forum How many races are in your fantasy world?

Started January 18, 2018 by @EternallyEris

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and what are their main characteristics?

Uh~…. Lots… And lots… And Lots… I'm talking anywhere from goblins to pixies to sentient zombies. The most notable one for my current book I'm working on is Blinkers. I'm not sure if anyone else has a concept similar or not. Blinker are humanoid, tall, skinny, shadowy creatures. In lots of light, they can hardly be seen, but in barely any light, they look more solid. They also have lavender eyes that glow when aggravated. They can also teleport, which is why I call them blinkers.

i really only have fairies and humans. of course there is an entire realm devoted to both, but i haven't explored outside of specific locations, so there could be multiple different ethnicities in the human realm that don't show up as often. fairies, on the other hand, have five different major races: forest, river, ocean, desert, mountain.

@isabel do all of your races make an appearance in your story? if so, DAMN! how do you keep track?? Also, your Blinkers sound interesting, how do they relate to your story?

@Cami what made you think of those specific classifications for your fae? Those arent generally the norm. I'm intrigued!

@TinyZombieKat yeah they're not like normal fair folk. (i guess you could say they're more like elves than anything lol.) i just wanted to have them more connection to nature. i also forgot the most important class: celestial fairies. i liked the idea of having different fairies take on the characteristics of different aspects of nature to identify them (one of my forest fairies has hair like leaves and skin like bark; the river fairies may have slightly blue-tinged skin; the ocean fairies, at least the queen, looks like a shark). it started with celestial fairies, but then there was the forest and i thought i needed some conflict so i added more, and not everyone is loyal to the celestial fairies.

@Cami interesting! I like how you've changed them from the norm and made them more connected to their classification. A lot of people are falling into the "humanoid but insanely gorgeous" stereotype these days so it is refreshing to go back to the roots of the race. It sounds like your story may be more focused on the lives of the fae? or are the humans involved in the conflict as well?

@TinyZombieKat Well, yes. Most of them do. They're mainly side characters and only mentioned for comedic relief or to add wonder. In the story that has all of these, there's a big stronghold that they gather to. It's not for big meetings or anything. The stronghold is kind of like a club center of sorts. The main room is a huge library. Skeletons guard the whole place, speaking in rattles. (that being said, most all the races have different languages. So, there's sort of a magic translation bubble around the whole stronghold. Humans aren't supposed to be able to find the stronghold, so the translation bubble excludes them.) There are also mentions of vampires, werewolves, and witches. The story is focused around humans and blinkers though.

Blinkers are very, very important to the story. They have their own world called Lepzan. That's why the stronghold was created in the first place, to house the portal to Lepzan. Blinkers can teleport between worlds on their own; other races can't. The only race to ever use the portal is humans. The rest of the races believe the portal is a myth, since no one has ever touched the room it's in. In the story, blinkers hate humans, but they didn't once. Back when humans where allowed on Lepzan, a war broke out, which lasted quite some time. Humans were told they had to stay on Earth, and Blinkers were to stay on Lepzan. One issue with that… Lepzan is made completely of white stone, so they can't grow their own food. So, the blinkers were restricted to the stronghold, meaning other races would have to bring them food. That's what opened up the stronghold to all the other races. None of the blinkers really follow the "stay in the stronghold" rule. Humans probably wouldn't too, if they could find the place.

The story is about a human who stumbles into Lepzan and a blinker who helps her. And, things get crazy. Sorry for the whole rant. No one IRL shows any interest in my stories, so I kind of get carried away…

@isabel Hey hey now this a safe place of all kinds of story telling nerds. feel free to rant all day long. In my opinion when people talk about things they are passionate about they become their true selves.

Anyway… your story is different so kudos to you! Its really creative that youre bringing all those races and different tropes into one story and creating a new one while youre at it. :) What was the inspiration for your blinkers?

