[hider=Playable Races]

[indent][indent][right][img]https://i.imgur.com/n65SjF0.png[/img][img]https://i.imgur.com/qoMhqcU.png[/img][/right][/indent][/indent][indent][indent][indent]Though a large variety of other ‘races’ do exist beyond the playable ones, most are either feral or feral [i]enough[/i] that they cannot adhere to any form of civilized society. From the rabid merfolk who only [i]look[/i] half-human to the less intelligent of the Fae race, then to the many more unnamed varieties living among the normal, non-magical animals of the world (and can hardly be distinguished from them sometimes), these beast races are outcasts on the fringes of society and aside from the occasional exotic pet, it’d be difficult to find them in any populated area. Like owning an alligator or a cheetah, any owner of the more feral species must go through the proper checks and paperwork to ensure the creature won’t be a danger to itself and others.[/indent][/indent][/indent]
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[center][table][img]https://i.imgur.com/80hEptr.png[/img][/table][/center][indent][indent][indent]Versatile and innovative, humans have married science and magic to create the magitech that now powers much of civilized society, bringing about a dawn of convenience and prosperity for much of the world. Despite being comparatively frail relative to the other major sentient races, they aren’t limited to any specialization and many human mages boast a variety of spells that covers the grounds other races fail to. Though human magic is significantly weaker than the specialties of the other races, this weakness actually allows spells to be combined on the fly for multiple varied effects at once without needing multiple casts. Having learned by now that powerful magicks fail to mix well without some extra work (or a Starweaver-brand ability), human ingenuity has developed several standard curriculums of rapid-fire, low-cost combination spells for all its mainstream mage courses. The result is devastating efficiency and bewildering variety if allowed to continue casting unimpeded.

Humans don’t use natural energy like the Fae, physical energy like the Daeva, or celestial energy like the Mal’akh, but an individualized energy that seems to come from the ‘soul’. This concept is still being rigorously studied and tested, but it’s been verified repeatedly that human magic is entirely different from other races, yet can mimic to a lesser degree their various effects. What mankind has to worry about, however, is the lack of capable mages in their midst, as few humans truly master magic to an extent that cannot be replicated by magitech or surpassed by the other races.

Human magic usually involves a short channeling period, followed by the spell’s output. During channeling is when human mages can weave in other spells if their control is strong enough, but most stick to the safe number of three spells combined at a time. Training and understanding the concepts of calling forth the magic (which feels a little bit like the body’s squeezing itself inward) is a necessity for both enhanced humans and magically gifted ones. The idea of ‘manifesting your will’ has enough magical literature to fill libraries.

Enhanced variants are often humans without any magical inclinations who have opted for the experimental (and often times permanent) injection of magical properties. This is normally done in the form of storing ‘non-perishable’ desired magical effects into a temporary magitech core, similar to what powers the current magitech weapons. This core is then tested for compatibility and then embedded into the human recipient, granting them the desired magical affinity. With enhanced humans, the power output is significantly weaker than normal magical humans, but the transplants allow more fine control as the magitech core is already calibrated for the specific individual. Many enhanced humans use their powers to aid in work or lifestyle management and it’s seen as something generally beneficial and recommended for those inconveniences and common problems in life—-if you can afford it. Inherent magic and enhanced modifications tend to magically clash, so it’s not normal for the already magically gifted to undergo enhancements. In the rare instances it happens, certain mystical medications and suppressants are prescribed to keep the magical reactions in check.
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[center][table][img]https://i.imgur.com/lgYZ5g7.png[/img][/table][/center][indent][indent][indent]In common parlance, the ‘angels’, once believed to be celestial beings bearing the messages of the universal will. Nowadays, they’re considered quite common, though many people still hold great respect for their origins from stardust, their siren-like voices, adept and highly beneficial (though slow) healing abilities, and graceful aerial maneuvers. Their wings come in many shapes and colors and are used to rapidly condense magic for long-term storage and casting rather than to actually fly (which they simply do with magic). Notable traits are their obvious wings, which can be attached or detached, but tend to hover very close to them; the unnatural colors of the eyes and hair; and the enticing sounds of their voices. Despite their abilities, they’re physically fragile and when exhausted are merely easy pickings. Their spells flashy and wondrous things, but are slow to channel and often leaves them an easy target while they concentrate. Their wings glow brighter the fuller their energy reserves while becoming dull and lifeless if they’re running on empty.

