Heaven's Path

Okay! Let's start breaking down who all these races are! Buckle up, because this section is going to be long.  

Humans

Loosely based off of Imperial China, but injected with egregious amounts of steampunk and magitech, Fengqi is distinctly human, even as it evolved into the multicultural metropolis it is now. Every piece of technology, from constructs (both sentient and not) to sewers to firearms, was probably created using some human-generated knowledge. Aside from the Lovers Twelve, humans in general revere no gods or deities. The people they value most are legendary inventors and tinkerers, such as the famed Inventor Lovers from centuries ago.  

Dwarves

The dwarves are perhaps the most pious of all, with almost every dwarf worshipping the Buddha-esque deity known as Munaan. Central to dwarven piety is the existence of a third, distinct gender known as the Muthratva. Assigned female at birth, a muthratva knows who they are when their facial hair comes in at puberty. Growing long, luscious beards, these muthratva (who now go by they/them) are trained to be religious leaders for they are the closest reflections of Munaan themselves. They then teach a concept known as Fulfillment, which is about looking inward, and only inward, to attain the good afterlife.  

Halflings

Divided into five major clans and dozens of minor ones, the halflings are said to be the most welcoming of people around. Yes, difference is generally accepted and tolerated in Tian Wu Yan, but the halflings are all about chosen family and even take it to the next level. By casting a spell known as kinship, one can not only join a clan, but a family. Each clan has their own specific set of values, so interested individuals can choose which is right for them. But if they cannot make that choice, then there is always the Ganbo clan, who accepts everyone and anyone. This kinship extends even beyond life, for in death, the ancestors one worships are also joined via bond, not blood.  

Elves

The elves of today are an eclectic bunch, whose subraces and even individual families all have their little quirks when it comes to things like food, clothing, and customs. Even as they are all united under the light of their High God Utir, it is not conformity that he emphasizes, but resilience. The elves, out of all the other races, have the most monster stories and cautionary tales. With so many evils and ghosts and whatnot lurking around to snatch their livestock, their children, or even their undergarments, you wonder how they can sleep at night. Well, that's because they don't. They literally don't. In any case, each subrace of elves in general have their own distinct set of superstitions and oddities.  

Gnomes

Creators of the art of dendromancy, or tree magic, gnomes, unsurprisingly, feel most at home amongst the leaves and branches. Within the limited space of Fengqi, the gnomes have decided that they should try their best to live the way they used to. So, they found a suitable plot of land and made a treetop neighborhood smack dab in the middle of the city. They also designated a single tree to be their island tree as well. Gnomes are nothing if not problem solvers. Speaking of problems, it should be noted that sentience in robots was only possible due to the gnome-developed process known as tree-binding. A soul was emulated using the life essence of a tree and encapsulated into a single "brain" which could then pilot a human-made construct body.  

Orcs

"The Legend of the Three Sisters" practically made the orcs who they are today - three separate factions split under each of the three sisters. As rivals, the sisters and their respective factions continue to bicker and quarrel, especially in the tiny space of Fengqi. Torrbei, the eldest sister, guides the Mounted Faction, whose equine herd is considerably smaller than they'd like, but at least the guard has a place for their military prowess. Mizhdea, the middle sister, guides the Singing Faction, whose music, hard to sing as it is, has inspired many a bard for its unparalleled emotionality. Zaaiqr, the youngest sister, guides the Fisher Faction, whose expert knowledge of all things fishing has made them extraordinarily wealthy and influential when seafood became the dominant cuisine following the Chaos.  

