Races

The Paradigm Worlds are a wild and diverse place, with biological life taking on many bizarre forms. Evolution is rapid, mutation runs rampant, and creatures have had many thousands of years to change and adapt to post-viral existence, resulting in a large variety of humanoids that now dominate the land...

On top of every race having unique starting stats and skills, certain races like Biotecs and Half-Giants are significantly taller than the others, which could be an advantage or disadvantage on the battlefield depending on your play style.

"Humans"


Perhaps not the the top of the food chain like their noble predecessors once were, 'humans' are resolute and resourceful nonetheless. Their beauty is prized in the Paradigm Worlds, for they represent a pristine ideal that is rare among the misshapen mutants that dominate the planet.

Of course, they are not truly human - Humanity as we know it died out several thousands of years ago.
Inspired by what remained of human culture, today's humans were recreated by the sentient virii and fungi that form the building blocks of all life in the Paradigm Worlds to act as stable humanoid hosts for the symbiotic intelligences that began to sprout up and reclaim the ravaged landscape.

They make for skilled manipulators and good leaders, at least in times of war, and the popularity of human females makes them excellent at persuading other creatures to do their bidding.

Male stats/skills: STR 7 AGI 6 INT 6 CHA 6
Leadership, Luck, Survival, Warfare

Female stats/skills: STR 5 AGI 8 INT 6 CHA 7
Leadership, Manipulation +2, Field Medicine

Morloks


Morloks are creatures whose intelligence can be surpassed only by their ugliness. Often despised because of their appearance, they however display high intellect, and make for greatly skilled engineers. Their unpopularity leads many creatures in the Paradigm Worlds to underestimate them, and Morloks will happily use any opportunity to their benefit.

Morloks' characters are very chaotic, their nature contradictory and their discipline lacking. This, coupled with the passion that superior Morloks have for politics, pushes their societal leaning to that of a totalitarian regime, their leaders deciding that the only way to control their populace was to keep them under strict supervision and full surveillance.

The mutations that set Morloks apart from Humans are caused by prolonged physical contact with the mineral most important to their culture: Pyre.
Morlokian society is built almost entirely around the mining and refining of Pyre, and Pyre is in turn used in the creation of most of the latest technological advancements in the Paradigm Worlds.

Morlok stats/skills: STR 5 AGI 6 INT 11 CHA 3
Manipulation, Engineer, Grenadier, Leadership

Biotec Cyborgs


After the apocalypse, Artificial Intelligences that remained active throughout the years calculated what kind of creature would have the best chances for survival in the new world order. Biotecs are the a result of that calculation.
Imagine a triangle. In its corners, place a cockroach, an AI, and any humanoid. The center of this triangle is a Biotec.

Despite their cold logic, high survivability and efficiency, they are still a very new type of being in the Paradigm Worlds, and their lack of evolutionary experience can be a drawback. Their repulsive appearance, intimidating height and dangerous posture doesn't help them make allies with other races or factions, either. For this reason, most Biotecs gather in hives and act in swarms of their likeminded brethren.
There are, however, reports of lone Biotec units acting as independent individuals.

They are one of the youngest races in all of Paradigm Worlds, their own Paradigm not coming into existence until the year 10000, though they can still be selected as a playable character in any era.

Biotec stats/skills: STR 7 AGI 7 INT 7 CHA 4
Engineer, Cybertech +2, Survival

Skeletons


Thick mists of secrecy surround the origins of these creatures. Is it truly magic that keeps them 'alive'? Or is there a scientific explanation for their existence? Micro-organisms invisible to the naked eye? Viral-sentience that keeps these piles of bones together well after their host's flesh has decayed?

While the explanation behind their existence is unclear, what we do know is that skeletons are surprisingly strong and durable. They possess incredible intelligence, and are skilled organizers and manipulators, as capable of developing complex technology as any living creature.

In terms of gameplay, Skeletons may be the most unique race. As becoming a skeleton signifies the end of everyone's journey, they are incapable of mutation and reincarnation.

Skeleton stats/skills: STR 8 AGI 6 INT 8 CHA 3
Vanguard, Manipulation +2, Professional

Skeletons are also capable of turning any prisoner into a skeletal thrall, helpless to do anything to resist joining the skeleton's army.

