Races (Grisaire Supplement)
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The following races are all playable in this setting. Many of them are homebrew and so require caution when using. Official races have also been mixed in. The lore for races in Grisaire will typically differ from that written on the race page, though some will follow the lore.
Common Races[edit]
These races are generally accepted as "commonplace." They don't raise much of any eyebrows anywhere in the world. That is not to say that they are extremely populous, but they may have been established as a sort of mainstay in the world, such that their existence and presence is not surprising.
- Anthromals
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Humanoid animal creatures are believed to be descendants of worshipers of Darakan'ta that were changed either from human into animal or from animal into human. They are diverse in shape and size, and scattered across the world. Kitsune, neko, and pandarin are usually found on the east hemisphere while the other subraces are usually native to the western nations.
Cijelese are inhabitants of the city-state of Cijel. They formerly occupied a forest kingdom in the area of modern-day Zesh and Igribus. Nations with technological advancement destroyed their original homes, forcing them to migrate southward to the Doru Islands, where they live to this day in a new Cijel. They are highly suspicious of technology and automation, viewing it as unnatural and harmful to the environment.
Creations of Tarekaya, the dragonborn are a population primarily located in the eastern hemisphere of Grisaire. They are the largest population of Lozor and have other communities along the Sand Belt trade route, all the way onto the southeastern shores of the Endix continent. Dragonborn are a highly versatile people who live with dedication to their ancestry. They live in clans that have since largely consolidated on Lozor, forming the central Council of Dragons. Fringe clans still exist who either live isolated from society or with the ideals of being individually governed.
A small minority of dragonborn are present on Endix, like in Aerzale. Ongana had done so with permissions from Tarekaya to observe the differences that would develop between the west and east dragonborn. If the DM desires to make this difference mechanical, Endixian dragonborn can use their breath weapon, but Lozorian dragonborn instead get a cantrip appropriate for their scale color. For example, red Lozorian dragonborn would get fire bolt, while blue Lozorian dragonborn get shocking grasp.
The dwarven peoples are known to live around the northern areas of Endix, spread across Premius and Adum. They are also located near the giant territories and further south, north of the Frontier. Their cultures are tied mainly to mountains and the secrets withheld in those ridges. Dwarven stonecraft is the best in all of Grisaire. Various clans of dwarves are spread throughout the world and grew up in different environments, making some of them distinct subraces.
- Hill Dwarf
- Mountain Dwarf
- Duergar
Elves are a fairly common race alongside humans. They are heavily dispersed rather than having total overwhelming numbers. They are known to live mainly within forested places, keeping to themselves from other races and their civilizations. The only real known city considered an Elvish settlement is in Igribus. Elves in Grisaire are similar to those in 4th edition, rather than 4th edition eladrin. They are highly nature-oriented, as well as traditional and spiritual, with traditions passed through their long lifespans. That is not to say that they are not sometimes haughty about their status. They do not have their own separate pantheon in Grisaire, but worship a majority of the nature-oriented gods.
This makes them somewhat unique in this setting, as elves are not solely worshippers of typical nature like trees and forests. They also respect forces of nature like the sea and lightning, leading them to pay respects to gods like Tarekaya, as well as the Old Ones. How they pledge themselves to these forces in nature is what explains the vast amount of different elven subraces in Grisaire, as the natural aspects show themselves in the elves. Elves are interpreted to be highly sensitive to their environments, being able to take on its attributes. As a result, many elves turn out to be sorcerers or become druids. The spread of elves around the world reflects how versatile they can be and many worship different aspects of the same gods as the locals. Below is a brief snapshot of the subraces intended for use in the Grisaire setting:
- Drow
- Eladrin
- Sea elves
- Wood elves
- Pallid elves
- Avariel
The gnomes are a people tied to ingenuity and craftsmanship of the irregular kind. Most of their populations lie on west Endix, in Engal and Premius. They have since spread a bit to Aerzale as well and are known for their tinkering expertise.
Specific to the island of Lozor are a race of shapechanging, sapient animals known as hengeyokai. Unlike Anthromals, hengeyokai are able to change into human forms rather than having properties of being in between. They are known to be followers of the faiths of M'iaq as well as Darakan'ta.
