Anteal

[Observer]

Well, yeah, those are her ears. Inspired from a squid's fins. Because the Channel Scylla was inspired from the vampire squid.

And now, here's the last update for now. This is actually the first time I've drawn a slime.
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Blue Slime.png

In-universe: Alsanin (“water people” > kirakin lang.)
Type: Mamono
Family: Slime
Regions: Kir, Sentar Valley, Kirrish

Blue Slimes are one of the slime species to be found on Anteal, semi-liquid beings that tend to be found in most water-rich areas such as the southern half of Kir, the area immediately surrounding the Sentar river as well as the island of Kirrish.

Fresh water forms the basis of most Blue Slimes, though this tends to vary, depending on the individual, leading to a variation in the density of the slime's biomass and varying degrees of translucence. Slimes are a type of colony organism resembling a gelatinous substance. Because of the nature of a Slime's body, they are believed to be theoretically immortal. If any part of a Slime is broken off from its main mass, it becomes a new individual, either voluntarily of involuntarily.

Slimes tend to feed on fluids and microorganisms as well as plant matter. The more a slime feeds, the more it grows. As it grows it will form a nervous system out of neuron-like cells forming a rudimentary brain which grants cognitive ability to the Slime. The bigger a Slime is, the smarter it gets. Intelligent Slimes are able to mimic surrounding forms based on observation. With enough learning, especially intelligent Slimes may even be able to mimic other creatures' internal anatomy, for example forming a pulmonary system that would allow them to speak.

As with their anatomy, Blue Slime culture is imitative. That is, they adopt the culture of whoever is in their vicinity. They generally consider themselves part of whatever populations they mix with. Though they can take a variety of jobs, Slimes are best known either as sewage workers (especially in southern Kir, where modern water treatment plants are not as common), separating filth from pure water with their bodies (not very good for their health though), or as “therapeutic bathers” working at brothels.
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As for future updates, besides making more race profiles, and maybe some more military hardware, I also plan on writing down Anteal's system of magic that I have in my head as well as the netherworld.

[Observer]

<.<

>.>

Hello again, TMM. It's time for more updates. First, here's a new military vehicle: the Makra'i monowheel Yalke-6.

Yalke6.png

Enjoy!

[Observer]

<.<

>.>

Next update!... is a remake of the Kirrish Lamia profile pircture. I wasn't really happy with how her previous profile picture came out, so I decided to make a new one. Because I love lamias. Right...

Kirrish Lamia.png

As you can see, one of my secondary fetishes is muscle girls. Nothing too extreme, though.

Who knows, maybe I'll make more remakes in the future for other profiles I'm not happy with.

I'll make another update tomorrow.

[Observer]

<.<

>.>

Meh...

This is probably gonna be my biggest update yet. I've managed to elaborate a system of magic for Anteal. Basically explaining how it works there. Though some would argue that this is kinda pointless since in present day Anteal you can't wield magic, because magic has disappeared from the world. Or has it?

Spoiler: show

The following text aims to explain the workings of magic in Anteal. At its most basic magic is an invisible force that can be manipulated by individuals to perform otherwise incredible feats. There are certain elements that define Antealese magic.

Magical energy

Magical energy (or mana) forms the basis of magical phenomena on Anteal. An innate planetary magical field, the “magosphere” surrounds Anteal, allowing the casting of spells. The magosphere's behaviour bears some similarity with that of a planet's magnetic field. Currents of magical energy flow out of the core, rising through the planet's crust and reaching the planet's upper atmosphere before falling back toward the core.

The presence of magic is more powerful wherever the currents of magical energy emerge out of the ground. Thus, spells cast in these places(tentatively called “ley founts”) have a greater potential for power. Spells are cast by channeling magical energy which is drawn out of magosphere either directly or indirectly. Spells are believed to depend on willpower. If you think hard enough, you can make a fireball and hurl it at your target, for example. However, this requires some degree of mental discipline. This is usually taught at specialised mage schools.

Still this does not explain why some Antealese flora and fauna have innate magical powers, such as the cave-dwelling “torchstalk” of Upper Urmeth which generates a permanent fire spell to use as a source of light.

The range of spells depends on the caster's imagination; less than creative mages can learn new spells at the aforementioned mage schools from their indexed spell catalogues.

