Magecrafters

Magecrafters are technically a hybrid, not a species or even subspecies at this stage. However, technical scientific identification aside, Magecrafters have created a subculture across several individual cultures that make specific designation difficult. Subspecies is most often the word used to describe them within the whole of humanity.

Excerpt from A Time & a Place

The Contessa gestured to Tianna. "Hair of red or gold or sable, or even striated colors. Eyes of shining gold, bright green or impossible blue. Skin of cream or amber or sable, pure in color and without blemish. These were the signs of the fae-born."
Tianna swallowed hard and gulped down another mouthful of tea.
"More importantly, the magic stayed strong, giving the fae-born powers. The first few generations were called Mage, using their gifts as wizards and wise-women. But they are long gone from this world. They left us with only fairy tales and their children."
Tianna frowned. "You are saying that I, and you, are among these children?"
The Contessa nodded. "We call ourselves Magecrafters."

Civilization and Culture

Major Organizations

Magecrafters Alliance Guild of Europe, or MAGE - an organization to help Magecrafters find others with their specific Magecraft, to focus the abilities of Magecrafters into making the world better, and to Bond Fountains to use for those purposes.
Magecrafters Alliance Guild of the United States, or MAGUS - a daughter organization of MAGE.
Magecrafters Alliance Guild of Australia, or MAGA - a daughter organization of MAGE.
Unseelie - less an organization and more of a term for Magecrafters who have rejected the goals of MAGE and its daughter organizations, unseelie Magecrafters are often selfish and power-hungry. Many of them have abused their abilities. Since magic is energy, this can taint the Magecrafters. Signs of this include black sclera, white irises, deathly pale skin, elongated teeth (particularly the canines), forking of the tongue, etc.

There are organizations in Asia, Africa and South America, as well. However, their magics and ethics, being a reflection of their cultures, do not share certain goals, most specifically, the colonization or aggressive taking over of areas and their Fountains. As such, MAGE doesn't hold authority over them and seldom works with them unless specifically asked by the other organizations.

MAGE now has a policy of respecting non-Eurocentric cultures and has for over a century. This is, in part, due to the bad feelings of native/aboriginal peoples in North America and parts of Europe and Siberia. With a disproportionate number of Threadreaders and Timesinkers in the upper management of MAGE/MAGUS/MAGA, there is a likelihood that something percieved in the timeline lead to this precocious change in policy.

History

In the beginning, there were three types of mankind.

Cro-magnon eventually conquored its brethren and became what is now known as humans. This was accomplished by the same characteristics that have defined much of human history: aggression and interbreeding.

Neanderthal died out, leaving evidence of its passing in both archeology and genetic markers. While the "cave man" was not the ideal humanoid for the planet, its passive, communal nature and long memory lives on in the wisest of mankind.

The Fae were not a single species or subspecies, but rather a collective of humanoid creatures that could tap into the energy of the universe to affect the physical. This talent was called magic. While Neanderthals never showed any proclivity in magic, Cro-magnons could sometimes be taught to do very small things with it.

Some of the Fae were intrigued by the other humanoids of Earth, and a few spent most of their lives teaching, interacting with, and interbreeding with Cro-magnon, and later, Homo Sapien. The children of such pairings were found to be almost identical to their non-Fae families... except they were just as proficient in magic as their Fae parent.

Eventually, the Fae went into hiding, allowing humanity to spread across the planet unchecked. Higher birthrates meant that the Fae were quickly outnumbered, and non-Fae often forgot the promises their ancestors made to the Fae. In spite of this, it is speculated that subspecies of the Fae still live in wild places around the world. However, the Fae no longer share their magical lineage with non-Fae.

Those humans who have enough Fae-blood in their lineages can still do magics, though it has been centuries since any have been strong enough in the crafting of magic or energy to use it however they will. Instead, the blood "chooses" one skill to focus their small crafting ability on. This is called their Magecraft, and those that can do it are called Magecrafters.

Genetic Ancestor(s)