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Victoriana
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The world of Victoriana is not purely populated by
Humanity, across the world dozens of different races carve
their fortunes alongside (or against) mankind.
In Europe many of these races have lived together in society
since Roman times, and rarely consider themselves different
races – simply a part of ‘the greater concept of man’. A far
greater distinction for the inhabitants of Victoriana is ‘class’
the true and sure knowledge that birthright and breeding
define an individual’s place in the world.
In England this has led to certain races becoming dominant
(or downright entrenched) in certain classes. The Eldren
dominate the upper classes, the industrious dwarves and
ingenious Gnomes populate the middle class, while the
gullible Ogres and downtrodden Beastmen lie among the
lower classes. Humans can of course be found across the
spectrum of society, comprising the single largest majority
of each class.
Men
Men are the most populous of all the races and account for
the vast majority of Europe’s population. They vary greatly
in build, have many possible hair and eye colours, but they
have no special racial abilities. Women are socially bound in
England but there is no difference in their attributes, women
are certainly as capable as men - society simply refuses them
the same opportunities.
Beastmen
Beastmen have faithfully served among the lower classes of
England through out history, Beastmen appear next to men
on the earliest discovered cave paintings. A Beastman’s
build varies in the same way as a Human. Their bestial features
vary to a degree, although most have a goat or dog-like
head and heavy body hair. Variations are common - ratmen,
bearmen. Lionmen etc. The bestial appearance should be
chosen after the attributes have been rolled. For example a
small, dextrous and weak Beastmen might have rat features.
For example a large, strong, stupid Beastman may have bulllike
features. A Beastman who is both strong and intelligent
could well be a lion. Beastmen do have females but they
only account for approximately 25% of the Beastman population.
It is more common for Beastmen to intermarry and
breed with men and Eldren, a practice which society does
not view distastefully among the lower classes. Beastmen
are often judged by their outward appearance. A rat or
weasel would live a lonely shunned life, while a noble lion
would be popular and possibly be propositioned often by the
other races.
Due to their slightly subservient social position (it is very
rare to find a Beastman above the lower classes and unheard
of to find one in the upper class) many are turning to politics
such as socialism, bolshevism, communism or plain anarchy
in attempts to better their position.
Eldren
The Eldren are a rare and aesthetic race (although those that
turn to war often excel), highly valued as artisans throughout
the world. Not only creators of beauty, the physical beauty
of the Eldren is also legendary; they are tall and slight of
build, finely boned and with delicate features. Their skin is
pale as finest porcelain, their hair raven black or mahogany
with no other variation. Eldren eyes have cat-like pupils and
white or pale metallic irises, their ears come to a delicate
point at the tip. In high society an Eldren bride is considered
quite a prize. The Eldren have lived with, and interbred with
the upper echelons of Humanity for all recorded time.
(Queen Elizabeth Tudor was an Eldren queen) like
Beastmen, the Eldren are rarely considered to be a different
race.
Eldren have a high chance of insanity, or “artistic eccentricity”
as it is known, typically this manifests as a minor neurosis
or phobia. All Eldren characters must take a mental complication
from the option points section without claiming the
bonus points that would normally be associated for the complication.
Dwarves
A very clannish race, the Dwarves kept their northern cities
and large tracts of the land around them under guard from
other races throughout much of history. Despite this theyhave
always been peaceably minded to other races, but only
really started integrating when queen Elizabeth asked for
their help to defeat the armada. The English civil war
strengthened these ties when king Charles the first (again an
Eldren monarch) was wiped away by Oliver Cromwell and
the Dwarven sir Thomas Fairfax’s new model army.
Dwarves are stocky, and powerfully muscled. They have
finely lined faces and the colour of their eyes is always deep
and bright. Dwarven hair can be any Human colour; it is
coarse and grows thickly on the scalp and race. Dwarves are
hard-working industrialists, and make up a large part of the
gentry and skilled labour in many towns where mining and
building are primary industries. Unsurprisingly after the
industrial revolution, large
parts of the nouveau riche
are Dwarves.
Dwarves suffer from legendary stubbornness. In England They often harbour bad
feelings toward Eldren from the English civil war - over two
centuries ago.
Little legs
Dwarves are a short race, and as such their legs are much
shorter than the average Human (or Eldren or Beastman for
that matter). When calculating movement speeds ½ your
scores to represent the disadvantage represented by your little
legs.
Halflings
Halflings are a transient people who take great pleasure in
food and drink, tall stories and a warm fire. They are short
and although they are a slender race, there excesses often
leave them portly. They have tough hairy feet and few wear
shoes. Hair can be any colour, as can eyes. Halflings mature
quickly and have a short life span, they are considered adult
at 10 and the oldest recorded hauling lived until 45.
Halflings are all (as a race world-over) afflicted with an
almost insane wanderlust. A hauling is always on the move
from birth till death. On the whole Halflings are a cheerful
and curious lot, rarely without their noses in somebody
else’s business or wallet. Halflings have little concern with
all this ‘society’ nonsense; most find it quite amusing, for
this reason society places them (as a race) at the bottom of
the lower class.
Wanderlust
A Halfling cannot stay in one place for long; after his intellect
in months passes, he must move on to a new location.
he does not then for every week thereafter then he temporarily
loses 1 resolution or 1 intellect until he does. Once on the
move again the characteristic scores return at the rate of
1/day. At the gamesmaster’s discretion the distance travelled
may be of any distance, and locations may be revisited.
Little legs
Halflings are a short race, and their speeds are calculated in
the same manner as Dwarves.
Gnomes
Gnomes are short wiry humanoids, easily mistaken for a
starved Dwarf. Hair can be any colour as can eyes. Their
faces are lined like a man in middle age, a Gnome’s eyes are
dark and sparkle with intelligence. Gnomes are generally
shrewd, intelligent creatures they are at their best when taxing
their brains. Accountant, teacher and solicitor are all
occupations at which the humble Gnome excels. Being
physically frail they shy away from physical work when
they can.
Little legs
Gnomes are a short race, and their speeds are calculated
in the same manner as Dwarves.
Ogres
The Ogre is a humanoid powerhouse. On average 8 ft. Tall
and almost as wide, an Ogre is best described as a large slab
of pure muscle. Ogres may have any colour hair or eyes;
their skin is rough and callused all over. Often the teeth are
overdeveloped into tusks (approx. 45%), facial features are
always very deep set & crude.
Ogres are dumb, they frequently believe anything they are
told as they lack the facility to distinguish lies from truth,
this often leads to fanatical (and misplaced) devotion to even
obscure causes, a fact that the army plays on with glee.
Indeed, Ogres are ruthlessly taken advantage of due to their
dubious intelligence and aside from the occasional rabble
rousers- nobody (including the Ogres) cares about how they
are treated.
Blunt wits
If you choose an Ogre character, you automatically believe
anything those characters with a presence score higher than
5 tell you. If there are two high presence characters voicing
different commands then they must shout each other down
to end your confusion, or the gamesmaster might make you
roll intellect + empathy to make your own judgement call
(heaven help us) on which of the nice people is telling the
truth.
Iron constitution
Ogres are renowned for their ability to shrug off
wounds and pain. To represent this every
Ogre calculates his health as body x6
rather than the body x5 as used by the
other races.
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