So, I kinda wanted to post in the original worldbuilding thread, but missed it because... well, it's hard to know where to start. I'm one of those guys who never stops coming up with random stuff, and yet I have an awful time organizing anything. Or finishing things. So I just keep piling up settings created out of 50% lewds, 25% Epic, 5% MATH, and 20% creepyweird. Anyways, I'll start with one of my conventional settings. It's a cluster of different worlds, started from a D&D campaign, and then sorta evolved. Into monster girls. Okay, not entirely monster girls. Also POLITICS and complicated magic and urban fantasy and stuff. (Full Disclosure: I can be somewhat... convential with my race designs.) So... The Cytan Cluster As the name suggests, the Cytan cluster is not one world, but many, bound by planar proximity and matching metaphysics... which, functionally, are the same thing. It consists of several 'core' or Physic planes as well as the accompanying Transient and Immanent planes. It is possible to travel from one plane to another using advanced magic or technology, or via the occasional natural portal. The planes are constantly shifting, making travel easier or harder. The Cytan Cluster is somewhat unusual in that it allows multiple distinct types of plane in close proximity, interwoven among each other. These three types include the 'conventional' Physic planes, consisting of large amounts of empty space typically interspersed with large masses, operating under self-inherent logic, with little direct metaphysical influence. Nevertheless, these are the genitive planes of all (?) souls, and can be said to be the 'center' of the cluster. Immanent Planes are essentially conceptual reservoirs of material, infinite expanses comprised of innumerable various configurations of a given material. It was once debated how many and what Immanent planes existed, but current knowledge suggests that an Immanent Plane exists for any reified substance. The Immanent planes are sometimes speculated to be precursors of other planes, somehow bringing the base components of new realities into existence, but in any event they are fairly influential, extremely useful in the operation of magic and occasionally 'leaking' into the Physic planes to create spontaneous effects. Transcendent planes are realms of soul and concept, built out of the idea of their own existence. The souls of the dead naturally migrate to an appropriate Transcendent plane, and these planes occasionally create their own soulless manifestations, or leak into other planes. While they are places of thought, Transcendent planes are not emphemeral. While their structure can be bizarre or 'impossible', they can only be changed by drastic, collective changes in thought, the influence of a god, or titanic effort of will. Transcendent planes are believed to be infinite, or at least to 'procedurally' generate themselves as needed. In addition to these three types of plane, some others must be considered. First, numerous unstable or meta-stable pocket dimensions exist, which may have a variety of characteristics (but most often being like a physic plane). These may be created by natural eddies or artificial means, and have countless uses. Related, 'Gods' or Divine Beings, as the Cytan Cluster knows them, are essentially a self-aware, consciously morphic stable pocket dimension, somewhat similar to a miniscule Transcendant plane, created by the beliefs and emotions of worshippers. Gods are usually (but not always) fully sapient and frequently opinionated. Occasionally a Divine Plane will (generally of its own regard) 'touch' with another plane, altering circumstances there to be in line with its own essence. This phenomenon is known as a 'Miracle'. Last is the Aether, which is not a plane, but the mathematic haze between them. Very plane-like near the Planes, it becomes more abstract the 'deeper' one goes. What the deeps actually are is unknown, and the subject of much speculation, as it is impossible to travel there - at least, impossible to travel there and return. Though it isn't believed anything is native to the aether, many strange creatures lurk in the shallows. Because of this and the depths themselves, travelling the aether is dangerous, even though it is an extremely useful means of traveling to arbitrary points on any given plane. Creating a simple description of the structure of the multiverse is impossible. It is not a wheel, or a ladder, or a series of bubbles, but a rather a chaotic high-dimensional structure that can really be only approximated mathematically. However, it can be approximatedly stated that the Physic planes line up in a kind of blob, occasionally overlapping in one or two dimensions. The Immanent Planes exist 'within' the Physic planes, running through one or more Physic Planes with a constant low-level overlap, with spontaneous portals forming where higher-dimensional overlaps take place. The Transcendent Planes, meanwhile, form a kind of sheath around the whole assembly, likewise possessing a near-constant low-level overlap. It is possible, though rare, for an high-dimensional overlap and natural portal to occur. A Brief Primer on Magic A great deal of goings-on in the Cytan Cluster depend on magic. Essentially a leftover creative/animate energy, magical energy flows through the cosmos and swirls around the spirits of living things. The alert and clever can learn to harness it, by passing this raw energy through a focus that renders it into a useful form. This focus can be a variety of things, from elaborate metaphysical constructs to physical circuitry to blood. Conversely, some creatures can use magic innately, either to sustain their life or enhance their abilities. In this case, the 'focus' is typically written in their own physiology, which results in some quite interesting structures.
