[Lore] Major Races of the Gryphon Vale

This is one of my favorite old school D&D artworks.

Humans [Lawful/Neutral/Chaotic]

    The most prolific human culture is that of the Valemen. Valemen are usually Lawful. These people have lived in the Gryphon Vale for centuries and call it their home. Generally, Valemen are fair skinned and will have brown hair ranging from light to dark. Their eyes are usually brown or hazel. Men, on average, stand at 5’9 and women stand at 5’4. The second human sub race is the Hillmen. Members of this sub race are usually Neutral. Hillmen form clans and tribes, favoring a nomadic and “barbarian” lifestyle over that of the more “civilized” Valemen. They are also quite strong and robust, usually standing at 5’11 for men and 5’6 for women. Generally, their hair color is blonde or lighter browns and their eyes tend to be blue or grey. The third human sub race would be the Moormen/Marshmen. These men tend towards Chaos and often make up the majority of bandit and brigand bands. As their name suggests, these men generally settle in the moor/marsh that is home to a number of unsavory monsters. Moormen have sallow skin, black hair, brown or green eyes, and wide mouths. Men typically reach 5’7 and women 5’2.

Elves [Neutral/Chaotic]

    Elves are long lived, aloof, and fairly short creatures. They don’t seem to care or understand the problems of Man. Elves stand at 5’ to 5’6 and have graceful, slender physiques. Their skin is white, and their hair is a silvery blue color. Their eyes are usually grey, blue, green, or yellow. Their features are delicate and angled. Elves typically weigh 120 lbs. Elves live for about 1,000 years and reach maturity around the same age as humans do but start to age incredibly slowly once they reach adulthood. They also frequently kidnap human children and replace them with their own. These Elf children are called changelings and until the changeling reaches childhood (5-10 years old), humans have no chance of telling them apart from human children. It’s at this age that their physical and magical differences become more apparent. This phenomenon has led to negative attitudes towards Elves and Faerie-folk in general. Some people, however, will raise the Elf as their own child. Elves also tend to live in crystal palaces and castles far away from other settlements deep within old forests where they are free to frolic and feast at their leisure. Most Elves don’t care much for advancement, yet they still make impressive warriors and sorcerers. Their long life span also reinforces their already aloof nature since they will undoubtedly outlive their non elf companions, leading them to be very insular and rarely adventuring with other races.

Dwarves [Neutral/Lawful]

    Dwarves are a proud, strong, and short race of expert craftsmen and warriors. They stand at about 4’ tall and have earth-colored skin with dark brown, grey, or black hair. Dwarves also have very long beards, that have great sentimental and cultural value to them. Often, these beards tell of Dwarven history through the various braids that style them. Each braid has a specific meaning and Dwarves take great care to display their beard. Dwarves also have long lifespans, though not as long as Elves, usually living for about 300 years. In this time they will devote much of their energy to different professions and crafts. They make excellent miners and builders which allows them to charge a high price to non Dwarves for their services. They also weigh about 150 lbs on average. Dwarves value gold and kin above all else. Their greed and loyalty has been known to get them involved in many difficult and unpleasant situations. Their desire for gold is only barely more insatiable than their desire for strong ale. Loyalty and tradition are key pillars of Dwarven society and a Dwarf that goes against either, is not seen as a Dwarf at all. The elder Dwarves keep great tomes of the history of all Dwarf kind, carefully tracking those who have been kind and especially those who have done them wrong. If you befriend a Dwarf, you will have a friend for life, but if you anger a Dwarf, you will have an enemy for life (which is sure to be short as Dwarves will stop at nothing to achieve vengeance).

Halflings [Lawful]

    Halflings are small, gentle folk that prefer the comforts of their shires over a life of adventure. Some, however, are more outgoing than others usually in an attempt to gain more of those home comforts that they’ve grown so fond of. Generally, Halflings have curly hair, pointed ears, large hairy feet, and little to no facial hair with the exception of side burns and some mustaches. Their hair colors range from blonde to black and their skin is fair to ruddy, sometimes with freckles as well. Their average height is only 3’ and usually weigh about 60lbs. The average lifespan of a Halfling is about 150 years. Despite their small stature and general desire for comfort, Halflings, can actually make great adventurers and companions. They are skilled at hiding and using ranged weapons. Halflings will also always carry some pipeleaf with them. Halflings will usually be friendly to outsiders although they are weary of them. Sharing a hearty meal, or three, with a Halfling will likely result in a friendship which can last a lifetime. Even after knowing a Halfling for so long they will still be sure to surprise you as Halfling society tends to be very isolated and private.