Les Miserables and Vampires

Based on the idea behind Pride & Prejudice and Zombies-

Myriel: a spoiled aristocrat who fled the French Revolution to return home a pious vampire. He is made the Bishop of Digne. He worships Jesus as the first mortal man ressurected and ascended to immortality by God for his sacrifice. He foresakes material wealth and dedicates his immortality to the penurious. He saves Valjean from prison and by "the blood of the martyrs" he offers Valjean immortality if he dedicates his mortal life to God.

Myriel hides in the shadows and is unseen by all, but is ever present and is even felt as the Holy Spirit by those whose faith are being tested.

Fantine, Eponine, Gavroche, the Friends of the ABC, Enjolras, Grantaire and finally Jean Valjean: rewarded ascension for their martyrdom by Myriel.

Javert: A werewolf policeman with a narrow-minded but vigilent faith in God's righteous but merciless justice.  He does not believe in the forgiveness of sin. He is wrathful and pitiless. When Valjean refuses to prove his supposed wickedness and saves Javert's life, Javert cannot bring himself to arrest Valjean later. He feels pity for the first time for the innocent, dying Marius and forgives Valjean his crimes. Realizing his supposed failure of vigilence, he ultimately offers himself to Myriel. Myriel refuses him and denounces him for his merciless rage and hatred. When Javert kills himself, Myriel sucks his blood from the Seine.

The Thenardiers: viciously killed by Myriel at the end for their unrepentent godlessness.

Cosette and Marius: Myriel heals Marius and leaves him and Cosette with their happily ever after, for innocence must flourish in the world.

Trifunctional Society

I know its tired, but I've been sitting on an idea for years. Watching True Blood and taking in the mainstreaming agenda and Sanguinista movement, and reading the news, I wonder what the world would really be like if vampires took over the world. I was thinking something like the Matrix meets Planet of the Apes:

It is Utopia. The world is a place of light and beauty. There is no poverty. No war. No prisons. No hospitals. No suffering. No desperation. Where evil is always vanquished and true love conquers all and all live happily ever after. There is no hunger, no disease, no impairment, no invalids, no deformity, no injustice, and death is silent and kind.

The Industrial Revolution never happened. The world capital is located on the Mississippi River Delta. The entire world and all its territories are under an imperialistic monarchial empire. The world language is slowly forming from the root languages of proto-English, proto-French and proto-Spanish. Provincially, the world is a feudal aristocracy heavily structured by seniority. 

VAMPIRES:
All lands are owned by the vampires. All vampires hold sovereignty. They are the lords and the judges. All wealth and trade go through the lords. They hold religious authority. They are the messengers of The Ethereal God and represent his will on earth. They are angels of mercy, of justice, and ultimately Death. Beyond the cycle of Life and Death. Beautiful. Terrifying. Predatory. Hematophagous. Their blood is offered as holy sacrement and by them are the humans delivered to heaven.

WEREWOLVES:
All wolves serve a vampire lord. They defend the humans from foreign and domestic threats, ensure tranquility and enforce the lord's law. Courageous. Righteous. Benevelent. Respectful. Honest. Loyal. They worship the Savage Hunter and follow his code. 

HUMANS:
A sustainable community indepenent of its neighbors. The producers of goods. They grow and harvest their own food and tend the flocks to feed the wolves. They mine the resources and craft the products. The commoners. The peasants. The workers. They serve the wolves and vampire lords. They worship the Goddess of Mortal Life and revere her bounties. Most humans are under glamor, blissfully oblivious of the horrors and agonies around them. 

WITCHES: The religious leaders of the matrilineal human communities, a resistence movement among the human serfs. They spur the husbands to take up arms to slay the vampire lords and conquer the Undead God in the name of freedom and the Earth Goddess of Mortal Life.

Whodunnit, Laguna Beach

I know I haven't posted anything in forever, but I had to note something: Clue and the Family Guy episode "And Then There Were Fewer" are two of my favorite shows. The dinner party in a large creepy house with secret passages, the mystery host, then murder after murder! What I have to note is that these are both comedies. Were these Whodunnit stories cliche by the time I came around? How about a modern, up-to-date straight-faced murder mystery thriller set in a Laguna Beach mansion on a cliff overlooking the ocean? High society dinner party, an anonymous host, the guests are (supposedly) strangers, but ALL have a secret worth killing over. There's deceit, misdirections, red herrings. And all are somehow connected.

As a possibility for a twist ending, in the vein of Cabin in the Woods, produced by Joss Whedon: The entire night is in fact a Satanic ritual to summon the Devil and bring about the end of the world. In order to prove himself worthy of being the Host (possessed by Satan and essentially becoming the Antichrist), he must turn his own home into a deathtrap. The victims must be social elite, society's leaders: the wealthy, the powerful, the political, the religious, the famous, the military. They must enter the house willingly, at least 7 murders must occur but the last murder must be done by him and he must leave the house exculpated and unaccused, all before dawn. To ensure the ritual's success, he doses his victims' dinner with an epinephrine-based drug that induces paranoia and aggression while reducing cognitive reasoning.

Anne Rice's Vampire Video Game

Imagine Assassin's Creed meets Dragon Age meets Fable:

Character Creation: You get to be anyone in almost any time period in the world. Ancient Egypt. Ancient Rome. 18th century France. 20th century America. Depending on the story you choose, your maker can be a radical loner or of a superstitious coven. You will be taught how to feed, to avoid the sun, and whatever your maker chooses to teach you, including his beliefs or philosophies. First goal? Get away alive. Next goal? Survive eternity. Extra goal? Uncover the secrets of your kind, and the world at large.
Gameplay: The whole world is open for you to explore. The safe (and boring) way to live for centuries is to avoid all humans and vampires, feed off animals and bury yourself in the earth during the day. However, you might find some gems out in the most remote parts of the world. But most of the story takes place in human cities and vampire covens. You will be tempted and mesmerized by the wonders of the world, but there would be much more risks. The story is different for every character you play, so you will never get the full story from one lifetime. Depending on willpower, cunning, or just plain luck, you can live to be a Child of the Millenia or be destroyed within a few mere decades. At least once, the story will allow you to sleep the centuries away, and while this is tempting to avoid the headache of eternity, you may miss some pivotal storylines. However, it may be wise to go under at least once to avoid madness and destruction.
Powers: As a newborn vampire, you are strong, fast, resilient, sensitive and constantly needing living blood. Thirst, left unchecked, can affect your appearance, your powers and self-control. All major factors in gameplay, especially when surrounded by witnesses. Depending on your maker, you can start from the bottom or begin exceptionally gifted. Fire and sunlight is especially damaging and potentially fatal. The greater the damage, the longer the healing time (potentially centuries), but the more powerful you will be once healed. The older you get, the more powerful you become and will need less and less blood.
Mind Gift: The most common gift among vampires, involves communicating and reading thoughts. Commanding animals. Makers and fledglings cannot communicate with this gift, unless indirectly though others. Most vampires choose to block eachother from this gift. More advanced vampires can actually move things with the mind or leave the body and explore the world as a spirit.
Spell Gift: Almost as common as the Mind Gift, it requires more skill to cloud and control the minds of humans.
Fire Gift: A rare gift, you can ignite anything with your mind. Using this against vampires is especially damaging, and lethal to weaker vampires.
Cloud Gift: Only the most advanced vampires master the ability to fly.
Humans: You can choose to discriminately feed from only evildoers, indiscriminately feed from all humans, or feed only from animals. The course of your adventure may depend on your diet. If you have a human family, you may choose to nuture and protect them through the centuries, or abandon them alltogether. Occasionally, you'll come across unique human characters you may choose to establish relationships with and even give the Dark Gift to and become a maker. The relationship will eventually end, but depending on how you treat them, the relationship may last decades and they may come to your aid in the future.
Vampires: The politics and conflicts of vampires can be treacharous. But depending on how you handle them, there can be great rewards. You can make powerful allies or enemies. Some famous vampires may pop up: Lestat, Marius, Armand, Pandora, or even Those Who Must Be Kept. You can choose to start your own coven, join an existing one and conform to their practices, or exist apart. All have rewards and consequences. Another vampire's blood can advance your powers and heal your wounds. It can be taken or given at your own risk.
Talamasca: a secret human orginization dedicated to study not only vampires, but also witches, ghosts and demons. They strictly avoid direct contact with the paranormal world, but establishing a relationship with one can prove useful.

