Knight's Klub

A setting I think I will be developing as time goes.

General Premise
A fantasy land with a focus on gods being quite interactive with the populations akin to that of Greek and Roman mythology. However, the mythology would never be limited to those two groups and will have everything that I think is cool or interesting from other mythologies. There is no exact system this setting will be made for, so races would have to be crafted into whichever system instead of offering a list of different stats or the like. On the concept of races, it'll be things I like and quite Anime-esque. Generic fantasy (aka LotR) will no doubt be around, but whether a main focus or not depends on how I'm feeling while I'm writing.

Indeed, I don't have some overlaying plan when writing this. I shall write as much, or as little, as I want about certain topics. Languages are something I don't care about being "in-depth" about, so they will be limited to names and perhaps offer facsimiles to real world languages.

Another thing is that of magic. Magic is very much alive in this world, but it acts as a way to modify the world in very controlled mean hence where there will be schools of magic such as Aeromancy, Cryomancy, Pyromancy, Necromancy, Vitamancy, all of those. Yet, magic was a thing that was supposed to be limited to the gods-- something to call their miracles and crafted catastrophes. Mortals wield a crude form of the Gods' magic, making it poison the mortal realm. Magic radiation, as I'd akin it to, can be good or bad. Ala to Warhammer Fantasy's magic, it can cause the land to warp, mimicking the casted School's type of magic. It can also formulate into crystals that have uses in the world of alchemy.

So, to go over the basics:
Anime Fantasy, not exactly Medieval Fantasy as it will have modern anachronism tech/ideas thrown in.
Influenced by Mythology, Gods tend to fuck around a lot with mortals.
Magic is Warhammer Fantasy influenced, split up into schools and has a "radioactive" effect on the environment if too much is used. Magic crystals can spawn from this that can be used for some things.
Angels don't really exist as the Gods have all sorts of divine beings that will serve them. Demons do exist, but half are about possession while the others are about having forms in the mortal realm.

General World
The world has been morphed by the actions of the gods. Gorges that would have been simple actions of deep floods is now that of Gods fighting with one another. Nothing should, truly, be taken as "ordinary" at least according to our world. Deep, unusual lakes are simply the side-effects of some long forgotten battle between one god or another. Some forests are crafted out of massive trees that would threaten the balance of nature for any regular human, but have evolved because of such. Nothing should be taken as granted as it all could easily be some form of overseeing even if they do not do any of the sort. Massive trees that dwarf skyscrapers, swamps of untold horrors, lands of intense heat that spew forth fiery plumes or deathly trees that strike out against usual lords. The size of the planet is absolutely massive, easily being double the size of the Earth on its crust. Caves can run deep, some to pits of forgotten things and hellfire while others to different realms almost.

There exists an end to the world on each four of its sides. To the north and south, there is nothing more than a freezing tundra that is said to be filled with rejected creatures and Gods of the world. To the east and west, it's a massive waterfall with no clear ending to it. Most assume you will freeze to death or be killed by any of the Unmentionables that prowl those lands in the North and South. It is quite unclear what happens if you fall off the edge of the world. No one has came back from any of the Edges of the world, so it's impossible to say. (Metawise, you can fall into another world be it like our own or from another franchise. None of your memories of this world come with you, so it's akin to starting anew.)

Magic
What was once power of the gods have been stolen (or, in some cases, given) by mortals. Although during these early times, only a unique few could wield these dangerous arts. However, as these sorcerers would grow old, have children, and pass on their knowledge to their offspring so did the amount of magic users increase. Nowadays, with grand bounds in arcane knowledge, anyone can actually learn to be a mage, witch, or summoner. There still exists those who have been naturally gifted with the ability to utilize magic, of course. Some races are also better inclined to learning magic, or only certain types of magic, overall.

Magic is broken down into "schools". There exist the School of Flame, Ice, Life, Lightning, Blood, and many other throughout the realm. The Darker Schools, such as Haemoncy, Necromancy, and Hexes; are regarded as having an inherent evil that will only need one down wicked paths.

In order to use magic, the typical process is to speak the Arcane Tongue to call forth it and then use a tome, staff, or wand to aim it. Special casting devices can be crafted for individual casters such as gloves marked in runes or blades crafted of special material. Lesser spells have no components and can be freely casted, but these spells can never get to the same power as an actual Spell. The Arcane Language (referred to as Godtongue or "Lesser Godtongue" by certain civilizations) is believed to charge these spells past the "Mortal Limit".

