Color Focus - Humanoid Races of Ville des Marai

    Humanoids of all sort can be found in Ville des Marai. An individual's skin color simply denotes where upon the globe they originally stem from, with lighter skinned individuals coming from the more northernly lands and dark skinned individuals coming from the equator (melanin protects the skin from the rays of the sun, causing it to be darker). The various different types within each race that can be found are as follows (and please note that there are zero physical, mental or social differences between each type within the human races, and as such the basic human character race applies to all):

Human

• Créole - The créole are a beautiful blending of northerners that come from lands far across the great Atlantyke Sea and those from the southern reaches that settled in the area. They often have dark to light brown skin, bright blue, brown or green eyes and curly dark hair. Their accent is considered to be quite musical, and most names of people, places and things come from their original language (known as Franche).

A Human Créole 

• Cajun - The cajun are the original Northern human inhabitants of the area, coming from the lands across the sea as exiles from various wars. They tend to be lighter to tan skinned and usually have eyes and hair of various brown hues. Their accent is usually quite heavy and is a blend of Franche and Common.

• Northern - People that originally come from climates closer to the northern pole of the globe. They almost always have pale skin ranging from pink to tan, with blonde or brown to reddish hair and blue, brown or green eyes. They speak a variety of native languages (Franche, Espaignar, Germani, Italia and Latinus), although these are being ignored in favor of Common.

• Southern - People that originally come from climates closer to the equator. They usually have much darker skin than northerners, ranging from deep brown to nearly black. They usually have tightly curled black or brown hair, and deep brown eyes dominate. They are the originators of the Common tongue.

Elf

• Sun Elf - Sun elves are close to the height of humans, but with notable differences. Sun elves have light to bronze-colored skin and hair most often of copper, golden blond, and black, with red more uncommon but not unheard of. Sun elves typically have green eyes, though golden ones are also common, often with a liquid appearance, and silver, black, hazel, or copper hues have also been heard of. Like their moon elven brethren, male sun elves are typically taller and heavier than females, sometimes by as much as five inches or twenty pounds. Sun elves had a reputation for being stronger but less durable than other elves.

A Sun Elf

• Moon Elf - Like all elves, the Moon Elves are tall, close to humans in height, but more slender and beautiful. Moon elf skin is pale, often with an icy blue hue. Moon elf hair is commonly black, blue, or silvery white, although human-like colors were heard of as well, though very rare. Moon elf eyes, like those of other elves, are very commonly green, although some were blue as well. All exhibit a characteristic best described as golden flecks speckled through the iris. Male moon elves are typically taller than females.

• Wood Elf - Wood elves are easily identifiable by their coppery skin and green, brown, or hazel eyes. Wood elven hair is usually black or brown, although hues such as blond or copper red are also found. Wood elves tend to dress in simple clothes, similar to those of the moon elves but with fewer bold colors and a greater number of earth tones that blend into their natural surroundings. Accustomed to a harsh, naturalistic lifestyle, wood elves love to wear leather armor, even when they are not under immediate threat. Wood elves are roughly identical to other elves in height and build, with males larger than females. Wood elves are often stronger than other elves, but are frequently less cerebral than moon and sun elves, who put a greater value on education.

• Dark Elf - In many ways, the drow resemble other elves. Their bodies are wiry and athletic, while their faces are chiseled and attractive, though they are shorter and thinner than other elven sub-races.[9] Due to a process of selective breeding that lasted for several generations, the drow (especially nobles) look attractive even in comparison to other elven subraces. Though their alluring appearance could be used for seduction, it is more often utilized to instill fear. According to goblins, the beauty standards of the surface races made them prone to turn a blind eye to the deeds of the drow, showing them greater leniency and acceptance.

• Aquatic Elf - Although they are of the same subrace, aquatic elves from the Atlantyke Sea had a different appearance to those from the Sea of the Pācificus. The former have deep green skin, mottled and striped with brown. The latter have blue skin with white stripes and patches. Some other aquatic elves have pale silver-green skin. Both groups are robust and tall with long limbs. Their thick skin gives them protection from the cold of deep water, keeping them comfortable at just above freezing temperatures. Their fingers and toes are generally about twice as long as a human's and have thick webbing between them. Their most distinctive feature are the gills visible in their necks and over their ribs. Compared to other elves, aquatic elves have deep voices and are larger and heavier. Aquatic elves have eye colors including turquoise, white, black, blue, green, and rarely silver. Their hair is usually thick and somewhat stringy, and some aquatic elves have a rough hair texture. It can be blue-green, emerald green, blue, black, silver, or even occasionally red. Warriors clip their hair short, but other aquatic elves wear it long and flowing. Females in particular sometimes grow their hair up to 4 feet long.

