u/TheGoonReview

In World Lore 

The Mazruuk - The Mazruuk Orcs are one of the oldest known mortal peoples of Valethyros and among the most misunderstood. Towering in stature and intimidating in appearance, they are often mistaken by outsiders for savage beasts, yet the truth could not be further from reality. The Mazruuk are a curious and peaceful people whose history is rooted in survival. Covered in thick fur and bearing tusked jaws reminiscent of boars and wild canines, the Mazruuk Orcs possess an imposing presence that belies their calm and communal nature.

Long ago, the Mazruuk inhabited only a single vast northern forest within Valethyros, living in relative harmony with the land and practicing primitive but highly refined forms of elemental magic. This peace ended when the elves first arrived upon the continent and sought dominion over the ancient woodland. Unprepared for organized warfare and lacking the forged armor and advanced weapons of the elven invaders, the Mazruuk were driven from their ancestral forests. Entire clans were scattered across the continent, and for the first time in their history the orcs encountered humanity.

What followed would shape the future of Valethyros forever. The Mazruuk shamans shared their knowledge freely. The great orcish sage Maeroh’Lyn is credited in countless old tales as the first being to teach mortal magic to humankind, showing early human tribes how to harness flame, wind, and natural energies to defend themselves against elven sorcery. This alliance forged a bond between humans and orcs that endures to this day, earning the Mazruuk recognition as one of mankind’s oldest and most important allies.

Despite their role in shaping the magical traditions of the modern world, much of Mazruuk history has faded from public memory. Many younger scholars incorrectly credit humanity or the elves as the originators of mortal spellcraft, and some even dismiss the orcs’ contributions entirely. Still, within Valethyros the Mazruuk remain respected figures in local culture and history. Though their fearsome appearance unsettles some outsiders, those who know them understand the Mazruuk as wise guardians, resilient survivors, and keepers of some of the oldest living traditions in the world.

The Butsurai - The Butsurai Orcs are the mountain-born cousins of the Mazruuk Orcs of Valethyros, though centuries of survival in the brutal highlands of Shinsekai have shaped them into a far harsher and more aggressive people. While the Mazruuk were raised within fertile forests and developed peaceful natures, the Butsurai were forged amidst freezing cliffs and monster-infested peaks where weakness meant death. Life in the mountains demanded ruthlessness and cunning, and over generations the Butsurai became hardened survivors willing to seize whatever they needed to endure another winter.

The mountain ranges of Shinsekai are among the deadliest regions in the world, home to massive predators and ancient creatures capable of wiping out entire settlements. Within this unforgiving environment, the Butsurai learned to live as apex hunters and territorial raiders. Their clans descend from hidden cave fortresses and mountain encampments to strike caravans and isolated villages before vanishing back into the crags. To many lowland communities they are viewed as terrifying marauders, yet the truth is more complicated. The Butsurai raid not out of some twisted cruelty, but necessity, driven by harsh scarcity and generations of conflict with expanding human settlements.

Unlike the calmer Mazruuk Orcs, the Butsurai possess a fierce and confrontational temperament. They are highly intelligent and tactically minded, capable of organizing coordinated ambushes and multi-layered attacks against fortified targets. Butsurai warbands rarely rely on blind charges or brute force alone. Scouts, trapmakers, climbers, and beast handlers work together with calculated precision, exploiting terrain and weather to their advantage. Many commanders who underestimate the Butsurai as mindless savages quickly discover the deadly cost of that mistake.

Despite their violent reputation, Butsurai society is highly structured. Their clans are governed through powerful matriarchal bloodlines led by dominant elder females whose strength and wisdom determine the survival of the tribe. These matriarchs are feared even among their own kind, serving as warriors, judges, spiritual leaders, and rulers simultaneously. Though outsiders often see only brutal raiders descending from the peaks, the Butsurai themselves view their actions as a struggle for survival in a world that has steadily pushed them farther into the mountains generation after generation.

