Post by Pip Mystral on May 16, 2015 5:38:53 GMT -5
The world of Aftergate is a diverse and varied one, home to several 'races', or species, of sentient beings (of which humanity is only one), all attempting to live in harmony with one another. Most are seen as roughly equal to each other, though prejudice and hatred still exists for some, as it always will. Included in each race's description are a set of naming conventions, though these are, of course, merely suggestions - not every member of a race is going to follow their rules..
Humans
The most numerous race of Aftergate, though only by a small amount, humans are diverse, versatile creatures, highly adapted to almost any profession, be it the way of the mage or the way of the warrior. Humans in Aftergate are much like humans in our world, with soft skin that can be any shade from pale cream or peach to a near-black dark brown, and hair that ranges from pale yellow to midnight black. In addition, Aftergate humans, affected by the strange energies of the Gate (and other factors) can have strange hair or eye colors that don't exist in our world (such as blue or pink), though these shades more frequently suggest that a Human is also an Awakened. Human settlements can be found all over the world.
Human names usually consist of a personal and a family name, though these names can be literally anything.
Skyborn
Skyborn are the diplomats and scholars, as well as the artists, of the Aftergate world. Appearing like slender humans with bird-like wings (and sometimes, though rarely, tails), Skyborn are thought by some to be favored by the gods themselves. Skyborn, as their name suggests, are indeed capable of flight with their wings. Since most aren't suited for farming, they tend to both barter and forage for their food more than some would expect of a 'civilized' race; a Skyborn hunting party is truly a sight to behold. As they have a natural affinity for heights, most Skyborn settlements are in remote, mountainous and hilly regions, and their cities, often built directly into the sides of the mountains they inhabit, are considered works of art in and of themselves. For grounded visitors (and the occasional, pitiable Skyborn who has lost their flight), elevators and cable-cars are available for intra-city transport in all but the most remote of Skyborn cities. Skyborn and Vincents have a history of conflict.
Skyborn have the same naming conventions as humans.
Centaurs
Centaurs are a strange race, appearing as a mixture between Humans and horses. Their upper torsos seem to be those of muscular Humans with long, mane-like hair, while their lower bodies are those of horses. Their horse bodies can be of any color natural to horses, while the skin of their torsos can be any color a human could normally possess. A centaur's mane and tail will always be the same color; their manes grow not just from their head, but also down most of their human-like back as well. Centaurs are naturally communal, wandering people, and rarely tend to stay in one place, traveling as a herd across long distances. As such, they make abysmal farmers, and worse city-dwellers, only erecting shelter when it's needed for the night. They're a hunter-gatherer society, and have very little use for money. They generally welcome anyone and everyone into their camps, so long as you abide by their laws. Since most centaur herds travel great distances, many have made alliances with several human towns, acting as messengers and carrying trade goods between places for valuable supplies or exotic goods.
Centaurs have a unique naming tradition - they have a three-part name, consisting of their given name, their family name, and then their herd name, which is often a shortening of a geographical feature that is part of their lands. For example, Arina, of the Bree family, from the Heighton's Field Herd, would be Arina Bree Heightfeld.
Naga
Naga are snake-like, versatile beings that can be found almost anywhere it isn't cold, though they prefer harsher terrain. A somewhat isolationist lot, there are few naga cities; most live in small, remote villages, away from the prying eyes of other races. Each clan of naga generally has its own large city, hidden away, where their ruler resides and where they can accept trade and barter from other races. Nagas appear as tall humans from the waist up, but from the waist down, they have the large, thick coils of exotic snakes. Their skin can appear as a human's skin, or it can be the same color as their scales; nagas may also have a light or fine covering of scales across their torso, arms, backs, and/or faces, as well. While they have hair on their heads, nagas are incapable of growing facial or body hair. Most of the time, they have slit-pupiled eyes and long fangs, and many nagas possess potent venom. Most have forked tongues. Nagas have adapted, as mentioned, to any environment - including the water. Despite their isolationist culture, most are actually on fairly civil terms with any neighbors, so long as they're left alone.
Naga names often contain sibilant "s" or "th" sounds; many have family names, but a few do not.
