I would say that Vikings would do best as dark elves. That way they can be norse pretty people while also retaining their violent historical tendencies. Plus that way, as well as being violent, they can retain their reputation for masterful craftsmanship and trading ability, which, somehow, seems less credible with trolls.
Student Eternal
![[up]](https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/smiles/arrow_up.png "[up]"){kind=icon}
I do like that idea, but part of my problem there would be that I'm trying (rather futily, I'll admit) to keep the various races in line with their mythological counterparts, so dark elves are most likely... just another name for the dwarves.
No, the other one.
The problem with dark elves as Vikings is that they're generally seen as more xenophobic than many other races. Vikings were distinctly not. The raiding part is probably more known, but the trading was historically more prominent.
I'm not sure there is a standard fantasy race that does a lot of seafaring, though. It often is elves of some kind, but usually not dark elves.
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Well I think Dark elves are probobly the best way mainly because they can be both beutifull race and brutal horny vikings, also, theres no need to make out right evil and xenophobic, you can simply make them dark in relation to other elves, for example Vikings raided often churches , so give normal elves religion with churches and temples, D.Elves often raid it and bam there you have it. TL:DR:Nordic-Viking-Dark elves ,Germanic-Normal Elves
edited 16th Sep '12 5:58:08 AM by Cryticus
KVLFON
Could be a fun idea, but I wonder how soon somebody's going to take offense. Let's just start with the Mongol thing. Can't you just do some research on their folk beliefs? I'd wager they'd have at least something roughly applicable.
"Atheism is the religion whose followers are easiest to troll"
I'm definitely no expert on Chinese mythology. It's something I've had an interest in, but I've found it pretty hard to find good materials.
With that said, my understanding is that your choices are basically ghosts or shapeshifters. There's a LOT of variety within those two categories, but non-divine/non-infernal naturally humanoid beings are rare in Chinese folklore.
I suppose you could make the China expy a dead civilization. There's Jiang Shi
, which are sometimes called Chinese vampires, but that might not work because they're usually portrayed as mindless. If you're willing to use incorporeal beings, Chinese mythology has a LOT of ghosts. What I find most interesting is how sophisticated a government they believed the "other world" to have. I heard one story, I don't know if it's ancient or modern, but a soul was sentenced to haunt a certain river for a length of time. Once that sentence was over, he had to lure his replacement to their death. He later appealed that sentence and got it changed to something else.
Anyways, the other possibility is shapeshifters. Shapeshifting is a VERY common power in Chinese mythology. They believed that anyone, even animals, could gain supernatural powers through thousands of years of dedication and spiritual purity. (Actually, this is something I never quite understood, because these creatures are often evil, so I don't know how they're supposed to have achieved this purity. More research is required.) One of the powers they gained was the ability to take human form.
And of course, you can also check the other wiki for more ideas.
edited 16th Sep '12 1:06:37 PM by Topazan
Generally speaking, I would make up my mind as to which approach to take and then stick to that one throughout, instead of vacillating between both:
Either, match stereotypes of fantasy races to stereotypes of historical cultures, in which case it makes sense to draw more or less exclusively from among those bodies of folklore which are the most familiar to the audience (meaning the principal Western traditions, I guess). Or, represent historical cultures as whichever fantasy race invented by the culture in question best matches that culture itself, in which case This will take lots and lots of research effort.
Personally, I find the former option more attractive. For one thing, no matter how much research you do for the latter, the audience still won't know what you're talking about when you use unfamiliar elements, so you'd have to introduce each one at length, leading to Exposition Runaway (probably exists as a trope, but I dunno what it might be called - that was the term that popped into my head, at any rate). For another, a large part of the point of fantasy races is that they are uncanny in some way, and thus by definition different from the human culture which creates them, which makes the latter approach a bit of an exercise in futility. Regarding , IMO it's every worldbuilders solemn duty to deliberately ignore such considerations. 
