SPECIES - I'll only list who and what is important here.
Species come in two types: Purebreed and Non-purebreed.
Species are creatures such as Canis Lupis and Homo sapians, all of which exist on Sambera even though they look different. Fantasy creatures are also species and exist on Sambera, EXCEPT for vampires, werewolves, or any other "curse creature" we Earthians have problems with. However, just because weres are out, doesn't mean creatures don't have the ability to shapeshift (although shape-shifting on Sambera is limited by DNA, so you cannot shapeshift into a male creature if you're female, you cannot shapeshift to look like other people, and you CERTAINLY cannot shapeshift into inanimate objects [or you die when you do if you can]), because in fact shapeshifting is important to the plot of Short of Moons/Red Stars.
So, a species is any creature that has been decided as an actual species by the (lamely named by Samberians) Species Counsel whom are a mixture of scientists, religious leaders, and politicians. A species can still be counted as a Half-Breed, Third-Breed, ect while being a species.
Animals on Sambera tend to have thick, wooly coats of fur or several layers of feathers if they're birds and competition for food tends to be more important than water. Thick pawpads, bigger canines, longer ears, bigger tails, and square-shaped muzzles are traits for creatures such as canines and felines have in common; most birds tend to have smaller, stronger wings; equines have a "light-foot" build and are actually the most adapted non-fantasy creatures on Sambera. While the most adapted fantasy creatures happen to be dragons and griffons/griffins/gryphons/ect. (Samberans do not consider dragons or anything like that "Fantasy" that is just for your reference)
Humans: While humans have a wide influence over the whole empire, they're actually the lowest in population in the empire since all humans tree all the way back to about 1,000 years ago on Sambera when a foreign alien species traded a huge amount of Earth-abducted creatures to Samberians and only the homo sapiens survived the climate of Sambera. (other creatures such as Samberian wolves, cats, ect already existed on Sambera) Humans are the first and only species that was instantly accepted as a species upon purchase and were freed from slavery entirely within 20 years.
Phoenixes: Very rare species that are not naturally from Sambera. In fact, nobody knows where these creatures came from and are rumored to be created during out-of-control fires if a mage dies in it.
All phoenixes shapeshift and have a unique way of shifting.
HALF-BREEDS - I'll only list who and what is important here.
Half-breeds are easy to create, unlike Third-Breeds that have limitations to creation. In order to create a Half-breed only one of the parents needs to have the capability to use magic (this does not mean they use it, it just means if they decided to use magic they could) and POOF a halfling can be created if two species mate.
(SPECIES, Non-purebreed) Homo Draconian Half-Breeds: The newest species on Sambera where accepted as a species when they finally had a large population of themselves and could reproduce more half-breeds of their kind. Since these are new to the species world they don't hold the same sort of prejudice to non-species as other species do and often do not mingle with other species making 1/4-breeds and third-breeds a rare extension from any one of them, especially with creating third-breeds.
Often using the slave-trade like an adoption agency, it's completely common to see any kind of third-breeds "owned" by these halflings and raised as part of the family, and are the only species who are reknowned for this.
Despite third-breed trades on Sambera being so close to their (HD 1/2ings) cities, other species do not tend to get along with them and traders only care about the easy money they get from these halflings. It's also not uncommon for Third-Breed hunters to steal these third-breeds back and sell them elsewhere, thus foster parents of Third-Breeds are extremely over-protective of their adopted children.
THIRD-BREEDS - I'll only list who and what is important here.
Unlike Half-breeds, Third-Breeds are the hardest to create. In order to create a Third-breed, one of the parents must have the ability to shapeshift. One of the parents must have the ability to use magic (which is normally the shapeshifter, but not always). One parent must be a Half-breed and the other parent must be a purebreed of one of the two purebreeds that are in the Half-breed they're mating with (EXAMPLES: Human/dragon X human = Homo Draconian Third-Breed; Human/Dragon X dragon = Draco sapian Third-Breed; fox/bird X fox; python/wolf X python) . One of the parents, doesn't matter which one, has to have the desire to have kids, whether it's directed to have kids with the mate or not or to maybe-in-the-future-it'd-be-a-good-idea or not. And the female must be fertile, it doesn't matter if the male is. There must also be some way the creatures can mate, because if one of them doesn't have a reproductive organ at all then it's obviously not happening (which is common with bug-halflings for unknown reasons). [In rare cases, a Third-breed is created by a phoenix mating with a halfling of any kind or with a purebreed. This is because a pheonix doesn't just shapeshift when it shifts, it completely changes species temporarily and is the only species that can do that]
The interesting thing about Third-Breeds is that for whatever reason they easily adapt powers from both parents rather than genetically inheriting their powers from one parents like others. Third-Breeds also can have up to two aura abilities, which no other creatures can do.
FOURTH-BREEDS, FIFTH-BREEDS, ECT - I'll only list who and what is important here.
As easy to make as breathing air, these are much more common. Fourth breeds can be created when a halfling mates with a purebreed that is not in their genetic making (EXAMPLE: Human/dragon X fox). Fifth breeds are just as easily created.