Certain creatures possess a special organ that allows them to sense magical energy. Elves in particular have a well developed magic sense. Other humanoids also have it, but not as developed.

Magicite

As mentioned in the previous section, there are two ways to attain magical energy: by drawing it from the magosphere either directly or indirectly. Directly drawing energy from the magosphere is the most straightforward method of casting spells. This way you simply channel magical energy into a spell. You don't need any wands or staffs or anything. Just willpower. However there's the problem of the spells' intensity being dependent of location. And the fact that you can't actually store magical energy in your body for later use.

Then, there's the other method. This involves drawing magical energy from magicite. Magicite is basically a substance that stores magical energy. Magicite occurs when iron ore deposits are saturated with enough quantities of magical energy. Thus they become batteries of magical energy. They are distinguished from regular iron ore by a bright blue color and a crystallized exterior. When all the magical energy in a piece of magicite is depleted, it will turn navy blue in color and will be otherwise the same as any old hunk of iron.

Magicite crystals offer a cheap source of magic that tends to be expended in a day depending on how often they are used. These are generally only used in an emergency, when there aren't any more powerful alternatives at hand. Meanwhile, magicite ore, which is smelted into various magical tools and weapons, is much more potent. Some magicite wands are said to last for more than 250 years of use. As an aside, ordinary crystals(not magicite) can act as a focusing element, greatly increasing spell accuracy.

Certain creatures are able to posess magicite inside their bodies with no ill effect. Plants that grow near abundant magicite deposits can absorb the ore through their roots, infusing the plant with magicite's properties and allowing the plant to be used as a magical tool. Sometimes the plant will even cast a spell by itself, such as the torchstalk mentioned in the previous section. In turn, the magicite plants are eaten by animals. After a few generations of evolution and a diet of magicite plants, these animals will have magicite in their systems as well, giving them an innate spell-casting ability. Such is the case of the Stone Lamias whose skeletons are lined with magicite. A Stone Lamia's bones remain potent well after her death.

Schools of magic

There are mainly two types of magic on Anteal: conjuration magic and planar magic. Though even then, the clasifications aren't that clear-cut based on technicalities. Classification really is only based on the types of spells cast.

Conjuration magic involves the conversion of magical energy into a desired effect. Think fireballs, blizzards, ice shards, etc. Subdivisions are “force magic” and “elemental magic”.

Force magic is generally considered to be the most primitive form of spell-casting. It involves the generation of invisible forces. For example, you could amplify the power of your punch to give the impression of supernatural strength even though you look like a wiry weakling. Or you can make a slashing motion with your magicite sword to cut something at a distance. Or generate a powerful directed shockwave. Or levitate. And so on.

Elemental magic concerns the use of spells which control natural phenomena such as fire, water and air. As such, it is further subdivided into fire spells, water spells and air spells. Examples of spells include the classic fireball, freezing an area, creating a heat blast, generating a blizzard or a mist or causing hurricane force winds and tornadoes.

Meanwhile, planar magic concerns the manipulation of the fabric of reality. This generally means instantaneous teleportation from one location to another. Another application is inter-planar travel (or inter-dimensional travel as some people like to call it) which generally involves direct travel between the physical world and the netherworld as well travel between universes (that last one was still in theoretical stages as of the Fourth Era). However, planar magic is considered highly impractical. You need massive amounts of magical energy to cast any planar magic spell. Even a basic teleportation spell for a single person consumes 100 years worth of stored magical energy. Half a mountain was once strip-mined of magicite in order to power a portal to the netherworld for the first expedition to it.

Mages generally choose to specialise in certain types of spells, but theoretically there's nothing stopping them from learning ALL types of spells. Except maybe dying of old age.

Spirit magic

Spirit magic(or shamanism, or necromancy) isn't actually related to proper magic as it doesn't use magical energy for its spells. Instead, it uses spirit energy, the life force found in all living beings. Generally, spirit magic involves the manipulation of the spirits found in the netherworld.

When spirits don't manifest in the physical world by themselves, they are summoned by shamans. Spirits can act as an incorporeal familiar, but more often these spirits are called upon in order to possess and animate golems made of various materials.

