The four races

Overview

Lee Yeong-do's novels build their world around four intelligent races that are genuinely different from each other, not just cosmetic variations on the same template. Each race has its own biology, culture, religion, and worldview. Their conflicts drive the history of the continent.

Rekon

The Rekon are towering humanoid bird beings, often described as standing around seven feet tall. They are fierce, nomadic warriors with overwhelming physical power, speed, and reach. Rekon have a paralyzing fear of water, which is not a minor quirk but a defining trait that shapes their territory, tactics, and culture.

Each Rekon carries a "Calling" (sometimes translated as "life wish"), a lifelong aspiration unique to that individual. This Calling drives their existence. They forge weapons of Stariron at the Final Forge. In the novels, the Rekon party member is known as "The Defeater."

Rekon believe in the Goddess Beneath All. In Project Windless, the playable character is a Rekon: the Hero King who founded the Arajit Kingdom.

Nhaga

The Nhaga are cold-blooded, reptilian humanoids. They are brilliant, ruthless, and driven by a desire for dominion. Their cold-blooded physiology makes them vulnerable to low temperatures, which is why they inhabit Kiboren, a tropical jungle south of the Line of Limit.

Nhaga communicate through "Neereum," a form of silent communication. They can achieve a form of immortality through the ritualistic removal of their hearts. A Nhaga that still has its heart intact is an anomaly. They believe in the Goddess Without Footprints.

The Nhaga initiated the First Great Expansion War, the conflict that forms the backdrop of Project Windless.

Tokkebi

The Tokkebi are fire-wielding beings inspired by dokkaebi from Korean folklore. They are tricksters who manipulate flames as both weapons and illusions. Known for dark humor and a willingness to laugh in the face of death.

For Tokkebi, death is not the end but a transition to eternal existence as an Oreusin. This belief makes them fearless in ways that unnerve the other races. They are traditionally fond of ssireum (Korean wrestling) and mischief, and they have an aversion to blood. In the novels, the Tokkebi party member is known as "The Sorcerer."

Humans

Humans are the weakest of the four races in raw physical power but the most adaptable and the most numerous. They are ambitious, strategic, and constantly competing for influence.

Many humans in the novel's era dream of reviving the Arajit Kingdom, which was founded by a Rekon but governed by humans for most of its 700-year existence. They believe in the God of Nowhere.

Religions

Each race has its own deity, and these religious differences are not superficial:

Relationships between races

The four races are not allies by default. Their conflicts, territorial disputes, and cultural differences are what drive the world's history. The Hero King's achievement was not just defeating the Nhaga but convincing Rekon, Humans, and Tokkebi to fight together despite their mutual distrust. In Project Windless, building these alliances through non-linear narrative choices is part of the player's task during the continental wars.