Captain Hesperus
Harbinger of the End Times and Apostle of Ghan
Ghoul
Ghoul-tree
Leviathan (juvenile)
Darkening Skies - Overview
- Thread starter Grey
- Start date
Ghoul
Ghoul-tree
Leviathan (juvenile)
Grey
Dialectical Hermeticist
The Pantheon
Also called The Old Way
HolyText: Song of the Sun
One of the most widespread religions in Imeria, with some variations between places, this relatively young church venerates a pantheon of complementary deities relevant to everyday life. It is practiced mostly by ordinary mortals. By this faith, a number of gods exist, the highest of whom is Ivarra, Goddess of the Sun, Sky, and Fertility, and her husband Degra Veen, God of the Earth, the Forge, and War.Their daughter is Litrys, Goddess of Luck, Weather, and the Wilds. Their son is Wotan, God of Death, Law, and Winter. In some places Wotan is actually the Judge of the Dead, and Talus, the Shepard of Souls is his agen tin theworld who ushers the honoured dead to their rest.
Generally this church preaches of balance, community, and good conduct, but hundreds of variation exist as people draw their own meaning from it.
The moons are also venerated, a single, shifting goddess of fate and prophecy whose name it does not do to use.
Creation Myth
In the beginning, there was the Sun and Earth. Degra Veen, lord of the Earth, fell in love with Ivarra, lady of the Sun. To earn her love, he forged the stars and scattered them over the sky. He shaped the world into something lovely for her to look upon, and she loved him for his works and dedication. He slew the terrible Dragon that chased her across the sky,and used it to fuel his forge deep with in the earth. Their first child, their daughter, Litrys, filled the world with life. Their second child, their son Wotan, filled the world with death. The two went to opposite ends of the world – she always in the daylight, hating her brother for ending her creations, for bringing order where she was chaos. Wotan stayed in the night and courted the moon, though she spurned him. His heart cooled, and where he walked the winter came with him. Infuriated by their quarrel, Degra Veen struck them both, and where their blood fell, and mixed, a new clay was formed in the earth. Ivarra, angered that Degra Veen would strike their children, sent him to his forge until her temper could cool. He brought the new clay with him, and used it to forge the First Men.
“Go into the sun, and bring my forgiveness of my children with you. Love them as I could not. Love my wife, and tell her I amsorry.” He taught them the magic of the forge, and sent them forth. And so the FirstMen emerged into the world, in wonder. They spoke with Litrys, who taught them about the animals and the plants, and about the weatherand seas. They combined this knowledge with their magic of the forge, and invented art.They spoke next to Wotan, when night fell, and he taught them of law and of death. They combined this knowledge with the magic of the forge, and made kingdoms, and swords, and battle.
And the moon laughed at them, for being so like him, and yet not.
Ivarra lookedupon their works, and Litrys did so too, and wept. “Mother, they will die and be no more. Please, save them!”
And Ivarra took pity on the FirstMen, and took their finest artists, and changed them, put her fire inside them, and gave them to Litrys saying;
“Those below are like your father and your brother. These must be as we are.”
And Litrys touched those chosen with her power, and the First Women were made.
So it is, and shall be.
Also called The Old Way
HolyText: Song of the Sun
One of the most widespread religions in Imeria, with some variations between places, this relatively young church venerates a pantheon of complementary deities relevant to everyday life. It is practiced mostly by ordinary mortals. By this faith, a number of gods exist, the highest of whom is Ivarra, Goddess of the Sun, Sky, and Fertility, and her husband Degra Veen, God of the Earth, the Forge, and War.Their daughter is Litrys, Goddess of Luck, Weather, and the Wilds. Their son is Wotan, God of Death, Law, and Winter. In some places Wotan is actually the Judge of the Dead, and Talus, the Shepard of Souls is his agen tin theworld who ushers the honoured dead to their rest.
Generally this church preaches of balance, community, and good conduct, but hundreds of variation exist as people draw their own meaning from it.
The moons are also venerated, a single, shifting goddess of fate and prophecy whose name it does not do to use.
Creation Myth
In the beginning, there was the Sun and Earth. Degra Veen, lord of the Earth, fell in love with Ivarra, lady of the Sun. To earn her love, he forged the stars and scattered them over the sky. He shaped the world into something lovely for her to look upon, and she loved him for his works and dedication. He slew the terrible Dragon that chased her across the sky,and used it to fuel his forge deep with in the earth. Their first child, their daughter, Litrys, filled the world with life. Their second child, their son Wotan, filled the world with death. The two went to opposite ends of the world – she always in the daylight, hating her brother for ending her creations, for bringing order where she was chaos. Wotan stayed in the night and courted the moon, though she spurned him. His heart cooled, and where he walked the winter came with him. Infuriated by their quarrel, Degra Veen struck them both, and where their blood fell, and mixed, a new clay was formed in the earth. Ivarra, angered that Degra Veen would strike their children, sent him to his forge until her temper could cool. He brought the new clay with him, and used it to forge the First Men.
“Go into the sun, and bring my forgiveness of my children with you. Love them as I could not. Love my wife, and tell her I amsorry.” He taught them the magic of the forge, and sent them forth. And so the FirstMen emerged into the world, in wonder. They spoke with Litrys, who taught them about the animals and the plants, and about the weatherand seas. They combined this knowledge with their magic of the forge, and invented art.They spoke next to Wotan, when night fell, and he taught them of law and of death. They combined this knowledge with the magic of the forge, and made kingdoms, and swords, and battle.
And the moon laughed at them, for being so like him, and yet not.
Ivarra lookedupon their works, and Litrys did so too, and wept. “Mother, they will die and be no more. Please, save them!”
And Ivarra took pity on the FirstMen, and took their finest artists, and changed them, put her fire inside them, and gave them to Litrys saying;
“Those below are like your father and your brother. These must be as we are.”
And Litrys touched those chosen with her power, and the First Women were made.
So it is, and shall be.
