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
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.
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
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.
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.
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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”.
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.