THE RACES
Races and Peoples
Humans
Humans have lived in Avarka for all of recorded history, and are commonly believed to be the first mortal race (They definitely preceded the elves, but some shifters claim humans descended from them and not the other way around). Humans are by far the racial majority of Kuangepi and to a lesser extent Ballena,
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Physical Characteristics
Avarka humans vary wildly, but there are some regional tendencies:
- Humans of Kuanepi descent tend to be taller (avg. ~5’11” male, ~5’6” female) than most. They also tend to have flatter facial features, darker hair, and be stockier in build.
- The average of Ballena-born human tends to be of medium height (avg. ~5'8" male, ~5'3" female) and have lighter hair. That said, there exist several ethnic minorities in Ballena with different features.
- Verto-born humans tend to have darker skin but are otherwise quite diverse, as most of the city-state's human population are only a few generations removed from one or more immigrant ancestors from another nation.
- Humans hailing from the south-eastern coalition (Manofaide, Casawek, Delvena) tend to be shorter (avg. ~5’6” male, 5’2” female) than most. They also tend to have more pronounced facial features and light brown or reddish hair.
Inherited Abilities
- The only sapient race of Avarka without an innate tie to magic, humans posses the ability to shrug off magical effects that directly alter or manipulate their bodies/minds through force of will. This resistance is one of the reasons why most standard spells act indirectly, but the world is filled with magic...
- Avarka Humans are highly resistant to most diseases and infections. This likely says more about the semi-magical nature of Avarka pathogens than humans themselves.
Elves
Elves are fairly common throughout Avarka, and are the most common race in Verto, Manofaide, and Casawek. The ancestors of the numerous elven bloodlines were half-fey of varying kinds and elves tend to lean towards the same traits as their fey predecessors.
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Physical Characteristics
An elf’s ears and lifespan says a lot about their fey ancestry – both what kind of fey they are descended from and how pure their line is.
- Elves descended primarily from dream or dark fey have pointed ears that are about the same length as a human’s, while elves descended primarily from nature fey have pointed ears that are one to three inches longer. Most Verto elves have short ears, while long ears are common in Casawek and Manofaide.
- How an elf ages depends on the purity of their bloodline. The most fey-like elves can live for millennia while the least fey-like elves live no longer than the average human. The vast majority of elves, regardless of location, live a few centuries.
- Elven families sometimes have unusual hair colors as well, but they otherwise look like the humans that live in their region (aside from the parjev(see Kuanepi in the Nations and Cities section)). This includes height, although the most fey-like elves are a few inches shorter than the average human.
Inherited Abilities
As with their other characteristics, an elf’s inherent capabilities depends on their bloodline's type and purity.
Connection to magic:
- Most elves can sense when magic is directly acting on their bodies/minds, but cannot shrug it off like short-lived elves can.
- The least fey-like elves possess the same magic resistance humans do.
- The most fey-like elves do not posses any sort of antimagical abilities, and have difficulty noticing when outside magic is directly effecting them.
Senses:
- Most elves are generally a bit more perceptive than the average human.
- Elves primarily descended from nature fey can hear much higher and lower pitched noises (virtually all animal sounds) and see better at night than the average human.
- Elves primarily descended from dream or dark fey are particularly adept at picking up subtle social cues, such as quickly determining which member of a group is actually their leader, if a crowd could easily be provoked into rioting, etc.
Part-Elves
- Human/elf pairings merely result in a slightly more human elf
- Children of shifter/elf pairings - described in more detail in the shifter section - tend to have more shifter than elven traits.
Shifters
Shifters, a species closely related to humans, are born with the ability to faintly hear the whispers and echoes of spirits in the world. When they come of age, this ability fades away as each shifter selects or is selected by an animal spirit that fuses with them completely. This fusion allows them to take on a humanoid hybrid form that makes them more bestial, the degree of this change varying from shifter to shifter. When not in their hybrid form a shifter is indistinguishable from a human.
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Human Form Traits
Shifters look like humans, although post-fusion shifters sometimes have features vaguely reminiscent of their animal spirit (for example, a bull shifter might have a blocky chin). Some shifters pick up the mannerisms of their animal spirit as well, but that isn’t a universal trait (it is also more common among shifters with more intelligent/cunning animal spirits).
Hybrid Forms
Shifter forms usually run in families. Cat shifters, lizards, etc. Degree of shifting – minor changes, fully anthropomorphic, etc, also tends to run in family lines. Herbivorous shifter forms are far more common in Delvena, while carnivorous shifter forms are far more common among the northwest wilds. Omniviourus shifters are a large minority both north and south, and what few shifters hail from elsewhere on the continent have no tendencies.