Orcs


Often called the poorer brothers of Uruks, these creatures are often underestimated in the modern world. They may not be as strong or aggressive as Uruks, but they make up for this with a greater intelligence - at least when compared to their bigger, brutish brethren. They are agile, fit, and have a good eye for detail, especially when that detail is 'where to hit an enemy.'

They are a dominated species, often left to perform servile tasks for others, or manage the slaves that rank even lower than them.
Tribal orcs do exist in the jungles of the Paradigm Worlds, living in primitive conditions, while other free orcs choose a civilized life of mutual benefit in smaller towns and cities.

It is believed that Orcs were created by sentient virii that once infected and fed on the DNA of apes during the apocalypse, as their shape and agility is very similar to those primitive humanoids.

The names and aesthetic senses of Orcs and Uruks, much like Elves, Dwarves and Vampires, come from the ancient Earth fiction discovered throughout the developing years of the lifeforms of today.

Orc stats/skills: STR 9 AGI 12 INT 2 CHA 2
Cobmat Speed, Prisoner Management, Eagle Eye, Luck

Uruks


"If Orcs come from Chimps, Uruks come from Gorillas."

Throughout the many years of their evolution, Uruks developed a strict code of honor.
Uruks are born warriors, though their naive posture and uncivilized way of life makes them victims of those more skilled in diplomacy and manipulation. More intelligent races often exploit the mental weakness of Uruks.

However, while Uruks may not be the smartest, they are not unaware of this weakness. Many of them have joined together to fight for their independence from the major factions of the Paradigm Worlds, though many of their number can still be found in the armies of greater lords.

Uruk stats/skills: STR 12, AGI 7, INT 3, CHA 3
Combat Speed, Body Building +2, Combat Brutality

Elves & Pikts


Probably the biggest victims of their own prejudice, their well-known hate of technology put them in a very unfortunate position in the evolutionary chain. They believe to be the chosen ones, however none seem quite sure what exactly that entails. They have awaited what they believe to be their divine fate for eras.

Elves are very agile, quite intelligent and have strong personalities. However, their deprived way of life and dislike of any form of civilization makes them vulnerable to other powers. They are also very skilled ranged warriors and hunters, outmatching any other creature when it comes to archery.

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On the other side of the spectrum one can find the Pikts.

Pikts were once Elves, corrupted by the influence of dark lords and other unknown means, who diverged from their Elven roots and embraced an extremely aggressive lifestyle. This made them an infamous minor faction in their own right.

Whether they truly are as mad as creatures believe them to be, their ferocity has certainly earned them the titles of Crazy and Bloodthirsty.

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Elf stats/skills: STR 3 AGI 9 INT 6 CHA 7
Eagle Eye, Silent Hunter, Animal Raider, Survival

Djinni



With their heightened intellect and deep connection to spirituality, the Djinni are regarded as magical creatures. They are also commonly seen as either egotistical or introverted, depending on who you ask.

Their skills are varied, and Djinni are equally capable as warriors as they are as scientists.

The term 'Reincarnation,' which has become the popular term for mutation, was thought up by their race. To the Djinni, mutation carries a mystical significance.

Djinni avoid assimilation with other races, preferring to keep to themselves. However, Their intellect often places them in roles of leadership among those they do choose to surround themselves with.

Apart from blue Djinni, there are also their red counterparts. These red Djinni are driven by an inherent, all-consuming rage.
Some Desert Djinni are also known to transform over time into the terrifying and bestial Sand Doppelgangers and Desert Sukkubs, some of the most dangerous creatures known to the Paradigm Worlds.

Djinni stats/skills: STR 7 AGI 5 INT 8 CHA 5
Luck, Mutation, Combat Speed, Engineer

Aliens


Aliens gained their name because of their appearance, standing out even among the mutants of the modern world. It is possible that they evolved from an organism of alien origin, but this hypothesis has never been proven.

Regardless of their origins, they have decided to base their society on ancient pre-apocalypse information on Bushido honor code.
The Aliens' society is very much divided. Some still live by traditional ways, while others have advanced to a high level of technological advancement.

Aliens are skilled hunters and warriors. They are of a militaristic nature, and take a pragmatic approach to their interactions with other factions.

