Aselia is a world that was once split into two separate worlds, called Tethe'alla and Sylvarant. It serves as the setting for the Student-Teacher Universe (based off of Tales of Symphonia) and the Renegades Reborn series (based off of Tales of Phantasia and set 4,000 years after the S-TU).
Author: KitKatt0430
Appears In: Student-Teacher Universe and Renegades Reborn
Heroes - S-TU = Featuring Yuan, Botta, and a young Gracie
Klutz Mechanic - S-TU = Featuring Erik, Yuan, and Botta
Enter the Student - S-TU = Featuring a young Zelos and Yuan
Trial By Fire - S-TU = Featuring a young Zelos, Erik, a young Linea, and Yuan
Security - S-TU = Featuring Bob, Botta, Erik, Yuan, and a young Zelos
Perfect World and Seraph Silhouette - S-TU = Featuring Yuan, a young Zelos, Botta, and Kratos
Location
Aselia is the only habitable planet in it's star system that is indigenous to the system. A rogue planet, Dherris Kharlan, orbits Aselia and may actually double as a means of spacial transport.
Nations/States
Tethe'alla - Tethe'alla is one of the two nations of Aselia. Tethe'alla is a fairly prosperous country ruled by monarchy, which is kept in check by a council of elected officials known as Parliament. Though fairly advanced in terms of technology, Tethe'alla has a fairly rigid social structure that has led to unrest amoung the people. The nobles are at the top of the social sphere, followed by the middle class, the lower class, and the half-elves. The events during the game Tales of Symphonia, however, have led the King himself to begin reevaluating social policies.
Tethe'alla eventually becomes the Kingdom of Alvanista.
Sylvarant - Sylvarant is one of the two nations of Aselia. The people of Sylvarant have no single leader, but are instead live in a collection of cities and villages that constitute a nation more out of a shared sense of citizenship than out of a collective government.
The city of Asgard evolves into the Kingdom of Midgard, which rules over the majority Sylvarant.
The Holy Ground of Kharlan - The holy ground upon which the Yggdrasill Tree grows. This land is unclaimed by either nation and exists as a neutral territory guarded by an organization known as the Renegades. This was once the site of the Tower of Mana, a fixture of the Martelist faith.
Dherris Kharlan - The planet orbiting Aselia is known as Dherris Kharlan. Originally inhabited by the Elves, Dherris Kharlan eventually becomes the homeworld of the Angels. Not much is known about the surface of this planet, but it is thought to be inhospitable. The only known city on Dherris Kharlan, Welgaia, is enclosed to keep the breathable atmosphere from leaking away. The planet itself is believed to be a mass of pure mana, the energy field necessary to support all life.
History
The Dawning of the World
The Elves arrive on Dherris Kharlan, having used the planet to travel, somehow, to Aselia from an unknown origin. Using mana fragments, the Elves seed life on Aselia and, once the planet becomes hospitable, the Elves journey to the surface and plant the Giant Kharlan Tree, which is capable of producing the mana necessary to sustain life on the planet.
All major forms of life come into being, including Humans, Summon Spirits, Dwarves, and Protozoans.
-4,000 Aselian Calender
The two major nations of this time have been at war with each other for a long period of time (amount unknown) and the high level of mana usage and the mutual hatred between the warring countries cause a mana shortage. The Giant Kharlan Tree reactes badly to the constant draw on mana and begins to wither and die.
Mithos Yggdrasill, Martel Yggdrasill, Kratos Aurion, and Yuan Ka-Fai join together in a quest to end the war and restore the Giant Kharlan Tree. They are successful in bringing the warring nations together for a peace confrence at the Holy Ground of Kharlan, but are betrayed. Martel is murdered before she can heal the Giant Kharlan Tree, but her Cruxis Crystal bonds with the dying tree, creating the Great Seed. Her brother, Mithos, uses the Eternal Sword to split the world into two dimensions: Tethe'alla and Sylvarant.
