1 - https://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive/2022/84774616/
2 - https://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive/2022/84847594/
3#1 - https://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive/2022/84864673/
3#2 - https://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive/2022/84877899/
5 - https://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive/2022/84890048/
6 - https://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive/2022/84918731/
7 - https://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive/2022/84930206/
8 - https://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive/2022/84943450/
9 - https://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive/2022/84963046/
10 - https://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive/2022/84990296/
11 - https://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive/2022/85001905/
12 - https://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive/2022/85025361/
13 - https://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive/2022/85034498/
14 - https://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive/2022/85074457/
15 - https://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive/2022/85181021/
15#2 - https://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive/2022/85273765/
16 - https://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive/2022/85357735/
17 - https://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive/2022/85442583/
17#2 - https://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive/2022/85499731/
18 - https://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive/2022/85554910/
21 - https://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive/2022/85580942/
22 - https://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive/2022/85686282/
23 - https://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive/2022/85775039/
24 - https://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive/2022/85865971/
25 - https://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive/2022/85981957/
26 - https://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive/2022/86150840/
27 - https://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive/2022/86258892/
28 - https://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive/2022/86355397/
29 - https://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive/2022/86504173/

30 - https://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive/2022/86662491/
31 - https://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive/2022/86786745/
31#2 - https://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive/2022/86924239/
32 - https://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive/2022/87072460/
33 - https://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive/2022/87171716/
34 - https://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive/2023/87267880/
35 - https://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive/2023/87388478/
39#1 - https://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive/2023/87472712/
38 - https://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive/2023/87550989/
39#2 - https://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive/2023/87627406/
40 - https://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive/2023/87795959/
41 - https://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive/2023/87956630/
42 - https://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive/2023/88125000/
43 - https://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive/2023/88278726/
44 - https://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive/2023/88372296/
45#1 - https://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive/2023/88465385/
45#2 - https://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive/2023/88563258/
47 - https://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive/2023/88666593/
48 - https://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive/2023/88762012/
49 - https://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive/2023/88855281/
50 - https://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive/2023/88948871/
51 - https://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive/2023/89035095/
52 - https://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive/2023/89127240/
53 - https://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive/2023/89215539/
54 - https://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive/2023/89309033/
55 - https://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive/2023/89389607/
56#1 - https://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive/2023/89472549/
56#2 - https://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive/2023/89552939/
58 - https://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive/2023/89637453/

59 - https://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive/2023/89718352/
60 - Someone archive this thread

Google Doc Link for the timeline. As updated as it can be.

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1Weiu2IWHLvwzuWaCnggBT0nYVzJvvHEeD0ec3KB16WI/edit?usp=sharing

Thread 59 saved.

https://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive/2023/89797226/

>>89868105
Don't be fooled seeing one isn't a good sign.

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>>.89788320
>Gruzja
Demigoddess of witchcraft, cunning, hunger, thirst, and birds
Daughter of Crnya
Powerful witch feared by the wheatfolk
Serves as a bogeyman for their children's stories
Mother of Kura, Sowa and Wrona

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>>89869132
>Kura
A quiet, misanthropic old hag with two peg legs. She is the protective witch of chickens and roosters. Parts of the field population sacrifice their chickens to appease her, get her blessing or stay on good terms with her. She has a caring and kind side that very few ever get to see.
Daughter of Gruzja

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>Pisklęta
Unlike her mother, grandmother and great-grandmother, Pisklęta is neither good nor evil. She has an unusually lively and cheerful nature for a witch. Her lower body resembles that of a hen and her legs end in claws. She is armed with a magical mancatcher which she uses to kidnap human men she likes into her hidden home until she is done with them. Despite her positive attitude, she is quite magically capable and ready to kill when it counts. Her passion is to play tricks and fool around with humans and wheatfolk. Stealing human children to teach them swear words or to scare them. However, she usually brings them back to their beds in a jolly manner and chuckling. Sometimes she turns naughty children into chickens or lets them grow beaks. She is said to have created the Mannshahn species.

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>>89869322
Mannshahn
The Mannshahn (roughly translating as Man rooster) is a species of hybrid with the upper body of a male or female and the lower body of a rooster or hen.
The men are belligerent and engage in brutal but elegant dance-like fights for the hens. They like to use halberds to defend against enemies. Soldiers also attach iron blades to their claws.
Their language sounds like a mixture of chicken cackle and French.
According to popular belief, the species was created by Pisklęta, but the question of whether the Mannshahn or the egg came first still remains unclear. The Mannshahns live in the wheatfields and feed on grains lying on the ground. Their species is not particularly large and is currently measured at a few hundred specimens.

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>>89869132
>Wrona
Wrona is a hag with a raven's beak, donkey's ears and two devil's horns. Instead of feet, she has crow's claws. She eats small children which she captures, confines in a cage or gibbet and fattens until they are fat enough to be consumed. She is the protective witch of crows, ravens and a trickster by nature. Some people speculate that she created the Kikimori in Witchbogs aswell as the Crowhags in the Golden Wheatfields. She is one of Gruzja's three daughters.

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>>89869685
She can summon flocks of crows to pounce on her enemies.
She also uses crows and ravens to carry things for her, deliver messages and do scout work.
They are her eyes and ears.

>>89868753
>Somebody

Do we have a description for tieflings? They are rather important for the story of Azan, and they keep being massacred by them and yet rule the empire for long periods of time.

>>89871592
This is a misunderstanding from the start of the project. Azan is ruled by draconic Tieflings', but used to genocide demonic Tieflings'

>Ancient Mermaids
Ancient Mermaids are one of the many species of beastfolk living in Giantstep. Ancient Mermaids used to be one of the many powerful groups ruling the long lost Merfolk Empire, having great colonies both above and below the sea. However, after the Curse of Uun, it was believed ancient mermaids had become extinct, twisted and broken by the treason of the god. The only mermaids that survived the curse were those far away from the Merfolk Empire at the time, and the sheer fear for the curse made many populations began kicking them out, which further thinned their numbers. The ancient mermaids of now are a far cry from those from the past. Having lost most of their lore, culture and underwater knowledge, not to mention the favor of Uun, they survive in small colonies scattered all throughout Eastern Giantstep, seeking to find any way to recompose themselves after the curse and to avoid extinction for one more day.

>>89872072
Ancient mermaids are big, fully aquatic creatures. They measure around 2 meters from head to tail, though there is a considerable difference between males and females, with females being at most 1.70 meters of height. Ancient mermaids are humanoid beings, with their lower torso replaced by a fish-like tail, though there are some cases where their tail splits into two. This tail is very powerful, allowing them high speeds when swimming, and its covering of strong scales allows them to move through land for short periods of time without fear of hurting themselves. They are not suited for the surface, with their non-marine colonies being near rivers and lakes, as they can only wobble around as a means of land locomotion. Ancient mermaids have both gills and lungs, with their gills located both at the sides of their neck and at the sides of their upper torso, while their lungs are similar to those of aquatic mammals. Their arms are long and powerful, and their hands are covered in scales, with webbed skin between their fingers. Ancient mermaids have very long hair, somehow never blocking their view then swimming or getting stuck on anything. Their eyes are covered by a substance that protects them from sand particles and other substances alongside their eyelashes, making them look sparkly all the time. They have no cartilaginous ears, instead having a comparable structure, similar to the flippers of a fish. Ancient mermaids have a powerful voice, something they use to communicate with each other through great distances at sea.

>>89872079
Ancient mermaids go to great lengths to continue their existence. After the fall of the Merfolk Empire, they reneged Uun and its worship, and now pray to a variety of sea deities. However, they consider continuing to exist despite the hardships their ultimate vindication against their former god. Thus, ancient mermaids put a lot of stock in marriage and child rearing. Ancient mermaids live around 120 years, and they reach adulthood at around 25. Ancient mermaids have live births, and their gestation lasts for about a year. Once the youngling is born, a female mermaid cannot have other children for at least five years, as having one sooner could cause important damages to her innards, not to mention it being dangerous for the fetus. Ancient mermaids practice arranged marriages, with families planning for the weddings from the moment the kids are born. Ancient mermaids live off underwater agriculture, planting swathes of oysters in areas of the seabed. They also breed certain mollusks and fish, though this is considerably more difficult, as it needs very complex systems to be successful. Most surface dwellers have described ancient mermaids as “beautiful, but depressed, as lamenting their long lost days”. They live in shores near human populations, as trade with them is now essential, especially when the waters are not particularly apt for oyster farming. These towns are small, of only about 300-500 individuals each. The biggest mermaid population still standing is the underwater city of Alka, near the waters of the Kingdom of Tarot.

>>89872084
>their long lost days
their long lost glory days.

Also, should I consider seafolk as a different kind of beastfolk? Or should they be their own category?

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>>89869685
>Crowhags
Crowhags are lesser but aggressive humanoid witches with bird-like features found in the wheatfields.
They are horrifying, almost human, a terrible conjoining of woman and crow fused together.
Nothing more than a husk of humanity surrendered in exchange for possession of the powers of dark magic.
In melee combat, they are a force to be reckoned with, employing a claw attack, that can potentially infect enemies with ergotism.
In exchange for their sacrificed humanity, crowhags gain enhanced magical powers that trump those of most other lesser witches and warlocks. In addition to a resistance to weaker spells, crowhags can cast powerful curses on enemies and healing spells on themselves when damaged or fleeing. Few creatures match the depravity and repulsiveness of the Crowhags. They will take through savagery what they cannot win through guile.The crowness of Crowhags varies between individuals, but it is said that the more pronounced the crow half, the more animalistic and violent the Crowhag is, while those that appear more human are said to be more cunning and have stronger magical powers. Wrona is considered the mother of all crowhags.

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>>89872191
Crowhags can transform into ravens or crows to fly through the night and perch on isolated bare trees high above the wheatfields from which they hang gibbets which they steal from the wheatfolk. They then lock people into these gibbets, preferably children, who they fatten up in the dizzy heights until they are fat, round and ready to be eaten. In addition, they steal jewelry and objects with shiny surfaces that they collect in secret hiding places.

>>89869132
>>89869197
>>89869322
>>89869685
>>89869766
Is this all for the sea of wheat?

>>89869545
>>89872191
>>89872235
Are these another sentient species?

>>89872663
yes and yes

>>89872191
>>89872235
So I'm assuming these are avian beastfolk? Or are they just humans corrupted by magic? Are they born as crowhags or do they become so after dark magic? If so, they cannot be added to the sentient species list.

>>89869545
I imagine this is just another centaur-like creature. I'll see if I can write something for them. Anything else in particular I should take into account before starting?

>>89872703
>So I'm assuming these are avian beastfolk?
yeah I guess so even if they probably have been made from humans or human parts at some point in the past

>Mannshahn
Mannshahn are one of the many species of beastfolk living in Giantstep. Mannshahn are a humanoid species, with the upper half of a human and a lower half of a chicken, measuring around 1.40 meters of height. They are a very sexually dimorphic species, with the females being much less muscular and not surpassing the 1.30 meters of height. Male mannshahn also develop massive spurs, which they can use to defend themselves. Males develop a red cockscomb at the top of their head, which becomes bright red during moments of stress. Their plumage covers most of their lower half, but they also have spots of feathers in their humanoid half, usually as head hair. Mannshahn do not, in fact, have hair as we know it, developing a type of plumage that simulates it. Mannshahn rarely ever go bald, displaying great feathery manes of many colors.

>>89873433
Mannshahn tend to live in isolated groups, moving nomadically across areas alongside the southern coast of Grënndell’s Sea, near the wheatfields far from the shore. Their numbers are unknown, but they are considered a rare sight indeed. They live from what nature produces, with the wild wheat fields generating enough grain to sustain their low numbers. The exact reasons of why they are such a reduced species are hard to pinpoint, and the mannshahn themselves do not like to talk about it. Many believe their numbers are actually higher than what we know, as their nomadic lifestyle makes them hard to tally. Rumors also talk about them being the result of Piskleta, one of the deities worshiped in the Sea of Wheat. The legend tells that some mortal wanted to know what came first, the chicken or the egg, so she decided to show him the truth. However, when Piskleta actually revealed the truth, the mortal was distracted by a passing fly and was not paying attention, missing the answer for the riddle. In response, Piskleta punished him and his family into turning into a bird, so he could find the answer for himself.

