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Even though dragons are the most populous species in the Realms, they are far from the only one. In addition, do not assume "the dragon realms" as a name for the planet means that dragons are in power over the other species or that the world is built dragon-centric. The dragon realms are called such because it is the origin world of dragons from which they have spread far and wide across Ezamire, with the understanding that the name is meaningless beyond this. Every sophont in the realms, though sizes and shapes vary greatly, are treated as equals to the dragons.
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Avians are a family of bird-like, omnivorous, sapient creatures native to the dragon realms.
Aarakocra are anthropomorphic bird-like beings that can share an appearance and markings similar to any bird, with heights ranging anywhere from 4ft (1.2m) for the smallest songbird-like aarakocra, up to 7ft (2.1m) for the largest albatross-like aarakocra. They have wings and are capable of flight. The type of bird they resemble can also influence their style of flight and diet, such as seabird aarakocra preferring seafood and being adept at diving into the water, songbird aarakocra preferring mostly seeds and greens and loving to sing, and bird of prey aarakocra being extremely fast and quiet fliers. Aarakocra have hollow bones to aid in flight, and many have small sharp teeth inside their beaks.
Aarakocra have no inherent sexual dimorphism, but this can depend on the type of bird the individual resembles. In some cases, cis men are smaller and more colorful than cis women. In most cases though, an aarakocra's sex cannot be determined based on appearanc.e An aarakocra's penis is stored inside a slit, so both sexes look almost the same until aroused. Aarakocra lay eggs that hatch after about 3 months, but some also lay unfetilized eggs regularly due to natural hormone fluctuations. Unlike actual birds, they have a separate genital slit and anus, rather than a cloaca. Aarakocra hatchlings need to eat mushy foods until their beaks develop enough to bite into solids, and they start learning to fly as young as 3 years old.
Zail, a shrike aarakocra
Unlike aarakocra, harpies are avian-mammalian and have a semi-humanoid face and upper torso. They have wings and are capable of flight, and their languages are exclusively sung rather than spoken. Most harpies resemble multiple different types of birds, and those living far from the equator have an instinctual urge to migrate towards the equator in the cold season. However, they may not always migrate if they do not want to leave their friends, though this can cause some instinctual discomfort- most harpies fair poorly in the cold and will need to bundle up. In some majority-harpy towns, the entire town including non-harpies will migrate each cold season!
Harpies are semi-mammalian, and they all have breasts and vaginas. Any two harpies can reproduce through genital to genital contact. They lay eggs that hatch after just one month, but the hatchlings still need to breastfeed for about 5 months after this. Young harpy wings start developing enough to fly at about 5 years old.
Elves lack wings, but are still very much avian in appearance. They have incredibly long ears and are covered in feathers, often with longer feathers on their limbs, shoulders, hips, and neck, with talons for hands and feet. They have flatter, semi-humanoid faces, but some have a more beak-like nose. Elves have a long list of subtypes that each evolved to adapt to a different region, but in the modern day all types of elves can be found in many places around the realms.
Wood Elves: These elves evolved in the woodlands and average 6ft (1.8m) tall, but some can be much taller. Feathers are rather fluffy and downy but can also be short, and colors range across the entire color spectrum, generally shimmery and reflective, and sometimes featuring markings resembling those of songbirds or even turkeys. Talons are owl-like for climbing trees and traversing the difficult forest floor.
High Elves: Elves that settled at the peaks of mountains where oxygen is thinner, thus requiring specialized lungs. They've evolved slick, earth-toned feathers with markings resembling those of birds of prey, with featherless and deathly-sharp talons. High elves come in at the tallest of the elf subtypes, averaging 8ft (2.4m). They are generally uncomfortable at lower altitudes, but may become used to them over time.
Wild Elves: Elves of the tropical jungles, baring bright, gaudy, neon colored feathers of unusual display shapes, often featuring whiskers and massive decorative features. They average 6.5ft (1.5m) tall and have a wide array of exaggerated body types, and their talons come in all different shapes and sizes, including some unusual features such as raptor claws, extra toes, and strangely shaped claws. Wild elves are known for their elaborate courtship rituals which involve dance, and painting incredibly intricate maximal designs onto their already plenty-bright feathers.
Dark Elves: These elves live in partially underground settlements, often together with dwarves and moles. Their feathers are deep blacks, oilslick dark greens, stormy grays, and navies, but they glisten and refract colorful light under the sun. Their faces are broad, with large eyes equipped to see well in the dark, and their eyes will appear to glow when light is shined at them. They average 6.5ft (1.5m).