Other techniques involving the use of spirit energy include astral projection, where a shaman separates his spirit from his body, his spirit manifesting in the netherworld, and spiritual healing, where a shaman uses spirit energy to accelerate someone's healing.

Blood is often needed for rituals, being an excellent spirit energy conductor. Though any animal blood will do the job. Sometimes people use any other body fluids they can get their hands on if there is no blood available. Spirits are able to use spirit magic without needing blood.

Needless to say, these techniques consume the caster's spirit energy. Losing spirit energy in significant amounts leads to tiredness. Losing all of it can kill them. Shamans were generally advised to take a rest between casting spells in order to regenerate their spirit energy reserves.

Magic today (or the lack thereof)

Until the end of the Fourth Era, magic was common on Anteal. This all changed during the Fourth Era. The great empire at the time was the Quan Empire. Its Mage Council took care of the state's magical affairs. The Fourth Era, which precedes the current Fifth Era, was a time of great technological advancement brought on by various discoveries. Magic was increasingly considered old-fashioned and prejudice against it was spreading. The cataclysm that befell the magical civilization of Arcan at the end of the previous Era certainly didn't help with impressions.

Fearing complete marginalization, the Mage Council attempted an uprising. The resulting Science War between the Mage Council and the Quan Empire's technologist guilds soon spread to most of the world. After 12 years of war, the Quan Empire's infrastructure was almost completely destroyed, resulting in the empire's collapse and the end of the Fourth Era. In the closing days of the war, as the Mage Palace was being besieged, the palace somehow disappeared. At the same time, mages found themselves powerless. Magic had disappeared from the world.

Some theorise that a spell of great magnitude was cast by the Mage Coucil which in addition to making them vanish also dissipated Anteal's magosphere as a side-effect. There's also the possibility that the magosphere will regenerate some day and magic will gradually return to Anteal.

Nevertheless, the technologists killed all the mages they could find, though it's possible some went into hiding. These days, crazy conspiracy theorists say that the world is secretly run by hidden mage cabals. Though the existence of hidden mage cabals is considered a little farfetched by itself. Or maybe they do exist and nobody knows. Yet.

I just know everyone will tl;dr this. After all, it took up three pages on the word processor. If I am proven wrong, I hope you enjoyed the read and thank you for taking the time to do it. Maybe someone will actually comment, but those are pretty high hopes.

I'll admit I not completely original with names. I know "magicite" has already been used in Final Fantasy VI. Also, I'm borrowing the "spirit energy" concept from KC. I'll elaborate on that when I write about the netherworld.

Anyway, I hope you enjoy what I made so far.

[Feathers]

Hmm I like that battle wheel, looks fun to drive.

Interesting how the plants themselves can "contaminate" other beings with magic, but once they are combined with an another organism it can alter their genetic code (since it can be passed down to the next gen)? That's neat.

As for me, Force magic with Spiritual healing sounds the paths I'd choose..hehe.

[Observer]

<.<

>.>

Well, it seems a lot of time has passed since I made my last update here. I've been working at a snail's pace.

How appropriate then that my newest update is about Snail-girls.
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Snail

Snail.png

In-universe: Krutjalen (“snail people” > wesen lang.)
Type: Mamono
Family: Scylla
Regions: Kirrish

Snail girls are a group of mamono inhabiting the eastern regions of the island of Kirrish, which are the most humid in that place.

Like their name suggests, Snails are mamono that are based on the Antealese snail, a mollusc, in the same category of animals as octopi upon which most Scylla are based, putting the Snail girl in the Scylla family, there being a few features which Snails have in common with the other Scylla species.

Snails support themselves on a muscular foot that secretes a sticky mucus upon which they crawl. Additionally, six dextrous tentacles aid the Snail in the manipulation of objects. However, a Snail's most distinguishing feature is her shell. With an average diameter of 1.85m , the shell protects her body from harm, being strong enough to deflect bullets, though it has its limits.

To grow and maintain her shell, a Snail has to consume large quantities of calcium, usually found in limestone, bones and the shells of dead Snails. To break down the calcium, and food in general, Snails' tongues are lined with microscopic teeth in a similar fashion to their namesakes' radula.

The Snail's antennae act like a second pair of eyes.

