SharkLord
Smash Hero
Quick note: You don't have to be the usual elements like Earth-Water-Fire-Wind. More unorthodox elements are completely fine.
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Oceans of Candela: Create an Original Fantasy World
- Thread starter SharkLord
- Start date
Yiptap
Smash Lord
If Glubbfubb changes his idea, then I'd like to change my submission to this, this is SO GOOD.
Glubbfubb
Smash Master
- Joined
- Mar 16, 2021
- Messages
- 3,152
I know what world has amber, spore, and color as elements
Tankman from Newgrounds
Smash Hero
Mine version could have Nitro, Blood, Toxic, Steel and Nether element.
GolisoPower
Smash Master
- Joined
- Sep 17, 2017
- Messages
- 4,397
Job 3:
Job 4:
Solar power is considered one of the most important sources of energy in the world, being second only to hydroelectric power. However, not all light touches everything, especially when one of civilization's goals is to explore the deepest parts of the vast sea.
That's why scientists have taken advantage of the sun-like light of Photoluciferin to create "batteries" to power diving suits and deepsea equipment for when they reach the watery blackness of the sea floor. The technology is imperfect, as sometimes, Algae Batteries will run out of light much sooner than expected. Sometimes it even causes some equipment to overcharge and cause disasters that have on multiple occasions nearly destroyed some towns, too. In spite of its uncommon unreliability, the technology still sees heavy use thanks to the prospect of solar power in the darkest parts of the world, as well as how quickly iterations of the technology have been made to prevent such accidents from happening.
- Water
- Fire
- Earth
- Wind
- Light
- Shadow
- Time
- Space
- Life
- Death
Job 4:
Solar power is considered one of the most important sources of energy in the world, being second only to hydroelectric power. However, not all light touches everything, especially when one of civilization's goals is to explore the deepest parts of the vast sea.
That's why scientists have taken advantage of the sun-like light of Photoluciferin to create "batteries" to power diving suits and deepsea equipment for when they reach the watery blackness of the sea floor. The technology is imperfect, as sometimes, Algae Batteries will run out of light much sooner than expected. Sometimes it even causes some equipment to overcharge and cause disasters that have on multiple occasions nearly destroyed some towns, too. In spite of its uncommon unreliability, the technology still sees heavy use thanks to the prospect of solar power in the darkest parts of the world, as well as how quickly iterations of the technology have been made to prevent such accidents from happening.
SharkLord
Smash Hero
Job 3 - Solar Magic
The Photoluciferin simulates the properties of the Sun, so it stands to reason that the magic they bring with them has similarities to the Sun's effects as well. The different branches or magic are sorted into six different categories, listed below. Something of note is that due to the unique properties of Photoluciferin, these magics can be used underwater just fine, even though they logically shouldn't
I will return with magitek applications later.
The Photoluciferin simulates the properties of the Sun, so it stands to reason that the magic they bring with them has similarities to the Sun's effects as well. The different branches or magic are sorted into six different categories, listed below. Something of note is that due to the unique properties of Photoluciferin, these magics can be used underwater just fine, even though they logically shouldn't
- Heat Magic - Heat Magic concerns all spells regarding the generation of heat. Often casually referred to as "Fire Magic," due to the flashiest and most visible applications. As a result, it's considered the "default" form of offensive magic.
Heat Magic corresponds to the Sun's generation of heat waves - Wind Magic - Wind Magic refers to all spells that involve the manipulation of wind currents. The simplest form of magic, the most practical, and oftentimes the most "boring." However, it has still be focused into powerful gusts and cutting razors.
Wind Magic corresponds to the Sun's heat causing the rising of warm air, which leads to wind current - Water Magic - Water Magic refers to all spells that involve the manipulation of water. Controlling liquid water without making it evaporate requires intense focus and concentration, and is the hardest form of magic to master
Water Magic corresponds to the effect of the Sun on the water cycle - Charge Magic - Charge Magic is concerns the formation of electricity. For the most part, this takes the form of weak charges used to keep your phone from running out of juice; However, with enough training it can be shaped into powerful bolts of lightning, informally dubbed Lightning Magic; This form of magic is extremely dangerous and hard to control.
Charge Magic is a nod to the rising of warm air and falling of cool air causing lightning, which is itself caused by the Sun's warmth - Growth Magic - Growth Magic refers to magic used to power up living cells. Most of the time, this takes the form of plant growth or healing, making it the most supportive forms of magic. Offensive uses rely mainly on whatever cells you have on hand, making it difficult to use effectively unless you have the cells of something poisonous in your pocket.
Growth Magic corresponds to photosynthesis, as well as the algae that contains the magical Photoluciferin - Coal Magic - Coal Magic is a unique form of magic, built around the formation of coal-like substances. These magical "coals" absorb the magic around them, making them extremely useful for defense and cleaning up magical messes. Thankfully, the magical properties of these coals means they don't pollute the atmosphere when burned and can still be used for backup energy, and either way they harmlessly crumble into dust after enough time regardless.
Coal Magic corresponds to the Sun's energy being stored in fossil fuels.
- Ice Magic - Not an actual part of the elemental groups, but something worth mentioning due to it's status. Since the Sun's energy and effects - And by extension, that of Photoluciferin - are from it's light and heat, this means using magic to directly create cold is extremely difficult, if not impossible. While some devices exist to create cold and ice on their own, actually creating ice magic on your own is the stuff of rumors and legends, akin to being able to fly or read minds. As such, it's become a popular topic for superpowers in fictional media.
I will return with magitek applications later.
Dan Quixote
Smash Lord
I'm again sitting out the magic setup job but I have a great entry for the other job if we're really doing both at the same time.
Job #4: Animal Taming
Did you know kelp is actually very good for you? Sea plants in general have a lot of nutrients that differ from land plants, so they can be surprisingly healthy. That goes for animals as well, of course. Through our Photoluciferin system, we'll have characters who consume a lot of algae, but no one eats more than livestock. Feeding animals various different cultivars of our magical algae can have different effect that give them great use among the ruling races of our world. Since animals aren't sentient, they can't use the Photoluciferin to cast spells or anything like that, but the sentient races around them can feed them the algae to make them stronger to till fields. Or they can increase stamina of pack animals for better travel. Most excitingly, they can increase the combat abilities of war animals. These enhancements will go far beyond the natural limits of the animal, especially when manipulated by a mage who is very experienced with controlling Photoluciferin.