Fuuu... Got delayed yesterday, and probably shouldn't have posted this anyways, but call this a space reservation.
I don't really know where to start, so let's go with races. This starting out the way it did, we've got a lot of the usual suspects. Additionally, most races (at least the ones listed here), are somewhat similarly societally, and thus, one cannot easily discuss a 'racial' culture or ideology. Given the, well, clustered, nature of the Cytan Cluster, many races are found on multiple worlds. Whether they share are genuinely common history or are the product of convergent evolution and associated planar metaphysics is a hotly debated topic, and the truth is likely variable. It is these 'common' races that will be overviewed first. (A lot of the race names make no sense outside of their real-world mythical context, and, as such, aren't the actual names that'd be used... but this way it's clear what we're talking about.) Humans You know what humans are, at least hopefully. However, examining the role of humankind in the Cytan cluster is a quite worthwhile task - simply because they're weirdly everywhere, and the majority of sapient races share at least some of their morphology. The exact reason for this is, again, a source of much debate and controversy. Some (mostly human) suggest that humans are the primordial race - but there is little mythic or fossil evidence for this, some say their apparent 'abundance' is a product of planar metaphysics, that creatures with similar morphology are drawn together - but this does not explain worlds where multiple creatures with similar morphology are apparently indigenous. Other theories are the humans are mongrels created by the (magic influenced?) degeneration of other races, or that all races originate from different planes and have been 'seeded' on their worlds of apparent origin. Some even suggest an 'Immanent Plane of Humanoid' as the source of human-like life. In terms of their own physiology, humans are a durable but relatively weak race, bereft of much in the way of natural advantages. This, at least theoretically, led to a reputation as exceptionally determined and adaptable. Humans are no more or less intelligent than (most) other races, but their lack of such advantages means they must improvise and work harder than others - additionally, they are not so compromised when their advantages are not helpful. A (Not So) Brief Digression On Morphology Theoretically, it should be extremely unlikely for two unrelated species to share the same body shape. And yet, many, especially sapient, races, share many features, both with each other, and with other species. Indeed, the planar cluster derives its name from its phenomenon - 'Cytan' is an Old Fuchal word meaning 'Typical/Average', from the phrase 'Cytan Erhu', or 'Typical Form'. The Cytan cluster, therefore, is where species of typical form are found. Partially, this can be explained by convergent evolution - a given shape offers certain advantages, so species will naturally evolve towards those advantages. However, sometimes these advantages are too strong to be coincidental, or seem to occur in lieu of a potentially more advantageous - or at least, consistent - bodyplan. In most cases, the historical record reveals a consistent development and steady change, but nevertheless the 'uncannyness' of many creatures morphology is well-remarked upon. How this is seen varies depending on the bias of the observer, some see it as proof of outside intervention, others suggest it to be a consequence of metaphysical processes, while others suggest it to be entirely natural. It is worth noting that morphology is not synonymous with physiology. Many species, despite highly familiar external shape, have highly distinct phsyiology in terms of organ structure, biology, etc. It should not be assumed a species has particular traits just because it shares features of another species with said traits. 'Race' and 'species' are used interchangeably of sapients, but technically, some have genetically and physiological identical counterparts on other worlds... despite active counterevidence of common origin. Thus, 'race' doesn't really apply, but 'species' certainly doesn't. Centaur Centaur are a species characterized by an upper torso (trunk) like that of a human, or numerous other races, a commonality known as 'Cytan' (at least on Dawnrealm). At the bottom of their trunk, the spine curves backwards, leading into a quadrupedal lower body like that of an equine, including hooves, fur, and tail. The hair and tail are generally the same solid color, whereas the fur is typically a different color, and can exhibit some patterning. (Truly complex are rare, and solid colors are far more common). As a consequence of their morphology, centaur are large and physically powerful, standing 180-230cm tall from head to hoof, though some can be as tall as 3m. (This makes them smaller than typical domestic horses, and generally much smaller than large breeds.) Their bodies are well adapted for running at high speeds - though they are not quite as fast as actual equines due to aerodynamic and pneumatic concerns, they can endure much longer periods of exertion without injury, primarily due to a more efficient metabolism, accomplished through an omnivorous diet. The trunk is almost entirely dedicated to a primary