The Fae
Unlike their supernatural counterparts, The Fae is a subspecies of humans that come in all shapes and sizes and are native to the earth dimension.
Long ago, the Fae existed alongside mankind, with their own cultures, customs, and Gods before the events of The Great War.
During The Great War, some of the Fae chose to support their Gods in their battle against Yahweh and Devil, while others fled into parts unknown to survive.
Thousands of years later, the Fae are nothing but legends and strange stories we see in media, mostly for the entertainment of children. But in reality, the Fae that survived the Great War have had thousands of years to regroup and stay hidden amongst humanity and the Supernatural Community.
Elves
Elves are a race of humanoid creatures that have heightened senses and reflexes. They were once a separate species until The Great War; when the Elves and Fae were forced to choose whether they should flee back to their home dimension or stand and fight alongside other Gods. This has created new kinds of Elves and a dramatic change in their societal structure as a race.
Elves are divided into three main groups: The Elder, The Dearmad, and The Zummaht.
The Elder
Named for an ancient and magical tree, sacred to the Druids, The Elder Elves are reclusive and private; hidden from the human realm deep in ancient forests of their home dimension.
They use the Elder trees as gateways to their home dimension, 'Ida', where vast forest canopies stretch up to the sky, and The Elder live in elegant cities below them. The architecture is built within the forest, so no harm comes to nature, and the elves live in coexistence with the beasts and animals of their realm, as well as the Fae. They very rarely travel to the human realm, typically to track their elven kin who live amongst humanity.
The Elder are quite sophisticated in their technology, especially their blacksmithing and woodwork as they can communicate with the elements they are using. Their works are prized in the human realm but are very rare to come by as Elder Elves do not like sharing their technology with the 'lower races'.
The Elder are known for their 'purist' approach to mating and will often have very detailed genealogies kept by the Matriarch of a clan. It is the Matriarch's that decide who will marry and produce offspring, and they control The Elder society as a council. Each Matriarch oversees their family affairs, but if a grievance is caused between two families, the council will convene to decide matters. Through careful matches made by the Matriarchs, the Elder Society ensures the perfect distillation of magical properties and attributes into their bloodlines, as well as the alliances made through uniting two families.
The Politics of the Elder is fascinating as they are led by an ancient king that has ruled for thousands of years, yet most societal decisions are left to the Matriarch's to settle. The King is only brought in when catastrophes threaten the race, or when the Matriarch's cannot settle matters themselves, though this is rare.
Very few have ever challenged him, and all who tried were quickly destroyed by the King of the Elder; Cernunnos.
The Dearmad
'Forgotten' (in Celtic)
A term coined by the Elder; the Dearmad is the general term for an elf that was left behind on earth during The Great War or an elf that chose to leave the Elder realm and coexist among humanity.
Those who either chose not to go or were left behind 2,000 years ago have mostly acclimated to human society, with some entirely losing the knowledge of their heritage over the generations. There are many humans existing today that have Elven or even Fae blood and diluted abilities and don't know it, while others hold on to traditions that have been passed down carefully through the generations.
Many Dearmad will often carry a symbol of a dear with a crown of antlers either in their clothes or even as tattoos as a symbol of their connection to their ancient king Cernunnos and their distant kin in another dimension.
The Zummaht
During the Great War, a faction of Elves chose to sever ties to their Elven Kin and join one of the Arch Angels, Thammuz, who offered them rewards for finding and hunting down their kind. They proved highly effective at capture and torture, helping the Arch Angels to hunt down the elusive Fae who supported the Old Gods in the Great War.
At the end of the war, Thammuz took the Zummaht deep into hell to the Ring of Torture and set them to the task of torturing damned souls or continuing their hunt for the Fae in the Human Realm. Any captured Fae are brought back to Thammuz or sent to Asmodeus for his experiments.
Cernunnos
An ancient god-king of the forests, Cernunnos is known for his deer mask adorned with antlers and a green cloak of moss and leaves that he wears as he traverses the forests. He can assume any animal form, call on the trees to fight for him (The Ents), and command a legion of elves both in the Elder dimension and on Earth.
The King is rarely seen amongst his people, often disappearing for months at a time to commune with the creatures of the forest or even to venture into the human realm.
