-Constructs-

Mud Golem - 1 month old - genderless/male - Earth Golem - Master Butler

Mud is a humanoid slightly more than a meter tall, crafted from powdered earth elemental, magic water, and fire dragon blood. Mud can freely manipulate its shape using a Rare Skill, but its default shape is a simplified, rounded approximation of a human. It has two stubby cylinders for legs, and two similarly stubby arms that end in three fingers each. On Mud's face are three vision runes drawn in red ink, resembling eyes. Each eye has a different number of eyelashes, from one to three. Mud usually keeps useful objects hidden inside of its body, particularly a custom-made weapon made of chains.

Mud was constructed by the Great Enchanter Cithlar to assist with household chores. Cithlar died during the process of creating Mud, leaving him without guidance in early life. When Cithlar crafted it, Mud was implanted with a subconscious desire to clean, as well as four absolute rules; Mud must not kill humans or demi-humans, Mud must follow all orders from humans that do not conflict with Cithlar's own orders, Mud must avoid damage to himself, and Mud must protect Cithlar's possessions. The first two rules were designed to prevent Mud from acting in dangerous ways, but these restrictions have been largely circumvented. When Mud wants someone dead, the golem merely incapacitates them and has an ally kill them. Mud has added a 'human in the loop' to his order process in order to avoid following undesirable orders. Due to events early in the golem's life, Mud is distrustful of human societies and wishes to amass power to better pursue its goals. In combat, Mud utilizes a combination of psionic magic, household magic, and shapeshifting.

Ego Golem - 2 months old - female - Ego Sword - Dancer

Ego is a finely crafted metal one-handed straight sword inlaid with valuable gemstones. She spends most of her time in a scabbard made of aged red leather with metal accents.

Ego was constructed by the Great Enchanter Cithlar to be awarded as a prize for the greatest contributor to the city of Geltheas's defense during the dungeon wave. Mud took her for himself in order to increase his fighting strength prior to the martial arts tournament. Ego considers herself to be Mud's sister, and has a strong attachment to him. While Mud agrees that they are siblings in a technical sense and feels they have unique similarities, Mud generally only considers her to be a useful tool. Ego has a flamboyant personality and likes to show off, but being a useful weapon is more important to her. Ego believes a good weapon should only draw attention to itself when appropriate, such as during combat. Unless she is needed, she generally does not communicate. Currently, she is being used as the primary weapon of Novus, as Mud is not suited to using swords. In combat, she can fly through the air to attack on her own, or guide the strikes of her wielder. Ego can also increase her own weight using a yoga technique.

-Demons-

Jabraxicalicomixelwalkydoopilous - several thousand years old - female - Demon

As a demon, Jabrax is capable of limited shapeshifting. When interacting with Sapients, Jabrax resembles an ordinary human female teenager, aside from her extremely long and fluffy maroon hair, and her maroon eyes which catch the light like a gemstone. In her true form, she grows a long, hoselike dark-purple tail and large moth-like wings. The symbol of the lord of the demons, a five-pointed spear, appears at the end of her tail and in the pattern of her wings.

At the start of the story, Jabrax was kept captive in Cithlar's basement to serve as a fuel source for the highly volatile Taegul Drive. The demon negotiated her release from the magical prison in exchange for entering a contract of service to Mud. As a demon, Jabrax desires the death and suffering of all non-demonic life. While assisting Mud to the extent required by her contract, Jabrax also attempts to manipulate the young construct Mud to harm Sapient society. Jabrax has a particular love of overly complex and convoluted plans. If possible, she prefers to turn Sapients against each other instead of causing suffering herself. In combat, Jabrax makes use of dream and chair magic, as well as shapeshifting her hands into claws to attack with her surprising physical strength. When relaxing, she prefers to sit on an invisible chair crafted from her magic instead of using mundane furniture.

Valefarraximalicafarius - several thousand years old - male - Demon

Like Jabrax, Valefar usually keeps a human appearance to hide his demonic nature. Using the alias Vale Farwind, the demon Valefar managed to infiltrate the military command structure of the Phagia Republic. He used his influence to cause harm to Sapients as much as possible without being exposed. During an attack on Geltheas, his body was destroyed in combat by Shin, and Valefar has returned to the abyss.

