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Race Descriptions
Here is a brief history and description the twelve fantasy races you may command in
AoW2. Check the Units section for a complete listing of all the
military units you can build for each race.
  These otherworldly beings fight fiercely for life, order, and good.
Their soldiers strike with the holy power of the living. Archons fight for just causes,
and preach virtue and obedience to their subjects. They seldom seek to overrun any
kingdom, but instead seem to appear where they might most likely be overpowered. Still,
they persevere and are fearless in the face of death.
They appear as tall, sturdy, humanoids with striking features and a radiant aura that has
led many to tremble before them. They are particularly powerful against the Undead.
Historically, the Archons have shared close relations with the Elves, but in recent
centuries the Elves and Archons have known their share of strife. The Archons claim that
the Elves betrayed their promises and have gone astray. Though the Archons were defeated
in their claim and were forced to reconsider their indignation, they clearly despise the
dishonesty found among some Elven leaders. Archons guard their powers with holy orders and
rituals that prevent deception.
 Formed from the belly of irreconcilable grief, the Dark Elves are the
embodiment of the living dead among the Elves. They know death of spirit, but their frames
keep them immortal, nonetheless. They are angry and bitter creatures, apt to great fits of
cruelty and torture. They joy in revenge only, and imagine up vain excuses so they might
seek imagined retribution. They live in the darkness of the earth, and adorn themselves in
inky black clothing. Their skin is a pale greenish-gray, but otherwise Dark Elves are as
beautiful as the surface elves. Also like the elves they channel the powers of magic, but
for the purpose of twisting life and its meaning.
Dark Elves employ dark powers to twist their less obedient into mindless slaves. They
merge their rebellious with spiders and direct then worship their abominable creations as
demigods. Dark Elves desire nothing more than complete world domination, at which point
they would turn upon themselves and destroy themselves.
 When the Human race rose to power, the race of dragons, especially
the young dragons, suffered a terrible price. Among the Humans, dragons were more valuable
dead than alive, hunted for glory, sport, money, and to mix in their foul-smelling
potions. With no regard to the intelligent creatures that dragons might become in time,
the humans devastated the dragon kin.
The Dragons turned to Wizards of Evermore, using powerful magic to create a new breed of
followers. They sacrificed their remaining young for the power to keep the humans at bay.
The dragons unleashed the powers in their eggs, vowing that once they achieved supremacy
they would reform themselves into ancient dragonkind again.
Because of their magical origin, Draconians are insightful in regards to its research and
the skills surrounding wizardry.
Draconians share many of the same faults as humanity. With savage ambition they plot for
power in the world. For this reason, Humans and draconian often join together in alliance.
Draconians favor the lands of their dragon kin, including the lava beds, and wastelands of
ash that birthed their parents.
Most draconians employ only crude tools, preferring to use their natural powers. They do
build siege weapons and buildings, but in the fashion of dragons. When they gather
together a sufficient population they may even flatter dragons to join their nation.
 Dwarves are hardy
mountain kin which live in the earth and rugged places of the land. They value strength
and hard work. Their minds are slow to the subtle ways of diplomacy, preferring to strike
their enemies with the force of their blows over spending inordinate amounts of energy in
lengthy, sleep-inducing talk. They love to create things, and find great satisfaction in
creating vast structures adorned with the treasures discovered deep within the earth.
Dwarves are strong fighters, some preferring to forego armor and shields to wield two axes
and pure rage. Their sure-footed strides carry them over the high slopes they reverence.
Dwarven women are sturdy and nearly as tough as their men folk. According to dwarven
tradition, a dwarven male that is unable to best his wife in a show of physical strength,
is called an engineer. Dwarven engineers are capable of fixing all machines, and inanimate
objects. They are consigned to a life of fiddling with contraptions in the hopes of
somehow discovering a way of pleasing their overbearing mate. When dwarves accumulate
enough resources they create mighty machines capable of destroying entire armies and
blasting holes in the most formidable walls.
 Elves are immortal, living a life without end. These delicate and
graceful beings are the elders of this world. Elves have close ties to nature and life.
They love music, lore and dance, but are solitary beings, preferring to seek their
pleasures far from the prying eyes of the world. When intruders come to their forests they
seldom escape, and those who are taken from an Elven forest, after having dwelt among
elves, often die of broken hearts and unspoken remorse.
In times past, Elves ruled all the lands, but they were generous with the lesser creatures
and nurtured all life. Some say it was their downfall. Archons refer to the Elves as
"The Firstlings," and preach that Elves serve to rejuvenate fallen worlds and
prepare the way to a world of Magical Wonders. In their past, they welcomed the human
race, and were betrayed. Such has been the source of much strife between the two races-and
Elven memories are long.
Elves employ stealth, speed and cunning to strike their foes. They are masters of faerie
magic, and readily gather the powers of magic instilling it in all that they touch.
 There's a saying in the northern borderlands that goes, "Trust a
Frostling, die of hunger." There's no such thing as an evil Frostling, but because of
their circumstances they are driven to dire actions. So it is the fate of the Frostlings
to remain on the brink of starvation, surrounded by frozen lands and jewels of desolate
ice. Despite their limited means, they have remarkable resourcefulness and they have a
natural ability to draw in elemental magic. Many of their followers have learned to cross
the toughest terrain effortlessly, thus enabling them the power to raid the domains of
their rival races and then retreat into the less hospitable lands for safety. They have
learned to handle some of the creatures of the tundra and have formidable powers to bring
their icy lands into the fertile lands.
