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Peoples of the Known Worlds |
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Humans Humans are the dominant civilization of Showahon, at least according to their own tales. They rule the wide open spaces. They hold the daytime in the palms of their hands. Humans are infinitely crafty, the movers and shakers of the known world. They are also a violent degenerate rabble lacking in order, fealty, decency, and all the other things that make a civilization worth having. They are also a stiff group of automatons who can't figure out how to live and function without an insane number of rules. And that's just according to themselves, talking about each other. They feel that their world is at the center of all other worlds, or at the outside, or entwined between them, and feel proud or humble accordingly. They live at the confluence of dream and wonder, uniformity and change, and can move freely (although not without danger) into any other world. Adult humans range in height from approximately four to six feet, and their skin and hair tones range from albino white to coal black with all of the earth tones falling in between. They are bipedal, with heads atop their bodies, and eyes, mouth and ears in their heads. They have hungry bellies and are covered moderately but unevenly with hair. Most people, as far as they are concerned, are humans, and most humans are people. Most of them wisely pay no attention to grand majestic schemes of the universe, and instead focus on living and on enjoying life once it has been secured. The Races of Faerie The Twilight realm is thought to be the wellspring of "true" magic (as distinct from the counterintuitive miracles and invocations performed with the power of Dream), and thus all of its denizens are magical in nature, although the degree varies. Some, such as the elves, have powers mimicked by human sorcerers and enchanters, while others work the supernatural into and through things rather than actions. Although their proper home is in Faerie itself, commerce with the physical world is common and most humans have met at least a handful. Because the realm of Twilight is such an unstable one, rules there are paramount, and visitors should keep in mind that whether instructed to stay on the path or to always be polite, a single infraction could have terrible consequences. It is said that when the archons of Dream and Twilight met and made their covenant at the dawn of time, they created myriad worlds and set themselves to sleep until the end, each at their chosen world's heart. When they did this, they created lords-in-stewardship to rule their domains and assemble their armies. The lords of Dream are the gods, and the lords of Faerie are the elves. Elves are lesser in might than gods, but greater in number, and more varied in their relations with humans. Elves are similar to mortals, yet different in uncountable ways that make them more utterly alien than a tree is thought to be. They are said to be tall, commanding, inspiring, ethereal, powerful, delicate... the host of descriptions is almost as numerous as the elves themselves. They appear in the physical world only rarely, and then only when they find it necessary in order to complete some vital task, or when the whim strikes them to go questing very far afield indeed. Most of this folk regard humanity as nothing more than the cleverest species of animal, distinguished from dolphins only in that they spend less time laughing and storytelling, preferring instead to make tools and cause trouble. All but most benevolent and understanding ylfe fae will view mortals as children or fools, humoring them rather than truly empathizing. It is rumored that a few of the most powerful wizards are treated with something closer to respect. Despite this general condescension, however, elves have taken mortals as lovers (only a very few ever stooped to marry one, though) and the half-elves are a constant reminder that the lords of Faerie are not always so aloof as they would seem. Some half-elves work for their forbears as agents in Shoun, while others have thrown their lot in with men, and choose their own paths. All are mortal, although gifted (or cursed) with some unusual characteristic as a mark of their heritage. The elves themselves seem immortal, although the change that underlies their realm affects their ranks as well—elves can die of battle or curse or strange afflictions unique to their race, and it is presumed that they bear children as well. They come in all the shapes and shades of humanity, only differently and more intensely. Petty Fae (Goblins) Goblins are those set to be the spies, thieves, and scouts of Faerie in the war at the end of time. They are diminutive, dexterous and clever, often mischievous, and can be both great help and a terrible nuisance to humanity. Some will grant all manners of aid in return for scraps of food, while others will torment a victim almost to madness for some slight or insult, whether real or merely perceived. However, they know the secret ways of the earth, and its treasures and hiding-places, and much of its lore. Striking a bargain