@TinyZombieKat Well, me and my mom have always been fans of aliens, which is why the blinkers have their own world. The color scheme for them, honestly, came from… mumbles minecraft enderman… stops mumbling But, I swear,I had the idea for creatures who could teleport before I saw minecraft enderman. I just didn't know how to make them seem/look. So, I kind of fell in love with the enderman, then I started tweaking it and… Then I got what I call blinkers. Their world runs much differently then the minecraft end, and there aren't any dragons in it. This whole story sounds like a rip off of minecraft now, doesn't it?

@isabel Your story is quite amazing and original! I would love to hear more about your characters! It doesn't matter where the inspiration came from, only the beautiful characters and story that came out of it. Do Blinkers have good relations with all of the worlds and species besides humans? Also, are there any other species that harbor animosity towards humans? Keep telling us about the story! I love it!

@Adrienne Thank you, thank you, thank you! You have no idea how happy I am right now!

I wouldn't say blinkers are on perfect terms with everyone, but they don't really hate the other races. Well, besides humans. They do have a certain detest for normal animals though. See, there used to be animal-like creatures on Lepzan, but they were more sentient. By that I mean, they were sort of like their own race in a way. During the war, they sided with the humans, and so they were banished to Earth as well. They took the forms of normal animals, like sheep, wolves, ect. So now, every once in a while, you'll come across a strange acting animal on Earth. (And they kind of don't age. It's sort of weird, and possibly a lose end.)

Other than that, blinkers are on decent terms with most races. Goblins and pixies steal objects for the blinkers, and Witches often provide food options. Other races pitch in as well. The white/eggshell colored stone Lepzan is made off is called barwite, and it glows faintly. Since it's so abundant there, the blinkers sort of use it as currency on Earth. Goblins love it. Witches find uses for it. And, other races have ways of using it as well. Back on Lepzan they just trade objects among each other since barwite has no value there. (I feel I need to mention that two day night cycles on Earth is one "day night" cycle on Lepzan. So, a blinker could be 12 and a half age-wise on Lepzan, but 25 years old on Earth.)

There are other races who aren't found of humans. Insentient zombies are still all "Urgh! Eats brains!" Sentient zombies are more… civil? I guess. I mean, brains are still delicious, but they don't just go hunting for them. It's not so much a hate at that point, as it is jealousy at humans still being fully alive. Skeletons are a sort of different matter. There are ones, like at the stronghold, who really don't mind being un-dead. But, in my story there's going to be a small "side quest" (what I call my story interruptions or side stories). There's a group of skeletons that simply detest humans. They are going to kidnap my human main character for main story related reasons. There are a few other races that hate humans, I'm sure. But, I haven't really delved into all that. There are also races who don't mind humans, like some witches.

These main story related reasons are as follows: When the main blinker character, Endel, helps the main human character, Elyzabeth (or Lyzy), they are both banished from Lepzan. There are two ways to leave Lepzan. One is an exit portal, guarded by the appointed lord of Lepzan at the time. This is how all the humans left after the war. The second is for the lord to send you back himself. That is how all the animals were sent to Earth, causing them to change. Endel and Lyzy are banished by hand, not portal, so they change into what I am currently calling Halfers. (Halfers may be temporary or may be permanent. I haven't decided. It's just what the other races refer to the two as.) Halfers are pale "humans" with purple eyes and dark/dull hair. They can teleport, their eyes glow when aggravated. So, like blinkers. The only halfers in this universe are Endel and Lyzy. (Lyzy's change is much slower, since she's different than Endel. So, she can't teleport at first) Endel and Lyzy try to find out what's happened to them at the stronghold, and some skeletons overhear. The skeletons keep track of the two for a while, then kidnap the "changing human", or Lyzy in this case. They want to know how to change as well. But, that's just a side plot.

@isabel That's really fascinating! You are amazing at world-building! In terms of the loose end with the animals, if they don't age, then when they were sent over there would be young old, and everywhere in between so humans assume they reproduce but really they just exist? How did Endel and Lyzy meet? And how are you going to develop them as characters together?

@TinyZombieKat in the first novel, it's mostly fairies against fairies (the first novel can act as a standalone in and of itself because the conflict is solved at the end). in the next two, it's humans who cause all the problems (i wasn't ready to give up the world i created so i made new villains, new characters).