Vincents
Vincents are tall, muscular humanoids, considered monstrous in appearance by many. Though their overall body shape is humanoid, Vincents walk with a digitigrade stance (on their toes) instead of plantigrade, like most humanoid races. Their hands and large feet are clawed, and they possess fangs and large horns growing from their heads, in addition to their hair; they also have long, sinuous tails and bat- or dragon-like wings, which allow them to fly. Some Vincents also have bony spikes protruding from their knee or elbow joints. Vincents' skin can be any color of the rainbow, and usually starts as a pale or desaturated shade on their face and torso, gradating to a deeper, darker shade on their extremities and horns; the leather of their wing is usually the palest shade of this color, while their hair is usually a brighter shade of it, though it can be of any human color as well. Vincents are a proud, warlike race, with long martial traditions (their patron god, Jasson, is also the god of war) and a great prize on strength. They are also known for their harsh tempers. Though in modern times they generally get along with other races, they once had a long and bloody history with the Skyborn.
Vincents follow the same naming traditions as humans, with an emphasis on 'strong' or 'powerful' sounding names.
Silverlings
Silverlings are the 'clever' people of the Aftergate world, known for their deft hands and quick minds. Generally stereotyped as inventors, no race has taken quite as well to the ancient technology as the Silverlings have, nor to emulating it, despite the fact that their abilities to do so are entirely rudimentary at this point. Silverlings are also the best enchanters and alchemists, as well. Physically, Silverlings resemble tall, lithe humanoids, with little (visible) muscle; they get their name because of their white- or silver hair, and the white or silver scales that cover their backs, the backs of their arms, and the fronts of their legs and feet. Their feet are elongated, meaning that while walking flat like most human-like species is possible for them, it's highly uncomfortable, and most walk on their toes, like Vincents. They possess small claws, and have long, scaled, prehensile tails with three barbs on them, the largest of which is envenomed like a stingray's. Silverlings have excellent night vision.
Beastfolk
'Beastfolk' is a catch-all name for several interrelated species in the world of Aftergate. All of them are anthropomorphic animals, and they usually live in social groups dependent upon which animal they mostly resemble. They tend to inhabit the same environments as their animal forebears.
Beastfolk generally only have a given name, though they may take the name of their clan, pride, or pack as a surname.
Shifters
Shifters, like beastfolk, claim descent from the beasts of the world; however, shifters have the ability to change shape between a mostly-human and an animal form. Shifters inhabit the wild lands, the forests and jungles and the snowy north, and are rarely ever seen by humans (at least, that humans are aware of). Those that are inclined to interact with other races often earn what money they need for supplies and necessities as scouts and guides, their excellent hearing and other senses well-adapting them to their wilderness homes.
Shifters usually have a given name, often a nature-based name, and a clan name, which is usually made up of two words and taken after an accomplishment or person the clan is particularly proud of - for example, Gale Windsong or Aivas Stormrunner would be good Shifter names.
Unusual Shifters
While most Shifters take the forms of standard animals, there are scattered families with stranger and more unusual forms, often resembling the magical beasts summoned to Temra by the Gate. Most common of these shifters are the Gryphons, who live in several large tribes all over Temra. The main difference between an exotic shifter, considered one of the Changed Races, and the magical beings they resemble is their lack of innate magical powers and their ability to be Awakened or mages. They are also all sentient, unlike many of the magical beings whose forms they can take, and all can be either human or their other form at will, just like a normal shifter.
Harpies
Harpies are an avian race, with the torsos of humanoids and the wings, legs, and tails of birds, most often birds of prey. Unlike Skyborn, who bear only the smallest resemblance to their avian kin, harpies by necessity live beast-like lifestyles, and are one of the most fiercely isolationist races, due to the fact that during the Great War, most lost nearly all of their culture and humanity. For a while, near the end of the Great War, they were hunted due to fear of them and prejudice against their monstrous forms, and most have long grudges against the other races for it. Harpies do possess rudimentary, three-fingered 'hands' at the wrists of their wings, which they can use to hold objects and weapons, but these cannot be used during flight, so most harpies are adept at utilizing their talons as natural weapons. They live in dense forests and high mountain peaks, usually in flocks of only one or two families.
Harpies generally only have a given name, often bestowed based on a physical characteristic or wished-for strength.
Sphinxes
Considered the wisest of the races, Sphinxes inhabit the deserts of the Aftergate world and prize knowledge above all things. Sphinxes have the head and upper torso of a human, large, flight-capable feathered wings, and the body and paws of a lion. Their front paws are dextrous, with opposable dewclaws which allow them to act as hands. Sphinxes prize riddles and wordplay, and their unique language, Sphincti, is a dialect of Common which shares most of the same words, but few rules of grammar (actually, Sphincti has no grammatical rules at all except for verb-subject agreement and proper designation of plurals; words may be in any order - it is up to the listener to riddle out the speaker's true meaning, and grammatical puns, sentences which have more than one meaning, are a common form of humor among Sphinxes). It is not uncommon for a young Sphinx to travel the world in search of new knowledge or clever riddles, with which to return to impress a mate or some other clan they wish to join. Sphinx fur is usually tawny, like a lion's, but other patterns have been known to occur. Most sphinxes have skin that ranges from golden- or dusky-brown to very dark.
