Races of Alina
        
Upon the creation of Alina, so many millennia ago, the Kyie gathered all manner of creatures to inhabit his world, human, demi-human, goblinoid, dragon, monster and harmless fauna – any sort of living being that he could find to transport.  For gaming purposes, the Dungeon Master can safely assume that practically any kind of creature can be found in the appropriate climate on Alina, provided that that kind of creature is not specific to a certain world or plane.  (Vampires certainly exist on Stephen’s world, but one would be hard-strapped to find a mongrel man of Ravenloft©; similarly, while there certainly is a vast desert on the southern portion of Alina’s one continent, the mystical beings of Athas© tend to be particular to that world and game setting.)  If, however, your campaign calls for a type of creature probably not native to Alina, go ahead and use it; just be very sure of why such a creature would be here.  Such an alien would probably be transported to Alina magically somehow, and would also probably be very disgruntled at its displacement.
         Spelljamming is rare, if not unheard of on Alina.  Human scholars lack the proper magical knowledge and/or ability, and elves have very little desire to leave the world to which they have become so closely attached.  Alien spelljamming ships would find it incredibly difficult to land, or even approach Alina: a garrison of spectral dragons summoned by the Kyie guards it closely.

There are some peculiarities to the races of Alina, however, to keep in mind.

Humans – Humans were among the last of the sentient races brought to Alina, but as humans seem to do in so many other worlds, they have proliferated and usurped the place of so many other races.  They are now easily the most populace race of Alina, dominating its largest realms.  With such large numbers there comes an enormous diversity as well.  Humans come in all shapes and sizes, ways of living, interests and skills.

Elves – the elfin race is the second largest of Alina, and also the first to be brought here by the Kyie.  Their long lives give them a wisdom that tends to distance them from other races.  Elves are presently on the decline, however, being quickly displaced by the explosion of the human population.  They are still a very proud race and even the most liberal-minded elf holds some sense that his race is somehow superior to any other.  Elves more than any other people understand the nature of Alina, its peculiar magicks and quirks.  They are a race steeped in magic intertwined with a reverence for the land upon which they live.  Elves of Alina are therefore allowed to be druids; their long lives and close ties to the magical entities that comprise Alina – Gaia, Luna, and Sol – particularly lend them to this religion.

Half-elves – It is easily surmised that elves are disgruntled at the usurpation of their former glory by the human population.  Humans tend to reflect this bitterness, perhaps as a natural defense, perhaps out of ignorant prejudice.  This makes a difficult place, then, for half-elves.  Certainly there are still human and elfin couples who fall in love, or perhaps merely lust, and produce half-human, half-elfin children.  These children are at home with neither race, unfortunate victims of circumstance and ages-old prejudice.  Only in the most metropolitan of areas are half-elves easily accepted.
 
Dwarves – Dwarves of Alina are a particularly hardy strain of this race.  They tend to inhabit those regions that other races find distasteful or too stubborn to easily support life.  The enormous mountain ranges that tower over the landscapes of Alina are riddled with dwarven settlements and vast underground cities that generation after generation of dwarves have mined and crafted.  Dwarves are excellent gem and metal-crafters: their handiwork is prized highly in any market.
        Interaction between dwarves and other “surface-dwellers” is rare: dwarves tend to keep to themselves and pay little attention to the chaos evolving with the proliferation of the human race.  Thus, the traditional grudge of many worlds between the dwarven and elfin races does not exist on Alina: the races do not compete for any resources or have much interaction.  Dwarves and Elves tend to regard each other with a strange sort of mutual respect by uncertainty, as both seem to be equally ancient to Alina and are equally adept in their respective fields.
        This is not to say that Dwarves are disgruntled, anti-social hill-dwellers, they are merely more concerned with problems closer to home.  The Underdark of Alina is very alive and possibly the most treacherous of any of its regions.  Dwarves have become masters of Underdark knowledge and skilled in combat against its vile hordes.

Gnomes – these distant cousins of the dwarven race are the tricksters and tinkers of Alina.  Their natural curiosity and charisma have allowed them to integrate themselves fairly well into practically any society, especially those of the human race.  Gnomes have few illusions about their stature or past glory (or lack thereof) and understand well the fleeting nature of life.  They live life to the fullest and always appreciate a good joke.  Gnomes are always ready to try something new, but also appreciate the ancient and revered.  It is just as easy to find a gnome adventuring in the wilds as to find one with his nose buried in a book in a wizard’s library or tinkering with some new device in his shop. They tend to shirk or avoid responsibility, however; one will rarely find a gnome in a prominent position within an alien society.

Halflings – Halflings are by far a minority on Alina.  Having little taste for the ancient magicks of elfinkind and a severe distrust of humans they tend to distance themselves from any civilization.  Halflings are quite content to lead their lives peacefully in their burrows, digging for gems and precious metals, crafting fine jewelry, and telling stories of ancient lore.
 
 
 

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