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(TFT) Racial History (Blasphemy)

Sometime last year a newcomer to our group offered some their history of the halfling race. I had wanted to reply to his original idea, but I had lost my notes. Now that I have found them, I unfortunately have forgotten his name. (Missed IQ roll perhaps?)
Copyright Disclaimer: The following is an outline that I will be eventually using in a future novel. (This is just a note saying go ahead and use this, I may eventually be publishing it in a book.) Many of the ideas came from GameMaster Publication (UK) magazine, GURPS and Xanth. But the original impetus was ITL page 50: "Orcs are closely related to men; thier prehistoric ancestor, Orcanthropus, dominated many alternate worlds during Neanderthal days. (Here, on Earth, only their fossilized remains, known as Piltdown Man, survive.)"
Note: This is only a suggested outline for one type of universe. Obviously it doesn't fit everyone's concepts for gaming, but makes a good story background.
There are 6 Lineal Root Stocks for Races <excluding the Faieries and a few others> <if your favorite race is not here, add it> 

               Orc, Elf, Dwarf, Troll, Lizardmen, Fishmen
I've had to give a lifetime period to the races to develop generational comparisons, etc. so I'll note these now. 
Human/Hobbit/Gargoyle            -   60 years lifespan
Orc/Troll/Giant/Fishman/Centaur  -   40 years
Lizardman                        -  100 years
Dwarf                            -  200 years
Elf                              -  500 years
[I like my dwarves longlived but not as long as elves. It will be about 2.5 dwarven generations and about 8 human generations to match a lifetime of an elf.]
Because I evolved my racial roots on a 'Family Tree' format, I can't show it to you here. I'll instead give you the concept by epochal time periods. An epoch time period in years varies greatly between epochs. Epoch 7 is the most recent epoch. 

ORCS
Epoch 1   Root stock
Epoch 2   The Orc line branches into 3 lines = Orc, Goblin, Man
Epoch 3-6 Generational and Tribal changes
Epoch 7   Orc and Humans interbreed creating 1/2 Orcs

GOBLINS
Epoch 2   Goblins evolve from Orcs
Epoch 3-6 Generational and Tribal changes
Epoch 7   Hob-Goblins evolve from Goblins

ELF
Epoch 1   Root Stock
Epoch 2 [late]  Through some bizarre circumstances <a la Xanth's
            love springs>  Elves mate with horses to evolve Wondrous
            Horses.  {There is great affinity between Elves and
            Wondrous Horses.}
Epoch 4-6 Generational and Tribal changes
Epoch 5   Through some bizarre circumstance, Elves and Fishmen mate,
            creating Mermen
Epoch 7   Elves and Humans interbreed creating 1/2 Elves.

DWARVES
Epoch 1   Root Stock
Epoch 2   The Dwarf line branches into 2 lines:  Dwarf & Gnome
Epoch 3-7 Generational and Tribal Changes  {Dwarf & Gnome Affinity}

CENTAUR
Epoch 4   Through the same bizarre circumstances as for elves,
            Humans mate with Wondrous Horses creating Centaurs.
            {Centaurs have great affinity for their sires the elves;
            Centaurs are indifferent or antagonistic to their
            polluters - Humans}
          Wondrous Horses almost disappear as a race.
Epoch 5-7  Generational and Tribal Changes
Epoch 6    Superior Warhorses are bred from Wondrous Horses

GNOME
Epoch 2    Gnomes evolve from Dwarves
Epoch 3-4  Generational and Tribal changes
Epoch 5    Though some bizarre circumstances, Gnomes and Humans mate
            creating Hobbits
Epoch 6-7  Generational and Tribal changes

HOBBITS
Epoch 5    Through some bizarre circumstances, Gnomes and Humans
             mate creating Hobbits
Epoch 6-7  Generational and Tribal changes

TROLLS
Epoch 1    Root Stock
Epoch 2-4  Generational and Tribal changes
Epoch 5    Through some bizarre circumstances, Trolls and Giants mate
            to evolve Ogres
Epoch 6-7  Generational and Tribal changes

GIANTS
Epoch 4 [late] Giants evolve from humans
Epoch 5    Through some bizarre circumstance, Trolls and Giants mate
             to evolve Ogres
Epoch 6-7  Generational and Tribal changes

OGRE
Epoch 6    The mating of Trolls and Giants evolves Ogres
Epoch 7    Generational and tribal changes

FISHMEN
Epoch 1    Root Stock
Epoch 2-4  Generational and Tribal Changes
Epoch 5    Through some bizarre circumstance, Fishmen and Elves
             create Mermen
Epoch 6-7  Generational and Tribal changes

LIZARDMEN
Epoch 1    Root Stock
Epoch 2    Elf magic experimentation?:  Creation of the Dragon
            from Reptile stock
Epoch 3    Lizardmen evolve into many types, most of which die out
Epoch 4-7  Generation and tribal changes.  Snakemen almost become
            a seperate race.

GARGOYLE
Epoch 2   Gargoyle life evolves from unknown origins
Epoch 3   Gargoyles evolve into many types, most of which revert
            back to stone
Epoch 4-7  Generational and Tribal changes

HUMANS
Epoch 2 [late] Humans evolve from Orcs
Epoch 3    Generational and Tribal Changes
Epoch 4    Through some bizarre circumstances, Humans mate with
             Wondrous Horses creating Centaurs
Epoch 4 [late] Giants evolve from Humans
Epoch 5  Through some bizarre circumstances, Gnomes and Humans mate,
             creating Hobbits
Epoch 6  Manthings start to appear {minotaurs, goatmen, etc.}
             Note:  Lycanthropes are a not a different race.
Epoch 7  Humans start interbreeding with other races:
             1/2 orc; 1/2 elf, etc.
I allow my races to mate. [see the Brainiac TFT historical list for conversations on racial couplings and genetic deviations.] A majority of the coupling will not produce offspring. Some produce mutants which die. Occassionally, offspring survive and are infertile. The rare fertile exceptions in enough numbers create new races. The newer 1/2 breed races seem to be fertile.
Dark Elves are not a racially different elf. It is an attitude and philosophical difference that creates the hatred between them. Dark Elves get their name for their seemingly "dark" attitude and they often emphasize this by staining the skin or tatooing it black. Dark Elves are "Purists" who are very orthodox in their elven traditions and beliefs and despise the liberal "white" elves who would accept the degredation of forests by humans or even (Valor forbid) mate with them.
Dark Dwarves are not a racially different dwarf. It also is an attitude and philosophical difference, but whereas the Dark Elf is a purist fanatic, a Dark Dwarf clanmember is made up of social/mental outcasts of the dwarven realm. <This particular concept may change.> 

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There may be no real significance in deciding that humans come from Orcs or that Gnomes and Humans created Hobbits, because at the time of gameplay, those races exist regardless of what the background myth is. But the potential in story is great. Is it known that humans evolved from Orcs, that Ogres are distantly related to Humans? Why does Elf ire get up when a human whinnies goadingly at him? Is there one god for each root race? Do gods come up for each race as it evolves or is that god responsible for that evolution?
If you have any additional race relations or adament contraries, please state them. Remember: Evolution is only a theory. 


Hail Melee
John Paul Bakshoian
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