Grey
Dialectical Hermeticist
The True Church of Degra Veen
The Venic Church, The Church, His House
Holy Text: Tome of the Earth Father
The Church of Degra Veen is the newest religion in Imeria. The most ambitious, one of the most powerful, and somewhat secretive. The priests of this church view themselves as Smiths of Men and are part of a careful effort at social engineering. This church reveres Degra Veen as the creator of mankind and the one true god, gradually pushing the other deities from the pantheon. Some lip service is still paid, but that is being carefully phased out. The church preaches that humans are the true inheritors of the world, and that non-humans - especially Scions - are the children of the Dragon. Even rats are only permitted as long as they remain subservient to humans.
For the Church, the place of women is in the home and in service to their husbands. Children should obey their fathers. Theft, adultery, and murder are prohibited. In general, the faith exhorts the faithful to do good by their fellow man, but the commandments of the Earth Father are more often followed to the letter rather than the spirit. It also paints Magic as the result of trafficking with evil spirits.
Homosexuality and premartial sex arealso treated as sinful when anyone deigns to notice them.
It is, however, one of the few religions to exhort good deeds and atonement as a measure of piety. Many other faiths tend towards exile, harsh punishments, and curses for immorality - the Venic Church is the only one to preach forgiveness over ostracism, atonement over exile. Many redeemed criminals form its priesthood, people who sought a second chance and the opportunity to do good.
Churches of Degra Veen are always made of stone, with an Obelisk where one might expect an altar. A small alcove with an equally diminuitive shrine to Ivarra can often be found in the left wall of the main hall in most churches.
Creation Myth
In the beginning, Degra Veen made the Heavens and set the stars upon them. For a time, all was good. But there came a terrible beast from the darkness between stars, the Great Dragon which sought to destroy the vaults of Heaven and cast down the stars. Degra Veen slew the Dragon, and used its burning heart to fuel his forge. He built a world from its bones, the earth with its flesh, and cleansed its blood to make the seas.
Thus was the world made, and Degra Veen set his wife as the sun over it to watch the fields and forests that were beginning to grow. He retired to his forge deep within the world, where he built great halls and manses, and began work on his masterpiece.
From earth and iron, he forged his sons, the first Men. To them he gave dominion over the surface of the world and made them wives from salt and wood as he had his own.
But the Spirit of the Dragon had not passed, and as Degra Veen toiled in his forge to make wonders upon the world, the Children of the Dragon, bred in secret, seduced the first Men and their wives. And the children of this union were the Magi, who made terrible sorceries with their joined blood and spirit.
Degra Veen, in anguish and anger, denied Men entry to his halls, and declared these Magi anathema. Only those who lived lives of virtue and piety, and died, might return unto Him purified of their sins.
The Venic Church, The Church, His House
Holy Text: Tome of the Earth Father
The Church of Degra Veen is the newest religion in Imeria. The most ambitious, one of the most powerful, and somewhat secretive. The priests of this church view themselves as Smiths of Men and are part of a careful effort at social engineering. This church reveres Degra Veen as the creator of mankind and the one true god, gradually pushing the other deities from the pantheon. Some lip service is still paid, but that is being carefully phased out. The church preaches that humans are the true inheritors of the world, and that non-humans - especially Scions - are the children of the Dragon. Even rats are only permitted as long as they remain subservient to humans.
For the Church, the place of women is in the home and in service to their husbands. Children should obey their fathers. Theft, adultery, and murder are prohibited. In general, the faith exhorts the faithful to do good by their fellow man, but the commandments of the Earth Father are more often followed to the letter rather than the spirit. It also paints Magic as the result of trafficking with evil spirits.
Homosexuality and premartial sex arealso treated as sinful when anyone deigns to notice them.
It is, however, one of the few religions to exhort good deeds and atonement as a measure of piety. Many other faiths tend towards exile, harsh punishments, and curses for immorality - the Venic Church is the only one to preach forgiveness over ostracism, atonement over exile. Many redeemed criminals form its priesthood, people who sought a second chance and the opportunity to do good.
Churches of Degra Veen are always made of stone, with an Obelisk where one might expect an altar. A small alcove with an equally diminuitive shrine to Ivarra can often be found in the left wall of the main hall in most churches.
Creation Myth
In the beginning, Degra Veen made the Heavens and set the stars upon them. For a time, all was good. But there came a terrible beast from the darkness between stars, the Great Dragon which sought to destroy the vaults of Heaven and cast down the stars. Degra Veen slew the Dragon, and used its burning heart to fuel his forge. He built a world from its bones, the earth with its flesh, and cleansed its blood to make the seas.
Thus was the world made, and Degra Veen set his wife as the sun over it to watch the fields and forests that were beginning to grow. He retired to his forge deep within the world, where he built great halls and manses, and began work on his masterpiece.
From earth and iron, he forged his sons, the first Men. To them he gave dominion over the surface of the world and made them wives from salt and wood as he had his own.
But the Spirit of the Dragon had not passed, and as Degra Veen toiled in his forge to make wonders upon the world, the Children of the Dragon, bred in secret, seduced the first Men and their wives. And the children of this union were the Magi, who made terrible sorceries with their joined blood and spirit.
Degra Veen, in anguish and anger, denied Men entry to his halls, and declared these Magi anathema. Only those who lived lives of virtue and piety, and died, might return unto Him purified of their sins.
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Grey
Dialectical Hermeticist
The First Enlightenment – The Wrath of the Ancients
The First Enlightenment is an understanding and appreciation of the Principles that govern the world, an internalisation of those interconnections and influences on the spin and sway of all things.
From this comes the most simple, but most potent and ubiquitous of Eotran Martial Arts – The Wrath of the Ancients Style.
A balanced and efficient style, Wrath of the Ancients employs very specific weapons – the Blessed Dagger and Blessed Sword, forged from the bones of the murdered god and able to grievously wound Vampires. Only these weapons grant the power of this enlightenment, as they act as a channel for the gods' favour, their recognition of the wielder's comprehension.
