Fianyarr: Origins of the First Races

This is a tale of the origin of seven of the races of Fianyarr.  If you would like to learn more about our world you can find the campfire and all of the stories thus far over there.  We were not always as we are today.  Once we were as gods.  We were the First to step down from the heavens and behold the beauty of this world that had been our gift from the Elder Gods to whom we had once looked for guidance in all things.  The world was a startling array of new places to see and explore and each of the First soon came to find a sort of place they prefered to spend their time.  When the betrayal, or the cataclysm, or perhaps our own salvation occured - for each religion interprets the event differently - the bridge between this world and the Heavens was sundered and the First were trapped on this world and forced to become mortal.  Each was marked by their experiences and each group became one of the seven original races.

Origins of the Elves
(Picture from Skyrim)

Those who would become the elves were astounded by the mysteries that lurked within the forests and jungles of our world.  They saw unrivaled beauties and terrible horrors amongst the countless species that called such places their home.  For so long as they were immortal there was nothing to fear but alas it would not be that way forever.  When the bridge fell those who lived among the trees found themselves prey among predators and soon learned that they had to be cautious and resolute in their journeys through life.  Their bodies grew lean and their ears long to capture every sound, though the many poisonous beasts and dangerous creatures within those lands ensured that survival lay topmost in each elves' mind.  They are a resolute and durable race who know much about the dangerous wilderness with which they so often still call their home.

Origins of the Humans
(Picture from Skyrim)

Those of the First who would become human settled among the plains of the world where they would have a great view of all that surrounded them and who could come to understand the land upon which they walked.  They experimented with taming animals and building small structures even while they were still among the First and required nothing to stay warm and safe.  When the Sundering came, those who would become humans threw themselves into building settlements with waning powers with which to house themselves.  Such structures have lasted for millenia and stand as proof of our history among the powers of old.  These settlements would be instrumental in protecting their futures for though they have never managed to out-do gremlins in sheer creative output they are forever known as the first builders of civilisation.

Origins of the Djinn
(Picture from Elder Scrolls Online)

There were a group of the First who almost died when mortality struck them.  They were to become the Djinn and they were the ones who explored the molten depths beneath the world's crust where mountains gave birth to fire.  They were so amazed by the vibrant colours and warm depths that they tried to explore every nook and crannie.  Some only came to the surface to watch the molten rock flow or to run with the brush fires.  When they felt the bridge crumble, all of the First who were to become Djinn fled to the surface and though they made it in time before mortality fully caught them in its grasp, they were forever marked by the heat and warmth of that fiery world.  None know how many were lost in that race to the surface or if there are others who remain behind still - somehow surviving within the world's depths.

Origins of the Nixies
(Picture from Skyrim)

Those who were to become Nixies explored the depths of the watery world, thrilling at the sight of such an ever changing place.  They roamed the rivers, plumbed the oceans, and frolicked within the lakes, occasionally allowing themselves to be stunned by the beauties of it all.  Ah, but there were horrors in those depths.  Queer things that lit their own journeys with glowing hooks hung from their fishy foreheads but the First had nothing to fear until the Sundering.  Most of the Nixies returned, unable to survive the pressures of the depths, and desperate to meet with their cousins to learn more of their fate and decide what to do.  However it is known that some have remained behind and though these cousins are not evil they are queer and strange now.  Such cousins are rarely met for the pressures of the shallows are enough to leave them dead.  Some wonder if these 'cousins' are really cousins at all or simple projections of some alien entity that wishes to manipulate the other races for untold goals.

Origins of the Gremlins
(Picture from Skyrim)

There were also those of the First who went into the dark caves within the world's crust, avoiding the fire and seeking instead the darkness that their divine eyes could pierce.  They who would become the Gremlins squeezed through tight spaces, journeyed through tunnels, and saw the wonders that water and lime could create.  When the Sundering happened, they didn't flee to the surface at first.  Perhaps they felt safe down in the dark or perhaps they were too intrigued by the possibilities that these caverns presented to them.  They became smaller than they were before, about the size of a human child, and their appearance became disturbing and primitive as they couldn't gaze upon each other's faces and therefore the innate vanity of the First didn't affect their appearance.  They soon discovered that to live among the caves they needed to be inventive and when they finally ventured back to the surface to find their brethren they brought their skills with them.

Origins of the Beastfolk
(Picture from Skyrim)

Then there were those who would become the beastfolk.  They were the First who were attracted not to the geography and locations of the world but specifically to the animals who roamed.  Their eyes weren't drawn to rainbows and ripples but solely to the different kinds of creatures that flew, swam and crawled upon our world.  When the Sundering happened, those who became the beastfolk could be found across the world and they were the first that their brethren so often met.  The beastfolk took their lessons from the wild animals and looked to the creatures around them to find out how to survive and thus their forms often reflect the beasts they followed.  Though some think them simple and dimwitted they are as capable as any of the other races though their fitness for survival without technological aids has meant that their societies require fewer inventions and thus they most often adopt the marvels of other civlisations rather than develop their own.

Origins of the Yuki
(Picture from Skyrim)

Finally there are those who would become the yuki who journeyed into the coldest reaches of the world and wondered at the ice and the snow in the heights of the mountains and the cold places to the north and the south of the world.  They found such beauty in the snowflakes, the ice, and the creatures that stalked such dangerous lands that they rarely ventured elsewhere.  When finally the Sundering happened the yuki were marked by the snow and the ice but they cleaved to each other to survive and thus the borders even between men and women became less defined.  Their androgynous forms have since so often caused others to confuse them all for women or young boys and the blessings of their races aid them in surviving locations that no one else could.

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And thus the seven races were born.  Be wary of making assumptions that any individual met will be a representative of their race for each are more different from each other than their race is different from all other races.  The differences are there and noticeable en masse but individuals who live in societies of another race often adapt to be quite similar to their host culture ... though never the same.  There are always aspects of themselves, whichever the race, that hold true due to the influence of the lands that marked their ancestors and travels through their blood with the blessings of their race.  Of course there are also three other races but they were born from romances and circumstances involving benevolent entities (aasimar), predatory entities (tieflings) and undeath (dhampyr).  But that is a tale for another Wednesday...