[center][h1][b][u]The Races of Bayera[/u][/b][/h1][/center][hr]
[hider=Spoiler][center][h2][i][b]The Dureva[/b][/i][/h2][/center]
[hider][b]Alternate Name::[/b] Beastkin.

[b][center]History[/center][/b]
Power has been a goal of men since time immemorial, no matter what corruption may come upon them. The dureva, also known as beastmen, are the result of men being cursed for their ancestors' pursuit of power. This began roughly 5,000 years a go, a man named Balaclava sought to increase his magic beyond what the gods had granted him, and had several followers who followed him. Each were incredibly powerful, pushing the boundaries of what a human mage could do, and yet that wasn't enough. Dissolution however, killed many in their cult as they tried harder and harder to break the limits of man's Elan. Eventually, they converged on what was the strongest concentration of mana on Bayera at the time, where the air around them buzzed with energy and glowed like thousands of fireflies. It was here that one final effort was made to break their limits, beginning by filling their bodies with vast amounts of mana, to brace against the backlash, and in the interest of retaining some. As their collectibe power peaked, the cult converged their energies and synchonized good and bad karma in a buildup to prevent the backlash from having an effect.

However, the sheer scale of their efforts attracted the notice of Gods and Archdemons alike. Seizing the opportunity to assert their place in the world further, the Archdemons harvested the power, tainting it with [i]"Wrongness"[/i] as they did so, thus affecting the world as a result. The sudden change in the mana's karmic state thus altered the landscape around them, forming the Bahrain Deadlands. Understandably upset with the foolhardy humans, the Gods themselves acted in the interest of ceasing further spread of the taint. So, rather than killing the cultists, they cursed them so that the once powerful mages would never again wield magic, as their Sway was rendered null. However, perhaps worse was that their bodies would depend on mana, forcing them to be near it for the rest of their lives. The curse would spread to their offspring as well, perpetuating the cycle.

Thus rendered unable to impression mana, it would instead leave impressions upon them, changing their bodies to suit their enviroments, giving them beast-like attributes. Some grew additional limbs or appendages such as wings or fins while others still grew fur, spines, or scales. The lucky ones managed to retain a fairly human appearance, while the unfortunate came to be regarded as monsters. As time went on, their dependence on mana only grew, infusing their bodies with that which surrounded them, so that eventually mana became their blood...their life in a way that it simply could not be for another. No longer human, their former kin shunned them and so were shunned in turn creating a rift between the two. They cursed men became known as Dureva as time passed, but while some forgot what they once were, all knew that to attempt to disrupt the natural order...one would be punished.

[b][center]Culture[/center][/b]
For thousands of years, the dureva were forced to follow where mana lead, living only where it was thickest thus making them a nomadic people. As a result of this and the circumstances of their creation, their culture gradually changed from that of humans to something else entirely. They came to resent the gods and chose to worship nature instead, as it was the only thing that truly supported them. So it was that "From the Gods" became a phrase of contempt, likening things to the curse that had been laid upon them. Magic, which they could not use, became an evil, and disruptive, thing in their eyes, with mages often thought of as unnecessary nuisances. Being nomadic, their ability to manufacture suffered and so technology lost favor. As time went on the dureva took to seeing technology as a hindrance or an outright threat to nature, causing them to shun it. All these factors seperated them further from man, and the group became hostile towards man as a result. Treating most of mankind with disdain they took to calling them 'humes,' as a way of insulting them.

As they developed as a people, their worship of nature led them to take care of those places that they settled, even if only a time. They became guardians of the lands they tread upon, repelling those who would harm what they considered holy ground. Yet, perhaps because of their aggression towards others, the dureva have never been particularly prosperous, their numbers remaining small throughout history.

Nonetheless, the dureva make due, traveling in groups called clans, for safety and comaraderie alike. Each clan competing for optimal locations, though never warring amongst one another in earnest. 

With their bestial attributes defining them, dureva have come to naming their own, in some manner, after the beasts they resemble.

Despite the efforts of their elders to engrain  the traditions of their kind, there are some dureva who would rather live among others. While once this was impossible, in more recent times the discovery of 'nature gems', items which can absorb ambient mana and grant it to their holder, some dureva have chosen to travel beyond their normal routes and join the ranks of humanity. Nonetheless, areas bereft of mana are something that every dureva dreads as should their crystal fail, their life will be soon in ending. Still, with the elders holding to tradition, many dureva have taken to shunning these gems calling them a trap laid by the divine, items which can only be 'from the gods' put in place to trick them once again.

Perhaps they are right.

