Post by Dorothy Claymor (AKA) Skimmer on Nov 18, 2008 10:43:29 GMT -5
Background
The series is set in an alternate history where supernatural beings live side-by-side with normal humans. According to this timeline, after the discovery of the DNA double-helix by James D. Watson, Francis Crick and Rosalind Franklin, genetic manipulation becomes a possibility, changing several events in the history of this alternate universe. A virus named the T4 Angel virus attached itself to a flaw in the genetic makeup of a genetically manipulated tomato, and quickly spread around the world. As a result of the plague, all biogenetic research, including reverse engineering, genetic splicing, etc. has been outlawed. Additionally, the human race has a cultural aversion to any type of food product that stems from tomatoes - from pizza sauce to ketchup, etc.
The Turn
The virus killed a quarter of the human population, revealing the existence of several supernatural races - the vampire, Were, witch, pixy, fairy, elf and more, since the virus affected non-humans only to a small degree. The supernatural beings decided to reveal themselves to humanity, (an event thereafter called "The Turn"), and established themselves in open communities across the world.
The supernatural beings are known as "Inderlanders". As laws and societies are dramatically changed by factors relating to these new sentient species, in the United States all levels of law enforcement break down. Two new organizations, the Inderlander Security service, (consisting entirely of non-humans), and the Federal Inderlander Bureau, (consisting primarily of normal humans), replace the former law enforcement agencies at all levels.
The ever-after
The ever-after is a magical plane that existed outside the ken of normal humans until the Turn. The main pixy character, Jenks, describes it as "...a drop of time that got knocked out, sitting alone by itself with no past behind it to push it forward and no future to pull it along." Concentrations of ever-after energy are scattered across the normal plane and are called "Ley lines." Ley lines can be felt on the normal plane by magic users and the races that formerly dwelt in the ever-after, such as the elves and witches. The only race that currently dwells in the ever-after is that of the demons, having driven out the elves nearly two thousand years ago. Witches also formerly dwelt in the ever-after but fled to the mundane plane approximately five thousand years ago.
The ever-after presented in the novels is referred to as the basis for the 'happily ever after' that often occurs at the end of modern fairy tales; due to mistranslation and omission, the factual "in the ever-after" (referring to a place) became the figurative "happily ever after" (referring to time).
Supernatural races
While the novels use Inderlander to refer to all of the supernatural beings that revealed themselves during the Turn, they are divided into two main groups: those that are derived from humans and those that are non-human in origin.
Non-human
Witches - An Inderlander race that is long-lived and proficient in magical arts. They look and appear human but have a different genomic background, preventing mixed-birth children. Fled the ever-after five thousand years prior to the Turn, abandoning the realm to the demons. It is later discovered that witches inherited their magical abilities as they are the product of biological warfare waged by the elves against the demons, from whom they are descended . A trigger in the mitochondria of certain witch children normally leads to the early death of such individuals - when Rachel Morgan is cured of this illness as a child it is discovered that this fatal flaw is a remnant of the demonic ancestry all witches possess. In consequence, Rachel Morgan's children are expected to be real demons.
Pixies - A small humanoid race that lives in gardens and has an intense rivalry with their close relatives, the fairies. Pixies have a tendency to act like humans and larger Inderlanders. They rely on the pollen from plants to survive.
Fairies - A small Inderlander race that lives in gardens and has an intense rivalry with their close relatives, the pixies. Fairies tend to eat insects and work as mercenaries.
Elves - An Inderlander race that migrated from the ever-after nearly two thousand years ago after losing several wars with the demons. Trying to preserve and restore their heritage, they closely mingled and interbred with humans, which led to a massive die-off during the Turn as they fell susceptible to the Angel virus. They are widely believed to be extinct.
Leprechauns - A small Inderlander race (approximately the size of human midgets) that can grant wishes when captured though they usually offer no more than the minimum of three required by law.
Trolls - A vaguely humanoid race that lives under bridges and can be a public nuisance as they eat the mortar that holds bridges together.