Although it is a rare occurrence, some shifters never fuse with a spirit and a few do so unusually early or even at birth.
For players – OOC Rules on Hybrid Form
- Attributes - Player describes, subject to approval, be reasonable. Anything from has-cat-ears to anthroporpmophic crab person is possible. Typically the first special ability – great reflexes, supurb vision, etc is free (unless incredible), extra ones will count as a minors.
- Time in form - Indefinite. If you want to basically be a catgirl, snakeman, etc at all times go for it.
- Transformation time – Nearly Instantaneous. Furthermore, it can be done at will and is about as tiring as taking a deep breath (I.E., almost effortless).
Young Shifters
Prepubescent shifters do not have a hybrid form, but they are capable of hearing faint whispers from the natural world. This ability helps with interacting with animals and makes shifter children very sensitive to changes in the local environment that affect* animals (pollution, invasive species, nature/dark fey rings**,etc).
*Not a typo. They sense things that effect the surrounding wildlife emotionally (makes them sad, angry, scared, etc).
** Shifter children, or really anyone that intends to see their home again, should NOT mess with these things, but from time to time one does…
Part-Shifters
- Shifters of mixed shifter-human heritage are almost always shifters, but there have been cases of a child simply being human. Any shifter/human mix that fuses with a spirit loses the human resistance to magic in its entirety (if they ever had it).
- Shifters with elven heritage are likewise almost always shifters, although such individuals sometimes bind with non-animal spirits*, and generally have the lifespan and superficial racial traits (ear shape, etc) of their elven ancestors.
*Bloodlines with significant nature fey ancestry sometimes bond with a plant spirits and are sometimes referred to as Dryads (much to the chagrin of actual Dryads, a species of nature fey now known as "True Dryads"). Bloodlines with significant dream or dark fey heritage usually bond with animal spirits as normal, but very rarely such individuals end up bonding with another sapient spirit (Human, elf, etc). The result is an individual who, although still only having a single 'self', can change quite dramatically in personality when assuming their hybrid form (which is another person).
- Children of a half-fey and a shifter are almost never shifters (being elves instead), but those who are tend to be one of the rarer shifter types (which one depends on fey heritage) in addition to having the lifespan and superficial racial traits of elves.
NOTE: Shifters cannot turn into animals – anthropomorphic is as close as they can go.
Half-Fey
The children born of fey and non-fey parings. Half-Fey of any stripe are very rare, but half-Dream fey (Felalom) are far more common than half-Nature fey (Felvad) who are in turn far, far, far more common than half-dark fey (Borzalom). The children of half-fey are elves, but half-fey never arise from elf-elf pairings; true half-fey are effectively a unique species that cannot breed true. Procreation among the fey, inherently and intensely magical beings, involves far more than simple genetics.
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Height and Strength
All half-fey are, on average, 10” shorter than the average human and far less overtly muscular. They are also unnaturally strong for their size – as a general rule of thumb add 10” of height and a good deal more muscle to guesstimate how strong a half-fey is. Note: This means the average half fey is about as strong as the average physically fit human, some half-fey may be taller/stronger but this counts as a Minor just as being an extremely tall and strong human would be.
Other Physical Features
- Felalom generally look reminiscent of their mortal parent, only with short pointed ears and unusual eye/hair color.
- Felvad generally look reminiscent of their fey parent, which for most means long pointed ears and unusual facial features.
- Borzalom generally look like their mortal parent, only tinted with respect to whatever negative emotion that parent felt the most strongly (hatred, fear, envy, etc).
Aging
All half-fey age like fey do, which is to say their apparent age depends entirely on how they view themselves. This is not something a half-fey can use as a disguise; fundamentally changing how they view their own existence is not something done lightly and is virtually always a gradual change. Felalom and Borzolam tend to age in a human-like pattern, looping from young to old to young again, albeit with lengthy (centuries or more) stops at each life stage. Felvad, like nature fey, tend to age in no particular pattern. Half fey cannot normally die of old age, although aging to death through deep, sustained depression and misery is possible (as it is for fey).
Because of this, half-fey tend to describe their age as a way of living instead of as a numerical date, such as "Juvenile" or "Pernicious" or "Daring" or "Old Fogey". Young half-fey and Felalom tend to keep track of their age in mortal years as well.
Inherited Abilities
- Felvad possess a sixth sense for knowing how to avoid violating obscure otherworldy laws and regulations. This is vital for dealing with nature fey, although Felvad don’t actually know what the current rules ARE, just when they are about to break one and what they should do instead (“Oh, I should turn clockwise when handing the fairy this fruit”). Felvad are also very sensitive to large disruptions of the natural order (polluted lakes, extensive logging, etc) and can generally tell what the next day’s weather is going to be.