Monstrous Races[edit]
The term "monstrous civilian" refers largely to the races legally classified in Grisaire as "monstrous." It is a politically coined term to differentiate races that have the infamous connotations of being ne'er-do-wells or have very bad reputations. The list differs based on locale, but there were some that recur in being marginalized or picked out as an undesirable presence in society. There were laws passed to protect these races following the end of the March of Gears, and they are generally now much better off.
The page used for this race is the gnoll race, but hyenafolk carry none of the usual stigma as horrific cultists of Yeehongu in this setting. Rather, hyenafolk are a race known to populate the savannah's of Edim. They are ruled in a clan system by a matriarch and have highly spiritual culture entwined with battle and death. As of recent, they are known to skirmish with the leonin who live around the same area. In history, the leonin commonly treated hyenafolk as tributary peoples, and hyenafolk had to share resources with the leonin due to the latter's higher military might. There is some bad blood between the two that was never resolved.
Hyenafolk culture is highly divergent from the fanaticism of gnolls. While they are ruled by a matriarch, a clan is ultimately able to decide if a matriarch is too weak to lead. In such situations, a new matriarch usually arises from a coup. Not all coups are violent and some result in peaceful surrender by the previous matriarch. As a buffer against this, the matriarch usually tries to surround herself with the strongest females in the clan. These are known as her Hunter Guard. In addition to being her closest entrusted, they also help protect the clan in times of strife.
Death is a subject hyenafolk know well as scavengers. Similar to lizardfolk, hyenafolk do not abhor cannibalism. To them, it is better to die and be devoured so one's body may have use until the very end, even as nourishment for another. It is, however, a great disgrace to be eaten by an enemy of the clan. Hyenafolk will usually eat even bones of the deceased, but they specifically leave skulls intact as a sort of rite. This does not preclude them from wearing the skull themselves, particularly if they are that of an enemy. As such, warrior hyenafolk will often adorn their clothes with the bones they did not eat. Shamans in a hyenafolk clan are also supposedly able to divine fortunes and draw the strength of the dead from bones. In fact, there is a lost art of making certain weapons and armor of bone imbued with the soul of the dead from the hyenafolk.
- Goblinoids
Goblins, hobgoblins, and bugbears are the goblinoid host races. They were created by Igu-Rab-Ichi and M'iaq's collaborations and largely are populated on the upper region of Grisaire. Most of them call Zesh home, though they are also located in Adum and Premius. Goblins once were more prevalent in the Premier Force, but the experimentation by Griks Zalow had forced them to move eastward, where they live in the wilderness areas as skulkers of the woods. Hobgoblins are often military masters who work in higher levels of government as war advisors and tacticians. Bugbears are scattered in free-roaming tribes that live as nomads.
Goliaths are hardy humanoids found in the snowy, harsh conditions of Grisaire. This includes the frosty ranges in Adum as well as Premius. They are known to be hardcore survivalists with a very punishing culture that awards strength and shirks the weak.
Grung are a race of poisonous frog-like people found in Engal and remote marshes located in Khaire. They are known to be very good at utilizing poison in their traps as hunters and build their communities along the waterways.
In Grisaire, yuan-ti are creations of Resoolt and Tarekaya, as a project of reconciliation between the two gods after Resoolt lost her powers to create. She instead gave her plans to Tarekaya to make. Tarekaya used the base of drakes and made them appear less draconic, making them more serpentine by removing their legs. Resoolt imbued them with craftiness and had them merged with a humanoid form in her design. Thus, even if they could not fly or breathe fire, they had the tools needed to surpass the typical sort of dragons. As part of Resoolt's design, yuan-ti are highly competitive creatures with less care for others and not necessarily kindred with even their own. However, unlike the Forgotten Realms, yuan-ti are not cultist worshippers of evil gods in Grisaire. They instead live alongside dragonborn as the fourth largest population on Lozor, in various villages. Long family trees of yuan-ti have founded powerful clans that practice mystical arts of magic and poison-making. They are a respected and feared group of mystery, to say the least. Fewer yuan-ti communities lie off the island, though a decent amount of them live on the southeastern portion and isles of Endix, in Edim and even Khaire.
