𝖎. species glossary

Formal scientific names of species included. In order of worldwide demographics.

Humans | Homini. Plural is the same. I believe everyone is aware of what a human is. The most populous intelligent species on the planet, who have been in power for several centuries for their supreme intellect and ability to navigate international politics.

Witches/Warlocks | Mage. Plural magi. By far the most common magical species in America, and probably broadly, magi popularized the use of the term 'mages' which now refers to mag'-users generally. The feminine term being witches and the masculine term being warlocks, magi are the most accepted in a post-Civil Rights Act America and are starting to break into high-profile fields like law, medicine, and politics. Magi communities, whose abilities vary but are mostly limited to spells and alchemy, are widespread across the country and gaining influence breaking into human-exclusive spaces. In-Betweens are achieving similar feats. There is still a distinct separation between magic and non-magic communities in the U.S., but when humans think of their mage neighbor, they think of witches and warlocks. Magi have their own universities, restaurants, and clubs, but are beginning to integrate into the human world along with their In-Between counterparts.

Sirens | Scylla. Plural sirenum, which doesn't make much sense, and so it's easier now for everyone to just say 'sirens'. Known for their androgynously feminine appearance and being the only major species in which females are the dominant sex, sirens can shift between land and water, although freshwater and saltwater sirens vary culturally and tend to clash quite violently. The reputation of sirens precedes them, a matriarchal community with hypnotic vocal magic that either slaughters their males or imprisons them for breeding. Male sirens that escape typically wind up in sex work. Several cutthroat gangs in the Deep South and Florida are ruled by sirens.

Vampires | Caeda. Plural caedes. A popular subject of myth and urban legend, vampires do not practice magic but are considered magic for their immortality (that is, lack of death by natural causes, although they can be killed with difficulty) and bizarre thirst for blood. They are also stronger and possess more endurance than the average human, can withstand extreme temperatures and hold their breath for long periods of time. Caedes used to live in hiding in Europe, although many fled due to the rise of Italian bounty hunters. I don't know where this rumor started, but sunlight is unlikely to kill them, although they will become severely disfigured from the burns after a prolonged period of time. Pureblood vampires stop aging once they reach their mid-twenties, after their brains have fully developed, and then their minds continue to age while their bodies do not-except in the case that they halt their diet, in which they would begin to age very rapidly. Turned vampires, having been bitten by other vampires, remain at the physical age they were when they were turned while their minds continue to age with time, regardless of diet. Vampires are not limited to drinking human blood; they also target any other magical species whose blood is palatable, although notably not sirens or dragons, who apparently aren't very tasty. The only species that gets along especially well with them are hydra, who can supply endless amounts of blood if they so fancy, but I won't get into the baffling vampire-hydra sex club subculture...

Mortem | Mortuus. Plural mortem. These are demons that walk the earth. They are a fascinating sight to look at for certain, although perhaps with a face that only a mother could love. Mortem possess the ability to interact with the dead and move to and from the underworld, to the detriment of their lifespan.

Werewolves | Nocturna. Plural nocturnis. Surely you've heard of werewolves. The teeth, the claws, the full moon, the fact that they all act like angsty children, it's all true. The werewolf order is so strict, no matter your country, that being thrown out of your pack is often regarded as a fate worse than death. Their mating laws are strange as well, enough so that I don't understand it. Notoriously, nocturnis don't get along smoothly with vampires.

Hydra | Serpentis. Plural serpenai. You're more likely to encounter the slang term 'hydra'. While serpenai appear to be human at first glance, they can produce deadly venom and have a regenerative healing factor that makes them practically invincible. Hydra are even more impossible to kill than vampires and wendigo, insensitive to silver-their limbs and cells regenerate indefinitely, and if you cut off one head, they'll grow back a new brain and an altered personality. Rumor has it that the hydra have cannibalistic tendencies, but prominent Brazilian gang CDR (House Of Reptiles) claims they don't eat each other, or anyone else, anymore. I don't know for sure. I've never met one.

