Races of the World
witty subtitle goes here, lol
humans ◊ automatons ◊ nephilim
utukku ◊ jumi ◊ fairies
Humans
Other Names: Men
Life Expectancy: 78 years
Original Home: Native world-over
Native Language: Numerous; most speak Common now
Magical Potential: Moderate overall, high in a small percentage
Of all the races in the world, humans are the most populous. They may be mortal, but that doesn’t make them weaklings. Theirs is also the most technologically advanced of the races, and their discoveries have changed the world many times over. Such breakthroughs as electricity, firearms, and steam engines can all be attributed to the ingenuity of mankind. Humans also boast a wide variety of cultures and ethnicities throughout their many nations.
On the continent of Agenor, there are the two main lines of people: the northerners and the southerners. Hailing from the frigid land of Rostov, Northern folk have pale complexions and dark hair that is thick and often coarse. Brown is the predominant eye color, but grays and dull blues are not uncommon. Green, however, is almost unheard of. Southerners, the Natives of Vanaheim and Thule, range from porcelain white to dark brown. Their hair colors run the gamut from dark to light, with blonds being extremely common in Vanaheim. Eye colors vary greatly as well, spanning the entire natural spectrum.
Natives of the Seikan continent typically have a medium-toned complexion, though the upper-class women are fond of painting their faces lily-white with makeup. Eye colors are similarly homogenous, consisting of shades of brown to nearly pitch-black. Hair color is also limited to brown and black, though the latter is much more common.
Though the continent of Kishar has been all but conquered by the Kodavan Empire, it is made up of numerous, culturally-diverse territories. Still, the empire's myriad sub-races are almost ethnically identical. All have dark olive or brown skin, and their hair is thick and black. In eye color, brown is most prevalent, though amber and gray hues appear occasionally. Natives of Kodava itself are known for their chocolate-brown skin and ever-present bronze glow, while the people of their territories tend to be slightly lighter in complexion.
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Automatons
Other Names: Golems, Constructs
Life Expectancy: Nonliving
Native Language: Can be programmed to speak any language
Original Home: First produced in Thule
Magical Potential: Nonexistant
The first automatons were essentially glorified golems. Though made of metal and wires instead of clay or stone like their ancient kin, they were but puppets. They required magic to move and to think, and their intelligence was extremely limited. Few of these doll-like beings were created, but their prototypes were later revived when the age of automatons dawned in Agenor around DATE. Since then, Thule’s ingenious technicians have revolutionized the fields of robotics and artificial intelligence.
Only in the past fifty years has anything more efficient than a golem been produced, but considering most of the world’s technology currently runs on steam, it’s quite astounding. Developments in A.I. systems now allow for human-like intelligence, behaviors, and even personalities. And as the machines grow more and more like humans in manner, they are beginning to look more human as well. Automaton bodies were once nothing but wireframe skeletons with exposed circuits; nowadays, they are usually given aesthetic shells with synthetic skin and hair.
Still, it would be hard to mistake an automaton for anything but a machine. They have a sort of mechanical way of moving and speaking, their voices are monotonic, and their bodies are heavy and hard to the touch. The sheer amount of memory needed for operation means lots of internal hardware, and it’s all protected by durable metal found right beneath the skin. Due to lack of space for mechanical “muscles” in the facial area, automaton expressions are limited, and their eyes reflect the world around them with a lifeless sheen. And despite their animated bodies and beautiful, lifelike shells, they still must be plugged into an outlet and allowed to charge overnight.
Although they are crafted to behave and learn like humans, there is only so much an automaton can do. They often fail to grasp certain feelings and circumstances, and they tend to solve problems with the hard logic programmed into their CPUs rather than pick up on emotional cues. Even the most expensive models, those whose personalities can change from their default settings, still live in a world dictated by numbers and figures. They are, after all, only machines.
Despite the surge in A.I. technology, automatons are nowhere near being mass-produced. Companies manufacture only small amounts for public consumers, but there are some technicians outside these companies who build their own automatons. Those who purchase their construct companions are mostly wealthy businessmen who intend to use them as servants and personal assistants, and most of these people are Thulian. Automatons are found in other nations, but they are not as readily available outside the center of technology that is Thule.
