Offetstine Wiki - User contributions [en]

Offetstine:Partnerships

2024-09-04T07:20:05Z

Twonakria: Training wheels off (contract is now live!)

{{Official policy}}

''Interested in partnerships, and just want to see our partner agreement? Skip to [[#Agreement|the Agreement]].''

As of 23 July 2024, Offetstine invites [https://www.reddit.com/r/discordapp/comments/lhcvnk/how_does_partnering_with_another_sever_work/ partnerships] with other online communities, which enable cross-promotion between their respective Discord servers. The goal of accepting partnerships in Offetstine is to enable cross-pollination, to allow members of either community to more easily find spaces that represent their interests and that they feel comfortable and are inspired in.

== Rationale ==

Offetstine has allowed its members to advertise their creations, including Discord servers, since it first became a public community. Since a large portion of Offetstine's audience has always been artists, whose livelihoods depend on visibility, we have always been open to allowing artists to use our platform to promote themselves. We have allowed owners or admins of Discord servers to promote them with invites; however, until recently, we have not allowed Discord server partnerships in our community.

Following a [https://discord.com/channels/809184885485994016/815412637168959527/1265078034851954698 recent referendum], we've decided to open up partnerships; but we still want to make sure that partnerships are not detrimental to our members or yours. Just like with advertisements, we want to spotlight independent creators' works and help our members find communities that might interest them.

Communities, especially roleplay communities, are often more fun to participate in when they're bigger and more active. Because of that, we hope that through partnerships, we can help people more easily find where they want to be. Our rules for partnerships are somewhat stricter than our rules for advertisements, since partnerships (much more like sponsorships) are direct endorsements that we make, and we don't want to use our influence to direct anyone somewhere they will feel uncomfortable or be endangered.

This document aims to capture all the information that prospective partners might want to know about working with us at Offetstine, and all the information that our members may want to know about how we choose partnerships and work with partners.

== Agreement ==

As an ambassador for an online community interested in partnership with Offetstine, we ask that you agree to the following agreement ''(hereafter: the Agreement).'' Prospective partners are allowed, and encouraged, to bring their own contracts to the table. The partnership will be effective when all contracts, including the Agreement, are signed by both parties, until either community decides to terminate the agreement.

The Agreement outlines a series of bilateral terms that help us ensure a safe and inclusive environment, both for members joining Offetstine, and for members joining your community from Offetstine. In addition to that, the Agreement outlines a series of unilateral terms that we'll uphold, because we personally believe it's the right thing to do.

'''TL;DR:''' Before asking for a partnership, make sure you're an established member of your community. Make sure your community is safe and inclusive, and allows minors. Each of us can send a staff member of our community as an ambassador, and post our advertising copy in a prominent location (e.g. #partners channel).

* '''Bilateral terms:''' We pledge of our community, and ask of your community, ''(hereafter: the Community)'' that:
** The Community identifies a staff member ''(hereafter: the Ambassador)'' to join their partner server for the duration of the partnership.
*** At least one of the Ambassadors is an established member of the other community. For Offetstine, we require that any incoming Ambassadors either have an approved character in roleplay, or have been a spectator member for more than two weeks. This serves as a simple litmus test to sift out members that join ''only'' to partner.
*** Ambassadors are required to be in good community standing. We promise of ourselves, and request that, Ambassadors will act respectfully and uphold the principles of the communities they join. We'll try to participate actively and positively rather than just watching from afar.
** The Community is safe and inclusive for all people, regardless of their background. The Community disallows all inherently intolerant mentalities (racism, sexism, etc.) and protects members from shock media (unwilling exposure to pornography, gore, etc.)
*** The Community's primary demographic is not adult/NSFW, and minor members may join.
** The Community has reason to believe that partnership will be mutually beneficial for members of its partner. Nobody on the Community's staff objects to the partnership.
** The Community posts the relevant [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Copy_(publishing) advertising copy] of its partner, and updates the posting in a timely fashion when their partner revises the copy. See our ad copy [[#Advertising Copy|here]].
* '''Unilateral terms:''' We pledge, without demanding reciprocation, that:
** You don't have to be a roleplaying space. As long as you think our communities could benefit from each other, feel free to reach out about partnership.
** If your community is a roleplaying space, we'll try to promote and endorse the community for material (characters and stories) that are better suited to it than our own, including material that we don't allow but you might (for example, established-universe works).
** If you're interested, we'll reach out for potential collaborations with your community (such as art contests, and rewards available to members of both communities) especially if we believe it will help encourage participation and grow our communities even more.
** We'll give Ambassadors in our community a special, hoisted role to commemorate them for their service and collaboration.
** We won't hold it against you if you decide to discontinue the partnership after a decision made behind closed doors. You have the right to terminate a partnership with us for any reason; we'll delete any advertising copy and stop promoting your community.

If we ever need to update these terms, we will reach out to all partners who have signed this contract for any nontrivial changes. We'll provide clear and comprehensive documentation of what changed, and request that all parties reaffirm the contract. We may correct minor errors that don't change the semantics of the agreement (spelling and grammar mistakes and the like) on our own with no notification.

== Advertising copy ==

Formatted in Markdown, we request that you post, or that our Ambassador is able to post, one of the following messages in your Discord server, in a prominent and non-ephemeral location. Either the full copy or short copy is acceptable, especially if one fits better than the others next to existing partner listings. We're also willing to write bespoke copy for a community if there is any technical need. We request that the copy is not modified except to suit the format of its posting.

The copy, including accompanying media, is provided under a [https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ CC BY 4.0] license to all people. That means you can copy and remix it to your heart's content (for example, to write your own ad copy) as long as you attribute it to us. If you join us as a partner, you are also required to reproduce it verbatim, according to the above paragraph's terms. This means you're bound to both the Creative Commons license and our own.

=== Full copy ===

<syntaxhighlight lang="markdown" line class="midori-wrap">
*Nature is the best keeper of secrets, and there is no secret more powerful than what lies here...*

# Offetstine · Urban Fantasy RP

There is untold magic in our world. Magic that, to you and I, may seem obvious—but humans don't know about it. They can't know. Fantastical creatures that with grand powers that weave through the human masses undetected, flit through the night upon papery wings, or lurk menacingly in the shadows. The few who know us call us demi-humans and mages... there's no guarantee we can be ourselves in that world. But, by god, is it something incredible.

There's a world we cannot believe waiting for us beyond the thickets and the trees. I've been there once before. I hid my ears with a hat, used just enough magic to take their language from their lips... it was not enough to quite fit in, but they thought I was just another traveler. There are billions of them, so many that they simply ascribe my oddity to merely being born of a foreign ethnicity. Their world is tremendous, and terrifying. But we can't stay here for much longer.

And there are little pockets. Places where creatures like us still survive... thrive, even. We might still be able to find a place to call home. We've made it through hardship before, and we can do it again.

**Featuring...**
🌍 A familiar yet exciting *turn-of-the-millennium urban fantasy setting*
🧙‍♂️ *Unlimited character slots,* for mundane and magical characters alike
👋 Leisurely, welcoming, and *open community* with varied interests
🌐 A *rich and comprehensive wiki* (beta) at https://offetstine.eunakria.com/

(invite link)
</syntaxhighlight>

=== Short copy ===

<syntaxhighlight lang="markdown" line class="midori-wrap">
*Nature is the best keeper of secrets, and there is no secret more powerful than what lies here...*

# Offetstine · Urban Fantasy RP

Do you want to hear it? Listen close, now... this world's deepest, darkest secret is the world of demi-humans—fantastical creatures with grand powers that weave through the human masses undetected, or lurk in the shadows. Powerful magicks that could tear us apart if we glanced at them wrong. Now, you hold within your hands the key to that world. Do you think you have what it takes to make your mark on this world—or even survive it?

**Featuring...**
🌍 A familiar yet exciting *turn-of-the-millennium urban fantasy setting*
🧙‍♂️ *Unlimited character slots,* for mundane and magical characters alike
👋 Leisurely, welcoming, and *open community* with varied interests
🌐 A *rich and comprehensive wiki* (beta) at https://offetstine.eunakria.com/

(invite link)
</syntaxhighlight>

After updating our ad copy, we'll reach out to any partner community to inform them of the update.

Offetstine:Partnerships

2024-09-02T20:37:15Z

Twonakria: Skip the illustration for now

{{Official policy}}

{{Tentative}}

''Interested in partnerships, and just want to see our partner agreement? Skip to [[#Agreement|the Agreement]].''

As of 23 July 2024, Offetstine invites [https://www.reddit.com/r/discordapp/comments/lhcvnk/how_does_partnering_with_another_sever_work/ partnerships] with other online communities, which enable cross-promotion between their respective Discord servers. The goal of accepting partnerships in Offetstine is to enable cross-pollination, to allow members of either community to more easily find spaces that represent their interests and that they feel comfortable and are inspired in.

== Rationale ==

Offetstine has allowed its members to advertise their creations, including Discord servers, since it first became a public community. Since a large portion of Offetstine's audience has always been artists, whose livelihoods depend on visibility, we have always been open to allowing artists to use our platform to promote themselves. We have allowed owners or admins of Discord servers to promote them with invites; however, until recently, we have not allowed Discord server partnerships in our community.

Following a [https://discord.com/channels/809184885485994016/815412637168959527/1265078034851954698 recent referendum], we've decided to open up partnerships; but we still want to make sure that partnerships are not detrimental to our members or yours. Just like with advertisements, we want to spotlight independent creators' works and help our members find communities that might interest them.

Communities, especially roleplay communities, are often more fun to participate in when they're bigger and more active. Because of that, we hope that through partnerships, we can help people more easily find where they want to be. Our rules for partnerships are somewhat stricter than our rules for advertisements, since partnerships (much more like sponsorships) are direct endorsements that we make, and we don't want to use our influence to direct anyone somewhere they will feel uncomfortable or be endangered.

This document aims to capture all the information that prospective partners might want to know about working with us at Offetstine, and all the information that our members may want to know about how we choose partnerships and work with partners.

== Agreement ==

As an ambassador for an online community interested in partnership with Offetstine, we ask that you agree to the following agreement ''(hereafter: the Agreement).'' Prospective partners are allowed, and encouraged, to bring their own contracts to the table. The partnership will be effective when all contracts, including the Agreement, are signed by both parties, until either community decides to terminate the agreement. '''(TBD: You can't sign this contract yet. We're still working out the terms. Check back soon!)'''

The Agreement outlines a series of bilateral terms that help us ensure a safe and inclusive environment, both for members joining Offetstine, and for members joining your community from Offetstine. In addition to that, the Agreement outlines a series of unilateral terms that we'll uphold, because we personally believe it's the right thing to do.

'''TL;DR:''' Before asking for a partnership, make sure you're an established member of your community. Make sure your community is safe and inclusive, and allows minors. Each of us can send a staff member of our community as an ambassador, and post our advertising copy in a prominent location (e.g. #partners channel).

* '''Bilateral terms:''' We pledge of our community, and ask of your community, ''(hereafter: the Community)'' that:
** The Community identifies a staff member ''(hereafter: the Ambassador)'' to join their partner server for the duration of the partnership.
*** At least one of the Ambassadors is an established member of the other community. For Offetstine, we require that any incoming Ambassadors either have an approved character in roleplay, or have been a spectator member for more than two weeks. This serves as a simple litmus test to sift out members that join ''only'' to partner.
*** Ambassadors are required to be in good community standing. We promise of ourselves, and request that, Ambassadors will act respectfully and uphold the principles of the communities they join. We'll try to participate actively and positively rather than just watching from afar.
** The Community is safe and inclusive for all people, regardless of their background. The Community disallows all inherently intolerant mentalities (racism, sexism, etc.) and protects members from shock media (unwilling exposure to pornography, gore, etc.)
*** The Community's primary demographic is not adult/NSFW, and minor members may join.
** The Community has reason to believe that partnership will be mutually beneficial for members of its partner. Nobody on the Community's staff objects to the partnership.
** The Community posts the relevant [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Copy_(publishing) advertising copy] of its partner, and updates the posting in a timely fashion when their partner revises the copy. See our ad copy [[#Advertising Copy|here]].
* '''Unilateral terms:''' We pledge, without demanding reciprocation, that:
** You don't have to be a roleplaying space. As long as you think our communities could benefit from each other, feel free to reach out about partnership.
** If your community is a roleplaying space, we'll try to promote and endorse the community for material (characters and stories) that are better suited to it than our own, including material that we don't allow but you might (for example, established-universe works).
** If you're interested, we'll reach out for potential collaborations with your community (such as art contests, and rewards available to members of both communities) especially if we believe it will help encourage participation and grow our communities even more.
** We'll give Ambassadors in our community a special, hoisted role to commemorate them for their service and collaboration.
** We won't hold it against you if you decide to discontinue the partnership after a decision made behind closed doors. You have the right to terminate a partnership with us for any reason; we'll delete any advertising copy and stop promoting your community.

If we ever need to update these terms, we will reach out to all partners who have signed this contract for any nontrivial changes. We'll provide clear and comprehensive documentation of what changed, and request that all parties reaffirm the contract. We may correct minor errors that don't change the semantics of the agreement (spelling and grammar mistakes and the like) on our own with no notification.

== Advertising copy ==

Formatted in Markdown, we request that you post, or that our Ambassador is able to post, one of the following messages in your Discord server, in a prominent and non-ephemeral location. Either the full copy or short copy is acceptable, especially if one fits better than the others next to existing partner listings. We're also willing to write bespoke copy for a community if there is any technical need. We request that the copy is not modified except to suit the format of its posting.

The copy, including accompanying media, is provided under a [https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ CC BY 4.0] license to all people. That means you can copy and remix it to your heart's content (for example, to write your own ad copy) as long as you attribute it to us. If you join us as a partner, you are also required to reproduce it verbatim, according to the above paragraph's terms. This means you're bound to both the Creative Commons license and our own. '''(TBD: need to make sure the other mods agree about licensing)'''

=== Full copy ===

<syntaxhighlight lang="markdown" line class="midori-wrap">
*Nature is the best keeper of secrets, and there is no secret more powerful than what lies here...*

# Offetstine · Urban Fantasy RP

There is untold magic in our world. Magic that, to you and I, may seem obvious—but humans don't know about it. They can't know. Fantastical creatures that with grand powers that weave through the human masses undetected, flit through the night upon papery wings, or lurk menacingly in the shadows. The few who know us call us demi-humans and mages... there's no guarantee we can be ourselves in that world. But, by god, is it something incredible.

There's a world we cannot believe waiting for us beyond the thickets and the trees. I've been there once before. I hid my ears with a hat, used just enough magic to take their language from their lips... it was not enough to quite fit in, but they thought I was just another traveler. There are billions of them, so many that they simply ascribe my oddity to merely being born of a foreign ethnicity. Their world is tremendous, and terrifying. But we can't stay here for much longer.

And there are little pockets. Places where creatures like us still survive... thrive, even. We might still be able to find a place to call home. We've made it through hardship before, and we can do it again.

**Featuring...**
🌍 A familiar yet exciting *turn-of-the-millennium urban fantasy setting*
🧙‍♂️ *Unlimited character slots,* for mundane and magical characters alike
👋 Leisurely, welcoming, and *open community* with varied interests
🌐 A *rich and comprehensive wiki* (beta) at https://offetstine.eunakria.com/

(invite link)
</syntaxhighlight>

=== Short copy ===

<syntaxhighlight lang="markdown" line class="midori-wrap">
*Nature is the best keeper of secrets, and there is no secret more powerful than what lies here...*

# Offetstine · Urban Fantasy RP

Do you want to hear it? Listen close, now... this world's deepest, darkest secret is the world of demi-humans—fantastical creatures with grand powers that weave through the human masses undetected, or lurk in the shadows. Powerful magicks that could tear us apart if we glanced at them wrong. Now, you hold within your hands the key to that world. Do you think you have what it takes to make your mark on this world—or even survive it?

**Featuring...**
🌍 A familiar yet exciting *turn-of-the-millennium urban fantasy setting*
🧙‍♂️ *Unlimited character slots,* for mundane and magical characters alike
👋 Leisurely, welcoming, and *open community* with varied interests
🌐 A *rich and comprehensive wiki* (beta) at https://offetstine.eunakria.com/

(invite link)
</syntaxhighlight>

After updating our ad copy, we'll reach out to any partner community to inform them of the update.

Criminal organizations

2024-08-27T22:26:43Z

Twonakria: Remove obsolete reference to Major Arcana

The [[Greater Offetstine Area]] is home to various pervasive criminal organizations.

== Past ==

* The [[Coalition]] was an incredibly pervasive criminal organization headquartered in [[Offetstine]] and led by [[Raja]], notable for being exclusive to demi-humans, and offering an effective safe haven for more chaotic individuals.

== Current ==

* The [[Serpents]] are a powerful and dominant criminal organization led by [[Sonia Versace]], more typical in operation and structure than the eccentric Coalition.
* The [[Hunter's Guild]], more formally the Bishops, is a fairly young organization established by [[Evi Snijder]] as a front for her vampire-hunting guild.

=== Post-Coalition ===

Many criminal organizations in Offetstine and neighboring cities were established specifically after the fall of the Coalition. These organizations are often colloquially referred to as "Neo-Coalitions".

* The [[Ringleaders]] are an organization established in the wake of the Coalition, an effective love letter to the gang at its peak headed by [[Numa]].

Offetstine:Needs work

2024-08-27T22:26:18Z

Twonakria: Remove obsolete reference to Major Arcana

'''Have some time to spare?''' Consider contributing to one of these pages.

You can quickly link to this page with the shortcode [[OW:NW|<code>OW:NW</code>]].



== Areas ==

* [[Northbrook Woodland]]
* [[Stenbrook River]]

== Cities ==

* [[Hallingmere]]
* [[Offetstine]]
* [[Winthorpe]]

== Concepts ==

* [[Afterlife]]
** [[Soul]]
** [[Underworld]]
* [[Greater Offetstine Area]]
* [[Magic]]
** [[Alchemy]]
** [[Elemental magic]]
** [[Illusion magic]]
** [[Necromancy]]
** [[Psychic powers]]
** [[Shapeshifting]]
* [[Masquerade]]
* [[Shadow politics]]
* [[Species taxonomy]]
* [[Immortality]]

== Events ==

* [[Music Festival]]

== Institutions ==

* [[Cedar Crest University]]
* [[Golden Chalice]]
* [[Offetstine Primary School]]
* [[Offetstine Secondary School]]
* [[Rainbow in the Moon]]

== Media ==

* [[CREST]]
* [[SophOS DCS]]
* [[Zagreus Cross]]

== Nations ==

* [[Fidelia]]
* [[Ovaren society]]

== Organizations ==

* [[Criminal organizations]]
** [[Coalition]]
** [[Hunter's Guild]]
** [[Ringleaders]]
** [[Serpents]]
* [[Veilkeepers]]

== People ==

* [[Cato Umbra]]
* [[Clarise Ledford]]
* [[Constance Vivas]]
* [[Eliza Teak]]
* [[Erin Hazell]]
* [[Evi Snijder]]
* [[Melia Pepper]]
* [[Modeste Daniau]]
* [[Numa]]
* [[Raja]]
* [[Sonia Versace]]
* [[Vincent Rosier]]

== Species ==

[[Demi-human]]

* [[Animal-folk]]
** [[Kitsune]]
** [[V. Sequoiae]]
* [[Deity]]
* [[Elf]]
* [[Demon]]
* [[Dragon]]
* [[Harpy]]
* [[Lamia]]
* [[Nymph]]
* [[Spirit]]
** [[Elemental]]
** [[Revenant]]
* [[Vampire]]
** ''[[S. Aequilibrii]]''
** ''[[S. Erisi]]''
** ''[[S. Shakuii]]''
* [[Werewolf]]

Soul

2024-08-27T22:25:57Z

Twonakria: Remove obsolete reference to Major Arcana

One of the fundamental concepts in the world of magic in Offetstine is the idea of living beings that can influence [[magic]]. These are beings which demonstrate some kind of [[wikipedia:Sentience|sentience]], [[wikipedia:Wisdom#Sapience|sapience]] or [[wikipedia:Self-awareness|self-awareness]]. While these ideas are not perfectly well-defined, they are usually found in the mundane natural world in humans and some other animals, and in the magical world in [[Demi-human|demi-humans]], and they coincide with the presence of '''souls''' in these beings. The nature of souls is not well understood, and is considered part of [[wikipedia:Philosophy|philosophy]] more than it is a part of the [[wikipedia:Science|science]] of magic, though certain schools of magic such as [[necromancy]], which depends heavily on understanding the soul, have made strides in the understanding of the precise nature of souls.

It is not possible to define precisely what can and cannot have a soul, and there are many beings in the world which seem like they should have souls but do not, and vice versa. Parallels have been drawn between the idea of the soul and religious beliefs and philosophies such as [[wikipedia:Creationism|creationism]], though scholars of magic generally reject this idea. The existence of souls as a concept in magic does not imply that the world, before the prevalence of magic, did not form by entirely mundane means, and it does not imply any specific [[wikipedia:Cosmogony|cosmogony]].

== Definitions ==
One general consensus about the definition of souls is that magic can only be controlled, employed and influenced by beings that have souls, though it is possible for a magically trained individual to create artifacts which influence magic of their own right, or through the [[Will of the People]] to make magical ideas real if they exist in the collective consciousness.

=== Protégé hypothesis ===
One hypothesis suggests that souls only exist to provide for magic, and the first beings to have souls were also the first beings capable of magic in any capacity, likely early [[wikipedia:Human|humans]] or early [[wikipedia:Animal|animals]]. It suggests that humans, and some other early animals, were the protégés or champions of a then new concept that would eventually become magic, and to empower them in this new concept, these species developed souls per the Will of the People. Those souls conferred no benefit on their face other than the ability to control magic, but eventually that ability distinguished the branch of species from the others.

The hypothesis proposes that souls developed in this mundane species in order to provide them magic, because of their potential in [[wikipedia:Reason|reason]], or some other factor that is usually associated with humans and other animals. The hypothesis does not specify what factor would have led humans and other animals to be able to control magic, though it has been understood by some theologians and others to mean that there is something about humans that makes them special and sets them apart from the rest of the world. Proponents of the hypothesis often insist that it is, by itself, [[wikipedia:Agnosticism|religiously agnostic]].

The hypothesis at first does not appear to line up with the age of other ethereal planes such as the [[afterlife]] and [[underworld]]. Some estimates suggest that these planes existed for anywhere from millions to billions of years before humanity. However, other ethereal planes are not necessarily made of traditional physical matter. The afterlife and underworld are instead made of incorporeal magical energy, which has a physical form that can be sensed and interacted with, but is not bound to any of the rules that physical matter is and operates under its own rules to a similar end result.

Magical energy is seen in the natural world as well, in the form of ethereal beings such as [[Spirit|spirits]] and [[Nymph|nymphs]] who exhibit various strange behaviors in the physical nature of their bodies. For example, while the conditions that a nymph of most [[Species taxonomy|subspecies]] is subject to may be explained by being made of biological matter, it is often impossible to dissect the body of a deceased nymph and identify those organs, or perhaps when injured, the damaged parts of their body may simply disappear in wisps. However, the level of apparent physicality of an ethereal object may vary. For other ethereal beings, for example, it is possible to take a swab of them and observe individual cells or molecules under a microscope. This implies that the afterlife and underworld were willed into existence through the minds of beings with souls, and appear to have the age they do because they are not physical in nature, and there is no conflict from the proposition that they are, in fact, young.

=== Heredity hypothesis ===
One interpretation of the concept suggests that there is nothing about the beings which have souls that entitle them to their souls, and instead, their heredity gives them their souls. The classification is convenient but not meaningful by itself, and suggests that it is simply a coincidence that living beings that are typically associated with higher-order reasoning, such as animals and humans, have souls. It is similar to the [[Soul#Protégé hypothesis|protégé hypothesis]], but does not suggest that all beings which have souls share certain traits. Instead, it suggests that the family of beings that have souls follow a certain reproductive lineage which includes all animals.

The heredity hypothesis is generally more widely accepted by scholars than the protégé hypothesis. However, similar to the protégé hypothesis, it also has a significant number of religious interpretations that are not necessarily core to the hypothesis. Some interpretations suggest that the progenitor of souls and magic in the heredity hypothesis was a [[wikipedia:Sexual_reproduction|sexually reproducing]] [[wikipedia:Eukaryote|eukaryote]], often an early human, who had a child with [[wikipedia:God|god]]. These notions are widely disregarded in the community studying magic, though these interpretations, and variants of them, have served as the base for some [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Extremism extremist] and [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radical_politics radical] organizations and [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cult cults].

