The World is host to at least a billion different extant species, magnitudes more than has been identified on Earth. However, barely a fifth of these have been discovered and put to record. At least as many species, if not double or triple as many, have also died out since the formation of the World, some due to various natural factors of ecosystem imbalance, most having been lost to Riven Space.
However, no species has had such an impact on the World as the Civilized Peoples. The blanket term refers to those species that underwent the rapid cognitive evolution brought upon by the Fourth Starfall. Within a mere century, at least a thousand Protohuman species obtained significant jumps in intelligence and awareness over just a handful of generations, some even adapting physical changes to take advantage of this new mental advancement. The rapid change eventually plateaued until these species were of equivalent average intelligence to a human from Earth.
What separates a Civilized People from other creatures in the World is their capacity for sapience, noted by self-awareness, distinct self-identity, adaptive learning, and imagination. These Peoples are capable of adaptive living beyond their initial means, the formation of advanced societies, and the ability to achieve full Dreaming.
While some sentient species are proficient in very specific tool use, for example, their inability to continue developing those tools, or ready adaptation to changes of environment, shows a lack of sapient capacity. Similarly, while some sentient species show an ability to Dream, their dreams are vague and formless, and they lack a Dreaming Self or fully formed Dream Bubble, which all sapients possess.
CIVILIZED vs UNCIVILIZED
The term "Civilized Peoples" is a bit nuanced in common parlance. "Peoples" refers, technically, to any form of sapient, while "Civilized" refers to any species capable of some form of complex social dynamic. Strictly speaking, there are sentients capable of low-level civilization, but they are resolutely stuck as they are. Likewise, the term implies the existence of "Uncivilized Peoples", sapients who insist on living like beasts. These latter exceptions are very uncommon, however.
What the term Civilized Peoples really refers to are those sapients who form structured societies, be they anything from small villages and nomadic tribes to multi-settlement states and sprawling empires. A Civilized People is recognized by other Civilized Peoples as being capable of governance.
PERSONAGE
For millennia, as the First Civilizations were forming, and even in some Regions to this day, an individual of any Civilized People was referred to as Human to denote personhood. With the discovery and emergence of more and more Xenoids, however, the term was considered discriminatory. Likewise some Demihuman Peoples always disagreed with it, and even some Metahumans were not found of the broad label. Eventually, Peoples and Person became the terms with which to denote a sapient individual, both in common parlance and in legal proceedings.
Nonetheless, the baseline Human template remains the yardstick by which all other species are measured, in terms of their capabilities.
HUMANOID vs XENOID
The majority of Civilized Peoples are humanoid to one degree or another, with said humanoids accounting for at least 70% of extant sapient species.
Protohumans of either Meta or Demi variants already existed prior to the Fourth Starfall, and most extant humanoids are their descendants. Many such Protohumans can still be found in the Shadow, but there are rumors that some such un-evolved species may still roam in certain Regions. Protohumans are not sapient, but are still highly sentient.
Metahumans are those who appear almost entirely human, but may have some minor inhuman features, such as bestial eyes and ears, clawed hands, feather patches instead of hair, have overtly different body proportions (such as being much shorter or taller on average), tusks, natural tattoo-like skin features, an extra set of limbs, etc. In other words, these would be species akin to elves, halflings, dwarves, near-human catgirls, etc.
Demihumans are those humanoids that are overt fusions of human forms with bestial, plant, fungal, or elemental features. This can range from being literally half-human/half-beast, or being a seemingly full beast with a body structure shaped to a humanoid template. Anything from mermaids and centaurs to wolfmen to flame folk to dryads qualify as Demihuman. It is surmised that many of these species underwent physical mutation during their evolution to adapt more humanoid forms.