stomach for the digestion of meat and other high-calorie foods, as well as a secondary heart, which assists in returning blood flow through the large body, as well as supplying oxygenated blood to the brain. The lower body, meanwhile, contains the large and highly efficient multi-chambered lungs, which work in stages to pump air in and out at highly velocities. The primary heart, majority of the digestive system, and reproductive organs are also found in the lower body. Centaur are 'native' to at least four worlds in the cluster - some have even suggested the Cluster is centered around worlds with their presence - mostly, people from Dawnrealm, where they are the most powerful race politically. Many, but not all, centaur societies are nomadic in nature, taking advantage of their natural ability to travel (and transport goods) vast distances. As one might expect, Centaur give birth to live young, typically one at a time, and have a very long gestation time of over 60 weeks. The infant is relatively mature for a 'typical' sapient, but unlike a foal, unable to stand on its own, and relies heavily on its parents. The baby does, however, learn to walk (albeit not very well) quite rapidly, within a month or two, with development of basic speech coming shortly after that. However, development slows down significantly after that, taking approximately 15 years to reach physiological maturity. Harpy Harpies have a largely conventional (humanlike) torso anatomy, with typical head, trunk, hips, and upper legs. However, they differ in two obvious morphological respects - first, their upper limbs are wings instead of arms. Starting just beneath the shoulder, feathers extend downwards from the limb, which contains an 'upper arm' 'elbow' and 'forearm' of roughly human proportion - with a claw-like hand at the end, complete with opposable thumb. However, it does not end there, with a third arm bone (somewhat similar to a vastly magnified finger), this one often longer than the two upper arm bones combined. (1-1.5m). Altogether this adds to a wing length of approximately 2.5 meters, for a total span around 5-6m. In order to enable them to actually fly, Harpies have powerful muscles in their chest and wings, though without deepening the chest significantly (as seen in birds). Additionally, they have lightweight bones with a hollow honeycomb structure that minimizes weight, and their bodies are generally small (155-175cm tall) and thin, with a typical adult weight of ~35 kilograms. The feathers fold inwards towards the wing when relaxed, but stretch outwards when the wing is extended and stretched. Pinions have an average length of 80cm. In flight the 'elbow' joint can remain loose to allow for extra mobility or lock for soaring without stressing the muscles. In order to maintain balance, Harpies have a feathered tail - the actual structure itself is very short, but it contains feathers of similar length to the flight feathers, and is used for maneuvering in the air. When not in flight, the upper half of the arm can be used for grasping, although precision work is difficult due to the structure of the hand. The second (or third, if you count the tail) obvious morphological difference is that harpies have talons at the end of their legs, instead of feet or hooves. These four-toed talons (three forward, one opposing) are coated in protective scales, and serve both as a weapon for seizing prey, and a means to allow them to easily grasp a wide variety of precarious surfaces that a 'typical' foot could not, either to rest on them or to carry them. Though normally invisible under the feathers, the wings also bear similar scales, as do the hand-claws. Another peculiar characteristic of harpies is not readily visible from the outside, but has had a tremendous impact on their social order. Most harpies are female, and males may be rarely seen. In some cases this has led to rather nasty speculation among the less educated or charitable, but the true explanation is that harpies are actually a kind of sequential hermaphrodites. When about a dozen harpies gather in one place, pheromonal signals (ultimately sourced from the muscles) are emitted in perspiration, which cause the member of the group with the highest pheromonal density to gradually morph into a male over the course of 4-5 weeks. This male is referred to as a 'patriarch', though whether they are actually 'in charge' depends on the society in question. This transformation is reversible, and frequently is. A patriarch can even be 'supplanted' if a female's pheromonal load becomes higher. Genitalia are remarkably 'conventional', though I won't draw a chart. After ~25 weeks of internal gestation, the female lays a single egg, which is 'incubated' (a process typically involving blankets and fire and/or central heating more than body heat) for another ~20 weeks. Upon hatching, the infant is slightly larger than a human infant, but still helpless, certainly flightless, and perhaps best described as 'fluffy'. Lactation is induced by pheromones within the egg cavity, and sustained by nursing, the infant develops fairly typically, with walking and speech at around 1 year. Neither the necessary coordination nor proper flight feathers develop until anywhere from 5-6 years of age, with physiological maturity achieved at ~12 years of age. ... cont.