Unhinged by the loss of his sister, Mithos founds Cruxis and the Desians, both predominantly staffed by half-elves, to control the worlds through a combination of religion and fear. He creates the Martelist faith as a smokescreen to hide his true intention of extracting Martel's soul from the Great Seed and placing her in the body of a Chosen, someone born of the Mana lineage. Using their own Cruxis Crystals to evolve into Angels and suspend their aging process, Mithos, Yuan, and Kratos wait for the day when Martel could be successfully returned to them.
To offset the loss of the Giant Kharlan Tree, Mana from the Great Seed and Dherris Kharlan are used to keep Aselia from dying, but this measure cannot last forever. Mithos' refusal to plant the Great Seed before he can resurect Martel places the world at risk.
-1512 Aselian Calender
Yuan Ka-Fai, having come to the realization that Yggdrasill has become mentally unstable and that the world is slowly dying, secretly defects from Cruxis and starts up the Renegades. Though he maintains his position at Cruxis in order to spy on Yggdrasill, Yuan runs the Renegades as a counter to the Desians, who wreak havoc upon the declining world, and to protect persecuted half-elves in the prospering world.
Though the Renegades are initially based only in Tethe'alla, they eventually expand into Sylvarant.
-10 Aselian Calender
Zelos Wilder, the Chosen of Tethe'alla, meets Yuan Ka-Fai at the Tower of Salvation and is set on the path to become a pivotal figure in the history of Aselia and the future of the Renegades.
0 Aselian Calender
The truth behind the Church of Martel and the Angels of Cruxis are revealed to Lloyd Irving, Colette Brunel, Raine Sage, Genis Sage, and Sheena Fujibayashi. These five, along with Zelos Wilder, Presea Combatir, and Regal Bryant, eventually defeat Yggdrasill, reunite the two worlds, and germinate the Great Seed, which grows into the Yggdrasill Tree.
1 Aselian Calender
In the wake of the reunification of the world, Sylvarant grows suspicious of Tethe'alla and the Renegades' intentions towards their nation and the group known as the Vanguard is founded to protect Sylvaranti interests.
The Chosen of Cruxis, a group of Angelic Chosen who survived their journies of Regeneration only to fail to become Martel's vessel, awaken from stasis and begin terrorizing the world in the name of avenging Yggdrasill's death. Zelos Wilder leads the Triet Renegade Base in dealing with the Chosen while Yuan uses the resources of the Flanoir Base to help restore the town of Ozette and the city of Palmacosta.
2 Aselian Calender
The Vanguard becomes corrupted by the use of Centurian Cores and devolves into a terrorist organization. The problem is dealt with by Emil Castagnier, Marta Lualdi, and the Heroes of Reunification.
The Renegades begin posting a formal guard at the Holy Ground of Kharlan in order to protect the young Yggdrasill Tree and it's guardian, a Summon Spirit created in the image of Martel Yggdrasill.
2014 Aselian Calender
The Renegades have dwindled in size and have abandoned the base in Flanoir. Mistakenly viewed as a threat to the Kingdom of Alvanista, Triet Base is attacked and destroyed. The Renegades completely disband.
4203 Aselian Calender
Dhaos, an Angel from Dherris Kharlan, comes to Aselia in hopes of attaining a Seed from the Yggdrasill Tree to bolster the waning mana of his world. Due to the growing amounts of magitechnology, however, the mana levels of Aselia are too low for the Tree to safely create a Seed. When Dhaos attempts to explain the situation, he is ignored and so he simply decides to destroy any city affiliated with high levels of magitech.
Dhaos builds up an army of demons from Niflehiem to fight on his behalf, but also revives the Desian organization.
4205 Aselian Calender
Cless Alvein and Mint Adnade arrive from 100 years in the future in order to find magic users to defeat Dhaos in their time period. They join up with a Summoner, Klarth Lester, and a half-elven witch, Arche Klaine, and defeat Dhaos, who flees into the future.
