More stuff from the story I'm working on. · 6:33pm Nov 25th, 2018
Still working on stuff, and this Thanksgiving weekend has been pretty busy. But here's another bit of stuff from the non-fanfiction story I'm working on.
Lifeforms:
Gods: A god is, at its core, an idea combined with belief and magic. The more people who believe in the idea of a god, the more power that idea gains, until that idea becomes a reality. A god can unleash power sufficient to level cities or glass continents, however, because a god has no actual physical matter, it is not able to physically interact with the world around it without a mortal avatar to house it. The Pact greatly limits how much the gods can interfere with the mortal world (Outside of enforcing The Pact when another god chooses to violate it), requiring them to work through intermediaries, instead. Acting through these various intermediaries (Clerics, Paladins, Etc.) results in what is commonly referred to as miracles. Because a god is not made of physical matter, and only exists due to belief, a god cannot truly be killed, so long as there are enough people who believe it to still be alive.
Demons: While there are some demons in the various pantheons of the gods, most of them are nothing more than a different kind of god: An idea and a large amount of magic, bound together with belief. To differentiate them from the type locked inside the dungeons, the demons in a pantheon are mostly referred to as Daemons. The demons inside of the dungeons have a much uglier origin: During the Age of Conflict, when god made war against god, some gods would occasionally select a living creature, and then "bless" it with a massive amount of power. While sometimes fatal, if the creature survived it would be twisted into a new and terrible form. Imbued with immense magical power, strength, and intelligence, these monsters would bring about death and destruction against their creator's enemies, and could spawn monsters from their own flesh to create a small army. While any creature, even a mouse, can be used to create a demon capable of destroying an entire city in a single day, a demon created from any of the sapient races will be far more powerful and dangerous. While The Pact forbids the creation of demons, that did not stop the rogue god of evil from creating nine thousand, nine hundred, and ninety nine from among its mortal followers in its dying moments.
Dragons: Literally the most powerful creatures in existence. Even the gods know not to press their luck where these massive reptiles are involved. Gods are almost completely composed of magic energy, giving them tremendous power, but they cannot physically interact with the mortal world. Humans and other mortals are mostly composed of matter, giving them great influence in the mortal world, but little power, at least compared to the gods. Dragons are half magic energy, and half matter. This, combined with the fact that they are gigantic flying reptiles that breathe pure elemental destruction, gives them a truly massive amount of influence in both spheres. The main reason why dragons do not rule the world is due to the surprising fact that mortals have managed, with startling frequency, to kill any dragon who attempts world conquest. While this is sometimes managed through sheer numbers, it has just as often been managed by a single individual. Thus, most dragons do their best to leave mortals well enough alone, and mortals largely do the same.
Elves: Properly spelled and pronounced "Alivs", singular "Alv", these long-lived, pointy eared humanoids are largely reclusive, given a terrible atrocity committed by a previous prince of Gillertree, Adelvard the Monstrous, over a hundred years ago. Said atrocity was largely due to the previously mentioned prince's ignorance, racism, and overall aggressiveness and stupidity. The less said about said event, the better, but there's a very good reason why there are currently more half-elves alive than full-blooded elves, nearly all of which are around one hundred years old. The only reason why the pure-blooded elves have anything to do with Gillertree is due to Adelvard's execution at the hands of his own father, and the fact that the kingdom is now ruled by King Draconis The First, rather than anyone who share's a blood relation with Adelvard. Elven wizards and sorceresses are among the most powerful on the plantet, and nearly all elves possess agility, eyesight, and hand-eye coordination much greater than that of humans, making them expert archers and fearsome opponents in hand-to-hand combat. This is especially true when combined with the decades, if not centuries, that most elven warriors have spent honing those skills. However, elves tend to have somewhat lower strength and fortitude than humans, given their lighter frames. Half-elves tend to be less agile, but they make up for it with the more robust constitutions granted by their human ancestry.
