Syrinx Optional PC Race Packets:
All of the below race packets are playable by player characters from the lands of Syrinx. The changes are cosmetic and roleplay only, and will have no in game effect on the play or abilities of the race. When playing a race packet it is important to be sure you have the standard race costuming complete, so the additions do not detract from recognizing your core race.

 Phoenix Biata of Aetos Village (Seismos)
The Biata appear to have at some point in their history become intermixed with Phoenix. All of their feathers are fiery red, gold and orange. Some sport similarly colored feathered wings under their arms and a few even have birdlike beaks. They also give off a faint radiant heat that is most unnatural, but not unsettling.

If common Biata are secretive, then the Phoenix Tribe is fanatical about the secrecy of their origins. The one striking difference is their personality. They share the careful deliberation of their cousins, but possess a temper when triggered that is as fiery as their feathers. The oddity is that they do not show their Phoenix like traits until their first resurrection.

(PC’s from this tribe MUST wear fiery colors feather in the same manor as standard Biata. They may wear wings under their arms, although they do grant any IG ability. They may also have beaks that should be yellow,red, orange or gold, but not until they resurrect for the first time. Any Biata from Syrinx can choose to become a Phoenix Biata upon resurrecting for the first time).

Tryclopean Half Ogres of Cygnus
In the hills at the foot of Mt. Mahkah on the island of Seismos there is a large nomadic tribe of Half-Ogres and Cyclops’s that live and work together and have intermingled to such a degree that their are offspring that have features of both races. It seems that the centered eye of the Cyclops is often a dominant trait, but so are the two eyes, coloring, and tusks of the Half Ogre. This results in many of the Half Ogres from the region sporting three eyes while in all other ways being Half Ogre. Their culture is one fairly cultured by Half Ogre standards and they have given up their hunter gathering to form a small city that mines the ore from the mountain. Many of the tribe are smiths of great renown.

(PC Half Ogres from here can have an extra eye in the center of their forehead, but in all other ways they must appear as a Half Ogre.)

Mongolian Half Orcs of Orphne
There is a civilization of Half Orcs on the Dark Island of Orphne that have adopted their eastern influence and basic honor system. The tent to wear hide armor, fur lined horned helmets and boots. Typical weapons for them are curved bladed wide swords, short bows and javelins. Their skin is a darker green than most Orcs and they often have tattoos. They keep their hair in warriors tails (braided)or shaved off. Some sport fu manchu style mustaches.

(PCs playing Mongolian Half-Orcs should research the style and dress of the Mongols if they do not know and try to bring that to their costuming. They do of course need to be recognizable as Half Orcs. They should also use dark green make up.)

Barbaros Hoblings of Aitia
The Barbaros are actually Hoblings. They do not call themselves that, nor do they know that is what they are, but they are in fact what people from other lands would call Hoblings. If you are a Hobling from Syrinx, it is likely you are a Barbaros. In all ways they are like Hoblings of other lands except in demeanor. The only physical difference is that many allow their side burns to grow down and into their mustaches.
Their demeanor is one of contentment. They are simply happy with whatever arrangement they find themselves in and really do not care about the goings on around them. They have taken the idea of a lavish lifestyle and mutated it to mean a life of contentment. The rare traveling Barbaros Hobling is as happy on the road in a driving rain as in a mansion eating a feast. Life is full of joy no matter what they do. They hail from Aitia and have become the working class of the island City-State. This does not mean they live poorly, some are wealthy beyond belief, but they still go out and do whatever it is they do every day, from fixing roads, to painting fences, or making locks. They are paid well and they enjoy life. They have set up extensive guilds and infrastructure and basically manage the entire day to day life of the island, although not in any official capacity but simply because if they stopped, so would the island.

(PC Barbaros Hoblings look like any other, but display the above mentioned personalities.)

