Race Origins - Downloaded from the Wizards Community, all coding removed by Solauren

Race Origins

Post/Author/DateTime Post
#1
blackmasque
Dec 14, 2008 0:50:12 I know about the things for Eladrin, and Dwarves, and Elves, and Drow, and most of the basic things. I also know about the Creator Races and things like Yuan-ti. But where do a lot of the other races that are on Toril originate from? Things like Orcs, Lammasu, Bugbears, Kuo-Toa and so on? The Grand History of the Realms mentions a lot of races and how they got here. There's so many more that aren't mentioned though. Lammasu for example. They are mentioned really early in the timeline of The Grand History of the Realms but nothing explains how they got there.
#2
fabius_maximus
Dec 14, 2008 8:11:50 Orcs came through a portal the Mulhorandi opened. Hence the Orcgate Wars. And yes, Blizzards stole the idea. ;)

As for the others, I don't know. I always wondered where the gobliniods came from.
#3
BadCatMan
Dec 14, 2008 18:03:51 There's a range of different ways for various creatures to have appeared on Toril. Some evolved independently, others came through portals (by themselves or brought there) or by Spelljammer, some were created or transformed. Others were always there...

Orcs were already present in Faerun before the Orcgate Wars, as a matter of historical record. More orcs came through the Orcgate portal, and seem to have mainly been the Grey Orcs.

Beholders seem to have come from a crashed beholder spelljammer in the Alimir Mountains.
#4
gray_richardson
Dec 14, 2008 19:05:52
Lammasu for example. They are mentioned really early in the timeline of The Grand History of the Realms but nothing explains how they got there.

Most humanoid races interloped to Toril from other worlds through portals created by Sarrukh, Batrachi and Aearee mages. Some were brought as slaves, others came through by accident. There are also naturally occurring planar rifts that sometimes connect other worlds to Toril, and it is suspected a few races simply wandered in through those.

Lamassu are celestials, no official origin has been put forward for them specific to the Realms (that I know of). I can, however, imagine 2 probable origins for them:

1) Selûne recruited them to fight for her during the War of Light & Darkness against Shar. When Selûne created the Sun, it so angered Shar that she traveled through Shadow to other worlds and brought back fiends and arch-fiends of all varieties to wage war against Selûne and Chauntea. Selûne in turn traveled the Infinite Staircase to seek the aid of good deities and celestials to help defend Chauntea. Lamassu may have been brought in around this time.

2) There are a variety of Beast Lords, Guardinals, and other bestial celestials that sprang up in the House of Nature (now the Deep Wilds). Lamassu could be an offshoot or have been created by one of these beings as servants of good or nature.
#5
lord_karsus
Dec 15, 2008 0:04:57
Orcs came through a portal the Mulhorandi opened. Hence the Orcgate Wars. And yes, Blizzards stole the idea. ;)

-Only the eastern Gray Orcs. "Western" Mountain Orcs have existed much longer than their cousins in the east, in Faerûn.
#6
fabius_maximus
Dec 15, 2008 6:51:29
-Only the eastern Gray Orcs. "Western" Mountain Orcs have existed much longer than their cousins in the east, in Faerûn.

Yeah, but that's lame. Where did the green orcs come from, then?
#7
lord_karsus
Dec 15, 2008 10:36:17
Yeah, but that's lame. Where did the green orcs come from, then?

-Presumably, Gruumsh.
#8
sfdragon
Dec 16, 2008 1:55:47 the mountain orc came to faerun long ago, before the dark times.
before the empire. back when paladins were guardians of law and order.
not the info is all but gone. not even candlekeep has such info.

hehe, they likely came in through portals like the elves did,
#9
fabius_maximus
Dec 16, 2008 4:54:39
-Presumably, Gruumsh.

You mean he just created them out of nothing?
#10
_jarlaxle_
Dec 16, 2008 9:38:47 Thats what gods are supposed to do ;)
#11
lord_karsus
Dec 16, 2008 11:10:27
You mean he just created them out of nothing?

