Magic users / MagiciansBorn with slightly different anatomy than a human, magic users are able to produce smoke with which they can do magic. This smoke flows through their veins the way blood does, and there is an unlimited supply produced by their bodies. The magic performed by this smoke can be almost anything— but the catch is that each person can only perform one type of magic. So if you have the ability to turn anything into fruit, you're stuck with it. Fortunately, you are able to use other people's magic simply by unleashing a bottle of their smoke— users can package their smoke and sell it to other magic users for on-the-go use, and this type of smoke-trading is an extremely useful way to temporarily use other abilities that are not your own.
The magic users live in a realm separate from the humans, accessible only by doors summoned by a magic users' smoke. Magic users can summon their own door at will, and it will often be decorated to suit the user's tastes. However, there is rarely any reason to go to the hole; typically only magic users who wish to practice are found travelling between worlds.
All magicians wear masks. Those in the higher class receive masks hand-made by devils as a sign of their ability, and lower-class magic users emulate this by making their own. In short, masks are a symbol of power and wealth, and thus it is common to see people wear them in the magic realm.
Caste SystemThe magic realm is governed heavily by a social ladder that depends solely on one's ability to produce magic.
Lowest: those who cannot produce smoke are considered the poorest of the poor, living in abject poverty and scraping by using whatever means they can, whether it means crime or other kinds of menial work. Despite being nearly identical to humans, these magic users still see themselves as better than humanity, and look down on them in order to feel better about themselves. While they do not produce smoke, these magic users are still capable of using magic— it merely manifests in more subtle ways and may not be directly under the person's control. For example, one smokeless magic user's ability may be that all their body fluid is poisonous— making him a very dangerous enemy, but also unable to do simple things like share toothbrushes or drinks. Others who can produce smoke but have useless abilities may also find themselves in the lower class.
Middle: these magic users are able to produce smoke from their fingers and hands and they live a modest lifestyle, using their abilities to earn a living. Common forms of magic in this class is alteration and transformation. Someone with the ability to alter can change the properties of an object at will— for example, they might be able to turn objects blue. While this seems like a completely useless ability, modern applications are endless— one could find a job in which their task is to turn things blue for others, thus saving time and money with painting or finding blue materials. In the same way, transformation can be used to make a living by turning things— or people —into different objects and selling it all for profit. For example, if one had the ability to turn things into muffins, a magic user might be able to start a bakery using their power.
Highest: the magicians of this class have the most powerful abilities can also breathe smoke as well as use their hands. In addition to alteration and transformation, high-class magic users may also have regenerative and restorative magic. Regenerative magic usually deals with restoring health to someone, like healing lost limbs, curing sickness, or restoring a body to a healthier state. Regenerative magic is extremely rare, however, and many people will pay high prices for such a service. Somewhat less rare but still uncommon is restorative magic, which removes effects of other people's magic from a person. It is similar to regenerative magic in a way, except it also extends to non-physical effects like curses, hypnosis, etc.
Humans The lowest of the low. They live in the human realm, trying their best to survive despite the magic experiments often performed on them by travelling magicians. Due to the deaths, curses, and disfigurations brought on by these magicians, humans are fearful of them as well as extremely hateful. After an incident long ago in which a lone magician massacred the entire Anti-Magic Coalition, the humans currently exist under little to no protection. However, they say the coalition is once again on the rise. Who knows? Only time will tell.
Humans cannot travel to the magicians' realm on their own, as they cannot summon doors to transport them. However, they are fully capable of using a door summoned by a magician, so it isn't impossible to find a human in the wrong place. When this happens, you'd better make sure you try your best to blend in, or else who knows what could happen.
FACTIONS
CiviliansThese are normal magic users of any class who are simply trying to live day by day. They are peaceful, and wish not to cause a ruckus. They can take a wide variety of normal occupations, go to school, and have families just as anyone else would.
The Cross-eyesThe cross-eyes are a gang of smokeless magic users who have banded together to overthrow the caste system. It's proven a very difficult task considering the wealth and power of the upper class, but they're biding their time as they gather people and resources. The preferred weapon of choice for this faction is the knife, as cutting off the fingers of most magic users is enough to stop them from using smoke. This has no effect on smoke-breathing magic users, however, so the cross-eyes must employ speed, endurance, and other abilities to best them.
They consist of people from all walks of life, from novices to expert combatants, and the cross-eyes will rarely reject someone due to the state of their desperation. They lack funding (as it is pretty much a band of poverty-stricken people) so they usually take on tasks as a group in order to gain some monetary resources. They're more like a band of brothers, or a dysfunctional family than an actual faction, but their idealism holds much sway over the lower class.
There is one sufficient means of gaining money, however— the cross-eyes are the producers of what is known as black power, a substance that acts like a drug for a magic user and temporarily boosts their magic power. This is highly looked down upon in the upper class, however, and so typically only lower and middle class magicians use it.