Lamia Another one of the Cytan races, and one of the most perplexing, Lamiae possess a prototypical trunk, from head down to hips, including arms; but instead of having legs, their pelvic bones fuse into a 'ring', with the spine continuing downwards into a long serpentine tail-body, with numerous rib-like bone rings running down along the spine. Though referred to as a 'tail', this portion actually comprises most of the body's mass and length, as well as comprising critical organs. It is also used for mobility via back-and-forth, coiling, or winding motions. The tail is coated in large scales, up to a centimeter or two across, which in turn arrange themselves in larger patterns. Constantly exposed to stress, these scales regrow constantly, and tend to peel off in sheets - potentially very large sheets, if not periodically cleaned off. The Lamia's upper body (starting around the hips) does not feature scales, and skin is continually shed as is 'typical'. A Lamia's size varies widely, but typically ranges from 5-8 meters in total length, with a mass of 150 - 400 kilograms. The upper body comprises a small fraction of this, around a meter or so of height. Nevertheless, it contains the majority of the vital organs, most notably the heart, lungs, and, of course, brain. The tail, in fact, is occupied primarily by the Lamia's digestive system, which leads us into discussion of one of the Lamia's more peculiar characteristics - Lamiae possess highly flexible - or more precisely, ductile - upper bodies. Their jaws are 'split' down the middle, normally locked together by muscle, and connected to the upper mandible only by ductile muscle and tendons. Like the snakes they resemble, this allows them to semi-detach their jaws in order to swallow very large foodstuffs, far larger than their heads or even upper bodies. To further accommodate this ability, the place of the esophagus and trachea is reversed from their normal position, and their upper ribcage is actually jointed to move out of the way. Members of other races often find this process somewhat... disturbing... to witness, especially since most Lamiae prefer their food live. Moreover, this whole thing seems like an awful lot of work for something that... doesn't entirely seem like it belongs, with the peculiarly clever design leading to no end of speculation. Additionally, Lamiae are frequently accused of cannibalism (here meaning, 'eating other sapient beings', though in truth this occurs hardly more often than among any other race). That said, Lamiae, being warm blooded, active, and intelligent creatures without the option of going into semi-torpor for a month, need to eat significantly more often than a snake, regardless of the resemblance. Fortunately, they also have teeth, and, since their jaws can lock into fixed place, can chew food. This allows them to supplement their periodic large meals, with 'snacks' on a more typical schedule. They possess a secondary stomach for this purpose, located around the waist. Though part of the main digestive tract, larger objects are pushed further into the primary stomach, while small portions of food come to rest in the secondary, where they can be digested much more rapidly. This diet also makes Lamiae almost 'obligate omnivores', preferring meat for their larger meals, and sugar-laden fruits for their daily 'snacks'. Lamiae are oviviviparous, producing one to three 'eggs' which 'hatch' inside the womb when fertilized - Lamiae do not have placentae, though a fertilized egg's membrane is extremely thin, and continues to absorb nutrients as the fetus develops. The child is born after about 45 weeks of development - at this point, they are reasonably capable of moving about, but their jaw tendons have yet to develop, requiring that they be fed via milk for around a year, after which they grow teeth to chew and later, become flexible enough to swallow larger objects. A female lamia's body is almost always generating eggs, unfertilized eggs' membrane gradually grows harder, until it can no longer develop (after going unfertilized for ~10 weeks), after which point it is expelled from the body. Lamia typically have single children at a time, but two to three at a time is also quite common. A Lamia's surface reproductive organs are normally concealed under a protective plate of scales located slightly below the hips, when aroused, these plates open up to reveal the genitals (unlike a snake, it's a completely different duct). In females, the womb runs downwards along the underbelly, females accordingly have a larger and thicker genital plate region. As a general rule, Lamiae tend to be less social than most other sapient races, with habits that might be called 'demisocial'. Or simply introverted. In primitive societies, for instance, they tend to live in small groups, and regularly communicate, but hunt and work alone. This is retained in more developed societies. As a general rule Lamiae have relatively little tendency towards group identity - they may make strong friendship, but generally do not identify as a collective rather than individuals with common interests - a small distinction, but a crucial one. They also prize personal space and activity quite highly. Mermaid The last of the commonplace and widespread 'conventional' races, Mermaids are often assumed to be somehow related to Lamiae, due to their similar morphology and other similarities. This doesn't seem to be the case, and the two races are certainly physiologically distinct. One must admit, however, that the morphological similarities are significant. Like Lamiae, Mermaids have a prototypical trunk that fades into a single, scaly tail