[Xanth]

Spend a day in Xanth's shoes and create a new race!


HOW TO ENTER

---

• Fill out the form to tbe best of your ability and then post it here. (I don't expect a major profile like the ones we have already, but I do need to be able to do that for your race if ever they become a playable species, so please keep that in mind. )
  
  
• Entries shouldn't be for any of the Known Realms (that means Earth, Elysia, Nirim, Acantha, Tanakheim and Zanarya are all off-limits) so you can get as creative with their environment as you like.
  
  
• Make sure your race is as original as possible.
  
  
• I've included a bit about skills, but unless you want to go into detail I'm only asking what kind of abilities they might have (eg. are they telekinetic, can they fly, etc), rather than specifics.

[b]NAME:[/b]
[hr]
[b]What are they called?[/b]
[b]What do they look like?[/b]
[b]How long do they live?[/b]
[b]Where do they live?[/b]
[b]What kind of political structure do they have?[/b]
[b]Do they have any allies or enemies?[/b]
[b]What is their culture like?[/b]
[b]How do they behave in general?[/b]
[b]What kind of religion do they have? What gods, if any, do they worship?[/b]
[b]What kind of skills do they have?[/b]
[b]Do they have classes or specialties? If so, why?

DISCLAIMER

---

As much as I'd like to, I can't and won't guarantee using your entries, whether you win the contest or not. I also may use race designs that don't win - it all depends on how well they fit in to the setting as a whole, so pleaes don't be disappointed if yours doesn't go up!


PRIZES

---

The winner, as chosen by poll, will receive this spiffy new trophy and ζ2,000!

You'll earn ζ200 just for entering, and any designs that make their way into the race pages will be rewarded with one free upgrade in any skill of your choice! (It must be a skill that's already available to your character, though (eg. a Nymph can't get Flight or Combat).)


DEADLINE:

---

28th February, 2011

[Xanth]

There's just over a week left to design a new race!

[Hyacinthe]

