Sitting around a campfire, reading, Wu Hai learned more about the Magical History of different Races in the world but the information was still limited and primarily about Earth Magics. The books from the hidden bookshelf were more than useful, it was a trove of new knowledge. There were many races that Wu Hai wanted to know about however, he had specific ones he wanted to learn about first.
Thumbing through the pages, he did his best to commit everything and anything to memory.
'Dragonkin hailed from the offspring of the Dragon and another species, many generations passed and they began to be more humanoid in appearance, they had faces and tales. Some lacking the wings to fly into the sky could still manage like the River Dragon and Jiao. The others, like the Black, Emerald, and Scarlet Dragon Tribes were of different Origins, and managed to keep their wings and breath by sacrificing only some emotions and overall size in return.'
'Their largest loss for dragons were their low reproduction rate and so the dragons would often engage in sex with other species, regardless of the chance of children. The odds were simply too small and any Dragon's life far too long to keep track. The Cayesyn Lava Dragon is probably the largest species pre-Wyrm, their great bodies can lay for Eons without movement. Because of that, they are undetected and disguised as land features near volcanoes. When facing any larger foe, always have an exit plan.'
Wu Hai turned the page and took a sip from a potion bottle, it was an energy drink that was quite abundant in his weapon storage. He was grateful that so many things were just laying around but as an adventurer, even a new one, he understood that you'll eventually run out of something. Reading on, he found a passage on Elementals. Wu Hai was intent on finding out all he could about the figures etched into the side of the Die.
'Elementals are notoriously difficult to kill. They are unable to procreate and they were always low in population. Their kind could decide to disappear into landscapes long enough that nothing but themselves and the landscape would remain. To them, the conflicts of others were not matters that concerned them in the slightest. Patient, like the Rocks... Fluid like the Rivers, and when needed, raging like a Fire or Storm. Some tribes of Beastkin believe anyone can gain an Elementals affinity for magic after feasting on one of their corpses while other tribes revere them as Gods..'
'Elementals have no reason to interact with the living and therefor, no one could kill one, even if it was in directly in front of them. They would probably be unable to tell. Their power is closest to the Guardians and Custodians than all other progeny, most of the world was crafted and groomed by the Elementals at its creation.'
'Qilinkin are an especially fast race, the common people and tribes of the world would see a passing light in the night sky and call it a shooting star. Most of the time, it is a Qilin or one of the Qilinkin. All Qilinkind possess a horn or a set of horns as a sort of crown on their heads. These horns not only give them a Regal persona, it helps them dominate the lower species. Qilin like that they are worshiped by many bands of Humans, as such, they are given anything they see or like. Even if something was possessed by another or perhaps the unwilling, Qilin were a greedy breed. The hoarded riches and all things that caught their eyes belonged to them.'
'Vishnan were a mysterious race from the fourth Planet in the sky. Their people originally came in ships able to cross the void. The distance was never great to begin with. Some of their kind had the ability to instantly transport from one place to another just by looking at it. The legends say once a Vishnan looked at the world in the night sky from his home world. Looking upon the great blue ball in the skies above him, he saw a sparkle on its surface. With a single point of reference he blinked to this world. Seeing its inhabitants, they were regarded as a sort of god from the heavens when he had revealed his origins.'
'Enslaving those they see, the Vishnan are much like Humans. Their most identifying characteristic is their dazzling blue skin, it glittered as it reflected light. To see a Vishnan in the daylight before two sun's, the light was blinding, it helped add to the personification of their authority. Vishnan's could not remain outside of a liquid atmosphere, only chancing out into the dry air for a place to mate or quickly explore. Telepathic beings, those that met a Vishnan usually ended up as slaves to tend to surface world needs.'
Wu Hai finished his snack and kept reading, there was only one more race on the Cube.
'The Demonkin, Demons are not evil beings.' It was the first line on the page and the passage was inked in blood.
'They did not even side with the Custodians during the great war of the Ancestors. The most powerful race among the custodians progeny, the Demonkin came in a variety of forms. Wome could change their shape, some were fixed in place and nearly all of the demons were extremely powerful. Demons were not traditionally born, they were crafted slowly. Bodies were carefully created, one at a time throughout the ages. These creations were often confused with the vassals of the evil ones, the Devils. Although many demons would be animated from the dead or be made of beast parts, these beings were majestic, noble and dignified. They have more pride than anything. Demons, especially the strongest ones, are all born from the environment as a part of a psychic phenomena, that is, to say that they simply 'come into being' instead of being born or cultivated.'