around the hips. However, there are significant differences. First is length and general structure - a Mermaid's tail is typically around 2.5 meters long, and contains organs only in its forward portions, with the back instead being a single highly muscular structure with a set of horizontal fins at or near the tip, making it a true tail rather than the lamia's 'elongated lower body'. Second is the nature of the scales - mermaid's scales are much smaller, creating a smooth, fine coat. Of course, Mermaids also don't have specialized belly scales. Third, mermaids have true hips, which bear a set of small, well articulated fins. Of the five 'conventional' races, Mermaids are unique in being adapted to an entirely acquatic life, with the ability to breathe, swim, and generally survive underwater. The most significant adaptation is respiratory. Mermaids have a combined heart-lung organ, capable of drawing oxygen from both air and water. Its powerful musculature not only pumps blood through the body, but also pumps water through the body - in through the mouth/nose, past twin 'ducts' running down either side of the body, and finally out through gill-like siphons at the flank of the tail. Air, being less dense, can be exhaled through the mouth/nose. This exhalation is also used to produced sound for communication purposes. Mermaids swim using a whip-motion of their muscular tail, displacing the water with their rear fins, and using their hip fins for precision steering. Though not extremely fast in a dash, they are capable of maintaining a fairly high speed (45km/h) over long periods. While traveling at speed, the arms are simply held alongside the body, but can be used for additional control at low speeds, especially when traversing rough areas, such as reefs, grottos, and caves. More critically, the near-unique ability to firmly grasp and manipulate objects is incredibly useful, especially when combined with sapient intelligence. Outside of the water, Mermaids are... not particularly mobile, but can pull themselves along with their hands and repeated movement of their body. Mermaids exhibit an omnivorous diet, with an extensive intestinal tract enabling them to digest raw meat and celluloid matter. They may forage for small, slow moving fish or edible plants individually, but to take larger and swifter prey, they combine tool use and pack hunting tactics, to considerable effect. Mermaids, alongside humans, are one of the species to make the most frequent use of domesticated animals, utilizing seals, seabirds, otters, and small dolphins, as semi-domesticated mollusks, crustaceans, and fish. Agriculture is also widespread. Reproduction is also somewhat unusual, and unfortunate. Adults possess a slightly oversized uterus in roughly the same position as in a human, with a vaginal opening a few decimeters below the hips, normally concealed by scales and closed by membranes. Mermaids are semi-oviviparous, producing eggs which grow for approximately 25 weeks, with the embryo then developing internally for about 20 weeks. However, after about 30 weeks, the egg can be laid and develop externally. These eggs are about 1m long, relatively thin, and covered with a ductile, slippery shell that is semi-transparent. Laying of the egg (or not) can be controlled somewhat, but is also at least partially brought on by stress. How the egg gets there in the first place is more... interesting. Normally, Mermaids live a fairly typical 80-some years, but occasionally a change will take place in an elderly mermaid, most likely due to the abscence of pheromonal signals emitted by eggs. This change first manifests itself as rapidly progressing dementia (though dementia may also induce the change, it isn't entirely clear), followed by skeletal atrophy accompanied by accelerated growth of scales. Internally, the organs degenerate, save for the heart and ovaries, which migrate towards each other. After around a month, the affected Mermaid will become increasingly prone to wander and eventually collapse or be killed by other means. At this point, all brain activity ceases, though the spinal cord remains active. So long as the heart-ovaries are not completely destroyed, the body slowly begins to metamorphosize, growing long 'filaments' which reach upwards, and a hardened shell around the central organ. These filaments serve to filter plankton and other nutrients from the water, and gradually grow to connect with the mutated ovaries, which is now producing modified sperm-like gametes, which are released when an adult (i.e., female) Mermaid comes nearby, which potentially find their way into her body, resulting in conception. (Apologies if too much focus on... sensitive issues. More to come later. We'll probably talk about the world of Dawnrealm. Or possibly Transcendent beings.)
yo, this is cool. I like how much thought you've put into the bio aspects of these species, and I look forward to reading more (Idk how old you are so I'll err on the side of caution wrt jokes about said sensitive issues(snerk), but you're handling them like a biologist, so kudos for that. conversely, my desire to joke comes from the fact that while I'm technically a grown ass adult, I have the sense of humor of a twelve year old)
I am indeed an adult, so that's something there. Wondering whether I should cover specific worlds in the Cluster next, or go over Transcendent beings (which are like... angels and demons and such).
oh good, that means I can make a joke about male lamiae having two dicks in good conscience. well, not so much a joke as ask the v important question "are male lamiae like snakes and lizards in the hemipenes department?"