Snow Elves: Arctic-dwelling elves covered in a thick layer of warm, fluffy feathers, generally white with ticks of darker shimmering jewel tones. The shortest elf, they average just 5ft (1.5m). Eyes are usually surrounded by dark markings resembling eyeliner, and faces are often heart shaped. Talons are thick and fluffy, matching with a high body fat percentage to aid in keeping heat. Snow elves who live in tundras where the ice melts in the warm season will shed their winter coat, gaining a slimmer red-orange-yellow shimmering coat!
Sun Elves: Desert elves that can reach heights of 7.5ft (2.3m), with extremely thin bodies and uncannily long lanky limbs. They are quick runners, with thin talons and long toes for striding smoothly over sand. They appear in various shades of terracotta coloration, with striping and spotty markings, as well as a long narrow face. Most sun elves that still live in desert regions do so around oases.
Moon Elves: Nocturnal elves that live in various temperate biomes such as forests, valleys, plains, and hills, often those with larger amounts of latent magic, as moon elves feed partially on magical energy along with regular food and water. For this reason, moon elves are often joked as magic sponges, as magical attacks also do less damage against them. With huge, light colored eyes often compared to the moon, moon elves average 7.5ft (2.3m), and have shimmering bluish, silverish, purplish, and grayish mottled feathers. Different "morphs" such as piebaldism and calico-like markings are more common for moon elves than other subtypes. They have small, nimble talons and taller and rounder faces.
Sea Elves: These semi-aquatic elves feature smoother, waterproof feathers, often with markings resembling thoae of seabirds with opalescent blues, teals, and cyans. They have rounder faces and average 5.7ft (1.7m) tall, with webbed hands and feet, and often live in seaside towns with other semi-aquatic species, such as water dragons, locathah, and sharkin. They can also be found further inland if there is a sufficiently large river or lake nearbya.
The very first gryphons were originally the offspring of tabaxi and aarakocra, but they took heavily after the tabaxi ability to run on all fours. Over time, they became a primarily quadrupedal species, but they can still stand upright to use tools as needed. Gryphons come in many shapes, sizes, and morphs depending on which type of bird their front half resembles and which type of feline their rear half resembles. Any combinations are possible. Gryphons have wings and hollow bones, lean more canivorous, and are capable of flight.
Hippogriffs are the result of ancient gryphons hybridizing with varied other sapient hooved people, including minotaurs, orcs, fauns, and a supposed group of horse-like people that seem to have disappeared in the modern day, though hippogriff historical records clearly prove their existence. Where have they gone? Regardless, the hindquarters of a hippogriff resemble various hooved creatures. They are winged with hollow bones, and are omnivorous.
Orcs are a species of anthropomorphic boar and pig like people. Like elves, orcs have many different subtypes and are widespread all over the dragon realms! Most orcs average in at 8ft (2.4m) tall and are rather dense, coming in at around 300 pounds or more, though some types come in much smaller sizes. Orc sexual dimorphism is subtle, with cis women typically being larger, stronger, hairier, and more muscular than cis men. Both sexes have breasts and facial hair.
(Fun fact: My main fursona Warren is half warthog orc and half boar orc. Warren is also regarded as unusual due to his smaller size and his hatred of the nighttime; many orcs prefer a nocturnal or diurnal lifestyle, but Warren is a morning person!)
BOAR ORCS: Wild boar orcs are among the fluffiest of the orcs, covered in a thick layer of bristly smooth fur, with tusks and furry ears. They originally evolved in colder forests and taigas, but are now widespread around the realms!
WARTHOG ORCS: Warthog orcs evolved in savannas, but are now present in many parts of the realms! They feature extremely short wiry hair with longer, coarser body hair, as well as knobby faces and wide muzzles with large upward-curving tusks. There is also a desert variant of warthog boars, which can go up to 4 days without water before experiencing any effects of dehydration!
GIANT FOREST ORCS: Giant forest orcs evolved in warm deciduous forests and plains and are the largest species of orc, with heights averaging 10ft (3m). They feature huge floppy ears with very long fur, medium length tusks, and very sturdy looking bodies and faces.
PYGMY ORCS: Pygmy orcs are the smallest orcs, coming in at only about 5.5ft (1.7m) tall. They evolved in arid grasslands and hilly regions and are thus adept climbers featuring bristly fur, smaller ears, and shorter legs and snouts with small tusks.
