Alanna started her eighteenth birthday as she would every other day. When the orphanage bell rang she threw herself out of bed, fearful of Headmistress Sonya catching her tearing away any lingering fatigue she might have had, quickly made the sheets and then got in line for the bathroom behind the other children.
She stood taller than most of them, a result of having been here the longest, and the line ahead of her was a veritable riot of color and shapes. A few were human, but most of them had the green or yellow-ish skin and tiny tusks of growing half-orcs, a consequence of the violence in the city's past. A pair of twins had the distinctive horns, tail and vibrant skin tone of tieflings, one a fiery red, one a deep ocean blue. One of the few kids who stood taller than her was a girl with a long, orange-scaled serpentine neck and a head like a humanoid adder, which was likely the reason she was still here. Alanna knew the serpent-folk girl as Naji, which she always said was the easiest way for non-serpents to pronounce her name. They talked a lot when they would end up during chores in the same area, but every kid here was careful about making friends. You'd never know when they'd leave, after all.
When it was finally her turn in the bathroom she quickly looked herself over in the mirror. Her long, white, oval ears were tipped with a spot of black and terminated in her tangled, equally white hairline, which she quickly fixed with a few brushes of an old comb. It was about shoulder-length, never allowed to grow too long. She pulled aside her cheek to give her mouth a quick inspection. The caregivers always told her to be careful not to damage her buck teeth, because even though they said her teeth were "unappealing" any chips would likely prevent her from ever being adopted. Much good that advice did, she thought to herself. She soaped herself down with a bucket of water, cleaned her nails and finally brushed her poofy white rabbit tail, which was also tipped with a spot of black.
A final look in the mirror and she could only barely manage to conjure a smile. She wasn't necessarily ugly, but her buck teeth kind of dominated her face when she smiled, and her body had clearly gone too many years with not quite enough food. Her breasts were but A-cups, probably also a side-effect of malnutrition. Her hands were calloused from repetitive physical labor and her clothes, a tunic and baggy pants, were kept just clean enough to keep fleas and lice away. It was not an impressive sight, she judged.
Today's the big day, she thought, finally eighteen. For most children the day they could finally leave the desperation of the orphanage was one to celebrate... But not if you were part of the "leftovers." The unwanted. The children that weren't picked.
The people in this city didn't like orcs or beastfolk, even if you were only a half-breed. Those races were often hired to be soldiers, or drafted if there was some kind of war going on. They were associated with strength, violence and tragedy. Half-orcs orphans at least were appreciated for how quickly they'd put on muscle if fed and put to work, so a lot of them would end up getting taken in as farm hands or miners. They'd have to live a life of hard labor, but they'd at least have a home.
Tieflings and beastfolk had a much harder time. However, there was one way they'd be able to get adopted. A good Class. If you were born with a good Class, you could be adopted by the Adventurer's Guild, an association of spellcasters or the church. There were never enough Clerics, or Wizards, or skilled Rangers out there.
She pulled up her status screen, which required only the flipping of a mental switch. Everyone had one, but not everyone had one as damning. She hoped against hope that there was some kind of major change in what she saw yesterday.
"Half-rabbitfolk Peasant.
Level 1.
Hitpoints: 8/8
Mana: 3/3
Strength: 7
Dexterity: 10
Constitution: 8