>>89873445
Mannshahn live a life of warriors, having many rituals dedicated to the arts of ceremonial warfare. The males are trained for warfare from the moment they can walk on their own, and never stop training for the remainder of their lives. They will use a type of short halberd made out of wood and stone, and will fight each other for any reason. These fights are usually preceded by ceremonies and dances designed to praise the spirits and nature. The clashes see the two combatants fight stark naked against each other, using all elements to their disposal, from their halberds to spurs to grappling. Females are not allowed to fight, instead they are married very early on in their lives with the male mannshahn, expecting to serve him in any way they want. Each male mannshahn has a harem of female mannshahn, and the better at fighting they are, the more wives they can have.

>Lampreyfolk
Lampreyfolk are one of the many beastfolk species living in Giantstep. Lampreyfolk are horrific and unsightly creatures, living in the depths of some of the most dangerous swamps deep within the marshes of the Bog Witch. Lampreyfolk are humanoid creatures, with a massive, elongated head. They are seemingly blind, they do not have any eyes in the outside of their head. At first glance, one would assume lampreyfolk have no face, as their head is near exclusively occupied by a massive mouth, filled to the brim with teeth. However, their actual face is deep within the rows and rows of teeth. They rarely show their true faces to outsiders, but those who have seen them and survived tell that they look like rotting skulls, with eyes the color of burning coals. Their body is covered by pulsating tentacles, and lampreyfolk can use some of the strongest to grab their prey. They have a slimy, brownish skin, covered in an adhesive substance that makes quickly freeing themselves from their grab impossible.

>>89874515
Lampreyfolk are cruel creatures, enjoying to play with their prey before eating it alive. Their method of hunting consists in sinking into the mud and muck of the swamp, locating anything that might be worth the kill and wait until they can slowly move their tentacles towards them. Once the tentacles grab the victim, they will slowly move out of the depths and grab the prey with their arms, immobilizing them while neutralizing any possible means of defense they have. After that, they will slowly open their mouths, letting the prey look upon their cadaveric face before crushing it, making the victim mincemeat with their rotating teeth while the face drinks the blood and chews on the meat.

>>89874525
Lampreyfolk follow dark customs, praying to the evil gods of the swamps. They are known to celebrate ritualistic sacrifices and torture. When not eating, they bring their prisoners to their hidden villages, where the matriarch organizes the appropriate sacrifices. Lampreyfolk are a matriarchal society, as the females are much bigger than the males, with almost twice the height (2 meters of height of the females compared to the 1.2 meters of the males). As an initiation ritual, every hunter who has reached adulthood must drink the blood of one of the males, which she personally killed, sacrificed and disemboweled with a special ceremonial knife. In addition to their circular and razor-sharp rows of teeth, they use long, rusty bidents and nets made of algae ropes for hunting.

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Quick photoshop of the lampreyfolk.

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>>89873433
>>89873445
>>89873455
Nice i dig it. I think the halberds should be made from iron though. I don't see how stone halberds would work.

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>>89869132
>Sowa
Sowa is Gruzja's youngest daughter and a mysterious mute figure. She has the head of a barn owl and is able to hover above ground and water. She moves completely silently and feeds on small mammals such as rats, mice and martens.
Her call is said to lead to the death of anyone who hears it, which would explain why no one has heard it to report how it sounds. She is highly intelligent and considered one of the most powerful witches, even if she rarely uses her powers. Her abilities are said to lie above all in the fields of prophecy, wisdom and strategy.
Like many higher witches she is revered as a qasi religious figure by some. There is a small cult in the fields that pays homage to her and whose followers take a vow of silence. The ritual burning of owl feathers in a small house altar dedicated to Sowa is said to bring magical powers and enlightenment. She is said to have created the hexfiends and the witchowls.

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>>89874754
>Witchowls
Witchowls are small fey creatures created by Sowa with the body of a barn owl and a humanoid face with large black eyes. They have the ability to look into the soul and into the thoughts of people. Witchowls are essentially harmless but have a reputation for bringing bad luck, as their cry is said to indicate someone just died. Witchowls are relatively rare and often mistaken for common owls. Their feathers are coveted ritual items and potion ingredients. They are preferably found in barns or in some of the smaller woods in the Wheatfields.
Sowa is said to be able to see through the eyes of every single witchowl at once.

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List of the sentient species. We're going pretty well.

>>89875898
A couple of doubts I have to complete the remainder of the species:

>Amimalkin
So are they humans with the power of turning into animals? Animals that become humans? animorphs ?

>Wolbede
Are these things fey? The one image I found of them makes them look like a caterpillar, but are described as fey.

>Goatmen/Chorts
Are these two creatures the same being?

>Deertaur
Where are they from? I cannot find them in the wiki. Have they ever been mentioned at all?

>Babbooki
Same. Can't find them anywhere.

>Woggies
They are described as "barely sentient", so they must have a very low intelligence. How can them work as spies without being detected then?

>Tieflings
I'd prefer if the Azan anon wrote about them, as he clearly had an idea about what their role is in azanese society.

>Balachko
They are both described as fey and as "distant cousins from the ettin", but the ettin aren't fey, they are semi-giants or giant-spawned.

>>89877338
>Animalkin
The longest explanation of them is on the Windwillow page, they are clearly very magical since they can change shapes, but doesn't say whether they were created from humanoids, animals, or always had the ability to change between the two. I think they can only change between two shapes, one humanoid, and one animal. Since their humanoid shape sometimes resembles elves, goblins, etc., if they were created from humanoids, it wasn't just humans

>Wolbede
If insectoid fairies can be fey, why not giant caterpillars?

>Goatmen/Chorts
They are probably pretty similar, though chorts are indigenous to Zemyland, while each pocket of goatmen elsewhere likely descends from a different Faerie Lord

>Deertaur
I think there is just one image of them posted in one of the fey lore dumps

>Babbooki
Seem to be a type of hogman / man beast, they briefly appear in some Badgassi lore that maybe didn't go on the wiki. I am guessing they have a baboon-like appearance

>Woggies
Maybe sentries is a better word, basically they spot things of interest in the swamp, and report it back to whoever they serve. They are small enough not to be noticed easily, particularly in the bog-witch swamps

>Tieflings
There is more than one Azan-anon, but I probably wrote the most about them, I will add it to my to-do list

>Balachko
"Fey" was originally more of a cultural grouping, and only later assigned certain traits by some anons. Balachko tend to work for/with other races considered to be fey

>>89877711
>Animalkin
Fair enough. Making anatomical descriptions of them is going to be pretty pointless anyway, as each one is a different animal.

>Wolbede
Seems reasonable, though if they are caterpillars I was thinking they might become butterflies at some point, not just stay as caterpillars.

>Goatmen/Chorts
Can't we just put them together? They are nearly identical anyway.

>Deertaur
Is just an image of them enough to justify them being in the setting? Do they have any developed lore anywhere in the archives?

>Babbooki
I thought as much. I'll check later to see if I can find them.

>Woggies
I like it. Small enough to be naturally stealthy, and then the memory blood idea from last thread. It could work.

>Tieflings
Thanks.

>Balachko
Maybe we could be the typical "giant friendly with nature" archetype? With plants growing on their skin and animals nesting on them, and so forth? It could fit both as fey and as giant-spawn then.

>>89877861
>I was thinking they might become butterflies
Maybe for mating purposes, but they are rare, high social status, and long-lived, so they probably aren't in butterfly form for long, and they don't produce many offspring. Alternately, Adonis created them directly from key followers, and they have no natural way to reproduce

>Goatmen/Chorts Can't we just put them together?
sure

>Deertaur
>Is just an image of them enough to justify them being in the setting?
Indifferent
>Do they have any developed lore anywhere in the archives?
probably not

>Maybe we could be the typical "giant friendly with nature" archetype?
maybe for some, but most of them are jerks who hang out with hags and chorts and such

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1/4
>Mandrill Bluff
Mandrill Bluff, also known as Baboon Hill, is a trading settlement in the westmost Mona Ki Ngi Xica savannah, north of the Victory River. Its name is derived from the steep, rocky hill upon which it is located, originally (and still) inhabited by hordes of large feral mandrills. The settlement serves as a foothold to the savannah for the pirates and mercenaries of Ortuga, as well as a busy trading hub for bandit slavers, fur-traders and herbalists of the northern lands. Peace is kept within the outpost largely by the fierce reputation of the ruling sheriff and his militia. Any major quarrels are settled by duel outside the settlement, losers remains are fed to the mandrills. The Bluff host a variety of events such as big game trophy exhibitions, arms fairs, and pit fighting tournaments, the most infamous of which is the “Bone Dust Rowdy Roundabout”.

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>>89878838
2/4
The Bone Dust, for short, is a mounted race in which participant jockeys ride bareback around the bluff for thirty-three laps as spectators cheer from atop the settlement walls. Anyone may enter the race. Combat between jockeys is common and expected. Mounts may not finish without a rider. No outside inteference is allowed. No other rules apply. The contest is hosted annually and attract large a number of spectators and wagers. Many bandit warlords are known to sponsor jockeys with weapons and exotic mounts, hoping to make back their money back many times over through betting and influence. The winner is crowned with a mandrill skull, and gain a percentage of the amount wagered on them. Celebrations last for many days. Remains are left to feed the mandrills.

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>>89878849
3/4
Laws of the bluff is stipulated in the Book of Baboons. It is an ancient document, and laregely unreadable, which leaves a great deal to be intepreted by the ruling sheriff. The election of sheriff is a difficult process by virtue of the outpost board members consisting of representatives of various mercenary factions (primarily the Blind Bastards), bandits and pirate lords. The board is made up of thirteen seats of which two are permanently reserved for the current sheriff and the Bone Dust champion. The remaining eleven seats are held for life. Anyone can make a nomination for the position of sheriff or an open seat, but only board members may vote. Bribery between board members is commonplace.

>>89878859
4/4
The interior of the settlement has no apparent structure and is occupied by a haphazard bunch of tanneries, smithies, taverns, shops, barracks and warehouses. Many of the permanent residents live inside the settlement walls, which have been carved out of the rock of the hill itself. The bluff’s main population consist of humans, with the other two large demographics being goblins and desert ogres, mainly occupied as bouncers, bodyguard and by the local militia. The settlement have a complicated relationship with the Mona Ki Ngi Xica tribes whom they sometimes employ as an external defence against badgassi raiders. Surroudings adjacent the bluff are occupied year-round by tents of visiting parties with the one exception being the day of the Bone Dust.

>>89878838
>>89878849
>>89878859
>>89878871
Open to discussion on this. I'd be happy to take advice on how to incorporate it further within the current lore. I will also elaborate on some of the history and culture of the settlement.
Lmk.

>Mirelow
Mirelow are one of the many beasfolk species living in Giantstep. Mirelow are a fully aquatic race, with the upper totso of a human and the lower half of a moray eel. They are massive, about 3 meters of length from head to tail, though most of that length is taken by their lower half. Their scaleless skin is coated with a type of mucus that protects them from perforation and abrasion, and makes them very hard to grab. This allows mirelows to hunt in areas filled with sharp obstacles, fitting right through crevices and holes within the murky waters of the swamps. They are able to swim at a very fast pace across the muck and the mud, usually jumping from the water to slam against whatever creature they are hunting at great speed. If they fail to concuss their prey or impale it with lances and hatches, they will use their thin but surprisingly powerful arms to choke it, keeping the prey’s head below the water until it drowns. Mirelow have a cadaveric look, with their bright yellow eyes shining on their emaciated features.

I think the beastfolk page needs much more images.

