THE RACES OF PATCHWORK HEROES

Basic Nature
Humanity is far from the only race in Patchwork Heroes. In fact, no less than six major races exist in this world, each with their own cultures and oddities. Each of the six races corresponds to one of the six elements, and shares a certain affinity with that element. The six races are: Humans (Water), Imps (Fire), Djinn (Air), Yeti (Earth), Dryad (Void), and Goblin (Spirit).
It's worth noting that both the dryads and the goblins have become much more rare as magic fades, due to their increased connection to it. They have, in fact, become so rare that many of the other four races believe that they no longer exist - some go so far as to claim that they never existed. This is not, of course, true. There are still quite a few dryads and goblins around, but they tend to keep a low profile.

HUMANS (WATER)

Humans are a strange and varied lot. Embodying the principle of the element of water, they are a people who are varied individually, but similar communally. Being the most adaptive of the Six Races, humans account for almost half of the world's population.
Humans are known for versatility and individuality. They are extremely adaptive, best able to live outside of their ideal environment, can eat most organics, and although they require a good eight glasses of water a day to survive, they can transport it with them, enabling them to set up in dry regions. The actions of humans are also difficult to predict until you get to know a given one. However, they do tend to bow to authority.
Humans average five and a half feet tall. They come in three varieties: the Haltani, the Alanti, and the Derni. Haltani live in the northeast, primarily in Artannia, and have pinkish skin, light hair tones, and light eye colours. Alanti live in the northwest, primarily in Murosh, and have a more copper-toned skin, darker hair, and darker eyes. The Derni live in the southern lands, and have brown skin, dark hair, and bright eyes.
Humans prefer to live near rivers and coasts, but can be found almost anywhere. They have excellent relations with the imps, finding them to be congenial allies, and generally peaceful relations with the djinn - although they can come into conflict with them over the fertile plains of the west. They generally consider yeti to be bloodthirsty monsters, to be avoided at all costs, and goblins to be sneaky little disease-spreaders. Humans also tend to be highly attracted to dryads, and can become quite irrational over them.

IMPS (FIRE)

Imps, attuned to the element of flame, are among the most constant of the world's races. If you are the friend of an imp, he will guard you forever, but if you become his enemy, he will try to destroy you with every chance he gets. Most imps are fairly similar in temperament and behaviour, ascribing to a strict code of honour, morality, and vengeance. They are also a fairly hardy species, and make up about a third of the world's population.
Imps are known for honour, stubborness, and honesty. They almost never change their minds, regardless of how much evidence is thrown their way, and their cultures are strictly run. They have a hard time even understanding the concept of deception, as it is so alien to their behaviour, and consider liars to be among the worst kind of villains. Imps generally require as much food to eat as most races, but do not drink water at all. Instead, they gain energy through light and heat - sunlight is preferred, but the light given off by flame or lava is also useful. Imps can survive much higher temperatures than humans, but give in to the cold easily. When struck, imps bleed a light mist.
Imps are usually about four feet tall, somewhat reptilian (and scaled over their entire bodies), but with humans features. They also have turtle-like shells on their backs, which they allow to stick out through holes in their clothing. Imps come in three varieties: the Derni, the Adli, and the Gerrish. The Derni, living in the southwest, have deep red scales. The Adli, living in the southeast, have golden scales, and the Gerrish, living in the east, have purple scales.
Due to their light requirements, imps much prefer areas without much cloud cover, or which have ambient light of their own. The deserts of the south, or the volcanic mountains of the east, are their preferred habitats. Because they tend not to live where humans want to be, they get along well with this race (although imps find the human prediliction for lying to be tiresome at best). Their relations with the djinn are similarly founded, although they find the djinn's shifting moods to be highly annoying. They have little to no contact with the yeti, and tend not to believe that dryads or goblins still exist.

DJINN (AIR)

Djinn, as the embodiment of the element of wind, are a higly intelligent race, but seem almost incapable of long-term planning, and can shift allegences and personalities as easily as most races change their clothes. Because of this, and because they tend not to have a high birth rate, djinn make up only one tenth of the world's population.
Djinn are easily the most well known for their flightiness and passion. Predicting the actions of a djinn can drive members of other races to distraction. Predicting the actions of a djinn community is beyond even the wisest men. Djinn also have notoriously bad memories, and a tendancy to pinball between emotions and ideals. When they are feeling an emotion, they usually feel it to a degree that few others can match. Very few people trust them, therefore, and almost no one except the desperate relies on one to do anything. Djinn generally eat only once or twice a day, and drink a similar amount. They also drink in the wind, using it to clear their systems, and tend to do badly in still regions. Their blood is a greyish gas.
Djinn are usually almost seven feet tall, with slightly pudgy bodies and long blue horns. Their hair, which is always some shade of gray, tends to be long and lusterous. Djinn also come in three varieties: the Alanti, the Gerrish, and the Derni. The Alanti, living in the north, have gray skin and dark eye shades. The Gerrish, in the central regions, tend to have bluish-gray skin and lighter eye tones, and the Derni, of the south, have deep blue skin and purple eyes.
Djinn prefer to live on high mountains, or the windswept plains of the west. A few live in the southern deserts, as well. Djinn usually form clans of between five and two hundred members, with a constantly changing membership. They are pathologically incapable of forming a more advanced society. They tend not to get along too well with the other races. Humans can be fun, but they're too worried about consequences. Imps are far too straightforward, and the yeti are frighteningly stable. Dryads and goblins are interesting, but the former are too shy, and the later are too odd.