The Enlightenment of Galathas – Storm of Fire
Creation and destruction are inseperable. In order to create anew and prevent stagnation, there must be a cleansing. The very motion of life is the twinned act of birth and death, the twirl and pulse of the cosmos burns away and burns to be. The cycle is silence, and song, and cacophony, and silence. As the impurity and the degredation increase, the ire of the Fire Dragon rises, and in furious anger all is laid waste. From the ashes, a meadow grows.
There is beauty and terror in the conflagration. One must understand the love of doom, and the love of ascendance. One must understand fury, the basalt-cool and earthcore heat. The ebb and flow, rise and fall.
Singularity of being through duality of action.
The Enlightenment of Adjukant – Vengeful Dragon Style
The highest Principle is Eternity. All things descend from the realisation of infinite scope and ultimate power. Defiance is the prerogative of the royal, the ruling, the noble, yet nobility is not a gift of birth but a realisation of potentiality. A ruling king sees his equal in no other, or he rules nothing. One must always be greater, and always defiant of that which would cast down one's works and ambitions. Yet subtlety is key, for a deliberate rebellion will break any like a wave against the shores of eternity. One must be at once of regal aspect and humble demeanour, that those with ambitions to rule you will strike in jealousy and disrespect – and as they do so, be punished for such temerity by the very fact of your being.
The Enlightenment of Virdina – Sword of Heaven Style
Ambition is a self-fulfilling prophecy, and you are the prophet of your glory, and of Virdina's Light. As Eotre himself fought, you fight – a beacon of hope and inspiration, a warrior without peer against whom darkness cannot stand. The struggle for enlightenment betters you, and may teach those around you to better themselves, but it is a goal one must attain alone. There are many stars in the sky, but only one sun.
The Enlightenment of The Bitter Wind – Mirthless Whistling Wind Style
Strength in suffering. There are many interpretation of that truth. Those who feel the greatest affinity for the Bitter Wind – whose name is never to be spoken lest her terrible attentions befall you – argue that strength is suffering. That hardship is like a whetstone, like a knife, carving away the weakness of the soul until only the immutable core remains pure and unbreakable. Only by suffering can one understand respite, only in the depths of despair can hope taste sweetest.
The Enlightenment of Rion – Harmony of Creation Style
All things are one. Rion sacrificed itself in forging the world, and in this way bound all things together. Everything acts in harmony, all things touch upon all else. Creation is a song with every step and drop and stone a note in the symphony. Adherents of Rion embrace this philosophy wholeheartedly, having a bent toward signs, omens, and connections. They take nothing for granted, dismiss no event as pure coicidence. Most, at least, wait for an occult signifier before attaching much to an event, but one or two exist in a constant state of paranoid observation, consulting the Deck of Names twice a day.
The Enlightenment of Kelijak – Iron Warrior Style
Kelijak is the constructor and integrator. His aspects include protection and endurance, and his adherents take these aspects to heart. Iron Warriors are by nature reserved, but courageous and principled. They will often put themselves at risk to protect others, but at the same time can seem almost callous in their requests of allies – they emphasize the importance of the whole in practical terms and often serve as a cool-headed voice reason who recognizes hierarchy and the roles of individuals as part of a larger whole.
The Enlightenment of Jura – Fang & Talon Style
Nature is red in tooth and claw, and Jura's enlightenment teaches no differently. All things strive to be – not to some ideal, not to improve, but to survive and express their personal legend. Fang & Talon practitioners are intense, idiosyncratic people who embrace their appetites with gusto and do not shy away from violence. This style allows some variations- some Fang & Talon stylists are more cunning and prefer ambush tactics, while others fight in a bestial fury like an enraged bear. Adherents of Jura are some of the rarest Monks, and among the least likely to directly assist people when the opportunity to help them better themselves presents itself.
The Enlightenment of Saganas – Falling Star Style
Saganas is called Planeshaper and Stagemaster, the architect of the firmament. Saganas' enlightenment is about timing and position. Understanding the interrelationships of things in a less spiritual and holistic manner than Rion. Position, movement, angles and distances, the restrictions and advantages of the environment.
The Enlightenment of Mytherion
All Things End. The ominous words spoken at the birth of the Void-Dragon inform this philosophy as much as his Principle. Like a dark mirror of his peers, Mytherion’s wisdom is to destroy so that they are given meaning, impetus, closure. Galathas’s cycle requires a period of quiescence. Jura requires the opposition of Death. Even Adjukant requires the reminder that his works may be cast down, even if he is eternal. True adherents of this Enlightenment were lost during the Night War, and so none remains to teach it.
The Enlightenment of Hune
Hune is order and judgement. Hune is definition and control. Yet Hune is also chaos and disorder. Hune is the paradox of stability and function in a world ruled by chance and uncertainty. Hune’s Enlightenment fell out of favour for this reason - it is difficult for the mortal mind to comprehend, as it demands they remain nothing until they choose to become something, a kind of emptiness that can be filled at any instant with absolute precision. It is akin to being both enraged and overjoyed, and yet neither, until one state or the other has been judged as ideal and thus adopted fully.
The Enlightenment of Querene
Querene is the origin of thought, and speaks of knowledge as the truest power. It speaks of the body as an extension of the mind, a tool to be used and ideally, discarded. One must externalize their thoughts, and forge their mind into a weapon. Their will and mind must act as one and independently, no longer constrained by the flesh.
The Enlightenment of Koranas
This is perhaps the most internalized philosophy of the Eotran religion. It is about attaining a wholeness of self; a perfect understanding of oneself in every aspect. It requires dramatic actions; to go into battle, or greet a lover, speaking with friends. Afterwards, the adherent will spend hours in contemplation, analyzing their every action, seeking to understand why they struck a blow, or why they kissed then, or why they spoke that word. Similarly to Hune’s enlightenment, this philosophy ultimately is about the correct action.
The First Enlightenment is an understanding and appreciation of the Principles that govern the world, an internalisation of those interconnections and influences on the spin and sway of all things.
From this comes the most simple, but most potent and ubiquitous of Eotran Martial Arts – The Wrath of the Ancients Style.
