Melmoth has twenty-five initial player races to choose from; more are unlocked as a player progresses and has the opportunity to become 'reborn'. 

Human

Etherion

Clockwork

Morami

Elf

Drow

Gargoyle

Cath

Giant

Pigt

Avian

Drider

Dwarf

Shyft

Darkon

Troll

Automaton

Spryte

Nymph

Duergar

High Elf

Half Elf

Orc

Half Orc

Goblin

Human  (top)

Humans are the most common race in the world, and make up 
the majority of adventurers. Although they have no special talents like the other races,
they are more versatile, being skilled in all four classes. Humans may also train their primary stat higher than any other race, and are able to gain more benefit from magical devices.

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Elf  (top)

Elves are slightly taller than humans, but have a much lighter build. They lack the strength and stamina of the other races, but are for more agile, both in body and mind. Elves are superb mages and thieves, but have at best fair talent as warriors or priests.

Elves resist charm spells most effectively, due to their magical nature. However, they are burned by the touch of iron, and so are barred from the use of iron or steel in their adventuring careers. Elves are notoriously  hard to spot, and so elven warriors and thieves receive the sneak and hiding automatically. They may see in the dark with infravision.

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Giant  (top)

Giants are the largest of the races, ranging from 9-12 feet  in height. They are stronger than any other race, and almost as durable as the dwarves. They aren't too bright, however, and their huge size makes them more clumsy than the other races. Giants make the best warriors of any race, but are ill-suited for any other profession.

Giants resist heat and cold with nary a mark, due to their huge mass. However, their slow minds make them extremely vulnerable to mental attacks. Giants, due to their size and stamina, receive the fast healing and bash skills for free. (Only giant warriors receive bash).

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Dwarf  (top)

Dwarves are short, stocky demi-humans, known for foul temper  and great stamina. Dwarves have high strength and constitution, but poor dexterity. They are not as smart as humans, but are usually wiser due to their long  lifespans. Dwarves make excellent fighters and priests, but are very poor mages or thieves. 

Dwarves are very resistant to poison and disease, but cannot swim, and so are very vulnerable to drowning. They receive the berserk skill for free (if warriors), and can see in the dark with infravision.

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Etherion  (top)

Etherions are a magical, mystical race. They are not bound by the rules of time or space, usually, although those that chose to venture abroad in mortal form are thus bound. Etherion elders prefer to sequester themselves in the obscurity of the ether that breaths life into all things magic on Melmoth; therefore, many of the Etherions that you may encounter during your adventures are relatively young. 

Etherions are able to absorb pieces of equipment into themselves, and thus restore their health.

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Drow  (top)

Drow are are branch of the elf family which has migrated to deep, underground caverns.  They are darker-skinned than their above-ground cousins, and are not very tolerant of the light.  The Drow are adept magic users, but save the occasional exception, they are poor fighters.  Drow society is an established matriarchy, with each house having a Matron mother whom dictates the behavior of all her kin.

The Drow have established an underground city to the south-east of New Eprellis.  Seek out a cave in the mountains to the south of the eastern crossroads.

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Pigt  (top)

Pigts are a smallish race that live primarily in underground caverns. They are very aggressive, and are usually very assertive once they know what it is they want. They heal very quickly, and can see in the infrared spectrum naturally. They are not hurt easily by fire or ice, but other elements can take their tolls easily. 

Pigts make good thieves and excellent warriors, due to their fast healing ability. They also have a natural ability for haggling, being thrifty by nature.

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Shyft  (top)

Shyfts are small, fairy-like creatures. They are very dexterous, and make excellent thieves. They are ALWAYS AFFECTED by haste (whether or not it shows up on 'aff'. Unfortunately, due to their highly magical nature, they are vulnerable to attacks of both a magical and physical sort. 

Shyfts have the natural ability to 'blink'; that is, they can teleport themselves to random place, even if cursed, or fighting.

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Clockwork  (top)

Clockworks are a mysterious race of intelligent Machines. Nobody knows for sure where they come from, or who created them. Clockworks are large intelligent beasts made crafted from stone, metal, wood, and rope.

Perhaps the strangest thing about clockworks is their capacity for self-repair. Clockworks are constantly working on any broken or damaged internal  parts.