Sphinx names are usually built up of harsh-sounding vowel-consonant pairs, usually ending in a vowel for females and a lone consonant for males ("Renemen", "Netani"), and many are clever rhymes or wordplay.
Merfolk
The people of the sea, merfolk are an elegant, graceful race of aquatic humanoids. Almost as varied as nagas, mers generally have a humanoid head and torso with the tail and markings of a fish. Almost all merfolk are capable of taking humanoid forms with which to walk on land, and merfolk cities are often equally amphibious, with structures and dwellings built both above and below the ocean. Merfolk can have skin of any human color, as well as skin tinted in all colors of the rainbow, often matching their scales and brilliant markings. Merfolk with more striking patterns stay this way even in human form. They also possess gills in their neck, sides, or both, and have webbed hands (and, sometimes, feet in humanoid form). Merfolk are capable of living in both fresh and saltwater, though the most varied and numerous sorts of merfolk are native to saltwater. Soaking a merfolk's humanoid legs in saltwater is said to force them to transform back into their true form; many mer don't have the control to be able to keep to human form when wet with any sort of water. In their relations with other races, merfolk are social but private people; they are friendly and enjoy the company of other races, but their very nature makes it difficult for any land-dweller to fully experience their culture, creating a gap of understanding that merfolk rarely try to bridge. Most accept that they and the other races live in very separate worlds. Of all the races, merfolk feel the least kinship with Skyborn (and by extension the other winged races), with whom they have an even larger 'experience gap' due to the Skyborn's wings (which make it difficult to swim) and the merfolk's lack of flight. They have the most kinship with naga, especially the ocean-dwelling naga who many share their homes with.
Merfolk can have either a single, given name or a given name and a surname, depending on where they grew up. Many merfolk names are water- or ocean-themed, though this is simply a cultural tendency rather than a rule.
Vampires
There are two sorts of vampires in the world of Aftergate - the undead sort, which are extremely rare and have the plethora of normal vampiric weaknesses to sunlight and holy items, and the living variety, which is the kind described here. Living Vampires, often simply referred to as Vampires (while the undead ones are often referred to as Nosfer), are a biologically blood-dependent species of humanoids. Pure-blooded vampires are usually pale-skinned, with brilliant, jewel-toned eyes and pale, desaturated hair colors. The stereotypical vampire has purple or red eyes and silver or white hair, and most are, on average, taller than humans. Vampires (like many of the humanoid races) can interbreed with humans, and these mixed-bloods can have any range of hair or skin colors, though most are still paler-skinned and -haired than their human parent. Vampires must drink the blood of living creatures to survive, though almost all are capable of consuming regular food (the few who are not belong to a separate subspecies, who are stronger in some ways than their cousins, but even more shunned by society). Vampires are stronger and faster than humans on average, even more so than other Changed Races. As vampires cannot feed on other vampires, and the blood of animals alone can't sustain a whole community, vampires are physically dependent on the presence of members of other races; as such, vampire communities often exist as sub-cities similar to ghettos within larger cities, operating under complex treaties of mutual protection - the hosts from the vampires, and the vampires from their hosts. Needless to say, most races are uncomfortable with blood-drinkers as their close neighbors, though few are outright hostile to vampires. Places where living vampires are uncommon occasionally have superstitions about them, conflating and confusing them for Nosfer, despite the two being unrelated. Vampires have a unique life-cycle; all are born almost indistinguishable from humans, aside from their coloring, and then, during puberty, slowly transition into full vampires, gaining their trademark fangs and need to drink blood. All vampires have eyes which glow red when the vampire is unusually stressed, hungry, or in the grip of a strong emotion, though they can also cause their eyes to enter this state at will. All vampires see perfectly in the dark.
Vampires share the same naming traditions as humans.
