The Navina Codex

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Magic items are powered by a naturally occuring mana called Athirum.

Anti-magic items are powered by a naturally occuring crystal called Ethergem but typically is referred to as Ether.

The Cadria Confederation is composed of a group of states run by nobility working together for the personal advancement of their region, Athrille, which is rich in Athrium and where the substance derives its name from. Though they have no royal blood they seek to gain power over the entire continent in order to secure trade routes and become even richer. The plan, which they are quite vocal about is to place one of their highest ranking families upon the throne to act as an ambassador to all to ensure "fair trade" between the two previously divided factions.


Races

Otherwise known as the "Mist Walkers", the Ciastan are a race of mystics that live in the isolated parts of the world where the Mist is the strongest. They are known for their ability to use the magic of the Mist to manifest powerful abilities. Ciastan are all born with this ability, though only a few are able to develop it on a level that it amounts to real power.

If a Ciastan must leave the Clan for any given time they carry a gem that infuses their body with the Mist on a personal level. To be without this gem would result in a Ciastan would be thrown into a berserker like rage and drain the magic from anything nearby that is powerful enough to feed their thirst. They will not stop until they are slain or their hunger has subsided.

Ciastan have ears that meet at a point on the end and are able to pick up on more subtle noises due to this. Their height tends to peak at six feet tall in most cases, though some variation is shown with five feet being the minimum. Their skintone varies by climate, but those who are native to Navina tend to have a fair to slightly tan skin tone. Hair colors range from from pure white all the way to black, although no unnatural colors have been recorded. Their eyes appear to be quite ordinary save for a ring of light that appears around the pupil, which gives many Ciastan the ability to see in conditions that are unfavorable to most humanoid eyes.

Half Ciastan are the result of human and Ciastan having physical relations with one another. They are born with the ability to manipulate the Mist much like their Ciastan parents. As such they are required at birth to be placed in the care of their Ciastan parents tribe until the time they reach adulthood. They are given the choice at this time to either become part of the tribe or have their "Mist" magic sealed. Those who are released from the tribe upon adulthood are marked with a sign on the left side of their face to show that they are not a danger to others should their hunger not be satiated.

Ciastan who have enough connection to the Mist are trained as Magi, which is the highest honor among the ones Clan. The Mist Magi begin in a neutral state and can choose to their manifest their powers as the Glow or Shadow of the Mist. The Glow of the Mist allows the Mist Magi to manifest the powers of a White Mage. The Shadow of the Mist allows people to manifest the powers of a Black Mage.

Stonekin are a people as old as the land itself. They live to about four hundred years old and stand at four feet tall. They boast a natural resistance to magic spells and are highly favored as Atherium harvesters. They hold half the power in the Cadria Confederation due to this ability and the fact much of the material is in their territory. They have a broad array of hair and eye colors with a stronger frame than most other races in Navina.

Their cities are divided by classes. There are commoners and nobles. A family's position is based on merit earned through acts that the Stonekin consider to be brave such as defending their homes from threats, advancement of the Stonekin Clan or Kin, marriage, or becoming a great tradesman in the field of Smithing. In between the two social classes are two that are obtained by those proficient in their ways, but not enough to become a noble. These ranks are the Artisan and Armsman.

Deepkin are extremely conservative Stonekin who have built their cities deep in the ground where few except Stonekin can find safely. They do not like other races and consider the Earthkin to be traitors to their kind. Due to being below the ground their entire lives they are among the best smiths due to their access to special types of ore that only grow in the depths.

The ore itself has streaks of Atherium in it, which causes some curious effects in the ore that are unique and quite precious among their kind. The weapons and armor that this ore produces are extremely durable and have elemental traits. However the ore itself must be handled a special way that only the Deepkin are aware of the technique to craft the Atherium ore without losing the magic of it. Such armors and weapons are considered prize worthy, only second to Magitech of the lost empire.

