In the first dawn that any lore yet speaks of, passed from generation to generation from antiquity, there have been the Knowing Races of Mynochral.
So named for, in their oldest lore, each knew, as if from a voice spoken within the core of their being, the name by which they were to be called. Over generations, they would slowly draw into disparate lines, with subtle changes and evolving ways even as they physically separated from kin in traveling the face of the world. At their core, though, they share much more than they differ.
Although some would argue, still, against this truth.
Syl - The Children of the great forests. With slender bodies that harken to the graceful branch tips of the towering Vanatheon Oaks, wherein they are said to have first dwelt, these long-lived people have grown into three distinct bloodlines.
The Sylvae - Commonly called the Wood Syl or Summer Syl, they cling most closely to those ancient woodlands, preferring to keep to themselves and the gentle song of the breezes that pass through their beloved forests.
The Sylvorec - Known as the Copper Syl, for a copper eye coloration is most common among them, calling to mind the passing of a leaf in autumn. Sometimes also called the Autumn Syl, for this same reason. Sylvorec gather in towns and cities, often on the coastline, and build with stone and wood the graceful buildings that bear the intricate carvings and artistry that is their hallmark.
The Sylfarae - Most often referred to as Silver Syl. With eyes that flash an almost metallic silver, the Sylfarae may live in solitude and seclusion, or may gather in cities devoted to the pursuit of knowledge and learning. Also called the Winter Syl, they value the connection with nature the least of all their kin, but hold fast to the stance that a knowledge of the essence of creation holds within it a connection to nature that perhaps others have not come to recognize.
Grumm - The powerful, stocky children of the great mountains. The greatest miners and smiths, by tradition, and fierce warriors when the world around them threatens.
Felgrumm - By some, called the Mountain Grumm, these people often build powerful fortresses, usually of very thick and well-rooted construction, at the entrances to their deep mines and expansive underground halls. Of the two Grumm races, they are the more likely to create objects with intricate and sometimes delicate artistic value. Felgrumm sometimes act as the trade representatives of their Grurron cousins when those kin need outside commerce for a specific purpose.
Grurron - Commonly referred to as Stone Grumm, these are the most reclusive of the Knowing Races, preferring the close comfort of their burrows and caverns. Grurron never build under the open skies, and in fact often take great care to disguise even the entrances to their complexes. Other races are viewed with a high level of distrust, and their Felgrumm cousins even sense some level of apprehension. Syl of all types are viewed with a combination of hatred and fear and will often be physically driven off, when encourntered.
Erigin - The children of the broad plains, shores, and open oceans.
Searigin - The most common race of men in and around The Surrounded Sea, but also extending out to the countries of the Western Reach. Fair of skin, although not as much as their Wythrigin cousins, the Searigin thrive on crafts, trade, and, on more than a rare occasion, conquest.
Garigin - The men of the Scythe, the broad and sweeping coast along the hottest edge of the southern continent. The Garigin hold claim to many lands, including the desert called the White Sea, the tropical islands from which mountains known as the Western Shield rise out of the vast oceans, and even the climbing foothills and towering southern faces of the Great Western and Great Eastern mountain ranges.
Wythrigin - The Northmen, holding to ancient and traditions and customs, these pale-skinned, powerful, and impressively built people sometimes claim to share some distant bloodline with giants. Living in tight-knit clans, these people are fierce and terrible foes upon the battlefield. In trade, through their vast fleets of sail and oar-powered ships, their acumen rivals their martial skills.
With the coming of the Gods of Mynochral, and the priests and faiths that flourished following the end of the Ten-age that preceded them, these races have sometimes been called by the names that the Gods brought with them; Elves, Dwarves, and Humans.
Despite this, the old ways and the voices that echo from within their own being cling to those names that the first dawn of their collective memories brought to their lips.