Humans

Humans are the most common sentient species on our planet. By default, mages attending Trefoil Academy will be humans (though the school accepts non-humans).

## All Humans

### Lifespan

While the usual nonmage life expectancy ranges from 70 to 100 years, mages tend to live longer, with an average life expectancy of 150. Some can live to 200 or more, with an account of the oldest mage known to have lived to around 750 years old!

### Food

Humans are omnivores, though some prefer a vegetarian or vegan diet, and others are more heavily carnivorous. Favorite foods and flavor profiles vary widely between cultures. The most commonly eaten food in the world is rice; pasta is the next most common. Vegetables, fruit, and poultry are generically the next most common food items.

Some humans prefer more processed foods, though it is less healthy for them.

## Magekind

Magic is usually an inherited ability, passed down from parent to child.

* **Purebloods** are mages born of magical parentage. How far back this goes depends on cultural definitions (and some elitism); some mages do not consider a person a pureblood unless they have had magical parentage for six generations. Others are more loose in their definitions, considering only the parents.
* **Halfbloods** are usually mages born of one magical parent and one non-magical parent. Some mages consider a person a halfblood even if the only non-mage in their family tree is a Great Great Great Grandparent!
* **Halfbreeds** are mages who have a parent of another species. Again, some mages are picky about grandparents and further back, as well!
* A "**First Generation Mage**" is one born to non-magical parents. It is rare but not unheard of, possibly due to a latent gene, a magical event, or luck.

Many purebloods are rather elitist about their lineage, some more than others. There are magic rituals that conjure up magical family trees to test for blood "purity" to get into some magic schools, but most schools only care about the student's ability and behavior rather than their lineage.

### Magical Society

For a very long time, magekind was kept secret from the rest of the world, since most non-mage communities fear, resent, or hate the power that mages could wield over them, often blaming everything upon a magic. Owing to this, most of magekind either keeps their powers secret from their neighbors, or live in their own magic-only towns which block access to non-mages (or at least those not in on the secret). Magical towns are often built with magic and have enchantments, wards, and special magical effects all over.

Many still use horses or enchanted carriages for transportation, as they are more reliable and energy-efficient than cars. Electronic technology in particular struggles to cope with the constantly-zipping magical energies in the air, and has to be specially warded to even begin to operate.

Purebloods themselves have been living so separated that they often have no idea what non-mage lifestyles are like, especially regarding technology. Bloodlines in particular are prone to this.

Rules and regulations vary from region to region, and even among individual bloodlines. An international confederation works to regulate certain international laws and maintained secrecy for millenia, **until the Witch Hunters found ways to counteract magic and keep their memories intact**. Now, the nonmagical world is aware of magekind and is actively hunting all mages as witches.

### Abilities

Human mages are extremely versatile and can learn all sorts of different magics. They will usually have affinity or talent for certain types, though some are a natural "jack of all trades" with no special skill in any particular type of magic. Magical abilities can include but are not limited to:

* Elemental magics, such as fire, water, earth, and air.
	+ Radiant (Solar or Lunar), plant, shadow, ice, electricity, and other magics as well!
* Shapeshifting
* Healing
* Telepathic powers (both mind reading, telepathy, and memory manipulations)
* Telekinetic powers
* Illusions
* Magic shields and protections
* Divination and fortune-telling as Seers
* Animal speech and charms, including befriending and training an animal companion
* Emotional enchantments
* Summoning creatures and elementals from other places, or conjuring them from raw magic
* Shadow/"Dark" arts, including Necromancy and curses
* Poison resistance

## Non-mages

"Non-mages" are non-magical humans, and they make up most of the human population. Some mages call them "Changelings" out of the suspicion that the magic child was stolen away by Fairies and they were each replaced with a nonmagical being (the Unseelie have neither confirmed nor denied this accusation, and in fact, seem quite amused!).

Most non-mages were unaware that magic and mages actually existed outside of fairy tales. Those who knew tended to be sequestered or magically-bound to secrecy, or were laughed off by their fellows as telling tales (or worse, deemed insane). Unfortunately, in the recent decade, a nonmage was able to procure proof of the existence of magic, and fear has spread, causing a rise of Witch Hunters who are acting to protect their world from the threat that magic poses to all they hold dear.

Non-mages cannot attend magical schools as students, and must attend non-magical schools instead.

### "Changelings" Born to Mages

Magic usually manifests before a child turns 10, and more rarely during puberty. If a child born among mages does not show any magical powers by the time they are of schooling age (usually 10 or 11), they are often deemed non-magical, which can be a source of dishonor or shame to many magic families (especially purebloods).

Different families deal with this in different ways, and not all of them are kind.

* Trying to integrate the child into nonmagical society, with or without a memory wipe
* Trying to find jobs for the child within magical society (physical labor or in nonmagical academics)
* Hiding the child from the public
* Disowning the child, or worse (especially among purebloods)