Vartiz Races

''This article is about the collection of semi-shapeshifter races that exist in modern times. For the article about the ancestral Vartiz race, see Vartiz.''

Vartiz Races, sometimes nicknamed "dynamic races" are a collective term for the six races of Serenza that descended from the Vartiz: the Shinzoka, Madizi, Kuthawa, Komera, Mizulen, and Todawa. This comparison comes from the fact that these races hold many similar traits, and is not considered derogatory by most people. Considering that they share the same common ancestor (the Vartiz) and are noticeably different from the Kasil, the term seemed fitting.

Origins
Originally as the ancestral Vartiz began splitting off into the six separate groups, the people were still referred to collectively as Vartiz. Even when Shinzoka, Madizi, and the other races began turning more distinct from one another, the term stuck. The original Vartiz have long since gone extinct, but their descendants live on, albeit with much more variety and differences between groups than before.

Over time, the Vartiz began to specialize more in specific types of forms. These were the precursors to the Shinzoka, Madizi, Kuthawa, Komera, Mizulen, and Todawa. Many of the early Vartiz would master multiple forms, becoming something that might have been considered a hybrid if it existed at the time of the 181st or 182nd Ages. It was not uncommon to see fairies that could also transform into dryads, sirens that could morph into dragons, avians that could morph into beasts, or several other intriguing combinations.

Division and Dispersion
After a certain point, the original Vartiz started to lose their abilities to transform into more than one different "type" of creature, and so these specialized Vartiz remained in their place. The six distinct races that emerged from this gradual change were nicknamed dragons, sirens, avians, dryads, fairies, and beasts, based on their field of specialization regarding transformation. The Vartiz that pursued the forms of the dragons migrated to Munjang-Îue, which was home to the most natural dragons. These were the predecessors to the Shinzoka.

Those that specialized in the forms of sirens and other oceanic life congregated towards islands and coastal regions, becoming the first Madizi. Those who became Kuthawa inhabited steep, badlands terrain, while the precursors to the Komera and Mizulen inhabited forested regions, centered primarily around the massive Aurum Forest. The ancestral Todawa made their way to remote, mountainous and forested regions away from most of the others, forming several small tribal settlements across the continent.

The Madizi, Kuthawa, Komera, and Mizulen mingled a great deal with the Kasil Races, having remained on Tsominku in relatively easily accessible locations. the Shinzoka distanced themselves from the others by sailing westward to Munjang-Îue, while the Tiodawa migrated towards difficult to reach locations and became fairly distant that way instead. Despite this, all of the Vartiz races (including Todawa) apart from Shinzoka are regularly seen amongst the other races of Mencu.

Biology
Unlike their ancestral counterparts, the different Vartiz races vary greatly in size, with the lofty Todawa standing significantly taller than the smaller and more slender Mizulen. However, like their ancestors, they retained the same biological compatibility with one another that the other races enjoyed as well, with unions between them and Kasil, Serenghe, and Kumenza all being recorded on multiple occasions.

Physical Appearance
While many of the Vartiz races, particularly the early ones, still bore resemblance to their ancestral counterparts, the Vartiz races varied greatly in size, although males of each species were generally slightly taller and larger than females. Todawa were the largest of these, with tall, hulking frames that stood between 5'11" and 7'0", while Kuthawa were slightly taller, averaging between 6'1" and 7'3". Shinzoka were the 3rd-tallest Vartiz race, standing between about 5'6" and 6'8", although there was a much more modal height range that was used as requisites for the Kagero-Kiza organization.

The three shorter races are the Komera, the Madizi, and the Mizulen. The Komera, while slightly stockier than humans or elves, are also slightly shorter, with average heights ranging between 4'10" and 6'0". Madizi tend to be slenderer, though also sport athletic builds despite their smaller frames. They range between 4'7" and 5'9" in most cases, making them slightly taller than the Mizulen. The overall smallest of the Vartiz races, the Mizulen also tend to have very slender or petite frames, and so while their heights tend to range between 4'4" and 5'7", they often also weigh the least of any of their Vartiz kin.

In terms of size, shape, and color, they are far too varied to have any particular traits collectively held between all six races. as such, traits such as body size and type vary greatly, as to the colors of their eyes, skin, and hair.

Lifespan, Age, & Population
Like the Kasil, all of the Vartiz races tend to live similar lifespans, with even the dragons living about the same amount of time as any of the others. As such, they can live well past 100 years, and often 200 years outside of wartime situations. Some ancient masters even pass 300 years, and a few legendary individuals are said to have lived to be just over 400 years old, although these are extremely rare. Like all races on Mencu, women live longer than men.