Nightborn
Some call the Nightborn a cursed race - though they, like the vampires, are simply a race like any other. The reason for this is twofold; first, Nightborn are more varied and variable than any race other than Weirdlings, and second, because Nightborn appear like traditional demons. Nightborn may possess any human skin color, but their skin can also carry tints or full hues of darker, more unusual colors, such as pitch-black, blood-red, or any other solid color. Unlike Vincents, whose skin gradates in a specific way, Nightborn generally either have a single, rich color as their skin, or have strange patterns and/or markings, which need not be symmetrical or consistent. Some Nightborn have scales, others, patches of fur. Almost all have claws, fangs, and slit-pupiled eyes, which see in the dark nearly as well as vampires'. Other than that, though, their appearance varies. Many have wings, though only some are capable of flight, and these wings can be feathered, bat-like, or a combination of both. Some have cloven hooves instead of feet. Most have tails, usually long, flexible tails, which are either covered with fur or supple hide, and tipped with either a tuft of fur or a traditional, demonic spade. Nightborn are a distinct race, and while they are varied, they do still manage to appear somewhat unified. Their traits generally follow a pattern of inheritance; a Nightborn child will generally have a mixture of the features of his two parents, but a Nightborn born from a human/Nightborn cross will, like most crossings, generally not hybridize (more on hybrids in their own article).
Nightborn names often sound dark or demonic, with uses of letters that other races generally don't use often, like Z, X, and V. Nightborn raised among their own kind usually don't have surnames.
Goblinfolk
Goblinfolk, or goblins, are the final race of Temra, and the only race, other than vampires, to be seen in a generally negative light. Appearance-wise, goblins are humanoids of roughly the same size and shape as normal humans, with green skin and long, sharply pointed ears. The sclera of their eyes are black, instead of white, and they often have slit pupils, along with glowing, neon-colored eyes. They are nocturnal creatures who prefer dark, quiet places to make their homes. None of that, though, is why they are feared. Goblins' origins, unlike most races, are known. They were created and bred by the Dark Ones to be hunters and killers, and they are considered specifically to be children of the Hunter. They have dark tempers and an inborn love of violence, as well as heightened hearing and smell that allow them to be incredible trackers, second only to Shifters and vampires. Stronger, faster, and more agile than humans, in many ways they're the vampires' younger cousins in terms of abilities, and the rush they get from fighting and, in some cases, even killing makes them a race to be feared in the eyes of the others.
Of course, their origins and natural tendency towards violence do not make the goblin race in and of itself evil, and there have been plenty of 'good' goblins in the history of Temra. Even so, the other races look on them with natural distrust - distrust that often proves correct, as many goblins do give in to their baser natures. Goblins who do not become slaves to their dark desire for violence are often found as grunt soldiers in the armies of other races, or as mercenaries who hire themselves out to the highest bidder. Most goblins do not have societies of their own, and make do the best they can on the outskirts of other races' civilizations; those that do have their own communities are often cave-dwelling tribes.
Goblin names vary wildly. Many have similar names to Nightborn, with harsh, clicking syllables, while others are given ugly-sounding epithets in the place of names, which some tribes believe make the child stronger and ward off evil spirits.
Weirdlings
Weirdlings are not a race, per se, but a catch-all category for beings who don't belong to the other races. Hybrids and humanoids with inhuman features fall under this category, as do creatures from beyond the Gate, who don't fit any of the normal categories. Weirdlings are, by nature, varied and rare, and their traits don't follow the Aftergate world's rules of inheritance. A weirdling could be born to a family that's been human for generations without warning, or be born as a hybrid when hybrids don't usually exist. The existence of weirdlings born in this way is thought to be because of strange accidents of magic or the influence of the Gate.
Weirdlings have no naming traditions - they will usually be named based on the community they grew up in. If they're from beyond the Gate, they'll have their own names from their own homeworld, and if they're from the world of Aftergate, they'll usually have a name from the tradition of whatever society either birthed or raised them.
Awakened
While Weirdlings are not a radce in the traditional sense, Awakened are not a true 'race' at all. Instead, they are born within the ranks of other races, a rare occurrence that usually gathers unusual attention. Awakened are in possession of strange powers that are not magical in nature, though they may mimic magic. An awakened may have a strange affinity for a certain element, or be able to read the thoughts of others. They don't cast specific spells but instead alter the universe directly. Awakened are easily mistaken for mages, especially when their powers are elemental in nature or mimic certain spells, but things that cancel magic don't affect an Awakened's power, and Awakened always have only a single power or ability. Humans produce by far the most Awakened, a phenomena which is believed to be caused by the original lack of magic in their blood from their existence as the First Race. Awakened humans often have strange birthmarks, eye and hair colors, and other physical differences which set them apart, though they will still be basically human in form (no gills, tails, wings, or anything like that). Some have pointed ears or small claws, but anything more than that would make them Weirdlings.
