Ngitngit (1)
A force of unknowable nature, all that is known of Ngitngit is what lies in its wake - a tremendous and devastating loss of life and magic. Driven only by the need to consume and just as quickly disappearing without a trace - there seems to be no real path, direction, nor distinction on who Ngitngit corrupts and consumes. Borne from one man’s greed, Ngitngit is a sentient staff that was unleashed into Alawan with hunger as its only motive.
Z-Masters (10)
Of the hundreds and thousands that clamor to rise through the ranks of Z-Hunters, only those with Adarna’s mercy and favor can achieve true Z-Master status. Chosen only after one master makes a natural return to the fabrics of Alawan, an aspiring Z-Hunter must first appeal through several trials, tribulations, and terrifying scenarios to invite the attention of the all-powerful Adarna. The Adarna itself does not specify the race or origin of aspiring kingdom leaders, but rather judges them based on their morals and mettle. Z-Masters of the past have all had their share of triumphs and sacrifices - some at greater cost than they were truly ready to pay for, and it is the conscious awareness of the weight that is both power and responsibility that does not allow just anyone to ascend.
Adarna (1)
The all-knowing, wish-granting, and imperceptible force of magic that fashioned Alawan from fabrics and fibers from their very form. Little is known about the Adarna and lesser still are the ways of finding them - and yet the largest mystery is how best to prove oneself to them as a worthy Z-Master. The Adarna’s visage is one that no one can know how nor remember how to describe, seemingly able to exist both before and after time itself. Z-Masters of old are fond of telling tall tales of the times the Adarna has served justice and shown mercy to all that seek their counsel and magic but the pattern of its reasoning on whose wishes are worthy of their magic remain an enigma.
Orb Collectors (15)
The true masters of one, orb collectors are the highest class of Z-Hunters. Through long journeys and soul-testing challenges, orb collectors amassed the skill and magical abilities to be the only ones able to hunt and capture celestial-level Z-Creatures. The orbs they carry with them are concentrated energies from years of skillful mastery - almost acting like a second brain that can help the Z-Hunter in their mission to find and document the zigbins that are just shy of evolving into Adarna-levels and beyond. Orb collectors are rare sightings in Alawan - notoriously single-minded and powerful, they tend to be solitary in their pursuits, and the ones that succeed understand that isolation is ideal to be able to hide and protect the immense power from malicious beings.
Hermits (25)
Salamangkeros that demonstrated a heightened sensitivity and deeper bond with their Zigbins - so much so to the point of them being lifetime guardians, usually end up on the track to become Hermits, the scholarly sentries of Alawan. Hermits have been at the forefront of many critical decisions around Z-Hunter ascension and magic protection and will usually be the first to resolve conflicts as peacefully and non-violently as possible. Throughout Alawan’s history, there have only been a handful of times where hermits have had to resort to powerful magicks to maintain the delicate balance of the fabric of magic and reality in Alawan.
Pintados (50)
Highly disciplined and trained in all manner of warfare and martial arts, Pintados are the elite warriors of Alawan. Each member of this elite warrior class is hand-picked by elder Pintados, and are subjected to a series of grueling tests. Those who pass these tests become members of the class, but will only officially become a Pintado once they’ve proven themselves in battle and get their first tattoo. Every tattoo on a Pintado’s body is earned and considered sacred—permanent reminders that the gods have favored them in battle. As such, the finest Pintados are covered with tattoos from head to toe. While they are able to tame most Zigbins, Pintados tend to gravitate towards fire-type Zigbins, as these complement them the best in combat.
Babaylans (60)
After successfully becoming a Salamangkero, magic-users who have an affinity for the intricate natural magics that exist within Alawan along with a carefully curated system of trust with Elementals tend to fall within the Babaylan class of Salamangkero. These magic users have partnerships and even familiar-relationships with powerful elementals that aid them in their healing and diplomacy to help Alawan’s people and magic continue to coexist in harmony. Babaylans are also often intermediaries between the spiritual and material word and they are critical in negotiations and conflict resolutions. While risk-averse, babaylans also know to prepare their physical bodies along with their magic abilities, becoming skilled in close-combat and able to support their allies in the ways they’re able.
