This is just a guide so I don’t have to explain too much stuff in the chapters (Nvm, I think I'll add stuff into the story for immersion. Right now this is mostly for reference so I don't forget stuff xD). I'll add/delete more stuff based on whether it's relative to the story or not. I know it's not a very original story, but this is something I'm doing in my free time (I have a lot, I just usually don't do anything at all in my free time besides sleeping). I might as well try to become a productive person. If I can get past 10 chapters, then I think I'll achieved something. There might be some discrepancies, but I'll fix them when I catch them.

The last time I ever wrote a fantasy story was probably in 3rd grade. Personally, I find my imagination and story telling abilities to be rather, well, unimaginative and plain, so the story will probably get boring or confusing at times. But I know that my grammar is good :). I would be glad for comments and criticism. Maybe I can become a better writer overall and pass my humanities classes.

The story is going to be pretty slow (I think), and the main character isn't going to be overpowered (I think...?) until the very end, probably, so if you dislike slow stories or stories where the mc isn't overpowered, then I won't feel insulted if you decide to drop or don't read this. :). I'm just going to write whatever I want and can think up of. I'm literally winging everything I'm writing each day xD (Edit 07/23/15: Now I know why people outline their entire stories first instead of winging each chapter like me TT.TT). Oh well. Stuff should somehow work out in the end.

UPDATE 09-16-15: I changed some important stuff about swordsmen and magicians, but it shouldn't matter too much because the stuff wasn't brought up in the story yet. If I went with what I started with originally, then swordsmen would be a LOT weaker than magicians, because the magicians would absorb energy from the air while swordsmen would have to generate their own power. I don't want that kind of imbalance. I realized that it would be too difficult for a beginner writer like me to make any sense of the story without creating significant plot holes, so I simplified it a bit, so now it's more closely related to Coiling Dragon. If I ever finish this story, I'll try to make a new one that's original.

UPDATE 09-30-15: Changed the stuff with nil ranks. Stuff before didn't make sense at all with the story. Currently trying to set a person's power in the rankings. Can't have someone who can crush small rocks with difficulty become able to destroy a building easily after one rank.

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Brief Human Guide About Draen

BASIC GEOGRAPHY

World: Draen

Known Continents: Praxus, Geneva, Area

Seas: Chaotic Sea, Sea of Melva, Weeping Sea, Baret Sea

BASIC HISTORY

??? (I’ll put stuff here when it’s mentioned in the story)

CIVILIZATION/KINGDOMS

??? (I’ll put stuff here when it’s mentioned in the story)

IMPORTANT PEOPLE TO KNOW (Famous people and the like, not normal people like the mc)

Zythian Farus: Strongest known human alive. Was an Apex Grand Swordsman, but is now an Intermediate because he attempted to break through to the next rank and failed.

??? (I’ll put stuff here when it’s mentioned in the story)

RACES

Races are split between the major, minor, superior races. Major races include humans and humanoids with sufficient intellect. Races that are intelligent but are not humanoid are still placed in the minor races by humans, along with other mundane and instinct driven races. Most members of a major race live on one continent (ex. humans on Praxus), and minor races are usually scattered throughout the world. Little is known much about other major races, as crossing the seas to other continents is extremely dangerous due to erratic storms and high ranked magical beasts (Most beasts belong to the minor races. Some, like dragons, belong to the superior races). Only the Memasi of the major races interact with humans.

The superior races are the races that dominated the continent of Praxus countless years ago. According to ancient knowledge, the superior races sprang up from the earth, and basically established themselves completely into the world. The superior race included beings such as dragons, titans, and other monstrous beasts. In fact, many beasts of the minor races are said to be the descendants of the superior races. However, many of the superior races were wiped out, when humanoid beings descended from the skies. The superior races fought with the beings, but ultimately lost, and the beings then took control. The humanoids placed their own creations, which were in likeness of them, onto the world, before going back to where they came from. This then lead to the growth and current domination of the major races. While the superior races still exist, there are very few sightings, and there are less and less reports of superior races as each year passes by. Some no longer even believe in the existence of superior races anymore.