, IMO it's every worldbuilders solemn duty to deliberately ignore such considerations. edited 17th Sep '12 11:36:39 PM by Topazan
I agree entirely. That's why I suggested picking one of the two approaches and sticking with that one throughout, as opposed to treating some cultures on a different footing from the majority. 
Yeah, good call.
If you are going to have a Mongolian-based culture, may I suggest centaurs? It seems both far more accurate and far less likely to offend then the orc idea. There are several sources (i.e. elementary and high school history textbooks) that mention stories of the Mongolian's under Ghengis Khan teaching their children to ride a horse before they could walk, so I doubt the identification would be seen as offensive.
Nihil assumpseris, sed omnia resolvere!
I'm not sure what the rationale behind this is, it seems like a pretty much ideal way to piss people off, although I guess in itself the idea is kind of interesting, in a casually racist sort of way.
As a method for association though I'd agree with kassyopeia, match each culture to the race that's most closely associated with it in the popular imagination, although obviously origin would be a factor in that and if there's an obscure race that would associate closely with the stereotype of its inventors, were it known, I'd go with that.
I don't really get the Roma = werewolves thing. The three things I know about the gypsy stereotype are 1) They're nomadic, 2) They're cunning and roguish, 3) They can bestow curses and tell the future. All things I associate in no way with werewolves. And as far as I know, despite the link between witchcraft and transmogrification, they aren't especially associated with that either. Although incidentally I find my initial misreading of 'Romans will be werewolves' strangely appealing.
Also, we've got werewolves, do we have a nation of eastern-european bloodsuckers, or would an entire country of vampires raise too many agriculture issues?
Also I like the centaurs thing as well. I can see the 'orcs storm and pillage, Mongols storm and pillage' connection if that's what you're going for, but it seems a bit simplistic. I think a centaur campaign of terror sweeping the world would be more interesting and perhaps slightly closer to the history.
edited 18th Oct '12 2:18:26 AM by Kesteven
gloamingbrood.tumblr.com MSPA: The Superpower Lottery
It meshes well with the Romulus and Remus myth too...
And I second this idea.
Student Eternal
I actually have considered centaurs for the Mongol analogues, and I thought it was a good idea, but for now at least, an earlier Centaur invasion will most likely stand in for the Huns under Attila.
Also, everybody seems under the impression that the orcs would be a mindless horde of slobbering savages, and not well run, intelligent empire builders who promote trade, religious tolerance, and ultimately bridge the gap between East and West, an Alternate Character Interpretation that also applies to the Mongols under Genghis(which isn't to say that they couldn't also be brutal bastards). The word "orc" here has similar connotations to the real world "tartar", as a name misapplied by outsiders to a wider group of people they barely understand (a more accurate name might be "Magog"; no relation to Andromeda ).
It's probably obvious that Fantastic Racism is a running theme, but coming from a race with a monstrous reputation, like a troll or an orc, does not make that individual a monster. Demonization of other cultures happened plenty in the real world (the Our Ogres Are Hungrier page mentions that "ogre" was inspired by the French word for "Hungarian" and their stereotypes, and some absolutely disgusting things were written about the Jews and Roma), it seems like it would be all too easy in a world where "those people over there" actually do have horns and tusks. I'm making an effort to flesh out the people from those cultures just as much, if not more, than the the standard elf-hobbit-dwarf "good" guys. A werewolf merchant and a trollish warrior are among my main characters.
Okay. 1) Wolves tend to be nomadic, at least within their larger territory ranges, 2) Wolves are often viewed as "cunning and roguish", particularly in the age Little Red Riding Hood was considered contemporary fiction, and 3) lycanthropy has often been linked to a curse of some sort, as it is here (by people who aren't Rovers, who mostly view it as a gift and a tradition worth upholding, not matter what "settled" folk think). I think you got me on the divination thing, though.
The whole concept of the Rovers basically comes from the many gypsy bands that almost always show up in any Überwald setting or Universal Horror movies, particularly The Wolf Man, as well as the realization that a culture of people who turn into predators on a regular basis probably wouldn't easily make friends with farming folk who value their own livestock.
