Hadari

Physiology

Hadari are storm elementals that have a physical body. They resemble humans in appearance, yet their skin color ranges in the shade from obsidian to purple obsidian. Their lightning flashes throughout their body and is visible through their dark skin, showcasing their explosive internal storm. However, having a physical body means they suffer both the benefits and limitations that come with it. Unlike normal air and storm elementals, Hadari cannot fly, and they require food and sleep to function. However, being elementals makes them less vulnerable to the elements.

History

According to legend, the Hadari were elementals who migrated from Mira’s plane of Lightning to the Material Realm. Upon arriving, they were revered like gods. They took material forms, masquerading as avatars of themselves as deities. Angered by their choice of leaving their plane, Mira cursed them to a mortal form of humanity. Upon taking a mortal form, they lost much of their potential as powerful elementals, but they remained and revealed in their newfound influence. Many took on harems and spread their seed, creating the lower castes of Hadar society. Their blood remained only within their pureblood circles. The Hadari find their homes in the mountainous regions of the World of Vala.

Society

Hadari have five castes in their society. The lowest caste is made up of normal humanoids of other races that have mingled with the pureblood Hardai or settled in vihar territories. The second consists of everyday Hadari citizens. The third caste is Thunderlords. Thunderlords are commonly low-status nobles, wealthy commanders, and others with similar status. They are the first level of the ruling class and hold a moderate amount of authority over the normal populace. The fourth caste is the Stormlord caste. Stormlords are high nobles and generals that mingle closely with Hadari royalty. They hold a great amount of power, both politically and magically, and are counted among the strongest Hadari in a community. The final caste is the royal caste. These are the rulers and royalty of all the other Hadari castes and hold the most power over all affairs.

Moggie

Physiology

Furry, fearsome, towering creatures: Moggie are wild, mighty hunters characterized by two forms: their cat form and their combat form. Moggies' true forms are the different felines of the World of Vala. From house cats to tigers, lions, and other large cats. The size of their cat form often represents their size in their combat form. Moggies in their combat forms are large, muscular, bipedal felines. Moggies possess features ranging from humanoid to cat-like. They have long, powerful arms and muscular hindquarters that help them move almost as quickly on two legs as on four. On their hands and feet, they sport two sets of claws and two sets of thumbs. They use these thumbs to maneuver easily through their dense jungle habitats. Their spines' base is a wide, flat tail tapering off into a point about as long as their arms. The fur of the Moggie ranges in color, from a spotted charcoal black to a striped fiery orange hot as the burning sun.

History

Upon watching Vala create the other animals within the world, Zebar became curious. Zebar wanted to create a race that represented his qualities: secrecy, power, rage, anger, independence, selfishness, and the need to rule. With this in mind, he created one of the most powerful races within the World of Vala: The Moggies. Outside of their own population, they are simply known as cats, lions, tigers, and other felines. The Moggies have always existed within the footnotes of history. Ever-present, always watching, changing the tides of history

Society

The official head of state of the Moggie is The Main. The Mane, while the unofficial head-of-state, is no more a "breed" of Moggie than any other is; he is simply unique. Moggie tradition holds that only one Mane may be alive at any one time since the Mane is one entity reborn in different bodies over time. The integrity of this is unknown, but there has been no recorded instance of multiple Manes contending for power. It is widely held that the greatest force among the Moggie are the Clan Mothers. Ultimately, they control both the harvest and the flow of information on the outside world, and thus they are seen as the most influential. Moggies are proud beings mostly because of the constant dotting by their creator.

Terratorn

Physiology

Their divine heritage from Adex, the God of wind, can be seen in their many bird-like features. Terratorn grows colorful feathers from their skin and hair, which vary in density. Their golden bird-like eyes contain fully developed nictitating membranes (a thin, semi-transparent eyelid used as an additional layer of protection without fully obscuring vision). Their appearance, while present at birth, only fully manifests during puberty. Terratorn do not inherently grow wings. They must gain their wings as they come of age. Terratorn have large feathery wings that span equal to their height and can be white, brown, silver, or black. The average Teratorn has 2 wings, but a higher level or particularly blessed Teratorn may have 4 or even 6.

History

Terratorn have been blessed before birth by Adex. Their bird-like features mirror the avian aspects of the god. Adex placed the Teratorn in golden cities in the sky to keep their people safe. Because of this, Terratorn avoids interacting with what they consider the human world; however, few in the past have been given permission to wander the human realm, and in times when the world requires the presence of a Terratorn to snuff the flames of evil. There glowing cities in the sky and their winged presence throughout history have produced myths of a shining utopia in the skies and the angels that guard them.

Society

Terratorn society is largely unknown and largely dependent on the will of Adex. A consensus for the Terratorn people is that they are the guardians of the heavens and tend to the souls of the dead after they have passed into the afterlife. Still, beyond that, not much detail is known about the specific day to day life of a Terratorn that isn't on a mission from Adex.