The simple answer is a rather boring no. Their reproductive systems are sufficiently different to make the reasons for having such a structure nonsensical, and furthermore, they don't have cloacae anyways.
awww. I mean, that makes sense but the mouse has been denied hemipenes jokes and that's always sad :P
do the harpies have a nictating membrane and stronger muscles on the back of the neck? (both for flight...membrane as flight goggles, stronger muscles to help in looking forward and not down when flying) also your description of a harpy arm has them be kinda like pterosaurs-which is a good thing as pterosaur wing structure is a big part of how they could get so big and why their flightweight limit was so much higher than a bird's! a bird launches itself into the air with its legs, then starts flapping. this means that a bigger bird needs bigger leg muscles to get into the air...muscles which are then dead weight in the air. a pterosaur launched itself into the air with legs and wings in a vaulting motion. that had much more launch power and avoided the dead weight issue.
I'm not actually a biologist, wingyl, and to be honest a lot of my decisions are aesthetic-first, but... 1: Probably not, they aren't really fast-diving falcon-style types, and generally avoid leading with their face when coming near dangerous things in any event. Birds have tear ducts but I believe they're generally less efficient than humans/mammals? So that helps too. Plus, being sapient tool users has its benefits, namely that if you do need really high airspeeds, primitive goggles are not that hard to make. (I'm thinking you could even do this with a cut-down mesh of feathers?) 2: Sorta? The shoulder/upper body area muscles of harpies are remarkably powerful for their weight, and combined with the lighter weight of the skull, the neck muscles are sufficiently strong. 3: I didn't know that about pterodactyls (or birds), and the harpy's wing design is mainly intended for articulation/tool use purposes. But yeah, they definitely use their wings to lift off...
On Transcendent Souls and Spirits There are three distinct parts that can comprise a being in the Cytan cluster, though not all beings have all three, or have them in the same ways. The first part is a physical body, comprised of matter, driven by physical processes. This aspect is rather self explanatory, if fascinating... and is not relevant to our discussion. The second is a spirit: a 'knot' of magical energy (mana) which runs through a creature's body. The spirit can be created, manipulated, and even used as an energy source. Spirits can manifest spontaneously from the intersection of magical energy and biological, mechanical, or electronic processes. The type and purity of energy the comprising the spirit is a large part of what determines the metaphysical type of a being, but all beings have a spirit of some sort... though in some cases it may be very weak. Third, and most unique, is the soul. All truly free-willed, self-aware, capital-B Beings possess a soul - or rather, they are a soul - with everything else being details. What exactly souls are, or where they come from, is a mystery to pretty much all - while answers, of a sort, exist, they only lead further down a rabbit hole of questions, but for all intents and purposes, souls are transcendant, ineffable, inalienable, and utterly indestructible core of all sapient beings. Blithely self-powered, perpetual, and antropic, souls themselves generate magical energy - which, given the spirit is comprised of magical energy, means that the soul of a Being is linked to the body through the spirit, in a formation known (on Dawnrealm) as an Eidolon. That, however, is a different topic. Overview of the Transcendent Within the Cytan cluster, the links between the material worlds and other, more metaphysical worlds are unusually close. These 'outer' worlds exist along perpendicular axes to the Physic planes, and follow their own distinct causality, shaped by and reacting to thoughts and desires of their inhabitants (and mortals, to a lesser extent), as well as diverse and totally distinct basic construction. Nevertheless, Physic, Transcendent, and Immanent planes are all in 'close' proximity along extreme-high dimensional axes. As for the nature of the the Transcendent planes themselves, they are realms that mirror the minds of various beings, both mortals and the Transcendent themselves, and are the destination of the souls of mortals that die in the Physic Planes. Their own structure, being created from conceptual material, is often extremely exotic. Most Transcendent Planes consist of multiple synchronous 'sub-planes', which have a homologous essence but different environment. Some Transcendent planes have a handful of dense sub-planes, others have countless sparse synchronous planes. Transcendent beings (also known as Immortals, Ethereals, Eternals, or simply Spirits), therefore, are those creatures native to Transcendent Planes: there are two types of Transcendent - first, Lesser Transcendent, creatures created from the plane itself, which function, essentially, as the flora and fauna of a Transcendent plane. Second, there are the Greater (or True) Transcendent, sapient beings that have ascended to embody their devotion to a particular devotion - either naturally upon their mortal death, or deliberately via artificial metaphysic means. The Transcendent are beings of pure soul and spirit - essentially they do not physically