== Behavior ==
While a lot can be said about how to define souls, it is generally considered more productive by mages to focus on how souls impact the way the world, and magic, works. Generally, it can be said that many living beings in the world, including most animals, have a soul. That soul is created when they are conceived and exists until their death. As the study of souls is still in its infancy, many edge cases here are not well-understood, such as the presence of souls in children with [[wikipedia:Anencephaly|anencephaly]]. Generally, it is understood that any being individually capable of becoming a mage has their own soul.

Generally, a being with a soul requires that soul to function as an individual, and some beings do not have physical forms on their own. A being may be only a soul and may possess another body or take an incorporeal, artificial form, and such beings are usually considered [[Spirit|spirits]]. These beings often come from another ethereal plane, such as the [[afterlife]] or [[underworld]]. Sometimes, a being without a body can possess another body, which, if it has another soul in it, will usually push the soul out of the body, effectively killing the person but letting the body be used by the other soul.

=== Relation to cognition ===
Despite the implication of its name, the soul does not confer any powers of cognition by itself. For most souls of beings that have physical forms, the soul just provides a small amount of the character and personality of a person, the parts that aren't based on their species and the instincts and cognitive functions it provides. It is sometimes hypothesized that for spirits, the soul is responsible for all their cognitive function, but this claim is disputed. For some species of spirits that possess other bodies, they show only very generic and high-level cognitive function until they have a body to possess. For others, it is suspected that the magical energy around them, while it does not provide them a tangible form, does give them their cognitive power.

Moreover, the species of a being is likely not inherent to a soul since that species may change as a being is subjected to different magic, which implies that all traits which define a being's species are outside of their soul. The counter-hypothesis, which is considered more likely, is that all souls only provide that very basic high-level cognitive function. It suggests that the soul itself is not associated to any single species or any body, and that it can even be limited by being in a particular body, and is generally undetectable in mundane terms.

=== Death ===
Upon death, a soul departs from the host body and usually goes to the [[afterlife]]. However, there are some cases where the body might stay behind on its source plane, usually the natural world, to become a [[revenant]]. It is exceptionally difficult to continue to use a body after it has died, so the soul may wander the world on its own as a spirit if it is sufficiently powerful to resist going to the afterlife. Part of [[necromancy]], for example, involves the preparation of bodies for accepting a soul again. A soul that has departed to the afterlife is widely considered to have reached its final destination. While souls are not subject to any conditions of [[wikipedia:Spiritual_death|spiritual death]], especially the longer a soul has been in the afterlife, the harder it is to retrieve it from the afterlife. For a foreign soul to be in the afterlife, it is generally considered that the soul is "at peace," and it usually causes more problems than it solves to disturb the soul of a person who has died.

A soul in the afterlife is known to have some limited influence over the natural world and people who are still alive. For example, a soul still has a connection to the body it was alive in, and can still influence that body after its death. This connection to the natural world is closely leveraged by fields of magic such as necromancy, and has provided the most completely understood aspect of souls. It is generally understood that a soul, even after its death, emotionally reacts to events in its home plane (usually the natural world or underworld) and exerts some sort of subtle, but measurable, influence on those subjects. The influence is often understood as [[wikipedia:Luck|luck]] or [[wikipedia:Blessing|blessings]].

Coalition

2024-08-27T22:22:39Z

Twonakria: Remove obsolete reference to Major Arcana

[[Category:Criminal organizations]]
{{Infobox criminal organization
|insignia=[[File:Coalition_logo.png]]
|caption=The insignia used by the Coalition from 1981 to its fall in 1997
|date_founded={{Date and age in years and months|1833-02-10}}
|date_dissolved={{Date and age in years and months|1997-03-20}}
|founder=[[Raja]]
|num_members=<abbr title="approximately">~</abbr>60{{Amend}} (<abbr title="circa">c.</abbr> 1996)
|admittance=[[Demi-human|Demi-humans]]
|relations=[[Serpents]] ''(rival)''
}}
The '''Coalition''' was a criminal organization exclusive to [[Demi-Human|demi-humans]], and the largest and most significant of its kind in [[Offetstine]] in the years before its disbandment. It was led by [[Raja]] from its time of inception until his sudden disappearance, at which concerns regarding governance amidst the organization's membership spread until they grew untenable, and the Coalition disbanded.

The exact character of the Coalition did not align much with that of a traditional crime syndicate, nor with that of a gang. As a nascent organization, its stated goal was to provide care to members of the Offetstine underground who were not otherwise able to care for themselves, usually underage innocents, people who were cast aside from human society. However, as the organization grew and developed, its primary purpose also shifted. Eventually, the Coalition declared itself a home to demi-humans ostracized from society, especially those with cruel or chaotic predilections.

In its height, the Coalition fashioned itself the organization through which society in the [[Greater Offetstine Area]] was controlled. Through its fronts, whose businesses often bore relation to legal or financial matters, the Coalition had amassed a signlficant amount of political power which, especially in the decades leading up to its disbandment, it was keen to utilize. High-ranking members of the Coalition often [[Shadow politics|lobbied]] for policies that facilitated the operations of the Coalition, in the process often improving the living conditions for otherwise marginalized demi-humans in Offetstine.

== History ==

The Coalition was established in 1833 by [[Raja]], a vampire and mage whose exact identity remains unknown to date.

=== Foundation ===

TODO

=== Expansion ===

In 1901, the Coalition adopted its Latin motto and classic sigil, depicting an eye and wreath of berries and assorted foliage, pivoting away from its original "holdover" imprint of a dexter hand and more abstract wreath. As the holdover imprint was never used officially by the Coalition, the classic sigil is widely considered the first symbol used by the organization.

TODO

=== Rebrand and revitalization ===

Through the 1970s and up to the mid-1990s, the Coalition took inspiration from the rise in computing and telecommunications technology as a method to facilitate its operations. Due to the [[Masquerade]] preventing effective communications through more open means, the sparsity of demi-humans through the [[Greater Offetstine Area]], and the overarching need to keep communications private and secret by virtue of the Coalition's criminal nature, the Coalition became early adopters of computing technology to facilitate their operations, and it reflected in their branding and methodology during this period.

It is assumed by some analysts that the fundamental nature of the Masquerade, disallowing any event from occurring that would reveal the existence of magic or demi-humanity to the broad human population, prevented any less secure networked protocol from being adapted by the Coalition in the interim, by virtue of rolling it back out of existence as it would have given away the existence of the Coalition to increasingly pervasive digital surveillance. It is also assumed that the paranoid adoption of encryption at the time was directly influenced by requests and recommendations from the Offetstine [[Veilkeepers]].

During this period, the Coalition commissioned and rapidly adopted new encryption and steganography standards, ultimately culminating in the form of the [[CREST]], The cryptographer and computer scientist hired to develop the original version of CREST in 1988, Serena Markov, eventually became [[Modeste Daniau]], a vampire and high-ranking member of the Coalition.

Earlier, in 1981, the Coalition abandoned its traditional sigil in favor of its "swish" logo. It was selected after a brief call for submissions for "new branding, to reflect this new age of demi-humanity", to represent its transition from a formal crime syndicate to a lax yet formidable gang and safe-haven for more violent demi-humans. The modern logo, abstractly representing a narrowed eye and the letter C, the initial of the organization, was chosen because it would be easy to graffiti and lined up with the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dot-com_bubble dot-com] branding of the "new" Coalition.

The logo change was part of a larger transition toward a branding that emphasized freedom and self-actualization, advertising the Coalition as a place where chaotic and violent demi-humans could be themselves. This transition marked the rapid expansion of the Coalition for the following years, and as such this period was broadly considered a brief renaissance of the Coalition, and despite their newer, more laid-back branding, helped cement their identity as a criminal empire.

From 1994 to 1997, the Coalition began to provision cell phones with modified firmware to its high-ranking officials, eventually planning to distribute them to all members of the organization to facilitate effective private conversations as cell phones were expected to grow more common over the years.

=== Disbandment ===

On March 20, 1997, reports began to trickle down through the Coalition's power structure that [[Raja]], the founder and leader of the Coalition, had disappeared. While Raja never showed himself to any other members of the Coalition as a matter of principle, his proxies all seemed to corroborate the suspicions, having either disappeared with him or returned to their old life and refused to acknowledge their involvement with the organization.

As Raja was immortal by virtue of being a vampire, there were rarely concerns in the organization about what would happen in the event of his death or disappearance. Due to this lax attitude about his succession, the sudden threat of his disappearance caused many members of the Coalition to panic, and spurred a distrust in the management of the organization. Debate surrounding the future of the Coalition and its righteous heir remained at the forefront of Coalition members' minds for the following several days, and many individuals attempted to lay claim to the former territory of the organization.

Among these replacement organizations, dubbed "Neo-Coalitions", the most successful was the [[Ringleaders]], led by the dinosaur-folk [[Numa]]. However, comparatively minor splinters and stragglers had their own success. Criminal organizations that competed for territory with the Coalition, such as the [[Serpents]], also swept up many former members of the Coalition at this point.

During the disbandment, Coalition front organizations either closed down or continued to operate on their own, occasionally transferring hands to human civilians. In less than a year following the disbandment of the Coalition, the Offetstine underground seemed to approach equilibrium once more.

== Culture ==

TODO

Main Page

2024-08-14T11:57:58Z

Twonakria: Add a very ugly but attention-grabbing "New? Start here!" banner

[[File:Bluebird terminal screenshot.png|thumb|thumb|A peek behind the curtain]]

'''Welcome to the new Offetstine Wiki!'''

After a long time, we're experimenting with a new wiki for our community. You can think of this as an eventual complement to [https://discord.com/channels/809184885485994016/869459339566514237 #lore] that's still in the works. Everything you see here is still tentative; you can think of it more like a technical preview than a normative document, but contributions are still much appreciated as this document will eventually become the primary worldbuilding reference for Offetstine.

If there's something you'd like clarified about Offetstine, feel free to write about it here (much like Wikipedia, [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Be_bold be bold!]) or ask in [https://discord.com/channels/809184885485994016/809184886212657184 #general].

If you're looking for something to write about, check out our list of pages that [[Offetstine:Needs work|need work]]. If there's a topic you'd like to see elaborated on, feel free to add it to the list.

Here are some other topics to get started exploring:

* [[Offetstine]], the namesake city. ☝️ ''(New to the wiki? Start here!)''
* The [[Masquerade]]
* The list of [[criminal organizations]]
* [[Demi-human|Demi-humans]]

Have fun!

Offetstine:P

2024-07-24T18:29:16Z

Twonakria: Redirected page to Offetstine:Partnerships

#REDIRECT [[Offetstine:Partnerships]]

MediaWiki:Common.css

2024-07-23T21:55:20Z

Twonakria: Add midori-wrap class

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Music Festival

2024-06-05T16:20:48Z

Twonakria: some new ideas for the Music Festival

The '''Offetstine Annual Music, Art and Culture Festival,''' originally known as the '''Offetstine Music Festival,''' commonly and simply referred to by residents of the town of [[Offetstine]] as the '''Music Festival,''' is an [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arts_festival arts festival] and cultural event held each year on the second Saturday of June.<ref>Roleplay in Offetstine is set 25 years behind the present day, which usually means that dates and days of the week are not properly aligned. The event takes place on Saturday in-universe, which coincides with either Tuesday or Wednesday in real life, depending on the year.</ref> The event was initially organized in 1928 by James R. Marion, an immigrant, jazz musician and entrepreneur.

Despite the Festival's roots in jazz, the scope of the festival has expanded to feature various genres of music, as well as many other forms of art, including [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theatre theater] and [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Film film]. Its name was formally changed in 1940 to reflect its increased scope. Many prominent figures in the entertainment industry, including multiple high-profile [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rock_music rock] and [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heavy_metal_music heavy metal] bands, have performed at the Festival, leading some critics and attendees to contend that despite the expansion in scope, the most important legacy of the Festival is still the musical performances it hosts.

== History ==

The first annual Offetstine Music Festival was held on Sat, Jun 9, 1928. The event was organized by James R. Marion, a [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louisiana Louisianan] immigrant and jazz musician who, per his statement at the first Music Festival event, "longed to bring the heart of [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jazz jazz] from the American South to England". Having found moderate success in the service industry from a small retail business in the Offetstine old town, Marion explains he "still longed for [his] enterprising heyday as a musician".

Since its inception, each event under the Festival's name has been organized by a member of the Marion family; James R. Marion, the original founder of the Festival, when describing his decision to step down, explained that he had grown too old to fully manage all Festival proceedings, but wished it would remain in the hands of people who understood the importance of freedom of expression in music and art.

His eldest daughter, Madelyn Marion Lowell, began to organize Festival events from 1973. A student of [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Musicology musicology] at [[Cedar Crest University]], she cites her interest in spotlighting artists who would otherwise go unnoticed, and [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Avant-garde avant-garde] styles that existed outside the mainstream. Her husband, Nicholas Lowell, was a banker and had initially been a financier of the event; later directly participating in business and logistics responsibilities and decisions such as securing venues, and producing and publishing advertisements. He mentions that he originally met Madelyn through this involvement.

Under Madelyn's direction, the Music Festival has featured a distinct "theme" every year, a word or short phrase that performers are encouraged, but not required, to explore the meaning of through their pieces. The introduction of "themes" has encouraged many abstract works and performance art pieces to be presented at the Festival. Madelyn cites the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Demoscene demoscene], and her children's involvement in software and programming, especially [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Music_tracker music tracker software], as inspiration for the idea.

=== Events ===

Not all years the Festival was held are documented. Any years the Festival was not held, will be explicitly documented.

{| class="wikitable" style="margin:auto"
|+ Notable Music Festival occurrences since 1928
|-
! Date (in-universe) !! Date (in real life) !! Venue(s) !! Attendance !! Notes
|-
| Sat, Jun 9, 1928 || Tue, Jun 9, 1953 || — || ~400 || The first annual Offetstine Music Festival. Primarily featured the works of jazz musicians and was personally financed and organized by James R. Marion.
|-
| Sat, Jun 8, 1940 || Tue, Jun 8, 1965 || — || ~2800 || The first event conducted under the name ''Offetstine Annual Music, Art and Culture Festival.'' The 1940 Festival was notable for having the highest attendance of any year's Music Festival at the time, a record unbroken for almost twenty years. Outside of music, a central focus was placed on film and theater, and local talent in Offetstine and [[Greater Offetstine Area|neighboring towns and cities]], with several more independent productions screened or performed than last year.
|-
| Sat, Jun 9, 1973 || Tue, Jun 9, 1998 || — || ~3200 || ''Theme: Roses''

The first event organized and hosted by Madelyn Marion Lowell and Nicholas Lowell. This event placed a strong emphasis on avant-garde artistic movements, and was the first event to feature a theme.
|-
| Sat, Jun 14, 1997 || Tue, Jun 14, 2022 || — || ~3000 || ''Theme: Light and Color''
|-
| Sat, Jun 13, 1998 || Tue, Jun 13, 2023 || — || ~3100 || ''Theme: Far from Home''
|-
| Sat, Jun 12, 1999 ''(upcoming)'' || Wed, Jun 12, 2024 ''(upcoming)'' || TBD || TBD || ''Theme: Constellation''
|}

== Notes ==

<references/>

Criminal organizations

2023-11-23T20:15:42Z

Twonakria: 🦀 the d'Armes are no more 🦀

Offetstine:Needs work

2023-11-23T20:15:13Z

Twonakria: 🦀 the d'Armes are no more 🦀

'''Have some time to spare?''' Consider contributing to one of these pages.

You can quickly link to this page with the shortcode [[OW:NW|<code>OW:NW</code>]].



== Areas ==

* [[Northbrook Woodland]]
* [[Stenbrook River]]

== Cities ==

* [[Hallingmere]]
* [[Offetstine]]
* [[Winthorpe]]

== Concepts ==

* [[Afterlife]]
** [[Soul]]
** [[Underworld]]
* [[Greater Offetstine Area]]
* [[Magic]]
** [[Alchemy]]
** [[Elemental magic]]
** [[Illusion magic]]
** [[Necromancy]]
** [[Psychic powers]]
** [[Shapeshifting]]
* [[Masquerade]]
* [[Shadow politics]]
* [[Species taxonomy]]
* [[Immortality]]

== Events ==

* [[Music Festival]]

== Institutions ==

* [[Cedar Crest University]]
* [[Golden Chalice]]
* [[Offetstine Primary School]]
* [[Offetstine Secondary School]]
* [[Rainbow in the Moon]]

== Media ==

* [[CREST]]
* [[SophOS DCS]]
* [[Zagreus Cross]]

== Nations ==

* [[Fidelia]]
* [[Ovaren society]]

== Organizations ==

* [[Criminal organizations]]
** [[Coalition]]
** [[Hunter's Guild]]
** [[Major Arcana]]
** [[Ringleaders]]
** [[Serpents]]
* [[Veilkeepers]]

== People ==

* [[Cato Umbra]]
* [[Clarise Ledford]]
* [[Constance Vivas]]
* [[Eliza Teak]]
* [[Erin Hazell]]
* [[Evi Snijder]]
* [[Melia Pepper]]
* [[Modeste Daniau]]
* [[Numa]]
* [[Raja]]
* [[Sonia Versace]]
* [[Vincent Rosier]]

== Species ==

[[Demi-human]]

* [[Animal-folk]]
** [[Kitsune]]
** [[V. Sequoiae]]
* [[Deity]]
* [[Elf]]
* [[Demon]]
* [[Dragon]]
* [[Harpy]]
* [[Lamia]]
* [[Nymph]]
* [[Spirit]]
** [[Elemental]]
** [[Revenant]]
* [[Vampire]]
** ''[[S. Aequilibrii]]''
** ''[[S. Erisi]]''
** ''[[S. Shakuii]]''
* [[Werewolf]]

Draft:Test

2023-11-21T23:44:38Z

Twonakria: test

Șt: "my name is Ștefania and I think you're cool"

Mi: "thank you Ms. Ștefania"

Șt: "oh you can just call me Nia"

Mi: "thank you Ms. Nia"

Main Page

2023-11-19T04:53:34Z

Twonakria: add quick links

[[File:Bluebird terminal screenshot.png|thumb|thumb|A peek behind the curtain]]

'''Welcome to the new Offetstine Wiki!'''

After a long time, we're experimenting with a new wiki for our community. You can think of this as an eventual complement to [https://discord.com/channels/809184885485994016/869459339566514237 #lore] that's still in the works. Everything you see here is still tentative; you can think of it more like a technical preview than a normative document, but contributions are still much appreciated as this document will eventually become the primary worldbuilding reference for Offetstine.

If there's something you'd like clarified about Offetstine, feel free to write about it here (much like Wikipedia, [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Be_bold be bold!]) or ask in [https://discord.com/channels/809184885485994016/809184886212657184 #general].

If you're looking for something to write about, check out our list of pages that [[Offetstine:Needs work|need work]]. If there's a topic you'd like to see elaborated on, feel free to add it to the list.

Here are some other topics to get started exploring:

* [[Offetstine]], the namesake city
* The [[Masquerade]]
* The list of [[criminal organizations]]
* [[Demi-human|Demi-humans]]

Have fun!

Magic

2023-11-18T00:04:48Z

Twonakria: include blurbs from other schools of magic

'''Magic''' is a broad and diverse concept that underpins the primary diversion of the fictional world of Offetstine from the real world. Practicioners of magic, often referred to as '''mages,''' form a diminutive yet significant subset of the total population of the world of Offetstine.

== Nomenclature ==

The nomenclature used to categorize and define magic has gone through several revisions over the course of millennia that magic was studied by mages and scholars. Until the early 1990s, when studies of magical practices developed in the same spirit as demi-human [[species taxonomy]], no single consistent terminology was used. The modern nomenclature, which is common in the English-speaking world, was initially popularized on internet forums discussing the rigorous study of magic, whether for the purposes of [[magical epistemology]] or auxiliary to species taxonomy.

The modern nomenclature proposes a tripartite hierarchy of schools, forms and practices. Furthermore, practices are subdivided into sorcerous, incantatory and ritual practices. There exists no comprehensive taxonomy of magical practices, though scholars of magic have discussed developing such a classification system.

=== Schools ===

At a high level, magic can be divided into '''schools,''' fields of study that exist in magic that a mage may specialize in, either by the nature of their magic or by choice with a more versatile magic. It is rare for a mage to specialize in all or multiple schools of magic, though [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polymath polymath] mages are not unheard of. [[Immortality|immortal]] mages are generally more likely to specialize in multiple schools, as the sufficient mastery of a single school may take a significant portion of a more typical mortal life.

Schools of magic in the world of Offetstine frequently display parallels to real-life [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pseudoscience pseudosciences] or schools of magic in fantasy fiction, and certain practices of these schools of magic are hypothesized to have arisen either through association with the respective pseudosciences or through fantasy fiction, in either case brought into existence through the [[Will of the People]]. Common schools of magic include [[alchemy]] and [[illusion magic]].

=== Forms ===

Schools of magic may further be divided into '''forms,''' subfields which represent narrower arrays of feats which may be performed through the use of magic. There is typically not single consensus on how a school of magic ought to be divided into forms, as forms typically lie along a continuum and inform each other, while schools of magic are generally isolated. For instance, the school of alchemy is divided into forms including transmutation, enchantment and potioncraft, among others.

Demonstrating the tendency to divide schools of magic into overlapping forms, the school of [[necromancy]] is variedly divided as indiscriminate and focused, or simple and composite. Though these forms overlap somewhat rather than having clear cutoffs, the terms are still used and considered useful as they allow the rigorous and academic understanding of necromancy as an art. Along with alchemy, necromancy is known for being one of the most studied schools of magic, due to its applicability in the sciences and in the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ontology ontological] nature of the world.

=== Practices ===

At the bottom of the hierarchy exist '''practices,''' independently discovered systems of magic which each operate under their own constraints. Practices of magic may span across multiple forms and sometimes multiple schools, though they are usually fairly narrow in application. Practices may further be subdivided into three categories. Practices which refer to a living being's inherent magical powers are classified as sorcerous, while practices that refer to practices which are explicitly cast or invoked are referred to as either incantative or ritual.

==== Sorcery ====

Practices which are inherent to a demi-human per their species, or to a human infused with magical energy per that energy, are typically referred to as '''sorcerous practices,''' or more tersely as '''sorcery.''' Most practices which arose before the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neolithic_Revolution Neolithic Revolution] fall under this category. Practitioners of sorcery are not typically referred to as mages, nor do they consider themselves as such, unless their magic is sufficiently manipulable and composable. The inherent powers of most demi-humans, such as many species' [[Shapeshifting#Duomorphism|duomorphism]], are typically not considered sufficient to make the members of the species mages.

Sorcerous practices are typically highly exclusive and can only be obtained inherently, rather than studied, and are limited in their applicability, usually granting a small array of highly esoteric capabilities relevant to the life and nature of their wielder. Some scholars note the parallel between sorcerous practices and demi-human species, and propose that there is no distinction between the two, or view demi-humanity as a profile of sorcerous magic that allows higher-level, more applied study, similar to the distinction between [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electricity electricity] and [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electronics electronics]. Sorcerous magic can typically be used without any physical act of invocation by the wielder, including any verbal or somatic components.

Sorcerous practices are unlike incantative and ritual practices due to their inherent nature, often conferred by birth or by transformation into a demi-human species. While other practices are generally freer in their application, and can be studied and applied in novel manners more easily than sorcery, they are often more involved than sorcery, requiring years of study to be able to use effectively. Some demi-humans with inherent, sorcerous magic may still choose to learn an incantive or ritual practice for its applicability, such as magical epistemology.

==== Spellcasting ====

'''Incantative practices,''' sometimes also referred to as '''spellcasting,''' refer to practices that of producing magical work that does not require biologically ingrained magic. For this reason, incantative practices can be studied by nonmagical entities such as humans. Spells rely on an underlying, metaphysical set of rules, sometimes requiring items, life force, energy, or multiple casters. What magic is ultimately performed is a result of the will of the casters combined with these underlying rules, resulting in a much wider array of feats than typical sorcery.

The art of learning spells requires immense dedication and is often considered prestigious. Several institutions study and teach the affairs of incantative practices, though per the [[Masquerade]] are usually hidden from human society, and in some cases remain unknown even in demi-human communities. In the [[Greater Offetstine Area]], one of the most prominent institutions of magic is [[Cedar Crest University]] which, while a mundane human organization at its outset, maintains an undocumented college of magic and hub for mages and demi-humans known as the Mage's Union.

==== Rituals ====

'''Ritual practices''' are practices of magic which do not involve the magical knowledge of any person, but instead the manipulation of existing magical artifacts and properties. Ritual practices may be adopted by nearly anyone, as they only rely on one's ability to understand and apply magical items, and are typically testaments to mundane ingenuity rather than magical erudition. Typically, unlike sorcerous and incantative practices, ritual practices are not regularly performed.