Like most inhabitants of Mencu, the Vartiz races all mature physically around the age of 20-25, although do not fully become adults until 35. There are cultural differences of what year an individual is considered "of age", and these vary by country, with Shinzoka placing it firmly at 35; Todawa, Komera, and Kuthawa placing it at 30; while Madizi and Mizulen place this number at 25.

Apart from Zaderei and the growing gender disparity of the Shinzoka, the male/female ratio of the Vartiz races is roughly equal, although the populations of these six races differ. While none of them outnumber any of the three Kasil races, the Mizulen are the most populous of the Vartiz Races, followed closely by the Madizi. After them come the Komera and then the Kuthawa (with the Serenghe population falling between the two almost as a mean), and behind them are the tribal Todawa. Because of their isolationism and the recessive traits found in Shinzoka (notably the males), the Shinzoka have a considerably smaller population than any of the others, which is exacerbated by their distance and isolation from most of the rest of Mencu.

Types and Transformations
The Vartiz races are differentiated from the Kasil races by their natural shapeshifting abilities, and as the ancestral Vartiz began specializing and eventually splitting off into the six races they are known as today, each one took after abilities of their own.

Shinzoka
Main Article: Shinzoka Shinzoka are Vartiz that can transform into dragons and other reptilian creatures. Their affinitive element is fire, and are often associated with it and the color red. Because of their transformations, they are often nicknamed "dragons" due to said form being their most common and most well-known form.

Madizi
Main Article: Madizi Madizi are Vartiz that can transform into sirens, leviathans, and other sea life. Their affinitive element is water, and are often associated with it and the color blue. Because of their transformations, they are often nicknamed "sirens" due to said form being their most common and most well-known form.

Kuthawa
Main Article: Kuthawa Kuthawa are Vartiz that can transform into avians, birds, and other flying creatures. Their affinitive element is air, and are often associated with it and the color orange. Because of their transformations, they are often nicknamed "avians" due to said form being their most common and most well-known form.

Komera
Main Article: Komera Komera are Vartiz that can transform into dryads, golems, and other plant or stone forms. Their affinitive element is earth, and are often associated with it and the color green. Because of their transformations, they are often nicknamed "dryads" due to said form being their most common and most well-known form.

Mizulen
Main Article: Mizulen Mizulen are Vartiz that can transform into fairies, lepidopterans, and other insectoid creatures. Their affinitive element is light, and are often associated with it and the color yellow. Because of their transformations, they are often nicknamed "fairies" due to said form being their most common and most well-known form.

Todawa
Main Article: Todawa Todawa are Vartiz that can transform into canines, felines, and other mammalian life. Their affinitive element is darkness, and are often associated with it and the color purple. Because of their transformations, they are often nicknamed "beasts" due to said form being their most common and most well-known form.

Roles in the Series
Many major characters are Vartiz races, and as a result most of them have major roles in one or more of the volumes of the series. Some, such as the Shinzoka Zurok Takamatzu or the Madizi Zulera Tallarico, appear in nearly every book. Males and females of the Madizi, Kuthawa, Komera, Mizulen, and Todawa are present in every book, as are female Shinzoka, albeit in small numbers in the early books. Male Shinzoka do not appear properly in the series until the 3rd volume, The Shadows of Shinzoka.

The Crown of Zivia
The only Shinzoka that appear in The Crown of Zivia are two women: Zurok and Zenj, but the other five Vartiz races see plenty of representatives throughout the volume, with several major or recurring characters throughout the book.

The Crusade of Zulera
California, the lead character of The Crusade of Zulera, is a Mizulen, and while only female Shinzoka appear in this volume as well, the other five races are fairly normally represented. Zarbozen masqueraded as a Shinzoka, but in truth he was just a powerful Renkida sorcerer.

The Shadows of Shinzoka
The Shadows of Shinzoka marks the first volume in which male Shinzoka properly appear, and thus males and females from all six races are present. The lead character, Asami, is also a Shinzoka, and thus a Vartiz race.

The Rebirth of Krippa
The large-scale conflict between Krawvill and Krippa assures that male Shinzoka will be present alongside their female counterparts, as well males and females from the other five races. The major presence of six Lakamaté also indicates that they will play a major role in this volume.

The Seer of Koldia
TBA