The Campaign Builder's Guild

OMG.  You and I both have Halflings (hobyts in Celtricia) as the most populous races.  That's just too wierd.

[blockquote=SG525]The humans are based loosely off of Europe during the Imperialism of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The governments are struggling to acquire as much foreign land as possible, while the average citizen sees this as the perfect time to become a cosmopolitan and see the world. [/blockquote]Does the human mentality include the boundless optimism and faith in 'progress'?  

[blockquote=SG525]In addition to the Normal Pantheon of races, Elves also practice a pseudo-worship of a large number of dragon 'saints,' which have their own pantheon and spheres of influence. Nearly all elves worship the Five and their Children, seeing the dragon saints as more heroes than anything, but there is a small but growing sect of ultra-conservative Elves who see the dragons as the true Gods, and refuse to even associate with those 'tainted' by the Five.[/blockquote]+ love the 5, and the 30 total dieties, and how they are organized...makes some sense, and seems real-ish.  The dragon-saints...love them.  

[blockquote=SG 525]It is important to note that although I use the word 'technology,' the more appropriate word might be Magology. The gnomes approach problems with the mindset of creating a magic item (or clapping together several items) to solve it. Thus, the dirigibles above might use heat metal, continuous flame, or lifters instead of traditional gas.[/blockquote]I'd like this setting.  My game system (not the setting, my crunch) has artificers as the second most common casters, and your gnomes sound like I imagine my artificers.  
I aslo like the way the racial relations seem a natural outgrowth of this mentality.  You have a very clear view here.


[blockquote=SG525]Elves are a naturally curious race, wishing to learn as much as possible about other cultures....Artistically, they are rigid-minded and set to a pattern. [/blockquote]  a few lines apart, these seem contradictory.  I know you mentioned a few weird off-kilter tendencies that contradicts, but the elves seemed to be the least clear to me, even adding the 'Free elves' in.

[blockquote=SG525]Lands:Half-elves hold the eastern coast of the Northern Continent, not as fertile as the human lands, but more than enough to relieve the strangle-hold the humans have on the grain market, should they ever start large scale selling. Both the Free Elves and the Humans know this, and contention for the half-elves' land is fierce.[/blockquote]  I have enough trouble believing in a world where every race seems to separate nations by race, but imagining a country of half elves, instead off staying put in one of the parent race countries, stretches even a fantasy world logic.  I know you have the new ones staying there, but having a 'mutt-land' is a little wierd.  Maybe it is more of a duchy or province?

[blockquote=SG525]I wanted the Half-Orcs to have a viable place in the world, beyond the outcast living on the fringes of society. This is my attempt to remedy that.[/blockquote]
Very, very good idea.  I totally agree.  I did the same with Orcs, actually.  

[blockquote=SG525]Culture: Half-Orc culture is one of restraint. The blood of the orcs is in constant war with the milder, more reasonable blood of humans, and this shows. Half-Orcs place great weight in their system of laws, both within a town and among the race as a whole. They see laws as a way to embrace the human in them, and reject the orc. This doesn't always work; Orcs can be short tempered and easily angered, making the half-orc law system one of the most strictly and harshly enforced. Punishments range from a whipping (the lightest sentence) to being abandoned among the sunken hills (the harshest sentence, essentially a prolonged death at the hands of Orcs or, if you're lucky, starvation).

Orcish hierarchy is based on aptitude, something they quickly learned to appreciate from the Gnome example. Each town has an Admiral or Overseer who runs the town, and answers to no one save another of his same rank. They are duty-bound to assist half-orcs in need, no matter if they belong to an enemy town or friendly.[/blockquote]

This was also a very good snapshot, and sympathetic to a race that is always getting the shaft.
Ths sunken hills, in general, are a cool area.  

What areas are mixed race?  Are the cosmpolitan human lands open to more races?
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[blockquote=SG525]Umer: God of the Orcs, Umer is chaotic evil. He is the designated guardian of the orcs, and is credited with teaching the orcs how to master the waters of their homeland. Umer is also the Orcish God of death; Lor does not collect Orc souls. His symbol is a black, tattered sail.[/blockquote]So Umer is really eveil, yet orcs worship him...So your orcs are  really monstrous...

