Races and Species

In Narnia, most animals are fully sentient -- intelligent and self-aware. They are frequently larger than their counterparts on Earth. Some common playable species include the following, though other options are available:

• Wolves -- frequently associated with the White Witch, and most have joined her secret police, either by choice or under duress
• Beavers -- industrious people who must keep their construction projects quiet or risk the attention of the secret police
• Badgers -- tough, strong, fierce when necessary, the badgers are natural defenders and skilled excavators; more than most, they preserve the old faith of Aslan and the memory of Narnia's former glory
• Horses -- large and strong, but obvious, easily tracked, and awkward in the deep woods
• Bears -- though many choose to hibernate their lives away, bears are among the most physically powerful natural warriors in Narnia, capable of going head to head with the secret police until numbers wear them down
• Hawks -- mobile, powerful, and capable of seeing the big picture, hawks are crucial messengers between secret settlements
• Ravens -- tough, smart, and perhaps touched by magic, ravens serve and survive according to their imaginations
• Lions -- quite rare, due to their association with Aslan and resulting purges or hunts by the White Witch's forces
• Mice -- usually standing around knee-high on a human, Talking Mice are known as skilled duellists

Humans are all but unknown in mainland Narnia. In fact, due to a prophecy about the end of the White Witch's reign, one major role of the secret police is tracking rumors of humans and removing the problem. If humans from the island nations, Archenland, Telmar or Calormen visit Narnia, they can expect to be hunted without remorse. Still, human explorers, traders and scouts sometimes venture into Narnia deliberately, or cross the White Witch's border by accident.



Although the White Witch receives tribute from Galma, Terebinthia, and the Seven Isles, the heart of her power is on the mainland, but she is adamant on the matter of Cair Paravel. Any human who sets foot on Cair Paravel is killed at once; it is a major regional hub for the secret police. Thus, the people of the island nations find it most convenient to trade among themselves, as well as with the giants of the north and the human nations of the south -- they generally leave mainland Narnia to the Witch and her direct subjects. The people of the island nations are pale or olive-skinned, with hair ranging from sandy to black. Their warriors favor spears and halberds, with a mix of straight and curved swords. Their seafaring merchants and explorers are common throughout the world's oceans. The city of Redhaven, on the island of Brenn, one of the Seven Isles, is a very important port with considerable naval power. (For more information, see Locations: Islands.)




Descended from the region's first human colonists, and the first kings and queens of Narnia, the Archenlanders guard the mountains to the south of Narnia. Powerful snowstorms have kept Archenland sealed off from Narnia ever since the White Witch began to rule, generations ago.

Pale, with sandy or dark hair, Archenlanders are at home in the cold, but the long winter has nearly driven them underground -- the great castle of Anvard has been half-buried in snow for decades. Archenlander knights favor straight swords and furred armor, or plate when necessary. If any humans understand how to keep a low profile and survive in the Witch's Narnia, it is the Archenlanders. (For more information, see Locations: Archenland and Calormen.)




If the White Witch has an equal in organized military power, it is the Tisroc of Calormen, absolute ruler of the desert and all that lies south of it. Calormene fleets guard the oceans as far north as Terebinthia, paving the way for intrepid merchants and explorers. The city of Tashbaan, the world's greatest center of learning and civilization, lies on a river delta, south of the desert.

Calormenes are dark-skinned, with straight hair and graceful features. Their warriors favor spears, bows, curved swords, chain-mail, and turbans wound around pointed helmets. Although their culture is heavily male-dominated (possibly because they fear the Witch to the north), many influential men allow their wives and daughters significant freedom, and it is not uncommon to find women travelling alone as merchants or explorers. The Lone Islands are part of the Calormene Empire, and slavery is relatively common. (For more information, see Locations: Archenland and Calormen.)




The Telmarines live to the west of Narnia and Archenland, across the mountains. Their culture is heavily derived from the pirates who were their distant ancestors. Their lands are heavily occupied by non-Talking Animals, who they see as threats, tools, or food, and these attitudes often carry over to their treatment of Talking Animals. They often avoid the White Witch's territory like other humans, or travel in great secrecy if they can manage it. Hispanic in appearance and accent, they favor the cutlass, the rapier, and metal armor. Muskets are no longer available to them, after so many centuries in this world. They are monarchists, but their kings are backed by shifting coalitions of backstabbing dukes. Assassinations, exiles and political prisoners are relatively common. They have some trade with Archenland and with the farthest northwestern frontier of the Calormen Empire.

Two main races of dwarves inhabit Narnia, the so-called Red Dwarves and Black Dwarves, based on the colour of their hair and beards.

Culturally, they are distinct from each other. Red Dwarves remain defiant against the Witch, and are hunted ruthlessly. They frequently provide refuge for others in secret subterranean communities, conscious that the secret police could find them at any time.

Black Dwarves have been betrayed too often. Insular and paranoid (a condition common among all Narnians), Black Dwarves keep to themselves. It was a noted Black Dwarf leader who coined the phrase 'The Dwarves are for the Dwarves.' A few Black Dwarves have become fatalistic, and have entered the service of the Witch. However, many Black Dwarves have died as heroes and saved scores of Narnian lives by standing up to the Witch and her secret police.

Dwarves are often skilled archers and swordsmen.

As several key minotaur leaders were subjugated by the White Witch early in her conquest of Narnia, minotaurs are often associated with her reign. Many minotaurs serve as her answer to centaur cavalry or Archenlander knights, when her lupine secret police proves insufficient to the task. Large, strong, and well-adapted to the cold, minotaurs fear little. However, it is difficult to be a minotaur and not serve the Witch. 'Enlist or die' policies keep most of them on her side, and many Narnians are suspicious of free minotaurs.

Unicorns enjoy unique advantages in the struggle for secrecy and survival. Their white coats give good camouflage in the snow, and they are faster and quieter than anything of their size. Their hooves, teeth, and horns force enemies to come at them with large numbers, bows, or long spears. However, the wolves of the secret police find them easy to track and outmaneuver, assuming the pack can catch up.

Apart from wolves and werewolves, the White Queen has the allegiance of "Cruels and Hags and Incubuses, Wraiths, Horrors, Efreets, Sprites, Orknies, Wooses, and Ettins. In fact here were all those who were on the witch's side and whom the Wolf had summoned at her command." There's enough flexibility in these names to cover virtually any kind of monstrous creature.

The 2005 film fleshed out some of these names with more familiar faces, such as ogres, cyclopes, goblins, harpies and so forth. All of these are fair game as well.

Those who decide to play, for example, Wooses or Horrors should provide a good solid description detailing physical capabilities.