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[Vester]

I dunno, I've said this before in the thread, but if you take a look at kobold ethics, they literally have no concept of theft ([NOT_APPLICABLE]). I think they just regard everything as their property, like the toddler who sees something she likes and says "mine"!

[Grek]

Goblins are:
-carvivorious. They eat meat and bones and they like it that way. Goblins will hunt, fish, herd and trade for meat to eat. They can eat plants but don't like to.
-immortal. They do not die of old age or disease. They only die when killed by someone else or from starvation. Because of this, goblins end up with massive populations that are very very hard to provide for.
-not terribly bright. They don't plan ahead and the certainly don't stop breeding just because they can't feed everyone and otherwise immortal goblins are dieing of hunger.
-nocturnal. They prefer the night and sleep during the day. They have glowing eyes.
-skeptical. They don't beleive in things they can't see and they can't see.
-suspicious. Goblins are not trusting at all and don't consider promises to be worth anything. The rule of law is basically just a guideline
-highly religious. The single most important thing to a goblin is its religion. And that religion is demon worship. The demon is a living, (fire)breathing, God that sits on a throne in the goblin tower and orders goblins around, directly. Goblins do not care about human or dwarf gods, or elf nature spirits because they can't see them or talk to them like they can with their demon.
-not naturally violent or evil, are culturally violent and evil. They torture, mutilate bodies, burn buildings, murder, lie and steal because their religion is based around the demon and getting what the demon wants in exchange for material rewards from the demon.
-not very advanced. The demon is the one who gave the goblins all of their technology and most of their culture. The secrets of tower building and ironworking are mystical secrets in goblin society, passed down generation by generation through families favoured by the demon.

Elves are:
-just as proflific as goblins, but not as evil culturally and not confined to towers.
-able to communicate with things that do not normally talk.
-have a standing agreement with various sorts of plants that, in exchange for as much fruit, wood and cloth the elves want, the elves will use their thumbs to spread seeds on the plant's behalf and to protect the plants from harm.
-have a "I don't bother you, you don't bother me" agreement with animals.
-sometimes get into military alliance with the animals, but not always.
-prone to exiling animals who don't get with the program. This exile takes the form of getting stuck in a cage and sold to someone far far away.
-unwilling to accept skins/wood that was forcibly taken from plants/animals because doing that will upset the plants/animals and then the elf starves.
-communists.
-lacking in technology, but get along ok because they don't need to farm or hunt or make war.

[nil]

I dunno, I've said this before in the thread, but if you take a look at kobold ethics, they literally have no concept of theft ([NOT_APPLICABLE]). I think they just regard everything as their property, like the toddler who sees something she likes and says "mine"!

I don't really disagree, in that their culture probably wouldn't really have a conception of theft, or ownership of anything other than things a person is carrying.  I'm just saying they don't steal out of a compulsion to do so, or out of some sort of instinct, but because it is how you acquire useful things when you're a kobold.  Their attitude towards stealing would be the same as a hunter-gatherer's attitude towards hunting--dangerous, but potentially very rewarding in terms of material wealth and especially social status, and generally morally neutral (although I can imagine a kobold shaman leading a ritual where they thank the 'dwarf spirits' for their gifts of loot, or certain kobolds who won't steal from a certain race because it's their family or personal totem).

The way they send ambush parties against anyone who lets a thief seems to fit as well; they're the equivalent of when the whole tribe gets together to drive some animals off a cliff.  Just saying they know what they're doing.

[CobaltKobold]

Based first on what I think, filling in with entity raws. And creature raws- there're personality mods in there. Kick off the rest of discussions- the Main 5 aren't all that's here and can think (Learn) after all. But focusing on the main ones...

"All that glisters is not gold"

Spoiler: Dwarf (click to show/hide)

: "Well sure, any dwarf knows iron pyrite from the good stuff. Also, some of it's more valuable than that, diggin' deep enough."
They are the engineers of the world.  Their greatest joys lie in creation and efficiency.
They worship gods, but don't do it enough for priests to get really in on it. I can easily see them plunking down a communal altar in the main hall, well-crafted of course.
Picked up farming as a curiosity- you can put things in the earth to take out later, rather than just taking it out?
(Rather like most say. "Our Dwarves are the Same")

"All that glisters is not gold"

Spoiler: Human (click to show/hide)

 "No, but it (would) look(s) nice in my house."
They are the merchants and the priestly and, well, the average Joes. They are versatile, jacks of most trades. A good bargain, or a new tidbit of information, are things to be sought. They can craft, but it is not the driving force, so it is less well-developed. They are the religious, having a temple in nearly every town complete with priest, and may be the first to tell you so, right after they've sold you these authentic relics*!
*Though, actually, humans are the most honourable race right alongside dwarfs. If your word means nothing, how do you bargain?
Probably the best farmers.

