Races

Common

These are the peoples of Lydera who most frequently associate with humans and live peacefully in their cities.

Humans (default)

By default, characters created in Archsoul are human. They have dominated the lands for years, driven by individuality and a desire to improve. Though their lack of a unifying Archsoul has led to a long history of infighting, the individual drive of healthy competition (and unhealthy greed, depending on who you ask) has brought mankind far.

Humans tend to average 1.8 meters tall for men and 1.6 meters tall for women. Their hair colors vary greatly from region to region - even exotic reds, greens, and blues are possible in some regions - and they tend to adopt hairstyles and body piercings that reflect either their origins or the fashions of their current homes. Humans are also unusually dimorphic, with men and women being far more different in build and proportions than most races.

Base move speed: 3
Base defense: 2
Base skill points: 30

Soulless

Every now and then, a human is born entirely without a soul. Rather than becoming a ghast, however, such individuals adapt to the deficiency, developing a complete void that renders them entirely separate from the arcane world.

Soulless do not have a Soulpower score. Any attempt to make a roll that utilizes Soulpower automatically fails, and they can never use any form of soul magic. When assigning stats at character creation, you rank your attributes from 3 to 6.
Soulless are completely immune to soul attacks, as well as any attack that requires a Soulpower defense roll. They also cannot be detected by magic, such as through Clairvoyance.
Soulless are otherwise considered human for all effects and abilities.
Base move speed: 3
Base defense: 2
Base skill points: 30

Fallen

(Other names: Incubus [for males], Succubus [for females])

Brought into the world by ancient and horrible experiments, the fallen are humans attached to a fragmented and poisoned Archsoul. While this has shaped them over many generations to be beautiful and cunning, they have also become frail and hedonistic. They usually try to blend in to human society, seeking power and pleasure at any cost. Those few who make themselves known do so as craven warlords, earning a foul reputation for the few fallen who seek to act against their evil nature.

Fallen tend to be taller than humans, incubi especially so. They have clear skin and well-defined facial features with lithe frames and very little body hair. Their skin colors tend towards lighter shades and their hair tends towards a more exotic appearance, but they run the same range of possibilities as normal humans. The one defining mark of a fallen, however, is a subtle pattern of lines on the fallen's back, often resembling an intricate tattoo. These patterns tend to evoke the look of roaring flames, running water, or electrical arcs.

Soulpower and Intellect increase by 1.
Endurance decreases by 1.
The Willpower and Resolve skills require twice as many skill points to advance in.
Access to the Fallen Wings and Burst of Might abilities.
Base move speed: 3
Base defense: 1
Base skill points: 30

Goblins

As the only openly non-human beings found in most cities, goblins exist as society's outliers. When attempts to enslave them went wrong due to their tendency to literally die of boredom, humans learned that goblins will cling to obscure hobbies with manic devotion to amuse themselves. While many goblins live in far-flung villages or wandering bandit tribes, those who choose well-respected obsessions will often find themselves as master tradesmen in great cities.

Goblins usually stand about 1.4 meters tall for both men and women, but they tend to slouch significantly. Their facial features are large and bulbous, with pointed ears and protruding chins on heads that sometimes seem too large to fit on their shoulders. While goblin hair colors are usually limited to black and dark grey, their skin tones vary from ashen white, pitch black, deep browns and greens, and even red or yellow. Goblins tend to prefer practicality to fashion (to the extent that many are perfectly content wearing nothing at all), but those who do care will take full advantage of the ample jewelry opportunities their large heads provide.

Precision increases by 1.
Athletics decreases by 1.
Goblins must select any one activity or hobby to be their obsession. Goblins separated from their obsessions for a full day cannot recover Drain. For every full week of separation, they suffer exhaustion that cannot be removed except by indulging in their obsessions for at least 8 hours. Tangential activities, like a fighting-obsessed goblin training with a practice dummy, may stave off the onset of fatal boredom but cannot stop it.
The difficulty of rolls made to resist exhaustion while performing obsession related activities decreases by 2.
Base move speed: 3
Base defense: 2
Base skill points: 35

Fey

The fey are creatures who are connected through special Archsouls, unique to each fey people. These function like a hive mind, unifying each type of fey in emotion and sometimes even in thought, especially in any place where many fey are brought together. They are extremely reclusive, avoiding humans at all cost and using the powers of their Archsouls to keep it that way.

Fairies

Once the great kings of the Fey, fairies are the most strongly connected to their Archsoul.

Fairies can vary greatly in height, but none stand taller than 1 meter. They have slight frames that appear emaciated by human standards. Their colorfully scaled insect-like wings spread out to a wingspan longer than the fairy's height and can shrink slightly when folded. While their appearance can be described as almost insect-like overall, with small mouths and large multicolored eyes, some fairies can resemble young humans with bright eyes. Their skin tones and hair colors can seemingly be nearly any color imaginable, but with a tendency to favor greens and browns. Most do not see a need for clothing, but simple cloaks, robes, dresses, and mantles are used sometimes to indicate rank or profession.

Athletics and Soulpower decrease by 1.
Fairies can only wield weapons that are specially sized for them. Such weapons, including unarmed attacks, have their base damage values reduced by 2 (potentially into the negatives, in which case they can only do damage with a high Athletics score, Weapon Mastery, or similar) and lose all advantages against armor. Melee weapons created for them cannot have a range longer than 1.
Fairies can fly up to 3 meters off the ground. This causes 1 Drain per minute.
Access to the Burst of Might, Illusory Bluff, Hive Meditation, Command Earth, and Floating Lights abilities.
Base move speed: 2
Base defense: 3
Base skill points: 30

Sprites

(Other names: Pixies, Spirits)

Ephemeral at the best of times, the motivation of a sprite is often very hard to read - perhaps a symptom of being only half physical. They tend to prefer order over chaos and boredom over excitement, seeing unchanging routine as the natural way of things. Their magic greatly contributes to how the fey have remained hidden from humans for centuries, and those humans who stray too close to fey lands are often slain by sprite warriors.

Sprites are the shortest of all the fey, standing slightly shorter than the average fairy. Their wings, while similar to a fairy's, tend to be larger and only colored in shades of blue and white. The greatest difference between the two, however, is that sprites have translucent blue skin that reveals white bones and clear blood. Some will grow gossamer white hair that drifts in the lightest breeze, but most are entirely hairless. Their eyes appear to be pits of white or blue light and their facial features are unnaturally small or missing entirely. Their bodies in general appear to be slightly blurry, as if perpetually out of focus.

While all of the options listed on this page are non-standard and require Game Master approval, sprites specifically are capable of circumventing traditional gameplay in ways that no other characters can. Discretion is strongly advised.

Sprites do not have an Athletics score. Any attempt to make a roll that utilizes Athletics automatically fails. When assigning stats at character creation, you rank your attributes from 3 to 6.
Sprites cannot wield weapons or wear armor and are immune to being grappled, knocked over, and entangled.
Soul Specializations require one less skill point per rank. Sprites cannot take ranks in Mobility.
Sprites emit a constant dull glow, about equivalent to a candle light.
Sprites can fly up to 3 meters off the ground and can pass through thin barriers of paper, dirt, or other light material.
Access to the Illusory Bluff and Floating Lights abilities. They also automatically know the ritual Mage's Pocket, with the adjustment that they may use it on a single item lifted by Telekinesis instead of a single handheld item.
Base move speed: 1
Base defense: 5
Base skill points: 30

Gnomes

Perhaps the most like-minded of the fey, gnomes almost universally strive for simple lives of artistic self-expression - even those who don't will always find solace in beautiful things. They are fiercely tied to their communities and thrive in the company of close friends.

Gnomes stand about 1.3 meters tall, with men slightly broader in build than women. Their skin tones roughly match those of humans, but the occasional green, red, or blue skinned gnome is not unheard of. Gnomish hair is tremendously varied in both texture and color, and they tend to grow hair very quickly. Men grow facial hair from a young age that sometimes grows in a different color from the hair on their heads. They have large heads for their size, but not as uncomfortably large as that of a goblin. Their facial features are also enlarged, particularly their color-changing eyes. They tend to accentuate this larger-than-life appearance with outlandish fashion and magnificently crafted hats.

Athletics decreases by 1.
Access to the Floating Lights ability.
Base move speed: 2
Base defense: 3
Base skill points: 40

Dwarfs

(Other names: Giants, Mountain Elders)
Contrary to many accounts by humans, dwarfs are naturally a tall and mighty people, rivaled in physical stature only by the original trolls. Despite this, their physical size can vary at will - a trait they use to navigate subterranean environments. Despite a deadly aversion to sunlight, they still find joy in exploration and often annoy the other fey with their fascination with humans.

Dwarfs stand 2.1 meters tall on average with extremely broad and muscular builds. Their thick hair grows early and quickly, with men and women alike wearing long beards. Their hair tends to be darker than human hair, with most having earthy shades of brown. Dwarf skin tones similarly take on darker shades than humans, but they may also have deep stone-like grays or even dull purples. While their broad facial features are superficially similar to those of a human, they have smaller and darker eyes that are heavily deep-set. To humans, this comes across as charming and unnerving in equal measure. Their clothing tends to be very loose and must be fastened together with cords and belts to enable their size-changing abilities, but many do their best to emulate the high fashion of ancient human kingdoms.

