Lineages (Testing)

The various Lineages of Kerebos span well over a dozen different species across the five continents of the Reach. As the story goes, the Celestials first arrived through the Manastorm and were greeted only by the flora and fauna of the region. Though they had not yet found the cure they sought, any refuge was better than continuing through The Manastorm in search of something that may not even exist. As they laid roots upon their new home, they sought to replace their fallen population with new life.

For life to flourish, the Celestials believe three primordial truths must be utilized: the stone, the storm, and the sea. These are ancient forces, existing in worship longer than even the first Celetials could remember, said to make up the heart of any world. The stone represents the land and the trees, providing the shelter and sustenance all living beings require. The sea represents water and the moon, the lifeblood of every species. The storm represents magic and faith, which overflows on Kerebos in the form of Arcanum. Alone, no one species would thrive. It requires all three, albeit in varying balance, to truly create self-sustaining life.

The Celestials discovered a place upon what would become known as Tyrafin where all three intersected, and dubbed this area The Cradle of Life. It is here that they first sculpted their children, first in their image and then in the form of those they recalled from before their journeying through the storm, though it is impossible to determine what has been done out of honour and what has been pulled from imagination, as most living Celestials do not remember a time before the migration to Tyrafin.

For a time, the Celestials and their children lived together within the Cradle, teaching them how to survive and prosper, while allowing their populations to grow. When they were believed ready to sustain themselves, they were sent away on massive ships to sail wherever the wind took them and their hearts desired them passage. Many pushed the limits of their reach, while some few remained close in worship of their creators. Most species — though not all — lost connection to the creators as generations passed by, falling into the realm of myth and legend, rather than a simple sail away. This changed following the Upheaval and the arrival of the The Hierarchy, uniting the Celestial's children once more.

"Major" Populations are those which have a large number of communities, capitals, and customs across the Reach. They are very commonly seen in most society.

"Minor" Populations typically only have one or two primary settlements of their own, and are often scattered across the Reach. They are situationally common, depending on your location.

"Limited" Populations may have an isolated settlement, or no settlement at all. They are usually quite rare in modern Reach Society outside of these specific enclaves or locations. Children of Stone

The stoneborn were formed from the mountains within the Cradle of Life, scraped from the earth itself and made to be hardy, resilient, and stubborn. Their once-great empires spread beneath the Reach’s crust, spanning the lengths of entire continents, or woven through the ancient forests they called home.

Orc — Oro'kyr Read Full ArticleMajor

For countless generations, the Oro'kyr (stone borne) sought to commune with nature and forge deep connections with the primordial spirits of the four elements. They called the forest of Andeve home, and battled fiercely against their elven neighbours who bent the world to their will, rather than coexist with it. This primal connection, often to one specific element, reflects in the colour of their skin: green for earth, yellow for air, teal for water, and brown for fire.

Once, they lived in nomadic enclaves within the Kingsgrove forest. With more and more orc seeking communion with the wider world, many of these once-great tribes have combined into one, with the rest of their population living within their mountain capital, Kadi Kada. Those who leave home rarely return, due to the restrictive nature of traditional orcish society.

Long ago, insular tribes of Orc ventured far beyond their ancestral lands. Those who travelled south of Mt. Haestrum found far-reaching plains and sought refuge within the distant Greengold Forest, where a connection with the fey who inhabited it was formed, creating the Verdan. Others went north and sailed to the mountainous Frostide, settling into the Glass Peaks and becoming the grey-skinned Goliath, claiming it as their home before even the humans of Ostea began their settlement of the continent.

D&D Equivalent: Half-Orc (or Orc), Verdan (or Goblin, Hobgoblin), Goliath Lifespan: 85 - 125 (Orc), 35 - 50 (Verdan), 55 - 75 (Goliath) Dwarf — Oro'den Read Full ArticleMajor

The first settlers of Frostide, the Oro'den (stone dwellers) found the inhospitable cold an impossible enemy, and so begun digging beneath the permafrost in search of warmth. They dug tunnels which soon turned into empires that spanned the length of Kerebos, though most might have gone their entire life without coming across a single dwarf, let alone one of their stone cities.

