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-====== The Vers ======
->The racial category of "Vers" was originally used to distinguish the "noble" races, those related to the Heroes of the Cataclysm, from the other races of the world. It takes its name from the "ver" particle that descendants of the heroes have added to their name to highlight their lineage.
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->It was initially drafted primarily for exclusionary purposes, acting as a justification for elitism and arrogance. It's since come to be more of a scholarly categorization, but one should display a healthy skepticism of anything with such roots.
-**//Carno's Compendium Cultural//**
-The Big Three and Beyond
-Humans, elves, and dwarves are considered to be the main races of the Vers category. They are the most abundant races in Baltia, with humans in particular holding a plurality in world population. These three races were initially the only members of this category, but it has since expanded to include most races that maintain a generally human-like appearance.
-However, other races with features that are typically quite similar to humans are considered to fall within the Vers category as well, for ease of classification. Goblinoids are the largest of these groups, but others such as changelings and gith also fall into this descriptor.
-Most of the Vers enjoy a lifespan of roughly a century, barring some form of magical intervention. Elves and dwarves are the exceptions to this generalization, typically living for 300 and 200 years respectively.
-Half-Breed Races
-When these races cross-breed, the resulting offspring belong to races that are also Vers. Gnomes, Halflings, Rather than being totally unique races, they are instead the results of mixed relationships between the major races. These races suffer fertility problems, with most being unable to have offspring of their own, though some have managed to avoid this fate through luck or magic.
-These races are not uncommon, especially in more urban areas as the races mingle more easily and freely. They often form small communities within these locations, forming bonds with others of their kind who understand the difficulties they may face. As a result, these races often do maintain some form of culture and mindset that differs from those of either of their parent species.
-Each of the races above are created by the procreation of the following races:
-Half-Breed Race Chart
-| Half-Breed | Parent 1 | Parent 2|
-|:--------:|:----:	|:-----:|
-| Gnome    | Elf  	| Dwarf |
-| Halfling | Dwarf  | Human |
-| Half-Elf | Elf	| Human |
-| Half-Orc | Elf	| Hobgoblin |
-Dark Elves and Dark Dwarves
-Dark Elves and Dark Dwarves are the descendants of Elves and Dwarves that made their homes on the Umbrian continent. Unlike humans, who grow more pale as the generations pass with less sunlight, the skin of these races instead grew darker with time. This is believed to be the result of traces of fey blood that flow within these beings, their forms adapting to their environment much like how an Eladrin's hair may turn luscious and green in the spring.
-The first settlers of Umbria were criminals, and the societies they first founded reflect this. While policies vary between the governments on the continent, and reforms have been made to varying degrees of success, the people of the continent are still more inclined to beliefs and actions that could be considered immoral than individuals in other parts of the world may be.
-As Dark Elves and Dark Dwarves are overwhelmingly Umbrian, they tend to bear the brunt of the negative stereotypes and reputations these criminal-founded nations have gained over the years. However, these races are not innately evil, nor is there any dark god pushing their specific races to commit acts of evil.
-Reunification of the Gith
-When the Forgotten Chorus appeared and began to lay waste to the world, it displayed a particular animosity toward Mind Flayers. Though it destroyed all things with impunity, it had a clear preference to seek and destroy the Mind Flayers above all other targets, something that was noticed by both the Githyanki and Githzerai.
-Seeing perhaps their only opportunity to destroy the Mind Flayers once and for all before them, and believing the Chorus would stop its destruction once they were destroyed, both races of Gith decided to fight alongside it. Their beliefs were only confirmed as the Chorus made no effort to slay their soldiers.
-However, the Githyanki and Githzerai could not cooperate with one another, which cost them several battles. By the time the Chorus was defeated, both Gith were nearly wiped out. Realizing that their opposition to one another had cost them their ultimate goals, and with their survival as a race uncertain if they did not band together, the Githyanki and Githzerai forged an unsteady peace.
-The two sects of Gith continue to exist and disagree on certain topics, but they cooperate with one another more readily. Some communities have even formed with both races living as neighbors. Most reside in the deeper levels of the Mercury Road, seeking opportunities to continue their crusade against the Mind Flayers.