Xenoids are sapients with no human features whatsoever, or at least with features so minimal as to be in reverse of Metahumans. These are sapients with fully bestial or elemental bodies. Most Xenoids likewise evolved out of the Fourth Starfall, but this category has come to include newer Sapients that have emerged since, such as self-aware magical constructs, bioroids, and automatons. Xenoids tend to be further sub-categorized into different types to better differentiate, but all are lumped under the blanket term by humanoid civilizations. Xenoids tend to have a harder time integrating with humanoids, and even with each other, and thus it is rarer to see heavy mixtures of Xenoid populations, as opposed to separated settlements that contact other sapients in neutral hub cities.
SUB-CATEGORIES
While Peoples are largely divided into three major categories, there are also further sub-categories and cross-categories that link some Peoples via related traits.
Littles are the broad label for any Peoples who are outright tiny compared to most Peoples. The average Little is around four to six inches tall, while most Peoples range between four and seven feet tall.
Bestians are Metahumans with distinctly bestial features, but not sufficient enough to fall under Demihuman categorization. These would be Metahumans with just a tail or a set of horns versus a full animal body with a humanoid frame, such as werewolf. Some consider this derogatory.
Felins are Peoples with overt catlike features, be they full catfolk, nearhuman catfolk, werecats, or talking cats.
Submar are any Peoples who live fully in underwater.
Elementals are any Peoples who possess an elementally-themed form or Species Gifts.
NOTEABLE SPECIES
The World Coalition officially recognizes 157 confirmed extant species of Civilized Peoples scattered across the World, further divided into 302 subspecies. As many as 274 more species are also confirmed to either have once existed in the World, or presently exist in Starfractures (alternate dimensions and timelines), beyond those sapients duplicated in those dimensions. It is presumed that any other Peoples no longer in the World were lost to Riven Space.
There are still some undiscovered Peoples in the World. A few species keep themselves hidden in isolated sectors of a given Region, particularly in the Vast Deeps of the larger Seas. Moreover, undiscovered Regions, those which have been fully cut off from the rest of the World by Riven Space, hold several Peoples unique to them (though their counterparts likely also exist in some Starfractures). At least 17 sapients exist in the World that are unknown by the Coalition.
Most people of the World are not even aware of the Starfractures, however, other than the long-confirmed existence of the Shadow, so this knowledge of extra species is only sporadically learned about by those who go out of their way to find the information. Travel to other Starfractures is virtually impossible outside of extreme exceptions, or by the favor of a Divine Power.
Many Civilized Peoples are composed of subspecies capable of mating into hybrids, although most such hybrids are infertile. Some subspecies, however, have come about from fertile hybridization allowing the emergence of an officially recognized new Peoples. Most Peoples are not cross-compatible over the species line, but there are some exceptions due to certain Peoples' Species Gift.
METAHUMANS
The very first of the Civilized Peoples to begin spreading and colonizing across the World were Humans. Over the course of a thousand years, they encountered, traded, allied with and fought against, many of the Peoples of the Lands across several Earths worth of territory. It is for this reason that Humans became regarded culturally as the baseline template many other Peoples are compared to. However, as far as anyone can tell, the original Humans no longer exist in the World, not as we know them. Instead, several subspecies exist, most of whom still look human as we would know them, but are genetically divergent enough to no longer be what we would consider Homo Sapiens.
Those Peoples who most closely resembled Humans, i.e., have only minor inhuman features, are referred to as Metahumans. Metahumans have a much higher capacity for crossbreeding with one another, but most hybrids are still infertile, save for specific combinations which, over time, became their own self-sustaining Peoples.
HUMANS
What we would consider the equivalent to modern day humans from Earth. These Humans averaged about five feet tall, and had light-brown skin and brown eyes, with brown or black hair. They were among the first Peoples to begin wide-spread travel and colonization efforts, establishing contact with dozens of other Peoples within several Earths worth of territory. They were also the fastest Species of their time to improve their tools and apply very early techniques of industrial production, as well as improve agriculture and animal husbandry. As they traveled, they disseminated new technologies (intentionally or unintentionally) to other Peoples as they spread across the World. They are also among the First Peoples to introduce slavery into the World; while not the only People to practice it, they were the first to establish a wide-scale Slave Trade, before numerous rebellions took place to overthrow the practice.