Dwarves: Properly spelled and pronounced "Dvvarvves", singular "Dvvarvv", but the Dwarves are largely good-natured about the human mispronunciation of it. Short, stocky, often fantastically bearded, and long-lived, Dwarves are known for their expert craftsmanship, their remarkable prowess on the battlefield, and their world-famous (Or perhaps infamous) ability to drink any living creature under the table. Contrary to popular belief, the females do not have beards. Largely good-natured and friendly, Dwarves have long been allies to the largely human kingdom of Gillertree, in spite of a terrible wrong committed against their king and all of his line, perpetrated by Adelvard the Monstrous. Dwarves possess a tremendous resistance to magic, and many hold a strong distrust, if not an outright hatred, of any practitioner of the art, although this is largely due to "Adelvard's Curse" and what it has done to the royal line. More than a few Dwarves choose to leave their homes to become adventurers in Gillertree, the most famed by far being Guildmaster Steiner the Mustacioed, so-named due to having lost his beard in a fight a century ago with a lesser firedrake, and after learning he could not regrow it, instead focused on growing and maintaining his mustache, and has done so for over a hundred years. It is considered the finest on the continent, if not the world, and preparations have been made to preserve it as a national treasure of the Dwarven kingdom after his death. It is also considered a lesser god in three dwarven pantheons, and some claim that it has magical, if not divine, powers. It must be seen to be believed.
Saurians: Sometimes called lizardfolk, these reptilian humanoids largely prefer wet and humid areas to dwell in. Due to their culture having considerably different views on morality, property, rights, and even the most fundamental concepts of good and evil or right and wrong, many of these scaled bipeds live in conditions that can only be called barbaric, although actual barbarians have been known to be offended by being compared to Saurians. Their civilization, if it can be called that, largely consists of a policy of "Might Makes Right", taken to its natural, nightmarish conclusion. Only the strongest, fastest, and most cunning can hold authority, and only as long as they can kill anyone who tries to take it from them. Because of this, leadership changes hands on an almost monthly basis, and it is rare for anyone in a leadership position to live longer than a year. There is no concept of loyalty among the Saurians, and thus, all of their chieftains can only rule by fear and bloodshed. They have no cities, no buildings, no written language, and what tools, weapons, and armor they have is almost universally stolen from other humanoids (After murdering said humanoids). Those few that leave their homelands and wind up in Gillertree often live as thieves, bandits, and assassins. While not amphibious, many are skilled swimmers and can hold their breaths for a very long time.
Furred Folk: A catch-all term used to cover a large number of humanoid races which can be identified by their furred skin. The term is not considered racist, by and large, or at least is considered significantly less so than terms like "cat-folk", "dog-men", and the like. While aware of the resemblance, comparing them to their less intelligent "relatives" is as insulting to them as calling a human an "ape man" would be. The use of the term "Furry" by humans to describe them is largely considered a killing offence in their society for reasons best not discussed. Not native to the continent, but many find their way to Gillertree, largely due to the worsening condition of their homelands: A terrible curse cast by a malicious wizard has afflicted the region where they make their homes with a zone of ceaseless famine and drought that has spread further and further each year. By the end of the century, it will effectively render their homelands completely uninhabitable, and force them to chose between a permanent self-imposed diaspora or death. Many come to Gillertree in the hope of finding some remedy to the curse, or at least a chance to establish a new home for their families when their relatives are finally forced by the curse to vacate their homeland.
Kinderfolk: A race of humanoids who, while resembling humans, are often about three feet tall, if that. Their small size, combined with their surpising agility and dexterity, makes them excellent acrobats, tumblers, and scouts, as well as thieves, rogues, and assassins. They tend to live closely with humans, and are often found doing jobs that would be more difficult for a large, less dexterous race to perform. Never call a Kinderfolk a "halfling", or an "underfoot". While some will just be offended, some will choose to give you a lesson in humility after they've broken both your kneecaps, or severed your Achilles tendons: It doesn't matter how tall you are, if you can no longer stand upright.
Seafolk: Another catch-all term, this time referring to the various sea-dwelling sapients who dwell in the various zones of the sea. Largely separated into three groups: The Shallows who live near the surface and trade with humans, the Deepers who dwell further down where the water pressure is too strong for mortals to reach, and the mysterious Deepest, who live in depths where the pressure is instantly fatal to anyone else trying to reach them. Shallows largely resemble the beautiful mermaids and mermen of yore, but anyone thinking to wed one is going to be very disappointed: They reproduce the same way that most fish do, with everything that entails. They get along well with humans, by and large, and trade between the two races is largely beneficial to both: Among other things, humans often trade beef and pork, as well as various fruits and vegetables, for the Seafolks' bountiful supplies of fish. They have no nudity taboo, largely due to the fact that most clothing will interfere with their ability to swim effectively.
