If I Were A Creator

Photosynthetic slime slithered along the forest floor, searching for a symbiote to bind with. The supercolony of microbes found a withering tree with only several branches of leaves remaining. Like rainwater, it seeped into the cracks in the bark and dissolved itself into the tree.

A genetic fusion occured between the sentient slime and its dying host. Genetic material is cut, twisted and spun accordingly, cells mutating at a naturally impossible rate. Externally, the tree seemed to wilt as its trunk bent downwards and its leaves dropping down like flies.

Over the span of an hour, the tree morphed into a car sized monitor lizard of oakwood. Soft, green tissue separated bodyparts and connected them, like a fully flexible joint. A thick shell of dark green moss blanketed its back, acting as its main source of energy.

The wooden lizard scuttled away towards a nearby river and floated, much like a moss covered log drifting on a lake. Microscopic roots absorb water and dissolved nutrients from the river, pumping it into its biological solar panels for efficient photosynthesis and thermosynthesis.

The lizard grew larger as days, weeks and seasons past, reaching whale like proportions in addition to a new set of crawling limbs. One day, the lizard ventured into the forest, searching for a place where trees do not hinder the nourishing sunlight with their height. Soon, it found a rocky cliff, stuffed with shrubbery and all manner of lesser plants.

The lizard discovered a flat plateau of igneous stone, rich in nutrients but poor in water. Then, it found a well lit pond, rich in water but poor in nutrients for all the nearby plant life depend on it. After hours of searching around the forest in its massive form, the lizard had stumbled upon the perfect place.

A burnt forest situated on the foot of a recently erupted volcano. Ponds of water were plenty and volcanic ash fertilizes the barren land. Due to the short timespan, the forest has not reclaimed this corpse ridden land into its lush domain.

The lizard regurgitated three piles of slime, varying in size and shape as they lay on the moist, fertile soil. After performing this short process of reproduction, the lizard retreated into the forest, never to be seen for a hundred generations. This begins the Treant race, the first sentient race above the waves.

A giant deer strides along the plains, galloping frantically as an agile hunter chases after it. An anthropomorphic gray komodo dragon with a red tinted back chases after it in all fours, gradually approaching its target. A small wisp of smoke gathered above its nostrils as the hunter's jaws close in towards the deer's rear.

A gust of flames blew from the hunter's jaw, scorching the deer's rear and causing it gallop faster in pain. As the deer carelessly flee from its hunter, a well placed rock ends its life as the deer stumbles into a group of bipedal lizards. Several deers were slain in the same way, cornered into such traps that granted these tribesman a bountiful harvest.

The hunters dragged their bounties into the tribe's territory, placing them before the chief's cave. The chief roared in gratitude and placed his bulky hand atop the lead hunter, proclaiming blessings upon him for this harvest. After the hunters were dismissed, komodos with green tinted backs arrived and coated the meat in saliva to preserve and purify.

In the evening, the tribe of a few hundred gathered around the village's heart, a 5 m tall bonfire. The roasted deer meat is passed on from the hunters to the other members of the tribe. While they ate, the chief and the village elders told the story of their creation.

It began with the great dragon, a beast so large that the it could swallow the sun and moon with ease. The great dragon lay countless eggs upon the world, which hatched into all the things around them. However, the tribe, the Varan people are born from a peculiar egg that hatched into a hundred eggs.

Then, these hundred eggs hatched after a while, explaining why the world is older than them. This will be the oldest creation myth on the surface and the central tenet of Varan faith. And so, the Varan people are born.

Gigantic, four winged hawks ruled the desert skies, sentient apex predators of the vast arid wasteland. Prey was abundant for mana using lifeforms were commonplace in the desert. Temperature to chemical energy conversions were commonly used, resulting in the desert being full of life.

Don't let the surface fool you, most of the life exist beneath the sand to absorb geothermal energy or to soak in more heat to convert into bodily energy. Here, the massive overflow of bodily energy led to the emergence of hyperactive and large lifeforms. These lifeforms are the main prey of these hawks and life could not continue without them.

These domineering, gigantic hawks are the Nazar people, a civilization centered on hunting, tribe territories and adventuring. They are the earliest terrestrial civilization to develop a rudimentary writing system composed of 25 letters derived from scratch marks. With this, they are arguably the first race on the surface to develop permanent settlements and a civilization, debated against Varans, Elves and Sukuna Dwarves.

In the deep forests, the beautiful elves danced between the trees. Their affinity to nature magic and telepathic link with the forest bestows them the position of being manifestations of the forest. A thousand years is their portion but pride is their price.

They lived in trees and living houses, like faeries of the forest. The sword is not their way, but their words hurt just as much as blades, maybe even worse. The forest is their domain and trouble is forbidden, lest a hail of arrows rain from the canopy.

Language was not a barrier for them and because of that, they did not see much use in it. Though a strong bond between elves results in quite an early civilization system, language was required for a rudimentary civilization to be acknowledged. Thus, the debate on the earliest surface civilization rages on.