As aforementioned, the original Humans are extinct in the World. Between cross-breeding with other Peoples enough to sabotage their own replacement numbers, spreading themselves too thin across the World to properly sustain resource management, and getting into frequent wars against hostile Peoples with stronger combat capabilities, Humans eventually faded out of existence at least a few centuries before the Sixth Starfall. The only exceptions are Humans who somehow managed to outlast their species through supernatural means, such as those found among the Immortals. Their legacy, however, was to leave behind numerous crossbred subspecies.
Species Gift: Cross-Propagation. While not really a "gift" as such, Humans were cross-compatible with a wide number of Metahuman species and even some Demihuman species, leading to old theories that Humans must be the direct descendants of a Common Ancestor to many Peoples.
DOAN
Pronounced Doe-Ahn. Appearing as humans with reddish-brown shades of skin, hair ranging from blond to auburn shades, with warm-hued eye colors. They are born with curving black tattoo-like markings weaving over their backs and down their limbs, sometimes extending over their heads. These formations are combinations of their parents' particular weaves, leading to each tattoo being slightly modified, and thus it is easy to tell a Doan's lineage. The weaves hold some significance in their personal folklore, and some "fate readers" claim to be able to tell a person's fortune by reading their lines.
Species Gift: Temperature Resilience. Doans are able to directly regulate their body heat, seeming to use their weave-markings as channels for venting or locking in heat. This gives them high tolerance for hotter and colder climates than many Peoples. Doans hence can be found comfortably living in desert and tundra conditions, and tend to dress lightly regardless of the weather.
EKTRIK
Ektrik are pale humanoids with lanky builds, and wildly spiked up hair in blonde to red shades. Notably energetic and only needing three hours of sleep a day, but having shorter lifespans than the average Peoples.
Species Gift: Electrified Touch. They can produce a shock burst that is equivalent to a stun gun for several seconds, or a steady low-pulse flow of electricity for several minutes. Most can fire off five to ten of these in quick succession, but need at least an hour to recharge afterwards. Heavy use of this wears them out sooner, requiring longer sleep to recover. By contrast, they are more resilient against electrical charges used against them.
GNOMA
Six inches tall, pilot "giant" robots to compensate called Gremlocks, which are outfitted to look like their own species, or like local species. Outside of their Gremlocks, Gnoma are adept at using grappling hook and jump-booster mechanisms to navigate around the spaces of larger Peoples.
Species Gift: High intellect. Naturally genius-level species.
PIX
Six inch tall, wings to fly, thought to be a cousin species to the Gnoma.
Species Gift: Flight. Their fairy-like wings allow them to fly and hover. They have a moderate stamina for flight, able to go long distances when needed, but often only do so in short bursts to conserve energy.
MIGREE
Appear as humans with very dark brown skin, golden eyes, and pale frizzy hair.
Species Gift: Psyc
LACREE
Appear as humans with very dark brown skin, golden eyes, and pale frizzy hair.
Species Gift: Psychic capacity. Naturally resilient against other psionic powers, the Lacree can develop their own potential to achieve mind-over-body enhancement and further psychic perception capabilities. A rare few can even learn limited telekinesis.
JICT
Appear as light skinned humans with mostly blond and red hair colors. They are only
four feet tall, and naturally svelt.
Species Gift: The Jict possess a unique form of innate minor luck that activates when they perceive a clear goal in mind. The secret to this ability is actually a subconscious psionic power that scans the immediate environment and nudges them to take more favorable actions to maximize the outcome of their efforts. It really only works on a physical level on simple tasks, and does not, for example, let them tilt gambles in their favor nor set up a domino effect of benefits.
HOMANAE
Pronouced Ho-Mah-Nay. Appear as Humans, but have a long, prehensile monkey tail, or lemur tail. Naturally svelt. Known for their dervish-style swordsmanship wielding three blades at once, or two swords and a buckler.
