Species of Peremene

The Common Species

Collectively known as the common species, elves, norians, sylphs, and the falician are four predominant, sapient species of Peremene that inhabit the large majority of the planet's regions.

Elves

Elves are the most predominant of the common species and are considered to be a gold standard; all species, including beasts and insects, are compared to their physical and magical abilities. Furthermore, the term "elven" sees everyday use when describing bipeds that aren't included among the common species, such as the sylph, dwarves, and the florauna.

Pure elves stand 5'10" on average and are very rarely under 5'6" or above 6'5". Their hair colors include every shade in the rainbow and more and their eyes can also have most any color. Elves remain so commonplace that almost everyone has a partly elven core, even if only from a distant ancestor. The term half-elf lingers from its earliest recorded history, however, and colloquially describes anyone between a 20% and 70% elven core.

Norians

Norians have the second largest population of the common species. Compared to elves, they have slight advantages in physical strength, durability, and fighting spirit, but slight disadvantages in speed, magical strength, and reflexes. When comparing trained members of both species, though, the gap becomes nearly invisible.

Pure norians, although very rare due to their species' near-total mixing with elves, have the widest range of height among the common species; they've been seen anywhere from 5'0" to 7'0". They have the narrowest range of hair colors, though, coming only in brown, black, blonde, orange, and occasionally red or purple. Norians and partial norians are typically more tanned than elves, but on some occasions they're very pale and on other occasions so dark they can blend into the night.

One informal way to identify a norian or half-elf is by her ears, which are rounded; usually only a heavily elven core will result in pointed ears.

Sylphs

[coming soon]

Falician

The falician are a winged bipedal species. Aside from their flight capabilities, they have sharper eyes than elves and improved reflexes, but are otherwise equal or weaker in every respect.

Members of the falician are often about 5'2" to 5'8", having a total body mass like elves but with much of it found in their wings. Their hair and feather colors cover the entire visible light spectrum, but their skin is almost always tan or bronze-colored--a bit darker than the dwarves in either case--and their eyes almost always brown or red.

The falician rank third in population and were originally a tiny minority like the florauna. Elves and norians had concerns about creating offspring with them because they produce eggs instead of cocoons; however, the first several half-falician proved there was no need to fear. Since then, half- or part-falician have grown exponentially every few years and will overtake norians in time. Their wings have made them highly desirable partners for hatching offspring and, unlike the similarly-winged sylph, they see value in the renewed perspectives of fresh minds.

Other Sapient Species

(commentary on the dwarves, florauna, and more coming later -9/28/2013)