As for Roman wolves.... okay, that does sound awesome. Maybe the descendants of a "cursed" Lost Roman Legion?
Vampires probably show up, although they most likely only show up among the nobility and/or their servants.
edited 23rd Oct '12 4:05:21 AM by Carbonek13
Machines were mice and men were lions once upon a time, but now that it's the opposite it's twice upon a time. - Moondog
Hmm... vampirism and lycanthropy are often presented as curses rather than species, so in theory, races other than humans could fall victim to them, but strangely that's not something I've encountered very often. So many missed opportunities for vampire unicorns. 
I think D&D gnomes drew pretty heavily from the gypsy stereotype, so perhaps you could do something with that as a 'base' species? That's a bit contentious though and not exactly 'classic' fantasy.
gloamingbrood.tumblr.com MSPA: The Superpower Lottery
Trans Siberian Anarchestra (it/they)
Worth mentioning: one of the explanations I've heard for the development of dwarves in Germanic folklore is that they originated from stories of the Roman legions - the average Teuton or Saxon was considerably taller than the average Roman, and the Romans were noticeably fond of things like mining, advanced metalworking, heavy armour, and massive engineering projects. And, in a related sort of way, those regions of Europe that developed folklore of flying dragons correspond surprisingly closely to those that were conquered by Roman legions that marched under a banner of dragons or serpents.
Keeping dark elves as an historic name for dwarves is an happy idea, though, and werewolf Romans are a pretty awesome idea as well for that matter. And, frankly, I really like the idea of Ljosalfar Vikings - sure, it defies the common Elvish stereotypes a bit, but that's part of the appeal, and the Vikings were just as much merchants and explorers as they were pirates. (Varangian territory included Novgorod and Kiev, which were centres of important trade routes on the Dnieper and Volga rivers with the Byzantine Empire to the south and the Khazars and Baghdad to the east, which lasted until the end of the Viking age in the 1200s. The Byzantines had an elite army force called the Varangian Guard that last all the way into the 1300s.) ...of course, on the other hand, trolls and elves are pretty much indistinguishable at times in Scandinavian cultures.
...on the subject of which, who are your analogues for the Byzantines/Greeks, Arabs, Persians, Turks, and the people of the Caucasus?
edited 30th Nov '12 2:25:59 PM by Noaqiyeum
The Revolution Will Not Be Tropeable
Citizen
Centaurs fits Mongols neatly. Elgin Marbles tells the tale of Centaurs being rampaging hordes. Also, their was Cheiron who taught heroing to young Hercules. Use Orcs for some other horde, Huns, Saxons etc.
As shown above Lycanthropy is not a race, it is a curse/ plague. No-one has ever been turned into a Gypsy by being bit. But there might be an urban myth, "There weren't all these werewolves around until the Gypsies came to town."
What if there were no hypothetical questions? There are 10 kinds of people: those who understand Binary and those who don't.
Peephole of the Ninth
After a long rest in reality and away from the Internet, I find myself lured back to tvtropes and its influence.
Up there, I've glimpsed something about an equivalent fantasy race for China from Topazan... jiangshi would be a bad idea. Jiangshi aren't even living, independent monsters to begin with; they are literally animated corpses, and that's it. The whole idea of them acting like zombies and vampires was always a minor legend about them.
Meh, enough exposition from me. To have a China equivalent, try a nation of natural shapeshifters based on all sorts of diverse animals. It could stand for the racial variety within China, and how Chinese legends (and East Asian ones in general) have a lot of shapeshifters in them.
Oh, and I emphasize 'natural' shapeshifting to avoid the problem of traditional lycanthropy (and vampirism by extension) being more like curses rather than races. In fact, even in the original myths, the various shapeshifting beasts get their glamour as a reward of living long and building up spiritual power/enlightenment, rather than a magic spell from outside the beasties themselves.