A balanced and efficient style, Wrath of the Ancients employs very specific weapons – the Blessed Dagger and Blessed Sword, forged from the bones of the murdered god and able to grievously wound Vampires. Only these weapons grant the power of this enlightenment, as they act as a channel for the gods' favour, their recognition of the wielder's comprehension.
The Enlightenment of Galathas – Storm of Fire
Creation and destruction are inseperable. In order to create anew and prevent stagnation, there must be a cleansing. The very motion of life is the twinned act of birth and death, the twirl and pulse of the cosmos burns away and burns to be. The cycle is silence, and song, and cacophony, and silence. As the impurity and the degredation increase, the ire of the Fire Dragon rises, and in furious anger all is laid waste. From the ashes, a meadow grows.
There is beauty and terror in the conflagration. One must understand the love of doom, and the love of ascendance. One must understand fury, the basalt-cool and earthcore heat. The ebb and flow, rise and fall.
Singularity of being through duality of action.
The Enlightenment of Adjukant – Vengeful Dragon Style
The highest Principle is Eternity. All things descend from the realisation of infinite scope and ultimate power. Defiance is the prerogative of the royal, the ruling, the noble, yet nobility is not a gift of birth but a realisation of potentiality. A ruling king sees his equal in no other, or he rules nothing. One must always be greater, and always defiant of that which would cast down one's works and ambitions. Yet subtlety is key, for a deliberate rebellion will break any like a wave against the shores of eternity. One must be at once of regal aspect and humble demeanour, that those with ambitions to rule you will strike in jealousy and disrespect – and as they do so, be punished for such temerity by the very fact of your being.
The Enlightenment of Virdina – Sword of Heaven Style
Ambition is a self-fulfilling prophecy, and you are the prophet of your glory, and of Virdina's Light. As Eotre himself fought, you fight – a beacon of hope and inspiration, a warrior without peer against whom darkness cannot stand. The struggle for enlightenment betters you, and may teach those around you to better themselves, but it is a goal one must attain alone. There are many stars in the sky, but only one sun.
The Enlightenment of The Bitter Wind – Mirthless Whistling Wind Style
Strength in suffering. There are many interpretation of that truth. Those who feel the greatest affinity for the Bitter Wind – whose name is never to be spoken lest her terrible attentions befall you – argue that strength is suffering. That hardship is like a whetstone, like a knife, carving away the weakness of the soul until only the immutable core remains pure and unbreakable. Only by suffering can one understand respite, only in the depths of despair can hope taste sweetest.
The Enlightenment of Rion – Harmony of Creation Style
All things are one. Rion sacrificed itself in forging the world, and in this way bound all things together. Everything acts in harmony, all things touch upon all else. Creation is a song with every step and drop and stone a note in the symphony. Adherents of Rion embrace this philosophy wholeheartedly, having a bent toward signs, omens, and connections. They take nothing for granted, dismiss no event as pure coicidence. Most, at least, wait for an occult signifier before attaching much to an event, but one or two exist in a constant state of paranoid observation, consulting the Deck of Names twice a day.
The Enlightenment of Kelijak – Iron Warrior Style
Kelijak is the constructor and integrator. His aspects include protection and endurance, and his adherents take these aspects to heart. Iron Warriors are by nature reserved, but courageous and principled. They will often put themselves at risk to protect others, but at the same time can seem almost callous in their requests of allies – they emphasize the importance of the whole in practical terms and often serve as a cool-headed voice reason who recognizes hierarchy and the roles of individuals as part of a larger whole.
The Enlightenment of Jura – Fang & Talon Style
Nature is red in tooth and claw, and Jura's enlightenment teaches no differently. All things strive to be – not to some ideal, not to improve, but to survive and express their personal legend. Fang & Talon practitioners are intense, idiosyncratic people who embrace their appetites with gusto and do not shy away from violence. This style allows some variations- some Fang & Talon stylists are more cunning and prefer ambush tactics, while others fight in a bestial fury like an enraged bear. Adherents of Jura are some of the rarest Monks, and among the least likely to directly assist people when the opportunity to help them better themselves presents itself.
The Enlightenment of Saganas – Falling Star Style
Saganas is called Planeshaper and Stagemaster, the architect of the firmament. Saganas' enlightenment is about timing and position. Understanding the interrelationships of things in a less spiritual and holistic manner than Rion. Position, movement, angles and distances, the restrictions and advantages of the environment.
The Enlightenment of Mytherion
All Things End. The ominous words spoken at the birth of the Void-Dragon inform this philosophy as much as his Principle. Like a dark mirror of his peers, Mytherion’s wisdom is to destroy so that they are given meaning, impetus, closure. Galathas’s cycle requires a period of quiescence. Jura requires the opposition of Death. Even Adjukant requires the reminder that his works may be cast down, even if he is eternal. True adherents of this Enlightenment were lost during the Night War, and so none remains to teach it.
The Enlightenment of Hune
Hune is order and judgement. Hune is definition and control. Yet Hune is also chaos and disorder. Hune is the paradox of stability and function in a world ruled by chance and uncertainty. Hune’s Enlightenment fell out of favour for this reason - it is difficult for the mortal mind to comprehend, as it demands they remain nothing until they choose to become something, a kind of emptiness that can be filled at any instant with absolute precision. It is akin to being both enraged and overjoyed, and yet neither, until one state or the other has been judged as ideal and thus adopted fully.
The Enlightenment of Querene
Querene is the origin of thought, and speaks of knowledge as the truest power. It speaks of the body as an extension of the mind, a tool to be used and ideally, discarded. One must externalize their thoughts, and forge their mind into a weapon. Their will and mind must act as one and independently, no longer constrained by the flesh.
The Enlightenment of Koranas
This is perhaps the most internalized philosophy of the Eotran religion. It is about attaining a wholeness of self; a perfect understanding of oneself in every aspect. It requires dramatic actions; to go into battle, or greet a lover, speaking with friends. Afterwards, the adherent will spend hours in contemplation, analyzing their every action, seeking to understand why they struck a blow, or why they kissed then, or why they spoke that word. Similarly to Hune’s enlightenment, this philosophy ultimately is about the correct action.
