View source for Canon:Dragonlance races

Dragonlance is a campaign setting with unique races, and, to set it apart from other fantasy realms, initially had a post apocalyptic feel.
=Main Storyline=
300 years ago, man's arrogance angered the [[Dragonlance Gods|Gods]].  To make man humble again, they threw a fiery mountain down on the nation of [[Istar]], rearranging the face of [[Krynn]], and appeared to have left the world altogether.  Now a [[War of the Lance|war]] is on the horizon.  A group of friends met a barbarian couple, exiled from their homeland, and carrying the ''Blue Crystal Staff'', which those in power seek.  Those authrorities have discovered the location of the ''Staff'', and the group of travelers, the [[Heroes of the Lance|Companions]], decide to aid the exiles.  They are beginning a journey to learn the secrets of the staff and the real meaning of the absense of the gods.  They will see the return of the dragons, as well as the fabled weapons known as [[dragonlance]]s.
=Races=
There are many races in Krynn, and a few unique ones.
==Dragons==
Created by the powerful [[Ionthas]] (also known as ''Chaos''}, in his anger for the creation of Krynn.  He hoped to cause chaos and disorder, through which he would gain power.  Flying lizard-like creatures, that breathe the elements, depending on their colors.  Most took sides on good or evil.  The good ones known as metallic dragons due to their colors, consisting of gold, silver, brass, copper, and bronze.  The evil dragons are better known as the chromatic dragons, being red, blue, white, green, or black, respectively.  In addition to their formidable elemental bursts of breath, they wield powerful magic, which can only be matched by an equally or more powerful mage.
==Draconians==
===Original Draconians===
These creatures were created by the minions of the Dark Queen, [[Takhisis]], from the eggs of metallic dragons.  The eggs were stolen by the evil dragons, who had been awoken and instructed by Takhisis.  Initially, a pact was made that the eggs would be returned safely after the [[War of the Lance]], but the priests of Takhisis and the black-robed mages broke the pact, using dark magic, evil prayers, and the mold of the Zhakar dwarves, creating the draconians at the end of the Age of Darkness.
===Noble Draconians===
These were created in an act of desperation near the end of the [[War of the Lance]].  After the liberation of the good dragons, [[Lord Ariakas]] ordered the corruption ritual to be performed on evil dragons.  The results turned out to be good dragonians.  Most were destroyed, but a few survived.

==Humans==
The most common race found on Krynn, created by the neutral god [[Gilean]].  In order to make them neutral, he imbued them with the shortest life span of the three original races.  Such short life prompts humans to act with little considerations of their actions, and becoming susceptible to alignment changes in a way neither the elves nor the ogres are.
==Elves==
One of the three original races.  They were created by [[Paladine]], god of Light, and imbued with long life, wisdom, and beauty.  However, as time passed, their conditions caused a kind of schism with their race.
===Silvanesti Elves===
In the beginning of time, the original elves, fearing the mountains where the ogres lived and the plains where short-tempered humans were settling, decided to adopt the forests as their home.  After battling the evil dragons with the help of the gods of magic, the realm of [[Silvanesti]] was founded, named after Silvanos, the first leader of the elves.

As time passed, the Silvanesti grew secluded, severing contact with other races.  Their society divided into castes, creating a social schism which ultimately lead to the division of the realm into the Silvanesti and the Qualinesti elves.

At one time, the Silvanesti royalty possessed telepathy, which they used to contact subordinates, but the Cataclysm diminished its' usage.  By the time of the War of the Lance, it was restricted to the royal house, and eventually disappeared entirely after the war.

They believe themselves the ''firstborn'' of the gods.  Using their magical powers, they twist trees in the region to shape them into the structures they desire.  They prefer marble and silver to match their symbols, and do not have contact with other races, nor even other elves except Kagonesti ones, which they use as servants.

The central power is located in the Tower of the Stars, where they are ruled by the Speaker for the Stars.

Due to their extended time apart, the Qualinesti and Silvanesti have developed different accents, and the silvanesti typically have finer features.

===Qualinesti Elves===
The Qualinesti elves are Silvanesti ones who decided to follow [[Kith-Kanan]], the younger of Silvanos' sons, to a new land with the promise of social equality and more interaction with the outer world.  The turning point for this event came with the kinslayer wars, where elves fought elves to prevent Ergothian forces from invading Silvanesti.  After the war, Kith-Kanan decided to leave for the western lands, followed by his closest friends.

Kith-Kanan founded the Qualinesti realm, naming himself the Speaker of the Sun, and founding a ''Tower of the Sun'' in the capital city of Qualinost.

Contrary to the Silvanesti, the Qualinesti prefer not to modify the trees in which they live.  Instead, they construct their buildings based on the form of trees, giving their cities a slightly twisted look.  Also, they have broader contact with other races, including trade agreements with the mountain dwarves of Thorbardin and the hill dwarves of the plains, as well as the humans of Ergoth Tarsis, and Istar(before the cataclysm)
===Kagonesti Elves===
Also known as wild elves, they attuned to nature, and considered barbarians by the Qualinesti and Silvanesti.  They sport tattoos in different parts of the body, including the face, usually symbolizing their close relationship with nature.

Contrary to the Silvanesti and Qualinesti elves, the kagonesti prefer living in the natural caves and trees, and never build unless the situation forces them to, dismantling everything after its use is not needed any longer, leaving the lands as they had found it before the contruction.

The Kagonesti elves are used as servants by the other two main races.

===Sea Elves===
Elves that have taken refuge in the red sea. They also take the people from ship wrecks and place them in the town of Istar. Which was said to be destroyed during the cataclysm.
====Dargonesti Elves====
Dargonesti are featured in the book series.  They live under water, shy of humans, and can change their appearance to look like a dolphin they see no point in modesty.  The Dargonesti elves live in both deep and shallow waters, can breathe air, and their skin is bluish.  They helped rescue Camaron Majere, Tanis Half-elven, and some other Heroes of the Lance when Raistlin abandoned them.

Their society is based in the figure of a king, named the ''Speaker of the Moons''
====Dimernesti Elves====
Very little is known about them, as they are hardly mentioned anywhere.  They too are sea elves, like their dargonesti cousins, but transform into Sea Otters instead of dolphins.

==Ogre==
The Ogres were created by Takhisis, and the first of the original three races to be settled on Krynn.
===Original Ogres===
Resembling elves, they were the beautiful of the races, and had been imbued with long life.  Unless death was caused by accident or injury, the original ogres were virtually immortal.  Also, these original ogres were powerful sorcerers.  After the ogre society crumbled because of an internal division between the ogres that wanted peace with other races and those who wanted to enslave them, they turned into twisted, horrible creatures.

The ogres that wanted to live in peace escaped to an isolated island north of Ansalon, and with the blessing of Paladine, became shape changers.  They took the name of ''Irda'' to differentiate themselves from the twisted ogres.
===Twisted Ogres===
The curse that turned the original ogres into their current shape gave them tremendous strength as well as a tendency to go berserk.  In the change, however, they lost most of their magical powers, concentrating only on brute strength.  They live in clans, especially near mountains and usually raid near towns to provide themselves with food and tools.

==Kender==
Kender were the result of the energy from the Graygem fusing with Gnomes who were curious about the Graygem. Kender are curious about anything and are not known to stifle this. Kender do not feel fear, and, if they do, they feel butterflies in their stomach and attribute this to what they ate.

[[Category:Dragonlance]]
[[Category:Campaign settings]]