The Realm of Alteria
Creatures of Alteria
Elementals
Deep within its slumber, the Dual Spirit's dreams create storms, mountains, hurricanes, volcanic eruptions. The dreams of this twinned deity are given form, and they make their mark upon the world. At times, the spirit dreams of the elements, of fire, of earth, of water, and of air. And the twinned forces which ruled the world from the beginning begin their work: Fire spouts from the gaping maws of volcanoes, mountains rise, tsunamis lay waste to the land, and hurricanes rise with the fury of the Dual spirit itself. And yet at times, these thoughts of the elements conflict with another thought, in the rare times when the Spirit's slumber is perhaps not as deep. In these precious few instances, the dream, made manifest, seeks not to affect the world, but to inhabit a host. And it is in these times that an elemental is born, men and women with control over the four elements. This is no magic, it needs no training, there is no science, no studying to it. It simply comes to the user naturally.
Krustafer
"It stood before them, in all its glory, a set of plate armor, black as the darkest night. The villagers raised their sticks and their pitchforks, even as they despaired, for they knew they could not inflict but a scratch on its armour. However its next gesture was one of surrender, it threw its glaive to the ground and spoke with an echoing voice from the centre of its body. “I was birthed from the darkest reaches of this world. I remember a time before your eldest were born. I do not seek to inflict harm upon you, you who cower before me, even as one of you created me. What I seek is to stand among you, to partake in your joys, to partake in your sorrows, to live among you, and to be one of you. The unity of flesh and of steel.”
Excerpt from Ordfather the Exalted’s book “The Made Ones”
The Krustafer are tall animated armours that all share exceptional strength and resilience. The source of their animation is the glowing core in their centre which is made through a time consuming enchanting process. Their thought processes are very logical and simple, making people who had only short contact with them believe that they lack emotion and empathy. The opposite is true, ever since their original conception through the hands of an unknown sorcerer they have been experiencing a very strong emotional world. In fact, the light emanating from their core, if visible, can reflect their mood. There is no exact code that could be understood by humans but some colours or tones can be generalised such as light and more intense colors, which represent a very strong emotion One day they just came from the cave in which they were created and asked to be integrated in society. Their life expectancy is several hundred years and they reproduce very slowly, in fact, they dedicate time every single day during their entire life to create their one and only child. The work it takes to create a new Krustafer is very intense and is comprised of the welding and shaping of parts and sessions of meditation to form a picture of the child’s core. The materials needed are expensive, gemstones and strong steel just being the two most visible. Each generation integrates the failing core of their predecessor into their own design which gives them a repository of ancestor knowledge. It is a taxing task to access that information but occasionally it is a very useful ability to have. Krustafer are naturally not inclined to use magic other than their ability to create more construct cores. The reaction to Krustafer are varied. City people are more used to their occasional presence and likely more educated about them too and will therefore react much less extreme than people who’ve never even heard of Krustafer before. The Krustafer, themselve are very indifferent to one's race. They judge based on actions and they understand when something appears to be frightened by their appearance. A smart enough being could manipulate them into acts of ‘evil’ if their reasoning is sound enough.
Shadeblighted
In villages and in cities alike, hushed whispers speak of the curse of the shadeblighted. Those who are afflicted with this dark and twisting power slowly change to be more feral. A priest can stop this curse at early stages and prevent it from causing any more than superficial physical changes. If this does not happen the cursed becomes fully shadeblighted and seeks to curse more people. The shadeblighted are extremely pale, and sport long and resilient black nails, as well as a small amount of feathers growing on their arms and legs, and jagged, razor sharp teeth. They are known for their hunched over posture and stretched, sinewy bodies. They transmit their curse by biting large pieces out of their victims once they have reached the stage of their development when they can no longer be recognised as sapient beings. This horrible curse originates from a time when humanity was still too close to the proto-human ancestors to be distinguished in any way. In this time an event took place near the Plamen-Ra that warped several kilometres of land with magic might. Man and animal were torn apart and mixed together before their annihilation in a sphere of magic. This triggered a virulent swarm of wisps to be created from their mangled up souls which sought out healthy divine sparks to warp and infest and spread further. How exactly this event came to be is up to scholarly debate. The most accepted theory is that a theurge battled with a spirit of Draal and worked magic he did not truly understand.