- Purebloods and Halfbloods
Yuan-ti purebloods are often able to pass as humans. However, because yuan-ti are not a maligned race in Grisaire, malisons, or halfbloods, do not experience a surplus of discrimination or prejudice for their appearance. There is distrust about them due to the mysterious magics they are known to practice, including ancient shamanism and rites involving poison, however. Yuan-ti warlocks, sorcerers, and druids are very common classes among both halfbloods and purebloods, drawing on their draconic and serpentine blood and craftiness. Purebloods tend to have a more religious community than halfbloods, performing daily to weekly worship of the Spire Queen and Twin Dragons. Halfbloods are more ritualistic, with set regimens and dates among their communities to prove their strength and constitution in contest.
Naturally Exotic Races[edit]
Races that are naturally exotic tend to carry lots of different stigmas with them, be they ominous portents or reputations and inscrutable mystique. They are not Artificial Races, but naturally occurring or produced by even divine means. They generally do not have as much negative perceptions as Monstrous Races, but they will be standouts in many places.
- Antaeud
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Dryads are the descendants of an avatar that Darakan'ta sent to the mortal realm millennia ago. They are considered ancestral deviants to the cijelese, who are a supposed dryad variant that gained more human properties. Dryads are highly dependent on the forests of the world and they work tirelessly to defend them. Dryads are solely female in form on Grisaire, and they often appear as beautiful women who beseech woodcutters to spare their trees. However, when their pleas go unheard, a dryad can become a vengeful spirit who pursues the offender to no end. Following the technological pollution of Premius on its own soil, forests in west Endix have largely been decimated, with many ending up dead patches like the Rabinswald. Dryads who used to live there have either died or fled to tell others of the dangers to come from greed and limitless curiosity.
A race of wily fox-like, dragon beings, the fox'smanuh are largely native to Lozor, where they are believed to have been created by Tarekaya and |Darakan'ta in collaboration. These creatures are able to disguise themselves to trick others and are extremely intelligent and charismatic. While they could certainly take public office, they often like to dabble in business instead and prefer the freedom to dupe suckers as they please. As such, hard-working people don't like them very much, seeing them as nothing more than swindlers looking for easy living.
Galapians are draconic turtle people who dwell primarily in the countries of Aerzale and a small portion in Lozor.
These strange ovine humanoids dwell in the cold parts of the world and their surroundings, typically around the slopes of the Regis Range on Endix. They are said to have been created by Plegothos the Watcher. They avoid areas of hot climate when they go on their pilgrimage, but they always return to the mountains where they were born at least once a year. They are said to know secrets of the world, including that of history erased. This has unfortunately made them politically embroiled many a time. Many of them are core members of the Secret Keeper Society.
Irotori are native avians to the island nation of Lozor, where they populated the various bamboo forests as flightless birds. They were created by Ongana as a sort of varied race to compose their own self-sufficient society. She color-coded them according to the roles they represent: red for warriors, green for travelers, blue for general magic, white for academics, and black for esoteric.
Born of the legendary Akaei, the jinei are stingray-like people who originate from the island of Lozor.
These chimerical humanoids look like a mishmash of various animals and are native to the Barrya jungle of Khaire, where they guard the sacred tree of Eriath and produce legendary Barrya nectar.
The panda dragons are a mysterious race said to have lived high above the clouds in the mystical bamboo forest of Lozor. For reasons unknown, some of them came below the clouds to live among mortals, even creating pandas in the process.
Tritons populate shores in the north and south Grisarian shores, primarily in the Northern Gulf and the Kharian Gulf touching Khaire, Engal, Aerzale, and the northern Barrens. They are stewards of the waters and provide guidance to ships. In olden times, they would attack fishermen when the seas were being overfished for oils. They still bear suspicion of the land-dwellers to this day, particularly given the waste products flushed down river from Premius.
These wooden constructs populate forests of Adum and Zesh. Their tribes are small but cover large territories of woodlands as guardians. During the March of Gears, they served as the natural line of defense against deforestation efforts by the Premier Force. To this day, they remain adamant opposers to weaponization and industrialization of cities. In Grisaire, they believe their true origin to be the Heart Root in Selif, Adum's capital.