[b][center]Mana[/center][/b]
The dureva, with mana literally running through their veins, have a large Elan, the mana of their souls being denser than most. However, part of their curse makes this completely useless, as they are entirely unable to influence mana. This is not however due to a lack of Sway, but instead because its flow has been inverted causing them to absorb mana, rather than exude it. Similarly this is why mana influences their person more intimately than it would a human affecting them when near. As with all races, some dureva have a more powerful sway, causing them to draw  more mana into themselves, though it makes them more susceptable to it as well. This is just another reason that dureva hate spellcasters, as their influence  can literally hurt them just due to proximity--though it is hardly ever fatal.

[b][center]Race Abilities[/center][/b]
Despite being without Magic, the dureva are far from weak. Drawing strength from the mana that flows through their veins, thus infusing their bodies with natural strength and resilience, though what form these things takes differs with the bestial traits they possess. Due to the sheer amount of mana in their bodies their muscles are energized, making them potentially terrifying adversaries in physical combat. Additionally, this mana is utilized to accentuate and strengthen their bestial attributes, allowing, say, a bird dureva to fly.

While unable to properly use magic, there are a small number of dureva, called Whisperers, who are so intune with nature that they are able to communicate with it. Two branches of Whisperers exist, Beast Whisperers and and Floral Whisperers. They are highly prized by the dureva, and some others, due to their  rarity. Whenever a new Whisperer is discovered, the entire clan will host a grand banquet, festivities included, to celebrate their good fortune.

Whisperers, while unable to use mana themselves, are able to feel the mana coming from nature, and communicate with it. They are the closest thing the dureva have to spellcasters as their skills allow them to [i]commune[/i] with nature and then use their inherent connection to influence it.

A Beast Whisperer may command beasts as allies, gathering information or fighting alongside them. Floral Whisperer however, can persuade plants to speed their growth or even coax them to grow a certain way. Each species, be it flora or fauna, has a different 'feel', and so a whisperer must listen to learn this feeling.[/hider]

[center][h2][i][b]Demons[/b][/i][/h2][/center]
[hider]The progeny of Archdemons, Demons are as diverse as they are plentiful. Known as beings of “Wrongness,” they are wrought from the souls of mortals and reborn as agents of calamity, meant to sow entropy in the world and among their own kind in turn. While no demon is truly alike, they do share some common attributes, these primarily being their biological immortality, their karmic alignment, and of course their drive to rise through the ranks of their kind.

With the term “demon,” being more a descriptor of a broad group of differing species, each with their own cultures, than it is of a single [i]race[/i], these beings of wrongness are often reviled by men and mer both. The extent of this hatred has led the likes of demons, since the Forgotten Era, to being largely exiled to their realm of origin, Pendulum, where each strives to find a foothold in the world so that it might sow the seeds of entropy once more. While each demon seeks out its own ways to sow entropy, not one is truly the same as another as each individual is born with an Aspect that governs their actions and determines the means by which they must achieve their brand of divinity. While some may share an Aspect no single demon expresses theirs in quite the same way, thus revealing the highly individualistic nature of their kind.

Nonetheless, despite their tendency towards individualism, in both body and mind, demons can, more often than not be separating into eight(8) [i]Classes[/i], which are detailed below.

[hider=Classes][i][b]Thralls:[/b][/i] The starting point of their kind, this class includes demons who have recently been born or who have yet to attain a notable level of sentience and “will” separate from that of their sire. Thralls are most easily identified by largely animalistic behavior, a lack of autonomy and/or an inability to act of their own accord. Demons of this rank are of the weakest sort, with a Sway comparable to the average human, though possessing some magic inherent to their being. Additionally, Thralls, along with Lesser and some Moderate Demons, are one of the few classes of demon that can [i]slip through the cracks[/i] and find their way to Bayera without previously established footholds. Their ability to do this is due almost entirely to the minuscule size of their sway, which allows their karmic nature to go largely unnoticed by reality at large, thus fooling it into allowing them inside. It should be noted that many Thralls do not have an entirely static form, instead taking on an appearance that most represents the idea of their aspect to those who behold them. Conversely they may not take on any particularly defined form at all, instead manifesting as a distinct feeling of [i]Wrongness[/i] where they are located, perhaps accompanied by a thick cloud of mana that is particularly unpleasant to look upon.

[i][b]Lesser Demons:[/b][/i] The lowest form of conscious demon, Lesser demons are beings of Wrongness that have managed to form their own personality and free will, thus separating them, though to varying degrees, from their sire. These demons, similar to Thralls, can slip into Bayera with greater ease than many of their more powerful kin. While their sway is larger than that of Thralls, it tends to allow them to manipulate things only directly in contact with their person or within several feet. However, unlike Thralls, practically all Lesser Demons possess a sort of mana radiation, that bleeds off a form of Karmic “Wrong,” which taints everything around them. While this taint is particularly weak and can be easily purified, it does tend to stick and can take up to a day or two to wear off or dissipate. Lesser Demons, due to their having gained individuality, tend to have a form, allowing them to manifest willingly into a particular shape or into the nebulous form detailed in “Thralls”. Additionally, while Thralls tend to take on traits, abilities, and appearances more in line with the Aspect of their sires, Lesser Demons have defined themselves enough to have an almost entirely separate Aspect, and thus abilities that tend to differ a fair bit from those of their sire.

