The Ancients
Mythical Origins
Believed to be the first species to step upon the world, hand crafted by the gods personally to populate the world they had finished creating. Each was different from the rest, even different from their children to a lesser degree, and from them spawned the various species of the world.It is also theorized by some cultures that each species of creature is attuned to a different from of magic, and the Ancients are the ultimate source of these magics in the world. The magic within their soul-songs that creates their offspring is only one aspect of their shared mythical capabilities.
Physical Characteristics
The Ancients look to be the base model of their respective species, but with embellished features that their children do not develop to the same extent. Examples being the Ancient Deer, who’s antlers grew so long and numerous that they formed an armor over their back; or the Ancient Wolf whose songs can be heard in the hearts of others on the other side of the planet.These ancient beings have also never stopped growing, and have reached colossal size in the current age. The largest among them has been described as a moving mountain.
Reproduction
According to legend, the Ancients are functionally gender-less, reproducing asexually through singing their newest offspring into being. One symptom of an Ancient in an area is said to be a gathering of hundreds of their adult offspring in a single place; gathered around them when they start to sing. Even the typically solitary species are drawn to their Ancient’s song, and many of these will leave with offspring at their heels from the masses of brood these titans sing into being.Lifespan
It is not known if Ancient have a natural end to life, but a number of notorious heroes have made claims of hunting the ancients. Many species and many forms of magic have been lost to these hunts, as the death of an Ancient spells the death of all who share its song, with no new generations to follow and the mortal offspring doomed to age and die with time.It's not known how many live.
Origin of the Sexes
When the species emerged from the primordial essence of creation, the notion of 'male' and 'female' did not exist. Each Ancient was capable of bearing young asexually. The first generations of their offspring also kept this quality.It is claimed that the first generation to be separated into different sexes were the result of the divines seeing how their creations fought their own kin, without the cause of needing nourishment or in defense.
The offspring to follow would either be capable of seeding life or to carry new life, but neither could reproduce without the other. Those who failed to tolerate or gain tolerance of their kinds would not pass such traits to future heirs.
Perhaps the Ancients are still alive, living off their soul-song's energy of creation. Some claim to have seen them wandering, towering over their offspring.
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