Humans make up most of the population of Jaern, although they are not native to the planet. Humans, along with Dwarves, Elves, and Orcs, came to Jaern approximately 27 centuries ago on the Kaaren of Destruction from their home planet Torandor just before it was destroyed. In the past, Humans had looked upon non-humans with suspicion, distrust, or fear, but over time, these racial barriers have diminished, and now humans are known for being one of the most inclusive and welcoming races.

Humans are known to be one of the most versatile and flexible peoples, capable of finding ingenious ways to adapt to their environment. Humans generally live to the ages between 60 and 84.

Elves are a race of tall, slender, elegant humanoids, blessed with heightened senses of perception, sight, and hearing. They can judge visible distances with uncanny accuracy, a gift they purport to have been bestowed upon them by Ra.

Elves are creatures of the wild, and generally become very uneasy when they cannot see the sky. Elves with distinct lineages that trace back to Torandor may lack a soul (but still possess life force and a spirit), due to a calamity called Elvesbane that the race went through long ago. However, most elves today have some mixed heritage with other humanoid races, and have souls.

Elves average about six feet in height. Males and females are built similarly to humans, except that they are generally more slender, lighter, and less muscular. Elven blood is green in color and uses a different oxygen-binding mechanism than humans, which gives them a light, greenish complexion. Their ears come to a defined point, and their hair is thinner than other races.

According to elven history, the elf folk were the first humanoids to develop sentience on Torandor. What they lacked in the sciences, they made up for in the social graces, and the lack of competition allowed them to flourish and multiply. They developed a sophisticated culture that produced a planet of happy, fulfilled, and contented people.

Situations like this rarely stay stable. One night a large meteor crashed to the ground in the Jelwah province of Torandor. It carried a life form infected with a disease that came to be called Elvesbane, because it was fatal to the elven folk. Millions died, and it looked like the fate of the elven race was sealed.

But one elf in a thousand was resistant to Elvesbane. The survivors discovered that the disease had somehow changed their nature in several ways. They no longer appeared to age. In fact, once they reached puberty, they only appeared to age one year for every five that passed. Also, their ability to bear young was greatly diminished.

Another effect of Elvesbane and their close connection to nature is that elves only recover from damage and exhaustion by placing themselves in a trance rather than going to sleep. An elf affected by Elvesbane requires more rest in a trance-like state. This requirement seems to be tied to the lack of a soul.

Today’s elves are a happy race with much frivolity. They enjoy playing practical jokes on visitors, and generally have a happy-go-lucky demeaner. War does not come naturally to elves, but they make fierce fighters when pressed.

Elven technology is no more advanced than that of the other races. Their traditions emphasize the use of things found in their natural state rather than go to the trouble of making something from a new technology. Elves enjoy the land, and prefer to walk. They will travel by horseback or ship if the distance is great or speed is important.

Elven cities are commonly found in forests. Buildings are well-lit, and rooms generally have large windows. Their houses are usually simple platforms, or huts, suspended high in the trees. The furniture they use is typically made of wood. Elves enjoy hunting for meat, and gathering nuts, roots, and berries from the forests and fields. There are many elves that enjoy a more carefree and nomadic lifestyle, while others have chosen to join metropolitan cities to plant and harvest crops.

Traditional Elven medicines are composed of herbs and poultices. They are not superior to those of other races, but illustrate Elven ways. Elves generally live to an age between 200 and 280.

Elvish is a very melodious and harmonic language. The flow of consonant and vowel sounds is an important aspect of the language, as it easily then lends itself to being sung. There is a unique style of “elvish rap” that features entire stanzas sung as if it were one continuous word.

Elves enjoy teaching their tongue to others, and prefer to speak their native tongue when possible. Written Elvish is a stylish script, very elegant to look at but can be sometimes difficult to read.

Elven paintings depict nature and the environment, and their history can be found in their traditional art. Their depictions of love and war are glamorous and heroic, not gruesome or realistic. Elven dances are graceful to behold, with smooth motions, gestures, and movements. Elven music is very soothing and natural sounding, and sometimes is mistaken for natural woodland sounds.

Elves are more interested in playing cooperative games than participating in fierce competitions. Games such as hide and seek are very popular. A sport of climbing and parkour is usually played, and this elven sport has been popularized among other races as a fair game involving an obstacle course and a pool of water below. Elvish children enjoy sneaking up on an animal and touching it as a sport.

Elves are free to worship any god or goddess they desire. Many worship Ra and Osiris. Isis is also highly favored for her benevolent and kind nature.

Elven societies used to be predominantly patriarchal. Elven fathers passed their names, titles, and possessions on to their first born sons, while elven women were protected and prized as wives. While remnants of this patriarchal culture still exist in elven societies, and there are still systems in place that favor men over women, great strides in gender equality have been made as races and cultures intermingle.

Traditional Elven civilizations were very communistic, and sharing was very popular. It was once a stereotype that elves do not have a good sense of prices, since they did not use money amongst themselves. Generally, Elves value historical artifacts, and believe them to be priceless.

Elven governments were traditionally very organized and hierarchical. While they rarely have a set abode or physical location, elven nobles meet periodically to air their grievances, adjudicate differences, punish wrongdoers, and speak of the greater events in the outside world. Important events, like wars or natural disasters, caused elves to gather from all over to discuss plans and policies.

Nowadays, elves usually follow the hierarchy of the government of whatever city-state they live in, believing in structures of higher authority.

Dwarves are a short, stout humanoid race that originally evolved within the subterranean chambers of Torandor, a much more hilly and mountainous world than Jaern. They average four and a half feet in height and are usually heavier than their size would dictate. Dwarf males and females are generally built very similarly. It was once believed that female dwarfs did not have beards, but in actuality, sporting a beard seems to be simply a personal choice regardless of gender, and plays little role in gender expression.

