Angel: A creature of the plane Angelus, they have wings and are beings of order. They prefer maintaining and preserving the status quo, and often find themselves in conflict with beings from the plane Infernus because of this. See Demons below.

 

Anima/Animus: Like yin and yang, anima and animus are the two forms of magic that fill every living thing. Sorcerers use anima/animus to cast spells, while familiars use it to transform into their animal counterparts. Most sorcerers need a familiar to help balance out their magic, or they run the risk of slipping into blood sorcery. The two are interchangeable, neither male nor female, just two halves of a whole. Mana is the generic term for the magic used by humans.

 

Blood Sorcerer: Blood sorcerers are those who eschew forming a bond with a familiar. Instead, they pull anima/animus from the living, using blood rituals and human sacrifice to absorb the power. This sort of activity has a cost, however. Blood sorcerers run the risk of becoming withers, creatures of Terra Noctem that thrive on absorbing the magic of others. See Sorcerer and Withers below.

 

Demon: A creature of the plane Infernus, they are creatures of fire and chaos. They often have horns and red or bronze skin in their demon form. They prefer change and invention to maintaining the status quo, which often leads to conflict with denizens of the Angelic plane. See Angel above.

 

Dimen: Often confused for demons, dimen (pronounced dye-men) are simply interdimensional beings from the different planes who have chosen to make Terra Mundus their home. See Planes below. Dimens are angels, demons, elementals, elves, fairies, and merfolk. Some lump shapeshifters among the dimens, while others argue that they are originally from Terra Mundus, and therefore not dimens.

 

Elemental: A being of one of the four elemental planes, they often bear characteristics from their home dimension.

     Air elemental: Often has flyaway hair, blue or gray eyes, and when using their powers, wings. Often called sylphs.

     Earth elemental: Brown- or black-haired, brown- or green-eyed, they are often strong and big-boned. When using their powers, their skin will sometimes turn earth-colored as well. Their nickname is gnome.

     Fire elemental: Reddish hair and brown eyes often mark these creatures. When using their powers, their skin turns ruddy. They are known as djinn.

     Water elemental: Pale-haired, with blue eyes, these creatures are often called merfolk. Scales appear on their skin when they use their powers.

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Elf/Fairy: Elves and fairies are creatures of Terra Dryadalis, aka the fairy realm. Elves often have the power of healing as well as the power to force other dimens from the plane the elf resides in. Some believe that familiars were used in the elven war against the Infernal plane, and that their magical changes to the familiars created shapeshifters. This is the source of the rumor that shapeshifters are actually dimens.

 

​Fairies have the ability to hex others, causing mayhem among both humans and dimens. It is said that fairies are the outgrowth of elves who bore demon children, either voluntarily or involuntarily, both during the war and at other times.

 

Familiar: Familiars are people capable of changing into animals but who also bond with sorcerers to balance out their magic. Sorcerers and familiars are said to be cousins, familiars being born out of necessity. They cannot cast spells, but they can amplify their sorcerer’s spells and make them more stable. A familiar does not, however, need to bond with a sorcerer in the same way that a sorcerer needs a familiar, as all of their magic is directed inward rather than outward.

 

Familiar House: Familiar House is both the advocate for and home to familiars. A familiar looking for a sorcerer will form a temporary bond with the house, allowing them to set up the meet and greets where sorcerers come to look for potential partners. Familiar Houses set the rules that both sorcerers and familiars use to regulate the bond.

 

Gate: Extremely difficult to open, gates are how sorcerers can move between planes. This is only recommended if proper preparations are made to survive the plane that the sorcerer wishes to travel to.

 

Gods: The gods are said to have created the planes of existence. They have their own plane, removed from almost all of the others. Only one pathway exists to the realm of the gods, and only certain creatures, such as demons, angels, and planewalkers, can travel there. It is impossible for a sorcerer to form a gate to the plane of the gods.

 

​Human: Natural-born residents of Terra Mundus, humans are both numerous and capable of channeling the magic of the other planes. Sorcerers are always born of humans. Because of their ability to channel, they need familiars to help ground them and balance out their magic.

 

Ley Line(s): The primal force of a world, ley lines flow much like air currents and can be tracked by those who can tap into them. Unlike humans, elves use ley lines to cast their spells, as do gnomes, merfolk and other dimens.

 

Mana: The generic term for the magical power used by humans. Also known as Anima/Animus.

 

​Necromancer: A sorcerer whose focus is the dead, necromancers can communicate with the spirits of those residing in Terra Noctem, the night realm. They do not raise the dead, but their association with the realm of the dead causes others around them to feel uncomfortable in their presence. 

 

Pathways: Pathways are the connections between the planes. Each plane has its own set of pathways to and from the various other planes. (Diagram coming!)

 

Plane: There are ten planes (aka “Terras”) of existence, including the plane of the gods:

     Mundus: The “human” realm, a place where creatures from the other planes can also exist in relative comfort. Only the gods have no presence on Terra Mundus.

     Dryadalis: The fae realm, home of the elves and fairies.

     Infernum: Home of demons and realm of chaos.

     Angelus: The angelic realm of order.

     Ignis: Plane of fire, home to djinn.

     Aether: Plane of air, home to sylphs.

     Tellus: Plane of earth, home of the gnomes.

     Aqua: Plane of water, home of the merfolk.

     Noctem: The night realm, realm of the dead, home to withers and ghosts. Often believed to be the source of the belief in purgatory.

     Caelestes: Realm of the gods.

 

Planewalker: The only being who can walk between the planes without having to perform gate spells or prepare for survival. Planewalkers are believed to be descended from the gods and are very rare.

 

Shapeshifter: A human who can shift into an animal but is not a familiar. Most are predators. Shapeshifters can sometimes lose control over their beasts, called “going feral.” Predator familiars have acquired a bad reputation due to the shapeshifters that go feral, despite the fact that they cannot due to their magic.

 

Sorcerer: A human who can channel the magic of the planes, sorcerers are imbued with powerful mana. Most sorcerers bond with familiars, stabilizing their magic, while others view familiars as chains around them. These sorcerers become blood sorcerers. See above.

 

​Vampire: A creature of both Terra Mundus and Terra Noctem, vampires are the only true undead. They reside exclusively in Terra Mundus and require infusions of anima/animus to survive. This magic is absorbed through the blood of the donor. Laws are in place regulating how and where a vampire may feed. One must either register with the authorities to be turned or be able to prove that there was no other way to sustain their life. Some people have undead wills, allowing them to be turned in cases where the human may not be able to give conscious consent.