Halvmen

Halvmen is one of the eight known continents of the world and the continent where César's story begins.

It is primarily associated with Devilhuman races, although populations of Dark Elves and Lycanthropes also live within its territory.

Halvmen possesses considerable Mana overall. However, Mana density varies dramatically between different regions, creating territories whose environments, resources, and inhabitants can differ enormously in power.

César is reincarnated in an unusually Mana-poor region. Consequently, the races and creatures encountered during the beginning of his journey do not represent the true strength or diversity of Halvmen.

Overview

Halvmen is an extremely diverse continent inhabited by numerous Devilhuman races.

Its geography includes forests, wetlands, rivers, mountains, caves, underground territories, rocky regions, and many other environments. These biomes can sometimes exist surprisingly close to one another.

One of the most important characteristics of the continent is the enormous difference in natural Mana concentration between its regions.

Some territories possess relatively little atmospheric Mana, while others support considerably more powerful creatures and civilizations.

Mana Distribution

Halvmen possesses a considerable amount of Mana, but that Mana is distributed very unevenly.

Environmental Mana has an important influence on the organisms, resources, and civilizations that develop within a territory.

Regions with greater concentrations of Mana tend to support stronger inhabitants and more dangerous ecosystems.

César begins his journey in one of the poorer regions, where atmospheric Mana is comparatively thin.

Low Mana does not define Halvmen. It defines the region where César's story begins.

César's Starting Region

César begins his new life in a forested region with relatively low concentrations of natural Mana.

Many of the races surrounding his birthplace are therefore among the weaker populations of Halvmen when compared with inhabitants of richer territories.

Goblins, Gnolls, Gnomes, Murlocs, Adaros, and several other races can be encountered within or around the broader region explored during the early stages of César's journey.

Powerful resources are also less common there, although important exceptions exist.

The Mana Vein

One particularly important exception is a natural Mana Vein hidden within the region explored by César.

Mana Veins are rare and extremely valuable natural resources capable of making otherwise unimpressive territories strategically important.

The existence of this vein is particularly unusual because the surrounding territory possesses relatively poor atmospheric Mana.

Control of such a resource can therefore have enormous consequences for a developing settlement or civilization.

The River Border

A major river encountered during César's expansion forms an important geographical transition between the poorer territory where his journey begins and regions containing significantly greater concentrations of Mana.

Crossing this river represents more than simply entering another territory.

The ecosystems and races found beyond it demonstrate that the relatively weak inhabitants of César's starting region are not representative of Halvmen as a whole.

As César moves closer to and eventually beyond this natural boundary, the dangers presented by native races and the environment increase considerably.

Harpy Forest

Near the transition toward the richer Mana territories lies a forest historically inhabited by Harpies.

Harpies were among the strongest races of this poorer side of the region and possessed a major advantage over most neighboring populations due to their ability to fight from the air.

Their territory was devastated by Scar before César's expansion reached it.

Unlike several other populations destroyed during Scar's activities, the Harpies were not completely exterminated. A small number survived by remaining hidden.

Beyond the River

The territory beyond the river contains significantly greater concentrations of Mana than César's starting region.

The difference is reflected in both the environment and the power of its inhabitants.

Races living there can possess biological abilities and natural power far beyond what César initially encountered.

Entering this region marks an important change in César's understanding of Halvmen. The continent is not fundamentally weak; he was simply born in one of its weaker territories.

Akaloi Territory

Among the first major races encountered after entering the richer side of the region are the Akaloi.

Akaloi favor streams, wet ground, mud, and extremely humid environments. They are highly intelligent and possess an acute natural perception of Mana.

Their presence is one reason certain aquatic populations from the poorer region avoid traveling deeper into this territory.

Akaloi are exceptionally dangerous in wet environments, where their natural characteristics become particularly effective.

Their existence provides César with one of his earliest direct examples of the difference between the populations on the two sides of the river.

Devilhuman Populations

Halvmen contains an enormous variety of Devilhuman races.

These races differ dramatically in appearance, biology, social organization, preferred habitats, natural abilities, and methods of survival.

Known populations include terrestrial, subterranean, aquatic, amphibious, serpentine, insectoid, and flying races, among many others.

Some build large societies, while others organize themselves into tribes, clans, colonies, or smaller communities.

The diversity of Devilhumans is one of the defining characteristics of Halvmen.

For individual races and their known characteristics, see Races.

Natural Mana and Cultivation

A lack of an organized Mana Cultivation system does not mean that the native inhabitants of Halvmen lack Mana.

Many Devilhumans naturally possess Mana, and powerful individuals can develop considerable reserves through natural growth and their environment.

However, most native populations do not possess a formal system for constructing and systematically developing a traditional Mana Core.

Their use of Mana is therefore often based on natural development, Racial Abilities, instinct, inherited characteristics, and relatively crude methods of manipulation.

Some inhabitants may consequently possess impressive quantities of Mana while using that power much less efficiently than a trained cultivator.

Dark Elves and Lycanthropes

Dark Elves and Lycanthropes are not native Devilhuman races of Halvmen.

Their ancestors reached Halvmen during an ancient migration made possible through one of the Barrier-Crossing Artifacts.

Unlike most native populations, both races possessed genuine knowledge of Mana Cultivation and the systematic development of Mana.