Steampunk Wizard

OK, this is a weak one but still very magical. A dream I had last night, all color and elegance:

It's Colonial Age England and a grand, beautiful sailing ship has beached. In an attempt to tow it back onto water, it capsizes and is completely destroyed. Since I am a magical student, I attempt a Reverse Time spell on the wreckage to restore the ship. It was much too slow with my power alone, so I join hands with two girls (one who I think was supposed to be my sister) to add their spiritual energy to mine. The ship is good as new almost instantly. Once on board, I see the ship it is tarnished and blemished all over, showing that it was far from new before its destruction. Wanting to show off, I release my magical energies from my fingers to engulf the ship in a Renewal spell, restoring it's original splendor. Though I was deliberately being ostentatious, everyone was impressed.

PG-13 Power Rangers

Does anyone else think Power Rangers has potential for a young adult audience? Realistic violence, mature themes, scarier villains. More faithful to the tokusatsu Super Sentai. More adult sci-fi than juvenile fantasy. Marvel Comics plus Animorphs plus Matrix plus Doctor Who. War, death, freedom, survival, love, innocence are major themes.
Premise: A mysterious, peaceful alien race discovers a prehistoric Earth. Instead of colonizing it, they leave behind sustainable color-coded energies that can convert into physical manifestations (energy into matter), such as armored suits, weapons and mechanized vehicles, through computer programming. The computer is constructed on an island in the North Pacific to function automatically and will activate during an alien invasion. Native inhabitants (humans) would be recruited to harness the energies and defend the planet from alien conquest: The Rangers. Through neuro-transmitting, all combat training would be instantaneous and piloting of vehicles would be directly through the motor cortex. If any threat compromises the integrity of the energies because of new technologies or a new invading species, then the computer program would reformat and recalibrate the energies to adapt to new threats. There are seven energies in all (white/pink/red/yellow/green/blue/black) and are electromagnetically attracted to each other. If any energy signature is disrupted and flung into space, they would fall into orbit and slingshot back to the other energies. The mysterious alien race that originally harnessed these sustainable energies never make an appearance, taking a neutral stance among the warring, rivaling intergalactic empires, but indirectly influence or even intervene with Earth's defense programming: lost energies return to Earth augmented or fallen rangers' DNA signatures would be extracted and cloned to return to duty, with no original memory of their organic lives; only through neuro-uploading will they regain functionality. There will always be a new threat to Earth and the Rangers program will always recalibrate and adapt to effectively defend the planet from invasion, even if the Rangers fall and are replaced.

Temporal Scholars

I love it when this happens! I haven't had a cohesive dream like this is years! I think it was seriously inspired by MIB 3, X-Men:Destiny and Awkward. A Sci-fi Comedy TV program.
And in hindsight, I think it's too much like Doctor Who:

A physics college professor tasks three students to work together and maintain the integrity of the time/space continuum from any threats, such as cosmic phenomenon or even direct alien interference. Each of the students have a unique mental talent that the professor calls Extra-Temporal Perception (ETP). He finds them, joins them together and individually teaches them how to understand and control their mental ability to see and travel through time.

• Becca: From modern times, previously a Psychology major. Though mostly indifferent to the cause, she is the most talented of the three. She has the unique ability to see the auras around individuals reflecting the positive and negative consequences of their potential actions, like a infra-red camera perceives heat energy. She is the most empathetic of the three, connecting to individuals on a personal level.
• Roy: From the 1950s, previously a World History major, on an athletic scholarship. He has the unique ability to perceive his own genetic memory, going as far back as William the Conqueror. With the Professor's training, he might go back even further. The most selfish and reckless of the three, he is more likely to cause a temporal disturbance than to repair one.
• William: From Victorian times, previously a Literature and Theoretical Physics major. Although he is the least talented of the three, he is the most devoted to the cause. Already passionate about Temporal Science and Physics, he is an avid fan of the literary work of Jules Verne and H.G. Wells.
• The Professor: A large black man with a crisp Southern English accent. Inhumanly wise, he also has a quirky sense of humor and a strange fascination with pop culture. he is very mysterious; the students wonder if the origins of their powers are from him or even if their powers, as well as he, are alien.

In the first episode, the characters are introduced and the Professor teaches each of them the basics of focusing their mental ability to see through time by mapping out the history of Western culture with an imaginary graphic interface.

In the second episode, Roy impulsively decides to prevent the Emancipation Proclamation from being written, thinking the Union would win the Civil War faster if the Confederacy had less motivation to fight, saving thousands of lives, and the Proclamation would eventually get written after the war. The opposite happens: with the Union losing sight of what they are fighting for, the Confederacy eventually wins. When they try to get back to the Professor, he's a musician. Becca and William have to help Roy clean up his mess on their own.

My Inception Limbo

In Inception, Leonardo DiCaprio went to Limbo and built his dream world. What would yours be?

I was born among of the humans of the grasslands. I sailed across the great ocean toward the east, searching for adventure and fortune.

I slayed Proteus in his form of the great Kraken. I claimed his undine daughters has my wives. I promised them protection if they drowned all would-be human invaders.

I landed in a lagoon overlooked by seacliffs. I built my castle on these cliffs, overlooking the lagoon I named Harem's Lagoon.

With my sons, we explored the magical forests beyond the coast, vast as it attempted to climb the Stone Mountains. The Fay and the Jotunn make war as the mountain Jotunn attempt to conquer the Fay forest.

I reached the volcanos of the south and tamed the dragons as my mounts. I tamed the gargoyles to guard my castle.

With my sired army, we flew into battle on our fire-breathing dragons. We slayed the Jotunn, freed the Dwarves inside the Stone Mountains from slavery and saved the Fay Forest from extinction.

The Fay crowned me King of the Forest. My sons took faery wives and begot the elves. The Fay taught me their magics and I became the Beast, the Shapeshifting King of the Fay. I built trade routes under the mountains and traded with the Dwarves.

With my magical kingdom, I rivaled the Human Empire and held them at bay from my land.

The Four

Vampires. Werewolves. Witches. Ghosts. They're all so cliche now, right? Dark Shadows, Buffy, Twilight, True Blood, Being Human, Vampire Diaries, etc. Is it wrong for me to want to do a fourway story about a werewolf, a vampire, a witch and a ghost? The stories I have so far would all come together, like destiny. The four who couldn't be more different, yet somehow belong together. The light, the dark, the high, the low.

• The Werewolf: As an awkward and listless teenager, he was bit by an aged werewolf withdrawing from his pack to die. With newfound energy and focus, he reveled in his new animal nature. After exhausting his petty adolescent desires, he found a pack that welcomed him into their ranks, but after surviving the dod-eat-dog world that is high school, the last thing he wanted to do was fall into just another clique. He rejected the pack and retreated into the woods to find his own path. Now a self-actualized man/beast of the forest, he contently lives in solitude, living off the land, maintaining a sustainable lifestyle and finding serenity in the simple joys of nature. Studies: Druidism, Shamanism, Craft
• The Witch: She grew up as most psychics did; being treated as crazy. She could hear voices in her head that were not her own. After years in an institution, she was eventually recognized for her abilitites and exploited. Finally, she made her way into the "right" hands: her peers. She found out that she came from a long tradition of mind over matter; knowledge is literally power. The more she studied, the more powerful she became. The school of Illusion and Mental Manipulation is the easiest to master, and she was already a talent at a young age. She could not only pull mental energies of others, but push. But again, she hits a glass ceiling. Finding herself in a androcentric beaucracy that discriminates and even persecutes its female members, she had to beat them at their own game to reach her full potential. Studies: Clairaudiance, Telepathy, Hermeticism
• The Vampire: Born in 1933, he grew up being bullied and abused for being different. Desperate to be accepted and loved, he did his best to fit in, only to be expelled by his family at 18. Being passed from man to man, he finally became the kept boy of a vampire. At age 20, he was turned and groomed by his maker to be a predator; to seletively exterminate undesireables. Finally knowing real power, he also wanted freedom. He quickly betrayed his maker and did the unthinkable: drink his own maker dry. With new purpose and ambition, he preyed on the weakest vampires he could find, growing unnaturally stronger with every kill. He eventually rose to challenge the Original, and successfully usurped him as king of the undead. An amoral individual, his only goal is a hedonistic exisitence, free from judgement or consequence. Studies: Necromancy, Hematomancy
• The Ghost: A shy, appeasing young girl in life, her desires were simple: to marry her sweetheart and live happily after. All that was shattered when she was murdered. Having no memory of what happened or who killed her, her only goal she had left was to say goodbye to her love, something she never could accomplish. Over the decades, she met other lost souls, scared and confused, stuck in their own grief. Her only purpose she has left is to help others find the peace that she never got. And she's good at it. Studies: Mediumship, Empathy

Fantasy=Sci-fi

Jumping off the Surfing Elf idea, and watching Thor, is it so far-fetched to consider a galaxy where every fantasy species (elves, dwarves, trolls, mermen, dragons, etc.) had their own planet? The Dragonriders of Pern played with it decades ago: a planet colonized by humans, domesticating the native dragons to burn space spores before they devour the planet. As Thor described, magic and science are the same. Asgard, Midgard, Jotunheim and the rest are in fact planets across the galaxy which are accessed by the wormhole technology, Bifrost. Why not completely blur the lines between high fantasy and hard science fiction completely? Humans colonizing planets and coming into conflict with other planetary and/or dimentional lifeforms, all of which parallels with ancient folklore.

