The Basics of Remnant

[Noble Negative J3T]

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[Noble Negative J3T]

FAUNUS: THE OTHER RACE

Faunus (singular Faunus) are a race of humanoid people in the world of RWBY who possess physical animal traits.

Faunus are similar to the Humans of Remnant, except for the fact that they share certain traits with animals. Some types of Faunus are more common than others, with some being extremely rare. Faunus with mammalian traits in general seem to be quite common.

Some, such as Blake Belladonna and Velvet Scarlatina, have been shown to have animal ears (in these cases, those of a cat and a rabbit, respectively); Faunus with animal ears also appear to have a set of Human ears. Other Faunus in the background have been shown to have horns protruding from their heads. Some Faunus, such as Sun Wukong, may have prehensile tails. In some cases, a Faunus may have a trait that is not immediately apparent, such as Tukson's retractable claws.

Faunus can only have a single trait in common with their animal (ex: Blake having cat ears vs Neon Katt having a cat tail). But, due to time and evolution, there has been cases of Faunus appearing with more than one single trait of their animal but this trait tends to be like furr, or a forked tongue. It has been stated that most Faunus have remarkable night vision, a trait that they use to great effect in combat.

In addition, Faunus have been shown on multiple occasions to possess other non-physical traits of the animals that they are based on. One such example is food preference, such as how Sun is shown eating bananas and Ruby notes that Blake "does like tuna a lot".

Faunus have had at least one major conflict with Humans in recent history. In particular, the Faunus Rights Revolution was an attempt by Faunus to gain rights through violence. The revolution is said to have stemmed chiefly from Humans' attempts to confine the Faunus to an area of Remnant known as Menagerie. Given that Faunus are seen living amongst Humans in the present day, it can be deduced that the Faunus were at least successful in preventing this confinement. While still being able to live within the human kingdoms, it has been noted that some Faunus have lived outside of their borders.

In spite of any gains they made during the revolution, Faunus still tend to be treated like animals or second-class citizens by some Humans, and are shown as still trying to gain equality.

This discrimination is exemplified by Cardin Winchester tormenting Velvet. Children are allowed to attend at least some schools with members of other races, but may be at risk of bullying from their non-Faunus peers. Thus, Faunus still seem to suffer from racism and discrimination in the present day.

Faunus In the Guild: Same old Song and Dance. Just a different Key

The discrimination and prejudice against Faunus does not seem to have improved given the circumstances of the time. Even needing all the help and support one can get in this day and age of Grim, there are humans that still torment and tease Faunus even going so far to steal their clothing and supplies. Their weapons and food. Even though the state of the time is at a total crisis, the Faunus are still at odds with humans when the best idea should be to come together. Not everyone feels this way, but a good majority do. Some believe a civil war will occur between the Faunus and the Humans before the resolution of the Grimm Epidemic.

 

[Noble Negative J3T]

Aura, Semblance, and Dust

Aura is the manifestation of one's soul in the RWBY universe, and can be used for a wide range of abilities. The specific abilities and their strengths differ from individual to individual and are dependent on a number of factors, such as experience, training, and innate skill.

Aura is an ability that all those with a soul can use, at least with enough practice. A person with a strong Aura may radiate bright colors when using it. Because Aura is the manifestation of the soul, it can appear very differently depending on who is using it. For example, the color of Aura differs from person to person: Pyrrha's looks red, Jaune's looks white, and Ren's appears to be a shade of purple.

It is mentioned that anything with a soul has an Aura, but Humans and Faunus seem to be the only beings able to weaponize it for their own protection. However, this fact has been recently subverted with the introduction of the first synthetic person able to generate an Aura in Penny Polendina. Skilled users of Aura can create their own barriers or even increase their own abilities in some way. Weapons and armor can also act as a conduit for Aura, allowing for an even wider range of offensive and defensive capabilities.It has been shown that the strength of an Aura degrades with continual use. This limits the applications of Aura in combat as, with time or heavy use, a person's Aura will decay to the point where they are left weakened or even incapacitated. Aura being completely depleted is visually represented as a colored sheen passing along the length of a person's body, indicating that they can now be physically injured.


