Manifest Anima: Planes Divided Lore & Information

Celaira

Resident White Mage, "Don't Fuck With Me."
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PATCH NOTES
0.00 Lore Thread Created.
0.01 Magic Added to the Lore Thread.
0.02 Prae Added to the Lore Thread.
0.03 Humans Added to the Lore Thread.
0.04 Licentia Added to the Lore Thread.
0.05 Licentia Subspecies Added to the Lore Thread.
0.06 Locations Added to the Lore Thread.
0.07 TIAMAT and IHO Added to the Lore Thread.
0.08 MASS Added to the Lore Thread.
0.09 Character Index Created.
 
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1 Methods of Spellcraft

Magic in the world of Manifest Anima is, simply, the manipulation of the universal energy known as vis. When one uses magic, one applies the intent of the effect they wish to create to their internal vis, and then manipulates that vis. There are three distinct methods of manipulating vis, which are referred to as Simulacra, Manipulation, and Creation.

Before considering this, however, it is important to note the biology that makes spellcraft possible at all. All living beings have a biological aspect of themselves called the Ostium, which spreads vis throughout their body. Humans and Prae have their Ostium connected to their Anima, and Licentia have their Ostium connected to their soul core(s). The Ostium functions much like the vascular system, except it transports vis throughout the body as opposed to blood--and manipulation of the Ostium is what fundamentally allows an individual to engage in spellcraft.

1.1 Simulacra

Simulacra is the simplest and most commonly used method of manipulating vis, and it is rooted in the idea of altering the properties of vis in order to mimic specific effects or phenomena, essentially turning their own vis into a copy of the designated effect that they wish to achieve. This is the easiest of the three methods because all aspects of the magic are under the mage's control and less finesse is required to manipulate one's own vis than to directly alter the vis within matter.

If one wished to create a fireball with Simulacra, they would be altering the properties of their vis to mimic that of a fireball, and the mimicked properties would disappear when the magic ended.

1.2 Manipulation

Manipulation is the sign of an uncommonly skilled mage, and melds the user's vis with the vis in matter or energy in order to directly alter something that already exists. This can be done either by flooding matter or energy with additional vis, or in cases of particular competency, assuming total control of the vis within an object. Both of these options require a significantly higher level of control (though not necessarily quantity) than Simulacra, and are far more robust as a result. Manipulation is directly superior to Simulacra as a sufficiently skilled user of Manipulation is able to assume control of magic cast using Simulacra.

If one wished to create a fireball with Manipulation, they would manipulate the vis naturally occurring within pre-existing fire and take control of it.

1.3 Creation

Creation is the most difficult method of employing magic by a significant margin, as it mandates that the user is able to directly transform their own vis into matter or energy (rather than create the effect as in Simulacra, or assume control of an existing structure in Manipulation). Matter that is brought into being by the method of Creation is largely indistinguishable from its counterpart to the untrained eye, with the obvious exception that it is naturally more abundant in vis. Energy created by the method of Creation is, by its nature, wildly unstable and unwieldy--and only true masters of magic have been known to be able to perform the feat on any meaningful level (though achieving it at all is considered significant).

If one wished to create a fireball with Creation, they would create actual fire.




An individual capable of using magic is potentially capable of learning how to use each of the three methods of spellcraft, and with further training is capable of learning how to use them in conjunction.

Spellcraft, generally, is only able to be performed with the internal vis one has at one's disposal (with the exception of Manipulation).

Though each of these methods directly supercede their preceding method, no individual method is totally superior to the others--when determining which method to use for a particular spell, the mage must consider the amount of vis at their disposal, the amount of mental processing they can dedicate to the control of the vis, and the nature of the effect that they wish to perform. The combination of these factors means that each method is a valuable tool in a mage's arsenal, and that despite some objective superiorities in specific aspects of each of the methods, none is capable of replacing another and all are equally valuable.

Some magic relies on several instances of the above methods, and multiple methods can be applicable to a single spell or ability.

2 Types of Spellcraft

The methods of spellcraft as above determine how the vis necessary to perform magic is shaped, but magic as a whole falls into specific "types", as outlined below:

2.1 Spells

Spells are the simplest denomination of magic--the most basic sequence of raw vis becoming an effect. Spells are static and linear progressions, immutable by nature, that code for a very specific effect (though potentially in a variety of ways). In a certain sense, spells are universal, but due to the various methods by which one can employ them they very often look quite different depending on their user. In essence, a spell is a blueprint for an effect that can be assembled in multiple ways.

2.2 The Mutative Method ("Freeform" / VMT)

The Mutative Method (commonly known as Freeform or VMT (Vis Manipulation Techniques)) is the more open-ended denomination of magic, allowing its users to directly use one of the methods of spellcraft in order to achieve their desired effect. They are less specific and more mutable than spells, but due to this mutability they boast significantly less stability than spells and always require additional control and occasionally more vis to achieve similar effects. Many inborn abilities fall under the category of VMT, as they share similar effects but typically have the capacity to be individualised and changed as their wielder sees fit--and is especially prudent for Licentia.

2.3 Verbal and Somatic Components

Spells and VMT both have verbal (spoken word) and somatic (gesture) components that assist in their casting. These function as mnemonic devices that allow the user to more easily manipulate vis to perform magic, and are typically used when first learning a new spell or VMT. As one's experience with the process increases, the verbal and somatic components become less and less necessary, until the spell or VMT is able to be used without them. Certain VMT, especially those that are racial or otherwise inborn, do not inherently have any verbal or somatic components--but these can be assigned by an individual in order to assist with their learning. Conversely, all spells inherently have both verbal and somatic components due to their linear and immutable nature.

2.4 Rituals

Rituals are a specific category of magic that rely on vis-imbued objects (or raw vis, in special cases) and complex verbal and somatic components. Some magic is inherently too complex for the mind to adequately process, and the method by which this magic is performed is called a ritual. While it is hypothetically possible, few individuals alive have the memory, magical skill, and vis reserves in order to use a ritual as one would cast a spell or use a VMT. Rituals, due to their complexity, tend to be advanced magic that is not learned by the majority of mages--though some low level rituals are taught at magical schools as an exercise in learning the value of verbal and somatic components.

2.5 Exae

Exae is the lost art of utilising ambient vis, rather than one's internal vis, to achieve a magical effect. The result of the use of Exae is significantly empowered magic from what is a functionally endless source of vis. Exae was outlawed a significantly long period of time ago due to fear that its overuse would permanently alter the ambient vis of the planes and wreak significant ecological and magical consequences. Properly and responsibly used, Exae can increase the amount of spells or VMT that an individual is capable of using many times over, as well as drastically empowering said magic.

2.6 Magitech

Magitech is the fusion of magic and technology, which essentially utilises machinery as an ostium in order to manipulate its user's internal vis or if provided with raw vis from an external source can manipulate it in the fashion that the three methods do.

Magitech has many potential applications, but its most prevalent use is in infrastructure and many modernised cities rely on magitech augmentation to run as efficiently as possible. Licentia and Prae both use uniquely adapted magitech in their infrastructure, with magitech in Torqueo typically existing to minimise waste of vis and magitech in Priscus existing to harmonise cities with nature and the abundance of vis available.

Humans, uniquely, use magitech to allow humans who are not capable of using magic inherently to create some magical effects.



2.7 The Art of Athriohm

Founded by a Precursor Descendant by the name of Athriohm Taeryn, the Art of Athriohm is effectively the language of creation. Working by virtue of the patterns of energy that cause the various phenomena in our reality, the Art—as a magic—is utilized by moving one's vis in certain patterns rather than simply coding it with intent like most magic. When done correctly these patterns will essentially invoke the natural forces of reality to act in a specific fashion, thus creating a 'magical effect'. There are two basic methodologies by which Practitioners of the Art may utilize this immutable form of spellcraft.

The first is known as Sigilcraft and involves the use of specific symbols which are designed to direct the flow of vis to achieve a desired effect in much the same way that Runes are. Unlike Runes, which are inherently meaningless constructs that only manipulate vis by virtue of their shape, Sigils each represent a single “letter” in the language of creation (or more accurately a small-scale vis interaction). In further contrast to Runes, Sigils do not typically do anything useful when used independently of one another. Instead, to achieve meaningful magical effects Sigils must be arranged into complex interconnecting matrices known as Conflux or ASN (Aggregated Sigil Networks). While this makes Sigilcraft inherently more difficult than using Runes, the nature of the Conflux created makes the effects immutable, potent, and far more efficient than essentially any other individual method of magic period.

Derived from Sigilcraft, Weaving is the act of moving vis in the fundamental patterns of creation that Sigils represent. This allows a practitioner to use Sigils in a much less permanent or stable fashion, giving a mage more creative license, while also requiring less time to cause any given effect so long as they have the necessary skill and vis to achieve it. While this drastically increases the adaptability of a practitioner's spellcraft, it also leaves openings for another mage to potentially interfere with their casting. This makes Weaving considerably more difficult to utilize, not to mention essentially impossible to master, as a mage must not only have a significant amount of control over their vis to use it, but must also be able to remember a significant amount of the patterns necessary to do anything remotely useful.

3 Schools of Magic

Just as there are distinct methods of manipulation of vis, there are many distinct categories that a completed spell or VMT can fall under depending on the desired effect. The schools of magic are terms created for the easy categorisation of the potentially infinite ways that magic can take form, and are meant less as static configurations that mages specialise in and more as an academic method of ensuring that magic is able to be studied in a comprehensive fashion.

These categories are as follows:

3.1 Banes

Banes are a notorious school of magic designed to profoundly affect an individual in a negative way, and are unique (alongside Boons) in that they must be directly applied to the anima of an individual in order to have an effect. Banes require a careful balance between Manipulation and Creation to be cast, and require replenishment to maintain their effect--Banes can do this one of several ways: if the Bane creates a perpetual effect, if that effect is replicated around the individual the vis generated by the propagation of this effect sustains the Bane, or, the user manually provides vis to the Bane, either by directly inserting vis into the anima of the target or by perpetually draining vis from the target.

Banes are exceptionally difficult to remove as they are imprinted on the anima, and only a Boon of equivalent strength and opposite effect or direct Manipulation of the vis in an individual's anima can remove it.

Difficulty: Advanced

Rarity: S - Exceptionally rare magic that only a handful of individuals on a given plane know how to cast.


3.2 Boons

Boons are a school of magic designed to profoundly affect an individual in a positive way, and are unique (alongside Banes) in that they must be directly applied to the anima of an individual in order to have an effect. Boons require a careful balance between Manipulation and Creation to be cast, and require replenishment to maintain their effect by manual addition of vis, either consciously from the target or from continued application by the individual that cast the Boon.

Difficulty: Advanced

Rarity: S - Exceptionally rare magic that only a handful of individuals on a given plane know how to cast.




3.3 Enchantment

Enchantment is the magical practice of imbuing an object, especially a mundane object with no other magical qualities, with vis in order to grant it a specific effect. Enchantment is a particularly difficult school of magic, as it requires extensive and rigorous use of the method of Manipulation, and can be more difficult than even Creation with sufficiently complex effects.

Enchantment occurs when the mage uses Manipulation to add their own vis, which has already been manipulated as if it were a spell, to an existing object and bind that vis to the vis naturally existing within the object without altering its composition (so as to preserve the effect). As with most magic of its ilk, enchantment gets exponentially more complex when attempting to add an additional affect to an object that is already enchanted--the level of technical skill required to enchant an already enchanted object is so great that many mages are simply not capable of the feat.

An enormous factor in the process of enchantment is the material that the object is made of. The internal structure of vis within an object is dependent upon its chemical makeup, and some elements are naturally more conducive to the process of enchantment than others. Vis-infused materials are significantly easier to enchant than their mundane counterparts, and certain vis-infused materials are more amenable to the process than others.

All objects have an inherent Vis Conductivity Index (VCI) that is a numerical representation of how easy their internal vis structure is to manipulate, how its natural properties interact with standard enchantments, and how permanent a placed enchantment is likely to be within the object in question. It is important to note that the VCI of an object is less of a concrete measurement than an approximation, and exceptions do exist.

A VCI of 0 indicates that an object has no intrinsic effect on any enchantments placed on it, and that the ease of enchantment is decided entirely by the skill of the enchanter. As the VCI increases, the ease of enchantment and the permanence of the enchantment increases. As the VCI decreases, the ease of enchantment and the permanence of the enchantment decreases. At sufficient extremes, objects can become either impossible to enchant or easily able to hold multiple exceptionally complex enchantments.

MaterialVis Conductivity Index (VCI)


Blackstone​



-100.0​



Noble Gases​



-5.0​



Lead​



-2.5​



Iron/Steel​



0.0​



Carbon​



2.5​



Silver/Gold​



5​



Conduit Metal​



10.0​



Verisium​



15.0​



Dtsen​



100.0​



Difficulty: Intermediate

Rarity: D - Enchanted items are ubiquitous for their exceptional usefulness, and thusly so is the process.



3.4 Glamour

Glamour is the magical art of weaving vis into an energetic structure that affects a sapient being's perception in some way. Glamour is distinct from psychotropy in that a single glamour is static and will affect the perception of any being that perceives it.

Most glamours tend to be purely cosmetic, masking the appearance of something with something else--and end up being purely visual. More advanced glamours can affect more than a single sense, and in particularly advanced cases a glamour can fool a being's perception so entirely that they become unable to distinguish between it and reality (making it real enough to affect them in a tangible way).

Difficulty: Beginner

Rarity: D - Many mages learn simple glamours to increase their attractiveness, and they are fairly common.

3.5 Hieroturgy

Hieroturgy is the magical art of the creation and enforcement of magical law. Hieroturgy specialises in the creation of designated areas that, according to a written contract prepared as a component of the spell, automatically enforces the terms of the contract within an area to the best of its ability.

Hieroturgy is, even at its basest level, extremely complex. In order to maintain the effect a significant amount of vis is required, and several mages might need to dedicate themselves to the upkeep of the spell--as a result of this, Hieroturgy is typically only capable of enforcing extremely simple magical laws over bigger areas, or more complex magical laws on very small scales (such as a single room). Hieroturgy is only capable of enforcing physical effects in this manner, such as disallowing the use of a certain spell or preventing a specific object from entering an area.

The second use of Hieroturgy is much the opposite of the first use, which allows its user to produce effects based on the principles of upholding law or preventing it from being broken. If the law in an area, for example, was to state that theft was illegal then Hieroturgy could be invoked that would physically prevent an object from being stolen. If the law in an area was to state that an official envoy must never be attacked, Hieroturgy could be invoked that would physically prevent such an attack (either by rendering its effects null or preventing the attack from happening to begin with).

Difficulty: Advanced

Rarity: B - Every nation, to some extent, dabbles in Hieroturgy in their police force and occasionally other branches of law - but the actual study and practice of Hieroturgy is fairly uncommon.


3.6 Potioncraft

Potioncraft is the magical art of creating potions--liquids that essentially contain spells. Potioncraft is distinct from enchantment because it does not manipulate the internal vis structure of a liquid, but instead overlays the vis structure of a spell onto a liquid. Due to the fact that the majority of potions must be ingested, this allows them to have a significantly stronger effect on the body than other types of magic could, as the vis of the creator of the potion does not manually have to enter the intended subject's ostium (as it occurs naturally by ingesting the potion).

The most common form of Potioncraft requires very little skill in Simulacra, Manipulation, or Creation as it takes the vis within ingredients (which already has effects by virtue of its nature) and draws them out to create effects in a similar manner to that of a ritual. Though extremely easy in terms of technical magical skill, the lack of direct intervention in the vis requires perfect technical execution to achieve an effect, and the effect varies based upon the quality of the ingredients provided. A sufficiently skilled mage is capable of using Manipulation to bring the vis of the ingredients together in a more cohesive way, introducing technical skill but leading to a more consistent result.

Sufficiently skilled mages are capable of using Creation to directly create the effect they wish to achieve as well as the liquid onto which that effect is overlaid, which has the potential to produce completely efficient potions which are significantly superior to any alternative--though the sheer complexity required to do this means that many of the more difficult potions are impossible to create using this method, and still rely on the acquisition of ingredients by the mage in question.

Difficulty: Intermediate

Rarity: C - Basic potions are fairly ubiquitous (though typically not particularly well made), though high quality and more unique potions are significantly rarer, with maybe one or two reliable vendors per city.

3.7 Psychotropy

Psychotropy is the school of magic that focuses on the alteration of individual perception, as well as the more esoteric realms of psychic phenomena. For magic to be classified as psychotropy, its effects must solely exist in the mind(s) of a sentient being(s) (as opposed to the school of glamour, which creates illusory effects based in reality), but has little designation beyond that..

Any magic (typically VMT rather than spells) that would fall under the umbrella of psychic abilities falls under the school of psychotropy, and as such includes magic such as: Telepathy; Psychic Imprinting; Mind Reading; Mind Control; Clairvoyance.

As all of this magic is reliant upon connecting to another mind, all psychotropy relies on some level of innate psychic skill in order to establish a connection, or the use of a spell to specifically open a connection between willing (or unwilling) participants.

Difficulty: Advanced

Rarity: B - Psychotropy magic is inherently difficult to perform and to learn, so is typically uncommon.

3.8 Reification

Reification is the magical art of giving vis a physical form and manipulating it in myriad ways. Reification is one of the simplest schools, being restricted to the magical methods of Simulacra and Manipulation (and primarily a combination of the two in its more advanced uses), that simply coalesces raw vis into a shape that the user desires and allows it to act upon the world.

Much of reification is creating simple constructs of vis in order to make tools or weapons, but it can also take more advanced forms that remove the physical element and directly manipulate vis into a rune, or the framework for a ritual spell, or any other use that expedites or otherwise decreases the difficulty of spellcraft.

Reification is, by its basic definition, unaffiliated with any of the thaumaturgical elements and is a construct of pure vis - but those who are particularly magically adept are capable of reifying vis into thaumaturgical constructs and creating structures such as, for example, physical fire. There is no intrinsic limit to the amount of thaumaturgical affinities that a particular construct can have, but each additional affinity exponentially increases the complexity. Furthermore, particularly adept usage of reification is capable of altering the state of matter of a physical vis construct, allowing it to act as a liquid or as a gas at the user's command.

Some experts of reification are capable of manipulating vis on an extremely fine level, and rather than solidifying that vis to make it physical are capable of utilising it in other elements of spellcraft. Masters of reification are particularly adept at the Systemic Method.

Difficulty: Beginner

Rarity: F - The most common type of magic by a significant margin. Any being with any magical potential is capable of using reification.



3.9 Rift Magic

Rift magic is the magical art of drawing vis from Pylae (the Rift), and also in using the vis from Pylae to fuel spells or VMT. Rift magic is the least understood and most dangerous type of magic by a significant margin, as Pylae carries a natural taint that permeates all of its vis which can lead to unpredictable physical mutations as well as extreme mental degradation (often to the point of total insanity and occasionally further). Rift magic is also capable of generating rifts in the three planes of existence that lead to Pylae.

The signature type of rift magic used by the majority of mages who tap into Pylae is the art of creating a dimensional anchor within Pylae which allows them to absorb vis from the anchor and filter it into their own bodies (or, in cases of extreme skill, into other objects) in order to grant them access to enormous amounts of vis. It is important to note that even through the filter of the dimensional anchor, the taint is still present (and often still strong) in the vis and that its use is extraordinarily dangerous.

Magic that uses the tainted vis from Pylae is, by nature, more powerful and more volatile than magic cast using vis without the taint. This makes it extremely adept at destructive magic, but makes it significantly less potent for magic that requires stability.

Rift Magic is so dangerous that individuals who do receive instruction in it are warned--extensively--that any study is relegated to the theoretical applications unless extreme safeguards are applied. The only practical places for study of Rift Magic on Medius that are not owned by individuals are Inerva University and the Pillar (owned by the Serpentine Conglomerate).

Difficulty: Advanced

Rarity: S - Very few individuals on a given plane are capable of using rift magic at all, and fewer still actually use it given the inherent risks.


3.10 Runecraft

Though runic magic is classed as a school, it is closer in truth to a method of spellcraft than anything else. Drawing from the principles of Simulacra, runic magic is the practice of circumventing the traditional mechanism of spellcasting by utilising shapes (known as runes) that manipulate vis in the same way that an individual would when casting a spell. The action of a rune is derived entirely as a function of its shape, which means that once drawn it will perform its function endlessly and without any further input from its caster--this has benefits, in that it requires very little in the way of maintenance; but also downsides, in that once a rune is drawn no agency is afforded to its caster.

All runic magic has two immutable laws that are necessary for the function of any rune: Purity of Form, and Purity of Purpose.

Purity of Form is the tenet that the shape of a rune must remain unbroken in order for any of its effects to remain active. As the function of the rune is drawn from its shape, any breaks in its form (no matter how minor) will interrupt its effect--but if a break is repaired, the effects will resume as if the break had never occurred.

Purity of Purpose is the tenet that an individual rune can only ever produce a single effect. While runes are capable of manipulating vis in a plethora of ways to achieve the effect it is designed for, it can only ever achieve one effect. It should be noted that this tenet applies specifically to individual runes, and not to chains of runes (as these are capable of generating multiple effects).

While the above laws must be observed for all runic magic, runes are inherently extremely flexible. Though the purity of form must be obeyed, many individual shapes of rune can produce identical effects--and as a result, runes are often categorised into alphabets which each have their own nuances and specialties.

Difficulty: Intermediate

Rarity: C - Runic magic is more complex than traditional spellcasting by virtue of the fact that it circumvents all of the training that most mages receive, but is still quite common.


3.11 Scrying

Scrying is the magical practice of gleaning and obscuring information, as well as the magical practice of security and its counterpart trespassing. Scrying involves utilising the fact that all vis has an inherently different signature due to its composition and the fact that each sapient being's anima is unique in order to locate them across vast distances. Scrying is also concerned with the opposite--hiding one's vis signature so that it cannot be located by these means.

For many mages, scrying is not an exact art. It relies on extending a tiny aspect of one's sensory awareness across an unthinkably vast area, and each individual mage has their own nuanced understanding that affects their skill in the art. Some beings have objective senses more suited to scrying, and some have access to universal forces other than vis, but these beings are more the exception than the rule and the majority of scrying is very subjective.

The practice of warding, wherein a mage protects an area from observation or intrusion, is a subset of scrying. Magical wards prevent the extension of the senses into the area that they cover, and in stronger cases can selectively prevent specific vis signatures from entering the areas they cover (preventing the use of magic or even physically being in their location). Magic that bypasses wards also falls under the category of scrying.

Difficulty: Intermediate

Rarity: D - Scrying is quite common, as simple wards are fairly commonplace.


3.12 Spatial Manipulation

Spatial manipulation is the magical art of manipulating space. Spatial manipulation lengthens or shortens the total amount of space within an area by using Manipulation to affect the vis that makes up the plane on which it is used by subtly increasing or decreasing the spaces between that vis. Spatial manipulation is also concerned with magic that circumvents existing space, such as teleportation.

Teleportation is by far the most common use of spatial manipulation, which can be done in a variety of ways. The most common type of teleportation briefly links two areas spatially by bending the space between them so they meet at a specific intersection and then moving from the initial area to the destination--this is done by forming a portal that leads from point A to point B. Advanced users of teleportation are able to simply disappear in one space and appear in another, by using vis to directly translocate themselves to their destination via a specific subset of the plane they are on that approaches the very edge into Pylae, warping the space in an area where it cannot directly affect the plane except at its initial position and its destination.

Spatial manipulation is also concerned with the creation of sub-realms and demi-realms, which essentially create a static pocket of reality that is both not quite outside of the plane they are on and not quite inside the plane. This is best imagined as the plane being a bubble that is surrounded by Pylae, and making a bubble within the surface of that bubble to create a desired location under their control.

Difficulty: Advanced

Rarity: C - Spatial Manipulation is extremely challenging, but is widely used.


3.13 Temporal Manipulation

Temporal manipulation is the magical art of manipulating time. Time can be manipulated by either being slowed or hastened in small amounts on a large scale or significant amounts on a short scale, or even theoretically the ability to travel through time.

Though the visual effects match up, "slowing" and "hastening" are technically misnomers that do not accurately portray how the magic works. Temporal manipulation is able to increase or decrease entropy on a small scale, essentially acting as a magical catalyst for events. They do not take into consideration events that may occur as one would imagine along a linear timeline, only hastening or slowing the natural interaction of universal forces upon the object.

Time travel has been theorised, but is considered impossible by modern magic for a bevy of reasons. It has never been successfully attempted and likely never will.

Difficulty: Master

Rarity: S+ - There are only a handful of mages in existence capable of performing these effects.


3.14 Thaumaturgy

Thaumaturgy is magic concerned with the creation and manipulation of the so-called thaumaturgical elements, which include but are not limited to: Fire; Wind; Water; Earth; Light; Shadow; Poison. Thaumaturgy is a step beyond Reification, and is concerned with the affinity of vis rather than its physical structure. In the broadest possible sense, it applies to any form of magic that seeks to apply the effects of various phenomena directly to vis.

Simulacra is very commonly used with Thaumaturgy, applying the "concept" of a thaumaturgical element to vis in order to achieve the desired effect. Fire-aspected vis can take the form of a fireball, for example.

Manipulation is rarer, typically only existing when instances of the thaumaturgical elements in reality need to be directly controlled.

Thaumaturgy is the most popular use of the method of Creation, in which the mage will directly create the phenomenon that they desire. It is considered thaumaturgy to create physical matter such as earth or water, or energy such as light or shadow.

Difficulty: Beginner

Rarity: E - Thaumaturgy is almost as common as Reification.

3.15 Transmutation

Transmutation is the magical art of manipulating chemical elements in order to manipulate the physical form or the molecular make-up of matter. Transmutation can be as simple as metalworking (i.e., adjusting the shape of matter via Manipulation) or as complex as transforming one element into another (e.g., turning Hydrogen into Helium).

At its basest level, transmutation is the most basic application of the method of Manipulation - internally adjusting the vis and matter of an object in order to shape it to one's desire. Manipulating the matter of an object is the simplest of these applications, while adjusting the internal structure of vis is very complex.

At its most complex level, transmutation can be used to manipulate the internal structure of vis and the particles within an atom in order to change its chemical element. This process is, by its nature, extremely taxing and can only typically be performed by mages that specialise in Transmutation.

Transmutation is unique among the schools of magic in that it is essentially the applied usage of one of the methods of magic, and cannot be used with either Simulacra or Creation.

Difficulty: Intermediate

Rarity: C - As transmutation requires the method of Manipulation, it is less common than schools that can use Simulacra but is the most common use of Manipulation by far.
 
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Overview

The prae are a humanoid race that hail from the realm known as Priscus. Prae share many physiological similarities with humans--including vital organs, cellular structure, and endocrine systems--but with a few key differences. Prae are born with a crystal that is located somewhere on their head (almost always the forehead, though exceedingly rare exceptions do exist) that draws in ambient vis from the environment. This sustenance of vis is required in addition to the caloric sustenance they would obtain through other methods, and prae biology is not well-suited to the consumption of vis-infused food or water, so the crystal is a vital part of their biology. The prae ostium is comprised of narrower channels than a human's, also, which leads prae to have reduced innate magical ability. Prae also have markings, explained below, that occur naturally (originating from their crystal) and represent something important to them. Prae reach maturity at 18, and age slowly from there on out. Depending on the level of ambient vis available to them, they are capable of reaching up to approximately 800 years of age.


Societally, prae differ vastly from humanity. Prae have a single leader across the entire species, called the God-Queen, who serves as the lynchpin of their society. The God-Queen is imbued with the vis of countless prae, and thus their knowledge and desires, and serves as the ultimate guiding force for the prae--almost like a living goddess. The prae revere her above all else, and she is the primary focus of the prae's religion. In general, prae are extremely motivated to do what is expected of them in order to make their society function, and the best way for them to do so is to obey the God-Queen's orders without question. As the God-Queen is vital for all of prae society to function throughout the entirety of Priscus, the God-Queen imparts some of her power into lesser queens, known as Exeo, who act as personal agents of the God-Queen for those who are not necessarily physically close to her. In addition to this, religious followers of the God-Queen known as Proxies act in order to dispense the God-Queen's love and spiritual wellness to Prae who are not physically close to her.