Epic characters

• The Champion (Henry Cavill): Born right in the middle of the Southern Islands, his homeland is war-torn by the Tuisto invaders and the vigilant Deucalion forces. An orphan and a bastard, he is an obvious halfbreed Tuisto/Deucalion, with his rich black hair and pale blue eyes. Born with the heart of a diplomat, he has the gift of empathy and understanding; he can relate to all sides of an argument. But he was a man of peace born into a world of war. Having no other prospects, he enlisted in a Deucalion army to defend his homeland. But as a private, he witnessed crimes against humanity committed by his battalion: killing of civilian Tuisto settlers, burning of their settlements and worse. When he violently defied his commander, he had no choice but to desert. Confused and lost in this world, he does not know who he is or what he stands for. All he knows for sure is that he wants to do the right thing, even if he doesn’t know what that is yet.
• The Nun (Lenora Crichlow): The Champion’s twin sister, she is a gifted mage and healer. She has dedicated her life to the Sisterhood of the Healing Waters, devoting her magics to heal and never harm. When her brother fled, she felt obligated to go with him and protect him from harm. Outside the comfort of her convent, she is finding it harder and harder to uphold her vow of pacifism.
• The Soldier: A dwarven soldier, he is everything a dwarf should be; stubborn, closed-minded, isolationistic and ethnocentric. For a young dwarf, he is a natural in the martial art of resisting; through body and mind, he can nullify the effects of magic and actively defend his nation from the subversive forces of the universe. Being so promising, he would have rose in the ranks quickly and have an impressive political career, if it were not for his unfortunate association with his criminal brother.
• The Rogue: He is everything his brother is not: facetious, rebellious and multi-cultural. Since he was a boy, he loved everything human, especially music. Never caring for the strict authoritative culture he grew up in, he took the profession of a bard, a most inappropriate vocation among dwarves. However, music is a fashionable novelty among dwarven nobility, and he quickly gained work as a spy. While dabbling in the political intrigue of the kingdom, he also dabbled in theft. A skilled thief, he stole precious riches and fenced them to human traders. However, he was caught more than once, and branded a thief on his face. Despite his sporadic bad luck, he loves nothing more than a good joke and a good tune.
• The Wizard (Jamie Kaler): Blazen-haired and brazen-spirited, this young wizard climbed high in the magical hierarchy without much effort. Born fatherless, then orphaned as a boy, his exceptional talent in magic became apparent very early, and got him placed in the University of Wizardry. He is rumored to be a cambion; born of human and spirit, his raw magical power is unusual, especially for a human. Impertinent toward the proud, elvish-centric magocracy, his ambition is the same as his magical power: potentially limitless.
• The Assassin (Ashley Greene): Most do not even realize she is a young girl. An exceptional killer, she is proficient in knives, poisons and her trademark is to use her feminine whiles to disarm her targets before she strikes, which is how she got her name: the Spider. A mysterious woman, she is rumored to once had been a Deucalion noble. But how did become such a skilled assassin? Some say she murdered her father and ran to escape prosecution. Some say her entire family was murdered in the dead of night by a rival house. Whatever the case, she fell into dark places and killed to survive. Now, she is one of the best.
• The Hunter: Among the elves, a boy comes of age when he makes his first kill and provides for his clan. As a boy, this young elf was overconfident when he went out into the woods during the full moon to hunt, armed with only a bone dagger and a toy bow. The wolves were on the prowl, and he was little and alone. When a pack had him in their sights, they chased him into a briar thicket, and with primal courage, stabbed a chomping wolf in the head. To celebrate his kill, he licked the blood from the dagger and absorbed the wolf’s spirit. Ever since, he became the most skilled hunter of his clan. A proud and serious elf, reverent of the old ways, he is a paragon among his kind, and considered a choice prospective mate to any woman. Too bad he has no interest in anything other than hunting with his elvish brothers...
• The Witch: A powerful and respected leader among her people, it is no surprise her son grew up to be such a successful hunter. Though she is in a position to have many mates, she only loved one elf: her son’s father, who died defending his homeland from human invaders. In her grief, she retreated into the forest, meditating on the gifts and cruelties of Nature, with only her son to guard her from the dangers of the forest. By human standards, she would be confused for her son’s big sister.
• The Barbarian: A common enough young giant among his people, he was born into anarchy, forced to steal and kill to survive from infancy. But seeing the senselessness of his violent culture, he tries to find a deeper meaning his life. Living apart from other giants, he tries to contemplate a better life for his people, finding honor among the chaos. But finding that delicate balance between savagery and serenity is difficult for any being, if not impossible for a giant.
• The Lich (Baron Vladimir Harkonnen): A bastard born of a Ugyek noble and a Romnai mother, he was reminded every day of his life that he was an abomination. After years of being taught he was born evil, he decided to accept that as the truth. He grew up indulging his darkest impulses and sating his most perverted desires. Eventually dabbling in blood magic and necromancy, he would sacrifice young boys to his experiments then leave their corpses to rot. He was finally arrested and executed for his crimes... everything went exactly according to plan. He awoke a lich and a vampyr, having perfected the dark arts for his abominable plans: to kill anyone who’s ever crossed him, enslave their undead corpses, and subjugate the rest of humanity.
• The Slave: Born into slavery, this half-elf fell victim to a variety of abuses common to a slave. When the Lich came across him, he saw in him a kindred spirit, and bought him from the last of a long line of owners. Though at first relieved to be so treasured by his new master, he soon realized he fell out of the frying pan and into the fire. He became the Lich’s own personal plaything and bloodbag. He now walks a fine line between adoration and terror, not knowing whether the Lich will always love him, or eventually kill him.

Epic

In case you didn't notice, I have a taste for fantasy. Dragon Age, Elder Scrolls, Lord of the Rings, Legend, Games of Thrones, etc. It's a wonder I never played Dungeons & Dragons! LOL Just because I want to, I'm going to work on a fantasy world of my own:

"Physical & Spiritual Biology and the Theory of Evolution"

It has been called the Shadow, the Nether, and the Realm of Dreams. Like Night is to Day, Winter is to Summer, and Death is to Life, so is the next dimension is to this one. They are two sides of the same coin. Almost all lifeforms are familiar with the spirit dimension, and almost all spirits are familiar with the physical dimension. There are three classifications of Life:

• Mortal: All lifeforms that exist in this dimension alone are completely enslaved to its laws, especially time. Once their temporary flesh succumbs to senescence and fails, their spiritual selves pass through the Shadow and possibly into nothing.
• Cambion: Mortal men with natural magical abilities, these spiritually talented lifeforms are the product of mortal/daemon consummations. Mages of all cultures are believed to be descendants of cambions.
• Immortal: Though they are physical beings with physical limitations, time does not rule them and Nature does not rule them. Most have an affinity for magic and some can even move freely between the two dimensions. It is the hypothesis that this classification of life was spawned by the cross-breeding of physical and spiritual lifeforms.
• Daemon: Having never existed in this realm, spirits have no concept of morality. Some can be classified as benign, malign, and everything in between. Only by magical means can the line between this dimension and the next be broken.

"The Evolution and Classification of Dragons"

• Serpent: Not to be confused with mortal snakes, Serpents are spiritual creatures of pure energy. With no consciousness or intelligence to speak of, they act on instinct alone, causing mayhem in their wake. Now believed to be extinct, these could possibly be the first wielders of magic, or "mages", the arcane word for "changers". The theory is that the Serpents burned their way into our dimension and mated with coldblooded reptiles, particularly snakes.

Before the fall of the Deucalion Empire, dragons were as common as dogs and cats. Since the rise of Tuisto invasions, dragons have been exterminated to the brink of extinction.