"All that glisters is not gold"

Spoiler: Elves (click to show/hide)

 "But we'll trade our nature-safe goods for them. Poor misguided stunties."
damn dirty treehugging hippies The official Dwarven Party Line aside, at peace and in-touch with nature, rather thoroughly- they actually (depending on which side of the schism you fall on) instill or just recognize the primal forces behind the life of the land, and will fight to defend the otherwise unheard. Thankfully for dwarfs, do not appear to be in tune with the land itself, and thus do not complain about the bite of your picks so much as the axes.
One could argue this means they're not particularly "religious"- you need no faith for something that you can perceive.
Curiously, are nearly as crafty as dwarfs. Are more artistically/intellectually inclined than most races, for one must have a hobby when one lives fore'er. But lazier- if you live fore'er, it doesn't need doing NOW. For all that they do not wish to cut trees, are perfectly happy to work with deadwood. (Undead tree-cutting ethics are left as an exercise for the reader) Similarly, fallen enemies are perfectly good meat, don't waste it.
Their tree-affinity seems alien to the dwarfs, but to them, it's a matter of "Cut that out. We can hear the screaming from home."
Never developed mineral technologies either out of respect for nature or because they're perfectly happy on the surface, with what they have.

"All that glisters is not gold"

Spoiler: Goblins (click to show/hide)

"Kill you for it?"
The most interesting of the main races in this discussion-rather like if elves had a demon (or, soon, other powerful creatures) popping up to take control, rather than being peaceable and hearing the spirit of the forest. The moral void is only pierced by the demon's "but serve my interest" - falling out is about the only thing they care about. Living forever, they do have a hobby, inherited/encouraged from their demon masters(mistresses) - torture.
This immortality complements the demonic influence well- if you're going to die anyway, why ot kill you a bit sooner and spare you the miserable anticipation? Makes killing goblins (or elves) a bit confusing though.
Their thralldom makes them angry and unlikely to hold backor restrain themselves anything, or care for others.
The child-snatching can be viewed many ways- humanitarian, to show them the lightdark, swelling the Demon Party's ranks, or perhaps to understand these others by bringing them in.
One could argue this power relationship means they're not particularly "religious"- you need no faith for something that you can perceive, and the demon's right there! And he melted and raised these towers from the bare rock!

"All that glisters is not gold"

Spoiler: Kobolds (click to show/hide)

"Figlonkis! Shiny! JREENGUS!"
Are underrepresented. But I think they're fairly clever scamps, with underdeveloped civilization. Their tendency to stay in caves and be isolated means their language, while incomprehensible to most, is really just highly dialectic, individual to the homeplace.
(I want kobolds with tails. :p But oh well, we get lizardpeople and snakepeople)
I also think that yes, they are clever enough to make their own copper daggers, spears, arrows... (you can work copper without tools, really) and tunics (at least of hide). I'd sort of expect them to have obsidian/flint knives, too. If they steal more effective things, they seem to be able to use them just fine, but...their civilization ne'er got an Anvil/Axe/Pick combo-pack from on high. Or in trade. Trying to steal an anvil, well, they can't waddle under load fast enough.

Gremlins: known for their mischief, they enjoy adventure!

Spoiler: "Animal peoples" (click to show/hide)

Animalpeoples: Primitive peoples in many places, intelligent and speaking. Like the Elves, likely to be in-touch with the Forces of the land.
Frog: Amphibious, reflected in where they live. Don't care about much.
Lizard: One of the more likely to have a hut civ, to me. On stilts if in too wet an area. Unlikely to become powers simply because they'll be too cold and haven't any of the tech to keep warm.
Snake: See Lizard. A bit more cave-y though.
Ratmen: Often we think of these as hanging around the edges (/in the sewers) of metropolises for the leavings.
Bat: Nananananananana batmen Wing-arms make working with items tricky. But they get by eating stuff in caves.
Ant: We all know how this one goes- hiveminds, For the Queen, and whatnot.

Snail: Sedentary and content to munch on leaves, a bit philosophical, but individual people.
Slug: Similar, but more ew-factor, so people don't talk about the Wise Slugmen so much.
Leech: Hunters, with...a twist.

Tiger: They're Grrreeat! And you look delicious! Pack hunters.

Olm: Like frogmen, but pressured to cave water make them a bit more savvy. And competitive and combative.
Cave swallow: Flying is fun!

Trolls: [CANOPENDOORS] ...um. You sure can.
Ogres: Ditto.  Can't speak, so smashy. This group enjoys breaking stuff for its own sake.
Giants: More-articulate version.
Ettins: Two heads're better'n' one!
Cyclops: More-intelligent version.

Titans: Unlike all those, wise and eternal are the Titans. Unfortunately, they think you're all screwing it up too badly, so they'll ha'e to ha'e a Word With You.

Satyrs: Have some fermented fruit, dance around, sing, pass out, care not about tomorrow.

Foul Blendecs: evil satyrs: Unsure. Anyone want to comment?

Harpies: Deprived of reproductive possibility by gods or demons or possibly something else, these immortal beings decide to muck it up for e'eryone else.

Demons: Intelligent and constitutionally incapable of thought for other options than "tool/minion" and "enemy", they care only for getting their way, and not for your mortal morals. This is why there is no demon civ here- perhaps elsewhere.

