The Earth Goddesses Creatures
Each Goddess has many types of creatures and races within her protection and power. The Devraw are a race similar to the dwarves of legend and fall under the Earth Goddess' Domain.
***I wrote this up a long time ago, I realize it needs serious work but I thought I would leave it up for now as a (bad) example, lol.***
The Devraw
The Devraw are a long-lived race that inhabits much of Selloria. They are short and stocky with large luminous eyes; copper, emerald, or golden colored hair; wide mouths and noses; thick eyebrows; and dusty brown skin. Their unusual eyes change color with intense emotion and can pick up even the smallest amount of light. The Devraw have strong, blunt fingers as well as powerful arms and legs. There bones are not easily broken and they heal very quickly when they do break. Although they can live to be nearly 1000 years old they are not considered to be mature enough to marry or have children until they are 200 or so. They normally only bear one or two children and often wait 5 decades or more between children. Gestation is about 2 years and the children are more developed, although smaller, than human children. Devraw have a weak form of telepathy that can warn them of obstacles ahead or lead them to lost comrades. Some attribute this ability to the Goddess of Earth blessing her chosen children, but in truth it is simply a skill developed after main years working and living deep underground.
Although the Devraw developed many of their unusual features and skill in the cave systems that riddle Selloria they were driven out of their underground haven (The Hidden Caverns) many centuries ago by minions of The Fire Goddess. Only a few of the Devraw that remember the glorious caves of their youth still live. The old entrances to their caverns are blocked and forgotten. Songs and broken talismans are all that remain to remind the young of their heritage, but they are forging new legends on the surface.
The Earth Goddess guided them to their new land when the Devraw domain came under attack and helped them to live in peace with the land. At first the great forests, vast plains, and fantastic creatures of the surface terrified them. But, in time, they found they could respect and value all they found. The Devraw learned new skill to replace the lost ones of mining and masonry. They gained experience, not to mention fame, as healers of all creatures and races. Their Guides would lead people safely through forests and could communicate with animals. The Dearus (meaning "growers" or "tenders") of the Devraw could coax thorn bushes to part or cause trees to twine into the forms of houses.
The Devraw often live in these homes of living trees and therefore can be found in most forests. Some of the Devraw also live in farming communities. Their homes are made of stone with thatched roofs and hard dirt floors. They all live very basic lives and have few possessions. They feel it is unnecessary to clutter up their lives with many objects. Even though they are not a possessive people they still have a love of artwork, especially woodwork and stone carving.
Their abilities in this area are most clearly demonstrated by their magnificent temples to the goddesses. The main religion of the Devraw is the worship of the Earth goddess. She is the source of their healing power and expertise as well as their abilities with plants and animals. As followers of the Earth Goddess they are a very peaceful people. They export their artwork along with things gathered in the forest and grown in their fields. They also use their abilities as guides and healers to help all the races. The Earth Goddess protects them to some extent; they have the ability to make personal shields or to use the plants and creatures around them to protect themselves. They have no true weapons and can be killed in the same ways people can.
The Devraw once recorded knowledge by chiseling it into their cave walls, as well as through a special type of crystal called a Dracodin. With their flight from the cave systems, the knowledge on the walls was lost. They brought the crystals to their new homes, but over the years the methods of recording information in them and then retrieving it was lost. Devraw no longer had access to the areas were the crystals were formed so there was nothing to train apprentices with. The crystals became only very treasured keepsakes that were completely incomprehensible. The knowledge they held was no longer even a dream in the minds of the young. Through the stories of the Songmasters (elders of the Devraw) a small amount of History was saved, but most of their past was lost in the dark twisting tunnels of the Hidden Caverns.
Creatures of the Earth Goddess
Each Goddess has within her realm two types of creatures, those that are magic, and therefor cannot practice it; and those that are mundane, but can occasionally cast magic. Magic is like any other quality or skill, some creatures have is to varying levels of power and control. Those creatures that are themselves magic are unique in that they have no control whatsoever over that aspect of themselves.
For instance the Verritane, otherwise know as Greater Land Cats, cause things to grow and age faster just by their presence. The Verritane themselves seem to be immortal, but they tend to end their own lives after a few millennium. They are extremely intelligent and find their effect on surrounding flora and fauna emotionally difficult to bear. It is quite common to find them living in seemingly lifeless deserts where their effects are less obvious.
When Greater Land Cats feel their time has passed the allow themselves to be killed by Devraw Hunter (normally followers of the Fire Goddess), who sell the feline remains for use in Earth magic. Verritane feel no malice toward the hunters or those who buy their wares for only a cat who wishes to can be seen by mortal eyes. This sort of camouflage ability is no more a spell than their life speeding effect. It is simply something that happens when they wish to remain hidden, more like a squid mimicking its surroundings than a cloak of invisibility.
Both male and female of this species mature very slowly and young are rare among them. Although it is know that they do produce offspring their gestation periods and sexual maturity are unknown. When one of the Verritane chooses to be seen they are indeed a spectacle. They are built like a mountain lion, but are three or four times bigger. Their bodies are covered in a mixture of golden fur and glistening green scales. Their long claws cannot be retracted as with other cat species and are normally almost crystalline in appearance. It is impossible to determine what, if any, eye color the Verritane have; instead their eyes reflect whatever life is nearest them. Since no one can look at one of these great cats without being near one it is hard to say whether their eyes are always thus.
They are normally solitary, although they keep an eye on other species from a distance safe to those being observed. Despite their generally pacifist nature, Verritane will attack when angered or threatened before their "time". The most common example of this is mortals destroying the forests and people giving Verritane protection. The ferocious attacks of an angered Verritane, leave nothing recognizable in their wake. Their claws and teeth are deadly and plants spring from their footsteps, growing rapidly and tearing apart their surroundings with their rapid growth.
The Land Serpent, or Sevanthian, is another example of a magic creature. Although they have no wings to speak of the can fly when the wish. This ability to levitate exists in all of them from birth. No amount of practice or lack of it, will make them better or worse in the skys. Just as with the Verritane, the Sevanthians cannot cast spells of any kind. The magic they possess is part of them.
The Land Serpents are also immortal, but unlike the Verritane no one knows for sure if they have young at all. No one in recorded history has seen a child of these great beasts and the Serpents themselves refuse to answer any questions regarding their life cycles. In fact no one has even been able to distinguish if the species is divided into males and females like most others on Selloria. Some of the intelligent races theorize that perhaps the goddesses created the Serpents when the world was created as guardians, or maybe even guards. Whatever the case no one has seen a Sevanthian born or killed.
Sevanthains are five times the height of a man and fifteen times the length. They are six limbed like all of the large Serpents but instead of wings they have tiny legs with webbing similar to sails. Their brown hides are velvety to the touch but they don't have fur. Instead they have tiny feathers that can barley be seen by the naked eye. Although they all have basically brown bodies, the sheen on their feathers can be and color or mixture of colors. Their talons, teeth, and horns are black and are normally painted with a fast acting poison that causes temporary paralyses. Serpents also have the unique trait of being the only non-bipedal race to wear body ornementation. The often wear decorative metal chains and occasionally even have body piercing or tattoos.
The final magical beast in the Earth Goddesses control is the Cellis Givon, or Bringer of peace. Less is known about this reclusive beast than any other. In fact some say they do not exist at all. These creatures are quite similar to the unicorns of Earth myths. They range in color from pale gold to nearly black-brown. A single, snow white, branching horn rises from the center of their heads. It is said to possess magical properties of healing for both plant and animal. Legend has it that they arise wherever there is need for renewal and rebirth.
