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Although there is much discussion as to the origin of humanity, in the world of Gulthiac, it is fairly agreed upon within intellectual communities that humans developed in some way from the Ancients. There is little doubt that Ancients were the first sentient race, but due to their lifestyles, little remains to identify any society they may have had that predates humanity.

First off the Ancients are not some kind of extinct race of semi-human creatures. Well, they are not extinct at least. Though humans may have developed from them, Ancients are superior to humans in almost every way, but especially in their connection to the lifestream of the planet that Gulthiac is located on. An Ancient's mastery of this mystical energy gives them greater power over their own lives and the lives of others.

Most Ancients use their powers to heal the wounded and the sick, and in times past, the Ancients were thought to be quiet protectors, appointed by the lifestream to protect the budding human race. During this time, Ancients most likely served as seers and shaman to tribal humanity, stressing reverence to nature, the planet, and the lifestream.

As a side note, not all Ancients are good creatures. Though most were peaceful healers, there have been Ancient warriors. With their extended lifespan, ability to regenerate, and trained strength, as well as the ability to siphon the lifeforce of others, they were indeed fearsome warriors. In combat, they favored war staves and spears, with a strong distaste for swords. This taboo has all but evaporated in modern times, but it is still of note.

Early in human prehistory, there was a cataclysmic event that shattered the gentle Ancients and caused them to break their fervent protection of humanity as well as sundering their tribal organizations. This was accompanied by massive numbers of Ancient dead. This event, known as The War of the Ancients, will be discussed in a later topic.

After the War of the Ancients, the Ancients developed a general distrust of humanity, having been betrayed clearly by the majority of the human race. Fearing total annihilation, most of the Ancients disbanded and fled into the wildernesses of the world, be it jungle, forest, desert, or tundra. Some returned to the lifestream while the majority felt that they still had to watch over their younger human siblings, and protect them from the PHANTOMs, which will be the subject of the next topic.

So it was that the Ancients were a broken but noble race who have survived in the shadows of the world across modern human development, betrayal, and sent reeling by the countless scars the planet has suffered at the hands of the PHANTOMs.

Ancients are matriarchal in their belief that the planet is a female entity as the mother of all life. Most ancients females tend to be giantesses, and non-giantess females seldom achieve a leadership position. Even despite this, Ancients seldom horde or even harbor power for extended durations. They prefer decentralized government with small villages of humans that seek the Ancients to commune with the planet and make significant decisions.

Ancient champions are known to have weapons and armor that glow green with the power of the lifestream. These artifacts, some of the only surviving Ancient possessions are so energized with lifeforce, that for a human to touch them would mean that the human would be "killed" and absorbed back into the lifestream itself.

Points of Minutiae:

Ancients do not need to eat or drink, though they are able to if they choose. They can sustain themselves with the power of lifeforce alone.

The origin of the PHANTOMs is an enigma but there are some little known facts that testify to their commonality with humanity. As Ancients are able to bear offspring with humans, so are PHANTOMs. More astonishing than this though, is that as Ancients can be born to human parents on rare occasions through the lifestream, so also can PHANTOMs be born of humans.

First of all, what makes PHANTOMs different than humans and Ancients? PHANTOMs are unique from other sentient humanoids in that they live their entire lives without ever having a connection to the lifestream. Thus, they can operate completely independent of the planet and have no need or desire to commune with it. They are in more in touch with otherwordly things, which to most humans seems inherently evil. This makes PHANTOMs able to learn magic and other supernatural powers with ease. Much like Ancients, PHANTOMs are superior to humans on every level, but to a degree even higher than the Ancients.

Sinister PHANTOMs pride themselves on introducing war to humanity and there is little doubt to this legend, as PHANTOMs are unequaled warriors. Armed with the finest equipment, weapons, and technology, PHANTOMs revel in spilling blood and releasing lifeforce. Only the most powerful Ancient warriors and otherworldly beings can match a PHANTOM in combat. Indeed if PHANTOMs didnt end up fighting each other and fear the loss of their hard earned kingdoms, there would be no end to war for the planet.

It is due to this reason that PHANTOMs establish monarchies so commonly, to pass their rule to competent hands upon their inevitable "deaths." In actuality, PHANTOMs, like Ancients, are basically immortal. They only pretend to die and give up their rule so that the humans may continue to be fooled.

Just as all Ancients are not good, not all PHANTOMs are evil, though few can escape the reins of war. Most PHANTOMs born to human parents, end up rising to power within a structure that was designed by older powerful PHANTOMs to find strays and elevate them in high positions of servitude, generally within armed service.

The royal family of Gulthiac is shrouded in mystery and legends. They are rarely seen by the populace and almost never seen by anyone else in the world. The have ruled the kingdom at least since the throne separated from the Order.

When marriage is involved, the spouse always is an unknown person, who "never existed" before they were announced.

Gulthiac is typically ruled by a queen, though there have been kings in the past depending on whether or not a female heir was available. Once ruling, the queens all ruled for many years and never seemed to age to the populace. But as far as they knew, the queens always died and were eventually seceded, though the bodies were never seen.

Even though queens ruled the land, men were principally in charge of the army of Gulthiac and it maintains a strong patriarchal approach. The role of leader of the armed forces is typically passed from father to son, or to other family members if untimely deaths occur (though they rarely ever occur within the royal family). These kings and princes are never far from combat and some have even lived almost all of their lives on the field of battle, as Gulthiac's foreign wars never seem to end.

The current Queen is Selene Estella Scorver and has been for 35 years. She ruled from the age of 13. Her husband, the late Salutious Scorver died shortly after the birth of their only child, Matthias Scorver.