Races

Humans:
The most populous and widespread of the mortal races. You can find them coming from all backgrounds. They can be found on any side of the war, or any side of justice. The most powerful kingdoms which swore their allegiance to the dragon martyr’s were all ruled by humans. Now humans form the bulk of the rank-and-file soldiers in the martyrs' armies. Humans are capable of great good as well as great evil, and as such you can also find them in churches of the Holy Trinity or the cults of the Demon Lords.

Halflings:
These small peoples had at one point had much territory and culture, but that is ancient history now. Their holdings were easy pickings for the larger races. Halflings nowadays are much attached to human society. You can rarely find a human settlement without a few halflings around. While a more moderate people, not typically capable of the extremes that humans are capable, they do tend to align themselves with whatever causes the humans around them are aligned with. They have become much sought after in the war, as their small size and natural bravery make them excellent scouts and spies.

Elves:
Elves are a long-lived race, and with age comes wisdom and knowledge. Because of this, many elves have sworn their loyalty to the martyr Solon, who has promised the greatest rewards to those of the most knowledge. There they move freely among the humans, though elf-exclusive settlements are not uncommon. A number of those with a particular belief in justice and written law have aligned themselves instead with the martyr Astraea, though they are often met with some distrust among the humans there and are thus forced into their own settlements. They are rarely aligned with Vesta. Some elves of the forest have avoided most of the war by keeping away from civilized lands.

Half-Elves:
Half-Elves tend to follow in the footsteps of whichever parent their physical features take most after. If they look mostly human, they try to blend into human society, and if they possess strong elvish features they live as an elf. They are not always met with immediate trust by their elven brothers, and often have to prove themselves in their studies in order to be accepted.

Gnomes:
An inquisitive, insightful race. For the most part they like to be left alone to their own devices, only dealing with the other races when their curious nature leads them to learn of their habits. They get along well with the dwarves, who share a common attitude of separation from the other races. Through alliances of convenience throughout history the gnomes have managed to avoid major conflicts and their settlements are mostly untouched by war. During the martyrs' war, most gnome settlements claimed loyalty to whatever martyr was most likely to control their territory, without much love any of them.

Dwarves:
A stern race with a value of justice that borders on the extreme. By the large they have aligned themselves with the dragon martyr Astraea, who they thank for their modern understanding of justice and the importance of heritage. Some of the more battle-minded dwarf clans have aligned themselves instead with the martyr Vesta. Dwarves look with suspicion on most other races, who they view to be their inferiors in the matters of justice and honor. Because of this, dwarves consciously segregate themselves from human society. While humans and dwarves commonly share towns and cities, dwarves usually claim a section of the city as their own. The habit of the gnomes towards minding their own business and respecting the customs of other races has earned them a begrudging trust among the dwarves.

Half-Orcs:
Half-Orcs are driven by the desire to find their own place in the world. By the large, they have aligned themselves with the martyr Vesta, as their orcish cousins have done. They find their orcish relations far more accepting of them than their human counterparts. In orcish culture a person is judged by his strength and battle prowess, which makes it possible for a strong half-orc to even become a respected leader among their tribes. Some wish to break away from the barbarian ways of their orcish cousins and instead try to live among humans, but they are met with much distaste and are forced to live in impoverished conditions and settle for degrading, physical work.

Planetouched:
Over the course of the war the dragon martyrs have pulled powerful beings from the other planes to fight for their cause. The rifts created by the summoning process occasionally causes magical energies from that plane to bond with a passing person. While the effects of this bond are almost unnoticeable, if that person has a child it is possible that the child will be born with features of the plane that was bonded. These features provide them unique abilities not possessed by normal mortals. While rare, planetouched are extremely sought after by all sides for their abilities.