[DF] Do the PC races come from different parts of the world?

[Emerikol]

My elves actually crossed over into the current campaign world from another. They have a history with some of the beings from that other place. The great wars amongst themselves are all in that past. They are generally allied amongst themselves now.

I view dwarves, halflings, and humans as all descendents of a common origin race that has now disappeared.

I haven't detailed out every single humanoid race but they will mostly just be original inhabitants. Perhaps out of tradition the orcs will be a magically created race but I haven't decided yet.

[Phantasm]

My Ranoc setting is not DF, either. There, I have Elves hailing from a tropical/sub-tropical island continent (basically not-Atlantis), Dwarves from the not-German/Swiss not-Alps, and Orcs being not-Viking raiders/traders from not-Norway. I want to say that Humans and Minotaurs both originated in one of the plains areas, while the Goblins originated on a heavily forested island before founding a city on the main continent (which has since been destroyed). And the Kobolds and Mohani (what That Other Game calls "lizardfolk") originated in the tropical jungles of the southern continent (basically, a "not-the-Congo" region). The centaurs probably originated in the central plains area (whose name I claim translates to "plains where the horses roam free" in an ancient/dead language).

[ericthered]

Originally Posted by Emerikol

My elves actually crossed over into the current campaign world from another. They have a history with some of the beings from that other place. The great wars amongst themselves are all in that past. They are generally allied amongst themselves now.

I think I'm more likely to have them hail from different worlds than different continents or regions. Good point to bring up.

[sgtcallistan]

Originally Posted by Greg 1

There's no right answer to this. I'm asking about the way you personally set up your fantasy worlds.

Do the PC races come from different parts of the world? Perhaps Elves come originally from the West, while Lizard Folk originate from down South.

We went with:
People are everywhere, some are born closer to the sun, some far enough away they all look like their ancestors, and so families, clans, kingdoms and nations have an appearance, a tongue, a significant animal, etc.

Elf-alikes are a magical people who stay in their own world which may be a retreat that puts them aside from the time of people, but there are places where we and they may meet.

Dwarf-alikes are smaller people who live amongst us in their own kingdom and specialise in ironfounding and -working.
People born small will find a welcome there and should be permitted and aided to travel as they wish without hindrance as they go to learn a valuable skill that enriches all (you want a new plough, don't you?).

There are 'more legend than news' peoples such as pale people with white hair rarely seen travelling; 'sallow' skins and black hair, tall and dignified; the 'bronze' people with the pigtails of black hair; the tough short people of the great plains who are part horse they say and have only one great city made of silver; the people who live where the beaches are deeper than they are wide and fight over written words and empty cities of stone.

Our hardy traders and travellers have found some peoples know of us; 'copper and gold and white hair, colourful madmen with jewel-like eyes and good swords'.

[khorboth]

In DF, I kinda let people write their whole background. Including their whole country of origin if they like. Go crazy. It probably won't come up. Loot the room.

In my fantasy world, I most of my races have fairly homogeneous areas they can be from, but there are also cosmopolitan areas with a diverse population. People can choose where they'd like to be from. Not every dwarf is from under the mountains. Some grew up in a city that was majority-human, but has a Dwarven population.

[RyanW]

Originally Posted by ericthered

I think I'm more likely to have them hail from different worlds than different continents or regions. Good point to bring up.

Technically, it's the humans in my world that came from somewhere else, though this is not widely known nor universally accepted.

[Black Leviathan]

Sort of.

There's no land where only one species lives but there are regions or cities that are dominated by a single race or where exotic races are found commonly.

The Fey Breeds are all a bit intolerant so they're not going to be found in great numbers except in their kingdoms. The Silde are socialites so they are commonplace in cities that border human kingdoms. Famorae dwell in the dark of the underworld where pretty much nobody else goes. The Silde have a lot of trouble dealing with outsiders so they're found very rarely and never far from their pridehomes.

Hoten can endure warm temperatures but they like the cold so they're rarely found below the frost line and anyone else in those conditions has to struggle to survive.

Lorca have winged flight but they sort of suck at it so they like to live near cliffsides with updraft currents they can glide on.

Goblins and Vax Mehk don't really have a place to call their home so they find whatever niches they can to live in.

[Emerikol]

Originally Posted by ericthered

I think I'm more likely to have them hail from different worlds than different continents or regions. Good point to bring up.

I realize in a small way that elves have a history akin to the Vulcan history where they were very warlike and destructive in their past but they've become more peaceful. Obviously they are devoted to logic or any other aspect of being a Vulcan but that one part is similar. I'm not sure where the idea came from originally but with hindsight I see it have that link.

[ericthered]

Originally Posted by Emerikol

I realize in a small way that elves have a history akin to the Vulcan history where they were very warlike and destructive in their past but they've become more peaceful. Obviously they are devoted to logic or any other aspect of being a Vulcan but that one part is similar. I'm not sure where the idea came from originally but with hindsight I see it have that link.

Elves and Vulcans have played around in the same conceptual space for a long time.

[Alden Loveshade]

Originally Posted by ericthered

Elves and Vulcans have played around in the same conceptual space for a long time.

A certain coming supplement by a certain new GURPS author (cough) touches briefly on this....