History
All playable races and ethnicities have been around for (at least) tens of thousands of years and have evolved into their current forms, as have their cultures. In this way, races should be thought of like homo sapiens on Earth. They did not come into the world fully formed and educated. Most of their past is effectively pre-history (before written records). Technological advancements like medicine, machines, and armor are all relatively recent. Even soul-bending magic and theories are relatively young for most of these races and cultures.
Race and Culture
Races and cultures do not directly overlap. While there are some cultures that are dominated by a particular race, most of the major cultures in and around the Dyrwood have heterogeneous mixtures of races. In most cases, this means that race is less of a determining factor in identification than culture.
Unless a race is intentionally segregated from other cultures, members will tend to identify as citizens of their home culture, not with a racially homogenous culture in foreign lands. For example, an aumaua who grows up in the Vailian Republics will probably identify as Vailian, not Rauatai (an almost entirely aumaua culture to the northeast).
The cultures of Eora are historically peopled by a mixture of diverse racial backgrounds. This means that characters cannot be measured against any predetermined notions about dwarves, elves, or other familiar figures. A dwarf from the Vailian Republic, for example, might have more in common with a Vailian elf than he or she would with a dwarf of the Deadfire Archipelago. While creating a character, and encountering others along the way, it is important to consider the innate complexities of personal history and heritage.
Racial Modifiers
Races have ability score modifiers that remain consistent between ethnicities. This provides a boost to each race and allows ethnicities to effectively be cosmetic.