Characters in DMFA generally fall into two basic classes: Beings or Creatures.
Overview[]
While Beings are pretty much of a muchness (although certain kinds of Phoenix are generally considered to be Beings), 'Creatures' is essentially a catch-all description for any and all magical races.
Races which are considered to be Creatures include: Angels, Demons, 'Cubi, Mythos, Weres, Mer, Undead, Dragons, Fae and Vampires.
Morals[]
While 'Creature' denotes many different races and moral systems, honesty appears to be something of a constant[1] among them. This makes sense, since among long-lived races, an individual's reputation can be one of their most valuable assets. In addition, some races - such as Demons - take dishonesty as a sign of weakness since a stronger individual would not have to resort to such tactics. Apparently Cubi are often considered to be untrustworthy and weak as they will tend to disguise themselves.
Creatures and Beings[]
As a rule, Creatures generally have wings, whereas Beings do not. Hence, if someone is born with wings in a Being society, this can often lead to prejudice against them since it is a good indicator that they may in fact be a Creature and thus potentially dangerous.
Many Creatures do in fact consider Beings to be fair prey, and despite the formation of a Being-Creature council, this has led to a great deal of friction between them. Indeed, it is the constant targetting of Beings by Creatures which has led to a steady stream of work for adventurers, bounty-hunters and huntsmen in general.
Being-Creature hybrids and Creatures brought up among Beings[]
Since it is possible for most Being and Creature species to interbreed, and indeed seduction is often a key part of the 'Cubi modus operandi, the idea of a Creature, often a 'Cubi, raised among Beings is a key theme in DMFA and various fan-works set in the same universe.
Typically a Creature brought up as a Being will be part-Creature themselves. In such cases the young Creature will generally take the appearance of the Being.[2]
Dan[]
Dan was raised in the belief that he was a Being, his parents both disappearing before they could tell him about his 'Cubi heritage. Fortunately for him, Dan was brought up in a relatively tolerant time and place, since there has long been something of a Cold War between Beings and Creatures.
It is an interesting point that no-one ever tipped Dan off about his Creature heritage until his encounter with Aaryanna, even though his own sister Alexsi and Jyrras' mother, Moira Gianna, were among those who knew that he was really a Creature. (strips #305 and #332) Since Dan was a widely travelled adventurer until retiring young, someone should have objected to his presence as a Creature at some point. On the other hand, he would generally have been arriving as a hero to vanquish a rampaging monster, so his clients wouldn't necessarily care that it was a Creature who had saved them rather than a Being.
Abel[]
Abel is another example of a 'Cubi raised among Beings, in his case during a much less tolerant era, which ultimately led to his family leaving for the demon-controlled city of Zinvth where they could live without persecution. After returning to his old village to attend a funeral, Abel quickly found he was a target for adventurers and other hunters who suspected him of being the Creature responsible for many deaths in their village.
The Creature Council[]
A council has been formed with a representative from nearly every Creature race. Introduced in strip #365, it appears to be a shadow organisation which is concerned that Beings, already the most populous race on Furrae, will likely become powerful enough to challenge them through their rapid advancements in technology. In particular they seem to be deeply concerned about Jyrras, currently one of the leading technologists in Furrae.
While it is likely that the Creature Council influences or is made from members of the Being-Creature Council, the covert nature of their meetings implies that their actions, and probably their very existence is kept secret - which would indicate that they are different organisations.
Notes[]
External Links[]
- Creatures (DMFA) on WikiFur