Rituals, also known as rites, are individual castings under the umbrella of ritual practices. Rituals involve the manipulation of magical energy in physical objects or in participants. Typically, once used in a ritual, the magical energy of the artifacts and parties involved is depleted.

== Schools ==

''See also: [[:Category:Schools of magic]]''

It is impossible to create a comprehensive list of all schools of magic, for the same reasons it is impossible to create a complete and all-encompassing taxonomy of demi-human species. However, it is possible to list major schools of magic as they exist in Offetstine.

=== Alchemy ===

''Main article: [[Alchemy]]''

'''Alchemy''' is a school of magic involving the study of magical properties of substances, and thereby the craft of magical properties such as potions and enchanted items, and the otherwise unnatural manipulation of mundane properties, such as material transmutation or the generation of matter and energy in ways that otherwise contradict the known limitations of mundane physics.

Alchemy derives its name from the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alchemy real-world pseudoscience] of the same name, largely recognized as the forebearer of modern mundane [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chemistry chemistry], which posited relations between the material sciences and celestial bodies, and frequently involved the pursuit of certain particular goals, such as the search for an elixir of immortality or the transmutation of common metals into more precious ones. While the protoscientific belief has since faded into predominant obscurity and been eclipsed by more [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epistemology epistemologically] rigorous approaches, the term survived in reference to various similar arts in fantasy fiction.

=== Elemental magic ===

''Main article: [[Elemental magic]]''

'''Elemental magic''' is a school of magic involving the ability to manipulate classes of concepts which are, by themselves, fantastical and difficult to pinpoint the precise nature of, most typically the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Classical_element classical elements]; commonly iterated as earth, water, air and fire; from which the school of magic gets its name. Despite the prevalence of these four, however, elemental magic is not limited to them.

Elemental magic is most often an acquired practice by human mages, though it is occasionally innate to some demi-human species, including [[Elemental|elementals]], the term for whom is derived from elemental magic. Most demi-human species with innate, sorcerous elemental magic are typically classified as [[Spirit|spirits]], though there are some exceptions. '''Pan-elemental magic''' is the practice of elemental magic of multiple affinities under a single discipline, generally a coveted practice among human mages and impossible for elementals.

=== Illusion magic ===

''Main article: [[Illusion magic]]''

'''Illusion magic''' is a school of magic involving the ability to create artificial images either in individual people's perceptions of the world, or one's appearance in any physical property except one's literal, actual form. In the former case, when it affects individuals' perception, illusion magic may be considered a form of [[Psychic powers|psychic magic]]. Illusion magic is closely related to [[shapeshifting]], the art of morphing one's own form through the use of magic, and together form the basis for maintaining the [[Masquerade]] by demi-humans who have forms that belie their ostensible humanity.

=== Necromancy ===

''Main article: [[Necromancy]]''

'''Necromancy''' is a school of magic that consists of the revival of individuals, whether mundane human or animal or demi-human, who have died and whose [[Soul|souls]] have passed to the [[afterlife]]. The process may involve the retrieval of the soul from the afterlife and the reconstruction of the body of the deceased, and the result is an [[wikipedia:Undead|undead]] demi-human body that lends at least in part from the original deceased. Necromancy is a highly stigmatized practice and frequently likened to [[wikipedia:Playing_God_(ethics)|playing god]], but necromancers argue that it can be performed with informed consent.

Necromancy is widely considered an extremely difficult school of magic, though simpler forms of it can be learned with relative ease compared to other practices of magic. Generally, the closer an undead subject resembles their original form, the more difficult necromancy is to perform. However, all forms of necromancy demand that the practitioner has an extremely deep understanding of the nature of the soul and the afterlife, whether the specific revival they are performing involves returning a deceased soul to its own body, reanimating a body with a new soul, or giving a deceased soul a body to inhabit.

=== Shapeshifting ===

''Main article: [[Shapeshifting]]''

'''Shapeshifting''' is a school of [[magic]] involving the ability to transform oneself between multiple forms, often of which one is recognized as one's "true form", and of which at least one is akin to a human; or the ability to transform a target into a form other than their own. The former is common as an innate ability of many demi-humans, including [[Werewolf|werewolves]] and [[Dragon|dragons]], while the latter is most common in human mages. Shapeshifting specifically excludes the adoption of superficial traits as seen in many [[animal-folk]] or in [[Vampire|vampires]] who draw blood through retractable fangs, as well as [[illusion magic]].

== History ==

Magic is typically understood to have originated from demi-humans in prehistoric times, coinciding with the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neolithic_Revolution Neolithic Revolution]. Common myths state the initial practitioners of magic were demi-humans who unknowingly used the power to guard their interests, such as through the [[Illusion magic|illusion]] of [[animal-folk]], to hide their inhuman traits and uphold the Masquerade. These demi-humans are said to have expanded on their practice and developed it into serviceable general-purpose forms that augmented the technology of the time, and as such passed the practice down through generations.

Magic practices are said to have eventually spread through certain isolated human communities who were already exposed to magical energy, although since the practice of magic is predicated on that exposure, most humans were unable to take up the practice. Even to date, mages remain a highly exclusive circle of individuals, far overshadowed by demi-humans who are either magically empowered or controlled but do not practice a general-purpose form of magic. However, especially at the time, mages were frequently opposed by mundane humans to whom they demonstrated their powers, and the practice of general-purpose magic was largely vilified even in communities where demi-humans were accepted.

The precise cause of this effect is unknown, although the vilification is commonly attributed to the malicious portrayal of mages in common superstitions which stem from religious myth. The source of religious myth in Offetstine varies, either being born of interpretations of demi-humans such as spirits and deities, or of entirely mundane means, though despite the prevalence of magic in Offetstine, even mages and demi-humans lack consensus as to the particular truth of any particular religious myth. However, in part because of this persecution, magic is often viewed by mages as a secular art, detached from the doctrine of any particular faith.

== Culture ==

Mages are generally known to form isolated communities when possible. Magic is often considered a carefully guarded secret, in part by virtue of the Masquerade, but even to the extent that demi-humans who do not practice a general-purpose magic are excluded from communions of mages. The Masquerade is varyingly recognized as either imperative statute to the continued and safe existence of magic in Offetstine, or archaic and discriminatory legislation that stunts the scope and pervasiveness of the practice. As many members of the [[Veilkeepers]], the organization responsible for upholding the Masquerade, are themselves mages, conflicting perspectives are even more pervasive from within the organization.

Mages occasionally form underground communities in regions where magical energy is abundant, as presence in such areas further empowers them. For instance, one such location is [[Cedar Crest University]], a university built around an ancient cedar tree commonly recognized to amplify magical energy. While due to the Masquerade, the university cannot openly acknowledge its openness to demi-humans or mages, its founder, the mundane human [[Erin Hazell]], has previously privately acknowledged the magical community which sprung up around her institution and given it her blessing.

Due to the nature of the Masquerade prohibiting overt communication, societies of mages and demi-humans have historically favored the use of telecommunications gear to facilitate communication. The use of ciphers and encryption traces back to the roots of magic in Offetstine, where grimoires were frequently written in high-entropy ciphers or mystical languages unknown to humans, and ephemeral messages were often communicated in cant. In modern times, criminal organizations such as the [[Coalition]] and [[Ringleaders]], both of which limit their membership to demi-humans, have created encryption toolkits for private use. One such framework, [[CREST]], has found use across the [[Greater Offetstine Area]] for computer-aided secure communications between mages.

=== Secrecy ===

Mages generally express mixed perspectives with regards to the Masquerade in Offetstine. While some mages note the benefits that magic has to the broader scientific community, a perspective especially shared by [[#Magical epistemology|magical epistemologists]], others argue that the continued existence of the Masquerade is critical for protecting magical civilization from mundane human oversight.

The exact motives for the Masquerade vary by individual. Generally, the most prevalent belief is fear of persecution. Mages and demi-humans frequently rationalize that through the exposure of their secret, humans will launch military-scale attacks out of fear. As many schools of magic pose threats that mundane humans are plainly unequipped to deal with, such as the [[Psychic magic|mind control]] of many [[Vampire|vampires]], such a hypothetical war is suspected to end in a conclusive victory for demi-humans and mages. Despite this, such a victory is projected to herald the casualties of, among others, humans who are falsely suspected to be mages, demi-humans such as many subspecies of [[Harpy|harpies]] who are weaker than humans, and mages who are genuinely interested in the betterment of humanity such as magical epistemologists.

Another common belief that is often used to justify the Masquerade, though often frowned upon from within and without, is the notion of supremacy conferred by magical powers, especially demi-human nature. Certain communities of mages view themselves as inherently superior to humans by virtue of their powers and through their exclusive nature. This belief is typically countered by the viewpoint that the ability to wield magic is a skill, and thus is not a privilege, but rather the result of innate ability, with no inherent difference between the average human and a mage. Despite this, it remains the foundation of the [[Coalition]], a defunct criminal organization in Offetstine, which during its height was exclusive to demi-humans and quite prevalent.

== Concepts ==

=== Demi-humanity ===

''Main article: [[Demi-human]]''

'''Demi-humans''' are a rare and diverse class of magical species that roughly demonstrate some form of humanity, usually in the form of sapience and humanlike bodies. While their exact nature is difficult to pinpoint, demi-humans are most often the result of magic affecting the body of an otherwise biologically human individual (such as with [[Vampire|vampires]] and [[Harpy|harpies]]), or causing a humanlike entity to manifest in a human-populated area (such as with [[Spirit|spirits]] and [[Deity|deities]]).

While demi-humans are magical in nature, only a subset of them are themselves mages. Most demi-humans have magical abilities and powers, commonly including shapeshifting and various psychic powers, and they are generally not considered to be mages in their own right. Only some demi-humans are able to command a full, general-purpose school of magic and are considered mages.

=== Magical epistemology ===

'''Magical epistemology''' is the idea, named for its respective branch of philosophy, [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epistemology epistemology], that magic is a fundamental branch of the pursuit of knowledge as it pertains to humanity and demi-humanity. Many fields of science (especially anthropological and humanitarian, such as archeology and medicine) and magic regularly overlap in scope, and to that extent, it usually benefits mundane humans and mages alike to ensure that information and knowledge is exchanged between the two parties.

While no overt relations can exist as a consequence of the Masquerade, and under threat of the endangerment of many humans at the hands of more powerful mages, and vice versa, mages of the belief of magical epistemology often attempt to communicate knowledge and best practices across the barrier.

Despite this, due to the fact that magic often has a knack for violating certain laws of physics, especially [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conservation_of_energy those of thermodynamics], and the exact nature of this relation prevents many magical innovations from reaching the human world, or even being used to affect large swathes of people.

Some mages have used their talent to excel at human arts, such as the somewhat infamous schoolteacher, mathematician and aerospace researcher [[Eliza Teak]], who has markedly used her magic to aid with space travel, chemical production and engineering and silicon fabrication. However, this is a niche use case and magic remains a largely private art.

=== Will of the People ===

One of the most prevalent ideas of magic in Offetstine is that concepts are often reified by nature that are prevalent in the minds of people, often referred to concretely as the '''Will of the People.''' Many concepts in the world of Offetstine, including magical species such as [[Spirit|spirits]] and [[Deity|deities]], are usually considered to be born only because of their prevalence in the minds of people.

Similarly, many common species, especially those that have notable ties to folklore such as most subspecies of [[vampire]] may usually trace their progeny back to a time and place in which the folklore was especially culturally prominent, such as in fictional storytelling, religious mythology or superstition, again implying that they were "willed into existence", as it were, by the people.

The exact mechanism of this phenomenon is still unknown, and notoriously difficult to harness despite the abundance of humans who have attempted to leverage this known phenomenon to confer magical power unto themselves. The relation of this power to social concepts of ethics and sympathy is unknown.

Magic

2023-11-17T23:58:35Z

Twonakria: clarify and expand on the nomenclature and classification of magic

'''Magic''' is a broad and diverse concept that underpins the primary diversion of the fictional world of Offetstine from the real world. Practicioners of magic, often referred to as '''mages,''' form a diminutive yet significant subset of the total population of the world of Offetstine.

== Nomenclature ==

The nomenclature used to categorize and define magic has gone through several revisions over the course of millennia that magic was studied by mages and scholars. Until the early 1990s, when studies of magical practices developed in the same spirit as demi-human [[species taxonomy]], no single consistent terminology was used. The modern nomenclature, which is common in the English-speaking world, was initially popularized on internet forums discussing the rigorous study of magic, whether for the purposes of [[magical epistemology]] or auxiliary to species taxonomy.

The modern nomenclature proposes a tripartite hierarchy of schools, forms and practices. Furthermore, practices are subdivided into sorcerous, incantatory and ritual practices. There exists no comprehensive taxonomy of magical practices, though scholars of magic have discussed developing such a classification system.

=== Schools ===

At a high level, magic can be divided into '''schools,''' fields of study that exist in magic that a mage may specialize in, either by the nature of their magic or by choice with a more versatile magic. It is rare for a mage to specialize in all or multiple schools of magic, though [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polymath polymath] mages are not unheard of. [[Immortality|immortal]] mages are generally more likely to specialize in multiple schools, as the sufficient mastery of a single school may take a significant portion of a more typical mortal life.

Schools of magic in the world of Offetstine frequently display parallels to real-life [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pseudoscience pseudosciences] or schools of magic in fantasy fiction, and certain practices of these schools of magic are hypothesized to have arisen either through association with the respective pseudosciences or through fantasy fiction, in either case brought into existence through the [[Will of the People]]. Common schools of magic include [[alchemy]] and [[illusion magic]].

=== Forms ===

Schools of magic may further be divided into '''forms,''' subfields which represent narrower arrays of feats which may be performed through the use of magic. There is typically not single consensus on how a school of magic ought to be divided into forms, as forms typically lie along a continuum and inform each other, while schools of magic are generally isolated. For instance, the school of alchemy is divided into forms including transmutation, enchantment and potioncraft, among others.

Demonstrating the tendency to divide schools of magic into overlapping forms, the school of [[necromancy]] is variedly divided as indiscriminate and focused, or simple and composite. Though these forms overlap somewhat rather than having clear cutoffs, the terms are still used and considered useful as they allow the rigorous and academic understanding of necromancy as an art. Along with alchemy, necromancy is known for being one of the most studied schools of magic, due to its applicability in the sciences and in the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ontology ontological] nature of the world.

=== Practices ===

At the bottom of the hierarchy exist '''practices,''' independently discovered systems of magic which each operate under their own constraints. Practices of magic may span across multiple forms and sometimes multiple schools, though they are usually fairly narrow in application. Practices may further be subdivided into three categories. Practices which refer to a living being's inherent magical powers are classified as sorcerous, while practices that refer to practices which are explicitly cast or invoked are referred to as either incantative or ritual.

==== Sorcery ====

Practices which are inherent to a demi-human per their species, or to a human infused with magical energy per that energy, are typically referred to as '''sorcerous practices,''' or more tersely as '''sorcery.''' Most practices which arose before the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neolithic_Revolution Neolithic Revolution] fall under this category. Practitioners of sorcery are not typically referred to as mages, nor do they consider themselves as such, unless their magic is sufficiently manipulable and composable. The inherent powers of most demi-humans, such as many species' [[Shapeshifting#Duomorphism|duomorphism]], are typically not considered sufficient to make the members of the species mages.

Sorcerous practices are typically highly exclusive and can only be obtained inherently, rather than studied, and are limited in their applicability, usually granting a small array of highly esoteric capabilities relevant to the life and nature of their wielder. Some scholars note the parallel between sorcerous practices and demi-human species, and propose that there is no distinction between the two, or view demi-humanity as a profile of sorcerous magic that allows higher-level, more applied study, similar to the distinction between [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electricity electricity] and [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electronics electronics]. Sorcerous magic can typically be used without any physical act of invocation by the wielder, including any verbal or somatic components.

Sorcerous practices are unlike incantative and ritual practices due to their inherent nature, often conferred by birth or by transformation into a demi-human species. While other practices are generally freer in their application, and can be studied and applied in novel manners more easily than sorcery, they are often more involved than sorcery, requiring years of study to be able to use effectively. Some demi-humans with inherent, sorcerous magic may still choose to learn an incantive or ritual practice for its applicability, such as magical epistemology.

==== Spellcasting ====

'''Incantative practices,''' sometimes also referred to as '''spellcasting,''' refer to practices that of producing magical work that does not require biologically ingrained magic. For this reason, incantative practices can be studied by nonmagical entities such as humans. Spells rely on an underlying, metaphysical set of rules, sometimes requiring items, life force, energy, or multiple casters. What magic is ultimately performed is a result of the will of the casters combined with these underlying rules, resulting in a much wider array of feats than typical sorcery.

The art of learning spells requires immense dedication and is often considered prestigious. Several institutions study and teach the affairs of incantative practices, though per the [[Masquerade]] are usually hidden from human society, and in some cases remain unknown even in demi-human communities. In the [[Greater Offetstine Area]], one of the most prominent institutions of magic is [[Cedar Crest University]] which, while a mundane human organization at its outset, maintains an undocumented college of magic and hub for mages and demi-humans known as the Mage's Union.

==== Rituals ====

'''Ritual practices''' are practices of magic which do not involve the magical knowledge of any person, but instead the manipulation of existing magical artifacts and properties. Ritual practices may be adopted by nearly anyone, as they only rely on one's ability to understand and apply magical items, and are typically testaments to mundane ingenuity rather than magical erudition. Typically, unlike sorcerous and incantative practices, ritual practices are not regularly performed.

Rituals, also known as rites, are individual castings under the umbrella of ritual practices. Rituals involve the manipulation of magical energy in physical objects or in participants. Typically, once used in a ritual, the magical energy of the artifacts and parties involved is depleted.

== Schools ==

''See also: [[:Category:Schools of magic]]''

It is impossible to create a comprehensive list of all schools of magic, for the same reasons it is impossible to create a complete and all-encompassing taxonomy of demi-human species. However, it is possible to list major schools of magic as they exist in Offetstine.

=== Alchemy ===
''Main article: [[Alchemy]]''

'''Alchemy''' is a school of [[magic]] involving the study of magical properties of substances, and thereby the craft of magical properties such as potions and enchanted items, and the otherwise unnatural manipulation of mundane properties, such as material transmutation or the generation of matter and energy in ways that otherwise contradict the known limitations of mundane physics.

Alchemy derives its name from the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alchemy real-world pseudoscience] of the same name, largely recognized as the forebearer of modern mundane [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chemistry chemistry], which posited relations between the material sciences and celestial bodies, and frequently involved the pursuit of certain particular goals, such as the search for an elixir of immortality or the transmutation of common metals into more precious ones. While the protoscientific belief has since faded into predominant obscurity and been eclipsed by more [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epistemology epistemologically] rigorous approaches, the term survived in reference to various similar arts in fantasy fiction.

=== Necromancy ===

''Main article: [[Necromancy]]''

'''Necromancy''' is a school of magic that consists of the revival of individuals, whether mundane human or animal or demi-human, who have died and whose [[Soul|souls]] have passed to the [[afterlife]]. The process may involve the retrieval of the soul from the afterlife and the reconstruction of the body of the deceased, and the result is an [[wikipedia:Undead|undead]] demi-human body that lends at least in part from the original deceased. Necromancy is a highly stigmatized practice and frequently likened to [[wikipedia:Playing_God_(ethics)|playing god]], but necromancers argue that it can be performed with informed consent.

Necromancy is widely considered an extremely difficult school of magic, though simpler forms of it can be learned with relative ease compared to other practices of magic. Generally, the closer an undead subject resembles their original form, the more difficult necromancy is to perform. However, all forms of necromancy demand that the practitioner has an extremely deep understanding of the nature of the soul and the afterlife, whether the specific revival they are performing involves returning a deceased soul to its own body, reanimating a body with a new soul, or giving a deceased soul a body to inhabit.

== History ==

Magic is typically understood to have originated from demi-humans in prehistoric times, coinciding with the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neolithic_Revolution Neolithic Revolution]. Common myths state the initial practitioners of magic were demi-humans who unknowingly used the power to guard their interests, such as through the [[Illusion magic|illusion]] of [[animal-folk]], to hide their inhuman traits and uphold the Masquerade. These demi-humans are said to have expanded on their practice and developed it into serviceable general-purpose forms that augmented the technology of the time, and as such passed the practice down through generations.

Magic practices are said to have eventually spread through certain isolated human communities who were already exposed to magical energy, although since the practice of magic is predicated on that exposure, most humans were unable to take up the practice. Even to date, mages remain a highly exclusive circle of individuals, far overshadowed by demi-humans who are either magically empowered or controlled but do not practice a general-purpose form of magic. However, especially at the time, mages were frequently opposed by mundane humans to whom they demonstrated their powers, and the practice of general-purpose magic was largely vilified even in communities where demi-humans were accepted.

The precise cause of this effect is unknown, although the vilification is commonly attributed to the malicious portrayal of mages in common superstitions which stem from religious myth. The source of religious myth in Offetstine varies, either being born of interpretations of demi-humans such as spirits and deities, or of entirely mundane means, though despite the prevalence of magic in Offetstine, even mages and demi-humans lack consensus as to the particular truth of any particular religious myth. However, in part because of this persecution, magic is often viewed by mages as a secular art, detached from the doctrine of any particular faith.

== Culture ==

Mages are generally known to form isolated communities when possible. Magic is often considered a carefully guarded secret, in part by virtue of the Masquerade, but even to the extent that demi-humans who do not practice a general-purpose magic are excluded from communions of mages. The Masquerade is varyingly recognized as either imperative statute to the continued and safe existence of magic in Offetstine, or archaic and discriminatory legislation that stunts the scope and pervasiveness of the practice. As many members of the [[Veilkeepers]], the organization responsible for upholding the Masquerade, are themselves mages, conflicting perspectives are even more pervasive from within the organization.

Mages occasionally form underground communities in regions where magical energy is abundant, as presence in such areas further empowers them. For instance, one such location is [[Cedar Crest University]], a university built around an ancient cedar tree commonly recognized to amplify magical energy. While due to the Masquerade, the university cannot openly acknowledge its openness to demi-humans or mages, its founder, the mundane human [[Erin Hazell]], has previously privately acknowledged the magical community which sprung up around her institution and given it her blessing.

Due to the nature of the Masquerade prohibiting overt communication, societies of mages and demi-humans have historically favored the use of telecommunications gear to facilitate communication. The use of ciphers and encryption traces back to the roots of magic in Offetstine, where grimoires were frequently written in high-entropy ciphers or mystical languages unknown to humans, and ephemeral messages were often communicated in cant. In modern times, criminal organizations such as the [[Coalition]] and [[Ringleaders]], both of which limit their membership to demi-humans, have created encryption toolkits for private use. One such framework, [[CREST]], has found use across the [[Greater Offetstine Area]] for computer-aided secure communications between mages.

=== Secrecy ===

Mages generally express mixed perspectives with regards to the Masquerade in Offetstine. While some mages note the benefits that magic has to the broader scientific community, a perspective especially shared by [[#Magical epistemology|magical epistemologists]], others argue that the continued existence of the Masquerade is critical for protecting magical civilization from mundane human oversight.

The exact motives for the Masquerade vary by individual. Generally, the most prevalent belief is fear of persecution. Mages and demi-humans frequently rationalize that through the exposure of their secret, humans will launch military-scale attacks out of fear. As many schools of magic pose threats that mundane humans are plainly unequipped to deal with, such as the [[Psychic magic|mind control]] of many [[Vampire|vampires]], such a hypothetical war is suspected to end in a conclusive victory for demi-humans and mages. Despite this, such a victory is projected to herald the casualties of, among others, humans who are falsely suspected to be mages, demi-humans such as many subspecies of [[Harpy|harpies]] who are weaker than humans, and mages who are genuinely interested in the betterment of humanity such as magical epistemologists.

Another common belief that is often used to justify the Masquerade, though often frowned upon from within and without, is the notion of supremacy conferred by magical powers, especially demi-human nature. Certain communities of mages view themselves as inherently superior to humans by virtue of their powers and through their exclusive nature. This belief is typically countered by the viewpoint that the ability to wield magic is a skill, and thus is not a privilege, but rather the result of innate ability, with no inherent difference between the average human and a mage. Despite this, it remains the foundation of the [[Coalition]], a defunct criminal organization in Offetstine, which during its height was exclusive to demi-humans and quite prevalent.

== Concepts ==

=== Demi-humanity ===

''Main article: [[Demi-human]]''

'''Demi-humans''' are a rare and diverse class of magical species that roughly demonstrate some form of humanity, usually in the form of sapience and humanlike bodies. While their exact nature is difficult to pinpoint, demi-humans are most often the result of magic affecting the body of an otherwise biologically human individual (such as with [[Vampire|vampires]] and [[Harpy|harpies]]), or causing a humanlike entity to manifest in a human-populated area (such as with [[Spirit|spirits]] and [[Deity|deities]]).

