Hybrids are folk known for their feline characteristics, and the major inhabitants of Lotus Marsh and the area within the southern regions of Lagendia. They once occupied most of the territories in Riverwort Wharf in peaceful tribes, but was later exposed to several misfortunes due to the apparition of the Red Merchants, the rise of the Assay Tribe and the Bao Hybrids, a meteor crash and the contamination of their lands.
After much of the hybrids were scattered throughout Lagendia as slaves, some had managed to return to Lotus Marsh, only to encounter the contamination that has been spreading throughout Lotus Marsh as of late.
Characteristics[]
The natives can be born with a wide variety of body and facial features: They seem to be able to have any hair color, eye color, and their feet can range from human-like to feline-like, or something in between. The characteristics that unite and identify all of it's members are the feline-like ears and tail, and black claws. Female natives always have light skin, while males always have black skin, made evident by Lucita and her brother Suriya. The only exception known to this rule is Charti's grandfather, who has a very light skin tone. Male natives also do not have eyebrows.
History[]
The hybrids used to be regular humans, and their origins can be traced back several decades or even centuries ago. According to a book wrote by one Ancient, the author's friends were contaminated with a poison. While some of them pressented the usual symptoms and turned into monsters, some seemed to resist the contamination and eventually developed animal characteristics. Alarmed, thinking that they may still contained poison and posed a threat to other people the group decided to leave to Lotus Marsh, a settlement established by King Feder for people to live in the southern region. The feline characteristics were passed over their descendants, and so their race started to be categorized as a unique one instead of being considered as mutated humans.
Throughout the following years and with no signs of being a threat, most of the hybrids slowly moved to live in other cities and coexisted with humans normally. Until 20 years ago, some hybrid families even held a powerful social status. An incident involving Count Lair, a controversial pharmacologist known both for his great achievements and inhuman methods tensed the relationships between humans, particularly the nobility, and the hybrids. It was revealed that Count Lair was involved in the kidnap and killings of hybrids by the Dragon Followers and one of his medicines, known in the present as "False Purification", contained hybrid tissue among it's ingredients. Count Lair, being part of the nobility himself, wasn't held accountable for all of his crimes and was simply sent away to live in the Tarlay Castle.
Eventually Count Lair was killed by an hybrid who sneaked into the Tarlay Castle, in revenge for the kidnap and cruel use of hybrids for his experiments. The Cassius Family declared the murder an act of mutiny agaisnt the nobility and enacted a law that forbid hybrids from living outside Lotus Marsh. Soon after, hybrids started to be chased out of the city or captured, the males were sentenced to death and the females sold as slaves.
The hybrids who managed to escape took refugee back in Lotus Marsh and nearby villages. They scattered throughout the surrounding forests but were soon sought after as slaves or workers. It was only during the present time that the hybrids have regained their freedom, although not everyone was able to enjoy this right: Trafficking of hybrids by criminal organizations like the Red Merchants was a common occurrence, and several were sold and taken to places unknown to forcefully perform cruel and humiliating labor for humans.
At the present time, a sickness is slowly claiming the lives of Natives, with some turned into monsters. Experts from Lotus Marsh are trying to look for a cure to this mysterious ailment, which is later discovered to be linked to the Sorcerer Karahan.
Culture[]
Community[]
While humans harshly reject hybrids from entering their settlements and require special permissions to travel through the Nothern Kingdom, hybrids overall seem more lax and even welcoming of humans and other folk like Elves who enter their regions. Lotus Marsh has several human and elves inhabitants. The famous Sorceress Karacule who grew fond of the natives has her own home whiting the region and offers her aid to the hybrids.
On the other hand, there are some tribes who chose to shut themselves off from the human occupants, establishing closely guarded settlements near Isla Native Village like Krita Village, known for being prideful about their identity and reject the notion that they were once humans.
Some hybrids believe that peace can only be achieved if they could be turned back into humans. As result, an organization known as the Bao Hybrids was formed by people with like-minded ideas in order to find a way to revert back to regular humans.
Religion[]
After the surviving hybrids took refugee in southern lands, a widespread rejection of the monotheistic religion that worships the Goddess Altea took place and the natives turned to worship their ancestors and nature. It is known that they build totems and sanctums in their honor.
While hybrids are welcoming towards foreigners, they are still expected to reject the Goddess Altea and always devote themselves to their ancestors and nature. Converting to her religion can be met with rejection from family and friends, or even the whole community.
Language[]
Despite the hybrids developing their own language, most of them prefer to or only speak the same language as the people of the Northern Kingdom, in which they are perfectly fluid with. It is said that the nickname "Zenya" of the elf who lives in the region was given to her by an hybrid friend, and means "butterfly".
Known Hybrid settlements[]
List of Known Hybrids[]
- Machina
- Martial Artist Xiaolong
- Charti
- Charti's grandfather
- Merchant Lucita
- Suriya
- Master Cleric Johan
- Katau
- Warehouse Manager Champa
Trivia[]
- Depending on the context, calling a hybrid by it's race can be perceived as rude and despective. They prefer to be addressed without pointing out their race or by their names.
- Prideful hybrids like Machina do not mind the term at all, and in fact find it flattering.
- Merchant Lucita is the only known native with fluffy hair on her ears and tail, despite her brother having regular ones.
- While technically Xiaolong isn't part of the same race due to his mutation being of different origins and his looks differing from those of the folk from the southern regions, he is subject of the same prejudice from humans. As result, he feels more welcomed in Lotus Marsh where he has been mistaken for a native and even joined the Bao Hybirds.
In other localizations[]
North America[]
- Their race was given the name of Dromaji.
Russia[]
- Their race was given the name of Myauri.