Hierarchy

The prae follow a very strict hierarchy within their society, with certain castes having almost absolute authority over the others. The God-Queen is, of course, the most influential member of prae society and the most universally important. Her word is law, and is passed down through the other castes to reach every prae in Priscus.


Below the God-Queen is the Queen-Heir, who holds a similar position in terms of influence. The Queen-Heir speaks with the full authority of the God-Queen, and it is custom that the words of the Queen-Heir are treated as if they were the words of the God-Queen herself--because, normally, they are.


Next are the Vec, who are the God-Queen's personal honour guard. They act as her shields and swords, defending her at all times, and in times of distress when her Exeo are unable to act may act as her agents. They command respect just below that of the Queen-Heir, though many prae have never seen one of the Vec outside of the throne room due to their usual confinement there.


Below the Queen-Heir are the Exeo (or Vei), as well as the Rea Ves, who act in substitute for the God-Queen. Though not afforded the same respect as the Queen-Heir, they are much more popular than the Vec due to their public appearances and general mobility. Many prae will never meet the Queen-Heir, but almost every prae will meet an Exeo--in this sense, Exeo are widely considered the highest authority below that of the God-Queen in common parlance despite technically being outranked by both Vea and Vec.


The Rea, being spiritual stand-ins for the God-Queen, are also particularly influential. Though they are not nearly as influential as the Exeo, with the exception of the Rea Ves, the Rea act in the stead of local leaders, rather than the more sweeping influence of the God-Queen and the Exeo. Rea Ehl typically look after individual cities, and command no small amount of influence.


Though the prae do not have a ruling body per se, there is a Council that certain Exeo and the most influential members of the Aristocracy belong to that runs the minutiae of society. They interpret the God-Queen's will, and act as the prae's government for the more worldly and mundane aspects of life, rather than the spiritual and mental wellness that the Rea hold jurisdiction over.


Below this, the Aristocracy who are not part of the Council hold influence; then the military; then individuals of particular importance within any caste below the Council, and finally the Cogs (who are effectively the working class of the prae).




Caste System


A Prae’s status is determined by an honorific that connects their first and last names with the exception being the God-Queen (and sometimes the Queen-Heir) who lose their last name in favor of their honorific.


Vaan - The denomination of the God-Queen. The God-Queen is the highest ranking individual in Prae society. She is the strongest of their kind, and has the ability to imbue her race with the Manifest ability. She is appointed by her people to rule over them, however, what determines that is unclear. The God-Queen possesses the vis of several thousand prae, and is the only prae capable of absorbing a theoretically infinite amount of ambient vis​
Vea - The denomination of the Queen-Heir. Where the God-Queen is chosen by her people, the Queen-Heir is chosen by the appointed Queen as her choice of who should follow her rule, or who should take over should something terrible befall her. The Queen-Heir is given a measure of the Queen’s power.​
Vec - The God-Queen and Queen-Heir’s stalwart protectors. These prae are a mixture of chosen and appointed. The most prominent of requirements for a prae to receive this honorific is that they can stand in the Queen’s aura without feeling the negative effects of what that entails. The position of Vec is hereditary--when one retires or dies, they will bequeath to their successor a measure of their vis and the oath that binds them to service of the God-Queen. Thanks to these having been passed down through many, many generations the oaths are a compulsion in and of themselves that binds the Vec to service--only an exceptionally strong individual is capable of breaking this oath, and only with due reason. There are twelve Vec who protect the God-Queen at any given time, whilst the Queen-Heir can have anywhere between one to three assigned as her own personal guard. Humans often call this caste “paladins”, though this word does not exist in the native tongue of Priscus.​
Vei - Acting as the voice and hands of the God-Queen, the Vei (more commonly known as Exeo) are prae who have been chosen by their people to lead in accordance with the God-Queen's wishes. They are imparted their power by the sacrifice of many lives, in addition to being bequeathed the vis of their predecessor, and a measure of the God-Queen’s divine vis. These individuals are in charge of every aspect of prae society aside from their religion and work for the betterment of the race. Beyond this, the Queen-Heir is traditionally chosen from the ranks of the Exeo. These individuals number from six to twelve at any given time, and are more often than not female. If a male Exeo is chosen, they must bequeath their anima to a female prae upon their death.​
Rea - This honorific denotes a member of the Prae’s clergy known as Proxies--an Order of Priest-Inquisitors who act as the spiritual and religious leaders of their people. They are the Will of the God-Queen, connected to her intrinsically by a bond forged when they were imparted with her essence earlier in life. Later on when they are imparted vis near the end of their physical adolescence, the God-Queen will inform a prae that—if they so choose—they may follow the compulsion given to them by the bond and become a Proxy or that they may rid themselves of it to serve their kind in another way. Should they take her up on this offer, they are interred into the Order of Proxies where they begin their training—which includes a 100 year period of abstinence. When fully instated they become the keepers of peace and order within the confines of prae society. They are given a status that is above all but the God-Queen herself, the Vei, and the Vec. In terms of strength, Proxies of the highest ranks are typically 1/4th the power of the average Exeo. However, unlike the Exeo, their intrinsic bond to the God-Queen allows them to draw on her divine vis in times of great need. A prae within this order does not leave unless they are impregnated.​
Ves - The “Head Priest” of the Proxies, and the one with the closest connection to the God-Queen of them all.​
Ehl - Senior members of the priesthood who look after large congregations of prae. They organise and lead rituals, participate in rituals, and ensure that the Seh and Vox are both trained adequately to interpret the Will of the God-Queen.​
Seh - Though not the lowest tier of Proxies, these are Prae who have not been a part of the group for very long. Though they can participate in rituals, they never lead them.​
Vox - Those who have just recently joined the Proxyhood. They spend most of their time at “the cathedral” studying the Prae belief system as they are disallowed from joining in rituals.​
Sahaal - These are Prae that serve on the Council that oversees the mundane aspects of managing daily life on Priscus. The closest human equivalents are “President” or “Prime Minister”, though these do not really adequately reflect the role, as the Sahaal act as a collective rather than as individuals.​
Aer - This honorific denotes families that are part of the Aristocracy--noble houses that contribute a lot to Prae society. If combined with another honorific, it simply denotes exceptional status in that regard. (For example, a particularly notable scientist would bear the honorific “Aer Zahn”.)​
Gea - These are Prae who actually have notable ranks within the military.​
Haal - Haal can most easily be equated to Generals or Field Marshals, and typically oversee vast swathes of Priscus’ standing army. Haal are only promoted through many years of distinguished service and successful campaigns, and are second only to Exeo militarily. In order to achieve the rank of Haal, one must actually be in active service on the field (as opposed to Yvel, who do not necessarily have to be on the field).​
Yvel - Yvel are the equivalent of brigadiers or colonels, each of whom may lead a single individual regiment (or in cases of particular distinction, two). The Yvel do not necessarily have to have martial prowess, and many of the caste are peerless tacticians that do not physically enter combat themselves, or only do so with the assistance of magitech.​
Irim - Irim are the equivalent of a Major, who typically oversee three or four squadrons of soldiers within a single regiment. Irim are the most diverse military class, with the station being offered to those that have demonstrated competent leadership and devotion to the God-Queen in any tangibly noticeable capacity. The Irim are known for being the rank that the aristocracy most frequently award, and because of this they end up having a higher turnover rate than the other ranks.​
Pael - Pael denotes a Captain, who leads a single squadron of units. The requirements to be promoted to Pael are largely as simple as having the respect of one’s peers and sufficiently impressing one of the Irim, but are almost universally given out to the most competent fighters of a squadron.​
Vyahn - Literally meaning “fate-touched”, this honorific denotes prae that have significant psychic abilities and occasionally a small measure of clairvoyance. These prae tend to have a much stronger sense of self thanks to their exceptional psychic abilities and are able to communicate telepathically in a large range to anyone they desire. The Vyahn are a small group of prae, but are very well respected for their wisdom. Humans have been known to call this caste “Gypsies”.​
Vihn - One with the Elements. These are Prae who are born largely connected to their world in strange, cosmic ways. Vihn are typically connected in a tangible way to one of the thaumaturgical elements of human magic, but most often those relating to the natural world--the land, water, fire, or wind. Occasionally, Vihn have a stronger connection than most of their kind and can develop the ability to intimately connect with local flora or fauna (which is, in part, made possible by the extremely high concentration of vis within Priscus). In rare cases these Prae are born with an aspect of their element as part of their body, or their body being wholly comprised of that element. This honorific is only given to those who have achieved renown with their abilities.​
Zhiv - Literally means “Oathsworn Shield”. When used in combination with Gea, this honorific denotes a soldier in Priscus’ standing army who is garrisoned in a metropolis in a defensive measure. When used as a standalone, it refers to a prae who specializes in forming a unique psychic bond with others to bolster their powers and safeguard them--humans refer to these as “Guardians”.​
Zeht - Literally meaning “manual, physical”, Zeht is taken to mean one who works with their hands for a living as part of the Cogs. The Zeht encompass everything from construction to rank and file soldiers unworthy of other titles, as well as artisans and such like.​
Zahn - Literally meaning “thought”, Zahn has come to be associated with the members of the Cogs whose work is largely mental. Teachers, researchers, and scientists all make up the Zahn.​
Lye - Simply means “statusless” or “vagabond”--this honorific is primarily given to those who do not work, such as children or the elderly. If it is given to a prae who has the ability set of a Vihn, it is interchangeable with Vihn, albeit with the connotation of less noteworthy skill.​

Conclaves

Family and tradition are very important to the prae, as is social standing in the eyes of the God-Queen, and so many of the aristocratic families vie for her attention and favour. Because of the immensity of Priscus, particular notice in the eyes of the God-Queen is difficult for any individual family to achieve, no matter the accomplishments they achieve and how much good they do for the prae overall. In order to better motivate themselves and to receive more of the God-Queen's favour, noble families adopt a practice in which they combine the united strengths and purviews of several families and pool their collective resources in order to achieve more and thus elevate themselves further. These combinations of families, called Conclaves, are the result of their efforts.


A single Conclave consists of anywhere between two and seven families that have had a tangible impact on the prae and their prosperity. Even a family of the lowest caste of prae, the Cogs, can belong to a Conclave if they have significant contributions--so the mere existence of these collectives enriches Priscus and its inhabitants. There are two notable Conclaves currently in favour amongst the nobility (though smaller and less influential Conclaves do exist):


The Zyristi Conclave


The Zyristi Conclave is spearheaded by the noble Zyristi family, who organised the Conclave to begin with, and encompasses a fair representation of every aspect of prae society. There are currently five families within the Conclave, as follows:


Zyristi


The Zyristi have always been the most closely attuned family among the nobility to the will of the people – and as a result have always been considered spiritual leaders among the Prae. The Zyristi do not command the economic ties that they used to, however, and have been greatly empowered by the Conclave. Members of the Zyristi family typically end up as Rea of some variety.


Mounvhria


The Mounvhria are by no stretch of the imagination among the most eloquent and articulate of the prae. Their orators are requested far and wide for their ability to articulate the Will of the God-Queen – and typically end up managing relations between the various sectors that make up daily life in Priscus. Far more than mere bureaucrats, the Mounvhria are respected for their role in ensuring that all prae live comfortably under the God-Queen’s benevolence. Members of the Mounvhria typically end up as diplomats, and often have cause to travel extensively throughout Priscus and occasionally to Medius.


Unavrin


The Unavrin are a family built on the cusp of technology. They have grown into being one of the major driving forces behind prae science, having produced several brilliant individuals, and with the support of the Conclave have only grown more influential. More specifically, they specialize in healthcare and medical engineering.


Aeryhv


The Aeryhv are more recently noble, having become so thanks to their participation in the Conclave, and have produced some of Priscus' most venerated Gea caste members. There are currently three Gea Haal belonging to the Aeryhv, and significantly more Gea Yvel than that. They are renowned for their military strategy, as well as their fearsome tenacity.


Yvaelia


The Yvaelia are currently the ninth richest family in Priscus, possessing ancient economic treaties that have enabled them to amass considerable wealth. They have made a great many connections in the economic world, profiting greatly, but tend to lack much of the disposition required to leverage those connections to their fullest. Their participation in the Conclave has brought a great deal of wealth, and with the expertise and speechcraft afforded to them by the other families they have not only expanded their own wealth, but also vastly empowered the other families of the Conclave.









[If you want to make a prae character, they must belong to one of the families within the Zyristi Conclave. Though each family is renowned for a certain set of skills or aptitudes, their connections amongst the other families in the Conclave allow any individual of any family to become essentially anything that they like. Creativity is encouraged within the Conclave, so the only tangible effect you should feel from this is a predetermined surname and potential familial connections with other players!]









The Lyvaeris-Moncere Conclave


Established only four hundred years ago, the Lyvaeris-Moncere Conclave came into being in order to prevent the clashing of two influential and powerful noble families. Both the Lyvaeris and Moncere families are renowned for producing the metaphorical cream of the crop, boasting Vec, Vei, Vyahn, and Vihn amongst their ranks. The families' similarity and singular focus upon perfection led to a number of conflicts that threatened to disrupt the harmony of Priscus, so the Rea Ves at the time forced the creation of the Conclave to align their interests.


Though neither will openly admit it, the Conclave has been a resounding success thanks to their forced cooperation. The Lyvaeris-Moncere Conclave currently sits at the top of the aristocratic hierarchy, boasting resources far above what many families can muster. Their only real peers are the Zyristi Conclave in terms of influence and excellence.


Notable Individuals: Aevyrion vec Lyvaeris; Maerysir vihn Lyvaeris; Mnaecilia rea ehl Moncere





Prae Aptitudes


Prae are fundamentally capable of utilising their internal pools of vis, but the composition of their anima and ostium does not lend itself to the same type of magic that the other races are capable of--instead, the prae are particularly adept at either shaping and manipulating their vis (either in a physical or immaterial form), and in placing said vis within an object or being in order to achieve a specific effect, essentially locking them into what humans and licentia would call "Enchantment" but is referred to by prae as "Imbuement".


A prae's ability to utilise their vis in a magical sense is directly tied to what they can imbue with their vis and the ways in which they can express that vis in order to generate effects. All prae share a baseline level of technical ability, and have further refinement that is dependent upon their natural inclinations as well as, to some extent, the caste they belong to. All prae are capable of the following feats:


Telekinesis


Prae are able to insert their vis into an object via touch and take control of it in much the same way that a human or licenti mage would use the method of Manipulation. This control is weak to begin with, but as a prae matures and their anima becomes more stable (especially after they receive their second infusion of vis from an Exeo or the God-Queen) it strengthens dramatically. Younger prae might only be able to manipulate an object in subtle ways, such as moving an object a couple of feet or suspending it in the air, but prae that develop this ability become able to control objects so finely and keenly that they far surpass the dexterity and speed capable with their comparably cumbersome bodies.


Imbuement


When a prae uses the term "imbuement", they are specifically referring to their capacity to insert their vis into an object and grant it properties it would not ordinarily possess in much the same fashion that a human or licenti mage could enchant an item. Thanks to their more fundamental control over their vis, the prae's natural capacity in this area is far greater than that of humans and of almost all licentia at a baseline level. What distinguishes a prae's ability to enchant an object from the magic used by humans and licentia is the fundamental control retained over the vis within the object--because of this retained control, prae are able to extend a facet of their senses into the objects that they enchant and manipulate their vis to exceptionally minute levels that the other races can only ever achieve at the pinnacle of their art.


All prae are capable of a basic conception of this ability, which allows them to enhance the basic qualities of an object, and a more advanced conception that fits into their skill set as they achieve their manifest and honorific. For example, the Gea typically become able to enhance an object's sharpness and durability to exceptional levels, as well as dramatically amplify their telekinetic ability. Vihn typically become able to confer the elemental properties at their disposal to an object so completely that they essentially become an elemental extension of the body. Zhiv typically become able to increase the durability of objects to the point that they are sometimes, in extraordinary cases, considered nigh-unbreakable.


Vae Maoris


Vae Maoris are a specific class of object that can only be created when a prae enters their Manifest and then sacrifices a total portion of their power in order to create an exceptionally powerful enchantment that binds the object to the prae. Vae Maoris contain a significant amount of a prae's total vis, and as a result are capable of bearing enchantments whose potency and scope have no human equivalent. If a prae needs to reclaim their lost vis at any point, they are able to enter their Manifest and return the imparted vis to their body. The object will remain permeable to the same enchantment for approximately 48 hours, allowing it to be easily reapplied within that time frame, but if it is not reapplied the Vae Maoris will need to be created again.


Telepathy


Prae have a very rudimentary level of telepathy that allows them to communicate basic feelings and thoughts almost passively. Unlike telepathy conducted by normal means, prae are capable of utilising ambient vis efficiently--rather than a direct mental link as most telepathy requires--to broadcast and receive their feelings and thoughts, and especially over longer distances. It is normal for younger prae to be very open to subconsciously broadcasting and receiving thoughts and emotions, and to gradually become less and less sensitive to them without directly wishing to be as they mature. The exception to this is the Vyahn, who grow more and more subconsciously open to this telepathy and with greater intensity than usual until they receive their Manifest, where they gain control over their enhanced psychic capability. Prae telepathy, when mastered, is exceptionally powerful--allowing for the transmission of intense and complex thoughts and emotions over great distances and even across the realms in very unique and potent instances.


Bequeathing


When a prae is near death, they are capable of imbuing the entirety of their anima (and whatever vis remains within it) to either another prae or to a particularly potent Vae Maoris. This process empowers the prae or the object significantly, but also imparts it with a measure of the memories and will of the prae whose anima was bequeathed. This is not like a possession, per se, but more of an extension of the self--a broadening of personal viewpoints and inheritance of the deceased’s most notable traits or desires. It never overtakes the recipient, serving only to enhance them and pass on their most desirable traits.


There are several unique instances of bequeathing depending on caste, such as the process to create a God-Queen or the process to create one of the Vec.


Castes


Depending on the caste that the prae belongs to, their three basic abilities will mature at different rates and levels after they have received their Manifest. While there are some patterns and trends, how their abilities specifically develop very much depend on the prae as an individual.


Rea - Proxies tend to have odd abilities, usually forsaking particular mastery over imbuement and telekinesis in order to bolster their psychic prowess to better act as spiritual leaders. When a Proxy reaches seniority and gains access to the God-Queen's divine vis, they lose any sense of distinction and develop their abilities as the will of the God-Queen demands.


Gea - The Gea typically develop their telekinesis to exceptional levels, honing their martial skills and their mastery of weaponry. Some Gea take different paths, depending on their role within Priscus' standing army, but this is the norm.


Vyahn - The Vyahn focus almost exclusively on their telepathic and psychic abilities. Vyahn are exceptionally powerful psychics, and with sufficient prowess can learn how to create illusions, attack the minds of their enemies directly, and very rarely achieve a minor form of true clairvoyance.


The Vyahn also have access to a unique ability known as “Intonation”, which allows them to leverage their psychic abilities in order to issue a single word verbal command to the minds of all living beings within a short range of themselves which they are psychically compelled to obey to the best of their ability provided that it does not bring them any direct or indirect harm.


Vihn - The Vihn focus on the element that they are fundamentally connected to.


Zhiv - The Zhiv tend to follow the same path as the Gea, but with a significantly more defensive style.


Prae Manifest

As a prae's crystal and markings act as a conduit and expression respectively of their anima, once a prae receives their second imbuement of vis from the God-Queen they become capable of leveraging the additional vis through their crystal in order to achieve a state known as Manifest. When a prae activates their Manifest, known as "manifesting", they tap into the deeper recesses of their anima in order to more fully control the vis within their body and the vis that they absorb ambiently from their environment. This results in a state of empowerment that increases all of their natural capabilities, as well as granting them additional and empowered abilities based on the particular skill set that they have developed as they have matured. As they manifest their markings shimmer and seethe with the additional vis that they now have access to, and depending on the strength and drive of the individual can even temporarily grow or become more refined. As a prae uses vis within their manifest, their markings visibly pulse with energy and the crystal takes on a faint shimmer of a similar colour. Their appearance takes on an overall much more visibly vis-saturated look, and as almost all manifests create vis constructs attached in some way to the prae’s body these are especially noticeable. The combination of these factors results in a significantly different appearance that is immediately and viscerally recognisable to any observer.


For some prae, this can be as simple as a raw augment in strength and a more advanced level of control of their telekinesis. For others, it can be as if they are entering a higher state of ability with the magic that they are already capable of using--each Manifest is a direct expression of the anima and is thus tied to the prae's deepest thoughts and desires. Though an enormous amount of the Manifest is deeply personal, there are some traits that are universal across all Manifests in all prae:


- Greater vis capacity and control over said vis

- Enhanced Telekinesis and Imbuement

- Flight


The flight aspect of a Manifest can take many forms--for some it is wings, for others it is more akin to levitation, and for some it can be a direct extension of their abilities that grants them flight. While the individual effects of a Manifest can be described and generalised, the appearance that they take is very much down to the individual prae.


A prae is capable of maintaining their Manifest for approximately one hour when they first unlock it, and with diligent training are able to increase this to up to two hours. In exceptional cases where a prae has an extraordinary pool of vis, or where a prae is imbued with vis from the death of another prae, they may be able to maintain their Manifest out of combat indefinitely provided that they do not overexert themselves. If an enormous amount of energy is expended during the Manifest it will typically last for thirty minutes at most, and once it expires it will not be available again until the prae has recovered the vis that they previously lost.


Though the Manifest is powerful, it does have the side effect of exposing more of the prae's normally guarded anima to outside sources. They become more prone to harmful magic and vis-affecting illnesses than they ordinarily would be (though this weakness can be minimised with excessive training).


Prae Crystals and Markings

All prae are born with a crystal that stabilizes their anima and allows them to passively absorb vis in order to live. The crystal is essentially like a vital organ that prae are physically incapable of living without.


All prae have distinct markings in varying patterns that stem from their crystals and emanate outwards across their bodies. Though there is no hard and fast rule about how far the markings spread, there is a distinct trend between the amount of vis that the body can contain and how far the markings spread. The patterns, decided when a prae comes into their abilities and further refined when they receive vis from the God-Queen, almost always relate in some way to the intrinsic magical or physical capabilities that the prae will develop later in life. Many prae believe that the markings are an expression of their innermost thoughts and desires, made physical by a combination of their Anima and the crystal that sustains them.


Most markings share common features between members of the same caste with a similar purpose, with the spread and the shape that they take being the real variance. As markings originate from the crystal, which is almost universally in the center of the forehead (and is always on the head somewhere), the face of even a newborn prae is marked until the day they die. Age, skill, and caste all determine the extent to which one's markings grow, and another factor is the inner drive that the prae possesses. Many prae are very driven as a general rule of thumb, but those with an exceptional inner desire to make a mark on the world have further-reaching and more dramatic markings.


The markings of the Cogs are, largely, indistinct and variable. They typically take on some semblance of the prae's chosen field of work, but are typically vague in this regard unless there is an especially strong inner drive. The markings take on what can only really be described as a "tribal" look, being comprised of individual scrawling shapes that interconnect with one another.


The markings of the Gea tend to be significantly more refined, with sharper and more angular features reminiscing of cutting edges or other weaponry. As the individual rises within the ranks and gains more experience, the markings extend down their dominant arm and their hand, as well as occasionally forming a distinct pattern in the centre of their chest or on their back. Gea Haal tend to have extremely elaborate (but indistinct) patterns spanning their entire body, and markings depicting their chosen weapon along their dominant arm.


The markings of the Vyahn specifically involve eyes in some capacity. There is almost always an eye in the center of the forehead, with the crystal as its iris and pupil, and very intricate loops and whorls connecting it to other markings on the body. The Vyahn's markings subtly shift and change over time, with eyes appearing to shift between locations and being varying states of open or closed.


The markings of the Lye and Vihn represent the element that they are most closely tied to, and have little in connection with one another other than that. They can be jagged and primal, or intricate and smooth--they can have great patterns and overarching themes, or they can be simple depictions.


The markings of the Zhiv are almost always shields, typically on the midriff, that become more detailed once a guardian bond has been formed. The interior of the shield typically takes on some pattern that expresses how the prae feels about the individual that they are bonded to in a very vague sense, and depending on the strength of that bond can become more or less intricate.


The markings of the Rea are unique in that they tend to only cover the face and occasionally with enough seniority extend down to the collarbones and perhaps the shoulders. There is particular emphasis around the eyes of the Rea, and the markings become more and more distinct and elaborate as the prae advances through the clergy.


The markings of the Vec are largely dependent on the particular skill set of the prae, but have a distinct feature that occurs when the Vec takes their oath. A specific subsection around the lower back becomes dedicated to the specific oath that they have taken, and the markings take on a quality similar to the Vec that preceded them in homage to their predecessor.


Amana Vaan's markings are unique, as she is the God-Queen and is the only prae who has markings encompassing her entire body. Her markings consist of spirals and interconnected intricate whorls. The markings on her forehead resemble a crown with a heart at its center, and swirl down along the outer edges of her face down her neck where they converge at the middle of her collarbone into another heart. They then move across her collarbone to her shoulders where they split between going down her back and down her arms. The entirety of her back is an intricate depiction of wings. These markings then move back around her waist at the wing tips to make their way down her legs. At her wrists and ankles the markings make hearts once again.


Prae Hybrids

Should you want to make one of these, message the GMs. :) Licentia-Prae hybrids are extremely unlikely. Prae-Human hybrids typically end up being weaker, frailer prae who do not have the ability to receive additional vis from the God-Queen.
 
Humans

The youngest race, humanity is a thing of many shades and cultures, but in large part a unified physiology. While perhaps not so colorful as licentia, or as unified as prae, humans are their own breed of varied and are the sort to make sure they stand out in spite of their generally lower natural aptitude. Physically humans are solidly average, tending to manifest magic at a drastically lower frequency to the other two races--approximately 37% manifesting magic, with only 20% of those having actually useful aptitude. Still, while this may be true, unlike prae or licentia, the anima and ostium of humans gives them full access to the vast width and breadth of magic’s many schools and applications, with their own real limiter being the years in their life and dedication with which they pursue it.

Humans have very broad channels in their Ostium--the vis circulatory system--and the natural composition of their Anima is such that they are veritable founts of self-sustaining magical energy. While they will never have the ability to Manifest like prae, or the sheer capacity for vis like Licentia, they can contain a very considerable amount of vis that is naturally replenishing over time and this is what makes them so magically adept and flexible when they do manifest the aptitude. When an especially strong magical aptitude manifests in a human--particularly those that result in an enormous amount of naturally occurring vis in the Ostium--they will occasionally be born with naturally purple hair that never quite loses its sheen. It is hypothesised that this is due to rampant excess vis flowing out into the hair, but studied have never quite proven or disproven this particular rumour.

Humanity has a particular spark of ingenuity and inventiveness that the other races simply fundamentally lack. They have a particular knack of simultaneously seeing the world with no specific nuance and with every little nuance that can be imagined--despite their youth, humanity has made astounding strides in knowledge and culture that reflects the benefits of its disparate and yet united nature.

The MASS Index

Otherwise known as the Magical Aptitude Stratification Scale, MASS is an internationally recognized academic test that allows the examiner to determine the examinee’s magical ability. Essentially, any subject will fall into one of five categories, ranked from zero to four.

The scale is pictured below, as well as the more commonplace terminology utilized to describe the different ‘types’.

CategoryDescriptionCommon TerminologyExamples

Zero

A Category Zero on the MASS designation test is an individual with virtually no capacity for magic, if any at all. Those falling into this category are typically entirely incapable of magic.


Individuals of this category, by those in higher categories, are often referred to as “Mundanes,” or “Munds.”


N/A

One


A Category One on the MASS designation test is an individual who is capable of magic in an incredibly small, often useless, capacity.



Individuals of this category are often referred to as “Picayune,” or “Yune.”



Manipulating or moving incredibly small objects such as a spoon or a limit of two marbles.


Two

A Category Two on the MASS designation test is an individual who is capable of a number of magical feats. Their magic is useful, but often either varied and largely impotent, or incredibly focused and slightly more potent.


Individuals of this category are often referred to as “Dabblers.”



Manipulating vis proficiently enough to utilize any of the schools of magic, but with drastically reduced potency and effectiveness.