The Earthkin are Stonekin who primarily live on the surface and tend to lean on the more liberal side of their race. They live among the humes as Blacksmiths and Mercenaries. They carry the pride of their people and stay to the side of Lawfulness and Goodness, but still look out for their own kin as other races do. Due to living on the surface some of their magic resistance has depleted, but to fully lose that would require seven or more generations. Earthkin can also be found in the Stonekin cities, often as commoners or working for a Noble family.

The Marked are Stonekin that have been banned from Stonekin cities due to criminal activities and other generally dishonorable behavior. They are marked before they are banished so that all may know what they have done. The type of mark left tells what the crime was, with differing size and shape for each. The most serious of offenses carry a full face mark, where minor crimes may be a mark on their cheek or forehead.

The viera have rabbit-like features, including long ears and supple limbs. They generally wear stilettos, possibly due to the shape of their feet, although there have been exceptions. Their trademark long ears grant them exceptionally good hearing, although they are said to have excellent senses overall.
The viera are sensitive to Mist--if they are exposed to high concentrations of Mist, they will go into a berserk state referred to as a Mist frenzy. When experiencing a Mist frenzy, a viera can literally tear apart metal shackles and kill armored humes with unarmed blows.

The viera's ears do not only allow them to hear over great distances, but they also allow them to listen to the voices of the spirit world. They can put this ability to great use, either to communicate with the world around them, or to summon monsters from other worlds. Furthermore, the viera have approximately three times the lifespan of humes.

The bangaa are a lizard-like race, widespread across Navina. They have long faces, scaly skin, and tough limbs. They have two long ears dangling from each side of their heads, leading people to call them "long-ears". Their sense of smell and hearing are exceptionally sharp. They have a tall stature and are physically powerful, but their vocal structure makes it difficult for them to cast incantations, limiting their use of magic. Due to their capacity in brute force, the bangaa are generally considered to be the most physically prominent of all the Ivalice races. Voices aside, their reptilian appearance make it difficult to distinguish the sexes from each other. Their lifespan in roughly 1.5-2 times as long as a hume's.[1]

Calling a bangaa a "lizard" is considered the worst racial slur one could throw at them, for more reasons than that it is demeaning. Another lizard-like race exists in Ivalice, generally referred to as the Lizardmen; these creatures are more primitive and violent than the bangaa, who resent the comparison. However, some people will still refer to bangaas as lizards when outside of their company. Unlike true reptiles, bangaa are capable of growing facial hair.

Zodiac Braves

http://finalfantasy.wikia.com/wiki/Shemhazai

Shemhazai has chosen Duchess Avalina von Lagesti as her host. The Duchess is the ruler of the region of Daltreson. She is the latest in a long line of Von Lagesti's to ascend to the rank of ruler in the region. Her ascent to power came mysteriously and sudden when her father the Duke was suddenly struck with an illness that claimed his life within a month. She has only served as the Duchess for two months, but is by far the most successful with insights even surpassing those of her Court Spies.

In times long past the Humes, Ciastan, and Stonekin warred for the land of Navina. The Ciastan and Stonekin were the dominant races of the time and warred the hardest, their conflicts often wiping out entire regions before one side was forced to retreat. The losses from the sixty years of war caused a shift in the power. The Humes being of shorter lives and much quicker breeding were able raise an army and grab control of two thirds of the continent.

Over the next few centuries the humes managed to create a vast empire that eclipsed the other two cultures. The Ciastan Crystal Spires were crushed to prevent the Mist from gathering that the Ciastan might once more rise up and create another way to spread their influence throughout the continent. This was due to the fear of the Humes that given time the Ciastan would once more have the strength to take back the land they lost.

The Stonekin rather than suffer any further indignities retreated back to their mountains with fallen kin in tow and began to rebuild what they

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Reserved for other stuff

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Update List:
1/22/13: Added Bangaa and Viera (courtesy of http://finalfantasy.wikia.com/wiki/Final_Fantasy_Wiki)