While demi-humans are magical in nature, only a subset of them are themselves mages. Most demi-humans have magical abilities and powers, commonly including shapeshifting and various psychic powers, and they are generally not considered to be mages in their own right. Only some demi-humans are able to command a full, general-purpose school of magic and are considered mages.

=== Magical epistemology ===

'''Magical epistemology''' is the idea, named for its respective branch of philosophy, [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epistemology epistemology], that magic is a fundamental branch of the pursuit of knowledge as it pertains to humanity and demi-humanity. Many fields of science (especially anthropological and humanitarian, such as archeology and medicine) and magic regularly overlap in scope, and to that extent, it usually benefits mundane humans and mages alike to ensure that information and knowledge is exchanged between the two parties.

While no overt relations can exist as a consequence of the Masquerade, and under threat of the endangerment of many humans at the hands of more powerful mages, and vice versa, mages of the belief of magical epistemology often attempt to communicate knowledge and best practices across the barrier.

Despite this, due to the fact that magic often has a knack for violating certain laws of physics, especially [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conservation_of_energy those of thermodynamics], and the exact nature of this relation prevents many magical innovations from reaching the human world, or even being used to affect large swathes of people.

Some mages have used their talent to excel at human arts, such as the somewhat infamous schoolteacher, mathematician and aerospace researcher [[Eliza Teak]], who has markedly used her magic to aid with space travel, chemical production and engineering and silicon fabrication. However, this is a niche use case and magic remains a largely private art.

=== Will of the People ===

One of the most prevalent ideas of magic in Offetstine is that concepts are often reified by nature that are prevalent in the minds of people, often referred to concretely as the '''Will of the People.''' Many concepts in the world of Offetstine, including magical species such as [[Spirit|spirits]] and [[Deity|deities]], are usually considered to be born only because of their prevalence in the minds of people.

Similarly, many common species, especially those that have notable ties to folklore such as most subspecies of [[vampire]] may usually trace their progeny back to a time and place in which the folklore was especially culturally prominent, such as in fictional storytelling, religious mythology or superstition, again implying that they were "willed into existence", as it were, by the people.

The exact mechanism of this phenomenon is still unknown, and notoriously difficult to harness despite the abundance of humans who have attempted to leverage this known phenomenon to confer magical power unto themselves. The relation of this power to social concepts of ethics and sympathy is unknown.

Offetstine:MHB/CC

2023-11-11T08:25:32Z

Twonakria: Redirected page to Offetstine:Mod Handbook/Character creation

#REDIRECT [[Offetstine:Mod Handbook/Character creation]]

Offetstine:MHB

2023-11-11T08:25:14Z

Twonakria: Redirected page to Offetstine:Mod Handbook

#REDIRECT [[Offetstine:Mod Handbook]]

Offetstine:Mod Handbook/Character creation

2023-11-11T08:24:48Z

Twonakria: publish draft, as long promised. this is not an authoritative text yet. all members, staff and community, are encouraged to propose changes and make edits. ~ welcome to the bazaar! ~

{{Official policy}}
{{Shortcode|codes=[[OW:MHB/CC]]}}

One of the most critical responsibilities of Offetstine staff in onboarding new members is aiding them through the process of '''character creation.''' Numerous concerns in the process of character creation require staff intervention, including any clarification and explanation about the '''lore of Offetstine,'''<ref>See [https://discord.com/channels/809184885485994016/809184886212657184/869370666695139428]. Prior to Jul 2021, no formal documentation was published about the established lore of Offetstine. A document authored by [[User:Discord-317484070127009793|Eunakria]] and [[User:Discord-853061201151655966|Sonoritas]] was eventually published as [https://discord.com/channels/809184885485994016/869459339566514237 #lore], although this channel has been archived out of risk of misinformation, pending an internal effort to rewrite it.</ref> and the process of '''character approval'''<ref name="catmeme">See [https://discord.com/channels/809184885485994016/809184886212657184/904849154440847400]. As of Nov 2021, characters are approved through a staff member reacting with the <code>👍</code> emoji, or any of its skin tone variants, on a character profile message in [https://discord.com/channels/809184885485994016/809190417970233374 #oc-submissions]. Conventionally, staff members usually verbally acknowledge the approval.</ref>. The responsibility of character approval is owed to new and veteran members alike, and any character submission should, in theory, be reviewed critically and expediently.

This article primarily focuses on the process of character review and approval, though considerations in easing the process of creation are explored as well. Furthermore, this article is a living document and does not reflect the unilateral, permanent status of Offetstine policy. While a primary goal of this document is to mitigate biases and help standardize character review in Offetstine, it does not posit a strict process that staff members must follow to the letter. Staff members are not only allowed, but encouraged, to deviate from this process in any way that better fosters the [[Offetstine:Mod Handbook#Community interests|community interests]] of Offetstine.

== Background ==

Before any protocol was implemented for character approval in Offetstine, errors in individual profiles were identified on a per-case basis, although this practice has been discontinued<ref name="catmeme" /> as it reduced clarity for members submitting characters and increased the burden on staff. Members who do not have an approved character ("spectators") are allowed to discuss in out-of-context channels such as [https://discord.com/channels/809184885485994016/809184886212657184 #general], and conduct out-of-character discussions in roleplay channels.

Discussion this way, under one's own identity, is hereafter referred as "OOC". Offetstine does not prevent OOC discussion by members who have not joined with the intention of roleplaying, nor members who are yet to have a character submitted and approved. New members reserve the right to explore and understand Offetstine as much as possible before creating a character, or to not create a character and simply spectate.

=== Imperative ===

When a member does decide to create a character, however, the process of getting their character approved and joining roleplay must be as frictionless as possible. While it may seem contradictory, it is equally important that new members, who typically join with an abundance of ideas and eagerness to create a character and explore the world firsthand, may have their character approved quickly and easily. Submitting a character can often be a nerve-wracking process, and it is our responsibility to quell as much anxiety as possible.

The process of character review is carried out by any staff member and must be fairly uncomplicated on behalf of the member. To this extent, character review and approval in Offetstine necessitates a level of rich feedback. Staff members should be able to justify, not only amongst themselves but to members who submit their character to our community, why they believe a character should be approved or rejected, and should be able to cite any relevant worldbuilding precedent or legislation.

Furthermore, the process of character approval or rejection should be used as part of the feedback loop of Offetstine's improvement, to expand on the worldbuilding of Offetstine. Character profiles should be, much like roleplay and propositions made OOC, taken as impetuses to either canonize a concept as part of Offetstine (such as a new [[Species taxonomy|subspecies]] or a [[Magic|magical practice]]) or refine an existing concept.

The goal of any character review in Offetstine is to constructively and non-confrontationally discuss a character with their progenitor, to discuss either:

* Why the character is in its current state unfit for Offetstine and what must be changed in order for them to be accepted, with a focus on remediation and recognition of the existing artistic effort devoted to the character design.
* What stands out about a character that was approved, and where they might be able to find a comfortable niche in Offetstine, such as what events they may wish to participate in, or what locations they might find themselves at home in. See [[#Approval|Approval]]

=== Roadblocks ===

There are four major categories of roadblocks between the envisioning, publishing and approval of a character, with respect to character review and approval. This document outlines the responsibilities in addressing each category of roadblock and minimizing friction for new members.

# '''Clarity of lore.''' Details may be unclear in the lore of Offetstine, either because those details are not established or because they are poorly documented, that a roleplayer may either need to ask about before they can have their character approved, or may incorrectly (and reasonably) assume to be a certain way either represented in the real world or in more typical fiction.
# '''Misunderstanding of documentation.''' In addition to clarity of lore, roleplayers may also misunderstand an existing, documented tenet of Offetstine lore, perhaps because they cannot find the relevant document or because they misinterpreted its meaning.
# '''Restrictions of the setting.''' Not all ideas are conducive to the setting precedent of the world of Offetstine. Some ideas are best suited for other fictional worlds or contradict the existing worldbuilding of Offetstine, such as concepts of time travel<ref>See [https://discord.com/channels/809184885485994016/809184886212657184/1137074950751125614]. This is the discussion that had time travel conclusively removed from the list of possibilities in Offetstine.</ref> and multiverses, or concepts from the present-day real world that did not exist 25 years ago. These restrictions are elaborated on in [[Offetstine:Mod Handbook/Worldbuilding|Worldbuilding]].
# '''Community rules and regulations.''' Offetstine, as any roleplay community, imposes a certain number of guidelines that members are expected to follow when submitting characters. These guidelines are enumerated colloquially in [https://discord.com/channels/809184885485994016/1012939508565684224 #oc-guidelines] and more rigorously in this document, but users cannot be expected to fully grok these guidelines before submitting a character.

== Responsibilities ==

=== Creation ===

Before the review phase of a character, where a character submission is critically analyzed by Offetstine staff, may even be considered, staff members have certain responsibilities to roleplayers and character designers to clarify lore information in Offetstine and aid character design in such a manner that is amicable to the setting prescribed by our community.

While the Offetstine Wiki exists to provide a central repository of all worldbuilding affairs, a roleplayer cannot be expected to find all relevant details of their own accord, or read its entire substance before submitting a character. Moreover, many details of generally accepted worldbuilding consensus are widely accepted but not documented in the wiki; these details, upon discovery, should be added as TODOs in articles, or as [https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/red_link#English redlinks] in [[OW:NW]].

=== Review ===

==== Critical errors ====

[[File:Art Rule.png|thumb|The so-called "Art Rule", the guideline by which character art is either allowed or disallowed, c. May 2023.]]

There are a few errors which are considered critical and which explicitly prevent a profile from being accepted. All other guidelines in this section are loose and subject to interpretation as per the [[Offetstine:Mod Handbook#Community interests|community interests]]. The critical errors include, but are not limited to:

* '''A profile which does not sufficiently identify the character.''' All profiles must contain a name, an age, and a race (though that race may be "unknown" or verbatim "demi-human").

* '''A profile which lends from an existing universe.''' Fiction in the real world exists in equal part as fiction in Offetstine, making existing-universe characters violate the worldbuilding doctrine of Offetstine. Moreover, profiles that lend from existing universes may be considered libelous, both legally and ethically, and may run afoul of media trademark and copyright legislation when canonized into Offetstine.

* '''A profile which heavily involves a real person.''' Again, such profiles may be considered ethically libelous and are inconducive to the worldbuilding doctrine of Offetstine.

* '''A profile which runs afoul of the "Art Rule".''' The "Art Rule" refers to the guidelines for whether a piece of art depicting a character in a profile may be accepted. While it has existed in various capacity before being formalized, its current iteration is a flowchart that defines whether a given work of art may be used for a character.

==== Detail level ====

While submitting a character to Offetstine, platform limitations can frequently dissuade in-depth submissions. Submitting a profile inline in Discord, while the simplest format for moderators to review, may limit an author's freedom or interest in expanding on the background of their character. Similarly, submitting a character as a user subpage on the wiki, while initially touted internally as a solution, proves handily too complicated and unwieldy due to the nature of the [https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/MediaWiki MediaWiki] software which the wiki runs on. Preparing an external document through a service such as Google Docs takes additional time and effort to perform necessary typesetting work.

Semantic quality exists independent of text length, and long profiles, literate roleplay post and tonally encyclopedic articles do not symbolize nor indicate meaningful and rich concepts. Generally, processes which encourage more introspection during the character creation process enable higher-quality submissions, and the review process is aided by more in-depth and more tightly edited character submissions.

Shorter character profiles are genuinely suited for characters who are more reserved, or who are not initially fully defined and where roleplayers wish to explore the identity and final details of their characters in-universe. Having an initially strong conception of a character may, in certain cases, prove a detriment, because as a member of Offetstine explores its world through roleplay, their character may develop, and facts about the character may be discovered serendipitously through spontaneous innovations in roleplay.

==== Writing style ====

No rule or regulation should impede the ability of non-native English speakers or other members who are not highly confident expressing themselves with the written word, from participating in Offetstine. (Non-native speakers compose some three-fourths the total population of English speakers,<ref>See [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_languages_by_total_number_of_speakers]. This figure is eventually sourced from ''Ethnologue,'' but the ultimate document is not open-access.</ref> and we consider them an indispensable facet of our community!) Any rule or regulation that targets the written word should focus on motivating output of high semantic quality, whether in a character submission, roleplay post or wiki article.

Wiki articles can always be edited after their initial submission; part of the [https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Manual:Interface/Copyrightwarning default agreement] put forth by the MediaWiki software, echoed and used by the Offetstine Wiki, is that any contributor agrees to have their work "edited mercilessly". Roleplay posts are ephemeral and generally only need to convey semantically meaningful information to their direct partner. Character profiles are only one facet of a character design, and much of a character is shaped by their use in practice rather than their initial proposition.

==== Elisions ====

Reviewers are encouraged not to approve any character whose profile shows evident signs of not being thoroughly vetted or which appears to have blatant elisions, or which appears to be truncated, and instead refer to the author whether any omissions were intentional or not. Part of the responsibility of character review is to serve as a second pair of eyes, and while short profiles are generally accepted, profiles with direct omissions are not.

For instance, if a profile submitted directly to [https://discord.com/channels/809184885485994016/809190417970233374 #oc-submissions] is based on the prescribed template, and contains a "Personality:" key but does not contain any value assigned to the key, a staff member ought to approach the member and ask about the elision. The member may either verbally clarify the elided detail or edit the profile to fit it in, or explain that the omission as intentional and optionally elucidate their rationale.

== Approval ==

It is recommended that any message of character approval be congratulatory, since generally it is symbolic that the character thus joining Offetstine has passed some form of "great culling", the churn of review that many characters are subject to before they can be approved and comfortably fit in the setting of Offetstine.

While no laudatory remark is prescribed, and no remark ever should be, I (Eunakria) do think it's worth mentioning the template that I inadvertently found myself using:

<blockquote>Hey (member)! I've approved (character) and want to thank you for the incredible character design and contribution to our community. I can't wait to see them in-universe, and welcome to the world of Offetstine!
</blockquote>
Any staff member approving a profile should find something from the bottom of their heart to say. Above all else, be genuine. If these are not the words you feel, don't say them; say something that truly highlights how you feel about a character, and about the artistry of their creator.

== Notes ==

<references />

Offetstine:Mod Handbook

2023-11-11T08:24:42Z

Twonakria: publish draft, as long promised. this is not an authoritative text yet. all members, staff and community, are encouraged to propose changes and make edits. ~ welcome to the bazaar! ~

{{Official policy}}
{{Shortcode|codes=[[OW:MHB]]}}

The '''Moderator's Handbook,''' alternatively the '''Mod Handbook,''' is a document defining how members of the Offetstine staff should moderate the community, including guidelines for chat moderation, profile review and roleplay moderation. The document is public by design, for the sake of transparency, and so governance decisions made in Offetstine are clearer.

The document is currently incomplete. Any questions and concerns may be raised with staff, especially [[User:Discord-317484070127009793|Eunakria]], on Discord.

Upon its completion, all staff are expected to read the handbook and demonstrate their understanding. The handbook is subject to updates to reflect changing guidelines and consensus, and to incorporate precedent. Staff members are encouraged to track edits to this page and its subpages.

----

(not a proper navbox yet. one step at a time 🫠)

* [[Offetstine:Mod Handbook/Community moderation|Community moderation]]
* [[Offetstine:Mod Handbook/Character creation|Character creation]]
* [[Offetstine:Mod Handbook/Roleplay moderation|Roleplay moderation]]
* [[Offetstine:Mod Handbook/Worldbuilding|Worldbuilding]]

----

TODO

== Community interests ==

Offetstine is built on three pillars, known as its '''community interests.''' While this document generally enumerates how these guidelines may be upheld in narrow, specific ways in Offetstine, above all else, these guidelines are expected to be upheld. It is equivalent to the constitution of Offetstine, where the rest of this document serves as legislation. The community interests are, moreover, a pledge that all staff members take.

The community interests are enumerated as such:

* '''We are an inclusive community,''' striving to be not only a hub for roleplay, but a gathering place where any reasonable person may feel welcome. The staff of Offetstine serve the interests of the community, not only as roleplayers but as people. Just as members pledge to us to treat each other with respect, we pledge to them to accommodate their interests.

* '''Our world is as welcoming as our community.''' Just as there are no significant roadblocks in joining the community of Offetstine as a real-world person, there ought not to be any significant roadblocks in joining our roleplay community. Expanding on the world of Offetstine, through the contribution of a character, location, event or concept is accommodated and facilitated by staff.

* '''Our world inspires awe.''' Offetstine is a sight to behold as either a spectator or participant. We achieve that sense through both an eye for consistency and artistry. We build the rigor of the world of Offetstine around the stories told in it, and vice versa. We lend an ear to the members of our community through the reification of their storytelling ideas as part of our world.

== Referenda ==

One of the most critical processes in the process of Offetstine is the use of '''[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Referendum referenda].''' Before any change is made to the structure of the community, it is proposed before a forum of moderators. The proponent of any suggestion is responsible for the specific framing of any proposal, but generally, must be able to demonstrate majority approval among the current body of moderators to see any change implemented.

The process of proposing a referendum and casting votes on it is, necessarily, a vocal process, which attempts to both quantitatively enumerate the support of protocol from staff members and qualitatively solicit dialogue which allows each staff member to make the most informed vote possible. While any voting procedure may yield a single winner, majority approval (to the extent that such a concept may be calculated by the voting system being used) is required to enact the result of any referendum. Staff members are not only allowed, but expected, to propose any concept that they believe is not accurately represented in the options of a poll.

Common administrative tasks that require referenda include:

* The archival of an existing channel, either OOC or roleplay
* The restructuring of existing channel structure, though not including the creation of home and business channels for roleplayers (cf. [[Offetstine:Mod Handbook/Character creation|Character creation]]) or channels to cordon off niche but popular topics (cf. [[Offetstine:Mod Handbook/Community moderation|Community moderation]]).
* Any nontrivial announcement, such as a roleplay event or teaser thereto.
* Any procedure change, including a nontrivial amendment to the Mod Handbook (though it should be emphasized that while this document is in its draft stage, all contributions are appreciated, including from non-staff members) or to the community etiquette or other documentation.

=== Voting methods ===

No voting method is strictly prescribed, though [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Approval_voting approval voting] and [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Single_transferable_vote single transferrable vote] (STV) are preferable for multiple candidacy, as many possible referenda may contain multiple similar options and motivate moderators to choose. Moderators may, optionally, use Vie to set up approval or STV votes.

In order to use Vie to set up a STV vote, invoke the <code>v.poll</code> command as such: <code>v.poll -type stv "Option 1" "Option 2" ...</code>. The bot message will return an ID, such as <code>pl_samp_le00_xkm3_4mpm</code>, and number each option. <s>A duration may be set with the <code>-dur</code> flag, such as <code>-dur 1w</code>, allowing at most one week for votes to be cast.</s> The options of a poll may be edited by editing the original message.

After a poll is proposed, cast or recast votes with the <code>v.vote</code> command. For example: <code>v.vote -id pl_samp_le00_xkm3_4mpm 1 3 2</code>, listing options ordered according to preference. To retract a ballot, pass the <code>-retract</code> option to <code>v.vote</code>. The poll will automatically update with the current vote totals. Due to the internal, small-scale and qualitative nature of the Vie voting module, [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strategic_voting strategic voting] is not an envisioned concern.

<s>These commands are available to non-moderators as well, so please note that electorate body is inferred from the channel the poll is proposed in. Bot users, and users who cannot view the channel the poll was proposed in, cannot cast a vote, though they can retract existing votes.</s> Poll functionality is currently not globally available because the Vie poll code is genuinely some of the worst code I’ve ever written 🫠

=== Transparency ===

Staff referenda are, inherently, not transparent to the Offetstine community. However, any conclusion reached by staff members that affects the community, is expected to be communicated to non-staff members. Certain changes are handled automatically, such as any moderatorial action taken, which is usually automatically reflected in [https://discord.com/channels/809184885485994016/815413494149152798 #mod-logs]. However, staff members are responsible for manually announcing other changes.

Certain referenda are best suited to be made public. The <code>v.poll</code> command may be used in [https://discord.com/channels/809184885485994016/815412637168959527 #announcements] to facilitate a public referendum. It is not recommended that plurality voting (<code>-type plurality</code>) is used for public votes.

File:Art Rule.png

2023-11-11T08:11:20Z

Twonakria: The so-called "Art Rule", the guideline by which character art is either allowed or disallowed, c. May 2023.

== Summary ==
The so-called "Art Rule", the guideline by which character art is either allowed or disallowed, c. May 2023.

Template:Shortcode

2023-11-11T08:03:09Z

Twonakria: initial

{{Mbox|notice|Shortcodes available|This page can be reached with the following shortcodes: {{{codes}}}.}}

Elemental magic

2023-10-26T23:39:30Z

Twonakria: initial, needs to be proofread

'''Elemental magic''' is a school of [[magic]] involving the ability to manipulate classes of concepts which are, by themselves, fantastical and difficult to pinpoint the precise nature of, most typically the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Classical_element classical elements]; commonly iterated as earth, water, air and fire; from which the school of magic gets its name. Despite the prevalence of these four, however, elemental magic is not limited to them.

Elemental magic is most often an acquired practice by human mages, though it is occasionally innate to some [[Demi-human|demi-human]] species, including [[Elemental|elementals]], the term for whom is derived from elemental magic. Most demi-human species with innate, species-associated elemental magic are typically classified as [[Spirit|spirits]], though there are some exceptions. Affinities exist in any discipline of elemental magic predicated on the existence of a corresponding [[deity]], born through the [[Will of the People]].

'''Pan-elemental magic''' is the practice of elemental magic of multiple affinities under a single discipline, generally a coveted practice among human mages and impossible for [[Elemental|elemental spirits]]. While all elemental magic is considered crucial to [[alchemy]], pan-elemental magic is considered especially valuable.

== Practice ==

Fantastical properties of the natural world are traditionally revered and deified by human populations, and subsequently reified by the [[Will of the People]], a process which may generate [[Deity|deities]] that embody the element in question. This reverence is typically not mutually exclusive to a lack of understanding of the property in question in the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scientific_consensus scientific consensus]; for instance, despite many of the open questions in science that initially led to the bespoke classification and deification of [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fire fire] having been answered, fire magic is still one of the most prominent affinities in Offetstine.

When a deity exists for a concept, affinity or element, it may be further reified as a magical affinity practiced by mages and demi-humans. Most often, [[Elemental|elementals]] are the first living beings to embody the affinity (from whence the term "elemental" comes), and much like their patron deity, tend to demonstrate traits commonly associated with the element both physically and in their demeanor and predilection. For instance, where [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_water_deities water and the sea] are typically viewed by humans as mercurial, both facilitating agriculture and the fundamental sustenance of life, and storms and floods that facilitate the loss of human life; spirits of water, and especially of the sea, much like their corresponding deities are imagined, are frequently gentle and caring with a tempestuous side.

As the concept of a deity itself is not rigid, practitioners of an elemental magic do not typically know their [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tutelary_deity patron deity] personally; though the form and nature of the deity is frequently most directly influenced by practitioners of the magic. Practitioners of elemental magic frequently feel an innate connection between themselves and their deity, or between other practitioners of the same magic; though this is not a guarantee.

[[Demi-human|Demi-humans]] are frequently born innately with elemental magic, though human mages also frequently practice elemental magic. Generally, elemental magic is considered the easiest to learn when one does not have a preexisting magical predilection, though sometimes a preexisting magical predilection can prevent the acquisition of an elemental magic of a certain affinity. For instance, a fire spirit may find it difficult or impossible to learn any form of water magic, due to the traditional opposition of the elements in the minds of people. The process of learning affinities of elemental magic is sometimes analogized by scholars to [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Language_acquisition language acquisition].

== Affinities ==

The most common affinities are enumerated as the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Classical_element classical elements]; earth, water, air and fire; for which elemental magic is named. However, affinities may exist anywhere a concept is considered difficult to grasp, and revered and deified by a human population, through religious or cultural [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Myth#Mythology mythology] or through [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Superstition superstition].