Not much is known of the elusive Nature God; save only that he chose not to fight in The Great War and that he is responsible for the survival of the Fae and Elven races.
As the Old Gods waged war against Yahweh and Devil, many of the supernatural community began to make contingency plans if the Old Gods lost the war.
Cernunnos; an ancient woodland god, sought to protect the Fae community and the Elves by reopening the portal to their home dimension by way of the Elder Trees. The Elves accepted his offer of help, but many in the Fae community refused due to long-standing grievances between certain races of Fae.
Despite this, he would use the Elder Trees to open the portals to the Elven dimension and evacuate the Elves and Fae that wished to flee. Closing the portal behind him, a new society was built and he would be made king, despite his protests. The Elves were adamant that he would prove an effective protector and leader and so he would rule the elves for thousands of years.
He would eventually reopen portals back to earth, journeying both realms and monitoring humanity, the Dearmad, and the supernatural community.
Abilities
Sometimes it can be hard to tell the different genders of the elves as they are very feminine in appearance. They are typically tall and lithe creatures, but with the Dearmad intermingling with humanity, they can lose some of the delicate features known to their species. With angular features, tall, thin bodies, and pointed ears, their delicate demeanor often hides their inherent speed, strength, and super-human hearing and sight.
They are prolific hunters who can blend into shadows and are impossible to spot in a forest unless they want to be seen.
The most distinctive characteristic of the elves (other than their ears and hunting abilities) is their life span.
Though many believe they are immortal, the Elves are not eternal; able to die due to injury, illness, and natural causes such as aging. Depending on their bloodlines, the elf's average lifespan will vary from:
Elder - 5,000 to 10,000 years, though there are a rare few that have lived longer than that.
Dearmad - 150 to 1,500 years, but this varies dramatically depending on the purity of the Elf's bloodline.
Zummaht - Unknown as they have undergone many 'modifications' since their service began to Thammuz.
Dwarves
The dwarves were once a proud race that was known for their smithing craft and forging.
Before the Great War, the dwarves were also known for their neutrality; never choosing a side or involving themselves in outside conflicts. They traded equally with everyone and preferred to keep to themselves and their people in their faraway villages located in the remote north of Europe and Russia.
As they had no magical ability and were not Gods, Yahweh and the Arch Angels did not have much concern for the dwarves or their weapons, but some of the Old Gods did.
The Norse and Celtic Gods came to the dwarves, demanding that they join the fight and provide their weapons to their war effort.
Despite the Old God's pleas for help, the dwarves refused to give them their arsenal of runic weapons and artillery but offered to help the Old Gods negotiate a truce with the Celestial brothers so they could end the war.
This offer of peace would destroy the dwarves.
After the dwarves refused to hand over their arsenal of weapons, they offered to help broker a peace between the Old Gods and the Celestial brothers Yahweh and Devil.
As a neutral party, the dwarves tried to council both sides to a more peaceful resolution; arranging a summit to meet and negotiate terms in the remote wilderness of Siberia that was unclaimed territory.
When the dwarven leaders arrived, they found a massacre of Angels and humans and no Old Gods in sight.
When they returned to their stronghold, they found their armories were gone and their villages burning in the night. The attack not only decimated the dwarven population but killed nearly 80 percent of the women and children in the entire dwarven society.
The dwarves suspected the Norse or Celtic Gods of the massacres but it was never confirmed. They were now an endangered species with a mostly male population and no means of defending themselves, so they gathered who they could and fled deeper into the north and underground.
There the dwarves would regroup, mourn the loss of their kin, and harbor a profound rage at the Old Gods for the murder of their women and children.
In modern times, the dwarves have completely disappeared and have not been sighted in centuries.
Where they are, what they are doing, and if they are still alive, are unknown.
Characteristics
Dwarves are a resilient sub-species of humans that have thrived in some of the harshest places on earth.
With a natural resilience to cold, they gravitated towards the far northern reaches of Russia and Europe, making their homes in glacial tundras and frozen wilderness.
They were known for their even tempers, love of good food and drink, and loyalty to their kin.
As short and stout people, the dwarves also have a resistance to magic of any kind, especially elemental, and they use this resistance to craft Runes that imbue weapons and armor with magical properties.
It was this quality that made their weapons the desire of many races both Fae and Supernatural, and what caught the attention of the Old Gods in the Great War.
