Beings of Avo

There are a number of sapient species throughout Avo and the multiverse as a whole. These are a few notable ones, as featured in the Valwyran Taxonomy.

Common Beings

Humans

Humans are prevalent in Avo but are largely on the sidelines in many lands with a few exceptions. Iro is arguably the most important human land in the world, with the humans of Anor in Valwyr being a close second. There is also a large population of humans in Deneshae but they are primitive and the land there is governed more by the porcines.

Most of the long-lived beings view humans as a nuisance at worst, but ally with them due to their ingenuity and military might. Other beings, such as halflings and gnomes, freely intermingle with humans as they offer safety, food, and shelter.

Humans are the most culturally diverse beings in Avo, having a multitude of rituals, celebrations, and beliefs, likely due to their relatively small lifespans.

Elves

Elves are arguably the dominant, if aloof, beings of Avo, having a long and storied history throughout the world. There are many subspecies of elves, though the First Elves, the eladrin, hail from the Feywild. Elves are effectively immortal, able to live as long as they wish, unless they are killed or die from specific diseases or poisons. After many centuries of life, however, they tend to tire of the mortal plane and opt to commit ritualistic suicide, which is not considered a negative deed by them.

Eladrin

The eladrin are the progenitor elves, created in the beginning of time. Their “seasons” are regarded as a type of proto-emotional state, watered down over the eons. They existed in the Feywild for an eternity before the Schism of the Seelie Court allowed some eladrin to escape into various other planes of existence. Eladrin are very tall and lithe, around 6’ and 6’5” and 160lbs, and their ears are long and pointed upwards. Their skin is colored depending on their season.

Vallestra (High Elves)

High elves, or vallestra, are the so-called “Big Brother” subspecies of elves. When the eladrin first escaped into the Material Plane, most hid in the forests of worlds to escape detection. Others, angered by their self-imposed exile from their homeland, began to tap into the magical energy of the Spellweave and became the vallestra. Vallestra likely appeared first in southern Iro prior to sailing northward to Valwyr. They are tall and slender, 5’8” to 6’, with long, sharply pointed ears.

Vallestra & The Exile When the first eladrin defected from Titania during the Sundering, they hid in the forests of the Material Plane worlds. In her anger, Titania pulled the Feywild farther from the Material Plane, making it nearly impossible for the eladrin to return to their homeland as easily as they once could. The vallestra studied magic to find a way to overcome this “exile.” Cantrips are considered the creation of the ancient vallestra.

Alet (Wood Elves)

Wood elves, or alet, are the descendants of the eladrin who decided to remain in the forests of the world. They are shorter than the vallestra (5’5” to 5’8”), slightly stockier, and their pointed ears are shorter and wider. While they exist throughout the world, the majority of alet in Avo live in Dorian and the larger Yonavi Isles, with some sizable enclaves in Letora in Valwyr.

Drow (Dark Elves)

Dark elves, or drow, are eladrin who decided to follow Lolth and were cursed along with the Spider Queen to live in the Underdark. They were cursed with darkness, or “lack” of season. Drow have purplish-black skin and stark white hair, and are slightly shorter than, and otherwise indistinguishable from, vallestra.

Molynnen A drow who knows about the Deck of Many Things and sent lots of goons to try and get it.

Tesselari (Weird Elves)

Weird elves, or tesselari, are drow who defected from Lolth at the last minute. Shortly before the multi-planar war between Titania and Lolth, some of Lolth’s drow defected prior to entering Lolth’s portal. In response, Titania “uncursed” them and Lolth imprisoned them in the “void,” which we now believe was the Far Realm. They lived there in exile for 1,000 years before returning to the Material Plane (how and why is unknown). These elves were called Tesselari, or weird elves. They arrived in southeastern Deneshae and built an empire there which was all but wiped out by Tiamat’s sar during the Dragon Wars. Some tesselari are thought to have survived and sailed eastward. No one knows exactly what they looked like.

Leopha (Phynsian Elves)

Phynsian elves, or leopha, hail from Leophynsia, and are likely the descendants of the tesselari elves, as they otherwise have no real connection to the vallestra or alet. They are smaller and more gaunt than the other elves of Avo, and possess natural magical abilities akin to druids. Their ears are also very long and tufted at the ends with bits of hair.

Moduri (Modur Elves)

The moduri are elves that hail from Modur, itself once the great floating city of Moduridameon. They are very short (5’ to 5’4”) and are distinguished by their prehensile tails that are about 2’ long. Eladrin do not have tails, so it is uncertain how the moduri acquired them. This has given them the unfortunate nickname of “monkey elves,” and the other elves of Avo consider them “false elves” or even abominations. This is made worse by their ears, which are the only elven ears that point downward. Some believe the moduri are the result of aberrant wizardry by the Theurges of the floating city during the Age of Magic.

Sekela (Sea Elves)

Sea elves, or sekela, are eladrin who escaped to the Plane of Water, to which Titania opened a portal in order to quench the Great Fire set by Lolth’s minions during the Sundering, in an attempt to burn down the Tree of Faeries. They are notable for having webbed feet and hands, more scaly type appearance to their skin, and blue eyes with black, slitted pupils.