- Felalom and Borzalom are naturally capable of lucid dreaming, and have can exert far finer control over their dreams than any non-fey (aside from Waking Dreamers (see talents)). Furthermore, Felalom are generally tied to an emotionally-charged concept (such as “ambition” or “sorrow”), and excel at telling if someone / a group they are interacting with has a surplus or lack of this concept. Borzalom are usually tied to a more physical sensation (pain, lust, etc), but their sense otherwise works like Felaloms’.
- Crows greatly dislike Borzalom. They won’t actively fall upon them and peck them to pieces as they would full dark fey, but there is much.. glaring. Probably biting as well, if the half-dark fey gets too close.
- All half fey can survive with less food and water than mortals, although Felalom and Borzalom actually need to consume more food and water than the average mortal during extended stays in unpopulated areas.
Family Peculiarities
Parents : Felalom generally know their parents, Felvad virtually never know their fey parent, and Borzalom have no particular tendency.
Siblings: Felvad generally do not have other Felvad siblings, both because nature fey rarely mingle with mortals and because such pairings virtually never result in children. Felalom may have a felalom sibling, but only from the same mortal parent or from parents who were almost identical in personality - this is one of the reasons why most Alomtunder (dream fey), although liking mortals and half-fey, generally avoid having mixed children themselves; such pairings tend to bind them to whatever personality traits were most prevalent in their lover. Even then, Alomtunder tend to become mortal after their third or fourth half-fey child so large families are unheard of. Borzalom are unlikely to have any siblings at all.
Races that are Not approvable as Player Characters
Nature Fey (Vadtunder)
Visitors from another world who draw strength and characteristics from the environment around them. Incomprehensible and of a mischievous bent, nature fey often stay in the Faerie realm, only appearing in Avarka where their world and the mortal realm temporarily overlap. These locations are.. best avoided.
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Nature fey come in all shapes and sizes, but a few traits are true for most of them:
Supernatural Strength: Nature fey are far stronger than something of their size of physique should be. This does not mean they are objectively strong, as a mighty 8" tall fey is still no match for a human, but noble Vadtunder and other larger specimens can be terrifying to behold.
Favor Hierarchy: Nature Fey do not use mortal currency, their own culture relying on a complex system of favors owed. What counts as a favor, and how much a favor is worth, is.. a mystery. Many non-fey have attempted to record 'safe' bargains only to find that none of the records match; it is commonly believed that nature fey simply have a sixth sense for knowing what the current rules are.
Aging: Vadtunder, particularly the more human-looking ones, generally age in random directions over time, with their apparent age being more reflective of the way they live and their view of themselves than how long they've actually been around.
- Vadtunder character are not approvable. - Half-Nature Fey (Felvad) characters are approvable, see above
Dream Fey (Alomtunder)
Visitors from another world who draw strength and characteristics from the minds and dreams of those around them. Dream fey are more in tune with mortal civilization, making them more approachable than their wilder counterparts. They live primarily in the fey realm, but are easily spoken with as the entire city of IV, also known as inner verto, is a stable dream fey ring.
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Unlike nature fey, dream fey generally fall into three groups: Noble Dream Fey, Dream Sprites, and Rainbow Wisps.
Telempathy
All Dream Fey possess the ability to sense the emotional states of those around them, and can likewise project emotions. Each fey usually has some emotional charged concept that they are far more sensitive to / capable of projecting (ambition, joy, caution, etc). This is generally referred to as their facet. Some Dream Fey, particularly nobles, possess far more potent telepathic and dream-manipulating powers (another reason nobles do not overly interact with mortals is because they often can’t fully suppress this power at close range and it tends to disturb people).
Aging
Alomtunder age like the most human-like nature fey do, except dream fey tend to age in a vaguely human-like pattern (young-adult-old-young) instead of randomly. Noble alomtunder tend towards being "older" for long periods of time while the other species tend to linger in the more juvenile stages of life.
Types of Dream Fey
Unlike nature fey, of which there are countless varieties, dream fey consist of only three species:
- Dream Sprites: The most common alomtunder, dream sprites are winged, humanoid fairies about 8" tall in height. They usually travel in groups or pairs, with most (sometimes all) of any given group being child-like.
- Noble Alomtunder: The least common alomtunder, the nobles are about 3' in height when 'older' and are usually wingless and elven-looking. Strange physical traits, coloration, etc are not uncommon among the nobles. Felalom generally arise from noble-mortal pairings.
- Rainbow Wisps: Small, glowing orbs of intangible light that travel in aurora-like swarms. Rainbow wisps posses powerful illusionary capabilities, but generally use them to help lost travelers. The wisps are virtually never seen outside of the fey realm.
