Lay Men:
The term "Lay Men" refers to the common folk of the land, most likely including the reader. They are tall and thin, possessing of relatively hairless bodies and poor night vision. They have both short canines and molars, suitable for a variety of prepared foods. Their allotted time is half a century barring tragedy, and each family typically has between three and seven children.
Lay Men are the strongest and toughest of the races, due to their great mass. Their warriors are powerful, and in battle their knights wield long swords and ride great warhorses to take advantage of this. The greatest Heroes of the Hegemony almost always originated among the Lay Men.
However, the Lay Men are also the most divided of races. Nobles even of the same blood constantly fight and bicker, and enforce the laws of the land only when convenient. Beware when travelling through the less-regulated areas, lest one be easy prey for thieves, bandits, or brigands.
Dwarves:
Dwarves, sometimes called gnomes or halflings, are perhaps the most well-known of other races. They are famed for their ability to work magic and create artifacts, but also for their irrational mood swings and obsessive behavior.
True to their name, dwarves are characterized by their shortness. However, a dwarf never thinks small. When a dwarf makes or does something, they focus exclusively on the broad strokes, leaving "minor details" to "work themselves out". If not for a dwarf's extreme propensity for accidents, most would probably live to see 200. Contrary to what one may expect, Dwarves are in fact fast breeders and quick to mature - it's just that most die young fighting the monsters that share their subterranean realm.
Dwarves prefer to live underground, and those who make their living on the surface (such as farmers or huntsmen) make burrows for their kind. Although, such "Hill Dwarves" a minority; the mainstay of dwarven society lives in the underworld, where a variety of strange flora and fauna substitute for surface ecology.
The reason Dwarves are so well-known is because of their continuous interactions with the lay men. Due to their focus on complexity, many dwarves are enamoured by the natural world, and the surface seems exotic to them. Any visitor to one of their holds should be prepared to answer an endless barrage of seemingly trivial (and occasionally absurd) questions.
The dwarves regularly import food and beasts from the surface, but typically the demand for food is met fully by the lords of the local farmland. Unless a traveller is carrying preserved delicacies from afar, he would do better to bring the remains of a rare or dangerous creature met on earlier travels.
The bones or hide of a monster can be made into an impressive work of art or even an artifact, especially if accompanied by a good telling of how it met its demise. A dwarven craftsman will typically offer a choice between paying the deliverer for the materials and gifting him the finished product in exchange for a commission fee; accept the latter only if one intends to keep it for oneself. These days, the rich are usually too ignorant to distinguish genuine dwarf work from the frauds.
If one is not adverse to a touch of smuggling, precious stones and metals are almost always in demand. However, as most surface deposits have been depleted, exporting them is heavily restricted or even forbidden. Gold is a classic example, as it is highly prized and hoarded by dwarves.
Why dwarves covet gold so much is a subject of much debate, but the practice of biting a gold coin to test its purity has lead to widespread rumors that they simply eat it. More rational minds point out the importance of gold in the dwarven economy. Dwarven holds are generally communes in which the government enjoys an enforced monopoly on alcohol, and gold coins are used as tokens of exchange as payment for labor later reimbursed for booze.
A dwarf traveller is likely to be an adventurer or thrill-seeker; abroad out of desire and not necessity. They will work according their passions; the most famous of which is the path of the mercenary.
The stereotype may be for a dwarf to wield an axe, sledge or pick into battle, but this is rarely true for a veteran warrior. Dwarves have less leverage than taller folk, and usually have a smaller range of freedom in their joints, so weapons requiring a swinging motion are much less powerful in their hands. Generally, an expert dwarven fighter will attempt to ambush the enemy from concealed trenchwork with crossbows, knives, and vicious poisons. They sometimes form teams with pikes and large shields, but do poorly in open battles. If a dwarf is wielding something that looks like a tool, that's because it's probably intended to be used as a tool. That, or its a novelty weapon intended to make a fight more 'interesting'.