Werewolves
Werewolves are a separate species of humanity, their lineage diverging long ago as they can transform into a wolf. There are many folk stories about how they began, but the truth is they were born as they are and separated from humanity thousands of years ago. As humanity moved on into modernity, the wolves kept their connection to nature, remaining a secret from humanity.
They typically have yellow eyes, rarely ice blue eyes (dependent on packs) that are always present and are the only outward sign of their true nature in human form.
They can transform into human/ wolf creatures that can tower over 9 feet tall (average) with some rumored to be even bigger. Their pelts in wolf form can change just as any wolf in the wild, with the rarest being pure white or pure black.
The average life span of a healthy werewolf is around 200 years, though some have been known to live to 250 or even 300.
Pack Structures
Depending on the pack and its unique cultural practices, most packs will have an Alpha or Alpha Pair that leads the pack and will speak for the pack to other pack groups. Most individuals who make up the pack were born into it.
However, there is an understanding between the packs that sometimes exchanges of members are needed, especially when it comes to male and female numbers. If there are too few females, this can drastically reduce a pack's numbers for the next generation, and if there are too many males they will see an increase in dominance shows and an escalation of pack violence, especially among younger males.
Often the female leaders of the packs will negotiate the exchanges, with the support of the Alpha/s and events will be created to encourage intermingling. When a werewolf is mated, they retain the name of their pack so they can track bloodlines, be they male or female, and this ensures healthier offspring.
Divided into regions, packs will typically fall into different regions that were established long ago, along with strict borders that are not to be crossed or encroached upon. As territorial creatures, these borders are essential to maintaining peace between the packs and avoiding war. If there are territorial disputes, a meeting of the packs can be called with all Alpha's in the region required to attend.
There is an annual gathering of the packs which changes location between the packs hosting each year. This is typically a large celebration with hundreds in attendance. Young and old are invited to attend and pack-on-pack violence is unacceptable. While festivities are planned and activities of all kinds are present, the Alpha's will meet to discuss affairs and plan for the coming year. Most proposals or disputes are settled by a vote. However, an Alpha can call for a contest between themselves and another Alpha to resolve a dispute. Whatever the outcome, it is absolute and non-negotiable.
Alphas
Alphas are often volunteered or nominated by members of their pack to become the Alpha or Alpha pair. If the nomination is contended by another nominated Alpha, the prospective Alpha's will undergo a contest of strength and fighting ability. Whoever wins will become the new Alpha, and if they have a partner, they will also become a DeFacto Alpha in the pack - The Alpha Pair.
However, the nominated Alpha will always have dominance, and the final say in pack disputes and decisions.
Some packs rely on this nomination system; however, other packs follow a more hereditary approach; the role of Alpha is passed through bloodlines.
It is up to the pack how they run themselves, there are however some societal rules that all packs must follow without question, or risk retaliation and consequences from the other packs.
In modern times it is rare for packs to go to war with each other. Most packs consist of 20-40 members with some bigger packs estimated around 60 members. If one pack attacks another, the Alpha's in the region is not to intervene as strength in the race is paramount. If a pack cannot defend itself, it is considered a weak bloodline and better eradicated.
However, if the aggressors act with dishonor, slaughter children, or cause the risk of exposure to humans, the other Alpha's in the region are honor-bound to stop them, resulting in their destruction.
Alpha Kings
Only in extraordinary circumstances can a summit be called to elect an Alpha King. Throughout werewolf history which spans thousands of years, there have only been a handful of kings, and all have served a temporary purpose in werewolf society at those times.
Only when a catastrophic event threatens their species can a King be called to serve the packs and it must be a unanimous vote from all packs in the region. Once the crisis has passed, the Alpha King must step down and the order returned to the packs in that region.
Abilities
In human form: strength, speed, endurance, hearing, and sight are heightened, but they are at their strongest in their wolf form.
In their wolf form: their innate abilities (above) are doubled, coupled with teeth and claws. They have a thick hide that is hard to penetrate and are formidable opponents.
Very few weaknesses, mostly guns, are used at a distance, as few survive a close encounter with a werewolf. Up close, a steel sword can be used to kill, if you can strike the head, or heart or dismember the werewolf.
The greatest threat to a werewolf is the risk of becoming Feral.