[blockquote=SG525]Neme: Neme, the Goddess of revenge and vengeance, is chaotic evil. The most emotional of the Gods, there are many reports of Neme herself destroying entire cities that have done wrong in her eyes. her worship has faded in favor of Tyrsis of late, but she is still the primary God of law in some remote areas.

Micas: God of destruction, Micas is chaotic evil. He is worshipped by barbarians as well as those whose job it is to destroy or tear down. The illegitimate sixth child of Lilnith, he was taken in by Quarren after the death of his fourth son in the hopes of preventing him from becoming a rogue force. It succeeded, and he is now relatively peaceful. His symbol is a ruined tower. [/blockquote]
Neme, Chaotic, Evil, Emotional, unstable...God of Law.  Sure.  Why not?
Mica, Chaotic, Evil, patron of ruiners and destruction...relatively peaceful.  And are barbarians chaotic evil here?

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Really loved the dwarven clan culture...
[blockquote=sg525]Dwarves have few inter-clan organizations, preferring not to deal with the difficulty that a multi-clan business would entail. However, a few of these have sprung up from the need to present a unified face to the outside world. [/blockquote]This was especially good.  The 'clannishman makes me thing of Dwarves with a scottish accent. which is always kind of funny.
The Goldenhall knights are also great, and something I hope your PC's use.
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QuoteNights when two or more moons are full are known as Promstrahs, and nights with several new moons are known as Mistrahs. Promstrahs are characterized by a surge in latent magic, and, to a small extent, a surge of life. The effect on magic-users is beneficial; Casters receive a roughly 10% boost in their magical reserves on these days. Mistrahs are the opposite of Promstrahs, where magic seems to be ebbing away. Casters take a 10% hit in their casting ability on these days. On the few occasions when both a Promstrah and a Mistrah fall on the same night, their effects cancel each other out, and nothing special happens.

I really like this effect.  I like how it would influence events in the past and PC play.  
Does magic flow from the moons?  I'd need to make the inference that celestial bodies were the source of magic, or at least connected to them.

More coming later, I hope.  This sis a good start...

I notice your language groups--are the language groups based on racial relationship as well? Normally most wouldn't say for instance that halflings, goblins and gnomes are similar yet you present it as such.

No, the language groups are simply a relation in syntax, grammar, and style to an (often dead) proto-language.

Using your example, the gnomes, halflings, and goblins aren't racially similar at all, they just happened to pick up the same base language, which split into what is now the three different languages.

QuoteI have enough trouble believing in a world where every race seems to separate nations by race, but imagining a country of half elves, instead off staying put in one of the parent race countries, stretches even a fantasy world logic.  I know you have the new ones staying there, but having a 'mutt-land' is a little wierd.  Maybe it is more of a duchy or province?

Remember, until relatively recently, most nations in our world were split along racial lines, and anyone who wan't that suffered rather severe penalties. considering these aren't just races, but separate species, I think they're doing pretty well.

As for the half-elves, they are a separate race, and breed true. They have for many, many generations.

QuoteSo Umer is really eveil, yet orcs worship him...So your orcs are  really monstrous...

Think the Reavers in Serenity and Firefly. That's my Orcs.

QuoteNeme, Chaotic, Evil, Emotional, unstable...God of Law.  Sure.  Why not?

Law, in this case, being the retributive kind. Eye for an eye, that kind of thing. If your sister died by starvation, go ahead and starve her murderer, several times, if you wish.

That seems rather fitting of a chaotic society to me, despite codified rule systems.

QuoteMica, Chaotic, Evil, patron of ruiners and destruction...relatively peaceful.  And are barbarians chaotic evil here?

Barbarians don't have to be. But you need to remember relative. Stuff still gets destroyed, just not as bad as it woud be should he have not been checked.