Feral Hoblings of the Wild (Wildlings)
Somehow this group was separated from the rest of society many years ago and was forgotten. With scarce food and limited resources and no way off the small unsettled island that trapped them they turned wild. They are wild in appearance, with hair all over and matted, side burns that have grown long and jut out from the sides of their face. Their fingernails are often long and claw like and their teeth are sharpened. This is not a natural trait; they are filed sharp as children. These Hoblings are uncivilized and will eat almost anything, including each other. Very few of them have managed any measure of sophistication and fewer still can even exist in civilization let alone become adventurers. The few that do retain their wild looks, but for obvious reasons have given up cannibalism, but they still prefer meat raw and bloody. There is no way of grooming them, their hair grows at an unusually fast rate and seems to never hold any shape or pattern no matter what they do. Baths and showers are abhorrent to them, how can one spread his scent if it is constantly being washed away? They do not know themselves as Hoblings, nor do the people of Syrinx recognize them as such. They are known as the Wildlings.

(PC’s playing a feral Hobling must have the standard Hobling appearance, plus wild untamed hair and/or sideburns, fangs or sharp teeth. Please shower, it is an IG non shower rule, not oog, or you might find yourself really sequestered on an island!

The Nocturnal Drae of Orphne
o Bat Clan: These Dark Elves have dwelled for so long in the undark dark they have lost their eyes. Some have exceptionally long ears, other have developed what appear to be wings like that of a bat, but all who hail from this underground city are sightless. It does not seem to affect them, as they are able to function as any other. One can only guess they have developed other senses to compensate. The culture of the Bat clan is one of honor and dedication. It is a female ruled society, with Matrons that rule each family. They are the most peaceful of the Dark Elves, preferring quite and meditation over war and conquest. (PC’s that play a Dark Elf from this clan must appear like standard Drae, with the optional addition of a see through black cloth to cover their eyes that must be worn at all times. BE SURE THE CLOTH IS VERY TRANSPARENT FOR SAFETY REASONS. Obviously if it presents a safety hazard the blind fold can be removed until safer conditions are present. You may also add bat wings, but they serve no IG purpose and do not permit you to fly, glide or have any other IG effect)
o The Spider Clan: These Drae have lived so long with spiders and their kin that through magical means some have adopted spider like traits. The most frequent of these are spider eyes that are above their Elven eyes. A rare few have additional arms or legs. The only thing known about these changes is they were done magically. None will speak of how or why. They trade with surface dwellers frequently, and the entrance to their wondrous under ground city is almost as amazing as those that crawl from it. A small city has formed around a huge hole in the earth of unknown depths in the center of South Skoteinos. The Dark Elves climb from it with strange minerals, exotic ingredients, fungous and creations to trade. There are also rumors of strange half Spider, half Drae beings, but this is unsubstantiated rumor at this point. No one knows if they are with the Spider Clan if they even exist.

(PCs that play a Drae of the Spider Clan must appear as a standard Drae with the optional addition of 4 red gems or make up for spider eyes on their forehead. You can add extra arms to a costume if you would like, but they do not give you any IG benefit or detriment.)

The Monastic Stone Elves of The Silent Wood
The Stone Elves that make their home in the outskirts of the Ammon Village have taken self reflection to new heights. All who inhabit the place have taken a vow of silence while at the school. Their lives are intent on self reflection and improvement of body and spirit. The Monastery is inhabited by Stone Elves, although rumors of a scant few Drae and Armani having passed the tests are around. There is a legend of a human passing as well, but that is unlikely.

Some of the Elves have spent years of unmoving meditative self study, cared for by the other monks of the order and maintained through some formal magic that is unknown. Others spend years in pursuit of the mastery of a single art, weapon, or element. The rare few that leave the encampment speak little of it and normally only do so to continue their studies. They wear ritualistic tattoos and/or scarring that serve some purpose only understood by those of the school. All of the Monks of the school choose one discipline to focus on.