Alien stats/skills: STR 8 AGI 8 INT 6 CHA 3
Cybertech, Mutation, Critical Precision, Engineer

Half-Giants



Half-Giants are an almost extinct race. Scarce food resources resulted in the Half-Giants meeting a similar fate as the Mammoths did many thousands of years ago. Evolution endowed them with tremendous size and physical strength, but their role in the Paradigm Worlds diminished greatly with the reinvention of firearms around the year 5000.

Despite this, remaining members of their race are favored for their survivability on a battlefield.

Half-Giant stats/skills: STR 22 AGI 1 INT 1 CHA 1
Body Building +2, Survival, Combat Brutality

Vampires


Vampires and their victims both suffer from the superstitions that come from the ancient legends that are told about them to this day.
One has to understand that Vampires, despite their humanoid posture, have more in common with animals than with any sentient race.
Vampires are in an early stage of their evolution, originating from an organism no larger than a bacteria. Vampires rely on their instinctual cunning, instead of their underdeveloped intellect.

This does not mean Vampires are less capable than other races - On the contrary, they are able to create complex plans to safeguard their existence. Vampires possess a great ability to mimic and replicate humanoid behavior, even if they do not comprehend its true purpose.

Vampire stats/skills: STR 9 AGI 10 INT 3 CHA 3
Combat Speed, Manipulation, Combat Brutality, Critical Precision

Vampires are also capable of turning any prisoner into a vampire thrall, helpless to do anything to resist joining the vampire's army.

Mutants



Mutants are the first (and, so far, only) species artificially engineered in the post-apocalyptic world.

Despite a lack of hard evidence, it is believed that Sanitarium Conspiracy scientists came into possession of pre-apocalyptic knowledge on the creation of new organisms.
Sanitarium scientists treated various races with artificial viruses known as Narvik-1 and Narvik-2, the same kind of biological weaponry used during the apocalypse itself. Most test subjects obviously died very shortly after testing. While the death rate was high, extensive testing eventually resulted in test subjects undergoing a significantly accelerated evolutionary process. The outcome of these successful tests were the mutants we know today.

How they managed to escape from these testing facilities is unknown, though the popular theory is that their escape was planned by Sanitarium authorities in order to test their behavior in an open environment.

The rapid evolution of these mutants meant they were quick to develop sentience, some coming together to form perhaps the most intelligent Knight Order in the Paradigm Worlds, even signing a truce with Sanitarium of some kind to allow them to operate independently.

Fearing plots by foreign intelligence agencies, the Sanitarium Conspiracy works hard to keep any information on the Mutants' true origins a closely-guarded secret, so it is unknown how true this information is. When it comes to Mutants, there are more questions than answers.

Mutant stats/skills: STR 6 AGI 16 INT 2 CHA 1
Combat Speed, Mutation +3

Dwarves


Though it may sound incredible to some due to their difference in appearance, the Dwarves are most closely related to Morloks. They came from the same original species, though their evolutionary paths split quite some time ago.
Both creatures share similar intelligence, though the Dwarves' branch of evolution drifted in favor of physical strength.

For centuries, Dwarves developed their skills of engineering and knowledge of explosive ordinance, things that served them well as their race specialized in the mining of Pyre crystals. They prospered well, until their mining business became overtaken by the Morlokian Pyre monopoly.
After this, they attempted to seek refuge in human and Magioucratic cities with little to no luck. Ultimately they were left to live in the slums of the settlements of these powers, and it would take until the year 7022 before they managed to re-establish any kind of important role on the world's ladder.

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Rumors say that, while refined Pyre is harmless, Pyre in its purer forms emits a radiation that has strange effects on the creatures of the Paradigm Worlds. It would seem that only Morloks are truly resistant to it, as some groups of dwarves that have been exposed to Pyre are known to act very irrationally.

Known simply as "Angry Dwarves," they attack merchants, caravans and even smaller military forces seemingly at random.
No patterns indicate that their behavior is the result of any known sickness or mutation, and some speculate they may simply be rebellious dwarves trying to get back at the world that let their once-mighty people fade into poverty and obscurity.

Dwarf stats/skills: STR 11 AGI 2 INT 7 CHA 5
Body Building, Grenadier, Bartering, Engineer