Three


A Category Three on the MASS designation test is an individual who is capable of doing both useful and potent magic. These subjects possess either inherent magic or enough natural vis--and control of their ostium--to learn/use spells and other VMT with high proficiency.



Individuals of this category are referred to by a number of terms, of which the most common is “Mage.”


Manipulating vis well enough to efficiently utilize and combine the disciplines of one or more schools of magic.

Four

The incredibly uncommon Category Four on the MASS designation test are individuals possessing monstrous levels of vis and/or control of their ostium, allowing them to utilize significantly more magic, or cast with significantly enhanced potency.


Individuals of this category are most often referred to as “Archmagi.”



Manipulating vis well beyond the average ability of Category Three individuals.


Mages and Society

Society’s general view on magic users is one between awe and fear. This is, by and large, due to the fact that there have been no truly significant magical catastrophes in living memory. As a result any significant movement against magi tend to fizzle out rather swiftly as their value to society and good track record are remembered. As a result mages are more often respected, or at least left to their own devices, by society--especially considering that they are a minority. Nonetheless, there does exist discrimination against them, often with fear, ignorance or hatred borne of personal tragedy being the motivators.

In Ominar itself, mages are welcomed and respected to a higher degree as the population of--and demand for--magic users is much higher there than perhaps any other large settlement on the planet.




Precursor Descendants



Overview

Precursor Descendants are the genetic legacy of a mysterious and extremely advanced species known as Homo Oriri (Original Man), or in common parlance the “Precursors”, that flourished in bygone eras. Little is known of their genome, and less of their culture and history, but some humans are born with fragments of their genetic code that confer a measure of their unique biology. This subset of humanity is extremely magically gifted, and have a unique biology that enables this inherent potential. They are secretive by nature, and due to their low numbers are primarily concentrated within five major families across the globe--families that hold influence, but whose nature is fundamentally hidden so that their precursor lineage remains closely safeguarded.

Biology and Magic

Precursor Descendants have, on the surface, an identical basic physiology to normal humans. They have no changes to their major organs or other internal systems, and function identically to normal humans in every non-magical medical sense. Descendants are very fundamentally different, however, in several regards:


  • Descendants have a uniquely different anima than their counterparts. Unlike ordinary humans, the descendants' anima is permeable to vis and is much more impressionable, allowing it to be accessed more easily (by both the descendant themselves, and by other individuals or magical effects).
  • Descendants all have a second ostium--known as the velo--which surrounds their anima and acts as a filter for it.
  • Descendants each have one particularly noticeable persistently magical cosmetic effect that identifies them as such.
  • Descendants' eyes glow when they manipulate vis.
  • Descendants have vaguely pointed ears.
  • Descendants are unnaturally beautiful--the ugliest of them would be considered an exceptional beauty by modern human standards.
  • Descendants have a lifespan that is greatly extended. They can live for anywhere between 800 to 1500 years, depending on factors such as stress, use of magic, and ambient vis.
  • Descendants age normally until 18, at which point they may choose to stop the cosmetic effects of their aging. If they do not, they are capable of stopping the visible effects of their aging process at any point.
  • Descendants have slightly enhanced senses.
  • Though particularly adept at the use of magic, the permeable nature of their anima renders the Descendants far more vulnerable to magic than any other race.

The Velo


While ordinary humans only require a single ostium, the Precursor Descendants require a second because of the nature of their uniquely impressionable and permeable anima. Without this additional measure to prevent foreign vis from affecting their anima, the Descendants would quickly die out--but because the Velo exists, it instead significantly bolsters their capacity for magic. Ordinary humans must channel vis from their anima through the vis channels in their body and then out through their ostium--this is capable of producing powerful magic, but requires immense skill due to its inherent inefficiency. Descendants use their Velo to shorten drastically the distance that their vis must travel internally, resulting in much more precise spellcasting--and due to the fact that their anima is so impressionable, the vis that they produce is inherently much more potent than anything an ordinary human is capable of producing.


While this enables significant magical potential, it comes with the hefty downside of rendering Descendants particularly exposed to vis-affecting illnesses and magic that directly affects the anima. Vis-affecting illnesses are all but a death sentence for Descendants, as they freely bypass the Velo.


Imprinting


Thanks to their impressionable anima, a Descendant is capable of significant feats of magic--but, beyond that, they are also capable of storing knowledge and skills (especially those required to perform certain feats of magic) within their anima. If a Descendant has mastered a specific spell or VMT, they may imprint it on their anima, and this allows them to produce a higher quantity and quality of vis for that particular instance of magic. When a Descendant has children, they pass down everything that they have imprinted on their anima to the child, resulting in them innately having a mastery over those subjects. This can take the form of knowledge, of muscle memory, and of magical potential. Though one would imagine that this exponentially increases the skill of the Descendants as their lineage progresses, the anima is only capable of holding so much inherent potential. This results in exceptionally powerful individuals, but not individuals who grow exponentially more powerful. Only knowledge or skills that have been understood down to their most fundamental level and truly mastered can be imprinted.


Conversely, the Precursor Descendants are very vulnerable to magic. Though their Velo allows for a measure of control, it is not enough in even the most skilled Precursors to overcome their inherent weakness.


Families and History

3000 BC (or 5000 years ago) Precursor Humans were becoming more and more scarce. Their numbers at the time only came to around 2.76 million. Over the next 5000 years, they would see a staggering decline of the population, with 98.89% of that figure dying out over the next five thousand years. 30,636 Precursors currently exist in the present day.


In 3000 BC, Alivarast Sumalt was ready to begin a family, in no way realizing that he would be one of the last of his kind. At the age of 34 he married a 38 year old woman named Esrae Yvasar. Esrae was a prominent figure at the time, her father having been the leader of their governmental body. Alivarast, however, didn’t have much to his name other than some land on which he would build their home. The two had a strange relationship, and under normal circumstances they would not have had the blessing of Esrae’s family to be wed, but for some reason, Esrae’s father had agreed to let Alivarast be her husband. Many people thought he must have cast some sort of magic over the man, but after calls for examinations it was determined that Esrae’s father was of his own mind. Yet, the reason for his choice remained a secret.


4 years after the two were married, the house they would spend the rest of their lives in completed construction. The building was massive. There were a total of 16 normal bedrooms, a Master bedroom with a joined bathroom, 4 other bathrooms, a kitchen, a dining room, and a foyer.


  • 8 years into their marriage, Esrae has their first child, Illivon Sumalt {Son}
  • 3 years later, they were graced with Albria Sumalt {Daughter}
  • 2 years later, Drayvur Sumalt {Son} was born
  • 4 years later, Tyla Sumalt {Daughter} came into the world
  • 3 years later, and they would have their final son, Graivour Sumalt
  • Prior to the conception of his children Alivarast had started to hear voices that he said were from the gods.
  • After Albria was born, Alivarast began working on “religious texts” which he said would help guide his children into a better future.
  • By the time his third child was brought into the world, Alivarast had amassed a congregation of roughly 500 people who called him a prophet. This congregation would slowly grow over the course of the children’s lives. {This would become the foundation for all religions via word of mouth and information getting mixed around}
    • The One - Father and Mother, and all of creation. The bearer of souls, and the Will of the universe.
    • The Many - A pantheon, or a tribune, Alivarast was never quite clear enough. Sometimes he would talk as if it was three beings, pillars that held The One’s foundation up. Other times he talked about them as though they were of the hundreds. Soldiers fighting in a war against an enemy of The One.
    • The Enemy - Seemingly either jealous, or unequivocally wrathful, the Enemy is one of many things The One has had to go up against in order to supposedly protect the universe. Alivarast never explained much outside of the fact that it was dangerous, and had fought The One many times, allowing it to infect the hearts of people each time it tried.
  • Growing up, his children each had a portion of the religion that they favored.
    • For Illivon, it was The One. The Creator. Anything that Alivarast would tell him about the being, any rules he said it set forth, Illivon followed to the letter.
    • For Albria it was a specific patron of the Tribune her father often referred to. Alivarast was never clear on names, and Albria never seemed to be around when Alivarast would refer to the Tribune as more of a pantheon, or larger group. But, the member she worshiped was a purveyor of War.
    • Drayvur preferred the pacifistic member of the Tribune. He didn’t know its name, and seemed largely ignorant to his father’s changes in story, but its view of Wisdom resonated deeply with him.
    • Tyla was an entirely different beast when it came to her father’s religion. She held fast to the notion that the Tribune was, instead, a pantheon. She preferred it that way, and often argued with her siblings about their views on the matter. She didn’t worship just one of the entities her father mentioned, she worshiped, and valued, all of them.
    • Graivour was the black sheep among his siblings, however, in that he didn’t agree with the way his father portrayed the “story.” No, Graivour sympathized with The One’s “enemy,” feeling as though it had been unfairly treated, and deserved another chance. He wanted redemption for the being.
  • The vast differences in the way the siblings viewed their father’s religion led to turmoil within the family. This turmoil, however, would not burst to the surface until much later in the children’s lives, when they were seeking partners to have families with.
  • Illivon was the first to seek out a partner at the age of 41, a woman by the name of Vaali Crisin {35}.
  • Illivon and Vaali would have their first child 2 years after their wedding, still living with Illivon’s family.
  • Their second child would be born roughly 4 years later.
  • Albria was the next to find a spouse {36}, a man by the name of Talidur Vaanum {42}.
  • Albria and Talidur would have their first child 9 months after they were married.
  • Their second would follow a year later.
  • Drayvur {40} found a partner not long after Albria, her name was Orina Mylin {43}
  • Their first child would be born 3 years after their were wed, with their second following only a year later.
  • Tyla {38} would marry a man named Gylvon Torren {46}.
  • Their first child would be born 6 years into their marriage, a set of twins.
  • Graivour {48} would be the last of his siblings to find love in another, her name was Ashlynn Illimat.
  • They would have their first child 1 year into their marriage, their second following a year later.
  • At this point, all of the siblings, along with their spouses, and their children were all living under the same roof.
  • There were almost daily fights between the group, usually between the siblings themselves, however. These would be especially volatile if it involved their religious beliefs.
  • As none of the siblings could agree on what to believe, and likely spurred on by their spouses, a seemingly mutual understanding was reached that--at the very least--they would not “tamper” with each other’s children.
  • Graivour, however, was not aware of these “talks” as, ever the black sheep, his siblings did not include him. That would be a mistake.
  • As Alivarast’s grandchildren grew up, they reached a point where they too wanted to learn about the religion their parents were always bickering about. This lead to most of them seeking out their parents for advice. One child, however, did not.
  • The youngest of Illivon’s children walked in on Graivour teaching his children about “The Enemy,” and was intrigued. Instead of shoo’ing the child away, Graivour let them listen, and decide for themselves, what they wanted to believe as their parents had been allowed to do.
  • The child spent a lot of time with Graivour after that, talking with him, playing with his children, and learning from him.
  • However, Illivon, the child’s father had grown worried about his youngest offspring. They hadn’t come to him to learn anything about The One. It pained him.
  • It wouldn’t be long before Alivarast’s first born knew exactly why that was.
  • One night, during one of Graivour’s lesson’s, Illivon’s child didn’t show up. At first, Graivour thought nothing of it, until his bedroom door was kicked down, and his enraged brothers and sisters stood encircling his bed.
  • He and his wife were confused, and bewildered.
  • When Graivour asked what was wrong with them, they all began to yell at him, calling him a traitor, spineless, that he was trying to steal his brother’s child.
  • The man, however, didn’t understand. At least, not until Illivon spoke up.
  • Illivon told him about an argument he and his child had had earlier on in the night, around the time his lesson was taking place. He told him that the child had said Graivour was teaching them about “The Enemy,” and that they much preferred his teachings to that of Illivon’s own.
  • Graivour, at this point, tried to defend himself, but was drowned out by his siblings yelling at him about a pact he had never agreed to, or knew about.
  • When questioned, each of them looked at the other, and declared that it didn’t matter that he didn’t know, he still should not have done it.
  • They warned him that if he were to stay in the family home, terrible things would befall him, and potentially his family.
  • Taking the threat to heart, Graivour packed up his belongings and moved he and his family elsewhere in their town.
  • Before doing so, however, he warned his siblings that before the next 5 years passed, they would all hate and distrust each other more than any of them hated him.
  • Sure enough, he was right.
  • One by one, over the span of the next five years each sibling would move their family out of their family home.
  • Tyla was the first. Her public excuse was because it had become too crowded, and she and her husband could never have a spare moment alone.
  • The real reason, however, seemed to indicate that Illivon had rallied their siblings against her as he had done with Graivour.
  • Slowly, but surely, Illivon drove each of his younger siblings and their families out of their father’s home before his father finally got fed up and told him to leave.

Taeryn

  • At this point, Graivour had moved he and his family far across the ocean, into a secluded range of mountains where a vast compound was built out into the peaks.
  • The compound was a large amount of land that, by use of magic, and construction was hidden from the world around it.
    • Walls surround the edges of the 300 acre property.
    • There is a warding circle, as well as warding runes just outside the walls of the compound that displace people that get near the compound, either by moving them to another location, or by confusing them and causing them to wander in another direction (potentially off of a cliff).
  • During Graivour’s caretaking of the compound, it held within it just a house, and a secondary building used for various purposes. This would change as each new head of the compound would add buildings, or increase the land the compound encompassed.
  • Once the compound was complete, Graivour completed his transition out of his family by changing his surname from Sumalt, to Taeryn.
  • As time passed, and Graivour’s children grew up, they eventually sought to have children of their own.
    • Eldest Son: Torvn
    • Youngest Daughter: Hynna
  • Problems would arise, however, when their eldest son brought home a woman who, unbeknownst to them, was not like the Descendants. She did not have the propensity to use the same types of magic they did.
  • This information was discovered when Torvn and the woman had their first child. A boy.
  • He was unable to cast any magic at all, at first. Unlike his father, and aunt before him who were using magic as children.
  • The boy also seemed to age much faster than his relatives.
  • Once Graivour noticed all of these things, he became worried. He didn’t know what to do.
  • So, one night, he took the woman, and her son down below the multi-use building where he had constructed a lab to help him identify the reason for the decline of their race.
  • It was there that he began to experiment on the two.
  • He used varying tools, most of them vis-based as he tried to search for their outer ostiums.
  • When he couldn’t find those, he took blood samples from each of them, and analyzed them against his own.
  • What he found surprised, and terrified him.
  • It appeared they were missing something very important from their blood that he had in his.
  • It was from this point on that he spent time trying to “activate” the piece they seemed to be lacking.
  • Every night he would take Torvn’s wife and child down into the lab and slowly separate out the part of him that made up Descendants, and search for it within their blood.
  • He found it in the son, first, likely due to the fact that he was more Descendant than his mother.
  • Once he found it in the woman, he set to work trying to figure out how to activate it.
  • This process would take years to even begin to get right.
  • However, it did open the door to Graivour being able to teach others how to manipulate things on such a small scale, giving them an amazing amount of control.
  • As time went on, and the experiments continued, Torvn eventually found out about what was happening.
  • He found the lab one day while Graivour was teaching the children how basic magic worked.
  • He found his father’s notes on what he had been doing to his son and wife.
  • At first, he was furious, enraged.
  • But, as he read the notes, and saw through his father’s eyes what he was trying to do, he accepted that he was right.
  • They needed to preserve their kind.
  • Years passed before Graivour finally had a breakthrough.
  • One night when he was experimenting on his now grown up grandchild and his mother, something happened.
  • One of the tests he ran caused a reaction he’d never seen before in the dormant Descendant sequence.
  • The test he had done was a very specific sequence of vis directed at the dormant gene which caused it to activate.
  • This allowed the two test subjects to awaken to their Descendant potential.
  • Once activated, the gene would slow the aging process while also dividing the ostium in two (one outer, one inner).
  • Though the process was exceedingly painful, the two were just happy to be able to fully be a part of the family.
  • Three centuries passed, and Graivour had to reactivate the Descendant gene four times in that time in two different grandchildren and their parents.
  • One of them was unable to withstand the pain, however, and went into shock, which inevitably caused their death.
  • This event stuck with Graivour, leading him and two of his family members to try and find an easier, less painful way to activate the gene.
  • They never succeeded.
  • It was, however, decided that the procedure would not be used on children any more, and only on the mothers/fathers before the parents could have children.
  • Three more centuries went by before Graivour would hear from his siblings again.
  • He wasn’t sure how they found him, but the news they brought unsettled him.
  • They had incited a war with Illivon and his ilk.
  • They asked for his assistance in the war, for his family to bolster their forces, but Graivour refused.
  • He didn’t want bloodshed. Especially not over something that he wasn’t personally involved in.
  • Centuries passed and descendant numbers continued to plummet, even moreso with the war between the other former Sumalts, however, Graivour’s family, the Taeryns only continued to grow. Giving way to a great many familial generations in his lifetime, and the lifetimes after his and his family was left with the secrets of how to reactivate the gene should they ever need to.
  • Small note: Athriom was the head of the Taeryn house in 1100 BC. A lot of their philosophy comes from him, the core of it being: Don’t monopolize knowledge. Learn together and grow, or stagnate.

Louviere

  • Albria continued to develop her beliefs around the “many” and what that meant in relation to the Patron of War.
  • Shortly before being turned on by Illivon, Albria deduced that the many and the Patron were one and the same, with the Patron being split into 13 individual souls.
  • After being excommunicated, Albria moved her family to France in order to avoid Illivon and to further explore her religion.
  • After settling in to France, Albria stated that there were 13 Scions of Light whose souls, when forged by War, would combine to become the Father - who was destined to fight the Enemy in the final confrontation as part of the One.
  • Albria changed the family name to Louviere to better fit in with their new home, and worked on perfecting the martial arts and devising a strict codex of laws to govern combat.
  • The Louviere family quickly became peerless strategists and forces to be reckoned with on the field of battle, participating in many wars. Special consideration was given to the Precursors, who were said to be Scions of Light reborn.
  • The Martial Law developed by Albria stated that the Scions of Light needed to grow in experience over many lives, and each should try to master the arts of as many weapons as possible.
  • Though long-lived by nature, the Precursors often did not have time to perfect as many styles of combat as they would have liked due to premature death. The lineage carried on, sparingly, but with dwindling numbers of Scions of Light.
  • The Holy War started by Illivon consumed most of the Louviere family, who believed that fighting against their brethren was the surest way to hone their skills and awaken more Scions.
  • Over hundreds of years, the Louviere family’s lineage of precursors became more and more scarce - and towards the present day, only a handful remain.
  • Fandaniel si Louviere, the First sought refuge from the unending war with the Taeryn family, hoping to find a way to protect her dwindling people and raise more Precursors, having become disillusioned with the teachings of the family and the war as a whole.

Tereshkeyva

  • Tyla Sumalt moved to Russia after being forced to leave the compound, stopping at many countries along the way, teaching all those along the way about the value of all of the members of the Pantheon.
  • Certain areas took more to individual members of the Pantheon than others, much to Tyla’s chagrin, and whenever this happened she would move on. Those she taught eventually came together to form the concept of Paganism, eventually uniting their individual preferences in worship of the Pantheon as a whole.
  • Tyla established herself and her family fully in Russia, starting the first Coven and popularising the arcane rituals associated with modern day Paganism.
  • Though many humans are not gifted with much magic, the rituals of the Tereshkeyva allow them to tap into their latent magical potential. This practice is the first recorded instance of “witchcraft”, and leads to the Sumalts being known as “witches”.
  • Tyla changes the family’s name to Tereshkeyva, and takes on the title of Witch-Queen of the Tereshkeyva.
  • With so much focus on considering the nature of the Pantheon and the fundamental togetherness that it represented, the early Tereshkeyva created the magical school of Psychotropy in an effort to be more like the Pantheon and operate as a collective rather than as a group of individuals.
  • Tyla’s children began manifesting potent psychic powers, and thanks to newly developed school of Psychotropy began sharing this magic between themselves telepathically.
  • Several hundred years later, the Tereshkeyva created the art of psychic profiling, and witchcraft became associated with mind control and ill-omen as the Tereshkeyva became increasingly able to either outright mimic individuals or coerce them to act as they desired.
  • The Holy War breaks out, and the Tereshkeyva initially remain absent. As the war rages, the Tereshkeyva’s influence is felt but they are still ostensibly neutral. The Tereshkeyva act in secrecy, infiltrating the forces of the other families and learning their secrets. Witch-Queen Tyla is horrified at how fragmented the families have become and how they have forgotten the principles of unity as observed in her belief of the Pantheon.
  • Driven by a desire to see the families united and following the example of the Pantheon--by force if necessary--the Tereshkeyva later openly join the war, acting as saboteurs and using their vast psychic powers to pose as members of other families, manipulating events to ensure that no family ever gets a clear lead in the war in an effort to bring a semblance of her perceived unity to the war. Despite their influence, the Tereshkeyva never manage to infiltrate the Taeryn household, and thus never manage to achieve a meaningful unity between the houses.
  • Growing concerned with the lack of influence due to the Holy War, several of Tyla’s children abdicate their responsibilities and begin gathering power in Russia by establishing themselves as a line of advisors to the Tsars.
  • One such child is the Witch-King Rasputin, who skyrocketed the Tereshkeyva’s influence and wealth and laid the foundations for them to become openly powerful.
  • Witch-King Rasputin brings the Tereshkeyva into the open, taking control of a great deal of land in the process, and cements their position among the Russian nobility.
  • Sofiya Yekaterina Viktoriyevna Tereshkeyva is born, the most powerful psychic of the Tereshkeyva to date, who later stages a shadowy mental coup against the ruling Witch-King Rasputin, her father, and claims power for herself.
  • Witch-Queen Sofiya refocuses the Tereshkeyva’s largely self-aligned interests, beginning to make active allegiances with the other families. Though largely rebuffed, radical elements of every family are drawn in by her promises of unity.
  • Witch-Queen Sofiya makes contact with the Taeryns in good faith, making an impression on the young Sophia Taeryn.
  • Witch-Queen Sofiya enacts a hostile takeover of the Caligine Institute, becoming its president and being elected to the Senate of Ominar with the traditional Tereshkeyva seat.
  • Witch-Queen Sofiya vigorously opposes the Prae, but due to the Hieroturgical Edicts of the Senate is unable to use her psychotropy to alter the opinions of the other senate members.

Avusahré

The Avusahré family, whose founder was Illivon, has always been one founded on control. From the very beginning, Illivon sought to take hold of the world and the people around him and turn them to his ends. When he lost control of his son due to the overstepping of Graivour he regained it by controlling the circumstances of his siblings and so, his favor with their parents.


Of course, this reveals the other side of the Avusahré, which is that they are a family whose foundation is built on control...while their history is one built on monumental failures whose existence led them to their eventual success.


At the beginning, Illivon was the child often put to the wayside while their parents took care of his many...many younger siblings. It grated on him, as the doting parents of his first three years of life became less and less attentive to him over the years. It fostered in him a sleeping hatred, waiting to be expressed, and a rather severe inferiority complex. With each sibling's birth he became more jaded and discontented with his place in the family. He was the eldest and he was even made, at times, to watch over or take care of his lesser siblings. While many of their accomplishments as children were acknowledged--his own were often ignored or just...never noticed at all. So while he grew up, becoming more intelligent and competent, he never left behind the sense that he had never truly been seen or appreciated.


Furthermore, due to the sheer number of his siblings, few of them ever came to idolize him as happens with many younger siblings. Even if one had, well, it simply would not have been enough. So came the day when Graivour decided to expose his son, Eraan, to the alternative teachings of his own family. This, as history tells, hardly went well, essentially resulting in Illivon's systematic manipulation of his other siblings in his efforts to isolate himself and his family from their taint. Of course, finally, when his family was safe from them, his own father discovered the extent of his first born's manipulation and so...exiled him from their ancestral home, forbidding him to keep the family name: Sumalt.


So it was that Illivon took his assets and his family and moved far far away from everyone. Where the newly dubbed Louviere fled to France, the Chayi to across the globe, the Taeryn to an island in the Atlantic Ocean, and the Tereshkeyva to Russia, Illivon's family moved to the desolate Antarctica. It was there in the stark cold of the South Pole, that Illivon and his children made their new home. While the other families often grew among the people around them, intermingling and interfering with their affairs, the newly dubbed Avusahré took to isolationism like a fish to water. To make the harsh environment home they terraformed, harnessing the powerful leylines of the Southern Pole to craft what they came to call the Buried Fortress. It was here that they mastered the art of Creation, becoming so adept at the method of magic that they were soon peerless.


However, Illivon was not satisfied, for with only his family around he had too little to control. So when their fortress was crafted and its defenses raised, he cast his gaze elsewhere...to the other families. So it was that members of his family were sent out, spreading throughout the world, taking husbands and wives, which they brought back. He hated to intermingle with the weaker humans, but had no other choice. So the Avusahré grew and grew and eventually, after a century or three had sufficient numbers to do what their founder had always desired.


Stand at the top.


Again he maneuvered his kin, mounting outright attacks, or creating installations on remote unpopulated islands. It was a war, but it was also a cold war, waged from the vast continent of Antarctica into the world outside. The decades passed swiftly and soon Illivon was replaced by one of his more malleable sons.


Illareis continued Illivon's campaign against the other families, but upon his father's death he revealed that he had only been biding his time. So his family withdrew, the war going truly cold as they watched and waited. Illareis led the Avusahré into an age of invention and in this age they mastered Simulacra. It was only several years later that Illareis' daughter, Rhaeyn, created the magical art of Synthesism. With its discovery came a surge in progress, in the family, and the world as they began to engage in trade across the world—often through third parties. As time went on the Avusahré came to hold a monopoly over the vast majority of arcane materials and where they couldn't, they systematically suppressed the knowledge of how to acquire and utilize it effectively, leading many to sell the materials to them or discount the stuff as useless.


Even to this day, the Avusahré's remain in power, with the reputation of trading and producing the best magical artifacts and materials throughout Medius.