Enigma in a riddle with a perplexing center
Here's something to consider: In historical Ireland, Viking invaders were divided into Finngaills and Dunngaills (for dark- and light- strangers). Nobody knows what quality they were divided on, but most seem to think it was Danes = dark & Swedes = light (or the other way around, I have no idea). This is one theory about how the divide of light and dark elves in Scandinavian myth came from.
And for the difference between those cultures, we turn to Scandinavia and the World.
Aussie Tolkien freak
I think the Mongolian= orc thing comes from Tolkien, in a letter where he said the Orcs were "degraded and repulsive versions of the least lovely (to Europeans) Mongol-types."
And orcs do exist in mythology. They're not called orcs, but they do exist and are called goblins.
I always look to myth and legend for my preternatural races, and nymphs seem to be as universal as dragons. A Greek nymphs isn't much different from a Scandinavian elf or an Irish sidhe, for example. When you move into Asia and Africa, you have to do a bit more digging, and crossing the oceans is even more work, but you can find similar beings in almost every culture.
I've stopped working with "classic fantasy" tropes; I work with Oriental materials more than ever, and Latin America has some good stuff too (and not all of it watered down by Christianity). I think you should stop worrying about what people expect - you have creative license, which means you can redefine things. I'm not sure if your target audience is the classic fantasy crowd or not, but even they can appreciate a fresh take on something.
If I was doing what you're trying to do, I'd learn about the religions, geography, ecology, and climate - most mythic creatures are very specific genius loci, really. I also have an affinity for old places, overgrown churches for example, so I'd look for pics that create a certain "feeling" of otherness. India has devas and asuras for starters, the Chinese goddess who created humans had the lower body of a snake, and Arabian mythology is the original source for half the monsters in our bestiaries (unicorns and phoenixes, for example).
I hope this helped. 
Like the Halfling Anglo-Saxons, like the Mongol centaurs, like the Roman werewolves (though maybe only the patricians can shapeshift, and they rule over some dogpeople)? The Halfling territory would, of course, have many faerie mounds/hills.
As for the Norse, my first thought would be dwarves. They feature heavily in Norse mythology. No reason you couldn’t have elves, too – though I have trouble picturing dwarves as Viking-style invaders (for one thing, they can’t swim!). Werebear or werewolf Vikings, perhaps?
You also need a merkingdom or two…
As for the Roma, werewolves don’t work for me. Below is a rough, rough draft/some ideas for a fantasy race of corvids (large sentient ravens) based “sort of” on the Roma.
Some caveats: I haven’t even finished reading the free downloadable 5e Player’s Handbook yet, much less bought the hard copy of the official one, nor have I kept up with gaming much for the past decade or so. D&D probably already has a fantasy race somewhat like this (though I’m sure I’d like my version better!).
Say, anyone wanna give me $50 and/or the new PH? :D
Corvids
Size: Small walking, Medium flying (wingspan) Alignment: Generally neutral, though others are possible AC: ? HD: ? Speed: Slower on the ground than a human, fly 30” Languages: Corvid, Common. They do not share their own language with outsiders.
Appearance: Large (chicken to small-turkey-sized) sentient ravens. They are not humanoid. They make lousy fighters (can’t fly and wear armor, can’t bear weapons) but good magic-users (hedge wizards or warlocks) or thieves – to date no Corvid has undergone the formal magic training to become a “standard” magic-user because they can’t stand to be away from the flock for that long. DM’s discretion, of course.
Similarities to the Roma stereotype:
1. They are nomadic and use pack animals, though not wagons. They can’t fly everywhere because their young can’t fly until they fledge, and there are usually quite a few hatchlings in the tribe at any one time. Some tribes travel from city to city, “officially” specializing in odd jobs, entertainment (including fortune-telling), and trade, while others follow a wilderness hunter/gatherer lifestyle. Only “citified” Corvids can have any prior training as Rogues, although their rural cousins will be much better at wilderness survival and hiding in the brush/trees. Bush Corvids often use wolves for pack animals, while the more modern city tribes have switched to horses. Since Corvids don’t cook or wear clothing, most of what they carry is supplies (rope, cord, food, water); the elderly, sick, or very young; and trade goods. They have to trade for the cords, ropes, and jewelry they like so much.