• Amphiptere: Flying serpentines. Once the most common species of dragon, they were mostly domesticated as familiars (assistants in the practice of magic) or house pets. Their diet included vermin, bugs, eggs and small birds. They were a welcome addition to any household. However, crossbreeding with poultry was a problem, resulting in cockatrice. These hybrids are born sterile and are considered useless. Like most breeds of dragons, Amphipteres are pyrorespiraters.
• Basilisk: Though not technically a dragon, they are closely related. Giant immortal snakes, these beings are extremely rare and can petrify its victims with its gaze. Prefers extremely dark habitats, including caves and underwater grottos. The speculation is that gorgons, another extremely rare immortal, is the product of a basilisk being impregnated by a human.
• Faydragon: Extremely small, multi-winged serpentines. Not to be confused with dragonflies. Pyrorespiraters. Common in meadows and gardens. Diet includes insects and tiny birds. Often mounted by flightless fayfolk. Speculated to be the offspring of dragons and flying insects, such as butterflies and moths.
• Gargoyles: Stocky quadrupeds. Pyrorespiraters. Ranging in size from that of small dogs to cattle. Known for their dark coloring to camouflage into stone environments. Domesticated for fighting, racing and guarding, as well as familiars. Nocturnal.
• High Dragon: Flying serpentine quadrupeds. Pyrorespiraters. The largest and most infamous species of dragon. Diet is mainly livestock and sea mammals. Habitats include high, isolated areas far away from civilization, including mountains, large caves and sea-cliffs. Extremely territorial and antisocial. Hens lay at most three eggs at a time and use metals of high plasticity (particularly gold) in nesting. Drakes are slightly smaller than hens.
• Hydra: Multi-headed serpentines. Pyrorespiraters. The rarest and most unusual dragon, Hydras hatch with three heads and often grow new ones as other heads are damaged. Prefers dark, humid habitats.
• Sea Serpents: Aquatic serpentines. Most numerous and diverse species. Speculated to be hybrids of dragons and fish. While almost extinct in the Southern Sea, they thrive in the Great Ocean.
• Salamander: Pyrorespiraters. Possibly the original breed of dragon, this small flightless reptilian can withstand extreme heat and prefers chthonic/tectonic habitats. As familiars, they were kept in hearths and feed off whatever fell in from what was cooking.
• Wyrm: Large armored serpentines. Commonly found in woodlands. Fairly rare. Solitary and territorial.
• Wyvern: Flying bipeds. Pyrorespiraters. Roughly the size of horses, they were common mounts among the archons and magisters of the Deucalion Empire.

"Historical Studies of the Immortal Races"

• Sylphs: These flying humanoids were believed to originate in the Shadow. As free and ethereal as the wind, these beings possibly flew into this dimension and gained physical properties, evolving into what is now known as fay.
• Fay: Pixies, Sprites, Dryads, Spriggans, Brownies, Kobolds, Leprechauns, Imps; these are some of many names that are given to the Fay. Possibly the most magical of lifeforms, they flow freely between the two dimensions. They are capable of all sorts of magics and are known for their illusions and shapeshifting abilities. Despite their power, Fay are completely integrated with Nature; respecting and maintaining its delicate balance. Their habitats are where Nature and wildlife flourishes most; usually forests. While most Fay have wings, some do not; particularly male Fay. They range in size from those of small children to tiny insects. The only material known to be toxic to Fay is iron; they will not go near it. When mortals developed relations with the Fay, crossbreeding and assimilation was not unheard of. Humans were sometimes seduced by Fay into the Shadow and never returning. Flightless Fay have been known to commute to human settlements for trade and employment. However, after the rise of the Deucalion Empire, relations began to suffer. Humans would encroach on Fay territory, expanding from the South Sea Islands to colonize the western forests. Trees were cut down and animals were killed for sport; grave offenses to the laws of Nature. Incidents of mistreatment and abuse of the Fay lead the Fay to retaliate with spells, ranging from harmless pranks to malicious curses. After the fall of the Empire, the Fay chose to retreat from the human world completely, only maintaining contact with their mortal brethren, the elves.
• Changelings: While Immortals never tire in mind or body, they may tire in spirit. With the developing relations with humans, there were incidents of infants being kidnapped, raised by Fay, and being replaced by elder Fay who chose to relinquish immortality for a mortal life, maintaining the illusion of the kidnapped child. Some Fay die immediately in a human environment. Some live out a mortal life. Some decide to fake their deaths to return home. Unless caught by wizards, many changelings go undetected in human households.
• Gnomes: As much as they have in common with the Fay, they are infinitely different. Gnomes are genderless chthonic immortals who can move through stone and earth as freely as other lifeforms move through air. Besides minor shapeshifting abilities, they have no affinity for magic. Preferring to live underground in complete darkness, they are a misunderstood, if not frightening, race. If ever gazed upon by mortal eyes or exposed to light, they will freeze in place like stone; once mortal eyes blink, they would flee. Gnomes would only attack if threatened or their territories were invaded. Naturally, most mortals have a phobia of gnomes, but in truth, gnomes are harmless and indifferent to all other races, except perhaps the mortal dwarves.
• Ondines: Merfolk, nixies, selkies, naiads, nereids; all are names given to the ondines. Flowing freely between the dimensions like the tide, they inhabit any natural body of water. They are exceptionally beautiful, even by Fay standards. They can shapeshift into many aquatic lifeforms, including living water. Mostly in female form, crossbreeding with humans is extremely common; but the circumstance are always different, whether it be rape, seduction or even true love. Throughout human history, it was considered a great achievement to impregnate an ondine. Their offspring, however beautiful and healthy, are always mortal. It is important to note that descendants of ondine/human hybrids tend to become cleric mages of the Sisterhood of Danu.
• Goblins: Considered the most terrifying of immortals, these creatures were once called nightmares, but that word came to be known as the effect goblins have on sleeping mortals. The fear of goblins is instilled at a young age; parents tell their children to behave or "the goblins will get you". What is disturbing is that this is very true. Instead of reproducing naturally, Goblins prey on young children, even babies, to initiate into their brood. The neglected, abandoned, abused, unloved and mostly unwanted are vulnerable. The first symptoms of a Goblin’s presence is nightmares. If ignored, the child would eventually disappear. Truly heartless parents willingly give away their children to the goblins. Gruesomely ugly, cunning and the size of small children, what makes these lifeforms notable is their cruel and sadistic nature; they would much rather torment and torture their victims than kill them outright. What little magic they possess they use to cast illusions of our deepest fears. Only the most evil and powerful mages can command the respect of a goblin. If you meet someone who is served by goblins, you know you are dealing with a moral cancer.
• Unicorns: Considered the most pure and gentle of creatures, this extremely rare lifeform is considered sacred by both mortals and immortals alike. A crude joke among wizards is that the unicorn is the product of a goat inseminating an ondine, but who's to say that is untrue. An exceptionally beautiful creature, it resembles a snow-white ungulate with flowing fleece and a single spiral horn pointing straight up. An impossibly skittish animal, it will only dare to approach the most pure and innocent of mortals. The only magical ability it has is to cure, heal and purify anyone or anything with its horn. It is possible to cut off the horn and use it like a wand, but the removal of the horn is the only thing that can kill a unicorn, and only goblin masters would dare do such a thing.

“The Gigantomanchies”

When the Earth was in her infancy, her surface was highly unstable. Only the most robust lifeforms could survive. Those first mortal races had many names: Titans, Jotunn, Fomorians, Daitya. A savage, barbaric race, they worshipped gods of catastrophe and chaos, death and destruction. They believed in the challenge of Life; fight strong or die trying. The weak are meat, and the strong shall eat. Large, strong, brutish and blunt. They were like mountains withstanding the storms and tides. Only when the gods of Nature and Culture tamed the Earth did these races become obsolete. Originally a dry, harsh surface, the gods flooded the Earth, leaving behind rich, fertile land, vast bodies of water, and many drowned gigantics. The Deluge was almost as destructive as any disaster, but eventually, the gods laid claim to it. Only remnants of the gigantic races remain beyond civilization; places where the younger races have yet to, or ever will, tame.  