[i][b]Moderate Demons:[/b][/i] Perhaps the most dangerous of the lower echelons of demonkind, Moderate Demons are characterized by a Sway equivalent to the average mage, but with a distinctly higher potency born of their magical abilities being geared towards one Aspect. Demons of this rank are entirely separate from their sires at this point, being fully fledged individuals with an evolving form. Additionally it is at this point in their development that demons lose their ability to take on a nebulous shape, though this does not mean that they cannot take on [i]abstract forms[/i]. Moderate demons, while not particularly common in Bayera, are also not uncommon, making them a sort of being that is known of by most. While they are known elements, Moderate Demons are still more often than not avoided due to their Sway giving off the same sort of karmic radiation as that of Lesser demons, though of a considerably more worrisome density, causing things influenced by it to be inflicted with ill luck or outright illness, though it tends to be mild or mercifully temporary.

[i][b]High Demons:[/b][/i] The first of the truly terrifying classes of demons, High Demons are particularly uncommon as they have, due to the size of their sway and the density of their Elan, lost their ability to easily slip through the cracks and enter Bayera. Instead, High Demons must carve out footholds in the world, by concentrating their influence and sway, being summoned, or making deals—though it is often a mixture of all three. High Demons possess a streamlined form in comparison to those of classes below them as their Aspect tends to have clarified somewhat, as has their understanding of it, allowing their physical manifestation—if it can be called such—to clarify and create its own form of [i]order[/i] as it follows certain guidelines and adheres to the themes that guide a given demon's nature. In terms of sheer magical power, High Demons tend to be comparable to a powerful or particularly skilled human mage, putting their overall power somewhere around the fifth(5th) or sixth(5th) orders(tiers). These demons are not rare, but they are not even half as common as Moderate Demons, making them a sort of being one is unlikely to encounter if they are careful. Nonetheless, a High Demon is considered about as dangerous as a tank or equivalent threat in terms of raw power. However, perhaps more notable is a High Demon's rating in terms of expected collateral damage, which tends to be equivalent to the seventh(7th) tier or greater as the sheer wrongness exuded by their form is likely to cause damage of varying sorts over a period of time equivalent to a week or more. Last to note of their traits is a High Demon's ability to extend their influence between realms so as to influence the goings on of Bayera while still in Pendulum. This ability is however limited, though its limits depend on the demon in question. All demons above this class also possess this ability.

[i][b]Wardens:[/b][/i] A turning point in a demon's evolution, individuals who have reached Warden class are likely to have either already gained a foothold in the world, or who have decided to stake a claim to part of Pendulum, thus increasing their sway over time and allowing it to bleed into Bayera. These demons, while powerful in their own right, are particularly uncommon in Bayera, meaning that they are unlikely to be encountered unless one is explicitly seeking one out, which is something only the unwise, insane, or particularly powerful are likely to do. Warden class demons are typically powerful enough that facing them alone with magic below the seventh(7th) order(tier) is not just unwise, but suicidal, in one way or another. This is without considering the karmic radiation they release, which is comparable to a nuclear bomb in sheer area of effect, though far more tame in terms of damage done per minute. Strangely, and quite unlike other classes of demons, Warden class demons tend not to possess significant magical abilities, at least not in the form of offensive magic. Instead, Wardens tend to have personal and environmental magic, allowing them to bind their sway to the environment around them and use it as an extension of their person. The range of this ability is however limited, tending to max out at about the size of a city block, though it varies. Those Wardens who carve out a place for themselves in Pendulum choose either to serve a Demonic Lord, or to become “Rogue Wardens,” that hold land outside the eight claimed territories of Pendulum, protecting them fiercely from intruders. Lastly, Warden class demons are capable of skipping an evolutionary step and becoming Greater Demons rather than Demonic Lords once they have developed enough—the exact reason for this is however, unknown.

[i][b]Demonic Lords:[/b][/i] Typically known as esteemed beings in demon society and feared figures among the likes of other mortals, Demonic Lords are demons who have staked a claim to a large portion of the demonic side of Pendulum. This evolutionary stage is often where those demons who have not managed to gain footholds in the world, do so. Demons of this class also have the tendency of possessing shape shifting abilities, as their Sway has been partially internalized, though it remains fairly vast, able to effect large swaths of land equivalent to towns or even smaller cities. The Wrongness they exude is more focused into their bodies, allowing them to actually control the amount of their karmic radiation that affects the world around them. These beings, unlike Wardens, are not just rare in the world at large, but in Pendulum as well, making them something seen only by the incredibly unfortunate. Demons of this class typically have magic or physical abilities on par with the eighth order(tier), though some Lords have been seen to almost surpass it despite never quite entering the ninth order(tier). It should be noted that despite their capacity to shapeshift a demon's appearance can never fully hide their true nature. While there may be more to say about these elusive and rare individuals, little is known about Demonic Lords and their abilities and as such, nothing further shall be mentioned.

[i][b]Greater Demons:[/b][/i] The rarest class of demonic entity, Greater Demons are at the very height of mortal evolution, as they have reached the limit of their kind, which cannot be properly surpassed till they have transcended their mortality and become one of the dreaded Archdemons. These entities, despite bearing the same racial name as the previous classes, are far removed from their kin, tending to be so powerful that other demons avoid them as other mortals avoid most demons. Greater Demons are vast beings, tending to take on an abstract form rather than a solid one, dwelling more in the realm of ideas, thoughts, emotions, and mana than they do in the realms of solidity and physics. These entities, despite their size, are uniquely capable of manifesting their will in Bayera as they can extend themselves through their influence to possess beings or even [i]places[/i]. However while powerful, Greater Demons are vulnerable in ways that the classes below them simply are not, as they can be more easily repelled or banished back to their realms. This reveals another reality about these frightening entities, this being that they each possess their own separate space within Pendulum, wherein their Aspect and Will dictates the rules. In this way, and a good many others, Greater Demons are more similar to Archdemons than they are to Demons. When manifested, as rare as such is, a Greater Demon can possess various levels of power depending on how much of themselves they have manifested. However, when fully manifested, a Greater Demon, it is said--as such is only told of in legends—that their influence extends over vast tracts of land greater than the expanse of any city, and that their magical might is such that only the most powerful of mortal beings might face them and even hope to survive, let alone win. In this way, most Greater Demons are hopefully classified as beings with power equivalent to that of 10th order(tier), though it is possible that they surpass this. In regards to the abilities of Greater Demons, well unfortunately so few have been witnessed manifesting or acting in earnest that little is known about such. If this were not bad enough, the leading theory states that a given Greater Demon is so developed that it is essentially a walking incarnation of its Aspect, meaning that every individual of this class is more likely to have a totally unique set of abilities rather than all of them have shared traits of any sort.

[i][b]Archdemons:[/b][/i] Demons who have transcended a mortal existence, these divine beings have reached a level of power and sheer scale, such that their Sway no longer expands, but instead becomes more dense as they gain more influence over the world at large. They are capable of birthing Demons of various class, some which they can control as puppets to further their ends. While beyond the scope of any mortal, the influence of an Archdemon can be fended off better than that of, say, a Demonic Lord. However this is not to say it is simple nor easy as it still requires powerful artifacts or spellcraft to ward such beings off due to the metaphorical weight they have to throw around in comparison to a mortal being. Regardless, it should be noted that Archdemons, much like the class below them, possess each their own realm, wherein their Aspect rules supreme. An Archdemon may invite mortals, or other beings, into these realms to confer with them and also unlike their mortal offspring, these divine beings are capable of totally restraining any karmic radiation they may exude—though they do not always do so. Unlike their lesser kin, Archdemons cannot physically manifest in any real capacity within Bayera, allowing them only to extend their Will through Thralls or footholds they have gained. Yet, despite this, an Archdemon, if invited in, can possess a mortal being or even a location with a fragment of their self. This is something that has only occurred twice in history and one of these two occurrences was the cause of the demonic race being exiled from Bayera, which served as the beginning of the Forgotten Era.

*Thralls, Greater Demons, and Archdemons cannot be played.
*Not all Demons are born as Thralls as some, mostly those who are birthed from the souls of Greater Fae, Dragons, or corrupted Angels become higher class demons upon joining the ranks of demonkind.
*A being can be considered “demonic,” without actually being a demon.[/hider]
Beyond these classes it is known that demons, in their realm of Pendulum, have formed eight distinct [i]kingdoms[/i] each of which is ruled by its own Demonic Lord. While there exist numerous other kingdoms, they are still expanding and growing, or have yet to reveal themselves to the various scholars who study demonkind. Additionally, it should be noted that all demons, including Archdemons, are capable of mating, though typically with other races rather than their own kin. This is done either through possessing a female and impregnating her with demonic essence via their Sway, by possessing a male individual and engaging in intercourse, or asexually, as some demons do. There also exists Parasitic Intermingling, wherein a demon possesses an already developing baby belonging to another allowing their influence to corrupt them thus altering their nature permanently.[/hider][/hider]