Mage Biology (W2W)

## Mages vs Humans

In Welcome to Warmthorne, Mages are not wizards. Rather, they're a humanoid species which have evolved with inai, a fourth-dimensional fluid unique to the W2W universe. While Mages and humans share many characteristics--similar senses, body shapes, skeletal systems--they also have many differences, most of which can be traced back to inai.

Unlike humans, Mages:

* usually die between 40 and 50 years of age
* mature faster during adolescence
* digest food more slowly and efficiently
* have a less efficient way of expelling waste (vomiting)
* have more complicated structures in the eyes that change how pupils and irises function
* are less susceptible to poor vision
* have less sensitive senses of smell and taste
* have more sensitive sense of environment

Alongside regular blood vessels, Mages also have inai transports, which carry the fourth-dimensional fluid with an agent that partially pulls it into the third dimension. This new fluid is colloquially referred to as inai despire technically being a difference substance.

Most of the time, pure inai can't be seen, as it isn't three-dimensional. However, it's still often described as being "in the air." Some Mages have impressive ability to control the inai in their bodies, enough to pull some out of "the air." Others are so unable to regulate their inai that they need consistent medical check-ins.

There are two prominent subspecies of Mage: K and Pure. An important difference between them is their inai count, which is a measure of how much inai is in their inai transports. Although represented as a percent, 100% does not mean made solely out of inai, or that their inai transports or full. Rather, 100% is the agreed upon highest safe level. Most Mages have inai counts lower than 100% and a few naturally have ones above.

## K Mages

The K Mage is a subspecies of Mage with an inai count normally between 30 and 50%. They also have many physical differences from Pure Mages. (Note: these are generalizations; not all K Mages have these features.)

* long, dull fangs
* warmer skin tones
* "blushier" faces
* capture pupils (appear to be light-colored outlines of pupils in the iris instead of actual pupils)
* taller average height
* more muscle mass
* larger noses, mouths, and hands
* longer torsos
* wider shoulders

There are also a number of differences that cannot be as easily seen.

* higher body temperatures (caused by their inai transports using warmer substances to bring inai into the third dimension)
* inai which pools in the face
* less of an ability to control inai
* better stamina
* better immune systems
* vomiting more often
* more susceptible to needing medical attention for inai-related conditions and injuries

Virtually no K Mage is able to consciously choose where the inai in their body goes, or how much of it pools to a given location, even after years of training. Their inai transports are also thinner than those of Pure Mages, making sudden intakes of extra inai more dangerous for K Mages.

However, K Mages are known for their impressive strength, stamina, and health not related to inai. They are able to gain muscle much faster than Pure Mages, and are considerably less susceptible to disease. Mages in general also sometimes have eye bleeds, which are similar to nose bleeds from the tear duct, due to inai. K Mages have them often, especially in inai-rich areas like Warmthorne. K Mages are more likely to be lactose intolerant as well.

## Pure Mages

The Pure Mage is another subspecies of Mage with enough variety to have several distinct subcategories that can be recognized by the average person. With an inai count between 60 and 75%, the typical Pure Mage is the most common type of Mage in the continent. There are a number of visible differences between it and the typical K Mage.

* short, sharp fangs
* paler skin tones
* gray pupils (appear to be filled in with a dark gray instead of black color)
* shorter average height
* less muscle mass
* smaller noses, mouths, and hands
* boxier frames
* narrower shoulders

As well as less visible differences:

* lower body temperatures (caused by their inai transports using colder substances to bring the inai into the third dimension)
* inai which pools in the arms and hands
* more of an ability to control inai
* less stamina
* worse immune systems
* vomiting less often
* less of a sense of smell and taste

Most Pure Mages have a basic ability to control inai in their bodies consciously. This means being able to pool more inai into the hands, make parts of their bodies slightly cooler or warmer, and pull small amounts of inai out of their environment.

With more training, some can even shoot inai out of their hands. However, this is dangerous in the beginning stages of learning, since they may not know how to control whether the inai they shoot out is third- or fourth-dimensional, meaning they risk tearing open their inai transports and skin in the process. Luckily, Pure Mages heal considerably faster than K Mages with this kind of injury.

Although they can be quite powerful with inai, Pure Mages are otherwise physically weak. They have much less muscle mass, are more susceptible to disease, and have a more painful experience when vomiting.

There are three main deviances from the typical Pure Mage: the Hue, Vols, and Isthmus Mage. However, these are not relevant to SOL Academy.