In-Betweens | Inusit. Plural is the same. Most frequently referred to as In-Betweens, or IBs for short, although you'll also hear the technically incorrect and derogatory term "half-mag'". Generally human-passing, In-Betweens are born with several strange and unique abilities, called "quirks", which develop throughout adolescence, some at random and others derived from traumatic experiences. In-Between magic ranges from mundane to supremely powerful and is widely regarded as irreversible, regardless of how simple it may be. In-Betweens have an easier time disguising themselves amongst humans compared to other magical species because they can hide their magic relatively easily. This can put a rift between them and other mage species, particularly magi, preventing them from really fitting in anywhere. On their own, the IB community has a largely criminal and unfavorable reputation.

Dragons | Dracaena. Plural dracaenae. Not the dragons from storybooks that lord over hapless princesses in towers, but fearless winged shapeshifters, generally taller than the average human. Though they've inspired many a folk tale, anyone expecting to encounter enormous beasts that can demolish entire cities will be disappointed to find the dracaenae are distant evolutionary cousins of the komodo dragon. Subspecies include dravians, half-dragon and half-avian, and abyssa, half-dragon and half-demon. They aren't popular within dracaenae communities, and yet there are hundreds of them. Perhaps dragons are hopeless romantics. Dragons historically are found in the United Kingdom, Ireland, Denmark, and the Netherlands.

Griffins | Gryphus. Plural grypha. The old spelling is lost to the times, so you're more likely to hear people refer to them as 'griffins'. Once pure-hearted mighty winged warriors who defended mountains of gold, the griffin race have since become widely regarded as political savages who are easily manipulated by smarter species for their ruthlessness, but they will never lose their protective nature. Once you have a griffin's loyalty, he will never leave your side. Griffins make up most of the military of the global superpower that is modern Greece.

Black-Eyes | Luscus liberos, the black-eyed children. Also creatures of hell, and often taken in and watched over by a guardian mortuus. Like vampires, the black-eyed children do not age. Melancholy in nature but not violent, and in fact, seem to be an entirely innocent and peaceful species despite common fear of them. The black-eyes are an omen; spotting one means a more dangerous demon is near. Little is known about what they are and what they can do, as sightings of them are generally rare. I imagine it's the endless pools of darkness they possess for eyes that turn people off, but who can be sure?

Voltris | Voltris. Plural is the same. Nasty creatures, the sort that can trick you into thinking and doing just about anything. They aren't violent until you're dead, but their control over the mind has never been fully understood. The current population of voltris only reside in South Asia and there has never been a voltris registered in the United States, or at least not legally.

Sphinxes | Judex. Plural judexes. Shifters akin to griffins and dragons, they consider themselves judge, jury, and executioner of the living-and, of course, the undead. In the past, sphinx have been allied tightly with griffins, although it's unclear whether that still stands. Many of them have become modern-day treasure hunters, obsessed with wealth. The powerful ones make up an organization internationally known as the Ring Of Gold, whom no one has ever crossed and lived to tell the tale. Sphinxes are native to Egypt, where the Ring of Gold puppets a shadow society which rules over the country, making Egypt another top global superpower.

Djinna | Djeannie. Plural djinna. Translations of their species' title have largely been lost over the years-jinn, genie, et cetera. Creatures of mischief, wish-granters who never miss an opportunity to have a little fun with whoever they decide to strike a deal with. Technically, djinna are magi with the ability to tell fortunes, although they are bound to their magic in a way ordinary magi are not. These particular lot are few and far between, and rarely encountered outside of the continent of Asia.

Hellhounds | Inferna. Plural infernai. Similar to the mortem, these half-demon shapeshifters are commonly called 'hellhounds', although the term 'pyrokinetic' has also been floated in the modern lexicon. If you fear fire I highly suggest you do not meet one. There are very few of these left, as many of them were killed in the transnational slave trade.

Wendigo | Tarandra. Plural tarandrai. Cannibalistic, deerlike North American natives, the only living wendigo remaining mostly stick together in a small Southern biker gang, although it is likely a few others remain in Canada. Wendigo are blood purists who seek to wipe out obscure magical abnormalities, like zeitgeists (extremely rare time-turners), necromancers (magi who can raise the dead, although this is illegal everywhere), and were-spiders (if there are even any of these left). They have a deep loathing for unnatural adaptations like freshwater sirens or dragon hybrids. Wendigo are considered a gravely endangered species but are not under any government protection in the U.S. due to their hostility.

All other species too rare to be of note (or otherwise extinct).

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