Orcs: Green-skinned humanoids of the adult-sized variety, orcs are nomadic and largely avoid humans. While they do some measure of trade with the smaller settlements, they keep well away from the major cities. There's been a lot of bad blood between humanity and orckind, and the orcs do not want to rekindle old hostilities. Legend has it that the "first" Gillertree was an orcish kingdom that was triple the size of the current Gillertree, and the calamities that struck that realm were sufficient to reduce the orcs on the continent to the nomadic wanderers they are today. Never compare an orc to a goblin: Asides from skin color, they are nothing alike, and inferring otherwise is an insult that can only be answered with death.
Goblins: It is unclear if these small, green-skinned humanoids are creatures warped by cursed magic or some dark miracle, or perhaps some mutation of a monster spawned from demons. What is clear is that they didn't exist before The Year of the Dark Divine. Goblins live in a tribal society, and each tribe is unique. Some live in isolation, wanting nothing to do with the other races. A few live in peaceful cooperation with their larger neighbors. Others, however, choose to antagonize other races, attacking isolated villages and outposts and stealing food, tools, weapons, and sundry other things of value, or other times just burning and destroying anything they get their hands on. This often results in adventurers being called in to deal with them, when the military can't be there to provide aid.
Kobolds: Small, scaled humanoids who tend to live in caves, ruins, and other remote or abandoned places. While omnivorous like most other sapient races, they prefer mushrooms and other "fruits of the caverns" to meat. They largely avoid humans and the other races, due primarily to fear: Even goblins are larger and stronger than they are, and given their peace-loving nature, koblolds have little ability to defend themselves from attackers. The kobold language has over a hundred words for the concepts of "love", "peace", and "compassion", but until they first made contact with other races, they did not have words for "violence", "war", or even "murder".
Lichfolk: In the frozen north, a great kingdom once stood. The humans of this kingdom got along well with their neighbors, and rather than expanding their influence through conquest, preferred to grow through alliances and peaceful annexation. However, a global climate shift occurred during the Age of Conflict (Five weather gods fighting over who got the final say will do that), and the north became too cold to support their vast kingdom, and in fact too cold to support any kind of life. It is too cold for all but the hardiest plants to grow, and even then, only rarely. Because the weather change came about too quickly for the residents to evacuate the kingdom in time, the sorceror-king of the realm instead used magic to transform the residents into undead. The transformation was intended to be temporary, and could be undone once the world's climate returned to normal. The climate change ended up being permanent, however, and the transformation has gone on far too long to be reversed. The "lichfolk" cannot leave the "Lichlands" outside of a cold winter, or their flesh will thaw and quickly decay in the sun, killing them. They do a bustling trade with the dwarves, mining out raw ore and gems from the mountains at a far greater rate than any living being could, even the dwarves themselves. The lichfolk do not need to eat, sleep, or even breathe. The residents, or at least those that remain, are largely friendly and outgoing, and do not let their current condition get them down.
Humans: Bipedal humanoids with a variety of skin colors. While lacking the long lives of the dwarves and elves, the explosive population population growth rate of the goblins, or the immense strength of the orcs, these creatures have ended up being one of the major forces on the continent, due perhaps to being more resourceful and inventive than the other sapient races. Humans are unique in their ability to be able to crossbreed themselves with other sapient races, with the resulting hybrid still being able to produce offspring of their own. No other race can do so. The fact that humans can, and often do, interbreed with other races is sometimes ridiculed by other races. Thankfully, there are no centaurs, or humanity would never hear the end of it. More than half of Gillertree's adventurer's guild is composed of humans, or half-humans.
Monsters: Creatures spawned by demons, these things cause death and destruction wherever they go. Few are sapient, and fewer are capable of reproduction. The few that are only do so in ways that are horrific and disgusting, often similar to the way that some wasps lay eggs inside of spiders and other insects, only using humans and other humanoids instead. Monsters do not die unless they are killed, and are known to become stronger the longer they live and the more people they consume. There is no reasoning with them: They were created solely to kill, and of the few which are sapient, their only thoughts are of how to kill any creature they encounter.
Monster-Kin: Creatures that fed on the corpse of a monster, and were changed. Monster flesh is largely toxic to most creatures, save those with an especially hardy constitution, or at least a digestive tract that can handle that kind of material. Most have their origins in the various species of scavengers and corpse-eating creatures. Among the most common monster-kin, for example, the slimes are born from the bacteria that feeds on decomposing flesh, and the origins of giant rats should be obvious to all. It is unknown if a human could become monster-kin by eating the flesh of a monster, but all who have been known to try have died in a truly agonizing fashion.
