Side Story 1.9: The New Humans of Centuury
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The Arkanians
At first glance, the humans of Centuury bear striking similarities to those of Aerthe—their distant cousins across the cosmic veil. Their external appearance and basic internal structure follow familiar humanoid patterns, but these superficial resemblances mask profound evolutionary divergences.
The New-Humans of Centuury or those predominantly living in the Arkanus Continent, have transcended their ancestral limitations, evolving into a higher form perfectly adapted to the harsh realities of their world. Through countless generations of adaptation and transformation, Human Arkanians have developed bodies capable of channeling magical energies, accepting divine power, and even reproducing with other humanoid races that share their realm.
They have outgrown the fragile vessels of their predecessors—the Old-Human Centuurians who closely resembled their Aerthe counterparts and still are the major human beings in the other continents of Centuury and with only a few left in the Continent of Arkanus—the New-Human Centuurians or Arkanians are emerging as beings of remarkable stature and capability. Arkanian adolescents typically stand 5-7 feet tall, while adult males average an impressive 8 feet in height. This physical enhancement serves as both adaptation, protection and accommodation for their expanded capabilities.
In exceptional cases, males may reach 10-12 feet tall, with females growing to 8-10 feet. Such extraordinary growth occurs in those who channel exceptionally potent magical forces, those with mixed heritage from other humanoid bloodlines, or rare individuals blessed with partial divinity through birth. Their enlarged frames provide the necessary capacity to house and control the immense energies flowing through them.
The most notable example of such exceptional growth is Emperor Janus Cornwall of Elms-Arkanus, who towers at 15 feet tall. As the offspring of a mortal Human Arkanian and a goddess—a union that violated the sacred edicts of High Heaven—he exists as the only half-deity, half-human in all of Centuury. His unique heritage places him beyond comparison with both Old and New Centuurians (Arkanians), embodying power that borders on the divine.
What truly distinguishes the New Human Centuurians (Arkanians) lies not merely in their impressive stature but in their internal evolution. A revolutionary anatomical development has occurred within them—the growth of a second heart that pulses in perfect counterpoint to their original one. This auxiliary heart doesn't circulate blood but instead serves as a reservoir for magical essence or divine power.
From this secondary heart extends an intricate network of specialized channels—not blood vessels, but conduits for mana or divine energy—that distribute power throughout their bodies. These pathways enable (Arkanians) to harness forces that would overwhelm their Old-Human bodies, transforming them into vessels of tremendous magical potential.
Female Centuurians (Arkanians) have undergone additional evolutionary adaptations, developing wombs of extraordinary resilience capable of nurturing offspring sired by other humanoid races. This biological compatibility has led to diverse bloodlines and unique hybrid abilities among their descendants, further enriching the genetic tapestry of Centuury's human population at least for those who lived in Arkanus.
In terms of raw power, the evolutionary gap between Old and New Humans is staggering. A typical New Human Centuurian (Arkanian) might equal the strength of one hundred Old-Centuurians, while Half-Breed Centuurians could overpower a thousand of their ancestors. Even if every human from Aerthe or every Old-Human Centuurian united in battle, they would fall before the might of a half-deity like Emperor Janus Cornwall, whose divine heritage elevates him beyond mortal limitation.
These adaptations weren't merely random mutations but necessary evolutions for survival in Centuury's magic-saturated environment. Over generations, those who could better channel and contain magical energies thrived, while those who couldn't gradually diminished. Natural selection, operating under the unique physical laws of Centuury, shaped humans into beings capable of not just surviving but mastering the mystical forces that permeate their world.
Thus stand the (Arkanians), New-Humans of Centuury—evolved, empowered, and fundamentally transformed from their ancestral origins—as testament to humanity's remarkable adaptability even across the boundaries of worlds.