Grey
Dialectical Hermeticist
Spellbook: Communion
Pattern of the Silver Tree, Blood of Life, Roots oft he World
Mystical Associations: Jura, sex, woodlands, hunting, conflict, health, Demons of the Fifth Circle, claws.
Associated Materials: Bone, blood, pearl.
Communers are vibrant, impulsive, savage Magi. Hedonists to a fault, prolific lovers and parents, volatile, reactive, Communers embody the red teeth and claws of nature. While they enjoy their peace and serenity, and simple pleasures, Communers are driven by a lust for life and flagrant disregard for their own wellbeing. Communers develop a strong sense of self – important to people who might change their face more often than their clothes. Communers are hard to miss and tend to lead by example, fiercely loyal to their friends and loved ones. A Communer and their family may resemble a pack or herd more than anything else. Communers do share a strong will to power, though, and will almost instinctively fight for dominance. Communers are often the least intellectual of Magi.
Invocations of the SilverTree
A Communer can, at first, bolster only themselves – healing wounds rapidly, fending off illness with ease, boosting their physical attributes or growing new and versatile limbs.
Evocations ofLife
At this Coil, the Communer is a masterful healer, able to reshape themselves or allies temporarily, and perform feats of superhuman physical prowess.
Weaving Lives
At this Coil, the true power of the Communer becomes apparent. They are nigh-invulnerable, able to resculpt their bodies into perfect or alien forms, and inflict miraculous blessings or terrible ailments on others. Their true power, however, lies in Animation.
There are no Enchantments of the Silver Tree.
Animations of the Silver Tree are living things. Always. It takes a more powerful Communer to create true, breeding creatures, but all Communers tend to create servitor-beasts, living tools and weapons, pets and machines. In place of Enchantments, Communers tend to produce implants or symbiotic creatures to improve living beings.
Weaving life only requires other Magi when a Communer needs to imbue them with properties of other Patterns – and even then, a Communer is a force unto themselves at the highest Coils. Examples include calling upon a Stormlord to help create a unicorn with lightning flashing from it's horn and hooves.
Pattern of the Silver Tree, Blood of Life, Roots oft he World
Mystical Associations: Jura, sex, woodlands, hunting, conflict, health, Demons of the Fifth Circle, claws.
Associated Materials: Bone, blood, pearl.
Communers are vibrant, impulsive, savage Magi. Hedonists to a fault, prolific lovers and parents, volatile, reactive, Communers embody the red teeth and claws of nature. While they enjoy their peace and serenity, and simple pleasures, Communers are driven by a lust for life and flagrant disregard for their own wellbeing. Communers develop a strong sense of self – important to people who might change their face more often than their clothes. Communers are hard to miss and tend to lead by example, fiercely loyal to their friends and loved ones. A Communer and their family may resemble a pack or herd more than anything else. Communers do share a strong will to power, though, and will almost instinctively fight for dominance. Communers are often the least intellectual of Magi.
Invocations of the SilverTree
A Communer can, at first, bolster only themselves – healing wounds rapidly, fending off illness with ease, boosting their physical attributes or growing new and versatile limbs.
Evocations ofLife
At this Coil, the Communer is a masterful healer, able to reshape themselves or allies temporarily, and perform feats of superhuman physical prowess.
Weaving Lives
At this Coil, the true power of the Communer becomes apparent. They are nigh-invulnerable, able to resculpt their bodies into perfect or alien forms, and inflict miraculous blessings or terrible ailments on others. Their true power, however, lies in Animation.
There are no Enchantments of the Silver Tree.
Animations of the Silver Tree are living things. Always. It takes a more powerful Communer to create true, breeding creatures, but all Communers tend to create servitor-beasts, living tools and weapons, pets and machines. In place of Enchantments, Communers tend to produce implants or symbiotic creatures to improve living beings.
Weaving life only requires other Magi when a Communer needs to imbue them with properties of other Patterns – and even then, a Communer is a force unto themselves at the highest Coils. Examples include calling upon a Stormlord to help create a unicorn with lightning flashing from it's horn and hooves.
Grey
Dialectical Hermeticist
The Cult of Vasnok
An isolated cult, primarily based at the Iron Tower.
Creation Myth
In the beginning, the gods ruled the world, ephemeral and spectral, removed from the world and unable to touch upon the physical. First, the gods created man to worship them, and fuel their petty wars and cruelties. Man was weak, however, and mortal. Thus the gods created Vasnok, the Creator, She Whose Womb Bears Wonders. Flesh and bone with a spark of the divine, the Living God combined the essence of a deity with physical being.
It is the way of all things in nature to increase, and so Vasnok gave birth to Her children; the Vampires. The gods grew jealous and fearful, cursing Her children with a thirst for blood.
And so Vasnok was driven into hiding, along with Her children and mortal followers, and She became The Dark, That Which Hunts The Unrighteous On Umbral Wings, a keeper of secrets and hidden knowledge. The dark became sacred, a place for Its followers to hide from the searing light of the cruel gods who would destroy them, where It could come in stealth and secret to save them.
Over generations, with sacrifice and aid, It went into a slumber to prepare for vengeance.
Its Cult hid from those who would destroy them, Her children shunned the sun and the light.
At last, Vasnok took on the mantle of Destroyer, That Which Scours The World-Canvas, to cleanse the world and remake it as a paradise. Leading the armies of the faithful, Vasnok slaughtered the gods and tore down heaven brick by brick. Alas, wounded by their cursed weapons, Vasnok weakened, leaving to slumber and recover. His surviving children became His priests, preaching and protecting Him, and still further protected by faithful mortals, their numbers reduced to a handful and exiled to a distant peninsula to escape the remaining servants of the gods, those humans made cold and hateful to the Cult of Vasnok.