Ferals
Being so close to their primal natures, werewolves are susceptible to becoming Feral if they stray too close to their inner beast.
To become Feral is to lose all sense of one's humanity, becoming utterly consumed by the inner wolf that constantly seeks to claw its way to the surface of a werewolf's mind. The danger of becoming a Feral werewolf is that once they give in to the beast, they are unable to take human form again
Coupled with a human intellect, Ferals are incredibly dangerous to everyone and everything around them, often going on a rampage and causing incredible harm as they actively hunt other werewolves.
At particular risk are the Omega's, or 'Lone Wolves'; werewolves who wander alone and away from a pack that can provide a communal connection to others of their kind.
Ferals are uncommon in the werewolf population but when one is discovered, it is immediately hunted down and killed for its risk of exposure to the human population.
Kitsune
The Kitsune are a unique type of Fae Spirit that coexists with humanity (most of the time) and seeks affinity with nature.
With a long history in Japan and originating in ancient China, the Kitsune is known for being a Japanese fox spirit, one that can harness the power of nature and the elements it has unique affinities.
With many different types, and elements to embody, the Kitsune has a notorious reputation for being a trickster, sometimes preying on humans and impersonating a human to play tricks on them.
In other places and periods, the fox is worshipped much like a god by the Japanese people.
Each has a unique influence over nature and the elements, but all inhabit a unique space in the Fae community:
They are the only example of a spirit that is attached to a human form through peaceful means, rather than possession.
How this spiritual connection began is unknown, but it has existed for thousands of years.
The only legend that exists to explain the origin of the Kitsune species is that an ancient Japanese family once asked a powerful Fae Spirit for help in winning a battle against an overwhelming enemy. After a bargain was struck, the Fox Spirit imbued this family with elemental energies and an aspect of itself that created the Kitsune race.
Types of Kitsune and their Spirit Forms
The legends vary depending on the source material, but the consensus is that there are 12 types of Kitsune, and all have unique abilities and characteristics.
Though we know the general details of each Kitsune Spirit Form, their true natures are often obscured due to differing reports from encounters with Kitsune and their secretive natures.
Below we will explore what we do know of the Kitsune and their abilities.
Sanda
Thunder Kitsune
Thunder Kitsune are among the most common in the Kitsune community.
With the power of lightning, they can disrupt any electronic device, summon an electrical current to use as a weapon and the more powerful among the Sanda Kitsune can even call a thunderstorm to them.
Jikan
Time Kitsune
Time Kitsune are rare in the Kitsune community and are tricky to find.
They can freeze time or speed it up, and some are rumored to be able to travel in to the past.
Ongaku
Music Kitsune
Music Kitsune are the second most common, and are drawn to arts, theatre and the film industry.
They are natural performers, able to hypnotize others, sing them to sleep, and manipulate emotions with just the sound of their voice.
Mori
Forest Kitsune
An uncommon Kitsune, the Mori are a small group in the Kitsune community, preferring nature and tranquility to civilization.
It is said that they can blend so well into the trees that not even elves can find them, making them incredibly hard to find. Little else is known about this elusive family of Kitsune.
Yama
Mountain Kitsune
The Mountain Kitsune live in deep caves carved with their power in remote parts of Japan.
Close kin with the Earth Kitsune, The Yama are known for their mining operations that supply resources to humans, generating income and making them the wealthiest of the the Kitsune families.
They are able to carve stone, detect precious metals and gems in the earth, and even collapse mountain tunnels.
Umi
Ocean Kitsune
Unlike the other Kitsune on this list, Umi is not a family of Kitsune, but the original Ocean Kitsune herself. It is said that Umi was born barren and unable to mother children, making her the first and last of her kind.
She is often seen in the company of the Kawa: a family of River Kitsune, but she is rumored to hold incredible elemental power over salt water and oceanic creatures.
Kawa
River Kitsune
A shy Kitsune, the Kawa hold a close affinity for water and rivers, living in small secluded villages along the rivers of Japan.
It is said that they can manipulate the water into streams that float in the air, swirling and bending at their will. They can also call down water from far off places in times of drought to help the Chikyu Kitsune with their farms.
Chikyu
Earth Kitsune
The third most common Kitsune, the Earth Kitsune, are farmers that raise animals and work closely with humans to provide food for the Fae and human populations in Japan.