Elemental magic centers around the idea that any sufficiently fantastic property about the natural world may be deified and embraced by the [[Will of the People]], which may thereby create [[Deity|deities]] and practitioners of the respective elemental magic. To this extent, common affinities outside the four classical elements include:

* Electricity (frequently including in its scope [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electronics electronics] and computing)

* Machinery and/or [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cyberpunk_derivatives#Clockpunk clockwork]

* [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Molecular_physics Molecular] and [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atomic_physics subatomic physics]

Magic that pertains to the notion of [[Afterlife|ether]] itself or to the [[soul]] is sometimes classified as elemental magic, although this classification has been contested. [[Psychic magic]] is traditionally reserved its own category, and healing magic is considered a subfield of [[alchemy]]. However, this classification is not unheard of. While not traditionally part of the [[Species taxonomy#Émile_Standard|Émile Standard]] for species taxonomy, common affinities that are innate to certain species of demi-humans are given names as affixes in the standard.

== Real life ==

Elemental magic is not related to the real-world concept of [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chemical_element chemical elements], a theoretically finite set of [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Extended_periodic_table unknown size] that currently recognizes 118 known entries with arbitrarily many hypothesized.

While other fields of magic in Offetstine, especially those pertinent to [[magical epistemology]], do concern the chemical elements as they otherwise manipulate mundane properties of physical matter, elemental magic specifically refers to practices of magic that manipulate fantastical properties of the natural world, that are or were difficult to grasp and are as such treated as indivisible or unique existences.

[[Category:Schools of magic]]

Music Festival

2023-10-26T03:24:40Z

Twonakria: Mark article as stub

{{Stub}}

The '''Offetstine Annual Music and Art Festival''' Which is hosted on the second week of June. Originally hosted by '''James R. Elendigbaldemally''' in 1928. Elendigbaldemally was an American immigrant that yearned to bring the jazzy community into Europe.

The festival began as a group on the street playing for donations. The profit generated from just this small event was extremely well above projected margins. The next year, more individuals came alomg with the day long session of playing. This steady increase gave way to the '''Elendigbaldemally Annual Jazz and Other Music Sounds Fest and Theatre'''. This was soon shortened to the '''Offetstine Music Festival''', which opened its doors to many other genres of music and which has hosted many prominent figures like '''The B-52's''', '''The Cure''', and '''Anthrax'''.

Offetstine:Needs work

2023-10-23T21:51:40Z

Twonakria: Add point of interest: S. Aequilibrii, Music Festival

'''Have some time to spare?''' Consider contributing to one of these pages.

You can quickly link to this page with the shortcode [[OW:NW|<code>OW:NW</code>]].



== Areas ==

* [[Northbrook Woodland]]
* [[Stenbrook River]]

== Cities ==

* [[Hallingmere]]
* [[Offetstine]]
* [[Winthorpe]]

== Concepts ==

* [[Afterlife]]
** [[Soul]]
** [[Underworld]]
* [[Greater Offetstine Area]]
* [[Magic]]
** [[Alchemy]]
** [[Elemental magic]]
** [[Illusion magic]]
** [[Necromancy]]
** [[Psychic powers]]
** [[Shapeshifting]]
* [[Masquerade]]
* [[Shadow politics]]
* [[Species taxonomy]]
* [[Immortality]]

== Events ==

* [[Music Festival]]

== Institutions ==

* [[Cedar Crest University]]
* [[Golden Chalice]]
* [[Offetstine Primary School]]
* [[Offetstine Secondary School]]
* [[Rainbow in the Moon]]

== Media ==

* [[CREST]]
* [[SophOS DCS]]
* [[Zagreus Cross]]

== Nations ==

* [[Fidelia]]
* [[Ovaren society]]

== Organizations ==

* [[Criminal organizations]]
** [[Chiennes d'Armes]]
** [[Coalition]]
** [[Hunter's Guild]]
** [[Major Arcana]]
** [[Ringleaders]]
** [[Serpents]]
* [[Veilkeepers]]

== People ==

* [[Cato Umbra]]
* [[Clarise Ledford]]
* [[Constance Vivas]]
* [[Dia Silver]]
* [[Eliza Teak]]
* [[Erin Hazell]]
* [[Evi Snijder]]
* [[Melia Pepper]]
* [[Modeste Daniau]]
* [[Numa]]
* [[Raja]]
* [[Sonia Versace]]
* [[Vincent Rosier]]

== Species ==

[[Demi-human]]

* [[Animal-folk]]
** [[Kitsune]]
** [[V. Sequoiae]]
* [[Deity]]
* [[Elf]]
* [[Demon]]
* [[Dragon]]
* [[Harpy]]
* [[Lamia]]
* [[Nymph]]
* [[Spirit]]
** [[Elemental]]
** [[Revenant]]
* [[Vampire]]
** ''[[S. Aequilibrii]]''
** ''[[S. Erisi]]''
** ''[[S. Shakuii]]''
* [[Werewolf]]

S. Aequilibrii

2023-10-23T21:48:50Z

Twonakria: Twonakria moved page Sapphire's Subspecies to S. Aequilibrii without leaving a redirect

{{DISPLAYTITLE:''S. Aequilibrii''}}{{Infobox demi-human species|kingdom=Infernalis|genus=Sanguis|subspecies=Aequilibrii}}

'''''S. Aequilibrii''''' is the [[Species taxonomy#Émile standard|Émile]] taxon for a [[vampire]] subspecies prominent in [[Offetstine]], most known for its tendency to aggravate the cruel impulses of members of the subspecies. ''S. Aequilibrii'' vampires typically experience a state of [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mania mania] while hungry or during the "hunt", the process of isolating a human from a protected environment and cornering them to feed on them. While this manic state can be tempered by stronger ''S. Aequilibrii'' vampires through experience and a connection with their nature, it typically lasts for hours on end,{{Amend}} or until the vampire has fed.

''S. Aequilibrii'' is most known for its tendency to amplify the effects of [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mental_disorder mental illnesses]. One of the foremost correspondents of the subspecies, an Offetstine resident who goes by Sapphire, for whom the subspecies was tentatively named before receiving its modern taxon, reports that her vampirism has exacerbated the symptoms of her [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bipolar_disorder bipolar disorder]. Many of the studies and documents on ''S. Aequilibrii'' have centered around the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psychopathology psychopathology] of the subspecies.

Members of the subspecies sport abnormally long, non-retractable{{Amend}} [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canine_tooth canine teeth], which they use as fangs to draw blood from human victims, or to turn humans into vampires. While many vampire subspecies, especially those spawned by the [[Will of the People]] from typical European mythologies, sport fanged canines through which they draw blood, these fangs typically range from 2–2.5 centimeters (0.8–1 inches) of exposed enamel along the crown, ''S. Aequilibrii's'' fangs may reach as long as 4 cm (1.6 in).

When a human is turned into a vampire of the subspecies, they usually retain scars left by the process of feeding. Furthermore, nder their manic state, ''S. Aequilibrii'' vampires tend to gratuitously drag their fangs along the skin of their victims, leaving scars akin to those of the claw marks of a domestic cat. Inflicted bite wounds, while similarly quick to heal as of most other vampires which feed through fangs, tend to be atypically large.

It has been posited in some academic circles of [[species taxonomy]] that ''S. Aequilibrii'' is phylogenetically related to the older, more venerated ''[[S. Shakuii]].''

== History ==

Very little is known about the exact history of ''S. Aequilibrii,'' but it is widely recognized as a young subspecies, recently spawned by the [[Will of the People]] within the last century. Only two members of the subspecies have been concretely identified, including the foremost correspondent, the aforementioned Sapphire, and her unidentified sire.

Though no sufficiently concrete and rigorous census data of the demi-human world exists, it is suspected that there are other members of the subspecies in the [[Greater Offetstine Area]], as due to the tendency of the subspecies to motivate members to haphazardly turn other humans under the effects of mania,{{Amend}} the subspecies propagates more rapidly than others which reproduce through the transformation of humans.

In the Greater Offetstine Area, a region infamed for its high vampire population and number of unique subspecies, ''S. Aequilibrii'' forms a significant minority after the most prevalent, ''[[S. Erisi]],'' of which multiple tens of members were identified, many of which through the [[Coalition]].

== Powers ==

Members of ''S. Aequilibrii'' are most known for their ability to induce a trance in humans,{{Amend}} most typically their victim while feeding, though this is not necessary. While entranced, humans are typically listless and dull, and demonstrate a lack of understanding of their surroundings. While similar powers are common in most vampires, this power has been analogized to ''[[S. Shakuii#Miryoku|Miryoku]]'' as observed in ''S. Shakuii,'' thus being one of the causes for their suspected phylogenetic relationship. The intent to entrance a human is typically spurred by the mania ''S. Aequilibrii'' experience during the hunt, to subdue their victims as they are often subjected to a realization of the vampire's cruel desires.

This process has earned ''S. Aequilibrii'' a reputation as inherently predisposed to [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amorality amorality] and [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hedonism hedonism], though these claims are often rebuked as they are not representative of the sober judgement typically exercised by members of the subspecies. This is juxtaposed to other subspecies such as ''[[Hunter's Guild#Inception|S. Consili]],'' which, upon their transformation, become predisposed to sensory gratification and pleasure, and are commonly classified as inherently evil.

In addition to their ability to entrance humans, members of the subspecies also demonstrate the ability to create [[Illusion magic#Psychic illusions|psychic illusions]] about themselves, often used in lieu of the ability to physically retract their fangs in order to hide their nature in human communities. Members of the subspecies are able to subtly alter traits about themselves, such as the length of their fangs or color of their eyes, in proportion to their strength.

Members of the subspecies exhibit unnatural [https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/SuperStrength physical strength], typically multifold that of their human self and magical of provenance, and similarly heightened [https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/SuperSenses senses], most especially the acuity of their sight, hearing and touch.{{Amend}}

[[Category:Species]]

S. Aequilibrii

2023-10-23T21:48:31Z

Twonakria: very tentative rewrite, bold edit. a lot of reading between the lines, so please correct any errors you find.

Alchemy

2023-10-21T23:50:48Z

Twonakria: initial

'''Alchemy''' is a school of [[magic]] involving the study of magical properties of substances, and thereby the craft of magical properties such as potions and enchanted items, and the otherwise unnatural manipulation of mundane properties, such as material transmutation (not to be confused with [[Shapeshifting#Transmogrification|transmogrification]], the practice of magically causing another living being to embody a particular form other than their own) or the generation of matter and energy in ways that otherwise contradict the known limitations of mundane physics.

Alchemy derives its name from the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alchemy real-world pseudoscience] of the same name, largely recognized as the forebearer of modern mundane [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chemistry chemistry], which posited relations between the material sciences and celestial bodies, and frequently involved the pursuit of certain particular goals, such as the search for an elixir of immortality or the transmutation of common metals into more precious ones. While the protoscientific belief has since faded into predominant obscurity and been eclipsed by more [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epistemology epistemologically] rigorous approaches, the term survived in reference to various similar arts in fantasy fiction.

The exact origin of practices described as alchemy in the real world is unknown, but it is widely agreed that the term "alchemy" is attributed in a [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Retronym retronymic] sense, and contemporary practices, especially before the [[Masquerade]], were considered perfectly ordinary sciences. Scholars largely deny the notion that alchemical practices arose through the [[Will of the People]] from fantasy fiction, as most alchemical schools of magic trace their origins to historical demi-human societies, and new practices are commonly discovered by mages who practice a novel magic and habitually separate themselves from the pastiche of real-world magic seen in fantasy fiction. The line between alchemical practices and material sciences are frequently blurred in [[magical epistemology]], a school of thought that suggests that in spite of the Masquerade, magic practitioners should strive to expand the frontiers of mundane and magical knowledge through their conjunct use.

Alchemy as the magical counterpart to the mundane chemistry is an often-contested nomenclature, but accepted insofar as both the arts are concerned with the study of substances and their properties. The two fields share considerable overlap in the methods and concepts of their practice, as well as many of their tools, but the magic inherent in alchemy and the arcane principles underlying its operations render it a field distinct from mundane chemistry. The nature and origins of the various alchemical schools has been the subject of considerable scholarly debate. Alchemy is widely understood to be one of the oldest forms of magic, along with [[shapeshifting]] and [[illusion magic]], which are each hypothesized to have developed in [[demi-human]] communities in response to persecution and discrimination from humans, the same as the commonly recognized impetus for the Masquerade.

== History ==

TODO

== Forms ==

Similar to other schools of magic, different mages and demi-humans have independently developed various practices that, under modern nomenclature, have been termed alchemy. Similar to chemistry, alchemy encompasses many different subfields and specialties which share a common skillset and large portions of knowledge.

These subfields include the alchemical transmutation and fabrication of mundane materials, which is most frequently used in magical epistemology; the production of magical properties such as potions; the analysis of materials for their magical contents, which is most commonly used in forensics, such as by the [[Veilkeepers]] and by demi-human members of police forces; and others.

=== Transmutation ===

The most common subfield of alchemy is '''transmutation,''' which encompasses the fabrication of materials through the tools and knowledge yielded by alchemy. The practitioners of this subfield are the most numerous, and their work is most often employed in [[magical epistemology]]. For instance, [[Eliza Teak#Sophos_International|Sophos International]], a technology firm founded by the [[vampire]] and powerful mage [[Eliza Teak]] that manufactures a line of computers around a custom-designed [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Instruction_set_architecture instruction set architecture], has found success etching silicon at narrow process nodes through the use of magic, allowing the small firm to remain competitive in an industry reputed for being fierce to newcomers. While the finished chip packages are devoid of any trace of magic, the fabrication process involves magical lenses and stencils created using a technique developed by Teak, which otherwise contradict the premises of mundane [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Optics optics].

=== Enchantment ===

Similar to transmutation, '''enchantment''' is one of the most common subfields of alchemy, and encompasses the application of magical properties to, or, in some cases, their removal from, an otherwise mundane object. Enchantment has seen the height of its application in wartime across many nations, where in spite of the [[Masquerade]], militaries frequently recruited orders of demi-humans or supplied their forces with enchanted weapons, at the order of officials who knew about the existence of magic.
Enchantment has also found application in the demi-human medical sciences, along with [[#Potioncraft|potioncraft]], due to its application in treating ailments that are magical in cause. Alchemy, along with other magical sciences such as [[species taxonomy]] are considered pillars of the study of demi-human medicine, especially as, due to the Masquerade and the prevalence of human society, infrastructure for the care of demi-humans is nearly nonexistent.

=== Potioncraft ===

Alchemy can be used to craft potions, which are most frequently either orally ingested or topically applied for either a beneficial or, in the case of poisons, harmful effect. This is commonly referred to as '''potioncraft,''' and is one of the less commonly used, though most thoroughly researched, subfield of alchemy.

Potions have historically found widespread use as a form of medical treatment, though the rise of the Masquerade saw with it a rejection of magic-based practices in favor of mundane ones, usually citing reasons such as the scarcity and proprietary nature of magical medicine as well as the reliance on mages and demi-humans, which, in contemporary societies, frequently saw discrimination against themselves. Potions are still considered useful and used in demi-human magical practices when a patient requires an emergency treatment or is not responsive enough to provide a history or undergo an examination, as many potions may provide a [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stabilization_(medicine) stabilizing effect] on otherwise deteriorating patients, and in other situations, the nature of the patient's ailment may necessitate a magical treatment.

Potioncraft is also a common form of magical warfare, most frequently used to poison enemies in [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Espionage espionage], and to heal injuries on the frontlines. Potions are often crafted with a single effect, such as a [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypnotic hypnotic] or [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Analgesic analgesic], and are usually crafted in advance and in bulk by mages. Since the effective dose of a concentrated potion is often extremely small, and potions are frequently indistinct from common substances such as ethanol in human forensic analyses, they are a frequent favorite of demi-human spies due to their ease of concealment.

Potions are occasionally developed with more complex effects, such as ''Psie,'' a magical drug developed by Duško Kraus for the [[Bishops]], a vampire hunting group in [[Offetstine]], enabling its members to resist [[Psychic magic#Mind_control|compulsion]], most typically vampiric compulsion. Conversely, many potions are designed to provide magical powers to mundane humans and mages who otherwise cannot invoke those powers. Potions have been developed to facilitate [[Shapeshifting#Duomorphism|duomorphism]], the temporary transformation of the user to another form, such as that of a wolf or [[dragon]].

=== Analysis and identification ===

Many subfields of alchemy involve the study of the magical content of substances. While these substances are most often potions, and their study may determine their effect or their application in a particular scene or property; they may also various other objects, such as enchanted tools and weapons, and the bodies, skeletons and fossils of deceased demi-humans, with the goal of determining what magics influenced their formation or what magics are currently present on them. Formally known as '''analytical alchemy''' after the mundane [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Analytical_chemistry analytical chemistry], and commonly informally referred to as '''wizard forensics,''' these fields are comparatively less common and less influential than others, but still held as equally valuable.

In modern societies, alchemy is primarily used by mages and demi-humans as a form of forensics, especially when magic is suspected. For police forces centered on magical hotspots such as in the [[Greater Offetstine Area]], analytical alchemy is regarded an invaluable tool, as many spells cast by mages are traceable through the magical fingerprints left by the unique signature of the spell caster's mana, and many objects imbued with magical properties carry an equally distinct signature.

While many mages are trained in the fundamentals of forensic alchemy, the discipline is a specialty and its practitioners are typically experts in specific fields, such as the analysis of blood or the identification of materials. Some mages specialize in the investigation of specific types of crimes, and apply their knowledge variously by either working as police detectives, private investigators or for the [[Veilkeepers]], the organization responsible for maintaining the Masquerade. When employed at human organizations, forensic alchemists typically do not reveal the particular nature of their deductions, as they center around a guarded art; and many magical crimes have been convicted by being restaged in mundane terms by investigators. Analytical alchemy is not typically used in the investigation of mundane crimes.

== Practices ==

TODO

[[Category:Schools of magic]]

Serpents

2023-10-17T03:48:45Z

Twonakria: initial

{{Stub}}

{{Infobox criminal organization
|name=Sonia's Serpents
|insignia=[[File:Serpents logo.png]]
|date_founded=<abbr title="circa">c.</abbr> 1941
|founder=[[Sonia Versace]]
|relations=[[Coalition]] ''(rival, former)''
[[Ringleaders]] ''(rival)''

[[Bishops]] ''(rival)''
}}

The '''Serpents,''' known more precisely internally as '''Sonia's Serpents,''' are a criminal organization in [[Offetstine]] founded by the [[vampire]] and mafioso [[Sonia Versace|Sonia "Venom" Versace]] <abbr title="circa">c.</abbr> 1941, when she emigrated from the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States United States] citing persecution for her criminal activities and took it upon herself to found a new criminal empire in England. Since following the disbandment of the [[Coalition]], many of their old members were recruited by the Serpents, they are considered by some as a "Neo-Coalition", a term more traditionally used to refer to the [[Ringleaders]] and other organizations that spawned at the time and recruited old members of the organization; however, this classification is rebuked by some as the Serpents were over 50 years old at the time the Coalition disbanded.

After the Ringleaders, the Serpents are the second-largest criminal organization by territory in Offetstine, with about three-fifths the territory in terms of area. Before the disbandment of the Coalition, they only controlled a small region in the city center. Their territory is chiefly contested by the [[Bishops]], a criminal organization which arose from a vampire hunting guild chiefly in response to the Serpents being headed by a vampire; as such, the Bishops positions itself as an organization against organized crime, and frequently intrudes on Serpent territory. In addition, the Serpents are rivaled to the Ringleaders, and formerly the Coalition.

Ostensibly, both publicly and to lower-ranking members of the organization, the Serpents are headed by a group of managers of equal status, who have earned their title from longstanding contribution to the organization; however, they ultimately defer to Versace for official matters. Though Versace is not actively involved in the field any longer, she does occasionally present herself to members of her organization as another such manager.

== History ==

Born into the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prohibition_in_the_United_States Prohibition era] in [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_York_City New York City], Versace has been involved in the criminal underworld for the majority of her life. She was turned into a [[vampire]] at 25 years old and joined the organization of her sire, though it eventually dissolved, and by 1941, she determined she needed to emigrate from the United States citing her criminal past and violent practices. She forged a new identity in [[Offetstine]], [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/England England] and eventually began to recruit members to build out a new criminal organization.

During the period, Versace also established the Versace Heritage Butchery, a front for her operations and a purported family business, which she identified herself as the matrilineal heir of when the assumed identity of her mother became too old for her [[Immortality|immortal]] body. Over the next five decades, she slowly expanded the scope of her nascent criminal organization, and was mostly uncontested in the mundane human space, with most potential competitors being quickly edged out. The primary contest to the Serpents came from the Coalition, which, despite its small membership of only about 60 members,{{Amend}} proved proved formidable due to its demi-human exclusivity, as its members were typically proportionally more powerful.

When the Coalition eventually disbanded, some analysts hypothesized that the Serpents were involved, orchestrating the assassination of its vampiric leader [[Raja]], or other such. These hypotheses have been contested by later committee analyses, noting that despite the enigmatic nature of the Coalition's leadership, the primary muscle of the Serpents was human, and the organization was poorly equipped to contest the vampire. [[Raja#Proxies|Nere Szwedko]], the only member of the Coalition who was directly familiar with its founder and leader at the time and who did not disappear after its disbandment, refused comment on the affair, noting she wanted to put all affairs of the Offetstine underground behind her.

Despite this, after the disbandment of the Coalition in 1997, the Serpents specifically campaigned to recruit as many as possible of the organization's former members, making such promises as a quick path to the upper echelons of the Serpents, and a meritocratic attitude which the Coalition was reputed to sorely lack. They successfully enlisted about one-third of the former members, though precise numbers are not public. While the total sum of the recruitment effort, about 20 people, was seemingly diminutive, their [[demi-human]] identities and strong [[Magic|magical]] powers were identified as significant assets for the Serpents, enabling them to rapidly expand and seriously contest the nascent Ringleaders.

To date, while the Serpents are embroiled in conflict with the Bishops and Ringleaders, they have not made any significant moves. While members regularly engage in racketeering and other criminal activities, the broad scope of the Offetstine criminal underworld has remained largely the same.

File:Serpents logo.png

2023-10-17T03:48:23Z

Twonakria: The logo of the Serpents. Reproduced under exclusive license from C.M. Renn Kestrel.

== Summary ==
The logo of the [[Serpents]]. Reproduced under exclusive license from C.M. Renn Kestrel.

Clarise Ledford

2023-10-07T22:18:07Z

Twonakria: add info about Sinagra-McCune PLC

{{Infobox person
|gender=Female
|pronouns=she/her
|race=Human ([[Veilkeepers|Veilkeeper]])
|cognonima=Clarise Hollins ''(former)''
|status=Alive
|born=1964-04-02
|nationality=[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/England England]
}}

'''Clarise Ledford''' is the current leader of the [[Veilkeepers|Veilkeepers of Offetstine]] and its main headquarters. She is married to a [[werewolf]] named Aron Ledford, and has two children: a human son, Philip Ledford, and a werewolf daughter, Abigail Ledford. Due to her background, she has a strong sense of duty and compassion for demi-humans and humans alike. Her style of leadership is lauded by many members of the Veilkeepers organization, but criticized by some other branches for being too lax about upholding the [[Masquerade]].

== History ==

Clarise Ledford, née Hollins, was born on 2 April 1964 in [[Offetstine]] and attended [[Offetstine Secondary School]] where she first met Aron and learned of his [[Werewolf|lycanthropic]] nature. She graduated from secondary school at sixteen and began studying business administration at university, which led to her employment at a local corporate firm. To her surprise, Aron had applied for the same firm, and their romance flourished over the course of several years after they reconvened. Eventually, they married and had two children together: Abigail, who was born in 1988, and Philip, who was born in 1990.

Ledford was eventually laid off from her position at the corporation following an economic downturn, and in the months to follow, she sent out a number of applications to various companies fairly indiscriminately out of desperation, noting she had children to care for and little in the way of savings. One such company was Sinagra-McCune PLC, the corporate front of the Veilkeepers, where she applied as a [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Financial_adviser financial advisor]. She was eventually admitted into the company as an employee, although she was eventually deemed privy to its internal affairs after she noted her familiarity with [[Demi-human|demi-humanity]] through her husband Aron. She eventually built a rapport with the inner members of the organization, including its then-leader Silvester McCune.

This familiarity with the organization primed her as one of the first targets for the [[Will of the People|magic]] that underpinned the Veilkeepers. Ledford explains she was initially formally indoctrinated to the organization by McCune on the night of his death. He had been fatally attacked by a renegade [[vampire]] and member of the [[Coalition]], who claimed that the freedom of demi-humans to profess their identity before humans would be integral if demi-humans were ever to rule in human society. Ledford arrived too late to perform any first aid, but the former leader nonetheless bestowed his powers on her in hopes she would continue his legacy. When paramedics eventually arrived on the scene, he was declared [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dead_on_arrival dead on arrival].

