Half-Race

A half-race is an individual born of parents belonging to two different races. Only members of the Prefellian races (human, elf, dwarf, and orc) can produce hybrid children and any permutation thereof is possible.

Physiology

Half-races inherit traits from their disparate parents in a variety of unpredictable ways. Half-elves usually feature ear lengths half-way between their parents, however in a few cases they maintained nearly full elvish length. Half-dwarf height seems to vary randomly between the heights of their parents, from prototypical dwarf stoutness to elven gangliness, albeit with added muscle mass. Half-orcs are universally known for their muscularity compared to non-orcs, however their tusks are not known to ever reach full orc protrusiveness. Interestingly, half-humans always inherit hair and eye color from their human parent. The reason for this is unknown.

Stigma

All half-races are infertile. This common knowledge often leads to a number of challenges including child abandonment and identity crises in adolescent teenagers. Due to systemic barriers and the inability to have children of their own, half-races show a high propensity to turn towards independent vocations such as peddling and adventuring. Many of Arthos' most famous and infamous adventurers were of mixed parentage.

Social Standings

The rights, roles, and attitudes toward half-races can vary drastically depending on the culture they are born into. While some communities may stray from the norm, certain patterns can be drawn.

Half-Humans in Human Society

Humans tend to have the most liberal and egalitarian attitude towards half-races of all kinds with the caveat that they are able-bodied and contribute meaningfully to society. This is because majority human settlements already tend towards diversity of race and unrestricted commerce. However, the wealthier of a family half-humans are born into, the more likely they are to face cultural stigmatization since upper-class families are especially concerned with lineage and primogeniture.

Half-Elves in Elf Society

Hybrids living in elf society, especially in the deeper regions of Nakiro, have the hardest time of their half-race brethren. Elf society is suffocatingly traditionalist and abandonment of half-elf children is common. A consequence of this status quo is the creation of free cities, settlements sprung from the undeveloped parts of Nakiro far away from the threat of elvish hegemony. They are run by found families of half-elves and various non-elves and accept anyone shunned by society. Nakiro regularly threatens and harasses the free cities under the pretense that, according to the law of the Orrery, they are not sovereign city-states.

Half-Dwarves in Dwarf Society

Dwarves tend to think of half-dwarves, or "alloy kin", as burdensome. While abandonment is rare, a half-dwarf is treated as something that should be hidden because of their inability to fit (sometimes literally) into dwarf society. Dwarf families will usually hide away half-dwarves for fear of ostracization until they grow the confidence to leave on their own volition. Little is expected of the alloy kin who choose to stay.

Half-Orcs in Orc Society

Half-orcs born in orcish tribes tend to be treated as curiosities. They are disadvantaged in terms of raw strength. This relegates them to "low work" such as cleaning, cooking, and animal husbandry. Half-Orcs can also become experts of their field that other tribe members may neglect or fail to appreciate such as jewelers for appraising gems, astronomers for navigation, and scribes for recording tribal history. The main exception to this rule are half-dwarf orcs who are able match their full-blooded brethren for strength and can even land warrior roles. Despite this, half-orcs are almost always subverted from tribe leadership.

Origin

The existence of half-races poses existential questions to the relationship between the Prefellian races. Academics learned in the topic universally agree this means the four races must share a common ancestor, however this idea is unpopular with those who are outside of academia and have a vested interest in the discreteness of their own race.

Racial Bonuses

Parents	Human	Elf	Dwarf	Orc
Human		DEX +2 STR -2	CON +2	STR +2 CON +2
Elf	DEX +2 STR -2		CHA +2	DEX +2
Dwarf	CON +2	CHA +2		STR +2 CON +2 INT -2
Orc	STR +2 CON +2	DEX +2	STR +2 CON +2 INT -2