As with everything else on Racciman's World the people are influenced by the nature of the gods.
The parent gods started off making two standard intelligent species as an example, one of which was humans as we know them, and the other was a longer lived race with a slighter build and pointy ears. In keeping with my philosophy that the world should appear as 'normal' as possible, I have the human race call every other race by the most likely existing term. So the other example species is called elves, although in their own tongue they call themselves Khatrreth.
The children created gryphons, unicorns, hobgoblins, giants, dwarves, half-men, goblins, sprites, and dragons, and a number of other apparently typical fantasy races. Each of the children's races took more from the aspect of their creator than did the sample starter races, and so each of the races besides human and elf are somewhat limited in the types of personalities that can appear. Not all the gods wanted to be bothered to create a language for their races either, so the humans, hobgoblins, falran, and giants all started out speaking the same language. (The hobgoblin language diverged quickly from that common start, but Racciman prevented any major linguistic drift amoung the other races. Amoung the humans, with their diverse cultures and large and widely spread population, this inhibition of the natural tendency of language to mutate has had some rather odd effects on the local dialects.)
One of the gods created shapings of the other species rather than inventing new species of her own, and another god created nothing whatsoever, but, as the bird said, 'there's always one in every family... two in mine!'
Humans rapidly became the most populous race, and can be found in almost all parts of the world. They dominate the coastal areas especially, where they have founded the 'Seven Cities', seven population and trade centers, each based at the mouth of a large river -- from north to south: Karemore, Niontes, Atisva, Revenhew, Moseth, Cathart, Nethalia. Two additional major human cultures are the people of Ilam, found in the Unicorn Valley, and that of the Islander people.
Khatrreth (elves), never became populous, but their intrinsic aesthetic has always been a major factor in the art of Racciman's World. It was also the elves who created the first floating cities.
Giants are the least numerous of the minor races. This kindly and protective people found themselves cut off from the rest of the world during the grounding of the flying cities, and have not been a factor in the history of the world since then.
Falran (half-men), seem to prefer country living, but can occasionally be found in human towns holding positions of responsibility and importance.
(dwarves) prefer not to mix much with the other races, although they do occasionally inhabit human population centers in the Unicorn Valley. Their major holdings remain the caverns beneath the outer range of the South Mountains.
Hobs (hobgoblins), have greenish-brown skin, tusk-like fangs, and have never taken up agriculture, but are otherwise very much like the humans, although both races deny this strenuously. Influenced by the god-made weapon of power that is their greatest treasure, the hobs try to take over the world every several hundred years or so.
Goblins have green skin, very large ears and are small but very strong. They used to have their own language but lost it when they came in contact with the other races.
Unicorns inhabit the Unicorn Valley. They are skilled magic users and communicators.
Gryphons inhabit Gryphon's Peaks, the inner range of the South Mountains.
Dragons are found primarily on the islands nearest the sea of storms, but later a large population moved to the southmost end of the Unicorn Valley. The largest and most powerful race, their spontaneity and tempermentality have caused a great deal of friction with the other races.
Pxkys (Sprites), inhabit the Unicorn Valley and are primarily known for causing mischief.
Gnomes are the most numerous of the associate races, and are altered dwarves. They are the only sociable associate race. Titans are altered giants. Vampyr are altered humans. Trolls are altered elves --they are pale-skinned and nocturnal. They have the ability to regenerate cut off limbs, but their skin reacts to sunlight by first bubbling and oozing, and then hardening to a crusty-like substance. This process is painful and can be deadly. Trolls are not particularly numerous, but as they are crafty and manipulative as well as cruel, they can often be found in positions of leadership within hobgoblin communities.
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