• Half-Elves - Half-elves stand roughly around 5' 5"​ to ​6' ​2", making them only slightly shorter overall than humans, and weigh in at 130​ to ​190 pounds, making them heavier than elves but still considerably lighter than humans. Like humans, half-elves have a wide variety of complexions, some of which are inherited from the elven half of their heritage, such as a tendency for metallic-hued skin and inhuman hair colors. For example, half-moon elves typically exhibited a pale, bluish tint around the ears and chin, while half-sun elves have a color more reminiscent of bronze, with hair of gold. Unlike full-blooded elves, however, male half-elves are capable of growing facial hair and often do so to distinguish themselves, in part, from their elven parents. Half-elven ears are about the size of human ones, but like elves, they are pointed on the ends. Half-elves are also notably more durable and passionate than either elves or humans, a unique result of the two races' blending. Half-elves usually adopt the dress and hairstyles of the culture among which they are raised. However, it was also fairly common for half-elves raised among humans to wear elven clothing in order to proudly display signs of their dual heritage. Regardless of what they wear, half-elves stand out in a crowd through the combination of physical distinctiveness and force of personality. Half-elves mature at a slower rate than humans, and can live for over 180 years.

Dwarves
• Hill Dwarf - Hill, also known as gold dwarves, are fairly common. Gold dwarves are stout, tough individuals like their shield dwarf brethren but are less off-putting and gruff in nature. Conversely, gold dwarves are often less agile than other dwarves. The average gold dwarf is about 4' tall and as heavy as a full-grown human, making them somewhat squatter than the more common shield dwarves. Gold dwarves are also distinguishable by their light brown or tanned skin, significantly darker than that of most dwarves, and their brown or hazel eyes. Gold dwarves have black, gray, or brown hair, which fades to light gray over time. Gold dwarf males and some females grow beards, which are carefully groomed and grown to great lengths.

• Mountain Dwarf - Also known as Shield dwarves, they are on average half a foot taller than other dwarves. Their skin is fair or lightly tanned and they have green or silvery blue eyes with long light brown or red hair, growing gray and white with age. Most males and even some females have large beards and mustaches. The females are slightly shorter and less heavy than the males.

• Arctic Dwarf - Arctic dwarves are a very small race, not only in general but in comparison with dwarves as well. The average arctic dwarf is even shorter than a gnome or halfling, standing at just over half the height of a shield dwarf. Physically, arctic dwarves are squat, with pinched faces and stubby legs, being nearly as wide as they are tall. Their fingers and toes are thick and blunt, and their feet flat and wide to help them walk across the snow. Their skin is typically quite pale, ranging from a pale shade of blue to white, except for their cheeks which were a ruddy red. That said, their frequent exposure to the sun means many were almost always sunburned, although this does not cause them any discomfort. Arctic dwarf eyes are bright blue and their curly hair, which they usually let flow freely grow long to their waists, is white. Unlike most dwarves, arctic dwarf females can't grow beards. Males often grow short beards with twisting mustaches. Arctic dwarf dress is typically simple, most often little more than tunics of polar bear fur, and they are almost always barefoot. They are quite rare in the area but not unheard of.

Gnomes

• Rock Gnome - Rock gnomes are typically between 3-3½ ft' tall and weigh anywhere from 40 to 45 lb . They possess a natural brownish tint to their skin; the presence or absence of light has little effect upon it. Young rock gnomes possess any of a large number of hair colors that fade to gray or white upon reaching adulthood. Male gnomes typically keep beards groomed in a neat manner.

• Forest Gnome - Compared with other gnomes, forest gnomes are even more diminutive than, rarely growing taller than 2.5' in height or weighing in over 30 pounds. Typically, males are slightly larger than females, at the most by four inches or five pounds. Unlike other gnomes, forest gnomes generally grow their hair long and free, feeling neither the need nor desire to shave or trim their hair much, though males often take careful care of their beards, trimming them to a fine point or curling them into hornlike spikes. Forest gnome skin is an earthy color and looks, in many ways, like wood, although it is not particularly tough. Forest gnome hair is brown or black, though it grays with age, sometimes to a pure white. Like other gnomes, forest gnomes generally live for centuries, although their life expectancy was a bit longer than was the case for either rock or deep gnomes; 400 was the average life expectancy of a forest gnome.

• Deep Gnome - Deep gnomes are wiry and lean with a body as hard as a slab of rock ranging from 3​ to ​3.5' in height and weighing between 40​ to ​45 pounds. Males are completely bald and beardless, while the females sport hair. Deep gnome complexions are sometimes described as "gnarled" and, like drow, are commonly dark in hue, with most deep gnomes demonstrating brown or gray skin with dark gray eyes. Females typically have gray hair.