The fall of the ancient dwarven empires is one well-known by all now: the hubris of their kings and the greed of their excavation left their kingdoms in both literal and metaphorical collapse. Strained for resources and spread far too thin to defend what little remained agains the threats lurking within the Underdark, many — if not all — abandoned their subterranean dwellings in favour of life on the surface. Those few who remained became more secretive and paranoid, clustered in small communities at the fringes of the habitable dark.

Without a King to lead them, many dwarves took sail to discover the wonders of the world above, establishing several fleets of ships operated entirely by former dwarven clans. Some have settled upon cliffside and mountains, preferring the isolated existence of their people.

D&D Equivalent: Dwarf, Duergar Lifespan: 150 - 200 Years Gnome Read Full ArticleMinor

None can remember the true history of the Gnomes. According to their folklore, their dwarven cousins once dug too deep and discovered them cursed by stone and stuck in stasis by technology of their own design. When the dwarves freed them from their doomed fate, few survived the temporal shift: and those little who did were the children and the young. An entire generation of gnomes was lost to their hubris, and any understanding of how or why they had wound up in that situation lost with them.

This loss continues to define gnomish invention even now, some four hundred years following their discovery. Known for their keen minds and knack for engineering, most believe that whatever answers their people sought and brought them to ruin would revolutionize the world, they just need to find the right questions to ask, first.

For such a relatively 'young' species, gnomes have made great strides across much of the Reach, establishing small settlements anywhere they can make a foothold. Their typically jovial nature and curiosity about the world has made them quick allies of humankind, becoming welcome allies of the Elysian League, helping to better arm and outfit their forces. D&D Equivalent: Gnome, Deep Gnome Lifespan: 125 - 150 Years Beastfolk Read Full ArticleMajor

Though elves may claim to be the true children of the Celestials, there is little doubt that the Beastfolk were the first. Made in the image of the existing wildlife of The Reach upon their arrival, they were formed to perfectly adapt to the world as it already was. Those who were built for life upon the boreal Tyrafin would become known as temperate beastfolk, while those who left in search of warmer climates became the tropical beastfolk. Many struggle to find identity as they are caught between two worlds: unfit to live in the wild alongside their animal counterparts, but often incorrectly deemed feral or untamed by the mortal races they now live alongside.

Temperate Beastfolk — consisting of, but not limited to: wolves, deer, owl, and bear — remained close-at-hand to their creators, and in many cases came to worship them in a way no others did. Because they never lost their connection to the Celestials, they follow closely in those traditions, even as they split off into colonies and settlements of their own. It is considered a great honour to be accepted as guard of a Celestial, and those who attain such heights are said to be uplifted by ancient magic to serve as an eternal guardian of the divine.

Tropical Beastfolk — consisting of, but not limited to: cats, foxes, hares, and horses — left Tyrafin in order to find more suitable climates for thier people. Most settled upon the Southern Isles, where they became the prominent population. They no longer segment themselves upon animal heritage, instead surviving the deserts in large, multi-generational caravans led by swifts, regardless of origin. These broad family structures have created a structure that rewards deeds, rather than birth, to find success. D&D Equivalent: Aarakocra, Centaur, Harengon, Kenku, Owlin, Shifter, Tabaxi, etc. Lifespan: 55 - 75 (Temperate), 50 - 65 (Tropical) Sylvar Read Full ArticleLimited

Though not native to the Reach, the Sylvar nevertheless embody the stoneborn's stewardship over nature. They are a slow and methodical people who rarely leave the forests they have sworn to conserve. Life beyond the woods is a mystery to which most of their kind are apathetic, and those who do feel the call to adventure beyond are often drawn to sites of old magic and forests not their own, curious about what secrets await within.

They often have leathery skin and furry faces. Most resemble cervid, bovine, or bovid animals, most prominently in their noses and ears, often taking on more animalistic qualities. Some have horn stubs upon their heads, and many possess short tails.