Job #4: Animal Taming
Did you know kelp is actually very good for you? Sea plants in general have a lot of nutrients that differ from land plants, so they can be surprisingly healthy. That goes for animals as well, of course. Through our Photoluciferin system, we'll have characters who consume a lot of algae, but no one eats more than livestock. Feeding animals various different cultivars of our magical algae can have different effect that give them great use among the ruling races of our world. Since animals aren't sentient, they can't use the Photoluciferin to cast spells or anything like that, but the sentient races around them can feed them the algae to make them stronger to till fields. Or they can increase stamina of pack animals for better travel. Most excitingly, they can increase the combat abilities of war animals. These enhancements will go far beyond the natural limits of the animal, especially when manipulated by a mage who is very experienced with controlling Photoluciferin.
SharkLord
Smash Hero
I think I was debating between this and one other idea but I forgot the other one anyways so here we go:
Job 4 - Wands and Staves
Wands and Staves are rods containing Photoluciferic algae. They work as focus points and enhancing devices for mages, especially those still in training, and also allow people to cast spells if some sort of diet or condition prevents them from consuming the algae or channeling their magic properly for whatever reason. The difference between a wand and a staff is the same as a shortsword and a greatsword; The former is a small, one-handed weapon that can easily be tucked away, while the latter is a longer, two-handed weapon that's usually carried. When needed they can also work just fine as a close-quarters baton, club, or martial arts staff, with some of these devices being made specifically for that purpose.
Oh yeah, and there's some walking stick/magic staff hybrids for the tired, wounded, disabled, and elderly, for the sake of convenience.
Job 4 - Wands and Staves
Wands and Staves are rods containing Photoluciferic algae. They work as focus points and enhancing devices for mages, especially those still in training, and also allow people to cast spells if some sort of diet or condition prevents them from consuming the algae or channeling their magic properly for whatever reason. The difference between a wand and a staff is the same as a shortsword and a greatsword; The former is a small, one-handed weapon that can easily be tucked away, while the latter is a longer, two-handed weapon that's usually carried. When needed they can also work just fine as a close-quarters baton, club, or martial arts staff, with some of these devices being made specifically for that purpose.
Oh yeah, and there's some walking stick/magic staff hybrids for the tired, wounded, disabled, and elderly, for the sake of convenience.
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Mr. Robotto
Smash Ace
Can I just say that I really like all of these submissions.
Job 4 - Algae Boxes
As a promising alternative energy source, algae boxes crown shores and seas alike, and help keep all kinds of crafts powered (I'm keeping this part as vague as possible since we don't know as of yet how far we want to go with the technology stuff). But how do they work?
An algae box is a machine that works by allowing the photoluciferin from the algae within it to knock electrons free from atoms (which is possible due to the sunlike properties these algae have). This causes a generating flow of electricity to be created. The insides of algae boxes are actually made up of many smaller units, which are called photovoltaic cells, and a clear top to allow sunlight to go through. So think of these algae boxes as this world's equivalent of solar panels! This is a more stable way of creating electricity, although storing them in batteries could cause irregularities as the people have still not yet optimized on how to store this certain energy (more on that in GolisoPower's post).
All algae boxes come in different sizes depending on what they specifically need to power, but they are generally big enough to not be mobile (like Goliso's batteries). Entire towns would probably have to harvest a ton of these algae to support their electrical infrastructure, so the box will naturally have to be even bigger to contain more algae. Although this is not that much of an issue, as this algae can easily be bred and harvested, and compared to using normal solar panels, these can last during nights as well! Though due to the storing technology being imperfect, this means that if the algae in the algae box die somehow (which in natural circumstances should kinda be impossible since not even a lack of oxygen can kill them anymore, considering they've evolved to photosynthesize 24/7 now due to the effects of photoluciferin) electricity will not be able to get produced and the decomposing algae will have to be replaced. This means that, yes, this form of producing electricity might be stable and clean, but once disconnected you'll instantly lose energy, this seems to be the only drawback of this power source as of yet.
Job 4 - Algae Boxes
As a promising alternative energy source, algae boxes crown shores and seas alike, and help keep all kinds of crafts powered (I'm keeping this part as vague as possible since we don't know as of yet how far we want to go with the technology stuff). But how do they work?
An algae box is a machine that works by allowing the photoluciferin from the algae within it to knock electrons free from atoms (which is possible due to the sunlike properties these algae have). This causes a generating flow of electricity to be created. The insides of algae boxes are actually made up of many smaller units, which are called photovoltaic cells, and a clear top to allow sunlight to go through. So think of these algae boxes as this world's equivalent of solar panels! This is a more stable way of creating electricity, although storing them in batteries could cause irregularities as the people have still not yet optimized on how to store this certain energy (more on that in GolisoPower's post).
All algae boxes come in different sizes depending on what they specifically need to power, but they are generally big enough to not be mobile (like Goliso's batteries). Entire towns would probably have to harvest a ton of these algae to support their electrical infrastructure, so the box will naturally have to be even bigger to contain more algae. Although this is not that much of an issue, as this algae can easily be bred and harvested, and compared to using normal solar panels, these can last during nights as well! Though due to the storing technology being imperfect, this means that if the algae in the algae box die somehow (which in natural circumstances should kinda be impossible since not even a lack of oxygen can kill them anymore, considering they've evolved to photosynthesize 24/7 now due to the effects of photoluciferin) electricity will not be able to get produced and the decomposing algae will have to be replaced. This means that, yes, this form of producing electricity might be stable and clean, but once disconnected you'll instantly lose energy, this seems to be the only drawback of this power source as of yet.
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Dan Quixote
Smash Lord
Love this idea but now I need to ask. Photoluciferin isn't radioactive right? Maybe we can include some lore of some dangerous breeds of algae with inonizing radiation or something...