A very social Kitsune, they can move earth and stone to build homes, plow fields and harvest crops, and even cause earthquakes.
It is said that the Japanese government knows of the existence of Earth Kitsune and keeps their secret as they are valuable to conservation and farming efforts in Japan.
Kasal
Fire Kitsune
Another rare Kitsune and one of the most powerful on this list, Fire Kitsune typically live far away from society until they are taught to control their abilities.
With power over fire, they can manipulate and use it as a weapon, and It is rumored that the more powerful of their number can even cause volcanoes to erupt.
Because of their volatile abilities, young Kasai Kitsune are taken by their families into remote places for years until they learn to control their emotions and abilities.
Kaze
Wind Kitsune
Unfortunately, their is little known of the Kaze 'Wind' Kitsune as they are now extinct.
It is said that the last of the Wind Kitsune were wiped out during World War 2 during the bombings of Hiroshima and none have been seen since.
Tengoku
Celestial Kitsune
Tengoku Kitsune are the rarest of the Japanese Fox Spirits as it is a Kitsune that is not born, but made.
According to one ancient legend in Japanese folk stories, Tengoku is the father of the Kitsune species, a being of pure light that became a Celestial Kitsune to destroy Kukan, his twin brother and the first Void Kitsune.
Since Tengoku, there have been no Celestial Kitsune since. But it is said any Kitsune can ascend and become a Celestial Kitsune through their actions and conviction in times of conflict.
Kukan
Void Kitsune
Kukan, much like the Tengoku Kitsune are incredibly rare as they are created through a Kitsune's acts, not through a bloodline.
Void Kitsune are utterly destructive, decimating anything and anyone in their path when they are unleashed. Their thirst for power often leads them to hunt other Kitsune, absorbing their powers upon their death and making them stronger.
They also feed on fear and pain which makes them incredibly hard to kill. According to legends, any time a Void Kitsune rises, all Kitsune families are called to fight and contain them.
How a Kukan Kitsune is contained is unknown as well as their prison location as it is a closely guarded secret among Kitsune.
Only a Tengoku, or 'Celestial' Kitsune can kill a Void Kitsune.
Abilities/ Weaknesses
They can harness the power they’re born with and depend on the type of Kitsune they are. They can ascend to become a Tengoku or descend to become Kukan.
When using their abilities, their eyes glow, and they have enhanced strength, speed, and accelerated healing (much like the werewolf, but not as strong).
They can, however, imbue objects with their natural abilities, creating powerful weapons they can use to fight, known as ‘Tails’. As a Kitsune grows older and stronger, they can create more tails, however, if these tails are broken or destroyed, the Kitsune will become weaker and can eventually be killed by conventional means.
Kitsune are not immortal, they just age at a slower rate, with an average life span of 1200 to 1600 years.
It is very hard to kill a Kitsune of any kind as they hold incredible elemental power and the ability to shapeshift into many forms. Their weakest state is their human form, which is susceptible to human weaponry and illness but even then, they are highly resistant to disease and injury; and able to heal rapidly. Fortunately, most Kitsune prefer to coexist with humans and not cause harm, so it is generally unnecessary to hunt them.
However, if a Kitsune threatens exposure or is terrorizing humans, other Kitsune will intervene and contain the Kitsune until it is safe to release. How they contain Kitsune is unknown and a great secret held close by the Kitsune species. The most vulnerable Kitsune are those who are young and are learning to master their abilities. With incredible power over nature and the elements, young Kitsune will be kept close to their Kin packs until they have mastered their emotions and abilities, as they are the most at risk of exposure for their kind.
Often, the Kin pack of the young Kitsune will take them far away from human populations and into nature so they can learn and practice their abilities in safety, before returning to civilization to blend in with humanity and supernaturals.
Enemies/ Alliances
Kitsunes tend to stay in close Kin packs with other Kitsunes – usually family members. They have no natural enemies in the supernatural or human worlds and prefer a more neutral and peaceful stance in times of conflict. They are excellent negotiators, peacekeepers, and mediators.
In truth, there isn't much that is known about the culture and sociology of The Kitsune as they typically stay in Japan and keep to themselves. Rarely will the Kitsune show themselves to humans or even supernaturals, and then it is likely a Kukan 'Void' Kitsune causing trouble.