That is not all that Magic requires from a mortal. Scholars and wizards argue over the exact source of the fuel of magic, Mana, but none have exactly come up with a concrete answer. Scholars say it has always existed within humans acting as a reserve of energy akin to the body burning up fat in order to push itself. Certainly, depleting your reserves of mana will generate a feeling of extreme exhaustion in you. Rituals are also always better with a person that has high magical aptitude such as wizards, mages, and the magically-crafted creatures. The arcane school of thought believes it to be a restriction imposed by the Gods when magic was first stolen. Mana builds up in a person, acting like a poison that slowly makes them into a stupor or comatose state. It should be mention that there are cases of wizards, in times of desperation, employing an incredibly powerful spell, but only to burn up with said spell or fall into a coma right after the spell's completion.

It should come as no surprise that the exhaustive effects of utilizing Mana means few people are spellswords. It becomes difficult to balance the tiring of martial combat with magical combat, so most of the time they only employ Lesser spells.

Mana also has another insidious effect. The "Mana Echo", or more simply referred to as "Echo" or "Echoing", refers to how the deposition (or accumulation depending on your school of thought) of Mana begins to alter far more than what one wants. Mana seeps into the land and sticks to the air which seems to power up spells being casted in the area, but also poisons the land. Flora and fauna may begin to mutate and grow in size as nature-based spells are casted, fires and lava may begin to burst out of cracked from Pyromancy, the dead may begin to raise on their own if enough Necromantic spells scour the land. Colored crystals also suddenly sprout up, but these are referred to as "Pure Mana". Battlefields may see themselves fiercely divided by the Echoes of different schools of magic. Tacticians might have to keep in mind the usage of mage-artillery units as it shifts terrain features of the battlefield. For this reason, magic is a thing to be feared especially for those who use it so freely. Lesser spells and some Rituals give off little to no Echoing due to the careful control of the mana that goes into them.

There are many other usages of magic.

Rituals
Some spells require many hours, additional components, and intense focus in order to conjure. This can be related to "Artificing", a magical product that focuses on infusing magic with items for mundane or mystical reasons, summoning creatures to bind to one's power, conjuring spells that are able to change miles of earth or call down a meteor to wreck entire armies, or to permanently alter oneself or another (such as through Lichdom).

Alchemy
Although one doesn't require magical talent to become an alchemist, it does assist. Lesser spells help with boiling, crushing, and moving about materials and a trained mage's eye helps with identifying magical proponents. Alchemy is all about crafting potions, medicine, and other sorts of drinks. Surprisingly, asking alchemist to craft alcohols that will give a hefty kick to the stomach is popular.

Magitek
There are some machines, crafted from gears, cogs, and the like; that are powered or enhanced with the use of magic or magical artifacts. These can be any sort of item as long as it is a blend of technology and magic. There are Projection Boxes (shortened to PBs) that allow an area to be projected no matter the distance as long as the person tunes into the channel, mechanical men, and even giant suits of armor that require one to use knobs, wheels, and levers to utilize. Trains and airships are the most popular form of magitek due to their widespread usage by the public.

Schools
If you are not a person to have been blessed with magical affinity, you would have to find a teacher to begin to understand the basics of magic. Colleges are the most common use, sending children and teens away for many years to master their craft. Towns away from places of great education may be forced to learn from a singular wizard who resides in the town or find a Hermit Wizard living all alone. Races that easily display magic affinity can learn magics while engaging in normal schools. Regardless, most will begin with the history of magic: teaching how it was either given to mortals or stolen by them. Then, the theories of magic come: what is mana, how it affects the body, and all proposed uses of it. Next would be the Arcane Language, teaching how to speak it and what sort of words are needed for certain magical schools (or one, if you're stuck with just a single teacher). For the most part, this is what takes up an aspiring mage's time: learning the Arcane Language and learning how to utilize it. Errors that come out from speaking the wrong would range from embarrassing to outright deadly.

There are some methods to "skip" the learning period. The most common is making a pact with a magical being such as a demon, djinn, and youkai to name a few examples. Others may offer themselves to experimentation and splice in their magical potential. These shortcuts to power will rarely end in your favor...