>>89879001
Mirelow are often seen with other aquatic sentient species of the swamps, such as gryplows or mirewenches. While they are very aggressive hunters, their sheer size and strength means there are very few creatures that can threaten it without risking serious harm, and thus they maintain a confident attitude. However, mirelow tend to avoid forming groups with other mirelow, as the resources of the swamp might not be enough to maintain multiple of these creatures at once. When two mirelow find each other, they often try to scare each other away to defend their hunting grounds, and if this doesn’t happen, this devolves into a fight to the death. As mirelow are very resistant to abrasion and perforation, they fight each other using blunt weapons, bludgeoning each other until one of them either runs away or dies. In the case that a male and a female find each other, there is the option of forming a temporary truce in exchange of reproduction. Mirelow do not see procreation as something morally charged, seeing it as just a thing that needs to be done. Once the mirelow have spent enough time together, the outsider leaves to keep searching for hunting waters of their own, carrying the child with them.

>>89878838
>Mandrill Bluff, also known as Baboon Hill, is a trading settlement in the westmost Mona Ki Ngi Xica savannah, north of the Victory River.
Ortugan lore says they tend to keep their distance from the mona ki ngi xica people, and this is mutual. Pretty sure this means the mona ki ngi xica do not approach the coast that much, so it would make sense for the settlement to be near the coast.

>>89878859
>Laws of the bluff
If the settlement is ruled by ortugan pirates, then the law they follow is the “Pirate’s Law”. Which are non-written rules. I don't think pirates and outlaws would care that much about written law.

>>89878871
How big is this?

File: Mandrill_Bluff_Location.png (1.99 MB, 1724x964)

1.99 MB PNG

>>89879135
>so it would make sense for the settlement to be near the coast.
I was thinking somewhere around here (pic rel).

>I don't think pirates and outlaws would care that much about written law.
As it is a trading hub between many faction (with some distinct culture) I think it would make sense there are some local costumes. I made it inherently vague (" It is an ancient document, and laregely unreadable, which leaves a great deal to be intepreted by the ruling sheriff") as to make it sort of an interesting power-struggle between the factions involved. Do you think I should scrap this part altogether? Should I elaborate on how the interwover ortuga culture relates to the one of the Bluff?

>How big is this?
Up for debate, I was thinking a few hundred (100-400) permanent resident.
What do you think would be a reasonable amount for such a settlement?

>>89879252
A town of outlaws cares little for written law, so it would make sense to keep a version of the "pirate's law". The pirate's law works as something all pirates agree on, and the rules themselves are relatively few and centered around keeping fights outside of Ortuga and defending the island when attacked, but there is no central authority to make others obey the law, it's an organic thing. Also, if they are all outlaws, why is there a sheriff?

>I was thinking a few hundred (100-400) permanent resident.
This sounds reasonable.

>>89879372
>Also, if they are all outlaws, why is there a sheriff?
My reasoning was that any trading hub commonly visited by a variety of factions with vastly different goals and desires is inherently prone to becoming an open battleground. The sheriff is there to command the militia and make sure any major quarrels are settled away from the settlement itself, as to keep trading smooth and relatively safe between parties who may otherwise have been in conflict. It is mutually beneficial for them to have this third party. He also acts as the judge of the Bone Dust race and have some administrative duties regarding events, wagering and employment of the militia.
For short; he keeps the peace.
Also, I just think it’s cool.

File: A Werewolf.jpg (48 KB, 640x911)

48 KB JPG

>Werewolves (and other lycanthropes)

Anatomy Description: Various species that can change into an animal form and a hybrid form. Similar to animalkin in some ways, but usually the result of curses and dark magic. For unknown reasons, werewolves are by far the most common. Some believe that most, if not all werewolves are in some way linked to a little known wolf god known as Grumm, who may be a demon lord or a faerie lord. Werewolves can be created in several different ways include magic rituals of varying scale, genetics, bites from other werewolves, and odd curses, like the one that created the wolvesglove plant. Most werewolves become dangerously violent once transformed. Triggers for transformation include full moons, strong emotions, or geas planted upon them by powerful individuals. The alu of Gilgemash and a few other southern nations are likely related, but more obviously demonic in nature.

Society Description: Varies. Many werewolves are wandering outcasts who feel abandoned by society and have embraced their feral impulses. However, in some parts of the world, werewolves have been brought under the control of faerie lords and other powerful fey (some of whom are also werewolves). There is also of course Ketlovia and Setlovia, where the werewolves have an unusually high degree of control over their hybrid and wolf form, allowing them to run a fairly advanced civilization.

Geographical Extent: Level 4. Werewolves and dominant in Ketlovia and Setlovia, and also prominent in Crimson. Pockets of werewolves and other lycanthropes can be found in many parts of the world.

>>89882773
I don't think I agree with this. Lycanthrophy has been described before as a disease. >>89850532 That's why the ketlovian werewolves' situation and the animalkins' cases are weird. They can control their transformation to an extent, where as regular lycanthropes cannot.

>>89882963
werewolves being created by wolvesglove plant and werewolf bites has been previously established, if it is a disease it is clearly a very magical one that is indistinguishable from magic curses

the fact that werewolves in Ketlovia and Setlovia have an unusually high degree of control over their ability to transform was noted

>>89883156
I imagine lycanthropy could have multiple sources. Wolvesglove could be the source of the first lycanthrope, and him attacking other creatures could transmit it further.

Maybe the original werewolf can turn into a full wolf, and the more the disease transmits from host to host, the transformation becomes more uneven and incomplete, with mismatched-looking humanoids showing signs of rot and mange.

Still, this should count as a disease/curse, not as a sentient species in and of itself.

>if it is a disease it is clearly a very magical one that is indistinguishable from magic curses
Sure. Just like vampirism.

>Woggies
Woggies are one of the many beastfolk species living in Giantstep. Woggies are one of the least intelligent creatures capable of sentience, to the point many consider them barely animals. They are small, around 20cm of height, with physiognomy very similar to that of a toad. They are hunched, with elongated hands and legs, with a mucous grey skin through which they can breathe. Their minuscule head is mostly occupied by their eyes, massive in comparison, and they always have a blank stare, barely reacting to anything. They have a great eyesight, but their hearing is not that good. Their reflexes are terrible, and due to their low intelligence, they are very slow to protect themselves from danger. The only reason that they have survived for this long is their naturally stealth and that they are protected by higher powers.

>>89883552
Woggies have a natural ability that makes them incredibly useful for all the powers in the swamp. Their blood is somehow able to store the memories of what they see and hear, and those who drink their blood will be able to see the woggies’ memories. This makes woggies extraordinarily useful tools for espionage, as their small size and inability to betray their master (for their simple reason they are too dumb to know how to do so) means they can hide in a pool of mud and just wait and see whatever happens in an area. This has its limitations, though. Woggies’ lack of intelligence means they will not know what to do if intercepted, as they simply cannot understand danger. They are also unable to serve as anything more than eyes for their masters, and things such as stealing or sabotaging are excessively complex for them. They also have problems reaching their destination, often needing to be brought there personally by other agents. And if a woggie gets intercepted, there is little stopping their targets to just drinking its blood themselves to figure out who is spying on them.

>>89883557
Woggies reproduce asexually, with one out of every couple of hundred woggies becoming a “hag woggie”. These hag woggies grow up to 1.5m, losing the ability to move around as their arms and legs stop growing. They then develop reproductive organs all throughout their body, spewing woggie eggs on the clock. This is needed, as their rate of death is incredibly high, and otherwise they would go extinct in a couple of years. The powers of the swamp keep these hag woggies well protected and fed, farming woggies as scouts and spies for their nefarious purposes.

>Ekhidnas
Ekhidnas are one of the many species of beastfolk living in Giantstep. They are aquatic humanoid creatures, with the lower body of a sea serpent and the upper body of a human. They are around 2m of length, with most of it concentrated on their serpentine half. They have a very distinct sexual dimorphism, with females not only being bigger and stronger than males, but also having a pair of wings. These wings are similar in shape and structure to those of a bat, but with scales instead of skin. Ekhidna females use them to entrance those who look at them, as they can change hues and colors into hypnotic patterns, expanding their wings to their fullest span and dancing in alluring ways. Through this, they can convince onlookers they are gorgeous women, even though their true form is hideous. Despite having wings, however, female ekhidnas cannot fly, something that angers them to no end.

>>89883914
Ekhidnas practice many kinds of rituals, often trying to capture the attention of passing sailors, merchants and fishermen, enchanting them into falling for their charms and then using them as fuel for the rites. Most ekhidnas have innate magical abilities, and they fuel these magic skills through their sacrifices. The most ancient of the ekhidnas, Kahunoa, has been posing as a god for centuries as a way to obtain power and extend her life. Her cult is the most successful of all the ekhindnas’, and her followers are granted a superlative skill to turn into the idealized beauties, irresistible to those who see them.

>Squidfolk
Squidfolk are one of the many beastfolk species living in Giantstep. Squidfolk are the result of the Curse of Uun, as the betrayal of the god of the Merfolk Empire turned part of their citizens into horrible monster. Squidfolk are said to be nobles, priest and members of the elite, forced by Uun to become unrecognizable, grotesque monsters. Not two squidfolk look completely alike, though they have gained the name “squidfolk” due to the tendency of having multiple tentacles and spewing black ink from their orifices. They have been recorded to have multiple arms, faces, heads, or legs, all covered in grime and algae. Due to their massive size, they tend to live near the shore, as their own weight hurts them, so they spend as much time underwater as possible, where they can free themselves of part of that pressure. However, they cannot breathe underwater, and they have to go back to the surface to both feed and breathe.

>>89884292
Those who have seen squidfolk have described them as “constantly suffering”, acting insane and crying out of pain, rage, madness and regret. They are also seen doing something most interpret as crying when they feed or when they mate with each other, as if the process itself not only was painful but as if it was against their will, being no longer in control of their own bodies. They also attack all nearby witnesses, something incredibly dangerous as most of them are not only immortal, but near indestructible. They have been seemingly cursed with a resurrective immortality, meaning that once they are destroyed (and they have to be destroyed for them to “die”, as anything less they will just heal), they will reappear somewhere else, in a process particularly painful and horrifying. However, we know that squidfolk do indeed mate and reproduce, with their spawn being as cursed as their forbearers. This makes some people believe that the number of squidfolk is always the same, and when a squidfolk is born, another one stops being resurrected. This theory also suggests that squidfolk newborn are not new individuals, but in fact, the same squidfolk reincarnated over and over in a never-ending process.

more like /tg/ makes a seething

Ok, so there's a lot of stuff to add for the sea of wheat. I'm going to try adding it to the wiki, please tell me I haven't missed stuff.

The babbooki are in thread 48.

"Other creatures the Badgassi tell stories of are the Babbooki, large, fanged, arboreal simians that the Badgassi describe as "Thinking but stupid". They otherwise hold the Babbooki in high regards, as jovial and willing to barter meat tools or other supplies for the sweet fruits they cultivate from the stands of trees they claim as homes."

>Babbooki
Babbooki are one of the many species of beastfolk living in Giantstep. Babbooki are simian creatures, measuring around 75cm from head to feet, with a tail almost as long as their entire body. Their elongated snouts are filled to the brim with canine teeth, and its fur shows very deep and colorful shades. Around their necks, the male babbooki have great manes, which protects them from attacks to their head and their neck, but fill with water when raining, making them slow. Female babbooki are considerably smaller, measuring around 55cm at most, and having a marble white fur, in comparison to the males’ dark grey. Babbooki are an arboreal species, living in the small patches of tropical jungle at the edges of the savannah. While not particularly intelligent, babbooki have managed to create complex societies, moving from tree to tree gathering the fruit the jungle produces, as well as anything else hidden in the branches, such as bird eggs or the birds themselves, lizards, insects…

>>89885671
Babbooki have developed a strange kind of agriculture, caring for the fruit trees of the jungle while living in them. They keep them clean of parasites, cut the sick and diseased branches and make sure the greenery is as healthy as it can be, and in return, the trees generate fruit all year long. This allows them a life of considerable leisure, and while there is a lot of work, it never is so grueling babbooki do not have time to relax. They have become fond of playing music with percussion instruments, such as drums, cymbals, maracas or wood xylophones. However, since they need the trees to feed themselves, they usually get the wood from other areas, trading with travelling merchants in exchange for the local fruit.