Species come in two types: Purebreed and Non-purebreed.
Species are creatures such as Canis Lupis and Homo sapians, all of which exist on Sambera even though they look different. Fantasy creatures are also species and exist on Sambera, EXCEPT for vampires, werewolves, or any other "curse creature" we Earthians have problems with. However, just because weres are out, doesn't mean creatures don't have the ability to shapeshift (although shape-shifting on Sambera is limited by DNA, so you cannot shapeshift into a male creature if you're female, you cannot shapeshift to look like other people, and you CERTAINLY cannot shapeshift into inanimate objects [or you die when you do if you can]), because in fact shapeshifting is important to the plot of Short of Moons/Red Stars.
So, a species is any creature that has been decided as an actual species by the (lamely named by Samberians) Species Counsel whom are a mixture of scientists, religious leaders, and politicians. A species can still be counted as a Half-Breed, Third-Breed, ect while being a species.
Animals on Sambera tend to have thick, wooly coats of fur or several layers of feathers if they're birds and competition for food tends to be more important than water. Thick pawpads, bigger canines, longer ears, bigger tails, and square-shaped muzzles are traits for creatures such as canines and felines have in common; most birds tend to have smaller, stronger wings; equines have a "light-foot" build and are actually the most adapted non-fantasy creatures on Sambera. While the most adapted fantasy creatures happen to be dragons and griffons/griffins/gryphons/ect. (Samberans do not consider dragons or anything like that "Fantasy" that is just for your reference)
Humans: While humans have a wide influence over the whole empire, they're actually the lowest in population in the empire since all humans tree all the way back to about 1,000 years ago on Sambera when a foreign alien species traded a huge amount of Earth-abducted creatures to Samberians and only the homo sapiens survived the climate of Sambera. (other creatures such as Samberian wolves, cats, ect already existed on Sambera) Humans are the first and only species that was instantly accepted as a species upon purchase and were freed from slavery entirely within 20 years.
Phoenixes: Very rare species that are not naturally from Sambera. In fact, nobody knows where these creatures came from and are rumored to be created during out-of-control fires if a mage dies in it.
All phoenixes shapeshift and have a unique way of shifting.
HALF-BREEDS - I'll only list who and what is important here.
Half-breeds are easy to create, unlike Third-Breeds that have limitations to creation. In order to create a Half-breed only one of the parents needs to have the capability to use magic (this does not mean they use it, it just means if they decided to use magic they could) and POOF a halfling can be created if two species mate.
(SPECIES, Non-purebreed) Homo Draconian Half-Breeds: The newest species on Sambera where accepted as a species when they finally had a large population of themselves and could reproduce more half-breeds of their kind. Since these are new to the species world they don't hold the same sort of prejudice to non-species as other species do and often do not mingle with other species making 1/4-breeds and third-breeds a rare extension from any one of them, especially with creating third-breeds.
Often using the slave-trade like an adoption agency, it's completely common to see any kind of third-breeds "owned" by these halflings and raised as part of the family, and are the only species who are reknowned for this.
Despite third-breed trades on Sambera being so close to their (HD 1/2ings) cities, other species do not tend to get along with them and traders only care about the easy money they get from these halflings. It's also not uncommon for Third-Breed hunters to steal these third-breeds back and sell them elsewhere, thus foster parents of Third-Breeds are extremely over-protective of their adopted children.
THIRD-BREEDS - I'll only list who and what is important here.
Unlike Half-breeds, Third-Breeds are the hardest to create. In order to create a Third-breed, one of the parents must have the ability to shapeshift. One of the parents must have the ability to use magic (which is normally the shapeshifter, but not always). One parent must be a Half-breed and the other parent must be a purebreed of one of the two purebreeds that are in the Half-breed they're mating with (EXAMPLES: Human/dragon X human = Homo Draconian Third-Breed; Human/Dragon X dragon = Draco sapian Third-Breed; fox/bird X fox; python/wolf X python) . One of the parents, doesn't matter which one, has to have the desire to have kids, whether it's directed to have kids with the mate or not or to maybe-in-the-future-it'd-be-a-good-idea or not. And the female must be fertile, it doesn't matter if the male is. There must also be some way the creatures can mate, because if one of them doesn't have a reproductive organ at all then it's obviously not happening (which is common with bug-halflings for unknown reasons). [In rare cases, a Third-breed is created by a phoenix mating with a halfling of any kind or with a purebreed. This is because a pheonix doesn't just shapeshift when it shifts, it completely changes species temporarily and is the only species that can do that]
The interesting thing about Third-Breeds is that for whatever reason they easily adapt powers from both parents rather than genetically inheriting their powers from one parents like others. Third-Breeds also can have up to two aura abilities, which no other creatures can do.
FOURTH-BREEDS, FIFTH-BREEDS, ECT - I'll only list who and what is important here.
As easy to make as breathing air, these are much more common. Fourth breeds can be created when a halfling mates with a purebreed that is not in their genetic making (EXAMPLE: Human/dragon X fox). Fifth breeds are just as easily created.