D&D Equivalent: Firbolg Lifespan: 150 - 175 Years Children of Storm

The stormborn were created at the peaks of the Cradle of Life, scraping the heavens themselves to be imbued with the raw power of the storm. Wielding the arcane to craft the world around them, their civilizations oft lead the charge for change, growth, and development.

Elf — Ele'nar Read Full ArticleMajor

Believing themselves to be the true children of the Celestials, the Ele'nar (magic's chosen) brought the first empire to The Reach, due to their overwhelming population and said people's innate talent for wielding magic. Their history is storied and chronicled meticulously, yet their kingdom's downfall came suddenly and is mired in mystery. Modern day elves live in the shadow of that former greatness, their communities becoming less insular and more elves than ever leave their ancestral homes to partake in the world beyond their great spired cities.

Most elves still possess an affinity for magic, and those who wield the arcane are typically known as high elves. Those who have drifted from these more commonplace teachings, instead harnessing the powers of the elements and seasons, became the eladrin, who share tradition and customs with their former orcish neighbours. Their form adapts to the element they inhabit most closely — spring for air, summer for fire, autumn for earth, winter for water.

Another offshoot, known as drow sever their connection to the arcane in favour of the alluring power of the nexus itself, known as aether. They traverse through dreams, shadow, and the astral realms in hopes of reforging a connection to the plane cut off by the arrival of the Hierarchy. D&D Equivalent: Elf, Half-Elf, Eladrin, Drow, Shadar Kai Lifespan: 350 - 400 Years Human — Ele'sin Read Full ArticleMajor

Once defined by their inability to harness arcanum, the Ele'sin (magic's forsaken) instead carved a legacy of steel and blood to secure their place in a world that deemed them inferior. Initially elves exiled from their home, humanity spread in all directions, though the bulk commanded militant might over the continent now known as Ostea: home of the Elysian League, defenders of humanity's interests. After several generations without, the Seven Sisters reignited the latent spark of magic within them, tethering humanity's magical ability to their divine protection, allowing their already unparalleled growth to continue unfettered.

Known for their endless strategem and politicial maneuvering, the Elysian League is held in check by Ostea's sheer firepower in the form of the Arcane Assembly. The neighbouring countries — Rosegarden, Umbria, Viracruz, Rangarre, amongst others — have squabbles and clashes all their own, but cannot quite contend with the overwhelming force and threat posed by their current guardian.

Due to their sheer population numbers and adaptable biology, humans are often involved in the production of half-borne offspring. Most lineages, due to their creation, are capable of this interbreeding, resulting in half-elves, half-orcs, half-dwarves, amongst others. With humans, an uncommon but quite prominent genetic quirk — believed to be that adaptable and tireless human spirit — may manifest in the form of halflings, with all the spirit of a human contained in less than half the size.

D&D Equivalent: Human, Halfling Lifespan: 75 - 100 (Human), 60 - 90 (Halfling) Infernal Read Full ArticleMinor

The Infernal have existed at humanity's heel since they were first severed from the arcane, strange cambion born without warning. Some would manifest their devilish features from birth — unnatural complexions, horned nubs atop their heads, tails sprouted from their back — while others would be fortunate enough to wait until puberty to manifest these inhuman characteristics. Though once quite rare and only born to human parents, more and more infernal children are being birthed by any number of lineages, and their population has boomed as a result.

It is more common now for a family to accept their infernal offspring as one of their own, prejudice toward them still runs rampant amid more religious and insular communities. Despite their growing population, the lack of a centralized identity or community prevents them from establishing stronger footholds across Kerebos.

More than most, however, Infernal are driven both by the spirit of wanderlust and the desire to belong. On their journeys, many establish strong bonds with the people they travel with, and set down roots in the places they travel to. These found family units are a core part of Infernal tradition, and a sense of protectiveness is common even amongst strangers branded by their trademark features.

D&D Equivalent: Tiefling Lifespan: 85 - 110 Years Changeling Read Full ArticleLimited

Not even the changeling know where the changeling came from, but it is theorized they were created in the Manastorm itself. They are not born. Instead, they are simply brought into being, fully-shaped into their pallid, amorphous form. Naked, alone, and without memories of what came before, driven by a simple motivation: learn anything and everything they can.