In Telurs I have a lot of races. High dragons can be considered a race, I guess, seeing as they're pretty intelligent. There are humans (of course), and merfolk, which are the typical mermaid except they come in all different kinds of fish. They tend to have deep sea colonies where they'll raise one or two sea serpents (a kind of high dragon) as guard dogs.

There are demons, which are a race of generally muscular, horned humanoids with odd skin colors ranging from reds to blues, but purples seem to be the most common hue. They're a mostly male species, and females are treated significantly worse. There are classes based on horn size, since they used to settle disputes like rams: omega, beta, alpha. An alpha female will be treated like a beta male at best. They're very obsessed with mastering their magic and achieving a higher state called Ascension, but they look down at anyone who uses their magic for things they could have done with their own hands. A subtype of demons are the animalia, which are demons that choose to undergo a certain ritual and make a contract with their totem animal, in which they allow themselves to become that animal. They're basically furries, and Ascension for an animalia is fully embracing their totem and shedding their demon form, though many demons prefer to be in a half-Ascended state where they can shift between forms at will. Demons generally look down on anything not demon as being weak and greatly inferior, and such their blacksmiths often overlook things like damascus steel because it's not demon steel, and similar things in other crafts.

There are harpies, which are humanoids with bird claws from just below the knees, and arms with wings attached to them, rather than wings for arms. Contrary to demons, harpies are a mostly female race, and they treat males like they're the scum of the earth. Like the mer, harpies come in all species of birds. The birds of prey look down on "lesser" birds like finches. They're very promiscuous and bird-like in their behaviour, and they're led by three sister-queens, which are each a different bird of prey. All beast races tap into a well of innate magic except the harpies, who are cut off from any and all kinds of magic. The rumor says that they insulted the gods with their lust long ago.

Those are the only races I've developed so far, since they all live on the continent my story is set on. There are other beast races, such as fauns, centaurs, cervitaurs(torso of a man, body of a deer), and other similar races.

@Adrienne … I had it all typed out and then the page refreshed when my cat sat on the laptop…

The "animals" from Lepzan do come in all ages, but sort of borrowed the forms from normal animals. So, there are normal sheep, but there are also sheep that used to not be sheep. Like, how Endel becomes a halfer, so he looks almost like a normal human.

Lyzy stumbles across the stronghold, and falls into the portal to Lepzan by accident. Endel has to save her from a group of particularly mean blinkers. He decides to help her out of Lepzan. Thanks to the language barrier, the two don't find out each other's names until their back in Lyzy's home on Earth (due to their change into halfers). (There's no time era. So, Lyzy wears jeans and hoodies, but lives in a village built up by hand. There are big cities with technology, and small villages with none. Lyzy is from a big city, but moved to a village.)

Lyzy and Endel will start as allies, then become basically best friends. As Lyzy starts to change more (thanks to her banishment from Lepzan reacting funny to her being human), she'll have moments of panic, and Endel will be there to calm her down. I want them to sort of fall in love. That way I can have important side characters poke fun at them or be a bit protective of Lyzy.
I want their friendship to change Endel to be a bit more protective and open with his feelings. I'd also like him to learn how to have some fun. Lyzy could learn to be more careful and think things through.

That's really cute! I love the build of their relationship!

@nekh I think its interesting that you are using creatures that are not usually used in most fantasy novels and creating your own backstories for them. Your world sounds very rich in magic!
How do the races interact in your story? and the main character(s), what are they?

@isabel
I love the originality of your story. The romance is just icing on the cake.
Whats the main conflict? and are you thinking it might be a series of stories?

@TinyZombieKat The main conflict is Elyzabeth reacting to being banished different. She'll slowly start to become more blinker like, but it will take a bit for them to realize. At one point, they'll realize "Oh, we should maybe fix this before it gets worse." But, in order to do that, they will have to face many obstacles

There will probably only be one book, but I'm ok with that. I have plenty of other stories to write, and this universe will always live on in my heart. It has for quite a few years now; I just haven't had time to write it.