The mortal progeny of Her priesthood are now the families of the Twilight Caste, the Savaan, Those Closest To God, warrior-priests, citizen-soldiers, the paladins of the Living God. The interstice between mortal and Vampire, more than human – stronger, faster, tougher, smarter, and more beauteous than mere mortals.
As such, the task is given unto them of protecting and advancing the servants of the Living God, for they are the only ones strong enough to do so.
Children of Twilight
At their birth, the placenta of the Twilight Caste is taken to the Citadel, where the priests will work sorceries and rituals upon it for fifteen years.
In this time, the Twilight Caste are divided – some are born with a fragment of Her divine power, taken to be trained as Surgeons. The rest become Twilight Guard. All are taught to read, and write, and other such useful skills. All are taught the tenets of the faith and the duty that they must fulfill. At the age of 12, the Guard begin their martial studies, trained in vicious martial arts styles, educated in warfare and leadership. At 15, they are symbiotically bonded with living armour of flesh and bone forged from their placenta. At 20, they take up their duties as priests, preachers, missionaries, and soldiers. Their peers, the Twilight Surgeons, are trained to use their powers of flesh-sculpting to become excellent doctors and are taught to concoct deadly toxins. Both are imbued with Gifts of the Living God, magical, living weapons and tools from extra hearts to tooth-spitting weapons.
They fight to protect the mortals under their care, to convert the heathens to His worship, and strike down the blasphemers who would dare to defy His will.
An isolated cult, primarily based at the Iron Tower.
Creation Myth
In the beginning, the gods ruled the world, ephemeral and spectral, removed from the world and unable to touch upon the physical. First, the gods created man to worship them, and fuel their petty wars and cruelties. Man was weak, however, and mortal. Thus the gods created Vasnok, the Creator, She Whose Womb Bears Wonders. Flesh and bone with a spark of the divine, the Living God combined the essence of a deity with physical being.
It is the way of all things in nature to increase, and so Vasnok gave birth to Her children; the Vampires. The gods grew jealous and fearful, cursing Her children with a thirst for blood.
And so Vasnok was driven into hiding, along with Her children and mortal followers, and She became The Dark, That Which Hunts The Unrighteous On Umbral Wings, a keeper of secrets and hidden knowledge. The dark became sacred, a place for Its followers to hide from the searing light of the cruel gods who would destroy them, where It could come in stealth and secret to save them.
Over generations, with sacrifice and aid, It went into a slumber to prepare for vengeance.
Its Cult hid from those who would destroy them, Her children shunned the sun and the light.
At last, Vasnok took on the mantle of Destroyer, That Which Scours The World-Canvas, to cleanse the world and remake it as a paradise. Leading the armies of the faithful, Vasnok slaughtered the gods and tore down heaven brick by brick. Alas, wounded by their cursed weapons, Vasnok weakened, leaving to slumber and recover. His surviving children became His priests, preaching and protecting Him, and still further protected by faithful mortals, their numbers reduced to a handful and exiled to a distant peninsula to escape the remaining servants of the gods, those humans made cold and hateful to the Cult of Vasnok.
The mortal progeny of Her priesthood are now the families of the Twilight Caste, the Savaan, Those Closest To God, warrior-priests, citizen-soldiers, the paladins of the Living God. The interstice between mortal and Vampire, more than human – stronger, faster, tougher, smarter, and more beauteous than mere mortals.
As such, the task is given unto them of protecting and advancing the servants of the Living God, for they are the only ones strong enough to do so.
Children of Twilight
At their birth, the placenta of the Twilight Caste is taken to the Citadel, where the priests will work sorceries and rituals upon it for fifteen years.
In this time, the Twilight Caste are divided – some are born with a fragment of Her divine power, taken to be trained as Surgeons. The rest become Twilight Guard. All are taught to read, and write, and other such useful skills. All are taught the tenets of the faith and the duty that they must fulfill. At the age of 12, the Guard begin their martial studies, trained in vicious martial arts styles, educated in warfare and leadership. At 15, they are symbiotically bonded with living armour of flesh and bone forged from their placenta. At 20, they take up their duties as priests, preachers, missionaries, and soldiers. Their peers, the Twilight Surgeons, are trained to use their powers of flesh-sculpting to become excellent doctors and are taught to concoct deadly toxins. Both are imbued with Gifts of the Living God, magical, living weapons and tools from extra hearts to tooth-spitting weapons.
They fight to protect the mortals under their care, to convert the heathens to His worship, and strike down the blasphemers who would dare to defy His will.
Last edited by a moderator:
Grey
Dialectical Hermeticist
Trauma
Suggested by a playtester a ways back, I've been contemplating A) Why this should be included, and B) How to include it. I've thought of a method, but it will take more testing to determine if it works and more importantly, feels appropriate. The current plan is thus:
- If damage on a single attack exceeds the victim's Soak x2, or removes a limb, the victim goes into Shock. They can take only one, non-violent action per round at a -4 penalty. At the end of the combat (to preserve flow), they roll Willpower/11 (maybe Composure will be involved instead). Success applies the Shaken condition; the character suffers a -2 die penalty until they spend two weeks without combat in a secure location. Failure leads to Trauma - a Phobia, Hatred, Fixation, or Catatonia. These same rules apply to Fear rolls against monsters, but always apply a Phobia when failed. Characters can also suffer Trauma by witnessing violence. If a character sees a friend or ally suffer as severe a wound as above, or sees them slain by a terrible monster, or violated in some way (mutated by a Communer, implanted by a Mermaid, Tainted by a Demon) they must immediately roll Willpower/9-11 at Historian's discretion. Success leaves them Shaken, failure can cause a Phobia, but is more likely to cause a Hatred or Fixation.
- Phobias are straightforward -3 die penalties to any action except fleeing the object of the Phobia, which is at -1. If the character cannot see a means of escape, they will lash out defensively. While this reaction to violence is less of a Phobia, the same rules work just as effectively for a character who comes to fear violence as a result of mundane trauma. On the other hand, a character who suffers Trauma by night might develop a fear of the dark, or of Vampires, or example. Exposure to the subject of a Phobia also causes nightmares the following night, which can interrupt sleep and apply the appropriate penalties for the following day. A Phobia can be overcome, with difficulty and time, and should be used as a roleplaying hook. Killing a unique monster or individual responsible for the Phobia should end it.