A good changeling will go their entire life without revealing their true form, able to assimilate and adapt to any form or culture they must integrate themselves with. They are exceedingly rare, with exact population numbers next to impossible to predict. Fewer than one hundred have been unearthed, and those are only the ones recorded to history. Many seek answers as to their creation, others are driven by a thirst for the esoteric, puzzle-solvers and riddlers by their very nature. D&D Equivalent: Changeling Lifespan: 25 - 40 Years Fae Read Full ArticleMinor

At first glance, one might confuse a fae for one of the ele'nar — and while the similarities are uncanny, there exists one very key difference between the two: their size. At their largest, the fae may be half the size of their elven counterparts, but even that is an extreme for them. Most are much smaller, winged, and with a penchant for rhymes.

First originating beyond The Reach itself, they come from the Overgrowth, a parallel realm overrun with forests and magic. The forests of Kerebos bisect with this plane of existence, allowing the two to bleed together in places of partiular magical intersection. The Fae slipped through these barriers, first in the Greengold Forest where this connection first manifested, but then to other forests of the Reach, where the serve has stewards and caretakers for these pockets of the Overgrowth.

Stories of the fae courts and intrigue that exists beyond the veil are common, but few — if any — have ever ventured into the Overgrowth itself. Fae who leave the protection of their home, be it across the plane or within the confines of the forests upon Kerebos, find themselves considerably weaker than they might otherwise be, and few remain adrift from those protections for very long should they choose to venture beyond.

D&D Equivalent: Fairy Lifespan: 35 - 55 Years (Material Plane), Unknown (Overgrowth) Children of Sea

The seaborn were made within the gullies at the water’s edge within the Cradle of Life, held within the embrace of the tide and given blood from the seafoam. Many are isolated from their land-dwelling cousins, but more now seek to reconcile as corruption roots itself at the floor of the Arcane Sea.

Triton — Naga'nar Read Full ArticleLimited*

Isolated in the depths of the Arcane Sea, the Triton (sea's chosen) are an enigmatic people that choose to sequester themselves within their aquatic kingdoms rather then live alongside the rest of the Reach. Though they are capable of breathing on land, their physiology is better attuned to wet environments.

Few Triton willing choose to live on land. Most who become surface-dwellers are exiles from their kingdoms, choosing to relative safety of living among the landlubbers rather than risk surviving alone in the depths. Many will remain close to the sea, serving as guides or fishmongers in coastal towns, often overlooking the sites of their former home, refusing to speak of the reasons they left it behind.

For this reason, the Triton kingdoms are a mystery, even to those who live close-by. Most settlements are located along the northern shores of Andeve and southeast of Frostide, though clusters of communities can be seen across much of Kerebo' open waters.

D&D Equivalent: Triton Lifespan: 170 - 200 Years Selesi Read Full ArticleLimited*

While humans conquered present-day Ostea, the Selesi had long inhabited the realm beneath its surface. With kingdoms spanning deep beneath Kerebos' mantle, these serpentine people are territorial and untrusting of the humans who they believe seek to invade their kingdom. Though full-scale war has not broken out between the Elysian League and the Selesi Empire, skirmishes and scouting parties are not uncommon from both sides.

A handful of Selesi settlements exist upon the surface, typically at the base of the Sharktooth Mountains, inhabited by exiles from the sprawling empire below. The truth of their existence is muddied, but they claim to be descendants of rebels who once sought to overthrow a tyrannical King. Some wait for the day they are welcomed back into their lost society, serving as guards for a kingdom that has long abandoned them. Others seek an opportunity to finish the job enacted by their ancestors.

D&D Equivalent: Yuan-Ti Lifespan: 65 - 100 Years Lizardfolk Read Full ArticleMinor

While Tyranel's warm-blooded first children were content in the tundras of Tyrafin, their cold-blooded offspring left in search of better weather. It was these Lizardfolk who broke away first from their creators, casting off the society made for them and sailing southward, where the existed for centuries without interaction with their northern cousins.

