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The clash and harmony of rootlings, humans, animals, and magic.
History
There was a time long ago when the lands had only just begun to breathe. Elden Roots and humans lived amongst each other. The Elden Roots are great, powerful beings who were born straight from the earth itself. They possessed an indescribable amount of lumesse magic, and they used it to mold and shape the world. Humans saw the Elden Roots as sacred, and it became tradition to take good care of the earth in their honor. Villages of people in certain biomes would see certain Elden Roots more than others, and they would construct statues of them throughout their regions.
Peace could not last forever, however. Greed is a powerful adversary, and one warrior was obsessed with the magic power of the Elden Roots. He believed that he would be able to slay one and harvest that magic for himself. It was a foolish endeavor, as no man could ever bring down such a creature, but it caused a great stir amongst the ancient world builders. They considered how this would only be the beginning of hostility, and that as civilizations continued to grow and develop the battles would only become more often and more destructive. So from that day they decided to vanish from human sight. It is not known whether they made themselves invisible, transcended to the celestial plain, or dove back into the earth from whence they came.
Before the Elden Roots left, however, they scattered their magic across all the animals of the earth. The magic fell on those with pure hearts who would strive to be good, those who were deserving of second chances, those to be saved from the brink of death, and those who cared deeply for the wellbeing of the land. These were crowned with lumesse and became the first rootlings. Since that day the rootlings have held the traditions that the Elden Roots set before them. Being good stewards of their lumesse magic gifts, they pass it on to creatures of the same pure hearts and significant circumstances as was first chosen.
The Elden Roots will still appear before the rootlings at special times. They are vessels of mighty wisdom who arrive on their own accord.
Communities
Humans have formed various villages, settlements, and towns throughout the world. There are kingdoms scattered about as well! Each of them is different and will have unique ways of seeing and treating the rootlings. Players are encouraged to create such communities for their own stories, if they wish to have humans included. How do the humans and rootlings feel about each other? Are there any special features of the land that are of great importance to either party? Are they at odds, or do they work together? Do they have special traditions? Does your rootling seek to destroy them?
Friend
Some human developments will cherish and love the rootlings. Rootlings' lumesse magic allows them the opportunity to become elemental masters, and these powers can be very useful for humans. Although some still believe they can harvest lumesse to weild for themselves, there is no way for humans to use magic in this world. The magic only belongs to the rootlings. Some humans and rootlings will form a bond and work on special jobs that are benefited by the use of an elemental power. There are certain families who are still loyal to the Elden Roots who will raise animals specifically to become rootlings through a coronation when they come of age. These families often include one rootling with a bonded human who instruct and teach the young animals as they grow. Players who are designing or storybuilding with a friendly human development should consider how the settlement functions and why that is important to the story they are telling.
Foe
Quite often it is found that humans are hateful, distrusting, envious, and opposing to the rootlings. They might be infatuated with the magic and seek to complete the old warrior's goal by finding a way to take it. Humans might see rootlings as pests that must be eradicated, or valuable pelts to be caught and sold. Rootlings may be aggressive toward communities who are careless and disruptive to the land, who pollute the environment, and endanger animals. Rootlings are guardians of the natural world and they will protect imbalances, even if it means doing harm to humans. See the slain for more information on rootling conflicts.
Nomads
Some people travel amongst the earth, be it alone or in a group. They don't belong to any specific settlement, they just live a nomadic lifestyle for one reason or another. Travelers may have a wide array of feelings about the rootlings and may be portrayed in any manner. If a player is creating a character to be a traveler playing a specific role in their rootling's story, then they also invest that traveler's view of rootlings and why they feel that way. Do they watch out for rootlings on the road? Do they avoid signs of rootling territory, or do they visit temples in hopes of seeing a new rootling emerge?
Hunters
These are groups of humans who seek to destroy the rootlings. They want to harvest their lumesse magic, or kill them for some valuable part of their form. They want to profit from their beauty and they do not care what costs that comes at. The hunters a player designs may be antagonistic, evil, or simply well-meaning people trying to make a living somehow. They may see the rootlings as just another animal with no significant importance, or do not believe the Eldin Roots ever existed. A hunter might be slaying rootlings to support a family because it is the only job manageable to get in that area. The lore and reasoning is up to the player's imagination.
If players choose too include humans in their rootlings' stories they will have the opportunity to design not only villages and their inhabitants, but entire cultures that may have developed in this fantasy world. Players are encouraged to explore all of these perspectives if they would like to.
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