4304 Aselian Calender
Chester Burklight discovers the rebirth of the Desians and the history of the Renegades. In order to combat the Desians, Chester revives the Renegade organization and begins rebuilding Triet Base.
4356 Aselian Calender
Dhaos is defeated by Cless Alvein, Mint Adnade, Chester Burklight, Klarth Lester, Arche Klaine, and Suzu Fujibayashi. They then send a Great Seed to Dherris Kharlan.
4358 Aselian Calender
The Renegades defeat the Desians and expose the truth behind Dhaos' actions. A world-wide ban is placed on the development of magitechnology, allowing non-magic based technology to begin development.
Important Leaders
Student-Teacher Universe
Tethe'alla
Callista Starr - Once the leader of the Starr Syndicate, an underground organization dedicated to freeing half-elves undeserving of the death penalty from prison, Callista has since moved on to the political scene. Though currently the advisor to the King, her developing feelings for Prince Jareth have begun to complicate her job.
Princess Heather Tethe'alla - As the middle child of the Royal Family, Heather used her influence to encourage the develop a Peace Treaty between the City of Flanoir and the Penguineer race and subtly encourage better treatment for half-elves. Though not as out-spoken as her fiance, Zelos Wilder, Heather strove to make life better for the people of Tethe'alla. Her life was cut tragically short on her 20th birthday when assassins murdered her in the middle of Meltokio Square.
Prince Jareth Tethe'alla - Crown Prince of Tethe'alla, Jareth is destined to take the thrown one day. Despite his less than stellar moments (such as the year-and-a-half after his sister died when he wasn't often sober), Jareth is determined to become a King that his people will be proud of. Fortunately, Callista Starr has promised to be there to help him when that day comes.
Sylvarant
Collete Brunel - As the last Chosen of Regeneration, Collete recieves much of the credit for the success of the Reunification, but she also bears the burden of failures that occured during the journey. Fortunately Collete is stronger than she looks and is a truly kind soul; no one can manage to hate her for long once they've met her. She uses her influence to rebuild and strengthen trade routes between Sylvarantian towns and cities.
Lloyd Irving - Known as the Hero of Reunification, Lloyd's charismatic personality and strong ideals were the guiding force in the defeat of Cruxis and the reunification of the worlds of Tethe'alla and Sylvarant and the germination of the Great Seed. Renowned for his acts of kindness and unmatched skill as a dual swordsman, Lloyd has forged quite the reputation among the people of Aselia. At heart, however, Lloyd will always be a small town kid trying to make his place in the world.
Mayor Pietro Langford - After the Desians destroyed Luin, Pietro started a fund to restore the city and eventually made it greater than it was before the attack. In light of his efforts, and the way he won the hearts of the people, Pietro was elected Mayor of Luin. Thanks to Pietro's efforts as Mayor, Luin has become a politically and economically important part of the Sylvarantian Nation.
Governor General Neil Conners - A generally friendly person, Governor Neil tends to go be his first name and can recall the names and faces of everyone living in Palmacosta despite the size of the city. Originally instated as Activing Governor General after the previous Governor General proved to be in collusion with the Desians, his appointment was made permanent after the brief appearance of the Tree of Destruction destroyed part of the town.
Cruxis
Lord Mithos Yggdrasill - Once known as a Great Hero, Yggdrasill descended into madness when his older sister, Martel, was murdered in front of him by a human he'd once trusted. Though he created Cruxis with the intention of returning the world to its rightful state one day, his growing insanity has subverted his ideals and twisted his organization into a tool to revive his sister in the body of someone else.
Lord Kratos Aurion - Having raised stoicism into an art form, Kratos maintains the appearance of a jaded Angel, uncaring about the fate of the world. In truth, however, Kratos wants to see the world saved and is willing to take any risk to help his son, Lloyd Irving, achieve that goal… even if it means going behind Yggdrasill's back.