With this, I think the only beastfolk left are tieflings and deerfolk. I'll move on to the giant-spawned.

>>89883156
>>89882963
>>89882773
How many types of werecreatures do we have? If they come from eating a plant like >>89883156 said, does that mean there are other kinds of wereplants?

>>89886338
>does that mean there are other kinds of wereplants?
I wasn't the one that came up with the wolvesglove

>How many types of werecreatures do we have?
it is probably better just to keep it ambiguous, lycanthropes come from several different magic curses, and magic users probably craft new variants from time to time

>>89886416
Hmmm, I'm going to write something for it, let's see how it works.

>Therianthropy
Therianthropy is a physical condition suffered by some sentient species consisting in their involuntary transformation into a series of other creatures for a limited period of time. During this change, the afflicted loses control of their body, being replaced by wild instinct, though the degree of loss of control varies depending on the case. The causes for this affliction are varied, as there are multiple ways to be cursed by it. The presence of therianthropes is a great concerned for local populations, as someone under the effects of therianthropy becomes lost in savage instincts, which can be very dangerous for anyone nearby, both due to the potential damages and the risk of contagion.

>>89887351
>Origins of therianthropy
Since antiquity, there have been plenty of reports and testimonies of therianthropes, both before, during and after their transformation, and so the way this process works is well known. However, trying to figure out the actual causes of therianthropy has been something much less clear. It would take many years of analysis, hunts and study to actually discover that what was thought to be a singular disease is, in fact, multiple conditions with different origins, all of them creating the seemingly identical results.

>>89887358
The first identified source of therianthropy is the consumption of wolvesglove. Wolvesglove is a type of carnivorous plant, with bell-shaped flowers in black, gray or eggshell white. It has large, veiny leaves and contains a strong toxin used for medicine. Its flowers, when treated correctly, have benefits for those with weak hearts, strengthening them and giving them stamina (though it can lethal when consumed in excessive quantities). The discovery of its healing properties led to many populations to try to cultivate it in great quantities, but it is seemingly not capable of growing in big areas, limiting itself to a couple of individuals spread out every few miles. However, those populations who began using this plant frequently noted an increase in werewolf attacks. After this pattern was identified, local wizards and sages began analyzing the plant much more closely. Indeed, it was discovered that the consumption of the Wolvesglove, when harvested during a full moon, has a big chance of causing therianthropy of the wolf variety. This discovery spread like wildfire throughout the civilized world, and led to the systematic destruction of the plant everywhere, and now it can only be reliably found and harvested in the deepest parts of the Dominion of the Bog Witch. The discovery of the Wolvesglove’s effects led to the investigation of other similar plants, which indeed caused other types of therianthropy, though due to their rarity in comparison, they did not need a massive campaign of destruction and cleaning as with Wolvesglove.

>>89887366
However, eating the plant is not the only way to contract therianthropy. Any flesh wound caused by a therianthrope, especially if it is infected by their saliva or blood, has a percentage of contracting the disease itself. However, therianthropes who have acquired the curse though attack are fundamentally different. Many experts believe that the disease cannot take over the host with the same strength as the original host. Instead, their transformations are incomplete, looking more like humanoid animals rather than the original creature in question, and thus being physically weaker, plus not having the same senses as the original animal. Ironically enough, this causes these victims to be much more violent and dangerous than the original therianthropes. It is believed that, since the disease has a much harder time taking over the body, the struggle between the host body and the disease cause much more pain and anguish to the victim, making it harder for them to control themselves when transformed, as they are unable to cope with the tremendous pain of the transformation. These therianthropes are themselves capable of spreading the infection, with each generation being weaker and weaker. At around the fourth or fifth generation, the disease is so weak that the creatures can barely move when transformed, and their attacks cannot spread the infection no matter how grave the wounds they cause are.

>>89887376
Other sources of therianthropy are magical. There have been many reported cases of witches, hags and other dark wizards casting curses upon people, which will gain the same effect of causing therianthropy on their victim. However, these cases are fundamentally different from natural therianthrophy in that the effects are limited to the casters’ powers and intentions. Sometimes the wizard in question will limit the effects and the duration of the curse, and seeing as it is a malediction towards an individual or a group, the spread of the condition is much more restricted, often being limited to the initial victim. The most famous case of this is the “curse of the dancehall” upon the ketlovian people, though the nature of this curse seems exceptional in all regards.

>>89887387
Another form for therianthropy is divine punishment. However, this is beyond rare, and the transformation is usually permanent, so some argue whether it is truly therianthropy or not. The best known cases of therianthropy are seen in some of the victims of the “Curse of Uun” in what was once the Merfolk Empire. Nearly all who lived in the old empire were corrupted and transformed for the amusement of their once protecting god. Some of those can be considered therianthropy, while others were twisted in such deep and horrific ways that they go well beyond the limits of what can be truly considered therianthropy and not divine torture.

>>89887403
>Description and Behavior of the therianthropes
While the origins of the ailment are very diverse, the way therianthropes develop their condition is very similar. After the initial contact with the curse, it can take between weeks and years to experience their first metamorphosis. Meanwhile, the symptoms begin showing themselves, with the individual slowly showing a wilder behavior, losing their temper easily and relying more on animalistic instinct than in reason for their daily activities. There can also be physical changes to the victim, like enhanced physical strength or developed senses according to the creature in question. This point is essential, as someone knowledgeable enough in the matters would be capable of noticing the symptoms and prepare a healing antidote. There are many plants and magical remedies to prevent therianthropy, and if applied during this stage, the chances of being cured completely are very high.

>>89887414
After a while, the victim begins losing control of their own body, with certain spikes of memory loss being common. After a while, the body will lose the battle against the disease, generally coinciding with a specific moment related to the curse’s origin (for example, a full moon for lycanthropy caused by wolvesglove). Then the transformation will take place, as the mind of the afflicted is quickly lost to the beast. The duration of this first transformation is short, limited to around an hour at most, as the body is still capable of fighting back against the change. However, once this stage is reached, the chances for a cure are very slim, as the disease will take root on the victim, making it harder and harder for a full cure, eventually becoming so ingrained that is impossible to heal. After the first transformation, the symptoms the afflicted had when in its original form disappear, as now these traits only appear when fully transformed. The more a therianthrope changes, the longer they will be able to keep their new form, though often reaching a limit of 12 hours at most, other variables aside.

>Effects of therianthropy in different species
Therianthrophy’s effects are not universal. The process of transformation takes a great toll on the body, and the different species of Giantstep react differently to it. Humans, elves, orcs and dwarves are seemingly universal carriers, having no natural immunity to therianthropy. The transformation also takes some of the characteristics of the original host. For example, a dwarven therianthrope will not be as big as a human therianthrope, but it will be stronger. Other creatures also suffer the condition in different ways. Centaur-like creatures are very vulnerable to therianthrophy, as the disease cannot fully convert the dual nature of their bodies, often killing them after the first transformation due to exhaustion. Goblins also tend to be very weak against the disease, but those who survive use it to become the leaders of the tribe, as no one is going to dare challenging them once fully transformed. The only species known that has been proven to be fully immune to the effects of therianthropy are the snoloths. For whatever reason, eating wolvesglove or any other similar plants sees no effects upon the snoloths. Either due to the strange biology of the snoloths, their innate regenerative abilities overpowering the curse or some other unknown reason, snoloths simply cannot become therianthropes by consumption or infection. There are no registered cases of snoloth therianthropes due to magical or divine curse, so whether they are truly immune or not to the condition remains unknown.

I'll continue with the werewolf stuff later. If anyone has any more points I can develop for this, please tell me.

Also, I'll try to do the same with vampires when I get the chance.

>>89887653
You could talk more about the potential cures that have been tried (ketlovians are probably immune to the cures due to magical shenanigans)

>Known Treatments for Therianthropy
Therianthropy has been a known malady for many millennia now. Many doctors, alchemists and wizards have tried to come up with ways to heal the afflicted, and have developed a handful of ways to combat it. Universally, all agree that the best moment to treat the victim is before their first transformation, as the condition has not taken root in the body yet. Treatments with silver solutions, wolfsbane, mistletoes and other kinds of plants, applied in small but constant sessions are often the first of the treatment, weakening the disease for particular potions and alchemical concoctions to actually try to eliminate the disease. In most cases, these treatments are very effective, though the effectiveness will depend on many factors, such as the victim’s strength, the healer’s talents, the quality of the materials, and so forth. After the first transformation, however, these kinds of remedies lose much of their potency. They still can be used to mitigate the symptoms and weaken the beast, but not to heal the victim. Once reached this point, harsher and more direct ways need to be attempted, and even then, they rarely end up in a complete healing. Creating firebrands on the victim’s skin using burning silver is very frequent treatment at this stage, though it is usually brutal enough to kill the patient outright, as it needs to be done alongside drinking a series of poisons that weaken the disease and the body itself. If the patient has not become healed before the second transformation, most experts agree treatment is pointless at this point, as the disease has taken root within the body. At this point, expensive sedative treatments need to be used to keep the beast asleep during transformation, something difficult, as the beast’s metabolism will adapt to this measures.

>>89894061
Being chained and trapped in a cage during transformation is also a way to avoid further destruction, though at this point most victims ask for the mercy of a quick death, as the fear of them escaping will make their friends and family most likely hate or fear them, leaving them alone with the monster.

>>89894070
Healing therianthropy caused by magical curses or divine punishment is much more difficult to heal. While magically-caused therianthropy has a relative straightforward solution, kill the caster, an powerful dark wizard or witch will know how to curse someone even beyond their own death. Thus, there are rituals to try to break the spell, though if the one who caused the malediction dies and the curse still stands unchanged, the complexity of the spells needed and the toll they take upon the body are such that they rarely recover. As for divine punishment, penitence and forgiveness seems to be the best way to try to purge the condition from the system. Seeking the protection of another god has been tried, but it is not recommended, as two divinities fighting for a person’s soul might cause a fate worse than therianthropy.

>>89874857
How many animals do we have?

File: Bestiary template V.8.png (1.09 MB, 1667x9602)

1.09 MB PNG

We have 312 unique creatures.

Giant-Spawned
Giant-spawned, also known as half-giants, semi-giants or the remnants, are a group of sentient species living in Giantstep. They are theorized to be descendants of the mythical giants that once ascended to the heavens using the Cosmic Staircase. Their common attribute is their massive size, dwarfing even trolls, and that forces them to live in isolated areas of the world, apart from the rest of civilization. Many also believe that their origins was caused by the growing impurity of the giants’ blood, which made them lose size, strength and intelligence until their heirs could not ascend the Cosmic Staircase anymore, leaving them in the step for the rest of their existence.

How much info do we have about the mythical giants of yore? I know they were one of the beings that moved up the cosmic staircase, and that there are remnants of their presence all around Giantstep (the handprint mountains, the skulls in the valley of the giants, the undead giants of mossovoy...).

Anything else? Where can I find more info? They are a really big part for the mythology of the setting, seeing as the world is literally called Giantstep.

Also, we have four species of giant-spawned:

Mokdregians (already done)
Ettin (already done)
Southern Giants (where were those from?)
Balachko (like we discussed before, probably nature loving giants, but also dicks with other sentient groups)

Anyone else?

Do the ogres have any relation to the giants? There’s no information on them in the wiki

>>89897035
I don't think so. Ogres and trolls are big, but giant-spawned are twice or thrice their size. They are clearly something else.

>Known Therianthropian Exceptions
One of the main characteristics of therianthropes is their lack of control over their bestial form. To a bigger or lesser degree, the beast takes the reins over the now changed body, leaving the original conscience either struggling to control itself as the monster rampages throughout the land, or it is left fully dormant, only awakening when the transformation is reverted. However, we have at least two cases that, while fitting the definition of theriantrhope, they have full control over their bodies and their transformation. This total level of control has made many study them for the purposes of finding treatments or even preventing the contagion in the first place. Some radical groups go a step further and see them as the future, wanting to use it as a weapon for conquest and supremacy.

