Although heola* tend to be tall and thin, they are far from fragile: their stamina and physical endurance, especially in the hottest regions of the Tamarran Continent, are legendary.  Because of their ability to withstand extremely hot, dry climates, they often make their home in the deep desert, where not even crawn can comfortably survive.  The ability to survive such extreme conditions is due, at least in part, to their strong affinity with Spirit Energy.  Like the ishiri, the kamari, and the zweyjen, they are descendants of the ancient Elzheni race, powerful beings that lived in the Second Era of the current age of the world, the Fifth Age.  (We’ll discuss the Elzheni in future blogs.)

Heolas skin is usually a subtle brown or gray, like the colors of the desert, with a smooth texture akin to rubbing your hand over a fine soft sand.  During extreme exertion, a heolas may exhale small bits of sand.  Heola are without biological sex: they are neither male nor female.  They give birth through a process closely connected to the stars that they love and often worship.

Heola, who are known for their quiet demeanor and thoughtful ways, are often hard to read.  Unlike most other creatures, they have no real interest in geographical or political conquest.  They are usually guided by the stars, with which they have a strong connection.  They maintain deep bonds, particularly with their extended family, and many live in communities with other heola. Those who live in a larger community with a variety of Races keep close ties to other heola within that community.  There are, though, heola who are wanderers —  as some would say, “seekers of the truth” — in keeping with the inquisitive minds characteristic of the Race.

A complex set of relationships within heolas society provides them with support throughout their long lives — heola often live to be 180 years old.  Each newborn is immediately provided with a set of caretakers who will look after them and teach them as they grow.  When they reach adulthood at the age of 50, every heolas passes through an elaborate ceremony inducting them into the adult community and introducing them to a set of adults, called their star-kin tribe, who will act as their companions and guides in life.  At least one of the star-kin tribe will be an elder heolas, who are expected to provide wisdom to those they protect.  There is great reverence for heola elders, and disobedience to their guidance is met with strong disapproval.

There is much more to tell of heola society, including the “White Heola” who live in the Icy Wastes in the very northern parts of the continent.  These tales will have to wait for future blogs.

*Editor’s note: The singular form is heolas; the plural is heola.

The wellyn are a small people who blend in well with their forest homelands, which helps them to pull off the pranks for which they are famous.  They are quite short, usually between two to four feet, although they often seem smaller, as they are prone to running (astonishingly quickly) on all fours.  They are covered in a layer of fur that ranges from light green to dark brown, often striped, which makes for good camouflage. Their long tail is agile, and can be used as an extra hand.  Their life span of about 55 years is shorter than others of the Ten Races, who live anywhere from 70 to 180 years of age.

The wellyn are known all over the Tamarran Continent as tricksters. Depending on who you ask, this might be a good thing or a bad one.  Some believe that they bring a little levity into a world that has too much sorrow.  Others consider them a dangerous blight on society, causing massive collateral damage to satisfy their infantile need to outdo their rival.  On some rare occasions these pranks escalate to the point of causing mortal damage.  

One of the most infamous wellyn pranks of all time was performed by two wellyn simultaneously.  Slendil planned to hide in the closet of  his friend, Gorlin, until Gorlin came home, at which point Slendil would jump out and frighten him.  Unbeknownst to Slendil, Gorlin had planned to perform the same prank on Slendil on the same day.  The two were so committed to their task that they refused to leave until the other showed up; as a result, both starved to death.  This is considered one of the few times in wellyn history that a prank competition ended in a draw.

Many scholars have speculated as to why the wellyn behave the way they do.  Some believe it is their relatively short lifespan that pushes them to live life to the fullest and ignore the consequences.  Others say that their strong affinity with Shadow Energy drives them to break the rules as often as possible.  Whatever the reason, people have to be on their toes when wellyn are around, or they may find themselves the target of a practical joke before they have time to react.  

Since their inception the wellyn have lived in the tree-tops, so their most natural home is in the forests of the Tamarran Continent.  This living space has always provided some amount of safety from their many predators, who are drawn to them because their small size makes them vulnerable. However, for the last several centuries it has been quite common to find wellyn living throughout the continent, especially in its many cities, where they can find endless opportunities for pranks.

Pranks aside, if wellyn can redirect focus to a more productive task, they can be quite useful.  They are excellent at sneaking around and getting into and out of places they are not supposed to be.  Their affinity for Shadow Energy makes them nearly unrivaled as master Umbrists.  Mix that with their love of tinkering and a passion for creating automata and you’ve got a useful companion or a fierce foe, depending on the circumstance.

There is much more to be said about wellyn society and the unique mix of skill and guile that makes them tick, but we’ll save that for another blog.

Humans are, well, just what you would think.  For the most part.

Physically, humans in Tamarra look the way you would expect.  They stand anywhere from four to seven feet tall, though most are in the center of that range.  They have the usual two arms, two legs, two eyes, two ears, one nose, and one mouth.  They are not the strongest or fastest of the Ten Races, nor are they the largest or the smallest.  