Origin
Of all the races, Dream Fey are the only ones whose origin is known - they may be ageless, but their beginning was relatively recent: In ancient times there existed a hidden nation to the far east of Avarka – Din, the city of monsters and horrors. Five centuries ago this country came to an end; its god-king, Yue-Yue, slain and the monstrous city itself pulled into and scattered across the fey realm. In the end the king was killed twofold – its physical form destroyed within its own citadel and the corrupted mass that remained of its original spirit torn apart and purified before it could exit the nightmarish pocket world that had served as its last sanctuary. The countless souls, children sacrificed to Yue-Yue over the millennia, that aided in the battle in the nightmare realm gained new life from the disseminated energy. The most recent victims, that retained more/all of their sense of self, became the first “noble” alomtunder while the most distant became the rainbow wisps. The majority, however, became the first dream sprites. How Inner Verto came to be, why it appeared in the desert, and where the eleven heroes that slew Yue-Yue came from (or went) remains a secret to this day.
- Alomtunder characters are not approvable. Half-Dream Fey (Felalom) characters are approvable, see above
Dark Fey (Dinyue)
The races that inhabited the lost city of Din, whose ruins are now scattered within the fey realm that borders our own. Dinyue are shadows that hide in the corners of the world, preying on the vulnerable and fearing only the caw of crows.
Tainted fey, fatascuro, are also commonly referred to as dinyue and are the only dark fey capable of having children with mortals.
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Fatascuro (Tainted Fey)
Aside from the three original races detailed below, the continued presence of the Dinyue in the faerie realm have seemingly effected the birth of some of the more innately magical nature fey species - effectively creating new breeds of tainted fey. Bilewine Dryads, Bloodcaps, Smog Hags, the list is as endless and varied as the nature fey themselves. Although incredibly rare, all half dark fey come from Fatascuro-Mortal pairings; the "Pure" Dinyue species are incapable of having such offspring.
Pure Dinyue
The three races that originally inhabited the city of Din before its destruction:
Belmaestrocucito (Belstich)
Belstich are human-sized doll men, thin, tall, and incredibly strong. Their most distinctive trait is surely their eyes - orbs of blood that continually swirl around the buttons that serve as their pupils. Belstich are created, not born, although few besides the Belstich themselves know how this is done.
Even the lowliest of the doll-men are known to carry themselves as lords, each one remembering or imagining the days of old where they were the noble class of Din. They are also believed to be devoid of the ability to truly love or hate anyone.
Bruttezzaavanzi (Bruttesack) Bruttesacks are similar to the Belstich's, only shorter, much wider, and far more sloppily done. Their name comes from how they look more like crude dolls formed by stitching together several burlap sacks filled with rancid meat than an actual person. Bruttesacks are made from whatever is left over from the Belstich creation process, both in body and spirit, with the remains bolstered with a slurry of lower-quality parts. In body, this results in Bruttesacks being far weaker than Belstich and even inferior to strong humans. On the other hand, they are incredibly durable, even by doll-men standards.
In spirit, this generally results in the Bruttesacks having a far more relaxed disposition. Despite a strong inclination towards darker pastimes, many Bruttesacks would not be all that dangerous if they ever stopped listening to the more actively villainous dinyue. They may even be capable of mild friendship, although it is still believed that love is beyond them.
Unihakka
Unihakka are unique magical monstrosities created from mortal heroes. 'Newborn' Unihakka, each of which is a unique magical monstrosity, are little more than mindless killing machines. As ages pass the horror will begin to develop a new personality, and ancient Unihakka tend to be.. quirky. They also are the only original Dinyue race that might - at least the old ones - be capable of all mortal emotions.
Former self does not seem to play any role in a Unihakka's later personality development, although it is believed that a Unihakka's power is a direct result of how difficult it was to complete the transformation. The more a victim resists, the less compatible they are with becoming Dinyue, and the more outside attacks the forming monster is subjected to during the transformation, the stronger the resulting beast.
In the current age, new Unihakka can only be created by powerful, incredibly elaborate rituals that require far more than just a captured mortal. These rituals are a relatively recent innovation - in ancient times all Unihakka were created personally by the god-king of Din, Yue-Yue, from the very heroes that tried to slay it. Most of these ancient Unihakka fell alongside their god and city, consumed by the passage crows released by the slaying of the king, but those that remain are among the mightiest of their kind.
- Dark Fey are not approvable. -Although called "Fey", the three main Dinyue species can't breed with mortals nor, in fact, with anyone. However, half-dark fey born of pairings with fatascuro may be allowed.
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