To start: none of them mechanically matter, this is just the types of people that exist in the setting of The Merry Band. It's a world of magic and will, and your mindset and talents matter more than who you were born to.
They will be split between the three zines, each based on a different setting (city life, the wilderness, the seas) but the final draft will have cultural suggestions for playing your characters if they're from the settings of the other two zines. Humans will be in all three zines, because many of the people playing are human and generally want that as an option.
Automaton- artificially made person capable of integrating with larger machinery. Can be metallic, ceramic, or organic.
Changeling- Colorless shapeshifter that takes on other traits decided by their roleplayer. Are they an oozefolk, who can say?
Giant- Also known as ogres, oni, zogbanu or trolls depending on the region. Large, maybe maneaters, obviously non-human. Often covered in rocky skin, feathers, or spikes, or possesses vibrant skintones.
Insectoid- The only constants are chitin, compound eyes, and a bipedal form. The rest is up to the roleplayer. a catchall for folks who like creepy crawlies.
Minotaur- Bullheaded and hooved, usually muscular. Can often be found in maze-like urban centers or the archives of museums and libraries.
Orc- tends towards the extremes of large & muscular or short and scrawny but there are exceptions. usually green or grey skintones, usually big ears.
Undead- Revived member of another folk, retains some memories and abilities of their past life.
Vampire- Large fuzzy emotive ears that can swivel on top of their head, pronounced canines, a surprisingly big fan of fruit. despises their blood sucking noble brethren.
Dryad- Associated with trees and the woods. Green skin, flowers in their hair.
Elf- tends towards androgynous,tall, and thin, but there are exceptions. usually has pointy ears.
Fae- An otherworldly trickster spirit, typically small with fluffy hair and a trait that seems off: a tail, horns, hooves, or wings.
Geode- Living crystal person, typically durable. Tend towards agender, but occasionally choose pronouns.
Gnome- tends towards small & stocky, but there are exceptions. "Dwarves" or halflings from other games can be considered cave or hill gnomes.
Molder- Fungus in the shape of a person, possesses one of several thousand genders.
Sylph- Born from the winds. As transparent as a spirit.
Undine- Descended from water. Blue, translucent skin.
Cephalocorpus- A land capable octopoid or squid-like person. the three different groups argue about which is the best way to breathe on land- technological water tanks, magically contained filtered water, symbiotic animals that turn air into water
Harpy- Winged bird person, feathers in lieu of hair.
Heavensent- touched by the divine, at home in the cosmos. possessed of burning halos and wings that crackle with energy.
Hellion- skin tinted the color of blush, horns, forked tail, and hooves. smaller and less powerful than ancient and winged demon cousins.
Ophidian- Scaled with a forked tongue and diamond shaped pupils. Occasionally has a trunk-like tail in lieu of legs, or serpent-like hair.
Salamander- Firebreathing amphibian associated with dragons. Come in turtle, crocodilian, and froglike varieties.
Siren- Fishlike person, value singers culturally.
Therianthrope- Slowly turns into a wolf or other animal (hyena, jaguar, rodent, etc.) over the course of the evening, possesses their sapient faculties even during the full moon.