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)
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.