Like Weirdlings, Awakened have no specific naming traditions, and take on the names of the society that birthed and/or raised them.
Humans
The most numerous race of Aftergate, though only by a small amount, humans are diverse, versatile creatures, highly adapted to almost any profession, be it the way of the mage or the way of the warrior. Humans in Aftergate are much like humans in our world, with soft skin that can be any shade from pale cream or peach to a near-black dark brown, and hair that ranges from pale yellow to midnight black. In addition, Aftergate humans, affected by the strange energies of the Gate (and other factors) can have strange hair or eye colors that don't exist in our world (such as blue or pink), though these shades more frequently suggest that a Human is also an Awakened. Human settlements can be found all over the world.
Human names usually consist of a personal and a family name, though these names can be literally anything.
Skyborn
Skyborn are the diplomats and scholars, as well as the artists, of the Aftergate world. Appearing like slender humans with bird-like wings (and sometimes, though rarely, tails), Skyborn are thought by some to be favored by the gods themselves. Skyborn, as their name suggests, are indeed capable of flight with their wings. Since most aren't suited for farming, they tend to both barter and forage for their food more than some would expect of a 'civilized' race; a Skyborn hunting party is truly a sight to behold. As they have a natural affinity for heights, most Skyborn settlements are in remote, mountainous and hilly regions, and their cities, often built directly into the sides of the mountains they inhabit, are considered works of art in and of themselves. For grounded visitors (and the occasional, pitiable Skyborn who has lost their flight), elevators and cable-cars are available for intra-city transport in all but the most remote of Skyborn cities. Skyborn and Vincents have a history of conflict.
Skyborn have the same naming conventions as humans.
Centaurs
Centaurs are a strange race, appearing as a mixture between Humans and horses. Their upper torsos seem to be those of muscular Humans with long, mane-like hair, while their lower bodies are those of horses. Their horse bodies can be of any color natural to horses, while the skin of their torsos can be any color a human could normally possess. A centaur's mane and tail will always be the same color; their manes grow not just from their head, but also down most of their human-like back as well. Centaurs are naturally communal, wandering people, and rarely tend to stay in one place, traveling as a herd across long distances. As such, they make abysmal farmers, and worse city-dwellers, only erecting shelter when it's needed for the night. They're a hunter-gatherer society, and have very little use for money. They generally welcome anyone and everyone into their camps, so long as you abide by their laws. Since most centaur herds travel great distances, many have made alliances with several human towns, acting as messengers and carrying trade goods between places for valuable supplies or exotic goods.
Centaurs have a unique naming tradition - they have a three-part name, consisting of their given name, their family name, and then their herd name, which is often a shortening of a geographical feature that is part of their lands. For example, Arina, of the Bree family, from the Heighton's Field Herd, would be Arina Bree Heightfeld.
Naga
Naga are snake-like, versatile beings that can be found almost anywhere it isn't cold, though they prefer harsher terrain. A somewhat isolationist lot, there are few naga cities; most live in small, remote villages, away from the prying eyes of other races. Each clan of naga generally has its own large city, hidden away, where their ruler resides and where they can accept trade and barter from other races. Nagas appear as tall humans from the waist up, but from the waist down, they have the large, thick coils of exotic snakes. Their skin can appear as a human's skin, or it can be the same color as their scales; nagas may also have a light or fine covering of scales across their torso, arms, backs, and/or faces, as well. While they have hair on their heads, nagas are incapable of growing facial or body hair. Most of the time, they have slit-pupiled eyes and long fangs, and many nagas possess potent venom. Most have forked tongues. Nagas have adapted, as mentioned, to any environment - including the water. Despite their isolationist culture, most are actually on fairly civil terms with any neighbors, so long as they're left alone.
Naga names often contain sibilant "s" or "th" sounds; many have family names, but a few do not.
Vincents
Vincents are tall, muscular humanoids, considered monstrous in appearance by many. Though their overall body shape is humanoid, Vincents walk with a digitigrade stance (on their toes) instead of plantigrade, like most humanoid races. Their hands and large feet are clawed, and they possess fangs and large horns growing from their heads, in addition to their hair; they also have long, sinuous tails and bat- or dragon-like wings, which allow them to fly. Some Vincents also have bony spikes protruding from their knee or elbow joints. Vincents' skin can be any color of the rainbow, and usually starts as a pale or desaturated shade on their face and torso, gradating to a deeper, darker shade on their extremities and horns; the leather of their wing is usually the palest shade of this color, while their hair is usually a brighter shade of it, though it can be of any human color as well. Vincents are a proud, warlike race, with long martial traditions (their patron god, Jasson, is also the god of war) and a great prize on strength. They are also known for their harsh tempers. Though in modern times they generally get along with other races, they once had a long and bloody history with the Skyborn.