SharkLord
Smash Hero
Aight, time to vote
Ranked voting is in effect, and you will need to place all three votes to be counted
In other news, Job 4 (Submit an Application for Photoluciferic Algae) is still going, so feel free to continue your submissions. In fact, users who have already submitted something for Job 4 can now submit a second use, to keep the thread going (And also to help flesh out our world. Every submission gets accepted for this job, remember)
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Yiptap
's submission (Traditional) -
Tankman from Newgrounds
's submission -
Glubbfubb
's submission (Element Mixing) -
GolisoPower
's submission -
SharkLord
's submission (Solar Magic)
Ranked voting is in effect, and you will need to place all three votes to be counted
In other news, Job 4 (Submit an Application for Photoluciferic Algae) is still going, so feel free to continue your submissions. In fact, users who have already submitted something for Job 4 can now submit a second use, to keep the thread going (And also to help flesh out our world. Every submission gets accepted for this job, remember)
Yiptap
Smash Lord
1. Element Mixing
2. Goliso's Submission
3. Solar Magic
2. Goliso's Submission
3. Solar Magic
GolisoPower
Smash Master
- Joined
- Sep 17, 2017
- Messages
- 4,397
1) Solar Magic
2) Mixing
3) Traditional
2) Mixing
3) Traditional
Tankman from Newgrounds
Smash Hero
1. Solar Magic
2. Tankman's Submittion
3. Element Mixing
2. Tankman's Submittion
3. Element Mixing
Mr. Robotto
Smash Ace
1. Solar Magic
2. Element Mixing
3. Goliso's Submission
2. Element Mixing
3. Goliso's Submission
I'm honestly all for this. Introducing dangerous or even "defect" algae would be a nice spin on things, and I do wonder where this could go if introduced.
SharkLord
Smash Hero
- Goliso's Submission
- Traditional
- Solar Magic
We feed radioactive algae to a marine iguana and it turns into Godzilla
Jokes aside I probably will end up making a job for designing a kaiju or two so this isn't all that far-fetched
SharkLord
Smash Hero
Anyways votes are in now
Job 5 - Humanity's Place in the World
So yeah. Where are humans in all of this? Are they the majority out of all the races? Lacking in power and trying to avoid being overshadowed by larger nations? Disconnected from the rest of the world in some floating city up in the atmosphere, or beyond in the depths of space? Do they have a centralized power, or are they a widespread diaspora? Do they even exist? You get to decide! In my case...
Job 5 Submission - Humans Are Dead
Eeyup, none at all. Our world takes place in a flooded world that once resembled the Earth - Or perhaps it was Earth. Regardless, we at least know it used to have humans. They discovered Photoluciferic algae and built their technology around it, and their silhouette became the framework of just about every race in the world. However, humanity as we know it is long extinct, known only through sunken ruins, rotting away or being buried under reef-builders like corals and sponges. Humanity's legacy instead lives on in their many creations and descendants, which make up the many races of the world.
- SharkLord 's submission (Solar Magic) - 11
- Glubbfubb 's submission (Element Mixing) - 9
- GolisoPower 's submission - 6
- Yiptap 's submission (Traditional) - 3
- Tankman from Newgrounds 's submission - 2
Job 5 - Humanity's Place in the World
So yeah. Where are humans in all of this? Are they the majority out of all the races? Lacking in power and trying to avoid being overshadowed by larger nations? Disconnected from the rest of the world in some floating city up in the atmosphere, or beyond in the depths of space? Do they have a centralized power, or are they a widespread diaspora? Do they even exist? You get to decide! In my case...
Job 5 Submission - Humans Are Dead
Eeyup, none at all. Our world takes place in a flooded world that once resembled the Earth - Or perhaps it was Earth. Regardless, we at least know it used to have humans. They discovered Photoluciferic algae and built their technology around it, and their silhouette became the framework of just about every race in the world. However, humanity as we know it is long extinct, known only through sunken ruins, rotting away or being buried under reef-builders like corals and sponges. Humanity's legacy instead lives on in their many creations and descendants, which make up the many races of the world.
Yiptap
Smash Lord
Job 5 - They're equal to any other race.
They're still alive, but it's not like humans receive any special priority or anything. They're just like any other race. That's it. That's the post.
They're still alive, but it's not like humans receive any special priority or anything. They're just like any other race. That's it. That's the post.
GolisoPower
Smash Master
- Joined
- Sep 17, 2017
- Messages
- 4,397
Job 5:
Humanity Has Been Overthrown
For the longest time, humans have dominated the planet. From their smarts to their continuous growth, there was practically nothing that could stop the human race in the world. That was until a council of undersea races appeared and stripped the humans of their power through non-violent means such as propaganda and showing off the countless advantages they had over them, forcing mankind to relegate to the few islands that exist on the surface. Nowadays, humans are a minor race on the planet, though a few are striving to put them back on top, either through gaining political standing, protesting for human rights, or the worst possible method, terrorist attacks. The rest, however, can only make do with what little land they've been provided.
Humanity Has Been Overthrown
For the longest time, humans have dominated the planet. From their smarts to their continuous growth, there was practically nothing that could stop the human race in the world. That was until a council of undersea races appeared and stripped the humans of their power through non-violent means such as propaganda and showing off the countless advantages they had over them, forcing mankind to relegate to the few islands that exist on the surface. Nowadays, humans are a minor race on the planet, though a few are striving to put them back on top, either through gaining political standing, protesting for human rights, or the worst possible method, terrorist attacks. The rest, however, can only make do with what little land they've been provided.
Glubbfubb
Smash Master
- Joined
- Mar 16, 2021
- Messages
- 3,152
Job 5
Humans have been replaced by synthetic lifeforms
In this world to survive the flooding of the planet, humans attempted to create artificial genetics implants to help them survive, however they instead spread a plauge of nano machines that caused humanity's extinction and assimilated all plant and animal life in the world. And from these assimilated life forms is the algea, which caused a chain reaction certain a world of bio organic creatures of varying intelligence, its these bio organic creatures that harvest the algea for their own purposes and try to find their own place in the world.
