My fantasy world quickly brings to mind Tolkien. This is to a large extent because I grew up with his books, but also because Tolkien and I share a fascination for Norse (and other western European) mythology.
Noticably, elves, dwarves and goblins are core races in my world, as in most fantasy worlds.
However, despite a number of superficial resemblances, the following points should be remembered:
- I have endeavoured to give all races of my world noticable differences from humanity in psyche as well as anatomy.
- Dwarves do not favour axes. Dwarves do not mix easily with humans. Dwarves are not "good". Dwarves are militant, paranoid and deeply collectivistic. Dwarves are subterran, and double for both fantasy dwarves and fantasy orcs.
- Elves are ALIEN. They are not slim, beautiful humans, idealized humanists and environmentalists, like humans but improved. Elves do not mix with humans at all. Elves are not "good". Elves are feared, at best. Think ultraterrestrial, rather than Rousseauean superhuman.
- Goblins are biggers, stronger and faster than humans. They are not bloodthirsty, nor are they deficient in self-preservation, nor stupid. Goblins are lurkers and skirmishers, not fanatic cannon-fodder. The only goblin horde is found in the Goblin Realm, and is reminicent of the Huns.