Races

[Pretzel Heart]

Ah yes, races. A fascinating topic. It requires a completely different set of skills to take out-- I mean, take care of a puppy dog as opposed to a human child, after all. Besides, you should learn about the fellow subjects you may soon be walking amidst. This may be a fantasy RP, but you won't find anything like elves and dwarves in here.

One you read about what you can find, please, continue on to the atelier where books on magical practices are kept.

Time to Get Topical


This thread details the three main races of Roserasia, including how they differ from one another and a little on how their societies are structured, their unique cultural heritages, and relationships with outside communities. Other varieties of animals can be read about as well.​

 

[Pretzel Heart]

Humans, Arie, and Witches​

There are two majority races in Roserasia: humans and arie. They share a common ancestor from long, long ago- creatures who were almost a living extension of the earth, possessing animalistic features and innocence as well as a superior intellect, natural curiosity, and willingness to learn. In order to call upon the powers of the land, this earliest race formed a complex series of rituals involving rhythmic movement, music, and song.

However, in time this race became divided, with some being pulled towards intellectualism and progress, and others wanting to grow closer to their natural roots. The first group eventually evolved into humanity, which now dominates Roserasia. The second group became the arie.

Humans are, as you, most likely being one yourself, might expect. They comprise the majority population of every nation except Lepumir, and hold almost all the political power of the known world. An emphasis on advancing civilization and cerebral pursuits combined with their natural advantages in number and build to create the current unbalanced state of affairs. Most humans consider themselves superior, even if only subconsciously; a viewpoint which is enhanced by many arie's diminutive appearance and frequent visibility in positions of subservience. However, having severed their link to the land long ago, humanity has completely lost the ability to perform magic and must rely on physical and mental pursuits to keep their position at Roserasia's head.

In contrast, arie can use magic freely and with very little study (some having more innate powers than others), but their abilities usually take on a more practical approach. The humans have also (somewhat forcefully) persuaded them to use their magic in service of the pursuits of man, providing for an abundant energy source and the creation of trinkets and goods. Arie are typically very animalistic in appearance and smaller than humans. Depending on their ancestry (and what type of animals they seem to come from, i.e., tiger-based arie vs. cat-based arie), they can have advanced relationships and give birth to healthy offspring with different types of arie just fine. However, there is no guarantee how the child will look, and the results can sometimes be rather unsightly. In some instances, an aria of mixed parentage can increase their innate magical powers, which seems to continually enhance through generations, though studies on this phenomenon are still relatively new and the results varied and hard to confirm. Because of the increasing popularity of such cases, appealing-looking mixed-heritage arie may be especially coveted for certain positions, such as the current tutor of the Princess of Euthalia. Usually arie stand no taller than a human child, but there are exceptions. They are generally seen as being the physically weaker race, with the exclusion of more predatory arie, such as bear-based ones, being feared by humans and frequently impressed into the military and the like. Most arie are vegetarians, tending their own crops using either ancient techniques or imported human farming methods depending on where they live and how they were raised. The few omnivorous and carnivorous arie tend to stick to hunting non-sentient animals using human-like techniques. Overall the image of these meat-eaters is slightly more negative among arien communities. There also seems to be a cultural discomfort among arie surrounding humanity's domestication of certain animal species for livestock and pets, and a few groups have amassed over the years promoting vegetarianism. Arie who adopt such human domestication practices for themselves may be looked down upon or even shunned by the rest of the race as being traitorous. Clothing is treated in much the same way; more isolated communities may adopt little-to-no clothing, while others who are more "civilized" and primarily interact with humans will adopt the typical dress of the land. There is some discrimination between these methodologies. Usually clothes-wearing arie have their own tailors to go to or will make their own clothes. Of course the most talented of these seamstresses may be sought after by humans as well, and sometimes their work ends up in Magical Accessories. While for the most part docile, the arie have finally decided to stand up for their often forgotten rights, beginning with the Rebellion in the Northeast.