The elves are far more agile than humans, but males do not have the strength advantage, traded for enhanced durability instead. Elves can see through the eyes of an animal they have formed a bond with, allowing them to infiltrate almost any non futuristic settlement. To battle an elf in his or her own territory is akin to suicide, unless a pyromancer or something similar is in the team.

Five hundred years proceeding the elves, two types of dwarves were born. The Svartal Dwarves, born on the distant world of Svartalheim in an area that harbors a massive portal to a northern mountain range on the main world. The Sukuna Dwarves, main world dwarves who reside on an archipelago far away from any other landmass.

Svartal Dwarves and Sukuna Dwarves have no physical differences at all, but their talents and paths are far apart from each other. Svartal Dwarves possess incredible talent in geometry, forging and construction, their civilization built upon vast quantities of metals. They are more resistant to heat and dehydration, but are implanted with a natural mild addiction to ale, in which they are far more resistant to its effects than any human.

Svartal Dwarves can survive in near boiling temperatures and take less heat damage due to an efficient energy dispersal system on their skin. Their respiratory system is very resistant to pollutants such as carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide and a long list of gaseous combustion products. These resistances and their innate talent make them biologically the perfect forgers, craftsmen and engineers.

The Sukuna Dwarves on the other hand are much more talented in sailing, tracking, astrology and mathematics. Though they lack the talent in building complex structures, they make it up in computing and logic. These Dwarves are also one of the two races aware of cultivation.

The archipelago they were born on had a spatial storm far above it, throwing out cultivation scriptures and artifacts from the Nethari and Fuxi people. As a result, their culture and methods are quite similar, though they have their own separate pantheon of gods.

Half a millennium after the dwarves, the various beastkin species were born in their territories within their own supercontinent. Feline, Lamia, Lycan, Taurus, Ursadon, Kitsune and Arachnid.

Felines, anthropomorphic cats with heightened senses and agility. Created in a vast plain near a major river, the felines are fishing society with permanent settlements lining up the river.

Lamia, humans with long, serpentine tails. They have sharp, poisonous claws, great strength and tough scales. Like a snake, they can lie in wait for hours before springing to ambush their prey.

The Lamia people are highly territorial and because of it form tribes to contest for territory. Despite their cunning and scheming nature, Lamia will not cheat to win. They believe in their superior cunning abilities too much to even consider the disgraceful act of cheating.

Lycans, anthropomorphic wolves with extremely heightened sense of smell, touch and hearing. A Lycan is five times stronger than average humans, possess thrice their stamina and twice their regeneration. Lycans can regenerate their claws over a period of a few months.

Lycans follow a strict code of conducts that induces a pack mentality into them. They respect the strong but unlike wolves, Lycans do not abandon or cull the weak like the Brachyen.

Taurus, anthropomorphic hairy bulls with childlike impatience, drunk like rudeness and a knack for roughhousing. Taurus are as strong as Chondri but not anywhere near as fast, though Taurus have thrice the human stamina. Taurus follow an unspoken rule of following the strong but also a loyal brotherhood.

As rude as they may be when you encounter them in a bar, once you get to know one, they'll be loyal to the end of their days.

Ursadon, anthropomorphic bears with Taurus rivaling strength and stamina, twice the human speed and the ability to detect earthquakes from hours before. Ursadon are very powerful and formidable, a group of tribes you do not want to provoke. Though tribes live solitary lives in their isolated territories, an attack on one tribe will cause the whole Ursadon race to declare war.

Kitsune, humans with fox ears and tails. The Kitsune people are granted long lives, heightened senses and a talent for Immaterium based magic. The magical abilities of a kitsune is determined by the amount of tails the one in question has.

One tail means that its magic can only manifest as a bodily phenomenon while nine tails means that provoking it will bring a great calamity to a whole kingdom. Kitsune have lowered mating drives, which results in low birth rates. Considering their extremely long lifespans, low birth rates will only increase their population.

The Arachnid, a specie of humans with spider torso and the ability to control insects via spiritual parasites. Arachnids are immortal but have extremely low birth rates. After mating, Arachnids will lay thousands of eggs, but most of them would grow into giant spider minions instead of actual Arachnids.

It would take centuries before another Arachnid is born, but mating with humans would increase the chance.

At the same year, humans were born. Bipedal mammals with various skin tones and various origins. Unlike most races, humans were born on three different continents.

Tan skinned humans lived in the deserts of the Nazar people, worshipping them as gods of the desert. These humans are more cunning and a s.e.n.s.i.t.i.v.e ability to detect vibrations below the sand, it helps them hunt and avoid in the desert.

European humans lived on a continent of their own, but a short sailboat ride will take them to the Nazar continent, Elven continent or the Svartal continent. These humans are the typical westerners but are more athletic and attractive due to adaptations required to survive the mana environment.

The third type of humans were of mixed asian descent, living on an archipelago with many coral reefs and guarded by the Syreni Kadita species. These humans worshipped them as goddesses and a family member that becomes their servant would bring great honor into the family. These humans are talented at arts, theology and music, a culture that developed due to the presence of their guardians.

This lists down the natural races of the world, those who follow the rule of life and death. For those who do not, they are reviled, but few know that their existence is a part of the creator's will.