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What does "Mythical" actually mean?

A topic by itsybitsyspooder created Sep 20, 2022 Views: 587 Replies: 7
Viewing posts 1 to 3

Haven't played the game in a hot second so I might just be forgetting something, but what does "Mythical" actually mean?

I remember that word or something like it being  used as a noun for what Asterion and Luke and stuff actually all themselves, but what does it mean specifically? Would it also refer to like a genuinely evil spirit or something? Would it also refer to a literal witch or a fae? Like would Baba Yaga be a mythical? Would Cthulu?

I'm just curious cause in a lot of fictional worlds like this there are usually different "camps" where one group is cool and another is totally down to just kill people. I'm also wondering where more malevolent and violent beings from mythology and folklore fit in to this world.

anything non-human (or other normal living things) is a mythical. while there can be divine or chaotic inclined mythicals, the term goes to all of them. that said, evil is a lot more complex in this, as it's the gods that are shown to do some of the most vile acts in the story. however the very fact that they are gods means that morality isn't quite applicable to them.

ohhh, gotcha. Just wanted to make sure I understood cause I'm big into mythology and I was just wondering. 

Developer

"Mythicals" is the term used for supernatural beings who are not fully human but have human intelligence and are socially compatible with humanity.

A supernatural cryptid that's only as smart as a goldfish is not a mythical because they don't have human intelligence. Similarly, something like a Lovecraftian outer god wouldn't be a mythical, because their intelligence is still not very human-like.

Some mythicals, in truth, originate from humans that were given supernatural characteristics. P's species, for example, fits that bill. They were regular humans who became what they are because of a goddess. Others, like Khenbish, descend from animals that were given a more human intelligence and shape. And others, like Themba, were created like that from the very start, with human intelligence and all. Some mythicals are like Kota, in the sense that they are minor nature spirits. And so on.

Being deemed a "mythical" has a specific societal meaning. Though very few regular humans are aware mythicals even exist in the first place, being deemed a mythical carries the very important implication that you can enjoy, well, human rights. You can vote, go to school, have a job, all that stuff. You are more or less welcomed into human society.

Some supernatural beings with human intelligence, however, are not technically given the status of "mythical" because their existence might be incompatible with humanity. You could fit some malevolent entities here, assuming they truly are dangerous and it's not just lies spread about them. If this happens to you, it basically means you don't have rights. You're no more than an animal in the eyes of society. Which might be just perfect if a supernatural entity just wants to live in the woods unbothered by grubby humans, but it can end in many other ways too.

Thank you! I'm a big mythology and history nerd so I was just really curious about the worldbuilding and stuff

I'm curious about the definition of Incompatible. I assume that would mean along the lines of things like Medusa, whose gaze turned others to stone? Or would that simply be considered a handicap of sorts, and it refers to deeper matters like intrinsic curses or such?

Developer

There is no single definition of what makes one "incompatible." Different people thought differently about it and, looking back, there is much controversy about it all. Things can get ugly.

:)

OH. GOOD. Terrifying, thank you!