Karatera wouldn’t be a fantasy world without a host of fantasy races. So this week, I’m going to give you guys a brief overview of the various intelligent peoples that inhabit the four deserts! I was going to wait until I released A Matter of Faith before writing this post, but that’s not going to be for ages, so screw it.

Humans

We all know what a human is. Squishy, prolific and coming in many different colours, humans are the predominant race of Karatera. With no innate strengths nor special powers, humans are often seen as weak by other races, or at the very least, fragile. And yet, they outnumber all other peoples and dominate the ruling classes more often than not. Humans may not have the fire breath of the dragonkin, nor the mystical awareness of the khenedrin, but they make up for it with their sheer numbers and their ability to adapt readily to whatever environments they find themselves in.

Dragonkin (Darakitril)

These hulking reptilian humanoids are descended from dragons, or so it is claimed, and everything about them serves to back up that claim. Dragonkin are strong, bulky, and fiercely proud, joining together in clans that number from the tens to the hundreds. All dragonkin possess dragonbreath, the ability to unleash power from their maws in the form of flames, lightning, acidic bile, poison fumes, or even icy vapours. They were once a disparate people, clustered together on the Dragonspine Mountains, but under King Gharamax and the Bluebanes, they have become strongly united.

Khenedrin

The khenedrin are a nomadic, desert-dwelling people, renowned for their proficiency in the mystic arts of spiritbinding. They resemble humans, except shorter, more lithe, and with long, pointed earlobes. They are remarkably resilient to mind-affecting magics, and they are often described as supernaturally beautiful. Native to the Violet Sands, khenedrin live in roaming “bands”, wandering across the sands, stopping only in temporary towns to birth children and prepare for the next leg of their journey.

Khorguls

The brutish khorguls inhabit a desolate and dangerous region of the Red Sands known as the Scab. With their dark, bluish-purple skin and thick tusks, khorguls are often regarded as monsters by the humans of the Red Sands, and their tribal chiefdoms are often degraded as primitive. Yet the truth is that the khorguls are a victimised people who have a long history of enslavement and eradication at the hands of humanity. Betrayal upon betrayal has taught the khorguls to trust nobody, and to always be ready for a fight.

Chitnids

The chitnids are a friendly and communal race who look for all the world like 3-foot-tall humanoid ants, complete with an insectoid face with enormous compound eyes, twitching antennae, and a pair of chittering mandibles. Despite their horrific appearance, chitnids are among the most helpful people in Karatera, always ready to lend a helping hand to those who need it. They typically form colonies of hundreds of other chitnids led by a queen known as a chikika, and coming across such a colony while wandering the sands can be a lifesaver for the desperate traveller.

Azaelites

These people are cursed, born with dark powers believed to be given by the demons of the Night. With hooves where their feet should be, stone-like skin, long forked tails, and horns sprouting from their heads, azaelites are more feared and hated than the khorguls. Most azaelites are ostracised and abandoned by their human parents, left to fend for themselves at a young age. Others are killed at birth, or sold into slavery. Ultimately, though, azaelites are no more evil than anyone else, despite appearances.

Muluk’hajar

The muluk’hajar, otherwise known as the mountainfolk, are one of the rarest people in Karatera. Standing at half the height of a human, with great bushy beards, wide hardy bodies, and ashen grey skin, the mountainfolk once ruled over half the sands in a great empire known as the Bronze Kingdom, using their mastery of metalwork and runecraft to conquer and enslave vast territories. Their kingdom fell when their slaves revolted, and nowadays finding a living mountainfolk is a rare occasion – though whether it’s an auspicious or foreboding one depends on who you talk to.

---

This is by no means an exhaustive list, but these are the seven major races of Karatera! Lemme know what you think in the comments below, which of them sounds the most interesting or whether you despise each and every one of them! I’ll see you guys next week with another update!