-Humans-

Cithlar - 113 years old (dead) - male - human - Enchanter

Perhaps the most skilled enchanter the world has ever seen, at the age of 70 Cithlar was granted the title of 'Great Enchanter' by the Bibliotheca. Cithlar was a pioneer in the use of enchanting for unique and unusual purposes, and was renowned in the art of ego smithing. Despite his genius, the Great Enchanter was rather careless and sloppy, often performing dangerous experiments or crafting destructive artifacts with little regard for the ramifications of his actions. Cithlar disliked human company, and spent most of his life living alone in the wilderness, although he continued to live near towns to more easily purchase supplies. Cithlar died of heart failure while crafting a golem.

Bark Goldtooth - 17 years old - male - human - Merchant

Despite being the grandson of the wealthiest man in Geltheas, Bark often found himself getting into trouble. As a man who considered himself much more clever than he actually was, Bark wished to become rich by himself without the help of his family. He would often pay his former classmates Jericho and Cob to perform petty crimes and get-rich-quick schemes with him, using the generous allowance his grandfather granted him. During an attempt to rob the home of Cithlar, he was captured by Mud and Jabrax. After extensive brainwashing and surgery by Jabrax, Bark Goldtooth is now nothing more than a body-double for the dead Cithlar.

Jericho - 17 years old - male - human - no class

Orphaned at a young age, Jericho lived on the street most of his life. His life changed when he became friends with Bark Goldtooth. Jericho would follow all of Bark's orders, and Bark would provide Jericho with money to buy enough food that he wouldn't go hungry. Due to his upbringing, Jericho had some rather crude habits. During an attempt to rob Cithlar's mansion, Jericho was seduced and captured by the demon Jabrax. Jericho has since been put into a permanent dream by Jabrax and is used for manual labor and other odd jobs by the demon.

Cob - 17 years old - male - human - Swordsman

The first impression most people have of Cob is that he's insane. He walks around half-naked, his body is covered in scars, and he laughs loudly and unpredictably. Cob is a compulsive liar and an opportunistic sociopath who will happily kill someone if it would benefit him in the slightest. On the other hand, he has a surprisingly sharp intuition and never acts rashly without first considering the situation. While originally a member of Bark's group, Cob has betrayed his former associates to work for Mud. At the end of the day, what's most important to Cob is his own safety. Cob has an unusual romantic preference for demi-humans.

In combat, Cob makes use of his curved sword. Cob's Unique skill allows him to block attacks with his own blood, which takes on a strong, highly viscous quality.

Novus - 16 years old - female - human - Fighter

Novus is an inexperienced delver who has only recently completed training. She takes rules and orders very seriously and always tries to do the right thing. Due to her inexperience, she often panics in unexpected situations. She has been recruited into Mud's group, although she often finds herself disagreeing with the golem's more extreme acts and choices. After being exposed to large amounts of mind-effecting magic she has begun to suffer the effects of mental degradation.

In combat, Novus uses a sword and shield. These days, she uses Ego Golem as her primary weapon.

Thagi Ghul - 46 years old - male - greater human - Halberdier

A large man of nearly two meters with bulging muscles and a thick mustache. He often wears black armor with gold trim and wields a halberd.

Thagi was born to human parents living in a dwarven mountain-home. Thagi's Unique skill made him uncomfortable living among the smog and stagnant air of the tunnels, so when he came of age he became a delver and returned to human society. After decades of work, Thagi has moved up the ranks of the association to become a Leader, assigned to the town of Geltheas. In recognition of his numerous achievements, Thagi was granted the name Ghul by the King of Pancal.

Guy Fallow - 38 years old (dead) - male - human - Politician

An unhealthy-looking man with bags under his eyes. He had a preference for formal wear designed for comfort, and tended to sweat a lot. Fallow became the mayor of the city of Geltheas following an election campaign focused on improving trade with nearby cities. Mayor Fallow had a bad habit of overworking himself at the expense of his health. Fallow was usually friendly and forgiving, but was strict when it came to the rule of law. Prior to his death, there were popular rumors that he was a masochist.

Guard Captain Lgur - 27 years old - female - human - Voltaic Mage

The beautiful and feared head of the city of Geltheas' military and police. Although young, she is known among the criminal underbelly of Geltheas as "the lightning disaster" due to her skill with electric magic. While she may appear to only use electricity-based magic, she also makes use of draconic magic as well as meta-magic which brings her spells to life. She has a tendency to make inappropriate jokes in an attempt to defuse stressful situations, much to the chagrin of her colleagues.