There is one notable difference between human physiology in the Beyonder world and humans in our world.  In the Beyonder world humans are able to exhibit a wide range of hair and eye colors.  When they are young, humans have the ability to change their hair and eye colors at will, which is a source of great fun.  There are frequent schoolyard contests to see who can produce the most outrageous colors in the shortest amount of time.

As humans reach adulthood, their ability to change hair or eye color is much reduced, as is the range of colors.  It usually happens when Emotion Energy runs high.  Sometimes this is involuntary, when the human (the Player Character, or PC) temporarily loses control.  Suffice it to say that when a human becomes an adult they will choose an eye color that will become, for the most part, permanent.  This is an important decision, and usually involves a great deal of discussion among family members and close friends.  Their adult eye color becomes part of a coming of age ceremony that introduces a human child into the adult world.  This, along with the presentation of their adult name, is the core of most human ceremonies of the rite of passage.  We’ll talk in more detail about this ceremony, typically referred to as the Alinsan Ahtifal, in a later blog.

Humans are good at noticing social interactions, and they are often highly skilled Charismatics. Because of their strong affinity with Emotion Energy, they have outstanding social skills, and are best known across the continent for their excellence at working in groups. They are excellent collaborators on a small team, and can contribute just as meaningfully to a large social organization such as a city government or the far-reaching interpersonal networks of kingdom or nation.  

Given how socially adept they are, it will come as no surprise that humans are at ease in any place across the Tamarran Continent.  More than any of the Ten Races, they will be found almost everyone you travel.  They are similarly adaptable in the kinds of homes they inhabit: they tend to live in whatever housing is standard for a given area.  

We have only skimmed the surface of what there is to know about humans and their societies. Although they blend in with most any social network or community, there are some organizations that are created solely by, and for, humans.  We will talk about these secret organizations, and more about humans, in blogs yet to come.

The kamari are often referred to by the other Ten Races (and other sentient creatures of the Tamarran Continent) as the greenskeepers. They have a deep love of forests and all the flora that inhabit them. They are a free-spirited people who prize life and laughter, and they value their independence.

Kamari love for the natural world, and the woodlands in particular, is a part of their ancient lineage: they are one of the Ten Races descended from the ancient Elzheni race.  The Elzheni lived during the Second Era of the current Fifth Age of the World (we currently live in the Third Era of that same Age of the World).  Each race descended from the Elzheni (the kamari, heola, ishiri, and zweyjen) inherited some unique quality from their Elzheni ancestors.  We’ll talk more about the ancient Elzheni in a separate blog post.

The physical makeup of kamari closely resembles the forests that they love so much.  They are tall and lanky, with skin and hair the texture of small roots and branches or tree bark.  Their coloring is a mix of many hues of brown and green.  All of this combines to give kamari a natural camouflage in their forest surroundings.  When you add to this their extraordinary quickness and skill with weapons of all kinds (they are without parallel among the Ten Races for their use of ranged weapons, such as a bow), they are a formidable foe to any who might make the mistake of invading their lands.

Perhaps the most distinctive physical characteristic of the kamari is that, unlike any of the other Ten Races, they have three genders; male, female, and tree.  These trees, while conscious and sentient, appear ordinary to anyone who is not able to speak with plants. Tree offspring are created when male and female kamari pollinate the tree; months later, their “child” sprouts from the ground.  (We recommend that you do not create a character that is a tree kamari, unless your idea of an exciting adventure is having birds make nests in your hair!)

It is not surprising that kamari make their homes in forests throughout the Tamarran Continent.  It is estimated that there are hundreds of kamari tribes in the vast reaches of the Great Western Forests alone.  Although they love wooded lands, kamari can also be found in every major city.  Even in urban settings their houses are often filled with plants, and the outside of their homes may have trees or vines growing up the sides.

The kamari have a strong tribal structure.  This is most pronounced in the forests, where the territories of different kamari tribes are clearly demarcated and infringements of those boundaries are met with fast opposition.  In the cities of the continent, where they live within a more informal community with their fellow kamari, those tribal structures often break down.

There are many tales to tell of kamari tribes, of exploits comedic, deadly serious, and brave.  We will cover those in upcoming blogs.

Dwarves are known for their strong affinity with Physic Energy, the Energy that makes up the physical world and the forces therein.  Although they are not very tall (3-6 feet, with an average of 5.5 feet), this affinity makes them physically strong and very sturdy.  Many become powerful Evokers and great warriors, wielding Powers based on Physic Energy. Other dwarves use their affinity with Physic to mold the matter of the world, such as silver, gold, and iron, into many different forms, such as household furnishings, fine art, or high-quality tools and weapons. Whatever they choose to do, they take great pride in their endeavors.