Species Gift: Prehensile tail.
ELVIN
Naturally svelt humanoids with long, pointed ears. They live three hundred years. Basically elves.
Species Gift: Longevity.
BARSOON
Humans with blood-red skin, golden eyes, and black hair. They are infamous for their history of aggressive conquest, particularly after the Sixth Starfall. Their inhuman strength made for overwhelming infantry against most other Peoples, until wide-spread Magic use balanced the scales. During the War of Divine Powers, their patrons Gods were slain and 90% of their old Empire was annihilated by Riven Space. Since the end of the War, they have pulled back their forces and ceased outward expansion, but have ruthlessly seized full control of their home Region. Reluctantly, they are among the powers of the World Coalition and maintain trade with other Peoples, but only Barsoons are allowed full rights and citizenship in their Region.
Species Gift: Prodigious Strength, Psychic Resilience. Barsoons are naturally ten times stronger and tougher than the average Human. Likewise, Barsoons are more resistant to psychic influence than the average Human.
DARVEN
Shorter, stout humanoids, basically dwarves. Most Darven have an innate elemental connection to the earth, being able to sense their environment through a sort of tremorsense. If they attune this sense and go into a focused trance state, they can detect the resonance of different metals and crystals nearby in the ground. Naturally, this makes them ideal minors.
Species Gift: Tremorsense.
LOPFOA
Near-human rabbit folk, with lopped rabbit ears and rabbit tails.
Species Gift: Enhanced Strength, Enhanced Hearing. Lopfoa are three times stronger than a Human on average, and have superior hearing.
CAPRIN
Appearing as tall humanoids averaging six to seven feet tall, with dark skin, warm-hued eyes, and white or pale-blonde hair. They possess ram-like horns, which they can use as their casting focus for spells. They favor skimpy outfits and many tattoo their bodies with mystical, pigment shifting inks that glow when using Magic.
Species Gift: Enhanced Strength, Mystic Horns. Caprins are five times stronger and tougher than Humans. The horns of the Caprin are particularly potent for channeling mystical energies, both absorbing and casting. Spellcasting often has an elaborate visual display of lighting up their tattoos (if they have them), and funneling through their horns before being fired off the tips.
TAIOLAH
Humans with light skin, sporting a third eye situated on the forehead. Although there are still suspicions that their extra eye grants them supernatural powers of perception, this isn't true. Nonetheless, this stereotype has influenced the spirituality of their culture over the millennia, and emblems of the triple-eye is an icon of their religion.
The Taiolah are long-time cohabitants with the Terrahan.
Species Gift: Extra Eye. Superior spatial recognition.
TERRAHAN
Humans with bronze skin, sporting four arms. For millennia, their culture was lauded for their warrior skill, with their combat-monks training in the use of four different weapons at once. In the modern day, however, combat-monks are largely the purview of religious ceremony.
The Terrahan are long-term cohabitants with the Taiolah.
Species Gift: Extra Limbs. Four arms.
TERRALAH
A hybrid species between the Taiolah and the Terrahan. Ancient folklore of both Peoples surmised that this was the original form of a Common Ancestor distinct from other Metahumans that was split apart, but modern science has determined this to not be so.
Nonetheless, enough Terralah were born over the millennia that they were able to perpetuate their own subspecies. Now, there is a cultural distinction, not always pleasant, between Terralah born "in species" versus future hybrid births. Partly this is because Terralah cannot conceive with either Terrahan or Taiolah themselves, leading native-born descendants see themselves as removed from their parent species.
As such, there is something of a taboo in the modern day against hybrid pairings. Likewise, the Terralah, while occupying the same Regions as their parent species, have made a point to establish separated settlements with minor amounts of comingling. Nonetheless, the Terralah consider themselves culturally linked to their forebearers, and have always remained strong allies.
Species Gift: Extra limbs. Terralah sport both the third eye of the Taiolah and the four arms of the Terrahan.
