The worlds of Cradlespace are notable in that they are all unique to this sphere. Since Cradlespace has only recently been discovered, its races still have yet to make an impact in other spheres. Though the worlds started with each other several hundred years ago, each world maintains its own culture.
The athoras are a primarily aquatic race, though they are fully amphibious. They are peaceful intellectuals. An athora resembles a cross between the fantastic hippocampus and the real-world seahorse. Their heads have equine features, but are narrower than a normal horse head. Their tail is actually quite strong, and an athora can stand erect on their tail. Their tail ends in horizontal flukes like a dolphin. An athora's forelimbs are jointed like a horse's, but they end in strong hands with delicate fingers. When on land, the athora can use their forelimbs to move, essentially walking on their knuckles (and tail). Their fingers are suitable for fine work, and can tuck behind a hoof-like shell on the backs of their "hands" when walking.
To enable themselves to travel on land more easily, athoras have developed many tools to help them remain upright and move while on land. The most common resembles round wheeled stool with a hole in the center of the seat. The athora sits within the wheelstool and can use their tail to move, while keeping their hands free.
An athora character has the following abilities:
The berganies resemble two-headed eagle-men. They have two independent heads and wings, and a powerful build. Most berganies are incapable of true flight, but they can glide for considerable distances. The two heads of a bergany function independently, but share thoughts automatically. They make their homes in trees, particularly the gigantic trees of their homeworld.
The berganies are natural warriors. They strike opponents swiftly and decisively. They are trained to be warriors from early childhood.
When dealing with other races, they use the same ruthlessness in economic dealings, and are quick to seize advantage in trade.
A bergany character has the following abilities:
The casarins resemble TBD
Casarins are natural builders and engineers. Many casarins enjoy large-scale building projects, and their cities are filled with advanced architectural designs and wonders. They take great pride in their cities, which boast many ingenious innovations. In addition, they are practical beings, who try to solve their challenges in the most optimal way possible.
A casarin character has the following abilities:
Izams resembles large, dark-furred bipedal rabbitoids. They have a muted gold spot pattern, similar to that of a jaguar or cheetah, but reversed. Izams have long legs which are digigrade, ending in strong paws. Their hands resemble humanoid hands. Izams are known for their speed, and favor charging and overrunning their prey. They favor spears and handaxes, and they wear the pelts of their prey.
Izams typically have many children, with children born in litters of 2-4. Their cities grow to be quite large, and they have quite a few sizable cities and towns, even on other worlds in their home system.
Izamben culture incorporates their reverence for nature and the natural order of things. Izam clothing is decorated with animal or plant patterns, either as a tribute to their hunting prowess or simply as a fashion statement. Many Izams eschew the city life though, and prefer to roam around the wilderness in small bands.
An Izam character has the following abilities:
The jeibans are small beings that resemble small six-armed monkeys. However, they have no bones in their limbs, so each limb is highly flexible like a tentacle. Their limbs each end in four fingers and two opposing thumbs. The jeiban's eyes are large, giving it excellent vision. The jeiban's brain and internal organs are protected by subdermal plates. These plates protrude on the top of their head, resembling a smooth bony skull-cap.
On their homeworld, the jeibans live in dense cities. Their cities are extraordinarily dense, and the jeibans lack any concept of personal privacy. The jeibans also love reading and writing, almost to an obsession. Many are avid book collectors, and the rooms of a jeiban home are frequently littered with books, scrolls, and scraps of paper.
A jeiban character has the following abilities:
The k'karos resemble goat-folk with a single short horn. They have cloven hooves, goat-like heads, and are covered in soft fur. A k'karo's head blends features of a goat and human, and the male k'karo wear long elegant mustaches, which are as much a symbol of pride for them as a dwarf's beard is to a dwarf. They have a distinct musk as well.
K'karos have a natural empathic ability, which extends to animals. They are experts at handling animals, and love riding. Most k'karos form bonds with their animals, and most k'karo communes have a mounted patrol for protection.
The k'karos live in mountainous regions, where they live in small communes. However, they also roam widely, and absorb other races into their society. K'karos are not pacifists, however. They can invert their empathy, driving themselves (and their mounts) to become ferocious warriors. Once they have conquered an enemy, they will usually offer surrender.
