Post by PyrasTerran on Nov 24, 2012 14:29:10 GMT -5
Scholars break intelligent life down into a few categories.
Human
Humanoid
Spirit
Dragon
God
Demon
Artificial
Undead
Humans are humans, simply put. Whether they are light or dark skinned, regardless of color of physical attributes their kaleidoscope of variations means little. Humans have no extraordinary capabilities outside of their blank slate potential. A human can be just as effective in physical combat as he is with use of magic or psionics. Their versatility makes them formidable, but not as much as their ambition; humans are at the seat of power of every nation except for Doryoska.
Humanoid refers races that were once human but have changed somewhere down the line drastically enough that they are placed in their own category. This includes Roclan, Korobokuru, Beastmen, Djinnasa, and Half-Oni. Humanoid races are generally not treated as well in society, except for in Doryoska and the Free Islands, where the Beastmen and Korobokuru rule most of the land, respectively. Djinnasa and Half-Oni are expected to be driven away or killed on sight in Qadar and Hoshidon, respectively.
Spirit race is the blanket term for a great majority of races that don't fall in the other categories. This includes Hengeyokai, Kappa, Tengu, Vanara, Naga, Garuda, Aswan, Wan Liang, Spirit Folk, and others. Most of these races are regarded even lower than Humanoids, except in some instances. In Rhasmapatra, for example, Vanara and Garuda are revered and loved races by most humans, while Naga are at the bottom of the social ladder. While Kappa are seen as little more than vermin, Hengeyokai are not trusted due to their shape shifting nature and seen as second class citizens. Tengu on the other hand are feared and respected, though they rarely interact with large communities at all. Aswan are mistaken for day walking vampires in the Free Islands, and are hunted as such. Aside from all these races with physical bodies, there are then the spirits themselves that exist between our material plane and the Spirit World, and are connected to all the elements of the world from water to air. Many nations pray to these spirits for guidance.
Dragon labels in exclusively two branches: Dragons, and Half-Dragons. Since Dragons can shapeshift, they can easily have relationships with any race (though they often choose human). This results in the birth of a Half-Dragon, who can turn into a smaller dragon version of the parent and is gifted with incredible magic potential. However, this gift often disappears after the 1st or 2nd generation, so future offspring from that Half-Dragon will often simply be human, with magic proficiency. This makes Half-Dragons very rare. Both races are highly regarded and feared by all intelligent races, and in Hoshidon, Fa-Rei and Sueongha it is a sin and a crime to slay a dragon for any reason other than self-defense. These same nations believe that most Dragons are the agents of Heaven. Despite this, weapons and items made from Dragon parts still appear, and are still bought and sold throughout Shyuu.
God races, like Dragons, break into two categories: the Gods and Demigods. Gods include the pantheon ruled by Amaterasu in Hoshidon, and the Deva and Asura of Rhasmapatra. Also in this wheel is the Ibadah god of Qadarian/Talzistani faith simply known as God, and the enigmatic being of Doryoska known as Baba Yaga. Demigods are extremely rare to nonexistent almost everywhere outside of Rhasmapatra, where the prolific relations the Deva and Asura keep with humans have birthed the Devaborn and Asuraborn races.
Demon races are even more enigmatic than the God races. They include Oni, Djinn, Rakshasa, and others that have not been properly labeled. Djinn are considered devils and the penultimate enemy of man in nations like Qadar and Talzistan, where they have greater frequency of appearance. The brutish Oni are able to travel back and forth between this world and their native plane, what we have designated as Hell. While not exactly inherently evil, many of these races simply lack many senses of morality; Djinn look at the world logically and are almost completely selfish, while Oni are capable of morality and humanity but are more animalistic, and thus may have no qualms eating someone who has upset them. Rakshasa are agents of chaos and destruction, and cannot be reasoned with, making them among the most feared of the Demon races.
Artificial life forms refers to inanimate objects that have, through magic, psionics or divine intervention, attained an intelligence equal or greater to that of other races. This is different from attaching a life force to an object. Types of bodies are usually made of stone, wood or clay, but sometimes weapons and other items can be made intelligent. This has been commercialized in the art of golem making, and some weapons and items are enchanted with a personality, though most of not all often need a base personality to start from, which is usually that of the creator. There are long and complicated essays and debates as to what point these beings become intelligent enough to be considered alive, which brings up philosophical questions as to what it means to BE alive.
Lastly there are the Undead, intelligent life without life. Their intelligence varies from Zombie to Vampire but the fact that they are being fueled by an alternate, negative energy, gives them a warped view of the world. Most intelligent undead are callous and sadistic with little to no sense of morality or ethics. They often are weak to positive energy from effects like healing magic, and divine magic is effective as well against their unnatural bodies. These creatures often have some deep connection to shadow or the night, as the sun is usually a deterrent or lethal to them. Any race can become undead except for Demon and God races, and some Spirit races.