McCune's partner, Miriana Sinagra, later recalls that she was devastated on learning about McCune's death, but confident the Veilkeepers of Offetstine were being left in good and caring hands. She notes that while she had always assumed she was willed the right to the leader of the organization, she feels no shame or envy that it was instead inherited by Ledford. As a vampire and thus an [[Immortality|immortal]], she jokes that she "only [has] to wait for Ledford to kick the bucket from old age, which is basically instantaneous". She notes that she has always wanted the Veilkeepers to be in control of a human, as she hypothesizes they are better capable of empathizing with the human and demi-human worlds alike, and internalizing the true meaning of the Masquerade.

In the decade after this experience, Ledford rose quickly through the ranks of the Veilkeepers, ultimately becoming the leader of the Offetstine branch after being elected in place of its provisional interim leader. As a result of her experiences with both the Coalition and the Veilkeepers, she remains intensely compassionate towards demi-humans and humans alike. She attempts to maintain a spry and cheerful demeanor and values the freedom to have interpersonal relationships over the ''[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/De_jure de jure]'' form of the Masquerade. Ledford explains she has since soured on the Veilkeepers, worrying if they do more harm than good, but notes she cannot resign so long as she is under the control of the magic she wields, and can only try to be a fair leader for those under her.

Veilkeepers

2023-10-07T22:05:19Z

Twonakria: add info about Sinagra-McCune PLC

The '''Veilkeepers''' are a global organization of [[Magic|magically]] empowered and controlled beings, most often humans but occasionally [[Demi-human|demi-humans]], sworn to the protection of the human and demi-human communities alike, and responsible for maintaining the [[Masquerade]] Unlike other organizations in the world of Offetstine, the Veilkeepers were not formally instated nor have a traditional leadership structure; they are composed of a global, decentralized network of individuals who share the same magical powers and goals.

The Veilkeepers claim the power to selectively erase parts of history. The exact mechanism of their power is unclear even to veteran members of the organization, but it is nonetheless their hallmark ability. Upon erasing history, the world attempts to heal around the erased area, effectively allowing insurgent attempts by rogue mages and demi-humans, and unwary spectator humans, from disturbing the Masquerade. In the process, it often costs the Veilkeepers their own memory of the event, and as a result their bookkeeping is often lackluster at best.

Members of the Veilkeepers are usually indoctrinated through the [[Will of the People|Will of the People]], specifically that of local Veilkeepers branches. New Veilkeepers usually awaken to their powers and duties spontaneously, and are further introduced to their responsibilities when contacted by members of their respective branch.

New branches of the Veilkeepers are created by the magic of the Masquerade itself, in response to a threat to the Masquerade along some information front. Branches are typically relatively small local organizations, which work to prevent the exposition of magic across a local area, primarily using their power to undo events that threaten the Masquerade on a good-faith basis, and using their mundane influence to reinforce the importance of the Masquerade among mages and demi-humans. In other cases, however, branches arise to address a global concern.

== Branches ==

{{Infobox company
|name=Veilkeepers of Offetstine
|cognomina=Veilkeepers
Sinagra-McCune PLC
|logo=[[File:Veilkeepers and SMC logos.png]]
|logo_caption=Left to right: the logo of the Veilkeepers of Offetstine, and the logo of Sinagra-McCune PLC.
|industry=[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Financial_services Financial services] ''(front)''
Maintaining the [[Masquerade]] ''(private)''
|owner=[[Clarise Ledford]]
|num_employees=Approx. 90 (<abbr title="circa">c.</abbr> 1998, SMC), 14 (<abbr title="circa">c.</abbr> 1998, Veilkeepers)
}}
The Veilkeepers are not a centralized organization or effort, but instead a collection of loosely associated branches associated by their subjection to the same magical forces and, thus, their shared magical powers and ideology. New branches of the Veilkeepers are created by the magic of the Masquerade itself, in response to problematic areas where the Masquerade is habitually threatened, or on a global scale to [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Information_security information fronts] which similarly threaten it.

Branches are typically relatively small local organizations, which work to prevent the exposition of magic across a local area, primarily using their power to undo events that threaten the Masquerade on a good-faith basis, and using their mundane influence to reinforce the importance of the Masquerade among mages and demi-humans. In other cases, however, branches arise to address a global concern. These branches operate locally with the stated goal of protecting the demi-human populations of individual districts. Members of local branches are usually civilian humans, usually exhibit more mellow and supportive sentiments, and collaborate more habitually and openly with other branches.

Other branches of the Veilkeepers instead operate on a global scale, and attempt to regulate information pathways and telecommunications networks such as radio and internet communications. Due to the scope of these branches, they often deal with events which their magic, the power to erase events from history, may not be effective or possible, or may not address the root cause. Global branches of the Veilkeepers, as such, tend to adopt a more proactive and [[#Cultural impact|cultural]] approach, and attempt to instill practices in their constituent body which will itself ensure the Masquerade is upheld, such as the use of encrypted telecommunications. These branches are often born from [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intelligence_agency intelligence agencies] and are more likely to adopt stricter [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zero_tolerance zero-tolerance] approaches to enforcement.

=== Veilkeepers of Offetstine ===

The '''Veilkeepers of Offetstine''' are the respective branch of the network in the [[Greater Offetstine Area]], headquartered in [[Offetstine]]. They are led by [[Clarise Ledford]], a human mother who was first introduced to the demi-human world through her husband, a werewolf. In order to operate effectively in the otherwise treacherous environment created by [[Criminal organizations|gang warfare]] in Offetstine, they maintain a corporate front nominally focused on stock trading. Their front, '''Sinagra-McCune PLC,''' commonly referred to as '''SMC,''' was founded by and named for the late former leader of the branch, Silvester McCune, and his long-time partner and aide, Miriana Sinagra. Many other branches of the Veilkeepers are comparatively more subversive or grassroots.

The existence of the Veilkeepers of Offetstine's corporate front was subject to criticism from other branches of the Veilkeepers; however, as McCune and his successor Ledford note, has helped manage funds and gain leverage in the mundane aspect of maintaining the Masquerade, a task that they claim would otherwise be impossible, as they are not granted any innate mundane privilege the same way they are empowered by the magic of the Veilkeepers. Similarly, the cash flow of SMC has been cited as the main point of leverage of the Offetstine branch in the broader Veilkeepers' community.

The Veilkeepers of Offetstine generally worked closely with the [[Coalition]], and presently with the [[Ringleaders]], both criminal organizations that focus on the importance of the Masquerade to facilitate their respective goals. Both organizations cite the importance of protecting the Masquerade in allowing them to continue to rule from the shadows. While Ledford has personally opposed this move, citing the unintended consequences of allying with criminal organizations, the move has previously been reinforced as despite the threat the organization poses, the actual Veilkeepers branch lacks power on its own to safely effect its influence.

To this extent, the Coalition and later Ringleaders frequently engage in "cleanup", the task of ensuring rogue demi-humans and mages do not leave behind overt traces of their nature in otherwise human establishments. Notable figures in the demi-human community have received direct consultation from Coalition or Ringleaders members in the past, including [[Eliza Teak]], vampire and founder of [[Eliza Teak#Sophos_International|Sophos International]]. The agreement between these organizations and the Veilkeepers is not overt; in fact, most members of the Coalition and Ringleaders remain unaware of the existence of the Veilkeepers. However, it is argued that it is through external influence that the foremost ideology in these organizations is to uphold the Masquerade rather than to fight it.

== History ==

Little is known about the exact history of the Veilkeepers, although one common origin myth is largely accepted by individuals both in and out of the organization who are aware of its existence. As the myth is propagated primarily by oral tradition, several variations on the tale exist, but common threads exist between all iterations of the story. The exact location of the story is unknown, although it is often posited to have taken place in modern-day [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/India India] or [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/China China].

=== Creation myth ===

As per the myth, in approximately the third century BC, a relatively powerful human witch adopted and cared for a number of demi-human children. While the group was ultimately benevolent and harmless, they faced continued antagonism from the local people citing prior encounters with more vengeant demi-humans. (Depending on the specific version of the tale, these vengeant demi-humans are usually cited to be [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rakshasa rakshasa] or, more abstractly and especially in western iterations, [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ogre ogres].)

Due to the persecution increasingly endangering her family, the witch grew isolated from the local human population and, eventually, unable to resist it much longer and adamant on protecting her children, used her power to separate local mundane and magic civilization. Again, the exact fate of the witch or her children vary by version. While the effect was initially local, it spread over the course of centuries to most corners of the world through the [[Will of the People]]. Rather than being upheld by nature itself, nature called upon people to uphold the nascent Masquerade, and they dubbed themselves the Veilkeepers.

Demi-humans who travelled and traded on the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silk_Road Silk Road] vied particularly for the Masquerade, and by about 300 AD the Masquerade was present across the majority of Europe and Asia. Over time and with increased global trade, it became a global phenomenon, though, all the while, entirely unbeknownst to humans. Many regions were initially resistant to the Masquerade, although it usually spread along with the introduction of writing. This is usually attributed to the notion that, as written communication posed the greatest threat to the Masquerade, it carried the strongest form of the magic with it.

As the Masquerade spread, many more branches of the Veilkeepers appeared across the world, and their culture as an organization developed primarily during this period. The specific ideology of each branch of the Veilkeepers derives from when they adopted the Masquerade, and under what circumstance. For instance, branches in England generally focus primarily on written communication and ally with local organizations, often of criminal nature, such as the [[Coalition]] to prevent rogue demi-humans and mages from outing their existence. Branches in the region generally make liberal use of [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Propaganda propaganda] to further the importance of demi-human and magic [[Magic#Secrecy|secrecy]].

=== Modern effects ===

The Masquerade is an often frowned-upon aspect of the history of the world of Offetstine, even from within the membership of the Veilkeepers. However, as the Veilkeepers are magically bound to their duty, they do not as individuals have the power to release the Masquerade. Some scholars argue the Masquerade is a consequence of a broader tradition of demi-human isolationism, disregarding the common origin story. While the Masquerade arguably accomplishes its stated purpose of protecting demi-humans, it is often considered overwrought and tyrannical even by demi-humans and Veilkeepers.

Some analysts suggest the Masquerade has limited the scope of scientific and technological progress in Offetstine, by preventing advancements in the world of magic from tricking back to the world of mundane science. Furthermore, many analysts suggest the Masquerade has exacerbated the fundamental problem of discrimination and fearmongering about demi-human populations, and prevented humans from coming to terms with the world exactly as it is.

==== Cultural interference ====

Members of the Veilkeepers are generally implicated in the propagation of the cultural realization of the Masquerade. Analysts recognize that without the cultural interference of the Veilkeepers, the broad sentiment in magical hotspots such as the [[Greater Offetstine Area]] would be that the Masquerade is undue and oppressive. While some demi-humans and mages ascribe to the Masquerade for their own perceived safety, and the popular creation myth suggests the Masquerade arose for the safety of weaker demi-humans, it is often considered unnatural that the Masquerade would be self-sustaining for so long.

For instance, the Veilkeepers of Offetstine are generally noted as responsible for enabling the [[Coalition]] and later [[Ringleaders]] to gain its tenure in the Offetstine underground, by erasing the events that would have led to the dominance of riskier organizations. Though the Veilkeepers of Offetstine are not themselves criminally affiliated, it is widely regarded that they implicitly supported the Coalition and Ringleaders for their attitude in enforcing the Masquerade, most prominently observed in the Ringleaders' [[Ringleaders#Cleanup_crews|cleanup crews]] and advocacy for demi-human independence.

Certain branches of the Veilkeepers are furthermore implicated in the strong sentiment of privacy and information security seen in demi-humans. The Veilkeepers of Offetstine are also recognized as responsible for the popularization of [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/End-to-end_encryption end-to-end encryption] in the Coalition and Ringleaders in the form of [[CREST]], again through the same methodology, preventing more typical means of communications vulnerable to surveillance from arising. From the perspective of the respective organizations, there is no noted difference aside from the successful and widely accepted solution usually being the one which enables the Masquerade the most readily.

== Culture ==

Veilkeepers are often entirely willing to permit individual encounters between humans and demi-humans, in part because it would be a meticulous ordeal to strike every such happening from the historical record, and partly because it is broadly understood that exposure to the demi-human world on a per-person basis is not antithetical to the spirit of the Masquerade. This belief is especially pertinent in the Veilkeepers of Offetstine, where their leader [[Clarise Ledford]] was herself a human married to a werewolf before being indoctrinated into the organization. This belief usually goes hand in hand with [[magical epistemology]], the belief that magic and mundane science have an inherent duty to benefit each other even if they cannot overtly communicate.

Veilkeepers often show a caring and motherly disposition to humans and demi-humans alike. Some branches of the Veilkeepers go so far as to formalize the filial relationship between them and their subjects, addressing human populations regularly as their "children".

The color blue is symbolically important to most branches of the Veilkeepers. Following the original creation myth, it is stated that the witch who was initially responsible for the Masquerade had vibrant blue eyes. However, the veracity of this claim is disputed, as the myth is largely held as fiction to begin with. Many branches of the Veilkeepers that operate out of a corporate front often prescribe blue uniforms, including the Veilkeepers of Offetstine.

Template:Infobox company

2023-10-07T22:02:42Z

Twonakria: add logo_caption parameter

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"image": {
"label": "Image",
"description": "Any pictures that depict the product or headquarters campus of the company.",
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"label": "Date defunct",
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"label": "Fate",
"description": "Reasons the company became defunct, such as bankruptcy or acquisition, including any companies that it merged with.",
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"label": "Headquarters",
"description": "Where the company's headquarters are located.",
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"description": "The number of employees at the company, and any information as to when the statistic was taken.",
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"label": "Notes",
"description": "Anything else you want to say.",
"type": "content",
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"caption": {
"label": "Image caption",
"description": "If an image was provided, a caption describing its relation to the legal entity, as it might not be immediately obvious.",
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"affiliation": {
"label": "Affiliation",
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File:Veilkeepers and SMC logos.png

2023-10-07T21:47:03Z

Twonakria: Left to right: the current logo of the Veilkeepers of Offetstine, and the logo of Sinagra-McCune PLC, the financial advisory front of the organization. Unifraktur Maguntia by J. 'Mach' Wust licensed under the SIL OFL version 1.1.

== Summary ==
Left to right: the current logo of the Veilkeepers of Offetstine, and the logo of Sinagra-McCune PLC, the financial advisory front of the organization.

Unifraktur Maguntia by J. 'Mach' Wust licensed under the SIL OFL version 1.1.

Offetstine:Needs work

2023-09-29T03:20:32Z

Twonakria: Add point of interest: Immortality

'''Have some time to spare?''' Consider contributing to one of these pages.

You can quickly link to this page with the shortcode [[OW:NW|<code>OW:NW</code>]].



== Areas ==

* [[Northbrook Woodland]]
* [[Stenbrook River]]

== Cities ==

* [[Hallingmere]]
* [[Offetstine]]
* [[Winthorpe]]

== Concepts ==

* [[Afterlife]]
** [[Soul]]
** [[Underworld]]
* [[Greater Offetstine Area]]
* [[Magic]]
** [[Alchemy]]
** [[Elemental magic]]
** [[Illusion magic]]
** [[Necromancy]]
** [[Psychic powers]]
** [[Shapeshifting]]
* [[Masquerade]]
* [[Shadow politics]]
* [[Species taxonomy]]
* [[Immortality]]

== Events ==

TODO

== Institutions ==

* [[Cedar Crest University]]
* [[Golden Chalice]]
* [[Offetstine Primary School]]
* [[Offetstine Secondary School]]
* [[Rainbow in the Moon]]

== Media ==

* [[CREST]]
* [[SophOS DCS]]
* [[Zagreus Cross]]

== Nations ==

* [[Fidelia]]
* [[Ovaren society]]

== Organizations ==

* [[Criminal organizations]]
** [[Chiennes d'Armes]]
** [[Coalition]]
** [[Hunter's Guild]]
** [[Major Arcana]]
** [[Ringleaders]]
** [[Serpents]]
* [[Veilkeepers]]

== People ==

* [[Cato Umbra]]
* [[Clarise Ledford]]
* [[Constance Vivas]]
* [[Dia Silver]]
* [[Eliza Teak]]
* [[Erin Hazell]]
* [[Evi Snijder]]
* [[Melia Pepper]]
* [[Modeste Daniau]]
* [[Numa]]
* [[Raja]]
* [[Sonia Versace]]
* [[Vincent Rosier]]

== Species ==

[[Demi-human]]

* [[Animal-folk]]
** [[Kitsune]]
** [[V. Sequoiae]]
* [[Deity]]
* [[Elf]]
* [[Demon]]
* [[Dragon]]
* [[Harpy]]
* [[Lamia]]
* [[Nymph]]
* [[Spirit]]
** [[Elemental]]
** [[Revenant]]
* [[Vampire]]
** ''[[S. Erisi]]''
** ''[[S. Shakuii]]''
* [[Werewolf]]

Offetstine:Needs work

2023-09-29T03:18:54Z

Twonakria: Add point of interest: Ovaren society

'''Have some time to spare?''' Consider contributing to one of these pages.

You can quickly link to this page with the shortcode [[OW:NW|<code>OW:NW</code>]].



== Areas ==

* [[Northbrook Woodland]]
* [[Stenbrook River]]

== Cities ==

* [[Hallingmere]]
* [[Offetstine]]
* [[Winthorpe]]

== Concepts ==

* [[Afterlife]]
** [[Soul]]
** [[Underworld]]
* [[Greater Offetstine Area]]
* [[Magic]]
** [[Alchemy]]
** [[Elemental magic]]
** [[Illusion magic]]
** [[Necromancy]]
** [[Psychic powers]]
** [[Shapeshifting]]
* [[Masquerade]]
* [[Shadow politics]]
* [[Species taxonomy]]

== Events ==

TODO

== Institutions ==

* [[Cedar Crest University]]
* [[Golden Chalice]]
* [[Offetstine Primary School]]
* [[Offetstine Secondary School]]
* [[Rainbow in the Moon]]

== Media ==

* [[CREST]]
* [[SophOS DCS]]
* [[Zagreus Cross]]

== Nations ==

* [[Fidelia]]
* [[Ovaren society]]

== Organizations ==

* [[Criminal organizations]]
** [[Chiennes d'Armes]]
** [[Coalition]]
** [[Hunter's Guild]]
** [[Major Arcana]]
** [[Ringleaders]]
** [[Serpents]]
* [[Veilkeepers]]

== People ==

* [[Cato Umbra]]
* [[Clarise Ledford]]
* [[Constance Vivas]]
* [[Dia Silver]]
* [[Eliza Teak]]
* [[Erin Hazell]]
* [[Evi Snijder]]
* [[Melia Pepper]]
* [[Modeste Daniau]]
* [[Numa]]
* [[Raja]]
* [[Sonia Versace]]
* [[Vincent Rosier]]

== Species ==

[[Demi-human]]

* [[Animal-folk]]
** [[Kitsune]]
** [[V. Sequoiae]]
* [[Deity]]
* [[Elf]]
* [[Demon]]
* [[Dragon]]
* [[Harpy]]
* [[Lamia]]
* [[Nymph]]
* [[Spirit]]
** [[Elemental]]
** [[Revenant]]
* [[Vampire]]
** ''[[S. Erisi]]''
** ''[[S. Shakuii]]''
* [[Werewolf]]

Demi-human

2023-09-29T03:18:01Z

Twonakria: "demi" as singular of "demis", update Ovaren society redlink

'''Demi-humans,''' (/ˈdɛ.maɪ-/ or /ˈdɛ.mi-/) occasionally informally '''demis,''' (/ˈdɛ.maɪz/, <abbr title="singular">sg.</abbr> '''demi''' /ˈdɛ.maɪ/, to avoid confusion with [[Species taxonomy#Affixes|''dimidia'']]) are a rare and diverse class of [[Magic|magical]] species that roughly demonstrate some form of humanity, usually in the form of sapience and humanlike bodies. While their exact nature is difficult to pinpoint, demi-humans are most often the result of magic affecting the body of an otherwise biologically human individual (such as with [[Vampire|vampires]] and [[Harpy|harpies]]), or causing a humanlike entity to manifest in a human-populated area (such as with [[Spirit|spirits]] and [[Deity|deities]]).

The [[Masquerade]] critically prevents the existence of demi-humans from being common knowledge among humans. While many demi-humans choose to readily divulge the truth of their nature to humans they live and work with, the same magic that grants demi-humans their form or ethereal characteristics also limits the scope of knowledge about their true nature. While demi-human nature sometimes serves as an inspiration for folklore, it is never parsed as reality except by ungrounded, fringe analyses.

Occasionally, but not always, the classification of demi-humans extends to include all animals which demonstrate some capacity of magic, as other animals which demonstrate magic typically demonstrate facilities traditionally associated with humans in the mundane world, such as the comprehension or use of [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Language human language]. Other terms for such beings include "magical animals" and "magical beasts".

== History ==

The precise origin of demi-humanity in the world of Offetstine remains unknown. While some scholars suggest that demi-humans, despite their name, likely existed before the rise of [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human modern humans] (''H. sapiens'' under [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taxonomy_(biology) Linnean taxonomy], though no taxon exists under the [[Species taxonomy#Émile_Standard|Émile Standard]]) the specific nature of pre-human demi-humans is hotly debated.

Some scholars argue that [[magic]] was necessarily a human innovation as the ethereal realm, specifically the [[afterlife]] and [[underworld]], appears to exist in the image of humanity, and note that most extant demi-human species, in accordance with the nomenclature used to describe them, bear human lineage. They note that while there exist an abundance of [[Immortality|immortal]] demi-humans of human lineage who trace back up to 20 000 <abbr title="years before present">BP</abbr>, coinciding with the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neolithic_Revolution Neolithic Revolution], and occasionally bear auxiliary traits from long-extinct species such as [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dinosaur dinosaurs], no surviving demi-human does not derive from an anatomically modern human.

Others, however, argue that the specific presentation of ethereal beings would have changed over time with the specific conception of them in the minds of [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wisdom#Sapience sapient] species. They compare the evolution of the ethereal world to many [[Deity|deities]], which change their form depending on the audience they serve as a [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tutelary_deity patron] to, and some [[Spirit|spirits]], who gain their entire capacity of sapience from the physical bodies they inhabit. They argue that this capacity for change serves as evidence that magic and demi-humanity would have been prevalent among other members of the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homo ''Homo'' genus] citing their hypothesized psychological similarity to modern humans.

No [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Archaeology archaeological] or [[Magical epistemology|magic epistemological]] study exists which discerns with suitable veracity whether these other, extinct species could have been affected by magic or demi-humanity. To that extent, as the early prehistory of demi-humans is considered [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unknowability unknowable] and either hypothesis is [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Falsifiability unfalsifiable], histories of demi-humanity traditionally focus on the rise of modern species such as [[Vampire|vampires]], of the evolution of demi-human species in accordance with the [[Will of the People]], and the prevalence of the [[Masquerade]] and other global events that affect the fundamental nature of demi-humanity.

=== Early species ===

Due to the [[Masquerade]] and its stringent enforcement by the [[Veilkeepers]], few records exist about deceased early demi-human species. While limited [[Magical epistemology|magic epistemological]] techniques exist to study the magic of eras past, similar in concept to [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ice_core ice core] data, information reconciled from these records is not usually sufficient to determine the demi-human species of the era. Due to the risk of being discovered by humans, most mundane records of demi-humans such as [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fossil fossils] do not exist, or are indistinct from records of humans with deformities of or injuries to respective body parts.

[[Immortality|Immortal]] species offer some lens into the history of demi-humanity Offetstine. Specifically, living immortal demi-humans offer a [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Primary_source primary source] of their respective era, and often demonstrate mythologies that were common at their time, specifically those of gods and terrific monsters. Early subspecies of vampires and demons were among the first attested demi-human species, though these species differ dramatically from modern conceptions of their respective species. The colloquial terms used to describe them are applied retroactively, and while many early immortal demi-humans embrace the use of modern colloquialisms and use them [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Endonym_and_exonym endonymically], they acknowledge the terms are inexact, and usually [[species taxonomy]] is called upon for precision and exactitude.

Most known immortal demi-human species exist in the image of humans and demonstrate great similarity to the general human [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Worldview worldview], though the representative nature of this sample has been called into question as ancient demi-humans which do not demonstrate human sapience do not frequently reveal themselves to humans. Some scholars have noted that magical beasts, even those which are immortal, demonstrate associations with the human world above all others, suggesting they may have arisen from human fears of creatures which [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fear_of_the_dark lurk in the dark], and developed from mundane apex predators such as [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bear bears]. Some subspecies of [[Dragon|dragons]] are suspected to have developed from magical beasts.

=== Pre-Masquerade ===

Little extant documentation remains about the specific relation between demi-humans and humans before the [[Masquerade]], although especially among the [[Veilkeepers]], the organization responsible for upholding the Masquerade, it is widely believed that the Masquerade arose as a response to rising tensions between humans and demi-humans.