My Thought Process - Hoo-boy! So orcs. These guys are easily the most problematic species in all of fantasy. If you make them savage warriors hated by others then people get mad at you. Do the opposite, they get mad they aren't Tolkien orcs. So when I went into this I knew I wanted to reinvent the orcs a bit. Orcs design wise are always so boring. Well…the western ones at least. Thanks to Wizardry japan has always made orcs pig like so i wanted to make a mix of both. I also wanted the orcs to be products of their environments. One became peaceful due to abundance, one became aggressive because of scarcity. My way of having both the mean-green warriors of old and a new spin that puts them in a new light. One is the eternal enemy to human expansion, one is a part of it though its contributions are slowly being forgotten. Also I am MORE than aware that putting fur on an orc makes it look like a bugbear. This can't be helped. Personally I think bugbears should be orcs not goblins but what do I know? my world doesnt have bugbears…yet anyways…But If you like the art and want to see more then you should check out my other art on Blue Sky. Also if you have ideas for these guys let me know. I want to hear others' insights so I can improve the lore. AND! What should I draw next for my world?

Blue Sky.

In World Lore
Kobolds of the Thousand Realms bear little resemblance to the diminutive reptilian scavengers described in distant myths and foreign tales. Instead, they are large, burrowing beastfolk resembling towering bipedal pangolins or armadillos, clad in overlapping armor-like scales and built with dense muscular frames suited for life beneath the earth. Standing roughly five feet tall and weighing far more than their stature suggests, kobolds are renowned for their immense digging strength, powerful claws, and uncanny ability to navigate the stone beneath the surface.

Their settlements are most often found deep underground within vast caverns and abandoned ruins. Though they rarely seek conflict, kobolds are frequently viewed with disdain or frustration by surface dwellers due to their tunneling habits, which can unintentionally cause sinkholes, mine collapses, or shifting foundations near expanding settlements. As larger civilizations spread across the world, many kobold communities found their ancestral tunnels disrupted or destroyed, forcing them into uneasy coexistence with the peoples above.

Kobolds are remarkably industrious and inventive people. Their societies revolve around excavation and engineering particularly in the creation of specialized mining tools and defensive contraptions. Because their massive claws make wielding traditional weapons difficult, kobolds developed the Gantah, a modular wrist-mounted apparatus capable of holding tools, mining implements, or even modified surface-made weaponry. Entire workshops deep beneath the earth are dedicated to refining and customizing these devices, and many surface engineers consider kobold mechanical ingenuity to rival that of the Firebrand Dwarves though no dwarf would ever admit it.

Though physically imposing, kobolds are not a violent people. They are hard-working and have a love for music. Songs echo constantly throughout kobold tunnels as workers sing to maintain morale and coordinate labor. Human miners have a common saying: “A song in the mines is good for the soul, but when the walls sing back, the kobolds are near.”

My Thought Process - Kobolds. Named after a German house fairy, designed like a lizard and described like a dog and burrows like a mole. Kobolds are all over the place. Most in the west ignore the dog part while those in the east ignore the lizard part. It is a confusing creature and one I set out to create a version of that was both dog and lizard! And honestly…I couldn't make the several ideas I had work until I started thinking broader…instead of lizard dogs, what about scaly mammals? The Pangolin (My Favorite animal ever) to me seemed the perfect starting point. But tell me your thoughts? Think they work as kobolds? I love them but I'm also very biased. But If you like the art and want to see more then you should check out my other art on Blue Sky. Also if you have ideas for these guys let me know. I want to hear others' insights so I can improve the lore. AND! What should I draw next for my world? I'm thinking about goblins.

Blue Sky.

In World Lore

The Skybounders are the last surviving descendants of one of the four ancient dwarven kingdoms of Valethyros, remnants of a civilization shattered after the wrath of the Stonefather fell upon the mountains. When their ancestral kingdom was torn apart, its peaks which were rich with the mysterious mineral jokingly referred to as float stone broke free from the earth and drifted into the heavens as floating isles above the clouds.

Centuries spent amidst thin air and drifting stone transformed the Skybounders into something distinct from their earthbound kin: small, round-bodied dwarves with pale blue skin, and powerful lungs suited for the high altitudes. But their most striking feature is their hair, which has become soft and weightless like smoke or cloud, shifting in shape, texture, and color with their emotions becoming bright and fluffy in joy and dark or storm-like in anger or sorrow. Though isolated from the world for generations, the Skybounders remain warm-hearted, known for a trusting kindness that outsiders often mistake for naivety. 