- Hatreds are more common in the witnesses of violence. The character, in the presence of the object of their Hatred, suffer -2 to any roll which is not attacking the subject or somehow leads directly to harm of the subject. Hatreds can become bonuses once certain criteria are met; a woman avenging the murder of her best friend can become very skilled at assassinating the targets of her wrath, for example, with sufficient practice. This is especially applicable and useful to Slayers, assuming they survive the penalty period. The point at which the Hatred is reduced or becomes beneficial is at Historian discretion, but number of kills (for a monster type, say) is a good rule of thumb.
- Fixations are for the mad scientist in you. Typically the result of witnessing violence, rather than suffering it, the character must roll Willpower/10 when faced with the prospect of learning more about their Fixation. This can range from fascination with Demons, to an unhealthy attraction to death, or ethically dubious studies of anatomy.
- Catatonia happens to characters of Willpower 1, or of Willpower 1-3 who fail their roll completely. The character simply withdraws into themselves. This is most likely to happen to children, or very sheltered characters. Or if the terror is sufficiently devastating (some Demons and Fae penalize the Willpower roll, some automatically cause Catatonia on failure). A Catatonic character is unresponsive and frequently incapable of caring for themselves. Unfortunately, the necessary tools for proper rehabilitative therapy don't exist in the Dark Age, and a Catatonic character might never recover without the assistance of a Heartwright - though this is, of course, up the Historian and players to discuss. Catatonic characters cannot roll to resist magical mental influences.
Suggested by a playtester a ways back, I've been contemplating A) Why this should be included, and B) How to include it. I've thought of a method, but it will take more testing to determine if it works and more importantly, feels appropriate. The current plan is thus:
- If damage on a single attack exceeds the victim's Soak x2, or removes a limb, the victim goes into Shock. They can take only one, non-violent action per round at a -4 penalty. At the end of the combat (to preserve flow), they roll Willpower/11 (maybe Composure will be involved instead). Success applies the Shaken condition; the character suffers a -2 die penalty until they spend two weeks without combat in a secure location. Failure leads to Trauma - a Phobia, Hatred, Fixation, or Catatonia. These same rules apply to Fear rolls against monsters, but always apply a Phobia when failed. Characters can also suffer Trauma by witnessing violence. If a character sees a friend or ally suffer as severe a wound as above, or sees them slain by a terrible monster, or violated in some way (mutated by a Communer, implanted by a Mermaid, Tainted by a Demon) they must immediately roll Willpower/9-11 at Historian's discretion. Success leaves them Shaken, failure can cause a Phobia, but is more likely to cause a Hatred or Fixation.
- Phobias are straightforward -3 die penalties to any action except fleeing the object of the Phobia, which is at -1. If the character cannot see a means of escape, they will lash out defensively. While this reaction to violence is less of a Phobia, the same rules work just as effectively for a character who comes to fear violence as a result of mundane trauma. On the other hand, a character who suffers Trauma by night might develop a fear of the dark, or of Vampires, or example. Exposure to the subject of a Phobia also causes nightmares the following night, which can interrupt sleep and apply the appropriate penalties for the following day. A Phobia can be overcome, with difficulty and time, and should be used as a roleplaying hook. Killing a unique monster or individual responsible for the Phobia should end it.
- Hatreds are more common in the witnesses of violence. The character, in the presence of the object of their Hatred, suffer -2 to any roll which is not attacking the subject or somehow leads directly to harm of the subject. Hatreds can become bonuses once certain criteria are met; a woman avenging the murder of her best friend can become very skilled at assassinating the targets of her wrath, for example, with sufficient practice. This is especially applicable and useful to Slayers, assuming they survive the penalty period. The point at which the Hatred is reduced or becomes beneficial is at Historian discretion, but number of kills (for a monster type, say) is a good rule of thumb.
- Fixations are for the mad scientist in you. Typically the result of witnessing violence, rather than suffering it, the character must roll Willpower/10 when faced with the prospect of learning more about their Fixation. This can range from fascination with Demons, to an unhealthy attraction to death, or ethically dubious studies of anatomy.
- Catatonia happens to characters of Willpower 1, or of Willpower 1-3 who fail their roll completely. The character simply withdraws into themselves. This is most likely to happen to children, or very sheltered characters. Or if the terror is sufficiently devastating (some Demons and Fae penalize the Willpower roll, some automatically cause Catatonia on failure). A Catatonic character is unresponsive and frequently incapable of caring for themselves. Unfortunately, the necessary tools for proper rehabilitative therapy don't exist in the Dark Age, and a Catatonic character might never recover without the assistance of a Heartwright - though this is, of course, up the Historian and players to discuss. Catatonic characters cannot roll to resist magical mental influences.
Grey
Dialectical Hermeticist
Djuke Imperus - King of Kings
Djuke Mandalthraxus - King of Pirates, his flagship; Gratuitous
Djuke Valessa - Queen at Arms
Djuke Sophia - Queen of Industry
Djuke Ozmandus - King of Arts
Djuke Cynos - King of Largesse, his flagship; La Carnival
Djuke Morgan - Witch-Queen
Djuke Callista - Queen of War
Djuke Titus - King of Coin
Djuke Anaximander - King of Thinkers
Djuke Medea - Queen of Beasts
Djuke Xiang - Queen of Scholars
The last few are undefined, for reasons
Will update with notable ships, Magi, and Scions
Djuke Mandalthraxus - King of Pirates, his flagship; Gratuitous
Djuke Valessa - Queen at Arms
Djuke Sophia - Queen of Industry
Djuke Ozmandus - King of Arts
Djuke Cynos - King of Largesse, his flagship; La Carnival
Djuke Morgan - Witch-Queen
Djuke Callista - Queen of War
Djuke Titus - King of Coin
Djuke Anaximander - King of Thinkers
Djuke Medea - Queen of Beasts
Djuke Xiang - Queen of Scholars
The last few are undefined, for reasons
Will update with notable ships, Magi, and Scions
Grey
Dialectical Hermeticist
Ranged Offence is determined by Intuition + [skill]
Ranged Pool is Offence + Dexterity.