Dan Quixote
Smash Lord
I'm gonna be nice to the humans unlike all y'all 
have some self respect
Job #5: Humans are evenly spread across the world
Some core tenets of you and I are ingenuity, curiosity, adaptability, and perseverance. Humans are weak and not very special when compared to the other more specialized races of the world, so they find it hard to form centralized governments. They can easily be influenced and even conquered by other nation-states, and if human nations do pop up, they find it hard to get allies. There is no human city, much less a human empire. Especially now that generations of instability has caused them to spread all over the world, diminishing their numbers in any one place. However, humans are smart, and their brains are like sponges made of magnets. They can learn languages, build machines and boats, master magic, lead crime syndicates, hunt for treasure, and sell wares. Of course, any other species can do these things, too, but humans are not predisposed to any one thing, both biologically and culturally. That's why you can find a small human community in almost every city in the world. They spread everywhere, and they entrenched themselves in every culture that doesn't kill them on sight before anyone could even realize what was happening. They are not very powerful, and their decentralization means they have next to no influence on politics, but they are always there and handy, just standing in the background, seeing everything pass.
have some self respectJob #5: Humans are evenly spread across the world
Some core tenets of you and I are ingenuity, curiosity, adaptability, and perseverance. Humans are weak and not very special when compared to the other more specialized races of the world, so they find it hard to form centralized governments. They can easily be influenced and even conquered by other nation-states, and if human nations do pop up, they find it hard to get allies. There is no human city, much less a human empire. Especially now that generations of instability has caused them to spread all over the world, diminishing their numbers in any one place. However, humans are smart, and their brains are like sponges made of magnets. They can learn languages, build machines and boats, master magic, lead crime syndicates, hunt for treasure, and sell wares. Of course, any other species can do these things, too, but humans are not predisposed to any one thing, both biologically and culturally. That's why you can find a small human community in almost every city in the world. They spread everywhere, and they entrenched themselves in every culture that doesn't kill them on sight before anyone could even realize what was happening. They are not very powerful, and their decentralization means they have next to no influence on politics, but they are always there and handy, just standing in the background, seeing everything pass.
SharkLord
Smash Hero
And that's about it. Time to vote. As always, ranked voting is in effect
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GolisoPower
Smash Master
- Joined
- Sep 17, 2017
- Messages
- 4,397
1) Synthetic
2) Dead
3) Spread
2) Dead
3) Spread
Yiptap
Smash Lord
1. Spread
2. Equal
3. Overthrown
2. Equal
3. Overthrown
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- Joined
- Jul 30, 2007
- Messages
- 15,494
- NNID
- VenusBloom
- 3DS FC
- 0318-9184-0547
1. Humanity has been overthrown
2. Humans are ded
3. Humans are spread out
2. Humans are ded
3. Humans are spread out
SharkLord
Smash Hero
- Overthrown
- Equal
- Spread
Mr. Robotto
Smash Ace
1. Spread Across the World
2. Equal
3. Overthrown
2. Equal
3. Overthrown
Tankman from Newgrounds
Smash Hero
1. Equal
2. Spread
3. Overthrown
2. Spread
3. Overthrown
Dan Quixote
Smash Lord
1. Equal to Any Other Race
2. Spread Across the World
3. Replaced by Synthetic Lifeforms
2. Spread Across the World
3. Replaced by Synthetic Lifeforms
SharkLord
Smash Hero
Alright, I was preoccupied for a while but now we can bring in the votes
Yiptap
's submission of humans being just another race has won. Funny how we had four submission's worth of humans getting wrecked in some way and then we get the one submission that doesn't frick them out at all.
Anyways, now for the next bit of the fantasy races:
Job 6 - Submit a Take on Merfolk
Usually, the fantasy races are Humans, Elves, and Dwarves, often some Orcs and Elf variants, and depending on how many there are sometimes there's animal people, a token aquatic race of fish people, and copyright-friendly Hobbits. However, we've opted to skip straight to the fish people instead of starting with the traditional races. This is an ocean world, after all, and Merpeople are the aquatic fantasy race. As such, we're doing them first.
So, what will it be? What are their physical appearace? What are their natural abilities? Do they have legs, tails, or both? Is their technology advanced beyond belief or comparatively primitive? How large is their civilization? How many variants are there? Can they venture onto land or are they entirely aquatic? Are they really fish people, or are they something else, like sea snakes or cetaceans? What real-world cultures do they draw from? Heck, are they even called Merpeople, or do they use another mythological or made-up name? There's a lot of questions to be answered here, so here's a template to use:
Fantasy Template
If you want some inspiration, here's a list of Merpeople tropes to read up on from our good friend TV Tropes, source of a frickload of tropes to potentially draw from and frick around with.
EDIT: Because of how big this job is in comparison to our previous ones, I'll also be giving the submission period twice the time it usually takes so everyone can sort things out.
- Equal To Any Other Race - 15
- Spread Across The World - 13
- Humans Are Overthrown - 9
- Humans Are Dead - 5
- Replaced by Synthetic Lifeforms - 5
Yiptap
's submission of humans being just another race has won. Funny how we had four submission's worth of humans getting wrecked in some way and then we get the one submission that doesn't frick them out at all.Anyways, now for the next bit of the fantasy races:
Job 6 - Submit a Take on Merfolk
Usually, the fantasy races are Humans, Elves, and Dwarves, often some Orcs and Elf variants, and depending on how many there are sometimes there's animal people, a token aquatic race of fish people, and copyright-friendly Hobbits. However, we've opted to skip straight to the fish people instead of starting with the traditional races. This is an ocean world, after all, and Merpeople are the aquatic fantasy race. As such, we're doing them first.
So, what will it be? What are their physical appearace? What are their natural abilities? Do they have legs, tails, or both? Is their technology advanced beyond belief or comparatively primitive? How large is their civilization? How many variants are there? Can they venture onto land or are they entirely aquatic? Are they really fish people, or are they something else, like sea snakes or cetaceans? What real-world cultures do they draw from? Heck, are they even called Merpeople, or do they use another mythological or made-up name? There's a lot of questions to be answered here, so here's a template to use:
Fantasy Template
- Name:
- Physical Characteristics:
- Society:
- Status of Nation(s):
- Cultural Inspiration(s):
- Natural Abilities:
- Other:
If you want some inspiration, here's a list of Merpeople tropes to read up on from our good friend TV Tropes, source of a frickload of tropes to potentially draw from and frick around with.