• Ogres: Large, heavy, violent, savage and less than intelligent; that is all you really need to know about ogres. These are the residual descendants of ancient gigantics. While the occasional ogre can dabble in sorcery, all ogres are known to eat almost all kinds of meat; including each other. Their appetites for gore and flesh is infamous. While fairly rare, they can be found almost anywhere in the world, far from civilization.
• Trolls: Beyond the Northern Seas, lies the mountainous Dangerlands, where the gigantics have evolved into two races. Originally fairly diverse, human conquest led to interbreeding. The gigantic breeds that were neither slain nor bred with humans adapted to the Dangerlands. Just as large and strong as ogres, they are much leaner and more muscular. They are physically known for their prominent noses and ears. Of average intelligence, they have been known to speak; their voices are described as those of an extremely old person. Their preferred habitats are dark, wet, cold places, such as wetlands, caves, or even under bridges. Nocturnal by nature, it is rumored that they would turn to stone in sunlight, but a troll would sooner die than prove it true. Possibly the most antisocial creatures in this dimension, they only cohabitate with their young, and even then someone tends to get murdered. 
• Giants: Though they like to think of themselves as pure human, they are not. Standing a clear foot taller than humans, it is clear they share some blood with gigantics. Carving out a harsh living in the northern Dangerlands across the sea, their society borders on anarchy. What little authority exists in the icelands consists of warlords and sorcerers. Tribes would constantly war with each other for territory and resources, even when there is none to be had. The main differences between ogres and giants is that giants are considerably more social, more intelligent and cannibalism is significantly less common. (Language is a Sami/Finnish with Germanic influences)

“Dwarven Culture”

The Dwarven Kingdoms lie deep within the Great White Mountain Range dividing the Wide Western Lands between north and south. Of all the mortal races, the humans and dwarves have had the best relationship. Standing average two feet shorter than humans, they look like they were not cut down, but simply smashed down humans. Indeed heavier than humans, their mass is typically denser. Though technically mortal, they live up to five times longer than humans. They take great pride in their facial hair: males consider their beards as masculine endowment, and only cut them as an act of great shame or sorrow. Even the females take pride in their stubble. A very materialistic and practical race, they place value in the precious metals and gems the Stone provides them. Divided by generational politics, there are Isolationists who wish to cut ties with the outside world, cease all trade and return to and preserve the traditions of the Dwarves. The Liberalists believe in free-trade, freedom of religion and private property rights. Technological progress was slow but steady; only new ideas that proved useful were encouraged, while frivolous ideas were immediately discarded. Advanced in smithcraft and engineering, they currently traded goods and knowledge in exchange for crops, fermented beverages, and a variety of artworks (especially music). Tracking their history as far as the humans ever could, it is speculated that the dwarves are the descendants of gnomes. A controversial idea is that humans who spilled their blood (and seed) onto the ground was absorbed by the gnomes and gestated into the primal dwarves. Even though they have no direct contact with their parent race, they place their faith in the Stone. Not technically atheistic, the dwarves worship the caverns they live in under the mountains as a genderless, unconscious entity that gave birth to them. However, with human exchange, The Fire God has gained followers who accept him as the Prime Ancestor birthed by the Stone. Dwarves have zero magical abilities, and when they were finally exposed to it, they were horrified. The laws of physics were being broken right before their eyes and they could not abide it. In secret, the warriors of their society prayed to the Stone and focused their mental energies on their natural resistance to magic, and with time and discipline, developed a martial art that allowed dwarves to absorb and nullify magic. Those warriors who mastered this technique became known as Resistors. (Language is Albanian/Armenian/Georgian with superficial Germanic vocabulary)

“The Elvish Kingdoms”

    Once a great nation that spanned over the lands north of the Great White Mountain Range and into the Western Woodlands, the elvish cultures have dissipated into minor territories. Standing average one foot shorter than humans, they have a certain feminine beauty; naturally slim and beardless. The most prominent feature of elves is their long, pointed ears. Though they are technically mortal, they live up to ten times longer than humans. While elves have a variety of brilliant eye colors, their long, lustrous hair changes color with age. At birth, their hair is snow-white. During adolescence and early adulthood, their hair changes to blond. Once their hair turns red, they are considered in their prime of life; between the vitality of youth and the wisdom of maturity. As their hair turns to brown, they reach "middle age" as the humans call it; a time between summer and winter. When their hair turns black, they are reaching their end. Sharing a kinship with the Fay, it is no large leap to say that they are the lost children of humans and Fay, but the elves firmly deny this. They do however have a rich culture of art, music and lore, past down from generation to generation. They pride themselves as being in harmony with Nature, taking what they need to survive and nothing more. A matrilineal society, war and crime are alien concepts to them, since all disputes are resolved by their clan mothers. They are also a rather sexually liberal culture: it is not uncommon, nor taboo, for an elf to not know who his father is. Males are expected to serve and honor females, for they are the givers of life. A richly artistic and medicinally advanced culture, they had much to offer the humans, including the magical arts, called the Craft. 

• Sun Elves: The first elvish culture to have direct contact with, and ultimately influenced by, the Deucalion culture. Their culture and religion is the most deviated from Elvish tradition, concentrating on the importance of the sun god. The more masculine Elvish culture, they made war with the Deucalions, but ultimately surrendered to conquest. They exchanged many ideas and values, especially concerning the art of magic. Sun elves adopted Deucalion culture, including patrilineal family roles and a capitalistic economy, hoping to earn their place in this new society. However, unless gaining prestige through magical talent and knowledge, most elves were second-class citizens, even being sold into slavery. When the Deucalion Empire fell, the sun elves retained the culture, but eventually assimilated Tuisto influences. (Language sounds Brythonic with Arcane and Deucalion vocabulary)
• Moon Elves: The most mysterious race of elves, little is known about them. They are nocturnal and live on the western land separating the Southern Sea from the Great Ocean. What little is known of them is that they are moon-worshippers, in contrast to their sun elf cousins. When Deucalion forces invaded their territory, they stepped right over the moon elves, ignorant of their presence. However, moon elves would either attempt to reclaim lost land through stealth, are quietly co-exist with their new neighbors. Through simple patience, the moon elves reclaimed their homeland from the Deucalions. (Language is mix of Brythonic and Basque)
• Wood Elves: Living on the isolated islands off the coast of the western woodlands into the Great Ocean, the wood elves are the most preserved Elvish culture of the three. Although met with intruders, both Deucalion and Tuisto, the wood elves maintained their independence and claim to the islands. Very nationalistic and patriotic, they cling to the old traditions and pride themselves on honoring their ancestors and not succumbing to alien influences. (Language Goidelic)

"The History of Human Civilizations"
    Humans were considered the vermin of the sentient races. They survived the Deluge. Even though they were primitive and weak and short lived, they were resilient and bred like rodents. They buried their dead for the Mother to receive. They hunted the hoofed and gathered the fruit. They domesticated and bonded with the canines. When the gods granted them fire, they burned their dead to relase them to the Father. Then with fire, they forged. With what they forged, they built shelter, tamed the lands and beasts, waged war with their rivals and neighbors. When they sat and listend to the wind and heard Father's messengers. When they looked up at the stars, they saw His face. The humans listened. They spoke. They wrote. And now is the time of Man.

• Desert Ruins: Believed to be one of the oldest civilizations in human history, the desert ruins lie on the banks of a river stretching across the vast desert, beyond the Southern Sea. Grand and extravagant structures were built for their kings and their dead, leaving behind the secrets of their sages carved into the walls and buried in the sand with the well-preserved dead. Only the wisest wizards can interpret the sacred carvings, and only the bravest souls would dare penetrate the magically-guarded tombs.
• Ziusudra Empire: The oldest living civilization of humans, the Ziusudras are bitter rivals to the Deucalions. Lying east of the Southern Sea, in a land between two rivers, the empire suffered many revolutions and was ruled by many dynasties. But the Ziusudras never lost their culture, ultimately growing stronger with every rebirth. Eventually expanding beyond the bi-river valley into the mountains east and west, they mined precious metals and accumulated their wealth. To this day, the Ziusudra civilization remains a threat to the Deucalion Empire and the Wide Western Lands at large.
• Deucalion Empire: Originally sailing merchants of the Southern Sea, they settled among the eastern islands and the along the coasts, building rival kingdoms. A proud and individualistic race, they competed amongst themselves for everything, from resources to glory. Only when they were threatened by Ziusudra conquest did they unite by their common culture and pride to defend their homelands. Once their survival as a civilization was secured, they swore they would never be threatened with defeat again. They began to conquer all islands of the Southern Sea and all lands south of the Great White Mountain Range, establishing their empire. Moving west then north, they conquered most of the elvish territories. At its peak, the Deucalion Empire claimed the whole south and west of the Wide Western Land. (Greek with significant Latin vocabulary)
• Tuisto tribes: Ranging the grasslands bordering on the Northern Seas, the Tuisto culture is as robust and proud as the Deucalions ever were, if not as civilized and educated. While the Deucalions had the Ziusudras to challenge them into unity, the Deucalions did not have the same effect on the Tuistos. Spreading across the Northern Woodlands, they established tribes, then independent kingdoms. When the Deucalion Empire threatened to conquer them, all Tuisto kingdoms met them with equal, if not united, ferocity. By this time, the once proud and noble culture of the Deucalion Empire had become complacent and decadent, too secure in their self-perceived invincibility. The younger Tuisto people proved too stubborn to surrender, and the Empire did not have the stamina to hold their territories. Eventually, the Tuistos became the conquerers, and the Deucalion Empire crumbled. Now only a shadow of its former self, the Deucalions hold only their original southeast homelands and islands in the Southern Sea, maintaining the eastern blockades against the Utnapishtim Empire. As for the Tuisto, they assimilated the peoples, cultures and territories they conquered, forming independent states all over the Wide Western Lands. (Germanic Dialects)
• Ugyek kingdom: Isolated and surrounded by mountains beyond a vast forest, this human culture between and east of the Tuistos and Deucalions has fought to keep outside influences where they belong (outside) for centuries. Their foggy moorlands were considered of poor quality to both major nations, but invasion attempts were not unheard of. Intensely territorial, they would gladly kill anyone whom they consider a threat to their land and way of life. (Language Hungarian)
• Romnai: Though most consider these nomadic people to be the descendants of the long dead Desert civilization, they claim to be from a land far east, beyond the Ziusudra Empire. Traveling from place to place, with no military unity, they are not considered a threat by anyone. However, they are alien to most other cultures, with an exclusive, secretive attitude toward outsiders. They are at best tolerated, but mostly distrusted wherever they go. (Language Romani)

"The Theology of Magic across Cultures"

• The University of Wizardry: After the fall of the Deucalion Empire, the wizards who were left behind, both elvish and human, banded together to preserve the knowledge the Empire had accumulated over the centuries, as well as learn from our ancestors' mistakes. Based in Sun Elf territory of the central Western Woodlands, they take a very scientific approach to magic and the world in general. While knowledge and freedom are valued above all else, it is understood in the university that some magics must be forbidden for the good of the mortal world and Nature herself. The fraternity is made up of mostly men, who study the arcane language and discipline the mind to master the magical arts. 