Cthulfolk: These strange, squid-headed humanoids are, quite literally, not of this world. A group of about one thousand of them appeared one day, using a starship to escape their dying homeworld. Their vessel did not survive the landing, and the current state of the world leaves them with little to no hope of returning to the stars. Long-lived and highly intelligent, they lack any ability to use magic, but do possess advanced psychic, psionic, and empathic abilities. They try to avoid large gatherings of other humanoids, finding the thoughts of non-Cthulfolk to often be strange, frightening, and alien. They do get along very well with animals. Contrary to popular belief, they do not eat brains.
“They don’t eat brains.”
That’s what they want you to think. I’m keeping my brain, thanks very much
Interesting take on the fantasy creatures, hope to hear more of it.
"Lichfolk"
How very interesting. Benevolent, or rather non-malevolent, undead are very much a rarity. How far does the "undeadness" go? Do they need to keep their body more or less intact?
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or can they handle a bit of dismemberment so long as their body remains chilled?
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In any case, I'm sure that they're left well alone. Sapient undead, even amicable ones, make for nasty enemies. There's no point in picking a fight that you don't want to experience.
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4972782
Living in an area that could best be compared to the least pleasant parts of Antarctica has kept them intact, but just a few hours of warmer weather is enough to end them. Dismemberment won't kill them, but they can't be reassembled: They're dead, and only living things can regenerate. And the main reasons they're left alone are because they don't do anything to antagonize others, since they still keep to their peaceful, friendly traditions even in undeath, and because asides from the valuable ores and precious gems that they extract from the mountain, they really don't have anything that anyone wants. If their kingdom wasn't so nightmarishly cold and inhospitable, someone might have the idea of taking it from them (For said ores and gems), but the very temperatures that keep the lichfolk intact also act as their greatest defense against outside aggression. Seriously, their summers make a Russian winter look warm and inviting in comparison. More to the point, the lichfolk don't exactly charge high prices for their goods: Asides from clothing for the sake of modesty and a few alchemic ointments and the like to help preserve their flesh, there's almost nothing that they need. They'd probably give the stuff away for free, if they weren't afraid that it might mess up the outside world's economy.
4972792
Huh. What do they do to occupy their time? Aside from "diggy diggy hole"... A nation of semi-immortal insomniacs will get very bored very quickly.
4972804
They make the most massive and intricate ice sculptures known to man. You think Calvin from Calvin and Hobbes made some epic snowmen? Imagine if he had an unlimited amount of time and snow to work with.
man, these notes makes me miss your Ogres and Oubliettes story.
So they're like Illithids except without all the things that make Ililthids so thoroughly unpleasant to interact with on any level. Come to think of it, I think this is the first instance I've come across of a squid-headed humanoid where the appropriate response isn't either "kill it with fire" or "run like fuck."
If I am understanding this right would there be two gods for luck, one for good luck the other for bad luck. I know people see unlikely situations and will think good luck is on there side or they are cursed with bad luck. I think this would be enough to have gods for luck?
4974093
Actually, there could easily be more: One pantheon may have two gods, each one representing good or bad luck, while another could just represent all luck, good and bad. Another might have three: One for good luck, one for bad, and one specifically just for luck while gambling. There's a lot of gods in this world.
4974116
i see would they have powers like a god of good luck could give a human very good luck for a day?
4974137
To a limited degree. You'd be more likely to win a coin toss, and maybe be more likely to have a good draw in a game of poker, But you'd still be likely to lose said game if you weren't very good at playing poker: Barring the truly random ones like Roulette, most games of chance are equal parts luck and skill, after all. If the blessing of a god of good fortune would cause you to suddenly get filthy rich with no effort, why would anyone worship any other kind of god? Besides, an important part of The Pact limits how much the gods are allowed to bless an individual. See the section for Demons, and you'll understand why that limit is so important. Besides, a lot of The Pact revolves around how much the gods are allowed to interfere with mortal life: Let's be honest, how happy would you be, knowing that any and all of your achievements weren't actually the result of any hard work or effort on your part, but rather because a god randomly chose you at random to be blessed with good fortune? It kinda sours the whole thing, knowing that you're just along for the ride, and it could just as easily have been literally anyone else. And more importantly, you'd never know when said god might decide that they're done pouring good fortune into your life, and move on to someone else.
I know this has nothing to do with the current subject but are you doing to finish 1000 mares?
With the monster kin I am vaguely reminded of Arifureta and how its protagonist devoured a monster but survived due to having also consumed a healing elixir that resulted in the damage the monster’s flesh did to him being healed as fast as it happened