>>89897265
The best known anomaly are the ketlovian werewolves. Ketlovians used to be humans until the “curse of the dancehall” was put upon all ketlovians. According to tradition, a witch cursed the ketlovian people after the monarch of the kingdom had executed his father for witchcraft. Selling her soul to curse the ketlovians, she put on them a magical case of therianthropy unique in the world, as while ketlovians are all lycanthropes, they all have full control over their change. When transformed, ketlovians show all signs of lupine lycanthropy, having a humanoid form mixed with that of a wolf (rather than a fully lupine one as in many other cases of lycanthropy), but in a much more harmonious way. They are near 2 meters of height, with the head of a wolf. Their hands have somewhat morphed into paws, though they still preserve most of their dexterity. Their feet are also a mix between human feet and lupine paw. Their senses are as acute as those of wolves, though they are completely colorblind. When in their human form, they lose their lupine skills and senses, but also lose their weaknesses, such as being more vulnerable to diseases that affect wolves, such as mange, rabies and certain internal parasites.

>>89897277
The magic used by the witch is unknown, and many efforts have been made to understand the actual intricacies of the “curse of the dancehall”, as a possible cure for lupine lycanthropy. There seems to be a form of divine or demonic punishment, but if that was the case, there are little negative side effects to their new conditions, making many wondering what exactly was the goal of the original curser, or if there is something we are still missing to this day. The limits of the ketlovian curse seem well defined, as if a ketlovian an another human have a child together, the child will invariably suffer from ketlovian therianthropy, but if that individual has a child without a pureblood ketlovian, their spawn will be a normal human, having no trace of the curse.

>>89897290
The other therianthropian anomaly are the animalkin from Windwillow. The animalkin are a strange race of fey who can transform between a humanoid form (be it elven, human or goblinoid) to an animalistic one, without truly being either. The ways this transformation works is rather unknown, as these fey tend to keep their secrets to themselves, plus the protection of the faerie lords mean they will not tell anything they do not wish to. However, the result is a full control over their transformation, even managing to reach a hybrid form if they wish to. Their animal transformation tend to be those of mammals, with rats, mice, squirrel, ferrets, shrews, otters, badgers, and foxes being the most common. However, there have been known cases of non-mammalian animalkin, the limit of it being that a non-vertebrate animalkin has never been reported, making many assume they simply cannot exist. Another limiting factor for animalkin is that the animals they can transform into are considerably small, as no animalkin has ever seen transforming into something bigger than a sheep. An interesting side effect of their power is that, if two animalkin of different animals have descendants, the newborn takes the risk of being stuck in either an animal or a humanoid form, unable to change. Another interesting fact is that animalkin can actually become afflicted by common therianthropy, becoming able to transform into a third form, while suffering the same symptoms of loss of control regular therianthropes have.

>>89869766
>Crow Swarm
Isn't a group of crows called a murder?

>>89895920
Continuing with the Giant-spawned.

>General Giant-Spawned Characteristics
The first and most obvious distinctive of giant-spawned is their massive size. Giant-spawned are by far the biggest and tallest sentient creatures in Giantstep, and as such, they tend to be rather rare. Their food intake is massive, and to keep a balance with the world around them, they tend to be solitary creatures, living either in very small groups or completely alone. Otherwise, they would end up consuming most resources of the region they live in. This also makes giant-spawned migratory species, always moving across the landscape to hunt or to find pastures for their cattle. Their massive body also gives them incredible strength, something can use liberally when hunting or fighting other groups. This also gives them a considerable resilience against poisons, toxins and diseases, and the toxicity and virulence of these elements needs to be extraordinary weaken, much less kill, a giant-spawned. It is very common for giant-spawned to have redundant organs, like a pair of hearts or two pairs of lungs.

>>89897893
Giant-spawned are also not particularly intelligent. Some argue that the flow of blood to their brains is limited due to their sheer height, and thus it has limited their intelligence, while some defend their sheer strength and resilience mean that they have little incentive to develop their minds any further. Nevertheless, they usually live in stone-age levels of technological and social development. These suits them fine, as a stone spear with a tip the size of a human head, weighting as much as a horse and thrown at high speeds is as effective as any enchanted bow or musket, getting the job more than done. Even cannons struggle to cause as much damage as a massive boulder thrown by the giant-spawned, though cannons do indeed reach further. However, due to their level of intelligence, they can be baited or taken down through traps and outmaneuvering. They can also be swarmed, as the numbers of giant-spawn are very low.

>>89892593
Ketlovian's curse is weird.

>Balachko
Balachko is one of the many giant-spawned species living in Giantstep. Balachko are massive creatures, measuring up to 8 meters of height, and being the heaviest sentient species in the world. They are so heavy their legs can barely keep them upright, and thus they are extraordinarily slow. They walk with care, though they are so heavy and their skin is so thick they can often just squash any possible obstacle in their way. They are so slow in fact, that many plants and fungi grow on top of their skin, which is seemingly adapted to offer them part of their blood as nutrients. The strange symbiosis between the plants and fungi growing on top of their head and shoulders see them looking more like hills infested by vegetation and animals than actual giants, with that detail only being noticed after they begin moving. Their skin is a blueish green, and their arms are long enough to use them to walk on all fours if they ever need to.

>>89899757
Balachko are creatures that prefer solitude. Living around in forested areas, they spend most of the time sleeping. They will slumber for weeks until they feel the need to eat, starting to slowly move towards any form of food. This can see them getting into trouble, as there are few sources of food slower than balachko, and so they often end up going to stables, grabbing as many sheep or cow as possible, filling their stomachs, and then leaving. Many areas where balachko and fey live together see the fey population making offerings to the giant-spawned, to avoid attacking nearby settlements. In non-fey areas, however, balachko are fight fiercely against, seeing as the damages they cause are severe. When not having the chance of getting food through other sentient species, they tend to go to set up some form of bait, letting the prey come to them, and once they are there, clap their hands together as fast as possible. This creates a massive soundwave that is capable of startling many creatures, making them lose their hearing and their sense of equilibrium, giving the balachko enough time to slowly grabbing and swallowing the victims whole.

Does anyone remember in which thread were the southern giants mentioned?

How is naval power in the setting?

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I'm doing another compass based on the different species. Thoughts?

I just realized orcs have no physical description.

>Orcs
Orcs are one of the many sentient species living in Giantstep. Orcs are a species similar to humans or elves, with an average height of 1.85 meters, and slightly bulkier and more muscular than humans. They have elongated and pointed ears, often pierced with pendants, bones or other decorative items. Their jaw is pronouncedly big, with the teeth of the lower jaw being shown outside of their mouth, especially the pair of big fangs. Their eyes are smaller than those of humans, and are somewhat sunken within the face. Their nose is small as if shrunk. Their skull is very dense, especially the bone in the temples and the forehead. Their skin is similar to humans, but with less bodyhair, with it mostly contained in either their head or their beard (though seeing a fully bearded orc is very rare, as they pride with showing their jawline). Their light orange skin, while strong, becomes scarred easily, something they take advantage of to create warrior patterns.

>>89903302
Orcs are omnivores, but their digestive system is much less efficient than that of humans, gaining little energy from plants and vegetables, so they prefer herding and hunting. While many orcs are proficient in the arts of agriculture, in reality most of that produce is dedicated to feed barn animals, as them eating meat is much healthier than cooking and eating the wheat and barley. This also affects them when drinking beer, since most beers are made out of wheat or barley. This makes orcs take a longer time to get drunk by drinking, which can be dangerous to their health, as they do not know they should stop even when their bodies have more alcohol they can process. As such, drunken deaths are common, and most orcs try to avoid beer in favor of alcohols created by fruits, which is less dangerous for them. Orcs have an altered sense of taste, being able to notice flavors other sentient species cannot, but they are unable to detect acid and sweet flavors.

Ok, so I think we've pretty much gone through all of the important sentient species in Giantstep. The only ones missing are:

>Fey
Wolbede
Pitchhaulers
Oaf
Dryads

>Beastfolk
Deertaur
Demon and Dragon Tiefling

>Giant-Spawned
Southern Giants

>Outsiders
Chakobsian Emissaries

>Magical Beings
I'd refrain from writing about them before the rules of magic are established

>Umuncle
The only thing we know about them is that they are " Alchemical hybrid creatures created through black magic from the mother soup." That doesn't tell much.

>Strawmen

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>>89903402
Updated the list.

>>89903423
Actually, alu, rabissu and lamassu can perfectly be sentient monsters. So I'm moving them to the monster list.

>>89902458
too small

>>89897465
Not a native speaker so that's perfectly possibly

>>89885009
What would be a good way to make a pantheon "family tree" by using the wiki software?

>>89906021
I have no idea, fandom wiki is not something I know well beyond the basics. If I had to do it, I'd do it in image form and upload it.

>>89906099
what software would you use to make it?

How could a sheet for character creation in this setting look like?

>>89906757
Powerpoint, then make a screencap.

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Some progress with the compass.

Ok, so with the sentient species pretty much done, I am going to try to think about the magical rules of the setting. Any big important details I should take into account before I start?

>>89907753
Fuck the color magic shit. It doesn't fit with the previously established lore and feels like a foreign body. Just use the desciptions provided by anons about how magic in different regions works and go from there.

>>89907780
I was thinking something along the lines of:

-The first magic was of innate origins, such as fey magic. They saw it as the blessing of nature and not as magic (many fey still do).
-Some humans imitated the fey, but with much less success.
-The Khenomeric wizards were the first to trully understand magic as a "scientific" field.
-The creation of the 4 khenomeric schools of magic are the first organization of magic fields.
-The School of Green Plant Magic was the first to appear, as it was derived from fey magic. The "Green Magic" deals with nature, life and things of the sort. Druids come from here.
-The School of Light Astromancy centered around time and astrology. It was considered much later a completely different field, tangential to magic but not exactly magic.
-The School of Black Necromancy centered around healing, but quickly evolved into undead stuff (as per the Vandervax's lore).
-The School of Gold Divimancy was the most mysterious branch of magic at the time. Exclusive to the khenomeric royal family, and eventually lost (seemingly resurrected by the Nameless gnoll emperor).
-Other branches of magic evolved more freely and without the strict rulings of official schools.
-The persecution of wizards in the Khenomeric Empire allowed the spread of magical studies throughout the world.
-There are many kinds of magics depending on the source of energy used: divine magic (from gods), life magic (from lifeforce), environmental (from the world around the wizard) and dimensional/demonic magic (from another realm of existence).
-Each with its own rules and limitations.
-Alchemy was thought to be magic at one point, but it was later separated into its own field of study.

>>89908152
-Magic is that which seeks to change the world by creating unnatural tools and use unnatural means.

As to how organize the kinds of magics depending on the source of energy used, that's probably going to be the key.

Also, which kind of magic would an undead use to keep itself alive?

>>89908152
I'd suggest this to be an antiquated view on magic kinda like how we see the four temperament theory from a modern psychological point of view.
A gross oversimplification and undercomplex approach while still being based on some stuff early people did'nt get completely wrong. Either by actually being smart or by accident. While in reality things are much more fluid and complicated of course

>>89908152
This doesn't make sense. If alchemy is a science astromancy is a science aswell.

>>89908152
This sounds like a very culturally warped view on magic especially with the royal family having the "gold" type of magic which is obviously implied to be above the other schools.
I'd expect pretty much every region and species to have a different view on magic since that would be much more probable than a monolithic understanding. Somewhat as we see it in real life with religion. Other cultural conceptions of magic would potentially deviate greatly from this view. Your passage should not become a general wiki entry but at most an extension of the khenomeric empire page

>>89908770
Yes. That's what I said.

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Halfway done.

>>89908855
>This sounds like a very culturally warped view on magic especially with the royal family having the "gold" type of magic which is obviously implied to be above the other schools.
I mean, yeah. If it was exclusive to the khenomeri royal house, why wouldn't they make it above the other magic?

>I'd expect pretty much every region and species to have a different view on magic
Sure. But as the ones who pioneered the whole field, their views of the matter are important. The more modern interpretations are with the Ancient Order of Practical Wizards.