YETI (EARTH)

Yeti, the race affiliated with the element of rock, and are strong and tough, prone to thinking things over before making rash decisions, and exceptionally stubborn. They are also highly reclusive, and are generally believed to be monsters by the other races. Although they have long lifespans, frequently living as long as three hundred years, yeti marry rarely, and have children even more rarely. Because of this, they make up a mere 5% of the world's population.
Yeti are strong but slow. They have a natural desire for solitude, and are uninterested in the affairs of other races. They are also strictly territorial. Because of this, they have gained a reputation for being fierce and monstrous, but also for not bothering anyone who doesn't bother them. The yeti, as a whole, actively encourage this stereotype, as it means that few people seek them out for their companionship, and fewer are willing to risk their wrath slaying a beast that bothers no one unless its rage is aroused. Yeti drink very little, but consume a great deal of food, of all sorts. They tend towards vegetarianism, but are capable of eating meat.
Most yeti are nearly nine feet tall, with fur covering their entire bodies, and with lush heads of hair. Northern yeti have bluish fur and grayish hair, is a variety of shades, while the southern breed has brown hair and fur. Yeti are extremely muscular by the standards of the other races, and have small dark eyes.
Yeti live deep within the mountains, in natural caves that they further excavate. Most live in the far north, or the mountains south of the Great Desert. Their clans are extremely structured, with every member being part of the hierarchy, and their low birthrate means that children are considered a great blessing. Yeti don't get along well with any other race, nor do they particularly care to.

DRYADS (VOID)

Dryads, the mysterious race that draws its strength from the Void, are frequently misunderstood, and many believe that they no longer exist. Never a populous race, their numbers continue to dwindle as magic becomes more rare, and the day is not far off when they will, in truth, cease to exist.
Dryads are, at heart, caring and kind beings. They travel to areas where Void mana is strong - places that have been devastated and ruined - and there begin to replant, repopulate, and restore. As they do so, Void energy is released, and the Dryads grow stronger. When an area has been restored, the Dryads move on. Dryads do not require food or sleep, and live on fairly small amounts of water. They get most of their sustenance directly from Void mana.
For whatever reason, dryads do not have racial variants - possibly because there are so few of them. Their skin tends towards nutmeg-brown, and their hair comes in various shades of green. As for their eyes, they are always a light shade, usually a blue or green. Dryads are extremely beautiful by the standards of the humans and dryads, although they, oddly enough, seem to be more attracted to mundane features.
Dryads are a nomadic race, rarely staying anywhere for more than a year. They make friends easily, but move on alone. Most dryads travel in small groups (ten at the most), and although they frequently take lovers among other races, they rarely stay with them. Humans who meet dryads find them extremely alluring, as do djinn. The imps welcome dryads they happen to meet, although they do not care for them particularly, and even the yeti will generally allow dryads to remain within their territory. The only race that dryads despire are the goblins, and the two races are constantly fighting when they happen to encounter one another (an admitted rarity).

GOBLINS (SPIRIT)

Goblins are perhaps the oddest of the Six races. Their numbers are uncertain, their motivations are mysterious, and they have become the stuff of folk legends, on a par with such mythical beasts as unicorns and dragons. They are dwindling in modern days, but how much is impossible to guess.
Goblins are sneaky and sly. They possess an amazing ability to remain hidden from the minds of those they stay near, so while nearly every major city features a family of goblins, they are almost never spotted by outsiders. Goblins live by devouring emotional energy, and those who know what to look for can usually find them instigating riots and causing trouble, and then gleefully feeding off the residue. A few goblins prefer to inspire positive emotions, but most find this to be too much trouble for the amount of mana that they require to survive. Like dryads, goblins do not sleep or eat, and keep their drinking to a minimum, living solely off energy leeched from other races.
Due to their small numbers, goblins do not possess racial variants. Barely two feet tall, goblins look like green-furred cat people, with long fangs. Their eyes are small and beady, and they tend to wear very little in the way of clothing.
Goblins travel the world, leaving a town whenever they are close to being found out, but due to their natures, they must remain near to members of another race. Humans and djinn are favoured targets, as their emotions are much easier to inspire. Imps are considered to be boring fare, and goblins would starve off the emotions that a yeti feels. Goblin feel a deep dislike for dryads, who can see through their illusions, and kill them whenever possible.

Size Comparison of All Six Races: