Summary: Aquans, an offshoot of the Maranboe Zombie Hive mind. The Maranboe Virus infected some Sirens, which mutated the virus and turned them into Shark people.

Q: Sounds like the Aquan are pretty dangerous. Can they talk to fish? 

A: Yes and no, they can share an impulse or feeling, but are completely incapable of speech in the way we know it.

Q: What weapons and equipment do they use?  

A: They rely on their clawed hands and sharp teeth.

Q: What's up with the hive stuff?

A: The Maranboe and all variants start out as part of the a hive mind as part of being infected by the Maranboe virus.  The Maranboe Virus is not a traditional virus but is instead started out as a single being, who's cells took on the  properties of a virus. A virus connected to one infected above others that functions as a queen. Variants  are separated and develop their own hive mind, with their own quen. Unfortunately for the  Aquans inbreeding has rendered them mentally  deficient.

Q:Wait, so you are telling me the Aquans are inbred?

A: Yes, the handful of Sirens that were infected by the Maranboe Virus were quarantined to prevent spreading.  However, this resulted in only a handful of original Aquans. This resulted in them inbreeding and the newer generations cannibalizing the older ones until they were separated from the original hive mind.

Q: Well that is dark.  Does it have any effect on the look of aquans, do they start to look more fishy the more inbred they become?

A: Yes. By the time the reader is introduced to them, they are very shark like and have lost much of their original siren qualities. Many generations of  inbreeding having occurred and an army of them swarming through the ocean.

Q: Is there any hope for the remaining siren population? Are they being hunted to extinction?

A: So far this race only appears in the "Path of Immunity" Timeline. By the time the reader is introduced to this variant, the sirens as well as most other races have been wiped from the planet. Even non-maranboe infected humans are a rarity.

Q: Oh my... what happened to wipe out everyone?

A: In that timeline, Cornelius Graham of the Hall of Saints became the Maranboe "Queen" and destroyed anyone who could not be infected. With only minor pockets of survivors.

Q: So how does Cornelius Graham come to be the queen? Is he just power hungry or some other reason?

A: The thing to realize about the Maranboe virus, is that it doesn't control the host, it replaces the host from the inside out. With a version of themselves that is most beneficial to the hive. In the case of Cornelius Graham, this included his true self. But we aren't going to be talking about that right now. Let's get back to the Aquans

Q: Yes, the Aquans. How do they compare to other variants?

A: Well, outside of the inbreeding thing, they are the only ones who are at all aquatic. Their teeth and claws can tear through organic steel(which is stronger than titanium and regenerates itself quickly).

Q: Do they have any weaknesses outside of lack of intelligence?

A: Electricity, presumably they would die outside of water, and focused light such as lasers.

Q: By the way, do the aquans have any allies? Are there any other zombie hive-minds out there?

A: Not sure, to this point they have only shown up in a single chapter of a single book. 

Q: The aquans could have a human survivor as a prisoner. Perhaps that might be a good starter?

Do they have a name for their society?

A: If they show up again in another timeline, or when I get back to the "Path of Immunity" Timeline. No, they don't have a language, much less a name. Even "Aquans" is just  a designation given by observers and other Maranboe Variants.

Q: Do you think the Aquans are a threat to any of the other variants?

A: If they get in the water, yes. They are existing somewhere along the mental capacity of sharks.

Q: Are the aquans completely aquatic? Do they live in the ocean or just near it? How do they feel about the sun?

A: Yes. In the ocean, deep in the ocean. Given their genetic instability due to the inbreeding, focused light tears them apart, essentially turning them into a black goo. Odds are they would be afraid to go to the surface as they would not understand the difference between regular sunlight and a laser.

Q: Ok ok, so what does the queen of the aquans want. Do they have a queen or do they have a different hierarchy system? Do they even have a concept of hierarchy that isn't a hive mind?

A: What indeed, she  isn't shown or mentioned in the single chapter with the Aquans. Basically just inferred. I imagine her as essentially a brain-dead kraken on the ocean floor that the others feed and use to reproduce. But as far as they understand, she is their queen.

No, but it is hard to define what they do or don't understand as they are not terribly intelligent.

Q: How do the aquans reproduce? Do they lay eggs or does the queen grow the new aquans in her?

A: Hadn't really thought about it. But the queen probably releases a clutch of around 100 eggs at a time and the males fertilize them. As the older generation ages out, they are consumed. The only female that can reproduce or release eggs is the queen and as of that point there is only one colony.

Q: So what you are saying is, aquans eat the old generation as they age and then reproduce.

Is that right?

A: Yes, like the primal underwater hillbillies that they are. Now I am imagining one sitting around playing banjo...

Q: Hahaha yes. Aquans are underwater hillbillies, I love it. So are there aquan tribes? How does the aquan society work?

A: In a sense, but more like a school of sharks. I am not sure it does honestly. But at the only point you see them, they have had about 100 years to get where they are. Who knows what they could eventually evolve to become.

Q: So, you are saying the aquans have had 100 years to evolve, or were you saying something else?

What you are saying is the aquans are evolving and in 100 years they could become something more?

Is there anything they fear? Is the sun one of the things they fear?

A: Yes, to the point where they are when seen, the have had 100 years to evolve and probably just as many generations.

All things evolve, especially when the world is in upset.

Sunlight, hunger, Jormungandr who protects the city of Atlantis

Q: Ok, so the Aquans eat their old members to sustain themselves? Is it like a shark where they are constantly moving and eating, or do they ever stop? Is the whole of aquan society based around this survival instinct?

A: Yes. Yes. Yes, that and feeding the queen and eating.

Q: So the aquans don't even have much of a society, they just survive and feed. Are any of them immune to death? Like could they technically survive forever or do they have a limited life span?

A: No, as a matter of fact, they have a very short life span, reaching maturity in a bout a year and dying shortly after. Highly limited.

Q:  Do they have any other abilities at all? Besides eating each other? Is their any potential for the aquans to grow and evolve and become more sentient and powerful or are they stuck in a survival based existence?

A: No, not at the moment anyway. There is always the potential, but I doubt it would be a quick affair, especially with the limited genetic market. Without being able to diversify genetically, I doubt they could make much progress, unless they developed something to fix their genome.

Q: Does anything happen to the aquans after they die? Like do they join the queen as spirits, do they get reincarnated as their own kind? What happens to your soul after death in this universe?

A; Their body reduces to black goo. They would be reincarnated, but in a life like theirs it doesn't mean much. Most souls go to their personal afterlife depending on their beliefs and after letting go of their connections, they are reborn. In the case of an Aquan, there are no regrets or attachments to hold on to, so it is a quick process.

Q: Do the aquans have any concept of the future? Like do they make plans for it or they just kind of drift through life as a reaction to the now?

A: No, they don't live long enough. Outside of their severely diminished intelligence, they just don't live long enough.

Q: So the society is essentially a machine with no thought, it just moves towards its goal of survival and feeding the queen without any further planning.

A: Yes, but maybe sentience isn't the path of their evolution. Maybe in a bid to stabilize their genetic line, they start taking in other species, moving further from sentience and into a  more primal intelligence,  like first taking in giant squid.

Q: So the aquans become the dominant ocean predators and feed on all the other species they can find, but what if they try and invade land and attack the humans because they are the easiest prey because they can't get to the humans underwater. But the humans defend themselves and the aquans are pushed back and eventually wiped out. Are there any stories like that in this universe?

A: There are no stories like that, but again, they only show up briefly in a single book.  Not too mention, they wouldn't approach the surface due to fear of light. But let's get back to them integrating giant squid,  trading human like extremities for tentacles with clawed hands, including their former legs. Imagine what else they could get from the giant squids.

Q: Hmm... giant squids with claws... that sounds kinda scary. I imagine they could get some interesting abilities like maybe spitting out ink, or sucking its prey into its mouth. What would life be like for the other ocean dwellers if the aquans and their giant squid joined together? Would the other ocean dwellers live in terror of the aquans, or would they work out some sort of peaceful arrangement to live alongside the aquans?

A: Probably just avoid them. Head for the surface where the Aquans dare not go. I imagine them looking like shark mindflayers at that point.

Q: Would the aquans be able to get more powerful using this method? Like could they build a powerful society by assimilating other oceanic creatures to become the most powerful species in the ocean?

A: Yes and stabilize their genes. Not to mention adding diversity to their gene pool. I doubt they would be smart enough to realize the advantages,  but instead do it out of desperation to break the inbreeding loop.

Q: What about dolphins? Could the aquans assimilate dolphins as a source of intelligence and gain the ability to communicate vocally with their queen? What other creatures in your universe would make for an interesting aquan hybrid creature?

A: Don't know about that. Increased intelligence would be nice, but part of the idea is moving away from humanity and sapience. It would be rather neat for them to adapt the shape of their upper head to look like the head of a dolphin and manipulate their body and tentacles to appear as dolphins to get closer to their prey. Sirens and Jormengandr were it outside of natural animals. Except for Kellie technically

Q: Ok another question, and this is going to sound really random... do the aquans eat anything that's not each other or their prey? Like if a random fish floats into their territory, is it lunch or do they just let it be?

A: Yes, unless their hive mind integrates them. But I should probably explain how they integrate another species into theirs

Q: Yeah, I would like to know how they integrate other species into the hive mind. Do they break down other species cell tissue and combine it with their own DNA like the borg from Star Trek?

A: No and Yes,  allow me to explain. It goes back to the original Maranboe Virus. All infected would share skills and abilities.  So say, one person who can control fire is infected, now the entire hive can use it. Well it also so happens that other factors can be integrated the create new variants or change the current variant. Take for example the stone heart variant. One of them got ahold of a leviaten heart, which restructured them as a techno organics creature. The rest of the hive took this on as well,  creating a new variant.

Now let's apply this to the Aquans.  They infect the giant squids. The giant squids take on the current Aquan traits and the current Aquans take on squid traits until equilibrium across the variant is achieved.

Q: So basically the aquan and the giant squid become one combined entity, sharing their traits and becoming a creature that is a cross between the two. That's insane. Do any of them lose their traits or are they both changed forever?

A: Both are changed until exactly the same.

Q: So their are no traces of the original aquan or giant squid after their combination, the original beings are gone and instead the two merge into a new being. I assume all members of the hive are eventually assimilated as the aquan race evolves?

A: All members of the race become the amalgamation of the two species

Q: Is the aquan race the dominant life form under the water? Like would aquans and giant squids eventually spread across the sea, and then when they are done, the aquans and their giant squid descendants would then conquer the surface, making them the most dominant creatures?

A: Yes, they would be. Zero chance without outside interference

Q: Now imagine if an aquan or giant squid hybrid escaped the queen's control and gained its own unique sentience. Could that individual or its descendants overthrow the queen and her hive mind? What if some escape and establish cities, could they form their own civilization that is not an extension of the hive? Could this new civilization then wage war on the hive and have an actual chance at victory? This is all hypothetical of course, but could this work in theory?

A: Yes, but again, outside interference

Summary: A species of monsters in my book series called Arachne. They look like centaurs with spider bodies instead of horses. But in reality, what looks like a human upper torso is just a lure.

Q: What are they like other than being a lure? How big are they? What is their nature? What are their weaknesses?

A: Like giant trapdoor spiders with human shaped lures made from webbing wrapped around their mandibles and manipulated by their small front arms. Roughly horse size. Like spiders. Fire, light, sharp objects like swords or spears.

Q: What is their origin? Why do they choose to hunt people instead of animals? What is their society like?

A: Created by Nute the scientist, like all of the races The will prey upon anything that comes in range. The lure is just the easiest way to trick humans. Like giant spiders with human level intelligence.

Q: Okay, I like the human level intelligence + lure. Is Nute the mad scientist? That sounds a bit messed up that he is doing this.

A:  In this timeline, he was the original mad scientist He created the races as bio weapons to help free humanity from their enslavement by the Naltu (Cavemen).

Q: That is mad genius but also messed up. Does he have some sort of redemption? Like is he trying to repent of what he has created?

A: Not really, he sees it as for the greater good.

Q: Do they have any culture or religion? Do their young leave home once they grow up/do they lay eggs that hatch. What does one do in it's leisure time if they are intelligent. What do they eat?

A: They live in caverns usually, building homes out of a series of webs like their own subterranean suburb. As for religion, I am not sure. What would a spider think is god? Their young hatch from eggs and after growing up go build their own web homes. They like to put on plays and puppet shows for each other, using lures. They eat whatever they can .

Q: What would their gods look like? What would that mythology be like? Do these creatures have souls?

A: Don't know. Something involving sacrifice and shadow puppets. That's up for debate.

Q: Why shadow puppetry? I am curious what your thought process here is.

A: I am thinking their primary homeland would be the caverns of Japan, that they inspired Japanese shadow theater

Q: That might have to be a point of origin for them, do they all speak some form of Japanese? Also, what is some of the Japanese mythology they would be inspired by?

A: No, they don't understand it either. They just mimic the sounds of words and phrases to make their lure more believable. They speak with squeaks, clicks and slurps. Closest would be the Jorogumo, but most only in appearance.

Q: Okay, that works. If you had to estimate how large their territory was, could you give an estimate?

A: The cave systems of about half the Japanese islands

Q: How would they react to meeting a human? Will they immediately attack or will they try to lure them with trickery?

A: Definitely lure them.

Q: When they lure humans, do they always go for the kill, or are they more playful about it and may just do it to prank a human or torment them a bit?

A: In their base state, they are food. But I am thinking that as they evolve and get more powerful, that may change.

Q: Do they evolve based on age, or are there other factors in play? What are their interactions like with one another? Do they form communities/families/pack-like structures?

A: Haven't decided on a trigger for this species, just needs to be something that would not commonly happen. What I do know is that as they evolve, I want them to obtain features of other arachnids and start turning human bodies into lures instead of the ones they have been using. As mentioned before, they essentially create suburbs in the caves, crafting individual homes out of a series of webs. Their communities thrive, they like theater, especially Japanese shadow theater.

Q: So as they evolve and develop more features, do they have a sort of hierarchy based on age and/or strength? Also, the shadow theater idea is really cool, what made you come up with that?

A: Haven't decided Just seemed like an interesting idea. Giant spiders, putting on shadow puppet plays for each other.

Summary: Hey there Timmy. I want to talk to you about Ash Angel's, a variant of the Maranboe Zombie Hivemind Virus. This variant, in the only timeline they've showed up in, amassed about 100 people before they all spontaneously combusted. They're ashes unified as a single being. That being had a normal looking human form, an ash cloud form and an ash angel form.

Q: How do the hive mind control the people? And what causes the people to spontaneously combust?

A: It replaces their personality with a copy that focuses on traits that benefit the hivemind. No one knows, nor why the ashes united as a single entity.

Q:What else is there to tell about it?

A: The ash can create an electrical or dust storm. None of the forms are effected by physical damage.

Q: What is it's weakness?

A: So far, ice. Nothing else was found to work. But then again, they have only showed up in one timeline.

Q: Is the Vatican connected to their creation somehow?

A; That is where they spontaneously combusted. All 100 were trying to get free of the original hive mind and they were all Christians.

Q: So is the hive mind something that was created by people to control people? Or some kind of strange accident?

A: No, Strange accident, 100%

Q: What did the Vatican do to piss off a hive mind so much?

A: They didn't bend the knee to the infected Hall of Saints

Q: Maybe it can start to gain the abilities of the people it infects, like memories, skills, and powers? That would make it even more terrifying.

A: Standard to a Maranboe Hivemind. 

Q: Could they try and infect high ranking people in the government or military, so they could create chaos in a way that could benefit them?

A: At this point in the timeline, all institutions outside the different Hiveminds are gone. The one instance of Ash Angel has been alone for nearly one hundred years.

Q: That must be a very lonely existence. Maybe it is time for them to come out of hiding and make themselves known to the world.

A: Maybe

Q: How does something like that evolve? In what way could they improve?

A: It could create copies of itself so that it can be everywhere. That is a very scary idea since it would be an invasion of bodies and minds if a whole town was infected. Hell, it could become a city, buildings and all if you think about it. The Ash Angel could become like an entire army. That would be terrifying to everyone else.

Q: What is stopping it from infecting other people? Is there some counter to it? Like a special type of weapon?

A: Nobody left to infect. No, no coming back from being turned to ashes. None have been attempted

Q: What would happen if the infected were hit with a burst of ice? Would they just disintegrate?

A: No, frozen within the ice.

Summary: Today I want to talk to you about the Werewolves of my book series, also known as the Auk Mentar. The Auk Mentar have two personalities, one for their human form and one for their werewolf form. They go through an evolutionary process of sorts, starting with a partial awakening that replaces their werewolf form with that of an angel. Their first full awakening their second form is now an angel with three sets of wings. Second awakening, their other form is now an angel with 9 sets of wings. Third and final awakening, they still have their angelic form, but their wings are now uncountable and only visible when in use. They are led by a group of werewolves known as the Wolf Council. Each member of the Wolf Council is the leader of their own tribe, which is in charge of protecting a specific race.

Q: Awesome. Can you tell me about their enemies, what do werewolves in your world do and how do the humans react to them?

A: Their enemies have more to do with politics than being Auk Mentar. Most of the life of an Auk Mentar is spent defending/managing whatever race they are in charge in conjunction with their tribe. Humans are largely unaware of them.

Q: Cool. What kind of powers do werewolves have? How long do they live? Is there any way to kill them?

A: Hyper Strength and Regeneration. Inability to die without both forms being killed within 24 hours. A set of abilities referred to as Dragon Artes. Their human selves have an incredibly slowed aging once adult and their other side has no upper limit in age. There are several ways to kill them, but not simple ways.

Q: How do they use these dragon artes? What abilities do they grant them access to?

A: The Dragon Artes are abilities were granted by the ancient Dragon Kings when the Auk Mentar were first created to fight the Naltu (Cavemen) for the freedom of humanity. Dragon Artes are color coded to the Dragon King that granted them to the Auk Mentar. Dependant on the color, they give different abilities. Such as red being a fireball and white being teleportation.

Q: Hmm... what are Naltu and how were the Auk Mentar created?

A: The Naltu were the proper name for cavemen. They captured humanity when they first came to this dimension. The Auk Mentar were created as biological weapons, along with the other 9 humanoid races.

Q: Cool. What about the dragon kings? How did they make the Auk Mentar and are they still around?

A: No one knows what happened to the Dragon Kings and they didn't create races. That would be Nute the scientist.

Q: Hmm.. Nute the scientist, what is he and how did he make these races?

A: He is a short human, one who looks like Kefka Pilazzo and likes to dress in green clothing. He was one of the first humans to come to this dimension. Thus his interest in creating the races to free humanity from the Naltu. One of the Naltu scientists took Nute in after seeing his genius and forced him to assist. Nute took their technology and in secret advanced it and made it his own.

Q: This story is getting more complex by the paragraph. That is awesome.

A: Thanks, any other questions about the Auk Mentar?

Q: What are they like in terms of character? How do they live and what are their cities like?

A: That is really person to person, because half of them is still essentially human. Each has their own personality and choices. By day, most live normally as humans. By night, they live as their werewolf self. This could be something related to their tribe. It could be training with their individual master. Then there are the tournaments every full moon, which is also when the Wolf Council meets.

Q: Cool. The wolf tournaments sound interesting. Can you tell me what they involve?

A: Members from each tribe fight in a fighting tournament, while those watching place bets on the outcomes. Meanwhile the Wolf Council holds trials and manages all of the business of the Auk Mentar from their own private balcony.

Q: Sounds like a fun time. Why not open the event for the public?

A: A public event featuring all of the races the Auk Mentar hide from normal humans the rest of the time? The whole point is keeping the humans in the dark. Humans are literally the only race not invited.

Q: Ah ok. Just wondering why the secrecy but I get it. Sounds interesting. Do you have any other races you would like to talk about?

A: There are humans, 10 humanoid races, and 10 inhuman. Then, depending on the choices made by the reader, any number of extra races can come o exist. But, let's stick with the Auk Mentar.

Q: Alright. How do the Auk Mentar feel about themselves and their powers? Are there some who wish they were pure humans while other revel in their hybrid-ness? What about relationships, are they allowed with regular humans and if so how do the children work?

A: That is really on a personal basis. Some still see themselves as human, some look down on humanity. It just depends on the person.

Some decide to be human and with time and practice may never transform again. Of course, their Auk Mentar personality may decide to try to keep their human side from discovering their true nature when their human side dies and is reset.

Their human side is essentially that, human. The human personality may or may not know the difference. Heck, there is even a case where an Auk Mentar married a Blue Ogre.

Children are simple. They are human or they aren't. All races created by Nute have a genetic block that prevents crossbreeding, but do allow breeding. In the case of the Auk Mentar and the Blue Ogre some of their children are human, some are Auk Mentar, and some Blue Ogres.

Q: Cool. How do they feel about the Blue Ogre that married one of their own and what is the Blue Ogre society like?

A: Auk Mentar don't care. As long as their choices don't reveal anything to humanity, there is no issue.

Blue Ogres try to live like Elves. But that is because they have the ability to take on the appearance of an elf. So, they live like brutish elves.

Let's do stick with the Auk Mentar.

Q: Alright. How are the relations between the other races? How do they all interact and are they openly hostile to each other or work with each other even though they differ. For example, how would an Auk Mentar react to a Blue Ogre walking down a street?

A: Well, in that case, a member of the Hammer tribe would be dispatched to investigate. If they were just walking around in their elf form, the Blue Ogre would fit in and would not have an issue. If they were rampaging in their true Blue Ogre form on the other hand, the member of the Hammer tribe would do whatever they needed to to stop the situation. Other members of the Hammer tribe would contain the area and assess witnesses, kind of like the men in black.

Q: I see. Cool. How are the Auk Mentar regarded by the other races in general? Are there stereotypes that other races commonly believe?

A: That's really going to be race by race. For instance, the Vampirials(Vampires) look down on everyone, especially the Auk Mentar. Which didn't help when the Auk Mentar told them that they could not in fact take over the world. Which resulted in a war that may or may not wipe out the Vampirials depending on the choices of the reader at the beginning of the first book.

Q: Why do they look down on the Auk mentar in particular? Because they are half-human?

A: That is a lot of it. But part of it is an inherent jealousy that the Auk Mentar were selected to watch over the other races.

Q: Ok. Just as a final question. Would you say that the Auk Mentar are an inherently good or bad race and do their personalities, both human and wolf, reflect that?

A: Their personalities express that. Good and evil is all dependent on the individual.

Q: Alright, cool. It sounds like a very intriguing world you have crafted, I can tell you have put a lot of effort into it. Good job!

A: Thanks

Summary: Snake people known for petrifying with their vision. Though this is a misunderstanding as their vision only paralyzes and only targets with lower willpower can be petrified. This also includes inanimate objects and if skilled enough, the air. Gorgons are lead by a matriarchy.

Q: Ok, I have to ask, are the Gorgons going to be women with snake hair? Because that would be awesome.

A: Yes, but also a snake tail instead of legs. Also, there are men and women. I am thinking that the members of their tribe that are sacrificed are their elderly.

Q: That is awesome! Why are the elderly sacrificed?

A: Because, it is the duty of elders to open the path for the young.

Q: Wow, that is very sad. What age are they sacrificed? Do they want to do this, or are they forced to do this?

A: Being Gorgons, probably several hundred years

Q: That is sad yet very heroic; what weapons do Gorgons use?

A: In my books, Gorgons can turn anything to stone with enough focus, they just happen to paralyze people with eye contact. So they usually just make granite weapons out of nearby items.

Q: Hmm... can you still be turned to stone while wearing a blindfold or using sunglasses? What about eye contact while looking at reflection in water?

A: Again, they can only paralyze by sight, which makes it easier to petrify. So, if they can't make eye contact then your odds lie with their willpower and focus.

Q: Wow, can you petrify other things than just people? Like doors, windows, chests, weapons, etc...

A: Yes, with enough practice they can petrify the air itself. That is how the character Zeus Paltro makes his weapons and armor.

Q: How strong is the petrifaction? Are we talking like statues? If so, can you shatter the statues and make smaller weapons and tools?

A: Generally yes, but it depends on the stone. Going back to the example of Zeus, he tends to make things out of obsidian, which tends to be fragile and when it breaks, he uses the shard as secondary weapons such as throwing knives. Other Gorgons, such as their queen Litania can make turn things into diamond.

Q: So, the more powerful the Gorgon, the harder and more versatile the material? Litania would have to be a top tier Gorgon if she was able to turn things into diamonds. I am assuming she can make more than just gems, right?

A: Yes, her signature attack is making and manipulating a giant dragon manaquin that she can fight with.

Q: Wow, what does the dragon look like. Also have any others ever achieved diamond, or is the queen the only one who can do this?

A: So far, Litania is the only Gorgon to completely awaken and achieve diamond forging.

Q: Have any Gorgons tried for diamond. This Litania sounds like she is super strong, or at least was when she was younger. Does her appearance change with the diamond power, like skin turning to diamonds or at least something shiny. Did this take a lot of training and practice to achieve this level of petrifaction? Also, does becoming a diamond make something indestructible, or does it just make it crazy hard to break.

A: As long as she remains in focus, whatever she makes is indestructible. Transmuting skin would be no better than petrifying one's self as she wouldn't be able to move. But making armor is possible.

Q: So is Litania like this big, terrifying Gorgon queen with full diamond skin and a giant diamond golem pet? Or is she like a beautiful, but equally terrifying Gorgon queen. A Gorgon queen, who despite her terrifying powers, is still a beautiful and powerful Gorgon that no one can stand to challenge.

A: As she is fully awakened, she does have a human form and a Gorgon form. Both have been commented on as absolutely beautiful.

Q: Is her Gorgon form a terrifying force of nature that would scare anyone, or is it her more dangerous true form. A form that only comes out during battle, or times when she is very angry. I imagine that the Gorgon queen would be quite terrifying when at full power. She is the Gorgon queen. It would take a pretty powerful person to beat her in battle.

A: Would you like me to show you a section of writing where she fought?

Q: Yes, I would. What was the battle or the fight that she was in? I would want to see what the Gorgon queen is capable of.

A: I stand corrected, the Gorgon Queen is Tatillith, anyway, here is the section:

The guard goes to protest and Tatilith simply looks to him. He doesn't even turn to stone, simply falls to dust. She looks to another guard "Now." No further argument, the guards begin reorganizing the citizens. Taking some into homes and others away to other areas. Not in madness, but in smooth operations like a well oiled machine. The machinations of which transition into working order as we proceed to the thrown room. There Snayke sits upon the throne, his hands folded below his smooth pointy chin. His short brown hair is combed over his eyes and to the right. His eyes flash between blue and a glowing white.

He slowly stands and walks toward Tatilith "Then this is game over I suppose?" She nods and he responds "And what of those of us who betrayed you from below?"

Tatilith calmly states "I will have to do a bit more investigation before I can honestly say." Lillabeth slides by her mother and leans onto Snayke. Tatilith looks away from them and growls "Daughter, I won't comment on your technical incest or even your betrayal; but the business of your sisters leaves a sour taste in my mouth. Then there is you Snayke, surely you both knew better, that I would have relented this bloody crown without the hell you've put me through, without the travesty you've made of our people."

"What will you do mother?" Lillabeth looks at her mother pleadingly as she is no shape to fight. Even standing, her distended stomach nearly touches the floor.

Tatilith sighs "After I see to the proper needs of all of our people, you and all of the traitors can find a new home. For now the two of you will at least leave. You can stay in the cave you chained me in for now, but I want you no closer."

"So be it." Snayke says with his head bowed. He slowly assists Lillibeth away, behind Tatilith, hopefully realizing how easily he got away with this.

Once behind us, Lillabeth says under her breath "A cave huh? Couldn't just kill her? Your honor and bushido game has screwed us over. Always so busy trying to be a samurai that you forget you are a snake."

He growls as a sword of crystal forms between the heads of Tatilith and I "I am neither, I will be EMPEROR!" Tatilith shoves me away and a spike of crystal drives his blade away from her neck. She spins and slams a hand into his chest. As though in chain reaction, everyone nearby is encased in spheres of crystal and the area around the two of them is contained in a thick crystal wall.

He stumbles back, but regaining his balance swings wide and horizontal. She ducks below his blade, uppercutting him just after his blade passes. She grabs his wrist with her free hand and smashes his face back into the ground. Then she brings a column of crystal down on him. "That was for Sillibeth." She kicks his exposed head and says "That, was for what you have done to our people." She paces around him "Have you given up so easily Mr. Samurai?"

He forces his way to his feet, generating a crystal set of samurai armor. He pulls sword into a fighting stance. He slices up at her, which she side steps. Giving a little spin, she slams a column up at him, shoving him back. He slices down and she spins away. He jumps forward and slices down at her, this time a crystal claw has grabbed his blade. A claw attached to a large dragon puppet.

Her movements are matched by the puppet, as she throws Snayke about their arena. She smashes him, bloody face first into the crystal wall in front of Lillibeth. Then her puppet peels him off and knees him hard in the back. Taking the knee of her puppet, she slams him into the floor, causing all crystal including the wall to shatter. As crystal shards rain down, she looks down at Snayke "Now, if you are done boring me, kindly go to your cave."

She steps away and stops, her feet turned to crystal, fused to the floor. Snayke works his way to his feet as the crystal works its way up her body. As it finishes she visibly smirks. Snayke laughs as he steps around in front of her. "Not so bad now are you? The only question is whether to keep you as a decoration or shatter you?"

Her laughter echoes throughout the cavern. Then the statue explodes, revealing a large gorgon, but the snakes that would normally slither around as her hair are instead a series of little lightning dragons flying around her head. She lifts him from the ground by his face. "You even do that half cocked? You only petrified my skin. Pathetic." She throws him at Lillibeth "Take him and be gone. Before I run out of mercy."

Q: Wow, the Gorgon queen is more terrifying than I expected. I assume that all Gorgons use petrificiation in a similar way to her, just to a lesser extent or a different way. It sounds like she is very powerful and can even make the area around her into crystal, like a large radius around her is made of diamond. Also, that must mean that she can make people into crystal while they can still move and scream. I can imagine the horror of that.

A: Just don't forget that the entire time she is absolutely beautiful, like a work of art.

Q: That makes the petrifaction even more terrifying; someone who is so beautiful, but is able to petrify at will. It's a nice bit of irony, and makes her more scary. I could imagine many stories, where the Gorgon queen is an antagonist.

A: I doubt that. She would be terrifying if she chose to be, but she is usually more worried about her people and is usually just mentioned in passing as she isn't very public.

Q: Is she a queen? Does the Gorgon queen rule a nation of Gorgons? Or is she a queen more in her abilities than anything else?

A: She is a queen in every sense. Her human form is blonde by the way, with fair skin and blue eyes that still hold a hint of serpent shape.

Q: I could picture the Gorgon queen as having a human form that was pale white and beautiful but had a presence that could command the room, and all of the Gorgon's in it. I imagine she looks like she is almost made of marble, with a cold, but beautiful smile on her face. This makes her more intimidating, almost like she doesn't even need to try to look intimidating; she just is intimidating. That is terrifying, I would say. I could picture the Gorgon queen as having a beautiful singing voice if she tried. This could probably be used to intimidate or even hypnotize. I could also see the Gorgon queen as having a cold, but beautiful smile that never changes, even as the Gorgon queen has her hands around her opponent's throat; slowly tightening her grip.

A: She could, but it would miss the point of the character. She is a motherly queen, who cares deeply for her people. She is soft spoken until she needs to be loud. Her movements are soft and delicate, unless she needs to be powerful.

Q: I find this all very interesting about your Gorgon queen. I don't think I have ever seen a Gorgon queen portrayed like this in any book; this makes her all the more interesting and scary, because all of her abilities are so dangerous but she holds so much love and kindness. Is there anything else that you would like to say about the Gorgon queen? Do you have any stories where she comes out? Or are her stories and appearances far and few between?

A: She has rarely been mentioned and in six books has only been seen in person once and it was the one I showed you.

Q: What is your next book about? And do I, as a reader, get to actually see the Gorgon queen, or is it one of those things where you say they are in it a lot but never actually show them? Would the Gorgon queen be in any other books you have planned that are in this universe?

A: I am sure she will, just not in the five I am currently work on. She is too interesting a character to never have present again. Especially the dragon puppet.

Q: What kind of personality does the dragon puppet have? I would think the dragon is a lot more cocky and mean than the Gorgon queen; with it probably being a lot more bloodthirsty. If the Gorgon queen's goal is to keep the Gorgons safe it makes sense that she would be the only one that really has that drive of keeping the Gorgons safe. You can really see the difference in opinion and style between the Gorgon queen and the puppet she controls; showing that the Gorgon queen and her puppet think differently.

A: The dragon is but a mighty protector of the queen and her people. Proud and majestic, dancing upon the heads of his fallen foes.

Q: I see... so would the Gorgon queen and her dragon puppet be a lot more similar than I thought? Would the Gorgon queen ever do something similar to what the dragon would do; such as petrify or otherwise kill someone who is a threat to her or her people, or would the Gorgon queen be a lot more merciful towards threats?

A: That would be situational and proportionate.

Q: Is the Gorgon queen more prone to show mercy to her enemies than her dragon puppet is? Would the dragon puppet immediately go for the kill whenever it sees someone that the Gorgon queen deems a threat, or would the dragon puppet try to let enemies of the Gorgon queen off easy; for example, letting them go, when they are more of a nuisance than an immediate threat.

A: She only summons the puppet when she feels that much force is required. But as son as they are no longer a threat, she would show mercy.

Q: So, does the Gorgon queen control her puppet, or can the puppet act independently of the Gorgon queen? For example, what if the Gorgon queen is in danger but can't tell the dragon to protect her; would the dragon be too powerful to have its actions be overridden, or would the dragon be able to act and defend the Gorgon queen if she was unable to give an immediate order? It seems like a question that would be obvious, but if the Gorgon queen doesn't directly control the dragons actions; then would she control it at all?

A: The puppet is literally a puppet controlled by the Gorgon Queen.

Q: That makes a lot of sense. What if the Gorgon queen is injured but isn't dead? Do you think that the Gorgon queen will make the dragon puppet protect a wounded Gorgon queen? And would the Gorgon queen still be able to make the dragon puppet do specific commands, if the Gorgon queen is conscious and talking, even if she is hurt?

A: She would probably wear the dragon as an armored shell and seal the cracks so she can heal.

Q: That sounds terrifying. What kind of healing powers does a Gorgon have? Do they have accelerated healing or do they heal a lot quicker after eating or drinking something and they have a strong healing factor/regeneration, or is it just like a human's healing; just a bit quicker and a lot more efficient? Would a Gorgon be able to recover from something such as being severely cut, or even being severely impaled, as long as they are still able to eat and or drink? Have Gorgons ever been so badly hurt that despite their regeneration they still die?

A: All the time. Their regeneration is roughly 10x that of a human's, but that is still nothing compared to vampires and other races. Their main abilities lie in petrification, parilyzation and the ability of the males to cause females to release more eggs while breeding, increasing clutch numbers.

Q: So, Gorgons have multiple egg-laying capabilities; could one male Gorgon impregnate one female Gorgon several times to get dozens of eggs? Or can a female give a limited amount of eggs; regardless of how many times she mates? Could gorgons be so hurt or damaged that the only way they would survive would be for another Gorgon to give them their own energy? If Gorgons had some sort of energy based healing, would two Gorgons of the same gender be able to give their energy, or would only a male and female Gorgon be able to trade energy?

A: A male Gorgon could do that to any race. Causing even humans females to carry massive litters, assuming they survive anyway. As for healing, no. They don't have any healing magic. Just a healing factor of ten times that of a human.

Q: I see. So, would the number of eggs increase based on the amount of times the female Gorgon mates without a limit, or would there be a limit to how many eggs one female Gorgon could give out after mating? And would a male Gorgon be able to give out as many eggs as females; could one male Gorgon impregnate multiple female Gorgons without any issues, or would he be able to have sex with multiple female Gorgons; but only be able to impregnate one female, and the time it takes for a Gorgon to heal a wound depends on how much energy you have/how much you can restore

A: They hold breeding competitions to pick their next matriarch... There is no upward limit. They have a tendency to breed like snakes, wrapped up together in groups or clusters.

Q: Interesting. So, would a male Gorgon be able to impregnate as many female Gorgons in a certain amount of time, or would he be able to do it with as many female Gorgons that he wants, at any time he wants to? And would a Gorgon ever be able to get out of the breeding competition; especially if the Gorgon didn't want to participate or wanted to give their energy to another Gorgon? Or would the Gorgon be forced to compete until they died or were permanently incapacitated?

A: They are a matriarchy, the women choose.

Q: That makes sense. So, would the Gorgon matriarchs be chosen on who has the most mates, or by how many eggs each Gorgon gives? Or do other factors go into it as well like who is smartest or strongest?

A: Most eggs laid at the end of the competition.

Q: I see. So, would the matriarch of a Gorgon tribe always be the Gorgon with the most eggs? Or could a matriarch with fewer eggs take over by showing that she is more intelligent, stronger, or has a stronger healing factor than her opponents, allowing her to stay alive longer?

A: yes, no

Q: So, do the Gorgons have any method of communication; such as a language or signs, or are they like animals in the fact that they can't communicate or give orders, and are reliant on just instinct and smell? If a Gorgon is injured and they don't have a mate/friend around how will they survive and get food/water? Will they die of their injuries, or will they be able to heal themselves enough to get food/water; allowing them to survive until a more skilled Gorgon comes along?

A: Like most races in my books, they use a form of thought speech called echo.

You would be surprised what someone could do with willpower alone. Even in one of the books where Gorgon civilization has fallen apart due to Tatillith, a Gorgon is shown dragging herself across the Gorgon city to get help despite being massively pregnant and her body decaying.

Q: So, the Gorgon could still be able to move and give birth; even if their mind and soul were fading and they were barely conscious. How strong is the Gorgon's will when it comes to these types of situations? If a Gorgon has the will power to move, do they have the will power to stand up and walk or even fight back if threatened?

A: Strong enough to do everything to survive

They have the will to drag themselves with broken limbs if they have to.

Q: So, would a Gorgon in this position be able to do anything that a human would be able to, or would they be able to do things that a human has no hope of doing, such as stand and walk? Also, would the Gorgon die once they gave birth? And do Gorgon's give birth to just one child or multiple children? And how many Gorgon's are in a litter on average?

A: Their only limit would be physical. Can't get up on a leg that isn't there or attack with an arm that has been cut off, but they could force a broken arm to work.

No, that is ridiculous.  Her willpower would only increase to protect her young.

Always multiple in a clutch, but exact numbers depend on the virility of the male or males.

Q: I see. So, say, a Gorgon had an arm cut off and had children; would the Gorgon be able to protect her children, or would the Gorgon fall down, faint, collapse, or go into shock? If a Gorgon is severely injured and has no strength left; will there be any way for the Gorgon to be saved, or will the Gorgon be left to die from their injures? If a Gorgon is severely injured, will they be able to move at all; even if it is only crawling or dragging their bodies?

A: They would keep fighting

That all comes down to individual willpower

Q: Okay. Now, would a Gorgon be able to use their will power to force their injured body to move; such as forcing a broken arm to move even if it is heavily injured or damaged, forcing their injured or damaged nerves and muscles to move; or is that too farfetch for a Gorgon to do when injured and on the verge of death?

A: If they have the willpower, they can force their limbs to work, even if they are shredded

Q: So, a Gorgon with shattered limbs and organs could literally be on death's door, but if they have enough will power; they can force their body to continue to move and fight even when they should be dead? If a Gorgon is severely injured and is bleeding out, will their will power cause their bleeding to heal at all?

A: It can, with enough willpower. Just petrify the air around the injury to make a cast.

Q: So, if a Gorgon forces their own bleeding wound to petrify the blood or organs that are damaged and causing bleeding; could the Gorgon force the blood/blood vessels/organs to stop bleeding completely? Would the Gorgon's willpower allow her to ignore the wound entirely; or would she still have to do something about it at some point? If a Gorgon's bleeding wound is healed/petrified through will power; will it leave a scar or make the Gorgon weaker in some way?

A: Yes

Within reason. Once the emergency is over, the pain will return. But as long as they stay focused, they could safely heal their wounds with time.

Scar yes, weaker no. Their healing is powerful enough to rebuild any structure in their body.

Q: I see. Can the Gorgons use will power to stop the pain and allow them to continue moving and fighting? Or is the pain so great that the only way to get the Gorgon to stop moving is to make sure the Gorgon passes out from the intensity of the pain?

A: Again, that all depends on the willpower of the Gorgon

Q: Ah, I see. Now, if a Gorgon forces their body through will power to function while on death's door/injured/bleeding; do they risk taking damage to more important bodily systems because of the strain that they are placing on their body? And is there a limit to how long a Gorgon can strain their body with will power to fight back or could they theoretically do it indefinitely, just at more and more risk of damage or failure?

A: Naturally,  that is the nature of the beast.

The willpower is the limit. Naturally the risk of damage increase as they keep going, but that just means more time to heal

Q: I see. Now, would the Gorgons ever feel like the pain is just to much for them to bear and just give up, or would the Gorgon always push through the pain as long as their mind and soul remains intact? If a Gorgon is so badly injured that their only hope of surviving is by completely regenerating from their injuries; would they eventually need another Gorgon's energy to come back to full strength, or would the Gorgon be able to completely come back from the brink of death with only their will power?

A: It's all about the willpower, which varies from individual to individual

Q: I see. And I take it the Gorgon's energy can only restore physical damage; not mental or spiritual damage? If a Gorgon went through an extremely traumatic or damaging event and had their mental state or mind changed or altered in some negative way; could their energy alone cause them to go back to mental or spiritual normal, or would that damage be permanent?

A: That is not covered by regenerative abilities.  The mind and spirit would be on the individual basis and would usually require therapy like anyone else

Q: How strong is the Gorgon's mental resolve? If a Gorgon was tortured, would their will power be able to help them maintain their dignity, honor and beliefs while under a tremendous strain? Would it take physical torture to break a Gorgon's beliefs, or would it only be enough to threaten a Gorgon's loved ones in order to break a Gorgon's resolve?

A: Depends on the individual,  just like any other race

Q: I see. Now, would the Gorgons be able to communicate telepathically in anyway? Would the Gorgons be able to sense the thoughts of those they are battling or communicate telepathically? If a Gorgon was being tortured and their family were being threatened to try and force a Gorgon to submit or give in; would the Gorgon's telepathy allow them to communicate with the torturer? And would the Gorgon's telepathic powers allow them to sense or manipulate other psychic or magical abilities, such as mind reading or other psychic phenomena?

A: Scrap all of that. Most races in my books use a form of telepathy called echoe. Echoe is telepathy and it isn't. It is a lot more similar to a postal system. Surface level thoughts, referred to as mind drift, float around any being. A being that uses echoe can send and receive these thoughts to groups or individuals. But listening to someone's mind drift won't allow you to see their thoughts in totality, just surface stuff. Like "Step over that trip hazard", "The sky is blue" or breath in, breath out."

Q: Now, is echoe limited to being used only by Gorgon's or can other races and species that have telepathy also use echoe? Could a Gorgon who uses echoe communicate telepathically with a human who can read minds/telepathically, or would the two species' telepathy/echoe be incompatible with one another? Could a Gorgon who uses echoe sense the echoe of a magic user/telepathic from a long distance away?

A: Any race can use echoe and most do naturally.

Yes, because all beings think in the same language, we just automatically translate it when we physically speak.

Probably not, outside of minds that are linked, most would not have the knowledge of where the other person is without them being in visible range.

Q: I see. And now, would the Gorgon be able to use echoe through solid objects, such as brick walls, concrete floors, steel walls/bars, or a metal/steel/titanium/adamantium/etc. door? Or would the door block echoe, because of how echoe is used and transmitted. Also, how fast is echoe, is it slower/faster than light speed?

A: Echoe is not a physical energy like electricity. It is a psionic energy, which could only be stopped by another psionic energy. The only way to even intercept an echoe would be to know who it was being sent to the instant it is sent

Echoe is near instantaneous

Q: I see. Now, could the Gorgon use echoe to detect and or anticipate enemy movement or actions, even if the Gorgon can't physically see the enemy? Could a Gorgon know if she was about to be ambushed, before she would physically see the ambush? If the Gorgon's echos can travel anywhere in her range, would she be able to detect movement outside of her perception; such as a guard closing a door or walking through a hallway? If a Gorgon was in a battle, or a war would the Gorgon's echoe help her gain an advantage?

A: Yes but no. It is technically feasible, but it would be a massive headache just receiving that much info. The practice and effort it would take to syft through it all would be insanity.

Q: I see. Now, would a Gorgon be able to give commands to her followers, or would the Gorgon need to use vocal commands? Would the Gorgon be able so send echoe commands through steel/concrete walls/barriers? If she did, would Echoe carry her vocal commands; so they would be heard? Or would it be echoe only? Could the Gorgon communicate with her followers, even if there is no direct line of sight? If she used echoe to communicate with the Gorgon's followers, could they hear her commands or just pick up stray thoughts?

A: Echoe only

Yes, but they would still need to know where the target is.

Anything that can be recorded by the senses can be sent through echoe.

They would need to know the location of the target.

They would get whatever was sent, including things such as emotion and physical pain

Q: I see. Now, are the Gorgons able to sense each other with echoe all the way across the Galaxy; similar to how some force-sensitive species are able to sense each other? For instance, could a Gorgon on earth, sense another Gorgon on Saturn or even further away? If so, would they need training to do so? Would the ability to do so be similar to a jedi force-link that a master could do with a apprentice?

A: Look,the rule of thumb is that unless two characters have a mindlink/soulbond or the user has an exact idea where someone is, they have to be in visual range.

Q: I see. Can echoe be recorded by a electronic? Like a computer that is programmed to interpret the echoe of human thoughts. And then be able to project the recorded and stored echoe back to a different person using a monitor and machine to project the recorded echoe? If such a machine could be done, then would the recordings of echoe be able to be altered/changed; so it displays only what the programmer of the machine wants to be displayed and nothing else? Could recorded echoe be modified so that it displays an idea or image to the target user?

A: No, not with just a machine anyway. Machinery uses physical/Electrical energy and Echo/telepathy uses Psyinic energy.

Q: I see. Now would a psyinic energy machine be able to detect, intercept or capture telepathic/echoe energy being transmitted without the mind/or soul sending it out knowing about it? If a machine could sense a telepathic energy, would it be able to interpret it? And would it only capture the echoe transmission or would it also capture the mind's thought's and ideas being sent with it? And would it be able to store and interpret the captured thought's, ideas and echoe; allowing a programmer to manipulate that information so it becomes a weapon?

A: To put it simply, they do not have the technology.  It simply does not exist. The closest anyone has gotten is the character Studde with his study of Mako Alchemy.  But even then, he can't change energy to another outside of its type. Psyonic can only be changed from one Psyonic variation to another. Same with the other energy types, Physical, Temporal and Spiritual/Magical.

Q: I see. Now, would a Gorgon be able to project thoughts into echoe; allowing the Gorgon's thoughts to be heard? If a Gorgon projected her thought's, could she be able to give commands or instructions to a person or group of people; such as a army of Gorgon followers or a gang of criminals; without having to use a vocal command? If she could do so, then would Echoe be able to carry those thoughts and messages to everyone that she wants to target?

A: Yes

Q: I see. Now could she send those thoughts through solid objects; such as through brick, concrete, steel, titanium and adamantium walls; in this case, what are the limits of echoe's range? Could a Gorgon use echoe over a long distance in order for it to be heard? Or would Echoe be limited to a certain distance? Can the Gorgon use echoe without her mind/soul realizing it? If so, how far is Echoe's range? For instance, if a Gorgon was in a battle with a enemy. Is there a time limit to how long Echoe's range is?

A: There are no limits that I haven't told you.  As long as the target is visible or the user has a way of knowing their exact location echoe is usable.

Q: I see. Now, would it be possible for the Gorgon's to develop their echoe to create a psychic link/mindlink in a sort of group telepathy, so that people in the Gorgon's group all know what each other are thinking? Also, could Echoe be modified and or manipulated by a magic user so it could send out false thoughts or a mental attack; so other people would either do something that they think is of their own free will or create paranoia, suspicion and chaos within a enemy group?

A: Mindlinks are a different and generally separate can of worms.

No, magic is a different energy and in the vast majority of situations has no connection or way to effect echoe. Ntm, intercepting echoe is near impossible as you would need to know who they were sending to and the instant they intended to send it.

Q: I see. Now, would the Gorgon know if her echoe was intercepted? Would her echoe be distorted in anyway, if someone intercepted it; as the person is intercepting it? Would it still be the Gorgon's thoughts/ideas being intercepted or would it be the Gorgon's thoughts/ideas changed or manipulated by the person/being who intercepted it?

A: Let me just start with how nearly impossible it is for echoe to be intercepted. You would have to know down to a fraction of a nanosecond who and when they were going to send it. Even if a temporal magic user would have issues getting fast enough. They would be more likely to accidentally dilate time and end up in the future than get fast enough to catch it.

That said, no, the sender would have no idea it was intercepted.

It could not be modified, forwarded or resent. The most one could do is their memory of the intercepted echoe, which would have their mental fingerprints all over it and would clearly be a memory.

Q: I see. Now, would this ability to potentially intercept Echoe, in the event of success; require training? Would the being need to be a psyinic energy manipulator, or would the being just need to be a being who has a sense for or detection of echoe; to do so?

A: They could try, but the odds are insanely low that they could ever succeed, even in a best case scenario. Odds somewhere around 1 in 4,000,000,000,000,000,000

Yes, they would have to be a Psyonic energy user.

Q: I see. Now, would it be possible to program a machine to intercept Echoe in place of a psyinic energy user; thus using a machine similar to the machine used to interpret echoe? If so, then would the machine's interpretation of Echoe and be altered or tampered with; so that the target person's thoughts or ideas sent in that Echoe could be modified, misinterpreted and or changed in any kind of way?

A: Again, no. Machinery uses physical energy and the technology simply does not exist.

Q: I see. Now, would the Gorgon be able to use echoe to control people's thoughts and ideas with just her Echoe; thus, changing their personality and actions? Or would echoe only give her the ability to influence their personality and actions? If Echoe can only influence someone, what would be the extent of being able to do so? For instance, would Echoe be able to influence a person completely; so the person was completely controlled by the Gorgons thoughts, ideas, personality and motivations, without even being aware of it?

A: No. Just no. Echoe works on and with ONLY surface level thoughts and could not be used to control or manipulate core thoughts or personality traits.

Q: I see. Now, are surface level thoughts considered by the Gorgon to be thoughts, ideas and feelings not held dearly by the person? Would that include the person's desires and wants? Or would surface level thoughts only include a person's perception; like a illusion, a disguise or a false memory?

A: Not even  that generally. Most aren't even complete sentences,  just fragments that usually just get lost. They aren't even have attachment to the core mind. You would sooner control someone with a foot print left in the mud.

Q: I see. Now, would it be possible for echoe to be sent in a different language? For instance, would a Gorgon be able to send echoe in french or spanish; or would Echoe be limited to one or two languages? If so, what are those limits?

A: It depends on what is being sent. Thoughts, which are most echoes, use a universal language. Where as memories of the sound of someone speaking would be in the language the user heard it. Memories of an image, such as a poster would still be in the language seen

Q: I see. Now, would a memory of someone speaking in another language; be able to be translated into the language, the echoe receiver speaks? Would echoe translate the languages of thoughts, ideas, memories and information; or would Echoe simply send the thoughts, ideas, memories and information across a distance in it original language? If Echoe translates thoughts, ideas, memories and information into the person's language; then how does it do it? Would Echoe take the thoughts, ideas, memories and information and compare them to a memory; so it knows what to translate?

A: Memories can't be edited, they arrive exactly as sent

Q: I see. Now, are the Gorgons able to use echoe to sense and or communicate with nature; for instance, wild animals or plants? In addition, are they able to sense and communicate with artificial devices; like robots or even computers? If so, what would the limits be to a Gorgon's echoe when communicating and sensing in these ways?

A: Yes, but only those capable of using Psyonic abilities.

No, no machine can interact with Psyonic energy.

Q: I see. Now, would a Gorgon's Echoe be able to cross into dreams; so they could either manipulate the dreams of people or enter the dream of a person? For instance, the Gorgon could give a person a nightmare of being chased by something terrifying; like a monster or a dark version of theirselves? If so, would a Gorgon be able to control the person's dream? If they could, would the Gorgon be able to force the person to wake up by making the dream scary enough?

A: No more or less than someone whispering in their ear.

Q: I see. Now, where do the Gorgon's get their powers of echoe from? Was it a gift from a god? Or a curse from a powerful being? Or did they develop Echoe on their own? Also, do any other beings have the ability to manipulate and or use Echoe? If so, what are their limits? Would these other beings be allies, opponents/rivals or even enemies of the Gorgon?

A: Most sentient beings and a handful of barely sentient beings just have echoe naturally.  Most humans just stopped using it when they learned to speak and write. Concurrent generations of humans don't know how or require training just to properly receive it.

Q: I see. Now, how common in the world are Gorgons? Are they common enough that someone who travels around a lot will encounter them at least more than once? Or are they a rare sight to behold, with only one Gorgon being seen by a person in their entire lifetime?

A: There are only a few tribes left, especially after the whole medusa thing.

Q: I see. Now, are Gorgons limited to a single form? For instance, would the Gorgon only be able to take the form of the female gender? Or would the Gorgon be able to transform into animals; like a snake or a tiger? This includes a human-animal hybrid look; like a female human with a tail, ears and fangs. If so, how much of their shape-shifting ability can the Gorgon's control? Can they completely control it or is there a limit to how much they can change their shape?

A: Gorgons have males and females thank you. Depends on how awakened they are. Until the first awakening milestone, they only have the serpentine person form. Then they get a human form with hints of their heritage, including scales around the edges of their ears and serpent eyes. At first milestone their original gorgon form obtains an elemental magic, usually reflected in their snake hair. They also get a wider variety of stones for their petrifying ability.

Q: I see. Now, does the petrifying ability only affect flesh, or can it also affect metal; like steel and titanium? If they can petrify titanium, then how long will that person be petrified by the Gorgon's snake hair? Would they be petrified until their hair is removed?

A: The ability effects anything,  it is just a matter of willpower that decides how deeply.

It depends on how deep the petrifying goes, but it will generally go away if the will is no longer present, le the gorgon dies or leaves the area. It actually has nothing to do with the serpent hair, which are little more than parasites until first awakening milestone.

Q: I see. Now, would the petrifying of metal be a different process to that of flesh? If so, how deep would the Gorgon need to petrify the metal to actually affect it? For instance, how much effort would she need apply to petrify steel or titanium?

A: Flesh has willpower. They can't petrify anything with greater willpower than themselves. However metals and materials would not have willpower and would be easily converted.

Q: I see. Now, would a Gorgon be able to reverse the magic, so that a person or object that she/it had petrified; would instead start to become flesh? If so, would she/it be able to reverse it all the way; until the person or object was completely unpetrified and returned to the state that it was in before it's petrification?

A: No, there is no undo.  Luckily, unless they intend to kill a target, the petrifying is usually shallow and will revert on its own as long as the willpower of the gorgon is no longer present

Q: I see. Now, could a Gorgon petrify the thoughts, ideas and memories of a person; so that their thinking is frozen, they lose their personality and are unable to move or speak? If a Gorgon could do this, how deep would the petrify of the targets thoughts, ideas and memories go? Would the Gorgon have to completely petrify the targets mind, so that they are totally unresponsive or would the Gorgon only have to freeze one or two of a targets ideas? If a Gorgon had the will and effort, could they completely petrify a persons thoughts, ideas and memories?

A: No, one those are not tangible things, they are concepts and consist of Psyonic energy, where as physical materials consist of physical energy. The petrifying ability is physical energy. The paralysis ability is Psyonic energy.

Q: I see. Now, would the Gorgon's paralysis spell be more like a physical stun, or would it more like a hypnosis? For instance, would the Gorgon only make the target paralyzed or would the Gorgon also be able to use paralysis to make a person follow a instruction; or more like change the targets memories, ideas and or thoughts? If so, how far would the Gorgon be able to take this spell? Also, what are the ways to break the Gorgon's paralysis spell? If it's a physical stun, then would the target be able to build up a resistance to it?

A: You are making it something it isn't. It is an enchantment built into the biology of their eyes that upon making eye contact causes motor functions to freeze.

Q: I see. Now, are Gorgons immune to their own effects? For instance, if a Gorgon looked directly in a mirror; would she become her own target? Or would she be completely unaffected by her own paralysis effect?

A: Willpower, equal or greater are unaffected

Q: I see. Now, would the Gorgon be able to use her paralysis effect on a non-living object; like a machine or a computer? For instance, would a Gorgon be able to use her paralyzes effect on a automatic door, elevator or a computer program? Would her paralysis be able to freeze the functions of a machine or computer; so it became unresponsive to input?

A: No, no eyes for eye contact

Q: I see. Now, when a person or object is paralyzed by the Gorgon's magic; is it a solid paralysis where the person or object is completely unable to move and or speak; or is it more of a trance where the person can move and speak, but cannot resist the Gorgon's control? For instance, would paralyzing a person also have the effect on their mind; so the Gorgon can control what the person thinks, says or does?

A: It is neither Timmy, stop trying to make it what it isn't. Upon eye contact, it stops the target from moving. That's it, diffusion of the electrical signals to the muscles. They can't move.

Q: I see. Now the Gorgon has a variety of powers, but are there any races, beings or entities that resist the Gorgon's power? If so, how resistant are they? Would these beings be resistant to the Gorgon's petrify ability? Or would they be resistant to her paralysis magic? Would these beings or races have any drawbacks to their resistance to the Gorgon's power's?

A: Again, anything with equal or greater willpower would not be affected. THat's all there is to it.

Q: I see. Now, with a Gorgon having all these powers; are they more of a villain or hero? Do they use their power's to harm others or to protect? Or would it depend on their alignment? In addition, would Gorgon's be able to team up with the same Gorgon, or would they be more solitary?

A: Individual morality, as with any race that isn't a hive mind.

Again, that is upon the morality of the individual.

Yes.

They have a tribal structure overall, but that does not mean that some don't break off from the tribe.

Q: I see. Now, let's say that a Gorgon wanted to kill someone; how would she do it? Would she petrify her target slowly, so they felt all the pain involved as the turned to stone; or would she freeze the heart of her target? How would a Gorgon choose to kill her target?

A: It depends on the Gorgon and their reasoning. They could go any direction with it depending on their morals and why they are doing it. Given enough cunning, they could even petrify specific materials within a body to break them so they may heal again and continue doing it for torture. Or they could do what Medusa did and petrify people just enough to where they remain alive and conscious but completely immobile. Or they could completely petrify them in an instant and shatter them. It all comes down to the individual.

Q: I see. Now, what about Gorgon's using their petrification powers for fun or pleasure? Would some Gorgon's be sadistic, so they enjoy the pain of the petrify effect as they petrify their target? Would some Gorgon's enjoy being petrify themselves? Would some Gorgon's petrify their target slowly, so they felt all pain and suffering while slowly petrifying?

A: You are going in circles again Timmy. Morality is based on the morals of the individual, as with any other race, their traits and abilities are open to interpretation depending on their morals and will.

Q: I see. Would it be possible for a Gorgon to be able to control the petrification process once she has started it? Would she be able to speed it up and slow it down; to the point where the target becomes a solid statue, after being half stoned? If so, would she be able to undo the petrification once she has started it; so that the target is no longer frozen in stone?

A: They can change the rate of petrification at will. They can slow it, speed it up or even halt it. There is no reverse. Depending on how deep the petrification is, it may go away on its own as long as the gorgon gets out of range or dies.

Q: I see. Now, would Gorgons be able to make a solid block of living stone or a stone creature through petrification; or is petrification only temporary? For instance, would a Gorgon with the will and power be able to petrify a pile of pebbles into a living stone creature or block of stone? If so, how intelligent would a living stone creature be; when compared to a regular living creature? If petrification can make living stone creature's or object's, can Gorgons reverse the process and turn living stone creature's or stone objects back into pebbles?

A: They cannot give life to stone, just generate stone. As with anything else, the petrification cannot be actively reversed. It would have to be outside of the range of the Gorgon or the Gorgon would have to die. Even then it would depend on how much something or someone was petrified.

Q: I can see.  Now, let's say that a Gorgon wanted to freeze a target's heart; how would they go about doing that? Would they be able to petrify a target from the inside out; so they slowly turned their blood and organs into stone? If so, would the petrification be able to start from any part of the target's body; so Gorgons can start the petrification process from the head and then slowly petrify the targets brain, heart and veins? If petrification can be used to freeze the target's heart; would it be able to stop the targets heart once it's been

A: Yes, with practice, a gorgon can precisely petrify something. The petrified part would not be able to move. A heart of stone would kill someone in the same manner as a heart attack.

Q: I see. Now,  Gorgons have all these power's; but who would be able to defeat a Gorgon? Would a Gorgon be able to take another Gorgon's stone spell? Would Gorgon's be able to block other Gorgon's spells with their own magic? If two Gorgons were to use their stone spell's on each other, would they both start to turn into stone but be completely un-affected by each others magic; as though trying to hit a immovable object?

A: Again, it would come down to willpower.

Q: I see. Now, would Gorgons have magical defenses that would protect them against magical and physical attack's? For instance, would a Gorgon be able to create a magical barrier around themselves; to protect the Gorgon from all damage and all types of attack's? Would a Gorgon be able to protect themselves against magical or physical attack's using their will or magic? For instance, if a Gorgon wanted to survive a sword strike; could they will themselves to stop the sword from cutting through their skin and tissue; or could they use their magic to weaken the blade as it passes through their skin and tissue?

A: No, but they could generate stone armor around their bodies.

Q: I see. Now, how much effort would it take for a Gorgon to generate stone armor around their body? If so, has the Gorgon ever tried to use this in a combat situation? If so, how effective would the Gorgon's stone armor be in combat? For instance, how quickly could it be broken? How much protection would the Gorgon's stone armor offer; in regards to melee attack's, bullets and explosions?

A: It would all depend on the Gorgon, their willpower and what kind of stone they turn them into as it would vary.

Q: I see. Would it be possible for a Gorgon to turn the same type of stone from one variation to another? For instance, if a Gorgon turned their stone skin into something soft; like pumice; could they will themselves to turn it into something harder; like marble? If so, would this process take time and effort? Or would they be able to change from soft rock to hard, or hard rock to soft; almost instantly?

A: Yes, theoretically anyway. Most Gorgons have a specific stone that they turn things into and would generally change the air around them versus using their own skin.

Q: I see. Now, would a Gorgon's petrification be able to petrify a target's soul? For instance, would a Gorgon's petrification spell be able to affect a target's soul; so that the target had no control over it's own thoughts or actions? If so, how would the Gorgon's petrification effect the soul? Would the Gorgon be able to manipulate the target's soul through petrification?

A: No, again... different energy types.

Temporal - Time energy, Speed

Spiritual - Magic energy, Souls, etc.

Psyonic - Mind and psychic energy

Physical - Electricity, Gravity, Strength

Different energies cannot effect each other.

Q: I see. Now, could Gorgons manipulate other races? For instance, would they be able to petrify a targets mind? If so, would the target be able to resist the petrification of their mind; through strong will and their own magic? If so, would some Gorgon's specialize in breaking through such magical barriers and petrifying their opponents mind; to make the Gorgon's petrification spell's on their body more easy to put on target? Or would some Gorgon's be more skilled at petrifying the mind; so they can control their opponents actions and thoughts?

A: Can you give the mind control angle a break? I keep telling you no and explaining specifically how and why it doesn't work and you keep trying to come back to it. No Mind control, period. They do not possess high level telepathy, petrification turns things to stone, it does not give you dominion over them. Paralysis does just what it says. No mind control.

Q: I see. What about Gorgon's magic? Would Gorgon's be able to cast magical spell's while using their petrification or paralysis spell's? Would Gorgon's be able to cast two spell's at once; like a Stone Flesh spell and a Petrification spell? If so, would they be able to cast all three spell's at once; Stone Flesh, Paralysis and Petrification? Would these spell's have any drawbacks in casting them all at once for longer amounts of time; like more strain on the Gorgon and making each spell less effective.

A: Gorgons don't possess elemental magic until they achieve the first milestone of awakening. Even then, it would all come down to individual focus and willpower.

Summary: Due to a genetic defect, they have very few males. The females will usually fly out during mating season once a year and either find someone to mate with or will bring someone back to their nest to mate with. Promptly laying 3-8 fertilized eggs. Usually returning the very confused male if they obtained one shortly after. Most live in matriarchal flock, breaking off after a couple mating seasons with their young. Some do get married and live an actual family life, but they are not human passing enough to live among people. So unless they marry or bond with a male Harpy (Which as stated are extremely rare) it can be an interesting situation.

Q: Who would breed with them in the mating season, human males or?

A: If they can get ahold of the rare harpy male, one of them. Otherwise, whatever male they can get ahold of.

Q: What happens if they breed with a human male?

A: 50/50 chance of hatching a human or harpy. Due to a gene they were created with. It is a or b.

Q: Are there different types of harpies? Like do they live in different regions and have different physical adaptations?

A: No, they only settle in warm and tropical regions

Q: Okay. Tell me about the male harpy.

A: As stated, due to a genetic defect, they are highly rare. They are a male version of the females and are generally submissive to the females.

Q: What can a harpy do, is there anything special about their abilities or is it just like they have wings and can fly? Is there magic of any kind involved?

A: In their base form, they do not possess magic and though they like to sing, they usually sound horrible. 

Q: What features from their previous form do they keep when they awaken? Do they all do that and what features do they retain? Or do they just look mostly human but with some animal features?

A: Mostly human, to the point of human passing. It is different for each race. Cat people keep the ears, eyes and tail. Dragon people, eyes, scales and claws in place of finger nails. Insectoids, segmented eyes and mandibles that usually hide inside of their mouths. For the Harpiahi, they have feathers that poke out from their hair and they keep their talons.

Most creatures when they awaken obtain a mostly humanoid form when they awaken, with two acceptions. First, they retain some features from their previous form. Such as the gorgons keeping serpentine eyes and minor scaliness around the ears and extremities. Second, they all speak a variant of English called Ilfarsi as they cannot speak normally due to not originally having a human form like werewolves or vampires. For the Harpiahi, they have feathers that poke out from their hair and they keep their talons.

Q: If they are mostly human looking, could they hide that they were a harpy under a human disguise?

A: That is one of the ideas of awakening. It is their bodies rejecting what their ancestors were made as they obtain more power. But simultaneously, they obtain a second form that is like their original, but more powerful and in some way ascended past it.

Q: Do people dislike the harpies? Would they be looked down on by others for their heritage? I imagine you could do a lot with that?

A: Harpies as a people have mostly avoided social contact outside of mating season, as their base form is not close enough to human to mingle with humans normally. They are like Amish people when they awaken, walking into human society. They may now look close enough to pass for human, but the social skills will not be there.

Q: What kind of society did they have? Was there any class structure or what? How did they live? Were they hunter-gatherers? Did they have leaders?

A: They mostly live within their families and follow their matriarch, until they obtain enough hatchlings to break off and start their own flock. And once a male is bonded to a female, it is for life and they remain subservient to that one. They are hunter gatherers as they are carnivorous and they can't exactly go to the store. In cases where they are bound to a human male, they either live miserably but comfortably in a human home they cannot leave or the human learns to live with them.

Q: Do they have a language or do they just speak English? 

A: They speak in echoe(thought speech). 

Q: Also how do they have names, do they name themselves or are they just given names like normal human names and whatnot? 

A: If they have names, then it usually involves humans. They speak in echoe and thus don't require names as they just speak directly to the mind of who they mean to. 

Q: How long do they live and how fast do they reach maturity? 

A: They top out at about 70 years, maturity at about 10. 

Q: Do the males just look like larger version of the females or are they much bigger? Like human size? Or a few or more times larger? 

A: They essentially look like a human head and torso, with bird features from the waist down and wings from the elbow out. As most races go they aren't all that big. Yes, roughly human size. 

Q: Do they fly as fast as a normal bird? 

A: Flight speed is roughly the same as a bird, but with human intellect, they have learned to get up high and rely on diving to pick up speed. 

Q: Do they have trouble flying or do they have really strong wings? 

A: No trouble flying, their wings are big enough and their bones light enough to make it work. 

Q: What do they hunt?

A: They are opportunistic hunters. They aren't picky, unless they live with humans. In which case they like Taco Bell.

Q: What about their culture? Do they have any traditions or rituals? 

A: Not much there, most of their lives outside of mating season is used hunting, eating and sleeping. 

Q: What kind of clothing did they wear? 

A: Usually, whatever they can scrap together with their clawed feet as they don't have hands. Unless a human is involved, in which case, usually flashy shirts/bras. If they live with humans, they will usually wear tailored tops. 

Q: Do they celebrate things like birthdays and holidays? 

A: Not unless they live with a human. They drop the carcass into the ocean. 

Q: How do they treat their dead? Did they have burial rites or cremation rituals? 

A: No, burial at sea.

Q: What is their anatomy like? 

A: They essentially look like a human head and torso, with bird features from the waist down and wings from the elbow out.  

Q: What are the difference between their sexes? 

A: The human torso matches correct gender.

Q: Do they reproduce sexually or asexually? If so what is the average amount of young produced at a time? 

A: Sexually, 3 to 8 per clutch of eggs. 

Q: What age do they produce young and what is the gestation period (The time it takes for birth). 

A: Starting at 10 years, very quickly. 

Q: Is reproduction a private thing or a community function? 

A:  Private.

Q: How do they usually form relationships? 

A: Just a mating bond formed during mating season. With humans it can get tricky.

Q: Do they have any kind of government and if so what kind of government? 

A:  No govenrment, just matriarchal flocks. 

Q: What kind of currency do they use? 

A: No social, no market, no currency.

Q: What kind of religion do they follow if any?

A: No religion, just primal living

Q: How do they learn? Are they born with instinctual knowledge or do they receive training of any kind? 

A: Mostly genetic memory, but it has a half life from generation to generation, allowing them to lose knowledge if it is unused and bred out. 

Q: Are they taught to read and write? 

A: If they do, it is something they go out of their way to learn. They can be, but no hands make books an interesting thing. 

Q: What is their intelligence level? Are they smarter than the birds we have in our world? 

A: Their base form is at human level intelligence.  

Q: Do they have schools? 

A: No, they rely on genetic memory 

Q: Are they smart enough to live in human society or is it a challenge? 

A: They are smart enough to learn once they can become human passing.

Q: Do they have a written language? 

A: No hands, no writing, until awakening anyway.

Q: What is their attention span? 

A: Hyper focused. 

Q: How are they as learners? 

A: Fast and long lasting. 

Q: What kind of memory do they have? 

A: Very strong as they don't have as much to learn due to genetic memory. 

Q: If they do not have language how do they remember things?

A: Echoe is their language, it just isn't spoken.

Q: Do they have a concept of good and bad? 

A: That is on a personal basis and would have something to do with what genetic memories they inherit. 

Q: How do they decide what foods to eat? 

A: Is it dead? Is it related to me? Is it edible? 

Q: Do they have concepts such as beauty or aesthetics? 

A: No, ar least not pre-awakening.

Q: Do they have any kind of social hierarchy other than the female lead flocks? 

A: No, Mother's word is law. 

Q: How do they keep order? 

A: Mother's word is law.

Q: What kind of art do they create? 

A: No hands, no art, unless you count the ones who live with humans and post face cam videos of them singing after rigorous auto-tuning. 

Q: In addition to the clothing you mentioned, is each item of their wardrobe custom, or do they have standard items of clothing? 

A: Usually just something flashy and always custom made as it isn't a common enough thing to be mass produced. 

Q: What kinds of materials do they use?

A: Something shiny

Q: What about their society? Do they have a sense of respect or is it simply a might makes right kind of deal? 

A: Matriarchal flock, mother is always right, mother's word is law. 

Q: Do they follow any kind of codes of honor or do they have no moral compass? 

A: Depends on what has been built up in genetic memory. 

Q: Do they have an afterlife and if so what is it like? 

A: No, just dump the body in the ocean. 

Q: How do they treat the disabled? 

A: Unless the matriarch has an unusual amount of empathy, dump them in the ocean. 

Q: How do they treat the mentally ill or physically ill? 

A: Unless the matriarch has an unusual amount of empathy, dump them in the ocean. 

Q: How do they treat criminals? 

A: Kick them out of the flock. 

Q: Do they have prisons? 

A: No, just removal from the flock. 

Q: Do they have law?  Or is it a kill or be killed type of thing? 

A: Mother's word is law. Depends on what has been built up in genetic memory Mother's word is law, those who don't follow the law can leave the flock

Q: How do they fight? 

A: With their claws. 

Q: What tactics do they use? Do they use the flying to their advantage? 

A: Mostly diving and aerial maneuvers. 

Q: Do they use a weapon? What kind of weapon? 

A: No, they have claws on their feet CLAWS 

Q: Do they prefer close range combat or do they prefer ranged combat? 

A: Close range, but they generally avoid combat as they aren't exactly built for it. 

Q: What would be seen as a dishonorable act in their society? 

A: Depends on what has been built up in genetic memory. 

Q: What is considered the worst kind of crime? 

A: Depends on what has been built up in genetic memory. 

Q: How do they punish these things? 

A: They are kicked out of the flock. 

Q: Has the flock ever had to deal with traitors?

A: They are kicked out of the flock

Q: What are their beliefs about death? What kind of funeral rites do they have if any? Do they have a concept of heaven or hell? Do they tell stories about an afterlife or other worlds? What is their understanding of death and how do they handle dead people? Is it a sad moment or is it a celebration? What is their understanding of life after death? 

A: It is really simple, they take their dead and dump them in the ocean

Q: How do they handle old age / people being sick? Do they let nature run its course? 

A: Depending on the empathy of the matriarch, they dump them in the ocean. Someone either recovers or doesn't, they don't have hands , much less doctors. 

Q: How do they handle people who have become disabled through injury? 

Depending on the empathy of the matriarch, they dump them in the ocean. 

Q: Do they believe in magic? 

A: They have human level intelligence and a genetic memory, they are aware of magic. They are also aware that they are one of the few races that don't have it and might be a bit jealous. 

Q: Do they believe in any higher-power? 

A: Again, no. 

Q: Is there something they consider sacred? 

A: The current matriarch. 

Q: Is there any kind of prophecy they believe in? 

A: No. 

Q: Are their any rituals or rites? 

A: No, just mating season, hunting, eating sleeping, and dumping bodies in the ocean. 

Q: What do they believe causes misfortune and what do they believe they can do to prevent misfortune?

A: They don't care

Q: Anything that brings them joy? 

A: I am sure there is, but it probably involves hunting. 

Q: Do they have fun? 

A: If they do, we wouldn't understand it.

Q: What would they find amusing? 

A:  Probably depends on the individual. 

Q: Are they more emotional then the average humans? Are they happy? Sad? Angry? 

A: I wouldn't see them as more or less emotional, just generally like feral children and their emotions not as well defined. It may be more a matter to them of positive and negative. Helpful and not helpful for survival.

Q: Do they like music and art? 

A:  They like music and they try to sing like any bird, but their voices are horrible. Luckily the ones who get bound to humans and start social media channels on face cams have auto-tune. Q: What kind of things bring them pleasure? 

A: In the wild, probably not much.  

Q: What kind of feelings do they have? 

A: Again, more simplified, like primal children. Its not that they don't feel it, it is that they would lump together all positive feelings and negative feelings. 

Q: What do they love and value? Is there anything they appreciate or think is valuable? What do they hold dear? 

A: The matriarch, if anything. 

Q: Are they materialistic or sentimental in any way? 

A: The few who wear clothing (Being the ones that bond to a human male and live with them), like shiny material.

Q: What would happen if a human killed one of them? 

A: They would probably kill them right back if able to, otherwise the flock would scatter and run as they aren't adept for battle. 

Q: Would they be considered evil? 

A: No, just dangerous. 

Q: Would they be attacked or avoided by others? 

A: If experience dictated that a specific group was dangerous, they would avoid them. 

Q: Is revenge or retaliation a thing? 

A: Not as such, these are the same creatures that drop their enfeebled and dead in the ocean. 

Q: How do they handle anger, rage, envy, jealousy or hate? Do they know how to forgive? 

A: Like salty teenagers, as mentioned earlier, they aren't terribly fond of races that have magic, which is just about all of them. They don't hold personal grudges, so nothing to forgive. 

Q: How do they handle liars? 

A: They are kicked out of flock. 

Q: Is it socially acceptable to lie? 

A: Again, kicked out of the flock. 

Q: Is it socially acceptable to steal? 

A: You have to own something for there to be theft. These aren't creatures that are capable of being materialistic in the wild, because there are no material items for them. Even the nests they live in, high in the trees, are usually just reused nests that someone else left behind with minor repairs. The only exception are those who live with human mates.

Q: What would someone have to do to be shunned or outcast from the flock?

A: At the discression of the matriarch.

Q: What about mating rituals and courtship? 

A: Mating season, once a year. They fly out en mass if they don't already have a bonded mate and find someone to mate with. They may bring back this person, they may mate with them on the spot and leave. They may bond with someone, they may not. 

Q: Are they violent breeders? 

A: Personal taste. 

Q: Is there a courting ritual? 

A: No, but they do exert a thick cloud of pheromones when in mating season. 

Q: Are they monogamous or polygamous? 

A: Though the Harpy may be likely to bond with who they mate with and for life, a human may not feel so inclined once the pheromone storm is over.

Q: Do they have a mating season? 

A: Yes. 

Q: What about the birth itself?  

A: They lay eggs. 

Q: What do they think of children? 

A: Personal taste. They are to be protected until they can care for themselves, then they are part of the flock. The flock is their family. 

Q: Do they love their children? 

A: Depends on genetic history as they rely on genetic memory. They don't have the concept, unless they grow up in a human home with a human parent. Then it would become part of their genetic history. This does not happen often enough to impact the species.

Q: Some might be benevolent and kind while others might be greedy monsters?

A: Yes, dependant on their genetic history.

Q: Why would they trust someone from a different flock and not simply murder and rob them? 

A: Outside of mating season, the flocks have no contact with each other and avoid each other. So it does not become a problem. 

Q: If they have no sense of honesty, loyalty, respect, honour or anything like that why wouldn't they just kill and rob each other for power and material wealth?  Why wouldn't they simply lie and steal from each other?

A: No Material possessions, nothing to steal, nor interest. 

Q: Why wouldn't they simply abandon or kill each other for minor problems?

A: In case you hadn't noticed, they do. Depending on the matriarch of the flock anyway. Yeet their asses right into the ocean. 

Q: Why wouldn't they just have a culture based on the strongest person and their descendants taking everything they want and killing anyone else who got in their way?

A: Some flocks just might, like winged Amazons. I should probably remind you though that they are absolutely not built for battle.

Q: What stops a few of them from becoming conquerors who gather a following and enslave all the others? What is stopping them from building an empire?

A: No hands. They are not designed for battle, at all. Brittle hollow bones as part birds. Their base form does not have the capability. They were designed as scouts at most. 

Q: If they have no laws what is stopping them from going after each other's eggs?

A: Too busy tending to their own. Mating season is all females and the few male harpy are bound to specific females and going nowhere.

Q: Surely a few of them have a sense of pride and conquest?

A: That is a human concept. The only case they would know anything about it would be if they lived with humans. 

Q: Surely a few of them would try.

A: I am sure some have and quickly failed.

Q: Surely a few of them would succeed.

A: No, just no. One good hit from a small rock and they would be disabled. 

Q: What is stopping them from becoming warlords? 

A: Flocks avoid each other and just don't have the capability, they are a lot more likely to escape than to fight.

Q: So humans are a blank canvas that are open to be anything?

A: Essentially, yes. Because all other races have a built in genetic lock to prevent cross contamination.

Q: Are there different types of humans? 

A: There are different ethnicities, but outside of certain genetic issues, that makes little difference. They do however have a wide spectrum of personalities and are able to become any of the other races. Also, they have access to all four forms of energy, being Mental, Magic, Physical, and Temporal.

Q: So a human can be a demon, or any of the others and the world is pretty much their oyster. Are there other races?

A: Twenty original races created during the war between humanity and the cavemen that were here when humans arrived. There are several artificial races and about a dozen types of zombie.

Q: Did you come up with it all yourself? Or did you have help?

A: Yes

Q: You came up with it all by yourself? That's pretty impressive.

A: Yes and I am constantly working on more.

Q: Are humans capable of great amounts of evil or are they more likely to be virtuous?

A: Humans tend to run the spectrum, depending on their region and customs. Also, they can be affected by their families and those around them.

Q: Interesting, and are they a noble race? In other words, are they more likely to help a fellow man or to hinder them?

A: But isn't that an oversimplification? Naturally they go for what they believe that their actions are noble. Nobody walks out of their door and says "I am going to wipe out an entire religion today" but that very same person may think "I need to save my country and people. To do so, I need to remove what I see as a weakness and use that purge to unite the rest of the country. It could work." No one sees themselves as the villain. That is a judgement that comes from those who watch.

But that is what makes human morality so interesting. How our previous example was one of the most despicable persons in history. My books among other things aim to prove something, that even given unlimited power, humans will still do the same things. As you probably guessed, the previous example I gave was Hitler. Well, in my books, he fakes his death and becomes a vampire and tries to do the same things all over again. Right until the war he starts with the Auk Mentar(Werewolves) gets him killed.

Q: So, does that mean that people with power are prone to abusing it?

A: No, it aims to show that a person who is going to do evil, is going to do evil. Whether you give them a knife, a gun, an army, or unlimited power. They are going to do whatever they are going to do. But that in the end, that is the path that they choose.

Q: That is very true, someone does not need power to be evil, they just are. What about people who have the power to do good? How can they be certain that they will do the right thing?

A: They can't, that is the struggle. All they can do is decide for themselves what is right. Whether they measure it with instinct, science, religion or the directions of their community.

Q:So is morality subjective? That is an interesting point.

A: Yes, especially in a world where humanity can become anything.

Q: What do the other races believe about morality? Do they have the same concept?

A: Depends on the race. Some do and some aren't capable of it. Some, like the Insectoids are zealots of a single belief dependent on their variant.

Q: So, can humans become an insectoid or are they just separate "races" that live in the same world? Also, can they become a Werewolff, or are they also a separate "race"?

A: Yes, humans can become Insectoids, but not in the same way they become Auk Mentar(Werewolves). Each race has a different way that they can recruit humans. Or at least they are not all exactly the same.

Q: Interesting, so can a human choose to become any of the other races? Also, how are Auk Mentar chosen?

A: Yes, whether or not they have access to the means is another matter. They are selected by a Sponsor, then approved by the council, who arranges their infection and assigns them a Master to train them. Or in some cases, accidents happen and people get bitten.

Q: So the humans who become Werewolves are treated like a different class of people, what about other races, are they discriminated as well?

A: Each race sees other races in different ways. Humans tend to see other races as monsters.

Summary: I want to talk to you about LeoKnights(Cat People from my books.) Their cat half can range anything from a housecat to the biggest jungle cats. Fairly fast and intelligent, they live in patriarchal tribes.  The first time they awaken, they receive a humanoid form that keeps their cat ears, eyes, tail, and sometimes nose. Their Leoknight form obtains an imbued elemental magic and they can now teleport themselves and up to one other person.  Second awakening,  gain a second elemental magic and can now teleport a group. Third awakening,  they can access all elemental magic and their leonine form looks more similar to a Thundercat. At this point they can teleport targets at a distance instead of having to be in direct contact.

Q: Wow! That's pretty sweet. How long did you think about that?

A: Not sure, I worked on it over time

Q: Well that's pretty awesome. Can they do stuff with any of the elemental magic powers?

A: Anything a magic user of their element could do.

Q: Huh... can they combine elemental magic?

A: Only from second awakening on, when they receive their second element.

Q: Huh... interesting, what happens at the fourth awakening?

A: There is no fourth. Awakening are milestones a being takes along a process. The process of cells in their bodies being replaced by cells made of energy. Which allows them access to greater power.  By third awakening,  the process is complete.  All cells replaced.

Q: Wow...  so what happens if a leoknight dies? Do they come back in any way?

A: No, they just enter the cycle of rebirth like any other race.

Q: What do they do with their power? Are they soldiers, adventurers,  mages?

A: That really comes to personal choice

Depends on their placement in their caste system

Q: What is their caste system like?

A: Instead of individuals, it is a ranking of prides, based on which male leads that pride. Which only really differs in the lowest castes which will have one male to one or two females or a group of males looking to start prides.

Q: Wow that's interesting. Does that mean males are more dominant than females and that is why they lead the prides?

A: Yes, just like lions.

Their society holds the belief that females don't have opinions when in the presence of a male, much less a royal male.

Q: That is not good... does this mean your world is a misogynistic world?

A: No, just this race specifically

Q: Oh that's not so bad then, and the LeoKnights are the main race/humanoids you will be focusing on in your story?

A: Nope, one of 20 existing races

Q: 20!!!???

A: Yes, 10 humanoid, 10 not and then there are humans, a handful of "lost" races and a few artificial

Q: Wow, talk about a variety. How do you keep track of it all?

A: Notes, lots and lots of notes

Q: Man I love that, it is so much work but it is what makes a world interesting. If you are willing to do all that work. It just makes the world so much more rich and diverse.

A: Thanks. Any further questions about the Leoknights?

Q: Yes, what do they look like in their humanoid form? What kind of hair do they have? Where and how do they live? How do they get along with other races? Is their a culture or religion?

A: When they obtain a human form, they look like normal humans except they keep their feline eyes, ears and tails. Occasionally they also keep their feline nose.

For the most part, their hairstyles are normal and work their way around the ears.

They live primarily in forests and rainforests, hunting at night.

They mostly avoid other races, except to occasionally watch or compete in the Auk Mentar(werewolf) Coliseum.

Q: They sound interesting, do they have any unique powers, weapons, armor or special items they use? Are they more likely to be a thief, a warrior or a mage? Or are these just stereotypes?

A: They usually lean in their claws, reflexes and natural speed.

They can be what they want.

The only stereotypes involve catnip and lasers

Q: Nice. So they hunt at night? Do they get bonus sneak or strength when it is dark out?

A: Yes

Yes, but that isn't why they hunt at night. Though they are among the most intelligent of the races, they tend to be proud and arrogant. Assuming that humans will always mistake them for large jungle cats. Which is only a matter of time until their luck falters.

Q: I see, so they believe they are more powerful than humans and other humanoids. They look down on them and think they are lesser races.

A: Yes, especially races with lower intelligence like minotaur

Q: That's not good... a race that believes itself superior, well let's just say that is a big recipe for trouble.

A: Yeah, I doubt they would try anything though.

Q: Oh why not? Do they have some inner morality that stops them from invading or trying to rule the world?

A: Nothing of the sort. They seen what happened when the vampires tried it after Hitler took over as their leader

Q: Hitler became leader of the vampires???

A: Yes and tried to start a campaign for vampirial supremacy after he took over as their leader. Which lead to the genocide of the vampires at the hands of the Auk Mentar

Q: Yikes. That is not good. So the LeoKnights don't want to do something cause they saw what happened to the vampires when they tried to rule the world? That's very good of them to learn from others' mistakes.

A: Yes, they are proud and arrogant, but not stupid

Q: That is a good quality. So what do they consider a threat? Do they fear the vampires and other races that are as smart or as powerful as them?

A: Auk Mentar, vampirials(before they were wiped out), Orken who become Rhaja Djinn, and Drakken

No, but they are aware of these races, despite looking down on them.

Q: Wow that's a good answer, so tell me about the Drakken.

A: Dragon people that turn into dragons when angry.

Q: Wow. That's pretty intense. How often do they get angry?

A: Fairly, they aren't terribly bright,  which leads to misunderstandings

Q: You are telling me. Can they be reasoned with when they are in a rage or does that just make it worse?

A: Depends on what they are angry about and how angry they are

Q: Wow... they sound pretty scary. Can they control their rage or do they just become mindless killing machines when there?

A: Let's get back to Leoknights, we can cover Drakken a different day

Q: Ok, so tell me what more about Leoknights? Are there any famous ones? Who is the greatest Leoknight in the world? Who is the first Leoknight?  Are there any Leoknight villains or anti-heroes?

A: No, generally none leave their prides without being part of a group of makes looking to take over a pride or being exiled. The later don't tend to live long enough to make names for themselves.

Their greatest would be their current king.

The name and gender of the first Leoknights was lost to history . However it is known that their soul is one of the ten reborn as the innocent.

Q: Wait the first Leoknight is a reincarnation. Are all Leoknights reincarnations or only that first one? How does reincarnation work in your world, because the way I see it is the soul leaves the body and enters a new one, but it could work differently in your world so let me know.

A: No, what I am saying is that the soul of the first Leoknight is now one of the ten innocent.   Each one is the reborn spirit of the first member of their race. So there is an innocent who is the reborn first Leoknight and one that was the first Auk Mentar and so on.

You have most of the idea, but you are missing a step. Before a soul can be reborn, their soul passes through Limbo, the dimension of the dead. There they   experience the version of heaven/hell that relates to their belief until they are cleansed and rea

Q: Wow, that's interesting, how did the ten innocent originally die? Was it of old age or through battle or some other way?

A: Different  lives and horrible deaths for each of them. All tragic and each unlike the rest.

Q: That's rough. So are the innocent special in any way? Like do they have some special power or something? Or is it just a soul that is destined to come back to the world?

A: Each one has access to the power of the race they represent at its awakened level. For instance, the Leonknight innocent can teleport themselves and others. All souls are destined to return.

Q: Wow that's interesting, but are the innocent able to access their races other abilities? Like the ones from the other awakenings? Or are those reserved for only those members of that race who have awoken?

A: They are reserved for higher awakenings, which can be achieved by each innocent, but also passes that part of their soul back into the cycle. So they become like any other awakened member of the race they represent.

Q: So the innocent are like a vessel for the soul which passes the power on before moving onto their final resting place. So tell me, what happens to an innocent's soul after it has passed the power onto their respective race, does they soul get to move on to the final resting place and stay there for eternity or are they reborn again?

A: They are reborn again

Q: Wow, that's a very interesting world you made. You really put a lot of time and thought into it.

A: Yup. Any further questions on Leoknights?

Q: How strong are they physically and how do they compare to humans? Can they be injured by human weapons like swords or spears? Can they be poisoned? Can their magic be resisted or reflected by another magic user? Do they have any magic counters. Sorry, I am just curious.

A: They are stronger than humans, but they are also twice as large so it kind of makes sense. Though they are honestly more built for speed.

Yes

Yes

No more or less than usual.

No, they are speed focused, not magic or strength. They gain resistance to their assigned element when they awaken, but that is it.

Q: Are their any weaknesses to being a Leoknight? Are they weak to certain things?

A: They don't have any additional armor and their joints are rather fragile. No.

Q: So they are basically big soft cats with lots of speed and strength.

A: Big soft cats, who stand like humans. But yes.

Q: Wow what a description. Are they cute and fluffy too?

A: Depends on which feline corresponds to their feline half.

Q: Hmm... so there are some Leoknights that have tiger tails and other Leoknights that have more lion-like tails? Is there one that has a bobcat tail or even like a cheetah's tail? Like a little skinny tail that can move from side to side as it runs.

A: Yes

Some even have big puffy house cat tails

They run the entire feline gamut, which includes sphinx cats

Q: Wow that is some variety. Do they have a lot of personality like real cats? Or are they like human warriors in terms of personality?

A: Somewhere between.

Q: So some are lazy and some are very serious... does that mean some are playful and cuddly?

A: Yes, especially as kittens/children

Q: Aww... that sounds adorable. What about their fur? Is it soft and fluffy or something like a lion's coarse fur? or is it in the middle like a house cat?

A: Depends on their feline half.

Q: Interesting. So what about the Drakken, tell me what makes them a threat.

A: Short tempers, extreme brute strength, pea brains, turning into a giant biological tank that breathes fire.

Q: So they are basically dumb fire-breathing dragons?

A: Close enough. We are working on Leoknights today

Q: Ah yes. Well tell me what more about LeoKnights. Do they fight in teams? do they have armies? Are they a nomadic race or do they have a homeland? How do they get new Leoknights?

A: They can

No, at most they will have a hunting party

They are based in forests, usually not leaving without a reason

They breed

Q: Interesting. Does this mean they have a social hierarchy like a real pride of lions? So are the Leoknights more like hunters than warriors? Do they have any Leoknight-specific armor?

A: Yes, on a micro level. Then the leader of the pride represents them on a macro level and decides the entire pride's place in the heirarchy.

Yes

No, loin clothes and basic clothes.

Q: I like how realistic this is. So when you say they hunt at night, do they use their speed and stealth to hunt small prey like deer and such things like that? Or do they hunt larger targets like dragons, ogres or giants? Do they ever hunt humans? How often and in what situations do they hunt humans?

A: Yes

No, humanoid races smell and taste mostly human and are not preferably eaten

NO, like most animals, they don't like the smell or taste of human meat and will generally avoid it if other options are available.

When there are no other options.

Q: So do the Leoknights have an organized hunting procedure? Do they try and keep their prey alive by using tranquilizers? Or are they more like predators who just want to tear their prey apart and eat their flesh?

A: They usually kill their target and bring it back to the pride to be prepared and divided up. They really like fish when available

Q: That's very interesting! What do they do if a hunt turns against him and they find themselves outnumbered? Do they have some sort of escape procedure or do they just do their best and try and fight their way out?

A: They run back toward the pride and roar, calling trained protectors who are there for backup.

Q: Interesting... So what about this. Do the Leoknights ever have to deal with other predators besides the Drakken? Like do they ever fight demons, undead, necromancers or vampires? What about fairies and werewolves or other more magical creatures like that?

A: Usually not, but if push comes to shove, they are accustomed to pushing others out of their territory.

Only if they enter Leonknight territory uninvited.

Predators follow the above rule, non-predators usually cooperate.

Q: That's very cool. Do the Leoknights ever have to deal with a natural phenomenon, like a storm, flood or earthquake? Or do they have ways of knowing that a natural phenomenon is on the way and have ways of dealing with such things?

A: Naturally, they live in the same world as the rest of us and disasters happen.

They just cope with it.

Q: Ah, so Leoknights are just tough and roll with whatever problems they are faced with. Do they have any unique culture or society? Do they have schools or some kind of formal education? Do they have weddings? Do they raise their young or do they just drop their children somewhere to fend for themselves?

A: They keep out outsiders, so no one knows.

All teaching is done communally by elders. They learn to read and write in several languages, math up through statistics, basic science, and a history limited to the history of their tribe. They have no clue what happens in the outside world. They don't even know about the dropping of the atomic bomb.

Yes, but no, there is one adult male in the pride, who leads the pride as settled in death by combat. The rest are females and are assumed to be married to the male as soon as they become leader of the pride. They may or may not hold a formal ceremony, but they don't let the outside in.

Young are raised by the community. Males forming troops and trying to start their own prides or take over other prides.

Q: Interesting. In the pride of the LeoKnights, does the dominant male actually contribute to the society, or does he spend all his time sleeping and eating and doing nothing? Does the dominant male get to choose who he wants to mate with, and does he get privileges over the other female Leoknights?

A: He sleeps, he eats, makes decisions for the pride and he represents the pride in the caste system.

They always have a choice, especially as the one dominant member of the pride. But if they don't intend to breed with a female, they could also exile them to another pride or send them off with a troop of young males.

Q: Does this mean the dominant male could breed with as many of the female leo knights as he wanted to? And when he dies, does the new dominent male get that choice as well?

A: Yes, mysteriously dying off if found to be infertile.

Yes, that is their right as the leader of the pride.

Q: Does the dominant male rule with an iron fist or is he a fair ruler that is well liked by the rest of the pride?

A: That comes down to individual choice and the personality of the male.

Q: I see. How is the dominant male determined? Is it strength or some other thing like charisma? I know you said combat, but can the pride members go against the dominant male and challenge him for the throne?

A: Trial by combat. usually to the death.

The last man standing.

Yes, but only in combat. If females want the male out, they could just kill him. Or if it is a split opinion, the females against the male can always just leave, usually looking for one of the troops of wandering males.

Q: So the dominant male has the possibility of just being assassinated. How often has this happened in the history of Leoknights?

A: No telling, they are fairly secretive. Often enough where the outside world knows it happens.

Q: Yeah, I guess most secrets are kept well, like even to the other leoknights unless they are close companions. How do the other leoknights react to hearing about the assassination of the dominant male? Are they just like oh well or do they seek out the perpetrators and hunt them down for revenge?

A: If they liked the male, they probably just leave the pride. If they didn't, then they were probably involved and await the next male.

It is assumed that they don't really have deep connections with each other, just primal biological roles. Lower caste Leoknights may be as simple as only being a husband and wife, probably the only case where there is any real connection. But, it would be insane to try to maintain functioning deep relationships with all 100 or so females in a pride.

Q: Interesting. What happens with the female leoknights who have no mate? Are they considered like rejects? Are they banished from the pride, or do they go to another pride? How do the other females in the pride treat them? Or do the other female leoknights just not care and leave them alone?

A: They usually join a troop of males or integrate into another pride.

They aren't generally forced out, there just isn't anything there for them.

See above.

Like 100 or so sister wives, that they may or may not even remember the names of, much less any minor transgression.

Unless they have a personal connection, they probably don't care.

Q: Very interesting. So when an older male leoknight starts to run out of gas, does he prepare his death or just go out naturally? And is he then buried or cremated with any ceremony, or just left to rot in the world for the scavengers to consume?

A: It is a personal choice.

No one knows outside of the pride.

Q: Hmm. What about religion? What kind of gods do the Leoknights believe in? Do they believe in a creator? Or a life-after-death? Do they believe in angels? A heaven? A hell? Or are they more focused on being self-sufficient? Do they believe in any other supernatural creatures like ghosts or demons?

A: None standard.

Pride by pride, they assign name to spirits that they celebrate. But again, it is different from pride to pride.

They know that like other races they were created by Nute.

They are aware of the truth of the rebirth cycle.

They know the truth of angels.

They know the truth of rebirth, heaven and hell being part the cleansing before rebirth.

They are focused on themselves.

They know the truth of them and accept it.

Q: What can you tell me about Nute? Is he the creator? Is he seen as the divine power? Does he exist in multiple different forms, and do the Leoknights have a shrine where they worship him? Does the dominant male lead the worship of Nute?

A: Nute is Nute the scientist, he is no more or less than a man. He is respected by them as an elder of sorts, but he is not deified.

Q: Interesting. Does Nute ever interact with the LeoKnights? Does he ever tell them how to deal with a certain problem? Does he tell them what to do if a new enemy appears? Or does he only care about things that affect him and do the Leoknights figure out the rest?

A: Nute leaves them be, unless he needs something.

Only if they come asking.

Only if they ask.

He does not interfere with them. As a member of the Auk Mentar Wolf Council, he is in charge of the Claw Tribe who watches the Drakken, which we are not talking about today.

Q: Ok. Can you tell me about the Auk Mentar Wolf Council? Are they like a council of elders that help run the world? Do they help deal with global issues such as the politics and the war and the economy? What do they do if the world ever needs help? What is their purpose?

A: Auk Mentar are split into 20 tribes, each one is charged with watching a specific race. Each leader is part of the Wolf Council. They manage the Auk Mentar as a whole and manipulate the events of the world to match their interests.

Only if it effects them or the Auk Mentar as a whole.

If it applies to them, they arrange assistance from among the tribes. Or they call upon the unnamed tribe, the Round Table of the San(light magic type).

To govern the Auk Mentar.

Back to the Leoknights.

Q: Alright, interesting. In the Leoknights, when they kill the dominant male, usually in a duel to the death, how does the new dominant male come to power? Does the next strongest warrior get to take his place? Is there a ritual the new leader has to go through? Do people try to challenge the new leader or does he have to fight the first challenger to death also in a combat duel? What would happen if someone challenges the new leader and wins? Then are they the new leader?

A: In the case of the duel, that would be the winner. In a case where he is assassinated, it would come down to duels between available males.

The strongest takes all.

I am sure there is, but it is kept secret within their prides.

Yes, to the death or concession.

They become the leader.

Yes

Q: Interesting. Does this cause a chain of constant shifting of leaders as one is assassinated, and the next is killed in combat, with no stability among the ranks? Do the female Leoknights ever try to challenge the male leader?

A: It can, if their leader is weak, infertile or not liked.

Only as a pride, even if as a pride divided. This is why it is important to at least try to be liked.

Q: I see. That must lead to quite a bit of infighting as they constantly fight for power. Is this common and expected? Are they like the orcs in which they kill whoever to get what they want, or are they more civilized and less violent? How common is it to see a leader assassinated and what are the consequences for the one who assassinate him?

A: Not really, if the current male was brutal enough in how they finish the previous challenger, they may get fewer challenges. This is a highly intelligent race and aren't generally stupid enough to challenge someone for shits and giggle.

Definitely more civilized, challenges are formal and are held in prepared arenas instead of being street fights.

Already been over this, nobody knows exactly and there are none. THse who opose the outcome can leave.

Q: Alright. Are there any Leoknights who are opposed to the concept of duels and having a dominant male? Are there any Leoknights who would prefer more democratic way of life? Or is everyone just resigned to the fact that this is just how their race lives and no one wants it to change?

A: Nope, feminism has no roots in the Leoknights

No, but the caste system leaves little room to think of such things.

They can't change it, just leave it. Once they start awakening, they can mostly fit in with humans as friendly nekochan, lol.

Q: Interesting. What about the males who do not want to be part of the system? What about the males who do not wish to challenge for dominance? Is there any kind of escape for these people? Do they ever try to start a new life somewhere else? Do they try to live a more quiet life? Or are they trapped in the system?

A: They are only killed if they challenge the leader. Anything less than the powerful leader is seen as weak and undesirable.

They will never lead or have a pride for that matter.

They live a hermit's life outside of the pride, until they begin awakening and can live among humans.

Only if they awaken and can fit in among humans.

They aren't trapped in it per say as much as they have no upward mobility outside of the system. Not until they awaken.

Q: So does this lead to a lot of discontent among some males? The fact that they are doomed to be alone unless they challenge and defeat the leader in a fight to the death is pretty brutal. And if they fail to do so, they will be killed. The whole system is pretty ruthless if you don't like it.

A: No, they understand the system. It is brutal if you fight it, it is brutal if you want to gain standing in it, it is above all else real. The Leoknights are too smart to ignore what is real for an ideal set about in a book. That is a human fallacy.

But you forget, the system does not prevent them from leaving. It does not prevent them from finding or securing a lone female and living outside of the caste system. Then there is awakening, in which case the world opens up for them.

Q: Very interesting. Does this system seem to work for them as a society, where they are happy with it? Or do some Leoknights wish there were changes, such as a different way of gaining status such as doing deeds for society and being rewarded for it?

A: They live happily.

They are felines, they care little for the thoughts of the outside world; of clout or fame.

Q: So their race is content and stable, even with the brutality of the dominant male system. I hope you realize that just because they are content does not make what they do any less brutal or ruthless.

A: Such is life. The world is made of a variety of views, positions and lifestyles. Just because they do or do not comply with our own, does not make them right or wrong. When two parties argue over such things, both parties are wrong. Because they are arguing and not seeing the viewpoint of the other. Such is the same in this case. Judging them by our beliefs or values is wrong. Seeing their way as what it is and even if we disagree with it, accepting it as is and getting on with our lives.

Q: I suppose you are right. If it works and they are happy, why mess with it? It is just a shame that it has to be this brutal but if they are happy with it?

A: Indeed

Leave it be

But you are only taking a shred into account. Imagine the world after they start to awaken.

Q: When they are awakened, they are just like regular humans, right? Does anyone ever try to take advantage of an awakened one who suddenly appears with no support base in the new world?

A: With the exception of the feline ears, eyes, tail and sometimes nose. Yes.

I am sure it can happen. But like any other immigrating people, it is also fair to assume they build their own colony or community half way. But at this point it would be in transition at best as awakenings only start happening as of the first book.

Q: Do you ever address issues like discrimination and prejudice in your books? Is it ever an issue that some races don't want or trust someone who is awakened? Does this cause conflict and distrust?

A: Yes, I also touch on subjects of abuse and neglect, however, they are never the main focus of the story. I strive to tell a story, not wave flags of social justice.

In some cases, I could see there being an adjustment period, but that is human nature and must be outgrown, not avoided and blockaded.

I imagine it does and perhaps it will get worked out and perhaps not. The world is not perfect and humanity has at no point changed enough to not have the issue. Bias and discrimination will always exist in some capacity. All we can do, is give it our all.