With the leadership of the gang currently missing, a rebel named Pavel is doing his best to maintain order until another leader takes the stand. Pavel, although young, is an extremely determined and driven member of the cross-eyes with enough cleverness to function as a temporarily stand-in for the Boss. Enduring a lifetime of classism and poverty, Pavel was forced to hone his skills for crime and conflict in order to survive, and he, as the leader's right-hand man, eagerly awaits his return.
All cross-eyes are identifiable by the cross-shaped tattoos over their eyes.
The SyndicateThe magicians' world is more or less run by the syndicate, a conglomerate of organized crime that dictates what goes on in the world. Despite the ominous description, the syndicate is mostly a peaceful organization that produces goods using its elite magic-using staff and sells those products for profit. However, the syndicate always gets what it wants, so if you want to live, it's best to be on its good side— else you may have two of their cleaners knocking on your door.
The syndicate has a ranking system that allows new members to work their way up and enjoy more and more benefits. At the top of the chain, useful members are given the highest of luxuries and live a life of comfort, only rising from their rest when the syndicate requires their abilities. Of course, one must earn such privileges, thus many newcomers join with the hopes they might be able to raise themselves from poverty.
Some of the most powerful magic users are found in the syndicate, scouted by the Syndicate's leader— someone who goes by the name of Haus. Therefore, at his disposal are regenerative and restorative magic users, as well as his own ability— absolute revival. Haus' ability to revive those who have died makes him an extremely valuable and dangerous enemy, and he keeps himself well-guarded as he understands his power can be used to alter the course of history. Therefore, he rarely uses it— choosing to let the process of natural selection do its job unless it conflicts with his interests. For the most part, he is rarely seen, and a good portion of the syndicate question his existence altogether. Only select higher-ups have seen him, and they are under oath to keep his information under lock and key.
The DevilsThe devils are monster-like beings that were formerly magicians who were chosen by the archdevil himself— and thus, were granted the opportunity to become devils themselves. Devils are carefree, silly, whimsical, and completely unsympathetic creatures whose only job is to have fun and stir up trouble in the magicians' realm. Being chosen for devilhood is an extremely high honor and it guarantees a life of freedom, power, and omnipotence, as devils are nearly immortal. The only way to kill a demon is to use a specific knife owned by the devil-butcher whose identity— and even existence —is shrouded in enigma. Despite their power, devils are similar to just about any magician, except they are extremely powerful and hard to kill. Because of this, devils are often very carefree, as they can exist without any threats to their existence.
Authority-wise, devils are the governing body of the magicians' realm, yet they do very little actual governing. They allow a system of anarchy to rule the world, and therefore there is often chaos between conflicting interest groups. This, surprisingly, maintains order by allowing anyone to take revenge on someone else if they wish. Therefore, if you don't want someone to kill you for pissing them off, you might consider being on your best behavior.
Despite the lack of law and order, all magic-users and all devils respond to one person: the archdevil, Dvvvl. Dvvvl is a small, unassuming, pure-black humanoid devil, but holds absolute authority over all there is in the magicians' realm. Dvvvl is essentially omnipotent, but like other devils, Dvvvl basically only uses her powers to entertain herself in various mediocre ways. She is playful, silly, and quite amiable when she wants to be. Just don't get on her bad side, for Dvvvl is the archdevil for a very important reason: she is the oldest devil, the most powerful, and she knows all that goes on in the realm. So do your best to be good and you'll be fine.
WORLD
The setting of DYKTD is that of a large city-- incredibly vast. It is surrounded by grasslands and villages directly outside its walls, then beyond that, wasteland. The wastelands stretch on for as long as the eye can see-- and, though there are legends of a place uncorrupted by devil influence, no one has been able to find this sanctuary and lived to tell the tale.
The city is split up into 10 districts, which are divided into groups of 3 with one district in the center.
DISTRICT ZEROA huge, cylindrical building with no doors or windows sits at the heart of the city. No magic user or human has been able to get in. They say it's the home of the devils, but it may very well be more than just their resting place.
HIGH-CLASS DISTRICTS: 1-3Where the high-class magicians live, and also where most of the high-end businesses and facilities are. D-1 is the home of many influential people such as famous families and business owners. It is also the HQ of the Syndicate. D-2 dedicated to resorts, malls, casinos-- anything money can buy you, it's there. D-3 is where high-end facilities and landmarks are, making it a popular place for official events and gatherings.
MIDDLE-CLASS DISTRICTS: 4-6The middle class districts consist mainly of suburbs and modest establishments much like modern-day city life. It is not organized in any particular way, and of the districts, this cluster makes up the most of the city.
LOW-CLASS DISTRICTS: 7-9Finally, the lower-class districts are where humans and poor magicians scrape out a living. D-7 is for the poor working class and has many factories and poor eateries scattered about. Citizens here may be lucky enough to have a modest apartment. D-8 is extremely run-down, with the homeless and those in abject poverty trying to make business using whatever they can find on the streets. And finally, D-9 is the bustling red-light district where illegal activity runs rampant. The Cross-eyes' HQ is located here, while the AMC is located all throughout the lower class.