Oh my gosh, all these stories sound amazing!!
In my universe so far there's elves, faeries, warlocks and witches/wizards. I haven't included humans but I guess witches and wizards kind of are humans, just with magical abilities? I haven't written anything before or used this website so I'm very new and not sure if I've really got the races and stuff right so I'm sorry if somebody is reading this and cringing!

Pretty much everything…I love to take mythical creatures from different myths and incorporate them into my world. And since my world's a mix of modern era/fantasy era, it's interesting to see how these old legendary creatures interact in today's world.

i have a lot of creatures, like my own take on trolls, angels, and anything that pops into my brain – ghosts and faeries and goblins and dragons, and they all live in the same neighbourhoods

My races are strange. I'm classifying races (just for now, to make thing easier for me) as living creatures with sentience comparable to humans. As it stands right now, there are four and a half major races, with several classes of spirits.

There are humans, whose culture is based off of feudal Japan, at war with a "half-race". They are generally light-skinned, with brown hair. There are the Lakelanders, another race of humans, with brown skin and dark hair, living up north in the ice. There are elves, whose skin shifts between green and brown, with large eyes, and long, limber bodies that stand at an average of nearly seven feet. They also have whip-thin tails with tufts of fur on the end, to balance them in the trees. Then there are the Leronan, or "darklings". They are born with pitch-black skin and bone-white hair. As they age, their skin lightens through shades of brown, and their hair darkens through shades of brown. Age is determined through the "shades" their hair changes into. (They also have nearly seventy different words to describe shades of brown, for this purpose.)

And now for my "half-race". These creatures are not born, they are created. They are called daemons, and they are "shapeshifters". They are a mixture of any race (humans, elves, etc., but generally humans) and a spirit. It drives them mad, and their bodies… change. Wolves the size of bears, twisting into something just barely resembling humanity. Creatures with patches of scales across their body, with too many teeth in their mouths, forcing them to gape rather than mutilate themselves. They're not pretty.

As for spirits, they are classified in terms of ability and power. The weakest spirits are ghosts. They're exactly what you think - spirits of the dead who haven't "passed on" to the spirit world. Even though they are relatively weak, they are not to be taken lightly. The largest "grouping" of ghosts occurs from the Leronan - angry mobs of ghosts who have died as children. They have not aged through living, so even though they appear as adults, they carry the dark hair and white skin of infants.

Next on the list are traditional spirits. Once a ghost passes on to the spirit world, they can eventually make their way back to the living world, shedding their previous forms in favor of something else. They can be as weak as Remrings, little nature spirits, capable of manipulating only their home-element (like traditional dryads or river spirits), to spirits that prey on living things, which can possess others.

Lastly (this is it, I swear!), there are god-spirits. There are only three in existence, and are worshiped as gods. They are the most powerful of spirits, able to manipulate the very world as they see fit. Their power is limited, and two of them are Ascendants, humans who have died and become powerful enough to be a god-spirit. The three god-spirits are called the Trinity, the sum of everything - good, evil, and balance.

@TinyZombieKat the main characters in both stories so far are all humans. In one book, the MC is the princess of a kingdom that allows those four races to live together in harmony, while the others usually have some kind of history with either demon hunting or harpy slavery. In another book, one of the MCs is part of a "tribe" of humans that manifested magic through their close relationship with true dragons. (Dragons is used as a general term encompassing wyverns, drakes, amphitheres, etc.) I plan on having stories with a main character from each race.

And yes, it's very rich in magic! So rich, that there are multiple layered magic systems that each function independently of each other and can be used by different races. Except harpies. I have a harpy antagonist in one of the books who is magic-sensitive and completely obsessed with it, but she can never use it because of her race. I also have a maned wolf animalia demon who features as a minor character in one story and the main character of his own. Maned wolves used to be hunted in South America because their eyes were thought to bring luck, and many animalia demons choose their totem to try to help keep a species from extinction. His mate was killed for her eyes, and he had one of his gouged out before he managed to escape because demon eyes are worth more. He has no idea what happened to his pups, but they're probably dead. Maned wolves mate for life, so he's taken it pretty hard.

Literally anything you can relate to as a fantasy species exists in my world ranging from Griffin people known as the avions to stone golems known as Earth talkers