Truth about Species

Images by Kbignell via Midjourney

On Rit there are many different intelligent species; Humans, Beastmen, Elves, Altemen, Nyad, Dryad, Merions, as well as others that are considered human by most, but are different enough to be well adapted to specific conditions on Rit. These different races pretty much all coexists on the continent of Halconiket, or in the seas surrounding it, and even on the smaller continent of Palnetti. In some cases, members of different species mate and produce off spring, something that should not actually be possible, except for the fact that each race is actually a genetic mutation created from the original population of humans that lived on Rit before the coming of Gods and Demons.
Before the arrival of the Gods and Demons, humans populated Rit as the predominant intelligent creature. They manipulated the magic native to Rit and lived their lives in relative peace.  Tribes of humans claimed territories and kept to them selves with little to no widespread conflict.  Rit provided well with almost all regions being verdant with abundant wildlife to provide food, clothing and shelter.  
Then the Gods and Demons arrived, bringing with them their violent conflict. Gods and Demons saw the humans as resources, soldiers to enlist in their armies.  Tools they could use to gain and control areas of Rit so they could claim the magic native to the planet.
The war changed the face of Rit, causing once verdant areas to become barren, changing the shape of the land and the form of its inhabitants.  And both Gods and Demons acted on the humans, changing their makeup and adapting them physically to different environments, molding their DNA to become compatible to places original humans could not tolerate well.
The idea or knowledge of genetics was and still is, unknown to the mortals of Rit and the teachings of both Gods and Demons has always been careful to steer away from subjects even close to this, instead teaching that these are gifts from the Gods, or curses from Demons.