Authors: M.J Kreyzer
Evolutionary Epoch (Ae.E) 5000 Years
With Havoc having descended from its utopian state and the climate of their home dropping to sub-arctic, the Autocthonids who lived in what would later be known as Andoria disagree on where future salvation could be found. With the disagreement being as it was, the Autocthonids branched off to the far corners of Arctanica as well as Elvytica to the north. During this mass exodus, evolution takes its toll on the various groups as their future generations begin to adapt to their new surroundings while maintaining a harmony with their Furo characteristics. It’s from these various adaptations that Werewolves, Vampires, Sirens, Highlanders, Humans, Wylsks, and the modern day Durant came to be. The Evolutionary Epoch is the least known Epoch and only its duration can be estimated. It's during this period of time that modern languages evolved as well as written communication. Around 4000 Ae.E, a primitive economy emerged while the various factions, clearly distinguishable through race, lived separately from one another and remained independent while engaging in small scale warfare.
Medieval Epoch (M.E) 1813 Years
The Medieval Epoch began with the creation of steel. Over the next several decades, this discovery would redefine and revolutionize everything from home living to construction to warfare. Mankind advanced across all fronts, including technology, the arts, as well as philosophy. However, due to the extreme racial fragmentation of the time, these advancements were confined to their various cultures and subcultures and were entirely distinct from one another.
The Medieval Epoch, though, was not defined by the amazing progress made in art and philosophy. Rather, its defining aspect became war. While the intellectuals were appreciated, it was the warriors who governed and maintained what poor order there was. During this time, the Highlanders, due entirely to their size and ferocity, were the dominant race. Vampires isolated themselves to Elvytica and eastern Arctanica while werewolves, due to their unrivaled mobility, could be found across all regions of the continent. Durants were generally confined to the Damidian mountains and, because of their devotion to the teachings of the Rune, lived as pacifists and, oftentimes, victims. Humans, because of their general disadvantages, distanced themselves from the other races, a mindset which inspired the doomed voyage of Captain Valentine and later Benedict Solago, a move which would open up a new continent for colonization.
Modern/Industrial Epoch (M.I.) 230 Years
While many historians will dispute its beginning, the Modern Epoch is most commonly considered to have begun at the invention of the first firearm. From there came the invention of automobiles, a modern power grid, electronics and computers.
Races
Durants
Durants are the closest living relatives to the race presumed to be the precursors to all humanity, the Autocthonids. Durants are built very similarly to humans though slight genetic differences result in their being slightly taller on average. Due to the same genetic anomalies responsible for the Durants' indefinite lifespan, Durants have are less prone to sickness than humans and heal at a rate that closes in on 2-1. By that same token, genetic defects and degenerative diseases are far less common among the Durant race.
The one characteristic that best defines the Durant race is their ability to manipulate Furo. Using a sixth sense, Durants are capable of sensing the presence of Furo and can instinctively determine its intensity and stability. (Or, in the case of Elemental, the lack thereof.) As such, it is possible for Durants to see the world entirely through their sensitivity to Furo, recreating three dimensional objects in their mind and viewing their immediate environment from any angle they wish. In order to determine the stability of Furo in an area, the Durant who is using this ability need only look for color differentiation within their field of vision. Areas within their field of vision that are blue in color are destabilized and, therefore, areas where Elemental can be used. Areas that are colorless, however, are areas that are stabilized and Elemental is impossible. The degree of stabilization can be further determined by how contrasted objects are within that field of stabilization. The heavier the stabilization, the less contrast that exists while enough stabilizers within a certain area can render a Durant relying on this Furo Vision blind entirely. Furo Vision, by all accounts, is the most effective and useful sense of any human being. The issue with this ability is its high difficulty of mastery. While all Durants are able to sense Furo, only on rare occasions can they rely on that sensation alone to produce vivid mental recreations that come even close to being as detailed and vivid as eyesight. Such abilities most often only come out of their necessity, most often in the case of remarkable poor eyesight or blindness. As a result, few Durants can be even remotely effective with Furo Vision and simply don't use it.
Another difference between human beings and Durants is their nervous system. In Durants, the nervous system is capable of transmitting not only neurological signals but magnetic impulses as well. These magnetic impulses interact with Furo particles, creating the sensation of their existence, which is then transmitted back to the brain where the Durant is then able to sense the Furo itself. These magnetic impulses can also be projected into the environment and can then be used to manipulate Furo and create Elemental. These magnetic impulses originate in the brain, the portion of which is located beneath the brain's frontal lobe. It's here, the command center of Elemental production, where the existence of Furo is interpreted while creating and sending out these impulses for the creation of Elemental. This area of the brain is indistinguishable from humans' by appearance only and can only be detecting by monitoring the electrical impulses themselves.
These magnetic impulses also produce unique biological signatures which, if the right equipment is used, can be tracked via radar. It is this characteristic which, when discovered in 257 M.I, was used to track the location of Durants within several feet as one of the most crucial aspects of the Durant Relocation Act.
Elemental is what Durants are best known for. Theoretically, there is an infinite number of manipulations that can be produced through Elemental. Complete descriptions for the dozen Elemental manipulations are available here.
Vampires
Following their migration from Andoria, the Autocthonid tribal offshoot that would eventually become vampires settled in eastern Elvytica. It's here where, over the next 5000 years, these Autocthonids would eventually evolve into the modern day Vampire.