Demons - A purely magical and aggressive race that dwells only in the ever-after. Individuals can be summoned to the mortal plane and ordered around by ley-line magic users, but often at a price. They are immortal, but can be destroyed by another demon, and can only exist on the mortal plane until the sun is up, at which point they are forced back into the ever-after. The demons dominate the ever-after having driven out the witches and elves by extensive warfare. Demons are unable to reproduce as all of the females of the species, save one, are dead. No offspring have been born since the elves lost a biological war against the demons - while the demons themselves survived, all offspring for several generations were corrupted. These corrupted offspring evolved into the species known as witches which subsequently fled to the mortal realm. There are at least two different kinds of demons:
Surface demons - These demons sport hooves and horns and appear to have a lower level of intelligence. These demons dwell on the surface in the ever-after. They can be used as henchmen for the more intelligent demons.
'Higher' demons - While not labeled as a superior breed, these demons are more intelligent, live below the surface of the world in the ever-after and rely upon magic and bureaucratic rules in society.
Banshees - A female species, they prey upon the fears of others, using the energy to reproduce. They are licensed in order to control their preying upon normal humans.
Gargoyles - A species that hunts at night. They pick churches and other such buildings as homes and roost there during the day. Leathery and light when active at night, they turn to stone during the day. Gargoyles have an intense connection with the ley lines of the world and provide focus and other abilities when aiding witches.
Derived from humans
Vampires
Vampires in this series are similar to common portrayals of vampires, with some exceptions. Their saliva contains neurotransmitters that make the pain of a vampire's bite feel like pleasure. Vampires can also sensitize their victim's bite so that only that vampire can affect the victim, leaving the victim mentally bound to that vampire. There are two kinds of vampires, living and undead.
Living vampires are normal humans infected with the vampire virus. They are divided into two groups, high- and low-blood. Low-blood vampires are normal humans that have been infected by an undead vampire, and have only a small amount of the benefits the virus grants, such as increased strength and speed, as well as the craving for blood. When low-blood vampires die, be it of natural causes or otherwise, they simply die like any other human, unless an undead vampire is there at the moment of death to bring them back as an undead.
High-blood vampires are vampires that were born already infected by the virus, and having been their development in the womb influenced by it. They have increased strength and speed, more so than low-blood vamps, but not as much as the undead. They also have a greater craving for blood than low-blood vampires, but it is not essential to their existence. When a high-blood vamp dies, no matter the cause, they rise again as an undead the next sundown.
When vampires become undead, they gain the full physical benefits of the vampire virus, but lose their souls in the process. They now have the ability to turn humans into vampires and bespell even unwilling hosts. Vampire society is regulated by master vampires, usually in control of the underworld in larger cities. Master vampires have a coterie called a camarilla, to which their followers and families belong, with a complex social hierarchy in which everyone looks to someone else except master vampires, who are the kingpins of the vampire society. Vampires outside of a camarilla often look to become part of one, as a camarilla serves as a support group for the lifestyle demanded by vampires.
Weres
Weres are lycanthropes with bestial attributes but are otherwise human in appearance. The origin of the Weres lies in a demon's curse upon a group of humans several thousand years ago. The common presentation in the novels thus far is that of a werewolf, although werefoxes have been mentioned.
In society, Weres live and operate as natural wolves do: there are packs, alphas and loners in their society.
Of note is that in the novels there is no 'werewolf curse' as presented in other stories. Instead, Weres must rely upon breeding to increase their numbers, unless under an external influence. Legends tell of a demonic device which allows Weres to turn a human by bite. The story tells that this device, called the "Focus," used to play a major role in their political structure, revolving around who controlled it. They were going to convert humanity by force over five thousand years ago, but the witches crossed over from the ever after around that time, and the vampires, humans, and witches banded together to remove the Focus. It was said to have been destroyed, but was not and it plays a role in the latter books of the series.
Ghosts and spirits
While not explained in the novels if the presence of ghosts and spirits relies upon the Turn, the existence of such apparitions is made plain by references to fears by characters.