exist. Their body is an extension of their spirit - among the Transcendent planes, they can easily interact with the thought-matter of their native planes, in both very conventional and more exotic ways, reflexively altering their surroundings as easily as their spirit-bodies. Their immaterial nature, however, should not be taken to mean they cannot travel to other planes. Travel between Transcendent planes is relatively easy, as the essential structure is roughly the same: however, contradictory Transcendent planes repel each other, and 'opposing' Transcendent cannot remain for long, being pushed back to their native plane before long. In Physic Planes, a naked spirit cannot normally exist, so the Transcendent's spirit conjures an artificial body out of ectoplasm upon arrival. This body, however natural (or unnatural) it may seem, has minimal internal structure to speak of, and is entirely driven by spiritual energy. This means it can also be manipulated by various means, which will be discussed in detail later. Transcendent (like most everyone else) rarely travel to Immanent planes, and even more rarely manage to do so directly, but when this does occur, it may result in a measure of 'contamination' by the Immanent plane's material, as this is used to construct the body instead of ectoplasm. Transcendent travelling directly from one Physic or Immanent Plane to another generally retain the same body, which can occasionally result in interesting events. First is directly, through full-intersection portals between two planes, or a series of such portals. Portals between Transcendent planes are common (especially between synchronous planes), but portals between Transcendent and Immanent or Physic Planes are extremely rare, with perhaps a single intersection of two given planes occuring every century or so. These portals are semi-predictable, in that time, duration, and location can be estimated with a modest margin of error, though the exact mechanisms that cause their manifestation are unknown, with many theories abounding - most commonly related to the position of stars and planets - this is now known to be mostly untrue, but a good way of keeping time for more primitive cultures. Second is via Origin-Initiated or point-to-point planar travel, accomplished through powerful magic (or technology, but the difference between those is even thinner than usual in the Transcendent planes). This is probably the best method, allowing at-will travel to arbitrary destination with a minimum of fuss, but is also very difficult - relatively few have the knowledge to perform such a shift, especially considering the added distance between (non-synchronous) Transcendent planes. Third, perhaps most commonly, is via Destination-Initiated planar travel mechanisms - also known as 'binding', 'conjuration' or 'invocation'. It is far easier to 'pull' something from a distant plane than to 'push' there, as with an Origin-Initiated jaunt. Moreover, because Transcendent are not physical beings, it is comparatively easy to pull them across, as there is no need to bring across matter, only a soul and spirit, whereupon their body can be constructed from readily available ectoplasm. Of course, the problem with this particular method is obvious - it is contingent on the actions of someone else, and brings the summoned to wherever the summoner wants - which could be (and usually is) a trap. Fortunately, it is possible to resist such a summoning, though difficult (especially if targeted on a specific individual). Fourth is the peculiar case of partial-intersection portals (also known as 'backdoors', or latent portals). Such portals usually surround a smaller full-intersection point in a vast region between Transcendent planes, but between Transcendent and other planes, are significantly more common than full-intersection commercials, with some remaining in place for centuries at a time. Such portals normally have a small influence on both sides, and make planar shifts significantly easier, which can support the prior two methods - or, on rarely, a Transcendent may learn, through a combination of knowledge, determination, and foolhardiness, manage to 'leak through' as a disembodied essence. Transcendent>Transcendent, this is essentially a normal transition with peculiar requirements, though it may be much easier than normal, allowing native Transcendent to casually slip between synchronous planes - a feat which visitors cannot manage. In Physic planes, such entities cannot normally exist. The Transcendent in question will be forced out in short order, returning to their native plane (much as occurs with other deceased souls), but may possibly be able to insinuate themselves in an object, creature, or create a body via more exotic means. In Immanent planes, an interesting interaction occurs - the Transcendent's spirit constructs a body comprised of the Immanent material, creating an entity that is, in some ways, partially a hybrid of elemental and whatever type of Transcendent they were. If they then travel to a Physic plane, this can result in... interesting occurences. Transcendent Characteristics Regardless of type, Transcendent have several common characteristics. Their body, or 'shell', whether spiritual or constructed, has minimal physiology, they are essentially homogenous inside. As such, they have no need for food, water, air, sleep, or anything else - though many varieties can imitate such needs, and do so perhaps out of nostalgia. They