The ones that choose to master a single weapon are known as <Weapon> Spirits. The ones that pursue complete understanding of an element are known as Servants of <Element or Art>. Those that seek to master their inner self and minds are known as Seekers. They pursue knowledge of those areas above all else and do not pollute what they have learned with competing information. You will never see a Sword Spirit with a shield or a bow. They seek only to master the Sword and make it part of themselves. A Servant of Stone will never cast a spell of another element, ever.
If someone fails at their chosen area of single minded pursuit before mastering it, the tattoos and scarring fades away in three days and they are forever banned from the school.

(PC’s wishing to play a Stone Elf from the Silent Wood must appear as a standard Stone Elf, with facial and body tattoos and/or scarring. They must choose an area of study and stay with it. This is a role playing choice, there are no rules to keep you focused, but why choose it if you do not want to play it? Areas of study are open to expansion, talk to your plot team if you have one not listed. The Stone Elves from this school rarely wear armor, although it is not unheard of. This is one of the most difficult race packets, only choose it if you are up to the challenge! If you beak from the single minded study of your choice, your tattoos and scarring fade and you are known to all members of the school as a failure.)

The Unicorn Scavengers of the Dreaming Isle
Are they really related to Unicorns? No one knows for sure, are there really Drake Scavengers? What is known is there is a small nomadic tribe of horse-like scavengers on Onar that have a horn like a unicorn.

(PC’s playing a Unicorn Scavenger must rep at minimum a horse tail, mane or ears, and a horn in the middle of their forehead. The horn gives no IG skills, benefits, abilities or detriment.)

The Deep Dwarves of the Underdark
These particularly sour dwarves differ from their cousins in that there skin is dark brown to charcoal grey. They are not all evil, but their appearance puts people off. Their beards are typically dark and their eyes are sometimes red. They tend to have bigger noses than their cousins. Where they live is a mystery to everyone but them and the Dark Elves. The relationship between them and the Dark Elves has gone from war to friends over the course of the years. Currently there is an uneasy truce between them and few of the Deep Dwarves can be found in Dark Elven Cities. Deep Dwarves hate Goblins, and are very industrious and favor technology over magic. They are often tinkerers, using fancy crossbows, blades that pop out of staffs; they have helmets with lights on them, corkscrews to move dirt, and all manner of inventions.

(PCs playing Deep Dwarves must appear like a standard Dwarf in all ways but also have darkened skin, not black. They should sport a prosthetic nose as well, but as they can be uncomfortable and expensive it is not required. Typical armor is metal, typical weapons are picks and hammers.)

The Flying Tigers of the Broken Coast
The Flying Tigers are a group of Tiger Sarr that sail the Sea of Balance. They have been around for many years. They are identified by their Crimson garb and wickedly barbed curve swords and daggers called Fangs. They are not pirates, but are not above pirating, they have worked for the Empire and been harassed by the Empire. It depends of when you are asking and which ship you are referring to. There are currently 22 ships that fly Tiger colors on their ships. The members of The Flying Tigers live at sea. Some may take some shore time and do some adventuring, but their heart is at sea. 

(PC’s that wish to be members of The Flying Tigers must be a Tiger Sarr and should posses at least one CO in some sort of sailing skill. All of The Flying Tigers Wear crimson pants and vests.

The Highland Wild Elves
The newly formed land bridge from the North side of Cygnus opened up a road to the Kingdom of Stonegate. That road runs through the Highlands of Syrinx just north of Cygnus. The people discovered there is a hardy brand of Wild Elves. They wear furs and hides as well as Kilts. They have a peculiar accent (Scottish or Irish) and are fierce warriors. They often wear colored war paint, blue being the most common.

(PCs that wish to play a Highlander Wild Elf should wear a kilt and have an Irish or Scottish accent. They must still wear furs and ears and appear as standard Wild Elves. Colored war paint is common.)