The Mal’Akh wings have been the subject of many a study and magitech has done a poor job of replicating the efficiency with which the wings store energy. As the Mal’Akh draws their energy from the heavens, they were once believed to be the heralds of Starweavers. Only in recent times have astrologians clearly distinguished the two parties, where one is born of the stars as a natural matter of course while the other is explicitly chosen. Energy stored in the wings can be released all at once in a self-destructive explosion, which has been the cause of several detonations in certain wars and attacks. Otherwise, the Mal’Akh can siphon away their energy reserves to other races if need be, but the poor efficiency of the conversion from celestial energy to other types of magic means this is normally a last resort.

While the Mal’Akh share with the Daeva unusual eye color, they’re not known to have any strange scleras and their irises are almost always a lighter shade of certain pigments, or several at once. Their hair usually matches their eyes, however many hues there might be. Thanks to this natural color coordination, fashion brands love to employ Mal’Akh models for their shows, particular those with more iridescent shades of eye and hair colors.
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[center][table][img]https://i.imgur.com/uztON15.png[/img][/table][/center][indent][indent][indent]A race comprising creatures born the depths of the earth. Their most distinguishing characteristics are their unnatural pallors ranging from any number of shades blue to gray, black scleras and/or unusually-colored irises, tails, and horns. Proud of their horns, which can come in many shapes and sizes, many Daevas tend to accessorize them extravagantly, either with jewelry or dyes to accentuate their outfits and hair. Their tails come in high varieties of multi-tails, single tails, fire tails, glowing tails, and the like. The uniqueness of a tail’s appearance lends to a bit of pissing contest culture between more flamboyant Daevas and they can often be seen discussing tail and horn care routines with each other.

Their various abilities focus around greater physical and mental strength and enhancements thereof, making them the clear opposition to the Mal’akh. Many of them form the backbones of militaries and police around the world, while even more are part of paramilitary forces for hire. Highly resistant to damage, they’re the perfect race for combat or heavy-lifting, but fail spectacularly when it comes to providing direct magical support or healing to others. It’s said a Daeva will do their own job only and no one else’s.

Daeva magic is more physical in nature, with a well-kept physical form providing more inherent magic than those who are out of shape. It’s extremely rare to find a Daeva who isn’t a fitness nut, as their training and practice is more straightforward than the magical control of other races. The better their physicalities, the better the effects of their magical enhancements. In combat, a Daeva can solidify skin to impenetrability, amplify strength in bursts for great feats, run fast enough to leave blurs, and contort and twist where flexibility is needed. Their natural mental fortitude also prevents them from being easily manipulated by magic that would affect the mind and they can amplify this further to prevent casual mind-reading or brainjacking.[/indent][/indent][/indent]
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[center][table][img]https://i.imgur.com/3OABZFP.png[/img][/table][/center][indent][indent][indent]The race once believed to be descended from forest- and nature-based origins, though much of the old lore is now lost to time and the results of the first Great Calamity. They channel a variety of utility magic and boons rapidly and precisely, but also tire of casting just as quickly. Though traditional Tinker Bell-type fairies are the most common variant, this race comes in many forms and sizes and usually prefer to speak the Old Tongue (a language which comes naturally to all who have Fae blood) with one another when purposefully excluding those not of their kind. 

The weathered song of the Old Tongue also channels the natural magic of the world to aid in another’s casting or concentration, but loses its efficacy the more diluted the Fae blood. Unlike the other major races, the Fae have clear distinctions in abilities between pure-bloods and mixed-bloods and discourage interracial unions. Though some forms of the Fae may resemble the Daeva at first blush, the Fae invariably possess far more animalistic characteristics than the Daeva from cloven hooves to animal ears both common and more mystical. Extreme variants of the Fae folk resemble little more than walking trees or floating motes of light, though these would be counted more as fringe members of the race as their sentience isn’t up to par.

Pure-blooded Fae can move plant, air, and soil at will, forming constructs to hide and protect or pushing the wind to hurricanes. A powerful lineage also allows a Fae folk to strengthen and expand the effects of other magicks, as natural magic blends well with other types. The Fae have no natural form of magical energy storage, though, since they borrow nature’s magic rather than possess it, and channeling the force of the earth itself is taxing on them. They’re not known to be front line fighters and can often be found accompanying others as support. What they lack in magical stamina they make up for in variety and even to this day researchers are still cataloging different abilities and variants of the Fae race. Though information is still inconclusive on the Starweaver that was an entire Calamity unto himself, the working theory is that he was at least partially Fae as the earth shook and moved with his will before yawning chasms opened to swallow his victims whole, their bodies mashed and ground into the dirt at the bottom of their descents until there was nothing left.[/indent][/indent][/indent]
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