Most Common Species

It will probably be helpful to show some of the various species and how they look for when I submit polls. Here's a big reference sheet showing off some specimens.

As well, below you can read some quick details about each of the species! (It should be noted that some details are more embellished or exaggerated as this is Aria writing a story. So some details may be different in the actual 'reality'. Thay'valay, for example, are almost completely immune to transformation due to their magic absorption. But Aria would prefer to have giant elves able to get even larger...)

Thaery - A bloodborn species, the thaery are a mix of fairy and thay'valay blood. 'Giant fairies' as they are sometimes referred. Iselyn herself is responsible for them. They're meant to symbolize the relationship between new and old for better or worse. Their unique mixture of blood enables a greater store of mana without the cost of heat vulnerability. Thaery are also the largest species innately able to teleport short distances with no magical training. They retain some measure of rascality from their fairy bloodlines while suffering thay'valay orderly minds leading to infrequent large scale mischief. Nothing is worse for a quiet town than a polite coven of visiting thaery expressing well planned friendly festivities.

Gobbo - A species native to Neivaun. Often believed to be the earliest intelligent life on the planet, gobbos come in many shapes, sizes, races, and levels of intelligence. They are, by nature, a fast to adapt species which has allowed them to adjust to even the arrival of the gods without going extinct. Something by which others have not been so lucky. Feral gobbos are often nuisances which must be put down while the more civilized kind take on the role of travelers, traders, explorers, and guides. They know the land better than any other species and that's reflected in how they have adapted to society being built up around them. It is not well known why civilized gobbos insist on using lengthy names or even why they easily accept nicknames. Strangely, all gobbos seem to view the dragons with admiration in spite of how hostile they can be.

Dolder - At one point they were brilliant gnomes well loved by their god. After a man made plague afflicted the vast majority of them, they became smiling dimwits with a penchant for servitude. Willingly doing tasks and jobs revolving around menial labor, these adorable idiots are well liked and quickly develop friendships with those around them. It's easy to tell a dolder from a gnome by their polite, blank stares and their peculiar sclera and iris shapes, colors, and styles. Although no longer highly intelligent, they have developed acute senses of sight, hearing and smell. Every now and again a dolder may have a flash of genius as well in response to a seemingly unsolvable problem so talimari oft keep one around just in case. They have also developed higher magic sensitivity resulting in greater magical effects on them, but also higher magical durability. (like being stretchier)

Shripe - They used to be gobbos until a god began ramming souls forcefully into them. Sometimes several at a time. (Not literally reaching down and doing so mind you, but indirectly through subterfuge) This eventually caused the gobbos to become dependent on having a soul and adapting them into what they are now. As a result of these changes, shripe often possess more than one personality. In a direct sense, two people living in one body and usually having more than one name. Though due to working together, they often agree on a single name. Having the combined knowledge of multiple individuals, shripe are much more wise than other species and have a penchant for careers which require more than one profession to succeed at and also pair well. Shripe are known to be a little difficult to talk to sometimes, but mostly due to their excitability. Unfortunately shripe decisivity is weakened resulting in slightly reduced combat prowess in general. Shripe often have multiple hair and eye colors and sometimes their eyes may glow or be dominated by color.

Dvari - These neigaulos are bold and strong. Serving as the muscle of the Emerald Conventions, the dvari surprisingly do not share the beliefs of the dragons or the a'garians and many worship Duranclast or Valdor. In spite of this, they are allied due to both proximity and mutually beneficial trade and idea exchange. Still, the dvari guard their gems and jewels fiercely and prefer the dragons keep to the peaks and barter through the a'garians. The dvari act as surrogate protectors for the dolder. Dvari are strong and durable against magic and physical strikes. They are martial creatures who favor the blade over magic, but due to the hot weather they favor lighter armor and clothes which protect them from the sun. The dvari are well known to be craftsman more than any other species, but many artisans are often trained under them.

Talimari - One of the earlier neigaulos, talimari more specifically refer to those with wolf ears and fluffy tails, but most simply refer to all mari as talimari due to the significantly more prominent number of them. There are many different races of mari to go around however. Talimari in general are significantly more magically powerful than all other species on neivaun and have some of the highest intelligence. Unfortunately they suffer from a small measure of frailty and cowardice making them weak without the support of others. Though males are usually more cool headed and serve as inspired inventors, females are more magically adept with their society driven by a matriarchy. They are directly allied with the thay'valay and consider them their protectors but few will admit it. The thay'valay were able to fend the dor'em nai off with no small thanks to their talimari allies.

Elf - The most numerous species on neivaun, these neigaulos have many races. Sporting various forms of long pointed ears, elves are really quite promiscuous and dominate the land in spite of a very rough history dealing with the dor'em nai. Highly adventurous and curious, elves benefit from the ability to quickly learn and adapt to new concepts well. Though they can often put on an air of impatience, in reality they are willing to wait a long time for the things they desire most and will simply pursue other ventures in close proximity. This can lead to something of a scatterbrained or air headed attitude however. In spite of their adventurous spirits, elves are loyal creatures. They also get along fine with non-elves and, as a result, their cities have the greatest number of varying creatures.