Singular: Aria
Plural: Arie
Possessive: Arien
​

Hovering between the two is a curious third race known as the Witches. Uniquely they have remained close to the common ancestor, a living reminder of the one-time link between humans and arie, having a human's height and proportions while retaining more animalistic features such as wolf ears, deer antlers, or a squirrel's tail and, in some instances, even as much as an entire body (much like our centaur). They are great learners, studying and carrying on the most ancient and powerful types of magic that modern arie are no longer able to access, though mostly keeping to themselves to do so. Because of this they are unfamiliar with many human customs and dancing styles, and though the music with which they summon their formidable spells is akin to that of the arie, there are enough differences between the two to make exchange difficult (like a language gap between disparate dialects). Tiny in population, they remain largely ensconced in the forests of Lepumir and Nezzie, keeping to themselves and staying, for the most part, out of the rest of Roserasia's affairs. There are even rumors of some insulated Witch tribes hidden away untouched by time, knowing nothing of humanity's progress nor the arie's plight. These groups are said to sometimes have quite strange and even barbaric customs. Even the Euthalian Court is hesitant to claim Witches as citizens of their rule, as the race has been on the continent far before humanity's touch. As such there have been some political tensions between the governments of Lepumir, Nezzie, and Euthalia because of Witches in the past, particularly after an incident 35 years ago known as Brockenhexe where a small tribe committed a raid on a Lepumiran settlement, completely devastating the people there. However, the reining policy remains one of appeasement: For the most part no one bothers the Witches, and the Witches do not bother anyone else. While rare, they do occasionally come out of isolation to teach humans and arie alike, or attend festivals and events. Many humans and arie, particularly in the southern and eastern countries far from their territory, know very little about them with most knowledge being crammed into the backs of history and sociology books or spread through word-of-mouth rumors and legends. There are some tales of Witches interbreeding with humans, but such cases are extremely rare, and would generally be looked down upon due to the unknown effects. Not to mention the pre-existing social stigma against interracial mingling and fear of creating the monsters known as 'ivves.' While many humans and arie hold Witches in awe, there is typically an undercurrent of fear whenever they come up thanks to their unpredictability and unimaginable prowess which threatens both human political and arien magical athority.

Singular: Witch
Plural: Witches
Possessive: Witch​

 

[Pretzel Heart]

Fauna​

Of course beyond the sentient races there are other animals living in Roserasia. For the most part what you find is, curiously enough, very similar to what we have in our world, including the likes of cats, dogs, chickens, and fish. While there is nowhere near the amount of species on Earth (given Roserasia's much smaller size and younger age), with varied climates there is a great diversity of creatures ranging from penguins in the North to tigers in tropical Marine. What you discover can be largely left up to your own innovation as far as "normal" animals go, so don't be afraid to throw in a kangaroo...well, as long as it makes sense. Domestication processes also largely mirror our world, with things like horses providing transportation, oxen helping in the fields, and rabbits to keep company in the home...though there can be some more fanciful exceptions. Royal families may also have more exotic menageries, though currently, due to pressure from arien lobbyists, most have abolished any zoo-like institutions (the largest of which used to be where Tango Garden is now kept).

There are plenty of...stranger...animals in Roserasia as well. These are extraordinarily rare and, some claim, live only in lore as there are very few records of their existence- and of those none are substantiated. These encompass such creatures as our unicorns and griffons, though if you'd like to create one for yourself, please feel free. There is no shortage of cryptids hiding in village stories and human fears (the most prevalent and international of which being the boogeyman-like "ivve"). However there is nothing else sentient or humanoid in nature, such as vampires, werewolves, fairies, or ghosts. The closest Roserasia has to such thing are Witches, which may look much like mermaids or centaurs in some instances, as stated above.

Otherwise the usual fantasy fair can all be spoken of...with one key exception: Dragons. Dragons have a special place in Roserasian mythos, with only one known mention from the time before recorded history, written on a tablet uncovered in modern-day Sea. The Plaque of Vitra Avi depicts a drawing we would recognize as draconic, with an accompanying script which scholars have remained unable to translate. Nevertheless the Plaque has become quite famous, being depicted on all kinds of Sea products like a kind of mascot and finding itself at the center of countless theories. Some say that the beast depicted lived before the time of the human and arien ancestor- perhaps even being their progenitor, or was a great evil from across the seas that was eventually vanquished or driven away- sometimes coinciding with other local legends such as Rameria's "Cities Between the Lakes." Nearly 50 years ago there was a section of the text that was translated, coming from a known language identified by a Nezzien scholar, likely added onto the tablet at a much later date than the original engraving. This passage speaks of something called "Divine Residue," split into three pieces and gifted to the "Great Areas of Kings." However, the meaning of this text and what, if any, relation it has to the original carving is as yet unknown.