Metahumanity
From Sixth World Wiki
Metahuman is used in the Shadowrun universe to describe elves, dwarves, and the like. These metahumans are described as being subspecies of Homo sapiens who began emerging following the return of magic in 2011 and generally have been the targets of racism throughout their existence. In game terms, metahuman characters generally have abilities beyond those of normal humans, such as increased strength or agility, improved vision, etc.
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[edit] Major Classifications and subgroups
[edit] Dwarves
There are at least six known variants of the Dwarven Metatype:
- Gnomes: Central European Dwarf
- Halflings: Dwarven variant from the British Isles (non canon)
- Harumen: Dwarven variant from India with monkey-like apearance
- Koborokuru: Japanese Dwarven variant
- Menehune: Hawaiʻian Dwarf
- Querx: Variant from Saxony in the Allied German States
[edit] Elves
There are at least three known variants of the Elven Metatype:
- Dryads: All-female variant of the Elven species
- Night Ones: European Elf noted for fine dark-coloured fur
- Wakyambi: Dark-skinned Elves of Africa
- Xapiri Thëpë: Elf variant with green spots (chlorophyl) on their skin, native to Amazonia
[edit] Humans
There is one official metatype listed for Humans:
[edit] Orks
- Hobgoblins: Middle Eastern Ork variant
- Ogres: European Ork sub-group
- Oni: Japanese Ork
- Satyr: Mediterranean Ork
[edit] Trolls
Metavariants of Homo sapiens ingentis (trolls) include:
- Cyclops: one-eyed Mediterranean troll
- Fomori: Irish Celtic troll
- Giants: Nordic troll
- Minotaurs: rare Mediterranean troll
[edit] Others
[edit] Pixies
Pixies (also known as sprites) are half-meter tall winged humanoids, similar to many depictions of fae creatures, which means they resembled small elves with insect-like wings. They have the ability to see into the astral plane, and are very adept at concealing themselves from observation. Their wings are similar to a dragonfly's, albeit with a one meter wingspan.
[edit] Infected Metahumans
| HMHVV I | HMHVV II | HMHVV BL | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Human | Vampire | Loup-garou | Nosferatu |
| Elf | Banshee | Harvester | — |
| Dwarf | Goblin | Gnawer | — |
| Ork | Wendigo | Grendel | — |
| Troll | Dzoo-noo-qua | Fomóraig | Mutaqua |
These are metahumans that have been infected by one of the various strains of the HMHVV diseases.
The Krieger strain of HMHVV always turns its victims into Ghouls regardless of metatype. For other strains of HMHVV, the outcome depends on the subjects metatype.
One exception to the normal outcomes is that while the Bruckner-Langer strain normally kills any host that is not a human or troll; there has been one case where an elf did survive and became a Nosferatu.
[edit] Races of the Fourth World
The following races have not appeared—yet—in the Sixth World, but existed in the Fourth World. Some of their relics and memories of them likely survived.
[edit] Obsidiman
A race of large, rock-based humanoids. They stood over 7 feet (2.1 m) tall and weighed over 900 pounds (410 kg). Their primary connection was to their Liferock, which was a large formation of stone within four hours of their place of birth. Obsidimen were loyal to the community around their Liferock, and eventually returned to it. Obsidimen lived around 500 years away from their Liferock, and their ultimate lifespan was unknown, as they generally return to it and remain there. Due to their rocky nature and long lives, Obsidimen were rather slow moving and deliberate in both speech and action, and had difficulty understanding the smaller races' need for haste. However, if aroused by a threat to self, friend, or community, Obsidimen were fearsome to behold.
[edit] T'skrang
Lizard-like amphibian humanoids with long tails and a flair for dramatics. Many of them exhibited the behaviors and characteristics which are stereotypical to a "swashbuckler". T'skrang were often sailors, and many t'skrang families run ships through rivers and seas. A rare subrace of t'skrang, the k'stulaami, possessed a flap of skin much like a flying squirrel, allowing them to glide. While k'stulaami were born as a random mutation in any T'skrang line, they tend to congregate into communities filled with their own kind.
[edit] See Also
[edit] Background
Obsidiman were mentioned in a preview of Runner's Companion posted on April 1st, but were not included in the published book. A reason for their absence was posited in the short story The Last Liferock by Bobby "Ancient History" Derie.