Athletics increases by 2.
Endurance and Intellect increase by 1.
Precision and Soulpower decrease by 1.
Dwarfs may shrink at will to just over half their regular height. This change takes about one minute, as does transforming back to normal size.
Exposure to direct sunlight causes 2 damage per round. If this damage results in unconciousness, the dwarf dies and is turned to stone. Heavy clothing and/or long hair can reduce this damage by half. A Dwarfen Suncloak can prevent it altogether.
Base move speed: 3
Base defense: 2
Base skill points: 30

Others

These peoples are either highly secluded from the world or just exceptionally rare. They tend to turn heads wherever they go, as most are only thought of as creatures of local myth.

Trollbloods

(Other names: Brutes, Beastmen, Orcs)

Though trolls were wiped from the world long ago, their overlooked half-human descendants still remain. Their troll blood leaves them short-lived and poor at magic, but their colossal strength is unmistakable - often to their detriment when they are forced to deal with humans.

Trollblood men average 2 meters in height and women average 1.8 meters. Men and women are both equally broad and muscular in build with coarse dark body hair. Their skin tones run a range similar to human hair colors, but with the addition of murky shades of green. Most are pied, having colored blotches or stripes along their bodies. Many do not grow any hair on their heads, but those that do will often shave it into patterns that incorporate tattoos and scars. Their faces are broad, usually with underbites and deeply set eyes. Their large mouths are full of sharp teeth and a black forked tongue. Most are used to wearing armor at all times, often preferring leather and animal hides they have personally harvested or iron they have personally forged.

Athletics increases by 2.
Soulpower, Endurance, and Intellect decrease by 1.
Trollbloods have feral looking features and gravelly voices that increase the difficulty of rolls made to peacefully interact with humans by up to 2 but decrease the difficulty of Intimidation skill rolls made to scare humans by 1.
Base move speed: 4
Base defense: 3
Base skill points: 25

Woodlanders

(Other names: Catfolk, Wolfmen, Wulvers, Psoglav, Kitsune, Satyrs, and many others)

Woodlanders are humans that display animal characteristics, usually of cats, wolves, or foxes. They find cities uncomfortable due to their sensitive ears and noses, preferring the wilderness or the outskirts of society. Nothing is known of their history or origins, as no woodlander civilizations have ever been documented.

Woodlanders are nearly identical in appearance in many ways to humans, though they are generally slightly shorter and more slender in build. However, any number of their regular features are replaced, seemingly at random, with those of an animal. This almost always includes fluffy ears at the top or sides of the head, a tail at the base of the spine, and long claws at the ends of their slightly shortened fingers. Sometimes they can have an animal-like leg structure, hunched shoulders, a black tongue, fur along the legs or forearms, or any number of other changes. While these traits are usually hereditary, they do not have to be. Those that live around humans tend to dress the same way as them (either highlighting or downplaying their animal features), but those that live in the wild dress as minimally as they can - though they tend to avoid outright nudity.

Endurance decreases by 1.
Senses skill rolls have their difficulty reduced by 1.
Unarmed attacks have a base damage of 3 and no penalties against armor.
Some woodlanders have pronounced teeth, reflective eyes, and a naturally growling voice. At character creation, you may choose to posses these traits, increasing the difficulty of rolls made to peacefully interact with humans by up to 2 but decreasing the difficulty of Intimidation skill rolls made to scare humans by 1.
Base move speed: 3
Base defense: 2
Base skill points: 25

Sirens

(Other names: Shark-men, Merfolk, Nagas)

Sirens are aquatic pack hunters who form tribes in the depths of the oceans. Their ancient legends of flying predators give them a fear of the surface world, making them highly reclusive. To most humans, they are nothing more than the daydreams of drunken sailors.

Siren men stand about 1.8 meters tall, with women standing around 1.9 meters. They have smooth blue-grey scales along their entire bodies and tend to have slender frames with nearly no fat. Instead of hair, some sirens have anemone-like growths along the head and spine. Their legs have a lot of skin that tends to sag when outside of the water, but underwater it allows them to hold their legs together to form a seamless, serpent-like tail. This is aided by their unique knees, which can bend both forwards and backwards freely. They do not wear clothing underwater and tend to not wear jewelry, but some will wear loose and flowing pants or skirts on land to hide their bizarre legs and awkward gait.

Athletics, Endurance, and Precision increase by 1.
Intellect decreases by 1.
Attack rolls and vision-based skill rolls made in bright sunlight have their difficulty increased by 1.
Skill rolls made to avoid being knocked down have their difficulty increased by 1.
Senses skill rolls made underwater have their difficulty reduced by 2.
Sirens have a higher base speed underwater, can swim at their full base speed, and cannot drown.
Some sirens have significantly more pronounced jaws with rows of sharp teeth. At character creation, you may choose to posses this trait, increasing the difficulty of rolls made to peacefully interact with humans by up to 2 but decreasing the difficulty of Intimidation skill rolls made to scare humans by 1.
Base move speed: 2 (3 underwater)
Base defense: 2
Base skill points: 30

Gargoyles

Gargoyles are ancient golems with unknown origins, usually found in old burial grounds as lifeless husks. When magically animated, they attract unusually free-thinking spirits to posses them, giving them a sense of purpose and free will. They tend to be slow but decisive, often carrying an otherworldly sense of morality that seems completely foreign to the creatures of Lydera.

Gargoyles are tremendously varied in construction. Most stand about the height of a human with a 2-meter wingspan and masculine features, but some are built to look more feminine, more androgynous, or more beast-like. Gargoyle skin is either metallic or stony and tends towards various shades of gray, but colors and patterns are common. Many have decorative marks indicating a specific job, such as warpaint markings for a fighter or built-in measuring rulers for a craftsman. Under this outer layer lies a confusing mess of gears, plates, wires, and pipes.

Gargoyles do not have an Endurance score. Any attempt to make a roll that utilizes Endurance automatically succeeds. When assigning stats at character creation, you rank your attributes from 3 to 6. Gargoyles are immune to exhaustion and do not need to eat, sleep, or breathe.
Precision and Intellect decrease by 1.
Gargoyles have 2 hardness.
Gargoyles can only ride mounts capable of holding three or more passengers due to their incredible weight.
Gargoyles can glide from high places, travelling 2 meters forwards for every 1 meter dropped. Gargoyles take no fall damage if given room to spread their wings.
Gargoyle characters do not begin with a background. They still have origin stories and can hold jobs and be trained, but their slow and stoic natures tend to be less personally affected by these life experiences.
ATE: Hardened. A gargoyle is never considered unarmored.
Base move speed: 2
Base defense: 4
Base skill points: 30

Archsoul Abilities

These are special abilities that represent the inherent power of the fey Archsouls. Unless otherwise noted, characters do not need to invest skill points to learn these abilities.

Fallen Wings

You may manifest a pair of bird-like wings at will. The wings are made of an unstable flow of glowing energy that sends a cold shiver down the spine if touched. While manifested, the wings prevent fall damage and reduce the difficulty of Intimidation skill rolls made to scare any target by 1.

Burst of Might

Once per day, you may increase your Athletics attribute and base move speed by 1. This effect lasts for a number of rounds equal to your level.

Illusory Bluff

Upon successfully deceiving a target with the Acting skill, you may create illusory objects related to the lie. These objects look and feel completely legitimate to anyone who believes they exist, but cannot be seen by those who do not believe in them. This can be anything from a handheld object to an entire invading army. The target may attempt another roll against your Acting skill at a lower difficulty if the illusion is strongly contradicted, such as an illusory sword not dealing damage or an illusory dragon not causing panic in a village.

If the illusory object is a weapon, it is capable of dealing damage only to targets who believe it to be real. The weapon's attack roll is Intellect/Acting, and the damage roll uses the damage value of the weapon with no attributes, specializations, or enchantments added. Such a weapon cannot harm foes who are unaware of the attack. Illusory creatures or traps cannot deal damage.

An illusory object can continue to exist even if you are far away, unconscious, or dead, and the illusion can spread to others. If one creature tries to introduce the illusory object to another, the first creature rolls Intellect/Negotiation (or Intimidation, in some cases) against the other creature's Intellect/Willpower. On a success, they both believe in the object.

Once you create an illusory object, you cannot dismiss it. Illusory objects only go away when nobody believes in them. Many legendary swords are later found out to have been illusory bluffs created centuries prior, earning such artifacts the name "fools' blades."

Hive Meditation

By remaining in motionless meditation for at least one minute, you may completely surrender your mind to your Archsoul in search of knowledge and wisdom. In this state, you reduce the difficulty of Academics rolls related to any knowledge held by your species by 2. If you ask after forbidden knowledge or your questions are disliked by your species, however, you suffer 15 Drain per offending question at the end of your meditation as your Archsoul attempts to absorb your soul and mind.

Floating Lights

You may create a number of floating lights equal to your level. These lights move instantly, but they cannot move more than 10 meters away. The lights can be made as bright as a torch and may take on any color. The lights cannot be moved close enough to a living creature's eyes to cause immediate damage.

Command Earth

You may manipulate dirt, stone, mud, and any raw plant matter such as trees, vines, moss, fresh timber, and fallen leaves. You may control such materials as though with 3 points in Telekinesis, with the exception that you cannot use them to perform the Throw attack.

Additionally, you may slowly shape these materials, molding or warping up to 1 cubic meter of material per round. Crafting checks made using this ability have their difficulty reduced by 1 and are considered to be made with perfect tools.