History
The current year is 1893.

Year 0 is considered to be the time that magic had been stolen from the gods, a time where technology and knowledge would see considerable advances over the next few years. Prometheus is credit as being the God who had either taken pity upon humanity or had felt spurned by his fellow Gods. For such actions, Prometheus had been flayed, burned, and removed of all of his organs-- a most painful process as one can imagine and one he had endured until the end. It is said he did not die from this process, but became the first Lich, a large, skeletal figure with clothing covered in soot that lives deep underground away from the prying eyes of his kin.

Throughout the many years, civilizations have rise and fallen much like the Gods they have worshipped. Some heathens claim that gods simply choose another name and what to rule over this time around like an actor choosing his part for his next play. No one gives these people much mind for they believe that if the Gods are this powerful they wouldn't allow their civilizations to crumble and their worship be lost to time.

Before Year 0, frequently referred to as "Before Human Awakening" was a time where Gods would never see any mortal equal that weren't perpetrated by another be it in the form of demi-god off-springs or thought-over conspiracies. There also speaks of monsters of large reptiles that may or may not be feathered, but have been rendered almost extinctic at this point.

Aside from that, I don't really believe history is that important to make lore blurbs about.

Monsters
It should come to no surprise that there exists monsters of all shapes and sizes. Some live in forests, preying on travelers happening by. Others live in caves, guarding their stashes from greedy adventurers. The largest, frightening creatures live in the Abyssal Sea or in Deepdark Caverns. The origins of monsters is questionable: some believe that they have always existed alongside the gods, but others ay they are a product of the gods. Breeding between Gods, breeding between Gods and Animals, a bored God crafting monsters from clay and then granting them life. These are all sources for some monsters, but others are more natural such as the Dragons and their lesser kin.

Monsters are a bane for most civilizations, being forces of destruction, chaos, and death. Adventurer's Guilds are a very popular method to deal with monsters as they focus on mercenaries to accept simple contracts to eradicate the threat while the governing body of a town or city can worry about more important things such as politics, crafting a new area of worship, and taxes. Militaries may also be utilized to ensure monster dens are completely wiped out, but it's seen as a costly endeavor that is rarely worth it.

One may think that the Gods, with their infinite wisdom and power, would simply wipe out the monsters to ensure continual worship, but they would grow bored without tales of heroism and drama. Some of them may have sired the monster and feel a need to keep their species alive anyhow. Some monsters form civilizations or join a Human's, but these are frequently by those with similar intelligence and a lack of bloodlust. A few monsters rely on humans for breeding.

Demons
Alipheese and Azazel are believed to be the mothers of all demons, no matter what one may refer to them in their culture. Most would say that they were once lover Goddesses, but their peers felt their love for one another to be sickening due to coming from two different cultures. Other gods may have already felt the darkness within their hearts from the moment they were born. Azazel was casted into the darkest pits of Terra, surrounded with hellfire and creatures of darkness so that none would ever think of following her. Alipheese was placed in a specially-enchanted box and locked in a vault, where no one could ever hope to enter.

Unfortunately, Ares and Loki sired a daughter who felt her heart call for a higher being. She had the strength of Ares combined with the shapeshifting of Loki, so she made the most out of this by tricking and killing Gods until she had discovered Pandora's Chest. Although the trails were long and arduous, she had managed to open the chest and unleash Alipheese upon the world. Mount Olympus has shaken and the skies turned red. The daughter, only known as "Godkiller" as history shows, would join Azazel and Alipheese in the location that could only be described as Hell. The trio sired many children not only with one another, but with mortals they had trick to come down. Many layers of Hell exist with the trio being at the very bottom of it with strangely no want to escape the realm. Yet, some Gods cast their most wicked followers into one of the layers as punishment where all sorts of torture and personally-crafted scenarios await them.

