefolk with their origins in the feywild, could perhaps be considered fey-folk, but this is the traditional classification. In any case, Horsefolk are uncommon throughout the Queendoms, but will most frequently be found in the service of Queens themselves, the inner guards and appointed knights and other honored officials. Horsefolk are considered to be among the most loyal and honorable of peoples in the Queendoms, rivalled only by the Eaglefolk.
The Flying Ones—colloquially called "Fairies". These small, flying elves are most frequently found in Buvaresh, and tend to avoid even the smallest of towns, prefering to live in the wilds.
The Giant Ones—are universally called this amongst others of the fey-folk, even though they prefer to be called Muintir or Firbolg. They are large, savvy in the ways of plant and forest. They are rarely seen in any kind of urban setting and even more rarely seen outside of Buvaresh.
Vanecaran—also called "the Drunken Ones", "Goatfolk", and "Satyrs", these legendary fey-folk love music, performance, dance, and most-especially making love to forest nymphs by the light of the full moon. They have made a surprising success of life in the Ten Queendoms seen most frequently as brewers, tavern-keeps, brothel owners, winemakers, distillers, and traveling minstrels.

The Ogrin

The Ogrin is a broad family of peoples. Notable: although members of the broader family, actual Ogres (and Cyclopses, and Trolls) are not part of the "Civilized Peoples" due to their inability to actually be civilized. There are rare individual exceptions in some locales, such as Damanu the "Enlightened Troll" of the Mataga Highlands, and Tobriacles, the Cyclopean rule of Il-Vudar in Bravari. Other tribes and individuals of the Ogrin family may or may not be welcome among the Civilized People depending on their local reputation. Typically, Ogrin who wish to be accepted into society make a very special effort to appear and behave in civilized fashion. Note that the names for these peoples can be confusingly similar, and many popular names for these peoples overlap or muddy the waters further. When meeting anyone of the Ogrin family, it is best to determine their own identification amongst their kind before making assumptions.

Orglin—Large, strong, prone to violence, but reliable workers. This is the general reputation... but Orglin can be surprising in their individual accomplishments: there have been Orglin scholars, priests, and knights. Orglin ore more likely to be dockhands and security enforcers, but they can rule guilds and direct governmental policy. (Also called "Orcs", and, inaccurately, "Goblins".)
Gorulin—Much smaller than the Orglins, Gorulins have the reputation of being clever, crafty, and untrustworthy; but again individual accomplishments can vary. Gorulins due tend to gravitate to spiritual communities, and have a long and venerable history of success in the priestly classes. (Also called "Goblins"—and the one people who actually accept this label.)
Orglenta—Larger, stronger, and vicious: Orglenta are rarely more than fighters and enforcers, and are rarely tolerated outside Ogrin communities. (Also called "Bugbears", "Ogrinlin" (not to be confused with Orglin, above), and, inaccurately, "Goblins.")
Ogrellin—A distinctly martial people, the Ogrellin are perhaps a little smaller, a little faster than Orglin; generally smarter and more disciplined than Orglenta; much larger and more honorable than goblins. (Also called (inaccurately) "Goblins", and also "Hob-goblins", "Great-goblins", and "Ur-Orglin".)
Grunlin—the most distinctive of the Ogrin family, Grunlin's are quiet, studious, hard-working, and most frequently found in the prosperous guilds of successful cities. Grunlin do not disavow their Ogrin heritage, but for the most part disregard it as a matter of importance, prefering to blend into the local communities. That said, they have fierce family loyalties, and are far more prone to fraud and nepotism than to any form of violence, drunkenness, or more obvious criminal activity.

Plainfolk

The Plainfolk are also called "Mongrels", "Mixed-blood", and "The Corrupted", but typically self-identify purely by their tribal, guild, faction, or political allegiance. Some consider the Plainfolk to be what happens when various tribes interbreed to the point of completely indeterminate ancestry; others consider them to be their own people, albeit a rather uninteresting one. Plainfolk are most prevalent in Quumla, where they are respected nobility and have great influence. Outside Quumla, the Plainfolk are the subject of mild prejudice, generally looked upon with sympathy and pity, given their lack of any interesting characteristics.

Wildkind

As the borders between the planes and worlds became more fluid, many peoples from strange other worlds began to arrive, and one category of those peoples is the Wildkind. Wildkind refers to any of the peoples who present in a strongly animal form. The most common Wildkind in the Queendoms are:

Eaglefolk—whether these are from a world of many birdfolk, perhaps where the Crowfolk also dwell, or whether these are of the Vayu is a matter of ongoing debate, including among their own kind. Most common in Duumaba, where they are the Keepers of Peace, the Eaglefolk can be found in all Queendoms.
Harefolk—generally uncommon throughout the Queendoms, there are some small tribes of reclusive Harefolk in some of the more peaceful realms, but Harengon often spend a good portion of their life traveling and exploring, with a fascination for the ways of all peoples. Their friendly and enthusiastic ways and their rarity means they often find a warm welcome in new places.
Crowfolk—rule the Queendom of Duumaba, but are far less commonly found in any other Queendom. They are a somewhat paradoxical people, prefering their own company to that of other peoples, and wishing to live in proximity to others of their kind, yet also endlessly quarreling and also prefering their solitude. Most Crowfolk are paired, and live and travel as a couple. Solitary Crowfolk have most likely lost their mate.
Godhika—or "Lizardfolk" are quiet, thoughtful, private folk generally keeping to their own kind. They are often regarded with surprise and a little suspicion until they show themselves civilized because their rarity and their appearance tends to inspire some alarm on first encounter.
Catfolk—are also very uncommon outside Sudesh and Tzinesra. Catfolk tend to act and think independently, but are ruthless in pursuit of an objective. They are not terribly loyal, and yet are often valued (if not always trusted) members of guilds and communities because of that unnerving ability to succeed.
Pancanga—or "Turtlefolk" are very rare in the Queendoms, but can be found more commonly on the west coast and especially the western islands.
Sarpan—or "Snake-people" tend to live in isolated cities amongst their own kind. They tend to be distrustful of outsiders, with a special bias against Children of Darkness, especially of the draconic variety. However, some do make their own way in the world, and can be found wherever deep curiosity about the nature of the world is welcome.

The Known Peoples

Angelic Ones

The Angelic Ones are powerful and somewhat intimidating peoples from the upper planes. The Queendoms do not have much natural exchange with the upper planes, so the Angelic Ones are often met with a certain amount of distrust, as though they must have some ulterior purpose for being here, and more especially a purpose that is counter to the natural ways.

Chayalin

Also called "Shadow Elves" and "Shadar-kai", the Chayalin tend to be grey and colorless. The do not love the underground, and nor do they love the light. They are relative newcomers to the Queendoms, most common in Buvaresh especially after the Demon-wars.

Children of Darkness

Not all Children of Darkness are First Peoples. The following three peoples are relative newcomers to the Queendoms:

Soul Feeders—Related to Soul Warriors (below), Soul Feeders are beings of the astral plane, once enslaved, they fled captivity to the fiendish realms, and can be found in the Queendoms wherever trade with the fiendish realms is lively. Soul Feeders survived in the fiendish realms by developing their mental powers and ability to avoid notice. They have a lifeling commitment to their own personal freedom at any cost.
Soul Warriors—related to Soul Feeders (above), Soul Warriors are that branch of the slave peoples of the astral plane that rebelled against their captors and created a home for themselves in the material plane. They tend to be ruthless, relentless, skilled warriors with a lifelong commitment to freedom from all oppression.
Vasharan—Created by an Arch-Demon who wanted his own answer to the Black Elves, Vasharan are part of an ambitious outreach into the Queendoms with Vasharan monasteries found in the least unfriendly Queendoms, and more ssecretive communities elsewhere. Most Vasharan tend to be considered at best as annoying preachers, and at worst as a dangerous cult, but there are many individual Vasharan who have escaped their cultish origins and reject the ways of their creator.

Forged

The Forged are rare, but known, these folk are all originally from some other world where people can be crafted from metal and mind. They draw attention wherever they are, due to their obvious exotic origins, but they tend to be among the most model citizens, and so find welcome. Forged tend to avoid their own kind, prefering the company of organic folk, and are often found as loyal friend to a person of power.

The Grafted

In the last few centuries there have been explorations in the nature of of the creation, adaptation, and grafting of life forms. This is not a widely approved study, accepted in only a few places, but these shifting pockets of exploration and study sometimes delivery new, entirely unqique grafts of different peoples into the world. There are several distinct forms among the Grafted:

Hybrids—people made mix-and-match from different parts and pieces.
Unliving—people made via tools of necromancy: not quite undead, but definitely not living as we know it.
Blood-formed—people altered by the infusion of strange bloods, or magical alteration of the blood.
Remade—people who have been brought back from death, usually some significant alteration of personality or structure.

Suvisalin

These are the only among the giants generally welcomed among the Civilized People, being generally not so large, and somewhat better tempered. Suvisalin are often thought of as being similar to the Orglenta of the Ogrin, Suvisalin can be about as brutish and dangerous, but there is more variety amongst their tribes and peoples.

Svaplin

Also called "the Dream Folk"—Svaplin are newcomers to the queendoms, but are relatively numerous compared to others Known People. Apparently whatever dream-plane they come from has undergone traumas, and the Queendoms has been a convenient refuge. Svaplin tend to be social, but keeping a small core of friends and family of their own kind nearby.

Wildkind

Among the rarer of the Known Peoples are some recent additions to the wildkind, notably:

Bull-folk—massive people with great strength and prone to terrible rages, Bull-folk are often not trusted until they have proven themselves civilized.
Sharikin—often appearing in the form of the most common peoples around them but with features reminiscent of a beast, Sharikin can also take the form of an animal. Each Sharikin has only one form of animal it can become (as part of it's natural abilities), and not all Sharikin have complete control of this. Not all animal forms are known, but most common are wolf, dog, tiger, panther, boar, and bear.