Character
Characters are created by investing some amount of favor into them. The more powerful the character, as determined by their stats, the more favor you need to invest. The exact kind of favor you need also depends on what character you want. If you want an elf character, you need to go do some quests with the elves.
You aren't exactly spawning a character into the world; ostensibly, you are obtaining control over a character who already exists! This means you don't always have to start "fresh" with a young, untrained character with no background. You can create a wealthy, skilled character simply by spending a lot of favor on him.
Mortal
Mortal characters age normally and eventually die. They cannot have their physical features customized; when rolling them, players must choose from a limited selection of randomly generated characters. They are cheap and efficient, ideal for players who want a roguelike/extraction-esque experience of frequently rolling new characters, quickly obtaining power, dying, and starting over.
Humans
Dwarves
Inspired by their Tolkien/Warhammer depiction. A proud, stubborn, greedy, short sturdy, and strong race. Dwarves dwell in underground mountain cities. In their days of glory, the Dwarves built extensive tunnel networks between these cities; these tunnels have since been infested by foul creatures.
Dwarves who shame their kin by dishonoring the ancestors, breaking oaths, or engaging with prissy Elven nonsense like magic may be exiled at best, at worst compelled to redeem their honor by undertaking various suicide missions to retake an ancestral realm.
As the race needs a lot of Dwarf-specific assets, Dwarves will not be included in the MVP or tentatively even the next phase.
Halflings
Inspired by their Tolkien/Warhammer depiction. A small, jovial, provincial people generally unconcerned with the matters of the "big people." Would be found in small idyllic villages here and there. Not important enough for the MVP.
Orcs/Goblins
Inspired by Warhammer greenskins, though less comedic and specifically only grown from nasty underground funky pools. An Orc is just a Goblin who had lots of fresh meat thrown into its spawning pool (and must maintain this diet).
If you aren't familiar with Warhammer, the idea is that they are a fungus-based lifeform with genetic memories. The point is for them not to need a complex civilization to be threatening (they already know how to fight and speak) and for you to not feel bad for slaughtering them (no women or children, they emerge REDY 2 FITE). Quest fodder for the MVP.
Ratlings
Inspired by Warhammer Fantasy Skaven, though with the technology level toned down somewhat. These are wretched, craven humanoid rats who dwell underground, both in stolen Dwarven cities and in their own subterranean creations beneath prosperous human cities. They don't need to be in the MVP.
Immortal
Immortal characters do not age, will respawn if killed, and can be customized in detail. Their purpose is to give players the option of a more conventional RPG playstyle than the punishing roguelike experience of mortal characters.1
Respawning an immortal character requires a favor cost equivalent to the death cost of a similarly valuable mortal character. The cost may even be higher for immortal characters, so players would be ill-advised to use them for suicide missions. However, what immortal characters lack in cost efficiency, they compensate for with a higher effective skill ceiling, having unlimited time to train their skills.2
Immortality is based on race, not an abstract per-character flag. All immortal races are said to have "fey blood." In the current roadmap, Elves are the only immortal race planned.
Elves
Inspired by their Tolkien/Warhammer depiction. Tall, beautiful, and haughty, Elves live in either deep forests or fictitious islands. They are generally morally good. Exceptions include the evil "Dark Elves" and the somewhat more neutral, ecoterroristic "Wood Elves."
Dragons
Intelligent dragons who can take on a human form. It would be extraordinarily expensive to actually create a full-blooded dragon character. Some dragons may be unable or unwilling to take a human form. Absolutely not in the MVP and almost certainly not in the polished product unless one of the devs is very insistent.
Halbe: I am certainly not going to try and animate dragon flight.
Beastmen
(rename "Beastlings"? "Shifters"?)
Beastmen have both a beast form and human form that they may shift between. The exact type of beast depends on whatever would be local to them. Can be felines, canines, serpentines, equestrians, lizards, and more.
Probably not in the MVP. Might be in the polished product at least for wolves.
Half/quarter/etc.-blooded
These generally look like normal humans, except they can be immortal and customized. They are for players who want the mechanics of Elves/Dragons/Beastmen but don't want the pointy ears or shapeshifting. These come from breeding between mundane people and the fey-blooded.
In the case of feybloods who can shift between forms, the half-bloods may be unable to shift. Instead, they might take on some intermediate characteristics of the two forms.
Halbe: Yes, half-blooded beastmen are the "designated furry race." And I think gnomes are just elf-halfling hybrids.
Bruno: And I was expecting something tasteful and classy, like the half-bloods are our way of capturing the aesthetic of ancient Egyptian deities in a post-Christian world. Alas.
Vilebloods
When a mundane character consumes fey blood, he can become fey-blooded. However, this is evil, so it also curses him. The exact nature of the curse depends on the kind of fey blood.
- Werewolves/bears/etc are beastmen-blooded.
- True vampires are elf-blooded.
- Mostly analogous to Warhammer Dark Elves. They do not burn in the sun, and they are not actually undead.
- The aesthetic of Freaky Devil-Looking Thing (e.g. imps) is captured by mongrel vilebloods. They may take features from a mix of reptilian, mammalian, Draconic, and/or Elven blood.
Undead
Mortals risen from the dead through unnatural magic.
- A vampire is created when another vampire offers a mortal his blood and buries him alive. After the mortal suffocates to death, he becomes a vampire.
- Zombies and skeletons are not elf-blooded; they are risen via necromancy. They are mindless and must be consciously puppeted by a necromancer.
- Ghouls/wights are zombies/skeletons who have a soul bound to them (the ritual requires elf blood). They are not mindless, and though bound to their necromantic masters, they can act autonomously.
- A lich is a necromancer who has turned himself into a wight. As his soul is bound to himself, a lich is the only type of wight with free will. (This implies the possibility of ghoul-liches, who retain their flesh.)