Races

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A variety of distinct races have inhabited the Realm of the Fae throughout its history, with all of them being intrinsically connected to one another. For all of recorded history, Terra has been inhabited by the four Fae races, while The Endless Expanse has been inhabited by a vast variety of Abyss creatures.

Terran Races

In recorded history, there has been four sentient races under the umbrella term of the Fae which have inhabited Terra. However, this was not always the case - before a cataclysmic event in prehistory known as The Great Sundering, there was one sentient race which inhabited Terra, known as the Truekin.

Truekin

Not much is known about the race that preceded the Fae, but Terran historians almost unanimously agree that before the Fae, were was one, master race. It goes by many names colloquially, the most popular alternate name being "Wholefolk," but they are most commonly referred to as "Truekin." They were believed to be a race of much stronger spirit than the Fae, and thus had much greater lifespans, physical and mental strength, and are believed to have had access to a more powerful, True Magic. It is unknown what they looked like, what their culture was like outside of sparse archaeological remains, or what happened to them, but it is believed that they were in some way responsible for The Great Sundering, and were the direct predecessors to the Fae races.

Fae

The "Fae" refer to the four races that have populated Terra for all of recorded history. They all are very different but share some core fundamental traits: all Fae races are anthropomorphic depictions of real world animal taxonomies, share the capability of intelligent thought and general sentience, and share the capability of understanding and utilizing oral and written language if it is learned.

Felis

Based on the real world Felidae family, the Fae Felis varies wildly between subspecies but share common cat-like features and tendencies. They have a natural inclination towards Red Magic and the sciences due to their inquisitive nature. According to Sin Theory, the Fae Felis are associated with the Cardinal Sin of Curiosity.

Canis

Based on the real world Canis genus, the Fae Canis share common dog-like features and tendencies. While slightly less diverse in its subspecies than the other Fae races, They have the most identifiable general variations - those being the "Solidfoots," most similar to real world domestic dogs and their various breeds and native to more temperate, geographically stable biomes such as plains and woodlands, and the "Aridfoots," which more deeply resemble wolves and native to arid deserts and savannahs. They have a natural inclination towards Black Magic and physical combat due to being the most physically strong on average out of the four Fae races. According to Sin Theory, the Fae Felis are associated with the Cardinal Sin of Power.

Cervis

Based on the real world Cervidae family, the Fae Cervis share common deer-like features and tendencies. One major difference between the Fae Cervis and real world deer to note is that the presence of antlers are not predominantly exclusive to the male sex, nor are they shed annually, being permanent growths formed during adolescence and achieveing full growth by the onset of puberty for both sexes. However, not all subspecies of Fae Cervis grow antlers. They have a natural inclination towards White Magic and the religious arts due to being the most strong of will of the four Fae races, and being the most inclined to gather into close-knit communities. According to Sin Theory, the Fae Felis are associated with the Cardinal Sin of Cowardice.

Lagos

Based on the real world Leporidae family, the Fae Cervis share common features and tendencies common to hares and rabbits. One major difference between the Fae Lagos and real world hares and rabbits is a much more anthropomorphic skeletal and tissue structure in the legs which results in a much lesser strength in the legs - though this is not to say that the Fae Lagos have weak legs, as they still have the highest physical agility out of the four Fae races despite this. Additionally, it is an exceptionally rare mutation for a Fae Lagos to be born with antlers, resembling the real world cryptid known as the Jackalope, to the point that it is a common urban legend that the birth of Fae Lagos with antlers is the result of a crossbreed between Fae Lagos and Fae Cervis. They have no natural inclinations towards any school of Magic, however this means they are the most capable of the four Fae races of becoming proficient in multiple schools of Magic. They are also known for being remarkably creative, often being very talented artists, musicians, and writers. According to Sin Theory, the Fae Felis are associated with the Cardinal Sin of Infinity.

Mythological races

There are several Fae races which do not exist but regardless have transcended into legend and myth due to historical and/or societal factors. The most notable of these mythological races are the Fae Vulpes and Fae Avis.

Vulpes

Believed to have been based on the real world Vulpes genus, the Fae Vulpes would have shared common fox-like features and tendencies. It is unknown if the Fae Vulpes would have had any natural inclinations or affinities. According to older iterations of Sin Theory, the Fae Vulpes would have been associated with the Cardinal Sin of Greed. The existence of the Fae Vulpes endures into the modern day, with legends and hoaxes of witnessing, interacting, or even forming relationships with Fae Vulpes circulating for much of recorded history. Many Fae individuals represent themselves in various ways using the likeness of the Fae Vulpes as a persona due to affinity for their theorized appearances.

Avis

Believed to have been based on the real world Aves class, the Fae Avis would have shared common bird-like features and tendencies, though the vagueties of folklore and legend often obscure and idealize how diverse the race would have been. It is unknown if the Fae Avis would have had any natural inclinations or affinities, outside of the capability of flight. According to older iterations of Sin Theory, the Fae Avid would have been associated with the Cardinal Sin of Discovery. The existence of the Fae Avis is much more hotly contested throughout history and into the modern day than the Fae Vulpes, with the only culturally enduring legend of a Fae Avis being spotted in the wild being debunked as being an unknown inventor who was spotted testing an experimental wingsuit. Despite this, many Fae individuals represent themselves in various ways using the likeness of the Fae Avis as a persona due to affinity for their theorized appearances, or use the likeness as a crest in the era of modern aerial warfare.

Abyssal Races

It is impossible to classify every single species of creature which originate from The Endless Expanse due to the inherent nature of reality within that realm, but throughout history there have been three general "races" which have been identified, due to their commonality relative to other types of creatures: Lizardmen, Daemons, and Oculi.

Lizardmen

Lizardmen are generally anthropomorphic creatures resembling a large variety of real-world Reptiles. They can vary wildly from individual to individual, but commonly share the characteristics of walking on two legs, having opposable digits, and having varying levels of intelligent thought, though for most of recorded history they are known on average to have early tribal levels of intelligence, with crude, mostly instinctual oral language and many feral tendencies remaining.

Daemons

Daemons are generally feral or animalistic creatures which generally resemble the real-world depictions of Dragons. They can vary wildly from individual to individual, but commonly share the characteristics of walking on four legs, having remarkably long lifespans, and having large wings which allow them to fly in the air at very high altitudes. On occasion, they have shown extremely high levels of intelligence and capabilities of telepathy. It is incorrectly believed via urban myths that wyverns are descendants of Daemons due to their resemblance to one another, but due to the complete lack of reproductive organs among most recorded Abyss creatures, this is highly unlikely and is dismissed as a falsehood amongst the educated Fae population.

Oculi

An oculus depicted in the "Devil" card, via Astrologian.

Oculi are generally sentient, Lovecraftian creatures which take a wide variety of forms, but generally share a primary characteristic of having one large eye as one of their only identifiable facial features and the capability of individual telepathy and mind control. Oculi on average are deeply intelligent in the forbidden arts, and are thus deeply desired as summoning targets in Black magic rituals. An unknown oculus is depicted in most common variations of Fae arcana, under the title "The Devil," "The Temptor/Temptress," or "Temptation."

Trivia

• All Fae races are omnivores and have omnivorous mouth and digestive structures, much like that of real world humans. This is the case even for the Cervis and Lagos, who are based on strict herbivore analogs from the real world.
• With little exception, creatures originating from The Endless Expanse entirely lack reproductive organs, as the universal laws of the Expanse do not require traditional means of reproduction as necessary for survival.