I've just read the main thread, and will just state my opinions of things chronologically as I sift thru it a second time.

Races
It's almost like reading a travel brochure and finding out what people are like over there. But what's missing from these entries are cultural quirks and idiomatic expressions.
For instance, in many brochures that showcase Hispanic countries they state that men will yell, whistle and hiss at beautiful women from across the street. Also, in the French language, you never introduce yourself by saying "I am Eric", you'd say it "I call myself Eric". This actually signifies very deep and profound differences into the psych of both French and Hispanic cultures. Not that we play D&D to create new cultures.

Any particular reason why only the races from the PHB are used? (Did somebody already ask that question?)

Humans: The typical everywhere, everything race. Nothing wrong with that.

Half-Orcs as Pirates? Sure. But are orcs greasy, ugly pig-men, or WoW styled feral green skined peeps?
Also, I'd be interested in having the orcs go WAAAAGH!

Gnomes: Always the inventors. Nothing wrong with that.

Halflings: I can't stand these personally, but you've made them fill a niche I'd use grots for. I like your style. Comical and ingenious.

Dwarves: Typical crafts people of the Undermountain. A safe bet to use this model.

Elves and Half-elves: I've stopped liking the idea that elves are mortals of flesh and blood. I like Tolkien Elves or Keeblar Elves (AKA: Shoe Gnomes). No other comments.

Arcanist Class
It's a wizard, on ice. There's no numbers in under the "Arcs" column and I don't understand what's up with the "Spells Mastered" column, as none of the ability descriptions explain it.

It's so much like the wizard, that I wounder why you bothered. It just seams to be a whole lotta work to keep track of spells and minutes and what's online an what day of the year it is, and leaves them vulnerable to ambushes.

Regions
The most interesting area to me is the Sunken Hills. Reefs, shallow water and orcs, orcs, orcs. I smell a pirates life!

Crystals
These things appear to be must have items, so why do I have to pay for them?
It's like Natural Spell and Druids.

As crafted items, I say ditch that idea. Make these items class features, like familiars but not a hidden weaknesses that waiting to be exploited if used. At level X you have a set of crystals of X power levels. If you loose one, you go home and get another. Kinda like replacing followers or generic zombies.

New Items
I like the concept of windships. I myself am a zeppelin/Cloud City fan. As to the other items...
The Plungus bush is interesting, but I wouldn't use it.
Daumar: No comment.
Golden Wheat: Meh... Interesting, but I wouldn't use it.


Life in the World
Religion: Skipped. 5 gods with 5 kids each. Not gonna bother.
Mythology: I found no spelling mistakes nor grammatical errors, but it wasn't memorable. But the idea that there' is not much of a recorded history and that people can only tell the story of their world thru myths, legends and fables is ingenious.
Tymeline: Arbitrary numbers. Whatever. The Newyears festival seams like an excuse for warrior types to get all uppity and try to bone spellcasters. That could make an interesting plot device...
Holidays and Festivals: Post Moar Plz

Governments and Organizations
I didn't read these. Sorry.

QuoteRaces
It's almost like reading a travel brochure and finding out what people are like over there. But what's missing from these entries are cultural quirks and idiomatic expressions.
For instance, in many brochures that showcase Hispanic countries they state that men will yell, whistle and hiss at beautiful women from across the street. Also, in the French language, you never introduce yourself by saying "I am Eric", you'd say it "I call myself Eric". This actually signifies very deep and profound differences into the psych of both French and Hispanic cultures. Not that we play D&D to create new cultures.

I do need to add that stuff, haven't quite gotten around to fleshing our the races to that extent, simply becuase it's covered more on a nation-by-nation case.

QuoteAny particular reason why only the races from the PHB are used? (Did somebody already ask that question?)

Yeah. I didn't want a slew of new races, or force into the setting MM races. The original ones do it for me.

QuoteAlso, I'd be interested in having the orcs go WAAAAGH!

:?:

QuoteHalflings: I can't stand these personally, but you've made them fill a niche I'd use grots for. I like your style. Comical and ingenious.

