Races and Culture in Isperia

Isperia is a land steeped in magical hierarchy, where societal norms and racial heritage are tightly woven into the continent’s cultural structure. The Arcane Commonwealth is a meritocracy on paper, but in practice, one’s race and bloodline can heavily influence public perception, magical opportunity, and social mobility.

The Elegant and the Beastial

Among the citizens of Isperia, racial identity is broadly classified into two social categories: the Elegant and the Beastial. These classifications are not written into law but are deeply rooted in tradition, legacy, and magical lineage.

Elegant Races

Humans
Elves and Half-Elves
Dwarves
Highborn Tieflings (of noble bloodlines)
Aasimar
Dragonborn (Chromatic and Metallic)

“Magic flows best through clean blood and clean records. Some truths are simply inconvenient to change.”
— Rector Olienne Vaska, Headmistress of the Solar Order

Beastial Races

Orcs and Half-Orcs
Goblins
Tabaxi
Lizardfolk
Kobolds
Minotaurs
Gnolls
Bugbears

“I have eaten with goblins and fought beside kobolds. I have yet to meet a nobleman with half their honor.”
— Voroan Brightclaw, Veteran of the Eastern Border Wars

On Mixed Heritage

Half-races are more common in frontier settlements and among traveling guilds. Half-elves are seen as adaptable and often romanticized in literature. Half-orcs, however, tend to be marginalized—seen as too human for the wilds and too wild for the cities.

Still, the academies provide the rarest of equalizers. If your seal burns bright enough, even noble houses will open their doors.

“The academies do not ask whose womb you were born of—only what power you can wield and who you swear it to.”
— Magister Trell, Void Assembly

Cultural Norms & Social Expectations

Names and Lineage: Noble bloodlines can open doors—and close them just as quickly if sullied.
Magical Contracts: Even a Beastial citizen can rise if bonded to a powerful institution.
Academy Affiliation: Membership offers protection, status, and a rare chance to define oneself outside of birthright.

The path to power is never truly closed in Isperia, but the climb is steeper for some than others. What you sacrifice—or defy—may define you as much as your blood.

— Archivist Melkior Reeve, Scholar of Societal Rhetoric