RED RIVER ORCS: Red river orcs feature strikingly bright and warm fur coloration of reds, oranges, and cinnamons. Their faces and legs are a much darker color, with smaller white accents. While most types of orcs have coloration and markings that vary quite a bjt, this specific appearance is exclusive to red river orcs! Their name comes from the fact that they evolved along the banks and swampy regions of a few specific rivers in the realms.
LONGTUSK ORCS: Longtusk orcs, naturally, have the longest tusks of any orc type. They must carve down their tusks throughout their lives. If left uncut, they will eventually curve around and grow into the individual's skull, killing them. Longtusk orcs have extremely short hair with coarser body hair, originally having evolved in tropical jungles and other hot humid biomes. These orcs started the trend of carving one's tusks down into unique artistic shapes, and this eventually became a practice all kinds of orcs participate in!
BUSH ORCS: Bush orcs are another temperate orc subspecies with long ears and snouts. They are typically warmly colored browns with brighter ticked markings and a large bristly crest of salt-and-pepper fur running from their head down their spine.
WARTY ORCS: Most notable for their epicsauce swag hairstyles, warty orcs are not to be confused with warthog orcs. As mentioned, warty orcs have great hair that is often styled elaborately. They evolved initially on a select few islands in the realms, but have since become slightly more widespread!
HEARTLAND ORCS: These orcs are characterized by their warm tones and thick curly fur, with big fuzzy ears and a smaller muzzle! Their name regards their ancient heritage from a specific plain, a place which is still held sacred to those who live there to this day.
CALICO ORCS: Calico orcs have a very round body and face with a short muzzle, soft and fluffy fur, and a wide variety of patched colors and patterns in whites, pinks, reds, oranges, browns, yellows, and blacks.
HELL ORCS: Hell orcs are a massive orc that originated in volcanic areas as a hybrid species with tieflings, featuring both scaly and furry patches. Hell orcs are the second oldest type of orc. They feature both scaled and furred patches, and can reach up to 10ft (3m) tall. They have knobbed cheeks with a long square muzzle, and their sharp teeth give them almost a slightly more feline look. They have a humped back with large bristling crests of both hair and armored plates with spikes down their spines.
SUN ORCS: Sun orcs are the first orcs to have evolved, and modern individuals still bear a similar appearance to their ancient ancestors. They are a bit smaller than other orcs, coming in at around 6.5ft (1.5m) tall, as well as being a bit slimmer with squarer tusks and a large ridge along the tops of their skulls. Snout length varies. They evolved in open plains, and it is common practice for sun orcs to live up to their name by sleeping out in the open beneath the sun.
Apes are anthropomorphic monkey and ape like creatures which can resemble many different types of monkeys and apes. Monkeys and apes used to have separate classifications due to apes' larger size and lack of a tail, but in the modern day, the two have hybridized and most apes share traits from monkeys and have tails. The most common ape facial structure resembles that of a mandrill, but gorillas, chimpanzees, various types of monkeys, and even lemurs are all possible. Lemurs, though, are generally considered a subspecies of apes and are sometimes considered separately altogether. Ape diet varies but is largely omnivorous, and they originally evolved in jungles but now live all across the realms.
During Malefor's rein, he allied with the ape king Gaul, who sent apes into battle for Malefor's will. Gaul was tasked with freeing Malefor from the Well of Souls after Cynder freed his soul from Convexity, which allowed Malefor to finally make his return to the Realms and attempt to destroy the world to remake it in his own image. In return, Malefor promised Gaul and other powerful ape political figures great power. Gaul was gifted a magical staff that could absorb magic, preventing dragons from using elemental magic against him. He spread propaganda among ape citizens and enlisted a massive army, and not everyone had a choice; the draft became mandatory in some places. And it turned out that the struggle was all for nothing; after Malefor was freed, Spyro killed Gaul, and the rest of the ape politicians became increasingly ambitious, demanding their promised power from Malefor. But Malefor was cold and ungrateful, and instead opted to curse the politicians, transforming them into wraiths that hunger endlessly, never able to be satisfied. Most ape citizens, thankfully, were spared this fate, as Malefor quickly became too busy overseeing his new army of artifical rock constructs. In the modern day, a few years after Malefor's fall, ape society is still in the process of rebuilding. They no longer serve a monarchy, but a new form of government has yet to be decided on, so ape cities currently exist in semi-peaceful anarchy with a bit of turmoil here and there. Many apes have since left their home cities, spreading out across the Realms. Some dragons who fought against Malefor's army still hold an unhealthy fear of apes, especially Guardian dragons whose nurseries had been invaded and destroyed by the ape army at the start of the war. But most apes do not want to be associated with the sins of their past government, and simply want to be accepted as citizens of the Realms.