Lord Remiel - As the Leader of the Archangels, the main council of Cruxis, Remiel is often referred to by his detractors as Yggdrasill's pet. Though not necessarily the brightest bulb in the heavons, Remiel's vicious streak has led him to annhiliate almost any competition.
Lady Martel Yggdrasill - Though her body has been dead for millenia, Martel still keeps watch on the world through Mana itself since her soul has been connected to the Great Seed. Horrified by her brother's deads, Martel desperately wishes to see the world saved and the Great Seed germinated. The germination of the Great Seed, however, will mean the death of her soul, allowing her to finally rest in peace. While the Summon Spirit Martel looks like Martel Yggdrasill and bears the same name, they are not actually the same person.
Chosen Spiritua - As the first successfull Chosen of Regeneration ever, Spiritua was heartbroken to realize that she still wasn't good enough to house the soul of Martel. To make up for what she viewed as a terrible sin, Spiritua became Yggdrasill's most trusted enforcer, even traveling to Tethe'alla to protect the line of the Chosen there. Eventually she fell in love with Yggdrasill, but he trapped her, and the other Angelic Chosen, in stasis pods when he learned of her feelings. The destruction of the Tower of Salvation, however, has interrupted the stasis pods and released Spiritua once more into the world.
Jeran Quin - Though unaffiliated with the Church of Martel or the Desians before being inducted into Cruxis, Jeran and his twin, Jonas, were brought to Cruxis because they once saved the life of an undercover Angel. Though his brother eventually sides with the Renegades, Jeran embraces the ideology of Cruxis and is willing to pay any price to achieve the 'Age of Lifeless Beings.'
Flanoir Renegade Base
Lord Yuan Ka-Fai - Once a loyal member of Cruxis, Yuan created the Renegades when he finally accepted that Yggdrasill did not actually have the best interests of the world at heart. Though he identifies himself as being a half-elf, Yuan evolved into an Angel long ago and could, theoretically, live forever, assuming no one kills him.
Lord Botta Emmberlen - Botta was the last Second in Command of the Renegades not to hold the additional title of Triet Base Commander. Though he played an instrumental in destroying the Desians and thus dealing a great blow against Cruxis, Botta did not live to see the two worlds reunited.
Lady Grace "Gracie" Emmberlen - Gracie is the Chief Medical Officer of Flanoir Base and one of a handful of Renegades, including her brother, Botta, and Zelos Wilder, who will oppose Yuan when she feels he's stepped out of line. Because of this, Yuan has a great deal of respect for her and, after Botta's death, he often consults her as his 'conscience.'
Chief Erik Marik - As the Chief of the Engineering department, Erik is responsible for general upkeep around the base, Rheaird and EC maintanence, and innovating new technology. Though credited for being a brilliant mind and a good leader, Erik has a tendency to speak his mind without considering the consequences and thus has a habit of annoying his leaders.
Chief Robert "Bob" Wellington - Though a superb Security Chief, Bob's sense of humor is often lacking. He doesn't respond well when he's forced to decrease security regardless of the reason and is often accused of sulking whenever this occurs. However, his friendship with fellow Senior Staff members Botta, Gracie, and Erik have helped him loosen up to some degree, leading him to help in the creation of the Triet Base quirks that annoy Yuan so much.
Triet Renegade Base
Lord Zelos Wilder - As the youngest Second in Command of the Renegades in the history of the organization, and the first to hold he title of Base Commander as well, Zelos has a great deal of pressure on him that his predecessors never had to deal with. Fortunately Zelos has managed to earn both the respect and the loyalty of the Triet Base Renegades.
Lord Jonas Quin - Jonas lost his fiancee and twin brother when he revealed his true allegiance to the Renegades. Though he doesn't regret siding with the Renegades, or his position as Zelos' right hand man, Jonas' recent losses have uncovered a reckless side to him that worries his friends.
