Races of New Washington

Humans
By far the most populous and common creatures in New Washington. Humans are versatile and brilliant. While they lack the long lifespan and natural aptitudes of other races, their innovations have revolutionized the concept of civilization over the past few millennia.

Elves
Elves can be divided into the categories of Standard Elves and High Elves, a distinction that is less biological than it is societal. Elves are generally identifiable by a slender build and the pointed ears that legend attributes to them. They have an affinity for magic and typically carry out lives marked by scholarly pursuits and study. Elves live to be hundreds of years old and age about three times slower than humans do, though they suffer for it-- as they age, the memories they have of centuries past waver and fade. This causes considerable distress for many elves.

Elves who were alive during The Snowfall when they returned to the world do not remember where they were before the disaster.

Half-Elves
Longer-lived than humans and with the advantage of a full memory, half-elves seem to be an excellent mixture of the best attributes of elves and humans (of which they are a combination). Elven blood thins easily, though, and the children of half-elves tend to be considered wholly human.

Half-Orcs
Numerous psychological tests have been performed and it has ultimately been determined that orcs are unsuited for city life; almost all lash out violently and cannot maintain a civilized demeanor. Half-orcs are a different matter. While most can have violent and terrible tempers, many have learned to work through their racial urges and live amongst humans.

Half-orcs look much like humans, but are usually heavy-set, possessing of an underbite, a jutting brow and tough skin. Most half-orcs are considered ugly by other races, though some tend to wear their features well.

Half-orcs usually follow the orcish naming convention, giving their children only a first name at birth. The child assumes a surname unique to them only after reaching adulthood.

Half-orcs are considered by most to be second-class citizens in New Washington and are frequently the target of derision, but some have earned a great deal of respect.

Mutants
Mutants are not so much a race as they are a variation on humanity. A mutant is created when a human fetus is tainted by the magical residue left over by powerful spells and rituals. The resulting creature has brightly-colored skin and hair, eyes awash with a single, vibrant color and an affinity for whichever element by which they were tainted. They also manifest powers related to that element such as limited control over elemental material and the ability to create such material from ambient energy.

Most New Washingtonians are not at all comfortable with Mutants; they are frequently subjected to the worst prejudice of any race in the city and are, at best, considered "second-class citizens".

Morphs
During the early days of the Snowfall, those who had been blessed with the gift of magical talent sometimes found it acceptable to use their abilities in ways that would be considered inhumane today. Some mages established a trend of keeping a hybrid human-animal (created either from a human or an animal) as an assistant, clearly marking the 'person' as property and giving them an unnatural divide between themselves and humanity.

As magic became more common and the idea of using these 'anthropomorphs' and 'zoomorphs' as indentured servants was realized to be morally repugnant, most of the creatures were released. Free now, the morphs found that they were social pariahs. A large portion moved away from the human populace and established their own society, using their natural attunement magic to survive in areas that were inhospitable to the other sentient races.

New Washington is the home to many morphs, but their origin hangs over them, making them even lower on the social ladder than Half-Orcs and Mutants, albeit less feared than either. Most morphs in New Washington keep lowly service jobs.

Monsters and the Undead
While most citizenship in New Washington is held by the major sentient races, the Amnesty Act of 2123 made it possible for many sentient monsters to gain status as New Washingtonian citizens in their own right. Under the Amnesty Act, monsters of certain registered phenotypes may gain citizenship as New Washingtonians without a breach of standard process. Monsters without a registered phenotype may apply for an Amnesty certificate, complete with a license that they must carry on them at all times.

Many of the monsters seen in New Washington are intelligent undead creatures, particularly vampires. Some of the innumerable types of zombie are also represented as citizens, as are some interdimensional beings (referred to colloquially as 'demons' or 'aliens').

Naturally, monsters and the undead frequently face the steepest prejudices in New Washington. Fear and revulsion are a daily part of life for these creatures.