-New Subraces
-Baltia introduces two new subraces of Elves: Orcs and Pale Elves. Orcs are a military-minded subrace of Elves that aren't restricted to the roles of evil raiders, while the Pale Elves are the descendants of Umbrian elves who are infused with the frozen nature of the continent they primarily reside on.
-Orcs
-In Baltia, orcs are a subrace of elves, but with a distinct focus away from the arts of poetry, music and similar. Instead, they focus on the art of battle, seeking to apply the same grace and skill to that field that their cousins apply to their other interests. While they can be found all over the world, their numbers are highest in the nation of Lyzum.
-Orcs are born and raised in locations similar to most elves, naturally preferring the beauty of nature, though for different reasons. Orcs see beauty in conflict, finding the struggles between living things to be what makes a life truly worth living. They scoff at books and plays focusing on the conflict a character faces, viewing these as nothing more than watered-down, second-hand experiences.
-They choose the locations for their settlements based on the difficulty of survival there, preferring ones that are just difficult enough to keep them on their toes, often moving if enough of them feel that they have overcome the challenges such a location has to offer. As a result, they are a somewhat nomadic people in nature.
-Some orcs are raiders out of necessity, such as when first entering a new environment, but their desire for meaningful conflict means that such raids often only target those who are capable of fighting back. It is not unheard of for orc raiding parties to actually offer protection to merchants traveling through dangerous areas in exchange for food or other goods. Such merchants make prime targets for other individuals who orcs would take more pleasure in facing.
-Orc Traits
-Orcs are often somewhere between green and grey in skin color, and tend to be slightly heavier and more muscular than other elves.
-**Ability Score Increase.** Your Strength score increases by 1.
-**Aggressive.** As a bonus action, you can move up to your movement speed toward a hostile creature you can see or hear. You must end this move closer to the enemy than you started.
-**Orc Weapon Training.** You gain proficiency with three martial weapons of your choice.
-Pale Elves
-Pale Elves are the descendants of the noble High Elf families that were first exiled to Umbria, typically of the ver Paust bloodline or one of its allied families. These original settlers of Umbria, furious at their exile, refused to allow the continent to taint their bloodlines and leave a physical indicator of their disgrace in the form of darkened skin.
-Benefiting from greater access to magic due to the wealth of their families, they began hiring all manner of spellcasters to prevent the continent from changing their offspring. Eventually, one spellcaster was able to invent a means to prevent their children from becoming Drow.
-The children this spellcaster enchanted would all be born exceedingly pale, and cold to the touch. While not perfect, his magic was viewed as a success, and it quickly spread amongst all the Elven families that could afford it. However, as the children aged, the nature of the magic became clear. The spellcaster had not done anything to prevent the continent from affecting their children, and instead changed which aspects of it they took on.
-Rather than allow the children to take on the aspects of darkness the continent displayed, he instead forced them to take on the essence of its cold. The children of these families would be just as "tainted" by the continent as any other.
-In the generations since the first Pale Elf, the descendants of these first noble families have come to terms with their natures. For them, it acts as proof of their noble lineages, and a point of pride that allows them to maintain the same attitudes that High Elves are known for.
-Pale Elf Traits
-Also known as Snow Elves, Pale Elves often combine the arrogance of High Elves with cut-throat attitudes one can usually only find in+ Umbria.
-**Ability Score Increase.** Your Intelligence score increases by 1.
-**Cold Resistance.** You gain resistance to cold damage.
-**Sunlight Sensitivity.** You have disadvantage on attack rolls and on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on sight when you, the target of your attack, or whatever you are trying to perceive is in direct sunlight.
-**Snow Elf Spellcasting.** You know the frostbite cantrip. When you reach 3rd level, you can cast the Absorb Elements spell once per day; you must finish a long rest in order to cast the spell again using this trait. When you reach 5th level, you can also cast the Snilloc's Snowball Swarm spell once per day; you must finish a long rest in order to cast the spell again using this trait. Intelligence is your spellcasting ability for these spells.