NAME: Gia

---

What are they called? Solei
What do they look like? The Solei are very tan individuals, being that they live in a very hot region. They are tall and giant in a size, with the average height of a Solei as 6"8'. They are very muscular from hours on end of laboring in their fields, tending to the stubborn crops that refuse to grow in the Solei's region.
Solei tend to wear plenty of leather and cow hide, and prefer to keep their arms and most of their legs bare, for they do not want to sweat themselves to death from the bad heat.
How long do they live? Since the Solei are very committed to hard work and labor, they tend to be very healthy, and can live to 100-200 years, their apparent age ranging from 50-80 years younger than their real age.
Where do they live? The Solei live in Muhrabi, a near-barren, desert-like region.
What kind of political structure do they have? The Solei barely have any political structure, except for the High Qarif that governs the small groups the Solei divide themselves into. High Qarifs are chosen in various ways. Most groups, though, elect a wise, middle-aged Solei that have several skills gifted by Enopaqu. Only some groups require a battle of the best Solei, which is narrowed down to the strongest warrior, who becomes the High Qarif. High Qarifs' can be denounced of power by a majority of the people or a challenger.
As for the law, Solei are welcome to do whatever they please--they tend to stray away from committing crimes, though, for they know the all-knowing Enopaqu is watching them at the very moment.
Do they have any allies or enemies? The Solei tend to be very isolated from other races, so they don't have strong allies nor enemies. They believe in equality of all, though, and most Solei individuals do well with other races.
What is their culture like? The Solei are very philosophical people. They are committed to their good morals, and believe that hard work and labor is what one must endure for a fulfilling award. The Solei also believe that for every good act they do, the great Enopaqu will reward them gratefully. The Solei also tend to divide themselves into small, nomadic groups that wander Muhrabi in the hopes of seeking the Great Treasure, a shrine believed to have been created by the great Enopaqu himself that contained the very secret to life. Being that the Solei are divided into small groups scattered around the vast region of Muhrabi, they have developed the colorful culture the Solei are best known for. If you were part of a group near the west of Muhrabi, for example, where sources of dye are most abundant, you will create colorful pottery and colorful clothing. If you were part of a group near the east of Muhrabi, though, where cattle and herding creatures are more common, you will create structures that have less color, yet more texture that imitates the rough skin of a herding creature. Towards the north is a quiet place, perfect for meditating and philosophy--you are most likely to find one of the most profound thinkers around that area. Towards the south, where populations are crammed together trying to get their share of the River Sosobu, which is the only large river running through the arid region, you will find more government-based culture and better economic thinkers.
Due to their profound thinking of things, rather than their mechanic thinking of things, the Solei are rather behind on technology. Solei stick to tradition and old-age culture. For example, it is more likely to find a Solei writing in a quill and parchment rather than with a pen and paper.
How do they behave in general? The Solei are generally nice, peaceful people who think before they act and remember that each act has a consequence, either good or bad. There are the few spare rebels who tend to be barbaric and greedy, but those rebels are often expelled from the group they are a part of for a long period of solitude and meditation.
What kind of religion do they have? What gods, if any, do they worship? Since the Solei are divided into small groups, each group has a slight variation of the religion of Lideh, which is the religion that rules the Solei as a whole. This religion teaches the Solei that peace and equality is what all must live by to ensure total, complete, pure, and genuine happiness. Even the animals, which the Solei refuse to eat (the Solei are mainly vegetarian--some are vegan) are treated well and equally and are respected as philosophical peers. The Solei worship Enopaqu, the all-knowing Sun God that provides them with life and daily treasures. They also respect Xanth, who had created the world upon which they live on. Every week, the Solei are urged to come to the local shrine to worship Enopaqu, although it is not required. Weekly rituals include the purification of one's soul and sermons on how to apply morals to everyday life. At the age of 12, each Solei are required to undergo the Great Ubosana, a ritual to increase the unification of Solei and Enopaqu. This ritual also prepares the young Solei for the obstacles to come, as well as the growing potential that they will become the next High Qarif.
What kind of skills do they have? The Solei have several skills they believe were gifted by Enopaqu. Before the age of 12, young Solei only possess some less powerful skills-- Endurance, Might, Combat, and minor Pyrokinesis and Light Manipulation. After the age of 12, a wider range of skills are developed. This includes better Endurance, Might, Combat, Pyrokinesis, and Light Manipulation. It also introduces Heat Manipulation, Weather Manipulation, Seeking (Solei can find things much easier than others), Stealth, and Deep Thinking (the ability to think beyond common sense and into a more profound point of view).
Do they have classes or specialties? If so, why? The Solei are basically split into two separate classes-- the Seekers and the Laborers. Until a Solei comes of the age of 12, their class has not be strongly defined yet. Until after the age of 12, when their skills truly manifest will their class be determined--usually they have stronger skills pertaining to each class. For example, Seekers tend to be stronger in Seeking, Stealth, Light Manipulation, and Deep Thinking, while Laborers tend to be stronger in Endurance, Might, Combat, and Pyrokinesis. It is highly common to find a Laborer doing physical work, while a Seeker can be found writing books on philosophy.

[Kazuma]

NAME: Liv

---

What are they called? Zonbi/s
What do they look like? Skinny, lanky, bony, skin is rubbery, pale, eyes are also pale
How long do they live? Until they finish their unfinished businesses or if they don't, by their 100th year, they just started withering away and turn to ashes
Where do they live? Everywhere
What kind of political structure do they have? Nothing very concrete, but they do have a council of sorts which works as a support group for zonbis in general.
Do they have any allies or enemies? Humans would probably be irked by them and so would Therians and vampires because they reek of the smell of death, but they don't have best friends or mortal enemies.
What is their culture like? They're pretty scattered. They do recognize a Death Day which is basically the day they died and when this happens, their health get affected. Mortal wounds reopen, bones break if they died by that, some fatal disease returns and weakens them and they won't really have much strength to get over it for that day. It's said to be a reminder of how little time they have left to finish their matters.
How do they behave in general? Dull. See, zonbis are people who died disturbed and relive to seek closure. Some seek revenge, others just settle their businesses but in so getting their second chance, they leave behind their emotions and much of their memories. So that makes them flat, lethargic and almost like a walking dead. They don't breathe, they don't eat, they don't feel much, they can't perform bodily functions either.
What kind of religion do they have? What gods, if any, do they worship? The religion they worship at their time of death.
What kind of skills do they have? They're pretty weak in might, but they're pretty damn resilient. They could have karma. They could also know how to talk to the dead.
Do they have classes or specialties? If so, why? No.

[Xanth]

There are only three days left to enter this contest so if you have ideas for new playable races, don't be shy!

[Zozeko]

NAME: Emma

---

What are they called?

Xindarrans (pronounced zin-DAH-ruhns)

What do they look like?

Xindarrans look a lot like Zanaryans and even share the bat-like wings and horns. However, their wings (and horns) are larger and sturdier, enabling them to fly where Zanaryans cannot. Their skin, horns and wings are all dark brown, and almost 70% have white hair and red eyes. Body art, including tattoos and jewelry, is common.