Concept art by Jared Pullen
Skavengers are a carnivorous anthropomorphic creature resembling a mix between a weasel and a badger. Historically, most of them lived upon high clifftops in burrows until the invention of airships, after which the majority of skavengers began permanently living aboard airships, traveling perpetually around the Realms. Some skavenger clans became adventurers, while others simply enjoyed their peaceful separation from the ground, their nearness to the sky an important aspect of their spirituality. Some skavenger clans, however, became pirates. These pirate clans are largely thieves, collecting treasures from across the realms including crystals, magical artifacts, and living creatures. These creatures are displayed for fans in arenas within the largest ships, sometimes made to battle each other for the crowd's enjoyment, though the more peaceful skavenger clans tend to frown upon this practice. It should also be noted that in the modern day, more non-skavengers have come to live on airships as well, and some skavengers do not!
Concept art by Jared Pullen
Gnolls are anthropomorphic hyenidae that generally range from 6-8ft (1.5-2.4m) tall, with digitigrade legs and five main subtypes: striped gnolls, spotted gnolls, brown gnolls, aardgnolls, and hellgnolls. Hellgnolls were originally hybrids between tieflings and gnolls that feature horns, armored scales in addition to fur, and additional spines and knobs down the spine and across the body. Hellgnolls can grow up to 9ft (2.7m) tall. Gnolls originally evolved in savannahs, bushlands, plains, and deserts. While most gnolls are mostly carnivorous, aardgnolls in particular prefer a diet consisting largely of insects. Most gnolls have a slightly hunched posture, and some prefer to carry themselves in more of a raptor stance. They do not have breasts regardless of gender, and instead have nipples on their bellies.
Fauns are a diverse group of anthropomorphic people with many subgroups resembling various types of goats, sheep, deer, and antelope. They are generally 5-6ft (1.5-1.8m) tall, but the subtypes resembling larger cervidae such as moose can grow to be as tall as 9ft (2.7m). They are widespread across the realms, and can have face shapes ranging from more humanoid to more animalistic, and some have human-like hair while others do not. They always feature animal-like noses, digitigrade legs, and animal ears, and are hairy and furry even when an individual has a more humanoid build.
Massive anthropomorphic bull people that come in many different shapes, able to resemble any different type of cow, bull, bison, yak, or zebu. Minotaurs tend to stand 8-10ft (2.4-3m) tall and generally lean more herbivorous, but will occasionally indulge in a meal with meat. Minotaurs do not have breasts regardless of gender, and instead those who give birth have nipples at the bottom of the belly that swell into udders for up to 6 months after having a baby.
Tabaxi are anthropomorphic cat people who originally evolved to be adept at climbing and moving quietly. Even today they are mostly carnivorous, and they have many subtypes which can resemble any type of feline, including some subtypes resembling big cats while others resemble smaller cats or even domestic cats. Tabaxi do not have much sexual dimorphism.
-Cheetahs: Anthropomorphic cheetah people, these are a subtype of tabaxi. As expected, they can drop to all fours and become incredibly fast short-burst sprinters. Hunter the Cheetah has been close friends with Spyro since his childhood.
Harengon are anthropomorphic laporidae people with digitigrade legs, but can stand in a more plantigrade position by putting their heels down to the ground. Harengon subtypes can resemble any type of rabbit or hare. They are mostly herbivorous and have fluffy feet that don't have paw pads.
Bugbears were originally hybrids between trolls and hobgoblins, and over time evolved to fill their own niche. Modern bugbears are furry anthropomorphic beings that still bear some of the fangs and swirling markings of hobgoblins, but also the fluff and long limbs of trolls.
Kangaroos are sapient marsupials that hail from deserts, savannahs, and the occasional rainforest, growing up to 7ft (2.1m) tall, but may be much shorter depending on subtype. Kangaroos are often described as three-legged, as their thick tails can be sat on and used to walk. They cannot move their legs independently of one another, so their gait features bouncing with the two legs simultaneously and using the tail for extra stability. Slower walking is usually done with assistance from both the tail and the arms. After birth, kangaroo children are carried in a pouch in the belly until they are strong enough to walk on their own.