Magic
There are three types of magic in the novels, earth magic, ley line magic, and demonic magic. All magic draws its power from ley lines, although in earth magic it is filtered through plants and, in the case of black earth magic, animals. In addition, there are black and white magic users, depending upon the kinds of magic the user employs. White magic is not damaging to the practitioner's soul, while black magic is. According to the series, when earth magic and ley line magic are combined the result is demon magic, but not all uses of combined magic leaves a stain upon the practitioner's aura.
Earth magic
As presented in the series, earth magic is more powerful, although slower, than ley line magic. It is associated with living things, potions, amulets, and charms. Spells can sometimes be stored and called upon later. Earth magic can be used to actually alter one's appearance or shape, unlike ley line magic. The effects are permanent unless doused in salt-water, which dispels any magical effect. Earth magic tends to be associated with white witches, since it is more difficult to gain access to the materials necessary for black earth magic; black earth magic involves the sacrifice of animals and, in some cases, humans or Inderlanders.
Ley line magic
Ley line magic has less permanence than earth magic, but is much faster and more easily adaptable. It relies upon the use of powerful sources of energy that are scattered across the surface of the world, called ley lines. Power is pulled through these lines or through familiars when ley line witches practice their magic. The cost of ley line magic is a cost to the practitioner's soul, and in white magic this cost is negligible. But black ley line magic leaves a stain on the practitioner's soul, which can sometimes be fostered off on another.
Demon magic
Demon magic combines ley line magic and earth magic to create something very fast, very powerful, and everlasting. As its name implies, demon magic is practiced almost entirely by demons and their familiars. Demon familiars may be members of any sentient species: witches, Rachel Morgan and Stanley (Lee) Saladan, and the elf, Ceridwen, have all served as the demon Algaliarept's familiar at one time or another. This type of magic is extremely powerful and can be used to change one's species, shape or appearance, by, for example, allowing a normal being to "Were," (change from human to animal), and can have other unknown effects. Due to the perversion of the laws of physics that demon magic embodies, the cost of this type of magic is extremely high, so much so that even demons try to foster off the cost onto their familiars. Because of a genetic mutation that usually leads to the death of the witch before his or her first birthday, only two witches have been seen to practice demon magic, Lee Saladan and Rachel Morgan.
The series is set in an alternate history where supernatural beings live side-by-side with normal humans. According to this timeline, after the discovery of the DNA double-helix by James D. Watson, Francis Crick and Rosalind Franklin, genetic manipulation becomes a possibility, changing several events in the history of this alternate universe. A virus named the T4 Angel virus attached itself to a flaw in the genetic makeup of a genetically manipulated tomato, and quickly spread around the world. As a result of the plague, all biogenetic research, including reverse engineering, genetic splicing, etc. has been outlawed. Additionally, the human race has a cultural aversion to any type of food product that stems from tomatoes - from pizza sauce to ketchup, etc.
The Turn
The virus killed a quarter of the human population, revealing the existence of several supernatural races - the vampire, Were, witch, pixy, fairy, elf and more, since the virus affected non-humans only to a small degree. The supernatural beings decided to reveal themselves to humanity, (an event thereafter called "The Turn"), and established themselves in open communities across the world.
The supernatural beings are known as "Inderlanders". As laws and societies are dramatically changed by factors relating to these new sentient species, in the United States all levels of law enforcement break down. Two new organizations, the Inderlander Security service, (consisting entirely of non-humans), and the Federal Inderlander Bureau, (consisting primarily of normal humans), replace the former law enforcement agencies at all levels.
The ever-after
The ever-after is a magical plane that existed outside the ken of normal humans until the Turn. The main pixy character, Jenks, describes it as "...a drop of time that got knocked out, sitting alone by itself with no past behind it to push it forward and no future to pull it along." Concentrations of ever-after energy are scattered across the normal plane and are called "Ley lines." Ley lines can be felt on the normal plane by magic users and the races that formerly dwelt in the ever-after, such as the elves and witches. The only race that currently dwells in the ever-after is that of the demons, having driven out the elves nearly two thousand years ago. Witches also formerly dwelt in the ever-after but fled to the mundane plane approximately five thousand years ago.