Lady Raine Sage - Though her affiliation with the Renegades is fairly recent, Raine has been placed in charge of the Medical division of Triet Base and is in the process of learning non-magical healing techniques to augment her magical knowledge. Despite her youth, Raine's intelligence and willingness to learn have won her the hearts of her staff, who already respected her for the part she played in reuniting the two worlds.
Chief Jeremy Aster - Once a member of the Starr Syndicate, Jeremy joined the Renegades upon the Syndicate's dissolution. He was placed as the Chief of Security of Triet Base by Zelos due to his previous skill in hiding safehouses for the Syndicate under the nose of the Tethe'allan Guard.
Chief Aron Donovan - Considered to be an unlikely candidate for Chief Engineer, Aron's personality often conflict's with his Commander's more laid back attitude. Though at first resentful of Zelos, Aron eventually comes to respect Zelos and even become friends with him.
Desians
Pronyma - As the leader of the Desian Grand Cardinals, Pronyma does not actually run a Human Ranch. Instead she works closely with Lord Yggdrasill in planing the next moves to be made by the Desians under the command of the four other Cardinals. Because of Kratos' previous betrayal of Cruxis, Pronyma distrusts the human Angel and would like nothing more to break him by killing his son, Lloyd Irving.
Rodyle - Jokingly refered to as the 'purple turtle' of the Grand Cardinals, Rodyle's paranoia and intelligence make the eccentric half-elf a formidable opponent. Wanting the power of the Cruxis Organization for himself, Rodyle manipulates his fellow Cardinels into funding the construction of a Mana Cannon in order to attempt to destroy the Tower of Salvation.
Forcystus - After witnessing the massacre of his hometown as a teen, Forcystus' immense magical talent revealed itself when he destroyed the humans responsible for the murders. Afterwards he joined the Desians and quickly rose through the ranks. Eventually he became a Grand Cardinal and leader of the Iselian Human Ranch. Of all the Cardinals, Forcystus is the most honorable.
Magnius - Having suffered an unfortunate encounter with a rodent of unusual size as a child, Magnius is particularly vermin conscious as an adult. He runs the Palmacosta Human Ranch with an iron fist and turned the wife of Palmacosta's Governor General Dorr into an Exbula in order to keep the rebellious citizens of the seaside city under control.
Kvar - As the most ruthless of the Grand Cardinals, Kvar will do anything to achieve his goals. His constant use of an activated Exsphere without a stabilizing Key Crest (he maintains his mana levels through sheer force of will) has turned his eyes an unnatural shade of red, earning him the nickname 'Demon Cardinal.' Kvar is responsible for the events leading to Anna Aurion's death.
Renegades Reborn Series
King Midgard -
King Alvanista -
Runeglom - Considered to be a rogue by his fellow Elves, Runeglom ignored the orders issued by the Elder of Heimdall to return to the village when the Elves retreated from the rest of the world. He holds the position of Court Sorcerer to the King of Midgard and is considered to be the most valued advisor. His knowledge as a historian and his natural longevity also made him invaluable to the Temporal Heroes.
Cless Alvien - Known as the leader of the Temporal Heroes, Cless traveled through time on several occassions in an effort to defeat Dhaos. Later Cless becomes a member of the new Renegades and acts as the organization's liason to the Kingdom of Alvanista.
Chester Burklight - Chester was one of the Temporal Heroes, proving himself to be a powerful fighter capable of holding off Dhaos on his own while awaiting backup. Once Dhaos was defeated and he returned to his original time period, Chester was kidnapped by the new Desians and subjected to the final stages of the Angelus Project. After his escape, Chester gathered together a group in opposition of the Desians and named them after the Renegades, an organization his ancestors had been part of.
Mint Adnade - Known as the greatest Healer of her time, Mint used her abilities to heal the Yggdrasill Tree when it grew ill from the over use of Mana. She was one of the Temporal Healers and eventually joined the Renegades as the Chief Medical Officer of the new Triet Base.
