Published in "Sarnout Popular Science" by Feather of Smartarses, Senior Anthropologist of the Iron City Institute

Observe the crowd on any neutral allod. You see massive Orcs, lithe Elves, and restless Ghibberlings. Pagans believe the gods carved these shapes from nothing. Science tells a different story. We share a single common ancestor. This ancestor survives today in its most unrefined state. Humans are the original template for all sapient life in Sarnout.

Natural evolution moves from the generalist to the specialist. Humans are the ultimate generalists because they lack natural armour, innate magical longevity, shared psychic bonds, and et cetera. This absence of unique traits marks them as the biological root. Every other race is a hyper-specialised modification of the human design. These groups sacrificed the versatility of the ancestor to survive specific environmental pressures.

The Orcish frame illustrates a systematic reinforcement of the human skeleton. Ancient remains show our ancestors inhabited the most violent highlands of the pre-Cataclysm world. We reinforced the bone density and expanded the muscle mass to survive.

Elves followed a path of arcane mutation after settling in zones of high magical potential. This constant saturation worked as a permanent mutagen on their biology. Their nervous systems elongated to conduct energy and their bodies became slender to allow mana to flow without resistance. They mirror the ancient people of Hikut, who also possessed extreme magical talent and showcased the very same physiological features. It is believed by many of us, that Elves likely resembled Hikutians before their Transformation.

Ghibberlings and Goblins adopted a survival strategy based on small size, fast metabolism and big brains. Their diminutive stature allowed them to thrive on limited resources, with their digestive systems developed to consume almost anything. They survive in environments that would kill a baseline human. The enormous brain size allow for a high psychic potential, and we coud see it easily in how inherently talented Goblins and Ghibberlings are in psychic disciplines. That could explain why Goblins and Ghibberlings are such a communal creatures, who depend a lot on each other.