tigerhound

Sandrine's world is quite like ours in the present day. There is, however, a rather large underground society of magically inclined people. Persecution over the centuries has caused them to keep their abilities out of the public eye, but as technology and the internet get more and more widespread, that is becoming more difficult to do.

As a result, a council was created to find a solution, by any means necessary, of seclusion. What was discovered was a way to open a portal to a parallel universe, a sort of mirror world where the sun rises in the west and the continents are flip-flopped.

A mass migration has begun and more portals are being researched and built, but with a need to discretion, they are hidden away in remote and secluded areas. As well, the migration is being strictly policed, so to avoid the regular non-magic public getting wind through mass crowds and gatherings of people randomly 'disappearing'. Portals exist in northern Canada, the Andes mountains, and Siberia. Others are being researched on the African continent. More heavily populated countries are having difficulty finding and procuring secluded areas.


The magic itself is simply an added ability to be able to manipulate the life-force throughout all living things. Different cultures have different names for it, mana, soul, etc, that undefinable thing that makes us different from the industrial machinations of man. The humans with the capabilities, which are passed genetically but is possible to skip generations or move laterally throughout family lines, are most commonly used through natural items.

It can be a finicky thing, and the nature of the magic depends greatly on the procurement and prepping of the materials used to wield it. For example, bird feathers are among the most common instrument because they are easily attained and can be masked as fashion decoration, but can vary greatly with the magic they deliver. A mage specializing in healing will harvest feathers cast off naturally, usually from birds they know or own. However, someone needing a more aggressive approach -- to harm, instead of heal -- will take feathers from a bird they have killed or have found dead from causes other then natural. It is possible to wield magic without an instrument, but far more difficult to control.

The strength and power of the magic one can wield is only partially attributed to how they procure their instruments; to exact great effect comes from strict and steady schooling and practice. Older, dedicated practitioners are to be respected and feared; there are very few young practitioners who are capable of great power, and those who are naturally more gifted with it still lack control learned through experience.

There also exist certain mutations, the two most notable the Faeked and the Marked. Faeked are those who have the ability to imprint on any type of animal and then change into their own version of it. The name comes from the ancient myth that they were changelings, humans babies swapped with faeries, and when modern understanding proved this wrong, the term 'fake fae' or 'faeked' came about and was used with such frequency it was standardized.

The Marked are born with a birthmark in the image of an animal that fades after a few days. It indicates that another sentience is within them, and remains 'asleep' or dormant until puberty. When it 'awakens', however, it will reek havoc on its hosts mind until they make it visible with a tattoo as similar as the image they were born with as possible. Although Marked are uncommon, it is standard practice to have a gifted artist at the birth to mark the image. The tattoo is where the sentience will 'reside', and act as an instrument for its host. Seeing and sensing the world on its own according to the strengths of the animal it represents. It can also detach in this form and for shrot periods of time exist independent of the host, although there is an anxiety on both ends to be reunited. Examples would be a tattoo of a snake slithering of its host's arm onto a wall.

While the mages themselves warred with persecution, they themselves had their own prejudices against these mutations, and at one point the Marked were employed or enslaved as mercenaries to hunt the Faeked, when it was though that the latter were abominations (The marked weren't looked on that kindly, either).

Though time and understanding has made it possible for the three to coexist, there still runs ingrained hatred. Marked usually don't like animals and Faeked are nervous around anyone with tattoos.