These Demons have no singular goal, but to only cause chaos for the mortals and Gods above. They prey on emotions and sin, targeting a mortal's weakness in order to strike a Contract with them. Warriors of only bloodlust and rage may find themselves in the presence of a demon of Wrath in their time of need, promising them strength beyond their imaginations. Wizards who feel their arcane talents are incomplete may find themselves visited by Enlightenment demons, who promise to share the most ancient texts with them. Yet, no matter how much power one attains from them they will never be able to truly win against them. The moment they feel their sanity slipping, the Demon will take ahold of their body. The demon might be subtle by utilizing Possession, or be obvious with the use Transmutation. In the former, one could notice how animals now dislike the person or how statues bleed in their presence. In the latter, it is quite obvious due to their body that, in the example of a Wrath demon, may transform into a giant half-wolf, half-man hybrid with flaming fur and a titanic blade that burns brightly with fire.

Some Demons are powerful enough to live upon the mortal realm without a care, but for one reason or another their sanity begins to deteriorate unless they have a constant stream of sacrifices or to indulge in their sins. Most attribute this to the Gods punishing any demons that are foolish enough to be brazen about their appearance.

Demons can come in a variety of Sins such as:
Wrath, Lust, Envy, Pride, Gluttony, Sloth, Greed, Knowledge, Hope, Decay, Perfection, Murder, Adultery, Insanity, Fear, Cruelty, Heathenism, Apathy.

Demons can "overlap" with one another which is where their competitive nature, to the point of backstabbing one another, may come from. However, being demi-gods of some degree, they have the ability to always return to the realm of Hell.

Races
To be, perhaps, a very in-depth and large guide. Civilizations shall come next which will come with religions and langauges. Perhaps a bestiary afterwards.

Beastkin
A categorization of mortals that posses some features of a beast. Although they share little similarities beside that.

Fenremus
Fenremian, Fenremusii
Average Heights: 5'7-6'1 (M), 5'4-5'9 (F)
Preferred Environments: Temperate Forests, Taigas, Savannah
Lifespan: 150 years (considered fully mature at 16, elderly at 80)
Naming Conventions: Those in the north prefer to use Norse-sounding names while those in the south prefer Italian-sounding names.
Characteristics: The first notable difference from that of a base mortal is the large, fluffy ears that come out of the side or top of the head and replace any semblance of human ears. Then, there is a tail that comes out near the base of the spine. The color of the fur matches the hair color. Their nails are commonly longer than a human's and much sharper. Their noses, much like a hound's, are particularly keen at picking up scents, but far from the same level as an actual wolf.

Some bear more fur than others. Those "blessed" have fur on their arms, or legs, or both. Their feet can shift to be digitigrade paws and their nails disappear into actual claws. The most rare are those who take on the full appearance of a wolf that stands upon two legs with human musculature. Depending on where one grows up, their fun can be thin and short or incredibly long and fluffy.

In social structure terms, they mimic human family structures. There is an "Alpha" of the group in male and female terms-- aka, a matriarch and patriarch. This tends to be the Grandpa and Grandma, but if situations demand it will fall to a certain senior child. The most important aspect is loyalty for the pack-- without it, one can easily be thrown to being a "Lone Wolf". Lone Wolves hardly get any support from a Fenremian society as they are seen as ungrateful guests or spouses. To support them would risk putting yourself at risk simply because they would not give back to the family or would introduce unwanted troubles to it. Truth be told, this does not directly correlate to family. Even the softest, kindest Fenremus may become a brutal killer and knee breaker if they had grown up in a criminal family. Their loyalty ascends any sort of blood-related bounds much to some people's annoyance. This isn't say that they never break, but they are way less likely to betray who they see as family or their betters to any sort of perceived threat. Aside from that, some would mark them as dumb and easily excited. New ideas take a long time to form within their culture and any sort of good news is typically celebrated news. The idea of "getting used" to good news is foreign to them.

For all their good, there reminds the bad: savagery. These wulfen folk can easily portray themselves as bloodthirsty. Fighting for territory is natural for them, so spilling blood and slaughtering even those who do not deserve it come easily. Some let the bloodlust overtake them and they transform into terrible half-man, half-beast hybrids.

The gestation period for Fenremus is typically 7 months. Unlike humans, it is more common for them to have twins and triplets instead of a singular child. Most parents want at least three children before they decide that they have had enough.
History: It is said that a group of children, barely out surviving their desperate parents, stumbled upon a cave in the deep north. Unbeknownst to them, they had stumble into the resting domain of Geri and Freki. Although, normally, any who would come upon them would be showcased the savagery of nature these children surprisingly touched the hearts of the grand wolves. They had taken some form of pity, so they were allowed to suckle their teats to grow strength to survive these lands. So did the suckle, so did they eventually form into the Fenremus that are known today. They have learned to live with the land, appreciate the savagery, appreciate loyalty beyond any odds. The only thing that had kept them alive was family, and it would be the only thing that ensure their survival.