Halfling

• Lightfoot Halfling - The average lightfoot halfling stands around 3' and weigh around 35‒40 lb.  Lightfoots display the same range of skin tones, hair colors, and eye hues as humans., though they are most frequently seen to have brown or black hair and black, brown, or hazel eyes. Their skin also typically has a ruddy complexion. Males usually wear their hair short on the sides, often with a mullet or bowl cut, while females rarely allow their hair to grow beyond shoulder length. Facial hair is relatively rare, with men at most sporting long sideburns or the occasional beard, and women sometimes sporting short sideburns. Mustaches are extremely rare. Facial hair is more common in extremely old halflings. When not adventuring or entertaining others, lightfoots prefer to wear simple, well-made clothing that is comfortable to wear, yet looks attractive, favoring those with bright colors.

A Lightfoot Halfling

• Strongheart Halfling - Strongheart halflings are moderately shorter and stockier than their lightfoot kin. They also have a greater tendency for wearing armor of all kinds. Their skin tones and hair colors roughly range the same gamut as humans, though brown, blond, and black hair are most common. Their eyes tend to be blue or green. Both male and female stronghearts are incapable of growing beards or mustaches, though they are known to grow sideburns down to mid-cheek. Members of both genders often plait these sideburns into long braids.

Goblin

• Hill Goblin - Hill Goblins usually stand between 3′4″‒3′8″ and weigh about 40‒55 lb on average. They have flat faces, sloped back forehead, broad noses, pointed ears, and small, sharp fangs. and their eyes vary in color from red to yellow. Their skin color ranges from yellow through any shade of orange to a deep red, though they also come in shades of green. Their hair is almost always black in color. All members of the same tribe normally share the same skin color. Goblins typically dress in dark leathers soiled by poor hygiene and colored in a similar range of tones to their skin.

• Swamp Goblin - Swamp Goblins stand the same height and weigh the same as their Hill cousins. Their appearance is the same as well for the most part, but they more often have varying shades of green skin ranging from deep to pale. Their hair is usually black or deep green. They rarely wear armor heavier than leather, and usually decorate their clothing with leaves and flowers in order to blend in better with their swampy homes. Swamp goblins are the original inhabitants of the bayous and swamps in the region.

Orcs

• Mountain Orc - Mountain Orcs are considered to be the most common kind of orc. Orcs of all kinds usually have grayish skin, coarse black or green hair, stooped postures, low foreheads, large muscular bodies, and porcine faces that feature lower canines that resembled boar tusks. Many also have wolf-like ears that are pointed on the ends, similar to elves. Orcs are roughly the same size as humans and other similar humanoids, though usually robust and muscular. They stand between 5-6' in height and weigh 175 to 500 pounds, with females usually being 15% smaller than the male but just as strong. Orcs all follow a militaristic creed, and find glory in combat.

• Gray Orcs - Gray orc males are typically 5' to ​6' 10" in height and 154​ to ​438 pounds in weight, while females are typically 4' 7" to ​6'3" in height and 114​ to ​398 pounds in weight. They are rather hairy, with long "manes" of black bristles on their head, shoulders, and back. They have wolfish ears, and their faces are somewhat less porcine than those of mountain orcs, though they retain the tusks and are still obviously orcish. In coloring, gray orcs typically have red, orange, or yellow eyes, black hair, and gray skin with mottled patches of darker or lighter shades on the chest and flanks. Unlike mountain orcs, they typically wear more "civilized" clothing, normally in shades of black, brown, blue, and other dark colors.

• Half-Orcs - Half-orcs are, on average, somewhere from 5' 9"​ to ​6' ​4" in height and usually weigh around 155​ to ​225 pounds, making them a little taller and stronger than humans on average. Most half-orcs have grayish skin, jutting jaws, prominent teeth, a sloping forehead, and coarse body hair, which causes them to stand out from their human brethren, though their canines are noticeably smaller than a full-blooded orc’s tusks. Half-orcs as such appear bestial to humans, though amongst orcs they are considered human-like physically. Half-orc hair is most often black, though it grays very quickly with age. In general, half-orcs do not live as long as humans, maturing by their sixteenth year and often dying before their sixtieth. Half-orcs that have live amongst orcs often picked up the common orcish tradition of ritual scarring. Half-orcs with such a background do not look upon scars as marks of shame or as unattractive blemishes, but rather as marks of pride that demonstrate their skill and bravery in battle. On occasion, however, scars are used for a darker purpose, with orcs marking half-orc slaves with scars in the same manner a rancher might brand cattle. Half-orcs have shorter lifespans than humans, reaching maturity slightly earlier and rarely living longer than seventy-five years.

A Half-Orc