How long do they live?

Xindarrans are much shorter-lived than their Zanaryan ancestors with a lifespan of just 400 years. They are fully matured by the age of 100 and elderly by the age of 320, spending more of their lifetime as adults. They also look older by the time of their death than Zanaryans, appearing to be 65 when in their 300s and around 20 when reaching adulthood.

Where do they live?

Xindarrans are scattered across a desert planet of the same name (Xindarra, proncounced zin-DAH-ruh), which was gifted to them by Xanth in the year 3,542 ZT (4,502 XA | 3498 BC) when a faction of Zanaryans broke away from the Great Nations.

Xindarra was once as lush and green as Elysia but resources are limited now, after a cataclysm some millennia ago when one of its many moons was destroyed by a meteor. (Such meteor falls are common on Xindarra and are actually the reason the planet has rings.) This, combined with the higher intensity of light that reaches the planet thanks to reflections off the moons' surfaces, means that the average global temperature is relatively high and life here has been forced to adapt to a desert climate.

As a result, Xindarran population is scattered and kept at a minimum by the lack of resources. They live in small, self-contained cities that are built on or near sites where food and water are more readily available, but such locations are fairly uncommon so there's a lot of rivalry and feuding.

What kind of political structure do they have?

Thanks to the lack of resources, Xindarrans, while sharing similarities with their Zanaryan ancestors, have developed into a rather more feudal state whereby citizens belong to one of several Great Houses. Each of these Houses has its own political hierarchy*, territory (which is usually centred around a single city), patron god, rivalries and ongoing feuds, and its own sub-culture and laws.

In fact, so vital is a Xindarran's House, citizens have no family name of their own and are identified solely by their House name (eg. Shimar Liyana is a man called Shimar belonging to the House of Liyana. Which family he belongs to within that House is completely irrelevant).

* While House ranks may differ slightly in name and structure, there are one or two which remain the same regardless: At the bottom are the slaves and the ordinary citizens, while at the top is the Aeshen and his Yendera (the king and his queen(s)) who are named for the Sun God and the Water Goddess, Aeshan and Yendora.

Do they have any allies or enemies?

Given that Xindarran history says they were abandoned by Xanth (who closed the portal at their behest) to their fate, and that they left Zanarya because they were persecuted for their beliefs, one might say they consider Elysia and Zanarya both their enemies. However, if they think at all of their history before Xindarra, they mostly think of it as a fairytale.

They do have internal enemies, though. Xindarrans are basically at war with themselves and have been for millennia, with each Great House feuding with at least one other over rights for territory and resources. Inter-House politicking is almost an art in and of itself, with arranged marriages and raiding parties the main tools for forging alliances and defeating opponents.

What is their culture like?

Xindarran culture is fairly similar to that of the Zanaryans on the surface. Theirs is a patriarchal society, though Xindarran women are afforded a few more rights than their Zanaryan counterparts. One huge difference is that Xindarrans favour slavery: They see the members of other Houses as a resource and rarely kill their opponents in war or during raids, instead preferring to capture and enslave them.

Because theirs is a desert planet where water makes up only 20% of the surface area, Xindarrans value water very highly. (It's worth much more than even precious metals like gold.) Thus, Xindarra's economy is built on the trading of water and land deeds. (In fact, territories with even a small fresh water supply are far more valuable than almost anything else on the planet.)

How do they behave in general?

Xindarrans are similar in many ways to their Zanaryan ancestors. They adhere to their political and social structure even more rigidly than the Anyeli, enough that it's impossible to marry outside one's own social class (into which one is either born or enslaved). In fact, so strict are they in this regard that anyone who denies their birthright or attempts to move up is cast out into the desert where they either die alone or willingly sell themselves into slavery with another House just to survive.

Xindarrans are also very strict about displaying their social status. Slaves are branded with the symbol of the House to which they belong, while the rest of society wear armbands featuring the same symbol. The metal used for these armbands differs according to their House rank, with the most precious metals reserved for the House nobility and royalty. (In fact, Xindarran kings don't wear crowns. Instead, their position is marked by the ornamentation and materials used in their armbands.)

What kind of religion do they have? What gods, if any, do they worship?

The Xindarrans are polytheists, believing that each of the nine moons** (Chisani is still counted even after its destruction) has its own goddess and that these goddesses are the daughters of the Sun God, Aeshan, and his wife, the Water Goddess, Yendora. It would seem from Xindarran creation myths that Aeshan and Yendora came first (probably out of the great importance in Xindarran culture of the sun and water as life-givers) and all Xindarrans revere these two, with symbolism from both found in almost every aspect of Xindarran culture.