Filimuri - Another neigaulos species. Aquatic in nature, but capable of breathing on land, filimuri resemble a mixture of shark and dolphin. They sport sharp teeth, long tails, and lanky bodies. There is a natural air to most filimuri giving them something of an 'opposite extremes' vibe. One filimuri will have grand ambitions and work incredibly hard in life accompanied by a friend who flows through life doing as little work as possible and leeching off others. This is why filimuri often come into conflict with others as they become singularly focused on their goals. Yet a lazy filimuri is not a useless one and frequently these are the ones most likely to befriend land dwellers, yet never leave the ocean. Those who exit the ocean are often the very few who sit between these opposite extremes. Filimuri are agile and strong even on land, but more so under the waves. Unfortunately filimuri have an air about them with which makes them less popular and not well liked. Many filimuri are masochists or sadists and it can come as a surprise for those unprepared.

A'garian - Once elves, this neigaulos species was mutated during the dvari creation event as they fled the dor'em nai. Due to the debilitating effects of this, they blamed the gods which easily led them into the grasp of the dragons who use them for their own plans. In spite of these mutations hindering them, the a'garians were able to survive more so thanks to the dvari who allied with them. Over time the a'garians have developed greater stability in their mutations even in spite of quiet dragon experiments. A'garians have strong endurance and agility, but have slightly weak magic and magic defenses. Their mutagenic nature allows them to be transformed more easily, but also allows them to control the transformations or revert transformations much more easily. A'garians are known for embracing transformative magic. The a'garians act to negotiate treaties between dvari and dragon.

Thay'valay - A neigaulos species. Thay'valay are giants. Calm and thoughtful, they are often playfully referred to as statues by the talimari. They are lanium based life forms which gives them the great boon of high magical absorption. The drawbacks are great with thay'valay being much more susceptible to heat and must be cautious in medium to high temperature regions of the world. As well, in spite of even 'weak' wizards having powerful frames, thay'valay suffer endurance issues and tire quickly. This has led to their calmer and steadier life styles. Thay'valay are often considered 'boring' because of how mild they are, but none complain about how orderly and well kept their cities are. They are surprisingly xenophobic given how polite they are. The saying goes that you are welcome to visit but forbidden to stay. Thay'valay have long, narrow eyes to avoid snow blindness and their ears belie their levels of excitement. They are highly social and fall quickly to quirkiness when isolated (or worse).

Also some random extra terms you may find scattered around the Patreon or in game with some lore mixed in...

Emnei - This is a 'native of neivaun'. More specifically, a creature which has no soul and returns to the blood of neivaun on death. Gobbos, dragons, and thaery are all emnei.

Bloodborn - These are, effectively, emnei which are specific to Iselyn and her faction. Thaery are bloodborn, but gobbos and dragons are not. Bloodborn are made from the blood of neivaun. Sometimes in such numbers as to make a complete new sustainable species. (If you see me write bloodborn as 'bloodborne' it is a typo.)

Neigaulos - This is a non-native creation of the gods born on Neivaun. A creature which requires a soul to live. The actual soul itself is referred to as a 'gaulos'.

Ologaulos - This is a non-living creature with a soul such as a golem, construct, or android. These are relatively rare due to technological restrictions as well as some societal hesitance. Still, the most common ologaulos exist in the form of the very loyal creatures which seek to continue to serve their masters post death. Uncommonly, an ologaulos may be someone who is crippled beyond being fixed by magic. Rarely an ologaulos is the result of an individual with a terminal illness or condition which cannot be cured by magic. It is never the case that an ologaulos would be someone who could not afford treatment as ologaulos are expensive and rare. Ologaulos can experience the same sensations as a normal creature could and are not 'robots'.

Ologaulos often have 'programming' which runs the shell they inhabit. A set of commands or parameters which the shell runs on it's own as though it were a robot. However, the inhabiting gaulos can override many of these commands and control the shell with a great deal of control. It is not often that the shell's commands override the gaulos, but there are a few obvious orders the gaulos cannot override. Orders to not harm the master of the ologaulos for example is the most common non-overridable order. The gaulos can also have some issues with a malfunctioning shell which may affect its personality long term.

Tem'lora - Unlike daemons, they are not entirely to be considered hostile, but they are certainly invasive. A direct result of one of the gods, tem'lora are something of a strange thing. They are a soul similar to that which you may find in any of the other species which have them, yet they are not limited to only the bodies they are born in. They are able to continue to live on even after their souls would normally be called back by 'removing' the soul of a creature and infesting their body. To make matters worse, any child born to a tem'lora will have a tem'lora soul. This makes them quite a contentious creature. Their origins are unknown beyond the knowledge that they are a god's creation (because they are a soul).

While other nations are simply 'cautious' about tem'lora, the Northern Alliance destroys tem'lora on sight and has them soulsent. Thay'valay especially will not suffer their existence.

Soul-spark - It is a necessary element of a soul which allows the casting of magic. Emnei do not require or use it, but all neigaulos must have it to use magic. Those without it cannot cast magic spells without some form of assistance.