A k'karo character has the following abilities:
The lorondins are tall humanoids with long arms and pinkish skin. They have three eyes - two slightly lower than the normal location, and a third eye embedded in a crest on the top of their head. The third eye of a lorondin is unusual, giving them an exceptional ability to determine the range to distant objects, and an improved accuracy with missile weapons. The third eye does not focus at close range, so it cannot be used to read or search. Lorondins have no visible nose; they have one nostril immediately in front of each of their two large pointed ears.
The lorondins pride themselves on their culture, and create wondrous architectural marvels and art. Lorondins have a strong matriarchal tradition, and their civilization is led by their queen. When the madarins split away from the lorondins to pursue adventure and explore, the lorondins remain focused on enhancing their culture and defending their home.
A lorondin has the following abilities:
The Lorondins and Madarins are two branches of the same race. Long ago, the madarins rebelled from the strong central monarchy of the lorondins, and set off on their own. The madarins were more interested in exploring and trading. The two branches have occasionally squabbled since their split, though they are not always hostile to one another.
Like the lorondins, the madarins retain a strong matriarchal tradition, and are also ruled by queens. However, unlike the lorondins, the queen of the madarins has more limited power, and they have no central ruler. Instead the various queens will confer with each other as needed. Conflicts among the madarins queens are typically settled through negotiation and bribes. A madarin follows his queen because she can provide the best opportunity for success, adventure, and profit.
Madarins are physically similar to lorondins, including the third eye. They tend to be slightly shorter than lorondins, and their skin is pale green. The maradin's third eye has changed over the years, and has slightly different abilities. Madarins can use their third eye for reading, yet it can easily shift from viewing objects at close or distant range. Madarins can see objects much further than many other races.
A madarin character has the following abilities:
Muvosks are small creatures resembling boulders when at rest. Their internal organs are protected by their stony outer shell. They have dozens or hundreds of tiny legs that allow them to scurry along the ground. They also have a pair of larger arms that are strong enough to lift themselves. The muvosk mouth is in the center of its base, surrounded by its legs. Their ears are concealed, and have no external structure. They have a variable number of eyes. At the top of their bodies is a retractable nozzle, which serves both as a nose and a means for expelling (pellet-like) waste.
Muvosks can retract their arms into their body, somewhat like a turtle. When they retract their arms and nozzle, and close their eyes, they are almost indistinguishable from a normal rock. Muvosks have keen hearing (and tremorsense), so they are not particularly dependent on vision. To defend themselves, muvosks can use their upper nozzle to shoot rock-like pellets at targets. These pellets, actually a waste product of their digestion, strike like a sling bullet.
Muvosks form communities, building sturdy defensible towns. The structures are typically stone, and the muvosks are quite loyal to each other. Muvosks are omnivorous, eating small animals, rocks, and particularly grains, which they raise. Because of their short legs, they avoid hilly places (or staircases), but can climb them using their arms as needed. Because of their ability to conceal themselves as normal rocks, muvosks have discovered a talent for espionage, hiding in plain sight as they eavesdrop.
A muvosk character has the following abilities:
Nahedils are thin plant creatures resembling young deciduous trees. Their thin legs also function as roots when they are at rest, and the nahedil's upper branches serve as its arms. A nahedil's face is located in the center of their body, on one side of the trunk. The nahedils have growths resembling foliage covering their upper body, but while these growths resemble leaves, they actually allow the nahedil to grip objects. The actual color of the growths varies, so the "foliage" may be of any color, with burgundy red being the most common color.
Even though they are technically plants, nahedils still can eat food. They are actually omnivores. Nahedils also enjoy decorating themselves, particularly with long ribbons. Nahedil communities are densely packed, and frequently look like a confused mishmash of bright colors.
One of the central tenets to nahedil religion is that "everything has a greater purpose". This includes objects as well as people, so nahedils have become experts in reusing old materials, as well as discovering ways to use new materials. While not as inventive as the tenoks, they are nevertheless quite talented at finding uses for what other races would simply discard or overlook.
A nahedil character has the following abilities:
Olotris resemble a cross between a mantis and a centaur. They have an insectoid upper torso and head, with a strong lower body. Their upper body has long arms, including saber-like forearms. Their upper hands have delicate fingers, but the edges along their forearms makes their physical attacks dangerous. Their lower body is also insectoid in appearance, but has a more erect stance like that of a horse. Their head has compound eyes and mandibles around a small mouth. They do not have antennae, but do have hair-like growths below their compound eye, resembling mutton-chops. Their green exoskeleton has markings, usually white, that vary between individuals.