Members of the Scylla family are known to have some form of psychic power or other. In the Snails' case, it's much more ambiguous. It is said that Snails have great willpower. Exactly how this works is still being discussed. Snails are known to shrug off serious wounds that would at best leave other beings disabled by extreme pain. Some argue this is due to a natural stubbornness or high pain threshold. Also, hypnosis doesn't work on them. Theoretically, a Snail could resist any mental influences exerted by the other Scylla species, though there are no confirmed cases of this happening.

One can't really say there is a Snail community. The highest order of organization is the family. Snails are highly individualistic and self-reliant. Because of their shells acting as natural shelters, they don't feel the need to band together for mutual protection.
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Spoiler: show

I'd reccomend against French kissing or getting a blowjob from her.

I'm actually slightly apprehensive about posting nudity, even if partial, since it might break the previous pics' consistency(traditional or at least traditional-looking clothing), though I guess that already happened with the Kirrish Lamia(even though her body was facing away). Oh, and think of the children! Well, this is an adult site anyway. It says so in the rules, so I guess it's fair game.

In other news, I'm thinking of redrawing a good number of my pics. That includes the profiles section(humanoids and mamono) and miscellany section(vehicles and soldiers). I'm not really happy with how a lot of them came out. I'll draw remakes between new updates probably. So, uh, until next time...

[Hood]

I'd reccomend against French kissing or getting a blowjob from her.

I was thinking the same, man. I would like to know a bit more of your monstergirls, specially about family and children,

[Observer]

I would like to know a bit more of your monstergirls, specially about family and children,

I'll have to think about it sometime.

Right now, though, I'll just make a small update. It's another vehicle.
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FhG2J-2.png

FhG2J-2

Yet another example of the Jun military's doctrine of mobility, the FhG2J-2 ground effect AFV uses a pair of turbofans to hover over the ground and water. These turbofans can swivel into a horizontal position to give extra speed in addition to the main engine. Armed with a 30mm autocannon firing armor-piercing shells and a quartet of armor-piercing missiles, its role is to harass enemy armor and ships.
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Edit: Welp, it seems that didn't catch anyone's attention. May as well add the other update I have ready. Double posting this soon after my last post is probably against the rules. I said I would remake a good number of my drawings. Here's the first one, of the Steppe Centaur:

Steppe Centaur.png

Better get to work on my next update. See you later!

[Observer]

The good news is that I finally have some updates.

The bad news is that it doesn't involve monster-girls. I have made two more vehicles for the Jun army:
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G8W-108.png

G8W-108

Many Jun assets have been built with speed and maneuvrability in mind preferring to use flanking attacks and evasive maneuvers against enemy forces. The G8W-108 eight-wheel drive APC is a different matter. Its main distinctive feature is a heavily armored plow that takes up much of the vehicle's front. This plow, coupled with a powerful front-mounted engine can smash aside most obstacles in its path with little difficulty. In addition, a 15mm heavy machine-gun can lay down some suppressive fire on the enemy. The G8W-108 can transport up to 12 humans or 4 large mamono. These vehicles are generally attached to infantry battalions their interiors being customised to accommodate the species that makes up one particular battalion. The G8W-108 doesn't have quite as many variants as other wheeled vehicles in the Jun army, thou what it does have are still significant, including uparmored versions fitted with cockpit plating and mineplows as well as an Armoured Engineering Vehicle version.
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WG2J-11.png

WG2J-11

The Jun military will take into consideration any form of locomotion as long as it gets their men to the front lines reliably and quickly. Military hovercraft are a time-honoured asset in the Jun military since the beginning of the 2nd century E5. The eleventh iteration of twin-jet amphibious vehicles has been in service for 55 years acting as a scout and flanker, being able to traverse a wider selection of terrain than vehicles restricted to one terrain type. The basic model is armed with two missile pods loaded with six high explosive Hao missiles each, though variants can have different equipment. For the WG2J-11 there are scout and patrol variants.

[Tsar CUBE]

Duuuuude, you should consider opening an art thread, those vehicles look awesome

And you're monster girls look really good too... I think I stared at Krutjalen too much too, she is a very interesting concept

[Observer]

Alright dudes, I...

