✨ pinned post ✨

hmmmmm vague Dungeon Meshi thought that all "humans" used to be the same but became slightly different "races" bc of the Winged Lion's interference

when it meets people for the first time they don't seem to have the proportions of any fantasy race in particular

very slightly pointed ears. short & stocky and lankier builds. clean shaven despite being functionally cavemen at this point but also thick body hair

then around the time it gets locked away in the dungeon people with more distinct features start showing up asking for specific characteristics

a stocky bearded man asks for his people to be immortal. a taller person with pointed ears asks for it to be shorter. a short guy with a rounded face asks for lifespans to be even shorter. in the background someone with elf-y ears wants to use magic while someone with tallman-y ears wants to be strong (note: there's also someone asking for a common language so there's that mystery explained (except for whatever's going on with kobolds but that's a different tangent))

that would explain why mixed race individuals like Marcille age at unstable rates. there'd be no way to reconcile everyone's desires for their family members lifespans and traits, so whatever happens happens (possibly based on past people's wishes for their children sort of all becoming "canon" at the same time)

would also help explain why "human" is an umbrella term, but there's disagreement on how it's used. in the Northern Continent "human" is defined by having the same number of bones, so tallmen and gnomes are both humans despite having very different proportions, but tallmen and orcs aren't both humans because despite having more similar proportions as orcs have hooves and horns thus giving them a different number of bones. meanwhile in the Eastern Archipelago tallmen are just "humans" because they're shorter than ogres (i can't find the omakes with this trivia explained way better but Dude Trust Me)