Vincents follow the same naming traditions as humans, with an emphasis on 'strong' or 'powerful' sounding names.
Silverlings
Silverlings are the 'clever' people of the Aftergate world, known for their deft hands and quick minds. Generally stereotyped as inventors, no race has taken quite as well to the ancient technology as the Silverlings have, nor to emulating it, despite the fact that their abilities to do so are entirely rudimentary at this point. Silverlings are also the best enchanters and alchemists, as well. Physically, Silverlings resemble tall, lithe humanoids, with little (visible) muscle; they get their name because of their white- or silver hair, and the white or silver scales that cover their backs, the backs of their arms, and the fronts of their legs and feet. Their feet are elongated, meaning that while walking flat like most human-like species is possible for them, it's highly uncomfortable, and most walk on their toes, like Vincents. They possess small claws, and have long, scaled, prehensile tails with three barbs on them, the largest of which is envenomed like a stingray's. Silverlings have excellent night vision.
Beastfolk
'Beastfolk' is a catch-all name for several interrelated species in the world of Aftergate. All of them are anthropomorphic animals, and they usually live in social groups dependent upon which animal they mostly resemble. They tend to inhabit the same environments as their animal forebears.
Beastfolk generally only have a given name, though they may take the name of their clan, pride, or pack as a surname.
Shifters
Shifters, like beastfolk, claim descent from the beasts of the world; however, shifters have the ability to change shape between a mostly-human and an animal form. Shifters inhabit the wild lands, the forests and jungles and the snowy north, and are rarely ever seen by humans (at least, that humans are aware of). Those that are inclined to interact with other races often earn what money they need for supplies and necessities as scouts and guides, their excellent hearing and other senses well-adapting them to their wilderness homes.
Shifters usually have a given name, often a nature-based name, and a clan name, which is usually made up of two words and taken after an accomplishment or person the clan is particularly proud of - for example, Gale Windsong or Aivas Stormrunner would be good Shifter names.
Unusual Shifters
While most Shifters take the forms of standard animals, there are scattered families with stranger and more unusual forms, often resembling the magical beasts summoned to Temra by the Gate. Most common of these shifters are the Gryphons, who live in several large tribes all over Temra. The main difference between an exotic shifter, considered one of the Changed Races, and the magical beings they resemble is their lack of innate magical powers and their ability to be Awakened or mages. They are also all sentient, unlike many of the magical beings whose forms they can take, and all can be either human or their other form at will, just like a normal shifter.
Harpies
Harpies are an avian race, with the torsos of humanoids and the wings, legs, and tails of birds, most often birds of prey. Unlike Skyborn, who bear only the smallest resemblance to their avian kin, harpies by necessity live beast-like lifestyles, and are one of the most fiercely isolationist races, due to the fact that during the Great War, most lost nearly all of their culture and humanity. For a while, near the end of the Great War, they were hunted due to fear of them and prejudice against their monstrous forms, and most have long grudges against the other races for it. Harpies do possess rudimentary, three-fingered 'hands' at the wrists of their wings, which they can use to hold objects and weapons, but these cannot be used during flight, so most harpies are adept at utilizing their talons as natural weapons. They live in dense forests and high mountain peaks, usually in flocks of only one or two families.
Harpies generally only have a given name, often bestowed based on a physical characteristic or wished-for strength.
Sphinxes
Considered the wisest of the races, Sphinxes inhabit the deserts of the Aftergate world and prize knowledge above all things. Sphinxes have the head and upper torso of a human, large, flight-capable feathered wings, and the body and paws of a lion. Their front paws are dextrous, with opposable dewclaws which allow them to act as hands. Sphinxes prize riddles and wordplay, and their unique language, Sphincti, is a dialect of Common which shares most of the same words, but few rules of grammar (actually, Sphincti has no grammatical rules at all except for verb-subject agreement and proper designation of plurals; words may be in any order - it is up to the listener to riddle out the speaker's true meaning, and grammatical puns, sentences which have more than one meaning, are a common form of humor among Sphinxes). It is not uncommon for a young Sphinx to travel the world in search of new knowledge or clever riddles, with which to return to impress a mate or some other clan they wish to join. Sphinx fur is usually tawny, like a lion's, but other patterns have been known to occur. Most sphinxes have skin that ranges from golden- or dusky-brown to very dark.