Also, writing how EVERY culture of the setting interprets magic goes well beyond this, this is a bit of an introduction and trying to establish the rules.

>>89908924
>as the ones who pioneered the whole field
that's pretty unrealistic khenomeric propaganda.
many cultures would already have developed and come to terms with it themselves. It's not like religion is something that got invented by a single person at a certain point in time. The same would go for magic.

>>89908979
>that's pretty unrealistic khenomeric propaganda.
No, that's part of some of the oldest lore in the setting.

From thread #1:
>The Khenomeric Empire was the birthplace of magic and centered itself around 4 schools the School of Green plant magic, School of black necromancy, school of light Astromancy and school of gold divimancy. Divimancy which was tied to the Royal family.

Hell, that writedump is the basis for so much of the lore of the setting.

>>89909008
yeah we never really agreed on this in the first place. it always was pretty forced on and conflicted with most of the written lore. we always told the guy who wanted it in to wait until later with building a coherent magic system around the lore since building it too early would only restrict people. another popular argument was that everything "magic system" related on /tg/ attracts bumpfag since he's obsessed with this topic. Chances are he's the guy who wrote that shit. It honestly sounds like him. If you wanna write a "Magic System" just write one for a certain culture but don't claim universality

>>89909499
>it always was pretty forced on and conflicted with most of the written lore.
A good chunk of the entirety of the lore is based on that writedump. Everyone who has written about anything mentioned there has used it as a base.

>yeah we never really agreed on this in the first place
By that logic, absolutely nothing in the lore has been agreed in the first place

>we always told the guy who wanted it in to wait until later with building a coherent magic system
Again, thread 1. Noone told anyone to wait because we didn't know this was going to last this long.

>another popular argument was that everything "magic system" related on /tg/ attracts bumpfag since he's obsessed with this topic.
Who are you even talking about?

>>89909579
it just never really "stuck"

>>89909579
>Who are you even talking about?
No front but that's highly suspicious

>>89909655
>it just never really "stuck"
I can link you more than ten articles of the wiki that directly depend from that writedump:

https://crumbling-giantstep.fandom.com/wiki/Gnolls_and_the_Gnoll_Empire

https://crumbling-giantstep.fandom.com/wiki/The_Eternal_Holy_City_of_Tents

https://crumbling-giantstep.fandom.com/wiki/Gnoll_Mercenaries

https://crumbling-giantstep.fandom.com/wiki/Forest_of_Getting_Lost

https://crumbling-giantstep.fandom.com/wiki/The_Ogre_Kingdoms

https://crumbling-giantstep.fandom.com/wiki/Fehrum_Edzulair

https://crumbling-giantstep.fandom.com/wiki/Magoclergy

https://crumbling-giantstep.fandom.com/wiki/Okhost

https://crumbling-giantstep.fandom.com/wiki/Bhakkari_Tribelands

https://crumbling-giantstep.fandom.com/wiki/Khenomeric_Empire

https://crumbling-giantstep.fandom.com/wiki/Northern_Khenomeric_Empire

https://crumbling-giantstep.fandom.com/wiki/Historical_maps_of_Giantstep

>>89909732
We never agreed on an universal magic system anon. Everyone can edit th ewiki. I could link equally as many posts from the archive that contradict your point

>>89909779
>We never agreed on an universal magic system anon.
If this is supposed to have playable rules, it will need at least a comprehensible system with clear rules. Different cultures can still interpret this in their unique ways.

>Everyone can edit th ewiki.
Everything from the wiki has been posted in the threads first. They are archived, you can check them.

>I could link equally as many posts from the archive that contradict your point
Can you find ten articles directly contradicting the gnoll writedump?

>>89909869
>If this is supposed to have playable rules, it will need at least a comprehensible system with clear rules
Not true all players need are spells and a way to regain mana.
A "magic system" however is just going to ruin magic by explaining it.
>Can you find ten articles directly contradicting the gnoll writedump?
idk but i'm not going to bother lol

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After the lastest changes and additions, we have 68 monsters.

>>89909996
Agreed. We should think about what magical/caster classes will be playable, make up a hierarchy of spells for each of them and reverse engineer the "magic system" if you want to call it that from there.

>>89913628
Speaking of that how many individual spells have been mentioned so far?

>>89913646
including curses and so on

>>89868753
What's the difference between ogres and trolls?

>>89913936
https://crumbling-giantstep.fandom.com/wiki/Trolls
https://crumbling-giantstep.fandom.com/wiki/Ogres

TL.DR. Ogres are smaller and smarter, trolls are bigger but dumber. Ogres tend to be more social, trolls tend towards being either alone or in much smaller groups. Trolls heal quite fast.

>Magic in Giantstep
Magic as a concept encompasses all forces, powers, tools and techniques related to the supernatural alteration of the natural world. It is used both mortals and immortal beings to interact with the world in ways that would go against the normal rules of nature, breaking them instead of working around them. The most common example for explaining what magic is “the rock and the bird”, comparison that has been around since the days of the foundation of the Khenomeric Schools of Magic:

>>89914910
“The bird and the stone are different in their composition, form and function. While the bird has a natural aptitude, a shape and the energy necessary to fly, the rock has neither of those things. No matter how many millennia may pass, the stone will never take to the skies on its own. To do so would require an external force launching it or keeping it there, such as a sling or a catapult. Using these tools, we use the rules of nature to achieve a goal that, by itself, would never happen. Magic, however, allows us to reach the same end goal, making the stone fly, but instead of using the rules of the natural realm, it breaks them. A stone should have no way to levitate, to stay still in the air, and yet it does with the correct spell or enchantment, achieving something that should not be possible by forcing our will upon the world.”
Anonymous Saying about the nature of magic.

>>89914922
Many individuals and institution study the different ways all beings interact with magic, though there is still no full comprehension of the different mechanisms that make the supernatural work. Indeed, some argue that part of the power of the magical world is the fact that is seemingly lawless, working when by all accounts it should not. These groups describe wizards more as explorers and pioneers rather than thinkers, finding ways to use the supernatural to their favor without worrying about its rules. Other groups defend the complete opposite opinion, voicing that magic does indeed follow rules, as certain magical action offer the same results under the same conditions over and over again, and that not bothering with finding out the true rules and nature of the magical realm is disingenuous at best.

>>89914934
>History of the study of magic
Seeing as every culture and civilization in the world have their own interpretation of what the true nature of magic and magical powers are, it seems more relevant here to talk about how the study of the magical subjects evolved over time, and the more popular tendencies between scholars.

>>89914942
The population of Giantstep have known about the existence of magic, though it took an untold amount of time to be known as such. The first users of magic were the Fey, whose affinity for magic related to nature and life saw them practice the arts in a very rudimentary form. They saw magic as energy from nature, or as the blessing from the natural spirits, and they developed a great deal of mysticism and ritual around their abilities, which led to very slow developments. Whatever magical knowledge they enjoyed, its furthering was not encouraged, seeing it as an affront to nature and the spirits to abuse their blessings. These kinds of magic were soon learned by other species such as humans, particularly those who served the Faerie Lords, though their lesser affinity to magic meant they were never as powerful or as successful as the original users. However, soon enough this knowledge began moving far from the Faerie Lords’ watchful gaze, and was passed on to people who wished to learn further into this realm. As humans did not have the long lives of elves or the Faerie Lords, their small gains needed to pass from teacher to student relatively fast, to avoid losing any minimal discovery achieved. Soon, magic was studied in many areas of the world, though it was done in the outskirts of civilization, as most places saw it with fear.

>>89914950
Many believe the first civilization to embraced magic was Etera. The eterans were one of the more ancient civilization known, long gone back when the Western Elven Empire was created. The reports, legends and archaeological findings about them tell the story of a very advanced civilization, who draw magical power from their divinities in strange and complicated rituals. It is not well known about the cataclysm they apparently faced, but the results of it are the seemingly disappearance of the eterans and a great magical barrier, surrounding the remnants of the city. Wizards and sages have studied this monumental enchantment to learn about how the ancient eterans could cast magic of such power and longevity, to no avail. Thus, whatever mystical knowledge they held has been lost forever.

>>89914964
The first people that truly set the fundaments of magical studies as we know it were the khenomeri. The khenomeri began studying magic in a more organized and analytical way from before. The original khenomeri cities were the meeting place of many wizard gatherings, where small councils agreed to teach their secrets and discoveries to each other, forming a network of studying rather than a strict and closed relation between master and apprentice. These councils also allowed these ancient wizards to detect and discover patterns in the behavior of certain areas, helping them push the envelope of what they could truly do with it. It was during this period that the monarchy, struggling to control the alliance of cities under their control, saw the usefulness of magic as both a tool for social cohesion and for further conquest. The protection of the khenomeri pharakhans allowed the few powers within the Khenomeric Empire mistrustful of wizards to fall in line, and with the full backing of the kings, magic blossomed in the empire. Many of the most brilliant minds in the nation dedicated their lives to the study of the magical realm, and the small confederation of coastal cities began expanding rapidly. The principles and theories they set up are, to this day, the basic of pretty much all magical knowledge in the human world, and even adopted by many other species.

>>89916054
As the empire grew in size and complexity, so did the magical studies began needing a better organization. Magic can be applied to almost any aspect of life, and as such, trying to organize the study of each field was an arduous task. The pharakhans fomented the creation of the Four Schools of Magic of Khoraqualumum, institutions founded and maintained by the empire to further push those areas of magic for the benefit of the nation. The four schools were finally opened in 1.673 BBE, with the four schools being the School of Green Plant Magic, the School of Black Necromancy, the School of Light Astromancy and the School of Gold Divimancy. The School of Green Plant Magic focused on the subject of life and nature, developing magic coming from fey tradition in a more scientific way. The School of Black Necromancy was first thought as a school of healing, though the discovery of the resurrection and control over dead bodies changed its subject completely, and started focusing in the limits with life and death, and seeking to preserve life beyond death. The School of Light Astromancy focused on the study of astronomy, astrology, time measurements and distant future predictions, something essential when governing a massive empire with many areas having their own calendar. The School of Astromancy quickly moved towards the knowledge of the substance known as aether, essential for the creation of automata. Finally, the School of Gold Divimancy was focused on the prediction of the future. The arts of divimancy were beyond rare and complex, with only a few gifted individuals being able to use it correctly. However, those who could were apparently capable of incredibly accurate predictions, more immediate and precise than those obtained by astromancers. The sheer power this allowed meant that the royal family took direct control of the school, to the point that soon enough the only ones allowed to master divimancy were part of the royal family.

>>89916062
The growing presence of magic in khenomeri society meant that more and more supplanted the authority of the gods and the divine in the eyes of the population, which made many began distrusting magic in return. The growing tensions between wizards and the priestly class gave birth to the Magoclergy, a religious body designed to integrate the worship of the khenomeric gods with the use of magic. They would have the blessings of both the Crown and the priests, and would be tasked to make people see magic as something beneficial for them. The Magoclergy quickly rose in power and influence, twisting many areas of government to their own benefit, and soon enough, they had enough power to eclipse the Crown itself. It was during this period that the infighting within the royal house saw the entire field of divimancy disappear, with each member of royalty not passing on their knowledge fearing it would be used against them, to the point of the entire field becoming extinct. The growing experimentation with darker means of magic by the Magoclergy, both as a weapon of war, to control their grasp over the population and to satiate their lust for power, saw the population turning more and more against magic, and even the Schools of Magic began distancing themselves from the Magoclergy.

>>89916071
The defeat of the Khenomeric Empire in the Battle of Empires was a lethal blow to the Magoclergy. The War of Supper saw the complete eradication of the order, but by then, the damage was already done. The people of the empire saw magic, wizards and most mystical fields with fear, and there was a palpable fear the magic users would once again try to take over the nation. The banning of all magic by Kyle I in the year 87 ABE is considered one of the biggest tragedies in the study of magic. Some of the greatest wizards in the world at the time were executed or imprisoned for life and entire towers filled to the brim with wizardly knowledge were burned or its contents thrown into the sea. The Four Schools of Magic were closed down forever, and their students and teachers forced to flee or renounce their arts. The exile and scattering of the khenomeri wizards also planted the seeds for the spread of modern magic all around the step, as many fled as far away as possible, reaching areas as distant as Azan, the Western Elven Empire and Southern Giantstep.