THE BASIC RACES OF SYRINX

Dwarves of Syrinx
The Dwarves that are native to Syrinx are typical of those found in areas around Avalon. The largest concentration of them is on Phos. Dwarves from Phos tend towards militaristic endeavors. Dwarves make up approximately 30% of the Empires military. There is a large Dwarven community in the foot hills that favors a highlands society. They wear kilts, often decorate themselves with war paint and speak with strong Gaelic accents.

Elves of Syrinx
Amani are most numerous on Aella. They study Celestial magics in the soaring Citadel and refine Elemental magic. Although the islands focus is Air and Storm, the Citadel is home to schools for the study of every aspect of Celestial magic and the elves of the land are prominent there. The second most populous island is Aitia. Of course Cygnus has a large population as well. Quentari Elves can be found in equal amounts all over the Empire.

Stone Elves almost exclusively make their homes on Aitia although a few call Cygnus and Aella their home.

Elves of Syrinx most often wear the traditional Greek Style robes of Syrinx with fighters wearing light weight leather and chain mail.

Half Ogres of Syrinx
With the exception of the above mentioned, Half Ogres of Syrinx are nomadic hunter gatherers. They are most prominent on Cynus, although they are found in large numbers on Seismos as well. They typically wear furs and hides, use very basic bronze, copper and wood weapons. Most cannot read or write, although their history is one of the best maintained through the elders of the society passing the tales from generation to generation.

Half Orcs of Syrinx
Half Ocs in Syrinx are in many ways a mystery. There is no large civilization or grouping of them known, they have simply meshed with the rest of the peoples of Syrinx. The ranks of Swords for hire are filled with families of Half Orcs. Some Half Orc families have served wealthy families for decades, others can be found as family based companies that offer their fighting prowess to the first or highest bidder. There is a common joke that the reason honor fights take place in circles is corners confused the Half Orcs that are always present in them.
Half Orcs dress in simple leathers and cloth, those that fight are typically found in miss matched armor. Families do not typically have any unifying color or symbol. They simply know each other, many people suspect by smell.   The largest settlement of Half Orcs is oddly on Orphne. They dress and act like Mongols.

Dark Elves of Syrinx
Almost every Dark Elf in Syrinx makes their home on Orphne. They travel far and wide, but always maintain a home or residence on Orphne. They have turned up in all parts of Syrinx, on every island and every city. Like most Dark Elves honor is foremost on their minds. It for this reason there seems to be an unexpected relationship between them and the Half Orcs of the land. Many Half Orcs can be found in the employ of wealthy Dark Elves, and even in their homes and training facilities. The Dark elves culture and dress is very eastern, With a Japanese flavor.

Hoblings of Syrinx
There are none. Well from what people know and remember there are not. The above mentioned encampments are Hoblings, but no one recognizes them as such. There are no other native Hoblings in Syrinx.

Barbarians of Syrinx
Barbarians can be found all across the Empire primarily on Cygnus and Seismos. They range from animal totem tribes, to Highland Celtic inspired, Viking, and Aztec Indians. There are three main tribes of Barbarians on Seismos. The Germanic inspired Viking like tribes currently rule with the Great Shaman being one their members. He rules with a counsel of advisors from the other 5 tribes on the island.
o The ruling tribe is the Clan of The Hammer. They favor the war hammer as weapons and utilize small round shields. They wear horned helms and furs, are hardy folk that make their homes on the North most shore of Seismos. They are masters of ship raiding and often raid the monstrous settlements in the unsettled north.
o The Largest clan on the island is the Pegasus Tribe. They tend towards chain main and flowing capes with winged helms and head pieces.
o The White Wyrm Tribe wear scaled armor and white furs. They all have blonde to white hair, pale skin and blue or red eyes, and oddly none have facial hair. They tend towards wicked curves swords, spears and axes. They live in the icy planes of the central mountain. During the winter months they essentially disappear. How they survive in the vast icy waste land on the mountain is a mystery.
o The Raven tribe lives on the west planes of Seismos as migrating hunter gatherers reminiscent of American Indians of the west.
o The Tribe of the Winged Serpent live in the lush forests to the south and are based on the Aztecs of Mexico.