with one in return for their knowledge can be expensive, but is considered worthwhile by those who know the proper forms. The goblin folk come in a wide array of sizes and shapes, although the majority of them seem to be mostly body and head, with yellow and green eyes. Generally hairless, they often have wrinkled skin as if they had been shrunk unevenly. The main exception to this rule is the group known as gnomes, thought to be a crossbreed between goblins and dwarves. Some say that once the goblins, now ranging from the height of a thumb to knee-height on a grown man, were once taller, and that they intermarried with humans. However the elves, fearing that the loyalty of the petty fae would be lost from Faerie, decreased their stature so that this commingling would end. The only remains of that time is the race of orcs, a reclusive clannish people who certainly bear signs of both human and goblin natures, whatever their origins. Orcs are tough and flexible, with long disproportionate arms and legs, and range in hairiness from a sort of amphibian smoothness to almost-apelike, depending on where in the world they live. Despite their solitary tendencies, orcs have been known to make war on humans, especially in response to encroachment or when resources are scarce. In these conflicts they usually receive little aid from goblins, although none of the petty fae will willingly do an orc harm. Also known as Deep Elves or Dark Elves, the dwarves are smaller than humans, but far more solid than their lords the elves. Bound in their blood to the elemental forces, they are excellent craftsmen and powerful magicians, and have produced many items of wonder. They are also cunning tinkers, and are thought to be the engineers and weapon-smiths of the Twilight realm. It is theorized that they have a special truce with certain gods, to jointly regulate the weapons that each side will use at the end of time. In more practical terms, however, dwarves are rare and generally found in elemental strongholds or near nodes. They live in caverns under mountains, in fantastic palaces at the bottom of the oceans, and are even said to maintain the machinery that turns the crystal spheres of the cosmos. When discovered by humans, they have been known to trade priceless treasures, magical tools and weapons of amazing craftsmanship, in return for odd things. These materials—the bark of certain plants, hailstones, the sound of singing captured in a small clay pot, and many others—are thought to be the raw ingredients which they use for their creations. Certain of their unique treasures have secret names, and are said to be the intended weapons of the elf-lords who will finally lead the armies of Twilight. One might be able to know how long remains until the end of time by assembling and counting these relics. However, possession of even one of these is dangerous, as their strong ties to Faerie will inevitably change any but the strongest-willed owner. In physical aspect, dwarves seem to be unusually sturdy and compact people, standing perhaps chest-height on an average human. However, they always seem to be clouded in darkness, so that their features and proportions are impossible to determine. Even those who deal in fire, living in incredible floating cities at the midpoint between earth and cosmos, are always shadowed by the flames they work with. A dwarf met in dim light would be invisible if it were not for its eyes, which glow palely. The tenebrae are aided by and allied to the gnomes. These folk are scaled like goblins but proportioned like dwarves, and most guesses concerning dwarves’ exact forms are based on gnomes, who remain unshrouded by darkness. Dwarves are the masters and makers of individual items, the creation of one of these can take years, decades or even centuries before a final version is deemed perfect. (It is said that the items sold to humans, rather than hidden in deep and safe places, are simply less-perfect prototype versions of the intended final tool or weapon.) Gnomes, in contrast, are researchers, coming up with vast arrays of new gadgets and intricate mechanisms, and delighting in invention and experiment. Some human artisans and inventors attract the attention and friendship of gnomes, who admire any work like their own, and a few mortals have even been honored by visits from the dwarves themselves. Abberrae (The Others; the Fair Folk) There are other specialists of Twilight as well, but they are all rare or deeply sequestered from the lands humans know, so that tales of them fade over generations of human lore between contacts. To the best of common knowledge, the only other fae are abberrae, known generally by the catchall epithets "the fair folk" or "the Others." To an average peasant human, abberrae are the fairies, and elves are more the stuff of myth. The fair folk are the most common fae, and those that interact the most with humans. Some even live in the physical world, coexisting with humanity at the edges of each society, carrying on almost-ordinary trade and occasionally intermarrying, although story holds that such unions usually end sadly. They have no set aspect or form: some are giants and