(Arcanic: The wizards studied this language to master the secrets of reality. Taught to them by the spirits, it is the true language of the universe; not invented by any mortal. Sounding like a mix of Latin and Hebrew and Coptic and Persian and Sanskrit and Chinese, it is a sharp, challenging language.)

• The Sisterhood of the Healing Waters: Followers of the Water Goddess, they preach unconditional love and compassion. Sworn to use their magics to heal, both the body and the soul, these nuns dedicate their lives to selflessly treat all forms of afflictions and maladies, mend the wounded and broken, and ease the suffering of all. Under the authority of the pious wizards, they are instructed in the healing arts.

-Messengers: The benevolent daemons that dedicate themselves to eternal service to the Sky Father. Loyal and humble, they ease the suffering of His children and provide them with assurance of His presence. The wizards speculate these are the descendants of the Sylphs. Instead of descending to the physical dimension like their Fay brethren, they dedicate their existence to ushering His chosen children to his realm.

-Deceivers: The malevolent daemons that serve the Under God. Spiteful and rebellious, they chose to seduce and tempt all Life’s children into betraying their better natures, just to prove they can. 

• The Craft: The elves believe, above all else, in the balance of nature. The Fertile Mother gave birth to her own lover, The Virile Father, and together they created all life. But with life, comes death, and with death, comes life. The Virile Father takes life to sustain his own, while the Great Mother gives life to replace what is lost. The cycle of masculine and feminine energy is constant and perpetual. Like the seasons, the elven soul recedes into the Dream; a place of peace and rest, only to be reborn into the Waking World anew. With autumn, comes winter. With winter, comes spring; so does all life. Though there are equal female and male practitioners in the Craft, females are given the higher authority. Non-elven mortals have developed the derogatory term "witch" for Craft practitioners, suggesting their female-dominant culture is evil. Though they don't take kindly to insults, the elves take pride in what outsiders fear and resent.
• The Resistors: The dwarven people believe all magic is an atrocity. They are the works of chaos and destruction, acting to subvert the natural order of the world. The dwarves do not recognize the spiritual dimension as natural, but the enemy to the Stone. Their natural resistance to magic confirms this, and act as defenders to maintain the sanctity and stability of the world.
• Sorcery: While the wizards value the mind of magic, the clerics value the heart of magic, the witches value the body of magic, it is the sorcerers who practice the true magic. Through sheer will, they have mastered the primal forces of the universe that shapes and drives everything. The will can defy all truths, break all laws, overcome all weakness. 

-Blood Magic: the oldest and most dangerous of magics, gigantics would sacrifice blood and flesh to work their spells and curses. Of all the schools of magic, Blood has the most potential for corruption.  The greatest power comes with the greatest sacrifice, and such power could tear the very world asunder.

“Undeath and Other Perversions of Nature”

• Werebeast: While shapeshifting is not a magical taboo, it is not encouraged in the human magical community. Like all magic, shapeshifting is potentially addicting. When a mage favors a particular form and shifts more and more often, the line between man and animal begins to blur over time, both psychologically and physically. A condition that has been known to happen is zoomorphia; a confusion between the mage’s true self and the form he has favored for too long and too often. By far the most common werebeast is the wolf. Considered humanity’s favorite companion, men and wolves have shared a unique cultural bond throughout human history. When mages wished to strengthen that bond further with magic, the laws of nature can be abused. The werewolf is neither human nor dog, yet both. Werecats are much less common, but prevalent. A variety of other werebeasts exist. In this condition, the mage utterly loses self-control and perhaps even sentience. Magical ability is lost, except perhaps minimal shifting. A cure for this condition is extremely elusive, if not impossible. 
• Ghost: The most common form of undead, these human spirits are experiencing an intense form of grief. A common symptom is denial; they do not, whether consciously or unconsciously, acknowledge their death. They often believe themselves to still be alive, but are trapped in a psychological loop to maintain this delusion, often fixating on regrets, traumas, or any other significant events in life. Anger is slightly rarer; they rage against the world for their condition or perhaps fixate on a certain person or subject to blame for their death. This may or may not be unjustified. Almost all ghosts experience depression; a sense of hopelessness concerning the inability to accept and progress from their own death. While most ghosts are harmless and ineffectual to our physical world, ghosts can be frightening and psychologically traumatic to the living. A common factor among ghosts is a specific reason why they have not relinquished their hold on this plane, such as the nature of their deaths, a promise that must be honored, a secret that must be revealed, a crime that must be punished or forgiven, etc. It is considered universally beneficial to assist a ghost to achieve catharsis. Only then will the spirit recede into the Otherworld.
• Medium: A specific role taken on by a sister of the healing waters, she uses her magical talent and training to communicate with ghosts and counsel them through their normally seamless transition from life to death. It is not a popular vocation among the sisters, as it takes a certain steely nerve and stomach for the macabre to even approach the task.
• Ghoul: Originating from before the Utnapishtim Empire, these daemonically-possessed corpses are archaic in human history. Daemons are notorious for meddling in human affairs, whether just out of curiosity for the physical world, or intentional malice. One of the most heinous of which are ghouls. While the dead leave their bodies to shift into the next plane, ghouls would scavenge a corpse to experience a restricted human “life”. What makes ghouls especially atrocious is their pension for consuming carrion to maintain their already decomposing receptacles. A common image associated with ghouls is a freshly reanimated corpse, scavenging graves for food.
• Necromancy: While most human cultures today burn their dead, it was a common believe among the ancient civilizations that the spirit cannot exist without the body. The deceased’s remains would be carefully preserved and sealed up with all their belongings in an elaborate structure, depending on the family’s wealth. The extinct Desert civilization is infamous for this. However, grave-robbing was a serious societal problem. So mages would cast powerful curses to ensure the security of the deceased, forcing the spirits of the dead to reenter their bodies to defend their graves from intruders. While the first mages of human civilization reduced the prevalence, if not put a stop to entirely, of ghouls, their existence had a disturbing effect on magical culture. Mages began to consider the possibilities of life after death, and taking the cue from ghouls, began to experiment. The first necromancers would either banish or summon the ghosts of the dead at will, with the purpose of attaining lost knowledge. Soon, these black mages exerted their own will to animate otherwise lifeless corpses to do their bidding, even making war with their rivals. Luckily, the horrifying nature of the results led to a decline in necromancy. Necromancy was officially forbidden in the Utnapishtim Empire, and subsequently became an extreme taboo across all human cultures.
• Aptrgangr: A Tuisto word for a reanimated corpse, this became a blanket term. By Tuisto standards, this refers to the corpses reanimated by necromancers to do their bidding, and would also consume carrion to maintain their rotting forms. Usually mindless, they could attain a limited consciousness by eating brain matter. Whether by magical, spiritual or daemonical will, all dead bodies that rise and walk have been labelled as Aptrgangr. To effectively destroy an Aptrgangr, the necromancer must be killed, or the corpses must be completely destroyed, preferably with fire, whichever happens first. Destroying the head is the most common method, if unreliable. Depending on the necromancer’s power, the Aptrgangr will still function after the brain is injured or is even decapitated. 
• Vampyr: By far the most potentially dangerous undead, vampyr is a rather new development. When necromancers experimented with reanimating the dead, they attempted to perfect the process. Using a variety of agents, they attempted to slow, stop, or even reverse the decomposition process. The result was vampyr. Using hematophagic organisms, such as leeches, ticks, fleas and mosquitoes in their magical workings, they had created an undead that could be sustained and restored by blood alone. With diligent feeding, these agents would be indistinguishable from the living, both physically and mentally.
• Lich: By far the greatest taboo of all, even amongst the necromancers, is turning the black magics on oneself. Upon death, the necromancer would rise with full magical capacity and mental function. This is extremely rare and fleeting; the energies needed to maintain such a revenant are immense. The lich would rapidly deteriorate, both physically and spiritually, but the potential for infinite power over life and death is a terrifying notion. 