Chayi

  • Drayvur, as a father, pushed his children not towards the adoration and worship of his father’s texts, but nor did he push against them. Rather, it was the satiety of knowledge that he whet his children’s appetites upon, and urged them to bring their ideals to the manyfolk. To keep knowledge, he believed, was in its own way a sacrilege.
  • Orina was a woman of similar mind, and--upon being wed to Drayvur--pored over his meticulous notes on his father’s god-knowledge, at his behest and soon after her own interest.
  • However, this singular desire for wisdom and knowledge led to confusion--there was the father’s opinion, the mother’s opinion, and the opinions of their two daughters, Kaddha and Nymet.
  • Drayvur believed in Wisdom above all; he believed in the Great Intelligent Thing, the cause and concept that binds us all together. This religion would never truly develop beyond him and his acolytes, but it would prove immensely successful in the mythologies of civilizations to come.
  • Orina preached of All Things--she believed, with all her heart, that vis (the concept, not necessarily the nomenclature) was a will in and of itself, and there was great magic in the very veins of the world. Gods were extant merely by virtue of the existence of vis, and their knowledge should be trusted, their power should be feared, and if you curried their favor, they would appear to you. This was later expressed in the mythologies of Shinto and the Oceanic colonies, especially those of Australia and Malaysia--and Hawaii, by extension.
  • Their daughters, however, were both of the same mind but of completely different understandings. Nymet spoke of A Great Many Things That Are But One Thing, a knowledge she espoused herself to in more ways than one. She would come to mother the Assyrians who later founded Hinduism--an offshoot of her teachings. Kaddha, however, spoke of Nothing At All; that all things were one because nothing bound all of us. This duality--this oxymoron--became the foundation of Buddhism and Taoism.
  • Drayvur had not so much founded a house but a village; a village that came together at the library. The exchange of knowledge became a fair bit more important than the exchange of wedding vows, and as the years grew from ones to tens to centuries, Drayvur and Orina began to drift apart. Their respective ideals--and the ideals of their children--created four microcosms of knowledge, and each of them decided to move outward, settling in their own domains. At first, this was quite near to one another--but then Kaddha had her firstborn.
  • This man was named simply, as Kaddha was a simple woman, but his story would go on to become something of a myth. This man was Yu, and his father, one of the Emperors that reigned over the nearby lands where Drayvur’s family had settled. She moved along with him, and the two of them went to commence the Xia dynasty of China.
    • It is important to note that Kaddha was constantly at her son’s side, masquerading as Tushan--a woman from “Mount Tu.” Where Mount Tu was, nobody knew. She would eventually die, and Yu’s line would eventually fall during the Three Kingdoms War centuries later--his son was not half the man he was. However, that was not the only son he’d had--another son would go on to father Siddartha Gautama, and usher in the Buddhist culture, eventually making its way into all of the places that Kaddha’s family had settled.
    • Yu was also not Kaddha’s only child; she had quite a few. Many of her progeny propagated cultures of particular religious relevance, but all followed in the footsteps of Buddhism. Her line, moreover, would also prove to be the line that outlasted her sister’s and her parents’--the Tibetan line, specifically, would continue the precursor bloodline.
  • Nymet, too, had a child--but not before a couple centuries of gallivanting. Vedas was his name, and he was a scholar first, and an explorer second. A cruel irony is that his journal--an immense thing--came to be known as the Vedas, simply for having placed his name upon the face. It made sense, however, given that it detailed centuries of knowledge and the rise of the Hindu religion. Unlike his cousin Yu, Vedas was a great deal more vocal about his religious tendencies, and became the starting point of his twist on Nymet’s belief system.
    • Nymet ended up settling in what is now known as Thailand. As an aside, Drayvur settled in what became Bhutan.
  • Orina migrated to what is now known as Japan, and--while little is known of her departure, given its isolation, she likely created the basis for Shinto as the “final” generation of its Age of Gods, Izanami--or perhaps Amaterasu, one of Izanagi’s progeny. Her progeny were all great heroes and--eventually--emperors. While her participation in its growth is relatively unknown, the elements of the culture surrounding Shinto are unmistakably hallmarks of her influence, and early depictions of the sun goddess--and her many children--speak of Orina’s particular appearance.
  • It is important to note that the house eventually re-coalesced--at one point it was twin houses that each carried the knowledge of its origins, and ultimately stayed far removed from the conflict--one made its home in Tibet--the aforementioned bloodline that would continue the precursor legacy--and the other settled in Mongolia. This “divine” blood would give rise to Genghis and, later, Khanate China. However, the decline of the khanate gave rise to a more permanent station in Tibet for the ancient bloodline, and with it, a name that they carried along with their collective knowledge: Chayi, literally meaning “difference.”
  • The Chayi took the arrival of otherworldly beings with relative ease. It came as a surprise, but not an unwanted one; the chance for knowledge, as they had all decided, was immensely more important than any fears they might have had for the folk that they now shared a planet with.
  • Importantly, as prae and licentia expanded across the world and became more commonplace, so too did the Chayi take their chance to emigrate--keeping in close contact with their settlement on the Tibetan Plateau, but off to see the world and document it as it changed.
  • Each of these detachments kept themselves a secret, but were nonetheless ingrained in the civilizations that they observed. Each of them naturalized themselves, adopting names relative to the culture, taking Chayi as a third name where their “naturalized” name became their public last names. The majority of the house takes no part in the war between other houses, but a noteworthy few--the Mos-Chayi of Eastern Europe, and the Remead-Chayi of North America--are violently opposed to the concept of the One God, and have held certain reservations about their ancestors’ original disagreements--both of the proto-Chayi house and of the Sumalt house--and as such openly take sides in the precursor’s filial war.

The Convocation

When the Holy War between the five families broke out, none alive could imagine the destruction that it would eventually wreak upon the Precursor Human community. When the casualties and the religious fervor increased to unacceptable levels, Inerva stepped in and demanded that if their crusades were to continue against one another, there would be rules and an open channel of communication to limit the casualties of war.


Once a year the Head of House of each of the five families, as well as any close family members they wished to invite, would meet in a neutral location chosen by Inerva to discuss the events of the previous year and to ensure that no family broke the rules she had laid out. The meeting became known as the Convocation, and though the Holy Wars have continued to the present day the Convocations are consistently peaceful and pleasant, allowing the less (or more, depending on one's perspective) radical elements of the five families to inch closer towards quelling the millenia-old conflict between them.


The Convocation's fixed attendees are currently:

- Adrian Taeryn
- Sophia Taeryn
- Fandaniel si Louviere
- Yvette si Louviere
- Illiryahn Avusahré
- Illaerion Avusahré
- Sofiya Tereshkeyva
- Rasputin Tereshkeyva
- Kaede Matsuda-Chayi
- Canaan Aslie-Chayi


The Convocation typically involves discussions regarding the Holy War, but also technological advancements, bartering for supplies, current events, and anything else that any of the speakers wish to bring up. The affairs can be quite complex, as can the trade negotiations, so the Convocation typically lasts for a week or so. Significant intrigue tends to happen at these week-long liaisons, and each of the five families leaves it better off than when they begun.
 
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Overview

Licentia are, at their core, beings of chaos and change. Where Prae dwell comfortably in the bedrock of Order, and humans soundly between the two, Licentia are never comfortable and never satisfied with the state of the world...almost as a rule. They are highly individual beings, with no two being quite alike, even within a given species. However, there exist certain things that unite them, no matter what form they take, what magic they wield, or what goals they pursue.


Perhaps the most universal biological characteristic of licentia is the crystal-like structure that can be found within any instance of their kind. This structure is known as a soul core and it contains all of the genetic information of their lineage in addition to any additional genetic information they accrue in life. Perhaps even more notable is the fact that this core is the equivalent of a human or prae anima, and acts as the repository in which vis and a licentia’s consciousness is held. As a result of this, more often than not, a licentia’s entire body can be destroyed and they will not die or experience significant permanent damage so long as their core remains at least 75% intact.


Licentia Lifecycle and Development

All licentia are, at the beginning of their inception, trapped in a transitory state. Their only influence in this state of being is the lineage of their progenitors and--when it applies--the traits of their host. It is at this point in their lives that the genetic information held within their vis is most malleable for this is where they begin to decide what they will be. This transitory state is known as the Flux and it is one that is revisited at every critical juncture of a licentia’s evolution. In this state of being, a licentia is capable of drawing upon the inherent power of their genetic make-up, allowing them to access any number of biological configurations or inherent magics to formulate their ideal self.


With every successive evolution, a licentia will lose access--in large part--to much of the genetic legacy inherent to their being, instead refining their form and abilities further and choosing a path. While a licentia might choose to break this mold, they will be forced to deal with the consequences. Essentially, when a licentia breaks the mold of their evolutionary path and chooses something drastically unlike their own lineage or prior choices, they must grow their abilities anew, carving into their body and soul the pathways that will allow them the strength they may have more easily gained by following a path closer to their own.


Beyond the state of Flux are the seven stages of licentia development, which are as follows:


First Stage

The First Stage, otherwise known as Radix, is the most basic stage of any licentia’s evolutionary development. A licentia will spend, on average, 100-200 years in this stage, during which their form may destabilize as they are exposed to the many stimuli of their world. An individual will only transition from this stage to the next once they have achieved a sufficient level of stability, personal understanding, and amass a certain quantity of vis in their soul core--at which point they will go into Flux and eventually emerge renewed.


Second Stage

The Second Stage, or Regio, is the most common stage of modern licentia and is often where many licenti will stop, unable to progress further. In this stage their form is stable and they hardly ever go into flux. By this time they will have matured sufficiently enough to develop potent physical and magical abilities on par with most human mages. Any significantly distant changes after this point have significant negative effects on the licentia, often resulting in a loss of cohesion, a measure of personality, and--of course--potency.


Third Stage

The Third Stage, otherwise known as Eximius, is the modern height of licentia evolution, as the art of progressing further has--by and large--been lost. As a result, licentia have in large part forgotten that there exist stages beyond this one. Consequently, licenti have taken to revering Eximius as the prime examples of their kind, often resulting in them assuming leadership positions among their kind--though this is equally a result of their exceptional strength and sheer quantity of vis. Individuals attaining this stage of evolution have a firm understanding of themselves and their power. Their form is eminently stable and their abilities possessed of an incredible potency. In this stage a licentia has also undergone a significant physical transformation from their prior stage, refining any abilities they possessed prior. Beyond this, they often possess three or less cores, with very few exceptions.


Fourth Stage

The Fourth Stage, or Azimuth, was once far more commonplace among licentia, but has since been largely forgotten. The difference between an Eximius and an Azimuth stage licentia are as night and day, where the latter is like the blazing light of a star and the former is a tiny drop of light in the void. Often the transition to this stage of evolution takes an exceptionally long amount of time, in the order of hundreds upon hundreds of years as the tremendous amount of vis slowly condenses, refines, and stabilizes their form. Frequently, Azimuth licentia possess significantly more cores than Eximius, making them considerably harder to kill even without them actively fighting back. Generally speaking Azimuth stage licentia are so far beyond their kin as to be nigh untouchable.


Fifth Stage

The Fifth Stage, or Melius, is the point at which a licentia begins to further refine their vis; no longer do the amount or size of their cores increase. Instead, the cores decrease in number as their abilities and form become increasingly specialized, their complexity rising drastically as their genetic information is condensed into a ‘smaller’ package. As a result, Melius licentia often have five or six cores. This is in part due to the fact that the sheer vis density they have reached makes the creation of additional cores more unstable than decreasing the total amount would. Individuals at this stage of development are essentially unheard of in this era, and in fact they aren’t even myths anymore, but have fallen into total obscurity. As the developmental stages of licentia increase exponentially in power, it goes almost without saying that licentia of the Melius stage are basically incomparable to any of their lesser kin. In fact, so monstrous is the vis contained within their bodies that simply being in their presence can have a negative effect on lesser beings.


Sixth Stage

The Sixth Stage, or Zenith, is a continuation of the previous stage in that a licentia’s cores are further refined down into an increasingly dense and complex state. Most licentia of this stage possess two or three cores, that is if any of them even exist in the present age. As with the fifth and fourth stages, a licentia requires a monumental amount of vis to progress to this stage, in fact the amount is so high that an individual would almost certainly be forced to significantly reduce the population of any given race in order to achieve this level of evolution.


Seventh Stage

The Seventh Stage, or Apoth-Lahr, is the final evolution that is possible for licentia. These individuals possess one hyper-dense, durable core of immeasurable complexity. Their form is as refined and potent as it will ever be. The necessary vis to progress to this level is greater than the amount of vis required to reach all of the previous stages combined. It is such that a licentia would have to devour a being of similar level to achieve this evolution, in addition to devouring a dangerous amount of the population of the existing races. The damage done to the ecosystem of any of the three races would be such that it would likely risk the extinction of one or more of said species as a result, individuals of this evolution are effectively impossible at current time and do not exist.


Biology and Reproduction

Unlike most beings, who reproduce in one set way, licentia have a number of ways in which they can produce offspring. However there is, perhaps, one overarching theme and that is that licentia breeding is, by and large, parasitic in one fashion or another. While one can find virtually every conceivable form of reproductive method among licentia, there are several that are more common and thus, worth noting.


Singular Soul Splitting, or S3 for short, is a reproductive method in which a licentia will split off roughly half of their soul core after building up a sufficient level of vis therein. Once split off, the secondary core is embedded into the body of another being. This second core goes through a sort of gestation period within the host, which can last anywhere from several hours to several years during which the growing licentia parasitically feeds on its host’s vis. Once the core has reached a certain vis density its consciousness blooms and it enters its first state of Flux. Here the “infant” licentia reaches a turning point during which it decides whether or not to kill its host. More often than not, the growing licentia will devour the whole of its host before fabricating a body from the vis generated from said process. This is the safest for the licentia, as any other choice will--by and large--leave the young being quite vulnerable until it gains enough vis to mold a suitable vessel.


Bonding, on the other hand, is when two or more licentia enter a state of Flux, before intermingling the vis of their bodies. Once equilibrium is achieved, the two licentia each splits off roughly a quarter of their soul core, which they then bind into one. The parents stabilize the core within themselves and once stable the two sacrifice a measure of their vis before separating. Often, the resulting infant licentia will condense its vis into a protective shell while it finishes processing vis and solidifying into its first stage. In rare cases, the infant gains sentience prior to the parents separating, resulting in it instinctively feeding off of its progenitors. This can result in the death of one or more of its parents, but is exceptionally uncommon.


Surrogate Birthing, a rather uncommon method of reproduction among licentia, this involves a licentia possessing a host and either using them to then impregnate another being of their species, or to be impregnated while possessing the host. Once this is achieved, the licentia will shed off roughly half of its soul core and affix it to the growing fetus, after which it will typically vacate the host’s body. Once attached to the growing fetus, the infant core will consume it, devouring the growing child as food, and supplanting it within the womb. Over time the licentia will develop within the surrogate mother until eventually it will be birthed by her, often resulting in the surrogate’s death. It is additionally worth noting that the parasitic child will be virtually impossible to abort or otherwise get rid of...short of surgery to remove the surrogate’s child and womb both. Furthermore, if surgery is attempted, it is hardly unheard of for the licenti infant to spread rapidly, devouring the mother’s vis and rapidly killing her to develop into a form sufficient to defend itself. In rare cases, two licentia will possess hosts and then utilize their bodies to copulate, before vacating and allowing their child to gestate within the mother as detailed above.


Licentia Hybrids

Licentia of differing species are able to reproduce together via bonding as above, which can produce interesting variations on established species--and potentially create entirely new ones. Because of the unpredictable nature of the joining of the parental DNA, the results of this union are often a mixed bag. Most licentia created this way tend to not to be viable, but when an offspring is produced in this manner they can inherit traits from both parents so long as they are not fundamentally in conflict.


Additionally, humans can be parasitised by Licentia via singular soul splitting or occasionally surrogate birthing, and the human can end up subsuming the Licentia within them and becoming a hybrid.


[Because of the nature of this process, players will need to run any hybrid ideas via the GMs--these will be decided on a case by case basis.]


Magic

While all licentia are born with the ability to perform magic, their ability to access any given arcane school is more nuanced. Often an licentia’s species will limit the sorts of magic they are capable of performing--some more than others--while giving them access to far more specialized forms of other magic. As a result of this, when licentia learn traditional magic at all they tend to learn VMT rather than attempt to master spells which may be contrary to their nature. Furthermore, a grasp of VMT allow any given licentia to increase the potency of their abilities, the control of their own vis, and ultimately give them access to more potent forms of their abilities as time wears on. Similarly, these techniques are something they can potentially carry with them through all of the stages of their evolution, whereas a given school of magic may become unavailable to them should their core nature change later in life. Lastly, it is worth noting that licentia--due to their bodies being composed wholly of vis--tend to use more of it when using magic. This both makes their magic, on average, more potent--while also causing them to run through vis more swiftly should they not possess a store enough in their core or consume more following their use of magic.

Culture and History

Diversity, an ideal that has defined the licentia for much of their existence as a species, it is still not one that has always existed, as the annals hidden deep in Edravhen's Archives tells of a very different origin. It tells of two races of licentia whose names have been forgotten, or erased. Now known only as the precursors by those few scholars and historians among their kind, these two species were different from their descendants, they were united. While the licentia of today and even thousands of years hence, are a group of disparate beings, forming factions that often war amongst one another, with no real stability or unification to be found throughout their species as a whole their ancestors were different. The Precursors were two species, each different from the other, but whom nonetheless acted almost as a single governing body, warring and creating conflict only for the purpose of their development, rather than out of any real joy in the act.


However, there came a time where they felt the world wearing on them and knew it was time for them to pass on the torch, or at least to try and make something...better. So began the great task, given to them by the Will, the mysterious and powerful guiding force that, even to this day, acts as the force which moves the licentia forwards—unbeknownst to them. By the power of the Will, the Precursors designed and then birthed their first true offspring, who were known as the TRISTARI. These children were magically adept, and their creators taught them the ways that they follow to this day, they taught them to adhere to and spread the Will where they could; the taught them to gather knowledge and catalogue it, and most importantly, they taught them to utilize their natural talents. So was born the magical masters among the licentia. The TRISTARI rose in prominence, bringing wealth, happiness, and great progress to their kind's civilization...but as time passed something came to the attention of the Precursors. Their bodies had begun to shrivel and weaken, and each child they birthed was weaker than the last.


Out of fear and in their wisdom and newly elevated state, the Precursors bore a new species, and named them the Nightwalkers. In them they instilled the powers of their body, and the ideology of chaos, driving them to spread the Will through it and to make certain that licentia of the future never lost sight of their physical vessels.


The species succeeded and in their success they brought great health and evolution to their kind, driving the licentia further upwards. The sciences of the physical world began to reveal themselves to their kind, and merged with the magical knowledge of the TRISTARI it allowed them, for the first time, to erect cities and nations that spanned entire levels of Torqueo. Yet, it was not to last as the nations became divided, with the ideologies of the two child species clashing, it brought their kind into a war that seemed never to end.


At first nothing seemed amiss as the Precursors watched their children with smiles, pleased that the conflict bred stronger licentia, that was...until they noticed that less of their kind were born, or survived to adulthood as the wars raged on. A noticeable strain was being put on their species and the Precursors took it upon themselves to fix it. Spurred on by this knowledge and a vision from one of their elders, telling of a threat that would wipe them out in earnest, the Precursor races looked to one another and this time, instead of each of their kind birthing a species, they merged and turned themselves from two races...into one and from this species were born the Ahldreian.


They were unlike their siblings, bearing not the intent to spread the Will, to ensure development, or to incite the gathering of knowledge and the advancement of culture. Instead, the Ahldreian harnessed the Will and the power of their tremendous minds, calling upon the very fabric of their world they emerged from the shadows, appearing exactly when and where they were needed.


In a single century, which was no time at all for their kind, the wars that had lasted for thousands of years, came to a swift and decisive end. There were no winners and no losers, there were only licentia, and they had been united under the banner of the Ahldreian and their sibling species. While the three sibling races did not like one another, it was their purpose—imparted to them by their creators—to ensure the survival and continued development of their kind, and so they did their duty.


Again licentian civilization entered a golden age, this time one far more pronounced than the last two. Cities and countries were founded, trade abounded, and while wars were fought, they were brief and decisive, driving their evolution ever forwards and stimulating their minds. This lasted for three thousand years before tragedy struck, a tragedy which the licentia of today have all but forgotten.


Millions of their kind were devoured and while the licentia tried to stop it, they could do nothing against the being that had once been kin. The ascended TRISTARI wreaked havoc among their people, devouring thousands of its own kind, the Nightwalkers, and most of all the Ahldreian before it turned its attention to other realms. Licentian society was left in shambles and a distrust had been driven into their species as a whole. A distrust of one another.


They split into smaller countries and factions, fighting over land, resources, and even simply due to differences in ideology. The three guardian species that the now largely extinct Precursors had birthed watched in abject horror, their numbers too few to do anything, as the unity their kind had once had...dissolved. Hit most hard were the Ahldreian, the very species that would best be able to avert the disaster.


Instead, unable to affect change as they typically would, the Ahldreian secluded themselves, hiding and spreading out so that what had crippled their population before could not happen again. They bid their siblings stay in contact, but withdraw from leadership and while they did not like it, they acquiesced. For millennia this has continued, though as time went on the TRISTARI, now known as the Hystal, as well as the Nightwalkers, began reintegrating themselves into Licentia society. This has continued till the present, with the Ahldreian remaining largely in seclusion, only gracing their peers in times of great crisis while they fill their ranks once more. So brings us to the current state of affairs, where Nightwalkers have not ruled a true empire for thousands of years, the TRISTARI have hidden their true name and acted only subtly, and the Ahldreian have all but obscured their true nature from the rest of their kind. It is a dire state that their kind are in indeed, and yet...few licentia know it. Change must come soon, for if it does not...surely their kind are doomed.


After all, what threatened them once still lives...and it cannot sleep forever.
 
The Trinity

The Trinity, created by the first precursor licentia, consist of the three species designed to guide and rule the rest of their kind. Each of the species represents a dual aspect necessary for licentia to progress into prominent both on a micro and macro scale. The first-born, TRISTARI, represent the union of magic and spirit; they are the keepers of knowledge and the cultural pillar which is meant to hold the licentia together. The second-born, Nightwalkers, represent the union of spirit and body; they exist to inspire physical evolution among their kin and to lead them into battle when the need arises. The third-born, but no less important, Ahldreian, represent the union of mind and spirit; they are the leaders, in shadow and in light, who guide their kind through the darkest and brightest of times. Together they will raise their kind to greatness and unite them against any who might threaten their survival as a whole...or dare to stand in the way of the endless march to perfection, whatever form it might take.


Together, they are…

The Trinity

Nightwalkers

dramargu_by_chriscold.jpg


Art by ChrisCold


Physiology

One of the Trinity’s sibling races, Nightwalkers are tricksters of great cunning and considerable intellect. Among other things, Nightwalkers are well known for their ability to enchant others with their charm, using tact and wit to beguile, mislead, and entrap in a web of potentially deadly intrigue. So focused on manipulation, cunning, and awareness are they, that these Licentia have developed a physiology to match their nature.


Notable first and foremost is their appearance, which when not shifted to their will, is that of a viscous black vis, similar in appearance to thick smoke or dark shadows; with glowing, pupil-less eyes the only color to break the mold. This amorphous form is one they have distinct control over, allowing them to shift it into a variety of shapes, alter its texture, smell, and even taste. In this it is revealed that they are adept shapeshifters, capable of taking on almost any form provided they have the necessary vis to fuel the transformation. Unlike many Licentia shapeshifters, Nightwalkers can actually do more than take on the mere appearance of something. In fact, so adept in their transformative abilities are they that they can create entire biological systems including organs and otherwise viscera to make their forms as realistic as possible. However, while a Nightwalker can suppress its true Licentian nature and even take in the vis of other beings to mimic them, they can never entirely hide their core essence.


Notable too are the soul cores that dwell within a Nightwalker's form, as these are its only true vital points. These cores, typically numbering anywhere between three and nine, can be moved around the Nightwalker's body, and often take on the same color as the rest of them, disguising themselves with the rest of their current form so as to not be made easy targets. Nonetheless, these cores always remain solid no matter the nightwalker's form. Beyond this weakness, nightwalkers are vulnerable to light and purification magic above all else. On the other hand, most physical weapons serve as little more than an annoyance to them, though anything composed of verisium is an exception. Furthermore, some enchanted weapons can damage them in a significant manner.


Beyond this, there are various sorts of magic that deal in putting vis into stasis or dispersing it. These magics, when used against a nightwalker, are quite effective, forcing them either to maintain whatever form they had taken until the restrictions are removed, or forcing them into their truest shape.


Abilities

Aside from their inherent talent for shapeshifting, nightwalkers possess several other rather notable skills, the most universal of those being their Shadow Manipulation. While there are mages of note who manipulate shadows, nightwalkers are surely the most prolific. Due to their bodies being composed in part of the very essence of shadows, these licentia have developed the ability to both possess and manipulate shadows, which has allowed them a variety of abilities. First it allows any nightwalker to make shadows a physical construct, allowing them to take hold of any nearby darkness and use it as an extension of their body or outright make it a part of them. This reveals their ability to not only attain more physical mass, but also to connect themselves through said shadows, reifying them in the process.


Perhaps an extension of their Shadow Manipulation is their ability to 'Shadow Walk' which is a traversal ability that allows nightwalkers to step into what is known as the Maze of Shadows. This maze connects all shadows within a given realm and allows those who know how to access it to exist within or travel through to other shadows. For nightwalkers this ability is second nature, meaning that travel from one shadow to another is virtually instantaneous. So potent are nightwalker’s natural ability with Shadow Walking, that they can almost effortlessly use it in tangent with any of their other abilities. This allows them to potentially extend their awareness over vast distances or attack literally from the shadows with their Shadow Manipulation. Due to their inherent ability with Shadow Walking, most nightwalkers are--to various degrees--capable of staying within, or storing things within the Maze of shadows for extended periods of time.


This brings us to the prolific sensory abilities of nightwalkers. Beyond their enhanced mundane and natural vis senses, nightwalkers possess an ability called Shadow Sense, allowing them to detect movement through shadows on an instinctual level. Furthermore, they can see in complete darkness, an ability which is certainly an extension of their shadowbound nature.


Furthermore, nightwalkers possess a more potent form of the Shade or Sullicitus ability, known as Dread Permeation, which allows them to exude a powerful, spreading aura of terror inducing vis. Such is their control of this ability that they can not only turn it off, but also dial it so high that it can easily result in paralysis or even unconsciousness.


Last, but not least, among their talents is Illusion Magic, which allows them--quite simply--to create illusions and hallucinations with their vis. While not so powerful as the Shade ability, Psionic Entanglement, it is still potent indeed making it even easier for the insidious nightwalkers to manipulate and scheme their way through the world, often leaving sorrow and destruction in their wake.


Prof. Hale Aldbright(1782-1864)
“If dusk has fallen, and a nightwalker comes callin', there's naught left to do, but pray.”


Culture & History

As one might think, nightwalkers are a mysterious lot shrouded in darkness and obscurity and so where they truly originated in their home plane of Torqueo is largely forgotten. Human and licenti scholars believe that their origins lie in the early ages of licentia, tens of thousands of years ago, but this is where the truth of their words ends. In fact, nightwalkers are the middle child of the Trinity, and were birthed from the second race of precursor licentia prior to most of the rest of licenti kind. As to humanity's relation to the species, well they have preyed upon mankind since time immemorial, with legends of them including insidious nightmare creatures and beings dragging children off in the night, whisking them away to who knows where.


In regards to their culture, it tends to vary a great deal, though the majority of nightwalkers learn quickly that intelligence and wit is the only way for them to survive amongst their own, and later in the world at large. As such, their kind values these things greatly and are understandably proud of themselves for having attained such cunning. Still, while their kind are respected among licentia, the individuals are often not, as they have the nasty tendency of making far more enemies than friends with their manipulative and, sometimes cruel, ways.


They are seen as saboteurs, and architects of grand schemes. They are tacticians, if not warriors, scholars, if not explorers, but most of all...they are tricksters and this every race knows. To deal with a nightwalker, is to tempt fate.


Yet there are those records that tell a different story, a story dating back almost to the very conception of licentia as a species. These records, hidden away in secretive locations and buried deep within Edravhen's Archives paint nightwalkers not as devious beings bent upon controlling others and driving wedges in society, but tell of a species that were created to serve a distinct purpose. The stories speak of nightwalkers with reverence, not hatred; with respect, and maybe just a hint of fear, for nightwalkers were brought into this world by the Licentia Precursors. They were brought into the world to prevent the withering of their species' bodies, with their purpose to incite conflict, be it of a physical or cerebral sort to drive their kind forever forwards. Yet, over the vast millenia that they have existed, many of their kind have forgotten the truth of their purpose, yet, so ingrained in their culture and instincts is it that they uphold it even to this day--though perhaps not to the letter.


After all, nightwalkers are an adaptive sort, refusing to be held down by any expectation or limitation placed upon them.







Ahldreian
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Art by petemohrbacher

Physiology

The most cerebral of the Trinity’s sibling races, the Ahldreian possess both an intensely powerful mind as well as an intrinsic connection to the Will, a force that existence cannot go without. It is this connection that gives the Ahldreian their understanding of the world, any knowledge they should need, and of course...clairvoyance. While both the Nightwalkers and TRISTARI possess each their own powerful intuition, the Ahldreian, while youngest among the three, are capable of actually observing the flow of fate and ascertaining how to pull possibilities from the Rift and into reality. Of course, this enigmatic race possess other boons, such as their adaptable bodies, which they can tune, along with their vis, so as to channel energy in differing ways. While not so strong as their siblings in these ways, the Ahldreian are nonetheless formidable adversaries, often standing anywhere between six and ten feet, though their imposing height is not matched with much bulk.


Slender and frail looking, Ahldreian are nonetheless much more dangerous than they appear, as they possess a fine tuned understanding of the world around them which surpasses that of most. Joining their unique mind and clairvoyance are their astounding senses, which are less physical in nature than most as instead of eyes, ears, mouths, and noses, every Ahldreian merely possess a series of highly sensitive organ-like constructs within their bodies. These crystalline formations are connected directly to their soul core, which, rather fittingly, resides in their head. Essentially, these 'organs' function by way of detecting the interactions between vis of all sorts and their environment on a fundamental level. This makes them capable of all five normal senses, but ramped up hundreds of times in sensitivity and accuracy, without any avenue for normal overexposure, making it impossible to 'blind' or 'deafen' them in the traditional sense. However, this powerful sense comes at a cost and that cost is a weakness to the manipulation of vast amounts of vis within their direct vicinity causing an overpowering nausea-like sickness. Beyond this, Ahldreian are not particularly durable and as with their siblings, they are uniquely weak to vis-infused platinum.