Like all dwarves, they are master craftsmen. Their particular artistry lies in textiles, Their gliders, sails, and sky balloons allow passage between the floating isles, and their fabrics are famed across the world for being impossibly delicate yet strong enough to turn aside a blade. 

Unique Class - The Stratomancer

Stratomancers are mages who command the skies themselves, wielding a discipline of magic that blends the powers of wind and water into mastery over weather. First developed by the Skybounders of the floating isles, stratomancy was originally used to guide drifting mountains along favorable air currents and to shepherd travelers safely between the clouds. Through precise control of vapor and pressure, Stratomancers can conjure mist or shape clouds into solid pathways or summon rain for thirsty crops. Their art possesses a far more fearsome side however. A master Stratomancer can awaken the fury of the heavens themselves, calling lightning and cloaking entire regions in storms or unleashing winds powerful enough to tear ships apart.

My Thought Process - So dwarves. My world has 4 types planned with each one being based on a different element tied to the destruction of their mountain range in the distant past. The 4 great dwarven kingdoms situated in the 4 corners of the continent of Valethyros each suffered a catastrophe leading to their destruction. Each of the four kingdoms was destroyed in a different way. One sank beneath the waves, one erupted in flames, one was crushed beneath its own weight and the final one fractured into several floating islands. The dwarves vary greatly in appearance from one another but have a few similarities. All of them are known for a particular trade or craft they are masters of, All are quite short (kinda in the name), all of them are very community driven, and all of them have something unique about their hair or beards.

If you like the art and want to see more then you should check out my other arts on Blue Sky. Also if you have ideas for these guys let me know. I want to hear others' insights so I can improve the lore.

Blue Sky.

In World Lore
Halflings are a small, nimble folk standing between three and four feet tall, distinguished by their digitigrade legs, furred lower bodies, and long, prehensile tails often tipped with a tuft. Their large, fluffy ears grant them exceptional hearing, while their sharp eyes and silent, padded steps make them naturally perceptive and light on their feet. Known for their quick movements and powerful leaps. Halflings are also known for their strong work ethic and deep-rooted sense of family, living in close-knit communities within cozy burrow homes that often connect through hidden tunnels beneath the earth. Though physically unassuming, they are highly valued as skilled laborers, particularly in mechanical and seafaring roles where their dexterity and keen senses shine. With fast-growing, durable hair typically worn in practical braids that range from earthy tones of brown to reds or blonde. Halflings have a rustic charm that reflects their preferred way of life, peaceful and centered around good food and warm hearths.

Unique Class - The Boggenshire Dog Lancer
The Boggenshire Dog Lancers are a rare but respected order of halfling defenders who have forged an unbreakable bond with the great Boggenshire Mastiffs, massive hounds renowned for their loyalty and ferocity. Their tradition traces back to an old tale, in which a wounded young lord, lost in the forest with a shattered leg, was rescued and nursed to health by a halfling maiden; in gratitude, he gifted her humble hamlet a breeding pair of these formidable dogs, from which the line spread. Over generations, the mastiffs became guardians of field and family alike, watching over livestock and standing firm against prowling threats. From this bond arose the Dog Lancers, halflings who dedicate themselves to raising and training a single mastiff as both companion and mount, using its immense strength and size to overcome their own small stature in battle.

My Thought Process - You already read this far? What's a few sentences more?
I wanted to redesign halflings for my world and thought well…furry feet, big families, eat alot, very lucky, and live in burrows so why not mix them with cats and rodents (Specifically a jerboa). I never liked how a halfling was a shaved dwarf basically and wanted them to be unique. I'm aware they have a satyr look but maybe a satyr could be a close relative? Also I added a “Class” tied to their lore. Couldn't think of how a halfling would fight without being a rogue but eventually decided on BIG DOG. If you like the art and want to see more then you should check out my other arts on Blue Sky. Also if you have ideas for these guys let me know. I want to hear others' insights so I can improve the lore.

Blue Sky.