Story B: The World Ends With You

[X64]

Chapter One


Muralan, The World of Supernaturals




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In the world of Muralan, supernatural beings exist just as humans do on Earth- although, to be more accurate, Muralan is actually a continent. Legends do tell of humans that once existed long ago, but today they are very rare. Even so...humans are still hated by supernatural kind, as they are considered weak and inferior beings.
As for the supernatural beings that occupy Muralan, there are many different kinds. However, they are separated by species (otherwise called 'races' even though the term is technically incorrect), clan, and even by family name. They are segregated, so much so that breeding among the different races is the highest form of taboo. No one knows when it began, but they know one thing for sure- there is no such thing as 'equality' here.


To further deepen the gap between them, the supernaturals of Muralan have a 'universal' order of ranking. All of them follow this order, from highest to lowest:





Purebloods


The richest of the rich, mainly members of the Council and their families. Purebloods are widely considered to be the 'epitomes' of their respective races- they are everything that they should be and more.





Nobles


These Supernaturals are also rich, but none of them have any direct ties into the government. Many of these are Guardians- those whose sole reason for existence is to serve and protect their Pureblood charges.

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Commoners


Your normal, everyday supernatural, many of whom are simply trying to get by day-to-day.





Branded


Criminals, terrorists, and other such evildoers. Supernaturals that break the law are branded so that they are forever burdened with their crimes, hence the name of their rank.





Misfits


These supernaturals are considered lower than criminals, as they have no rights whatsoever. This rank is reserved solely for those who break the highest taboo of all; breeding between the races. This even extends to the children of such bonds.

Darius sighed as he shut his book, "A Modern Understanding of Muralan", in frustration. He knew all of this already, why was he being forced to read it over again? It annoyed him that his father would submit him to such stupidity. Any supernatural being above the age of five was taught these things. He was nineteen, for goodness's sake! And yet, here he was, re-reading the overly-familiar book.


He wanted nothing more than to throw it out of the window, maybe watch it fly for a moment before burning it to shreds. He could do it, too. It would be nothing for him to use his abilities...


No, it wasn't worth the trouble his father would give him if he found out he wasn't studying. He knew all too well what his punishment would be. It was always the same- a beating of sorts, always different from the last. His father was a harsh man, although it had made him stronger than most supernaturals his age.


Then again, what else was the son of the Council Leader supposed to expect? Empathy?


Sighing once more, although this time more out of annoyance than frustration, Darius opened the book again. He might as well at least look like he's doing what he's supposed to be doing.

Races and Notable Clans of Muralan
Six very different races exist in the world of Muralan, all of which are unique in their abilities, customs, and lifestyles. Some of them have 'Clans', or families that specialize in certain abilities. There are many Clans that currently exist, but only the most well-known are listed.





Vampires


Vampires have been around almost as long as demons have. In regards to supernatural affairs, the Vampires have a great influence. They have good, strong ties with demons and often side with them. Most notably, they require the ingestion of blood to live, although the source does not matter. They have been well-known to particularly despise the Resurrected.


Werewolves/Shapeshifters


Werewolves have been around just as long as Vampires have, although due to their roaming nature they don't carry quite as much influence as Vampires do. However, a Pureblood Werewolf/Shapeshifter is respected just as much as any other. It would seem that Werewolves simply have no interest in anything political, although this may not hold true for all.





Note: Werewolves and Shapeshifters have only their human and animal forms. There is no in-between. (No half human-half animal forms)





Demons


Having been around since what seems like beginning of time, Demons are the oldest supernatural race known to man. For ages, they have been at the head of supernatural affairs, often being referred to as the leaders of the supernatural world. Because of this, the Pureblood families of this race are often heavily imbued in political affairs and carry a substantial amount of influence. They are well-known to especially hate misfits, and tend to lead with an iron fist. Demons are also incredibly diverse.


The Bravinski Clan


The Bravinski's are well-known to be the only family of nine-tailed Kitsunes, whose abilities make them perhaps the strongest supernaturals in the known world. They are so powerful that their powers must be sealed at birth, lest it consume them, and it must be 'unlocked' to be used. However, their abilities also come at a great cost- to use their powers is to use their own lifespans. Because of this, they are also one of the most peaceful clans of demons.





The Bravinski clan is also well-known for being the guardians of demon Purebloods for generations.





The Resurrected


Remaining largely unnoticed until just recently, the Resurrected constantly live under the stigma of being flesh-eating monsters. While this isn't entirely true, they are quite known for having an appetite for the eccentric. The Resurrected can only byecreated by Necromancy, their different types depending solely on whether their resurrection was a complete success or not.





While the Resurrected do not have blood ties (meaning that they don't have clans) all of them are well-known to have regenerative abilities. The extent of this depends on their type.





Ghosts


If there has been any race even more overlooked than the Resurrected, it is the Ghosts. Masters of being unnoticed, they are constantly flitting in and out of this world and the Beyond. They are not human, yet not quite supernatural either; being creatures of both the Beyond and this world, they are something different altogether. Although they have been stereotypically labeled 'ghosts', they only carry this name because of their abilities. They are, in fact, alive just like any other creature. Since they tend to prefer to keep to themselves, Ghosts have a minimum interest and influence when it comes to political affairs.





The Escavela Clan


SThis clan, however, is capable of 'transcending'- meaning, when they die, they have the ability to choose whether to pass on to the Beyond or not. If they do not, they become a true ghost in the sense of the word.


Magicians


Magicians are the descendants of humans that gained magical abilities. What kind of magic they possess and what they specialize in, however, is just as diverse as the earth itself. While many supernaturals doubt their influence in the supernatural world just because they are descended from humans, they are certainly a force to be reckoned with because of their sheer power in their magical abilities.


Although Magicians are perhaps the most diverse of all the races, they have several different known abilities which include: Necromancy, Elemental Magic, Technomagic, Light Magic, Healing Magic, Rune Ma-

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Darius shut the book yet again. He couldn't take it anymore, he simply couldn't sit still. He no longer cared about whatever punishment his father would give him; he was going to take a break. As he leaned back in his chair, he couldn't help but think that all this studying had something to do with the new school his father was planning to open.....