However, the Moon Goddesses are another story, aligning with only one particular Great House as a patron god -- and thus the names of the Great Houses are taken from the very Moon Goddess they worship: Avella, Liyana, Ikiya, Silara, Xiadan, Aedani, Eindira, Chisani and Krisil. (Interestingly, only a few centuries after Chisani, the moon, was destroyed by a meteor, the House of Chisani also fell. The House of Krisil, as well, has been almost completely swallowed up by the House of Ikiya.)

Every home in Xindarra has a shrine dedicated to that House's patron goddess. The wealthier citizens often erect small statues depicting their Moon Goddess (for instance, a shrine to Aedani might be a statue of a woman with hair like water and Her hands held out so the flow trickles through Her fingers). To tie in their worship of Yendora and Aeshan, there may be a small indoor fountain at the base of the Moon statue, and a sun-burst crown.

While commoners cannot afford such an elaborate shrine, they still find ways to honour their gods -- even if it's just a wooden figurine in a corner of the main room.

** All of Xindarra's nine moons are visible in the night sky, and some even during the day. The ninth, Chisani, was destroyed by a meteor but is still visible as huge chunks of debris floating around the planet and gradually dissolving into the planetary rings.

What kind of skills do they have?

Xindarrans took their Zanaryan ancestors' ability to command the four Original Elements (Air, Fire, Earth and Water), and ran with it. It's unclear how they evolved from that point to this, but over the centuries they gained access to more Elements. Many of these are really just specialised versions of the Original four (such as Wood and Metal as sub-sets of the Original element, Earth), which means they are somewhat limited when compared to a Zanaryan's broader command, but they each have their own uses and are vital to life on Xindarra.

In addition, Xindarrans can fly (they are still not on par with the Anyeli but nor are they limited merely to gliding) and they are no longer plagued by the stench of Zanarya. However, they are so accustomed to the desert climate of their home realm that they can no longer survive for long in colder climates.

Do they have classes or specialties? If so, why?

Each Moon Goddess (and thus Her House) is associated with particular traits which affect the element members of that House can manipulate. For instance, members of the House of Silara bond with Wood for the ability to manipulate plantlife, while Avellans bond with Wind to control airflow and even the weather.

Naturally, some Elements are more useful than others. Aedani's ability to control the flow of Water means that, while they are probably the most successful House in Xindarra, they are also the most targeted for want of their lands and their skill. Throughout history, many of Xindarra's inter-Housal feuds have been attributed to a blatant desire for more or "better" abilities. This ambition can be seen in action with the House of Chisani, the members of which (when it still existed) could manipulate Sunlight***. Their Element was appropriated (along with all their other resources) when they were finally conquered by the House of Liyana (the members of which had previously only been able to command Moonlight*** but combined their skill with Chisani's and adopted plain "Light"). The same will likely be true of Krisil, the House of Electricity, if and when they are conquered by Ikiya.

Elemental Assocations:

• Avella •• Wind
  
• Liyana •• Light (previously Moonlight)
  
• Ikiya •• Fire
  
• Silara •• Wood
  
• Xiadan •• Metal
  
• Aedani •• Water
  
• Eindira •• Darkness
  
• Chisani •• Sunlight (extinct)
  
• Krisil •• Electricity (almost extinct)

*** Chisani could only command Sunlight during the day, and likewise Liyana could only command Moonlight by night. However, Chisani's ability to manipulate Sunlight meant they could reduce the impact of the sun on their territory, making life much easier for their House members. It was probably this reason that Liyana set out to conquer them, and the ability to command the Light -- at any time of day or night -- is now theirs.

[Xanth]

Time to vote, my lovelies! Remember not to vote for yourself, and only once, and please select the species you'd most like to play (or think would be the most playable) if it became available.

Good luck, guys!

[Xanth]

There's only four days left to vote!

[Xanth]

The poll ends tomorrow and we still have only one vote, so please cast yours as soon as you can!

[Xanth]

The poll ends today!

[Xanth]

Thank you to both Gia and Liv for entering their designs! We've got some amazing ideas to work with, and are all ζ200 better off.

Most of all, congratulations to Gia who won herself the trophy and ζ2000 more!

Now, it'll be a while before I can look at these seriously for the wiki, but thank you both for your hard work and I hope you had fun!