Shadar-Kai (Shadow Elves)

Shadow elves, or shadar-kai, are native to the Shadowfell and are the descendants of the eladrin who lived there, having had their emotional seasons drained by the Raven Queen. They have gray skin and black irises.

Astral Elves

Astral elves reside in the Astral Sea. They are eladrin who remained when Titania chased Lolth through the Astral Sea and they discovered the strange power of thought and memory there. They are very slender and small, measuring 4.5-5' tall, with weak, almost shriveled bodies due to the lack of gravity in the Astral Sea.

Dwarves

Dwarves are highly reclusive and tend to live in vast underground cities beneath mountain ranges, rarely coming to the surface other than to trade. They are masters of mining and the only race that can handle raw magical ores like mithril and orichalcum without being poisoned by it. In Lotus myth, they were cut out of the rock by Wete, the Forgemaster, to serve as his servants. In general, however, dwarves are thought of as being born “from the rock.”

Dwarves exist in numerous dwarf clans.

Hill Dwarves

Hill dwarves are dwarves that have surface settlements and are less reclusive than their mountain brothers. They tend to be brokers between the surface dwellers and the mountain dwarves. As such, they also tend to be friendlier and more social.

Mountain Dwarves

Mountain dwarves are the preeminent dwarf race. Their clans are spread throughout Avo’s mountain ranges and all are interconnected by a highly advanced tram system pulled via magical constructs. Mountain dwarf orefathers are among the richest beings in the world. They are also well known for enjoying risky games of chance.

Duergar

Duergar are dwarves who live deep in the Underdark and have taken on strange, aberrant traits because of it. They are not inherently evil but tend to distrust “top dwellers” enough that they will actively chase them off their land.

City Dwarves

City dwarves are rare but usually act as liaisons between cities and dwarves. Over the generations they have shed their hardy nature and replaced it with keen bartering and diplomatic skills. They are looked down upon by traditional dwarves as they tend to go clean-shaven, but they tend to infiltrate surface politics, culture, and economy, and thus aren’t ostracized entirely.

Halflings

Halflings are renowned as being the race that gets along with everyone. Affable, jovial, and kind, you can never go wrong having dinner and a conversation with a halfling. They are loathe to adventure but also enjoy getting into shenanigans, as well as finding “trinkets,” which makes them good thieves and spies. No one is sure how halflings came to be; in the Lotus cosmology, Veren made the halflings to act as spies and gatherers of secrets, eventually abandoning them in Avo after she became furious with them becoming lazy and more interested in eating, parties, and sleeping.

While halflings love cities, those who live outside urban areas tend to congregate in great warren tribes which are build above and underground. See Halfling Tribes.

Lightfoot

Lightfoot halflings typically live in urban areas, often in small villages built outside the city walls near the gates.

Stout

Stout halflings are the rural halflings who typically live in the foothills near mountain ranges. They are buddies with dwarves.

Sar (or Dragonborn)

Sar, also known as dragonborn, in Avo have developed in three distinct areas: chromatic dragonborn live in Khaosar, the obsidian desert in the north of Leophynsia; the metallic dragonborn dwell in Isoasar, the plains of northern Deneshae; and a mishmash of both, as well as some mysterious gemstone dragonborn, live across the Yonavi Islands. They are all descendants of the primal dragons that lived across the mega continent of Ashobar eons ago.

Chromatic

The dragonborn of Khaosar are a highly regimented military force. Their capital city is Othkherben, the City of Glass, and lies in the southwestern wastes of the Khaosar Desert. Khaosar are stubborn, headstrong, and opt for violence versus diplomacy.

Metallic

The Isoasar dragonborn of northern Deneshae lived in seclusion for thousands of years following the Sunder War, which allowed them time to settle and commune spiritually with their deity, the Platinum Dragon Bahamut. Thus, their land is suffused with monasteries, temples, and stocked with powerful monks, paladins, and clerics. Isoasar are patient, trustworthy, and always curious, with a bent toward loyalty and fierce adherence toward law.

Gemstone

Following the casting of the Great Fog upon Deneshae, obscuring it from detection, many dragonborn remained in the newly created islands, to escape the horrors of war and start a new life. These dragonborn became expert sailors over the centuries. It is also believed that the ultra-reclusive and nearly extinct gemstone dragonborn dwell on some of these islands as well.

Gnomes

Gnomes are pleasant beings who have major conclaves in southern Deneshae and much of western Valwyr. It’s likely that they traveled east from Deneshae long before recorded history, either to escape the dragonborn wars, or the subjugation by the tesselari. They are otherwise peppered throughout Avo. They are well known for their joviality and random bouts of hyper-concentration as they work on a new machine or spell.

Forest

Known primarily throughout Deneshae as one of the primitive races of that land, it is believed that other gnomes in Avo are descendants of these reclusive clans.

Rock

Rock gnomes are the Pebblebiters of Valwyr. They are the founding force behind many of the advanced technologies found there.

Deep

Svirfneblin are gnomes that live in the Underdark. They are known to be allies to the dwarves and assist them with large mining operations.