Of course, their southern brethren take on a different story. It was not that of Geri and Freki, but of a nameless hound that had taken care of two orphans. From these duo of brothers did a nation form that would challenge all of the south. It was only betrayal and greed that had ruined their kingdom, but in their kind did they leave a developing nation filled with those of a canine nature. Regardless of whichever one truly believes, there is more than enough evidence that supports them first coming from the north and traveling down to the south. This has been commonly waved off as proto-ancestors who may have adopted other appearance or ideals before Enotia's formation. Even if their ancestors had displayed some canine traits, they weren't truly Fenremusii before that point.

These two areas don't hold all of the Fenremus as they have showcased themselves as being valuable knights within the Sol Kingdom, along with stellar soldiers in other fronts. The idea of dog being man's best friend somehow reigns true with Fenremusii for they are as loyal as they come. Mercernary groups with a large amount of Fenremus isn't uncommon either.

Felynn
Felynnian, Felynnies
Average Heights: 5'5-6' (M), 5'2-5'6 (F)
Preferred Environments: Temperate Forests, Jungles, Taigas, Savannah, Urban
Lifespan: 165 years (considered fully mature at 16, elderly at 85)
Naming Conventions: Typically, copying the names of whatever civilization is close, but on their own they adopt nice-sounding names with pauses between the first and second letter of the name and last names that reference the sun or moon in someway.
Characteristics: Like all beastkin, they have animal-like characteristics. With Felynn, those characteristics are that of felines. Fluffy, round ears are upon the top of the head or the side of it. From the end of their spine is a long tail that assists with balance of their bodies. Their nails are more akin to claws that help with climbing just about anything. Their ears frequently twitch, but that's because of their impressive hearing.

Some bear more fur than others. Those "blessed" have fur on their arms, or legs, or both. Their feet can shift to be digitigrade paws and their nails disappear into actual claws. The most rare are those who take on the full appearance of a feline that stands upon two legs with human musculature. Depending on where one grows up, their fun can be thin and short or incredibly long and fluffy.

Regardless of how much fur a Felynn possesses, they all have incredible leg muscles that are believed to be a side effect of their constant climbing. Yet, all Felynn are born with superior muscles in their legs and calves that assist with a variety of tasks in their life to include climbing and jumping.

A young Felynn may grow up in a human family-like structure during these growing years. They can be taught to hunt, schooled, and taken care of just like parent and child should, but are expected to leave as soon as they have matured. If opportunity presents itself, most Felynn would want to leave home and establish their own friends, family, and home. If it doesn't, then one can expect quite a bit of power struggle in a household as the now-adult youth has the instinctive want to be independent but cannot. Although, some of these feline fellows prefer a lazy life where they don't have to worry about anything and may just be fine becoming a servant for some rich noble.

The gestation period for Felynn is typically 3 months, meaning it's quite common for a woman to be pregnant twice or three times a year and sometimes from different men.
History: Bastet was frequently referred to as the Goddess of Cats for taking upon their furry form with that of a woman. Her ancient temples were frequently filled with small cats who would be adopted by passing Humans to deal with small vermin problems. It is said that these cats, who were close tot he Goddess, would sit upon the pregnant belly of a woman. The child would come out with the features of a cat and be worshipped as demi-gods in their communities. However, as more were made and as Bastet's reputation begin to wane, they begin to be seen as simply another race. It does not help that the Felynnies eventually replaced the Humans.

Felynn are seekers of indepence, so it was only obvious that they would leave their home and find better locations to settle in. Their short gestation periods means that Felynn can easily take over a location or begin to be a large minority within a civilization. Due to their cat features, they make popular servants even if they can be troublemakers at times.