Shar'Khalar(Not playable)
The Shar'Khalar are fearsome beings, of an almost skeletal physique. What is percieved to be their heads is a ghastly skull, appearing marred and damaged by forces unknown. Around their body, a strange form of string or wire wraps, almost as if a net, while a pair of broken shackles rest upon their wrists, seeming to imply some sort of former imprisonment. What garments they do wear are ornate and of high quality, disregarding the tatters and wear they have sustained. They are creatures of immense height, usually standing at 12 to 15 feet tall. In almost all their interactions, they are known to be extremely hostile and unfriendly to all races upon Alteria. If it does not attack, a Shar'khalar will rarely interact with any race, and will instead seem to disappear into some form of portal, leading to an area which is, thus far, unknown. In what little interactions they have had with humans, their voices have been noted to be gravelly and low, as though a hiss. From what has been learned from conversations with the Shar'Khalar, they consider themselves to be superior beings to races upon Alteria. They are extremely dangerous, and all who have tried to face the have perished, be it by their spell or by their claw. It is strongly advised that one avoid all contact with these creatures.
Shapeshifters
Alongside the shadeblighted, there came another, tamer race of beings. The Shapeshifters. Both animal and man, the shapeshifters were brought into the world during the same event that led to the creation of the Shadeblighted. They have the singularly unique ability of being able to take the form of one animal. This transformation is temporary, only lasting as long as the shifter's will. There are two ways to become a shifter: One may simply be imbued with the curse, which is hereditary, all of the shifters within that bloodline transforming into the same animal or one may be bitten by a shapeshifter, in which he who is infected adopts the animal of the shifter that infected him. The power of those who are born with the curse are greater and more stable than the powers of those who are infected. Regardless of how hard they may try, the infected will take an animal form upon every full moon.
Salizar (Not playable)
The Salizar are a race of humanoid people with faint green skin and completely black eyes. They sport one poisonous thorn on each elbow and trace their origin to a blessing of Ara. Their predominant culture in their home forests is one of ritual cannibalism. A piece of the recently deceased is eaten raw to transfer some of their power and abilities to the eater. When two salizare are engaging in their marriage rite they eat a finger of the other. A child that misbehaves too much may be killed and prepared as a meal. The intelligence of the salizare is well below normal humans and they live in primitive huts in the trees. Hunt on the salizare is even allowed in some parts of the kingdom because they are seen as little more than disgusting, savage animals that strayed far from their noble origins.
Ash Creatures(All non-playable)
Ash creatures are living beings made of ash, found deep within the ashlands They are extremely dangerous and difficult to kill, only dying once having been dismembered, or, for ash spawn or beasts, being doused with enough water.
Ash Spawn
Ash spawn are the most common form of Ash Creature, and take the appearance of an average human, although upon looking at their faces, it is clear that they are anything but. Empty eyes, devoid of intellligence, and gaping maws betray the human image they possess. A lone one may be easy to kill, but the ash spawn tend to come in hordes, where they are considerable more difficult to be rid of. They can be killed with water, and may stand anywhere between 5'5 and 6 feet.
Ash Beasts
Ash beasts are the second most common form of Ash Creature. They are primal, savage beings, incapable of thought, lacking any form of sapience. They attack anything that is not an ash creature with extreme prejudice, and unrelenting force and stamina.
On occasion, they have been seen serving as mounts for Ash Lords, where they are somewhat calmer, and follow their master's commands. It is unknown if they are tamable by non-ash beings, but considered highly unlikely. To kill them, dismember them, or douse them with enough water. They usually stand at 4-5 feet tall.
Ash Banshees
Ash banshees are a quite rare form of the ash Creature. They are accompanied by a thick fog, which they hide in, and emerge, to release a deafeningly loud scream, powerful enogh to knock an opponent down. They are intelligent enough to be able to use magic, which, when combined with their razor sharp claws, make for a deadly combination. They usually stand at 6'0"-6'5", and are considered extremely dangerous.
It is extremely different to kill them, and it is recommended that one decapitates them, ending them quickly, or runs immediately. Water has no effect on ash banshees.
Ash Ravager
The Ash Ravager could be considered similar to the Ash banshee, and is, in turn, quite rare. It stalks its prey, silently, swiftly, and lunges out at them, with fang and claw, wailing at them savagely. Its ability to kill is only matched by its lust for blood, and it is a more savage counterpart to the banshee. It tends to appear, seemingly out of thin air, and lashes out quickly, before retreating. Water has no effect on Ravagers, and their height varies greatly, although they usually move too quickly to see clearly. It is advised that one avoids these creatures at all costs.
Ash Giants
Ash Giants are an extremely rare type of ash creature. Their brute strength and size is unmatched by any other ash creature, although their intelligence is quite lacking. They are only barely intelligent enough to follow commands they have been given. They are extremely aggressive, and will attack any non-ash creature it sees, unless commanded otherwise. Water has a minimal effect on them, but does affect them nonetheless. They usually stand at 20-40 feet tall and are also used for manual labor. To kill them, make small attacks, then retreat out of its range, repeating until it is finally felled, or use a water elemental to launch water at it.
