Human:

Deucarta, referred to by its own name or as The Material Plane, is a world similar in size to Earth. It has two moons, Ereg- bronze and pockmarked- and Remyl- blue and wispy. There five continents on Deucarta divided, for the most part, by the oceans that cover 80% of the planet. The peak of humanity exists in a medieval era widely known as The Ritual Age. The presence of magic has slowed down technological development, with sciences being studied primarily by wizards hoping to gain a better understanding of their art though a better understanding of the world itself. Antheus and Telnurman  are the dominant empires of the world, sharing a continent, but mercifully separated by vast tracts of untamed wilderness.

Humanity is the dominant species of Deucarta. They have the largest cities, the greatest population, and possess mastery over technology, philosophy and, sometimes, the laws of nature. The only threat that Humanity has to fear is itself; constant military action, political bickering, and ideological war often retard their otherwise extraordinary potential.

The race comes in a variety of colors and shapes, but remain close in physical and mental ability, even between the genders. Typical names are divided by country, while surnames usually match the traditional family profession (Weal, March, Woods, Smith, Coin, etc.).

Deus Ex Mundus:  You are the dominant race of this the world, not because of raw strength, or magical power- humanity dominates because of civilization. You now have an additional (A) to tag on to any of your traits at character creation. All special costs, excluding an overdrive, are halved in price.

Tenacity: Whenever a human gets knocked down, he or she can always find a way to get back up. Any time you spend special, you may deduct that same number from your current stress level. For every 25% you spend in a single round, you may remove one injury. When activating an overdrive, the human's stress level shoots down to 0%. Humans can be resurrected using magic that is difficult to perform, expensive, and prone to a backlash from the afterlife if the healing Wizard is not quick enough.

Fade:

The mental realm of Deucarta, often referred to as The Paradox or the Immaterial Plane, is home to spirits of thought. The rational, irrational, some angry, others calm- the possibilities are as endless and unique as humanity's. This is a place of unlimited possibility, weighed down only by the stretch of one's imagination. Shapes, images, sounds- this is not a place of silence and stillness. Every moment on the plane is influenced by the beholders, childhood homes, old memories, fears coming to life in an instant- and become entwined with the memories of your companions. To travel The Paradox safely, one must have a firm grasp of their mind, lest they become lost and join the spirits of this realm.

Paradox spirits manifest into our world at certain places, locations where the fabric of reality is weakened and exposed to The Paradox. Sometimes, a spirit, curious about the rift, wanders through. Perhaps this spirit has met a human passing through the dreamscape, present or dreaming, and wishes to know more them- maybe it was held in a dream, experiencing, for the first time, a world beyond its total control. In most cases, a Fade is recruited into the world by a Patron Fade- another of its kind that has already passed through to the other side, responsible for instructing its "children" on the ways of the Material realm. The first journey into Deucarta is not without its cost- the shock of physical law traumatizes new arrivals, the memories of The Paradox washing away with the stress.

A Fade's body appears to be gas gathered into a humanesque form, becoming more transparent at the edges. Every part of the body is tangible- Fades involuntarily, without exception, project mental force into the shape of the body as a natural response against physical law. The actual texture and color of the form can vary from Fade to Fade- but their bodies are always at least firm to the touch, and darkened in color; two glowing eyes aimed at whatever their object of focus is. While Fades run a wide spectrum of personality, absolute truth is a concept that escapes them. At their core, the only certainty a Fade has is that nothing is certain. Even the most zealous or obstinate of Fades has a point where they can make exception. Thus, at large humanity views Fades as fickle, sometimes even capricious. The truth of the matter is that a Fade is always thinking, always trying to explore new, amazing ideas and, often, the rush of discovery does get the better of their rational minds.   

Cogito Ergo Sum: You have a (C) to add to any of your traits during character creation, and the cap of your special stat increases by the highest trait modded with a (C). A Fade's body is immune to poison, disease, and attacks specifically targeted against a being with a metabolism. They do not age, sleep, eat, or feel physical fatigue. Death, for a Fade, means a violent expulsion to the Immaterial Realm where they are stuck unless resummoned through a Paradox Rift, where they can resume their material lives.

Metacreative: A Fade is capable of creating wondrous objects with the power of its mind alone. Special may be spent, at a -20% penalty to the normal difficulty, to create items of an equal difficulty level. If a Fade possesses an appropriate trait, they may add it to the final number. A Fade may only have one of these items at a time, unless they take an additional -40% penalty to the difficulty to make the item permanent. Note that items that break the laws of nature can be created, using the appropriate difficulty level. Any use of this ability drains a Fade's current special reserves completely.

Hyperfocus: Any Fade is able to overcome adverse physical limitations if they can just focus enough. For every 10% special spent, a Fade may ignore one defense of an adversary (cover, (B)lock, or a piece of equipment) or one environmental hindrance (darkness, loud machinery, distance, wind, etc.). While the possibilities for warfare are obvious, here, this can be used, for example, to spot a person wearing dark clothes hiding under a carriage at night during a hurricane, read an old tome written in a different language with half its pages missing, or pick a bank vault's lock with a horse hair and a sewing needle while being shot with crossbow bolts. 

Golem: 

The Elemental plane, a place of ultimate order and natural law, is a place comprised of matter, and not much else. Few conscious beings wander its rocky halls, fiery shores, vast oceans, and great abysses. Spirits do exist here, beings of more simple mind than animal. They are quantified, distinct bodies of energy, moving as cells within the workings of this plane. A mind, rare as they are in this place, feels sharp, focused. Observations take a new light, something clear of personal bias- dulling the color of past experiences with every moment. Certainty grasps at your soul, and for those that become complacent in it join the plane, marching to the precise beat of its heart.

Golems are elemental spirits bound in the Material plane. Arcane devices, known as Spinners, Cores, or, rarely, Processors (which are all colloquialisms for Golems) are used to trap a spirit and gift it with some degree of intelligence, ranging from bestial to fully conscious. Its up to the designer of the core to determine the capabilities of a Golem's thought. As beings naturally prone to lifelessness, the real challenge is learning how to give such a being the ability to think and feel as we do. Only the most capable of Wizard artificers able to institute a system of rules that a Golem must follow- an extremely difficult and intricate task, but always a mark of fine craftsmanship. It is always easier to simply not give a Golem the capability to explore undesirable ideas. Fundamentally, any Golem follows a system of logic based on the programming behind its spinners. Paradoxical commands are ignored, since by design a Golem's capabilities are prioritized, with higher priority functions taking precedent. This can be as complicated as the decision making process of any human, but it is always methodical- following a clear path of thought. 

A Golem's form is limited by the imagination of the creator. The more simple, non-intelligent, designs are used for menial tasks that a machine could otherwise accomplish, and are often made of simple rock or ice. More advanced designs can include gem work, metal, and virtually any type of physical material or chemical reaction a Wizard can bind to a core. The core itself resembles a framed, flexible spine. The "discs" are cylinders of various materials inscribed with arcane ruins that spin when the Golem is active, hence the nickname "Spinners." Damage to a Golem's body can be be repaired by finding core-appropriate replacement materials, or by slowly drawing matter out of the Elemental Plane. Any injuries to the core must be treated by a trained repairman, in every case a Wizard-Artificer. 

Automaton:  Golems are conjured elements, given life and intelligence, and are thus immune to injuries from poison, disease, and all other needs of the flesh. They do not tire, they do not feel pain. Thus, they are extremely durable. All Golems have an additional (B) to apply to their starting traits, and the highest (B) modded trait a Golem has is applied to the amount of stress they can take before being taken out. The spirits of "dead" Golems return to the elemental plane to resume their original form. Successfully repairing the core, or transferring its memories to another, will result in a Golem with the same memories, functioning as per the core's programming, but likely not the same spirit- which has no effect on the Golem's personality. 

Absolute: Being so tied to reality, Golems can recognize illusions for what they are without failure- Arcane illusions can still be seen, but the Golem can pick out what is real within. Psychic illusions require mental access to The Paradox, which Golems do not possess, thus rendering them immune to all psychic mental influences. This gift extends to social encounters, making a Golem extremely hard to fool- and they have an uncanny ability to detect hostile intent. Alongside these natural bonuses, a Golem player may spend 10% special to ask the GM a true or false question concerning the game, which the GM must answer truthfully unless the Golem is currently in The Paradox.

Husk:

Husks are a rare phenomenon, birthed at random; usually executed soon after out of fear, pity, or some mixture of the two. Polydactyly, and Gigantism are common physical aspects- they always bear neolithic features: heavy-set brows, long-limbs, gray pale or dark skin, and a shuffling gait. It is important to note that it is impossible to look a Husk in the eyes, something there seems to... repel the gaze of another. Golems, Fades, Human, Animal- it does not matter, an instinct overpowering all rationalization and ego takes over.   

All Husk's have a level of severe detachment from the surrounding world, reacting to stimuli as a blind or deaf person would, though they may not be either. They do not act surprised, they are never manic, excited, aroused- they seem to lack emotion. This does not mean that a Husk is necessarily slow, or stupid- often they are physically and mentally adept, capable of mastering knowledge at a rapid pace or moving with great speed and strength when provoked. If it was not for their small numbers, and their apparent lack of interest in the surrounding world, they could easily assume dominance over the other races of Deucarta.

Misfortune follows a Husk everywhere it goes. Birth defects, accidental deaths, disease, madness, and crime seem to crop up in a Husk's wake. They are reviled by the common folk, but are rarely hunted out of fear. A community will tolerate a Husk's presence as long as it has to before sending one along its way. The only shelter a Husk truly has is in the arms of the educated and the elite- people that recognize a Husk's natural mental and physical gifts, as well as their unconscious, supernatural control over the surrounding world.

Hideous Savant: All Husks start with an additional 100% progress at character creation- whatever they end up with, there has to be at least 20% in a Husk's flaw. Additionally, all trait rating costs are halved, rounding up, when spending progress.

The God Problem:  While Husk's are able to go into overdrive, their special is primarily used to bargain with the GM. For any amount of special spent, the Husk's player may ask for a narrative boon- this could be information, physical displacement, mind altering, etc. A GM will grant this wish- but on his or her own terms. Untended consequences will happen, never directly hurting the husk but quite possibly hurting the ones or the world around it. Spending greater amounts of special will narrow the results, with 100% presenting little to no harm the surroundings. Players are encouraged to make side deals with GM when using this ability.