(This world is directly connected to the Broken SIlence "universe." Broken SIlence takes place in the distant past of this world, millennia before Echo and the others even came into existence. DInquigons, and Fallen for that matter, are nearly extinct here.)

In this world, humans have left the earth after it became uninhabitable for them. As time went on, nature began to reclaim everything, devouring cities and roadways in its wake. Animals began to thrive, the world once again became theirs. After millennia, humanity became little more than a fairytale, and their legacy became nothing but broken-down buildings, broken electronics, and odd relics once thought to be modern.

The land merged back together into one large continent, though smaller islands border its shores. This massive continent came to be called "Greater Lumine," or just Lumine for short. T

As animals developed in this new world, they grew more and more intelligent, while also still carrying their primal instincts. Packs of wild dogs formed descended from wolves and domestic dogs alike. Birds of prey once threatened with extinction thrived, with their populations growing into the millions. Birds flew and nested among the old cities, making homes in the rafters of the buildings they were once chased from. Even creatures that were once thought to be mythical- unicorns, dragons, even werewolves- became more commonplace after going into hiding for a long time.

Something had been missing, though. Something that humans had only been given a taste of: the elements.

Sealed away years before humanity could even fathom them, the four elements of earth had once ruled the lands in physical form. Once humanity came into being, though, it was found that they could not be fully trusted with the forces. After nature reclaimed the land, it released the four back into the world. Each elemental deity (fire, water, earth, and air) was born from the spirit of a normal being who had shown potential in their past life and was chosen at random. They were immortal, having the ability to die and be resurrected immediately after. However, if they so chose, they could give up their immortality and willingly die permanently. Their deity status would then move on to yet another being, and the cycle would continue.

The four deities currently ruling are Collida, the phoenix deity of fire; Nadia, the deer deity of water; Yumi, the rabbit deity of earth; and Zephyr, the moth deity of wind. All four live on the main continent in the eastern quarter where the deepest woods conceal them.

Elemental powers are not only limited to the deities, though. As the powers were released back to earth, some individuals found themselves able to harness the power of the elements themselves. While their powers are limited and they stay mortal, certain animals can randomly be born with single-element powers. Some creatures like this include Echo (wind), Sukani (earth), and Volt (fire).

Elemental powers, like anything else on earth, are also subject to corruption. While no deity can be corrupted because of the purity of their power, elemental and non-elemental individuals alike can be. These creatures tend to be, in most cases, power-hungry, greedy, and generally evil. In most cases, they congregate in small groups scattered across the world, but some go rouge. The largest group of them to ever form is currently lead by Dullahan, a unicorn with dark, multi-elemental magic.

Inhabitants (WIP)

Unicorns:

• Less than 100 unicorns exist in the world because they are immortal, reproduction happens VERY rarely, and every new birth is literally more competition added to the ranks of the species. By competition, I mean that every unicorn tries to either be seen as a leader or a part of the “posse” of said leader, and if they don’t fit in, they typically become outcasts or fight to try to become greater. Literally.
• Unicorns with dark grey or black coats are typically seen as impure, tainted, and ugly in unicorn society. Many are also born without any magic, so they are often left to die at birth, or have their horns removed by their parent before being banished to live as “normal” wild horses.
• Most unicorns are immune to disease and health issues, cannot die of old age or illness, have nearly unbreakable bones, and are basically just invincible. Dark-coat unicorns, however, are typically more susceptible to these things (however, outliers like Dullahan do exist).
• Unicorns color their manes and decorate themselves with flashy ornaments and jewels simply because they’re egomaniacs and need all the attention to be on themselves. The flashier they are, the more attention they draw in.
• According to legend, unicorns can only be tamed by “fair maidens” whose intentions are good and pure. (In reality, this is true, and applies to people and creatures of any gender.) This is where the idea of "unicorns can sense those who are pure of heart" came from.
• Unicorns would rather die than be captured.
• Unicorns have the strongest magic in the world, and cannot be possessed or manipulated by any living thing.
• Unicorn blood is hard to get ahold of but has extraordinary healing properties that include anything from curing incurable diseases to reviving the dead.