The olotris exhibit a strange dichotomy. On one hand, they are quite intelligent, excelling as merchants with a savvy ability to identify economic trends. On the other, they fall prey to religious fervor, where their rationality shuts down and they easily follow a charismatic leader. The athors believe they have some form of negative group-mind, where larger concentrations of olotris suppress the natural intelligence of each. Other races believe the change may be related to some environmental factor. Whatever the reason, olotris are an enigma.
An olotri character has the following abilities:
The parr-lons resemble squat, pale-blue humanoids with frog-like heads. They have thin hair on their heads that hangs down between their eyes and covers part of the back of their head. Their right arm is thin, ending in delicate fingers for fine work, while their thick left arm has powerful muscles ending in a large clawed hand. When the parr-lon cups its left hand, the thick claws form a natural spade shape, which they use to dig through the rock. Their legs are short and bowed.
The parr-lons have developed many techniques dealing with minerals, and are talented glassblowers, potters, and miners. They can craft smokepowder, and their few spelljamming vessels have powerful bombards.
The churches of the parr-lons exert a powerful hold on the average parr-lon. Their government is a theocractic monarchy, though the parr-lon priests are secretive and rarely travel. Large citadels dominate each parr-lon city. Many adventuring parr-lons are in fact banished by the church, and are seeking their fortune elsewhere.
A parr-lon character has the following abilities:
Tenoks are distantly related to trolls, and are known for their fast-healing ability. They are much more civilized than typical trolls, having developed a sophisticated culture. Because they do not need to provide much healing, tenok priests focus their energies on other pursuits, frequently dabbling in artifice, magic, or similar intellectual challenges. Tenoks prize inventiveness, and frequently try to create new ways to do things. With their resilience, they have little fear of personal injury, so their experimentations sometimes include bizarre or dangerous elements.
A tenok resembles a small mauve troll, having a similar hooked nose and brawny appearance. However, instead of the typical troll's scraggly hair, they have a brilliant crest of plumage. They have smaller feathers elsewhere on their body, all in brilliant displays. Tenoks pride themselves on their brilliant coloration, and wear clothing and jewelry to look even more dazzling. A tenok, male or female, will try to create a unique ensemble of decorations.
A Tenok character has the following abilities
Thessebis vaguely resemble snakes with arms. They are usually bronze in color, with yellow and black patterns. They have trilateral symmetry, so their mouth, which is at the tip of their head, has three jaws. Their eyes lie just under their jaws. They have a long serpentine neck and body. About a third of the way down their length, the thessebi has three arms radially arranged around its body, ending in four-fingered hands. About two-thirds down their length, the thessebi's body splits into three smaller snake-like tails. These tails function as legs, and the thessebi can stand erect by spreading its tails radially. When moving rapidly, the three tails work together like a normal snake's tail, and the thessebi moves by undulating like a snake. The thessebi's arms are also snake-like, and tuck next to its body when it moves. The thessebi can also move while erect, but not as quickly.
Thessebis are quite cultured and educated. They are also masters of agriculture. Thessebis are omnivorous.
A thessebi character has the following abilities:
The Wachimons are semi-mechanical beings, essentially fantastic cyborgs that modify themselves appropriate for a particular task. They are essentially humanoid in shape, but each has modifications appropriate for their tasks.
A wachimon character has the following abilities:
The yanokais resemble fish-men, with finned hands and feet. Their face resembles a blend of a locathah and sahuagin, except that they have five eyes on short eyestalks. In addition, they have shells similar to turtles that protect their internal organs, and fish-like tails. They cannor retract into their shells like a turtle. Yanokais are brightly colored, typically ranging from golden tones to bright reds.
Yanokais are amphibious creatures, living on both the land and sea. They prefer warmer climates, frequently building cities on the shores near the many volcanos of Yano. These cities are typically both above and below water level. A yanokai can dwell in or out of water indefinitely, though arid climates cause them discomfort.
The yanokais have domesticated many creatures both above and below the sea. On land, they like to ride horse-like creatures, while at sea they have domesticated a semi-intelligent fish that resembles a dolphin with a turtle-like shell. Yanokais are quite adept at riding these creatures, even using them in combats - both mock ceremonial combats and real battles.
Yanokais are very rigid, following ceremonies for many daily activities. They idolize the power of the sun, and see the volcanos on Yano as an extension of the sun. At the same time, they are not zealots, and respect the ways of other civilizations. But they expect the same respect.
A yanokai character has the following abilities: