The Origins of the Races
It is said that all intelligent peoples of Bellaria share a common origin – an ancient strain of beings we now call goblins. Around 150,000 years ago, they roamed the plains, caves, and forests in solitary majesty. They were the world’s first people to develop language and tools.
As time passed and the world’s landscapes shifted, the goblins spread to different corners of Bellaria. Those who settled in harsher regions gradually developed stronger bodies, tougher musculature, and a sharpened instinct for conflict. These became the people we now know as orcs, emerging around 130,000 years ago.
Other groups moved toward the forests, living in harmony with the rhythms of nature and learning to sense its subtle shifts. They became the elves. Their origins can be traced back to approximately 120,000 years ago.
But not all elves remained in the light. Around 80,000 years ago, some chose to descend into the depths of the earth – for reasons still debated today. Perhaps it was for knowledge, perhaps exile, or perhaps something else. In the dark, they changed rapidly. Their skin paled, their eyes adapted to dim light, and their paths diverged from their kin above. Thus were born the dark elves.
Another elven branch moved toward the mountains, settling at the boundary between the deep earth and the open sky. These became the dwarves – a people forged in stone, willpower, and tradition. Their history begins around 60,000 years ago.
Yet even among the dwarves, there were those who went deeper still. Around 30,000 years ago, certain communities began to establish themselves in the deepest halls, far beyond the sun’s warmth. These became the dark dwarves, who, much like the dark elves, grew pale and changed – though they share no lineage, only the same earth above.
And then, last of all, came humankind. Around 10,000 years ago, humans emerged from dwarf societies that had adapted to life above ground. They were swift, adaptable, and curious. They built quickly, forgot quickly, and began again – over and over. That is why humans are today the most numerous of all races. Not because they were first, but because they change faster than others can comprehend.
It was also around 10,000 years ago that kingdoms began to form and maps were drawn. Historians mark this as the time when the races of Bellaria first encountered one another – no longer as myths or shadows in stories, but as neighbors, rivals, and sometimes friends.
While only five core races are playable in IronGaard – humans, dwarves, elves, orcs, and goblins – the world of Bellaria is far from static. Game Masters are encouraged to introduce their own racial branches or rediscovered lineages if it suits their campaign. New races may also be introduced officially as IronGaard evolves.
The Ancestral Tree of Bellaria
The Origins of Life
From the first emergence of the goblins to today’s diverse lineages, history has been shaped by encounters, separations, and ever-shifting worldviews. But even this chapter – what we call the rise of the races – is only part of a much older tale. Long before goblins walked the plains, before any creature lifted a stone or uttered a word, the world had already begun its silent journey. Life itself – in its simplest form – emerged from thermal vents, mineral-rich coasts, and the deep magical pulses of the planet’s crust. From there, over millions of years, it grew more complex.
This deeper history, however, is not widely known in Bellaria. While certain scholars, naturalists and arcano-biologists have uncovered fragments of this long evolution, the knowledge remains fragmented, disputed, and often buried in hidden vaults or lost ruins. Most cultures know only that older beings once existed, hinted at through fossil remains, strange relics, or ancient magical patterns embedded in stone and root. Each race holds its own version of origin – many believing they emerged uniquely, shaped by divine will, ancestral destiny, or elemental power. In truth, few understand that all life in Bellaria shares a common ancestry, born not of gods or glory, but of slow transformation and deep time.
To truly understand Bellaria is to look beyond the legends – to study the forces that shaped the planet itself, the ecosystems that birthed the first arcanite reactions, and the organisms that learned to grow, to hunt, and eventually… to think. What follows below is that hidden story: a journey from single-celled beginnings to the rise of civilization – in a world where magic is not a divine gift, but a natural presence. A world where evolution is not merely biological, but at times guided by energies still beyond our full understanding.
The emergence of marine life, including crustaceans, corals, jellyfish, molluscs and sea cucumbers.
The emergence of fish and dragon-like snakes, along with the first primitive arcaparticles.
The first great predators, including sharks, early proto-arcaparticles in vertebrates, and aranite plants.
The first life on land, including algae, fungi, moss, and the earliest arcanite moss.
The open landscape, where the Arcnet evolves on land, alongside water scorpions.
The evolution of vertebrates, including lizards and snakes, along with the emergence of the first arcanite-infused lizards and trees.
The evolution of birds and mammals, along with the development of semi-evolved arcaparticles.
The evolution of mankind: Goblins evolve into Orcs, while different lineages give rise to Elves. Orcs further evolve into Ogres, Trolls, and Giants. Elves transition into Dark Elves, then Dwarves, and ultimately Humans.