Short marsupial creatures resembling a jerboa, gemcutters are named for their historical importance in finding, polishing, and refining mana crystals. In ancient times, they supplied various types of gems into the trade system used by the realms. In the modern day, gemcutters have shared their technology, and gemcutting and working with magical ingredients is now something anyone in the realms can do.
Concept art by Nicholas Kole and Etsuko Sudo
Subterraneans are a genus of underground and semi-undergound people in the realms. Subterraneans often live alongside earth dragons, and many subterranean languages also utilize tactile sign and braille. In the modern day, many subterraneans live aboveground, and many non-subterraneans live below ground!
Dwarves are short (4-5ft or 1.2m-1.5m), stocky people who evolved semi-undergound. Their vision is not great, but they are very sensitive to vibrations in the earth to locate others. Dwarves are omnivores and have no sexual dimorphism; all individuals are very hairy and have beards and breasts. Dwarves, earth dragons, and moles have built staggeringly massive underground cities, and dwarves and moles in particular are known for a strong interest in machinery, blacksmithing, and engineering, as well as making the best metal music of all time.
Moles, colloquially known as manweersmalls, are small (3-4ft or 1-1.2m) anthropomorphic mole-people that live mostly underground in caves and tunnel systems. Most individuals lean vegetarian, but will occasionally indulge in meals containing meat. They have no sexual dimorphism. Like dwarves, their eyesight is rather poor, but they're able to sense precise locations of others since their hands, feet, and whiskers are very sensitive to vibrations in the earth. Moles and dragons respect each other greatly, as their histories are closely intertwined. During the war with Malefor, underground cities were not nearly large enough to shelter the entire dragon population. It would have been easy for moles to simply leave the dragons and flee underground. But millions of moles worked alongside dragons to build large walled-in cities for protection, including Warfang, the city that served as the largest defense against Malefor's army. Baby moles are born blind and will often live exclusively underground or in a dark building for the first 1-2 years of their life.
Concept art by Yan Le Pon
Trolls are large furry people who stand up to 8ft (2.4m) tall, though they are often seen leaning forward and walking with the fists on their huge front limbs. Trolls evolved in shallower caves and thus are equipped to spend a bit more time aboveground. They tend to have slightly better eyesight than other subterraneans. They tend to prefer a mostly carnivorous diet, high in carbs and fats. Most trolls range across all kinds of earth tones, but trolls living in colder regions will shed their summer coat and turn white come winter. Trolls have no sexual dimorphism; they have 2 rows of nipples but no breasts. Baby trolls act in a manner similar to young apes and will often get the instinctual urge to playfight, which dragons tend to love! Even adult trolls will often spar with dragons.
Avians are a family of bird-like, omnivorous, sapient creatures native to the dragon realms.
Nagas are carnivorous reptilians that come in two main morphs, legged and legless. Legged nagas feature arms and digitigrade legs with a slightly more humanoid posture, while legless nagas have shorter arms and entirely snake-like lower bodies. They cannot chew and must swallow their prey whole. Some subtypes are venomous, others have small horns, others have rattling tails, others are incredibly fast, others are constrictors, as nagas can share traits from any snake. Their size can vary quite a bit anywhere from 8-28ft (2.4 - 8.8m) long, they are not sexually dimorphic, and they lay eggs.
Crocodilians are carnivorous anthropomorphic crocodiles, alligators, gharials, and caiman. They tend to live in semi-aquatic regions and have an incredible bite strength with shorter limbs. Despite this, they can run and climb quite well. They have long, thick tails which they use to balance and heavy plating down their spines.
Kobolds are canine anthropomorphic beings with some reptilian traits. The first kobolds evolved from dire wolves, and dire wolf kobolds still exist in small numbers today as the biggest subtype of kobold, reaching up to 8ft (2.4m) tall. However, most kobolds are smaller, ranging between 4-5.5ft (1.2-1.7m) in height. The common subtypes of kobolds include wolves, dingoes, foxes, wild dogs, maned wolves (these can also grow to 8ft (2.4m) tall), jackals, dholes, coyotes, raccoon dogs, bush dogs, mastiffs, shepherds, terriers, sighthounds, etc. While some kobolds do resemble domestic dogs, they are still sapient people and are therefore not being "bred" to look a certain way; their features will not be as extreme as domestic dogs (like no flattened muzzles on pug-like kobolds). Most kobolds have small horns and a varied amount of plating and scales on their body.