Duuuuude, you should consider opening an art thread, those vehicles look awesome

And you're monster girls look really good too... I think I stared at Krutjalen too much too, she is a very interesting concept

A REPLY?! Actually I already have an art thread. I just haven't updated it in like forever.

Anyway, I finally managed to finish another MG profile. Here we have the Girtablil:

Girtablil.png

In-universe: Karakashatin (“Stinger Arachne”; kirin lang.)
Type: Mamono
Family: Arachne
Regions: Kir, Greater Tyrsaye

The Girtablil are centauroid scorpion people found in the lower parts of the greater Antealese landmass, more specifically in the desert regions of Kir and Greater Tyrsaye, some still leading nomadic lifestyles, others not.

As mentioned, a Girtablil has the upper body of a woman and an initmidating lower body similar to a scorpion. Eight sturdy legs support an armored thorax, abdomen and a large segmented tail ending in a stinger. Her tough exoskeleton, of a very dark brown color, affords plenty of protection and her pincers are strong enough to pin down any opponent, or even rip them apart.

In addition, the venom in her sting is powerful enough to down a large beast. A small pinch is enough to paralyze a man for an entire day, though it is not deadly to humanoids or other mamono. Girtablil venom has several uses, for example as an ingredient in anesthetics, antivenoms or several (illegal) aphrodisiacs. The Girtablil themselves are generally unaffected by their own venom.

For all these natural weapons, the Girtablil are surprisingly peaceful. Though they are well equipped to deal with some of the most dangerous beasts that roam their homeland, they are very careful and protective of those they hold dear, be they mates, family members, friends or community. Within many cultures, Girtablil are seen as guardians, symbols of protection. Statues of them have adorned many an ancient palace. Within their own cultures they have developed their own gestures and manners.

These days, most Girtablil have assimilated into the greater human or elven nations, though there still are some tribes such as Shaiakin that are still distinct.
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I'm going to be out of town soon. Before I leave, I'll leave you with this redrawn profile picture for the Traveler Harpy:

Traveler Harpy.png

[Feathers]

Your Girtablil is a lot more likeable than a certain other Girtablil monster girl I read about. ^^;

Nice to see you improved harpy legs and talons a lot, they aren't as skinny. The wings are larger than I'm used to though I have no complaints. Most artists give up on giving them a new pose and just default to the "flying with outstretched wings" pose. >_< So kudos for an original pose.

[MysteryX]

I have been following the progression on this setting for a while and I would like to say this is one of the best Monster Girl settings I have seen. What I like about it is that it doesn't just focus on the mamono but on other things as well such as the other races, culture, and the layout of the world which is not only great but makes the setting more believable then others (I especially like the technology in this setting). Some suggestions I would make is extend on the humanoid races and give them more depth for example humans are a race that inhabit every part of Anteal and I am pretty sure there will be differences between humans living in different regions mostly culturally. Also I have a question to ask you, are Lamia and Arachne in this setting considered poisonous or what because their profiles don't really say.

[Observer]

Your Girtablil is a lot more likeable than a certain other Girtablil monster girl I read about. ^^;

Nice to see you improved harpy legs and talons a lot, they aren't as skinny. The wings are larger than I'm used to though I have no complaints. Most artists give up on giving them a new pose and just default to the "flying with outstretched wings" pose. >_< So kudos for an original pose.

I don't really know how to make a "flying with outstretched wings" pose...

I have been following the progression on this setting for a while and I would like to say this is one of the best Monster Girl settings I have seen. What I like about it is that it doesn't just focus on the mamono but on other things as well such as the other races, culture, and the layout of the world which is not only great but makes the setting more believable then others (I especially like the technology in this setting). Some suggestions I would make is extend on the humanoid races and give them more depth for example humans are a race that inhabit every part of Anteal and I am pretty sure there will be differences between humans living in different regions mostly culturally. Also I have a question to ask you, are Lamia and Arachne in this setting considered poisonous or what because their profiles don't really say.

I've already thought of different peoples and cultures not just for humans but even for some of the mamono, though nothing concrete yet. I'm also working on a political map of Anteal, though work has stalled on that.

As for poisonous lamia and arachne... I'm still haven't decided for the arachnes, probably not if I haven't mentioned it in the profiles, but all of the lamia species presented so far are non-venomous. Although I'm thinking about making the next (and probably last) lamia species poisonous. (I'm not all that much into venomous things)

What do you think?

[MysteryX]

Well it doesn't really matter to me that much for I was just wondering although making some poisonous would add some variety to it. I didn't know that there were going to be any more lamia species, I thought you finished them all off. As for the culture you also mentioned other humanoid races like the Lizardmen and Triton, when do you think you will be getting to other humanoid races then just humans and elves.

[Observer]

Well it doesn't really matter to me that much for I was just wondering although making some poisonous would add some variety to it. I didn't know that there were going to be any more lamia species, I thought you finished them all off.

Just one more. Maybe. You know me. I love lamias. Sometimes you can't resist including your likes in your works. There is a certain imbalance in the projected number of species: 5 lamia types, 5(?!) harpy types, 3 arachne types, 3 centaur types, etc.

As for the culture you also mentioned other humanoid races like the Lizardmen and Triton, when do you think you will be getting to other humanoid races then just humans and elves.

Soon™

[MysteryX]

I see, one thing I forgot to mention is that your artwork is very good and you seem to be improving as you go on. It appears you have also redoing the drawings of some of your older profiles, will you be doing that with all of them?

[Observer]

Yes, I do plan on redoing all of them. Except for Mountain Arachne and Northern Lamia, I'm not very happy with how they came out. Here is my "to remake" list:

• Elf
• Human
• Forest Centaur
• Steppe Centaur
• Cliff Harpy/Siren
• Lake Harpy
• Tarkaf Siren
• Traveler Harpy
• Stone Lamia
• Mermaid
• Channel Scylla
• Blue Slime
• ZPV-21
• Othantha
• 2W-20/2W-22
• Onselth Longbow
• Quan Imperial Line Infantry

[Feathers]

I don't really know how to make a "flying with outstretched wings" pose...

I have a plethora of harpy pics (I'm sure you knew that already) if you need references. My point was that grounded harpy images are rare. And sir, my reply was meant to compliment your originality, not discredit the fact that she wasn't drawn in-flight.

Yes, I do plan on redoing all of them. Except for Mountain Arachne and Northern Lamia, I'm not very happy with how they came out. Here is my "to remake" list:

• Elf
• Mermaid
• Cliff Harpy/Siren
• Lake Harpy
• Tarkaf Siren

Looking forward to them.

So, are you considering coloring your stuff in the future yet?

[Observer]

I have a plethora of harpy pics (I'm sure you knew that already) if you need references. My point was that grounded harpy images are rare. And sir, my reply was meant to compliment your originality, not discredit the fact that she wasn't drawn in-flight.

If I need any references I'll ask.

So, are you considering coloring your stuff in the future yet?

Ummm... Soonish™

Anyway, the latest update is about the world itself where I attempt to explain the existence of undead and demons (in Anteal the two groups are one and the same).

Spoiler: show

The Spirit World of Anteal

Many Antealese faiths believe in an afterlife. The afterlife is defined by the immortality of the soul. When someone dies, their soul passes to some Land of the Dead or other. That is how the afterlife works in many if not all religions on Anteal. Shamans claimed they have visited these “Lands of the Dead” and so they exist. In fact, some non-shaman groups, such as the Mage Council of the Great Arcan Empire, have attempted to make expeditions to the Spirit World (also called the Netherworld), with limited success. This text will try to define the Spirit World, the elements that make it up and how it relates to Anteal.

Spirits and spirit energy

Just about every living being on Anteal has a spirit. From the sentient humanoids and mamono down to the lowest microbe, they all have a spiritual counterpart that upon death will linger in the Netherworld. Spirits are fueled by spirit energy. In fact, it's safe to say that spirits are made of spirit energy.

Spirit energy is also the fuel of a specific type of spellcasting known as spirit magic which was already discussed in a previous text. In the physical world, spirit energy is conducted through fluids, especially bodily fluids. That includes blood, urine, pus, sweat, saliva or... semen. Most casters prefer to use blood, not necessarily their own. Spirits can also use spirit magic, but they don't need conductors; they simply sacrifice a part of their being.

Even in the afterlife, spirits maintain their gender. This is important as a spirit's gender, no matter what species they were in life, determines the way they acquire more spirit energy. Males simply need to rest; they will (re)generate spirit energy over time. Females absorb spirit energy through intercourse. This can also happen in life. Even in the afterlife spirits continue to do many activities that were considered worldly. This includes intercourse. This puts male spirits at a disadvantage as they often find themselves having their spirit energy “harvested” by the females. Theoretically, a male can become powerful by being isolated, though more often than not they are hunted down and raped by females. If a spirit is drained of all their spirit energy, they die.

A spirit's appearance tends to be based on the self-image of whoever they were in life. Spirits overcome this limitation when they become powerful enough. They may alter their appearance, adding to themselves new features, improved... attributes, new abilities, etc. as they become more powerful.

In terms of classification, spirits are technically not divided in any species. A spirit is just a spirit. They are differentiated by their power, abilities and other quirks. And even those differentiations are broad umbrella terms for someone that can widely vary in appearance. Ghosts are spirits that appear in the physical world, Vampires are spirits that continue to inhabit their own bodies after death, Succubi are obscenely powerful spirits, etc.

Spirits and mamono

The evolution of Anteal’s sentient species is still a hotly debated subject. Taxonomy is not a mature scientific field in this world and evolution is still not well understood. Though it’s plausible that humans are descended from elves, some still balk at the idea that they were bred from them by mamono slavers.

Even stranger is the theory on the origin of the mamono species. Whereas humanoids are usually more adept at proper magic, mamono generally have a better affinity for spirit magic. They need less conductor fluids than a humanoid spiritualist would. It was previously mentioned that powerful spirits can attain new abilities. One of them is the ability to manifest a physical body in the physical world; an improvement from maintaining a spectral presence. The theory is that mamono are descended from powerful succubi that permanently settled in the physical world and bore descendants somehow. It is possible that these succubi expended their spirit energy stores to single handedly give birth to an initial population. Each species has similar creation myths where the mythical mother figure simply appears in the world and gives birth to their people.

The Netherworld

When a creature dies, for whatever reason, its spirit will usually find itself in the Netherworld, also called the Spirit World. Spirits are corporeal within the Netherworld. They can touch eachother as well as any still living physical body coming directly from the world of the living. Skilled shamans and other spiritualists are able to project their spirits into the Netherworld, usually to interact with the locals, ask for their counsel, find solutions to problems, etc.

Non-spiritualists have tried to enter the Netherworld as well. Throughout history there have only been two expeditions (perhaps more) to the Netherworld. Both were conducted by the Great Arcan Empire during the late Third Era. Entire mountains were strip-mined for their magicite deposits in order to power the interplanar portals needed for such an endeavor. Almost no records survive of any of those expeditions as the city of Mainar Arcan which was built over the mountains’ remains was wiped out by some sort of magical cataclysm, leaving Lake Arcan in its place.

In the present Era, the University of Vozhen’sk has been researching interplanar travel through technological means, using the previously mentioned expeditions, whose details are mostly unknown nowadays, as a starting point. The portal generator was nearing completion and awaiting its testing phase when the Crescent War started. After the war, all R&D projects have been put on indefinite hold as the newly formed Vozhen’kje government focuses on maintaining control of its territories.

The Netherworld’s landscape resembles that of any terrestrial planet. One can say that it’s both barren and thriving. Geologically, the land is stagnant. There are no bodies of water to be found on this world. On the other hand plants’ spirits can continue growing here and give the impression of an overgrown jungle sometimes with various mixes of plants originating from different climates and different time periods in the same location. The same goes for spirits of fauna.

There is no sun shining on the Netherworld; nor are there any stars in the sky. Instead, starting at a certain altitude, the ley lines of Anteal’s magosphere are visible as bright blue ethereal strips of light crisscrossing the sky having no day-night cycle, although the sky would probably be darker after the end of the Fourth Era of Anteal.

Being situated on a different plane, one would need a means to cross dimensions, an almost entirely impossible task using current technology. The benefit is that the Netherworld has a weaker fabric of reality which makes it an important stepping stone for easier inter-planar/inter-dimensional travel.

If you have any questions, I'll answer them (to the best of my abilities).