"Book of Documented Prophesies"

• The Champion: In a time of unstable truce, a leader will fall, and the land will deteriorate into chaos. A great evil will rise that will surpass all evils to capitalize on the lack of opposition. This force will threaten the very fabric of existence and will have the potential to do what no other power could do before: pervert the balance of the universe. When the world needs it most, the Nine Mortals will rise: each a representation of many facets of the existential spectrum. Eight will support and empower the ninth: the Champion. He will represent all that is great and true of the eight. He will be the greatest leader in history; beyond mortal, beyond spirit, none before him was what he will be. He will rally the forces, smite the Greatest Evil, and bring true peace to the dimensions.

Pantheon

While I'm sticking to my original mythology, I want to note that I've been studying the religions of the world throughout history, and there is a lot more going on than I fathomed. Furthermore, I'm seeing similarities across the world that I feel I should I address. So, for the sake of historical reverence, I'm starting over:

Sky Father

Names: Zeus, Odin, Horus, Stribog, Enlil, Yahweh, Allah, Dyaus Pita, Taranis, Ahura Mazda, Shangdi, Izanagi, Legba, Father Time 

Although his worship is not as old as the Earth Mother, he quickly became the most important god to mankind. He has three aspects; either as a three-formed single god or a patrilineal trinity of gods. Grandfather. Father. Son. :

• The god of the stars, he was a child of the cosmos who saw everything and did everything, before he came upon Earth. The knowledge of the universe expanded his mind to the limits, Bringing the secrets of the universe to mankind, he is the god of time, space, science and innovation. The patron god of alchemists, navigators, astrologers and scientists and wizards. Although the dwarves know nothing of him, they worship him with every invention they produce.

• The god of wind and breath, he gives the breath of Life with every birth and takes it away again with every death. When he challenged the gods for supremacy, they used man as a test of power. The gods took away his shelter, his heat, his food, his water, but he still lived. It wasn’t until the god of wind, quiet and reserved, took away his breath that he finally dropped dead. When the other gods began to gasp for air, there was no question of his authority. He rules with his whispers carried on his angels' wings. The wise men listen to the winds for his teachings. As the god of knowledge and learning, he bestowed speech and language upon mankind and is the patron god of teachers, students, lawyers, scholars and scribes.

• The god of storm and thunder, He flew down and struck Earth Mother with his flash of force and energy, teeming her with conscious life. He is the patron god of kings and judges, enforcing justice in the universe and settling disputes. A king and conquerer, he took his heavenly throne and kept it with his strategic command and wise judgement. His forefathers taught him well. As the god of authority and leadership, He is the most popular aspect of the god, especially to the leaders of human societies.

Earth Mother 

Names: Ki, Gaia, Jord, Mokosh, Isis, Danu, Prthivi, Nantosuelta, Zam, Coatlicue, Nuwa, Izanami, Mother Nature

The original goddess, she is the mother of all Life, divine and mortal. The Earth herself, she is the goddess of all that is physical, silent and still. She supports and sustains us from beneath, ever solid. Of all the gods, the dwarves most associate her with their worship of the Stone. All the mortal races worship her in some way. Mother is the word for Goddess on the lips and hearts of all children. She is womb and tomb, accepting both our bodies and souls into her, to be reborn. She is the dark, the silence, the cold, the oblivion we fear. She is the gifts of substance and quantity we love. The patron goddess of all wives and mothers, she was a natural fit for the Sky Father. He took her as his queen, and together rule all that is; a perfect balance of above and below, mind and body, yin and yang, culture and nature. Like him, she has three aspects: either three faces or three sisters:

• Goddess of harvest and plenty. Just as our mothers nourish us from their breasts, so does the goddess feeds mankind from her very body with the bounties of Nature. The Storm King took her and begot his children by her fertile lands. All farmers, gardeners and cultivators pray to her for her gifts.

• Goddess of shelter, she is the womb who gives birth to us all, and in death, receives us again. Man first took shelter from the forces of Nature in caves, then with innovation, built structures of wood, clay and stone. The Wind Teacher flew into her shelters to record his knowledge, kept to be read as well as heard. All who live under a roof honor her.

• Goddess of wealth and fortune, she is adorned from head to toe in jewelry. She grants us her precious treasures of metals and gems. Grandfather Science studied her chemical properties and experimented with her elements. Also called Lady Luck, gamblers and merchants and any who seek profit pray for her favor.

Under God 

Names: Hades, Set, Veles, Yama, Mictlantecuhtli, Yanluo, Baron Samedi, Grim Reaper

As long as there has been Life, there is always Death. The god of disease, decay and poison; he is the bane of Life. All that is dark, dead and unknown is his domain. The god of the Otherworld, a dark and mysterious place. While not literally under this world, the Otherworld is another dimension beneath the surface of this one. Little is known of this realm, even by Sky Father, and the Under God's not telling. One of the most feared of the gods, all that dies descend into his world. The Under God is envious of Sky Father's rule, plotting to one day usurp him. A bitter rivalry has always been between them, but Sky Father did not bear him any true ill will until the Under God kidnapped and violated his youngest and most treasured daughter. One unspeakable rumor is that the Under God and the Sky Father are one and same; simply the negative and positive of one deity. But no one could ever associate one with the other. They are simply too different...

Sky Father and Earth Mothers' first children were the twins, Sun and Moon. Once born, Sky Father raised them up into the sky in marriage. Though they were literally born to be together, they were never truly amicable. Very rarely do they unite in the sky, and even then, it's brief.

Sun

Names: Apollo, Baldur, Belenus, Svarozhich, Mithra, Shamash, Ra, Surya, Huitzilopochtli

Sky Father and Earth Mothers' first born, he is bright and fair and beautiful. He shines in the heavens besides his father, providing light and warmth to all that lives, encouraging all to thrive. As the god of light and truth, nothing can hide from his gaze. Believing himself the true heir to his father's kingdom, he was gravely insulted when his younger brother was named heir apparent. But this was no surprise to the other gods; despite his reputation, Sun is proud, stubborn, vain, self-centered and sanctimonious. He believes himself the center of the universe and should be treated as such. It's no wonder that he has such a tempestuous relationship with his twin sister, and would-be consort.

Moon

Names: Artemis, Chors, Bastet, Mah, Chang'e
"I taught Meredith Brooks everything she knows."

Born immediately after her brother, they couldn't have less in common. While she is just as fair and beautiful as her brother, she has a dark side. A goddess of dreams and emotion, her only predictable quality is her unpredictability. While she is at times caring and gentle, she is just as often cold and cruel. As soon as you think you know what side of her you're on, she flips on you. As a goddess of secrets and mystery, she is often at odds with her single-minded brother. Worse yet, they are often jealous with each other, constantly accusing the other of affairs; which they are both guilty of. But rarely, just rarely, their passions meet in the sky, and it is terrifying to behold.

The Sacred Whore

Names: Aphrodite, Freya, Ishtar, Hathor, Rati, Xochiquetzal, Erzulie

The daughter of Sky Father and Earth Mother, and the goddess of lust, passion, desire, pleasure, sexuality, and the forces of attraction between all living beings. The patron goddess of prostitutes, all brothels are her temples. To employ a whore is to worship her and perform her sacred rituals. Furthermore, she is goddess of Life itself, for only through the sexual union of masculine and feminine energies can Life propagate. No man nor god can resist her, and they would often fight over her. The Champion and the War God are notorious for this. But if it were up to her, she would take every man in the universe as her lover at once, and even some women!

The Maiden

Names: Persephone, Brigid, Ostara, Idun, Vesna, Ushas, Chasca, Mictecacihuatl

The youngest and most precious daughter of the Sky Father and Earth Mother, she is the goddess of the dawn, beginnings, springtime, flowers, birth, youth, innocence, and everything that is new and fresh. She heralds the rising Sun. Her very presence can restore youth and vitality. Flowers bloom. Young are born. The patron goddess of children and virgins, she is the sanctity of new Life. As human culture evolved, so did she; she became the goddess of artistic inspiration and creativity, encouraging new ideas and expressions. Everywhere she went there was beauty and joy, music and dance, until the Under God managed to kidnap and violate her. She disappeared into the Otherworld, and this world began to age, wither and die. It was the ultimate insult, and just when all the gods were prepared to go to war to rescue her, Earth Mother miraculously birthed her again, bringing new life. She was just as fresh and new as the day she came into being, with no memory of whatever unspeakable ordeal she endured. And from then on, the Maiden retreated from this world into the next and back again with the passing seasons, bringing new life with her. It was a compromise that neither Sky Father nor the Under God was happy with, but Nature found balance, and now it is believed that she brings new vitality and beauty to the Otherworld, revitalizing both realms with her presence.