Salamangkeros (50)
The class of humanoid magic-users truly begins when a Z-tizen answers the call to adventure and becomes a Salamangkero. While a Z-tizen is able to bond with a Z-Creature and borrow its abilities for their dailies, Salamangkeros can create bonds with multiple Z-Creatures and develop an increased affinity for all kinds of magic before choosing a future path - Hermits, the magical scholars and sentries, Babaylans the warrior healers, and Pintados, the survivalist fighters. By comparison, Salamangkeros are shamanists that can practice any of the magic they’re most attuned to for a variety of surface-level applications. In order to move up, Salamangkeros have to train a succeeding magic-user and showcase their ability to pass on knowledge to a higher council before they can be recognized into the next class.
Mountaineers (28)
Originally from another world, the Mountaineers of Alawan are highly attuned to Alawan and the creatures living in it. Having witnessed the gradual decay of their original world brought about by its neglectful inhabitants, Mountaineers take great pains to take care of Alawan. Of course, this isn’t to say that this is the only thing that drives them. Mountaineers are also driven by the primal urge to explore and discover new things, as well as the urge to accumulate knowledge of an alien world. While they are outsiders in Alawan, Mountaineers have a deep knowledge of the social structures of Z-tizens, as well as the role of Zigbins in Alawan’s ecosystems.
Hoomans (30)
Much has happened between the known world of Yutaan and Alawan before the paths were severed in order to protect the world and fantastical inhabitants, and hoomans were left to grapple with a magic-less existence. But despite this, Yutaan still experiences fragments of the magic and glimpses of the fantastical creatures in Alawan enough to create new but not completely accurate folktales of these creatures. These literatures have inspired generations of hoomans enough that certain powerful players have invested generous resources to find the way back into Alawan to experience the magic again. Some are lucky to accidentally fall into the cracks between worlds regardless of socioeconomic standing, but they are all just as determined to make the most out of the opportunity to escape and become great.
Bandits (100)
Outlaws, raiders, brigands. Bandits are called many things, but what they are, truly, are survivors---operating on the fringes of every godforsaken society. Always scouring the land for the next big score and the next easy caravan to loot, bandits live day by day, without masters, without rules, without classes. Whether by choice or by necessity, the bandits of Alawan are ruthless, and are not above committing any crime, as long as it serves them; and while a life of banditry may come with tremendous risks, it also comes with unadulterated thrills. With a deep understanding of the lands they scour (some bandits may even equal Hermits in this regard), bandits also have a special affinity to Zigbins.
Exiles (25)
Known for their natural disdain for authority as well as social constructs, Exiles are the evicted hunters of Alawan. While not belonging to any Kingdom in Alawan may seem like a bad thing, throughout the years, these evicted hunters have formed a massive network outside of their Kingdoms—a network big enough that they don’t really need to belong to a Kingdom anymore. They form small communes, within which they exchange knowledge and skills with other Exiles from other Kingdoms. As a result of years of freely exchanging information with each other, Exiles are among the most knowledgeable classes when it comes to the ins and outs of Alawan.
Elementals Agta (20)
One of the largest tree-dwellers in Alawan, the Agta are usually non-violent as their size and general characteristics tend to scare trespassers away without needing a direct confrontation. These creatures have a tendency to be roundabout in their directions, opting to obstruct the adventurer’s pathways with knocked down trees or upturned overgrowth in order to steer them away from going deeper into their territories. Travelers who have seen an agta usually describe them to be eerily fast in their movement amongst the trees, blending in with shadows, and an unmistakable smell of a smoking cigar left in the wake of their obstructions. They’re fairly large but they are also slower than their fellow tree-dwelling Kapre counterparts.