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Gargoyle  (top)

Gargoyles are an ancient race of winged lizard whom originated in the mountains of the far north.  With their expressionless faces and grey hides, the Gargoyles of Melmoth are often mistaken for statues when sitting or standing still.  Extremely strong, Gargoyles are much sought after as warriors, and their high constitution allows them to make excellent death-knights.

In times of near death, Gargoyles may draw their blood inward to their vital organs; this speeds the healing processes, but locks the muscles into place, leaving the Gargoyle helpless. 

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Avian  (top)

Humanlike birds. High int and fly. Good Thieves and Magic Users

Avians are humanlike bird creatures. They have the natural abilities of  flight and can see in the dark. They are dexterous and resistant to cold but  are vulnerable to fire and magic. Due to their flight ability they can  range further than most other races i.e. "As the crow flies".

Due to their high intelligence and dexterity they make good thieves and magic users but are unfortunately frail and don't fare well in direct combat.

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Darkon  (top)

Darkon are a cross between the tainted Drow and the ferocious Worg. Emerging from the shadows, these creatures are natural hunters, and are quite vicious. They make great deathknights, great thieves, great warriors, and all right mages. They do not make good clerics or alchemists. As natural abilities, they are affected by infravision and are very hard to track or find.

They are vulnerable to light, holy, and fire, and are resistant to charm and sleep.

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Morami  (top)

The Morami (singular: Moram) race was created long ago from the magical experimentations of a mage whose name has been lost in the sands of time. In his experiments, the mage attempted to crossbreed the feline Cath with  humans. While the original Morami were created this way, they soon began to  breed amongst themselves, eventually becoming an independent race. However,  their original master instilled in them an instinctual hatred for the Cath,  which persists to this day, and has grown even stronger since having  followed the Cath to the land of Melmoth, and having no way home, the gateway used closing after they passed.

Morami are extremely adept at subterfuge and stealth, making them ideal thieves, and they are only slightly less adept at being a mage. Their  natural fighting abilities make them decent warriors, but their independent nature makes it nearly impossible for one to be a priest, as they disdain asking for the help of others, even the gods.

Morami look almost human and may be able to pass themselves off as such, or even as elves as their faces are slightly more angular than that of humans.  They do have several distinguishing features that set them apart, though, such as catlike ears, a sleek furred tail, and  elongated canines. They also have sharp retractable nails, and some may even have markings upon their skin like a cat, or even short fur.

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Cath  (top)

The Cath are a tribal race of hunter/gatherers that look like humanoid  felines. At one time they lived peacefully, but after the experiments of a  mage upon a number of Cath and human people introduced the Morami into the world, that peace was shattered. Taken by surprise at first, with the  ferocity of the attacks of the Morami upon the their tribes, the normally  adaptable Cath lost many of their people. In time, though, the wars between the two peoples began to stabilize as the Cath hunter became more proficient in sniffing out Morami ambushes. Unfortunately, their numbers still were dwindling, and the Cath priests turned to their gods for guidance. Under the direction of their priests, the Cath constructed a gateway to another  world, that of Melmoth. To their chagrin, however, after passing through the gateway, a sizable number of Morami followed, and the gathered tribes of the Cath were scattered.

As noted above, the Cath are very adaptable, and are able to glean the most from the land they inhabit. This and their hunter/gatherer culture makes them very suited for the life of a scout. In addition, being a devout  people, they also make good priests. Their instinctive distaste for anything unnatural, however, leaves them ill suited for magehood.

The Cath are humanoid felines, basically looking like cats standing on their hind paws. Their forepaws are more elongated than those of a normal 

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Drider  (top)

The Driders are a companion race to the Drow, often found in close proximity to each other.  Formed by magic, the Drider are half-elf and half giant spider.  Extremely cunning, they are often practitioners of the magic arts, be it as a mage or occasionally a cleric.  Due to their fragile bodies, however, it is extremely rare that you will find a Drider warrior.

Devious, if not quite evil, Drider are often not to be trusted.  Given their deformed bodies, it is also rare that you will find Driders in the company of humans, elves, dwarves, or their allies.

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Troll  (top)

Trolls are horrid carnivores found in all climes. They know no fear and  attack unceasingly when angered. Their arms and legs are long and ungainly  but possess great strength. The legs end in large, three-toed feet, the arms in wide, powerful hands and sharpened claws. A troll's hide is rubbery and colored either a mottled green or putrid gray. Their dull, black eyes grant them infravision. They walk upright but with a hunched, sagging appearance. Trolls have poor hearing but may track by scent. Trolls seldom use weapons but on those rare instances when they do they are adept and deadly. Trolls, while not very intelligent are sometimes wise. They make excellent warriors, decent thieves or clerics and poor mages.