• Beings that have gone by all sorts names in the past such as "changelings," "dark fae," "shapeshifters," and even "demons," astral shifters are immortal entities who have the ability to traverse the physical and astral planes at will. As such, they can take on physical or spiritual forms as this please, though there are some restrictions.
• Astral shifters cannot use their power at its fullest unless they possess an already-living creature and use their body as a vessel. To do so, the host must either accept the possession or be completely unaware that it is happening. Vessels possessed by astral shifters do not age or die during the duration of a possession, but can be killed by mortal wounds.
• It is not necessary for an astral shifter to possess an individual completely in order to appear in a physical form. Many shifters find it easier to temporarily possess a creature and use its body as a "template" for their physical appearance. This only takes a few seconds on average, and as long as the shifter in question does not get killed, they can appear in their physical form for as long as they please.
• Being immortal, astral shifters cannot ever fully die, though their physical form can be "killed" by a mortal wound; it does not matter if they are a possessing a vessel or not. If this happens, they go through a cooldown period where they must wait for their power to recharge in order to create another physical form.
• Astral shifters can possess any living creature except for unicorns, fallen dinquigons, and deities. Unicorns, in particular, are also rumored to be the only possible creature that can fully kill them, though this has yet to be confirmed.

Some select individuals are gifted with elemental powers at birth. Sometimes these abilities are inherited, but most of the time they are given at random to those with potential. Many elementals do not even realize they have powers until they accidentally unleash theirs. Here is a breakdown of the abilities each type of elemental possesses:

• Air (also known as Wind): Air elementals are some of the most versatile wielders in the world. Their magic ranges from basic wind control to the ability to summon weather. To list all their possible abilities, wind elementals can summon and control storms, control the wind, fly (through levitation or the summoning of wings), use the air around themselves to create illusions, and/or create swirling walls of air to trap enemies or defend themselves.
• Water: Despite being associated with a general sense of calm, water elementals are a force to be reckoned with. Water control is just the basics of what these magic-users can do. To list all their possible abilities, water elementals can summon and manipulate water, breath underwater, freeze water and create weapons from ice, create small-scale storms (typically within a couple hundred yards), and/or create water likeness of themselves that can fight or act for them.
• Fire: Regarded as one of the most volatile and difficult-to-control elements, fire elementals can cause great destruction, but the element also offers the ability to tend to life. To list all their possible abilities, fire elementals can summon and control fire, create fireballs and other projectiles, breath fire, light certain parts of themselves ablaze without injury, generate heat, create light through faux fire, and/or generate and control lightning and electricity (very rare).
• Earth: The most two-sided element out of all of them, earth elementals can destroy just as much as they can revive. Typical elementals use their connection to the earth and life to heal others, but many can also suck life from other living things to strengthen themselves. To list all their possible abilities, earth elementals can heal others, summon and grow plants at a brisk pace, manipulate the earth and rocks, transfer life from plants and animals to other plants and animals, and/or create armor from earth-like elements that will stick to their bodies like a magnet.
• Multi-Elemental: Typically limited to unicorns and creatures with natural magic abilities (nekomatas, kitsunes, etc.), multi-elemental magic is pretty self-explanatory. However, though these individuals can control several elements, they will never be able to master any of them as well as a pure-element elemental.

Due to increased development and evolution, fewer threats from human interference, and elemental power, most creatures have developed longer lifespans than their older counterparts. They are as follows:

• Wild dogs and wolves: 50+ years
• Cats: 60+ years
• Foxes: 40+ years
• Rabbits: 25+ years
• Kitsunes: 1000+ years
• Nekomatas: 250+ years
• Unicorns: Immortal
• Partial Shifters: Unknown; typically have an extended lifespan of whatever the other half of their species is
• Astral Shifters: Immortal
• Deities: Immortal (until they give up their position)