open system agnostic setting.md

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title: Open System Agnostic Setting
author: Gego
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        THIS DOCUMENT IS A DRAFT

        NOTICE THIS DOCUMENT MAY CONTAIN SPELLING
        AND GRAMMAR ERRORS. WHAT DID YOU EXPECT
        FROM SOMETHING THAT IS FREE?

**Licence:** Public Domain

Hail traveller!

It seems you have been hit by Lorry-kun when you were out having a walk, or
perhaps when you were out driving..? I don't know.

Anyway, you are now dead.

Don't panic! Calm down. You are about to reincarnate into a new world that is
yours for the taking, if you can manage to, that is.

Before you are squeezed out of the nether parts of a creature of your new world
I thought I would give you an overview of what you can expect to find in it.

# Higher Creatures

In this section you will learn what sapient creatures exist in this world. You
will be squeezed out of one of these when you are reborn, so it's good to get to
know them.

## Humans

WOO! Humans. Humans are just like you were before you became unalive. Nothing
special.

Humans greatest strength is that they can do almost everything other higher
creatures can. Be it magic, technical or mechanical expertise, or leading
armies. They can do everything (but perhaps are not the best at it).

You will find humans from the frigid north and south, to the deepest deserts and
forests. They build the biggest cities and reproduce like rabbits (according to
other races).

Humans are known to be both extremely xenophobic and extremely xenophilic. They
are known to be very distrusting of other races, and at the same time have an
exceptionally good relations with others (if you know what I mean).

Different gods and different ideologies have their own sets of rules when it
come to non-human sentient creatures.

## Elves

Elves are pointy-eared creatures that live a very very long time. they are known
for their beauty (Well, most of them are, and we don't talk about where the ugly
ones go). There are two main races of Elves: above-ground elves, and below
ground elves.

Depending on when you decide to be born, the split may not have happened yet.
(More on that when we come to it).

Elves generally age as normal humans till they are about the age of 14, when
their aging seems to slow down so it seems it stop to normal humans. The length
of their lives depend on what sort of elf they are.

Interbreeding between the elven races is not unheard of, but not very common.
(Depending on when and where you are born.)

### Above Ground Elves

Above ground elves have three factions: The High Elves, the Tree or Forest
Elves, and the Sea Elves.

**The High Elves** describe themselves as the original elves (or so they say).
They are the ones blessed by the Gods (or so they say) and have magical power in
abundance. They live in big cities built around trees of power that gives them
long lives and eternal youth.

It is not uncommon for a High Elf to live in excess of a thousand years, but no
more than 5 000 years. There are a few individuals who live forever, either as
punishment or as a blessing from the gods (most often it's punishment).

**The Tree Elves** or **Forest Elves** live in harmony with nature (or so they
say), and have a distrust most other higher creatures, and even other races of
elf. If you are one, you get a free pass on being racist and speciesist. If you
are not one and meet one, expect the worst, but don't be surprised if they are
friendly, as they can be very friendly.

**The Sea Elves** often live on islands far from the main continent. They
generally have darker skin than their land cousins. They are often very
welcoming of strangers, and try to make everyone feel at home. It is not
uncommon that pirates are sea elves.

You may even find sea elves that have become at home _in_ the oceans, with gills
and webbed digits on feet and hands. (Trust at your own risk).

### Below Ground Elves

There are two kinds of Black and White. These two races of elf come to be
because the gods saw a sect of elves as going from the ways of what they
perceived as the path they had set out for elf-kind. They indulged in
depravity, elf sacrifice and torture of other elves en mass.

These two races of elf do not like each other, and fight wars of extermination
and dominance over each other. Other factions of elf have been known to be roped
into their conflict on either side.

**Black Elves** have charcoal black skin, and light eye colours (green, blue,
grey, yellow) and never red or brown. Their natural hair is silver or white.

Black elves can walk the surface without hindrance, and you may find a
black elf or a family of black elves living among other higher creatures, (but
not other elves races).

**White Elves** got the short end of the stick in being outcast. They have pure
white skin, almost transparent, red eyes, white hair.

They can not survive in direct sunlight and when they do travel the surface they
will ware layers on layers of cloth, and only have a slit to see through.

The white elves are often seen as repentant of what their ancestors have done to
cast their whole linage under ground, without the ability to freely walk the
surface. But that does not mean they can be trusted outright. Depending on when
you are born they might be as evil as they were when they were cast down or even
have purged the evil elements of their ranks and seek to be let back into the
fold of the other races of elf.


## Dwarfs

Not just short humans or elves. Likes to dig holes. Sometimes dig to deep. Will
never reach the moons..? They live mostly in mountains, where they have dug out
giant fortresses from the stone. They live very communal and share most
resources with each other in each fort.