Abilities

While Nightwalkers have their shadow magic and TRISTARI their magical mastery, the Ahldreian hold dominion over the powers of clairvoyance, illusion, and frequency-based magic. While clairvoyance and illusion are rather common, frequency-based magic is something that merits explanation. This discipline was developed to allow the Ahldreian to practice magic despite the weaknesses associated with their unique senses. By using their connection and understanding of the Will, the Ahldreian can extend both their vis beyond physical space and over vast distances allowing them to perform magic without directly disturbing their surroundings. While some magics achieve this by merely stretching the caster's energy over vast distances, the Ahldreian do so by resonating their vis with that of another location, and then connected it to their will for a time. This makes them adept at casting spells with vast scope and range, while reducing their skill for spells requiring precision. Of course, an Ahldreian can be precise, it simply takes more effort or a different methodology than a normal mage would require.


As to their talents for illusion magics, the Ahldreian can be said to be so skilled that none aside from their siblings and the most dedicated, or trusted, of scholars has any inkling of the ability. This is, in part, due to their tendency to use illusions on an incredibly minute level to suggest ideas or slightly alter the impression they give to others. It is this ability coupled with their mind and foresight that gives them the ability to unite their kind, and perhaps others as well. After all, how could we know, we're only human.


Dharvae'kari Morain(25 BC to Present)

“When the world is in ruins and hope seems lost, they will come, and with the world darkened from their absence, their presence will blind and confound. Though when their work is done and our senses adjusted, we will stand in a new world...uplifted yet none-the-wiser.”

Culture & History

Dating back to the advent of the licentian race, the Ahldreian have existed almost since the birth of their species. They possess a rich history and while they have always been fewer in numbers than their two sibling races, the Nightwalkers and TRISTARI, the Ahldreian have nonetheless taken up the position of leadership when it was needed most, with their kind having led licenti throughout the ages into periods of prosperity unseen in the current era. Nonetheless, information regarding their exact personal is something that would be highly valued, but has nonetheless been hidden by what remains of the Ahldreian race today.


Their culture on the other hand has, in part, been uncovered. First and foremost, the Ahldreian value the mind and the guiding powers of fate's numerous threads. They are beings who do not look back, but instead always plan for the future, taking in their present circumstances, and pushing themselves, and their kind, into a newer and brighter tomorrow. This is their chief purpose in the world, and it follows that they believe it a righteous and all important one. However, this sense of importance can make their kind rather overconfident, which is perhaps one of the reasons that they have shrouded themselves in myth and mystery.


Beyond this, the Ahldreian are known to be a reclusive people, keeping to themselves and protecting their own with an admirable ferocity. Similarly they do not often venture outside of those places wherein they lurk, but when they do, my do they stir up the waters.


Perhaps one day they will emerge from the shadows and reveal to the world the reason for their actions.


Perhaps.




TRISTARI

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Art by PeteMohrbacher


Physiology


Embroiled in the endless weave of magic, the TRISTARI are the arcane sibling, possessing mastery of the Will’s magical component. Their bodies are lithe and dextrous, but they lack the frailty of the Ahldreian or the strength of the Nightwalkers. Instead, these ancient magi possess the ability to freely restructure their ostium. Furthermore, a TRISTARI’s scope of control extends beyond their body in a complex, intangible network completely unlike the natural aura of any other race.


As one might expect of such a species, the TRISTARI possess unconventional senses, having entirely foregone anything technically resembling the traditional five. Instead, TRISTARI perceive the world through the lens of vis, extending their awareness into the metaphysical and energetic makeup of the world around them through their aural network. As with all licentia, especially those of the Trinity, the TRISTARI are exceptionally weak to vis-infused platinum.


Abilities


To TRISTARI the practice of magic is not an art. It is not a discipline, or a craft--it is breathing, plain and simple. So it is that these licentia have access, naturally, to things that most must spend decades practicing. Among these things is the Exae, the art of manipulating vis not tied to one’s own anima. Of course, their use of the Exae is hardly standard, for their senses give them higher precision, control, and range then almost any other entity can achieve. Similarly, this often makes TRISTARI masters of counter magic, as their senses naturally allow them to ascertain the purpose and composition of vis in whatever form it takes.


“Behold the language of creation.”

-- Thyr ahn Ehr-Rhazyris


Culture & History


The culture and history of the TRISTARI is shrouded in mystery, even among the Trinity. When they are seen--which is extremely rarely--it is only observed that they are extremely reticent of magical knowledge and like to hoard it for themselves. In large part this is a result of their having gone into hiding since the end of the Golden Age, largely taking the knowledge, history, and magical mastery of their entire race with them.






Selysze

Selysze are humanoid creatures that typically range from around 4 feet in height to 8 feet, and are often very lithe with sinewy musculature. Selysze are typically brightly coloured, favouring the cooler colours such as purple and blue, and almost always with their soul core in the centre of their forehead or directly in the centre of their chest. This, ultimately, is where the generic racial similarities between the various types of Selysze end - as their physiology is uniquely adapted to serve the concept that embodies them.


To a Selysze, the progression through the stages they undertake is a personal, spiritual journey - it is the discovery of self and what it means to be the concept that they embody. It is the product of past experiences, and the insight gained from new experiences--and to a Selysze, it is both sacred and plentiful. Many Selysze undergo a great deal more Flux stages than their brethren, doing so to further refine the Will and intent that encompasses their being. Just as there are many facets to a single jewel, there are many ways in which a concept can be embodied. Justice is both the executioner's axe and the judge's mercy, and it is this continual process of change that allows a Selysze to hone what they are. As a result, their physiology and magical ability is wont to change readily, as is the inherent geas that they produce.


Selysze lack an on-demand shapeshifting ability, but are able to change their physiology in one of their many Flux stages - but these occur frequently enough that if one were to meet a Selysze and encounter them a month later, they would most likely have changed their body or their magic in some small but noticeable away. As time goes on, each Selysze focuses further and further into specific aspects of the concept that they embody, and as they change, so too does the geas that they naturally produce. As the geas is also what drives the Selysze, it is subtly changed as their experiences grow - and those under its compulsion steadily take on little tics reminiscent of the Selysze at the time of the geas' creation within them.


In order to reproduce, a Selysze splits its soul core in half and inserts this into the anima of another being, placing them under a more powerful but far less compelling geas, as the additional power allows the geas to infuse with the target's will rather than compete with it. The soul core then gestates within its host, drawing from their experiences and adapting to what they are by sapping the vis infused with their intent. Eventually, the new core emerges from its host painlessly and largely without causing injury, though the host is noticeably sapped of vis and often never fully shakes the lingering effects of the geas. The gestation period is usually between two to three years, which allows the host to have a variety of experiences that will shape the nature of the new Selysze.


The Selysze are both born of and entirely beholden to the Will, the fundamental force of order that suffuses all of reality. It is through the Will that intent is poured into Vis, and so the Selysze are uniquely adapted to infuse their own vis, as well as the vis of others, with intent - with different implications for both. The Selysze are, by and large, completely beholden to a single idea or emotion that is poured into everything they do. Some are beacons of compassion, others a living incarnation of destruction - though all, through either chaos or order, advance the agenda of all Licentia and the Will as a whole as per the inscrutable vicissitudes of fate.


Magically speaking, the Selysze are adept at whatever it is their concept lends itself to. Selysze with the concept of Truth are analytical, capable of impelling others to be forthright and honest. Selysze with the concept of Compassion are kind to the extreme, able to deliver succour beyond compare to those who are suffering. Whatever they may require to fulfil their purpose is what they are able to do, no more and no less. As the Selysze are sensitive to the Will and are by nature narrowly focused, they lose sense of all else when they become aware of something that the intent roiling within them would have them address, and once the task at hand ceases to align with their intent, they lose all interest and all power over it. The innate compulsion of a Selysze results in a largely nomadic lifestyle, as they are driven to seek out and correct perceived imbalances in the Will that conflict with their concept. Their scope of power lies solely in the ministration of this concept, and once their task is complete or when the task no longer aligns with their concept, they lose all interest in it and are powerless to interact with it until it becomes relevant to them once more. Put simply, a Selysze only learns magic that is connected to the fulfilment of their fundamental purpose – they may learn any magic that does so, and are unable to learn any magic that does not. If magic that has been learned ceases to aid them in the fulfilment of their purpose, they become unable to use it, and if a type of magic previously inaccessible to them becomes relevant to them, they are able to learn it.


Each Selysze boasts a unique variant of their racial power, the geas. Due to the sheer strength of intent that a Selysze's vis contains, and their connection to the Will, they are able to manifest in others a compulsion of their intent, albeit far less powerful than the pull that the Selysze themselves feels. A geas of Truth would impel those under it to speak the truth, a geas of Compassion would impel those under it to offer aid and succour to the needy, a geas of Death would impel those under it to kill. The geas is manifested in a small field, two feet in radius, around the Selysze at all times - though this can be controlled by sufficiently experienced Selysze. Each Selysze is also capable of using a shard of their soul core, inserted into the anima of another being, to infuse them with a sliver of the Selysze's Geas - this gives the being a lesser compulsion according to the concept that the Selysze embodies, and varies in strength depending on the power of the Selysze imparting the Geas and the willpower or mental fortitude of the recipient. For most, the compulsion is strong enough to alter their way of thinking enough that they take on certain aspects of the concept in the day-to-day life, but little beyond that. The compulsion of the natural Geas is far more powerful, however, due to the proximity of the Selysze - but this also results in the immediate cancellation of the effects of the geas should the target leave the field.


As with any geas, the compulsion can be resisted - but if the target does not act in accordance with the geas placed upon them, the infusion of foreign intent overwhelms them and temporarily leaves them unable to infuse vis with their own will - this prevents most traditional spellcasting, but does not prevent the use of abilities that only shape vis.


The Selysze are distant ancestors of the Ahldreian, taking from them their unique connection to the Will. In so doing, the core tenets of Selysze culture were formed: Become one with the Will, and enact it howsoever you are able to. The earliest Selysze were not as intensely driven as their modern brethren, and their unique senses were not so clearly formed - they were essentially handymen, going around Torqueo and finding situations that were the antithesis of the concept that they embodied in order to remedy them. As the purpose of the Licentia as a whole shifted, so too did the purpose of the Selysze - though they were always beholden to the Will and as a result less prone to the zeitgeist that the ever-changing Licentia often found themselves in.


The Selysze only really appear in the histories of other races, as their culture is so often ingrained with that of the other Licentia. Additionally, Selysze are not enormously common, and while they are common enough to be by and large known by Licentia as a whole, they are not so common as to be mentioned frequently or be common in any history except that of the other races, where they are occasionally mentioned due to some interaction.


The Selysze very quickly became the manifestations of concept that they are today in part due to the tumultuous nature of the Licentia and in part due to the time frame. Their culture revolved around the celebration of individuality and the ways in which they could enact what they perceived to be the Will's demands, but this very quickly fell to the wayside as the inherent geas within the Selysze became stronger and stronger as time went on. The loosely held together culture of the Selysze crumbled as quickly as it was made, with the Selysze so ensorcelled by their own geas that they very rarely interacted with one another.


Many Selysze are constantly on the move, using their unique senses to find disturbances in the Will that relate to their concept and righting them. Many do this tirelessly, spurred on by the conviction of intent that defines them - and their senses are strong enough and their problems plentiful enough that they never run out of things of to do. Some, however, are able to rest for periods of time - either due to the nature of their compulsion, or due to being unable to sense disturbances nearby that their compulsions demand they correct. When resting, Selysze still embody their concept, but are generally very understanding and open, and keen to aid those in need and offer their services wherever possible. They yearn for adventure, as each experience they undertake furthers their understanding of the Will and enables them to better serve it. While most races have their fair share of deviants who rebel against the ideals of the race, Selysze are inherently bound to the Will. They are unable to separate themselves from it, and as it is a key to the fundamental geas that makes up their being, they are equally unable to resist it.


Selysze do not take names of their parents’ choosing or their own choosing, instead being referred to by the concept that they embody. This leads to much confusion among the other races if multiple Selysze embodying the same concept are encountered simultaneously, but the Selysze can inherently sense when someone is referring to them rather than their brethren.







Ahnsuri


Physiology


The Ahnsuri are a race of either human or animalistic beings, deeply connected to one of the classical thaumaturgical elements of Fire, Earth, Water, or Wind. Ahnsuri is the genus, and the four species belonging to it are as follows: Jamra - Fire; Sakhra - Earth; Ma'an - Water; Nasim - Wind. Originally evolving into their current form by exposure to very high concentrations of elementally aspected vis, the only consistent aspect between the various species of the Ahnsuri is a strong elemental influence on their biology and magic.


Some of the Ahnsuri are simply humanoids--a Jamra might have flames in place of their hair or eyes, and a Sakhra might have a body of rugged stone--and some are animalistic in nature--perhaps a Nasim is a bear whose claws and fur are raging torrents of wind, and perhaps a Ma'an is a horse whose mane is a watery cascade that flows along their body--and many are somewhere in between. There are practically no consistent physiological elements among the Ahnsuri except their elemental aspect, and any attempts to classify them further than that are doomed to failure.


Abilities


The Ahnsuri have no specific magical abilities other than a natural affinity to the thaumaturgical element to which they belong. They are capable of utilising their bodies as a conduit for their elemental magic, and are extremely attuned to their own element, but are unable to use any other element effectively. Beyond that, their scope is far too vast to assume any significant categorisation will be coherent.

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Art by PeteMohrbacher


“Your vis will fan the flames of the Jamra.”

-- Taxlor eht Alshaera, Eximius Lord of the Jamra Ahnsuri







Jhrang-haal


Physiology


Often living within eight levels of Torqueo’s surface, the Jhrang-haal are a monstrous breed, standing at twelve feet in height and weighing in at eleven-hundred pounds they are well suited to the harsh landscape of Torqueo. Their musclebound bodies are incredibly dense, giving them a thick hide supported by equally durable muscle and bones as strong as verisium. Compounding their physical superiority is the fact that they possess not one, but three pairs of arms. Beyond this the Jhrang-haal have only two other particularly notable traits, the first being that they navigate the world purely by way of their vis enhanced hearing. While most beings have ears which merely detect sound as it travels in waves through the air, the Jhrang-haal can detect the subtle variation that sounds cause in vis in addition to normal hearing. Beyond this their sense of smell is particularly keen and their ability to detect vis via their sense of smell is exceptional. They use their smell to identify individuals and materials more than anything else. It should be noted that their sense of touch is tied directly into their vis senses, allowing them to determine the nature of vis by way of physical contact as if it possessed various textures.


Tying into their vis-touch are the reified vis constructs that serve as a Jhrang-haal’s claws. These implements, as well as their hands, give what one might think brutes, rather impressive dexterity.


As with all licentia, the Jhrang-haal are vulnerable to verisium. Beyond this, their capacity for most freeform magic is almost non-existent, forcing them to rely on their innate abilities--physical and otherwise--to get by. Similarly, the Jhrang-haal are somewhat inconvenienced by the fact that they see not with eyes, but rather through seeding the atmosphere with their awareness by expelling vis from microscopic openings in the crown of their skulls. These openings can be closed at will.


Abilities


While the Jhrang-haal have all but forsaken most freeform magic--with an emphasis on ranged magic--they have not entirely lost the inherent magical flexibility of licentia at large. Rather, they have turned the focus of these abilities elsewhere, internalizing some and refining others. Perhaps the three most noteworthy examples of this are their Runecraft, their Bound Reification, and lastly, their Sundering Haze.


First among their magical talents is Runecraft, which they utilize to not only enhance themselves physically as augmentations, but also to serve as anchor points for reified vis constructs. While the runes themselves are not particularly noteworthy, the method through which they are applied is. Rather than utilize brands or even vis-infused materials to permanently dye their flesh, the Jhrang-haal harness the abilities of their unique physiology to craft their runes. This is achieved by channeling additional vis into their numerous digits, after which point they may become physically intangible. In this state, the Jhrang-haal are capable of drawing Runes with nigh irrevocable purity of form, making them a natural part of the receiver’s biology. This results in runes that are reinforced on multiple levels of the receiver’s being, typically in their biological tissue and natural vis patterns. As a result of this, physically marring runes on their flesh has no effect on their ability to function unless they are also severed on an energetic level.


Second among their magical talents is Bound Reification, which is a practice that takes two largely distinct forms.The first of these are known as Structural Bindings, and involve a Jhrang-haal partitioning off vis within their bodies and then making initially intangible constructs. Once sufficiently stable, the individual will solidify these constructs within their body into a pseudo-liquid state. When under sufficient stress or otherwise activated by the necessary stimuli, these constructs will solidify, reinforcing the Jhrang-haal’s biology in one way or another. Beyond the aforementioned Bindings, Jhrang-haal can use what they call the Outer Path, which is essentially the ability to fabricate reified vis constructs nigh instantaneously. While simple on the surface, the Outer Path is a complex art that basically requires a measure of the genetic memory which licentia possess. Essentially, a given Jhrang-haal will spend decades, or even hundreds of years, repeatedly crafting specialized tools, weapons, and armor. This process of repeated creation grafts the very blueprints of these constructs into their genetic make-up, eventually making the act of calling them into existence as easy as thinking. While rare, the Jhrang-haal will sometimes teach individuals of other species--licentia and otherwise--should they deem them worthy. However, often the proper utilization of the Outer Path by individuals not of their ken will require elaborate Rune networks be inscribed in the vis and flesh of their disciples.


Last and perhaps most daunting among their inborn talents is the Sundering Haze. Mastery of this particular ability is exceptionally rare, though its use is not. In essence, the Sundering Haze is a field of visible, intangible vis that greatly inhibits spellcasting as well as the use of VMT. Mechanically the Sundering Haze works by tearing the structure and intent of any magic that enters its purview. Often this is caused by an imposed sort of chaos in the frequency-state of the vis composing the field. As a result, not only are external VMT and spellcasting nearly impossible within the field, but casting into it is rendered largely pointless. Of course, this ability can be overwhelmed by a sufficiently more powerful or stable piece of spellcraft. Though, when considering this as a possible counter, one ought to keep in mind that the entirety of the aforementioned is the most basic application of the Sundering Haze. Masters of this talent, rather than spread the Haze over a larger area, will condense it directly around their bodies or extend it as necessary, sometimes even combining this skill with one or more of their other inborn abilities. Truly, this ability is one of the most fearsome that the Jhrang-haal may bring to bear.


Note: Jhrang-haal almost never master all three of these talents, instead tending towards one or two.


Culture and History


Long ago, during the Golden Age, the Jhrang-haal were a united people, held under the banner of a melius licentia known as Ahrhyan Mar, the Trivium Sage. Where his kin kept to their clans and their deserts, Ahryhan Mar held himself apart for millenia, dwelling deep beneath the levels frequented by his kind. Soaking in vis and hunting others to hone his abilities, Ahryhan reached heights thought impossible by the rest of his kin. Rising to the surface, the licentia erected a coliseum upon the Great Trivium Plateau and his presence did the rest, drawing his kind like flies to honey. It was in the Trivium’s grounds that Ahryhan conquered the most skilled combatants of the three tribes, and bested them in their own arts with an ease never seen prior...and certainly not since.


So it was that he became the Trivium Sage, and leader for his kind. For many centuries, the Sage lead his people to greatness, expanding their domain and teaching them the complete expression of their abilities so that they might one day reach similar heights. However, as time went on other licentia grew tired of their success and formed a coalition of nations, their aim to dethrone the Jhrang-haal’s Sage. Before the might of many races, the Jhrang-haal were pushed back and eventually the Coalition’s most skilled combatants reached the Trivium. However, while the others of his kind had been defeated, Ahryhan Mar was different. It took an army and many days to wear him down, and only then did the coalition engage the Trivium Sage. Only then could they defeat him.


With Ahryhan slain, so too was the unity of the Jhrang-haal. Slowly the clans regressed into their old patterns, once more keeping to themselves, and no longer intermingling as they had for hundreds of years. Thus the three clans were distinct once more, each falling into their own niche.

- - - - -


The Jhrang-haal, by and large, are a race of warrior-craftsmen with a strong racial identity and pride. While they have no particular value for virtuous behavior, they greatly respect an individual who holds fast to their ideals, even if those ideas are contrary to their own. Furthermore, while much of Jhrang-haal society revolves around the ideal of excellence, each clan has its own more specific values, as one might expect. These differences in culture are detailed below:


Ai’ Thrynn: Focus is Runecraft. Strong sense of organization and community where everyone plays their part to create a functional whole. “Excellence” to them is efficiency and dedication.


Ke’ Vyhris: Focus is Bound Reification. More combat focused than the Ai’ Thrynn, they have a very rigid view of honor and respect, which is earned by martial prowess. They have a distinct distaste for non Jhrang-haal magic. “Excellence” to them is martial prowess and/or dedication to such.


Ny’ Rethaal: Focus is the Sundering Haze. A more nomadic people than the other two clans, the Ny’ Rethaal strongly value individuality and tend to live in smaller groups...or alone, meeting only when necessary if such is the case. A large gathering of their ilk can be described as highly energetic, barely organized chaos. As a people they have something of an obsession with finding new ways to harness the Sundering Haze to mimic and counter other magic. As a result they are perhaps the most accepting of outside forms of magic. “Excellence” to them is far more varied than the others, but perhaps more than anything else, the Ny’ Rethaal value an individual’s ability to stand out. They value an individual’s adaptability as well.







The Elder Fae

The Elder Fae are, in all technicality, amorphous beings of extremely condensed vis. Originally, the Elder Fae had access to a low-level telepathic field that caused the perceptions of those around them to directly affect the phenotypes displayed by their genome. This, over the course of their evolution, divided the fae into two distinct categories--those who saw creatures affiliated with light, and those who saw creatures affiliated with darkness. In the time of the Trinity, when the fae first emerged, this was split evenly among two sides--the TRISTARI influencing the light and the Nightwalkers influencing the dark--and the homogenous race neatly split down the middle.


Those influenced by the Nightwalkers took on elements of their physical appearance--most notably their shadow-like vis. Those influenced by the TRISTARI took on elements of their physical appearance--most notably their ethereal radiance. As more and more Licentia blossomed, and the fae travelled around Torqueo more and more, they refined their appearance based on the perceptions of other races. They took on more humanoid forms, with their soul cores hidden deep beneath layers of vis, and eventually grew so diverse that the limit of reasonable description for them was simply “shadowy humanoid” or “radiant humanoid”.


Modern fae, descended from these essential archetypes, take on a much more standardised appearances. They are lithe humanoids with either extremely dark or extremely pale skin, pointed ears, and hair comprised of many strands of freely flowing vis. They tend towards being tall and thin, graceful and agile, and captivatingly beautiful.


Culture


Gloaming Court


The Gloaming Court hold knowledge above all things. They do not rely on faith, as their sister court, those of the light, do.
  • Gloaming court was created when the King deigned to create life without the aid of his queen.
  • He managed to succeed, but all of his court became grotesque creatures with the exception of his princes and princesses. However, only the four princes remain.
  • Shortly after the creation of his children, the King went mad. Some say it’s because of the knowledge he unlocked in learning to create his kindred. Others believe it was a curse put on him by The Light.
  • To stave off his insanity, he poured all his knowledge into a tome, which he never lets leave his side.
  • They have a similar magic to the Effulgent Court. However, they use strong illusions, and magic to broaden their minds to allow them to grasp as much knowledge as they can.
  • Their King is often called the Mad King, the Knowledge Seeker, or in the case of the Effulgent Court, the Shadow King. His name is Rae’siir. He is Melius.
  • Currently, no one knows where he is. He has been missing for aeons.
  • The remaining Princes are Anourlin, Tyr’ishn, Naurian, Xylisha. The Princes are all Azimuth.
  • Minor nobility are Eximius.
  • Rae’siir holds the key to the Radiant Queen being able to leave her throne.
  • Gloaming court princesses are currently on earth etc, etc.
  • The Aspect of the Gloaming Court, Ihstyré, is the essence of Seeming--it is the idea of a thing, or the essence of that idea given form. Where the Vrys is dense, Ihstyré on its own is faint and fleeting. It is like a veil. One will not hide a thing well, but many will obscure its true shape and suggest another.

Ihstyré is a thing used in many layers, and when used artfully, it may all but subsume its subject, binding other vis to the will of the caster and/or their subject with the aim of making what only Seems, truly be. Should something exist shrouded in Ihstyré--provided it is made artfully enough--it may truly become what it once was only Seemed.




Effulgent Court


The Effulgent Court holds high the ideals of radiance--that coruscating light lays bare the fundamental truths of reality and that through this revelation they might be understood and mastered. They believe that shadows, where mercy and subterfuge and deception lie, are a fundamental enemy to be banished with brilliance. This light--called Vrys--is what makes the Effulgent Court possible. The Vrys is a manifestation of hyper-dense vis that has been changed by the chaotic nature of a Straeva and trapped in crystalline form--it, unlike ordinary vis, scours things clean of chaos and impurity and converts lesser forms of vis to Vrys if at all possible. This is functionally only possible in the realm of the Elder Fae, however.


Fae of the Effulgent Court value truth above all else. Their light burns away the impure, leaving reality starkly exposed, which they then mould as they see fit. The Effulgent Court specialises in dispelling glamours and illusions, and then causing the Vrys to take their place and reveal what they consider to be the fundamental truth.


Fae of the Effulgent Court become reliant on the Vrys the second they are born into its light, and outside of their home layer of Torqueo are required to keep a crystalline manifestation of the Vrys on them at all times in order to ensure that their bodies can adjust. Being away from the Vrys causes them physical pain and vis


The Effulgent court venerate the Radiant Queen as the bringer of light--and thus the bringer of life and truth--and worship her extensively. Though she is not omnipresent, she is able to manifest illusory copies of herself through any Vrys that her subjects require to survive outside of their home and extends her senses throughout all of it. Thanks to the prodigious amount of Vrys that she has absorbed over her long life, she is bound strictly to her enormous throne--as only it shines with enough Vrys for her to sustain her being. Despite the fact that she cannot leave it, she is very much active and present within the community and all of the Effulgent Court vie incessantly for her favour.


The Radiant Queen is the sole keeper of the Arha Thaeanu, a fundamental pattern of spellcraft that enables the creation of true life from super-dense vis. It is through the Arha Thaeanu that the Radiant Queen sings into being new fae of Effulgent Court--first, her throne must be charged with chaotic vis from the nearby Straeva and that chaotic vis must be subjected to the Vrys to settle its chaotic nature (though doing so removes the inherent chaos of the Straeva and the Order granted by the Vrys, resulting in neutral vis). Over the course of the song the vis condenses into a new crystal imbued with the Queen’s light and this matures into a soul core with a chaotic configuration of fae DNA. At this point, a fae’s court can be decided by a further song--the Arha’l Myrata--that scours any shadow from the DNA and ensures that the fae is born to the Effulgent Court, rather than taking the chance that they are naturally so. This song is taxing, even for the Radiant Queen, and so it is rarely used.


While fae are capable of withstanding the intensity of the Radiant Queen’s light thanks to their exceptionally powerful glamours and abundance of vis, other Licentia who cannot withstand the sheer density of vis and the other races can perceive only a fraction of its glory. The Radiant Light is perceived by these races as a colour that they cannot quite perceive, shimmering with hateful brilliance, that twists their perception from the mundane into the realm of vis--as the TRISTARI that they once took after saw--and this eventually poisons their sense of reality. Additionally, the intensity of the light can adversely affect their Anima in much the same way that radioactive particles warp and damage DNA, twisting them into creatures that begin to resemble the Effulgent Court’s denizens. Light begins to leak from their eyes, and all natural colour drains from their body--instead replaced by unfathomable hues. Their forms warp and shift as their damaged Anima begins to crudely crystallise the vis in their bodies, and great swaths of semi-liquid crystalline vis erupt from their bodies at the joints and through the orifices.