Dragonborn

Would you believe it when I say that even before the age of magic, dragons existed? Yes they breathed fire and all that, but it was purely biological (please don't ask me to elaborate). However, before the Lovers Era, they just vanished. Went extinct, just like that. Well, most of them. The Vulgar (of the Twelve Lovers) remained to court the All-King, but after that, dragons were pretty much the stuff of legends. And that is all that was needed for them to manifest once more, as celestials. From here, the dragons then decided that they needed a people who carried their visage, and so the dragonborn were made. You already know about the metallic vs. chromatic dragonborn, so let me give you a fun naming fact for each. A western metallic dragonborn chose their name at adulthood, based on the culture they grew up in. An eastern chromatic dragonborn is given a name based on a singular emotion or personality trait that defined them, for example, 'Vain' and 'Doubt.'  

Loxodon

No one is as fashion forward as the elephantine Loxodon are. They are brilliant designers and expert tailors, who have had centuries of experience designing for bodies of all shapes and sizes. Unfortunately, they've had to make do with less than ideal materials, since they have limited access to their prized silks. So important is that specific type of silk from a specific species of silkworm that the sole deity they worship is a giant silk moth. However, that moth deity has an entourage of master seamsters and seamstresses of legend, constantly observing the fashion trends of the mortal plane, judging anything and everything.  

Yetifolk

With numbers less than one hundred, the Yetifolk are on their last legs when it comes to their continued survival. Though we in the modern era know the effects of inbreeding and genetic mutations, all these poor yetis see is the decline of health with each oncoming generation. However, members of SKRUNGUS have taken it upon themselves to help these guys the best they can. Not only do they aim to preserve the yetifolk themselves, they also seek to preserve their legacy as revered mentors of the previous millenium.  

Genasi

Water...Earth...Fire...Air...Long ago... Okay no, this isn't Avatar. But still, this is basically what the elemental genasi are all about. Every genasi is born of one of those four elements. 'Born' is the operative word here because whether or not a child is marked as a genasi and which type is determined at birth. you see, the four gods of the elements randomly decide who gets their blessing and which one of them gets to give it. So, any baby of any race can be born a genasi, just because some powerful celestial willed it. Obviously, this affects everything that child will experience from birth to death, but at the very least, one of the Twelve Lovers, the Ruthless, was the prime genasi, so generally, they are accepted.  

Mixed Races

Half-orcs, half-elves. The Player's Handbook lists them as distinct races. However in my world, being half anything is too vague for intermixing between certain species is very common. It does have its limits, however, as only humans, gnomes, dwarves, halflings, elves, and orcs can interbreed. Obviously, this does not prevent interracial couples from existing for reproduction is not the primary point of love. Regardless, as with mixed race individuals on Earth, the complexities of being mixed race on Tian Wu Yan are also vast and nuanced.  

Descended

Let's say you are a celestial - a demon, a fox spirit, a naga, or whatever. You want to take part in the Court of Heaven's little program. So, you sign up and you become mortal. And when you do so, you retain certain traits of your celestial form, some chosen, some predetermined. For example, Haliah is a naga, so she gets the option of being able to use her venom or not, but will always have the lower half of a snake. No matter what though, an aura is radiated around a descended individual, and other descended within 5 feet instantly know you are of the same background.  

Dark Feng Races

Now that the passage has opened up between the underground Dark Feng and Fengqi, that means that you'll be seeing a lot more of the people who've lived down there for years. You've got the peace loving myconids whose bioluminescent fungi has kept much of Dark Feng's residents both illuminated and nourished. Then there are the amphibious triton who don't really speak of their lives under the sea, but undoubtedly carry many secrets. Next are the three children of Visuphor, the Demon of Division (an ex-elven god from the old Elven pantheon) - tieflings, drow, and sileni. Finally, there are the thri-kreen, who are incredibly territorial and unfortunately see a big chunk of Dark Feng as their territory and therefore seek to take it by force.  

Minor Races

Even though they are 'minor' mostly in the population sense, they are still super hecking valid! Goblins are, well, goblins, except their just mischievous little fellas who live in caves in the forest. Kobolds also live in caves, but many more of them migrated out to work the farmlands. Robots (warforged stats) are, well, robots, who've attained sentience in one way or another and just kinda cling clang around town.