Ancients
Dracorm
Dracorms, Dracornian
Average Heights: 5'-6'11 (M), 4'9-6'8 (F)
Preferred Environments: Mountains, Cities
Naming Conventions:
Lifespan: Immortal
Characteristics:
History:

Aelf
Aelves, Aelven
Average Heights: 5'11-6'2(M), 5'2-5'8 (F)
Preferred Environments: Forests
Naming Conventions:
Lifespan: 1,800 years
Characteristics:
History:

Dvegr
Dvegi, Dvegr
Average Heights: 4'6-5' (M), 4'2-4'5 (F)
Preferred Environments: Underground
Naming Conventions:
Lifespan: 2,000 years
Characteristics:
History:

Others
Mutants
Average Heights: Varies
Preferred Environments: Varies
Lifespan: Dependent on Original Race, reduced by about 10%
Naming Conventions: N/A
Characteristics: Mutants have no sort of obvious similarities between each other. In fact, the only thing that would really tie one mutant to another is why they were created. It should come as no surprise that "Combat Mutants" are the most common out of any of them. These mutants have been modified to excel at combat through the use of trauma-detecting crystals to block damage, limbs having warped into twisted pieces of weapons, or even attempts to force on a mystical element to superpower the mutant into being able to use magic as good as any high-class wizard.

"Chimera Mutants" are those who have been crafted out of two, sometimes even more, races. Typically, this is from intelligent races, but may also be from what would be considered monster races. Few races would ever accept Chimera Mutants as their own due to how "corrupted" they appear. They either take up all of the race's abilities or seem to be "picked and choose". Their height and life expectancy seems to be randomly chosen from their race, but reduced by a few years for whatever reason. Undead are rarely chosen for Chimera Mutants due to how they commonly fail to be usable.

"Pleasure Mutants" are those who have been developed for one reason: to be attractive. Usually, these are made on the orders of nobles with plenty of money and a certain lack of morals to spare. Depending on the sponsor, the Pleasure Mutant will be crafted out of one or many races to fit their preferences. Mind-altering procedures may also be utilized in order to ensure compliancy. Despite the title, they may not be utilized only for carnal desires, but simple eye candy that can be utilized as servants or even bodyguards. When one has enough money, the idea of having a personal detail of specially-designed soldiers or servants that match your exact preferences becomes quite easy to create if you cannot find them. An alternative usage is as spies due to most of them being designed to look as attractive as possible, be competent at social conventions, and have a willingness to do almost anything for their masters.

"Failures" describe mutants who have failed to meet expectations. This could be from their ability lacking or from the process having shifted their physiology to an unworkable degree. They can simply look as if they are a strange mutation of a singular race or be ungodly blobs of flesh, tentacles, and feelers. There is less of a standard here thanks to how badly Mutants can transform into.
History: Mutants, or the more friendly term of "Changeling" by some groups, aren't exactly a race, but a group of people who have been modified by science or magic in some way. This is typically done through extensive rituals upon an individual, but certain magitek devices are able to replace the constant concentration with more of an observation. Large glass tubes are filled with liquid, before having crystals fed into a device at the top that will modify the subject as long as there are proper ingredients for what the mutator wants.

It is exactly unknown when Mutants first showed up, but it's believed to be a few years after Magic had been stolen from the gods and given to Humanity. There had always been the want for a "perfect army", so certain civilizations pushed the limits of magic in order to achieve their goals. Naturally, these earlier attempts had almost all been failures, but every 1 supersoldier produced was enough to push forward the idea that Mutants could be a valuable source of soldiers, servants, and whatever else one might want.
Humans
Average Heights: Varies
Preferred Environments: Varies
Lifespan: 80 years
Naming Conventions: Varies
Characteristics: In essence, there is nothing unique about Humans compared to the other races. They have a rather average lifespan, no unique appearances, nor have any special abilities. Although, some would say that their unique ability is being able to live just about anywhere. No matter how horrid the location to be, as long as some life can exit there then there might just be Humans there, too.

When Humans live in more unique environments, such as those filled with magic, they may develop slight mutations that will be passed on to the next generations. Their iris may adopt unique shapes and colors, their hair may take on shades of red and blue, their skin could become charcoal black or snow white, become tall beings that reach 7' tall or hold on to their childhood appearance. Humans also possess the unique ability to breed with most sentient races.
History: Historians constantly question one another on when humans were first formed. Some say they mutated from lesser beings and, over the years, had formed into what we know as humans today. Others say that they were formed in the image of the Gods' long ago when the world was formed from the First Giant's slain body. The Gods, themselves, seem tight-lipped, don't know, or simply don't care about the initial spawning of humans.