Feedback on my New World

[kilost]

Well, you could start by putting each race on a planet. Let's say that Elves like forest planets and Merfolk like ocean planets, and then you can build on that. What about corral reef planets? Are there sea elves, for example? Underground elves?

Each race has three planets, of very different environments, populated by at least one very distinct culture within the People. No Sea Elves or Underground Elves I'm afraid. With the Elves, I have nomadic plains elves, black-skinned imperial elves, dynastic mountain elves, forest elves, estuary marsh elves and hardcore seafaring elves.

Do good and evil exist in this universe? If yes, are there races that are considered "good" or "evil"? Are there offshoots of them which do not conform to the rule?

No, no real division of good or evil. Some races, and even some Peoples, are more violent or expansionist, but there's no real evil.

 

[wordwalker]

So fear of heights and water is a racial TRAIT as opposed to a common characteristic? All dwarves must fear heights and deep water? That seems very limiting. That's like all drow have to be evil (or all non-drow elves good...).

Always a good point. Then again, I've seen writers say that dwarves have to be afraid of water because the traditional dwarven physique doesn't float. (Heights I don't know, but I expect denser flesh and shorter legs would make falls that much worse too.)

--And to be fair, the Drizzt books float the theory that drow aren't racially evil, they're corrupted in childhood by the demon priesthood, while orcs are inherently evil because even their youngest kids are that vicious.

 

[kilost]

Always a good point. Then again, I've seen writers say that dwarves have to be afraid of water because the traditional dwarven physique doesn't float. (Heights I don't know, but I expect denser flesh and shorter legs would make falls that much worse too.)

--And to be fair, the Drizzt books float the theory that drow aren't racially evil, they're corrupted in childhood by the demon priesthood, while orcs are inherently evil because even their youngest kids are that vicious.

Interesting point, I'll probably include something to that effect in the reasoning behind their aversion. However, right now I've finished their five cultures and am beginning the merfolk, who are in many ways the opposites of the dwarves.

 

[Zero Angel]

Always a good point. Then again, I've seen writers say that dwarves have to be afraid of water because the traditional dwarven physique doesn't float. (Heights I don't know, but I expect denser flesh and shorter legs would make falls that much worse too.)

--And to be fair, the Drizzt books float the theory that drow aren't racially evil, they're corrupted in childhood by the demon priesthood, while orcs are inherently evil because even their youngest kids are that vicious.

That was my point as well with the drow. They shouldn't all be evil. In fact, more modern D&D has gotten away from even saying specific creatures HAVE to be evil. It's possible you could raise a devil to be good (although it would be an uphill battle!). I would say that the orcs are inherently savage, but not necessarily evil. I guess I just believe in free will for monsters.

Even if dwarves can't swim, I still believe that there would be dwarves that would go into water BECAUSE they couldn't swim until the point where they weren't afraid of it anymore. People can choose to have racial traits, even ones I find odd, but to avoid putting off readers that would be put off by that (like me), I recommend at least presenting it as a stereotype instead of a universal law.

Aside: as far as physics goes, I can understand dwarves being especially dense (in fact, I have that the bones of dwarves are basically cold iron...their ancestors were even less fleshy) but when you think about a dwarf, they are basically a giant set of lungs. I would wager that even with their density that the capacity of dwarven lungs was such that they could float...although not as easily as humans.