2. Family/Tribe is the most important thing. Non-outcast Corvids follow an honor code that prevents them from stealing from, tricking, injuring, killing, or otherwise mistreating a tribesmate. (Outsiders, though, are fair game! The most-admired Corvid stories are about con-artists, thieves, and tricksters, understandably enough, and their great hero is a Warlock who found a loophole in the Pact – which was closed before anyone else could use it).
3. They have a foul reputation among other fantasy races, including persistent rumors that all Corvids are thieves and con artists, that all their magic is from an Infernal Pact, and that they eat carrion (and/or cannibalize their own dead). IF any of this is true, the Corvids are canny enough not to confirm it. They also are assumed to be seekers after dark and forbidden knowledge (true enough, since a Corvid who introduces new knowledge or lore to the tribe gains status).
4. They are VERY slow to trust other races, or even Corvids from another tribe.
5. They love shiny objects, especially gems and jewelry.
6. Becoming an outcast is literally a fate worse than death. Outcasts are normally murderers or outlaws who have brought harm to the community.
Stat modifiers:
Strength: -2 or more
Intelligence: +2
Constitution: -2, takes an extra die of damage from bludgeoning (hollow bones!)
Charisma: -2 for non-Corvids
Wisdom: unmodified
Dexterity: +2 for tasks requiring hand-eye coordination. Does *not* include dodging and such.
Corvids with a magic proficiency get a bonus on Divination magic. Most Corvid fortune-tellers, however, are simply good at cold reading and excellent liars. Very often they use no “props,” since they can’t carry much with them. Material components are lightweight and natural materials.
Weaknesses:
Low Strength, can only carry the most lightweight objects. No smithing.
Hollow bones, extra damage from Bludgeoning weapons.
Can’t fly if wearing armor.
Not humanoid / no opposable thumbs.
No darkvision. Won’t fly at night unless given night vision somehow. All Corvids have the instinct to seek a safe sleeping spot near sunset – and, yes, they can perch in trees while asleep.
Agoraphilia – a typical Corvid would rather perch outside in the rain or sleet than sleep where s/he cannot see the sky. The only exception is while they’re protecting their young (who are vulnerable to heat and cold until their outer feathers come in). They also hate the idea of going underwater and will only bathe in shallow water.
Bad reputation among other races
Penalty on saving throws vs entanglement
Can only use small magic items, like rings and the smallest wands. A Corvid can carry, at most, two Scrolls (one per leg) or one Potion, without a Bag of Holding or the equivalent.
Flock Creatures – A common Corvid saying is “The flock foremost.” They say among themselves that humanoids hate them because they’re jealous – after all, those creatures are SO stupid and ugly, and they can’t even fly!
Strengths:
Good Intelligence and Dexterity.
Bonus on Divination magic.
Flight and good day vision.
Bonus on Hide in Shadows (urban) or Hide in Underbrush (rural)
Bonus on trickery/con artistry/lying
DM’s discretion: Bonus on certain Lore, especially if it’s in a quaint and curious volume.
Although they lack metalsmithing, Corvids excel at using slim ropes and cords to make netting. They use nets to store and carry their goods (and hatchlings) on their pack animals. A Corvid-made battlenet gets a bonus on “to hit” and “to entangle” rolls, but such a net has to be custom-made for the person (humanoid) who wants it, and the Corvids insist on payment in advance. Rather than heavy money, they prefer sparkly, shiny gems and jewelry (made to fit them), which is another sign of status.