Dragons: It appears we got the ones straight out of St. George- mindless fire-breathing flying beasts after the shinies.
I prefer the intelligent, magical variety, more along the lines of less-supernatural demons, though not necessarily evil. Greedy to a fault.

Werewolves: Again, we seem to get an inarticulate, dumb (but sapient) version. Enjoy running, the hunt, etc. Feeding time!

Merpersons: Lack of competition and spatial pressure mean they're relatively free-spirited folk, not needing to band together much, perhaps for an occasional hunt, and not really needing to settle. The sea's bounty is theirs. (No pun on the merperson farms intended.)

(dark/mountain) gnomes: BEER! *glug-glug-glug...

Troglodytes: Grunting, banding cave-hunters.

[Smitehappy]

I'm not a fan of the whole "Dragons are vastly intelligent super beings" cliche. I think it would fit DF better if we went with the regular animal variety.

[CobaltKobold]

Still, I think it'd be better that they not be dumb beasts. Oh, and let's not forget the whole maiden-sacrifice thing.

We're likely to get all sorts of dragons, I believe Toady mentioned them as being another of the "randomize" likelies.

[Neonivek]

I'm not a fan of the whole "Dragons are vastly intelligent super beings" cliche. I think it would fit DF better if we went with the regular animal variety.

What ever happened to the time where Dragons were just blessed with above average intelligence and more importantly wisdom?

[kilakan]

Whatever happened to the time where dragons could actually have children, so the possibility of them mass producing and spreading across the world in a burning war of titans?

[Neonivek]

Whatever happened to the time where dragons could actually have children, so the possibility of them mass producing and spreading across the world in a burning war of titans?

I believe they almost always have had very lost gestation periods as well as very long Baby/Childhoods. Rarely they had requirements on adulthood so even though there were thousands or millions of dragons, not all of them would become a dragon.

There was usually reasons why they never just mass produced their way into murdering everyone. Though in the few they could they just weren't interested in killing everyone.

[Puzzlemaker]

Randomized dragons will be FUNNN.

I hope the randomization allows some of them to be intelligent, and maybe have children.  That would be fun.

[Ieb]

With all the great description's on the other races, I have but kobolds to comment on.

I would like to note that the following is simply a personal observation about the life of a kobold due to playing Kobold Camp and their tags should be ignored, if only to be mildly entertained of the following jabber.

Kobolds to me look like the last one to reach the finish line when it comes to civilization. They emerged from their caves with a language that they could not share with no other race, and found a world where all the other races(excluding the elves) had already taken footsteps forward in technology. Iron of the humans and goblins, steel  and even the fabled super-awesome-fun-stuff of the dwarves, really, the kobolds don't have it easy.

Compared to the other races, they are insignificant, and a pest at best. They don't have real places of their own where they live in, they reside in caves.

But then again, they are able to produce equipment from copper. They might have access to iron ores in their caves, but probably do not know how to properly use it, so they use the next best thing, the bane of every dwarf expedition that sets out to find gold, and finds loads of copper.

They know how to make cloth, hunt and sustain their humble homes with bows or nets(or whatever kobold's use to fish with). They're not that bad as a civilization, just really at the early steps of it.

And then we get to the part the kobold's are notorious for. Stealing. I see them going after the most valuable item they can find as a rite of passage of sorts. Sort of like sending the young on their first hunt, except they are after some valuable item. It doesn't matter what it is, but if they succeed in stealing it, something good will probably come out of it.

Might be rise in social rank, or maybe a few favorable gazes from the females of their group.

So yeah. They're a race at such early steps of their evolution that their civilization hasn't yet gotten to the point of getting to more refined ethics. They work as a pack, each member as important as the next. Their ambush-squads might be all about a few of the young ones going a bit too overconfident of their abilities when Sliringis came back with that steel idol with a dwarf burning on it. But there is the problem that their enemies are all bigger, and better equipped than them. So at the first sign of trouble, like when half their group is killed, the rest realize that they did a horrible mistake and run off. They can always try stealing another time.

[Qmarx]

The thing about elves is that they're inherently self loathing.

They want to be plants, but can't.

Their funky "plants are more important than animals" ethical system leads them time and time again to the border of starvation once they exhaust the edible fauna in their forests. This ecological mismanagement forces them to constantly go to war, since otherwise they wouldn't have any food.

[IndonesiaWarMinister]

They want to be plants, but can't.

:O

[PsychoBuck]

The thing about elves is that they're inherently self loathing.

They want to be plants, but can't.

Their funky "plants are more important than animals" ethical system leads them time and time again to the border of starvation once they exhaust the edible fauna in their forests. This ecological mismanagement forces them to constantly go to war, since otherwise they wouldn't have any food.

So, they're the near opposite of PETA. That's interesting. Still wish they would tie themselves to trees to "dissuade" dwarves from cutting trees, and the unfortunate volunteer.

[Funk]

KOBOLDS
strike me as nomads most of the time that move a round alot stoping them from a lot of crafts(you going to lug a Anvil?) or building much.

GOBLINS
there forts are run by some type of Egoist anarchism with there leader only ruleing my might alone