The Dwarves that escaped Torandor’s destruction were not entirely pleased at their arrival on Jaern. They found few places that resembled their massive canyons and mountainous caverns, and many expressed disagreeability at the prospect of living on a planet covered almost entirely of water with small isles.

Dwarves are a stern race who's culture prioritizes a strong work ethic. When working, work is the only thing on their mind. They take enormous pride in their craftsmanship, and all other considerations come second to this. However, despite their very structured lives, many of them also have a lighter side. When the time to work has ended, they leave all thoughts of work behind them, and make a serious job of relaxing. Old caricatures of dwarves portrayed them as spending any time outside of work at the bar, telling war stories and flirting with anyone that came through the door.

Dwarves evolved from a race of cave-dwelling humanoids. They lived beneath the surface for centuries, having an extreme cultural fear of open spaces.

The legends purport that long ago, humans mistakenly believed that dwarves were horrible monsters that only came out at night to steal children and eat them. It was considered good form for humans to hunt down and slaughter dwarves. Eventually, a brave human captured a dwarf to try to learn more about them. After spending six months learning the dwarf’s language, the man learned that dwarves weren’t really bad people at all, while the dwarf learned that being above the surface was not the terror he believed it would be. This dwarf returned to his people and slowly led them into the open.

The veracity of this legend is debatable, and most historians believe it to be a romanticized tale that overly simplifies the persecution and racial conflicts between dwarves and other races before they eventually found their place in society.

Dwarves have a good reputation of working with metal and stone. They are considered the master builders among the races of Jaern. They are often sought for metal forging, since they understand the properties of metal in all its forms and can make items from metal with surpassing ease. A Jaernian saying goes: “An all day job for a human blacksmith is a light morning’s work for a dwarf.”

Dwarves sometimes have trouble riding horses because of their squat stature. Walking also takes longer, so they prefer to ride wagons and carriages instead. Dwarves were the first to develop a rail system, using mule-pulled ore cars, to move ore out of the mines. They also use the cars to descend into the mines.

Dwarven cities are commonly found on sides of mountains and volcanos. The homes and buildings in these cities show the dwarves’ great skill and pride in their craftsmanship. The detailing used in their architecture is very intricate and detailed. Dwarves do not need as much light as other races, so their buildings appear dimly lit.

Furniture is typically made of wood or stone, and serves as another excellent venue of dwarven artistry and comfort.

Traditionally, dwarven societies did not employ much farming. They would often exchange their crafts for foods instead of coinage. Traditionally, dwarves do not hunt for sport, and only did so in times of famine.

Medicines are rarely used among dwarves, not through ignorance but through lack of need. Their high stamina and health help deal with most diseases and injuries at an astonishing rate. Dwarves generally live to an age between 140 and 180.

The dwarven language is very powerful and deep sounding. Traditional Dwarven spoken word poetry is meant to be bellowed in large cavernous rooms for many to hear. Once used as a means of persecution, dwarves were somewhat reluctant to teach their language to other races. Dwarven writing is composed of characters that represent ideas and concepts, and is considered very difficult for people who use alphabetic languages to learn.

Dwarven artistry springs forth in their stone and metalwork. Typical themes are of war and dwarven history. They can spend years detailing their works. They enjoy telling tales of their heritage in song and verse. Their eloquence often conjures visions of the past in their listener’s minds, and there a great number of famous Dwarven authors and songwriters.

Dwarven sports usually feature less climbing or running, and their reluctance of participating in the sports of other races has given them the reputation of being not sporty. However, this is far from the truth, as dwarves have a multitude of sports that are contests of strength and stamina rather than agility.

Most dwarves commonly worship Osiris, since she is the mother of nature and the earth. T’or is also revered for his righteous and structured nature. Many dwarves now also worship Mishra as a Deity of War, rather than one of destruction.

Traditional dwarven societies are monarchial but not based on gender, with chieftaincies and kingships being hereditary. When a king/queen or chief dies with no heir, ranking nobles would pick the dwarf with the most valor in battle to fill the vacancy. General social status is determined by accomplishments, prowess, and courage in battle.

This practice is now a bit antiquated, and military might is no longer considered the only quality that makes a good leader. Some dwarven societies have shifted to an elective monarchy, usually having guild-masters or union heads run political campaigns for election.

Dwarves are said to be very reasonable merchants, always considering the quality and workmanship of any good to determine a reasonable price and profit. Old stereotypes depict dwarves as very capitalistic misers that deal in gemstones, but most dwarves actually prefer to deal in coinage and make fair trades since it would be an offense to charge too much for an inadequate product.

Halflings originally come from the plane of Cahyali and are stout, with large feet relative to their body size. Contrary to public thought, they do not walk around all the time without shoes, and are actually accredited for being the first people to invent shoes on Cahyali. They are regarded as wise peoples, and are usually found in large, nomadic caravans of a few dozen Halflings that practice their trade while communally exploring the world around them; many people enjoy to see their colorful wagons drawn by horses cross through their town, offering a chance to see unique crafts and hear the joyous music and dance. Due to their body-to-shoe-size ratio, they are quite sturdy against being knocked off their feet, but because they are adapted to this life traveling the vast grounds of Cahyali, they are prone to seasickness on ships.

It is hard to pinpoint when the first Elementals came to be. Most of them are descendants of mages that achieved ultimate heights of their art, interdimensional travelers who spent too much time on a particular elemental plane, or unfortunate victims of magical cataclysms. With time, rich magical energies were engraved on their very being, slowly changing them from humans, elves, dwarves, etc. into beings closely tied to magic itself. Some time passed since then and some individuals decided to try their luck in adventuring to other planes.