are completely immune to all natural toxins and diseases, plus an astonishing variety of other afflictions. Sufficient damage to a transcendent's shell will, however, destroy it and send them back to an origin nexus on their home plane (or destroy them, for lesser transcendent), but they are effectively immune to anything short of physical damage to their ectoplasmic shell. Transcendent are natural shapeshifters, adapting their shell quasi-voluntarily to fit their inner image. Though a slow process and limited by the bounds of that particular Race, it means that Transcendent eventually end up looking like their 'ideal form'. Many transcendent also have additional shapeshifting capacity to some degree or another. Lacking a true body, certain magical effects can affect Transcendent in unusual ways. Boundary magic blocks Transcendent just like it blocks spells and mana. They can be forced back to their native planes with relative ease using banishment magic, and are additional particularly vulnerable to certain types of offensive magic. Moreover, it is possible to 'trick' the spirit into linking with a specialized magical container, making it possible to absorb and 'seal' Transcendent inside. This particular hiccup, though troublesome for Transcendent, means that they can also (with practice) voluntarily submerge their spirit within a physical structure. Once submerged, they can extend their spirit through the object and exercise a degree of control, utilizing magical abilities and empowering it. They can also communicate with life-forms in contact with the object (or which are the object.) This is quite useful, both to Transcendent... and to others. Transcendent cannot breed true - that is, produce offspring of the same kind as themselves. Lesser Transcendent are created by their plane, and some Transcendent can produce lesser transcendent autonomously or with the aid of other Transcendent, but this is really only 'reproduction' if we also count a mage creating a Permanency'd Summon as reproduction. The creation (invocation?) of souls, is, it seems, reserved for mortals. However. There is a small catch in this arrangement. Transcendent can cross-breed with mortals, and produce souled (i.e., sapient) offspring, but these offspring are not the same Race as their parents, but a peculiar Transcendent class of their own, with their own properties based on their Transcendent parent's origin. The mortal parent's species determines their physical form, but ultimately all belong to the same Race of hybrids. (Curiously, the mortal parents species seems to have a statistical, rather than deterministic, effect upon the sapience of the offspring - souled offspring can come from a soulless mortal parent, though it is less than certain.) One might, logically enough, argue how an entity that does not physical exist driving an ectoplasmic shell can possibly reproduce with a biological entity, and this is because such a process does not take place through conventional organic means, but rather, a magical/miraculous exchange of essence resulting in simulacrum of a natural process, with the metaphysical processes of the Transcendent seamless weaving with the biological. In fact, this process can be extended through several generations, and eventually begins to result in a third class of offspring which are not Transcendent, but have some magical characteristics. Of Greater Transcendent, additional characteristics can be observed. Having no physiology to speak of, their minds are not prone to 'distortion' by their metabolism. Thus the mental state of a Transcendent can be fairly said to be more 'consistent' than that of a mortal. Curiously, some neurological anomalies are purged by Transcendence, others are preserved and immanentized. This does not seem consistent, though Transcendent Race seems to have an effect (or rather, vice versa). This means that Transcendent do not suffer mentally from exhaustion, dizziness, illness, intoxication, or the like - though they can always pretend, and may not always be what most people would call sane. Relatedly, Transcendent resist attempts to manipulate their consciousness, and are abnormally resistant (but not immune) to mind control magic. Transcendent have an effectively instantaneous 'reaction' time. Though still limited by their physical speed, they can recognize, consider, and respond to events as soon as they observe them, suffering essentially no difficulties for being 'rushed'. This does not necessarily mean they will always come to the right conclusion or examine all possibilities, nor that time seems to stand still for them. They can make mistakes in crisis situations through simple eagerness, or oversight. Greater Transcendent also demonstrate a memory that is essentially perfect, able to recall anything they have observed in exacting detail and precision. Again, this is limited by the requirement that the individual know what to remember, and can be flawed, and doesn't prevent them from misinterpreting their memories. It is sometimes possible to notice things that were not originally noticed, but difficult. Nor does perfect memory necessarily lead to correct action.
so, I just realized that I haven't responded to this yet. sry about that! anyways, I rly like the mix of DA and Dresden Files in this. also would like to learn more about the hybrids bc they seem interesting
https://www.worldanvil.com/author/BaseDeltaZero World Anvil link to my current collection of nonsense!