Although Corvids never settle in one place for long, every 3 – 4 years they have to stay in a sheltered place to brood their eggs and nurture their hatchlings until they are old enough to travel (3 – 4 months total). Corvids who don’t want offspring at that time simply don’t mate. Both parents share in incubating the eggs, and abandoning or neglecting one’s eggs/chicks is a crime, unless necessary because of a disaster or predator attack. The community will make sure any orphaned eggs/chicks are taken care of, however. Everyone is expected to chip in and help protect the eggs, *especially* Corvids with special skills in magic. Corvids are well aware that they are most vulnerable at this time, and they will take as many precautions against monsters and predators as they can. If push comes to shove, flight wins over fight; if they can, they’ll scoop their hatchlings into nets and cooperatively lift them away. Eggs, however, are too fragile to be moved, and in this case the Corvids will abandon their nests and take revenge on the predators later. This is one reason the Corvids deliberately exaggerate their magical abilities, supposed connections with dark powers, and legendary curses-against-enemies, to make (the sentient) predators think twice. Tribes partnered with wolves have gained effective co-hunters, guards, and sentries – one reason this symbiosis is traditional. Only a few tribes have made the switch to horses, and these sometimes attempt to trade services with the leader(s) of other races for a safe place to hatch their eggs. Leaders not motivated by profit may be swayed by superstition, trickery, or threats – in that order. Corvids very often offer to carry messages, spoken or written, for such leaders…they prefer spoken, for obvious reasons. If the sender wants a written message to remain secret, it had better be ciphered AND placed in a tamper-proof scroll tube (which won’t, of course, prevent the Corvids from trying to break in and decode it)!
Corvids also have a reputation as information brokers. As nomadic flyers, they are in an excellent position to note troop movements, natural disasters, etc. – and to sell that information to whoever pays the most. They like to be the power behind the throne, so to speak. Every now and then a Corvid, usually an outcast, will form a partnership with a humanoid companion, sometimes even posing as a pet or familiar (although the facts are likely to be the reverse!). Such Corvids and their partners may even be involved in high-level political diplomacy, maneuvering, and intrigue. Corvids are very fond of hinting that they know more than they actually do, without actually revealing anything.
Every now and then stories of a secret Corvid cabal of spies and assassins surface. No one (except the Corvids involved, if it exists) knows whether these stories are true or not.
Possible skills:
Animal Handling (equine or canine, depending on tribe)
Lore
Memory
Wilderness Survival
Literacy (Common). Corvid has no written language.
Divination Cantrips (magic-using classes only)
Information Gathering
Lying/trickery/con artistry
Gambling
Storytelling
Some Rogue skills (using tools for humanoids)
Aerial surveillance/spying
Preferred classes: Rogue, Warlock, Hedge Wizard, Shaman
Possible motives for adventuring (d10):
1. Seeking treasure, especially jewelry.
2. Seeking knowledge or secrets to sell.
3. Seeking new stories to tell.
4. Wants to be the first Corvid to ____.
5. Wants to impress a potential mate, possibly in another tribe.
6. Studying the ways of the humanoids.
7. Seeking a magic scroll (with a specific spell on it).
8. Seeking a magic item s/he can use.
9. Travelling to see the world.
10. Ordered to go on the adventure by a superior.
edited 23rd Sep '14 9:15:34 AM by anniemayhem
Fantasy writer turned Filmmaker.
Well. There's clearly been a gap between the original post and this one. That said, I might as well contribute. Personally, I don't like the idea of fusing fantasy races and real-world cultures because it runs the risk of promoting stereotypes — but that's been covered above. So I'll just assume Carbonek really wants to do this idea (despite it being old).
One idea to keep in mind is the divide between Eastern and Western Dragons. Someone above noted the correlation between Dragon myths and Roman occupation, so maybe the Romans are Western Dragons. Western Dragons also had an association with treasure, fire, and destruction — a lot like the Romans. Also works since, in Fantasy, Dragons tend to be a dead, dying, or rare race of creatures.
Meanwhile, Eastern Dragons are often depicted as ancient and wise — China existed as an empire for over 3000 years, and in that time they developed things like gunpowder and the printing press long before Europe got their hands on the stuff. Also check out the Draconic Humanoid trope.