NENDLES
Humanoids with pale skin. Their hairs are a bit thicker than most, forming thin, flexible wires that grow from their heads in thick spiky locks that require tough scissors to cut. Likewise, these spines can demonstrate a wide range of colors, starting off dull brown or black, and shifting during puberty to a completely random shade of the rainbow. The result is a hairstyle almost like that of an anime character. Their bodies are otherwise hairless.
Species Gift: Natural Weapon. While not especially practical, their hairs can be used as actual spine-weapons, whipping an opponent to make minor cuts or stabs. Likewise, if they can cut or pluck these hairs, the follicles are tough enough to be used as thin tools for things like string-ties or even lockpicks for simple locks.
IDOLA
Golden-skinned humanoids with silvery eyes. Their hair ranges from a lighter gold, copper, or silver. Despite the sheen of their skin, it is flesh, not metal. Idola are natural psychics, and they readily use this power to have a rigidly hierarchal society reinforced by their telepathic prowess. As such, their culture has calcified into a rigid caste system. Their psychic influence was a boon in suppressing and manipulating neighboring Peoples, until the emergence of powerful Espers and other Magics to shield their influence.
The Idola were among the most resilient in battling against the Barsoon, but in turn, the Barsoon proved equally resilient against their psychic gifts. As a result, the Barsoon were victorious in most battles against the Idola, but the Idola also cost them the most resources to combat. Arguably, if it were not for butting heads against one another, both People's Empires might have spread farther.
The Idola's own Empire was likewise savaged by the Riven Spaces. Their own culture venerated their People's accomplishments over a patron deity. In the aftermath of this devastation, the Idola were humbled. While still holding some degree of their old arrogance, they are much more willing to cooperate and make peaceful pacts with other Peoples than the Barsoon. Nonetheless, the Idola maintain majority control over their native Region, and any migrant Idola tend to naturally set themselves up in successful or influential situations in other settlements.
Species Gift: Natural Psychics, Enhanced Strength. Idola are at least twice as strong and tough as a Human by default. Idola have innate psychic powers, granting them several abilities. Most will specialize in a gift, but all have some degree of ability in all talents. These gifts include a form of ESP granting them a general sense of their immediate environment, empathic sense with other Peoples (reading emotions, detecting truth or lies), empathic influence (projecting raw charisma or intimidation from their presence, mild influencing of emotions), and telepathy with other Idola (full thought reading and broadcasting for psychic communication within several miles) and mind-over-body self-influence (increasing their strength and resilience to double or triple that of normal while in a trance state). Truly talented Idola can even go beyond these normal gifts and unlock focused telekinesis, full telepathy with other Peoples, and long-reaching clairvoyance and clairaudience.
DUULA
Duula appear as androgenous Humans of standard build, averaging five feet tall, with pale skin, and having darker hair and eye colors. They have physical strength closer to a Human female. Having a small population, the majority are found on a single Region, though they can be found in most of the major cities across it, mingled in with the general populace.
Duula are a mono-gendered species with unique genitalia that allows for dual-impregnation, though more often than not, only a single conception is achieved, as ovulation cycles usually synchronize to be off-set between mating partners, and a Duula cannot impregnate another while they themselves are pregnant.
They have their own unique pronoun in duu/duum, but this doesn't really see use outside their own communities. In wider society, they go by she/her as their manner of dress trends towards the feminine, and they prefer outfits that cover more of their body, such as dresses and cloaks. Ergo, most other Peoples mistake them for female.
Co-twins are the designation for twins resulting from a dual-pregnancy, and will almost never look identical, as opposed to mono-twins, when two children are birthed from one parent and will more often than not be identical. There is some bias against mono-twins as somehow being an "imbalanced procreation", leading for such twins to often be raised apart. In modern times, however, this stigma is considered old-fashioned and frowned upon, but some still hold mono-twin births as a bad omen.