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Automaton  (top)

The Automaton are kin to the Clockwork; conjecture has it that both races were created by the same magics.  Where Clockworks were engineered for size and brute strength, however, the Automaton were built for magical power and capacity for thought.  Smaller frames are filled with beakers and reservoirs of different magical components and liquids.

Their mechanical nature still allows the Automaton to have a normal strength despite their obvious predilection for magic.  Their wooden frames and cloth covering renders them vulnerable to fire, cold, and crushing weapons.

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Spryte  (top)

Sprytes are a small race of magical faerie folk; less than half the size of a dwarf, Spryte's are capable of long distance flight, and powerful magics.  Too fickle and energetic to be truly Intelligent, their long lives allow them to accumulate a good deal of wisdom.  Their connection with nature also affords them a high constitution. 

You often see Spryte magic users or scouts, but rarely see Spryte warriors.  Spryte's do not care for Trolls, and the feelings are mutual.

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Nymph  (top)

Magical Woodland folk, the Nymphs are a race who most prefer the vast forests of Melmoth to the cities or caves.  Ethereal in nature, the Nymphs are best suited as scouts and clerics.  They are capable as warriors, but it is not their preferred profession. 

While male Nymphs are rare, they do exist.  It is not uncommon for them to be mistaken for females, however.  This has lead to more than one bar-room brawl in the taverns of New Eprellis or Zeram.

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Duergar  (top)

As are the Drow to the Elves, so are the Duergar to the Dwarves.  While all Dwarf kin are most at home in the mountains and mines found therein, the Duergar, or 'Dark Dwarves' have taken it a step further and have sequestered themselves in the depths of the home that they love. 

Occasionally, a hot-headed young Duergar will leave the depths of the Earth so as to explore the world; these excursions are usually short, as the Duergar are shunned by all, even the other Dwarves.

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High Elf  (top)

"More Sylvan than the Elves"; this phrase best sums up those of the High-Elf lineage.  The High Elves are generally taller and more slight in build than the common Elf folks; they also have a much higher opinion of themselves, rarely deigning to consort with their 'lower' brethren, much less the other races found in the land.  To the High Elf,  all are inferior to, and few the equal of, themselves.

This xenophobic attitude has not won the High Elves many friends; fortunately, they do not need them.  Highly accomplished magic users, the High Elves rarely need to seek the help of others.

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Half Elf  (top)

The result of a tryst between an Elf male and a Human female, Half Elves are shunned by both groups as unnatural half-breeds.  A half elf is usually mistaken for a tall, lithe human or a short, stocky elf.    Half Elves have developed a culture all their own, even developing their own language.  Stronger than Elves, and more Intelligent than Humans, Half-Elves make good scouts and death knights, and passable clerics.  They make poor Warriors and Mages.

Most half elves try to blend in with humans; they are usually fairly successful, so long as they wear hats which cover their ears, which are still slightly pointed.

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Orc  (top)

Squat, green-skinned creatures from the southern swamps, Orc's are cousins to Trolls and Goblins.  Uncomfortable in wide open spaces, and sunlight, Orc's are much more comfortable when in swampy and subterranean climes.  Well muscled, an armored Orc could almost be mistaken for a Dwarf, if you were able to look past their snouts and yellow eyes.

Orc's make good warriors and death knights, and passable scouts given their connection with nature, as twisted as it might be.

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Half Orc  (top)

Another Half-Breed found in Melmoth, the Half Orc is the product of an Orcish Father and a Human Mother, often born in Orc captivity as a member of a worker caste.  Many half-Orcs are able to escape from captivity, or are freed during Human and Elvish raids, and end up in the employ or rich and unscrupulous noblemen.

Wiser and more Hardy than humans, Half Orc's make good warriors and laborers.

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Goblin  (top)

Startlingly intelligent and wise, Goblin's are natural alchemists and magic users.  Small green creatures, the Goblin is not terribly strong nor swift, but cunning above all else.   Goblin's are often found in the company of Automaton's and Clockwork's; it is a symbiotic relationship, as the Goblin performs field repairs, and the Machines keep the Goblin safe and occupied.

Goblins make good thieves and alchemists, and poor warriors and scouts.

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