Animalia
A Free-To-Use setting by LambSprout / LustyLamb
A world forever changed by arcane warfare.
The majority of the world rendered uninhabitable by humanoids. Animals made sapient by arcane influence. The remaining pockets of folk struggle to find stability in a world inundated by the chaos of Magic.
Anyone is welcome to make characters in this setting, so long as no profit is gained from my ideas.
Thank you :)
Overview
The world of Animalia takes place on an Earth-like planet, the rules of physics and such are the same, except for one major difference. Magic exists. It's a natural force that shapes the world to its whims. It resides in Leylines beneath the world's surface, as well as within all living things. Its natural currents shape the seasons and weather patterns around the world.
The world is inhabited by beastfolk, animal-like Humanoids who thrive by harnessing the magic of the world to expand their societies.
One hundred years ago there was a great war of Spellcasters, the majority of the world was rendered uninhabitable by powerful Arcane Bombs. These bombs, concentrated magic tapped directly from the leylines, inundated the world with magic to a degree never before known. Things would never be the same.
Only a handful of Humanoid societies survived, isolated City-States protected by arcane shielding. Outside, in the wilds- life went on. Animal-kind, more in tune with magic found themselves changed. Slowly, it became apparent that a proportion of Animal-kind had been Awakened- or, uplifted. They had gained sentience, and those that were accustomed to contact with Humanoids slowly began to be integrated into society.
Magic as a force
Magic in the world of Animalia is a complex, natural force. It flows from sources such as Leylines and Manifestations - and is absorbed by living things, changing them.The "wants" of magic are only partially understood by the societies of the World. A desire to make things more complex and more intricate seems apparent. An example would be Magic effecting the growth of a tree, rearranging the growth patterns into complex ever-expanding fractals, the wood itself becoming strange and iridescent.Magic has a similar effect on living things, although a creatures capacity for change depends on several factors.
1. The lifespan of the living thing
2. The size of the living thing
3. The mental capacity of the living thingIndeed, sapience itself determines how Magic effects a living thing. The results of too much direct exposure to Arcane Energy for a humanoid can be quite horrific. Listing all the changes possible is a fruitless task, as the whims of magic seem unimaginable in scope. Largely, it seems to be random- and to that effect, is often deadly or permanently debilitating.
As such, Humanoids tend to be careful about exposure to strong Arcane Energy. Great pains are made to keep cities free of Magic's touch, employing arcanivores (creatures that consume arcane energy) to great effect in these efforts.
Manifesations
In the epicenter of an Arcane Bomb's explosion an unnatural "Tap" from underground Leylines is created. The perpetual leaking of concentrated magic direct from the arteries of the world causes...strange things to happen. Dense magic coalesces into impossible creatures, with incredible magic abilities. These creatures are often sapient themselves, and their whims can be a detriment to the struggling City States of Animalia.
leylines
Leylines are an intricate network of channels deep beneath the world's crust, accessible through tunneling or cave systems. Historically, they've been tapped, and even ruptured to fuel the ambitions of Humanoid society.
Since the Event, tapping, mining and exploitation of the Leylines is strictly controlled.
The consist primarily of a crystalline vein-like structure, branching off into ever-smaller capillaries. Inside the outer shell is white-hot magic rich Leyblood. Effectively pure magic, this substance is incredibly dangerous.
Spellcasters : Mages
Humanoids in the world have the ability to absorb small amounts of latent magic and use it to fuel spellwork. Spellwork can take the form of incantations, runes, spell circles, or rituals- to name a few.
What can be done with this "Mana" depends much on the mage's natural affinity for sensing the flow of magic and adjusting them to suit their spellwork.
Crystals and Gems are paramount in creating lasting effects. Crystals, with no elemental affinity, are used as a sort of battery to store mana. Gems can be "written" with instructions by a mage, instructions that will make use of connected crystals' mana to bring about the intended effect.
Crystals may be recharged, but after a set number of uses degradation can occur. Similarly, Gems need routine maintenance to ensure the spell's instructions have not drifted.
Spellcasters : Shapers
In the WIlds, where Animal Uplifts forge their own new societies there are those who are naturally gifted with mana in ways that are beyond humanoids. These abilities are known as "Shaping" as they are a more naturalistic approach to spellwork.
Instead of forcing magic to do what the Shaper wants (like a mage might), shapers coax and 'weave' the natural ebb and flow of magic in the environment. They innately understand the goals of magic, and "convince" it to aid them.
A Shaper could, for example, coax a tree to form structures for housing- instead of the fractal patterns magic might otherwise prefer.Shaper spellwork, as it works with the natural inclinations of Magic, is much more long lasting than a Mage's spellwork.
Overview
The prevailing theory of the world is one of the Death of God. As such, religion in the setting of Animalia is an act of mourning. Some sects believe even in death, God is able to witness the world. However, post-Event, the majority of sapients believe that God is truly gone.
Creation myth
(WIP)
Planet had no life prior to god's arrival
god arrived. crashed into the planet, and was dying.
she created life, as she suffered. finding joy in creation. She couldn't save herself, but with her dying breath she gave us (Humanoids) the ability to know her, to think for ourselves. Her body decayed into the continents, her veins are the leylines that carry magic throughout the world. Her bones are the mountains, her blood the essence of magic itself.
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Frequently asked questions
Q. May I add my character to the Animalia Setting?
A. Absolutely. If you have any questions I'm happy to answer them.Q. I have questions about Animalia, where's the best place to ask them?
A. Replies on animalia-realated art, telegram (LustyLamb), or my patreon server are good places to get ahold of me and have a conversation about this!Q. Can I roleplay with you in the Animalia setting?
A. No, sorry. I don't roleplay.
Q. What species are allowed in the Animalia Setting?
A. Most, honestly. Any non-domestic non-fantastical creature is allowed to be an anthro character in Animalia (Beastkin). Anything else could potentially be a Manifestation, or a weird Magic Corrupted person/creature from the Wilds.