Sphinx names are usually built up of harsh-sounding vowel-consonant pairs, usually ending in a vowel for females and a lone consonant for males ("Renemen", "Netani"), and many are clever rhymes or wordplay.
Merfolk
The people of the sea, merfolk are an elegant, graceful race of aquatic humanoids. Almost as varied as nagas, mers generally have a humanoid head and torso with the tail and markings of a fish. Almost all merfolk are capable of taking humanoid forms with which to walk on land, and merfolk cities are often equally amphibious, with structures and dwellings built both above and below the ocean. Merfolk can have skin of any human color, as well as skin tinted in all colors of the rainbow, often matching their scales and brilliant markings. Merfolk with more striking patterns stay this way even in human form. They also possess gills in their neck, sides, or both, and have webbed hands (and, sometimes, feet in humanoid form). Merfolk are capable of living in both fresh and saltwater, though the most varied and numerous sorts of merfolk are native to saltwater. Soaking a merfolk's humanoid legs in saltwater is said to force them to transform back into their true form; many mer don't have the control to be able to keep to human form when wet with any sort of water. In their relations with other races, merfolk are social but private people; they are friendly and enjoy the company of other races, but their very nature makes it difficult for any land-dweller to fully experience their culture, creating a gap of understanding that merfolk rarely try to bridge. Most accept that they and the other races live in very separate worlds. Of all the races, merfolk feel the least kinship with Skyborn (and by extension the other winged races), with whom they have an even larger 'experience gap' due to the Skyborn's wings (which make it difficult to swim) and the merfolk's lack of flight. They have the most kinship with naga, especially the ocean-dwelling naga who many share their homes with.
Merfolk can have either a single, given name or a given name and a surname, depending on where they grew up. Many merfolk names are water- or ocean-themed, though this is simply a cultural tendency rather than a rule.
Vampires
There are two sorts of vampires in the world of Aftergate - the undead sort, which are extremely rare and have the plethora of normal vampiric weaknesses to sunlight and holy items, and the living variety, which is the kind described here. Living Vampires, often simply referred to as Vampires (while the undead ones are often referred to as Nosfer), are a biologically blood-dependent species of humanoids. Pure-blooded vampires are usually pale-skinned, with brilliant, jewel-toned eyes and pale, desaturated hair colors. The stereotypical vampire has purple or red eyes and silver or white hair, and most are, on average, taller than humans. Vampires (like many of the humanoid races) can interbreed with humans, and these mixed-bloods can have any range of hair or skin colors, though most are still paler-skinned and -haired than their human parent. Vampires must drink the blood of living creatures to survive, though almost all are capable of consuming regular food (the few who are not belong to a separate subspecies, who are stronger in some ways than their cousins, but even more shunned by society). Vampires are stronger and faster than humans on average, even more so than other Changed Races. As vampires cannot feed on other vampires, and the blood of animals alone can't sustain a whole community, vampires are physically dependent on the presence of members of other races; as such, vampire communities often exist as sub-cities similar to ghettos within larger cities, operating under complex treaties of mutual protection - the hosts from the vampires, and the vampires from their hosts. Needless to say, most races are uncomfortable with blood-drinkers as their close neighbors, though few are outright hostile to vampires. Places where living vampires are uncommon occasionally have superstitions about them, conflating and confusing them for Nosfer, despite the two being unrelated. Vampires have a unique life-cycle; all are born almost indistinguishable from humans, aside from their coloring, and then, during puberty, slowly transition into full vampires, gaining their trademark fangs and need to drink blood. All vampires have eyes which glow red when the vampire is unusually stressed, hungry, or in the grip of a strong emotion, though they can also cause their eyes to enter this state at will. All vampires see perfectly in the dark.
Vampires share the same naming traditions as humans.
