When one comes of age, he or she undertakes a spirit journey, a task or trial that proves his worth to the clan. For some, this is a metaphorical and philosophical endeavor; they seek peace through meditation, often doing so for days on end. For others, this is a great hunt, typically against a powerful, dangerous and renowned beast; they are the greatest warriors ever heard of. For you, this is a test of magic.
You are one of the gifted among the clans who retain enough Old Blood to do magic. The Old Blood is diluted now, intermingled with the blood of the elf Outlanders; the advanced, civilized culture who brought 'guns' and 'science' to the Old Land. The clans, descendants of the Original People, are mixed-breeds of human and elf. They are the middle ground between the technologically superior elves, and the brutal human warlocks.
All those of the Original People could do devastating magic, and were crude and uncivilized. They launched hundreds of years of war against the Outlanders, but in the end, the elves prevailed. Those who surrendered were inducted into society, and the clans were given reservations to live out their lives. Elven blood has diluted the unstable, magical Old Blood, but not in you.
Tonight, on the night of the full moon, you will leave your village for the first time in eighteen years, and begin to hone your magic. How, the elders do not say, but promise that fate will guide you on the right path.
Clans:
(Among the many, branched-out clans are the three Old ones, the ones with the most Old Blood in them.)
Clan Fadeleaf:
Steeped in the ancient elven religion of druidism, the Fadeleafs are the most attuned to the wilderness of the Old Land. They seem not to be able to contract disease, nor will snake or spider venom harm them. They will not eat the meat of animals, whom they regard sacred, but resort to yearly cannibalism, as the Outlander elves do. The famed Druids of Clan Fadeleaf are masters of nature, life and death, and, as some say, able to converse with beasts.
Clan Outreach:
Peculiarly, those sorcerers of Clan Outreach have a particular affinity for the arcane technology that the elves brought. They have the most elven blood, and it can be clearly seen in their beautiful, eldritch features. They have a vast, innate knowledge of technology, and can create peculiar machines called Golems. The renowned Technogicians of Clan Outreach have undoubted command of magitek, mastery over Golems, and the ability to speak with machines.
Clan Bloodhook:
Those vicious warriors of Clan Bloodhook are the fiercest in the Elven Military. Bloodhook can boast the most Old Blood of the three main Clans, and are proud of their ancestry to the Original People. They refuse advanced technology, relying on spears and rocks, dwelling in caves, and practicing Blood Magic. The feared Warlocks of Clan Bloodhook are diviners, sorcerers and alchemists, dabbling in the secrets of the Old Land, and reaping the benefits. They say warlocks can speak to the dead and the damned....