I agree with the other posters who say that Roman werewolves would be cool, but that means you couldn't do my earlier "Roman dragons" idea. And I really like the "Centaur = Mongol" idea. I think Warcraft did this, at least in passing.
Award-winning screenwriter. Directed some movies. Trying to earn a Creator page. I do feedback here.
Someone mentioned that there has to be some form of mer-kingdom. I immediately shot to "Polynesia, coastal Asia, and Malaysia."
Seriously, man, the Polynesians were boss seafarers. Imagine the giant 100-foot war-canoes crewed by the Maori as mermen.
edited 25th Sep '14 1:43:22 PM by Sharysa
I'm currently revisiting some old fantasy concepts of mine for a rather large world-building project.
The setting roughly resembles Eurasia (although all the continents are represented, just not visited in story)circa 1100-1300 AD, The High Middle Ages. A major factor of the setting is that there is no "human" race, but one very diverse species of humanoid encompassing most or all of the traditional fantasy races and then some. The plan was each Fantasy Counterpart Culture would more or less correspond to whatever real world culture imagined that race, with a few exception (orcs, for example, fill the role of "Mongols"). However, it's proving to be a little harder to place one race to one culture than I thought, not at all helped by me deciding to focus just as much, if not more, on more nontraditional "Eastern" fantasy races.
One of the big issues I'm currently tackling is who best represents the Norse/Germanic culture? The current front-runners are trolls and elves, with dwarves, dark elves, or kobolds taking the place of the continental Germans. I feel trolls would fit the Horny Vikings stereotype better, while elves would probably fit the more modern Norse by Norsewest / The Beautiful People vibe, as well as giving the a viable reason to show up in other kingdoms. The runner up in this will most likely end up taking the place of the Finns, and I'm not even sure what to do about the huldre race.
The Celtic peoples are probably halflings, which here also includes leprechauns and brownies. The Fair Folk is most likely just a fancy way of saying "nobility". Ancient Grome is/was represented by the gigantic Heroes (note the capital). Slavs might be gnomes ("krasnal"). Hungarians are ogres, and very distantly related to... whatever the Finns will be. Ifrits, djinn, and ghouls represent the Moors, Arabs, and Turks respectively (unless they switch around). As previously mentioned, orcs, or what everybody else calls orcs, are Mongols, although they draw from a rather diverse set of semi-nomadic tribes.
I once considered goblins to be a type of Space Jews / Proud Merchant Race, but I'm less sure of that now (incidentally, the Crystal Dragon Jesus religion was going to bear more than a passing resemblance to the poem "Goblin Market", complete with a female savior and giving others a reason to hate on the goblins). Now I think they might be related to the English... somehow.
I'm almost certain the Roma will be werewolves, and will be called "Rovers". While their wolfishness isn't necessarily permanent, it is a vestige of a pagan past, when "beast-forms" were common (it still is in other parts of the world; think of it as a magical tribal scarring ritual, binding man and animal, and a handy way to keep "beast races" like Naga and Kitsune in a setting of humanoids).
As you can probably tell, I've focused more on the "European" races because, quite frankly, they are what I and most of the fans of fantasy are most familiar with, but seeing as my characters are bound to travel far to the east (in search of their take on Prester John, who may or may not turn out to be an orcish Genghis Khan), I need to flesh out the eastern races better, as well as fine tune the ones I have picked out. I have no Persian stand-ins, I have only a few of the Indian cultures, China is mostly uncharted territory for me and, if anything, I have too many Japanese possibilities (tengu, kappa, kitsune, tanuki, nekomata, oni, etc; although the oni will most likely stand in for the Ainu).
So yeah, any suggestions? Any races or cultures to fill in the gaps? Any problems with the ones I have already? And just who makes the better viking: a troll or an elf?
edited 16th Sep '12 3:08:19 AM by Carbonek13
Machines were mice and men were lions once upon a time, but now that it's the opposite it's twice upon a time. - Moondog