um, how exactly did king Toknor and queen Mirvenia...

[rangerjeff]

unite the human and halfling races?!?

obviously there's some backstory to ToME that we need to hear about!

[PowerWyrm]

Don't forget that ToME isn't based on Tolkien anymore... the halflings here are different.

[Nemesis1]

unite the human and halfling races?!?

obviously there's some backstory to ToME that we need to hear about!

They stopped an orc invasion together. And made a law that prohibited racial slurs against of either race (halflings and humans, not orcs).

[Grey]

I think you missed the innuendo ;)

[Frumple]

They took inspiration from a famous and particularly persistent dwarf. Laddermakers are, to this day, an occupation hailed by the denizens of last hope as the ultimate expression of diplomacy.

[greycat]

This is a fantasy universe. All the humanoid races can interbreed. It's traditional!

[jotwebe]

The biological definition for races is that they can interbreed (with fertile offspring), whereas species can't. Of course, in fantasy the terms are more or less used interchangeably. An in reality things aren't that simple either, it appears some "species" can and do interbreed after all, for example ice bears and grizzly bears or lions and tigers (the latter in zoos, though).

[Nemesis1]

The biological definition for races is that they can interbreed (with fertile offspring), whereas species can't. Of course, in fantasy the terms are more or less used interchangeably. An in reality things aren't that simple either, it appears some "species" can and do interbreed after all, for example ice bears and grizzly bears or lions and tigers (the latter in zoos, though).

As there are half-orcs and half-elves but no three-quaters-orcs or elves, I've always figured that the offspring can't be fertile.

[jotwebe]

As there are half-orcs and half-elves but no three-quaters-orcs or elves, I've always figured that the offspring can't be fertile.

Sure, makes sense. That would be pretty bad for a royal dynasty, though

[Grey]

There are no half-orcs or half-elves in ToME. In other settings which do have them the three-quarters whatever are still called half-elves.