Human
Humanoid
Spirit
Dragon
God
Demon
Artificial
Undead
Humans are humans, simply put. Whether they are light or dark skinned, regardless of color of physical attributes their kaleidoscope of variations means little. Humans have no extraordinary capabilities outside of their blank slate potential. A human can be just as effective in physical combat as he is with use of magic or psionics. Their versatility makes them formidable, but not as much as their ambition; humans are at the seat of power of every nation except for Doryoska.
Humanoid refers races that were once human but have changed somewhere down the line drastically enough that they are placed in their own category. This includes Roclan, Korobokuru, Beastmen, Djinnasa, and Half-Oni. Humanoid races are generally not treated as well in society, except for in Doryoska and the Free Islands, where the Beastmen and Korobokuru rule most of the land, respectively. Djinnasa and Half-Oni are expected to be driven away or killed on sight in Qadar and Hoshidon, respectively.
Spirit race is the blanket term for a great majority of races that don't fall in the other categories. This includes Hengeyokai, Kappa, Tengu, Vanara, Naga, Garuda, Aswan, Wan Liang, Spirit Folk, and others. Most of these races are regarded even lower than Humanoids, except in some instances. In Rhasmapatra, for example, Vanara and Garuda are revered and loved races by most humans, while Naga are at the bottom of the social ladder. While Kappa are seen as little more than vermin, Hengeyokai are not trusted due to their shape shifting nature and seen as second class citizens. Tengu on the other hand are feared and respected, though they rarely interact with large communities at all. Aswan are mistaken for day walking vampires in the Free Islands, and are hunted as such. Aside from all these races with physical bodies, there are then the spirits themselves that exist between our material plane and the Spirit World, and are connected to all the elements of the world from water to air. Many nations pray to these spirits for guidance.
Dragon labels in exclusively two branches: Dragons, and Half-Dragons. Since Dragons can shapeshift, they can easily have relationships with any race (though they often choose human). This results in the birth of a Half-Dragon, who can turn into a smaller dragon version of the parent and is gifted with incredible magic potential. However, this gift often disappears after the 1st or 2nd generation, so future offspring from that Half-Dragon will often simply be human, with magic proficiency. This makes Half-Dragons very rare. Both races are highly regarded and feared by all intelligent races, and in Hoshidon, Fa-Rei and Sueongha it is a sin and a crime to slay a dragon for any reason other than self-defense. These same nations believe that most Dragons are the agents of Heaven. Despite this, weapons and items made from Dragon parts still appear, and are still bought and sold throughout Shyuu.
God races, like Dragons, break into two categories: the Gods and Demigods. Gods include the pantheon ruled by Amaterasu in Hoshidon, and the Deva and Asura of Rhasmapatra. Also in this wheel is the Ibadah god of Qadarian/Talzistani faith simply known as God, and the enigmatic being of Doryoska known as Baba Yaga. Demigods are extremely rare to nonexistent almost everywhere outside of Rhasmapatra, where the prolific relations the Deva and Asura keep with humans have birthed the Devaborn and Asuraborn races.
Demon races are even more enigmatic than the God races. They include Oni, Djinn, Rakshasa, and others that have not been properly labeled. Djinn are considered devils and the penultimate enemy of man in nations like Qadar and Talzistan, where they have greater frequency of appearance. The brutish Oni are able to travel back and forth between this world and their native plane, what we have designated as Hell. While not exactly inherently evil, many of these races simply lack many senses of morality; Djinn look at the world logically and are almost completely selfish, while Oni are capable of morality and humanity but are more animalistic, and thus may have no qualms eating someone who has upset them. Rakshasa are agents of chaos and destruction, and cannot be reasoned with, making them among the most feared of the Demon races.
Artificial life forms refers to inanimate objects that have, through magic, psionics or divine intervention, attained an intelligence equal or greater to that of other races. This is different from attaching a life force to an object. Types of bodies are usually made of stone, wood or clay, but sometimes weapons and other items can be made intelligent. This has been commercialized in the art of golem making, and some weapons and items are enchanted with a personality, though most of not all often need a base personality to start from, which is usually that of the creator. There are long and complicated essays and debates as to what point these beings become intelligent enough to be considered alive, which brings up philosophical questions as to what it means to BE alive.
Lastly there are the Undead, intelligent life without life. Their intelligence varies from Zombie to Vampire but the fact that they are being fueled by an alternate, negative energy, gives them a warped view of the world. Most intelligent undead are callous and sadistic with little to no sense of morality or ethics. They often are weak to positive energy from effects like healing magic, and divine magic is effective as well against their unnatural bodies. These creatures often have some deep connection to shadow or the night, as the sun is usually a deterrent or lethal to them. Any race can become undead except for Demon and God races, and some Spirit races.