What don't you like about them, and what's so comical?

QuoteArcanist Class
It's a wizard, on ice. There's no numbers in under the "Arcs" column and I don't understand what's up with the "Spells Mastered" column, as none of the ability descriptions explain it.

It's so much like the wizard, that I wounder why you bothered. It just seams to be a whole lotta work to keep track of spells and minutes and what's online an what day of the year it is, and leaves them vulnerable to ambushes.

Uh-huh. Heaven forbid a casting class have a weakness, right?

As for the missing info, it's becuase I haven't finished the magic system that supports this guy. He's replacing both the wizard and the sorcerer classes.

QuoteCrystals
These things appear to be must have items, so why do I have to pay for them?
It's like Natural Spell and Druids.

Er, you pay for a fighter's weapon, you pay for a cleric's holy symbol, why WOULDN'T you pay for these? Some of them provide rather large bonuses, besides.

QuoteAs crafted items, I say ditch that idea. Make these items class features, like familiars but not a hidden weaknesses that waiting to be exploited if used. At level X you have a set of crystals of X power levels. If you loose one, you go home and get another. Kinda like replacing followers or generic zombies.

Yeah, so free, expendable, and powerful magic items going to a full-casting class with no side effects? Right. Did you notice they pay for costly items components AND XP costs?

QuoteNew Items
I like the concept of windships. I myself am a zeppelin/Cloud City fan. As to the other items...
The Plungus bush is interesting, but I wouldn't use it.
Daumar: No comment.
Golden Wheat: Meh... Interesting, but I wouldn't use it.

The wheat, primarily, can't be used, as most of the world are already addicted. It's flavor text and setting info rather than 'here's a bunch of stuff players will enjoy.'

Quote from: Stargate525

QuoteAlso, I'd be interested in having the orcs go WAAAAGH!

:?:

It's a 40k reference. If you don't get it that's fine.

Quote from:  Goblins. Nice.

[quote1196108419

QuoteArcanist Class
It's a wizard, on ice. There's no numbers in under the "Arcs" column and I don't understand what's up with the "Spells Mastered" column, as none of the ability descriptions explain it.

It's so much like the wizard, that I wounder why you bothered. It just seams to be a whole lotta work to keep track of spells and minutes and what's online an what day of the year it is, and leaves them vulnerable to ambushes.

Uh-huh. Heaven forbid a casting class have a weakness, right?

This is a either horrible unrecoverable weakness, or an extra redundant layer of weakness on top a weakness that horribly rapes your character anyway. Being at a disadvantage because a Babau got the drop on you is one thing, but being vulnerable every unforeseeable encounter is not a weakness I would ever consider PCs having. Remeber, after level 16, casters do every thing, and if one isn't, then there's a good chance for a TPK.

[quote1196108419]

QuoteCrystals
These things appear to be must have items, so why do I have to pay for them?
It's like Natural Spell and Druids.

Er, you pay for a fighter's weapon, you pay for a cleric's holy symbol, why WOULDN'T you pay for these? Some of them provide rather large bonuses, besides.[/quote]
Bad examples. Equipment dependent character classes like fighters and barbarians have golf bags of sticks they pick up from adventuring. They never buy equipment. Ever. The turnip and gold economies specifically rape characters that try to craft and sell magic swords, or buy them. The only thing you "purchase" is starting equipment, and wands of cure light wounds. Everything else is covered by having a well balanced team of PCs.
Holy symbol? 4 ranks in Craft and some pocket change you can mug hobos/ogres for.

[quote1196108419]

QuoteAs crafted items, I say ditch that idea. Make these items class features, like familiars but not a hidden weaknesses that waiting to be exploited if used. At level X you have a set of crystals of X power levels. If you loose one, you go home and get another. Kinda like replacing followers or generic zombies.

Yeah, so free, expendable, and powerful magic items going to a full-casting class with no side effects? Right. Did you notice they pay for costly items components AND XP costs?[/quote]
No actually, I didn't notice that. But I don't like that part either.