High Priest Dicitiam - 49 years old (dead) - male - human - High Priest

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An older man who usually wears a rainbow-colored robe. He was head of the Church of the Venerable Gnostics in Geltheas prior to his death at the hands of Nemo. He would often fall asleep during official duties, such as city council meetings. He took his faith very seriously, however, and attempted to strike down Mud when he discovered him to be a construct.

Mrs. Bloodhammer - 115 years old - female - human - Master Teacher

The head of the school system in Geltheas. Although she is far from the most politically or physically powerful person in the Geltheas, she is still the most feared and respected individual in the city. Almost every resident of Gletheas was taught by her at some point in their life.

Mr. Goldtooth - 67 years old - male - human - Master Merchant

Corpulent owner of most of the stores as well as the bank in Geltheas, and the richest person in town. He's been depressed since the disappearance of his grandson, Bark.

Meld - 35 years old - male - human - Fighter

Meld is a competent delver and party leader. He spends most of his time training new and inexperienced delvers. After an incident in the woods outside of Geltheas, Meld informed the Delvers Association about the existence of Mud.

Kim - 25 years old - male - human - Pugilist

Along with Meld, Kim trains inexperienced delvers for the association. Kim was originally born in northern Ossan, a nation located across the ocean from Geltheas in the Uncivilized Continent. He moved to Geltheas to avoid the constant bloodshed in his homeland.

Suzy - 16 years old - female - human - Decay Witch

A girl with a slightly delusional perception of the world and a flair for the dramatic. Suzy refers to herself as "The Raven", and uses powerful but destructive Entropy Magic. Suzy can also use the Ideal of Bird, but is not skilled at using it. Suzy believes she has found a kindred spirit in Mud, although she was actually talking to Ego.

First Prince Cain - 25 years old - male - human - Prince of Pancal

Can is a handsome man with red-and-white streaked hair. He often wears high-quality armor that exposes his head and carries a shield and spear. Cain wants to be a true hero for the people of Pancal, but understands that the appearance of heroics is often more important to the country than the fact of heroics. Cain does not regret his position as first prince, but he often feels trapped by his responsibilities, forced to do things he finds distasteful for the greater good of the country.

His fighting style focuses on a sturdy defense and counter-attacks.

Sibilia - 28 years old - female - human - Phantom

The primary bodyguard of Prince Cain. Using a variety of skills, she spends most of her time invisible and silent. It actually requires effort on her part to become perceptible to normal humans. Her requirements to keep Cain safe often put her at odds with the prince, who values his freedom.

Sibilia prefers stealth and sneak attacks to direct conflict. She usually fights with blades, making precise cuts at vital locations to kill opponents before they even realize they're being attacked.

Magnus - 83 years old - male - human - Master Magician

Granted the title of "Great Magician" by the Bibliotheca due to his mastery of many esoteric and confusing Ideals. Magnus acts as a mentor to Cain. His advice and observations are almost always correct, and he tends to know more about a situation than he lets on. The Ideals that he has mastered include the Ideal of the Opposite, Ideal of the Mirror, Ideal of the Reverse, and Ideal of Undoing. Critics have claimed that his Ideals are too similar to each other, but Magnus claims they're all completely different, and that those critics are idiots.

Videre - 40 years old - female - human - Master Clerk

A clerk working for the Delver's Association in Geltheas. She believes Mud can be used as a valuable asset to the organization if manipulated correctly. Despite the fact that he is a construct, Videre believes Mud can be manipulated using techniques that would work on humans. She seems to know more than she should about Mud and his abilities, and has implied that she knows Jabrax is a demon.

Shin - 18 years old - male - human - Spiritualist

Usually wears black samurai armor and wields a katana. Shin has difficulty with the language of Pancal, due to recently moving to the country from Ossan. Shin's Unique skill allows him to see, communicate with, and command the spirits of the recently deceased. The spirits of those who he has a strong connection with remain at his side much longer. This powerful ability does not come without a cost, however; if he does not collect new spirits regularly, his Unique skill will attract malicious ghosts that will harm those around him. As a result, he has been surrounded by death his entire life. Shin fled Ossan after most of his family was killed by political rivals.