EDIT: Because of how big this job is in comparison to our previous ones, I'll also be giving the submission period twice the time it usually takes so everyone can sort things out.
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SharkLord
Smash Hero
(Doubleposted because A: I'm the threadrunner and I can do that if it means running the game efficiently and B: So it doesn't get buried by the big post above)
In other news, I'm thinking we should be doing at least about 5 races, but I want to see how many people think we should have. To see the general consensus (And to keep the thread from grinding to a halt as everyone takes a break to brainstorm), I'll be setting up a smaller job on the side:
Job 7 - Submit the Maximum Number of Races we Should Have
Generally just a number you think fits. The minimum amount obviously 2, since we're already deciding on the Merpeople. Also make sure you submit a manageable number - We're obviously not creating a hundred distinct races. Also note that this is just the maximum number - We might not fill up every slot. Lastly, "I just think it's a good amount" is a perfectly valid excuse and you don't need to spend much time elaborating on it.
Job 7 Submission - 16 Races
I think that's a good, clean number. A lot of wriggle room to work with, easily divisible if we want to split them up into regions or alliances. Not much more to it.
In other news, I'm thinking we should be doing at least about 5 races, but I want to see how many people think we should have. To see the general consensus (And to keep the thread from grinding to a halt as everyone takes a break to brainstorm), I'll be setting up a smaller job on the side:
Job 7 - Submit the Maximum Number of Races we Should Have
Generally just a number you think fits. The minimum amount obviously 2, since we're already deciding on the Merpeople. Also make sure you submit a manageable number - We're obviously not creating a hundred distinct races. Also note that this is just the maximum number - We might not fill up every slot. Lastly, "I just think it's a good amount" is a perfectly valid excuse and you don't need to spend much time elaborating on it.
Job 7 Submission - 16 Races
I think that's a good, clean number. A lot of wriggle room to work with, easily divisible if we want to split them up into regions or alliances. Not much more to it.
Glubbfubb
Smash Master
- Joined
- Mar 16, 2021
- Messages
- 3,152
AtromenAlright, I was preoccupied for a while but now we can bring in the votes
As you can see,
- Equal To Any Other Race - 15
- Spread Across The World - 13
- Humans Are Overthrown - 9
- Humans Are Dead - 5
- Replaced by Synthetic Lifeforms - 5
Anyways, now for the next bit of the fantasy races:
Job 6 - Submit a Take on Merfolk
Usually, the fantasy races are Humans, Elves, and Dwarves, often some Orcs and Elf variants, and depending on how many there are sometimes there's animal people, a token aquatic race of fish people, and copyright-friendly Hobbits. However, we've opted to skip straight to the fish people instead of starting with the traditional races. This is an ocean world, after all, and Merpeople are the aquatic fantasy race. As such, we're doing them first.
So, what will it be? What are their physical appearace? What are their natural abilities? Do they have legs, tails, or both? Is their technology advanced beyond belief or comparatively primitive? How large is their civilization? How many variants are there? Can they venture onto land or are they entirely aquatic? Are they really fish people, or are they something else, like sea snakes or cetaceans? What real-world cultures do they draw from? Heck, are they even called Merpeople, or do they use another mythological or made-up name? There's a lot of questions to be answered here, so here's a template to use:
Fantasy Template
Note that setting up such a template is new even to me, so if you feel like there's other important things to mention feel free to and I'll add to the template. Also note that you don't need to use the template; Just keep these points in mind during your writeup so we can get a good idea of how they're supposed to be. That said, don't feel like you need to add everything in the initial writeup; This is a collaborative project, after all, and we'll have some jobs later on for fleshing out their cultures, societies, history, and such. Just give us the basics, and we'll work it out from there.
- Name:
- Physical Characteristics:
- Cultural Inspiration(s):
- Society:
- Status of Nation(s):
- Other:
Atromen are creatures dwelling in the deep abyss of the world's oceans, they evolved from scavengers that fed off the magic algae mutating them into humanoid fish creatures.
Physical Appearance
Atromen are unique in that they actually have three different forms that they take depending on the circumstances of the habitats they live in. On the surface Atromen resemble humanoid sharks, males have a single fin on their heads with females having three smaller fins in their heads, they have a muted grayish blue skin tone on their chests and a darker gray skin tone on their backs and have glossy blue eyes. Although they can stand upright they usually stand crouched down to protect their fronts from harsh sunlight.
When underwater these creatures resembles darts gaining an exoskeleton that goes around their chests that they tuck into to quickly dart across the sea. The fins on their heads form into sails to help accomplish this, with males resembling a dart when tucked in and females resembling sea turtles when tucked in. When in tucked from their shells they have 3 foot long arms and 2 inch sickle like fingernails.
In the deep sea they go into a major transformation becoming the size of whale sharks, they resemble moray eels with their jaws taking up 15 percent of their body weight. They have long gangly arms to catch prey and they gain a long muscular tail. Males have longer arms and females longer tails.
Society:
Atroman live in the sea and have a bee like society where a series of giant queens are responsible for breeding the population (they resemble a combination of the deep sea form on the bottom and surface form on top). Males are the explorers and colonists who help establish new regions and the Females are the main scientific and technological force being the ones developing buildings and technology, both genders work in mines digging minerals for their well known buildings, every year 15 Female Atromen go on pilgrimages to become new queens. Despite the hive like society there civilization still has individuality and some Atromen go independent to try and establish business with the other races.
Status:
Due to there numbers they cant be measured correctly, despite this humans and other races are at worst indifferent to the Atromen and some have collaborated with the more independent individuals.