Klarth F. Lester - Renowned for being the first Summoner in over three thousand years, Klarth was able to track down the majority of the Summon Spirits of legend. He was one of the Temporal Heroes and, though he died long before the formation of the Renegades, Klarth left behind research into the origins of the Renegades and the truth behind the Angels of Cruxis that was invaluable to the friends he left behind.
Arche Klaine - Arche was a half-elven witch capable of charming broomsticks to fly in the air. Though she was the second youngest of the Temporal Heroes, the use of time travel made her the eldest of the original 'new' Renegades. In terms of both power and skill, Arche was the most powerful magic user of her time.
Suzu Fujibayashi - Though she never actually traveled through time, Suzu was one of the Temporal Heroes who defeated Dhaos. Though only twelve, Suzu was a skilled ninja and the leader of her home village, Mizuho. Her parents, the previous leaders, had their wills subverted by Dhaos and wiped out half the village. Though she wishes to preserve the heritage of her people, Suzu, as well as the rest of Mizuho, are slowly coming to the realization that this might be the end of the Mizuho ninja clan.
Dhaos - A mysterious figure from another world, Dhaos' motivations are largely misunderstood by his enemies. Though his goal is to save his homeworld from distruction, Dhaos' experiences in the war on Dherris Kharlan have made him quicker to fight out his problems than to talk them out.
Davros Quin - The appointed leader of the new Desians, Davros truly hates pure humans. Though he never experienced the cruelty of unbridaled prejudice that half-elves endured in the past, Davros feels that humanity never paid for its crimes. Considered by his enemies to be a sociopath, Davros does not understand the concept of mercy and he will not rest until every full-blooded human on Aselia is dead or enslaved.
Major Cities
Student-Teacher Universe
Tethe'alla
Meltokio -
Sybak -
Altamira -
Flanoir -
Sylvarant
Iselia -
Triet -
Palmacosta -
Luin -
Asgard -
Dherris Kharlan
Welgaia -
Renegades Reborn
Midguard -
Alvanista -
Fenrir -
Euclid -
Olive Village -
Demographics
Humans
Humans came into existance shortly after Dherris Kharlan came into orbit around Aselia. They were created by the planet when mana fragments fell from Dherris Kharlan and breathed life into the planet.
The average life-span for most humans is between seventy-five and one hundred years of age, making them the shortest-lived of the sentient species on Aselia. Humans also tend to feel emotions more readily than other species and are more imaginative. Unfortunately, humans are also prone to violence and tend to fear the unknown, which leads to prejudices that hinder interspecies relations.
Physically, humans are noted for being the only species that comes in the most varied heights. Also their ears are notably rounded at the top. Natural human hair colors are yellow, brown, dark red, and black. However, if the only notable genetic differences between someone with typically Elvish hair is the hair color, then they are still considered to be human and not half-elven.
Elves
The only species on the planet not native to Aselia, the Elves are responsible for the seeding of all life on Aselia. They arrived at the dawn of Aselian history on the rogue planet, Dherris Kharlan, and sent mana fragments to their new home in order to teraform the world. Eventually they planted the Giant Kharlan Tree to maintain the world's mana levels and settled in a remote section of their world.
Their history before arriving at Aselia has long been lost. Since arrival, however, they have often intermarried with humans, but these relationships do not typically last long. Elves tend to live for at least a thousand years and they often cannot bear to watch as their human loved ones quickly age and die.
Elves tend to be less emotional than humans and less curious. They maintain a small population of pure elves and rarely venture further than their home town of Heimdall. Those who do leave typically return after a few years, with few exceptions.
Physically elves resemble humans. Their ears, however, are pointed and their natural haircolors are green, blue, pink, bright red, purple, or yellow. They also tend to be tall; the shortest elf is about five foot ten.
Half-Elves
Anyone of both human and elven descent are considered half-elves.
