Preface: Names such as the Zhōngguó Clan and mentions of Magic Elementals will be made, so if you find yourself confused you should check out the Trello here
The 滔天人 (Tāo-Tiān Rén), otherwise simply known as the Macabre, are of an unknown origin, however scholars have noted their existence since even long before the dawn of Magius. Folklore tells of a wretched yueji (Zhōngguó geisha) whose failed attempt at the assassination of Hades led him to curse her, transforming her into the first Macabre. At first she found she could live with such new features, as the magic reauired to change her so had only served to greatly strengthen her magical prowess. Hades, still spiteful, then cursed her entire descending kin to bare the same trecherous features as herself. From then on, every one of her daughters and their daughters were born with the familial snake-ish features until eventually they were exiled from the ancient Zhōngguó Clan. They now live across the Northern Keihatsu territories in their own populous Tribes, travelling in nomadic groups within vast and overlapping territories. As time went on, a language known as Silverspeak became commonly used among the Macabre, who would speak in hisses, clicks, and spitting to communicate through the use of their second mouths.
Exactly how they obtain Arcanium for their vast array of weaponry is unknown, however it is believed, to be a serparate metal synonymous to the abilities of Arcanium. Upon observing relics of some deceased Macabre, I have found that the metals themselves more closely resemble the material found on the horns and scales of female Iron Drakes, whose metal scales and horns are far sturdier and sharper than any currently-known metals and even that of their male counterparts.
As the Macabre live in a multitude of different Tribes, the relations between other cultures and Clans can be inconsistent, however they are generally regarded as being an omen of death and misfortune to all Keihatsu Clans, so they are frequently seen as tresspassers within Keihatsu while the other cultures hardly know of their existence. Individuals who have heard of the Macabre can only tell of the second-hand tales given to them by spiteful and fearful Keihatsu scholars from books long ago. That being said, the terror surrounding the Macabre is not at all unfounded, as their vicious and archaic lifestyle presents them with little to no empathy towards others and they will gladly use their ominous demeanor to their benefit.
Being the only people in all of Magius to naturally be able to summon Elementals, it would be impossible not to wonder just how they have such a strong connection to them in order to do so with significantly less effort than the common mage. Looking into more folklore, it would appear as though an ancient and powerful Promethean Phoenix, Master of Elementals, came to befriend the yueji, but when her overwhelming magic began to eat away at her the Phoenix would then connect their spirits, inhabiting her body to heal her wounds, giving her a new type of Magic called Promethean Phoenix. Now in possession of the Master of Elementals, she found herself able to summon not only her friend but all other Elementals as well (despite being unable to use most of those magics).
As all Macabre are directly related to the first, it is supposed that the ancient Promethean Phoenix of the first partially inhabits the whole race and guides them in summoning their Elementals. That being said, the Macabre are not the only ones able to summon Elementals, nor can they all do it. Few mages outside of the Macabre are truly capable of summoning the beasts, but none can learn without the aid of a Macabre, as it requires knowledge of Silverspeak, a complex array of hisses, clicks, and other noises from the second mouths of the Macabre.
On the other hand, certain magics have far more unruly or unmanageable Elementals that give more resistance to being summoned. To elaborate, a certain level of control is required for an Elemental to be summoned, but massive creatures such as the Earth Tortoise and Wind Quetzalcoatl are extremely difficult to manage due to their size and general indifference to the whims of the summoner and thus will not appear for them. Others, such as the Ash Cockatrice and Poison Basilisk, which are not nearly as massive as the Gold Wyvern, Magma Dragon, or Ink Hydra, are still exceedingly unruly and difficult to manage with their vicious and aggressive temperaments that yield to no one. Some rather large Elementals such as the Snow Amarok, Ice Akh’lut, and Iron Drake carry with them a strong sense of honor and pride, such that they refuse to obey anyone they view as unworthy, refusing to heed the call of a summon. For these difficulties, there are plenty of Macabre who find themselves unable to summon any Elementals at all, but those who can truly stand out among even the greatest.