>>89916087
The study of magic did not stop after the banning of witchcraft in the Khenomeric Empire. Far from it, now it began spreading fast throughout the world, though in much simpler forms than what it once was. Without the patronage and protection of the great empires, magic returned to a simpler way, with wizards living in isolated towers dedicated to their own studies, living from their services to local authorities, and limiting their teachings to a few students. While many other nations saw wizards as a potential threat, only a few took similar measures to those in the Khenomeric Empire, as wizards were too powerful a tool to discard outright. The most famous attempt was the creation of the Tower of Mastrass as a centralized center for magical studies in Azan, but the sheer amount of control over their wizards overburdened them, making many leave and the whole project to fail in less than half a century.

>>89916437
Meanwhile, many wizards began settling in the island of Wanaidheain. An area bordering both the Western Elven Empire and the Azan Empire, this made it a great spot for many wizards seeking a life a more free life far from the potential vigilance of the azanese authorities or the faerie lords. In addition, the peaceful nature of the island was very alluring for a life dedicated to the studies of the supernatural. This saw the rise of many wizard towers all around the island, and while they were in contact with one another, they were mostly independent and kept to themselves. This would end with the start of the war between Azan and the Second Elven Empire, with the drow invading the island in the 20th century ABE. The grave condition of the azanese armies forced the local population to take up arms against the invaders, which included the wizards. By 1.950 ABE, the island of Wanaidheain had been freed from the drow, with the wizards having gained a lot of prestige and power, while Azan lost its control over the island. The role of the wizards in local politics grew, though most of them just wanted to be left alone to their studies. Over time, however, they set a series of systems to allow for a local administration, just enough to let people live their lives, but without any national structure to speak of.

>>89916447
The fracturing of Wanaidheain into dozens of different magocracies was a period of political turmoil, but also of quick magical developments. With each wizard tower wanting to prove their superiority over their neighbor, competition fueled the investigation, and since these fights never devolved into actual violence, the wizards could dedicate their efforts into their arts. The arrival of Celin MagTow put an end to these divisions, arguing for collaboration instead of competition. He saw the need to organize the island, as focusing its resources into a strong state could help the wizards develop their studies much easier. Through peaceful means, he debated and argued with his fellow wizards to pool their resources and influence together, slowly but surely unifying the island into what is today the Isle of Wizards, finishing the unification by 2.100 ABE.

>>89916461
However, this unification was to be beyond the creation of a new state. Celin MagTow believed that the world needed a central organization for the study and the control of magic, as the growing knowledge of the magical arts could result in catastrophes, which could cause the world to turn against magic. In 2.102, Celin MagTow founded the Order of Most Practical Wizards, located in the Great Tower of Heliotrope at the center of Wanaidheain, focused on the study, the monitoring and the protection of the world from magical catastrophes or mishaps, which it continues to this day.

While the Ancient Order of Most Practical Wizards is the biggest magical institution in the world by far, that does not mean they have a monopoly on magic. Indeed, many wizarding groups do not agree with the control the Order of Most Practical Wizards wants to impose. Many wizards from Azan, Changrila and other human nations, not to mention the wizards under the Faerie Lords, renegade dark wizards like those in Avangar or Mossovoy, and the Necrocracy of Okhost… simply do not follow the rules and advice of the order, preferring to develop their studies and practices of their own. The development of modern magic has also seen fields of study such as alchemy and astromancy separate themselves from the common understanding of magic, developing to such an extent they no longer fit the definition of what magic is.

>>89912696
Werewolves and other were creatures also count.

>>89914910
>>89914922
>>89914942
>>89914950
>>89914964
>>89916054
>>89916062
>>89916071
>>89916087
>>89916437
>>89916447
>>89916461
>>89916475
That's nice and all but how does it affect me as a player? What classes can I play? What spells can I learn? How do I learn them? Can everyone practice magic or only a select few?

There's an underground connection between the root kingdom and the underbog.

>>89868753
that picture is fucking sick

>>89918444
Well, every setting needs its lore to be solid. Knowing the history of the world and all the elements that make it function is necessary for worldbuilding.

>>89918683
Yes but this almost doesn't matter from an in game perspective.
It only needs to exist if there's some relevance to it regarding in game mechanics.

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>>89908152
>>89907780
>>89908195
>>89908924
This writeup from October is a much better magic system imho. Does a much better job at explaining why so many types of magic seemingly exist.

>>89918813
Seconded. We should use this as our basis.

The Sea of Wheat page is lacking images.
There have been quite a few good ones posted.
I feel like visualization should get more focus since images seem to be often left out when editing the wiki.

>>89919245
The bog witch page is a pretty good example of how an engaging wiki article should look imo. Would be cool if we had detailed nice looking pages like that for more nations. Quite a few articles look bland and boring atm despite associated images having been posted in the threads

I think we should establish a "to do list" with maybe around 10 things on it that are currently worked on and gets updated when enough work has been put in one of the tasks. Stuff feels a little aimless currently. I think going further into developing the game aspect of this project could also be revitalising.

>>89919328
>"to do list"
I unironically think that making an illustrated CYOA style sheet for character creation in the World of Giantstep would be the best thing to do right now in terms of reaching new people. Has anyone here experience with that sort of thing or crossposts in the cyoa generals?

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>>89919328
>>89919700
>"to do list"
That already exists.

>>89918728
Well, I am working with the lore. Once we have the lore done, we can use it as the basis for the mechanics. Mechanics before the lore is a recipe for confusion and contradiction.

>>89918813
I have a couple of gripes with this:
>magic is different from sorcery, demonology, fey stuff...
I can see these being different from each other, but how aren't they just under the umbrella of "magic"? The only ones distinct seem to be alchemy (explained in its article) and astromancy.
>Alchemy is tied to magic.
Again, it should be tangential at best, but not magic.

Other than that, we'd have to expand other sources of magic other than elemental: magic from the gods, magic from demonic/otherworldly entities, magic from taking the lifeforce of others... Outside of that, I think this could work.

>>89920219
>That already exists.
Well it should be a bit more compact and less autistic so new people understand it. Just 10 tasks that get updated each thread
>>89920219
bro people keep telling you they don't like your take on magic or prefer something else. You don't own this project it's a collective effort so we go by what the majority wants

>>89920237
What part of the points I mentioned here >>89920219 seems to be the problem?

>>89920292
>>89918813
This version is just superior on several levels

>>89855361
damn they even have a wiki now could this be the giantstep killer?

>>89920299
Anon, I'm not proposing a magical system. The only thing I have written thus far is the definition of magic ("all forces, powers, tools and techniques related to the supernatural alteration of the natural world", I don't think that definition is something that needs discussion), and the history of the magical studies. I have yet to start writing about the system I have in mind.

If >>89918813 is the system we end up going with, that's fine by me. What I'm pointing out here are my doubts with >>89918813, I'm not saying it is not valid or it should be rejected outright.

Alchemy and astromancy have been presented as something different from magic (or at least with a ton of debate around the subject), so I would prefer if they were separate things.

Magic has been implied to come from multiple sources, not just elemental ones. So these sources and how they work would need explanation.

>>89918813
Thread 27, if someone is curious.

https://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive/2022/86258892/

>>89920412
agreed on the part that alchemy and astromancy hould be fields of science but in a world like this the boundries between magic and science would probably tend to melt into eachother

Maybe we should decide on sources of magic first and go from there. How to tap into them, utilize them and so on. What magical sources would you guys suggest?

>>89919700
>CYOA style sheet for character creation in the World of Giantstep
I like that idea!

>>89920892
>What magical sources would you guys suggest?

-Elemental magic (obtained from the environment and the world around the wizard)
-Divine magic (gifted from the gods)
-Demonic/otherworldly (gifted from demons and/or from beings from other dimensions)
-Life magic (magic that taps from the lifeforce of other beings)

Also, not counting alchemy and astromancy as magic for this.

>>89920967
>-Elemental magic (obtained from the environment and the world around the wizard)
so if it takes the energy out of the environment does it drain it in a sense that flowers wilt and so on?
>-Life magic (magic that taps from the lifeforce of other beings)
same question
I'd also suggest Magical Currents. Let me explain this in greentext:
>magical energy exists as literal, invisible liquid/plasma that flows in all three dimension
>it can only be sensed/seen by some
>some wizards can tap those magical currents and bend them to their will
>there are magic junctions where magic has an amplified effect
>other areas are practically devoid of all magic rendering caster classes pretty much useless
>certain materials eg. a specific type of stone in dwarves halls blocks magical currents
What do you think?

>>89921033
We could even make a map showing the flow of the magic currents on giantstep

>>89921033
also at areas with dense magical currents or junctions the magic effects the physical world (weird animals appear, spring water becomes healing properties, swamps become corrupted, singing flowers grow and so on

>>89921033
If we're going by >>89918813, then elemental magic works by tapping into ideas or concepts to get its intended effect.

I imagine it would work as using the energy of the world around them and/or the energies of the wizard itself to tap into something akin to Plato's realm of forms, and the effectiveness of the enchantment depends on several factors: the energy the wizard can use, their focus to reach the concept in question, the clarity and complexity of the thought... I imagine it could be the more vanilla form of magic.

As for life magic, that could indeed drink from the lifeforce of other beings. Fey use it in a way it doesn't damage the world around them, and the most powerful faerie lords are able to use the lifeforce of their entire forest to do stuff. If you use it too much, it will drain the life around you, also probably causing damage to you as an after effect. Also, probably much more focused to do things related to life and nature.

>>89921095
>it could be the more vanilla form of magic.
yeah indeed. i think it could explain alot of stuff that couldn't be explained by the other schools.
>As for life magic, that could indeed drink from the lifeforce of other beings.
good.
>Fey use it in a way it doesn't damage the world around them
How though? I'm sorry to be anal about this but as a physics major i really think the law of conservation of energy should apply to magic aswell. Granted for somewhat autistic reasons but still

Is anyone still making the flags?

>>89921159
Maybe they are extremely efficient when using life magic, so they need comparatively little energy to do the same? That and they limit themselves to only use as much life magic so as to allow the sources to recover without harm.

What would be the places in this setting with the highest magic concentration?

Ok, so I made a paint doodle trying to visually explain >>89921095. Any other element to take into account?

File: rules of magic.jpg (1.68 MB, 1427x3193)

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>>89925311
And it didn't load. Trying again.

>>89925320
Neat! Maybe their should be a few more panels explaining the "vanilla magic"though. Drawing energy from magical currents if they are available and not working if they are unavailable or blocked off

>>89925311
>>89925320
I love it! We need more doodles like that

>>89925320
What about witches and hags? Does Witchcraft work the same way?

>>89925320
I think it could be interesting to make an entry barrier for some of the forms of magic. Here's what I mean by that
>casual magic (tapping into magical currents)
can only be done by people born magically gifted
>life magic
same thing
>demon pact
can be done by pretty much everyone willing to sell his soul
>divine magic/miracles
can only be done by a select few of devoted followers of the deity

Maybe there could be another particularly rare form of magic where the magic is drawn from an internal source only very few people posess.
Like a seventh son of a seventh son / seventh daughter of a seventh daughter situation.
Also what about conch magic? How does that branch fit into this system?

>>89925421
Isn't elemental magic the "vanilla" magic? I'll see if I can add that stuff later.

>>89925429
Thanks. Give me a moment, I'll try to add more stuff to it.

>>89925436
Does their magic work differently? Aren't they just using darker and more harmful sources?

>>89925506
>Isn't elemental magic the "vanilla" magic?
I think theres a fundamental difference. While elemental magic draws from the elements eg from fire while magic(tm) taps into pure magical currents flowing thorugh the world like invisible four dimensional rivers. The user gets the magic "first hand" while elemental magic uses a derivative energy if that makes sense. I guess one could argue that "magic","mana" or whatever we wanna could be interpreted as some sort of fifth element.