Nightborn
Some call the Nightborn a cursed race - though they, like the vampires, are simply a race like any other. The reason for this is twofold; first, Nightborn are more varied and variable than any race other than Weirdlings, and second, because Nightborn appear like traditional demons. Nightborn may possess any human skin color, but their skin can also carry tints or full hues of darker, more unusual colors, such as pitch-black, blood-red, or any other solid color. Unlike Vincents, whose skin gradates in a specific way, Nightborn generally either have a single, rich color as their skin, or have strange patterns and/or markings, which need not be symmetrical or consistent. Some Nightborn have scales, others, patches of fur. Almost all have claws, fangs, and slit-pupiled eyes, which see in the dark nearly as well as vampires'. Other than that, though, their appearance varies. Many have wings, though only some are capable of flight, and these wings can be feathered, bat-like, or a combination of both. Some have cloven hooves instead of feet. Most have tails, usually long, flexible tails, which are either covered with fur or supple hide, and tipped with either a tuft of fur or a traditional, demonic spade. Nightborn are a distinct race, and while they are varied, they do still manage to appear somewhat unified. Their traits generally follow a pattern of inheritance; a Nightborn child will generally have a mixture of the features of his two parents, but a Nightborn born from a human/Nightborn cross will, like most crossings, generally not hybridize (more on hybrids in their own article).
Nightborn names often sound dark or demonic, with uses of letters that other races generally don't use often, like Z, X, and V. Nightborn raised among their own kind usually don't have surnames.
Goblinfolk
Goblinfolk, or goblins, are the final race of Temra, and the only race, other than vampires, to be seen in a generally negative light. Appearance-wise, goblins are humanoids of roughly the same size and shape as normal humans, with green skin and long, sharply pointed ears. The sclera of their eyes are black, instead of white, and they often have slit pupils, along with glowing, neon-colored eyes. They are nocturnal creatures who prefer dark, quiet places to make their homes. None of that, though, is why they are feared. Goblins' origins, unlike most races, are known. They were created and bred by the Dark Ones to be hunters and killers, and they are considered specifically to be children of the Hunter. They have dark tempers and an inborn love of violence, as well as heightened hearing and smell that allow them to be incredible trackers, second only to Shifters and vampires. Stronger, faster, and more agile than humans, in many ways they're the vampires' younger cousins in terms of abilities, and the rush they get from fighting and, in some cases, even killing makes them a race to be feared in the eyes of the others.
Of course, their origins and natural tendency towards violence do not make the goblin race in and of itself evil, and there have been plenty of 'good' goblins in the history of Temra. Even so, the other races look on them with natural distrust - distrust that often proves correct, as many goblins do give in to their baser natures. Goblins who do not become slaves to their dark desire for violence are often found as grunt soldiers in the armies of other races, or as mercenaries who hire themselves out to the highest bidder. Most goblins do not have societies of their own, and make do the best they can on the outskirts of other races' civilizations; those that do have their own communities are often cave-dwelling tribes.
Goblin names vary wildly. Many have similar names to Nightborn, with harsh, clicking syllables, while others are given ugly-sounding epithets in the place of names, which some tribes believe make the child stronger and ward off evil spirits.
Weirdlings
Weirdlings are not a race, per se, but a catch-all category for beings who don't belong to the other races. Hybrids and humanoids with inhuman features fall under this category, as do creatures from beyond the Gate, who don't fit any of the normal categories. Weirdlings are, by nature, varied and rare, and their traits don't follow the Aftergate world's rules of inheritance. A weirdling could be born to a family that's been human for generations without warning, or be born as a hybrid when hybrids don't usually exist. The existence of weirdlings born in this way is thought to be because of strange accidents of magic or the influence of the Gate.
Weirdlings have no naming traditions - they will usually be named based on the community they grew up in. If they're from beyond the Gate, they'll have their own names from their own homeworld, and if they're from the world of Aftergate, they'll usually have a name from the tradition of whatever society either birthed or raised them.
Awakened
While Weirdlings are not a radce in the traditional sense, Awakened are not a true 'race' at all. Instead, they are born within the ranks of other races, a rare occurrence that usually gathers unusual attention. Awakened are in possession of strange powers that are not magical in nature, though they may mimic magic. An awakened may have a strange affinity for a certain element, or be able to read the thoughts of others. They don't cast specific spells but instead alter the universe directly. Awakened are easily mistaken for mages, especially when their powers are elemental in nature or mimic certain spells, but things that cancel magic don't affect an Awakened's power, and Awakened always have only a single power or ability. Humans produce by far the most Awakened, a phenomena which is believed to be caused by the original lack of magic in their blood from their existence as the First Race. Awakened humans often have strange birthmarks, eye and hair colors, and other physical differences which set them apart, though they will still be basically human in form (no gills, tails, wings, or anything like that). Some have pointed ears or small claws, but anything more than that would make them Weirdlings.
Like Weirdlings, Awakened have no specific naming traditions, and take on the names of the society that birthed and/or raised them.