Species Gift: Longevity. Duula live about 150 years, and don't appreciably suffer from aging until their 120th year. Even then, they tend to remain naturally hardy in old age until about 140, when their health begins to worsen more quickly. Despite this, some Duulan manage to live as long as 200 if they take particularly good care of themselves.
AZURA
A female-only humanoid species that reproduces through blood-mingling rituals. Averaging six feet in height, they have bronzen skin, black hair, and eye colors ranging from dark brown to hazel-gold. Although appearing quite feminine, they demonstrate highly masculine personalities. They are renowned warriors, and revel in combat, but their culture also produces highly esteemed artists and priestesses. Their culture, even in modern times, demonstrates architecture and art blending what we would recognize as Hindu and Aztec aesthetics. They prefer dressing lightly, with more exotic robes for ceremony. They worship a specific Celestial they call Devah, and live within her God Realm. However, some Azura venture out into the World to seek their own fortunes when they come of age, or should they find their life in Devah's World wanting.
Species Gift: Prodigious Physicality. A given Azura woman is about four times stronger and tougher than a male Human, heals at ten times the rate of a human, and is overall more agile, with faster reflexes.
ZIREN
Zirens are light-browned skinned humanoids averaging six feet tall. Hair ranges from hazel to dark brown to auburn. Eyes tend to be cooler colors of mesmerizing vibrancy. Coming from a Region dominated by wetlands and islands, they have a long history of maritime industry, and have the stereotype of practically being a Seabound People, despite not having features for Sea living. As it happens, though, they happen to have good relations with the Seabound Peoples in their Region, and are somewhat seen as "honorary amphibians" by some of the amphibious Demihumans.
Species Gift: The Voice. Zirens have the ability to project a psionically-laced vocal frequency that tickles the minds of most other Mortals. While more effective on beasts, the power is still influential on most Peoples, especially if they are not aware of the power or effect. This makes Zirens natural hypnotists, and their voices add extra emotional impact when they sing. This effect only carries over in person, however, and can't be recorded.
NIGHTLINGS
Bone-white humanoids with equally white hair, gray nails, and gray eyes with black irises. Nightlings are one of the three known People's to inhabit a Moon. 300 years ago, they attempted an invasion by using the Eclipse Shadow of their Moon to reach the Land of the nearest Region, as an advance party for possible invasion. However, once off their Moon, the powerful Magics of their Distortion failed them, leaving the army weakened, and easily routed. The survivors of the excursion mostly managed to flee back home, while the few who were captured killed themselves to prevent being questioned.
Species Gift: Naturally born with powerful Magics based on their Moons' Distortion, mostly a form of darkness manipulation. This enables manipulation of dark matter (solid shadow mass), dark energy projection (shadow plasma), dark vision, shadow form, and the summoning of shadow monster constructs.
SHADOW FOLK
One of three unique sapients to live in the Shadow. They are gaunt, gray skinned humanoids with black hair and pale glowing white eyes. Their hair waves like black fire in the air.
Species Gift: Shadow Resilience, Black Flame. They are one of the few Peoples capable of living comfortably in the Shadow. In addition, they possess the power to blast fire from their bodies which burns with a unique blacklight glow.
ATTANILLI
Humanoids with pale blue-gray skin and hair ranging between shades of blue and green, with eyes ranging from gold to emerald. Attanilli are one of the few Metahuman Sea Peoples, being amphibious, and living exclusively in shores or marshlands, or clustered around tiny islands.
Species Gift: Aqualungs, Aquatic Adaptation. Their lungs are able to process water as well as air, while their larger hands and feet and micro-scaled skin enable better water traveling.
ICITIC
Pronounced "Ick-Ah-Tick". Humanoids with pale blue skin and large manes of white hair, who live in arctic conditions.
Species Gift: Temperature (cold) resistance. Most comfortable living in sub-zero temperatures, even as low as -300 Centigrade. Their Peoples live in a Region largely frozen over, and their early settlements were carved out of glaciers. Some even use icebergs as mobile bases for fishing and mining operations.