Half-Elves tend to take after the Elves in physical appearance as far as their height and ears are concerned. Only on some rare occassions do half-elves have 'human' ears. Their haircolor can either be human or elvish in appearance. If the only elven genetics in someone is evidenced by haircolor, though, then that person is not considered half-elven, but is accepted as human. Half-Elves also have a longer lifespan than humans, but slightly shorter than Elves. Typically they live from 800 to 1000 years. Emotionally, however, half-elves take after humans, and are thus more curious and volatile than elves.
Throughout much of Aselian History, half-elves have been oppressed by humans. They've suffered slavery, servitude, and undue prejudices. In response, half-elves have fought back, sometimes even treating humans with the same cruelty they were shown. Over time, however, half-elves have earned a place of equality with humans and are no longer persecuted for their natural magical abilities and longer lifespan.
Despite earning a place in human society, half-elves are still largely ignored by the elves. Once a half-elf reaches adulthood, they may no longer live with the Elves in Heimdall. Most half-elves are not even raised by their elven parent (if they're a first generation half-elf) and have very little, if any, contact with the elven side of their heritage. Though this rift is caused more by the elven desire to ensure that their small population doesn't completely die out through interbreeding with humans and half-elves than by prejudice, the restrictions elves place on their half-elven children and descendants have led to many half-elves feeling great resentment for the elves.
Angels
Though they are not the Divine Angels of ancient legend, the Angels are nearly immortal, winged beings. No Angel is born, however. Instead they are made. Born either human or half-elven, the Angels evolve into their Angelic forms through the use of Cruxis Crystals. These crystals alter and expand their host's mana signature, improve strength, eyesight, and hearing, and can be used to make sleeping, eating, and aging obsolete.
Once someone begins the Angel transformation, they gain wings. There are two known processes of transformation. The first involves attaching the Cruxis Crystal to a person and exposing them to high bursts of mana (approximately five) over the space of six months. All Angels who evolve using this process gain crystalline wings, which signify the strongest of the angels. The major drawback to this process is that an Angel without a keycrest has no will of their own when the transformation finishes and the longer the Angel goes without a keycrest, the less likely they are to regain their free will.
The second method of transformation requires that the Cruxis Crystal be attached to a person and then bombarding them with high levels of mana, nonstop, for several days. This is the most common method used to turn people into angels because it can only occur under controlled circumstances, thus allowing the keycrest to be attached to the Cruxis Crystal immediately after transformation. The drawbacks to this method are that most Angels created this way have feathered white or black wings instead of crystalline wings, denoting that they are less powerful. Also, people enduring this process have a high probability of turning into Exbula, giant green monsters, instead of Angels.
Becoming an Angel, however, does not change a person's personality or general appearance. It isn't unusual, however, for Angels to develop a superiority complex where non-evolved humans and half-elves are concerned and they generally tend to dissasociate themselves with their previous race.
Dwarves
Typically no taller than five feet, Dwarves physically resemble humans, but tend to be naturally more muscular and bulky. Their hair is generally only dark colors, such as brown, deep red, and black. Because Dwarves rarely leave their underground homes, there is a popular misconception that both male and female dwarves have beards when, in fact, only the men are bearded.
Because they rarely leave their homes for the surface world, little is actually known about Dwarves. The ones who've made themselves known to the people on the surface of Aselia are typically unparallelled blacksmiths, lack much in the way of curiosity, and adhere strictly to the Dwarven Vows.
Their lifespan is between 200 and 250 years.
Summon Spirits
Summon Spirits are mysterious beings that tend to keep to themselves. It's generally accepted that Summon Spirits do not age and may very well be impossible to kill without destroying mana itself. Each Spirit is a manifestation of some aspect of mana (for example, Celsius represents ice and cold). They have no set physical appearance, but can change how they appear on a whim (Gnome looks like a giant mole-creature when he makes his pact with the Summoner Sheena Fujibayashi, but has split himself into four worm-like aspects by the time he forms his pact with Summoner Klarth F. Lester).