Excellent masons and engineers, known for their metallurgical know-how, and
protectionist stance on what the have created, and what they produce. The lions
share of metal is dug up by dwarfs, and almost half of all metal refining
is done by the dwarfs.

They are at contrast war with other lesser creatures of the underworld. And are
thus very xenophobic towards them. They have little trust towards elves.

## Faun

Faun come in two different variants: Fay Faun, and Devil Faun. Faun are bipedal
creatures with goat-like legs and ram-like horns, on a generic human-like body.

### Fay Faun (true Faun)

Fay Faun are the original faun. They came to this world from the Land of Fay or
the Land of Faeries and were unable to return. They often have the range of skin
colours any human can have, but some can be blessed with lightly blue or green
skin.

They can have long thin tails, often with a wispy tuft of hair on the end,
a bit like a donkeys tail, but longer and more dexterous

They live in arboreal forests where the link to the Land of Fay is as it's
strangest, but are known to also be found in other places. They have taken on
the role of protectors of the forests, and will try and persuade those who
trespass to leave and never return.

Quote-unquote civilised faun can be found living in or adjacent to human or
other settlements, villages and towns.

### Devil Faun

Devil faun are faun that are the result of interbreeding between Fay Faun and
Devils or Demons though magic. They are often mistrusted among most other higher
creatures due to this. They can have the full range of skin colour that humans
have, but with a hint of red or yellow. They might also have red or yellow skin.

They can have either a thin tail like a normal Faun, or a thick tail like a
devil.

They are said to be impervious to flames, but it may or may not be true
(Depending on when you are born), better avoid flames just to be sure.

You will find them often living underground in colonies, where try to keep to
themselves. You can also find them in towns and settlements on the surface,
where they often live as entertainers (if you know what I mean) among other
things.

## Satyrs

Satyrs are creatures originally from the Land of Fay, who can not return. They
are stout human-esq creates that have donkey ears and donkey tails. Lives in
farming villages on the surfaces, they are happy-go-lucky in nature, and are
very welcoming of others (You may visit, but never stay for too long). All
satyrs have light skin, green eyes, and red hair. (They have no horns.)

They will protect their own at any price, but will welcome a wary traveller in
for a cup of tea or for trade in goods.

It is not uncommon to see Satyr merchants in towns and cities of other races,
but will never live there for long. Those that do are often outcasts.

## Lizard Folk (Generic term for several species)

Found in the tropical, and subtropical climates, lizard folk are cold blooded,
and look like slightly-larger-than-a-human-sized bipedal lizard. Depending on
where they are born they have different colourations and adaptations to work in
that environment. Some have sand coloured skin to work blend in with sand dunes
of a great dessert, others are green to blend in with marches and jungles,
whilst others are bright red because they their culture have a preference for
that colour.

Often described as having no emotions, this is false. They do have emotions,
they just can't express them like other creatures; They don't have the muscles
in their face to express emotions that way, and the tail is not in directly
controlled by their emotions as dogs and wolves.

## Dragons and Their Kin

There are several different kinds of dragons, from True Dragons and Wyvern, to
Drakes and Wyrms. Among these only a few are considered higher beings. All
dragon kin can be found in both metallic and chromatic types.

### Dragons (True Dragons)

Dragons are big lizard-esq things, with six limbs, four legs to stand on, and
two wings. They are not really lizards, but their own thing. They are the most
powerful mortal creatures you can encounter. Is this section the different types
of dragons will be presented. Most kinds of dragons do built hordes of
out of something, and will protect their horde.

Not all dragons you will find you can talk to, and are right out feral, this
irrespective if they are chromatic or metallic in nature.

**Metallic Dragons** are called as such because their scales shine like
different kinds of metal. Most metallic dragons are not feral, and can be talked
to, if they would allow it. Metallic dragons generally form monogamous pairings
that will last till death do them part.

Among these you will find the **Gold Dragons** who are the most
rare of all dragons, and are seen as protectors of the world. They will try to
solve conflicts through diplomacy, but help you gods, if you every anger one.

**Silver Dragons** are the second least common dragon type you will find. They
are seen as arbiters, and will try to keep the peace in their domain, at any
cost. Remember that.

**Copper Dragons** are mischievous in nature, and will roam their domain trying
to find anything to entertain them. This does not mean they can be played with,
as they have a higher chance of being feral in nature.

**Steel Dragons** or **Iron Dragons** are the only type of dragons that can live
in groups, and do not maintain a fixed domain, but can travel around like
nomads. It is not uncommon for them to seek out companionship with other
higher creatures, and are thus often seen with a _dragon rider_ on their back
when travelling. (**Note:** this dose not mean that individual dragons of other
types can't be found with dragon riders, or seeking companionship.) They are
the only type of metallic dragons that do not build hordes, and instead value
companionship and family over riches.

**Chromatic Dragons** are dragons that have