Worlds Encyclopedia I - Humanum

~Thought I'd just compile some species information regarding the humanoids, just in case it doesn't come up in the story~

Overview:

The Humanoid family consists of seven species, between which hybridization is not possible. Humanoids do not Evolve, instead they live life through various stages; newborn, infant, child, adolescent, adult, elderly, before finally dying of old age. Unique to Humanoids is the fact that they do not lay eggs, but perform true live births.

The life expectancy varies from species to species, and even within the species; the higher social standing and wealth, the longer one can expect to live.

The bodies of Humanoids are said to contain a will beyond that of their Soul, but it only manifests once the Soul has left the body to return to the Cycle. This Other Will reanimates corpses that have not been properly treated. This treatment invariably involves damaging the skull, either crushing it with a blunt object, or the traditional iron stake through the forehead. Additional safeguards would be to bury the body in a named grave, along with other bodies, even if this new burial is unrelated to the old ones. Cremation is not used since it risks birthing Sprites from the ashes of the dead.

Bodies that have not been properly treated rise as Undead, with the cause of death and/or burial affecting which kind of Undead is created. These "natural" Undead are always Humanoid in origin, though there exists reanimated monsters that have been created through the Raise or True Raise Spells. Bodies that are cremated often give rise to the Urobach, a dangerous Sprite type monster that lights blazes wherever it goes. As such, cremation is usually never performed on corpses.

A newly discovered kind of Undead, the Draugr, seems to withhold the Soul of the body after death, unless the proper rites are performed on the body of the dead. It only seems to be created of the bodies of humans prone to jealousy or greed, however, so extra care should be taken when someone of that disposition perishes.

Last names (Family Names) operate mostly the same between all species. Once the child is baptized at the age they are considered adults, they take the last name of one of their parents. Which parents' name is taken differs per species, and is further explained in the entries for each species. If a child is orphaned, abandoned or taken by the government for their own safety (in the case of abuse etc.), the child will instead be given the last name of Voidreiser (roughly translated as traveler of the void). If an adult is disowned by their family, they are stripped of their familial name, and instead given the Voidreiser name. Children of a parent with the Voidreiser last name are given the other parents last name (provided that isn't also Voidreiser), regardless of normal custom.

In general, humanoids try to avoid partnerships with others of the same last name, as it is believed the Divine frown upon it, punishing the couple with ill-formed or stillborn children. In the case of Voidreiser, to keep the child from being forced to bear an unfortunate name, double Voidreiser partnerships are especially avoided.

Human

- Unique Skills: Lifes' Blessing (Lesser-True) - Increases the efficacy of Life elemental Spells and Skills, also boosts HP. This Skill cannot (normally) increase in tier, and will remain at the tier the human is given when it is born.

- Average Lifespan: 40-70 years, depending on social status and wealth.

- Core Statistic Tendency: Constitution, Intelligence.

- Notable Humans: (~Basically listing the human characters I've introduced so far~)Tersa Copperroux, King Dervix Amberroux, Brother Crym Marbletone, the Harmekian Council (Seul Gloombottom), Helcha Eaglecrown, the jester, Leicher Fogbottom the Hero of Life, the Hero of Death. (Lyfs note: All the eight Heroes were Human, but as the legend has been retold over and over, the other Heroes have been assigned to the races that correspond to their Element.)

Highly adaptable, the Humans are the most numerous species of Humanoid, closely followed by Beastfolk. Able to tolerate most climates, they're also the most widespread, only avoiding the domains of the Elder Dragons or the most hostile areas of the World.

Baptized at age 18, Human children freely choose between both parents last names, usually preferring the one with the longest history, as having a famous family name nets one some benefits in human society.

Their culture is incredibly varied, sometimes large cultural differences can be found even between neighboring villages. Though in general it is an open and caring community, that has no issues with same gender relations. Relations between a Human and a different type of Humanoid is seen as taboo, however, and as such this type of relation is very rare.

Human Hunters are the most diverse in terms of what they choose to specialize as. However, most Human magicians are Clerics or Support Casters, due to their improved healing Spells. In general, the typical Human Hunter wears some sort of armor, and wields some sort of weapon.