Aura is a necessary energy source for all Huntsmen, being a powerful ally in battle. It is also required in order to trigger the use of Dust. Aura, as demonstrated by various characters, has the ability to do the following:

◆ Defense: Demonstrated by Lie Ren in the Emerald Forest, and explained by Pyrrha Nikos. Aura is mainly used for defensive purposes. Ren used his to block the fangs of a King Taijitu that was attacking him. While users of Aura will not be hurt as long as their Aura is up, they can still feel sensations such as pain and heat.

◆ Offense: Demonstrated by Ren in the forest, as he sends a shock wave of force propelling a fang through the snake's head, causing it to explode. Additionally Pyrrha has stated that all tools and equipment are conduits for a person's Aura.

◆ Unlock Aura: One's Aura can be used to 'unlock' the Aura of someone else; as shown by Pyrrha, who unlocks Jaune Arc's Aura. Doing this appears to take a toll on the user however.

◆ Healing: It also seems that those with a strong enough Aura can heal minor wounds. Jaune used this directly on a small cut after having his Aura unlocked. However it appears that the healing is automatic and not caused at will. It also seems to wear off after engaging in combat, as Jaune's injuries returned post-battle with an Ursa.

It appears that Aura is able to manifest in different ways when in use and takes on the color of one's inner energy. It appears as a slight glow around the body. It has been stated that the activation of an Aura requires training and willpower, though someone with considerable training can unlock the Aura of another person.



Semblance is the manifestation of one's innate and personal power as an ability unique to each individual, with the effects varying greatly from user to user. The nature of one's Semblance is noted as representing an aspect of their character. However, a person's Semblance can be similar to the Semblances of their parents or other family members.[1] For instance, the Schnee family Semblance, summoning glyphs, is completely hereditary. According to Winter Schnee, a Semblance that remains exactly the same between family members is something very rare.Those that use Semblance are able to manipulate certain physical phenomena according to the nature of their power. Some individuals, such as Weiss Schnee, are able to use their Semblance to create "glyphs" that generate some desired effect - the most prominent being sudden disruptions in movement and bursts of momentum. Ruby Rose is able to move at incredible speeds, while Pyrrha could manipulate magnetic forces. Some have Semblances that depend on external factors, such as Nora Valkyrie's ability to convert electricity in the environment into physical strength.

Using Dust, certain individuals can modify their Semblances with elements, such as Weiss using Myrtenaster to change her glyphs and Blake inserting Dust vials into Gambol Shroud to make her Shadow clones take on elemental properties.

Overuse of one's Semblance for prolonged periods may adversely affect its user at certain times. This was demonstrated by Weiss on one occasion after using a series of glyphs in rapid succession to assist Ruby, subsequently collapsing afterwards. It seems that emotional turmoil or stress can affect one's use of Semblance.The earliest and most frequent example of this phenomenon is Yang Xiao Long's habit of accidentally activating her Semblance when she is angry.A user should not be able to still use their Semblance even though their Aura has been depleted.






Dust is a source of energy in Remnant. The physical properties of Dust make it incredibly useful for a variety of purposes, particularly in the weapons of many characters in the series.The name "Dust" is implied to be a reference to the primordial state from which mankind was born. As a natural resource, it is sometimes poetically referred to as "Nature's Wrath", or more prosaically as an energy propellant.


According to ancient legends recounted during the opening narration of "Ruby Rose", mankind was fighting a losing struggle with creatures of darkness known as the Grimm. However, through their resourcefulness and ingenuity, humanity managed to discover and harness a source of power they named "Dust" in order to battle the Grimm.The advent of Dust became the turning point in the war. It would appear that after mankind drove back the Grimm and built civilizations, Dust became integrated into everyday life within Remnant.