The arrival of the Prime Dragon Hierarchy sparked revolution in Lizardfolk society. They saw the resemblance between the dragons and themselves, and the bulk of the population abandoned celestic worship in favour of drakirim. Now, many swear blind featly to the Hierarchy, with young warriors leaving their desert climate to sling steel in service of the dragons as mercenaries or soldiers, though they are not quite viewed as equals in the eyes of the 'true' dragonkin.

An amphibious offshoot of the Lizardfolk, the Grung, remained in Tyrafin. They cloak themselves in mud and reeds to remain warm in cold weather and take up spears in defense of their sacred swampland. But they are a simple, unrefined people, lacking the political nuance to take sides or engage in the conflicts of their homeland, preferring to be left alone. D&D Equivalent: Lizardfolk, Grung Lifespan: 25 - 40 Years (Lizardfolk), 12 - 15 Years (Grung) Tortle Read Full ArticleLimited*

Of the Reach's sentient species, only the Tortle are believed to have arrived before the Celestials. These sea-faring terrapin inhabit flotillas built from the shells of their ancient, gargantuan predecessors, sailing along the waters of the Arcane Sea. Here, they spin stories about ancient kingdoms, long-forgotten history, and scaled beasts that rival the legend of the Prime Dragons themselves.

It is easy to fall for the charismatic storytelling practiced by the Tortle, but important to remember that most of what they say is exaggerated, if not outright fabrication. Even the most trustworthy Tortle has a habit of embellishing the truth, blurring the line of what is fact and fiction — a frustrating reality for the most storied and long-living of the Reach's inhabitants. D&D Equivalent: Tortle Lifespan: 500+ Years Sunken — Naga'sin Read Full ArticleLimited

When the ele'sin were first cast off from the elven kingdoms, most sailed westward to Ostea. Some ships broke from the main armada and continued to sail for years in search of a new home, finding one within the seas themselves. The naga'sin (sea's forsaken) doomed themselves by sailing into the Manastorm itself and returned, centuries later, forever changed.

Haunted by the abyssal depths of the world beyond, their skin has become pallid and sunken against bone. They possess a strange, unique connection to the tide, speciailizing in magic which relies on the moon and frost to empower themselves. Very few Sunken exist, and those who do rarely leave their small fleet of ships commanded by tide sages and lunar priests.

They seek, above all, reconciliation with the elves who exiled them all those centuries ago — a request denied, time and time again. D&D Equivalent: Sea Elf, Vedalken Lifespan: 85 - 100 Years Children of Divinity

The celestials are the progenitors of life upon the Reach, arriving from an unknown place beyond the Manastorm and spreading their gift to the mortal creatures in their design. Though they are not revered as true Gods by most, Tyranel — the leader who brought them to the Reach in the first place — has been raised up to such status by many.

Celestial Read Full ArticleLimited*

The first Celestial arrived upon the Reach from beyond the Manastorm, where they had travelled for lifetimes in search of a cure for their leader, the fabled Tyranel. Though that cause was lost, they found shelter upon the Reach and crafted the other species in their image.

Now, they inhabit a space between divinity and mundanity. The remaining Celestials are not old enough to remember the world before, and their elders age and forget the finer details. It is said that, long ago, they were immortal beings, but the sickness which spread through their population led to that eternal life being lost. The current population is believed to be below 5000 in total, and a new Celestial has not been born in centuries.

They are bronze-skinned and broad shoulders, with wings upon their backs and hardened skin akin to stone. They bear piecemeal aspects of their creations: the frames of oro'kyr, the ears of ele'nar, the round faces of ele'sin, often standing at seven or eight feet tall.

D&D Equivalent: Aasimar Lifespan: 1500+ Years Ascendant Read Full ArticleLimited

The Ascendant are a second-generation creation of the Celestials, utiziling the remnants of magic presence in the Cradle of Life to — as the name implies — ascend their most faithful. Rather than a chimera of fauna and mortality, they are a product of primal and divine synthesis. They bear the golden skin and imposing heights of their Celestial creators, but are imbued with the grace and ferocity of the beastfolk.