'Commanding power that most would claim could outstrip any of the other size species. Their pride as a dominant species was endless. That is until the the incident at Blizzard Rock. Some of the leaders among the meetings that met with betrayal came from the Demon Clan. The sheer intensity of hatred the Demons had for the Custodians had left the Demon Kind with a Kill on sight order for all 'Custodians', no matter the cost. At the time, the Earth Demons ruled their kind.'
Wu Hai was stunned, there were so many things that he never even thought about laid out in a single bit of wording. It was difficult to reconcile but Wu Hai was absorbing it all, 'The Demons of the World were not the enemy?'
Many of the species born from the custodians have their own way of doing things. Of the many species found on the worlds, only 6 were represented on the Cubes.
Wu Hai didn't think to look up humans at first but sure enough, they were in the book of Earth Magic creatures as well.
'The Earth Mages of the Humans were a simple people but extremely versatile. They controlled magic with a rising pace and have expanded their territory into the lands of the Elementals and Dragonkin.
Wu Hai muttered to himself, the Twins were still sparing.
The noise kept the animal life away from them, there was little need to worry over safety. Only the Elven Girl was a risk but she was still minding her own business or watching the Brothers fight each other with lightning. Her eyes darted all over the place but she seemed content.
"The Qilinkin primarily live on a southern Continent, to the southwest Demon kind had claimed much of the land.." Wu hai fingered a crudely drawn map that was in the book. "Demon territory establishes its borders with very clearly marked by piles of Corpses. Not even the carrion would survive if they stole from those places." After some drawings of different sorts of Demons, another passage written in blood looked ominous, 'Being intimidating doesn't mean that Demons are evil, but anything, absolutely anything stepping on or between what's theirs, will die. Know a Demon by the litter of corpses surrounding them. Its a tale told to all generations to keep them breathing. The Corpses don't make them murders, most demons only kill for defense.
'Many beasts could not help but feel the intimidation auras coming from Demonkin, they would go into fits of rage and seemed to fling themselves at the Demons.
'Humans were worse, much like the Qilin, Humans had problems with greed.'
'The power of a Demon had been claimed a few times in history by another after defeat. The course of action on how to do so was never disclosed, but people still believed you could steal a demons power. They would come with Mages, Archers, Cavalry and Assassins.. most would perish instantly, The rest would be left to die screaming in pieces on the corpse mounds as further warnings, wailing into the distance. Demons were not petty or evil. But they were indeed vicious and unforgiving and cruel to those that brought them indifference or disdain.'
The pages on the six races were short but had some interesting details.
The patterns on the Gygax were driving Wu Hai nuts, he flipped through the same pages again and again, it didn't seem like he would be able to wait until the morning to test it out.
Waiting would never satisfy Wu Hai. He had to try, spending the remainder of the night throwing the Gygax, he experienced changes in his body that he was not prepared for. No one in the group was ready for them.
For instance, on his first transformation, he had transformed into a female. Every time it landed on Vishnan, it was Female.
The transformation was going against everything he read in the book. Vishnan were supposedly a race of androgynous males, all of them, according to history were Male. Wu Hai couldn't help but feel he had been duped by the words of the people in the past. History said differently, but there he was.. a female, then it hit him. 'Maybe the Queen is the Alpha?' he stopped thinking about just moments after he threw the dice again.
After a few more throws, he finally transformed into an Elemental. The sensation of being a rock, not just figuratively but really a rock, a pile of rocks, made Wu Hai feel at one with the World.
Wu Hai was grateful he wasn't wearing a spacial ring, it would have broken during the changes. He threw again, 'Earth, Darkness, Downpour, Human' He read it in his mind and watched his body return to somewhat normal, he sighed before he slipped into his bedroll. There were a lot of surprises he wasn't expecting but he was glad to be Human again. He had another random thought and threw the first three dice again.
Nothing happened.
"Fuck," Wu Hai cursed under his breath, there was a problem. He threw the three again, and again nothing happened.
'FUCK. Fuckitty Fuck FUCK! Okay okay, Don't Panic, this just means that you have to let the others see your power, No! that won't work' Wu Hai was losing his feeling of oneness with the world, "Dammit! Does this mean I have to throw all the dice every time?"
'Better not throw in the meantime,' Deciding not change his powers unless necessary or in complete isolation, Wu Hai closed his eyes and tried for sleep. His mind was still racing but there was no way to explain everything rationally, he wasn't even sure of the specifics and the Elven girl was still a wildcard.
He did his best to ignore the changes he had just gone through, the others were still passed out. For the moment, he was still free from having to explain.