The Ten Races are the central actors in the Beyonder world.  Unlike the other races (and creatures) of the world, they are the only ones that have the ability to use any or all of the Six Energies. When you play Beyonder, you choose one of these Races for your character to be. Each race has its own general characteristics, both in personality and appearance.  Most enjoy living in particular areas or environments on the Tamarran Continent; however, at least some of their members can be found almost anywhere. (If you’d like to see a map of the continent, go here and click on “Map”.)  

When you create a character, choose the Race that you like best.  Don’t feel limited by your choice: there are always variations in personality and style. Use them wherever and however you find most appealing.  Rules are meant to be broken!

The Ten Races

1. Crawn: Militant and snake-like.  Crawn tend to be serious in nature, and love order for themselves and the world in which they live.
2. Dwaheely: Physically, Dwaheely are the smallest of the Ten Races.  However, their love of scholarship and the intellect can make them formidable adversaries, or powerful allies.
3. Dwarf: Short and strong.  Proud and practical.  They can be amazing warriors as well as builders and craftsmen.  They have tremendous endurance and toughness, which is a great help for them in their favorite places: under the mountains and lands of the Tamarran Continent.
4. Heolas: Probably the most “mystical” of the Ten Races.  They come from the heavens, and although they are strongly rooted in the Beyonder world, they gain strength and wisdom from their connection with the stars.
5. Human: Members of this race look a lot like, well, us.  They are generally the most socially adept race and can be found virtually everywhere on the Tamarran Continent.
6. Ishiri: These folk have a strong affinity with stone, rock, and the hard matter of the world.  They are themselves physically strong, like the stone they love, and they have a great love of nature and the world around them.  Although they are most at home living on mountaintops, they can also be found in forests and cities.
7. Kamari: The Kamari love the woods and forests.  Although this love is very serious, they also have a whimsical and playful nature.  They enjoy nothing better than to spend the day playing and lounging among the trees, but be very careful if you disturb their haunt!
8. Ushen: The largest of the Ten Races, these creatures can be as much as nine feet tall.  They are humanoids, like the other Ten Races, but strongly resemble proud and beautiful bulls.  They love nature and freedom, and often build strong bonds with the other creatures.
9. Wellyn: Pranksters!  Like the kamari, they love the woods, and although they are small, they are fast, resilient, and strong.  While their preferred way of handling almost any situation is by tricking their opponent (did I mention how smart they are?), they can be effective warriors and combatants.
10. Zweyjen: A sea-loving race, which is no surprise given the fins and scales that adorn their bodies.  They are no strangers to the land, however, and can be as happy near rivers, lakes, and ponds as they are at the sea.

The Ten Races came into being at the beginning of the Third Era of the Fifth Age of the World, and each has its own history. (We will talk about that in more detail in later blogs.)  The story of four of these races is particularly interesting.  The Heola, Ishiri, Kamari, and the Zweyjen, although they each have their origins in the current Era of the World, are likely descendants of the great Elzheni race, which lived during the prior Era of this Age.  The Elzheni are extinct, but they lived for many thousands of years, and have their own remarkable story.

There you have it: a very short introduction to The Ten Races.  We’ll be posting more details about them, as well as the Tamarran Continent, the Ages of the World, and many other things, in upcoming blogs.  

If you’d like to see illustrations of each of the Ten Races and get more information about them and about other parts of the Beyonder setting, go to Beyonder: Imagine with Us. For more information, consult our books, “Beyonder: The Science of the Six” (our rulebook), and “Imbelnhi’s Bestiary: Being a Traveller’s Account of our Continent and Her Creatures”.  You can find the hardbound and the PDF versions of these books at the FNBGames Store.  Please come and visit.

And, always, talk to us!  We love to hear what our players (and potential future players) have to say.