- "Demihumans have displayed a propensity for much higher levels of intelligence than monsters, and are known to employ tools to some extent in their daily lives. And yet, to this day their origins remain shrouded in mystery. According to the histories, they simply appeared one day - as if by magic - throughout the world." —The Mercantile Manuscript
Demihumans are bipedal creatures that bear some resemblance to humans, wearing clothing and employing tools in their daily lives. There are eight major types of demihumans: ratkin, lizardmen, birdians, froggens, apes, moles, caits, and octopuffs. Five of these appear in Orsterra, while all eight dwell in Solistia.
Traits[]
Demihumans possess a propensity for much higher levels of intelligence than regular monsters, though they have not been proven capable of speech. Most demihumans travel in groups and frequently attack human travelers, although caits and octopuffs prefer to live in solitude and will flee when encountered.
Demihumans have been known to both scavenger gear from humans and to craft their own primitive tools. Their leaders (designated as "kings") wear crowns and other ornaments, although demihumans do not appear to possess the technology or art to craft such intricate accessories. Most curiously, the make and material of these ornaments are clearly not of human design, leading some to speculate that demihumans hail from another world.
Many demihuman kings use dancing attacks in battle, granting themselves or their allies boons in the midst of combat.
History[]
The origin of the demihumans is shrouded in mystery. According to Solistian histories, they simply appeared throughout the world one day, as if by magic.
Another Solistian myth claims that there was once a great war fought between humanity and the demihumans. The conflict was long and bloody, but in the end, humanity emerged the victor. Through wisdom or foresight, the cait alone sided with mankind during this strife, and this alliance won them a place within human society. Unfortunately, the clever and cunning nature of the cait soon earned them the ire of their neighbors, and before long they found themselves ostracized and cast out. Labeled as traitors by demihuman and human societies, the cait withdrew from both to pursue isolated lives hidden away from all who might do them harm.
Demihumans continue to roam the wilds of Orsterra and Solistia, bringing danger - or perhaps prosperity - to those who encounter them.
Orsterran Demihumans[]
Solistian Demihumans[]
Trivia[]
- Octopath Traveler's non-cait demihuman enemies reappear in Octopath Traveler II, where they are named as "Twisted" (for some Sand Lizardmen), "Ancient" (for the Ice Lizardmen, Flatlands Froggen, Cliff Birdians, and Woodland Ratkin), or "Vagrant" (for the Sea Birdians, Highland Ratkin, some Sand Lizardmen, and River Froggen). These titles could imply that some of Orsterra's demihumans migrated to Solistia at some point, since the term "vagrant" implies wandering and thus hints that these demihumans are not native to Solistia, while the "ancient" demihumans may predate the other demihumans in Solistia. Given that Orsterra's demihumans are not designated as "vagrant" or "ancient," its demihuman breeds are likely native to Orsterra and extant at the same time as each other.
- In addition to the Ancient/Vagrant enemies, Solistia also has its own unique breeds of froggens, lizardmen, ratkin, and birdians alongside its native moles, apes, and octopuffs that appear restricted to Solistia.
- The "twisted" lizardmen, which are Solistian equivalents to the "Hot Sand" lizardmen (the green-colored breed of sand lizardmen led by the Lizardman Chief), also appear and are able to be captured and tamed unlike said "hot sand" lizardmen, also having a "third" king specimen which is an equivalent to the unnumbered "king" subordinates the Lizardman Chief in Orsterra calls upon.
- "Mad" ratkin breeds in Solistia additionally have "kings," unlike in Orsterra; however, Solistian mad ratkin appear physically unwell and/or decaying unlike the breeds in Orsterra, and their lack of numbered titles in both settings implies a less-structured hierarchy of strength among the "mad" breeds.
- Solistian demihuman "kings" employ the same fighting styles, including weapons and spells (if they employ such), as their subordinates. The Orsterran demihuman "kings," however, each use different fighting styles than their subordinates (the normal sand lizardmen breeds are exceptions, as they retain their "staff"-based fighting styles throughout while the "hot sand" breeds change their weaponry).
- The Mercantile Manuscript is the only known source of information on demihumans.
- Given that some members of their species appear in Hell as hellfiends, demihumans appear to have a form of soul that continues into the afterlife.
- According to the Japanese novel The Four Paths of Eight Travelers, Orsterran demihumans have a tendency to grow larger the further one travels from the midlands, a trait reflected in their power scaling from inner to outer ring.
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