I wanted a more alien inspired race of merfolk so I hope this works
GolisoPower
Smash Master
- Joined
- Sep 17, 2017
- Messages
- 4,397
Job 6:
Icthyses
Physical Traits:
Icthyses are the merpeople of this world, and one can tell by their skin: although it looks human at a glance, the colors are actually much brighter, and a closer look shows that they're actually scales. Because of how dominant the ocean is on the planet, it is the saltwater Icthyses that are the most common. The spines that grow out of their hair and are held together by fins are rather similar to human hair and are rather flexible and stretchy, too. Their bodies are generally lithe, yet athletic, so as to increase their hydrodynamics. sprouting from the heels of their feet are spines that stretch out when they're in the water, so as to improve their swim speed. The last biggest sign that somebody is an Icthysis is the gaps in their cheeks, which are actually their gills. It is a common misconception that their gills would be on their necks, but they don't mind and may happily joke along with them.
There are three major subspecies of Icthyses that exist:
Oceanics: Oceanic Icthyses are the more bright and colorful subspecies of the upper region of the ocean, ranging from the more cheerful Clownfish Icthyses to the religious Angelfish Icthyses. Though they are considered the most common subspecies, that is mainly because they are what the other races have interacted with the most.
Freshwaters: Freshwater Icthyses are the more subdued, yet more tribal subspecies of the planet. Ranging from the more lax Catfish Icthyses to the more energetic Salmon Icthyses, they are isolated on the few islands on the planet and prefer to be left alone, but are generally more abundant if you actively look for them.
Abyssals: These Icthyses are the most oddball of the three, yet that "oddball" is generally their appeal. From long and slender Eel Icthyses to sinister-looking Angler Icthyses, these would normally be found in the very deepest parts of the ocean, and are considered "uncanny valley" creatures.
Cultural Inspiration:
Egypt. Since the origin of boats can be traced as far back as the Egyptian empire, it would make sense here. Many Egypt-like designs can be found in a lot of their towns, being angular in design and majorly using a bright-colored stone.
Society:
Because Oceanics are the more interacted-with subspecies, we will be going with this. Their society is primarily based on color. No, this isn't like with the races of humans, but rather, a sort of beauty contest of standing. The more colorful and captivating you are, the higher standing you'll get in society. Because their color is heavily derived from the vast amounts of Photoluciferin they consume, many Oceanics experiment with it to actively change their bodies to become more beautiful. As it is discovered that females generally gain the brightest and most beautiful colors, they are generally responsible for the jobs involving charisma, such as politics, commerce, and entertainment. Males, while there are a few males that end up in the same role, are generally hunters, foragers, and laborers. Every 30 years, there is essentially a beauty contest in which Oceanics from across the world gather to show off their colors and entice the crowds. The Oceanic whose colors entice the most from their diversity and their brightness becomes the new ruler.
Status:
Ever since humans first discovered the Icthyses on the planet, as well as their capabilities both physically and scientifically, the two species have been wary and tense, yet optimistic of co-existence with one another. While a few squabbles between minor groups have broken out, other times, they've interacted with one another peacefully, and rumor has it that there are talks of a cultural exchange program between Oceanics and humans.
Job 7:
9 Races
I'd say 9 is enough to diversify who inhabits the planet. If each race covers multiple subspecies, then that makes it even better.
Icthyses
Physical Traits:
Icthyses are the merpeople of this world, and one can tell by their skin: although it looks human at a glance, the colors are actually much brighter, and a closer look shows that they're actually scales. Because of how dominant the ocean is on the planet, it is the saltwater Icthyses that are the most common. The spines that grow out of their hair and are held together by fins are rather similar to human hair and are rather flexible and stretchy, too. Their bodies are generally lithe, yet athletic, so as to increase their hydrodynamics. sprouting from the heels of their feet are spines that stretch out when they're in the water, so as to improve their swim speed. The last biggest sign that somebody is an Icthysis is the gaps in their cheeks, which are actually their gills. It is a common misconception that their gills would be on their necks, but they don't mind and may happily joke along with them.
There are three major subspecies of Icthyses that exist:
Oceanics: Oceanic Icthyses are the more bright and colorful subspecies of the upper region of the ocean, ranging from the more cheerful Clownfish Icthyses to the religious Angelfish Icthyses. Though they are considered the most common subspecies, that is mainly because they are what the other races have interacted with the most.
Freshwaters: Freshwater Icthyses are the more subdued, yet more tribal subspecies of the planet. Ranging from the more lax Catfish Icthyses to the more energetic Salmon Icthyses, they are isolated on the few islands on the planet and prefer to be left alone, but are generally more abundant if you actively look for them.
Abyssals: These Icthyses are the most oddball of the three, yet that "oddball" is generally their appeal. From long and slender Eel Icthyses to sinister-looking Angler Icthyses, these would normally be found in the very deepest parts of the ocean, and are considered "uncanny valley" creatures.
Cultural Inspiration:
Egypt. Since the origin of boats can be traced as far back as the Egyptian empire, it would make sense here. Many Egypt-like designs can be found in a lot of their towns, being angular in design and majorly using a bright-colored stone.
Society:
Because Oceanics are the more interacted-with subspecies, we will be going with this. Their society is primarily based on color. No, this isn't like with the races of humans, but rather, a sort of beauty contest of standing. The more colorful and captivating you are, the higher standing you'll get in society. Because their color is heavily derived from the vast amounts of Photoluciferin they consume, many Oceanics experiment with it to actively change their bodies to become more beautiful. As it is discovered that females generally gain the brightest and most beautiful colors, they are generally responsible for the jobs involving charisma, such as politics, commerce, and entertainment. Males, while there are a few males that end up in the same role, are generally hunters, foragers, and laborers. Every 30 years, there is essentially a beauty contest in which Oceanics from across the world gather to show off their colors and entice the crowds. The Oceanic whose colors entice the most from their diversity and their brightness becomes the new ruler.
Status:
Ever since humans first discovered the Icthyses on the planet, as well as their capabilities both physically and scientifically, the two species have been wary and tense, yet optimistic of co-existence with one another. While a few squabbles between minor groups have broken out, other times, they've interacted with one another peacefully, and rumor has it that there are talks of a cultural exchange program between Oceanics and humans.
Job 7:
9 Races
I'd say 9 is enough to diversify who inhabits the planet. If each race covers multiple subspecies, then that makes it even better.