Since there are some elves, half-elves, and humans whose mana signatures naturally resonate on the same wavelength that the Summon Spirits were created from, the Spirits have come up with a formal method of creating pacts with compatible beings. In exchange for a vow, or oath, to pledge themselves to a cause the Spirit agrees with, the Summon Spirit can be summoned by the oathmaker (Summoner). The Spirit will come to the Summoner's aid either to fight in battle or help fulfill a task.
Protozoans
Languages
Common - Common is spoken in both Tethe'alla and Sylvarant despite the 4000 years of seperation between the two worlds. It's widely believed that Cruxis, through the Desians, is responsible for moderating the worlds in order to encourage the same linguistic changes in both places in order to avoid an unintentional language barrier.
The Angelic Language - The Angelic language was adapted from the ancient language of the first humans. Yggdrasill and Kratos developed it for use solely by Angels and clergy of the Church of Martel in order to add a sense of mystery and awe to Martelism.
A Chosen of the Church can be identified by their deep grasp of the Angelic Language. A real Chosen is taught Angelic first and does not learn Common until they are at least five years old.
Elvish - A language known only to the elves and a handful of first and second generation half-elves, very little is known about the Elvish language due to the insular nature of the Elven community.
Religions
The Church of Martel
Developed by Yggdrasill in the name of his sister, Martel, the Church of Martel was designed to subjugate its followers. Though Martel Yggdrasill was not really a goddess, the religion has proven persistant and it has managed to hold on as a widespread religion despite the defeat of Cruxis.
The main tenants of Martelism are that of acceptance and forgiveness. Unfortunately the leaders of the Church have not always practiced what they preached; corruption within the clergy is not uncommon. In the name of Martel there have been holy wars and oppression, things that run contrary to the religion's main themes and the desires of the real Martel, upon whom the religion was based.
Because Martel Yggdrasill and the Lady Martel, Summon Spirit of the Yggdrasill Tree, are often confused, some detractors of the Church try to marginalize Martelism by classifying it as a branch of Spritism and not a seperate religion.
Mana-Theism
Mana-Theism has two main branches. Both believe that mana is the only aspect of a divine being that can be understood by mortals. Because it has been proven that all forms of usable energy come from converted mana, all magic uses mana, and every living thing has a unique mana signature, mana-theists posit that the divine being is part of all things, living or otherwise. The religion is highly philosophical and open to interpretation. The only major division between the two branches is that one believes that the divine being is simply part of all things while the other believes that everything, living or otherwise, represents a facet of the divine being.
Spiritism
Spiritism is the worship of one or more of the Summon Spirits. The Spirits are beings made of pure mana and most Spiritists mistakenly believe Summon Spirits to be the source of mana. Summon Spirits typically try to ignore their worshipers, being more embarassed by the unwaranted attention than flattered. The more volatile Spirits, such as Celsius, Efreet, Shadow, and Chameleon, have been known to attack Spiritists who are too persistant in their attempts to meet their gods.
Technology
Magitechnology
Magitechnology was the first type of technology developed. It originated with the Elves who descended from Dherris Kharlan and used a combination of a spell and circuitry. The magical spell was often referred to as the 'core' and it draws in mana, converts the mana into usable energy, and transfers the energy into the machine. The mana conversion isn't a 'clean' process, however, and a great deal of the mana is wasted in the process. For this reason, the Elves abandoned their technology upon their arrival on the planet, since magitech depletes large quantities of mana, which should not be wasted.
Since the Elves' abandonment of magitechnology, humans have redeveloped, and subsequently lost, the use of magitechnology on three occassions.
Energy Tech
Developed to take the place of the mana depleting magitechnology, energy technology is often viewed as less efficient than magitech. Energy tech doesn't use spells and thus does not require the conversion of mana to work. Instead, energy tech runs off of naturally converted mana, such as electricity, a form of the lightning element. Though the viability of energy tech depends on the creation of power plants and batteries to take the place of core spells.
Energy tech is also referred to as non-magitech or non-magic technology.
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