ogres, some appear as hybrids of animal and human, others as stranger beings manlike only in general character, and others yet are the small winged sprites and pixies. They are common farmers, laborers and merchants of their people, but their goods are often not of this world and should be treated with caution. The Castes of Dream While the Twilight lands are the source of wonder and enchantment, Dream is the wellspring-world of story and mystery. It is a place virtually immune to change, yet nothing here is known for certain because it does not operate by laws readily recognizable to the human mind. The inhabitants of Dream are thus not subject to rules in the manner of the fae. It is said that dream-creatures especially prize their contacts with the human world, because it is only through the agency of the physical world or a rare and tenuous contact with Faerie that anything in Dream can be altered, for good or for ill. Gods There are dozens or even hundreds of gods, although their number is confused because many laymen fail to differentiate between them and the spirits of the earth. Unlike their counterparts the elves, gods take a very specific and active interest in the affairs of mortals, often granting a wide range of benefits in return for service and worship. Each god will generally designate a pattern of service that is pleasing to it, although the reasoning behind these practices is seldom clear. The most common return benefit is a slight positive turn of fate and fortune, granting a measure of protection and material satisfaction. Some few who are willing to devote their lives to serving the gods are granted special powers and functions. These people often act as the agents of gods. Some are given power within the Dreaming itself; others, the ability to work miracles in the physical world; still others are given artifacts with which to influence events. The motives of the gods are subtle, however: the purpose of artifacts, other than easing the tasks of their human agents, is to influence the wielder and make him or her into a more suitable servant. As a rule the gods have no physical form, although some will appear in this world as avatars in various forms. When encountered in the Dreaming—a very rare event, for they would rather communicate indirectly than meet in person—they seem to have human or other recognizable forms, because the viewer’s mind interprets their essence in terms it can comprehend. Muses, Phantoms and other Fancies Although almost any creature of Dream can converse with a human, waiting only for the contactee to sleep, there are several classes of dreams whose role is to act as emissaries and messengers to humanity. They bring madness, inspiration, warnings, prophecy, threats, gifts, information and much more, yet they are the least remarked-upon of Dream’s many castes. Fancies are the most subtle of messengers, performing their duty unobtrusively and often without being noticed at all. Some are able to deliver their messages to any wandering mind even in waking, but the contact is as ephemeral and forgettable as any dream can be. It is said by some philosophers that Fancies can even affect the Fae, at times and in certain limited ways, although if this is true the latter will certainly never admit it. Nightmares "From gnortles and beasties and long-legged shamblers, and things that go bump in the night, oh good our lord, shield and deliver us," says one invocation. It is supposedly a traditional request of the fair folk to the elven lords on their High Feast day, but has since been adopted with some variation into human society. The plea refers to protection against the creatures of nightmare. Indeed, they are the shock troops and covert agents of Dream, fearsome and in some cases even maddening to meet. They prefer to move unseen, by secret routes or under cover of absolute darkness, and while most of them care neither one way nor another about people, it is still better not to encounter one. Few are malicious, but most will readily kill in the interest of their own privacy. Very little is known about these beings, of course, and most people are happier if allowed to avoid thinking about the issue altogether. The most feared, but not most terrible, of the nightmares are the grue, who seem to have a taste for human flesh and a tendency to lair in abandoned human habitations. A startlingly large portion of the inhabitants of the Dreaming has been created by humanity itself as it slept. Known to the gods as "scions of story," these beings have no set roles. Some are archetypes given shape by the collective racial unconscious. Others are creations of the moment, springing full-formed from a dream in which they were necessary to fill some empty space. Some sages claim that cats and goats, and possibly other species, were originally such little dreams who escaped into the physical world and lived there long enough to become a part of it. If so, they have lost most of their ties to their old home. The exception is cats, known to be allied to several gods, although the nature and origin of this relation is not entirely clear. |
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