>>89925506
>Does their magic work differently? Aren't they just using darker and more harmful sources?
I think a portion of it could be explained by life magic and demonology but other stuff seems to be very ritual related. Also there are curses that work only by posessing a hair of the victim and such. How would a witches brew that is made from frog legs, bat wings and infant blood that turns you into a toad for example fit into this. Is it just a form of alchemy or do you need to be a witch to brew witches potions sucessfully

>>89925549
How come the elements have an innate magical energy? What happens to, for example, a rock, when you deprive it of magic? I think elemental magic would work better if it drew upon the magical flows directly rather than the elements.

>>89926229
Why call it elemental magic then? Also there's already a strong connection between the elements and alchemy

>>89926229
>>89926598
maybe we could just call it "arcane magic"

>>89926640
Agreed. Less confusing, and leaves the elemental stuff for alchemy.

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Continuing with the magic doodles. Now to try to explain the point of rituals and natural magic ability.

Bump

>>89927995
A bit soon, man. We are still posting.

About the types of wizards, would this work?

>Mage
The archetypical wizard. They are a “jack of all trades” wizard, having received a formal education, either by another wizard or by one of the many wizarding orders around the world, and following the set of practical and ethical rules taught by said order. He dedicates less time in the study of magic and more in the practical application of it, often specializing in some area they find particularly worthwhile.

>Sorcerer
Similar to mages, but unlike them, they have been forbidden from receiving a formal education, either because they have not met with the requirements of the order or because their rejection of its principles. Thus, their magical knowledge comes from their own experimentation and experience. Typically weaker and less apt as a result, but not tied to the rigid lifestyle imposed by wizarding orders.

>Sage
Wizards centered on the studies of the arcane over its actual use. Highly skilled in the theory of magic, often focusing in arcane magic, but also know a great deal of other areas. They generally live in their own towers, or work for the elites of whatever place they live in. They are some of the most important members of the wizarding orders.

>Battle Wizards/War Wizards
Wizards centered on the usage of magic for warfare. They tend to know mostly about ways of destroying their enemies, but they also know enough to offer healing to their allies. They live following a martial way of life, and can actually fight using enchanted weapons, but this means they dedicate much less time to the magical studies, and thus tend to fall short when pitied against superior wizards in tests of skill.

>>89928034

>Druid
Wizards who obtain their powers and knowledge from meditation and their relation with nature, rather than from formal studies. Generally highly skilled with life magic and healing, and with a moral code centered around the protection of nature.

>Shaman/Witch doctor
Wizards from primitive societies, with no formal education at all, and often serving as the religious leaders of their people. They are individuals who have innately developed their arts, or have learned them from other shamans. Highly superstitious, they have a great reverence for spirits, which they often commute with to obtain knowledge and power.

>Dark Mage/Warlock
Wizards who have received a formal education, but have broken with their bonds and oaths of duty, and now use their magical knowledge in dark and destructive ways, far beyond what their original orders established. These dark mages are often exiles and pursued as criminals, as their use of magic goes beyond any kind of safety limitation.

>Summoner: Wizards who specialize in communing, communicating and bringing forth spirits, demons and other entities from other dimensions. They are masters of the demonic/otherworldly magic, and often have many pacts with creatures from other realms in exchange for power and knowledge.

>Necromancers
Wizards who have specialized in the study of death, the preservation of life after death and the reanimation of dead flesh. They are very feared within common society, as their ability to bring people back from the death and enslave them under their command or turn them into animated puppets is seen by many cultures as antithetical to nature and the laws of decency. Many necromancers who die and become reanimated themselves become what is known as “liches”, though there are only a few “true liches” in the entire world. Tangentially, necromancers are highly skilled at healing, since their trade revolves around preserving life in many forms.

>>89928097
The only two definitions I'm not sure how to describe are witches/hags, and wizards who obtain their powers from the divine (how do we call those?).

Also, I'm not sure if fey and other innately magical species would go with this division, since they probably have their own traditions about magic and such.

>>89928114
Also, I imagine the term "archmage" is just a title the orders give to their most accomplished members, and not a type of wizard in and of itself.

>>89928034
>>89928097
Besides witches and hags missing it's decent so far

>>89928114
>witches/hags
would probably fall under a similar tree as druid, only instead of protecting nature, they have a more neutral/self serving/sinister motivation
a druid can restore using similar magic that a hag could use to corrupt something

>>89929342
and say group meditation/study in a coven is particularly effective for witches, where druids can achieve success on their own as a recluse/traveller as well as in groups

>>89926831
>>89925320
What more magical mechanics do we need to clarify?

>>89929342
I imagine witches and hags are a middle ground between witches and shamans, with a lot more knowledge of summoning, curses and the like. Also, they would give a lot of importance to rituals and aquelarre/sabbath style communities.

>>89925100
The divine realms?

>>89931105
I think we could decide on individual spells now

>>89921033
>other areas are practically devoid of all magic rendering caster classes pretty much useless
Like where?

How many types of werecreatures do we have?

>Rules and Mechanics of Magic
The study of magic takes us to the search for the general rules and principles for the arts, which invariably lead to a great deal of discussion. The seemingly opaque and mystical nature of magic can make it look as a mysterious and decretive field, and yet most wizards coincide in a series of fundaments that have been proven true, no matter the different traditions followed. Beyond these basic sets of principles, the discussion becomes murkier, as the sheer amount of variables involved when using magic makes searching to replicate the results is surprisingly difficult.

>>89937650
>Basic Application of magic
Even the most simple of spells follows a simple series of steps, which can be expanded depending on the complexity of the sought result. The first thing the wizard has to do is to visualize the end change they want to enact upon the world. Doing this is more difficult than it seems, and many wizards train their minds for years to focus and concentrate, as the clearer they can see that idea the more efficient the spell will be (either needing less energy to pull off, being more accurate to what they wished or being less prone to failure). However, this is not just a thought exercise. Many veteran wizards from all over the world have reportedly been able to meditate and focus their mind to such an extent that they can feel their being navigating an entire different realm. The first documented case of this phenomenon was reported by Plathiem of Khenomeri, one of the first known archmages of the Four Schools of Magic of Khoraqualumum:

>>89937654
“Seeking to perfect my arts, I was determined to reach the true ideal of what I was aiming to achieve. […] My body entered in perfect harmony with the world around me, and it let my mind flow free between the crevices of reality. It is then when I became conscious of where I was: a realm of pure thought, where ideas of all that was, is, will be and could be existed at once. I could have spent an eternity in there and not learned but a minuscule fragment of the totality of what was that place. And yet, when I came back from my trance, the only pure memory I had of this realm was the perfect ideal I sought in the first place, now in my mind clear as daylight. I can only recall the emotions and sensations of that place, blurred and unfocused.” Plathiem of Khenomeri.

>>89937661
This space has been dubbed as “the Realm of Thoughts and Ideas”. Many wizards have, over the millennia, reported to have been able to bring their mind to that realm, where they could reach the perfect idea of what the conjuring they were planning at the time was. This has led to a lot of discussion, since after bringing their mind back to the real world, they can only recall but the merest fleeting memories, just flashes and bursts of indescribable sounds. The fact that many wizards have reportedly entered that realm has led to many theories, with the most popular being that it is the source for all magical thought in the world. When one wizard seeks to do something, their concentration and visualization of the end result is, in fact, them approaching the Realm of Thoughts, seeking to obtain that pure ideal. The near majority of wizards, however, are unable to fully reach this dimension, as it needs a superlative mind, peerless concentration and a lifetime of magical studies to even have a chance to achieve it.

>>89937672
For the general purposes of magic, however, reaching an adequate ideal of what they want done is good enough. Once the wizard has that ideal in mind, they then need to give it a presence in the real world, transforming it from an ideal into reality. This transformation needs magical energy, which can be obtained from different sources. The wizard drinks from this well of magical energy and brings it to himself, using that energy to fuel the spell. The duration of this process depends on many factors, such as the scale of the spell in question, the clarity of mind of the wizard, their experience with the spell and the availability of energy around. Once the spell is prepared, the wizard will be able to cast it, bringing their ideal into reality. Another factor to take into account is the magical output of the wizard in question. Leaving aside the magic available to the wizard at any time, all individuals have a limit of magic they can output at the time, as the action of casting does take a toll to the mind and the body. Reaching or surpassing that output can have a wide variety of negative consequences, such as damages to the mind and body, the inability to cast magic for long periods of time and even death. In the gravest cases, the wizard can completely lose power over the flow of magic, literally erupting in a fountain of magic energy that causes great destruction around them. Wizards train constantly to improve their safe output cap, through meditation, practice and ritual traditions.

>>89935900
dwarven hallls, specific dungeons or remote islands for example

>>89937916
Why would those be devoided of magical energy?

>>89937680
>Sources of magical energies
One of the first things that wizard apprentices have to learn from their masters is the correct identification, access and manipulation of the different sources of magical energy in the world. Without this, there simply would be no way to enact any magical action at all. Thus, understanding the correct use of magical energy is something that the wizards practice and study throughout their lives, as the benefits of their correct use are immense.

>>89938156
The most basic source of magic are the arcane energies around the step. These energies exist on a plain overlapping the world, moving around in ways that have been described as “currents” or “tides”. The origins of these masses of magic are unclear, with some believing they are a natural byproduct of the real world’s essence filtering into another dimension, while others believe they are the energies of creation, ever expanding and contracting as a breathing living being. These energies are in constant movement all around the world, being affected by many elements of the real world, making the energies pool, stagnate or flow too fast, creating near vacuums of magical energy (though complete vacuums are very rare). While they are by far the safest magical energies to use, many wizards consider them as weak in comparison to other sources, and access to them takes generally longer than other forms of magical fuel.

>>89938173
Another form of magical energy is life energy. All living creatures produce some small level of energy, which can be harvested and taken by wizards for their sorcery. As this energy is present in life within the real world, it is by far the easiest to access to. However, draining this lifeforce beyond a certain point will cause life to wither and die, and as such, nearly all creatures instinctively know when their lifeforce is being stolen, and will act accordingly. Wizards who use life energy for their means often need to learn ways to use it as efficiently and sparingly as possible, so as to not harm the environment around them. The wizards can also use their lifeforce if the need arises, but this is often seen as a desperate move, as it will exhaust the wizard by doing so, making him prone to lose control of their spells or be grievously damaged.

>>89938190
Not all magical sources come from this world. From ancient times, the existence of entities from dimensions beyond our own is something that has been studied with great interests. Many of these dimensions are populated by creatures highly magical, who can offer the wizard their services and powers in exchange for many things. These creatures range from demonic beings, made entirely of magic, to incomprehensible beings whose motivations are just as opaque and mysterious. Dealing with these creatures can grant the wizard a great boost of power, as the connection between the two beings grants a direct and quick access to power, as well as other quirks such as knowledge or an increased magical output. However, the costs of dealing with these beings is often high, and many would rather risk their lives than gamble their souls with them. Enslavement of the creatures on the other side is also a possibility, but the danger increases exponentially, should the wizard ever lose control over their demonic servants.

>>89938203
Finally, the last great source of magical energies is divine blessing. Some wizards have obtained the benediction of one or more of the gods of Giantstep, and with that, their powers have been increased exponentially. They have access to the energies of their patrons, and gain knowledge forbidden to mortals. However, this usually can be achieved to those who spend their entire lives to the worship of the divine, or they are under a divine task they have to accomplish. Keeping these powers depends on the faith and piety of the wizard in question, and also the success of their quest. Once the blessed task is done, the wizards rarely keep their powers, as they are no longer needed.

>>89937967
there are certain rare types of stone and metals that block out or interfere with magical currents kinda like wifi

>>89938669
Wouldn't they interfere with just one kind of magic?

>>89938669
Source?

>>89903423
Man, we're so close to completing the list.

Has anyone found where were the southern giants mentioned?

Have we reached the bump limit?

NEW THREAD

>>89944865
>>89944865
>>89944865

>>89944687
>>89944991
wut

>>89948623
All threads reach the bump limit automatically after a week now.