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Yiptap
Smash Lord
Job 6
Name: Aguadas
Physical characteristics: Aguadas are a weird situation. Their appearance varies. In general, they are more humanoid versions of fish and other aquatic creatures. For example, say there's a goldfish, shark, or anglerfish Aguada. They would be their respective species, but more upright-looking. They would also have human-like, scaly, arms and webbed hands. However, if it's an octopus or crab, they would be straight up humanoid, but retaining features from the original species (For examples, an octopus would retain an octopus head and tentacles, and a crab would retain a crab head and pincers). These types of Aguadas can go out into the land and form colonies, which I'll get to later. There have also been reports of hybrid humans and Aguadas (Your stereotypical mermen and mermaids), but they are still classified as Aguadas.
Cultural Inspirations: I don't know if this is based on mythology or not, but I just got this idea from my head, lol.
Society: They mostly form small villages underwater, but the types of Aguada that crabs and octopi are prefer to form small villages on the outskirts of islands. These villages aren't very advanced and don't use much Solarpunk technology.
Status of Nations: They wouldn't be too common, but they wouldn't be uncommon neither. That's the most I can say.
Other: They love algae. Algae is a central part of their diet. They have also mastered crafting weapons and other items out of coral and seaweed. Once they die, through low-level resurrection magic, Aguadas can resurrect as a skeletal version of themselves.
Job 7: 20 Races
I think this is a fair amount. I do like SharkLord's amount of 16 too, though.
Unrelated, but I think the first post should be edited to have all that we have included so far.
Name: Aguadas
Physical characteristics: Aguadas are a weird situation. Their appearance varies. In general, they are more humanoid versions of fish and other aquatic creatures. For example, say there's a goldfish, shark, or anglerfish Aguada. They would be their respective species, but more upright-looking. They would also have human-like, scaly, arms and webbed hands. However, if it's an octopus or crab, they would be straight up humanoid, but retaining features from the original species (For examples, an octopus would retain an octopus head and tentacles, and a crab would retain a crab head and pincers). These types of Aguadas can go out into the land and form colonies, which I'll get to later. There have also been reports of hybrid humans and Aguadas (Your stereotypical mermen and mermaids), but they are still classified as Aguadas.
Cultural Inspirations: I don't know if this is based on mythology or not, but I just got this idea from my head, lol.
Society: They mostly form small villages underwater, but the types of Aguada that crabs and octopi are prefer to form small villages on the outskirts of islands. These villages aren't very advanced and don't use much Solarpunk technology.
Status of Nations: They wouldn't be too common, but they wouldn't be uncommon neither. That's the most I can say.
Other: They love algae. Algae is a central part of their diet. They have also mastered crafting weapons and other items out of coral and seaweed. Once they die, through low-level resurrection magic, Aguadas can resurrect as a skeletal version of themselves.
Job 7: 20 Races
I think this is a fair amount. I do like SharkLord's amount of 16 too, though.
Unrelated, but I think the first post should be edited to have all that we have included so far.
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SharkLord
Smash Hero
Note that we'll probably be having a fair amount of other races later on, so we don't need to go too broad with the coverage. It's entirely fine to focus on certain groups of animals (i.e. Just bony fish, or just specifically tropical fish, or even just one single fish species) and leave some content for later race-designing jobs.
Side note, the Cultural Inspiration section is less for mythological inspirations and more for whatever cultures they would be based on - So for instance, we could base one race on Japan, and they'd reflect elements of Japanese culture (Though chances are if you draw something from Japanese mythology they'd probably be based on Japanese culture as well). Also note that we don't necessarily need a cultural link (Or links, we can mix some elements), but it helps give some inspiration and a basis to build on.
Yeah, I'll definitely get around to jotting everything down soon.
Side note, the Cultural Inspiration section is less for mythological inspirations and more for whatever cultures they would be based on - So for instance, we could base one race on Japan, and they'd reflect elements of Japanese culture (Though chances are if you draw something from Japanese mythology they'd probably be based on Japanese culture as well). Also note that we don't necessarily need a cultural link (Or links, we can mix some elements), but it helps give some inspiration and a basis to build on.
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SharkLord
Smash Hero
After some internal debates on what to do with my submission, if I should define the Merfolk as the fish half and make them humanoid or define it as the body shape and go with cetaceans instead of fish, and if I should use these ideas for my own fantasy setting or still submit them, I've decided to go with this.
Job 6 Submission - Merrow
...I did not expect this to take so long to type out. Ah well, it was worth it.
Job 6 Submission - Merrow
- Physical Characteristics: Merrow take on a humanoid form, with various traits of ray-finned fish. Colorful scales cover their body, with the possible colors covering the entire spectrum. Most commonly, they're blue or green, but numerous colors and patterns exist, as many as every fish in the sea. They bear rigid fins on their arms and legs, and their hands and feet are webbed. In addition, they have the standard mermaid tails one would expect, albeit smaller and attacked to their tailbone rather than taking up their entire lower body. In order to breathe underwater, the Merrow have three gill slits on either side of their necks. Of note is their hair, which functions much like human hair but is actually made of fin-like structures rather than keratin. Lastly, due to the consumption of Photoluciferic algae, many Merrow develop bioluminescent spots on their bodies, actually organs to help them use magic.
- Society: Being an aquatic race, the Merrow couldn't make fire like the beings of the land could, leaving them stuck in the Stone Age for a very long time. They could fashion weapons out of stone, coral, teeth, and shells, but they couldn't cook food, create light, or forge metal. Despite this, the Merrow would eventually form into tribes of hunter-gatherers or farmers, even building their own settlements out into the cliffs and reefs. The Merrow then went through a series of revolutions that allowed them to reach past their Stone Age.
- The first was the discovery of the Photoluciferic algae, long before humans did, with the Merrow consuming it to gain magic abilities of their own, similar to that of human's magic but going down a different path. This allowed them to finally gain the power of fire, though they still didn't have much metal.