Gypsies of Syrinx
Gypsies in Syrinx can be found in all places but no one place. There are unknown numbers of them on Helikia’s Life side at any given moment, but they all travel the Empire one might expect. There are also an unknown number of them on the Dead side of Helikia. They equally as fun loving and exuberant as their cousins and one would be hard pressed to tell the difference, except for the things they enjoy. They love war Death and strife. They do not wait for death, they seek it out believing it to more fun than life because there will be no limitations. They have few now.
Gypsies of Syrinx share the colorful dress of their cousins.

Mystic Wood Elves of Syrinx
Perhaps more closely related to the Fae than in other lands the Mystics of Syrinx are an interesting group. All have the typical pointed ears and horns, but in addition to what is found elsewhere there are three subcultures with unique features.
o The first are the Mystic of Helikia’s Life side, they have Smallish horns and ears, tend to be short and they all have fur covered goat like legs. They drink like Gypsies, sing and play music day and night. They tend to wear little armor, but when they do it is almost always woven grape vines. They can weave it in varying thicknesses to mimic any type of armor. (PC’s wishing to wear this armor MUST rep it in appropriate weight and thickness for the armor rating the desire) All of these Mystics are male.
o The second can be found primarily on Siesmos, Cygnus and Aella. But anywhere there are rocky hills you can find them. They have large ram like horns that sweep back from their foreheads and often times flared goat like noses. They are fun loving as any other Mystic Wood Elves, but are quick to temper and love a challenge. They are often heavily armored and favor spears, bows and swords.
o The third group is found in the lush forests of Khaos, Aella and Cygnus. They are lithe creatures with often with greenish hair. All have plants and vines that grow in their hair. All of these Dryad-like Mystic Woods Elves are women. They tend toward light weight natural clothing when they wear it. Their warriors wear wooden armor that appears to continue to be alive, with fresh leaves and branches growing from it. When one of them takes their permanent death, a tree grows where their body lies if it is on the earth. If someone other than them attempts to wear the armor it begins to die and will be dead wood in 3 days. It still retains its armor properties; it is simply no longer alive. (PC’s wishing to wear this armor MUST rep it in appropriate weight and thickness for the armor rating the desire.)

Sarr of Syrinx
Sarr make up a large portion of the military in Syrinx. Beyond that they can be found in many regions, probably foremost on Phaidra and Aella. They are what you would expect of Sarr similar to Sarr of other kingdoms. The Sarr of Aella are bit more wild, tending towards light armor if any. There are wild tribes of Sarr on Cygnus that have grouped in Sarr type groups. Wild Cheetah’s roam the planes chasing down prey, Cougar Sarr stalk the mountains, and Panthers and Jaguars stalk the Jungles of the coast. All of the tribes meet once a year, no one but they know where. All attempts to follow or track one have failed and the scout never returns. Even the notorious Flying Tigers are reported to go the meet. 

Scavengers of Syrinx
On Syrinx Scavengers are as diverse as the animals they favor. Unlike Sarr they do not seem to divide into groups but instead one type appears to coexist with all other types of Scavenger. What we would think of as a predator is as likely to be in the company of more plant eaters as their own type. They are evenly spread across Syrinx. There is no one group that stands out, excepting of course the legendary Unicorn Scavengers.

The Wild Elves of Syrinx
The Wild Elves in Syrinx are primarily influenced by Celtic Highlander culture, although there are also the standard Indian influenced culture. You can find Wild Elves on Cygnus, Aella, Aitia, and Seismos in the largest numbers although they are spread across the Empire. 

Humans in Syrinx
Human culture is diverse across Syrinx. The most common are Greek/Roman influenced.