Because of their affinity with Physic Energy, dwarves love stone. Indeed, several dwarf clans founded the great underground portions of Naldrin City (see map of the Tamarran Continent) by building homes and huge structures in the caverns below the Nashem Mountains; they live there to this day. Many dwarves live in the extensive cavern systems that lie beneath the surface of Tamarra.

Dwarves have a very strong clan structure: most dwarves, if not all, belong to a clan, of which they are very proud. Major dwarf clans number in the tens of thousands, although there are some clans of only a few hundred, a few dozen, or even just a particularly stubborn handful.  No matter the size, the ruling structure of clans is invariably top-down from a single ruler (of either gender) who governs with a firm hand.

It is quite common for dwarves to have disagreements with their clan and break away to join another. This can happen for a variety of reason: strong political beliefs, a battle for power and leadership, or something as small as a disagreement between one group of cigar-loving dwarves and the rest of their clan who prefer pipes.

Dwarf clans are often formed around location, providing society and protection for those in the area.  However, some form around a particular skill set, such as crafting metal implements or weapons.  Dwarf Evokers, who have a particular interest in fortifying the stone that make up walls or buildings, might come together in their own clan; another clan might be based on a political ideal. There is even rumored to be a group of dwarf sorcerers calling themselves the Tallakkarr Clan, who use chants to control metalwork.

One of the more interesting clans, and one of the oldest stories in their voluminous genealogy, is that formed by the great dwarf sorcerer Darkklaven.  Darkklaven broke away from his home clan (nobody’s quite sure which that was) in the year SP~2,073 (almost three thousand years ago) to form the Clan of the Middle Abysm.  This clan was a small nation of less than a hundred dwarves who came together to explore the very deepest parts of the extensive cavern system that runs under, and throughout, the Tamarran Continent.  It is said that the Clan of the Middle Abysm went into the very bowels of the Fekxtah (planet) Ethem, going farther than any other folk had ever gone.  This clan became legendary in its discoveries and exploits.  By now the clan is perhaps more myth than reality, since they have not been heard from in centuries.  Even so, rumors still persist that they live on in the deepest regions of the world and have unprecedented knowledge of the innards of Ethem.

Dwarves are a multi-talented, far-ranging, passionate Race. While they can be strong, loyal warriors, they can also produce some of the most delicate jewelry and finest armor found anywhere on the continent. While they love caverns and life below ground, they can also be found in the towns, cities, and kingdoms that populate the Tamarran continent.  They are on the plains and the deserts of Tamarra, on top of the mountains, deep in the forests, and even along the lakes and waterways throughout the land.  Regardless of where they live, they make themselves a strong participant in their chosen homeland and are, frequently, passionate voices in that community.

There is much more to tell about the many dwarf clans and folk.  Watch for more stories!

Although the crawns’ strong affinity with Body Energy makes them able fighters, they can, and do, choose many other kinds of pursuits.  Most crawn love order and discipline in their lives and their societies, and tend to be methodical and cautious in their decision-making.  They are known for their exceptional courage and their willingness to sacrifice for the greater good, or simply for those they love and to whom they are loyal. Their sense of loyalty and order make crawn good companions for explorations and adventures, and good friends generally.

Physically, the crawn tend to be six to seven feet tall and lithe, with a scaly, snake-like body and a high serpentine head.  They are strong and dexterous with both weapons and tools.  In addition, they have a vicious bite that can be used in close-quarters combat.

Although not all crawn are warriors or members of a military group, they certainly have a proclivity for it.  Many of the mightiest kingdoms of the Tamarran Continent were formed as the result of conquest by crawn armies.  Their sense of order and discipline are useful not only for conquering lands, but also for retaining and ruling them.  Those who live under crawn rule very often appreciate the stability, abundant food, and safety that come with it.  Several of the largest kingdoms on the continent are ruled by crawn, including the Kingdom of the Szaskar Crawn in the northeast and the Karrin Crawn Lands in the northwest.

Although crawn love dry, arid places, and tend to inhabit the continent’s deserts, they are spread far and wide across all of Tamarra.  There is a crawn presence in every major city and even in some of the farmlands of the north.  The only places where they are unlikely to settle are the mountains of the continent, where it is not easy to make a long, uninterrupted sprint, and the Lochuum Plains in the south, which they find overabundant in vegetation.

Crawn are generally more comfortable as members of a nation or kingdom, where they have a specific role in society.  However, some crawn find themselves unable to live in a larger community, where their sense of order may conflict with the existing laws.  They tend to live an almost hermit-like existence, and are often found in vast deserts such as the Frestehal Plains.

Perhaps the most interesting crawn society is a group called the Szennid, who have developed amazing abilities, using Body Energy to change their appearance.  In this changed state they are able to maintain their natural affinities with Body Energy and physical Talents, while effectively disguising themselves as members of other Races or creatures.  It is extremely difficult to spot a powerful Szennid in disguise:  it requires the highest skills in identifying Body Energy signatures, down to the deepest level.

Stay tuned…we’ll have more about this group, and about other crawn societies, in future blogs!