- The second was the sinking of human ships, devices, and even cities, creating numerous Atlantis situations where ancient high-tech devices sat at the bottom of the sea for the Merrow to find. This changed Merrow civilization as a whole, with many tribes becoming scavengers of sunken technology, which they would study, use, and reverse-engineer for their own usage.
- The third was trade with humans instead of the two races treating each other as incomprehensible aliens. The humans, with their head-start of technology, and the Merrow, with their better understanding of the oceans and their easy access to sunken technology, were able to benefit each other with the trade of tech, goods, and thought, allowing the advancement of both. Now, Merrow villages and cities dot the bottom of the seabed, working alongside the human settlements that live on islands or float on the surface.
- Status of Nations: The Merrow live in numerous tribes, clans, and alliances rather than a single dedicated kingdom, each with their own distinct culture and specialties. Each tribe corresponds to a different bony fish, like barracudas or clownfish. Most Merrow tribes are small and don't have much influence on the great powers, though some Merrow are strong enough to exert power over the surrounding settlements, such as the powerful hunters of the Barracuda Tribe.
- Most humans are familiar with the Shallow Merrow, which, true to their name, live in shallow waters like along coastlines, in kelp forests, and on coral reefs. Merrow tribes also live in the open ocean, but they are distant from the Shallow Merrow and accompanying human settlements, who often only hear stories of varying truthfulness of them from wandering travelers. Rumors also persist about deep-sea Merrow, with frightening visages and wicked dark powers, but those are just rumors... Presumably...
- Natural Abilities: Abilities can vary between tribes, but for the most part, the Merrow can all swim quite well and breathe underwater as well as on land indefinitely, though they all need regular hydration on land more often than terrestrial races. In addition, the Merrow possess lateral lines, which essentially allow them to sense their surroundings better underwater. As mentioned above, some Merrow develop bioluminescence from the Photoluciferic algae they consume, giving them internal magic of their own. Some Merrow also have the ability to emit electric shocks, though there's some debate on if this is inherent like electric eels or just a form of Charge Magic.
- Cultural Inspiration(s): For the most part the Merrow derive from Polynesian cultures, being a heavily water-based civilization and all. In addition, they inherit some inspiration from Southwest/Oasisamerica Native American tribes as well, mainly the Pueblo architecture mentioned below. In addition, they tend to take up some cultural influence from whatever human settlements are nearby - So if a human town is an Ireland-analogue, the Merrow have Irish influences, if it's an Ethiopia-analogue, the Merrow have some Ethiopian culture, if it's a Japanese town the nearby Merrow adopt some Japanese culture, etc.
- Other: Most Merrow use sea silk, a rare and valuable (To use landlubbers) fabric derived from clams, so their clothing superficially resembles that of human clothes. Some Merrow set up huts of kelp or camp out in caves, but the more populous settlements carve out cities into the rocks or grow coral into houses - In terms of architecture, think Pueblo structures, with a bit more coral colors and shapes.
...I did not expect this to take so long to type out. Ah well, it was worth it.
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Tankman from Newgrounds
Smash Hero
Job 6:
Fish Hominidae
Physical Characteristics: They're like Fish from Spongebob, but they're more Realistic like Fishstick from Fortnite. They're crossed Fish with Humans hybrid that lives underwater.
Society: They have similar society to human society, but they act more fishy like wandering/swimming with others while finding food. They also intelligent and they know how to fight with Predators from deep seas.
Status of Nations: They're divided by 4 Nations: Wealth Seas, Wild Oceans, Deep Lakes and Lagoons of Tropics. Wealth seas are more like rich Humans, Wild Oceans are Feral-Fish like, Deep Lakes are consisting of Creepier versions of Fish Hominidae and Lagoons of Tropics have similar life to People living on Islands.
Natural Abilities: They can Breath underwater and on air. Also, they have great Intelligence like defense from Predators and smart ways to industrialize the Solarpunk technology like Water Plants or etc.
Cultural Inspirations: They Don have too much cultural inspiration based on Mythology, but they're based on Fish from Spongebob and Fishstick from Fortnite. Their
Other: They eat Plankton and Food like Humans eat, since they're Fish-Human Hybrids and they hunt for food with groups, since only Humans have shops, but Fish Hominids don't. Their Architecture is based on Human City Architecture with mix of Splatoon Cities like Inkopolis.
Job 7:
There are 26 Races of Fish Hominidae like Shark Hominidae and some non-Fish like Electric Eels.
Fish Hominidae
Physical Characteristics: They're like Fish from Spongebob, but they're more Realistic like Fishstick from Fortnite. They're crossed Fish with Humans hybrid that lives underwater.
Society: They have similar society to human society, but they act more fishy like wandering/swimming with others while finding food. They also intelligent and they know how to fight with Predators from deep seas.
Status of Nations: They're divided by 4 Nations: Wealth Seas, Wild Oceans, Deep Lakes and Lagoons of Tropics. Wealth seas are more like rich Humans, Wild Oceans are Feral-Fish like, Deep Lakes are consisting of Creepier versions of Fish Hominidae and Lagoons of Tropics have similar life to People living on Islands.
Natural Abilities: They can Breath underwater and on air. Also, they have great Intelligence like defense from Predators and smart ways to industrialize the Solarpunk technology like Water Plants or etc.
Cultural Inspirations: They Don have too much cultural inspiration based on Mythology, but they're based on Fish from Spongebob and Fishstick from Fortnite. Their
Other: They eat Plankton and Food like Humans eat, since they're Fish-Human Hybrids and they hunt for food with groups, since only Humans have shops, but Fish Hominids don't. Their Architecture is based on Human City Architecture with mix of Splatoon Cities like Inkopolis.
Job 7:
There are 26 Races of Fish Hominidae like Shark Hominidae and some non-Fish like Electric Eels.
SharkLord
Smash Hero
Alright, we're doing the number-of-races vote now. I'm leaving the Merfolk submissions open a little longer in case anyone wants to participate, but it ends at 4 PST. If you want to join in, do it soon.
- 16 Races by
SharkLord
- 9 Races by
GolisoPower
- 12 Races by
Glubbfubb
- 20 Races by
Yiptap
- 26 Races by
Tankman from Newgrounds