Following the death of the esquidna, sea life mutated from contact with the titan creature's blood, creating chimerical new beings. The most prominent among them are the xolpecans. These people are born with a natural affinity for the seas and often become sailors or even pirates.
Bizarre Races[edit]
Races that are bizarre are so rare that they are like yeti or bogeymen. Their appearance makes people extremely confused what they are, where they are from, and how they even came to be. They are so rarely seen that they lack much of any reputation, good or bad, save whispers. They may be divinely designed races, but do not necessarily carry good or bad portents. The main thing is that they are rare sights to behold and usually very few in numbers.
"Crying hosts" are the protectors of children. Born via tragedy, it is believed they were originally risen by Survelem.
The equinar are a creation of Ongana, being made to be impartial watchers of the world.
The kra'akas are a plant-based life form from the Doru Islands. They are known to also inhabit former ruins in the beaches of Khaire, where they vigilantly foster the local plant populations.
Created from parts of Manus Infinitum, the mani degradus are a strange race of humanoids shaped of hands. They are known to be very *handy*
This race consists of strange, candy people that were made by a legendary, whimsical lich...
Born of fallen stardust, the sunborn are associated with the goddess Ongana, who created them to be supposed beacons among mortals.
A race of monstrous humanoids dwelling in the cold, the yeti are said to hail from the Frigid Wastes. They are often seen as reclusive, primitive beings not to be trusted, having come from outside lands of civilization and morality.
This mysterious race of plant-like simulacrums of humans was born from a strange fungus-like slime that Drakan'ta used as a servant, known as zantin. Supposedly, zantin were punishing creatures to anyone curious enough to have eaten them, as they would slowly deteriorate their body and turn them into a plant while releasing their soul. They are an old race of plants, as zantin are believed to have grown extinct back in the Tide Pool Era. However, zanthani were able to reproduce by spreading their spore-like secretions on plant matter to create their own offspring, so they continued to thrive without zantin.
As would be expected of a plant race, zanthani are highly connected to nature and sensitive to damage in the wild world around them. During the March of Gears, zanthani collaborated with much of the Crescent Alliance to contain the Premier Force threat as soldiers and spies. Following the dismantling of the Premier Force, zanthani roamed most of the forests as guardians, particularly that of the Premius-Zesh border. They are seen as creepy often, but they are also recognized as a line of defense in case Premius should attempt to realize their old intentions.
Artificial Races[edit]
These races are primarily constructed by civilization or born through some other manufactured method, like rituals or experiments.
The inkbonds, also known as inkbonded or inkbound, are nebulous and mysterious creatures made of, well, ink. They are born from unused magic books and subsist off devouring magical knowledge from other books. It is of high consensus that the inkbond origin is that of Tribore, what with him being a god of knowledge as well as arcana. It is, however, also theorized that they came about from the Veil's chaotic will, which exists without a true purpose or direction. This chaos spawned life from pages and ink thought to be inanimate, thus creating the inkbond race. Some also say the inkbond were made with lost magic as a means to destroying magical texts, likely by powerful magicians themselves. Because of this obscure method of production, inkbonds are not very common sights. They have largely been sighted only in places of old magic, where arcane powers may have lain for millennia forgotten, like in Lozor or Khaire.
The lichkin are a race created by Illit Rhyzor, a legendary priest of Survelem and a powerful necromancer. They are unique to Hagai and are born from the necrotic energies seeping from Illit's tomb, where the necromancer sleeps.
A race created by corrupted gems that gain sentience of their own. They were manufactured originally by Kharim elite to be guardians. Following the uptick in diamond prices and introduction of cheaper construct recipes, their production declined and their use phased out. They wander as free beings, though anachronisms.
A race created by scientist Griks Zalow using his own goblin brethren and spider properties.
Another race created by scientist Griks Zalow. This is believed to be a different product of his porcine arachnid research, which had yielded the spider pig.
| Grisaire Campaign Settingv | ||||||||
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Players Guide | Races, Backgrounds & Languages, Classes, Spells & Magic, Downtime Activities, Feats | ||||||
| World of Grisaire | History, The World, Society, Cosmology, Religion | |||||||
| Dungeon Master's Guide | About, Treasure, Bestiary, Tables, Help, Adventures, NPCS, Variant Rules | |||||||
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