Mortals

The mortal races are those races that either evolved or were uplifted from existing creatures within the Mortal Plane. While they are on their native plane creatures of the Shadow Realms are able to generate spiritual power. The default plane of the game is the Mortal Plane.

The defining characteristic of a mortal over an animal or intelligent being is called sapience. There are many different sentient creatures on Miranda, but not all of them are sapient. This is defined as a creature that is able to act upon its own judgement with the wisdom of their own intelligence. To contain a spark, however small, of the Shadow Realms.

It is possible for an individual of a sentient species to gain sapience; although it is uncommon. It is even more rare for an animal to gain sapience, but not completely without precedence.

What sets a sapient mortal apart from all other beings in the universe is their mortal soul. This soul is the source of their power and ties together the three fundamental forces of the Divine Realms, Infernal Realms, and the Shadow Realms.

See Also: Mortals (List)

The majority of these races were created by either the gods or devils in their war to control this world to either contain or release Mir. As long as the power of their creator was on this world these beings were nearly immortal, but with the passing of the Age of the Gods mortality crept in with each passing generation, nearly one-hundred (100) million years later none of them resemble their original race.

Ancient Dwarf: These sentient humanoids were sentient beings fashioned from the elements of the world. In the aftermath of their war upon each other and the near destruction of the world they were punished by Earthmother and bound into bodies of flesh and blood. As the years passed they grew ever more mortal and only link between the modern dwarves and their origins is an occasional throwback.

True Elf: The first sentient race on this world, they were created from the Well of Life by Ellowyn, a Sidhe Queen. With fae spirits bound in truly immortal bodies they spread the power of the fae lands across Miranda, changing the very nature of the world to match their own nature. There are still True Elves upon this world; although they tend to keep apart from all other mortal race - including their own cousins the Great Elves who see to regain their lost heritage.

Jundari: Air spirits brought from the Land of Clouds by Aesir and given winged cat bodies. Like other ancient races they were physically changed by the Age of Legends and the Dark Age that followed. It was not until Aesir returned that the jundari regained their stature.

The Sha'rek'ta races is a general title at this site for those races that were created by the Sha'rek'ta when they ruled Miranda during the Age of the Ancients. They created the Black Gates at the height of their power and in so doing they tapped into the corrupted power of the Well of Life. From this source of power they created mortal life and which lead to their destruction.

Canum: This was the first mortal race created by the Sha'rek'ta after they discovered the power of the Black Gates. They used this power to a manipulate a semi-erect Canidae, giving it manipulative hands, greater intelligence, and true sapience. It is believed that this race is now extinct with the last known reference during the Age of Man.

Hashan: A refinement of the shaktar, the hashan were lifted from a ancestor of modern Mustelidae (sea otters). Physically they are the smallest of the race created by the Sha'rek'ta and the closest to their original form with fur, whiskers, and scent glands.

Kithkin: One of the most successful race created by the Sha'rek'ta from an existing creature, the Kithkin are a Felidae. They stand fully upright and possess far greater intelligence that the Canum, including an opposable digit (thumb).

Magi: The pinnacle of the mortals created by the Sha'rek'ta and the only race created from their own blood. The magi were created to be a “child race” of the Sha'rek'ta and thus were partially made in their image. Most often the magi would have the head and maybe the torso or arms of the Sha'rek'ta that created them, but the rest of their body was that of a nearly hairless upright humanoid. The magi, with the power of the Sha'rek'ta, took up the mantle of their creators when the Sha'rek'ta destroyed themselves in a civil war.

Orc: This refers to the modern orcs and not the orcs that were created during the Kinslayer War. The Sha’rek’ta found the ancient orcs in the dark places where the elves could not find them. They elves tries to warn and then stop them from saving the orcs, but the elves were too few in number and the Sha’rek’ta too powerful. From the experiments were birthed the modern orcs, who have since spread across the lands and spawned several races like Goblins and Kobolds.

Shaktar: Changed from a semi-aquatic Synapsid (mammal-like reptile), the Shaktar quickly branched into several different races (many which no longer exist) as the Sha'rek'ta continued to experiment on them. They are characterized by being partially cold-blooded with thin scale-like skin often protected by bony armor either embedded in the skin or visible as external horns.

As they contained both a spark of the Sha’rek’ta and knowledge of the relation between the Black Gates and Well of Life before the Magi left this world they left behind them the seeds of their own children. Into each of these races they granted a portion of themselves in the hope that the memory of their own creators would not pass from this world.

Brund: The most physically imposing, the Brund possess the physical nature and will of the Sha'rek'ta. The magi created them not to thrive, but instead to survive. They are highly adaptable and have already branched into several different races within those race as they spread across the world. In the Brund the magi hoped the seeds of the Sha'rek'ta would always be found upon this world which may someday lead to the rebirth of their creators.

Ged-zari: The Ged-zari hold the keys of the power of the Sha'rek'ta as the magi understood it. The Ged-zari cannot increase their numbers on the world as their physical bodies are simply vessels into which sentient power is housed. When this power is released it will form a new Ged-zari body and continue on with its life. Several of the physical Ged-zari have disappeared as their power has been ensnared, but it would be nearly impossible to destroy them without risking the destruction of the Heart of Mir.

Human: The humans were created to hold the intellect and knowledge of the Sha'rek'ta; however the magi learned from their mistakes with the Ged-zari. Instead of giving them all of their own knowledge, they instead set them on the path to seek out knowledge, to be curious, and to be internally driven. The magi left behind plenty of their creators knowledge, in the hopes the humans would find it but only when they achieved the wisdom, judgement, and foresight their creators lacked. In the humans the magi not only planted the seed of the Sha’rek’ta, but the hope to eclipse their own creators.

The Cataclysm at the end of the Age of Legends and the unstable Dark Age that followed changed many of the races that had once thrived upon the world. Not only were those born in the crucible of unstable power changed, but the after effects were devastating. These are the sapiens who survived these tumultuous eras.

Centaur: Centaurs were once a race of highly intelligent horses created by the Sha'rek'ta that roamed the earth, but were changed by first by the Legendary power of the Black Gates and again by the elves of the world. The Centaurs that lived through the Dark Age were twisted and misshapen beasts wracked by pain. The elves healed their bodies and restored their minds.

Gnome: Once small earth spirits, the Cataclysm at the end of the Age of Legends warped the earth and many of the creatures tied to them. Gnomes now wander the world unable to settle down in any one location. Most people would consider them dangerously unstable as there seems to be no time between thought and action.

Montuk:

Merfolk: Like the Centaur these also began as an intelligent race of fish created by the Sha'rek'ta, but forever changed by events. Unlike the Centaurs, the Merfolk were not twisted or driven mad by their change, but in fact thrived and expanded during the Dark Age.

Ogre:

Shandau: