Introduction to "Fallen Feathers"

By the title, I mean the comic, not the blog. (Yes, the comic is where I got the name for the blog.) Most of the stuff I actually have drawn is just reference material and a few pages of the comic which is now obsolete and non-canon. So, I'll post an introduction to the world (storyline later to come) here.

The world is called Ursa. The continent that the story takes place on is called Argast. There are four different nations: The Mammalians, the Reptilians, the Avians, and the Aquatics(though no one knows much about the Aquatics) and they live in relative harmony. Pervading this world is magic. Among the races, there are six different classes of magic-users, each with their own abilities and distinct traits, as well as their own governor.

Demons: Demons are reclusive and rarely reveal themselves, mostly because they are feared by nearly all the Argasti. Technically, demons cannot use magic, but because of exposure to it or some other form of energy while in the womb, they have abilities that range from keeping flowers fresh to flash-boiling the water in another person's body. Because of their exposure, though, they usually have odd-colored fur and eyes. As a consequence of their unusual appearance and powers, clerics despise them and have lumped them into the same category as the demons of the Infernal Realms, despite the fact that the two are completely different. Demons live around the same length of time as normal beings, though some have lived for hundreds of years. They have a king and a queen as their governors.

Mages: Mages are the most common form of magic-user in Argast, mainly because all you need to become one is a spark of magical talent, which most people have because of intermarrying with the mage clans. While abundant, many of them are not that powerful, because the spark of magic is usually diluted the farther from the original mage bloodline it gets. However, many mages with distant magic-using relatives can turn out to be powerhouses if trained correctly. Mages are the only class where healing magic occurs naturally, and because of that healing mages are highly thought of. A high-level mage, if they are strong enough, can create a "sanctuary", a purely magic-sustained pocket space where they can retreat to rest or train, depending on the circumstances. They seem to have a long standing feud with Wizardrous for unexplained reasons. The Lord of Mages and the Lady of Mages keep the rest of them in line.

Clerics: Clerics are the only users of holy magic, although they say their powers are a gift from God and are not the feeble spells called magic that others are so fond of using. That being said, their spells mostly rely on objects, such as pendants, crystals, and mirrors, and they are devastating when cast correctly. It is physically impossible to be born a cleric, as their powers are a result of training and devotion rather than natural talent. Their monasteries are known as places of sanctuary. Clerics are ruled by their god and by their Abbots.

Druids: Druids wield the most powerful nature magic in all of Argast. It is not that their spells themselves are powerful, but the fact that they can command every stone, breeze, or wisp of flame in their vicinity, as well as their ability to summon nature spirits, that has mantained their reputation of magical powerhouses for so many years. Many of the nations are thankful that the druids are peace-loving, and have actually signed a treaty where no nation is allowed to use druids in war. A distinguishing mark of a druid is the fact that they are almost always a pure, solid color, with no markings. They also have a curious feature called "energy wings" which are basically two pieces of wood seemingly growing from the druid's back with any number of leaves suspended in the air below the wood. They are called energy wings because they change form depending on the type of nature energy is being controlled. Druids are not loners, but they do not have any sort of governing system beyond that of a master and apprentice system.

Wizardrous: Wizardrous are the odd ducks of Argast, if only for the fact that you can't predict who will be one. Wizardrous can be born from normal parents or from a Wizardrous one. Conversely, a normal being can be born from two Wizardrous parents. No one knows why this is. Once a Wizardrous hits puberty, their eye color will change from whatever it was before to a very specific shade of blue, usually with runes surrounding the pupils. The magic of a Wizardrous is determined at birth, but is only revealed when they arrive at the Wizardrous Academy and recieve their domain mark and staff. It is easy to pick out a Wizardrous in a crowd because of several things. They will always have a domain mark, either on the forehead or on their left cheek below their eye, as well as a staff with some sort of symbol on it. Usually, they will be wearing some sort of robe, although many younger Wizardrous prefer normal clothing. Wizardrous spells, the second most powerful in Argast, are usually textbook learned things, but to graduate they must create a spell all their own. Wizardrous, if left alone and not killed, live for exactly 1,000 years and are ruled by a council of two members from each domain and sub-domain.

Seraphs: Seraphs are the most powerful magic-users in Argast. A single Seraph was rumored to have destroyed half the Avian army with one spell. However, no one worries about seeing one because half of all known Seraphs were slaughtered ten years ago by a mysterious person, and since that time, the rest of them have retreated to the Upper Realms, their home plane. Rumors of surviving Seraphs and half-breeds have circulated, but hardly anyone believes it and those that do cannot prove it. Seraphs are easily distinguishable because of their wings, the feathers of which are said to posess magical properties. Their tears can heal any disease and they are the only ones who can create and forge Seraphsteel, an metal that is virtually unbreakable. Since no one ever went to the Upper Realms besides the Seraphs, no one knows how they are governed.





Okay, so those are the classes in Argast. They are all my ideas, but especially the Wizardrous and Seraphs, so please do not steal any of them. Eventually I'll get some pictures up here so you can see who the characters are and what the classes look like. I've got like two intro pages done, so soon I'll get those up.