The thing is, every character class brings to the party a set of resources that they expend against any encounter's expenditure of resources in an effort to gain XP. You can say that some character's don't care much for monster slaying and XP grinding, they just want renown. But to acquire renown, you must perform tasks that require a certain level of power, and your level of power is based apon your XP total. You're sword must be this long to slay the dragon and your staff this long to lay the princess.
Forcing someone to spend XP to stay level apropriate is contradictory, and when done right can be abused as part of a difference engine. GP and wealth by level guidelines become irrelevant after level 11, and can even be circumvented as early as level 4.

Players and DMs should only have to be burdened with two types of resources:

*Infinite resources of limited scope and circumstance: weapons strikes, sneak attack and wands of firebolt*Finite expendable resources that can be replenished: Followers/zombies/flying monkeys, spell slots/points, ammunition, HP

Acquirable resources that can be shuffled and mutated lead to imbalances like Fabrication factories and fighters not being able to contribute to combat after level 10.

QuoteIn my experience, halflings have been used as an excuse to play midgets...
What I find comical is that you placed halflings in a role that I would attribute to being invested with goblins. Really short ugly people of the jungle. To me Pygmies = Goblins. Nice.

That's an issue with the players then, not the setting. If you look, the Halflings are a rather serious bunch

QuoteThis is a either horrible unrecoverable weakness, or an extra redundant layer of weakness on top a weakness that horribly rapes your character anyway. Being at a disadvantage because a Babau got the drop on you is one thing, but being vulnerable every unforeseeable encounter is not a weakness I would ever consider PCs having. Remeber, after level 16, casters do every thing, and if one isn't, then there's a good chance for a TPK.

Again, HOW ARE THEY WEAK? That they have a little less power on some days, and more on others? That they are spontaneous casters WITH spellbooks?

QuoteBad examples. Equipment dependent character classes like fighters and barbarians have golf bags of sticks they pick up from adventuring. They never buy equipment. Ever. The turnip and gold economies specifically rape characters that try to craft and sell magic swords, or buy them. The only thing you "purchase" is starting equipment, and wands of cure light wounds. Everything else is covered by having a well balanced team of PCs.

This is equipment, same as everything else. The crystals of an enemy spellcaster don't vaporize with his death.

QuoteThe thing is, every character class brings to the party a set of resources that they expend against any encounter's expenditure of resources in an effort to gain XP. You can say that some character's don't care much for monster slaying and XP grinding, they just want renown. But to acquire renown, you must perform tasks that require a certain level of power, and your level of power is based apon your XP total. You're sword must be this long to slay the dragon and your staff this long to lay the princess.
Forcing someone to spend XP to stay level apropriate is contradictory, and when done right can be abused as part of a difference engine. GP and wealth by level guidelines become irrelevant after level 11, and can even be circumvented as early as level 4.

Players and DMs should only have to be burdened with two types of resources:

*Infinite resources of limited scope and circumstance: weapons strikes, sneak attack and wands of firebolt*Finite expendable resources that can be replenished: Followers/zombies/flying monkeys, spell slots/points, ammunition, HP

Acquirable resources that can be shuffled and mutated lead to imbalances like Fabrication factories and fighters not being able to contribute to combat after level 10.

I don't even understand this.

OK... I guess the skills I've acquired trying to come up with house rules and making my own games is muddling what I'm trying to communicate with jargon you're not familiar with.

There are two things that affect a character's power. Their level, and their equipment.

The wealth by level guidelines found in the DMG are both inaccurate and don't actually help you keep a PC's power at the apropriate level.
Consider a fighter with fifteen different magical swords. Quite likely, this character has enough gear to throw him well over the expected wealth for his level. But you may still notice that he is under performing. I've actually had a character like this, and the reason behind this phenomenon is that an item's power is based apon it's GP value, but you can only bring a limited number of these to use in a single action. I only have four arms, and having more than that many swords is redundant.
Also, consider what a character needs to perform properly at whatever level. Does the GP/lvl chart allow you aquire this? In most cases: No. Fighters need 4 times the expected GP in gear to perform properly at level 10, 5 times if there's no cleric donating buffs. This disparately increases with level.
Additionally, there is the possibility that characters will just exploit a set of rules then generate an unlimited amount of GP.