Despite its widespread use and prevalence in society, humanity has yet to understand the origins or the implications of their involvement with Dust. Dust is known as a naturally occurring energy propellant triggered by the Aura of Humans and Faunus. For unknown reasons, Dust does not function outside of the atmosphere of Remnant, precluding the possibility of space flight.


Dust exists in four basic types. These four types can be combined both artificially and naturally to form other types of Dust, each with their own unique properties. Different colors of Dust appear to correspond to their different natures or effects.

The four basic colors are red, blue, yellow, and green. Other known colors include cyan, white, purple, bright orange, and dark orange. Each color has its own unique property. Green is known to correspond to wind, Red is known to correspond to fire, and as for the other two basic colors it is unclear to what property they are supposed to correspond to.

◆ Wind / Air (Green): A "primary" type of Dust, which is known to be white in color. It's usually seen in a sort of crescent shape. It's able to create strong gusts of wind when used, blowing away all that surround the use (and possibly even the user themselves).

◆ Fire (Red): Fire Dust is one of the most seen Dust types around, given its large usage. When used, fire dust creates a blast or spark of fire, which is able to ignite foes. Its also been referred to as "Burn Uncut", which might be a name for the Fire Dust type.

◆ Water (Dark Blue): Water Dust seems to be a bit rarer than others, but is a bit useless on its own. Its true power comes from being mixed with other types of Dust.

◆ Earth (Green): Earth Dust is very powerful, due to it being able to affect even the actual earth itself. Though it's also powerful mixed with other Dusts.

◆ Lightning (Yellow): Yellow Dust does, of course, generate lightning. That makes it most useful against mechanized enemies, but less effective against earth ones.

◆ Ice (Light Blue): A "secondary" type of Dust, formed by the combination of Water and Air Dust. It seems to be most effective against that of water, being able to freeze liquid surfaces... if it's not lava, of course.

◆ Steam (Milky White): A "secondary" type of Dust, formed by the combination of Water and Fire Dust. Steam Dust is not very useful for those of the offensive mind, but much better for sneaking away from unwanted confrontations.

◆ Gravity (Purple): Gravity Dust seems to be incredibly difficult to use, given that it affects the balance of nature. But it's very powerful, in return. It seems to have the colors black and purple, when released as energy.

◆ Barrier (Cyan): Barrier Dust is just as the name says. When used, it creates a barrier around its user. Or, if shot at an enemy, creates a barrier around them, to trap them for a limited amount of time.


Dust can be found in two distinct states, crystalline and powdered. Both crystalline and powdered Dust are known to be highly explosive. For example, during the Dust store robbery, Roman Torchwick threw a crystal at Ruby Rose's feet and fired at it, causing a sizable explosion. The powdered form appears to be even more volatile, since something as innocuous as a sneeze is enough to detonate a cloud of Dust.

 

[Noble Negative J3T]

GRIMM: A FRIEND TO SOME, AN ENEMY TO ALL

Grimm were created by the God of Darkness in order to destroy his brother's creations. Grimm have targeted early Humans for as long as can be remembered, seeking to destroy them and all of their creations. At first, it seemed as though they would succeed as Humans did not have the strength to fight them. However, Humans discovered the power of Dust and with it, the Grimm were driven back. During this time, Humans enjoyed a time of peace and soon formed their own kingdoms, which grew to survive and prosper. This time will not last forever, however.

While Grimm are initially mindless and heedless of risk during their youths, to where they will simply attack any humans on sight, some Grimm are so powerful that they have survived to live for hundreds of years, and in that time they have evolved and learned from their experiences fighting humanity. In doing so, they have exhibited restraint and the patience to avoid taking unnecessary causalities in futile conflicts. Instead, they stay close to humanity's borders, waiting for the opportunity to come where they can finally strike, and thus mankind is always in ever present danger, even in times of apparent peace. This was stated by Dr. Oobleck in the episode "Search and Destroy", when he tells Ruby on how intelligent some species, such as the Goliaths, have become over the years.