Technologically, Humans tend to have the ideas, but rely on the other species, particularly the Pyrean and Ayvin, to realize them. Due to their natural curiosity, many Humans research monsters. Their architecture varies by locale, using the most abundant resources to construct their homes. As such, many of the different styles borrow from the architecture of the other Humanoids.

Blessed by the All-Mother Herself, Humans tend towards worship of Her. The general consensus among Humans is that by worshiping the All-Mother, one indirectly worship all the Deities.

Beastfolk

- Other names: Beastman, Beastperson.

- Unique Skills: Earths' Blessing (Lesser-True) - Increases the efficacy of Earth elemental Spells and Skills. Also raises Armor and SP. This Skill cannot (normally) increase in tier, and will remain at the tier the Beastfolk is given when it is born.

Additionally, some Beastfolk are born with Skills relating to the monster they resemble, such as Sharp Teeth, etc.

- Average Lifespan: 45-75 years, depending on social status and wealth.

- Core Statistic Tendency: Strength, Willpower.

- Notable Beastfolk: Lentil Mudcore, Germund Felltusk, the Hero of Earth, Carmella Raposa.

Considered by scholars as the Humanoid that is most closely related to monsters, each Beastfolk is born with monstrous traits. The ears and tail of a Caith Sith, the tusks of a Boar, the antlers of an Amethyst Caribou, etc. These features get passed down from parent to child, at a roughly 50/50 rate of inheriting either parents features if they differ. If both mother and father share the same traits, this changes to a 90/10 chance of either inheriting the parents features or somehow having different traits. In these rare cases of inconsistency between the parents and the childs features, one can usually find the childs features among the grandparents or great grandparents of the child, suggesting that features can skip a generation. (~this World doesn't know how DNA works yet~)

Baptized at age 20, the child tends to choose the last name of the parent that shares their features. It is up to the childs' preference if both parents share their features.

Their culture is varied, but not nearly as varied as that of Humans. In general, a deep respect for the earth and the environment fosters responsible farming, and a philosophy of only taking what one needs. Due to their great variety in looks, same gender relations are common, and although usually kept hidden, different species romance is not taboo.

Beastfolk Hunters tend to be wearing heavy armor and big shields to convert their strength into defense. They usually play the role of holding the monsters attention through persistence whilst their fellow Hunters lay on the damage. The typical Beastfolk magician is the Geomancer, who specializes in crowd control via manipulating the terrain with their strong Earth magic.

Beastfolk technology tends to be simple, usually constructed out of wood, bone, and ropes, almost never being held together with nails. It works surprisingly well, and is sturdy to boot. Beastfolk architecture is traditionally wooden houses constructed out of whole logs layered on top of each other. In habitats with few trees, mud-brick houses are made instead.

Blessed by the Divine of Earth, most Beastfolk worship Her, praying for big harvests and plentiful prey. Many also worship the All-Mother, much for the same reasons as Humans.

Ayvin

- Unique Skills: Airs' Blessing (Lesser-True) - Increases the efficacy of Air elemental Spells and Skills, also boosts Speed. This Skill cannot increase in tier, and will remain at the tier the Ayvin was born with.

- Average Lifespan: 40-90 years depending on social status and wealth.

- Core Statistic Tendency: Dexterity, Willpower.

- Notable Ayvin: Valena Argenfeather, Brekiv Argenfeather, Actvi Argenfeather, Krem Argenfeather, Queen Typhona Vileclaw, the Hero of Air.

A quick glance at an Ayvin might have you mistaking them for a Human, however Ayvin have many differences to them. Their bones are lighter than other Humanoid bones, and as such Ayvin are lighter and faster, able to move in quick bursts of speed. In addition to hair, Ayvin also grow feathers on their head, with some Ayvin also growing feathers from their wrists and ankles. Since these feathers tend to bleed heavily when the shaft is damaged, it is considered a birth defect when feathers grow anywhere other than the head. Ayvin with undesirable feather-growth would in older times be forbidden from reproducing, even being sterilized in the worst cases. Nowadays, laws are in place to protect these Ayvin, but they still face issues if seen with their partner.

Baptized at age 15, the child is wise to pick the name that holds the highest status, though it is free to choose either. This will initially boost or lower their ranking within the community, so the Ayvin youths that aim for the top usually choose the name of the highest ranking parent.

Ayvin tend to flock towards the higher echelons of mixed Humanoid societies, mirroring the clearly defined ranks of traditional Ayvin society. A pecking order is established within any settlement, and any newcomer would have to find someone to vouch for them in order to ever be accepted into the community. The goal of every Ayvin would be to get to the top of the ranks, to have no-one to order them around because they're of lower social status. There are of course the rare Ayvin that refuse to follow these "rules", they are quickly branded as troublemakers, but are still accepted, as their independence from the ranking means they can do things other Ayvin couldn't do without losing rank. Same gendered sexual relationships are seen as improper, relegating many gay Ayvin to the lower ranks of their society. Interspecies relations are taboo, any such relation would see the the "offending" Ayvin stripped of any rank they would have had, and often entirely frozen out by the rest.

The typical Ayvin Hunter uses light armor, without a helmet, and light weapons such as shortswords and rapiers. Excelling in felling many lesser monsters in a short amount of time, Ayvin Hunters struggle with larger and tougher monsters. Ayvin magicians tend towards Illusions and Aeromancy. The Aeromancer specializes in bringing flying monsters to the ground and keeping them there by manipulating the air, striking with razor sharp gusts of wind or causing airbursts that slam anything airborne into the ground.

Ayvin technology is lightweight and heavily magic reliant. Utilizing magic crystal harmonizing, the most well known piece of Ayvin tech would be the Long Range Transmission Crystal (~the crystals Dervix has been using to talk to faraway people~).

Architecturally, Ayvin prefer white-chalked brick buildings, often half embedded in the ground to aid in heating, since most traditional Ayvin settlements are in colder climates.

Blessed by the Divine of Air, most Ayvin worship Him, though many Ayvin also worship the Divine of Fire or the Divine of Light. Ayvin worship is mostly a means to an end, however, usually praying for personal gain.

Accan

- Unique Skills: Waters' Blessing (Lesser-True) - Increases the efficacy of Water element Spells and Skills, also boosts Magic Defense. This Skill cannot increase in tier normally, and will remain at the tier the Accan had when they were born.

Some Accan are also born with the Permeable Skin Skill.

- Average Lifespan: 50-70 years, depending on social status and wealth.

- Core Statistics Tendency: Willpower, Dexterity.

- Notable Accan: Seagrass Tideflow, Lutjena Tideflow, the Hero of Water.

Accan come in two varieties, the scaled and the amphibious. Amphibious Accan have the Permeable Skin Skill, which allows them to stay underwater longer since they can breathe through their skin. Scaled Accan are covered in scales not unlike that of an Piscesoid monster. Their ears also resemble fins. Both kinds of Accan have hair that resemble various kinds of seaweed, possibly an ancient form of camouflage that now is mostly vestigial. Scaled and amphibious Accan can produce offspring with each other, with the child inheriting the traits of one of the parents.

Baptized at age 17, the child inherits the mothers last name, regardless of the gender of the child. The child would have to prove its own worth, however, and so having the last name of your high ranking mother doesn't mean you get a free pass to high status.

Accan society tends towards matriarchal, with the physical labors the males perform being considered lesser work. Great importance is placed on the spirituality of a female, which is measured in her devotion to the arts. The greater a womans skill with the brush, pottery, weaving or crafting, the more desirable she is for potential husbands, as her rank in the society dictates his. A higher ranking male would be able to lessen the amount of work he has to perform. Of course, just like an Accan woman is free to chose her husband, he is free to refuse the offer. Fishing, diving for kelp and small Armoroids (~mollusk type monsters~), harvesting reeds, gathering wood and mud for construction and building and maintaining the village is the job of the men.

Same gendered relations are uncommon, especially two men getting together, as it relegates them to the lowest standing within the village since they have no woman to tie their standing to.

A typical Accan Hunter uses little to no armor, as both types have sensitive skin. Accan Hunters tend to be rare, as this same skin sensitivity means they are more limited in the climates they can tolerate. Too dry or too cold and their skin starts to itch and flake, leading to potentially life-threatening skin infections. The amphibious kind is known for their stamina, as their skin helps them take in oxygen when running over longer distances. Their favored weapons are ranged, everything from hand-crossbows to greatbows are used to great effect.

Accan magicians tend towards Water and Cold magic. It isn't unusual to see an Accan mage wrapped up in warm clothes and mittens to alleviate the cold their magic causes.