The ever-after presented in the novels is referred to as the basis for the 'happily ever after' that often occurs at the end of modern fairy tales; due to mistranslation and omission, the factual "in the ever-after" (referring to a place) became the figurative "happily ever after" (referring to time).
Supernatural races
While the novels use Inderlander to refer to all of the supernatural beings that revealed themselves during the Turn, they are divided into two main groups: those that are derived from humans and those that are non-human in origin.
Non-human
Witches - An Inderlander race that is long-lived and proficient in magical arts. They look and appear human but have a different genomic background, preventing mixed-birth children. Fled the ever-after five thousand years prior to the Turn, abandoning the realm to the demons. It is later discovered that witches inherited their magical abilities as they are the product of biological warfare waged by the elves against the demons, from whom they are descended . A trigger in the mitochondria of certain witch children normally leads to the early death of such individuals - when Rachel Morgan is cured of this illness as a child it is discovered that this fatal flaw is a remnant of the demonic ancestry all witches possess. In consequence, Rachel Morgan's children are expected to be real demons.
Pixies - A small humanoid race that lives in gardens and has an intense rivalry with their close relatives, the fairies. Pixies have a tendency to act like humans and larger Inderlanders. They rely on the pollen from plants to survive.
Fairies - A small Inderlander race that lives in gardens and has an intense rivalry with their close relatives, the pixies. Fairies tend to eat insects and work as mercenaries.
Elves - An Inderlander race that migrated from the ever-after nearly two thousand years ago after losing several wars with the demons. Trying to preserve and restore their heritage, they closely mingled and interbred with humans, which led to a massive die-off during the Turn as they fell susceptible to the Angel virus. They are widely believed to be extinct.
Leprechauns - A small Inderlander race (approximately the size of human midgets) that can grant wishes when captured though they usually offer no more than the minimum of three required by law.
Trolls - A vaguely humanoid race that lives under bridges and can be a public nuisance as they eat the mortar that holds bridges together.
Demons - A purely magical and aggressive race that dwells only in the ever-after. Individuals can be summoned to the mortal plane and ordered around by ley-line magic users, but often at a price. They are immortal, but can be destroyed by another demon, and can only exist on the mortal plane until the sun is up, at which point they are forced back into the ever-after. The demons dominate the ever-after having driven out the witches and elves by extensive warfare. Demons are unable to reproduce as all of the females of the species, save one, are dead. No offspring have been born since the elves lost a biological war against the demons - while the demons themselves survived, all offspring for several generations were corrupted. These corrupted offspring evolved into the species known as witches which subsequently fled to the mortal realm. There are at least two different kinds of demons:
Surface demons - These demons sport hooves and horns and appear to have a lower level of intelligence. These demons dwell on the surface in the ever-after. They can be used as henchmen for the more intelligent demons.
'Higher' demons - While not labeled as a superior breed, these demons are more intelligent, live below the surface of the world in the ever-after and rely upon magic and bureaucratic rules in society.
Banshees - A female species, they prey upon the fears of others, using the energy to reproduce. They are licensed in order to control their preying upon normal humans.
Gargoyles - A species that hunts at night. They pick churches and other such buildings as homes and roost there during the day. Leathery and light when active at night, they turn to stone during the day. Gargoyles have an intense connection with the ley lines of the world and provide focus and other abilities when aiding witches.
Derived from humans
Vampires
Vampires in this series are similar to common portrayals of vampires, with some exceptions. Their saliva contains neurotransmitters that make the pain of a vampire's bite feel like pleasure. Vampires can also sensitize their victim's bite so that only that vampire can affect the victim, leaving the victim mentally bound to that vampire. There are two kinds of vampires, living and undead.
Living vampires are normal humans infected with the vampire virus. They are divided into two groups, high- and low-blood. Low-blood vampires are normal humans that have been infected by an undead vampire, and have only a small amount of the benefits the virus grants, such as increased strength and speed, as well as the craving for blood. When low-blood vampires die, be it of natural causes or otherwise, they simply die like any other human, unless an undead vampire is there at the moment of death to bring them back as an undead.