Stuff that an average commoner sees or interact with everyday like trees, fish, or insects aren’t labelled in the races (I got lazy). However, it is to be noted that some minor races are a result of a mutation in these common organisms, such as treants and giant man eating insects.

Major Races

Humans: The dominant race on the continent Praxus. In Praxus, the strong are revered, but the weak are not generally shunned. However, some humans look down upon those weaker than them with disdain, especially those who are the children of powerful humans. Such powerful humans know how it feels to be weak, but their children tend to grow arrogant, as most have an advantage over others as they are raised by powerful humans and have talent. Most, however, believe in the strong protecting the weak. The stronger one is, the higher one rises up in the ranks of political and monetary power, as kingdoms are eager to recruit powerful humans to increase their strength.

Demons: Known to inhabit the continent Geneva. Supposed sightings, however, have been reported on Praxus. Are thought of as savage and cruel, according to ancient knowledge. The majority are supposedly horned and have blackish purple skin. Most humans who claimed to have met demons said they fled with their lives, as the demons tried to kill them. However, a few humans have said that the demons aren’t as bad as they were made out to be, but those people are relatively ignored.

Elves: Known to inhabit the continent Area. According to the Memasi, there are subraces, but only few people know the true details. Generally, elves look like humans, but are noted by the Memasi to have sharp, pointed ears and are much more beautiful than humans, causing many men to set out in the sea to find them. None have come back alive. Some come back dead, though.

Memasi: Live in the seas. Can be frequently seen at sea ports and trading areas, but their movement is restricted as they are unable to travel on land. Some have the upper body of a human and a lower body of a fish, but others have the upper body of a fish and a lower body of a human. Strange. How the Memasi are able to survive in the brutal seas are unknown, but much of the information humans know about the other major races and continents come from the Memasi and the items they sometimes bring from other continents. A few have attempted to capture the Memasi, but magical sea beasts always come and eliminate the kidnappers.

GODS

The gods were the humanoid shaped beings who came down from the skies and slaughtered the superior races. Very little is is known about them, yet each god is personified and worshipped by members of the god’s respective major race. However, the name of the gods are known, and there have been events that led many to believe that the gods are still exerting their influence upon the world. Some have attempted to worship the gods, but for some reason, worshippers always were killed or met great misfortune. Therefore no churches (yay)!! The gods are:

Thratus, God of the Humans

Mirix, God of the Demons

Senesca, God of the Memasi

Vere, God of the Elves

HUMAN PATHS

Most humans are able to become either magician or swordsman. However, whether they have the potential and talent is another issue. It is said that there is the path of the cultivator, but no one knows how to practice it. Each path has its own weaknesses and strengths, and some people may be more talented in one path than in another.

While it is possible for one to practice in both swordsmanship and spell casting, virtually no one ever does, as practicing in two paths is exponentially more difficult than practicing in one path. It is impractical. Trying to temper one's body with magic power and to cast powerful spells is very difficult, because one would have to spend a very long time shaping the magic energy they absorb from the air, and the average human cannot live long enough for them to grow powerful enough.

Commoner: Not everyone has the capabilities to become a decent swordsman or magician. 95% of people do not have what it takes, unfortunately. Some do become soldiers and fight for their kingdom. With enough training and luck, a commoner can become a soldier with the power of a Rank 8. However, as they do not train in a path, they can only be said to be a peak commoner, and are much weaker than Rank 8s who train in path and are nourished by their energies. No one has yet broken through to Rank 7 as a commoner.

Magician:

Magicians are those who harness magic energies in the form of powerful spells. Their bodies tend to be much weaker than the bodies of swordsmen, but their damage potential is much greater. Nevertheless, a magician can protect his/her body with spells and barriers, and the constant nourishment of magic energies also slowly transforms the body. Training is very important for magicians, as even though if one has a massive magic energy reserve in their core, it is basically useless if one does not know how to apply it. Many magicians have slowed their ranking by focusing on their skills, yet many of them are stronger than their peers who rushed to rank up.