Accan technology is simple, and as such, most use technology from other races. The only place Accan tech excels is in the arts department, with mechanical looms and self spinning pottery wheels, for example. Accan architecture tends to be simple mud huts with an internal scaffolding of wood. Their settlements are located near water, as their way of life heavily relies on access to it.

Blessed by the Divine of Water, most Accan worship Her, though many also worship the All-Mother. In general, the women practice their worship through special arts, whilst the men attend regular ceremonies to pray for calm waters and plenty of fish.

Pyrean

- Unique Skills: Fires' Blessing (Lesser-True) - Increases the efficacy of Fire elemental Skills and Spells, also boosts Magical Attack. This Skill cannot normally increase in tier, and will remain at the tier the Pyrean was born with.

Temperature Shift (Lesser-Grand) - Converts excess body temperature into magic, which is then stored as MP. This process can be reversed as well, boosting the users body temperature in exchange for MP.

Shed Magic (Lesser-Grand) - Emits MP into the air, returning it to the ambient magic flow as non-element attuned energy.

- Average Lifespan: 30-60 Years, depending on where they live.

- Core Statistic Tendency: Constitution, Intelligence.

- Notable Pyrean: Merkiv Blastguard, Mina Bluspark, the Hero of Fire.

Originating from the Ashen Wastes, the Pyrean are uniquely adapted to desert survival. An unique organ located in their torso converts excess body heat into Magic, which is then shed through hairlike structures on their head. The shifting and shimmering of this "hair" indicates how active the conversion organ is being. The "hair" color is determined by the diet of the Pyrean when they are children.

Since the process can be reversed as well, Pyreans tend to do well in colder climates, though statistics show that long term cold exposure drastically shortens the Pyreans lifetime, suggesting that the process of converting Magic into body-heat is much more strenuous.

Their sharp, triangular teeth are another adaptation, allowing them to more easily consume the vegetation that grows in the Ashen Wastes, such as the Leatherback Gourd.

Baptized at age 13, the child freely chooses between the parents names, and no particular benefit can be garnered from the Family Name.

Living as nomadic hunter/gatherers, the typical Pyrean community is one with a loose chain of command, with the oldest and most experienced Pyrean doing most of the decision making. Pyreans lower down this chain of command can decide to not listen if they believe they have a better idea, but any and all consequences will be placed on the Pyrean who didn't do as they were told. The men perform the hunting, whilst the gathering is done by the women. At the end of the day, they meet back up in the village and trade the day's spoils with each other. Those too young, old or weak to contribute with either hunting or gathering are put in charge of maintenance and crafting.

Same gendered relations are common, and interspecies relationships are even welcomed as it might give the community an edge over the land they inhabit.

Pyrean Hunters prefer spears and medium armor, but most Hunters are magicians, simply due to the fact that no other race has the magical stamina of the Pyrean. As they have access to more magic, they learn new Affinities more easily, and are the only known humanoids to be able to learn to wield the Lightning Element. A Pyrean spellcaster is something to be feared, easily chaining together casts of various elements, hardly taking a break to recoup MP.

Pyrean tech is simple, but hardy, and most of it requires magic to operate. Pyreans also pioneered the techniques that are being used in forges catering to Hunters all over the World to this day. Pyrean architecture is simple, mostly consisting of quick to set up and take down tents, with some additional fortifications placed around the grouping of tents.

In more modern mixed humanoid society, they usually go for sturdy brick and mortar buildings, a far cry from the sometimes rickety tents of their ancestors.

Blessed by the Divine of Fire, they worship Him, as well as the All-Mother and the Divine of Water, all in an effort to be blessed with cool days, rain and plentiful prey.

Minars

- Unique Skills: Darks' Blessing (Lesser-True) - Increases the efficacy of Dark elemental Skills and Spells, also boosts Defense. This Skill cannot normally increase in tier, and will remain at the tier the Minars was born with.

Minars are also born with the Echolocation, True Nightvision, and Sense Aircurrent Skills.

- Average Lifespan: 40-80 Years, depending on social status and wealth.

- Core Statistic Tendency: Constitution, Strength.

- Notable Minars: Safyr Rockwell, Breviks assistant, the Hero of Dark.