High-blood vampires are vampires that were born already infected by the virus, and having been their development in the womb influenced by it. They have increased strength and speed, more so than low-blood vamps, but not as much as the undead. They also have a greater craving for blood than low-blood vampires, but it is not essential to their existence. When a high-blood vamp dies, no matter the cause, they rise again as an undead the next sundown.
When vampires become undead, they gain the full physical benefits of the vampire virus, but lose their souls in the process. They now have the ability to turn humans into vampires and bespell even unwilling hosts. Vampire society is regulated by master vampires, usually in control of the underworld in larger cities. Master vampires have a coterie called a camarilla, to which their followers and families belong, with a complex social hierarchy in which everyone looks to someone else except master vampires, who are the kingpins of the vampire society. Vampires outside of a camarilla often look to become part of one, as a camarilla serves as a support group for the lifestyle demanded by vampires.
Weres
Weres are lycanthropes with bestial attributes but are otherwise human in appearance. The origin of the Weres lies in a demon's curse upon a group of humans several thousand years ago. The common presentation in the novels thus far is that of a werewolf, although werefoxes have been mentioned.
In society, Weres live and operate as natural wolves do: there are packs, alphas and loners in their society.
Of note is that in the novels there is no 'werewolf curse' as presented in other stories. Instead, Weres must rely upon breeding to increase their numbers, unless under an external influence. Legends tell of a demonic device which allows Weres to turn a human by bite. The story tells that this device, called the "Focus," used to play a major role in their political structure, revolving around who controlled it. They were going to convert humanity by force over five thousand years ago, but the witches crossed over from the ever after around that time, and the vampires, humans, and witches banded together to remove the Focus. It was said to have been destroyed, but was not and it plays a role in the latter books of the series.
Ghosts and spirits
While not explained in the novels if the presence of ghosts and spirits relies upon the Turn, the existence of such apparitions is made plain by references to fears by characters.
Magic
There are three types of magic in the novels, earth magic, ley line magic, and demonic magic. All magic draws its power from ley lines, although in earth magic it is filtered through plants and, in the case of black earth magic, animals. In addition, there are black and white magic users, depending upon the kinds of magic the user employs. White magic is not damaging to the practitioner's soul, while black magic is. According to the series, when earth magic and ley line magic are combined the result is demon magic, but not all uses of combined magic leaves a stain upon the practitioner's aura.
Earth magic
As presented in the series, earth magic is more powerful, although slower, than ley line magic. It is associated with living things, potions, amulets, and charms. Spells can sometimes be stored and called upon later. Earth magic can be used to actually alter one's appearance or shape, unlike ley line magic. The effects are permanent unless doused in salt-water, which dispels any magical effect. Earth magic tends to be associated with white witches, since it is more difficult to gain access to the materials necessary for black earth magic; black earth magic involves the sacrifice of animals and, in some cases, humans or Inderlanders.
Ley line magic
Ley line magic has less permanence than earth magic, but is much faster and more easily adaptable. It relies upon the use of powerful sources of energy that are scattered across the surface of the world, called ley lines. Power is pulled through these lines or through familiars when ley line witches practice their magic. The cost of ley line magic is a cost to the practitioner's soul, and in white magic this cost is negligible. But black ley line magic leaves a stain on the practitioner's soul, which can sometimes be fostered off on another.
Demon magic
Demon magic combines ley line magic and earth magic to create something very fast, very powerful, and everlasting. As its name implies, demon magic is practiced almost entirely by demons and their familiars. Demon familiars may be members of any sentient species: witches, Rachel Morgan and Stanley (Lee) Saladan, and the elf, Ceridwen, have all served as the demon Algaliarept's familiar at one time or another. This type of magic is extremely powerful and can be used to change one's species, shape or appearance, by, for example, allowing a normal being to "Were," (change from human to animal), and can have other unknown effects. Due to the perversion of the laws of physics that demon magic embodies, the cost of this type of magic is extremely high, so much so that even demons try to foster off the cost onto their familiars. Because of a genetic mutation that usually leads to the death of the witch before his or her first birthday, only two witches have been seen to practice demon magic, Lee Saladan and Rachel Morgan.
