Races

Races in The Hollow Kingdom Trilogy include elves, goblins, humans, and dwarves. Each race has different abilities, genetic makeups, and traits.

Origins
After the creation of humans, the First Fathers, who were invisible, bodiless beings, got excited about the possibility of the physical universe. They studied humanity and created new races that didn't have some of the problems humans did. Since the First Father's couldn't agree on how to make there new race, so two serarate races were created: Elves and goblins.

The fourth race, dwarves, are said to be related to rocks.

Humans
Members of the human race are considered "God's favorites." Unlike the other three races, they cannot work magic on their own. They don't need to because the physical world was designed for them. While describing them, Seylin says, "They live just like cattle, chewing up the land and raising herds of babies." Though humans cannot work magic, they can make agreements with demons. In the agreements, the demon will do the human's bidding and appear to be under their control, but the demon would get the better deal because the human would cause suffering to others in order to please them and the demon would take their soul upon the human's death. This happens in the series with the sorcerer in The Hollow Kingdom. Pagan priests in the old country used goblin and elf blood to lure demons and buy favors. This is partly what led to the elf and goblin migrations to England.

Elves
The First Fathers of the elves created their race based on beauty.They took only what was symetrical and beautiful from the physical world while creating their new race. This limited the physical diversity of the elves, so they can only have black, blue, green, or grey eyes and black, blond, or brown hair. Their society is made up of aristocrates and commoners. The aristocrates usually have black hair and eyes. They are more physically attractive and powerfully magical. Aristocrates tend to have black hair and black eyes. The commoners tend to be less magically powerful and less beautiful. Commoners usually have blond or brown hair and blue, green, or grey eyes. Though the aristocrates and commoners can marry, they generally don't, because the aristocrates usually feel the commoners are beneath them.

Female elves can reproduce with elf, human, and goblins, but they prefer elves. Male elves can only reproduce with elf women. The exception is the elf King. The First Fathers created the elf King to embody the magic and essence of his race, but he also has to marry a human woman. Though he can reproduce with an elf, the child won't be a true elf King and will be less magic.

Goblins
The First Fathers of the goblins focused on strength and variety. The goblin society is set up in a two-tiered system with beast goblins and goblins from the high families. Members of the high families are descended from human women and are able to reason. The beast goblins are descended from animals and are unable to reason or think. Both tiers feature animal traits in their race. Neither of the distink tiers of goblins can interbreed. Beast goblins can only mate with other beast goblins and males can breed with females animals of their type. Goblins of the high families can breed with other high family members and the males can breed with female elves, humans, and dwarves.

To lead both tiers of goblins, the First Fathers created a King, who embodies the goblin way of life. The goblin King, or Marak, governs and protects all of the members of his race.

Dwarves
Dwarves are descended from rocks. Their magic is based on rocks, stone, and earth. They lived in the Hollow Hill before the goblins arrived. When Marak Lionclaw led the goblins to the area, he moved his people into the hill with the dwarves and they coexisted since then. The dwarves enjoy building things and making jewelery. Dwarf men can only mate with dwarf women, but the females of this race can mate with goblins as well.