The rarest of the humanoids, Minars are highly specialized for cave survival. The "horns" on their foreheads are actually highly sensitive feelers, allowing them to sense even the slightest change in air-current. Their eyes are unable to process proper sunlight, as their pupils cannot contract far enough to prevent damage to the cornea. As such, when out and about in the open, Minars wear special goggles to prevent permanent eye damage. Their hearing is also incredibly fine tuned. This allows them to find their way around in complete darkness. It also means that even slightly loud sounds threaten to deafen them. Their short and stocky build lets them maneuver tight passages with ease.

Baptized at age 19, the child takes the Family Name of the oldest parent, unless the parents are of equal age, then the child chooses freely.

Living life in the dark caverns of the World, the Minars rarely mingle with other humanoids. What is widely known about them, other than their physical features, is that they live their life adhering to a strict code of honor. Breaking or dishonoring this code is grounds for severe punishments, including but not limited to: Amputating their "horns", gouging out their eyes, piercing their eardrum, severing tendons and/or amputating one or both thumbs.

As barbaric as these punishments sound, the effect of their threat is notable. You'll never find a more honest and loyal humanoid in the World, provided their fellow kin know where to find them should the honor code be broken.

The actual content of this honor code is somewhat of a mystery, as it seems even speaking of it to non-Minars is frowned upon. Those that befriend a Minars quickly learn to just go with their requests, even if they seem odd. There's usually a good reason for them.

The rare Minars Hunters that venture out into the World usually favor medium armor and some form of mining tool, be it a hammer or a pickaxe. Most Minars Hunters also incorporate some magic into their fighting style, suggesting that being able to cast magic might be a qualifier for being allowed to leave to become a Hunter. Dark and Earth are the elements they favor.

Little is known of Minars tech, though some forging techniques are Minars in origin. Their architecture is also mostly a mystery, though one can assume it involves caves of some sort. Some Minar communities also raise Minotaur for their milk, and it is from these communities we have learnt the most about Minars culture.

Blessed by the Divine of Dark, it is assumed they pray to Them. If any other Divine are worshiped by the Minars, only they know.

Photian

- Unique Skill: Lights' Blessing (Lesser-True) - Increases the efficacy of Light elemental Skills and Spells, also boosts MP. This Skill cannot normally increase in tier, and will remain at the tier the Photian was born with.

- Average Lifespan: 20-90 Years, depending on their strength.

- Core Statistic Tendency: Intelligence, Willpower.

- Notable Photian: The Hero of Light.

An uncommon humanoid, not because of the size of their population, but the simple fact that most other humanoids still remember who was the main producers of Chimeras during the All-War. They do best to keep to themselves.

Multicolored hair, pale skin and piercing yellow eyes are the signs of a Photian.

Baptized at age 20, the ceremony consists of a fight between the parents and the child, one on one. If the child win one match, they get the name of the losing parent, if the child wins both matches, the child gets to choose. If the child loses both battles, it is disowned and given the Voidreiser name.

Preferring remote places that are easily defensible, the Photian species is one that favors power above all else. It isn't unusual for siblings to end up in fights where the losing party ends up severely hurt or even dead. All this to raise the soldiers that guard the palaces of the Photian nobility. Most Photian, especially the nobles, believe them the superior species of humanoid. Many Photian even adopt other humanoids to raise them more like pets than actual fellow humanoids.

Power struggles are a daily thing for the Photian people, where everything is decided by the strongest. It is not uncommon for a high ranking Photian ending up with a dose of Foolsbane in their morning meal.

Photian who flee their society are usually only trusted to do simple work, never being told anything important. You never know if they're actually a spy.

Outside the kingdoms led by Photians, there are next to no Photian Hunters, the others simply don't trust them enough to hunt by their side. The Photian Hunters that do exist are mostly mages, specializing in illusions and devastating Light Spells.

Photian technology is mostly geared towards enhancing what is already there. Their armor is less armor and more a network of magic and pistons that let the wearer perform as if their Statistics were double what they actually are. There is also the fact that the most violent and "efficient" Chimeras were made in Photian labs...

Blessed by the Divine of Light, one has to wonder how a Divine let Their chosen people become so vile.

(~I should note that this is written from an in-world perspective, most likely by a Human researcher, explaining the... less than happy tone the text takes about the Photians.~)