Frostlings appear similar to Goblins in form, but they do not possess a goblin's mind. In
times of peace and abundance, the Frostlings have forged legendary structures, and adorn
their world with glittering diamonds made of ice. A thousand legends surround the
enigmatic Frost Queen who often takes shelter among Frostling cities, while the lights of
the northern sky blink, crackle and bend to protect the Frostlings from malicious forces
desiring to steal their secrets.
 "Goblins squirmed forth from the bowels of the earth, far before
they were supposed to," so says a myth. Goblins are filthy sadistic creatures, which
delight in destruction and chaos. They bubble from the earth as a filthy mass. They desire
to reclaim all dark caves from any other living thing. Goblins have mastered many
subterranean creatures, including a massive beetle, which speeds through the rough-hewn
caverns.
Goblins are expert in the craft of poisons. They have a characteristic shriek that sounds
like a high-pitched laugh, which they use to signal to other goblins in their caves. They
are short and skinny, hunched over with lengthy arms that dangle near to the ground. Their
skins are typically faded orange and brown, matching the earth. They have considerable
eyesight underground, and are seldom taken by surprise.
Older Goblins are sent to the afterlife by means of a large bomb strapped to their backs.
Often in their haste to get to the "Land of Echoing Screams," the goblin
paradise, they may "accidentally" take a few of their younger kinsfolk with
them. Life is cheap among the Goblins.
 To Halflings every day is an idyllic dream, filled with the
possibility of simple pleasures and prosperity. Halflings are masters of happiness. They
seek the path to everlasting joy. As a result, there are many factions among the
halflings, from the pious priests who seek joy in service and doing good to others, to the
eccentric pranksters, and celebrant drunkards filled with any brew they might bring them
closer to a stupor of laughter and song.
Halflings are extraordinary cooks, and eat well. They enjoy music, and telling stories.
Adept at trade, they spend their wealth as quickly as they earn it. They are content to
work the lands and harvest its bounty, but at times they are carried away to waste and
silliness that separates them from the more proud faerie folk and Elven kin.
Halflings are friends with Eagles. Because they lack aggression, Halflings have relatively
crude weaponry, preferring to pelt their enemies with many stones. Their toughest brawler
is given the honorary title of "Sheriff" in their town, at which point he is
given a bright red uniform, making him the most obvious target, while all the other
halflings of the town find ways to excuse themselves from battle.
 Troublemakers and dreamers, the Humans are filled with unbridled
ambition to rule, prosper, grow, conquer and experience far more than their short lives
can hold. They live for the moment and to them nothing is sacred. To ancient life, Humans
are dangerous, vulgar and uncouth.
Humans are a strange mix of all races. Some desire to invent and build things. Others
desire to rule and wield power, while others are content to sit in the shade of the trees
and tell stories to children. Some humans are deeply spiritual, while others show a knack
for learning powers that were thought forgotten. Their governments are in a state of
constant evolution, while every individual is of their own mind. Every man walks after
their own pursuit with brazen disregard for the laws of nature or the order of life.
Their unpredictable natures have brought them to the brink of extinction. During times of
peace, the Humans grew too great among themselves, and they drove from the world many
races and creatures. All their expansion did not pass the notice of the destructive forces
from Evermore, and soon they were scourged nigh unto oblivion. Still, Humans are
resourceful, and when organized they manage to be more efficient in their production of
goods than most races.
 Orcs are creatures of destruction. They live to break things down,
and so it is with great difficulty that a master of Orcs must gather the tribes together
and form a city. They care little for magic, but prefer to trust in the power of cruelty
and strength. Orcs hate things of beauty, unless that thing is cruel. When bored, they
will just as readily destroy themselves as any particular race, but as a result, they are
efficient workers when organized by powerful leaders, and they are accustomed to working
under duress of harsh taskmasters.
Orcs are tough fighters. Their warlords are nigh invincible and rumored to slay whole
armies with twist of its two-handed sword. Their assassins are deadly in all the ways an
Orc might consider dishonorable. Female orcs hold great power and the most powerful hags
can strike their enemies with bolts of lightning. They are the priestesses of the Orcs,
using their powers they offer up the weakest of the orc tribes to the gods of their
enemies so as to insult them.
 The newest race on the Blessed Continent, these savage hunters employ
the powers of the great cats to stalk their foes. They are quick and secretive, enjoying a
rich lifestyle. They spend much of their time in pursuit of spiritual mysteries. They have
unlocked many, and are guided by mysterious beings with the power to bend the wills of
men. Tigrans reflect the image of their creator, the fire god, Yaka. The most powerful
followers of Yaka fuse with the element of flame and can conjure bolts of fire upon
command.
Their homes are great structures of sandstone, which blend into the desert sands. Most
Tigrans appear as beasts, but their appearance is deceptive. They are expert as spies, and
relish the enemy that underestimates their capability. They have a hunger to rule over
other races, and when placed in positions of power they expect to be pampered and spoiled
as any cat.
 Hungry, devoid of passion, save the endless hunger to return all
matter to dust, the Undead creep in the shadows of every ruined place. They haunt the
graves of beings whose lives passed too quickly. They feed upon fear, and breathe
nightmares. They speak to men through lustful beings of pure flesh, which drain the
lifeblood of the living to sustain their powers. They have no children save the dead.
Death knows many secrets, which is part of its appeal to necromancers. Undead whisper
their secrets, empowering their leaders with the ability to learn more, for the stiff
price of death's allegiance.
They have no homes, save heaps upon the earth. Their structures are the ruins and great
mounds formed literally from the bodies of their conquered. As they gather the tattered
flesh and carnage, they swell with power, until the very forces of death walk the earth,
withering all in their path.
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