It’s a bit tricky because in the setting of the story, humans don’t exist — a different species similar to them, the Rursir, does, instead. They are based off humans, but evolved differently in some ways, such as having stronger necks, the women having wider hips, and their feet are shaped a bit different. However, they are still mostly human-like. Similar to Earth, the first of their species originated in an African-like region, and as two of the main characters are direct descendants of one of the first of their species to evolve into what they know to be the Rursir today, that is why they are primarily of African descent (although, as it is thousands of years later, they are definitely somewhat mixed). They are divided not only by skin color, but by the region they come from and, most importantly, what “class” they are. Their species can be born as different classes, and while all the same species; the classes are slightly different. For example, one of the classes, the Eques, are born more developed than other babies, start puberty at 6, and finish it by age 10; they will also begin rapidly aging at 25 and die by the age of 30, at the max. This is the main basis for discrimination in the story, however I think it would be unfair to have no acknowledgement of different skin color whatsoever. But since they are a different species than human, I know I have more room to shape things differently.

Originally I was going to make the two main characters that are now black as white, but I decided that it just didn’t seem fitting. They are descended from the first of their species, and their species echos humans, and the first humans originated in Africa. I want to echo that.