Non-fae that are exposed to the light are twisted beyond comprehension, becoming Xshyri--twisted servants of the Radiant Queen who lose their minds and serve only to act as her agents, driven by her will to further her influence in areas she physically cannot tread.


The Radiant Queen has sired three princesses and four princes--of whom only one, the princess Dormeria, remains. Dormeria is an Azimuth, and most of the other members of the court are Eximius. Fae that are sung into being are done so at Radix stage.



Magic


The Fae are true masters of Glamour magic, and have for years used it in order to survive in areas that they otherwise would not be able to. Fae glamours are so potent that they are capable of convincing the biology of Licentia that it is able to persist in areas where it normally could not--such as the lower depths of Torqueo. When customising their appearance, the Elder Fae are capable of producing glamours so powerful and beautiful that they are capable of enthralling almost any being of lesser power--and they frequently use these glamours to manipulate other Licentia or Humans into succumbing to either the Vrys or the Ihstyré.


Additionally, the Elder Fae have power over words--and especially names. They are capable of peering into the depths of an individual’s anima--using soul cores as a medium, if the being is a Licentia--and coaxing from it an utterance of their True Name. The process works only once, and only if the being is not suitably enthralled by the fae it will not work. Additionally, the Fae are capable of using words--most often manifesting as the practice of Runecraft--in order to produce staggeringly powerful effects. The Elder Fae typically enshrine these words in songs, though only female Fae are capable of using these songs to their fullest extent, and only the Radiant Queen herself is capable of using the Arha Thaeanu. Once a Fae knows the true name of a being, they are able to use it in Hieroturgical Runecraft--words of power that, when combined with a being’s true name, enable powerful magic akin to direct mind control.


Ultimately, their mastery over and stock in the idea of names leaves them with a fundamental frailty to it. Just as they are capable of harnessing the power of a name to empower their magic, any who know the true name of a fae hold power over them. While all beings are fundamentally beholden to their true name this is especially true for the Elder Fae, and even the utterance of their name is enough to banish them to their home plane.


Finally, the Fae have exceptional psychotropic powers--while their talent for illusions lies strictly in glamours, the Fae are exceptionally seductive and are capable of enthralling and enchanting even the most resolute of beings--by flooding them with desires equally foreign and at home within their minds and hearts. Their favour is heady and intoxicating, and this is the traditional method by which they leech vis from other beings. Despite this proficiency, the fae are twisted and alien to the minds of the other races (and even, by large, to other licenta)--though their ability to manipulate the desires of their chosen prey is exceptional, there always comes a point at which the visage is seen through and the true nature of the fae is revealed. Few individuals are capable of being enthralled once they have peered past the veil, and unless they remain bound to service by their own volition they are no longer suitable prey.









Shades

Physiology


The physical body of a Shade is, all in all, thin and frail, composed of what amounts to a soul core, bones, and ligaments with little actual muscle or tissue to speak of. Their bodies are painted in colors of ash and shadow. Without the shadow-like mantle of viscous black vis, Shades can be described as skeletal figures; their bodies starting with a miniscule skull, which segments back into a spinal column, which transitions into a tail. From their spine extend two to four pairs of long quill-like limbs, which terminate in boney hands with jagged--often serrated--talons. Past their limbs are a host of quills which extend the rest of the way down their spine. Of course, Shades are not typically viewed without the mantle of vis that envelops their body, often constituting most of their mass. This mantle of shadows acts both as their primary physical defense and as their means of hiding in plain sight.


Beyond their physical composition, one should consider their senses and minor shapeshifting capabilities. Finding their origins in the nightwalker lineage, it should come as no surprise that Shades are capable of shapeshifting to some degree, using their thin body and malleable mantle to contort into smaller forms or to expand into a more menacing one. While their shapeshifting is rather limited and essentially amounts to contortion of their bodies and manipulation of their mantle, a Shade is capable of using the vis within said mantle as an induction for hypnosis or hallucination. Moving on to their senses, Shades have perfect night vision and can see much further than humans. Similarly, they have a similar level of vis-based smell as nightwalkers, allowing them to keep track of their prey from many...many miles away. Lastly their sense of touch is incredibly sensitive however, rather than an advantage this serves as a weakness, making them much less resilient in the face of anything remotely harmful to their being.


As with all licentia, Shades are exceptionally weak to verisium, but also do not do well in normal--or vis-conjured--light as it burns at the vis of their mantle. The density and size of a Shade’s mantle directly correlates to their physical health...as does the size of their more physical body. Unlike most licentia, Shades prefer to sup not just on pure vis, but also on vis that has been tinged with any number of negative emotions.


Abilities


While generally very weak physically as licentia go, Shades make up for it by possessing a host of notable magical abilities. The first of these three is Shadow manipulation, which for Shades involves their infusing vis into shadows, turning them into semi-physical reified vis. Shades can weaponize these shadows or utilize them for defense and subterfuge as well as a conduit for their senses allowing them to see and smell through the shadows under their control.


Second of their abilities, and perhaps less notable, is Shadow Walking, which allows Shades to use a unique form of spatial manipulation to enter what is called the Maze of Shadows. This maze connects all shadows within a given realm and allows those who know how to access it to exist within or travel through to other shadows. For shades this ability is second nature, meaning that travel from one shadow to another is virtually instantaneous. A particularly powerful Shade can also use this ability in tangent with their shadow manipulation and senses, allowing them to extend their awareness to locations even vast distances away from their physical location. It should be noted that unlike most beings with access to the Maze of Shadows, shades are actually capable of remaining there for a more extended period of time.


Third among their abilities is their Dread Aura, which is an empathic effect that uses vis as a medium to invoke terror in the afflicted. The intensity and size of this aura can be fine tuned by a given shade and will be more difficult to resist proportional to the amount of vis that a shade has at its disposal. It should be noted that shades are entirely capable of turning this ability ‘off,’ though they typically keep it active.


Their fourth and final ability is known as Psionic Entanglement, and it is perhaps the most insidious of their abilities. In essence, Psionic Entanglement is a combination of Illusion magic, reification, and Telepathy. Rather than merely create illusions with vis or attack a target psychically, shades create illusions with extensions of their mantle and weave in the necessary vis to carry psychic impressions. As a result, individuals will often not even known that their perception has been altered and will instead think they are hallucinating or that what they see is itself reality. Playing into this ability is their shadow manipulation, which they use in tangent with reification and illusions to craft illusions that can have real physical consequence to a limited degree. This makes dispelling the illusions exceptionally difficult, especially since shades can maintain them for far longer than a typical illusionist could. Furthermore, this direct link--more often than not--facilitates a given shade’s feeding.


Culture and History


Historically, shades have been known as ‘nightmare demons’, ill omens or otherwise evil spirits who hide in shadows and lurk in the night. Unlike many breeds of licentia, shades are actually far more common in Medius than in Torqueo and have been for quite a long time. As a result of this, shades are perhaps one of the best documented licentia species. In regards to the behavior of shades, there is very little to be considered as shades--more often than not--are asocial individuals, tending to stake out hunting grounds and then rotate between areas, relocating when they feel threatened.






Sullicitus





Physiology


Possessing little in the way of unified physical structure, Sullicitus really only have a small number of unifying physical traits. Most notable of their unifying features is the fact that, universally, all Sullicitus are horrifyingly grotesque in physical appearance. These vicious, amoral, predatory beings are often physically robust and virile, possessed of not inconsiderable strength and speed. As with their sibling race, shades, sullicitus are found more often in Medius than anywhere else. Beyond this sullicitus are unified by the fact that they are almost universally dark colors, with black and various greys being most prominent. While they cannot be accurately generalized beyond the above, an example specimen has been detailed below.


[hider=Example]It was a sick mockery of life, its chest large and warped, angular in a way that suggested broken bones and irregular carapace. Its head was elongated and bulbous with irregular horns like badly chiseled jet-black stone. Where there might have been eyes were instead caved in holes, like one shriveled skin had been struck with a hammer to punch false eyes into its twisted features. From deep within the gaping holes shone two pinpricks of sickly yellow light. It possessed no lips, instead its maw was lined with needle-thin teeth, which grew at odd angles and overlapped. A raspy grey tongue, like a dead worm, flicked from its mouth on occasion, tasting the air. Deeper within were many many more rows of teeth, but these oozed something yellow and puss-like. From the base of its chin-less head spread out a collar of gnarled bone where a neck ought to be. The creature held itself up on seven limbs, four spindly, like a spider’s, with ends as sharp as blades puncturing the concrete. Its other three limbs were arms, but not like any I’d ever seen before. No, these limbs had far too many joints and they were skinless, perhaps the only part of its body that was not grey or black. No, its arms were an angry red like inflamed skin, and they pulsated and writhed every time it shifted position. The talons that they ended in were restless, clawing at the air and occasionally gouging at flesh or shell when that was not enough.


Whenever it moved, it was jerky and awkward, but fast, leaving in its wake something like ash...or long dead skin, flaking to dust in the air. Its back was covered in ridges and spines, some broken, some whole, and rather than a tail, its body terminated in a conical formation, a fierce stinger at its end. I hoped, that after this hunt, I would never have to see one of these terrible things again.[/hider]


Their physical appearance aside, sullicitus are very often physically endowed in all senses, possessing speed and superior senses as well. Their hearing and smell is always exceptionally keen, while their eyesight varies greatly between individuals. Unlike some species of licentia, the enhanced hearing of sullicitus is also one of their weaknesses. As with shades, sullicitus are essentially allergic to sunlight, averse to light in general, and furthermore cannot abide verisium. Sullicitus also have an incredibly voracious appetite and very infrequently possess the self control necessary to keep from hunting prey. This, for some licentia, might not be a problem, but for sullicitus it is a rather unique difficulty. This is due to the fact that they feed not just on vis but on feelings of physical violation, repulsion, terror, and helplessness. As a result of their perverse tastes, sullicitus often hunt individuals, ambushing them, before violating them in an extended torturous ritual while slowly devouring them alive. As a result of this habit, they have been hunted out of essentially all well populated areas, instead being forced to hide in more rural areas where it is harder to track them down.


Abilities


As their preferred method of acquiring prey is often ambush, sullicitus have adapted to become accomplished ambush predators, in more ways than one. While their abilities do differ somewhat between individuals, the below are traits commonly found among their ilk.


Like their sibling species, shades, sullicitus possess a Dread Aura. This ability is an empathic effect that uses vis as a medium to invoke terror in the afflicted. The intensity and size of this aura can be fine tuned by a given shade and will be more difficult to resist proportional to the amount of vis that a shade has at its disposal. It should be noted that unlike shades, sullicitus are incapable of turning this ability entirely ‘off’. Similarly, a sullicitus Dread Aura will always be more potent than that of a shade, though a shade’s aura can extend over a greater range on average than a sullicitus.


Second among their abilities is Shadow Walking, which allows sullicitus to use a unique form of spatial manipulation to enter what is called the Maze of Shadows. This maze connects all shadows within a given realm and allows those who know how to access it to exist within or travel through to other shadows. For sullicitus this ability is difficult to use and requires time, forcing them to focus for a minute or more to enter the Maze, and often taking even longer for them to traverse it. Furthermore, since they cannot move swiftly through the Maze and to their destination, they can often be more easily tracked, as their entrance point into the Maze remains open until they exit at their chosen destination.


Their third ability, Warp Cloak, is a combination of spatial manipulation, illusion magic, minor shapeshifting, and their Shadow Walking ability. In essence, Warp Cloak is a modulation of space on the surface of their body, combined with an illusory effect that lends an ever deeper sense of wrongness to them than they might otherwise possess. Furthermore, this cloak of vis allows a sullicitus to near seamlessly blend in with any dark background or to disappear into shadows, using the spatial aspect and their minor shapeshifting to contort themselves sufficiently to hide. Beyond this, they can use the ability to slip through spaces that they otherwise would be unable to, such as inch wide gaps or barely open windows….


Culture and History


While antisocial to begin with, sullicitus are also fiercely territorial in regards to other licentia--including their own kind--and thus steer clear of one another. As a result they have no culture to speak of. Historically, they have been around for a very...very long time and have been reviled and feared by humanity for about as long as they’ve been in Medius. Accounts of their existence date back to even the earlier civilizations, often with depictions that have been defaced or destroyed due to their horrible and blasphemous appearance.







Mir’aj

Physiology


The Mir'aj are bipedal lapine-esque humanoids, covered in a lustrous sheen of vis-saturated fur and crowned by varying numbers of horns. Mir'aj are typically very slender and tall, often between seven and nine feet (including their ears, which grow typically around up to a foot long and occasionally longer than that) in adulthood. Though tall, the Mir'aj are naturally exceptionally slender and almost sinewy--if not for their fur, they would look almost gaunt and malnourished. While most species of licentia store most of their vis in varying amounts of soul cores, the Mir'aj utilise their fur as a large soul core, with the sum of their vis spread through it in various levels of concentration, and utilise their horns as the nexus of their soul cores. This feature leaves them more vulnerable than other Licentia to the parasitisation of their vis, which has historically resulted in them being prey for several more dominant species, but simultaneously allows for them to have exceptional magical capacity due to the sheer availability of said vis.


Mir'aj are capable of choosing the colouration of their fur at will, as it is extremely vis-saturated, and often use this feature to blend into their subterranean forest homes beneath Torqueo. Mir'aj fur has the unique property of being almost infinitely capable of storing vis in exponentially increasing density--in part due to the fact that it acts as their soul core--and as such does not become increasingly long as the Mir'aj grows in strength, only growing more lustrous.


Whenever a Mir’aj creates a new soul core, it initially manifests as a horn atop their head. If it is a smaller part of a whole, it may grow out of an existing horn, but more often than not it will form its own horn. The first horn a Mir’aj grows is always straight, but subsequent horns typically follow the curvature of their ears and form naturally crested patterns.


Despite their inherent dexterity, the Mir’aj are not naturally born fighters. Their litheness leaves them with natural frailty, and the availability of the vis in their fur renders them easy prey for many predatorial licentia--as a result, many Mir’aj focus almost exclusively on their magical abilities in order to keep themselves safe.


Abilities


Mir'aj are renowned for their natural influence over dreams and by association sleep. The Mir'aj are naturally competent in the school of psychotropy, and are skilled in both inducing sleep (evolved primarily as a defence mechanism) and in manipulating the dreams of those who are already sleeping. Mir'aj are well known for their ability to trap would-be attackers in ecstatic dream-worlds that render them blissful and docile, and in rare instances are even capable of the practice of oneiromancy--divination through dreams. They are capable of influencing individuals, reading their thoughts, and peering into the very depths of their anima through dreams.

Mir’aj, when asleep, have access to a shared unconsciousness that resonates across all who share their DNA. Every Mir’aj has access to a linked dream in which they can communicate across one another across vast distances--though they can only communicate with others on the same plane except in extenuating circumstances--and they often use this to communicate with one another in their settlements rather than physically talking. Full Mir’aj demonstrate exceptional control over this shared dreamscape, and half-breeds are always able to access it but very rarely end up with any serious level of control over the dream.


Culture and History


The Mir'aj, typically, live in seclusion in the dense vis-forests beneath Torqueo's surface. They are horticulturally inclined, preferring to grow plants that naturally absorb vis and feed from them rather than consume other living beings. In rare occasions, they are known to ritually send those who are about to die into the eternal sleep and consume their remaining vis through their dreams in order to both honour them and strengthen themselves. Thanks to their natural inclination towards solitude, they have made little in the way of waves across the ages--and in the rare occasions that they do deign to communicate with outsiders they do so by sending them dreams, often across vast distances.


Humans, who naturally place more stock in dreams than the Licentia (who typically do not sleep), are exceptionally interesting to the Mir’aj. Ever since contact was established with them in 1500AD, the Mir’aj have made frequent visits (and often immigrated) to Medius in order to help humans get more in touch with their dreams and, with consent, gently feed on their vis. Mir’aj are well known for helping humans--and sometimes prae, if a bond of trust is forged--delve through their dreams in order to give them epiphanies about themselves.


Mir’aj are very likely to end up as an Eximius, and it is not uncommon for them to become Azimuth (in contrast to many Licentia who are never even capable of reaching Azimuth) because of their self-reflective and highly isolationist natures--if they live that long.


Mir’aj all have a given name, and then a certain prefix based on their stage. Radix Mir’aj go by “el”, Regio go by “il”, Eximius by “al”, and Azimuth by “ul”. An Eximius by the name of Amaria would go by the full title “Amaria al-Mir’aj”.








Maera Gukari
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Perhaps one of the larger examples of feral licentia, otherwise known Iicane, Maera Gukari are a predatory species of grazer that float wistfully through the skies in a number of regions on the first layer--and some of the deeper ones as well. Maera Gukari are possessed of very little, if any, real intellect and instead rely on their massive size and the potentially thousands of barbed tendrils which drift below them as they fly. These thin tendrils cannot move, but upon contact with a living organism, will latch onto the vis in their flesh before releasing debilitating low frequency pulses of vis-infused soundwaves into their prey. Once the struggling has stopped, the Maera will ‘reel in’ its tendril, pulling the prey up with it where it will eventually be submerged in the viscous jelly-like vis-material of its body to be slowly digested.


The soul core of Maera Gukari are always at the front of their body and double as an eye. This makes the core a seemingly easy target...if not for the fact that the core is layered, with the outer layers typically being more dense than lead and stronger than iron. When threatened sufficiently, a Maera Gukari may draw itself together, its core pressing into the center of its body while it draws the rest of itself around its core. The jelly-like mass of vis that makes up most of its form is--oddly--not terribly conductive of foreign vis, and is thick enough to make reaching its core after it has withdrawn into itself exceptionally difficult. As a result, Maera Gukari have very few predators and are best avoided.







Tytheis Yyraithris

A notable form of licane that has taken on a plant-like form, the Tytheis Yyraithris typically grows to around twenty-four feet in height. The licane uses its smaller green leaf protrusions below its primary bud to spread chemicals into the air which it utilizes to communicate with other members of its species.. The outer purple leaves and orange leaves on the other hand are utilized not simply to draw in what vis exists in the light that hits their surface, but also to defend it from threats. Should something attempt to uproot it or bite into its central bud, these two branches will spring into motion, unfolding, grasping and engulfing the offending entity in a dense, sticky cocoon filled with a digestive neurotoxin that directly binds with and then breaks down vis inside physical structures. Within this gargantuan floran licane’s central bud are a series of organs--along with its soul core--which work together with the system of thick roots that extend below ground, to pull up and process vis directly from the straeva of Torqueo. As a result of their deadly nature and specific environmental needs, these licane are found exclusively in Torqueo. Areas where these exist typically end up with a more vis rich atmosphere as they excrete the energy gradually over time, suffusing the area with vis and harmless spores, which eventually make their way to the ground to grow yet more of their kind.








Myaelatid

Dwelling exclusively in the subterranean seas located deep below the surface level, Myaelatid are a parasitic form of licane. Myaelatid typically only grow to around four inches in size prior to properly feeding. Lacking the evolutionary advantages to hunt or graze, these licane instead will burrow into the bodies of larger licentia until they reach their core, at which point they will wrap their tail around the core and latch on for a long painful ride. For months the parasite will remain their, draining vis from the core to feed its own growth until it has gained enough vis that it becomes stronger than its host. At this point,the Myaelatid will shed all of this vis back into the host in the form of larvae numbering anywhere between two hundred and eight trillion depending on the size of the host’s body. The adult Myaelatid will then burrow directly into the host licentia’s core and slowly eat it from within, regaining the energy lost from breeding. When finished, the fully mature parasite will exit the host’s corpse, leaving it to its children while it moves onto its next stage of development.
 
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A realm of slow and steady development in regards to its make-up, Medius is possessed of more vis than Torqueo, but far less than Priscus. Inhabited by all three races, though Humans are the one who truly call it home, Medius is sometimes thought of as the melting pot realm, wherein all manner of things mix. Its development, once slow, was rather suddenly sent into overdrive with the introduction to the more magically adept Licentia, and the technologically adept, Prae. As a result of their introduction, Human society first went through a period of intense conflict wherein they expanded over the surface of the world, before the introduction of greater magical and technological knowledge was truly accepted and began to rapidly speed up the development of society at large. So it is that the world reaches its current state, where rather than smog and oil spills, vis eruptions and quantum instabilities can occur, affecting large regions before they are cleaned up--if such is possible.

Humans, while they have not colonized other planets, have managed to expand into Torqueo some, with several small populations of humans having been allowed to take up permanent residence in Priscus, them and their descendants slated to never return. While humans are by and large the most plentiful race inhabiting Medius, this is not to say that there are a small amount of Licentia or Prae, the former of which account for at least 20% of the sentient population, with the latter being about 5% of the total population.



Ominar

Ominar.jpg


Overview

Ominar goes by many names--the jewel of the Atlantic, the city of progress, the isle of magi--but none can individually reflect all that the city-state turned island metropolis has to offer. Discovered halfway through the nineteenth century, the location has always been somewhat contentious thanks to its exceptionally neutral location and history of housing powerful independent organisations but is now regarded as humanity’s most venerated accomplishment--a city that transcends boundaries for the sake of the advancement of life on Medius, unity between the species, and profit. Lambasted by some as a capitalist hellscape and exalted by others as a shining example of what life without petty judgement and unrestrained magic could be, Ominar is truly the forefront of civilisation on Medius.


Sitting in the middle of the Atlantic ocean, approximately in line with New Jersey and Morocco, Ominar has a warm climate natively--but thanks to the impressive magic at the city’s command, the weather frequently changes according to what the citizens want.


Founding and History
The city of Ominar was founded in 1850 at the behest of the leader of the International Hunters' Organization, shortly after the discovery of an island bearing the same name. The island's discovery prompted an enormous dispute over to whom the territory belonged, with major countries such as the United States of America, the United Kingdom, France, Spain, and Russia contesting that it should rightfully belong to them. In the face of such political turmoil, IHO stepped in and claimed the island for itself, having discovered it, and being desperately in need of truly neutral territory from which to conduct its operations. In the interest of preventing any internal warfare, the United Nations granted the territory to the IHO who promptly began the construction of the city of Ominar.


Construction of the city begun six months after the ruling by the United Nations, and thanks to the widespread influence of IHO rallying support from powerful magi and grateful countries who had not laid claim to the island the construction was completed in early 1852. Though the city was initially just a headquarters for IHO, a monolithic structure in the exact center of the island called the Citadel, and domiciles for those who were permanently stationed on the island, the foundation of TIAMAT in 1850 and its rise to prominence thereafter mandated the United Nations find a suitable location to house them also. IHO agreed to share the island with TIAMAT, and the precedence for powerful international organizations inhabiting Ominar was set.


Over the next several decades, a large number of influential organizations and corporations with no interest in being tied directly to an individual country (and thus that country's laws) petitioned for a position on the island-city of Ominar. In order to deal with the number of requests, the United Nations ordered IHO and TIAMAT to form a ruling body in order to govern themselves, and granted Ominar the status of sovereign city state. This edict resulted in the formation of the Senate, which in turn attracted notable individuals from across the globe who would pour resources into Ominar and potentially earn a seat on said Senate if their contributions were sufficient. By 1855, almost every magically adept organization with any form of influence had a seat of power in Ominar as well as a position on the Senate, and the island had blossomed into a vast metropolis of cutting-edge magical and technological research.


When the ARI was implemented by TIAMAT, and later the VENI, VIDI, and VICI were formed, Ominar had officially obtained the same level of power and political influence as the leading nations of the world at the time. At this point, the city covered approximately half of the island, and the Senate voted to hasten the expansion of the city to the very borders of the island.By 1862, the city expanded its bounds to cover the entirety of the island, and though neatly organized to begin with over the next fifty years the available landmass was filled entirely and the city began climbing upwards in order to continue its growth.


During this trend several of Ominar's most important buildings were created, such as the various skyscrapers that litter the cityscape (with the Citadel--IHO headquarters and the Senate building-- in the very center of the island). Many of these skyscrapers were given various names, such as the Spire, the Obelisk, the Tower, and the Pillar. The taller buildings ended up belonging to important organizations headed by influential Senate members, among whom were the Serpentine Conglomerate (housed in the Pillar), KasioCorp (housed in the Tower) and TIAMAT (housed in the Obelisk). Less important organizations took up in less tall buildings that were less close to the Citadel, and naturally created a series of concentric circles of important buildings categorised by height spreading out from the center of the island.


Modern day Ominar is mostly the same as it was entering the twentieth century, albeit significantly more modern now. The Serpentine Conglomerate run a series of static portals within the city that enable easy and immediate transportation, as well as the Concursum in the base of the Pillar--which contains portals to and from almost every country in the world in order to provide easy global access to Ominar.


The Senate

Ominar’s governing body is the Senate--comprised of fifty individuals, one of whom leads the Senate--and its officials are chosen by popular vote of the current members. The Senate has, historically, always been led by the leader of IHO and there has been no change in this policy in recent years. Senate members are expected to be active within the community, to look out for the wellbeing of the city and its citizens, and to decide on which laws should be ratified.


Unlike many major cities, Ominar has Hieroturgy written into it. The Citadel acts as a focal point where the law is written using a series of runic alphabets that extend the more sweeping policies that the Senate creates across the entirety of Ominar. Thanks to the inherent magical matrix created by the island, and the positioning of many of the important buildings on it, the law is extremely easy to spread across it in its entirety--thanks to this, there are many laws in Ominar that individuals and organisations are simply incapable of breaking. The Senate tend not to enforce mundane laws--such as those regarding crime--in this fashion due to the ridiculous amount of vis that would be required. Instead, the Senate enforce laws that prevent the use of disruptive or dangerous magic, as well as laws concerned with property and land.


Each Senator is given a keystone--a small nugget of conduit metal in the shape of a key--that is heavily enchanted and imprinted upon their anima. The keystones serve as identification and security measures, as only those they are bonded can own them and only those who own them can open the way to the higher floors of the Citadel. Additionally, at least twenty-six keystones are required to change the Hieroturgical law of Ominar in any way. The keystones may also act as a focus for teleportation magic, allowing its bearer to enter the Senate chambers. Many Senators also use these keystones for their personal security, thanks to their anima-bonded nature.
OrganizationRepresentative


IHO - Senate Leader​



Leader of the IHO​



TIAMAT​



Hermon Onistri​



TIAMAT (Order of Athriohm)​



Erdus Callahn-Morrison​



TIAMAT (Diffugium)​



Thyrea Fallow​



KasioCorp​



Aeris Kasio​



Victorious Inc.​



Nabriales Taeryn​



Museum of Natural History​



Sophia Taeryn​



Ferox Industries​



Fandaniel si Louviere​



Camaz Ltd.​



Peony Camaz​



The Caligine Institute​



Witch-Queen Sofiya of the Tereshkeyva​



The Verisium Coalition​



Illaerion Avusahré​



Second Sun Analytics​



Thris Narinel​



Inerva University​



Inerva​



Yokai Cabal​



Hoshiaru Ōmagatoki​



Harli Speakeasy​



Harli Kobeltraupe​



Nightveil Detective Agency​



Crow​



House of Enigmas​



Madame Riddle​



Serpentine Conglomerate​



Teresa van der Scheur​



Chalcedony Trading Company (Second Seat)​



Kaidan “Pinks” Pendelton​



Chalcedony Trading Company​



Genveve Chalcedony​



Exceptional Musician​



Yvette​



Exceptional Author​



Chin-Sun Park​



Exceptional Artist​



Zainabu Jang​



Critica Construction​



Angus Sinclair​


There are 26 additional seats in the Senate, which belong to an assortment of individuals in the below fields:


- Hospitals
- Agriculture
- Banks
- Non-Precursor Religious Clergy
- Social Media
- Tech Companies
- Economists
- Waste Disposal
- Military

Notable Locations

The Citadel

The Citadel is comprised of a massive black obelisk that tears jaggedly into the skyline of Ominar and a bevy of surrounding structures clambering over one another in the vaguest semblance of a circle. The obelisk is comprised of a matte black stone not unlike obsidian, and though it reflects little in the way of light it hums with an internal vis that gives it an almost dewy look of incandescence. Despite its surface being perfectly smooth, the air around the obelisk is warped in such a way by the concentration of vis within that it looks almost jagged, tearing a hole into the sky and spilling forth a silver-bright cascade of dim light during nightfall that blankets the surrounding buildings. Irregular protrusions of the obsidian material comprising the Citadel tear outwards roughly at every floor at various angles and inclinations.


The Citadel has a hundred and fifty floors, the top ten of which are reserved for Senate members, and reaches an impressive 1,800 feet at its very peak. The buildings surrounding its base are the official IHO barracks, where the IHO's armoury and administrative offices reside. Though not officially sanctioned by the Serpentine Conglomerate, the IHO offices are outfitted with the capacity of producing temporary portals to any locations that hunters may be required to travel to as part of their hunts--and they make judicious use of their private portals.


The Senate chambers atop the Citadel are grandiose in the extreme--chairs are hewn into the floor out of white marble lacquered with onyx veins, lavish tapestries of Byzantine purple decorate the walls, and curtains of crimson silks filter the light entering the room a gorgeous ruby hue. It is in these chambers that the fifty most influential and powerful individuals of Ominar come together in order to decide upon the laws that govern the city.


The Citadel is impervious to all conventional forms of offensive magic, and is curiously immune to the effects of the weather. No substances stick to it, and even exceptional force is incapable of so much as scuffing the oddly smooth material.



The Spire

The Spire is owned by Vox Media, who are creators and managers of Vox--the most popular social media site across the Western world by a significant margin. They currently have their head offices there, but only use the topmost half of the building--the lower floors are typically rented out to conventions and for conferences.


The Spire is pure white stone with simple glass windows, and lacks much in the way of true decoration. The building naturally tapers towards the top, twisting into the shape that gives it its namesake, and reaches some 600 feet above the ground.


The Pillar

The Pillar is the building that houses the Serpentine Conglomerate, and it is the first building that can be seen when one enters Ominar proper from the cove below (though it is quickly dwarfed by the Citadel). The Pillar is a sleek cylindrical building, much like its namesake, comprised of heavily enchanted tinted glass and black conduit metal. The Pillar serves to act as a spatial regular that ensures that the heavy use of teleportation within Ominar does not destabilise the fabric of reality, as well as ensuring that any and all rifts to Pylae can only ever be created within its walls where it can be securely contained. Bands of argent filigree wind around the windows of the Pillar, and in the right light one can see the intricate matrices of runes drawn into the glass and the silver that give the building its extraordinary properties.


The Concursum

The Concursum is located in the lowest level of the Pillar, and is where all static portals from Ominar to the outside world reside. There are portals to every nation that have allowed them within the Concursum, and these remain open constantly to facilitate quick travel between Ominar and the other nations. The VENI VIDI VICI maintain a constant presence within the Concursum in order to ensure that the safety of the individuals coming to and from Ominar is maintained.


The Tower

The Tower is the most ordinary of Ominar’s various skyscrapers, reaching only sixty floors above ground and having no real intrinsic magical properties. Its windows are tinted blue from the outside and the masonry is a cool silver-grey, with the occasional blue accent making an appearance on every other floor. The offices of Kasio Corp are fairly mundane, as only scientific research tends to take place there--and the rest of the building is comprised of the administrative staff that are required to make Kasio Corp run smoothly and efficiently.


Unlike the other skyscrapers, however, the Tower extends far below the ground--with approximately fifteen subterranean floors lurking beneath the surface. These floors contain Kasio Corp’s more delicate experiments in learning the limits of medical science, and have extraordinary security of both the mundane and magical kind. Thanks to the confined (and private) space, the excessive security is rarely needed--though woe is certain to befall any who attempt to breach Kasio Corp and discover its secrets.


The Obelisk

Sleek and asymmetrical, TIAMAT’s headquarters takes the form of a towering intertwined set of skyscrapers with aquiline edges cutting up in two distinct spirals. Rather than be an entirely unified structure, the Obelisk is as if two buildings became intertwined in a choking embrace. It is composed of similar materials to the Citadel, but with sweeping designs worked into it in what appears black and white marble. From afar only the white and silver of the building’s figure can be seen, but at an angle or up close, the Obelisk can flash jet black in the light. The structure took longer than many others in Ominar, largely due to the fact that it was designed as a massive magical Focus. If correctly positioned within the Obelisk, a spellcaster’s magic can be enhanced exponentially in both focus and range. Passively, the building serves as an important point in Ominar’s intricate set of magical defense matrices.


The Labyrinth

Built and owned by the Tereshkeyva family, the Labyrinth is the name given to the building that houses the Caligine Institute. The Labyrinth is heavily enchanted, being such that only individuals who have the correct psychic imprint implanted within their mind can access specific floors or rooms, which leads to the interior having a maze-like structure to individuals without the proper clearance. The Labyrinth is known for being the least guarded building in Ominar, simply because nobody has ever found a single room that they were not meant to.



Inerva University

Inerva University is comprised of its main campus, and an additional campus for each of the majorly practiced schools of magic--Enchantment; Glamour; Hieroturgy; Potioncraft; Psychotropy; Reification; Runes; Scrying; Spatial Manipulation; Thaumaturgy; Transmutation--and an additional campus for the rarer magics in Medius. The main campus contains the on-site residences, the administrative buildings, and Inerva’s offices. Surrounding this are emerald-green gardens filled with exotic flowers and plants, as well as a garden dedicated to growing Potioncraft materials, atop which sit structures of white marble that reach upwards into an always-blue sky. The twelve additional campuses each sit at the points of a clock, with the main campus in dead center.


Inerva University makes heavy use of Spatial Manipulation in order to artificially create an enormous amount of space--cramming thirteen buildings and extensive gardens into the space that a single skyscraper would take up. The main campus is pristinely white, with only the occasional golden filigree serving for colour, against a verdant backdrop of lush vegetation--but each of its extant buildings are free to decorate in their own colours, and for ease of identification often do.


The university also boasts the largest library in Medius, filled with countless books on every aspect of magic. It is often claimed that the library contains every book ever written by human hands about magic, but given the difficulty of obtaining such a volume of information the claim is likely dubious at best.


Inerva University is riddled with portals, many of which can be summoned by simply speaking a given phrase created at the beginning of each day, that take students from one classroom to another if they so desire. As one progresses through the curriculum, one becomes less able to call the portals--having to master spatial manipulation if one wishes to get to class on time.


The Tunnels

Beneath the island of Ominar are a number of tunnels that wind conspiratorially through the island. There is no discernable beginning or end, nor is there any discernible entrance or exit, and yet many beings in Ominar find their way down to the tunnels if they want to badly enough. The tunnels are comprised of the same material as the island, but are oddly wet--like pumice soaked in water--and a thin film of mucous vis coats their walls in an unsettling emerald-teal glow. Though linear in geometry, the space within the tunnels feels stifling and inherently strange. A sense of direction is almost impossible, but the tunnels react well to those who dare traverse them if they imagine an exit or an entrance. When one enters or leaves the tunnels, they do so almost soaked in a syrupy and sticky coat of vis--though as soon as the air hits it, it is inexplicably gone and only a faint smell of brine can be detected for the briefest instant.


At night, the tunnels glitter and glow with perfidious moonlight that further twists and distorts their unthinkable layout. Their linear layout gradually and inexorably shifts towards a non-euclidian bend, orienting themselves at impossible angles, and the scent of seawater clings to those who exit for much longer.



Harli Speakeasy

Oh, those wondrous tinctures--that syrupy brown hue, that toxic smell. The Speakeasy caters to those tastes, for certain, but those with a finer palate will find themselves still sated in Harli Kobeltraupe’s demesne. Harboring substances and hailing customers from all over the world, the Speakeasy is the epicenter of Ominar’s black market, and, perhaps, all of Medius. A splendid building, never once seen from the outside, it is constructed much in the same way as a 20s speakeasy, with the finances of Ms. Kobeltraupe backing an even more gilt and grandiose structure. Golds and blacks line the walls, set alight by soft chandeliers. The atmosphere is tight and cozy, often faintly smoky and hazy, as if wrought from a dream. To get there is to know a friend of a friend, one intimate with the murky underdwellings of unsavory folk.


Bonewise

Bonewise, as it’s commonly known, is the Ōmagatoki Tower. Designed in such a way that its windows follow a curved, outward-facing line, the structure appears to be almost shaped like a ribcage. Known for being the main office of Hoshiaru Ōmagatoki, who is--despite his status as a mob boss--essentially untouchable. On cloudy nights, Bonewise takes on an altogether more sinister appearance, the rooftop lights dancing in the shape of what almost looks like a skull against the cloudline. Hoshiaru has gone on record as being aware of its appearance, and to some degree revels in its resemblance to the gashadokuro, a giant skeleton of Japanese myth.



The Goblet

Referring, of course, to a cup, and not a tiny goblin, the Goblet is an immense campus that sits on the cusp of Ominar’s bluffs. Dedicated to the research of the races and ritualistic applications of magic, the Goblet is a known haunt of some of the Cavendish Coven members. In the moment between night and day--those dusky twilight times--the sun strikes the windows of the Goblet’s curved surface, setting its inner courtyard alight with thousands of colors. It is shaped similar to its namesake, with some referring to it as the Stadium because of the resemblance between its floors and the softly sloped seating of a sports arena. Some suggest, moreover, that--as its name is the Goblet, and not the Bowl--there may be a spine hidden beneath Ominar’s surface, but this is merely rumor.


Little Elysium

A gorgeous nightclub sat high up in Ominar’s city proper. The proprietor, an Oscar Vaqueville, takes great pride in the cleanliness and substance of his establishment. Known for its incredibly secretive VIP rooms, extravagant decor, and beautiful use of blues, whites, and golds in a modern, chic configuration, with lots of minimalist, clean edges. During the day, Little Elysium is a restaurant, but once night hits, the tables are traded out for a dance floor.


Petite Purgatorio

Petite Purgatorio sits on the slope of Ominar’s hill, and the bar itself is known for its smoky atmosphere. Mahoganies and grays line the interior, with great attention paid to wood and other natural fixtures. It reminds many of a silver-screen noir film, and--especially at night--the whole structure of the place seems to shift and change ever so slightly. Owned and operated by Renee Khmer.


Inferno Finite

A strip club on the seabank. Seedy and perhaps a little too obvious, Inferno Finite is a known haunt of the Yokai Cabal and the Ply, though the two never seem to quibble. Run by Madam Triste, this glory-hole-in-the-wall is known to attract unsavory folk of all kinds, though the establishment itself is well kept--if a bit garish in its black and pink hues and neon lighting.


The Archytas Club

Sleek, this club serves as a hub for business and pleasure in equal parts. It is part gentleman’s club, with numerous private rooms and even its own measure of underground off-the-grid storage. The building is, in large part, self sufficient and while it serves as a place for the wealthy and influential to meet, it equally has its public angle, allowing anyone to enter its second pair of doors and enjoy a more laid back atmosphere with music and drinks. The exterior of the building, perhaps ironically to contrast its name, is largely white, further emphasizing its incredibly stylized black sign. The interior is far larger than its exterior would entail, and it is not just because of a masterful architect maximizing the use of space.


Apsey Causeway

The picturesque seaside offices of the Chalcedony Trading Company. This pearly-white tower carries its own private pier, and the structure itself sits halfway over the water, held up by mural-etched pillars that descend into the waters below. Ranked #7 recently on a list of Best Places to Work by the American magazine, Times and Money. The inside is clean and well-kempt, and ocean murals paint the white walls of its corridors. The outer walls are entirely glass, allowing a constant view of the picturesque pier that the Causeway draws its name from. The floors are notable in that they’re water-resistant tile, as the office contains a pool that its employees often use while working on waterproofed devices. Casual tourists often come by to use the pool, as it is public access, and the Chalcedonies readily invite interested parties to come and learn a little about the company while they enjoy waterside activities. The Apsey Adders, a water polo team, also train and practice there under sponsorship of the CTC.


Victorious Secret

Victorious Secret is Nabriales of the Senate's subsidiary store of Victorious Incorporated in Ominar, and provides a bespoke potion creation service, as well as an extensive stock of bottled spells, recreational substances, lingerie, and other bits and bobs that he deigns to stock. It is operated largely as a passion project rather than as a means to generate income, and so typically ends up having little in the way of standardised stock. It is a favourite of partygoers across Ominar who may be heading to Glitz, the Wild Hunt, or Argent--nightclubs also owned by Nabriales--and students of Inerva University as Nabriales occasionally lectures there teaching potioncraft and offers extraordinarily cheap deals to their students for potioncraft supplies.


The store itself is far bigger on the inside than its exterior would suggest, and thanks to potent spatial manipulation magic contains many levels hidden within its small space. The store has opulent living quarters, a library, a ballroom, and several kitchens--each secreted away above the main shop floor with no discernible entrance or even an indication that they exist. The shop floor itself is quite narrow, totalling approximately 12 feet from end to end, but goes back a very considerable distance--some 250 feet. At the very end is the counter, and lining the walls up to the entrance are various mahogany shelves with many, many layers of potions upon them. The front of the store is all glass, and thanks to its location the sun rising in a morning causes light to filter through the store and reflect the many colours of the tinctures upon the shelves, creating a corona of colour around the storefront.



Glitz

Glitz is Nabriales' beachfront nightclub, marketed primarily towards humans. Though there is no strict requirement of race for entry, it is most heavily marketed towards humans and thus most of its clientele are human. Glitz is gaudy in almost every sense of the word, though its extravagant excess lends it an endearing quality rather than a sense of kitsch and tackiness--the building is solid marble, polished to a wonderful sheen, and spills out onto the sandy beach of the cove. It is architecturally styled vaguely after the Athenian Acropolis, being largely open at the edges and supported by marble pillars, with dancefloors both on the sand itself and in the building proper. The interior is decorated with swaths of colourful silks, and wading through the smoky, hazy atmosphere is almost like walking through the very stuff of dreams.


The Wild Hunt

The Wild Hunt, commonly referred to as "the hunt", is Nabriales' nightclub primarily marketed to Licentia. Its inner city location makes it easy to access for the entire city, and it is well known for not charging an entry fee unlike many of the other Licentia-specific recreational facilities within the city. The interior of the Hunt is difficult to map and understand at the best of times, as it is by nature chaotic--rooms can be changed on a weekly, daily, or even nightly basis depending on which species of Licentia are present, and thanks to a significant expenditure and the judicious use of magic its individual rooms can be shaped to the whims of those within it. There is a distinct predatory vibe to the nightclub, and humans who are looking for an exotic experience often go there to experience the thrills of being preyed upon in a safe and monitored environment. The drinks served are exclusively vis-infused cocktails, and though expensive, are renowned for their quality. Many humans who wish to partake in the hunt will stock up on various potions at Victorious Secret in order to ensure that they have a pleasant experience--but those looking for the true thrill of danger will often find themselves at the Harli Speakeasy before they submit to the hunt.

Argent


Argent is Nabriales' nightclub specifically marketed towards prae. Its interior is a clean, pure white notched with intricate patterns of lustrous silver. Sitting at a lofty thirty stories above ground, at the very peak of one of the larger buildings housing Victorious Inc.’s offices, the club was designed with the assistance of several prominent members of the Zyristi Conclave in order to match the kind of establishment that would be found in Priscus. Though some elements cannot be duplicated, the environment of Priscus is imitated as best as possible, with a significantly higher concentration of ambient vis being provided, as well as potent enchantments that project euphoric feelings into the vis in order to tap into the latent prae telepathy and provide an experience that caters directly for them. Argent is significantly more isolated than the hunt or Glitz, and is typically invitation only--though some see this as a sign of haughtiness on behalf of the prae, it is merely because the vis-rich environment is likely to overwhelm and disorient humans and create a disruptive experience for Licentia.
 
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The realm in which the vast majority of the Prae population resides, not to mention their plane of origin, Priscus can be described as a plane suffused with a tremendous amount of ambient energies, lush with life of all kinds some humans might even call it a paradise. However, as with all things, Priscus is not quite as innocuous as it first appears. Under the surface of the alleged paradise that the Prae present to visitors is a place so rich with Vis that one might say that the realm itself is almost aware.

While its landmasses are constant over a shorter period of time, their orientation and location shift much more rapidly than the continents of Medius. Furthermore, while many creatures of Priscus have little to no need to hunt other beings due to the energy rich atmosphere, it cannot be said that they will not overzealously defend themselves from outside threats. Perhaps most frightening about the flora and fauna of Priscus is the fact that most of it is either capable of magic or magical in some way, shape, or form.

The Prae are very protective of their realm, allowing only trusted friends, or those whom the God-Queen or the Exeo approve of to enter. This in part because of their fierce instinct to defend their nigh-defenseless God-Queen, and also because should the unworthy discover the true bounty of their realm and come to covet it, it would put their kind at great risk. Yet, despite their efforts, rumors of a secret treasure have slipped into Medius. So it is that many begin to wonder what the Prae are hording to themselves. So are born the greatest adversaries that they may ever face: Greed and curiosity.

Note: Priscus has three suns and three moons.
 
A resource rich realm inhabited by all manner of strange, and often dangerous, beings--not the least of which are the Licentia themselves. Known as the harsh homerealm of the Licentia, this realm despite some humans having come to call it home, yet remains the domain of the the latter race. While not overly tumultuous in its geography, the weather and social climate could certainly be described as such. With many of the Licentia's rulers, the Eximius, dwelling herein, it is no wonder that the place would be filled to the brim with conflict of a varied sort.

Most intriguing is the environment of Torqueo, which rather than have its atmosphere be suffused with vis, finds that the soil, flora, and fauna themselves have absorbed much of it. So it is that in some places vast deserts or craggy plains form, while in others flora and fauna alike pull the precious energy from the ground, twisting it to their own ends. In this way, the Licentia are no different, with much of their infrastructure relying on the energy of the land itself to function properly. Like Medius, Torqueo is home to a vast assortment of cultures, despite being largely populated by the same race.

With the continued mixing of races within Medius, some Eximius have begun to turn their eyes to the realm, while others turn their attention to the realms of their kind's absent leaders. Going forwards, conflict is sure to break out in one realm or another. The question is; which will be first?
 
Pylae is widely thought to be the source of all energy, and so far both scientific and magical research has made clear a correlation between vis and this strange realm between realms. The leading theory is that energy is constantly exchanged between Pylae and the three realms, likely entering via quantum methods not yet understood by scientists or mages of any race. Yet, there are those who have found ways, if dangerous, to harness its power in fits and bursts.

Perhaps the most studied correlation are the points from which an individual may travel between realms. These locations are typically surrounded by unexplainable phenomena, be they magical or otherwise. Due to it being thought, despite there being no evidence of such, to be a realm torn between realities, Pylae is often called 'the Rift.' While rare, every so often, the gateways between realms, colloquially known as 'Bridges,' shift location in a seemingly random fashion for no apparent reason.

Additionally, there are the known, but exceedingly rare occurrence, known as 'rift storms,' which may take place around these 'Bridges,' making them impassable and spawning a temporary field wherein any manner of dangerous and unpredictable phenomena take place. These storms typically involve fluctuating fields of ambient vis as well as warped space-time within their confines. Luckily, these storms do not travel far from their sources, nor do they typically last any longer than a few hours, if that. Nonetheless, they are a dangerous occurrence, if one which allows great opportunity for those few who would dare study something so dangerous and unpredictable as the Rift. However, with the efforts of these brave souls, perhaps one day the world will have no reason to fear Pylae and its mysterious nature. Perhaps one day it will not be a mystery at all.

Perhaps.
 
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IHO

Simply put, the IHO--the International Hunters’ Organization--is humanity’s first line of defence against extraterrestrial threats of any variety. It trains individuals in all forms of combat that they are capable of performing, and effectively acts as a heavily sanctioned mercenary band that seeks to eliminate any major threat against humankind for a fee (or, in the case of a crisis, for free). Any individual is capable of petitioning aid from IHO in the form of a contract for a moderate sum, though IHO screens its contracts extensively to ensure that they only intervene in things that can threaten humans--they explicitly refuse to be involved in any conflict or clash that does not potentially endanger humanity in some aspect.


IHO

The International Hunters' Organization


The Tale of Founding

An organization whose origins date back to the beginning of the middle ages, the International Hunters' Organization, referred to as IHO from here forwards, came to be when a band of mercenaries decided to organize themselves in 421 AD. Lead by a man named Averey Sylverward who did so in response to a surge of what was then called 'demon' activity. Capitalizing on this surge, he hired out the services of his mercenaries to anyone who required a monster slain. As time passed they gained notoriety and grew in size, eventually forgoing all involvement with the affairs of war. Over the next one hundred years the “Warding Knights,” as they came to be called, became specialized as they gained experience hunting beasts of various caliber going from what were once normal mercenaries, to dedicated and rather famous monster hunters.


They were always led by a descendant of Averey and they sought to protect whomever asked, regardless of their blood, so long as they were paid. As they began to assist more and more countries with their supernatural troubles, the Knights became rather infamous in medieval Europe until they were widespread enough to have bases in multiple regions, as well as funding for their exploits. All in all, things were going well for the Warding Knights, that was of course until the witch hunts began, targeting even the prestigious Knights despite their fealty to the people and tendency to slay what mankind then knew as 'demons' and beasts of depravity. So it was that the fall of the Knights began, as they too turned on one another, fighting in what amounted to religious wars for the first time in hundreds of years. Brother turned on brother, sister on sister, mother on child as the great order tore itself apart, some taking the side of the church so as to survive, while others rejected their teachings.


By the end of the 12th century the prestige of the Knights was all but forgotten. With their numbers reduced to but a fourth of what they had been just fifty years before, most went into hiding or pledged their service to the church. Things stayed this way for over one hundred years, until a spike in supernatural occurrences again took hold of the land. 'Demons' roamed the earth almost in earnest, and the people were cowed by religious superstition and fear.


It was at this time that the last living descendant of Averey, a certain Garrick Sylvard emerged from the shadows, bringing with him those few who had sworn themselves to his family since the founding days of the Knights. Across Europe they traveled, laying waste to any nefarious beast they came upon even while the people spurned them and the church hunted them down with those that had descended from their brothers. Still, even hunted, Garrick's following grew rapidly as others came out of hiding to fight for their families and loved ones against the rising tide of 'demonkind' and their monstrous servants.


As they rose, despite the church's efforts to constantly denounce them, a new name was bestowed upon them, and so it was that the term 'Hunter' was born in its present day use. Time went on and Garrick's Hunters fought to protect their own, eventually finding solid backing in the nobility thus beginning the process of unseating the church from its position of power.


This time, the Hunters rose above their predecessors, taking boats to other countries where they would come to establish themselves as well. Then in 1436 AD at what seemed the peak of their growth when they were firmly established, two of the humanity's great mysteries were solved as the 'angels' and 'demons' of religious text revealed themselves to the world and offered—rather than a holy war—a helping hand.


Over the next couple hundred years what had been Garrick's Hunters gradually grew and was eventually officially turned into what is today known as IHO, by a man named Draestn Katela. While his family no longer runs the organization and its leadership has long since been shrouded in mystery, the International Hunters' Organization has become one of the modern pillars of civilization, protecting the citizens of Medius from the things that go bump in the night.


Let's hope they continue to do so.


The Creed
While most organizations run themselves through the laws of the countries they exist in and a set of internal rules and regulations, IHO gives the world the appearance of doing these things, while in actuality only adhering to what its members call 'the Creed.' While acting similar to a set of rules, the Creed is effectively a series of oaths and pledges that a Hunter swears upon joining the organization. The most notable aspect of this Creed is perhaps that it is not absolute, allowing a measure of wiggle room for the organization's many members.


Below is written the Creed in its original form:


Draestn Katela - “Hold fast against the raging tide,

The tide of blood shall wane in time,

When wane it does, their time will come,

Let that be the night that our vengeance is done,

Hold fast and steel your minds,

For we are the bastion against dark times,

Be it demon, beast, angel or man, let it be ours who reclaim or protect the land.

Sworn to our brothers and sisters are we,

Never back down, and never let the Enemy see the weakness of ye,

Through turmoil and the blood moon's rising,

We will stand, steadfast, bulwark to their violent writhing,


Hold fast shall I to brothers and sisters both,

For tonight I swear before Him a bloodoath,

My hand shall never strike mine kin,

My blade, or tongue, shall never turn against him,

If ever I slay my siblings grim,

Let the judgment day come upon me,


Even apart, our souls are joined,

Even apart are bodies fight as one,

We are the shadow hidden light,

We are the culling knife,

If my arms fail me and I should fall,

Let my kin yet stand tall,

Have my arms, my vis, my flesh,

And let them serve to fight again in my stead.


Yet, while I know we are strong,

Know that even we can only fight for so long.

So it is that should we fail,

That I hope others will find hope and prevail.

As without guardian our Will,

Cannot hold this Enemy,

Still I hope he sleeps,

Still we hope he remains below.

So that the land can live and never know.”


While the last stanza is seldom spoken and the entirety of the Creed remains hidden from outsiders, the whole of it boils down to a number of simple rules which are as follows.


  • Do not slay other hunters, for doing so will likely make you become the hunted.
  • Do not intentionally slay innocents uninvolved in ones contract(s).
  • Do not speak of IHO's leadership or reveal its secrets.
  • Avoid needless collateral in general.
  • Do not hold political station.
  • Remain loyal.

Prestige and A Hunter's Career

Risk, a Hunter's entire career from the moment they join the organization to the moment they retire—provided they make it that far—is defined by this concept. Great risk for great rewards. Great power and for most reasonably mature Hunters, great responsibility. After all, it is said—first and foremost—that a Hunter's duty is, after themselves, to the people. Namely to make sure they are defended against those heinous beings who would prey upon them, be it from the shadows or in daylight. While some Hunters may be assassins or mercenaries, even they often hold in their hearts, the faces of those they wish to protect.


It is said that those without kin do not survive long in the business, for without things to care for and protect, one often loses the drive to protect oneself.


Entrance

Joining the Hunter's Organization is in actuality a rather simple process with a minimal amount of paperwork. Essentially an individual locates one of their establishments—which can be found practically anywhere around the world, including even the smallest most dilapidated villages. Then a questionnaire/short test is taken, in addition to a submission of one's legal information, before a brief 10-20 minute wait while the information is processed and looked over by operators in HQ. Once accepted, a Hunter is given either a probationary or official Hunter's License based on their skillset, background check, and any existing past exploits. Most Hunters are classified as “C class,” upon completing registration.


The Hunter's License

As mentioned above there are at least two common forms of Hunter License, known as the Probationary and Official Hunters Licenses, these two differ in the ways laid out below.




Probationary Hunter's License

A license given to Hunter Entrants who have no prior exploits and a negligible amount of experience doing the sort of work that Hunters specialize in. Additionally, any minor is more likely to receive a probationary license than they are to receive an official one. If a minor is below the age of 16, but above the age of 10 they may receive a Probationary license so long as their guardian approves. This license gives a Hunter access to the same resources as an Official License would—within reason—but limits the Hunter to contracts of C class and below. A Hunter may, after two weeks, apply for an Official License, but they will only be accepted if the organizations deems their skillset, skill level, and/or accomplishments deserving of such. It should be noted that a Probationary License does not afford a Hunter the right to kill, but does protect them from most other laws.


Official Hunter's License

The form of identification given to most Hunters, this license affords Hunters nigh unrestricted access to the entire Hunter database as well as the resources and a measure of influence that the organization can bring to bear. Hunters are given this license if they have either notable experience, prior exploits, or have proven themselves that they are worthy of it through the completion of contracts or assistance in emergency situations. Additionally and unlike the Probationary Hunter's License, this license is effectively a license to kill so long as it is in the interest of completing a contract and/or within reason. Individuals below the age of 16 may not receive an Official Hunter's License and those below the legal age in their country of residence and/or origin are more likely to receive a Probationary license—though there are the occasional exceptions.


Contracts and Prestige

In short, Hunters and the Contracts they take or ranked by a similar system, which they refer to as the Class Rating System(CRS). This system, for Contracts, gives a Hunter a basic idea of the difficulty, complexity, and necessary level of skill involved in a given job; whereas for Hunters the CRS gives a general idea of the combat proficiency, expertise, experience, and number of jobs completed as well as their notoriety in general.


*It should be noted that the higher the class of a Hunter, the more they are likely to be paid for any given contract. Meaning that a Hunter of higher rank is likely to get paid far more for the same contract than a lower ranked Hunter.
ClassHunterContract

F

N/A

A rating only given to contracts, the 'F' designation is typically used to describe a job of minimal difficulty. Generally, contracts of this nature are exceptionally minor, including investigations of minor disturbances, or body guard duty that has the lowest chance of anything happening. Practically all F class jobs do not offer pay, and those that do offer minimal pay.

E

The lowest rating that can be assigned to a Hunter, this designation is given to those with essentially no exceptional skills or abilities. Individuals of this rating typically possess very weak, or no magic at all, with the latter being more common. Additionally, these individuals typically have no martial experience or significant skill in the use of firearms. The lowest common denominator, Hunters of this rating are not common in the least and typically include individuals of average human physicality, possessing no magic, and negligible skills of any kind.

Contracts of this rating tend to be minor low impact, low threat reconnaissance—such as scouting out a non-threatening area for a future operation. Occasionally paranoid people with far too much money will hire a hunter as a bodyguard. Such a contract—provided their paranoia is unlikely to be justified—would be a good example of your typical contract of this rating. Pay for these jobs is typically below $100-250.

D

Hunters of this designation, while typically unknown, have a measure of experience and expertise—most likely in one rather limited field. These individuals are often physically fit and/or somewhat skilled with magic. It is not uncommon to see individuals with some small measure of experience with firearms. However, it is never all of the above.

Minor Contracts that involve a small amount of expertise, typically only in one area. These contracts, if they involve any danger, are typically very easily handled even by hunters of this same designation. Possible contracts include scoping out an area with a low threat level, such as a ghetto or slum; a stake out; or dealing with a very minor creature of licentia barely capable of defending itself or equivalent to a moderately sized wild animal such as a crocodile or cougar. Most contracts of this rating stay within a $300-700 range when it comes to pay.

C

The average class rating of most Hunters in IHO and the average rating of most new entrants, this designation typically describes individuals with at least enough combat experience to hold their own against a novice mage, average martial artist, or in a gunfight involving less than 4 people. These Hunters typically either have minor magics, considerable weapons technology, or an enhanced physical form. Conversely they may dabble in all of the above, but only minorly. Those of the C class are most often the individuals being tasked with contracts, but are not individually that famous with some exceptions due to the sheer number of them.

The second most common sort rating for contracts, these often include beings with some measure of magical ability and who normal civilians or those below this rank would be incapable of dealing with. Such contracts often involve scoping out moderately dangerous locations, such as small licenti or monster nests or perhaps radioactive zones. They include semi-rare item acquisition, escort missions, and a few bodyguard contracts here and there for those who are themselves the targets of violence or dangerous trickery. Jobs of this rating often pay $800-1700 on average.

B

The third most common class of Hunter, those of this designation are experienced in two of the three ways of combat—Martial, Magical, and Technological—but have not mastered them fully. They are often experts in their field of choice and are sent out to deal with monster infestations, dangerous artifacts, and to Hunt down those that prey on the innocent and/or unwary. Individuals of this rating are often somewhat well known in the regions they frequent most, but are more often the sort who have names or titles that you do not remember, despite you knowing who someone is talking about.

The most common contract rating, such contracts often include the hunting of more dangerous licentia and the rare magical beast. Individuals can be expected to enter zones containing multiple lesser hostile entities, animals, or magical phenomena. They can be expected to infiltrate locations of medium security such as prisons, and they are sometimes tasked to search for certain classes of magical artifacts which are not rare, but not common either. Contracts of this class, on average, pay $3500.

A

Containing the best of the best, most Hunters do not progress past this rating, yet despite this it is the second most common class. These individuals are drastically more experienced, infamous, and powerful than those of B class. They are capable of combating multiple experienced magi, or a single grandmaster mage. They are martially adept or highly trained with firearms and/or other magical weaponry. These individuals are typically very knowledgeable and they are common knowledge in most parts of the world, you probably know their titles, if not their names. These individuals are exceptional.

Contracts of this class are difficult and exceptionally dangerous. Only individuals of a high caliber, meaning some B class Hunters, and most A class, are allowed to take them. These involve rare artifacts capable of causing severe damage to an entire region, beings capable of devastating towns or cities—if given time or left to their own devices. It even includes missions that would take a Hunter outside of Medius though these are less common. These contracts often pay above $15000+

S

Where A class Hunters are infamous in their own right, it is those of S rank and beyond that truly everyone has heard of. When their names come up people pay attention, politicians make calls, and people make their jobs as easy as possible. These are people a cut above the rest. They are those who have been recognized by those of the SS class, who themselves were chosen by IHO's mysterious and enigmatic leader. Individuals of this rating are capable of handling three or four grandmaster magi, they are people with training in all three forms of combat, and they are those with access to a greater pool of resources than every hunter beneath them. These hunters, in most cases, have worked for the organization for over 30 years and, as proof of their dedication, are awarded this rank, which affords them access to the usually restricted second and third floors of IHO Regional Headquarters. There are less than 12 individuals of this rank at this time.[/cell][cell]While no contract designations exist beyond S class, contracts of this rank are essentially shared among the top three ranks of IHO, though some A rank individuals, or groups of A class Hunters, may be assigned contracts of this difficulty level. In essence, S class contracts involve threats that have the potential to do meaningful damage to cities or large towns or anything that goes beyond such a level.

An individual who submits a S class contract may—through the inclusion of certain details—request that a Hunter of S class rating or above take the job rather than someone else. Additionally, jobs of this threat level typically pay around 1.5 million or more depending on the Hunter(s) who take it and the resulting difficulty of the assigned tasks. More often than not, S class contracts are given to IHO by large businesses, organizations, or governments—though occasionally the exorbitantly rich.

SS

Individuals capable of almost unimaginable feats, Hunters of this class are chosen by the leader of IHO himself and are very few in number. In fact, it is said that there are less than 10 at current time. The identity of these Hunters is typically unknown, though their aliases are known worldwide by practically anyone who matters—and many on the lower rungs of society as well due to the magnitude of their work. Should one of these illusive individuals be assigned to a contract, you better hope that it wasn't to deal with you.

See S class.

SSS

Individuals who have risen through the ranks and reached the highest position in IHO's ranks, these Hunters are almost never seen active on contracts out in the world. Their aliases or names—to those few who might know them—elicit shivers and despite them not being recognized by their appearance or the like by the common folk, these are the sort of people that bedtime stories are told about—not that anyone knows those stories are about them. These individuals take their orders directly from IHO's elusive leader, and it is said that the leader of IHO is among their very small number. After all, there are only four people of this rank...or at least only four who are part of the organization.

See S class.


Discharge, Defection and Retirement
Due to the dangers of serving as a Hunter, any individual of any class is automatically enrolled in a retirement plan of sorts, mostly using a small measure of IHO's private funds to start an account for their members. This allows any Hunter, after serving for at least five to ten years, to live somewhat comfortable lives after their stressful time as Hunters of the organization. However, it should be noted that the higher the Hunter's class when they retire and/or the longer they remain active, the more luxurious their retirement tends to be. Additionally, Hunters may retire at any time after their first five to ten years, regardless of the laws of the country they decide to live in. Hunters are also afforded benefits for more or less the same reasons.

Beyond this there are only two other ways to leave the organization and they are known as Defection and Discharge. To be Discharged is to commit an offense to the Creed sufficient enough to revoke your license—either for a time or permanently—but not so severe as to require your incarceration. This often includes abuse of hunter privileges, resources, or rights in some way or the partial breaking of the Creed. Defection on the other hand is a far more serious offense and typically occurs when a Hunter makes the intentional decision to break the Creed, rendering them outlaws and criminals on the spot. These individuals may be hunted and captured, or outright killed with impunity. After all, one does not simply betray one's family and expect to walk away unscathed.

Beyond this it should be noted that even should a Hunter die in duty or turn against the organization, their families—should they have any—will be taken care of in their absence as IHO takes care of their own.

Purpose, Influence, and Political Standing
As may have been fairly clear, the International Hunter's Organization has a worldwide presence and is incredibly well integrated with the societies of almost every country on the planet. They are almost universally accepted as the best at what they do and that is to say protect the innocent, slay the deserving, and succeed at almost any task given to them. While the record of their individual Hunters are not flawless, theirs is and they have been monumentally useful in a number of global crises in the past not to mention having stopped their fair share from ever having happened—often without the knowledge of the public. As such, the words of higher class Hunters are more likely to be heeded than those of a politician in almost any matter. Furthermore, when IHO decides to throw its weight around, the world moves. Yet, one might be asking, how have they not become corrupted by such a level of global influence?

Well, I'd say, because when you serve everyone's interests to some degree and also protect the world from a threat long forgotten...it makes the minor struggles fall away, and the power worth it if only to keep everyone safe so that no one will ever have to fight what dwells under their watchful eyes again.

It should be noted that in the present day, IHO’s core Headquarters is located in Ominar’s Citadel.
 
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TIAMAT

T H E I N T E R N A T I O N A L A S S O C I A T I O N F O R M A G I C A L A D V A N C E M E N T A N D T R A I N I N G
T I A M A T​

Purpose & True Nature
On the surface, the mission statement of TIAMAT is simple: “Advance, spread, and police magic across the globe in the interest of bettering the lives of all humanity”. Beneath this purpose, however, is a motive that has been kept secret since the beginning of modern civilisation as we know it--two ancient organizations locked in a war to determine the ultimate fate of humanity’s magic.

These two organizations--the Order of Athriohm and Diffugium--exist to respectively contain and spread humanity’s access to its most valuable resource: magic. While TIAMAT does serve a vital and useful function in today's society in facilitating the education of new generations of mages, as well as tackling greater magical threats and advancing magical research; the organization, at its core, is nothing more than a front for the Order and Diffugium’s ancient conflict.​

Background

While none know it, TIAMAT has its origins slated in a much older and more ancient organization, one that is not only hidden from the public eye, but is not even a myth, having erased itself even from the history books. This secret society, known as the Order of Athriohm, dates back to a 1134 B.C during the time of Merlin. This Order has always possessed one purpose, and that is to safeguard humanity's ultimate strength, something they call the Art and the leading mage scholars of our age know as Unified Magic Theory, something which they have yet to verify the existence of. Yet, to the Order this is very much a reality, and its origin is simple. As the lore goes, a man known only as Athriohm, discovered not just magic, but a magic executed through the utilization of the patterns which govern existence, patterns even more intrinsic than those found in quantum physics. However, this knowledge was not passed down, though it was written...and hidden, presumably, by Athriohm himself. Only later in the time of King Arthur did Merlin and the dread witch Morgana le Fay discover the texts. It was then that a fracture occurred and so the Order was formed from Merlin's disciples, whereas Morgana founded an organization known as Diffugium. Since their founding these two organizations have been locked in an unseen war, one that, should either win, will shape the future of mankind.

Their fundamental conflict arises from Diffugium’s desire to share the Art with man, whereas the Order has deemed humanity too young and immature a species to wield such a powerful magic enmass.

Today this secret war is waged in the form of TIAMAT, which was founded in 1850, swiftly entering the public eye on 3 years after the Arcane Registry Initiative. This organization started small, but as magic spread within the ensuing years and the world adopted laws to deal with its rise to prominence, TIAMAT too was given purpose, rising to the occasion and becoming first the leading organization in Europe for the advancement of magical theory and practice, before spreading to Asia, Australia, and finally in 1868, to the Americas. Since then TIAMAT has grown into the most influential international organization associated with the betterment and spread of magic, and yet that ancient war is still wielded within its ranks as members of the Order and of Diffugium either reveal the Art, or cover it up, continuing the deadlock that has been ongoing for centuries. Perhaps one day one might triumph. Perhaps.

In the present day, TIAMAT has made its base of operations in Ominar. Erecting a building known as the Obelisk from which they conduct business as well as organize and maneuver their assets across the globe.

Power Structure
Lead by a joint council, TIAMAT possesses two empty positions at the top of its hierarchy, which exist only for states of emergency and are decided upon by each council electing one of the other council's members. Each council is made up of one-hundred members that cycle in and out of service depending on the occasion. These councilors hail from all around the world, with a focus on skill and knowledge in magic, administration, global, and local politics they are chosen from any number of countries, developing and otherwise. Often is it that these individuals are trained from a young age, though it is just as often that they are already well into their years, for TIAMAT has little in the ways of age requirement.

Below the joint council are the various districts, with a single district per government, which are further split into Local Offices, one per state, major city, greater area, or province. All District Chiefs take orders from the Joint Council, but also act to keep the standards for magical learning up to par in their given domain. Additionally, they watch over the legislative process to ensure that their region is policing magic as fairly as possible. These District Chiefs have a measure of political clout in their given area and are capable of vetoing or vetting laws or policies to an extent making them capable of being involved in the political processes of their given region.

Yet still below the District Chiefs are the lowest tier in the hierarchy of TIAMAT, known as Magistrates, these positions are typically held by knowledgeable mages. These Magistrates in turn lead the VENI, VIDI, and VICI--a veritable army of magi and anti-magic infantry--that they can deploy to handle more dangerous magical disputes or to assist local law enforcement in dealing with threats arcane. Beyond this they act as the eyes, ears, and hands of their betters.​



VENI

The Vis-Enhanced Negation and Intervention (VENI) team are the first responders in the case of any magical crime. Typically comprised of field agents trained in martial and magical combat, as well as specialist Hieroturgists, the VENI team are trained to neutralise any immediate magical threats with extreme prejudice and then hold them for questioning.

The VENI typically act in lieu of the normal police force whenever the use of magic is suspected within a crime. Other than their special training to effectively combat mages, VENI do not act terribly differently from a generic police officer (with the exception that they are tied to an international governmental body rather than a specific country or locale).

VENI receive the majority of their information on magical threats from VIDI.

If a magical threat is confirmed and pacified by VENI, standard protocol is to alert VICI who then take custody of the prisoner.

VIDI

The Vis Impropriety Detection Initiative (VIDI) is the team that monitors magical hotspots and confirms whether or not a crime falls under the jurisdiction of TIAMAT or the local government. VIDI utilise mages exceptionally skilled in scrying magic in order to constantly survey the natural vis ecology of an area and determine whether or not magic is being used illegally (either by virtue of being used to break the law or outright being magic that is restricted or illegal). VIDI also employ many mages skilled in psychotropy to interrogate individuals suspected of or implicated in committing magical crime. If VIDI positively identify an individual as having been complicit in breaking magical law, they hand them over to VICI.

VIDI also act as TIAMAT's covert operations, going undercover to infiltrate circles of dangerous mages in much the way that Confidential Informants do for regular crime.

VICI

The Vis Internment and Criminal Incapacitation (VICI) team own and are wholly responsible for the operation of magical prisons. They specialise in the detainment of individuals that are identified as dangerous, and employ a bevy of skilled mages to perform a wide variety of tasks relating to the detainment of rogue mages. VICI typically looks for mages skilled in hieroturgy, psychotropy, spatial manipulation, and enchantment.

VICI have one central magical prison, located in TIAMAT Headquarters on Ominar, that is heavily monitored by VICI and is where the most powerful of the captured magi are kept until TIAMAT sentences them (and potentially where they are kept after having been sentenced). Each country is also required to build one prison designated specifically for inmates with a MASS category of 4 and above, all of which are operated by VICI.

VICI do little in the way of field work, except when they are requested by VENI to ensure that a particularly dangerous individual is contained securely and safely.

Arcane Registry Initiative [ARI]

The Arcane Registry Initiative was the first and, by all accounts, the most influential act that TIAMAT have ever managed to achieve. TIAMAT created the Arcane Registry Initiative as a means of monitoring the use of magic, ensuring that adequate governmental channels could exist for magical research and education, and large-scale damage prevention. With support from IHO, who obtained a lucrative contract allowing them to conscript mages in times of crisis, the ARI was ratified and written into law in 1856.

In order to enforce the ARI, TIAMAT created a magical aptitude test known as the Magical Aptitude Stratification Scale (MASS) that could accurately determine the degree to which an individual is capable of using magic.

Every human with any level of identified magical ability is required to register with their local government. Upon successful registration, a unique identification number is assigned to the individual, and a sample of their vis is taken in order to trace their magical fingerprint. Individuals registered in this fashion are also required to have a yearly magical examination to determine the growth or regression of their magical abilities, as well as to offer a new sample of vis if their magical ability has significantly changed.

Individuals that are identified as having a MASS category of three or higher before the age of thirteen are not taken through the traditional education system, and are instead placed into a compulsory magical education programme until they are eighteen. Once they graduate from this, they are free to either pursue a mundane life without further refining their magical talents (which only happens very rarely, as the mundane world is typically suspicious of people with refined magical talent) or enrolling in one of several magical universities around the world to continue their studies.

In order to tackle magical crime, TIAMAT created three governmental bodies under the banner of the United Nations that have representation within every major country's police force: Vis-Enhanced Negation and Intervention (VENI); Vis Impropriety Discernment Initiative (VIDI); Vis Internment and Criminal Incapacitation (VICI).
 
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Inerva University

Inerva University is the foremost magical university in Medius, boasting the highest success rate of graduates and the lowest overall acceptance rate of any educational institution to date. Founded and lead by the mysterious Inerva, the university employs only the most accomplished lecturers in order to provide what is globally accepted as the golden standard of tuition. The school is exceptionally expensive, but offers many scholarships to those from disadvantaged backgrounds in order to foster truly exceptional magical talent. It is rare for the school to accept anyone under a MASS Index of 4, but occasionally prospective students with a lesser score who prove their drive to learn will be accepted. Inerva University is sometimes known colloquially as “The Harvard of Magic”.


Kasio Corp
Kasio Corp is the foremost pharmaceutical company in the world, responsible for catapulting humanity’s knowledge of anatomy and medicine forwards by several centuries. Founded by Maurice Kasio in (1821), they are responsible for many of the technological advancements for the medical industry. One of their most popular treatments is the use of nano machines to repair fatally damaged organs, or to help with amputation.

Victorious Inc.

Victorious Incorporated is the global leader in Potioncraft research and supplies, as well owning several subsidiary stores across the globe. Victorious Incorporated specialises in pharmacological research, how potions affect the body (and by extension how vis constructs affect the body), and in the procurement and creation of reagents and alchemical equipment. Their subsidiary stores--namely Victorious Secret in Ominar--sell all manner of potions and take requests for individual potions to be made. Victorious Incorporated deals with strictly above the board work--focusing almost exclusively on cosmetic and recreational potioncraft (though Nabriales is known to engage frequently in passion projects that result in interesting concoctions being developed and marketed).

Ferox Industries

Ferox Industries is the world's leading hunt-grade weapons manufacturer. They specialise in enchanted arms and armour, and provide affordable gear to would-be Hunters all across the globe. They have an exclusive contract with IHO for the provisioning of standard weaponry. Unlike many weapons manufacturers, Ferox Industries do not supply any non-magical weapons, and thanks to their connections with IHO and the Verisium Coalition are one of the few companies capable of producing Verisium weapons (which IHO frequently needs).

Camaz Ltd.

A market research firm that specializes in hard-to-source demographic information. Usually paid on the basis of commission by a variety of other companies, they also venture into journalism on a passion-project basis, and, moreover, act as info brokers for a great majority of private clients.

The Caligine Institute

The Caligine Institute are a firm specialising in psychotropic security. They provide exceptional security systems for clients who can afford the privilege, based on their patented psychic imprinting services. Below the board, the Caligine Institute conducts significant research into the human psyche and the more insidious uses of psychotropy and glamour magic. The Caligine Institute is also known for its bevy of so-called “Entry Consultants”, who specialise in mapping out, navigating, and disabling both conventional and magical security measures in rigorously controlled tests in order to determine the integrity of a building and its contents. Behind closed doors, the Institute is more than willing to lend out its staff to those with criminal intentions--as long as their strange requests can be accommodated and their prices afforded, they lend their expertise freely.

Verisium Coalition

Dedicated to the acquisition, manufacture and distribution of exotic materials, the Verisium Coalition is an international organization of frightening influence. Possessing a chokehold on exotic resources, the Coalition is in reality the public face for the not-so-public Avusahré Family. Furthermore, the Coalition is largely responsible for the production of some of the world’s most useful and common enchanted commodities, not to mention the rare and ludicrously valuable material, Verisium, hence their name. Essentially, if you’ve ever bought enchanted materials or items, you’ve dealt with the Coalition in one form or another.

Second Sun Analytics

While not a particularly specialized organization, Second Sun Analytics serves to gather, analyze, and redistribute useful data on a massive scale using both mundane and arcane methods. In addition to the aforementioned, Second Sun networks with a great many other organizations and corporations to facilitate the networking and communication in Ominar and abroad. As a result, SSA has become, over the years, the leading provider of data and--within the last two decades--internet access. Branching out to a more physical medium, SSA has also made significant investments into libraries, which has--more recently--lead to many libraries being merged under their mantle. Many organisations with lesser investments in computing outsource their analytics to SSA, which has resulted in them being almost universally connected throughout Ominar. Only extremely large corporations do not use their services wholesale, and even they occasionally commission private projects thanks to the company’s singular focus and astounding track record.


Nightveil Detective Agency

Perhaps the most renowned Detective Agency in Ominar, the NDA is paradoxically almost never spoken of, except in hushed whispers in dark corners. Spoken of almost exclusively behind closed doors, Nightveil is a difficult to locate organization that--on the surface--acts as a gathering of private investigators. However, beneath the surface, NDA is an organization whose focus is to gather and redistribute information. They are information brokers, plain and simple… if one can call such a business simple. As perhaps the best in the industry, Nightveil’s security and privacy leaves the information they gather and the information they spread unassailable, and every attempt thus far to breach their security and gain access to their information has met with not just failure, but horrible backlash.


The core nature of Nightveil is one shrouded in mystery, as is the way it functions. It is said that rather than finding them when you’re looking, they find you.


“You have found this place only because you were summoned. Pray that you are worthy of the invitation.” -- A plaque above the Nightveil Detective Agency

Serpentine Conglomerate

The Serpentine Conglomerate are a research and analytics committee devoted to unlocking the mysteries of Pylae. Thanks to their groundbreaking research into spatial manipulation, they are also the stewards of Ominar's various magical transportation systems. The Serpentine Conglomerate maintain all of Ominar's portal infrastructure, and are the only body authorised to perform large-scale teleportation in the world. They maintain the spatial integrity of Medius by ensuring that all teleportation and spatial manipulation is carefully governed, though in practice their reach only really extends to Ominar. The Serpentine Conglomerate can, in times of crisis, petition the UN for control over all spatial manipulation in Medius--though this has yet to happen in living memory.
 
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The Ply

The kings of wetwork. The Ply are a notorious Irish-origin gang notable for their simplicity and clarity of purpose: the Ply are here to get rich. To that end, the Ply utilize skills and tools from their everyday jobs, and consist--primarily--of working class folk. Known for their divide-and-conquer mentality, The Ply will often commit to a series of heists and work all of them at once, stretching police forces thin and raking in the cash by the millions. Run by Kady McIntyre, a human woman whose skill with glamour is hitherto unmatched, making her an incredibly difficult person to find, despite an entire dossier on public record.

Yokai Cabal
The final word in licentia crime. The Yokai Cabal is, as the name might imply, a Japanese organization that consists primarily of licentia whose forms often take homage from East Asiatic folklore, though most often the ghosts and specters of Japanese myth. Pointedly similar in structure to the Yakuza, the Cabal also pays homage to the heavy tattooing popularized by their antecedent with tattoos of their own, on top of a high degree of importance placed on being as visible in a crowd as possible. They’re known for their smash-and-grab jobs, their ruthless treatment of humans and prae, and, perhaps most of all, their willingness to be extremely identifiable. The Cabal is a very common scapegoat for police organizations, given their flagrancy and preference for violence. Run by Hoshiaru Ōmagatoki, a man whose reputation is matched only by his imposing figure.

FLL

Fraternity, Liberty, Larceny. Identified only by their creed, for the gang itself has no identifying characteristics nor rhyme or reason by which they select jobs or members. The FLL takes its members from all corners of the globe, and from all races. While they don’t really have a stake in Ominar’s underworld, they do act as a neutral party in disputes, and own the neutral grounds on which other gangs can meet without conflict. It’s suggested that the FLL originated in Canada, but the lack of information on how the gang is constructed and its defining characteristics have made that difficult to confirm. Known to employ Dr. Disquiet, a master hieroturge.


Cavendish Coven

The Coven is a notorious syndicate of witches and warlocks alike, magi on par with cultists in their zealotry and skill. The Coven doesn’t participate in regular crime; this human-run organization focuses solely on prae, and, moreover, attempting to break into Priscus. Why they want to invade Priscus is an enigma in and of itself, but it is certain that they are whittling away at the problem, one interrogated prae at a time. Known for the macabre method by which they dispose of their subjects, the Cavendish Coven is particularly known for their xenophobic tendencies. The Cavendish Coven is the West European branch of the Coven, and--for all intents and purposes--hold sway over the Coven’s Ominar operations. Run by Ysabelle Calcabrina the Black, a witch whose cunning is matched only by her patience.

The Service

If you’re willing to pay with artifacts, relics, and rarities, the Service is here for you. A worldwide gang that consists of only five members, it’s suggested that they have contacts within the Serpentine Conglomerate that allow them to perform jobs that no other mob could even pretend to undertake.


Their names are unknown, but their work isn’t. Every Service job ever performed has at least one or two forensic scholars picking apart just how it was done, and it is to that end that the Service, despite its small size, is a force to be reckoned with and spoken about with the same reverence and fear as the bogeyman.

Harli Speakeasy

Eat, drink, and be merry. The Speakeasy, run by Harli Kobeltraupe, is known for its den of debauchery hidden in the cityscape of Ominar, and acts as a thoroughfare not only for the little things--rare liquors and other such tincts--but for the substances both great and small, from incredibly rare potions to every drug and draught one could imagine. Specializing in the rarities, Harli Speakeasy is the foremost authority on hard-to-find ingredients for potioncraft, and, to that same end, Harli herself is a master alchemist and diviner. Often the first place a criminal will go to lay low, and the second place they’ll go to fence their wares. The Speakeasy is--by all accounts--technically above-board, and Harli herself is a well-regarded senator, unlike some of the other criminal elements.

Chalcedony Trading Company

The Chalcedony Trading Company is the first and foremost shipping company across the globe. Though the Serpentine Conglomerate is efficient for certain cargos, the CTC is still popular for their prompt and agile service, as well as their ability to run immense barges of freight with relative ease. Run by Beatrice Chalcedony, the company carries close ties across both the western and eastern seaboard, and is incredibly well-regarded. While the company is entirely family run, the Chalcedonies are known for their prolific adoption rate and… Perhaps entirely-too-common last name. Their freighters are often heavily enchanted, and Chalcedony enchanters are regarded as some of the best on the planet.

Ersatz

Esoteric, strange, and, above all, inhumane. The Ersatz is a licentia-run league of brainwashers and headshrinkers who steal away young licentia and cultivate them for extremely high profile jobs. Also known as Changelings, the Ersatz is characterized by their willingness to cripple and destroy the minds of their constituents for the sake of the perfect crime. Psychotropy is a common skill among the higher ranks, and their leader, the Wracklewrithe, is storied to have a horrid, unknowable form, and suggested to be an Eximius, though unconfirmed. The names come from their preference of planting one of their number in a relationship extremely close to their target, kidnapping and killing the original. They then slowly, carefully push their target to suicide, or, in the worst cases, assassinate the target using a variety of different methods that are a fair bit more direct.

House of Enigmas
A prestigious institution headed by the venerable Madame Riddle, this place is a haven for those who partake in the sex industry. Madame Riddle is known to actively police any and all sex trafficking in Ominar on her own, and brings to bear a terrible fury upon any who dare to cross her or break her rules. She, and her high class escorts, are a unionized sect that serve as anything from dates to formal galas, to sexual partners if the individual so desires to partake of such proclivities.

Critica Construction
Critica Construction is a global leader in the production of enchanted construction materials and construction efforts using said materials. They constructed many of the more prominent buildings in Ominar, and have major contracts in the UK, the USA, and the Bohemian Empire. Critica Construction are famed not only for the quality of their materials and labour, but also for their fiercely private and secretive nature--they employ several powerful magi capable of using glamours to hide their construction efforts, and have top-notch security to boot. Critica Construction are favoured strongly by the wealthy elite of the world who wish avoid notice in their construction projects.