Besides for mercenaries, dwarf travellers can be divided into two rough groupings: wandering experts, and unskilled migrants. Experts are, like the name suggests, masters of a specific craft. When travelling, they generally carry little wealth, living off the land and practicing their vocation for paltry sums. Though bot always easy to befriend, they make for great travelling companions. The unskilled, on the other hand, often naïvely spread their wealth. A kind traveller will do their best to show them their way; a more cunning one will be generously compensated for helping them to "see the sights".
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Wild Men
The term "Wild Men" is somewhat of a misnomer, for while they often live in otherwise inhospitable wilderness, they are anything but savages. That isn't to say they can't be brutal, however; it would be wise to take great care not to offend them.
Wild Men are a bit shorter than lay men, but are more muscular and possess a great deal of hair all over their bodies. Some may also have tusks or other animalistic features, depending on the tribe. A natural lifespan can be anywhere from thirty to eighty years, stretching on longer the more 'enlightened' one becomes. They are slightly more fertile than Lay Men, but their females are less common.
A Wild Man's digestive system cannot handle starchy foods such as grains or tubers, and their bodies require a diet rich in protein and fat. Therefore, Wild Men generally do not rely on farming for sustenance. Instead, the Wild Men hunt and herd beasts for their food.
Wild men would generally prefer a nomadic lifestyle, anyways. Wild man culture revolves heavily around their philosophical traditions. They value martial prowess, but despise mindless violence. They are generally peaceful unless provoked, or when their population exceeds their food supply. When they fight, they will often suddenly withdraw once they feel the point has been made or their goals achieved - even if they were the ones to have 'lost'. A wise man will not press any further, and act as if nothing had happened.
Though slow to anger, wild men have many rules that must be followed when one is their guest. If any are violated, being executed on the spot is never out of the question. A duel is considered a chance for redemption; do not waste it. Whatever the punishment, enduring it stoically may impress the wild men enough to reduce the sentence; but continue to act humble afterwords. It is expected that those granted reprieve will show their gratitude through actions, not words.
Politely decline to attend any ceremonies, especially funerals or celebrations of victory in battle. If one does foolishly accept, one should not back out no matter what - the only recourse is to partake heavily the Wild Mens' spirits in the hopes of falling unconscious.
The majority of Wild Men live in the distant east, in vast yet scarcely populated lands ruled by khans or czars. However, several small populations live in forests across the west. Some cities in the south have both Wildmen and less hairy folk living side-by-side.
Wild Men have an innate affinity for nature magic, especially when dealing with magical beasts. They can calm monsters, attract helpful spirits, and even find safe paths through a magic-corrupted wilderness. When it comes to scouts and guides, the Wild Men are second to none.
Demihumans
Though now mostly extinct, and technically never a proper race to begin with, the Demihumans deserve a note here due to historical significance.
Demihumans were the products of heretical magic experiments performed during the Age of Wizards. The Wizards mixed the blood of mortals with that of Daemons and whatever else struck their fancy in the hopes of creating "better" men. Those that didn't devolve into horrendous abominations became the Wizards' foremost servants, or favored pets in some cases.
A Demihuman is generally taller, stronger, faster, longer-lived etc. than the average of the race they were mutated from; however, they paid for this with increased food requirements, less fertility, and a reliance on magic. Additionally, the hair, eyes and rarely skin may be of an unnatural hue.
The most common and stable class of Demihuman was the so-called "High Man". The High Men were based off of Lay Men, to which they bore a strong resemblance. The most common difference was the ears, which were often long and pointed. During the Great Rebellion, the majority of High Men fought for the Wizards and were killed, although those few who aided mortals helped to form what would eventually become the Hegemony.
The second most common category would have been Demihumans with animal characteristics. Some were bred for war, took advantage of their Daemonic heritage to assume forms neither man nor beast, but a vast number of Demihumans with more... "Cosmetic" enhancements were created by the infamous Sam the Perverted.
The relative numbers of Demihumans declined over centuries after the Wizards' fall, due to decreases in ambient magic levels and interbreeding with humans. The civil wars which ended the Hegemony shattered what few remaining villages of Demihumans remained, and none are believed to survive to this day.