Concept sketches of various hominids for my fantasy world of Karsht:

Specifically on display are the

Trulgul,

Galbir,

from top to bottom





Galbir (Goblin): Younger race descended from the mingling of Fanjir and Aldnor. Taller than the former but shorter than the latter, with lives slightly longer than the latter. They have large heads with a long, wispy hair at the back of their skull and wispy beards among males. They possess long ears, large eyes and noses like the Fanjir but lack their claws and sharp teeth. Galbir are nearly as sociable as Fanjir but significantly more individualized and intelligent. They desire to be the center of attention among their peers, with celebrities among them emerging if they can sustain public interest in themselves. They are outspoken and argumentative, but never lacking in eloquence and calculation. This combination makes them talented diplomats, traders and lawyers. Having an appreciative sensitivity to music and rhetoric also makes them great poets, singers and artists. They way with words and calculations gives them a reputation as liars and cheats but from their perspective they are merely beatifying the truth rather than contradicting it.





Durvzul, Urdkash, Ulnfir, andTrulgul (Troll): Elder race. Nearly as wide as the Drunzash are tall, with hunched posture and tough hide. Individually, the longest living race, able to recover from wounds that would cripple or kill other peoples. Trulgul are peaceful but prefer to isolate themselves from all but their own immediate family. They have wide heads, small eyes and ears, and large tusked mouths. They have bald rotund bodies with thick arms and legs ending in thick, short digits. Trulgul have slow metabolisms and require lengthy and frequent rest and on this basis other races consider them lazy and depressing. In addition, Trulgul are assumed to be primitive for their apparent lack of culture but in truth they possess a radically different appreciation of art from that of other races. Trulgul do not fix broken art or tools, but leave it as it is or find a new use for it in its new form. They are fatalistic and do not intervene in the affairs of other races or those of their own kind, preferring to observe the passage of time and tend to their treasuries of discarded and broken artifacts. They may be slow thinking but they are far from stupid, with vast intellects that can encompass all the memories of their lengthy existence, making them talented historians and researchers. They may reproduce infrequently but when they do they appear to pass on some of their memories to their offspring, ensuring that each generation is wiser than the last. Owing to their slow, accepting nature, Trulgul make easy slaves for other people to take advantage of but such a fate is not a sad one to the Trulgul who accepts it with indifference.Durvzul (Dwarve): Younger race descended from the mingling of Trulgul and Aldnor. Shorter than Trulgul and with longer limbs, Durvzul are easily distinguished from them by their spiny beards and manes common to both sexes of their kind, albeit significantly shorter in females. Unlike Trulgul, the Durvzul have an evident civilization and their collectivism borders on that of the Fanjir. But unlike them, the Durvzul recognize and respect hierarchy and authority among individuals, spurning anarchy and indulgent creativity. In fact, Durvzul appear to have no concept of art at all, with any pictorial representations having purely utilitarian function. While they can recognize lies as false information, they appear incapable of lying themselves and have a compulsion for direct and blunt communication between each other. When they commit collectively to a task it is sure to be accomplished and woe to any who stand in their way of doing so. Durvzul are isolationist and find it difficult to relate to other peoples who they consider to be at best deluded by art and at worst corrupted by lies. Durvzul are accomplished builders and governors of their communitarian fortresses which tend to be incredibly conservative and bureaucratic. Whereas other people find such settlements slow and boring, the Durvzul see the honest endurance of their people and push the edge of their empire ever outwards.Urdkash (Orc): Younger race descended from the mingling of Drunzash and Aldnor. Resemble well-muscled Aldnor with manes of hair, tusks and fangs. They have tall heads, with nobly defining chins and brows and males take great pride in the cultivation of long beards. Owing to their Drunzash heritage, Urdkash are possessed by violent tendencies but their Aldnor ancestry has allowed them to adapt it to their advantage in applying it to industry and governance. Urdkash place great respect in honoring hierarchies of power and only those who have served in the military are afforded the rights of full citizenry. All others are considered slaves, kept in servitude lest their rage be left unchecked by the discipline of service in war or policing. When Urdkash are not relieving themselves through the pursuit of war or industry, they find enjoyment in loud and aggressive musical performances or non-violent competitions of strength. Urdkash technological innovation almost matches that of their Aldnor relatives, albeit is more focused on military application with Urdkash weaponry and armor being the best in the world. They place great pride in their capacity to win conflicts and believe that all conflicts can be won through the proper application of force. This often drives Urdkash into conflicts between third parties, intervening to establish peace as much as to establish their own superiority. Despite this aggressive and condescending posture towards other peoples, Urdkash are not interested in domination and reserve the institution of slavery for themselves. Urdkash will lord over others, only with their consent and withdraw from conflicts once they have concluded. Their industrious determination and martial discipline define the Urdkash are respected generals, soldiers, mercenaries and industrialists.Ulnfir (Elf): Younger race descended from the mingling of Fanjir and Drunzash. Tall and thin, with elongated faces, pointed ears and long flowing manes of hair on the back and sides of their head. Their athletic bodies and large dark eyes make them an attractive site, but their predatory movements, clawed digits and fangs make for an equally threatening presence. They tend to congregate in loosely associated groups of individuals in pursuit of a common goal but occasionally will unite in great numbers around charismatic leaders who pursuit ambitions of domination. They steal, rape and kill others of their own kind and all other “lesser” races, preferring to take the technology and culture of others rather than rely on the production of their own. Their short lives and constant hunger leave them ambitious and anxious for power and wealth. They value nothing save the satiation of their appetites and the presence of beauty and have been known to adopt, i.e. enslave, beautiful examples of lesser races as honorary members of their courts. They take sadistic pleasure in the torture of others, particularly those that have wronged them.