Races

Races
The various inhabitants that make up the world of Othonia.

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Cocohtl
The Stormbringers; a humanoid avian race known for their regal elegance, and mastery of the air.

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Fayren
The dreamwalkers; a fey like humanoid race known for their deep ties to the dream and their long lifespan.

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Human
A race of short-lived, but determined mortals bent of shaping the world before them.

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Kaliska
A humanoid canine race known for their fun loving nature and deep loyalty

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Miu
The Shadowcats; a humanoid feline race known for their deep spirituality and ties to the shadowlands.

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Ragna'ar
The Ogres; a humanoid feral like race known for their fierce temper and stalwart will.

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Syrene
The Wave Runners; a humanoid sea dwelling people known for their art and ties to water.

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Half-Breeds
Humans, Fayren, and Ragna’ar give birth to live young in the traditional manner. Kaliska and Miu, likewise, give birth to live young, but their chance for a litter (twins, triplets, etc) is much higher, leading to larger extended families than most other races experience. The Cochotl give birth to a soft-shelled egg instead of to live young. Once it is ritualistically placed in the prepared nest, the egg’s shell hardens as it is exposed to the air currents, and within an hour of birth, the flightless chick hatches as a normal bird would. The Syrene are, perhaps, the most complicated race, reproductively speaking. Like the Cochotl, the Syrene give birth to a soft-shelled egg as well. Syrene eggs, however, must be birthed underwater, in a pure and unpolluted water source, or the egg will not survive to birth. The mother must be completely submerged, with the ability to breathe the clean water into herself to equalize her internal pressure and pass the egg. Once birthed, the egg must remain in the water for an hour, during which time it hardens into an iridescent shell resembling abalone. Once the hatchling emerges, pieces of the shell are collected for future use, and the child is brought onto land for the first time, where the natural instinct to breath air takes over at last.

Most inter-racial couples simply choose to be together without having children, and take extreme measures to prevent such complications to their lives. In most cultures within Othonia, it is greatly looked down upon to mate outside one's own race. Those who choose to reproduce are generally regarded skeptically, and should anticipate a life of ongoing hardship and avoidance. Of all the races, only the Fayren breed true. No one has, as yet, discerned the reason for this, but regardless of what race a Fayren breeds with, the child always emerges as pure-blooded Fayren. Other mixed race children will always inherit at least one racial trait from each parent. Half-Humans will always have an easier time blending in than other half breeds, as Humans leave no distinctive trait to mix. Half-Human children merely inherit one racial trait from their non-Human parent. If a half breed mates with a pure blood, their child will always breed true to the pure blood parent’s race. There is no instance in recorded history or Guild Lore that indicates what would happen if two half breeds bred. Such a thing would most likely be covered up, but members of the Physicians’ Guild theorize that two half-bloods of a common race would breed back to a whole-race child, whereas two half-bloods of four different races would likely prove sterile.