Elementals Manananggal (20)
The bane of many a small town, the Manananggal is a winged, vampire-like creature defined by its distinct, sophisticated hunting technique. While a lot of stories about the Manananggal focus on how the Manananggal detaches itself from its lower body to hunt its prey, this is just a minor evolutionary detail. What really sets it apart from other beasts, is how it effortlessly infiltrates a community, and gathers the data it needs to hunt its prey—where they live, who lives with them, what they do, how they sleep. It is a predator of the highest degree—equal parts cunning and vicious, and terribly efficient at what it does. There are a number of theories on how to kill a Manananggal, but not a single soul in Alawan has ever dared test them out.
Elementals Santelmo (20)
Little is known about these mysterious fire spirits. While it looks like a floating ball of fire, the Santelmo’s flame is non-consuming, does not provide any warmth, and its light is strangely contained to itself. It is said that a Santelmo is a manifestation of a lost and restless soul, and that the appearance of a Santelmo can either signal good or bad luck—whether this is true or not, Santelmos do have the ability to attract other creatures to its light—like moths to a flame. Countless stories have been told of men drowning to their deaths by following a Santelmo into a deep lake and other untimely demises from chasing its light.
Elementals Duwende (20)
Known by many names across many different cultures, Duwendes are ancient creatures that predate many creatures in Alawan by at least a few millennia. Despite looking like shriveled old men, Duwendes are naturally playful and possess a keen sense of wonder for everything and anything that is of the earth. They are drawn to relics, rare metals, forgotten minerals containing strange magic, and similarly curious and playful creatures. Owing to their playful nature, they're not known for restraint, and their magic is as volatile as their temper. If, through some fortuitous event, one encounters a Duwende, it’s best to stay on its good side—as they are known to bring good luck to those they favor (although this rarely comes without a catch). And while they can curse those who cross them with bad luck, Duwendes tend to get a bit more creative when it comes to curses.
Elementals Lampong (20)
Lampongs are nature spirits that are shepherds of animals in the wild. It is most known as a shapeshifting protector that assumes the visage of a hunter animal to misdirect hunters giving the animals in its care enough time to run the other direction. Their magical disguise almost acts like an impenetrable shield that deters damage for five hits before the lampong finally becomes vulnerable for a sixth. When not in danger, they appear as duwende-sized satyrs and centaurs with some humanoid features that blend in with their wild Alawan animal kin, and are formidable fighters when the situation calls for it.
Elementals Tigbanua (20)
Certain tribes describe Tigbanuas as cannibalistic, one-eyed demons that prey on both the living and the dead. Often the subject of stories used to prevent children from staying out late at night, these ghouls possess an otherworldly hunger perfectly complemented by their otherworldly strength and agility. That said, Tigbanuas do have one weakness: they are known to be as dimwitted as they are dangerous. They tend to rely too heavily on their extra sharp senses and primal impulses, that they are often tricked by something as simple as a small trinket. Not counting their obvious weakness, there is not a single warrior in Alawan foolish enough to face the Tigbanua alone.
Elementals Tao sa Biringan (20)
The unseen guardians of flora and fauna are often harbingers of doom to those full of malice for the ones in their protection. Once long ago, they were familiars for Babaylans and other adventurers who would gladly feed information around naturally-occuring cures and poisons and more than once, assisted fighters in battle through their blessing. Nowadays, these once glorious Engkantos are more seen as reluctant soldiers to higher causes they genuinely believe in but would rather not partake and participate if they had the choice. They are capable fighters and while not as magically-blessed like their Diwata siblings, they are better at espionage and strategy and would only act in accordance to their benefit.
Elementals Tikbalang (20)
Intelligent horsemen warriors that are known to protect their territories by deterring potential trespassers by trapping them into looping pathways. With the head of a horse and body of a man, these skilled fighters tend to avoid direct confrontations whenever possible but are almost always sure winners in a duel. Tikbalangs are usually level-headed when not provoked and are usually able to give adventurers directions and information as needed but only if one passes a test of their choosing. Whenever possible, never opt for races or one on one physical challenges. You may have an advantage in intellectual challenges but tikbalangs can be unexpectedly cunning - tread wisely.