It is considered a great honour to be ascended, allowing their creations to share in their divinity: a longer life, a persona connection to their celestic worship, enhanced ability and function. However, the ritual to perform ascension has nearly been lost to time, as those capable of performing the rites have begun to pass. Those who remain serve as faithful honour-guards and militant warriors to protect their creators.

D&D Equivalent: Ardling (pending inclusion) Lifespan: 300 - 350 Years Children of Dragons

The dragonspawn were created by the Hierarchy, either in theory or in practice, upon their arrival to Kerebos. They lack the same storied history of the native lineages of the Reach, but possess great influence and power due to their connection to the Dragons and their current rule.

Dragonkin Read Full ArticleMajor

The Dragonkin were forged in communion by the Prime Dragons, each imbuing a small sliver of their primordial power into the dormant creation magic within the Cradle of Life. These bipedal, scaled creations were born to be servants and soldiers, both obedient and skillful, intended to aid the Hierarchy in its rise to power. It is rare, but not unheard of, for Dragonkin to go rogue from their purpose. As the Prime Dragons further remove themselves from the day-to-day oversight, more lose faith in their creators and seek understanding and purpose beyond that.

As a people, they are just as varied as any other, but that is hidden behind the conformity and namelessness of Hierarchal control. As different as each of the five elemental classifications can be from one another, so too are they vastly different within themselves. As more time passes without the intervention of the Prime, the Dragonkin population stagnates: their breeding process is arduous and inefficient, as the expectation had always been their creators would aid in the safeguarding of clutches.

Alongside the Dragonborn were the kobold — small abominations of nature with the fiery fury of their ilk but none of the mass. A mutation, a remnant, of that first attempt at creation. They are impish and thoughtless, impulsive to a fault, and rarely alive long enough to see the error of their ways. Those who do live longer tend to be raised to the head of society, as few others are fit to lead.

D&D Equivalent: Dragonborn, Kobold Lifespan: 100 - 125 Years (Dragonkin), 3 - 5 Years (Kobold) Drakvos Read Full ArticleLimited

The Drakvos (dragonsworn, dragon oath) were created, not born. During the Upheaval, as the Prime Dragons sought allies to aid them in defeating the darkness which had followed them through the Wyrmhole, they promised power beyond imagination to those who would swear themselves to the cause. Many balked at the opportunity, but some daring souls swore fealty to the impossible, fantastical beasts. In return, they were granted powers beyond measure.

Drakvos refers to a specific mutation stemmed from that contract: those who, generations later, were born with oddly coloured skin and innate elemental attributes or, in rarer cases, with scaled flesh or small horns. A rare sight indeed, Drakvos nevertheless manifest unpredictably, in the lineages only of those who offered themselves to the Hierarchy. Though not as detested as the Infernal, Drakvos are not common understood and, by extension, are feared for their differences.

Drakvos of all four elements — fire, water, earth, and air — exist, and while different elements may manifest in the same bloodline, this is exceedingly rare. D&D Equivalent: Genasi Lifespan: 65 - 75 Years Caretaker Read Full ArticleLimited

The first Caretakers were built by Orenyr, the Warden of the Manastorm, to serve as guardians for the astral prison he maintains. Mortal beings could not exist therein without excruciating pain and torment, including the Dragonkin they had created to serve them. These are soulless constructs, mechanical minds which exist only to abide their protocol and programming. They are quite rare within Kerebos, but they have been known to wash up on shore at times.

It is said that a New Goldarran fisherman found one such Caretaker while trawling, and brought the automoton to Tvink to be examined by the gnomish tinkers there. Intrigued by the find, these tinkers worked alongside the Arcane Assembly of Ostea to reverse-engineer the construction and create their own band of these warforged creations: Wardens. Though the engineering is similar to Orenyr's creation, the mortal minds of tinker and assemblist, imbued their secretive construct with an additional measure: the souls of the lost, giving these creations an identity and free-will of their own.

Few know the true details of what means are used to create Wardens, but they have become more commonplace in the 400s DA. D&D Equivalent: Warforged Lifespan: Ageless Trivia

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