Villager

Villagers are a species of mammal native to the Overworld. They are highly intelligent and are capable of constructing villages, trading and enchanting tools and armor. They are considered to be an important part of human society and often outnumber humans in cities and towns.

## Taxonomy and biology

Villagers are mammals descendent from an ancient ancestor of the pig and evolved during the Axion Period. They share a common ancestor with the Piglins around 2.8 million years ago. Between 400 000 and 250 000 years ago, the earliest modern villagers roamed Craftera. For a long time, villagers were hunter gatherers and had no knowledge of agriculture. Rare fossil finds indicate that villagers had a diet based mostly on berries, meat, fruit and fish, while piglins were more inclined to feed on vegetables and fruits. By 10 000 BA they started planting and harvesting crops, primarily wheat, thus starting the Agricultural Revolution (see Prehistory).

Villagers are important carriers of the Z-5 virus. Infected villagers behave similarly to infected humans and will attack other villagers and humans to spread the virus. Most interestingly, villagers have never been observed to decompose into skeletons. This might explain why they are the only species that is able to be cured from Z-5. A potion of weakness in combination with a golden apple will turn a zombie villager back into their normal state. Cured villagers do not seem to suffer from long term consequences of the virus. However, even if cured they can still catch the virus again and turn back into a zombie.

## Behavior

Villagers are mostly friendly creatures and rely on other species for protection. During most of their history, they had a symbiotic relationship with the Piglins, who provided protection in return for food and gold. However, due to the Zombification Plague, villagers have had to rely more and more on their own intelligence for protection, resulting in the creation of Iron Golems.

Villagers are known for their trading and materialist society. They value emeralds and will sell a variety of items to whoever can offer enough currency. In addition, villager society has several different occupations, ranging from fishermen and farmers to clerics and librarians. Villagers are highly intelligent and possess the ability to enchant tools, weapons, armor and books. While mostly sedentary, there are also wandering traders who will sell rare goods from around the Overworld. Different cultures of villagers exist, often wearing different clothing depending on the part of the world they hail from.

Some villagers are not so kind and have shifted away from trading to instead become rich by raiding villages and attacking travelling humans. These villagers are known as Illagers and have only popped up in recent history, possibly in response to either the Zombification Plague or the dominance of humans. In addition, some reclusive hostile Villagers have become Witches due to their proficiency with magic and potions.

## History

### Prehistory (10 000 - 0 BA)

During their prehistory, villagers developped different cultures, the earliest going back to around 10 000 BA during the Agricultural Revolution. Over time, these cultures became more and more threatened by the spread of the Z-5 virus and were forced into hiding, first along coastlines, later into strongholds and ancient underground cities. However, with the invention of the Iron Golem, and the eventual arrival of humans on Craftera, more and more villagers chose to remain above ground and live in small villages. Modern villager culture is characterized by the construction of small to medium sized villages often centered around a church, a blacksmith or a well. These villages remain small in size, probably as a way of defense against Zombie hordes, since the proximity of the houses allows for a quick escape to safety. These villages are often made mostly out of wood, in stark contrast to the mostly stone buildings which characterize the ancient villager cultures.

### Human history (0 AA - present)

The arrival of humans has had mostly positive effects for villagerkind, giving them a sense of safety in their own villages and new refuges inside human cities and towns. In some sense, a new symbiotic relationship has evolved for villagers, with humans. Villagers provide food, enchanted tools and armor, and humans provide emeralds and protection, sometimes even food. However, some villagers have also turned to a lifestyle of looting and raiding, possibly in defiance of human presence in their ancestral villages. These pillagers, as they are known, only raid villages where humans are present, but target their fellow villagers nonetheless. This culture of raiding has only developped in recent centuries, the earliest mention of a raid dating back to 746 AA. Over time, pillagers have constructed outposts and mansions to coordinate their attacks and are regularly spotted conducting patrols on the outskirts of villages and towns. The human nations of the world have generally responded by safeguarding villages, but a coordinated attack against the Pillagers has not yet occurred.