When it comes to trading XP, there are enough loopholes and bad rules that spending XP in an effort to prevent a character from being of the same level as another because he spent time and money on a booster item is a very bad concept. Also, this can backfire.
Consider the following: A spell caster spends XP to create an item that increases his saves. Why did he do it? Because he needed to bring his defences up to par with his enemies DCs. But he spent XP, which means he's going to level up a little later, then the party members that didn't spend XP will increase in level. At one point, the item crafter is going to be so far behind his comrades that he'll be in danger of encountering one of his friend's rivals, and will be defeated despite having spent all that XP on boosters 'cause their are certain bonuses that come with actually being a higher level. Level = power.
In the reverse, one could just wish for a Staff of Wishes. 'Nough said.

The problem with that entire line of reasoning is that it's not a setting specific issue. Short of throwing out the whole system and rebuilding, I've no way to fix that.

Second, you've got the crystals wrong. The crystals will actually pay for Xp costs of spellcasting, instead of the character.

Quote from: Stargate525The problem with that entire line of reasoning is that it's not a setting specific issue. Short of throwing out the whole system and rebuilding, I've no way to fix that.

Yeah you do. Understand the changes that need to be made, and make them. Or at the very least, start by finding stuff that other's have already done to fix the problems they find. There are many directions to take, because D&D as it stands assumes every level of power is being used. Just pick one.

QuoteSecond, you've got the crystals wrong. The crystals will actually pay for Xp costs of spellcasting, instead of the character.

Doesn't cost XP to make Crystals? If yes, then it follows the same problems I detect in [Item Creation] line.

Okay, I'm going to zoom right past mechanics.

Using alignment, eh?  More power to you, and down with the naysayers I say!

Love the crystals.  Connotes a sense that magic is a true natural force, being channeled through the precious stones that are the very symbolic lifeblood of the earth.  You might want to explore that symbolic connection.

Humans

On "An elf on a Human city":

What a strange elf.

You've got an interesting distinction between human individuals and their nations.  It seems a very enlightened mindset that the other nations possess, acknowledging that the people are not the same as their covetous, usurping leaders.

"Most humans are borrowers, plain and simple."

This, coupled with the succeeding sentences creates a rather full image.  I see a race surrounded by multitudinous knick-knacks and dohickies, mistaking trash for treasure and treasure for trash, never entirely comprehending the value of the miscellany they accumulate.  I see a lot of innocent, well-meaning pretension (if there is such a thing), and then the dangerous paradoxical arrogance that inevitably pervades any Imperialist state.

Elves

The dying-elf shtick (and its variations really bugs me, but it is more than made up for by the explanatiion provided for their xenophobia.  Its like they looked out at the lands beyond the waters and just said "eww, we must do something about this mess."

Gnomes

This incarnation doesn't seem any more or less substantial than any other I've seen.  Like always, they just seem too darn... nice.  I really can't see myself adventuring amongst them, which I consider a definite requirement for any common race.

Halflings

They confuse me.  At first it looks like they've got the honour-stick rammed good and hard up their backsides, which suggests some kind of badass tropical feudalist nation with little hobbit Daimyos and Samwise Samurais.  But then you go and say they get along with almost everyone.  Why?!?  The idea of roving halfling ronin was - like -  lickwid awsome!

Perhaps it just needs a little clarification.  At the moment they seem a little contradictory.

Half-Orcs

I love the fact that they know their own weaknesses and limitations, and constrain their lives accordingly.  Their fiery nature is given more large-scale implications.

Dwarves

Pretty standard fare, but a cool shift from Elves to Halflings as the focus of Dwarven ire.  "I dunno, it's just, every time I see one of those buggers' puckered little faces, I just want to bash his head in!"