Beach

The primitive gnomes in Deneshae tend to have fishing villages along the coastline, with a few gnome clans living farther inland. These gnomes are leaner and hardier than their cousins.

Half-elves

Half-elves are common across Avo, and treated well pretty much everywhere they go.

Half-orcs

Half-orcs are fairly rare, usually the unfortunate result of an orc invasion of a city or land, though many half-orcs exist because the orc gene is dominant.

Orcs

Orcs are prevalent in Avo and were once considered monstrous beings, before a significant push by both orc and non-orc alike caused the Valwyran Taxonomy to change their status to Being.

Rarer Beings

These beings exist in Avo, but on a much rarer scale. Some might not exist at all unless one somehow arrives here (like gith).

Aasimar

Perhaps more rare than tieflings, aasimar are descendants of mortals and celestials. They are lightly scattered across Avo.

Firbolg

Firbolg are most often found cloistered in heavily wooded areas which they have obfuscated using old druidic magic. They exist primarily in the Felskor Forest in Valwyr, though others have been spotted in the Diomedes of Dorian and in Phynsia and Iro as well. They are descendants of giants, though it’s unsure how they came to be.

Genasi

Genasi are the offspring or descendants of mortals and genies. They are incredibly rare, as they usually leave the Material Plane, traveling with their genie parent to participate in adventures. There is an “orphanage” of genasi in Kal Zarach, in Iro.

Goliath

Goliath are another descendant of giants, though they have chosen to live in and protect the mountains. They are not uncommon and are found in almost all mountain ranges in Avo, though they tend to remain near the peaks.

Shifters

Shifters are humanoids descended from lycanthropes. They are rare in Avo and the largest congregation of them is in the town of Cawol on Free Arrow Island.

Tieflings

Very rare, tieflings are often the offspring shunned, exiled, or even murdered for their demonic heritage. Those that survive do so by boldness within urban landscapes, or fending for themselves in rural lands.

Warforged

Warforged are sentient constructs from the world of Eberron. In 4091 VR they were introduced into Avo when two of the Dragonslayers, Glendower and Bula, assisted two people from Eberron, ultimately setting off a chain of events that resulted in a Warforged Colossus plane shifting from the Far Realm into Avo. The quartet defeated the colossus and the remaining warforged have opted to stay in Avo, creating a city around and out of the colossus’ body known as Titan’s End. They are very rare in Avo, with only about 1,000 in existence.

Beastlings

Beastlings are intelligent creatures which appear like their non-intelligent beast cousins. See Beastlings for more info.

Monstrous Beings

These are beings below Beastlings in Valwyran Taxonomy (which is a concept of great controversy). Considered “monsters,” they still retain enough intelligence, wisdom, and civilization to be a threat, or an ally.

Centaurs

Centaurs don’t exist in Avo because centaurs are stupid as fuck.

Goblinoids (Goblins, Hobgoblins, Bugbears)

Goblins of all kinds are prevalent throughout Avo. They create small civilizations like camps and enjoy raiding small villages to steal from the people there. Some goblinoids choose the adventuring life, but are still looked at with suspicion.

Kobolds

Kobolds are little draconic creatures which enjoy causing mischief. They are prevalent across Avo and are often selfish nuisances. Those kobolds who choose to adventure have usually been exiled from their clans for some reason.

Triton

Tritons are incredibly rare, being creatures from the Plane of Water. Any who may exist in Avo do so in the far depths of the ocean.

Yuan-ti Pureblood

Yuan-ti are creations of Veren and are somewhat uncommon. Enclaves of yuan-ti can be found throughout the world, though they tend to keep to themselves to avoid confrontation.

Nonexistent Beings

These are beings which do not predominantly exist on Avo, but otherwise exist within the multiverse.

Changelings

Changelings are fey humanoids who rarely enter into the Material Plane. When they do, it's usually from exile, wanderlust, or temporary assignment.

Fairies

Fairies are also fey creatures who rarely enter the Material Plane.

Giff

Giff are hippo people from a long forgotten world on the Material Plane, who are often found flying spelljammers through the Astral Sea (post-Wrath).

Gith

Gith are an alien species whose home is the Astral Sea. They are incredibly rare outside of that plane. No known gith exist in Avo, and almost nothing is known about them. A group of githzerai from a monastery was ejected into Avo following a rift that opened there, though they appeared in That Which Has Not Happened Yet. The gith closed the rift and have since assimilated into Avo, though a few remain in the Future.

Kalashtar

Kalashtar are specific to Eberron, and as far as we know only one has ever been to Avo — the wizard Baratani.

Leonin

Leonin are lion people from the world of Theros in the Material Plane.

Loxodon

Loxodon are elephant people from the world of Ravnica in the Material Plane.

Satyr

Satyr originate in the Feywild and are almost nonexistent in the Material Plane.

Simic Hybrid

Simic Hybrids are from the world of Ravnica in the Material Plane and have never been seen in Avo.

Vedalken

Vedalken are from the world of Ravnica in the Material Plane and have never been seen in Avo.

Verdan

Verdan are transformed goblinoids from the world of Faerun. They have never been seen in Avo.