-====== The Markunians ======
->Markunians are a somewhat more eclectic category. The member races of this group find themselves in it due to the simple fact that they, or parts of them, closely resemble recognizable animals.
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->They are divided into the old and the new. The Old Markunians represent beings that have animalistic traits due to some interaction with the feywild at some point in their history, resulting in mish-mosh of the humanoid and the feral. The New Markunians, meanwhile, are the more homogenous in their appearances, appearing to be a perfect humanoid-animal hybrid.*
-**//Carno's Compendium Cultural//**
-Races with animal characteristics are broadly categorized as Markunians within the world of Baltia, named after an ancient emperor who was believed to be half animal. This category is further split into two distinctions: Old Markunians and New Markunians.
-Children of the Fey
-The Old Markunians are an ancient group of races, having existed well before recorded history. For all these creatures, an ancestor had some interaction with the feywild at some point, and the effects of this have carried on through the generations.
-The end results are beings who are semi-humanoid, with distinct and separate animal characteristics. Satyrs, Centaurs, and Minotaurs are the most iconic examples of this group, but are far from the only ones. The majority of Old Markunians live in Solaria, forming isolated communities within the poorly-settled empire. However, some travel beyond the confines of the continent.
-A Dying Breed
-The Old Markunian races are ancient, and communities of these creatures tend to hold themselves to "Old Ways" of doing things. This may mean their communities are more in tune with nature than most, and perhaps they shun the modern advances that most other races have since come to rely on.
-Many Old Markunians think they are a dying breed, either literally or culturally. Their numbers have never closely approached those of the Vers, and the influence of these other races have steadily eroded the practices of these people over centuries.
-Old Markunian Characters
-Perhaps your character has left their community, either by choice or necessity. Perhaps you wish to see what the outside world has to offer, or some calamity has struck that your community lacks the means to handle on their own.
-Alternatively, you may be the offspring of an Old Markunian who struck out into the world for their own reasons. You may have grown up in the "modern" world, but without many who resemble you in your community, there could have been a distinct loneliness and separation from your heritage that you wish to fix.
-Children of Mourne
-Contrarily, the New Markunians have only recently exploded in population. While many races that fall into this category have always existed, their numbers have generally been far smaller. However, as Mourne sought to create new races through Biomancy, the number of New Markunians in the world exploded.
-New Markunians count any being with a more even distribution of animal and humanoid characteristics. This includes creatures both warm-blooded, such as Tabaxi and Loxodons, as well as their cold-blooded cousins among the Lizardfolk and Dragonborn.
-New On the World Stage
-The races of the New Markunians have only recently become numerous due to rise of Biomancy. These races were never prominent enough to consider their people outside their immediate villages or towns, but now, they've found themselves thrust into a much larger world.
-New Markunians may contend with discrimination of other races, fearful that the sudden rise of New Markunian populations threaten their own livelihoods in locations outside of Mourne. Within Mourne, many of these races are slaves, created to act as servants and breeding stock for the Mari.
-New Markunian Characters
-You may be a former slave of Mourne who either escaped or was released by a merciful master. Regardless of how you avoided the fate that many slaves in Mourne find themselves facing, your time as property within this nation has no doubt shaped your perspective.
-Perhaps instead, you were born in one of the other nations of the world, and had a relatively normal upbringing. Depending on where you were raised, you may have had a peaceful and happy childhood, or you may have seen the worst that society can give.
-Yuan-Ti
-Yuan-Ti are considered a distinct subcategory of Markunians, due to the fact that they fit poorly into either previous subcategory. The Yuan-Ti were originally created by dark rituals, and they continue to employ these rituals as they rise in status within their communities. As a result, their origins are quite different from the other Markunians, and their forms change with time and status.
-Despite the rituals Yuan-Ti utilize being quite unnatural, and the race having a reputation for coldness, they're not despised by most of the other races of the world. This is due to their more insular nature, primarily practicing their arts on one another. However, as the race no longer preys upon their neighbors as they once did, they have weakened somewhat. Only the most powerful Yuan-Ti enjoy the magic resistance that the race is often known for.