Thats what gods are supposed to do ;)

-That.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 blackmasque Dec 14, 2008 0:50:12	I know about the things for Eladrin, and Dwarves, and Elves, and Drow, and most of the basic things. I also know about the Creator Races and things like Yuan-ti. But where do a lot of the other races that are on Toril originate from? Things like Orcs, Lammasu, Bugbears, Kuo-Toa and so on? The Grand History of the Realms mentions a lot of races and how they got here. There's so many more that aren't mentioned though. Lammasu for example. They are mentioned really early in the timeline of The Grand History of the Realms but nothing explains how they got there.
#2 fabius_maximus Dec 14, 2008 8:11:50	Orcs came through a portal the Mulhorandi opened. Hence the Orcgate Wars. And yes, Blizzards stole the idea. ;) As for the others, I don't know. I always wondered where the gobliniods came from.
#3 BadCatMan Dec 14, 2008 18:03:51	There's a range of different ways for various creatures to have appeared on Toril. Some evolved independently, others came through portals (by themselves or brought there) or by Spelljammer, some were created or transformed. Others were always there... Orcs were already present in Faerun before the Orcgate Wars, as a matter of historical record. More orcs came through the Orcgate portal, and seem to have mainly been the Grey Orcs. Beholders seem to have come from a crashed beholder spelljammer in the Alimir Mountains.
#4 gray_richardson Dec 14, 2008 19:05:52	Lammasu for example. They are mentioned really early in the timeline of The Grand History of the Realms but nothing explains how they got there. Most humanoid races interloped to Toril from other worlds through portals created by Sarrukh, Batrachi and Aearee mages. Some were brought as slaves, others came through by accident. There are also naturally occurring planar rifts that sometimes connect other worlds to Toril, and it is suspected a few races simply wandered in through those. Lamassu are celestials, no official origin has been put forward for them specific to the Realms (that I know of). I can, however, imagine 2 probable origins for them: 1) Selûne recruited them to fight for her during the War of Light & Darkness against Shar. When Selûne created the Sun, it so angered Shar that she traveled through Shadow to other worlds and brought back fiends and arch-fiends of all varieties to wage war against Selûne and Chauntea. Selûne in turn traveled the Infinite Staircase to seek the aid of good deities and celestials to help defend Chauntea. Lamassu may have been brought in around this time. 2) There are a variety of Beast Lords, Guardinals, and other bestial celestials that sprang up in the House of Nature (now the Deep Wilds). Lamassu could be an offshoot or have been created by one of these beings as servants of good or nature.
#5 lord_karsus Dec 15, 2008 0:04:57	Orcs came through a portal the Mulhorandi opened. Hence the Orcgate Wars. And yes, Blizzards stole the idea. ;) -Only the eastern Gray Orcs. "Western" Mountain Orcs have existed much longer than their cousins in the east, in Faerûn.
#6 fabius_maximus Dec 15, 2008 6:51:29	-Only the eastern Gray Orcs. "Western" Mountain Orcs have existed much longer than their cousins in the east, in Faerûn. Yeah, but that's lame. Where did the green orcs come from, then?
#7 lord_karsus Dec 15, 2008 10:36:17	Yeah, but that's lame. Where did the green orcs come from, then? -Presumably, Gruumsh.
#8 sfdragon Dec 16, 2008 1:55:47	the mountain orc came to faerun long ago, before the dark times. before the empire. back when paladins were guardians of law and order. not the info is all but gone. not even candlekeep has such info. hehe, they likely came in through portals like the elves did,
#9 fabius_maximus Dec 16, 2008 4:54:39	-Presumably, Gruumsh. You mean he just created them out of nothing?
#10 _jarlaxle_ Dec 16, 2008 9:38:47	Thats what gods are supposed to do ;)
#11 lord_karsus Dec 16, 2008 11:10:27	You mean he just created them out of nothing? Thats what gods are supposed to do ;) -That.