11 Essential Races Every Fantasy Writer Should Know

Comments · 69

• TH

  @TheTaleTinkerer · 1 year ago (edited) · pinned

  Find your True North and build your core story skeleton in a single sitting with the FREE Fantasy Story Compass: <a href="https://thetaletinkerer.com/fantasy-story-compass">https://thetaletinkerer.com/fantasy-story-compass</a>

  4

• AB

  @abcdef27669 · 1 year ago

  When you study different Mythologies around the world, you also discover that several monsters and creatures are variations of the same theme of Fear, Knowledge and Mystery.<br><br>Examples:<br>-The Coquena, a dwarf or gnome from Andean Mountains, responsible for defending the llamas from hunters, is very similar to the Curupira and the Caipora, two creatures from Brazilian Folklore responsible for the protectin of the jungle. Some aspects of the Curupira and Caipora also make them similar to the Leshy/Lesovik from Slavic Mythology, being able to blend into trees.<br>-Two creatures associated to dust devils, from two places far away from each other: The Saci (Brazil), who is a one-legged black man or boy, and the Kamaitachi (Japan), a fox, weasel or ermine with long bladed-claws. Both creatures are capable of becoming dust devils.<br>-Several Werewolf-like beings around the world, like the Loup-Garou (French-speaking areas), the Asena (Turkic peoples), Skin Walkers (Native American cultures), Pricolici (Romania), just to say a few names.<br>-Dragon-like monsters appearing literally everywhere.

  25

• EV

  @everjill4687 · 1 year ago

  <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OmWDdVTt5jc&amp;t=643">10:43</a> wolves don&apos;t have strict hierarchies, that&apos;s a myrh based on a bad study of wolves in captivity. Wolf packs are family units based on love

  15

• NE

  @NehnBellanaris · 11 months ago

  I like the fact that Professor Tolkien made magic in his Legendarium more subtle then you tend to find in most Fantasy books today.

  3

• AL

  @AlbusPercivalWulfrykDumbledore · 1 year ago

  I would add vampires to essential fantasy races. There are some cool things writer can do with them. For example vampires are perfect cult leaders. If reward is eternal youth, even some people who condemn their actions would join just for a chance of becoming immortal. Very often vampires are also necromancers but instead of depicting this magic only as evil, perhaps it can be used for something nice, like summoning spirits so people could speak with their loved ones who died. Another great way of convincing people to join your cult.

  11

• GA

  @GatekeeperGuardian-wv3cd · 1 year ago

  I really just clicked on this video hoping I might see yokai. I know it was an unrealistic expectation, but I just want oni to be explored more.

  2

• KU

  @kuronaialtani · 1 year ago (edited)

  I’ve been having a ton of fun with building the races in the story I’m writing<br>A nomadic empire of snake-people called the svarra, clans of bird-people monks dedicated to specific mental teachings called the aviik, tribes of forest-dwellers split between your classic elves orcs druids etc., the beast-people live in the northern and southern hinterlands, and the equivalent of faeries are these creatures bound to each individual’s soul across their bloodline, so a father/mother passes the same being down to their son(s)/daughter(s) to further grow and experience the world’s changing

  6

• GR

  @grondhero · 7 months ago

  In my current story, the rigid dwarf and frolicking elf have a secret romance going on which I&apos;ve given subtle hints to, but haven&apos;t revealed yet.

  1

• IN

  @intergalactic92 · 1 year ago

  Was curious to see what you considered the essential classic &quot;races&quot;. &nbsp;It’s interesting that elves and fae are now separated enough in everyone&apos;s heads that they can be considered separate entities, when of course Elves as we know them started out as a subversion of the Fae. <br><br>Whilst there is definitely merit in understanding the classic tropes with all of these I think it would be cool to subvert some of these ideas. &nbsp;Say, make the Dwarves a fallen civilisation, their traditions have been lost to time so those that remain conform to the society they are forced to live under; there may be an underground movement where the old ways are practiced but this is highly restricted and brutally enforced. &nbsp;Elves have transcended earthly desires, they no longer have emotions or wants of their own so they function by effectively feasting on the emotions of lesser races, and have just discovered that negative emotions are the tastiest; they may look like a fair human but this is an illusion to tempt their prey, their real visage is much more terrifying. &nbsp;Orcs are lovers of nature and find beauty in all aspects of it and believe strongly in the natural order of things, they uphold values based around hunting and scavenging, values that they can easily turn to combat when riled; they dislike change and feel extremely threatened by the sudden arrival of humans and their brand new cities.

  10

• MA

  @MagnusItland · 1 year ago

  Fae are also associated with NSFW content. This is not without historical roots, either. Before alien abductions, there were Fae abductions. These days we have the &quot;A Noun of Noun and Noun&quot; trend, which is not exactly helping if you want to have Fae in an an otherwise family-friendly book, I guess.

  7

• RO

  @RobertFromBGP · 1 year ago

  The essential fantasy races can be distilled into three types of races: the big people, the little people, and the mysterious people. Not only does this apply to the fantasy genre, but to every real-world mythology.

  4

• HA

  @hadeshades2365 · 1 year ago

  As a sci fi writer chiming in. One might consider how a species thinks as a whole. One that can devour anything might have no concept of trash. If it fits in their mouths and they want to get rid of something, why not eat it?

  2