Races of Pywel

Overview

The continent of Pywel is home to multiple intelligent races that coexist, trade, and frequently conflict with one another. While Humans are the dominant race, controlling most of Pywel's kingdoms and settlements, three other confirmed races play significant roles in the world: Orcs, Goblins, and Dwarves. Each race has its own culture, social structures, and relationship to the broader conflicts shaping the continent.

Crimson Desert's world also contains a wide variety of mythical beasts, supernatural entities, and creatures tied to the Abyss, but these are distinct from the sentient races that form civilizations on Pywel.

Race Summary

Humans

Humans are the most widespread and politically dominant race on Pywel. They control every major region and have built the continent's kingdoms, cities, armies, and trade networks. Human civilization spans the full spectrum from the disciplined military hierarchy of the Kingdom of Demeniss to the lawless desert settlements of the Crimson Desert region, from the frozen hovels of Ulsrund to the technologically advanced cities of Delesyia.

Political Landscape

Human politics in Pywel center on a continent-wide power vacuum created when the King of Demeniss, known as the "Unifier of Lands," fell into a coma. His former subjects now seek either independence or their own absolutist rule, fragmenting the continent into competing factions, noble houses, and mercenary bands.

Pearl Abyss has confirmed that the game features "dozens and dozens" of factions. Major human factions include:

Faction choices in Crimson Desert provide side quest content but do not affect the main story or ending, allowing players to engage with the political landscape at their own pace.

Human Regions and Cultures

Each of Pywel's regions has developed its own distinct human culture:

Named Human Characters

Crimson Desert features a large cast of named human characters, many of whom are fully voiced:

Orcs

Orcs in Crimson Desert are a physically imposing race known for their raw strength and, surprisingly, their philosophical depth. The most prominent orc is Oongka, one of the game's three playable characters and a core member of the Greymanes. Oongka is the only named orc character revealed pre-launch, and details about broader orc society, settlements, and population remain undisclosed.

Oongka

Oongka serves as the "brute and powerhouse" of the Greymanes. He is unlocked as a playable character during the Calphade chapter, where he is found fighting rebels alongside Marquis Stefan Lanford. Despite his fearsome appearance, voice actor Stewart Scudamore described discovering unexpected layers to the character: "I expected a beastlike, ferocious orc archetype, but Oongka has a philosophical side, someone who understands how the world works and who has a grasp of its practical realities." Scudamore added that Oongka has "passion for everything" and a "world-wise, nomadic element."

Most of Oongka's communication is through grunts, fitting his imposing physical presence while leaving room for subtlety in his characterization.

Oongka's Combat Style

Oongka's combat emphasizes raw strength and heavy hits. His jump-and-smash attack shatters the ground around him, dealing area-of-effect damage to surrounding enemies. His playstyle contrasts with Kliff's versatile swordsmanship and Damiane's agile fighting techniques, giving players a distinct power-fantasy option.

Goblins

Goblins in Crimson Desert are an organized, intelligent race with military hierarchies, extractive industries, and formal systems of governance. They are not mindless monsters but rather a structured society with their own factions, leadership, and codes of conduct.

The Goldleafs

The Goldleafs (sometimes spelled Goldleaves) are the most prominent goblin faction encountered in the game. They operate as an organized military force with the following characteristics:

• Military hierarchy: Led by a Branchmaster, with soldier units and structured command

• Headquarters: Maintain a formal headquarters with weapon racks stocked with specialized "Prixia swords"

• Mining operations: Goblin miners work in extractive industries, panicking when confronted by outsiders but willing to fight when cornered

• Formal combat rituals: The Rakkash is a formal challenge used to call a Branchmaster into single combat

Split Horn

Split Horn is the Branchmaster of the Goldleafs, described as the "goblin king." He is physically distinctive: "an unusual-looking goblin, pale instead of green," standing out from the green-skinned majority of his race. Split Horn is both a story character and a major boss encounter.

The confrontation with Split Horn is triggered through a Rakkash, a formal challenge ritual. In combat, he executes rapid attacks and uses ranged abilities. After his defeat, Split Horn is finished off by his own people, ending his reign as Branchmaster. This detail suggests internal power struggles within goblin society.

Shakatu

Shakatu is a hooded goblin who appears after the player defeats Goldleaf soldiers. He functions as a quest-giver, walking alongside the player and directing them toward challenging Split Horn. Shakatu is notable for also appearing as a well-known goblin merchant NPC in Black Desert Online (Pearl Abyss's previous game), suggesting shared universe elements between the two titles.

Goblin Appearance

Most goblins in Crimson Desert display green skin, which appears to be their standard racial coloring. Split Horn's pale complexion is noted as unusual, making him visually distinct from other members of his race. Goblins are smaller than humans but demonstrate intelligence, organization, and combat capability.

Dwarves

Dwarves are confirmed as a race on Pywel, primarily known as the master engineers responsible for constructing the Battle Robot (also called the War Robot or Combat Robot). This late-game pilotable mech is one of the most striking pieces of technology in Crimson Desert, equipped with machine guns, lock-on missiles, jump jets, and EMP blasts.

The developers acknowledged that the Battle Robot is "contrary to the high fantasy setting, but it's still lots of fun." It functions as a limited-use item that becomes available during the late campaign as a reward.

Connection to Delesyia

The Delesyia region is described as being "at the forefront of science and technology" where "ancient alchemy meets cutting-edge engineering" and is noted as the "origin of mechs." This strongly suggests dwarves are connected to or based in Delesyia, though no source has explicitly stated "dwarves live in Delesyia."

Beyond the Battle Robot, dwarven contributions to Pywel's technology have not been detailed in pre-launch materials. No named dwarf characters have been revealed, and specifics about dwarven culture, appearance, settlements, and society remain unknown.

Battle Robot Specifications

Shared Universe with Black Desert Online

Crimson Desert was originally conceived as a prequel to Black Desert Online, Pearl Abyss's previous title. While the studio has not made this connection explicit in Crimson Desert's marketing, several shared universe elements have been identified:

• Shakatu: The hooded goblin quest-giver in Crimson Desert also appears as a famous goblin merchant in Black Desert Online

• Hexe Marie: A boss encounter in Crimson Desert who is also known as "the deadliest Witch in history" in Black Desert Online, described as a "Follower of Darkness" who "dared to break forbidden taboos"

• Goblin society: The Goldleafs faction and goblin social structures parallel goblin lore established in Black Desert Online

These connections suggest that the races and civilizations of Crimson Desert exist within the same world as Black Desert Online, though the games are set in different time periods and regions.

Mythical Beasts and Creatures

Beyond the four confirmed intelligent races, Pywel is populated by a wide variety of mythical beasts and supernatural entities that serve as boss encounters and wildlife threats. These creatures are not sentient civilizations but rather powerful beings tied to Pywel's natural and supernatural landscape:

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