Human

Physiology

Humans within The World of Vala live in many different elements and climates. Humans are more physically diverse than other common races. There is no typical human. An individual can stand from 5 feet to a little over 6 feet tall and weigh 125 to 350 pounds on average. Human skin shades range from nearly black to very pale, and hair colors from black to blond (curly, kinky, or straight); males might sport facial hair that is sparse or thick. Many humans have a dash of nonhuman blood, revealing hints of other lineages. Humans reach adulthood in their late teens and rarely live even a single century.

History

Human history is fraught with lies and deception. Starting as ordinary spirits that became aware of the futility of their existence, Vala granted these spirits the gift of death and allowed them to die, becoming the first mortals in the World of Vala. Since then, humans and eventually other mortals have been used as Pawns of immortals in an eternal game. Regardless, humans are the most populous of the common races, lacking in inherent power and short-lived compared to the other races. Perhaps it is because of their shorter lives that they strive to achieve as much as possible in the years they are given. Or maybe they feel they have something to prove, and that’s why they build their mighty empires on the foundation of conquest and trade.

Society

Humans are the most adaptable and ambitious people among the common races. They have widely varying tastes, morals, and customs in the lands they have settled. When they settle, though, they stay. They build cities to last for the ages and great kingdoms that can persist for long centuries. An individual human might have a relatively short life span. Still, a human nation or culture preserves traditions with origins far beyond the reach of any single human’s memory. They live fully in the present, making them well suited to the adventuring life and plan, striving to leave a lasting legacy. Individually and as a group, humans are adaptable opportunists, and they stay alert to changing political and social dynamics.

Ader

Physiology

Their appearance varies greatly from one to another, but all have translucent horns on their heads that serve as magical radars. The color of these horns, along with their hair, is often a vibrant pastel color that matches the glow of their core. As Ader age, they can choose their own presenting gender identity. Their skin color can range from clearly artificial metallic gold to that of various other gem shades. The height of an Ader varies depending on its heritage. Due to Ader's status as a construct, any child born from an Ader, no matter the heritage of another parent, will be Ader. Ader of mixed parentage, however, are often much smaller than the non-ader race they come from.

History

The first Ader made Azel, The God of Earth, attempted to create their species earth-based species. Utilizing human shape as the basis, Azel found a way to seal the soul of a foreign body in a solid gem that would later become known as engines. Originally, the engines were intended to be a power source. However, after Azel found this impossible and they were promptly discarded. Left unattended, the magic binding the souls decayed. From these decayed engines, a new race was born, forming physical body's practically out of air, light, and a little seeping magic. The original cores had only faint memories of a past life, but they moved forwards, dubbing themselves Ader. Originally, they developed small secluded settlements but eventually were able to gain favor with the God of Earth themselves. Now they flourish as an independent race, populating the Underdark of The World of Vala. Their underground cities are always identifiable by the glowing gem at the center of their structures.

Society

Ader cities are often quite big. Most societies have developed a matriarchal hierarchy that typically follows the richest Ader in existence. Though they originate as gems, they still have concerns about bodily matters, such as eating or sleeping. So some work as traders and farmers to sustain their towns. When an Ader feels there's an attraction towards them, they are open to the idea of having children with that person. As long as one person is Ader, the offspring will always be Ader. They are generally very vain due to their rich heritage.

Siren

Physiology

Sirens are similar to humans in appearance but have many features of the ocean's creatures. Their appearance includes anemone tentacles instead of hair, scaly skin, clammy flesh, bioluminescent patches, and glands that produce ink when distressed. The skin of a Siren tends to be slippery and glint slightly in sunlight. These oily secretions help them swim more effectively and protect them from temperature changes between land and water. They are typically very muscular individuals. Their skin tends to be tinted in light shades of blue.

History

When the world was young, Vepar, the God of Water, created Sirens from humans. The Sirens began to perfect and create life beneath the waves. They made many underwater cities of grandeur, held epic battles against other clans for power and greatness, and lived much as humans did. The ocean is their only true home and is the only thing they appreciate more than life itself. Many consider the ocean and life the same. Thus, few, if any Sirens, leave for the surface. They still reside in their grand cities and clans underwater to this day, living alongside other creatures of the deep. Sirens historically have been known to save the lives of sailors shipwrecked. Sirens are not hampered by a fishtail and can freely traverse the land. Their gills were retractable, and so many young adventurous types ended up trying their fortunes above the waves.

Society

Sirens are a noble race that practices reason, debate, and logic. Siren are intelligent by nature and live in houses of large coral or in sea forests which are their cities. They are a very colorful society and promote fun and carefree living. They heavily invest themselves in a romantic relationships and are a naturally beautiful race. Siren functions steadily and avoids conflict in battle. Despite their feelings about combat, they do not shy from it. In addition to a philosophic-style society with debates in round Socratic theatres and pedagogic teachings, they have a spartan side, sporting fierce warriors who ride hippocampi and wield tridents. Sirens respect the duties and responsibilities of life in all social spheres, be they noble or peasant.