During the initial stages of the new civilization erected in eastern Elvytica, the Autocthonids were faced almost immediately with drought and famine. With their civilization nestled into the rocky peaks of the Kyrgenti mountains, these Autocthonids eventually had to turn to find alternate forms of sustenance.
Cannibalism was, of course, out of the question. However, finding that essential nutrients could be found in blood, the Autocthonids turned to a new practice. This practice of blood consumption proved to be effective with many Autocthonids being assigned to three or four others as to create a reliable and steady source of nutrition. Eventually, their bodies required less and less blood to survive while their metabolisms slowed to a crawl to compensate for their lack of food. Individuals born whose bodies weren't able to survive on such scarce amounts of food would quickly die, accelerating the effects of natural selection.
Eventually these external forces caused vampires to develop canines with tips like needles with a diamond hardness, allowing for them to puncture arteries and draw out blood without causing their subjects to bleed to death. The necessity to adapt to the dearth of food caused them to develop a genetically gaunt, nearly malnourished appearance while maintaining a small, dense, powerful muscular structure.
While other results of the Autocthonid evolutionary chain such as Durants, Altigans, Sirens or Arctanicans do not possess sensitivities to light, the Autocthonids that would serve as precursors to Werewolves and Vampires came from the same family. In this family's genetics was a mutated gene, this mutated gene causing a sensitivity to light. As this sensitivity evolved uniquely to the Vampires, this sensitivity came in the form of moderate to severe sunburns. However, having dwelt in an area where direct sunlight is nearly nonexistent, this trait increased in its severity to the point where direct sun exposure would most often result in severe, third degree burns while several minutes of direct sun exposure would lead to death.
Other defining characteristics of Vampires, including the light, gliding like motion with which they move, came as a result for the dire need to sneak up on and kill what little life they came across.
Werewolves
During the Autocthonids' southern Exodus, the precursors to the modern day werewolf would split off from the main group and migrate towards western Elvytica while another group would branch off and head east. This group of Autocthonids would eventually disperse and spread out across the whole of the western Elvytican coastline.
Over the course of several thousand years, the werewolf nation would eventually evolve around a small, minute anomaly within the genetics that they inherited from their Autocthonid predecessors. At a cellular level, the same organelle that triggered a physical response within vampires would eventually trigger a physical response within werewolves.
In their new environment, survival was pinned solely to one's ability to capture food. This necessity would eventually result in the melding together of one individual's DNA with that of a wolf, an occurrence that came with the double sided nature of Autocthonid DNA. This duality came as part of a recessive Autocthonid gene that, before the assimilation of wolf DNA, remained vacant.
The purpose for this evolution is said to be the result of the Autocthonid's need for speed and stealth. With their prey being faster, more agile, and more acutely aware, it became necessary for the Autocthonids to evolve beyond the physical capabilities of a human being. The solution, as it turned out, came to be taking advantage of their own genetic makeup and making it possible for them to transform into something that was physically capable of capturing prey in the dark of night.
Altigan
A sub race of humans that possess all the qualities of Humanity while maintaining a Durant lifespan.
Humans
Humans are the biological opposites of Durants. While Vampires, Sirens, Werewolves, and all other races possess characteristics of the Autocthonid race, Humans have shed all
Autocthonids
Autocthonids were, according to available evidence, the precursors to modern humanity. It's from their genes that that Durants, Werewolves, Vampires, Sirens, Arctanicans, and Humans would eventually evolve. Autocthonids were believed to be extremely powerful beings, possessing perfect harmony with the universe and even being students and practitioners of Elemental. As ages passed, with their abilities proving to be of little use, these powerful qualities of the Autocthonids would slowly disappear as they would evolve to better suit their surroundings, maintaining only the qualities for which they had use while simultaneously repurposing others. The closest living relative of the Autocthonid is the Durant.
Organizations
The Ditrinity
Based around the Runic idea, 'Ditrinity' translates directly into 'life or death devotion'. No matter the occasion, the Ditrinity always has six members. In the case of a vacancy, a replacement would have to be found immediately with these replacements most often coming from senior members of the Warrior class of Durants, better known to historians as Semprans, their population comprised of devout warrior monks. This was done as relationships between the Durant orthodoxy and their Sempran offshoot improved. Later this practice evolved to the point where the senior member of the Semprys family would select Ditrinity members from their circle of close friends in a war-driven era where to survive was to be well versed in the arts of war.
In 585 M.E after the death of Mark Semprys and a young boy presumed to be his son, it was discovered that Mark's son had, in fact, survived, and the Ditrinity was established to prevent this sort of incident from occurring ever again. The end of the Semprys lineage would mean the end of the line of Durant prophets.
The Ditrinity disbanded in 204 M.I after the death of Leon Semprys and the presumed death of his son Luke. It was later reestablished after the discovery in the early stages of the Damidian War that the boy Mylo was, in fact, the last surviving member of the Semprys lineage. The practice of maintaining six members at all times was loosely held from then on and the Ditrinity membership fluctuated throughout the Damidian and Relias wars all the way up until the death of Ayla Reyrock in 248 M.I at which point Nathan Hendrick joined and filled the vacancy she left behind, resulting in the full membership of the Ditrinity for the longest period of time since it had been disbanded 44 years earlier.