Half-Race
A half-race is an individual born of parents belonging to two different races. Only members of the Prefellian races can produce hybrid children and any permutation thereof is possible.
Contents
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
Half-Races can struggle to feel like they belong in certain homogenous environments, often leading to an identity crises in adolescent teenagers. Due to their mixed parentage, half-races often see the world through multiple cultural lenses allowing them a broader perspective on the world that people born in homogenous environments may not empathize with. 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 noble lineage of human royals.
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 simply too tall. While abandonment is rare, a half-dwarf will have difficulty fitting into dwarven society (quite literally) and will yearn to abandon the underground cities of Clie-Skesh as soon as they grow the confidence to leave on their own volition. Little is expected of the alloy kin who choose to stay, as their physical size can become quite a detriment in tight corridors and tunnels of populated dwarven areas. Half dwarves born outside the cities will typically enjoy a much simpler lifestyle and find much better upbringing from their mixed parentage when not confined to the population hotspots of Clie-Skesh.
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 and therefore tend to excel in other roles such as tinkering, cooking, and animal husbandry. 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. Half-Orcs can also become experts of their field that other tribe members may neglect such as jewelers for appraising gems, astronomers for navigation, and scribes for recording tribal history. Despite this, half-orcs are almost always subverted from tribe leadership due to wavering doubts of loyalty to orcs of a mixed-parentage tribe leader.
Origin
The existence of half-races poses existential questions to the relationship between the Prefellian races. Academics learned on 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 choose to distinguish themselves as their own race.
Racial Bonuses
Ability Scores
| Parents | Human | Elf | Dwarf | Orc |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Human | CHA +2 ANY2 +1 |
CON +2 ANY2 +1 |
STR +1 CON +1 ANY2 +1 | |
| Elf | CHA +2 ANY2 +1 |
WIS +2 CON +1 DEX +1 |
DEX +2 WIS +2 | |
| Dwarf | CON +2 ANY2 +1 |
WIS +2 CON +1 DEX +1 |
STR +2 CON +2 | |
| Orc | STR +1 CON +1 ANY2 +1 |
DEX +2 WIS +2 |
STR +2 CON +2 |
Inherited Traits
Half-races receive 2 traits depending on their respective parents.
- Talented(Human): Choose 1 feat
- Fey Ancestry(Elf): Advantage against charm magic and immunity to magical sleep
- Dwarven Resilience(Dwarf): Poison resistance and advantage on poison related saving throws
- Savage attacks/Relentless(Orc): Choose +1 damage die on critical hit or set hp to 1 when it drops below 0 once per long rest
Trivia
- While Dragonborn can produce children with other races, the the child will adopt the race of one of their parents entirely instead of producing a hybrid.