This gave them an important technical advantage over many of Halvmen's inhabitants.

Conflict with Native Races

Superior cultivation knowledge did not make the Dark Elves and Lycanthropes stronger than every native race.

Some Devilhumans could possess enormous natural Mana reserves and formidable biological abilities despite lacking formal cultivation methods.

Dark Elves and Lycanthropes also refused to freely spread their cultivation knowledge among Halvmen's native populations.

Their relationships with stronger inhabitants eventually deteriorated, contributing to their isolation within weaker regions of the continent.

Biomes

Halvmen possesses an unusually diverse collection of environments.

Different biomes can exist relatively close to one another, allowing dramatic environmental transitions over comparatively short distances.

Known environments include:

• Forests
• Wetlands and swamps
• Rivers and streams
• Mountain ranges
• Cave systems
• Subterranean regions
• Rocky territories
• Aquatic environments

This environmental diversity contributes to the enormous biological diversity of the continent.

Natural Resources

Halvmen is not particularly famous for conventional precious materials such as enormous quantities of gold or silver.

Instead, some of its greatest resources possess supernatural properties that make them far more valuable than ordinary minerals.

Mana Veins are one important example.

Mana-Absorbing Metal

One of Halvmen's most important known resources is a special metal capable of absorbing and storing Mana.

This property makes the material exceptionally useful for the creation of valuable weapons and other Mana-related applications.

The metal eventually becomes one of the resources for which Halvmen is heavily exploited.

Its proper name has not yet been revealed.

Before the Human Invasion

César is reincarnated during a period before the Human invasion of Halvmen.

The divine barriers separating the continents still remain in place, and the continent has not yet experienced the enormous political, biological, and demographic changes that occur in the original future.

During this period, Devilhumans still possess their natural reproductive biology, and the artificial system that will later become associated with the Monster Crystal has not yet transformed their societies.

This means the Halvmen encountered by César represents a much earlier state of the continent than the one described in the original story he remembers.

Human Invasion

In the future known to César, Humans eventually discover and reach other continents.

By the time they reach Halvmen, Human civilization possesses organized Mana Cultivation, established spells, equipment, and considerably more systematic methods for applying supernatural power.

Many Devilhumans may possess considerable natural power, but the difference in knowledge, organization, and efficiency gives the invading civilization an enormous advantage.

The resulting conflict becomes one of the major turning points in Halvmen's history.

Halvmen in the Original Timeline

The Halvmen known from the original story is dramatically different from the continent encountered by César after his reincarnation.

By that future period, Halvmen has already undergone invasion, conflict, demographic upheaval, and extensive exploitation.

Valuable resources have been removed from the continent, including rare Mana Veins.

The Mana-absorbing metal found there also becomes an important target because of its usefulness in weapon production.

Consequently, the weakened Halvmen remembered by César does not accurately represent the resources, races, and potential still present during his era.

Present Era and Original Timeline

Strategic Importance

César possesses an advantage that almost every inhabitant of his era lacks: knowledge of what will eventually happen to Halvmen.

Resources that appear obscure or locally unimportant during his era may become extremely valuable in the future.

At the same time, expansion beyond his birthplace means confronting increasingly powerful races and territories.

Understanding Halvmen before its future decline therefore gives César opportunities that did not exist for the characters of the original timeline.

Common Misconceptions

“Halvmen is a low-Mana continent.”

Incorrect.

Halvmen possesses considerable Mana overall. César simply begins in an unusually Mana-poor region.

“The river separates weak races from strong races.”

Not exactly.

The river marks an important regional transition in the area explored by César, but it is not a universal division that determines the power of every race on the continent.

“All Devilhumans are weak.”

Incorrect.

The populations César encounters early in his journey come from one of the continent's poorer regions. Considerably stronger Devilhumans exist elsewhere.

“Devilhumans cannot use Mana.”

Incorrect.

Devilhumans naturally possess and use Mana. What most populations lack is systematic knowledge of traditional Mana Cultivation.

“Dark Elves and Lycanthropes dominate Halvmen because they know Mana Cultivation.”

Incorrect.

Their technical knowledge provides an important advantage, but stronger native inhabitants can possess tremendous natural power.

“The Halvmen described in the original timeline was always poor.”

Incorrect.

By that period, much of the continent's supernatural wealth had already been exploited and its societies had undergone enormous changes.

General Information

• Halvmen is one of the eight known continents.
• It is the continent where César's story begins.
• Devilhumans form its principal racial population.
• Dark Elves and Lycanthropes arrived from outside Halvmen.
• Mana density varies dramatically between regions.
• César begins in a particularly low-Mana territory.
• A major river in the explored region separates César's poorer starting area from territories with significantly greater Mana.
• Harpies historically inhabited a forest near this regional transition.
• Akaloi are among the first powerful races encountered beyond the river.
• Mana Veins are rare and strategically valuable.
• Powerful native inhabitants can possess considerable Mana despite lacking formal Mana Cultivation.
• Halvmen contains numerous different biomes located relatively close to one another.
• The continent contains a valuable metal capable of absorbing and storing Mana.
• César's era predates the Human invasion and the completed Monster Crystal system.
• Halvmen had already been heavily exploited by the time of the original timeline.

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