Since the rise of the Masquerade is comparatively recent, only having become a global phenomenon within the last 2000 years, some long-lived but non-immortal demi-humans offer a firsthand recollection of the demi-human world as it was before the Masquerade, and of local relations between humans and demi-humans. From this, it is possible to present a rough timeline of the history of demi-humans before the Masquerade.

Demi-human species have typically arisen either through their birth by human parents in a chiefly human society, or through the transformation of formerly human members that exemplify extremes of their respective society. Both methods are considered consequential of the [[Magic#Will_of_the_People|Will of the People]].

==== Children of humans ====

Typically, most demi-human subspecies arose through the contemporaneous birth of multiple members of the species by human parents, typically viewed as an omen akin to [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monstrous_birth monstrous births]. These demi-human births as a result are typically either ostracized or idolized by their respective societies, and typically are subject to the religious predilections of their people. These births are typically a consequence of the Will of the People, and as such typically echo the beliefs or superstitions of the human society they stem from.

Regardless of which way the nascent species is viewed, with the birth of a new demi-human species prior to the Masquerade, it is very likely for a [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_stratification class divide] to immediately develop. These demi-humans of human birth typically exhibit only superficial demi-human characteristics, and are frequently [[animal-folk]] or another species equipped to live in a contemporary human society. Demi-human children of humans typically do not exhibit innate morality, but often exhibit predilections in line with their superficial traits; for instance, some early subspecies of catfolk are reported to demonstrate a propensity for nonverbal communication in keeping with their heightened senses and feline nature.

Furthermore, they are sufficiently close to humans that they may continue to rear children with the human members of their generation; though whether this is due to the same magic also laying dormant in those humans, or due to compatibility on behalf of the demi-humans. Generally, first-generation demi-human children are unable to rear [[Species taxonomy#Affixes|''dimidia'']], and second-generation children between a human and demi-human parent, while inheriting a mix of other phenotypes, will usually either inherit humanity or demi-humanity whole.

As further generations of demi-humans are reared, existing class differences frequently lead to a bipartisan [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geographical_segregation segregation] between human and demi-human societies, lending itself to many demi-human societies that have since been either relegated from human society through the advent of the Masquerade and the growth of human society, or have been rendered entirely extinct. The [[Ovaren society]] is cited as an example of early demi-human society in modern-day [[Offetstine]].

==== Turned from humans ====

Frequently, demi-humans also arise through their transformation from humans who exhibit some psychological, ideological or emotional extreme. Many species of [[vampire]], for instance, were born through the spontaneous transformation of a human who demonstrated particular ill will or contempt toward humanity, and a desire for power. The modern ''[[S. Erisi]]'' is hypothesized to have arisen this way, especially citing the accounts of [[Eliza Teak]], founder of Sophos International and a relatively powerful vampire of the subspecies.

This method of transformation is frequently observed in the source mythologies from which many [[Revenant|revenants]] are born, including vampires and certain [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oni oni]. Demi-humans turned from humans this way are typically more prone to exhibit inherent moralities, typically inherent evil. Generally, the transformation from human to demi-human requires a strong presence of magic in one's body, which along with one's mental state is enough to beckon the Will of the People on an individual basis. This process is considered similar to, and often classified the same as, how mages who are not conversant by birth in a certain magical practice obtain their practice. As such, transformations from humans are less common in a post-Masquerade era.

Demi-humans who are turned from humans typically either occur as a local phenomenon in a certain region, or exhibit the power to turn other humans into their kind. The latter facility is especially common with vampires, and the primary way such demi-humans propagate after the instatement of the Masquerade.

=== Post-Masquerade ===

Demi-humans frequently arise through the same means in current society, where the [[Masquerade]] is in full effect globally. Certain modern demi-human species such as ''[[V. Sequoiae]]'' were also ushered into existence as children of humans, but unlike before the Masquerade, their nature is typically intentionally withheld from human society for their own safety and in respect of the Masquerade. As such, no class divide forms, and no segregation develops on a broader societal level. However, demi-humans still typically inspire varying levels of awe and disgust at revealing their nature to humans on an individual basis, and find solace with other demi-humans.

Modern institutions in the [[Greater Offetstine Area]] such as [[Cedar Crest University]] attempt to provide solace to demi-humans who seek refuge from the inability to disclose their true nature, whether or not they face active [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Discrimination discrimination] from individuals they reveal their nature to. The founder of Cedar Crest University, [[Erin Hazell]] expanded on this in her address to the Mage's Union, an undocumented organization within the university for magically empowered individuals which operates under the auspices of demi-human and mage staff. Hazell explains that her vision for the university has always been to accept students regardless of their background, enumerating factors such as race, ethnicity, disability and socioeconomic status; and to provide them a space to express themselves. While this vision held true insofar as her students were all human, upon her realization of the existence of the magical world, the clause was implicitly amended to include demi-human species and magical power.

=== Risen from ether ===

Certain demi-humans, primarily [[Deity|deities]], [[Spirit|spirits]] and [[Demon|demons]], do not arise from any human population but instead come to Earth from ethereal planes, including the [[afterlife]] and [[underworld]]. As such, these ethereal planes are colloquially referred to as [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heaven heaven] and [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hell hell] respectively. These demi-humans typically exhibit the most prominent innate moralities and are typically classified by the Émile System under either the ''Caelestis'' or ''Infernalis'' kingdoms respectively.

== Culture ==

There is no single demi-human culture to speak of, since demi-humans are ethnically diverse and often derive their culture from the community they are surrounded by, whether human or also demi-human. While a small subset of demi-human species are innately driven to exhibit certain behaviors, most are offered the full gamut of human emotion.

While there are some demi-human species, most notably elves and dwarves, and certain spirits, that commonly form their own isolate societies, most demi-humans either live on the outskirts of human society or hide their nature and attempt to integrate. Some demi-human species are specifically unable to live among humans, by virtue of having a completely distinct form from anything natural, and as such usually gather in magical fountain locations such as enchanted forests.

Due to the mandatory isolation from humanity prescribed by the Masquerade, demi-humans commonly exhibit a distinct camaraderie. It is common for demi-humans to wear their respective folklore or taxon as a badge of pride, and underground locations such as [[Rainbow in the Moon]] strive to facilitate socialization, along with promoting understanding and encouraging acceptance, within demi-human communities.

== Taxonomy ==

''Main article: [[Species taxonomy]]''

Demi-humans are usually able to identify their species, or the way the magic imbued in them affects their nature and identity, through colloquial terms such as "[[vampire]]" or "[[werewolf]]". However, due to the nature of the [[Will of the People]] in creating new species, often from folklore or common ideas prevalent in the human psyche, many colloquial terms do not unambiguously identify single species, and additional nomenclature is needed to disambiguate. Demi-human species taxonomy, often more tersely referred as species taxonomy, is the science and art of understanding demi-humans' particular natures and developing this classification.

Species taxonomy, while a recognized and reputed art and generally favored by [[Magical epistemology|magical epistemologists]], receives comparatively little attention in the field of magical research. Most demi-humans are simply content to define themselves by colloquial terms, and clarify the specifics of their nature by manually outlining them. However, the classification has is uses in biology and medicine, as well as more concrete magical studies.

The foremost standard for modern species taxonomy is the [[Species taxonomy#Émile_Standard|Émile standard]], which was developed by human illustrator [[Constance Vivas]], under the pseudonym Costanza Émile from which the system took its name, in the early 1990s, and spread primarily through online bulletin-board communication over the course of the next few years. Unlike the earlier [[Species taxonomy#Paris-Warszawski_Standard|Paris-Warszawski Standard]], the Émile Standard focused on phenotypical traits and aimed to help demi-humans understand themselves better.

Demi-human

2023-09-29T03:10:56Z

Twonakria: expand on nomenclature, fix header hierarchy, /* History */ start section, /* Taxonomy */ include excerpt from Species taxonomy

'''Demi-humans,''' (/ˈdɛ.maɪ-/ or /ˈdɛ.mi-/) occasionally informally '''demis,''' (/ˈdɛ.maɪz/, to avoid confusion with [[Species taxonomy#Affixes|''dimidia'']]) are a rare and diverse class of [[Magic|magical]] species that roughly demonstrate some form of humanity, usually in the form of sapience and humanlike bodies. While their exact nature is difficult to pinpoint, demi-humans are most often the result of magic affecting the body of an otherwise biologically human individual (such as with [[Vampire|vampires]] and [[Harpy|harpies]]), or causing a humanlike entity to manifest in a human-populated area (such as with [[Spirit|spirits]] and [[Deity|deities]]).

The [[Masquerade]] critically prevents the existence of demi-humans from being common knowledge among humans. While many demi-humans choose to readily divulge the truth of their nature to humans they live and work with, the same magic that grants demi-humans their form or ethereal characteristics also limits the scope of knowledge about their true nature. While demi-human nature sometimes serves as an inspiration for folklore, it is never parsed as reality except by ungrounded, fringe analyses.

Occasionally, but not always, the classification of demi-humans extends to include all animals which demonstrate some capacity of magic, as other animals which demonstrate magic typically demonstrate facilities traditionally associated with humans in the mundane world, such as the comprehension or use of [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Language human language]. Other terms for such beings include "magical animals" and "magical beasts".

== History ==

The precise origin of demi-humanity in the world of Offetstine remains unknown. While some scholars suggest that demi-humans, despite their name, likely existed before the rise of [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human modern humans] (''H. sapiens'' under [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taxonomy_(biology) Linnean taxonomy], though no taxon exists under the [[Species taxonomy#Émile_Standard|Émile Standard]]) the specific nature of pre-human demi-humans is hotly debated.

Some scholars argue that [[magic]] was necessarily a human innovation as the ethereal realm, specifically the [[afterlife]] and [[underworld]], appears to exist in the image of humanity, and note that most extant demi-human species, in accordance with the nomenclature used to describe them, bear human lineage. They note that while there exist an abundance of [[Immortality|immortal]] demi-humans of human lineage who trace back up to 20 000 <abbr title="years before present">BP</abbr>, coinciding with the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neolithic_Revolution Neolithic Revolution], and occasionally bear auxiliary traits from long-extinct species such as [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dinosaur dinosaurs], no surviving demi-human does not derive from an anatomically modern human.

Others, however, argue that the specific presentation of ethereal beings would have changed over time with the specific conception of them in the minds of [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wisdom#Sapience sapient] species. They compare the evolution of the ethereal world to many [[Deity|deities]], which change their form depending on the audience they serve as a [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tutelary_deity patron] to, and some [[Spirit|spirits]], who gain their entire capacity of sapience from the physical bodies they inhabit. They argue that this capacity for change serves as evidence that magic and demi-humanity would have been prevalent among other members of the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homo ''Homo'' genus] citing their hypothesized psychological similarity to modern humans.

No [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Archaeology archaeological] or [[Magical epistemology|magic epistemological]] study exists which discerns with suitable veracity whether these other, extinct species could have been affected by magic or demi-humanity. To that extent, as the early prehistory of demi-humans is considered [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unknowability unknowable] and either hypothesis is [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Falsifiability unfalsifiable], histories of demi-humanity traditionally focus on the rise of modern species such as [[Vampire|vampires]], of the evolution of demi-human species in accordance with the [[Will of the People]], and the prevalence of the [[Masquerade]] and other global events that affect the fundamental nature of demi-humanity.

=== Early species ===

Due to the [[Masquerade]] and its stringent enforcement by the [[Veilkeepers]], few records exist about deceased early demi-human species. While limited [[Magical epistemology|magic epistemological]] techniques exist to study the magic of eras past, similar in concept to [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ice_core ice core] data, information reconciled from these records is not usually sufficient to determine the demi-human species of the era. Due to the risk of being discovered by humans, most mundane records of demi-humans such as [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fossil fossils] do not exist, or are indistinct from records of humans with deformities of or injuries to respective body parts.

[[Immortality|Immortal]] species offer some lens into the history of demi-humanity Offetstine. Specifically, living immortal demi-humans offer a [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Primary_source primary source] of their respective era, and often demonstrate mythologies that were common at their time, specifically those of gods and terrific monsters. Early subspecies of vampires and demons were among the first attested demi-human species, though these species differ dramatically from modern conceptions of their respective species. The colloquial terms used to describe them are applied retroactively, and while many early immortal demi-humans embrace the use of modern colloquialisms and use them [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Endonym_and_exonym endonymically], they acknowledge the terms are inexact, and usually [[species taxonomy]] is called upon for precision and exactitude.

Most known immortal demi-human species exist in the image of humans and demonstrate great similarity to the general human [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Worldview worldview], though the representative nature of this sample has been called into question as ancient demi-humans which do not demonstrate human sapience do not frequently reveal themselves to humans. Some scholars have noted that magical beasts, even those which are immortal, demonstrate associations with the human world above all others, suggesting they may have arisen from human fears of creatures which [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fear_of_the_dark lurk in the dark], and developed from mundane apex predators such as [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bear bears]. Some subspecies of [[Dragon|dragons]] are suspected to have developed from magical beasts.

=== Pre-Masquerade ===

Little extant documentation remains about the specific relation between demi-humans and humans before the [[Masquerade]], although especially among the [[Veilkeepers]], the organization responsible for upholding the Masquerade, it is widely believed that the Masquerade arose as a response to rising tensions between humans and demi-humans.

Since the rise of the Masquerade is comparatively recent, only having become a global phenomenon within the last 2000 years, some long-lived but non-immortal demi-humans offer a firsthand recollection of the demi-human world as it was before the Masquerade, and of local relations between humans and demi-humans. From this, it is possible to present a rough timeline of the history of demi-humans before the Masquerade.

Demi-human species have typically arisen either through their birth by human parents in a chiefly human society, or through the transformation of formerly human members that exemplify extremes of their respective society. Both methods are considered consequential of the [[Magic#Will_of_the_People|Will of the People]].

==== Children of humans ====

Typically, most demi-human subspecies arose through the contemporaneous birth of multiple members of the species by human parents, typically viewed as an omen akin to [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monstrous_birth monstrous births]. These demi-human births as a result are typically either ostracized or idolized by their respective societies, and typically are subject to the religious predilections of their people. These births are typically a consequence of the Will of the People, and as such typically echo the beliefs or superstitions of the human society they stem from.

Regardless of which way the nascent species is viewed, with the birth of a new demi-human species prior to the Masquerade, it is very likely for a [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_stratification class divide] to immediately develop. These demi-humans of human birth typically exhibit only superficial demi-human characteristics, and are frequently [[animal-folk]] or another species equipped to live in a contemporary human society. Demi-human children of humans typically do not exhibit innate morality, but often exhibit predilections in line with their superficial traits; for instance, some early subspecies of catfolk are reported to demonstrate a propensity for nonverbal communication in keeping with their heightened senses and feline nature.

Furthermore, they are sufficiently close to humans that they may continue to rear children with the human members of their generation; though whether this is due to the same magic also laying dormant in those humans, or due to compatibility on behalf of the demi-humans. Generally, first-generation demi-human children are unable to rear [[Species taxonomy#Affixes|''dimidia'']], and second-generation children between a human and demi-human parent, while inheriting a mix of other phenotypes, will usually either inherit humanity or demi-humanity whole.

As further generations of demi-humans are reared, existing class differences frequently lead to a bipartisan [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geographical_segregation segregation] between human and demi-human societies, lending itself to many demi-human societies that have since been either relegated from human society through the advent of the Masquerade and the growth of human society, or have been rendered entirely extinct. The [[Ovaren]] society is cited as an example of early demi-human society in modern-day [[Offetstine]].

==== Turned from humans ====

Frequently, demi-humans also arise through their transformation from humans who exhibit some psychological, ideological or emotional extreme. Many species of [[vampire]], for instance, were born through the spontaneous transformation of a human who demonstrated particular ill will or contempt toward humanity, and a desire for power. The modern ''[[S. Erisi]]'' is hypothesized to have arisen this way, especially citing the accounts of [[Eliza Teak]], founder of Sophos International and a relatively powerful vampire of the subspecies.

This method of transformation is frequently observed in the source mythologies from which many [[Revenant|revenants]] are born, including vampires and certain [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oni oni]. Demi-humans turned from humans this way are typically more prone to exhibit inherent moralities, typically inherent evil. Generally, the transformation from human to demi-human requires a strong presence of magic in one's body, which along with one's mental state is enough to beckon the Will of the People on an individual basis. This process is considered similar to, and often classified the same as, how mages who are not conversant by birth in a certain magical practice obtain their practice. As such, transformations from humans are less common in a post-Masquerade era.

Demi-humans who are turned from humans typically either occur as a local phenomenon in a certain region, or exhibit the power to turn other humans into their kind. The latter facility is especially common with vampires, and the primary way such demi-humans propagate after the instatement of the Masquerade.

=== Post-Masquerade ===

Demi-humans frequently arise through the same means in current society, where the [[Masquerade]] is in full effect globally. Certain modern demi-human species such as ''[[V. Sequoiae]]'' were also ushered into existence as children of humans, but unlike before the Masquerade, their nature is typically intentionally withheld from human society for their own safety and in respect of the Masquerade. As such, no class divide forms, and no segregation develops on a broader societal level. However, demi-humans still typically inspire varying levels of awe and disgust at revealing their nature to humans on an individual basis, and find solace with other demi-humans.

Modern institutions in the [[Greater Offetstine Area]] such as [[Cedar Crest University]] attempt to provide solace to demi-humans who seek refuge from the inability to disclose their true nature, whether or not they face active [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Discrimination discrimination] from individuals they reveal their nature to. The founder of Cedar Crest University, [[Erin Hazell]] expanded on this in her address to the Mage's Union, an undocumented organization within the university for magically empowered individuals which operates under the auspices of demi-human and mage staff. Hazell explains that her vision for the university has always been to accept students regardless of their background, enumerating factors such as race, ethnicity, disability and socioeconomic status; and to provide them a space to express themselves. While this vision held true insofar as her students were all human, upon her realization of the existence of the magical world, the clause was implicitly amended to include demi-human species and magical power.

=== Risen from ether ===

Certain demi-humans, primarily [[Deity|deities]], [[Spirit|spirits]] and [[Demon|demons]], do not arise from any human population but instead come to Earth from ethereal planes, including the [[afterlife]] and [[underworld]]. As such, these ethereal planes are colloquially referred to as [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heaven heaven] and [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hell hell] respectively. These demi-humans typically exhibit the most prominent innate moralities and are typically classified by the Émile System under either the ''Caelestis'' or ''Infernalis'' kingdoms respectively.

== Culture ==

There is no single demi-human culture to speak of, since demi-humans are ethnically diverse and often derive their culture from the community they are surrounded by, whether human or also demi-human. While a small subset of demi-human species are innately driven to exhibit certain behaviors, most are offered the full gamut of human emotion.

While there are some demi-human species, most notably elves and dwarves, and certain spirits, that commonly form their own isolate societies, most demi-humans either live on the outskirts of human society or hide their nature and attempt to integrate. Some demi-human species are specifically unable to live among humans, by virtue of having a completely distinct form from anything natural, and as such usually gather in magical fountain locations such as enchanted forests.

Due to the mandatory isolation from humanity prescribed by the Masquerade, demi-humans commonly exhibit a distinct camaraderie. It is common for demi-humans to wear their respective folklore or taxon as a badge of pride, and underground locations such as [[Rainbow in the Moon]] strive to facilitate socialization, along with promoting understanding and encouraging acceptance, within demi-human communities.

== Taxonomy ==

''Main article: [[Species taxonomy]]''

Demi-humans are usually able to identify their species, or the way the magic imbued in them affects their nature and identity, through colloquial terms such as "[[vampire]]" or "[[werewolf]]". However, due to the nature of the [[Will of the People]] in creating new species, often from folklore or common ideas prevalent in the human psyche, many colloquial terms do not unambiguously identify single species, and additional nomenclature is needed to disambiguate. Demi-human species taxonomy, often more tersely referred as species taxonomy, is the science and art of understanding demi-humans' particular natures and developing this classification.

Species taxonomy, while a recognized and reputed art and generally favored by [[Magical epistemology|magical epistemologists]], receives comparatively little attention in the field of magical research. Most demi-humans are simply content to define themselves by colloquial terms, and clarify the specifics of their nature by manually outlining them. However, the classification has is uses in biology and medicine, as well as more concrete magical studies.

The foremost standard for modern species taxonomy is the [[Species taxonomy#Émile_Standard|Émile standard]], which was developed by human illustrator [[Constance Vivas]], under the pseudonym Costanza Émile from which the system took its name, in the early 1990s, and spread primarily through online bulletin-board communication over the course of the next few years. Unlike the earlier [[Species taxonomy#Paris-Warszawski_Standard|Paris-Warszawski Standard]], the Émile Standard focused on phenotypical traits and aimed to help demi-humans understand themselves better.

User:Discord-317484070127009793

2023-09-20T08:03:33Z

Twonakria: /* Profiles */

{{Infobox person
|name=Linus Parker
|media=[[File:Kori avatar.webp]]
|caption=My online avatar, derived from Kori, one of my OCs.
|pronouns=he/him/any
|race=Human ''(real life)''
[[Elf]] ''(online persona)''
|status=Alive ''(I sure hope)''
|cognomina=Eunakria
|nationality=[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States American]
|affiliation=[[Offetstine:Administrators|Admins]]
|occupation=Student
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Computer_science Computer scientist]
}}

Hey there! My name is '''Linus Parker''', but you might know me as '''Eunakria.''' You can contact me on Discord at <code>Eunakria#1552</code> or follow me on [https://mastodon.online/@Eunakria Mastodon], which is pretty much the only social media platform I'm currently active on aside from instant messaging platforms.

I'm one of the founders of Offetstine and currently an admin, so if you have any questions about our community, regarding the Discord server or the wiki, please feel free to reach out to me and ask. Aside from that, thanks for visiting our community and our wiki! It's a pleasure to have you here, seriously.

== Profiles ==

A few character profiles of mine are available here on the wiki rather than on Discord or any external service.

* '''[[User:Discord-317484070127009793/Modeste Daniau|Modeste Daniau]],''' vampire, former [[Coalition]] assassin and chef at her adoptive father's restaurant
* '''[[User:Discord-317484070127009793/Sofi Rosenberg|Sofi Rosenberg]],''' half-angel, secondary student and avid flautist

User:Discord-317484070127009793/Sofi Rosenberg

2023-09-20T07:58:36Z

Twonakria: initial

{{Profile experiment}}
{{Infobox person
|name=Sofi Rosenberg
|gender=Female
|pronouns=she/her
|race=Half-[[angel]]
|status=Alive
|born={{Date and age in years and months|1982-09-18}}
|nationality=[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/England English]
}}

'''Sofi Rosenberg''' is a half-angel and 12th-year student at [[Offetstine Secondary School]]. She is a [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flute flautist] and aspires to pursue a career in art, especially in music. Despite her [[demi-human]] nature, she remains unaware of the existence of [[magic]] and believes she is human.

== Background ==

Sofi was born in 1982 to a human father, Björn, and angel mother, Charlotte. At her mother’s insistence, her demi-human nature was explained to her at a young age, but she never understood it at the time.

While she was often called an “angel” by her parents in an attempt to explain, she usually understood it in a figurative sense, rather than literally referring to her inhuman nature. Despite this, she wore the complement proudly and from a young age, resolved to exemplify traits that she saw becoming of a real-life angel. During her primary-school years, she was frequently lauded for her compassionate and mutualistic nature, and her positive outlook on life.

Sofi was a somewhat weak and sickly child, and suffered from frequent colds as well as numerous more serious infections. While she never experienced any life-threatening conditions during her youth, the experience did lead her to miss school rather frequently. When she did attend, she was frequently distracted or overwhelmed, and developed an introverted personality, making friends with a few similarly quiet but loyal individuals. To compensate for her incomplete education, Sofi studied diligently at home and with her friends.

=== Early life and Charlotte’s death ===

During the weeks leading up to Sofi’s eighth birthday, Charlotte was fatally injured in a car accident, and fell into a coma which she never recovered from, dying after four months. Unlike her previous birthdays, Sofi decided not to celebrate her eighth in an attempt to mourn and offer solidarity to her dying mother. Björn thought little of it at the time, acknowledging it was an anxious period for him as well and that it was reasonable to postpone any festivities.

During the interim, however, Sofi noted one of the few displays of her inhuman nature, messages she [[Psychic powers|received psychically]] from her mother to guide her in life. While at the time, Sofi dismissed it as a consequence of her own imagination, she found solace in the messages she received from her comatose mother. On the night before her passing, Sofi dreamt of being with her mother once more, where she recited a memoir she had written in life, suggesting to Sofi that if she were ever to die, her death should not be mourned, but her life should be celebrated. She bade goodbye to her daughter, and Sofi awoke in the morning to the news that Charlotte had passed overnight.