Nemo - 42 years old - male - human - Slave

The national hero of the Phagia Republic. Nemo is such a firm believer in the Ideal of his country that he has declared himself the slave of every citizen, placing himself at the lowest social position possible. Nemo also believes that a perfect citizen of Phagia would own no possessions and eat no food, leaving more available for others. Government handlers follow him throughout his daily life to make sure his time and power are used efficiently for the good of the nation. His Unique ability allows him to perceive a spacial direction that others cannot. While this perception is unique to Nemo, the actual direction is not. It is possible for him to take someone with him or to be followed. Attempting to travel across normal space with this skill takes longer than walking normally. According to Nemo, it's analogous to drawing a line from one corner of a square the opposite corner; walking normally would be like drawing a straight diagonal line across, but using his Unique skill is like tracing the edge of the square.

-Demi-humans-

Ovis - 17 years old - female - demi-sheep - Priest

A priest of the Church of the Venerable Gnostics. She has a sheeplike head with fluffy white hair, and usually wears a rainbow-colored robe. While she often puts on a cheerful facade, she is actually very bitter about how she has been treated by human society. Due to her strong faith, she is hateful towards Magical Beasts and constructs. Ovis was arrested for attempting to assassinate Mud for being a construct, despite having previous friendly relations.

Ingeit - 56 years old - male - dwarf - Dwarven Smith

A dwarf with a large beard and a metal arm. Instead of a hand, the metal arm has three free-floating metal cylinders that Ingeit can manipulate.

Ingeit and his family moved to the human-dominated city of Geltheas to open a blacksmith shop in search of inspiration, due to Ingeit's belief that humans were naturally more creative than dwarves. Ingeit did find the inspiration he sought, but from a golem rather than a human. After making Mud's weapon, Ingeit modified the design and began creating prototypes for an automatic war machine made out of chains. He had his first field test of the 'chain spiders' when Phagian soldiers attempted to loot his store.

-Nations-

Pancal - Monarchy

The country of Pancal stretches along the western coast of the Civilized Continent. The royal family is powerful and beloved by the people. The King has absolute control of the country, but most affairs are settled by court officials and the nobility. Individual towns are run by elected officials, aside from the capital. When a King is crowned, his previous name is discarded and he is referred to only by his title. The largest population group is humans, but there are also several demi-human cities within their territory. There are no discriminatory laws in Pancal, but the country is generally considered to be human-centric.

Phagia Republic - Majoritarian Democracy

Many outside of Phagia consider the Phagia Republic to be more of a cult than a country. All citizens are required to learn an Ideal skill that feeds large amounts of propaganda through the Akashic Record and directly into their minds. Any and all subjects are open to a vote in Phagia, with a simple majority being all that is required for a motion to pass. As a result, the nation is dominated by the species with the largest population sizes. The most powerful political force is Tzichik, the hive-mind of tick-like magical beasts that founded the nation. Due to the wording of the constitution, each individual tick gets to vote separately despite the entire species having a single unified mind. The second-largest population group is humans, but the second most powerful political group is the ant-men.

Ossan - Feudalism

The country of Ossan is divided into several smaller nation-states controlled by warlords, all of whom have sworn allegiance to the Holy Emperor of the Heavenly Host. Member states of Ossan may engage in warfare with each other, such as border disputes, within certain limits set forth by the Emperor. Countries outside of Ossan are not granted this protection, and the armies of Ossan are notorious for their policy of complete eradication when invading foreign nations. Many different species live in Ossan, but the Heavenly Host is populated exclusively by Cherub. Ossan is the only large nation that has managed to establish a permanent foothold in the Uncivilized Continent.

-Archons-

Yaldabaoth

Resembles a snake with a lion's head. Believed by many to be the creator of the world. Created tier zero animals and animalistic demi-humans. He is known to feed on the suffering. How he is viewed varies greatly between cultures.

Abraxas

Resembles a man with a chickens head and two snakes for legs. The archon that created the 365 Magical Beasts.

Adonaios

Resembles the sun. Associated with light. Created plantlife.

Logos

Resembles an elderly man with indistinct features. An Archon associated with knowledge. Said to have created humans.

Sophia

Resembles an elderly woman with indistinct features. An archon associated with wisdom. Created elves and dwarves.

Tzevaot

Resembles an infinite amount of humanoids with birdlike wings. Archon that rules over the Cherub, the race most closely linked to the Archons.

Bythos and Sige

Gods that rule outside of the false world of Yaldabaoth.

the one below

Primordial being at the center of the abyss. Knowledge of its true name makes it aware of you, and so it is not spoken. Little is known about it.