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Nephilim
Other Names: --
Life Expectancy: Same as humans
Original Home: Thule
Native Language: Same as humans
Magical Potential: --
Utukku
Other Names: Lahmu People, Lizardmen (derogatory)
Life Expectancy: 82 years
Original Home: Lahmu
Native Language: Utukkan
Magical Potential: Low to moderate
Originating in the jungles and deserts of Lahmu, the utukku are a race that developed alongside humankind, but they couldn't be more different from humans. Let’s be straightforward: the Utukku are sapient, semi-anthropomorphic dinosaurs – theropods, to be exact. Standing at about six to ten feet in height, they come in many varieties: from hulking tyrannosaurs to sleek dromaeosaurs with sickle-clawed feet and feathery crests. Upon running into an utukku, an ancient human would typically either soil himself or attempt to run him through with a spear. Thankfully, things have changed since prehistory, and the utukku and the humans have gotten along swimmingly for ages.
Given their razor-sharp teeth, crushing jaws, and all-around physical power, one might think the utukku brutes. On the contrary, they are quite a peaceful race. Their kind has been involved in but a few wars, due much in part to their prowess in the political world. They remained isolated for quite a while, but once they were exposed to the rest of the world, they caught up quickly. Their kind has produced countless politicians, philosophers, scientists, and authors. In fact, some of the greatest dramas ever performed were penned by the clawed hands of utukku. Their original spoken language is a muddle of guttural noises, and they never had a written language until they adopted those of the humans – yet they’ve now fully mastered the power of ink on paper.
All this being said, not all utukku are playwrights and physicists. Even the biggest pansy of their race could overpower the average human, and they make excellent warriors. Their kind are able to use magic, but few have ever become successful mages. They would much rather rely on the deadly combination of supreme intellect and supreme strength than on any sort of spell. Like humans, the utukku are mortal beings, but they are very long-lived and remain quite robust even in old age.
Though their homeland is in Lahmu, a great number of utukku have migrated outside their country. There is a substantial population in Kodava, but the largest group is found outside the Kishar continent in Thule, where they are best able to share their thoughts and ideas with others. They’ve adopted the clothing styles of the humanoid races, as well. In fact, it’s entirely normal to see a T-Rex in a longcoat and cravat. They may not be able to wear shoes, but they can sport the latest fashions in everything else.
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Jumi
Other Names: Jewel People
Life Expectancy: Immortal
Original Home: Vanaheim
Native Language: --
Magical Potential: Low to very high
The Jumi, or “jewel people,” are a magical race whose very existence depends on the flow of mana throughout the world. Their bodies receive energy not through consuming food and water but through absorbing raw mana through a large jewel embedded in the chest. Part of it protrudes outward with the skin melded around it, and the visible portion is about the size of the individual’s hand. Called a jewel core, this stone processes mana and is thus responsible for keeping the jumi alive. Thanks to this ability to absorb magical energy and their ancient blessing by the fairies, most jumi possess strong magical potential.
In traditional jumi society, individuals are ranked in a caste system according to the purity of their core. At the top are the leaders, those with the utmost clarity and luster and the greatest magical power. This includes the monarchs and their family. Then there are the aristocrats and the knights, the middle class, and finally the pariahs. Referred to as clods, these jumi have cores of poor quality – dark, discolored, cloudy, or cracked – and are not magically adept. They are largely considered to be “dirt” and are spat upon by the rest of society. Fortunately, jumi children are rarely born clods.
The jumi are immortal so long as their jewel cores are kept intact and inside them. Slight cracks in the core may cause little pain at all, but since they cannot be repaired, jumi are always careful not to let their cores get damaged. Larger cracks will cause the individual lifelong suffering and hinder his or her ability to take in mana. If the core is removed or shattered, the jumi will die within hours. This wouldn’t be such a concern if a jumi core wasn’t valued as one of the most powerful magical objects in the world.
In one particularly dark point in history, some humans began hunting the jumi for their precious stones. In fact, many weapons used by the ancient mages contain shards of cores or even the whole jewels. Though most nations were quick to ban the act known as jewel-hunting, it took years before the hunting died down. These acts happened several hundred years ago, and only the most bitter of jumi still hold any contempt towards humankind. Still, though they are not as common as in the past, jewel hunters do exist today, and occasionally cores can be found circulating through the black market.
Other than the large jewels protruding from their chests, the jumi appear almost perfectly human save for a couple of things. An individual’s hair and eye color are always the same as his or her jewel core; a jumi with a sapphire core has deep blue hair and eyes, while one with an onyx core has hair and eyes that are pitch-black.
In the past, most jumi lived in the city of BLANK, known colloquially as the bejeweled city. It was located in Vanaheim, near Yggdrasil, and was recognized as an independent nation. UNFINISHED~ 8D
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Fairies
Other Names: Children of Yggdrasil, Fair Folk
Life Expectancy: Immortal
Original Home: Yggdrasil
Native Language: Arcane Tongue
Magical Potential: Extremely high
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