Sea God

Names: Poseidon, Njord, Lir, Tsar Mora, Ryujin, Agwe

The Sea God is considered an equal to Sky Father and the Under God, but remains impartial to their affairs. Which is a good thing too, because of all the gods, he is one of the most dangerous. When the Earth was young and unstable, he burst forth and tamed the chaos, drowning the gigantics and cooling the atmosphere. When all was calm, his domain did not advance past the sea, leaving the land and the sky. But beneath the surface, there is a whole other world in deep, where he is king. The Sea God is even more unpredictable than Moon, at once calm and generous, then manic and wrathful without warning. The patron god of all who brave the seas, sailors and fishermen pray to him for fair travel and his bounties.

Water Goddess

Nmaes: Nanshe, Airmed, Anuket, Ganga, Yemaja, Chalchiuhtlicue, Miaoshan, Lady of the Lake

Of all the gods, She is the most benevolent, forgiving, merciful and compassionate. The goddess of rain, rivers, lakes and springs. As well as a goddess of healing and cleansing, she is always welcomed and loved by all. She took an oath of chastity and benevolence and dedicates her immortality to alleviating the suffering of mankind. Originally a minor goddess, the daughter of Moon and Sea, she gained importance as human settlements grew along rivers. Sky Father claimed her as his own, mentoring and teaching her as the goddess of the healing arts. The Sisterhood dedicate their lives to heal and counsel, under the guidance of the Sky Father’s doctors.

The Champion

Names: Hercules, Dagda, Thor, Svantovit, Sraosha, Indra, Ninurta, Houyi, Hachiman

The god of strength, valor, honor and the savior of mankind. The patron god of heroes, he is the paragon of humanity overcoming adversity. While not known for his intellect, he has proven clever and strategic; there is no obstacle he will not face and has been known to outsmart or outmaneuver the most ferocious enemies in battle. The defender of the innocent and slayer of monsters, he would rather finish a fight than start it. He often acts on his father's behalf, enforcing his justice. He is not only the champion of mankind but of the gods. The Champion is loyal and true and has earned the honor of heir apparent a thousand times over. Though not proven, it is suggested that the Champion is in fact the only mortal man who achieved apotheosis. Back when the world was wild and humanity was in its infancy, a mortal son of Sky Father emerged among men. He came to Earth to know the hardships and miseries of mortality. He made mistakes, just like any mortal would, but he ALWAYS repented and atoned. He slew all monsters, rescued all innocents, and loved all women. He was the only man who permanently changed the fate of mankind, taming Nature itself for the rise of civilization. For his heroic mortal life, Sky Father rewarded his mortal son immortality, so he can be an immortal paragon for all mankind to aspire to.

The gods of chaos and conflict may have been worshiped by the gigantics, long before Nature or civilization took hold of this world. But like the gigantics themselves, receded into obscurity. While they call the Otherworld their home, they move freely to this world. While the Under God is supposed to be a genderless, sterile entity, it is speculated that even Earth Mother was fertile enough to conceive with Death. Whatever the case, these gods claim to be the children of the Under God, while disclaiming to be the children of the Earth.

The Slayer

Names: Eris, Cailleach, Morrigan, Sekhmet, Kali, Skadi, Marzana, Lilith

"Hell hath no fury..."

The goddess of winter, cold, destruction, scorn, spite, torment, vengeance, cruelty, pain and suffering. When the Maiden retreats, the Slayer approaches. She is just as cruel and bloodthirsty as the War God, if not more so. She preys on the weak and leaves nothing behind. She is a dark and beautiful seductress, bringing only death forth instead of life. She is everything a woman should not be, and proud of it. She is the patron goddess of women scorned, black widows, women in white, and all women who are either victims or perpetrators of cruelty and violence. She would sooner cut her own child's throat than show any being kindness or mercy, if she had one. 

Fire God

Names: Hephaestus, Wayland, Svarog, Gibil, Agni, Atar

"Fire makes a good servant, but a poor master."

An ugly and deformed god, he is bitterly envious of all the other gods' beauty and renown. The patron god of all that work and slave and burn in the flame, the dark, the filth. Not even the Sacred Whore would touch him. He erupts into this world in a blaze of lava, cursing the heavens. His deepest secret and greatest ambition is to punish all life for being more fortunate than he and eventually rule all the universe. Ironically, the Fire God is very sycophantic and obsequious. All his worshippers have to do is promise him friendship and acceptance and he will serve and obey. Even the Sky Father offered to treat him as his own son in exchange for his loyalty and service. The Fire God eagerly agreed. He became quite useful: destroying waste, purifying the dead, shaping metal, comforting mortals in cold darkness, even acting as courier between this world and the next. But he must not be trusted, for if anyone is careless enough to disrespect him, he could kill us all.

War God

Names: Ares, Camulos, Triglav, Nergal, Dagda, Vahram, Guan Yu

The War God is not just a god of war, but of competition, violence, hatred, power, rage, murder, bloodlust and madness. He is the will to fight, kill and win at all costs, even sanity. A bitter rival to the Champion, they are often at blows in the name of their respective fathers. He is not a popular god, but most recognize him as a necessary evil. Without him, we could not defeat our enemies. The patron god of all warriors and soldiers, they pray to him for victory in murder, rape and plunder.

The Deceiver

Names: Loki, Hermes, Nezha, Kalfu

"Nobody likes a sneak..."

The god of mischief, deceit, illusion, betrayal, defiance and deviance. He is the patron god of thieves, assassins, spies, con artists, illusionists and all others who live by lies. While his brothers and sister erupted into this world in a blaze, he snuck in through the back door. He is a master illusionist, manipulator and shapeshifter, deceiving his victims in the most unimaginable, disorienting ways. While all the gods can shapeshift, they prefer forms that at least imply their true nature; not the Deceiver. He is the most communicative of the gods and most accessible of the gods, but he more often than not impersonates other gods or spirits, misrepresenting himself. At his best, he is a charming flatterer and cunning ally, seducing his way into anyones favor and conning his way out of any trouble. However, he is the most unpredictable and untrustworthy god of them all. There is no telling where his true loyalties lie, whether to his father, the gods above, or is only loyal to himself and his own ambitions, whatever they may be...

Among the elves, they believe in only three deities: The god and goddess of Life, and the genderless, sterile entity of Death. All gods worshipped by humans are just perversions, distortions and deviants from the true religion: that all gods and all goddesses are in fact aspects of the God and Goddess. Their faces and roles evolve with the seasons. The only constant is the Under God. Every year, the god of Life and god of Death would battle for the right to mate with Goddess, each winning and losing once; the god of Life is slain and the winter rises. When the god of Life is reborn, he brings the summer with him, reclaiming the world and Goddess from Death. He mates with her, bringing new Life to the world.

The Wild God

Names: Pan, Cernunnos, Freyr, Rod, Pashupati, Oshosi, Pangu

Horned and fanged, he is the god of all that is virile and savage in nature and culture. Lord of all beasts. He is believed to be the oldest male being in the universe, and Earth Mother's original consort. He was the most important god of Life, defending and even sacrificing himself for Life against the god of Death. The patron god of animals, hunters and herders, as well as the god of masculine sexuality. When the Sky Father came down from the heavens and touched Earth Mother, he brought civilization with him, and the Wild God was demoted. His dominion over the sun was passed to Sky Father’s first-born son and the Wild God was exiled to the wilds of the world, away from human civilization. His worship is obscure among the human cultures now, only seriously worshipped by hunters and herders. He did not appreciate being passed over for the Sky Father, but never truly cared. The Wild God is not one for responsibility and authority. Perhaps the Sacred Whore is enough to sate his lust. Maybe the Earth Mother never even ended the affair...

Grandmother Fate

Names: unknown

"Everything that begins, will end..."

Old before the gods were even born, she exists outside of this world and the next; outside of time itself. She knew everything long before the worlds came into being: this world and the next, the past and the future. If knowledge is power, she is by far the most terrifyingly powerful being in existence. She may very well be the mother of the gods, but that would be before even the gods' memory. Besides, the gods shudder to think such a notion. She knows all too well how the gods will fall, but the gods would not dare ask her. In times of great crisis, the Sky Father is rumored to seek her advice, but in order to get anything out of her besides riddles, he would have to pay a heavy price.