When Charlotte’s belongings were collected after her death, the real-life version of the memoir was eventually discovered in her desk in a sealed envelope. Sofi recited the contents of the note to Björn before he read the paper, leaving both parties surprised. The morning Charlotte had passed was a week before her birthday, and Sofi adamantly insisted to her father that the day ought to be celebrated. After much negotiation, and in accordance with the memoir’s wishes, Björn arranged a funeral intended to [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Funeral#Celebration_of_life posthumously celebrate] Charlotte’s birthday and life.

While none of the attendees knew exactly why, most people who came to mourn acknowledged they felt strangely at peace that day, and remained unburdened by sorrow, even if they had attended funerals before and were typically weighed down by regrets.

=== Secondary education ===

As Sofi grew older, she never quite determined the truth about her nature. While Charlotte, a full angel, had a handful of overt powers such as limited [[Psychic powers|telepathy]] and healing magic, due to her human lineage, Sofi only had certain passive powers.

The half-angel exuded a naturally calming aura, and was innately predisposed to kindness. Together, these traits helped her naturally draw out the good in people, even less scrupulous individuals who otherwise would have little sympathy for her. Through this, Sofi was led to believe in [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Humanism humanism] and the inherent good of humanity as core tenets of her ideology.

Despite this, her nature also led her to a natural aversion from archetypically evil demi-humans, such as [[Vampire|vampires]] and [[Demon|demons]], typically those which were classified under the ''Infernalis'' taxon of the [[Species taxonomy#Émile_Standard|Émile Standard]] for species taxonomy. As demi-human encounters were still exceptionally rare for her, Sofi never understood the precise phenomenon behind her aversion, and never found it in her to distrust the people her nature warned her against.

Sofi never learned about the specifics of her nature. While Björn always knew Charlotte was an angel, he never quite understood what angels were, and never learned any more about the magical or demi-human worlds. To that extent, Björn was never able to clarify Sofi’s nature to her in her mother’s absence. As such, Sofi is fairly convinced that she herself is a human, and in lieu of any understanding of the fantastical truth of Offetstine, lives a [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spirituality spiritual], though religiously [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agnosticism agnostic], life.

When she was 12, Sofi started to learn the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flute flute]. By age 14, she began to compose songs and expressed interest in career in art, especially but not necessarily music. Sofi noted her admiration of the artistic effort involved in productions such as movies the two frequently watched, and noted how she dreamt of participating in a large-scale production when she grew up. In addition to music, Sofi has a passing interest in [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theatre theater], especially in [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Creative_writing writing].

Module:Age

2023-09-20T07:57:16Z

Twonakria: (hack) fix year/month ages, kinda

-- Scribunto Lua plugin to convert an ISO date-time (1970-01-01T00:00:00Z) or
-- date (1970-01-01) to an English human-readable date (1 January 1970) and
-- age (50 years old).

local function parse_iso(iso)
local year, month, day, hour, minute, second =
iso:match('^(%d%d%d%d)-(%d%d)-(%d%d)T(%d%d):(%d%d):(%d%d)Z$')
if not year then
year, month, day = iso:match('^(%d%d%d%d)-(%d%d)-(%d%d)$')
if not year then
return nil
end
hour, minute, second = 0, 0, 0
end
return {
year = tonumber(year),
month = tonumber(month),
day = tonumber(day),
hour = tonumber(hour),
minute = tonumber(minute),
second = tonumber(second),
}
end

-- Automatically return a timestamp some number of years in the past.
local function retro(offset)
local now = os.time()
local then_ = now - (offset * 365 * 24 * 60 * 60)
return os.date('!%Y-%m-%dT%H:%M:%SZ', then_)
end

local function age(iso_then, iso_now)
local then_parts = parse_iso(iso_then)
if not then_parts then
return nil
end
local now
local now_parts
if iso_now then
now_parts = parse_iso(iso_now)
if not now_parts then
return nil
end
now = os.time(now_parts)
else
now = os.time()
end
local then_ = os.time(then_parts)
local diff = now - then_

local seconds = diff % 60
diff = math.floor(diff / 60)
local minutes = diff % 60
diff = math.floor(diff / 60)
local hours = diff % 24
diff = math.floor(diff / 24)
local days = diff % 30
diff = math.floor(diff / 30)
--local months = diff % 12
--diff = math.floor(diff / 12)
--local years = diff

local months = now_parts.month - then_parts.month
local years = now_parts.year - then_parts.year
if months < 0 then
months = months + 12
years = years - 1
end

return {
years = years,
months = months,
days = days,
hours = hours,
minutes = minutes,
seconds = seconds,
}
end

local function format_date(iso)
local parsed = parse_iso(iso)
if not parsed then
return nil
end
return os.date('%e %B %Y', os.time(parsed))
end

local precision_levels = {
years = 1,
months = 2,
days = 3,
hours = 4,
minutes = 5,
seconds = 6,
}

local precision_index = {}
for k, v in pairs(precision_levels) do
precision_index[v] = k
end

local plurals = {
years = { one = 'year', other = 'years' },
months = { one = 'month', other = 'months' },
days = { one = 'day', other = 'days' },
hours = { one = 'hour', other = 'hours' },
minutes = { one = 'minute', other = 'minutes' },
seconds = { one = 'second', other = 'seconds' },
}

local function format_age(iso, iso_now, precision)
local prec_int = precision_levels[precision]
if not prec_int then
if not precision then
prec_int = 6
else
return nil
end
end
local parts = age(iso, iso_now)
if not parts then
return nil
end
local strs = {}
for i = 1, prec_int do
local part = parts[precision_index[i]]
if part > 0 then
local plural = plurals[precision_index[i]]
strs[#strs + 1] = tostring(part)
.. ' '
.. plural[part == 1 and 'one' or 'other']
end
end
return table.concat(strs, ', ')
end

local function age_mw(frame)
local args = frame.args
local iso = args[1]
local iso_now = args[2]
local precision = args[3]
return format_age(iso, iso_now, precision)
end

local function date_mw(frame)
local args = frame.args
local iso = args[1]
return format_date(iso)
end

local function retro_mw(frame)
local args = frame.args
local offset = tonumber(args[1])
return retro(offset)
end

return {
format_age = age_mw,
format_date = date_mw,
retro = retro_mw,
age = age,
}

MediaWiki:Common.css

2023-09-06T00:20:25Z

Twonakria: (hack) get rid of loading animation

Species taxonomy

2023-09-06T00:14:10Z

Twonakria: /* Affixes */ expand on "na." affix, grammar and linguistics, the term "dimidia"

In the world of Offetstine, [[Demi-human|demi-humans]] are usually able to identify their species, or the way the magic imbued in them affects their nature and identity, through colloquial terms such as "[[vampire]]" or "[[werewolf]]". However, due to the nature of the [[Will of the People]] in creating new species, often from folklore or common ideas prevalent in the human psyche, many colloquial terms do not unambiguously identify single species, and additional nomenclature is needed to disambiguate. '''Demi-human species taxonomy,''' often more tersely referred as '''species taxonomy,''' is the science and art of understanding demi-humans' particular natures and developing this classification.

Species taxonomy, while a recognized and reputed art and generally favored by [[Magical epistemology|magical epistemologists]], receives comparatively little attention in the field of magical research. Most demi-humans are simply content to define themselves by colloquial terms, and clarify the specifics of their nature by manually outlining them. However, the classification has is uses in biology and medicine, as well as more concrete magical studies, such as those observed in the [[Cedar Crest University#Demi-Humanity|Mage's Union]] in Cedar Crest University. Generally, species taxonomy is viewed primarily as trivia or as an academic curiosity. Most demi-humans cannot name their specific taxon under the modern [[#Émile_Standard|Émile standard]].

Despite this, certain demi-humans regard species taxonomy as important to their personal [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Identity_(social_science) sense of identity]. In some circles, the intricate nomenclature used in species taxonomy is held in a similar merit to nomenclature used to describe gender, sexual and romantic minorities in [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LGBT LGBT] communities. The Émile standard, the current predominant schema under which species taxa are allocated, is designed specifically with the goal to prioritize personal identity over precise phylogeny, as very little extant demi-human and magical research hinges on the phylogeny.

== History ==

=== Early history ===

While modern schemata for species taxonomy had not been developed until the 1800s, the use of separate terms to identify subspecies which go by the same colloquial name may be observed as early as the 5th century AD in [[Offetstine]], England, after the [[Masquerade]] was well-established in the region. As the Masquerade prevented wide knowledge of magical and demi-human affairs in human culture, terms used by demi-humans to discuss themselves were loaned from human folklore, as many demi-humans of the time lived among humans. Due to Offetstine's comparatively high population of demi-humans to neighboring regions, demi-humans of similar subspecies would frequently convene, and would struggle to discuss their differences under the limitations posed by the nomenclature of human folklore.

Multiple [[vampire]] subspecies were prevalent at the time, and to distinguish themselves coined a system of "marks", or, in the contemporary [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Old_English Old English], ''mearca.'' One prevalent subspecies, perhaps related to the modern Eris vampire, ''[[S. Erisi]],'' may have referred to itself at the time as ''<abbr title="unattested">*</abbr>"þæs fȳres mearce,"'' "of the mark of fire". Another subspecies of vampire, though one whose modern parallel is not known, is recorded having used the term ''<abbr title="unattested">*</abbr>"þæs seolfres mearce,"'' "of the mark of silver", to refer to itself. The difference was less necessitated in other common species, which could usually be directly termed by a single folkloric name, and because the region at the time was not as diverse in its demi-human population as the modern [[Greater Offetstine Area]], a well-known magical hotspot in demi-human circles.

Certain earlier demi-human isolates usually termed themselves as the people of their respective region. This pattern is observed in human populations as well, such as with the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Han_Chinese Han people] (<abbr title="simplified">simp.</abbr>: 汉人, <abbr title="traditional">trad.</abbr>: 漢人, [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bulletin_board_system Pinyin]: hànrén), an ethnic group native to China, where the term "hàn" is widely used to refer to all matters pertinent to the people, and which ultimately stems from the name of the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Han_River_(Hubei_and_Shaanxi) Han River] (<abbr title="simplified">simp.</abbr>: 汉水, [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bulletin_board_system Pinyin]: Hànshuǐ). The town name "Offetstine" is suspected to come from one such demi-human endonym, filtered through a now-extinct language spoken in the region, while the city name "[[Hallingmere]]" may owe its name to an ''a priori'' construction loaned into English. Novel [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Endonym_and_exonym endonyms] are used both in languages spoken primarily by demi-human populations, and in human languages complementarily. To date, novel endonyms are occasionally used as common names for species with little resemblance to any folkloric precedent, though formal taxa are still assigned for clarity.

The origin of species taxonomy as an academic study, as well as a categorization tool for demi-humans, may be attributed to the medical field, where often knowing the particular subspecies of a demi-human patient is crucial in their treatment. In addition to the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Medical_Renaissance Medical Renaissance], spanning the 1400s to 1700s, in the human world, many European mages and demi-humans sought to improve the living conditions of their kind amidst the Masquerade. Many extant documents are attributed to the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paris Parisian] physician and polymath Carole Élise Dupont, a fervent [[Magical epistemology|magical epistemologist]] and firm believer in the combined value of science and mathematics. She is sometimes titled the "Mother of Species Taxonomy", though her works saw narrow enough scope that the claim is frequently disputed.

Records from the era show detailed studies of demi-human anatomy, derived from autopsies and clinical trials, especially using magical implements to examine the function of the living body on a deeper level. However, most documents of the era were private articles limited to a few independent scholars, and the field eventually stagnated as increasingly few doctors knew in any capacity about demi-humans, especially in intellectual and trade centers.

=== Paris-Warszawski Standard ===

The first formal standard created for species taxonomy was the Paris-Warszawski Standard, sometimes abbreviated the Paris Standard, developed by half-angel Melville Paris and human Leopold Warszawski in the late 1800s, as a means of "classifying the children of God who must otherwise cower from Their light". Unlike the later Émile Standard, the Paris Standard was primarily [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phylogenetic_tree phylogenetic], and attempted to trace the roots of magic of each species under its scope.

The standard fell out of use early after its introduction, as the religious undertones turned away many would-be contributors and the research proved broadly unhelpful. Few demi-humans were interested in a taxonomical classification tool at the time, especially one that so desperately lacked diversity in the ranks of its founding members, and the standard was broadly recognized as doomed from the very start.

The nomenclature of the Paris Standard was not standardized across languages. During their first publication cycle, the pair wrote and translated various technical documents between English, Polish and French, maintaining no version to be strictly canonical out of fear of discrimination. In practice, though, the subtle inconsistencies between the documents and necessary liberties of translation harshly impacted the precision of the Paris Standard.

After four years and nine publications, three of which annual journals on the state of demi-human taxonomy authored by Paris and Warszawski themselves, and only three of which authored by third parties, the Paris Standard died a quiet death.

=== Émile Standard ===

The Émile Standard was developed by human illustrator [[Constance Vivas]], under the pseudonym Costanza Émile from which the system took its name, in the early 1990s, and spread primarily through online bulletin-board communication over the course of the next few years. Unlike the earlier Paris Standard, the Émile Standard focused on phenotypical traits and aimed to help demi-humans understand themselves better.

Further unlike the Paris Standard, the Émile Standard was nomenclaturally, though not functionally, inspired by [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Linnaean_taxonomy Linnean taxonomy]. Recognizing that the lack of consistent terminology was a significant component of the downfall of the Paris Standard, Vivas proposed a naming convention based on mock Latin, interspersed with morphology derived from Latinized forms of Greek, English and others.

Rather than attempting to trace the history and origin of various demi-human species, following roots through the willful realization of fiction, the folly of avant-garde mages and the simple natural variation of magic that underpinned and facilitated demi-humanity, the Émile Standard proposed a simpler three-tiered classification that described the kingdom, order and subspecies of a given species based on their existential relation to mundane humans, and the extent to which magic affected their powers and behaviors.

To that extent, even though many species that shared similar characteristics hailed from vastly different magical sources, they were usually classified similarly. For example, most species that roughly mimic the folklore conception of the European vampire are classed ''Infernalis Sanguis.''

To accommodate the possibility of half-breed species, Vivas proposed the prefix ''Dimidium'' (abbrev.: ''Di.'') in the same spirit as the real-world prefix ''Candidatus'' (abbrev: ''Ca.'') for bacterial phyla that are yet uncultured. Whereas the common [[Eris vampire]] is classified ''Infernalis Sanguis Erisi'' (abbrev: ''S. Erisi''), the respective dhampir is classed ''Di. S. Erisi.'' Classifications are usually derived from folklore, and when a species is best described as a hybrid, especially if members do have hybrid ancestry, the taxon is usually described as a concatenation of prior gena's names.

Other early proponents of the standard included the vampire demon and [[Coalition]] member Caterina Alemagna, and human biologist afflicted with sociopathy [[Cato Umbra]]. Forums overseeing the allocation of taxa in the Émile standard primarily leverage online [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bulletin_board_system bulletin board systems] and see contributions from around the world.

== Mechanics ==

The modern Émile standard uses a three-tiered classification modeled after Linnean taxonomy. Following the analogy, the uppermost tier is often referred to as the '''kingdom,''' while the lower two tiers are referred to as the '''genus''' and '''subspecies''' (as opposed to Linnean "species") respectively.

=== Theory ===

The Émile standard makes no effort to demonstrate phylogeny, and species' descriptions usually mention their phylogeny, if any, separate from their taxon itself. Frequently, species which share a common origin, such as a given [[vampire]] and [[lamia]] subspecies, may be related more closely phylogenetically, following the specific histories of their magic, but may consider themselves disparate; where the respective vampires consider themselves generally more affiliated to other vampire subspecies than the respective lamia.

As the goal of the Émile standard is to reify [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Worldview worldviews], ''[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Umwelt umwelt]'' as it exists in the magical world, and demi-humans' sense of identity and of self, these distinctions are not reified in species taxa, and instead may be described in documents about the species as auxiliary information. This is an expected and natural effect within the Émile standard, and is accepted as a necessary concession over prior systems such as the Paris-Warszawski standard. Moreover, the need for phylogenetic classification is comparatively less in demi-human species taxonomy than Linnean taxonomy, since many fields that rely on the study, such as medicine, demand a highly synchronic understanding of a demi-human's nature rather than their history; and the [[Will of the People]] enables highly convergent evolution of disparate subspecies' magics.

Despite this, there are cases where the Émile system neither shows the phylogeny nor effectual relationships of species. As the genus designated by the Émile standard makes a significant effort to reify the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emic_and_etic emic] perception of a subspecies, even if that perception is not reflected in either the phylogeny or nature of the magic that enables the subspecies, disparities can occur. Such disparities are referred to as "inversions", and may occur when the same magic develops two separate tribes of subspecies from similar magic yet disparate traits and natural alliances.

Inversions frequently occur with [[animal-folk]], for instance, when the same magic spawns a population of foxfolk and rabbitfolk, which are naturally prone to war with each other. These respective subspecies may be named ''Mundanus Vulpes Exempli'' and ''Mundanus Cuniculus Exempli,'' despite any enmity between the two populations. While this is occasionally criticized as a shortcoming of the Émile standard, many species taxonomists argue it is a necessary compromise where it is stipulated that the system demonstrates demi-humans' individual senses of reality as influenced by their species.

=== Hierarchy ===

==== Kingdoms ====

Under the Émile standard, there are a fixed set of four kingdoms which all other taxa inherit from, as follows:

* ''Mundanus,'' typically referencing species such as [[animal-folk]] which are indisputably demi-human, but usually whose demi-humanity only confers superficial traits. Demi-humans of the ''Mundanus'' kingdom are more often mages than regular humans, but are not usually affected by their nature very much.

* ''Infernalis,'' species typically associated with the [[underworld]], as if from hell. Such species as [[Demon|demons]] and [[Vampire|vampires]] are included in this kingdom, who despite their provenance are most often not inherently ideologically biased in any way, but are prone to inherently chaotic natures and who often subsist on humanity.

* ''Aetherius,'' species that may be considered ethereal, such as [[Spirit|spirits]] and some species of [[Elf|elves]]. ''Aetherius'' species are more commonly in touch with nature than some other taxa, and more commonly have magical powers extending beyond the superficial traits of their species than any other kingdom.

* ''Caelestis,'' species typically associated with gods and [[Deity|deities]], as if from heaven or the [[afterlife]]. While comparatively rare, species of the ''Caelestis'' kingdom are usually among the most powerful and often have a strong connection with nature and humanity.

==== Gena and subspecies ====

Further subdivisions are usually designated at the discretion of the researchers initially documenting the species, and subsequently reviewing the document. Occasionally, taxa are modified to accommodate the preferences of the subspecies described. Gena are typically designated based on the common name or source mythology of a species or subspecies, occasionally on the national origins of the species.

Certain gena exist under multiple kingdoms, to clarify their nature with respect to reality, such as whether their form is based on [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Organic_matter biological matter] or magic (i.e. their form is ethereal); for instance, subspecies in the genus ''Mundanus Vulpes'' correspond with the colloquial [[Animal-folk|foxfolk]], while subspecies in the genus ''Aetherius Vulpes'' correspond with the colloquial [[kitsune]]. Subspecies are designated on a per-case basis, usually leveraging symbolism that has some level of cultural prevalence in the surveyed subspecies community.

Traditionally, names are derived from Hellenic or Latinate words, the subspecies name usually being set in the Latin genitive. In cases where the subspecies name is loaned from another language and has no precedent in Latin declensions, usually a false genitive form is coined, typically with the suffix ''-i'' or ''-ae'' and primarily for aesthetic purposes, such as in ''[[S. Shakuii]].''

Nativized terms are increasingly common in modern species taxonomy, as with the exhaustion of many generic symbolistic words and phrases to lend from Latin, and with the increasing importance of direct correspondence with members of a subspecies, many subspecies are named after correspondents who provided information about their nature to researchers and aided in their documentation. Highly contemporary subspecies such as ''[[V. Sequoiae]]'' are frequently named after correspondents.

=== Affixes ===

Certain elements are occasionally affixed to a subspecies's taxon to clarify the nature of the taxon. Some elements are used to clarify the nature of a taxon in general, while others are used to narrow how it refers to a specific demi-human in particular.

Typically, affixes which define the nature of a taxon itself are prefixed, while affixes which prescribe additional information are suffixed, with their parameters following thereafter. Prefixes are typically capitalized, while suffixes are typically lowercased. Grammatically, this formatting reflects the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Head-directionality_parameter head-directionality] syntax of English, where adjectives precede nouns and determiner phrases, headed by their determiners, follow nouns. This is contrary to the nominal Latin origins of the Émile System, where adjectives typically follow nouns.

The convention, while not proposed by Émile herself, gained popularity mainly among English-speaking species taxonomists, as English, while not the most common language used in discussions about species taxonomy, is the primary auxiliary language used in asynchronous communication about the study. Other communities where species taxonomy is commonplace, prominently including certain [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_language Japanese] speaking audiences, generally defer to English conventions for international consistency.

* ''Tent.'' (prefix; from English "tentative" or, through backformation, Latin "tentativus") in reference to a taxon which has not been formally ratified, or, through analogy, which has been supplanted, such as ''Tent. S. Nymphalis'' as a former name for the modern subspecies ''[[S. Shakuii]].''

* ''Di.'' (prefix; from Latin "dīmidius", "halved") to refer to a demi-human hybrid who is, in part, human, by a taxon attributed to their whole form, such as a [[Elf|half-elf]] by their respective taxon of elf, in much the same way as a hybrid of two demi-humans may be formed through the concatenation of their respective taxa.
** While members of these subspecies are commonly and collectively referred to as "half-breeds" (as distinct from "hybrids", demi-humans who carry traits from two parents of disparate demi-human nature) the term is sometimes considered [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pejorative pejorative] and as such avoided. In certain communication, especially in the study of species taxonomy, the term ''dimidia'' is used instead, though the term is chiefly [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neologism neologistic].

* ''[[#Affinities|af.]]'' (suffix; from Latin "affīnis", "allied to", or through backformation from English "affinity") to denote a subspecies' magical affinity, where it is significant enough to define the nature of a given demi-human and how their magic influences their perception of and interface with the world.

* ''[[#Birth_species|na.]]'' (suffix; from Latin "nātus", "born", or through backformation from English "née" via French) to refer to a demi-human born as a particular nonhuman species, and henceforth turned into another, such as ''S. Erisi, na. Di. D. Sartori'' to refer to an [[Eris vampire]] born as a ''[[D. Sartori]]'' half-dragon, and later turned.

==== Affinities ====

Sometimes, an additional "affinity" is affixed to the end of a species name, to denote the specific magical affinity of a demi-human where it is not prescribed by higher-level classifications in the Émile standard. Typically, the suffix ''af.'' (from Latin "affīnis", "allied to", or through backformation from English "affinity") is used to denote a species' affinity. Similar to other elements of species taxonomy, affinities are typically denoted in a Latinate vocabulary, though not grammar.

For instance, the [[spirit]] subspecies ''[[P. Lapideum]],'' is defined by its ability to possess the recently deceased of most animal species, to shapeshift into people and animals and thereby lend their powers and, in certain cases, physical forms, and genetic and magical fingerprints. Despite this, ''P. Lapideum'' spirits typically have an innate magical affinity, such as fire or ice, defining the [[elemental magic]] which they are naturally empowered to use. A fire spirit may be denoted, as such, as ''P. Lapideum (af. ignis)'' while an ice spirit may be denoted as ''P. Lapideum (af. glacies).''

Common affinities include:

* Those which are named for the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Classical_element classical elements]:
** ''terra,'' earth
** ''ignis,'' fire
** ''aqua,'' water
** ''aer,'' air or wind
* Those which are named for related concepts:
** ''glacies,'' ice
** ''fulgor,'' electricity or lightning
** ''machina,'' mechanics or clockwork
** ''atomos,'' molecular or subatomic physics
* Those pertaining to some conception of the ethereal realm
** ''aether,'' some conception of ether itself
** ''umbra,'' dark magic, as in the manipulation of the human soul
** ''lux,'' healing magic, or, more rarely, the manipulation of light

None of these terms are formally reified in the Émile standard.

==== Birth species ====

TODO

== Real life ==

The art of demi-human species taxonomy is not to be confused with real-life taxonomy schemes for identifying real-world species, neither does species taxonomy in the world of Offetstine displace the in-universe study of real-life taxonomy.

User:Twonakria

2023-09-04T23:56:46Z

Twonakria: Created page with "it's me Eunakria I post the vampires on the internets"

it's me Eunakria I post the vampires on the internets