Ash Lords
Ash Lords are the rarest type of ash creature, and serve as the only apparent heads of the ash creatures, and their only guiding force. They are sapient beings, capable of fluent speech and advanced communication. They appear to be male, have physical features similar to humans, being fully capable of expressing emotion. They tend to use long, heavy weapons, usually accompanied by shields, and wear heavy armor. This offset to their speed is made up for by their intelligence and strength, however. They are also intelligent enough to use magic, and use it extensively. They are almost never seen alone, usually being accompanied by an army of ash creatures. They are extremely prideful beings, and stand at 8-9 feet tall. To kill them, separate them from their army,
and surround them, raining blows upon them until they die. Water has no effect on them.
Elves
Elves are an intelligent, sapient race. They exist as 3 different sub-races, each with their own culture, moral code, and society. Despite there being 3 different races, these races are able to interbreed, and give birth to elves of two different races.
The Endamaari
The Endamaari are a race of elves, born of the Dead God, as opposed to the other races. Due to this, they are gifted with anti-magic, instead of magic, and, in turn, use it instead of magic. They are an oligarchy/meritocracy, ruled by 7 Exemplars. To become an Exemplar, one must rise through the ranks, and become a general, then petition to become an Exemplar, if a position is vacant. Upon doing so, the Exemplars vote upon the new Exemplar's worthiness. If the majority states that he is worthy, he is accepted as an Exemplar. If not, he remains a They are based off a biological caste system, including warriors, anti-mages, laborers, and an "advisor", or diplomat caste. These castes decide the elf's body shape. The single shared trait among them is that they are all pale. Although they are born into castes, they are not restricted to them. If found worthy by the Exemplars, they may relocate to another caste, and, if they wish, be freed from their duties to travel the world, although they will recieve no further support from Endamaar, as they are no longer considered part of the nation. The Endamaari are quite advanced, residing in large cities. The elves take their name from the name of their Kingdom, Endamaar. Also, upon becoming an Exemplar, said Exemplar takes on the surname Endamaar, solidifying their loyalty to each other, and the Kingdom.
Laborer caste: The laborers of Endamaar are slim, yet strong, fit for physical labor, though not limited to it, as many of them are shopkeepers, historians, artisans, craftsmen, artists, writers, and more.
Warrior Caste: The warrior caste breeds tall, bulky elves, sporting heavy armor, and a natural talent with weapons of all kind, bows, axes, polearms, swords, and more. They are the second most common caste.
Anti-mage Caste: The anti-mages are the support units of the Endamaari military, also serving as assassins. They are tall and slender, with runes on their body to help ward away offensive magic. They are the third most common caste.
Advisor Caste: Advisors are of unremarkable physicality, but tend to possess incredible intelligence. They serve as the advisors, diplomats, and scholars of the Endamaari, and generally take on non-combative roles.
The Drow
The Drow are unique in their strange beauty, their dark, gray skin. A strange, dark radiance seems to permeate from them. And truly, everything they are is dark. The Drow were once Endamaari, until the god of Darkness and Secrets, Daxos, visited them. These Endamaari disagreed with the usage of anti-magic, preferring instead the Gods' gift: magic. The God convinced them to take up their own mantle, under his patronage. They took on his form, developing dark skin and white hair, and becoming his worshipers. And so it was, and these Endamaari, members of all castes, became the Drow. The Drow operate via a monarchy, and are, to a rather large extent, xenophobic. They are skilled mages and warriors, known for their cunning. The majority resides in the Kingdom of Tenebris, and few are allowed outside the Kingdom, barring merchants and the odd escapee.
The Ai'Kavani
The Ai'Kavani are a tribal race of elves. They look extremely similar to the Drow, but can be told apart, as their hair is not usually white, their skin has a slightly different sheen to it, and they usually wear a very recognizable, loose style of clothing. Alongside this, many of them also sport tribal face paint and tattoos. Despite their tribal nature, they have built cities, although a large portion of them do live in villages or are nomadic. They have no greater king, or ruling party. Each city and village is ruled by its own leader, called a Kahn. Nomadic groups are referred to as Caravans, and are led by the Elder. Most Ai'Kavani reside near the Ashlands, although there are many travellers that choose to leave and wander the world. Due to their proximity to the ashlands, any Ai'Kavani that wishes to become a warrior must venture into the ashlands, and survive for 7 days with nothing but a weapon of their choice, the clothes on their back, and very little food. Due to their heavily nomadic nature, they are not a kingom, and the only name given to the locations where they are most commonly found is "The Homelands". Their cities are usually small and compact, more reminiscent of towns than actual cities. They are generally very welcoming, believing that it is an honor to have been chosen by outsiders to visit, and show the utmost hospitality.