Undead
The undead have become a popular tool for storytelling in modern media; often depicted as vast hordes of zombies taking over the world or ghosts that haunt and kill the living.
And yet, throughout history, the undead have played an intriguing role in how we view death and immortality.
In reality, summoning the spirits of the dead or animating corpses into zombies is a very difficult task and one that often ends in disaster. Here, we will explore some of the undead and spectral entities one may encounter as they can be very hard to kill.
Disclaimer
Be warned: what you are about to read may disturb some readers so discretion is advised. Many of the below entities were brought into the world through violent and tragic means and this may be triggering for some readers.
If you have an aversion to suicide, rape, murder, or mutilation, please do not read on.
Necromancers
Most known to hail from ancient cultures such as the Egyptians, Babylonians, China, and India, necromancers have a unique power over the dead and dying.
Through sacrifice and dark magic, a necromancer can prolong their life, sending their essence from one body to the next, making them virtually immortal. They can come in any shape, size, gender, nationality, race, or religion, with the more common coming from the African continent and voodoo/ shamanic cultures.
Sacrificial magic, blood magic, and black magic are all tools the necromancer can use in a fight. Able to summon any dead creature on earth, a necromancer can create warriors to fight their battles, slaves to serve them, and rend the soul right out of a living person to increase their strength (blood magic).
Some are known to have psychic abilities such as telepathy, clairvoyance, and telekinesis, while others can communicate with the dead.
They are very hard to kill as they can instill their essence in objects or the bodies of their slaves, jumping bodies when their host body is killed. If you can find the host, fire, decapitation, some forms of natural magic and dismemberment will kill a necromancer.
Most demons and supernaturals avoid necromancers, less they become a slave to one with vampires in particular being the greatest enemy of necromancers, as they can be controlled and enslaved by them.
Necromancers are relatively rare as few have the power or the stomach to harness death and sacrificial magics.
Zombies
Contrary to pop culture, Zombies are incredibly hard to raise from the dead and often require very skilled practitioners of death magic (such as necromancers) to bring forth.
The purpose of a zombie is to be a mindless slave to their master, an unkillable minion that could have a variety of purposes for their master.
However, Zombies are very hard to keep alive as the magic that animates their bodies must be constantly reinforced or they will continue to decay like any other corpse. Most practitioners will raise a zombie as either a form of punishment to the person who once inhabited the corpse or as minions to do their bidding.
There are very rare cases, however, where a powerful necromancer can reanimate a corpse so they can re-ensoul it and return the occupant to their body, or place another soul into it. But this has not been proven, only rumored.
When dealing with Zombies, fire and severing of the limbs is the only way to stop them, as the bites of zombies carry horrific diseases that can kill you within minutes.
Ghouls
Often mistaken for Zombies, Ghouls are mindless and cannibalistic monsters that inhabit graveyards and areas that have seen much death (like battlefields).
No one truly knows how Ghouls are created, some suspecting necromantic spells going wrong or vengeful spirits inhabiting corpses to cause harm. What we do know is that Ghouls are fast, strong, and relentless in their pursuit of food, humans being their number one target.
To kill a Ghoul is relatively straightforward; decapitation, fire, severing the limbs, or employing a necromancer to return their bodies to their graves are usually the best practices, though necromancers are a gamble. One thing that all must do to ensure that the Ghoul cannot return is to burn the body.
Revenant
A Revenant is a powerful undead warrior with magical powers and is unkillable.
They are the rarest entity in this list and there have only been a handful of encounters recorded throughout history.
There is only one way we know of to create a Revenant, and that is to make a deal with Berith, the Fallen Arch Angel of Greed and Patron of Necromancers. Only he has the power to animate a corpse and imbue it with his power so it can act as a warrior servant to those who have made the bargain with him.
The details of the bargains and the cost to the petitioner are unique to each case, but all end the same: with the Revenant killing the master and returning to their grave.
To make a bargain with Berith is to not only hand your soul over to hell but to sign your life away as soon as the Revenant has fulfilled the bargain's purpose.
If you encounter a Revenant, it is best to get out of its way. There is currently nothing known to mankind that can stop them, and they will destroy anything that stands between them and their master's goal.