Hey Stargate, I love your gnomes and half-orcs.  I think you need to know that.  Your design methodology for gnomes is brilliant, combining intellectual geniuses but somewhat dropping that "gnomes equate technology" stereotype.  That's exactly what gnomes should be.  

The half-orcs are just cool.  I would love to play one.

I really want to tell you to drop dwarves since they feel like an unnecessary race in Dilandri.  And then you'd be down to five races - humans, elves, gnomes, halflings, and orcs.  Their spot in the world could easily be filled with other races (gnomes, halflings, or "mountain men").  The issue would be that the drop would deviate you from the Player's Handbook, and your goal seems more to fix the races than to mess with them.  

I suppose.

Well, it's been over a year since my last Dilandri review, so I'll start looking again from the beginning and comment as I go. Since you've got so much material (it appears), I probably won't finish a whole review at once. And I didn't want to read every comment so far, so forgive me if other posters have covered this.

For starters, I tend to agree with Jharviss about keeping only five races. Less is more where races are concerned, in my book. Especially if you're not planning on adapting your setting to 4e (which I would if it's a D&D setting).

Humans
The second most common race? Interesting choice. I wouldn't make it, but I appreciate your desire to differentiate your world.

Personality: blatant contradictions. Exactly what you'd expect ;)
Relations: Any particular reason humans think themselves superior to other races (that fact that you mention it makes me assume it goes beyond the expected levels of ethnocentrism)? Have they had some racial leader/religion that preached this and other races haven't?
This lead-in about grain is enticing. I'll be curious to see how this Drian Confederacy works.
Lands: Is the whole human race part of the Drian Confederacy? Are there not as many human cultures on Dilandri as we find on Earth?

Gnomes
Personal pet peeve: you describe gnomes being what gnomes "SHOULD be." Unless you're making them mythologically accurate earth elementals, I'd prefer not to be told what a race should be, only what it is.

And secondly, it seems like any race where everyone is a Renaissance man would either redefine the standard of brilliance and conquer the world (or be enslaved by others to allow them to do so), or more likely collapse in on itself being unable to support that kind of lifestyle en mass. However, perhaps when I read them I will be convinced. I prepare for convincing now.

Quote from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trill_%28Star_Trek%29trill[/url]?

QuoteThey make for interesting conversationalists, but long-winded.

:D
I like that they have a sense of humor, here.

Knot stories. Cool. Elaborate?

Lands: Is it an island or a continent? I'm confused based on earlier text.
Religion: Isn't the Five a human religion? Why would xenophobic elves even know much about it?


So I'll try to review so more later.

I leave you with the most important question of all:

When is Dilandri going on the wiki?

Half-Orcs
Intro: neat new take. I like them as pirate/crystal hunters.
Personality: Inner-strife is great for drama in play or stories. Way better than classic racial prejudice.
Relations: Dwarves are trying to shut down Crystal trade!? What! I suppose you're going to explain what crystals are later, why dwarves want to stop the trade, and why you capitalize "Crystals."
What about their relations to true orcs? Why does the entire culture want to emphasize human nature over orc nature?

Culture: The emphasis on law as humanity is good. Do half-orcs breed true like half-elves?
Lands: Are there dragons in the Dragon Lands? Do they mind the half-orcs?

Dwarves

QuoteDwarves can be most easily described as intense, dedicated, and logical. Their emotions are passionate and deep, they always finish the task they are doing, and they have a cool, calculating outlook on life. They tend to keep to themselves and make smart comments, but are immensely loyal and trustworthy. They have a long but intense temper. And angry Dwarf is often a murderous dwarf.

An[/b] angry..." Typo help.
An angry dwarf is murderous? Doesn't sound like a race ruled by logic to me.
Relations: Okay, now I see why they don't like half-orc crystals.
Why do they constantly war with halflings?

Admittedly muddled logic. I suppose that answers that question.

QuoteTheomis and his Tools

Best name for a religion in a long time. :D

And that's it for races. But I think you should offer more info on orcs, since they seem important in your setting.