Additionally, the Grimm appear to be the predominant species in the world of Remnant as humans and Faunus appear to be limited to four primary pocket settlements referred to as Kingdoms, which are guarded by Hunters, as well as several villages with mixed success. Attempts by the Kingdoms to expand beyond their borders are often met with resistance, and even failure, as the loss of an entire sector of the city of Vale overrun by the Grimm can attest to.

BIOLOGY
Grimm appear to be born from mysterious black pools, as seen when Beowolves emerge from them in Salem's Domain. However, most of humanity is unaware of the origins of Grimm. Ancient human cultures believed the Grimm were animals possessed by evil spirits, or even the tortured spirits of animals themselves. Further study has disproved this theory over time however, due in part to the discovery of even more horrific and misshapen species of Grimm which have no animal counterparts. With the discovery of new types of Grimm every day, scientists are left with more questions then answers.

Grimm come in a variety of shapes and sizes; the latter appears to be a factor of age, and are said to be the only creatures without souls, thus being deprived of the use of Aura, but making up for this with strength and savagery. Grimm are stated to be attracted to generally negative feelings such as sadness, hostility, anger, fear, etc. and even congregate to areas that, although humanity has long since abandoned, still hold residual traces of these feelings.

This behavior will even lead to them to join in on an attack in progress if the humans being attacked begin to panic. Grimm typically form packs or other types of large groupings with other members of their own specific species. While some lone Grimm may stray from the pack for hours or even months, they will inevitably rejoin their group to continue their instinctive drive to hunt the people of Remnant and destroy any artificial creations associated with them.

The longer a Grimm lives, the larger it becomes, with species such as the Nevermore ranging from the size of an average bird of prey to massive pterosaur-sized beasts after hundreds of years. This added size comes with an ability to learn from their encounters in contrast to the Grimm's more reckless nature during their youth. While sometimes requiring hundreds of years, the Grimm's accumulated experiences over the course of surviving their battles with man can cause them to begin exercising caution.

This perverse form of self-preservation can even lead them to avoiding unnecessary conflicts altogether. Yet, despite this ability to learn, their instinctual hostility still remains, as shown by their preference to patrol the borders of Kingdoms for any weaknesses they might someday exploit. This demonstrates that for all their apparent intelligence, older Grimm simply use it as a means to become more effective in their singular drive and purpose, to kill.

Grimm display no enmity towards normal animals, and they only clash during territorial disputes. Humans and Faunus are the only races they attack on sight. Grimm can also choose not to display feeding behavior and it is commonly believed that they do not require sustenance. When Grimm die, their corporeal form evaporates, preventing detailed anatomical or biological studies. Huntsmen that kill for sport cannot stuff and mount Grimm bodies as trophies (making do with replicas instead). Yet despite their many obvious differences with normal life, Grimm appear to still have a body structure similar to other animals, as they can be wounded and killed in the same manner. Grimm also appear to be incapable of healing their wounds, or do so very slowly, as numerous grimm bear a number of large scars and open wounds.

Also of interesting note is that Grimm usually die off when in captivity (if they cannot kill their captors or escape first), implying that they cannot be kept alive by normal means. If the theory of Grimm not needing to feed is true, it is entirely possible that they survive on negative emotions or the act of killing itself.

 

[Noble Negative J3T]

HYGRIM: A VIRUS AMONG HUMANITY.

Hygrim: Hygrim are less of a race and more of a curse. They are a group of faunus and humans who have been afflicted with an unknown virus. This virus eats away at the humanity of the owner, causing them to be afflicted with a continuous pain. Each Hygrim has a certain mark on them. The mark usually relates to the final form of the grim once fully evolved. The user has no control over their Hygrim side. There are 2 ways for a Hygrim to transform. They either can transform willingly, by accepting all the negativity and bloodlust of the grim deep within them, or they can be forced to turn by being around high levels of negativity, dread, and sorrow, causing the grim to take over the host and come out. The more the grim takes over, the more the owner loses their humanity. At the moment, seems there is no cure or antidote or way to reverse this. The cause of the virus is unknown.