Swordsman:

Swordsmen are those who harness aura. Swordsmen gather magic energy from the air like magicians, but they mainly focus it to temper their own body. They gather magical energy to their core, but most of it is sent to and absorbed by the body, so their magical energy reserves are lower than those of magicians. Swordsmen mostly focus on shaping their body, making them tough and powerful, able to withstand and deliver great blows. The main power of a swordsman is his aura, which greatly enhances one’s bodily strength and have a variety of other uses also. There are many different types of auras, but what is important is the aura’s overall quality. For example, take two swordsmen. Both are journeymen. One has an extremely wide spreading aura, albeit it is relatively thin. The other has a smaller aura which radiates closer to the body, but its strong color indicates its thickness. If these two swordsmen fought, the latter swordsman would win virtually all the time, assuming that they have the same talent and skills. Once a swordsman reaches Rank 9, he is able to create his own soul bound weapon by imbuing his aura into a sword. Any sword can work, but of course, having a sword of higher quality is better. If one forges his own sword, however, the power granted by the sword is much greater, and can eventually even obtain a consciousness. That’s why many blacksmiths are powerful swordsmen.

Cultivator: Little is known about the path of the cultivator, except that it was once regarded to be the ultimate path. Unfortunately, the methods of practicing it have been long lost.

RANKING

In the world of Draen, a human’s power is based on set rankings. Ranks usually range from 11 to 1, with 11 being the weakest rank and 1 being the strongest rank. However, ancient knowledge suggests that there have been beings who had shedded their mortality and achieved eternal life. Ranking up is extremely difficult. Many magicians and swordsmen can never break past Rank 8. Ranking up as a swordsman is considered easier, so there are more swordsmen than magicians. Currently, the strongest known human alive is a Medicore Grand Swordsman, Zythian Farus. He was originally at the apex level, but he attempted to forcefully break through to the next rank. Unfortunately, he failed, and the backlash severely injured and weakened him. At higher ranks like his, even the difference between doorway and mediocre is very large.

Rank 11-12 don’t have specified levels. You either break to the next rank or you don’t.

Starting from Rank 10 to Rank 6, all ranks consist of beginner, intermediate, advanced, and threshold levels.

Starting from Rank 5, all ranks consist of doorway, mediocre, exceptional, mighty, apex levels.

*Rankings don’t determine everything. It is only an estimate of a person’s power, as it is solely based on the person’s quantity and quality of magic power/aura. A lower ranked person is still able to defeat a slightly higher ranked person if he/she has enough skill.

Magician

Nil Rank: An extremely small number of unlucky people are born without a core.

Rank 12: On rare occasions, some babies are born with impaired cores, but with great difficulty, they can still acquire the ability to gather magical energies, albeit severely limited.

Rank 11: Novice (majority of people are born with the power of a rank 11)

Rank 10: Magic Apprentice

Rank 9: Junior Magician

Rank 8: Magic Journeyman

Rank 7: Magic Adept

Rank 6: Senior Magus

Rank 5: Expert Magus

Rank 4: Master Magus

Rank 3: Grand Magus

Rank 2: Legendary Magus

Rank 1: Celestial Magus

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Swordsman

No Rank: People aren’t born with swordsman abilities, but can have potential that allows them to become stronger faster than others. A swordsman’s aura begins to emit around Rank 10.

Rank 11: Sword Novice

Rank 10: Sword Apprentice

Rank 9: Junior Swordsman

Rank 8: Sword Journeyman

Rank 7: Sword Adept

Rank 6: Senior Swordsman

Rank 5: Expert Swordsman

Rank 4: Master Swordsman

Rank 3: Grand Swordsman

Rank 2: Legendary Swordsman

Rank 1: Celestial Swordsman

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Cultivator

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APTITUDE

A human’s aptitude determines how easy or difficult it is for one to practice in certain elements of the world. The main elements are: Water, fire, wind, earth, lightning, light, and darkness. Every human has a certain degree of affinity in all the main elements. This can be tested in an affinity test:

Poor (unable to practice the element at all)

Weak

Neutral (Most people who have only neutral affinities still attempt the path of a magician or swordsman)

Good

Fine

High

Mighty

Perfect

A person is only considered to be a true dual or tri-elementalist if the affinities they have are at least of high quality. Only two cases have been recorded in where a person had high affinity or higher for four elements.

Not really that much stuff, but we’ll see if I get into writing more chapters.