[ WP ] Describe a fantasy world devoid of the usual stereotypes : where dwarves do n't live underground , orcs and ogres are not savage brutes and dragons are neither dumb beasts nor hyperintelligent ancient beings .

Field Guide to the kingdoms and peoples of the world 
 
 From the mouth of the Nekhtou River to the southern shores of the continent of Shaugodone, the Solar Empire claims its land in the name of the immortal emperors that have watched over it as long as their history records. Part tropical paradise, part unforgiving desert, the homeland of the Dwarves is believed by many to be the birthplace of civilization as we know it. Those that inhabit the empire are called Sun Dwarves, distinct from Cold Dwarves, the product of an exodus that that split the empire some time in the ancient past. There, they build their massive monuments to their revered ancestors and sun deities, and practice a strange kind of necromancy that preserves their deceased emperors to watch over their lands even in death. Further north, we find realms inhabited by a mix of Cold Dwarves, Orcs and Ogres ( See Orcs ). Further still we find the unforgiving wastes of Kastrunn, inhabited only be snow beasts and bloodthirsty tribes of Jerren. 
 
 Orcs are a race of sturdy, colorful creatures seemingly built to weather adversity. Standing on average nearly six and a half feet tall, they are not actually a naturally-occuring creature. In some ancient age of terror, they were created by some black magic to serve as peerless soldiers of darkness. Though freed from that yoke, their bred dedication to order and hierarchy persists. Industrious and organized, Orcish kingdoms tend to be militaristic affairs, and most orc kings are also greatest tactician in their land. Orcish military doctrine frowns on pre-emptive strikes, instead emphasizing extreme retributive action - `` Crush your enemies hard enough that your children do n't have to,'' as one famous tactician once said. Several Orc nations exist to the north of the Solar Empire, as well as in the lowlands of Seceth and the mountains of Flikx. 
 
 Ogres, once thought to be a separate species from Orcs, instead seem to be grown from the same stock as the original orcs. Though they can interbreed, the idea is frowned on among most of both groups. They are welcome in the orcs' kingdoms and armies, however. When found in the wild, they tend to live in nomadic clans and tribes that shy away from contact with outsiders. 
 
 Jerren are short, stocky creatures with pink skin, hairy feet and immense appetites. The thought of their warbands brings a chill to even the hardiest orcish commander. Known for their immense appetites, both for food, specifically meat, even more specifically still-living meat, and sexual perversion, they bring terror wherever they roam, turning on each other if they go too long without a raid. Little is known of their internal culture, for they are universally hostile towards other creatures. 
 
 Elves are a curiosity among creatures of this world, in part because they are not truly of this world. Considered the youngest of the races of the world, the first elves were creatures of flesh created by entities of the writhing chaos outside of our world. Designed by these entities to be tall, fair, powerful, and universally alluring, their sorcerers and armies nearly brought about the ruin of the world. After their seeming extinction at the end of the last war, pockets came out of wherever they had been hiding and begged the other races for forgiveness, claiming to have broken their otherworldly masters' chains. Today, there is one elven city, a city in the clouds, built on the remains of the Eldritch Portal they originally came through. As they have become attuned to this world, the traces of otherworldly power are slowly fading. Those that retain it inhabit the upper echelons of their society, and though they would prefer it kept a secret, many of these aristocrats suffer from rages and manias comparable to the elves of old. 
 
 There are believed to be two intelligent ( if the Jerren can be said to be intelligent ) species currently inhabiting this world that evolved through normal means. However, if recent paleological and archaeological findings on the barely-explored continent of Vutis are to be believed, there once lived a third race, a race of tall dwarfoids, more slight than a dwarf or orc, yet not so tall or lithe as an elf. Judging by the ruins left behind, they possessed an understanding of technology on par with the more advanced orc nations, and a complex language which is just now being deciphered. It is truly and exciting time to be alive, dear reader, that such wonders have yet to be uncovered.