Turn order is now determined by highest Speed, with the lowest Speed characters declaring actions which can then be interrupted. Composure is used to break ties. Where Composure is tied, roll off. We won't be using this here due to forum and all.
Hit locations are now only used in called shots. Damage is Strength + Weapon Damage + 1 per success rolled.
Armour provides additional Soak, your Soak value is treated as one number, and weapons have a Penetration value which ignores Soak.
Damage tags are removed.
You lose 1/3rd of the Condition damage dealt by an attack in Health. You lose 1 die for the Round when taking a hit, even if no damage was done.
Interrupted actions refund half their cost in dice.
When you drop to half Condition, you need to start making Willpower checks to remain standing.
The old system will remain as an optional method. People can now rant about how everything is terrible now it's different. We can use this downtime thread to give us space to rejig items that may have been buffed/nerfed/rendered irrelevant by these changes.
Ranged Pool is Offence + Dexterity.
Turn order is now determined by highest Speed, with the lowest Speed characters declaring actions which can then be interrupted. Composure is used to break ties. Where Composure is tied, roll off. We won't be using this here due to forum and all.
Hit locations are now only used in called shots. Damage is Strength + Weapon Damage + 1 per success rolled.
Armour provides additional Soak, your Soak value is treated as one number, and weapons have a Penetration value which ignores Soak.
Damage tags are removed.
You lose 1/3rd of the Condition damage dealt by an attack in Health. You lose 1 die for the Round when taking a hit, even if no damage was done.
Interrupted actions refund half their cost in dice.
When you drop to half Condition, you need to start making Willpower checks to remain standing.
The old system will remain as an optional method. People can now rant about how everything is terrible now it's different. We can use this downtime thread to give us space to rejig items that may have been buffed/nerfed/rendered irrelevant by these changes.
Grey
Dialectical Hermeticist
The Gods
Adjukant The Eternal
The Great Dragon, The Black King, The Shadow Supreme, The Rebel God, He Who Is All Things
Adjukant is the first of the Gods, the Eternal. The enemy of the Dark. A vast, black dragon of unfathomable power, Adjukant's positive traits are leadership, determination, willpower, endurance, and freedom. His negative traits are hatred, selfishness, begrudgery, arrogance, and deception.
Koranas The Patient
The Glass Dragon, The Sculptor, River of Secrets, Sand of Days
Koranas is the second of the Gods. From him does all time flow, without him nothing could change.
A shifting entity of glass and amber sands, Koranas' positive traits are patience, foresight, knowledge, and enlightenment. His negative traits are distraction, disassociation, narcissism, and apathy.
Rion The Mystic
The Unifier, Sea of Power, Well of Souls, The Storyteller, Prismatic Dragon
Rion was the god of Magic, who sacrificed itself to create the World. Its positive associations are sacrifice, magic, unity, and rebirth. Its negative associations are ghosts, regret, ingratitude, and forgetfulness.
Querene The Dreamer
The Ruby Dragon, The Artist, Song of Creation,
Querene is the fourth God, the origin of thought. Without Querene, there can be no language, no art, no thought. Querene's shape changes from moment to moment, save for the ruby eyes. Querene's positive traits are imagination, creativity, artistry, empathy, and compassion. Its negative traits are caprice, obsession, impracticality, and escapism.
Saganas Planeshaper
The Twisting Vision, The Stagemaster, Walker Between the Worlds, Architect of the Firmament
Saganas is the fifth God, who built the planes of reality, the homes of the Gods, and the sphere of Space. Saganas appears as a patch of night sky shaped like a Dragon, with spiralling galaxies for eyes. His positive associations are opportunity, travel, possibilities, and perspective. His negative associations are madness, confusion, ignorance, and abandonment.
Shining Virdina
The Morningstar, The First Sun, The Guiding Light, The Light Which Scours Souls Clean
Virdina is the sixth Goddess, the light of salvation, Goddess of judgement and cleansing, she who is Ambition itself and leads the way. Her positive associations are salvation, guidance, ambition, self-improvement, and objectivity. Her negative associations are pride, ruthlessness, vanity, and improper judgement.
Galathas of the Fury
Where The World Burns, Fire-Dragon, Allfire, Torch Which Lit The Stars
Galathas is energy – raw, roiling, destructive and creative drive. An immense Dragon of fire, magma, cracking red iron and heat. Galathas' positive associations are creation, passion, drive, inner strength. His negative associations are destruction, anger, vengeance, and short-sightedness.
Even-Handed Hune
Chaos Chained, The Jailer Divine, That Which Defines, That Is Not Yet Is
Hune is the God of Chaos and Order. Hune provides boundaries, distinctions, cohesion. Hune prevents complete, blended disarray without impeding chance and freedom. His positive associations are law, order, and stability. His negative associations are stagnation, oppression, and imprisonment.
Kelijak The Maker
The Steam Dragon, The Mechanist, Clockhearted God
Kelijak is the God of integration and invention. Kelijak wove and bound the layers of reality together into a working whole, an armour of interlocking plates against the Dark. Kelijak's positive associations are ingenuity, craftsmanship, and teamwork. His negative associations are greed, a lack of empathy, obsessive focus, and artlessness.
Mytherion
The Ultimate One, The End of All Things, Void-Dragon
Mytherion, the Dragon of Entropy, was born from the death of Rion, the realisation that the End could be. He is feared by all other gods save Adjukant. His associations are closure, endings, beginnings, and transitions.
Jura (Descends from Adjukant)
Mother Goddess, Of The Bloody Claw, Bitch-Queen
Jura is the Dragon of Life, mother of all things that walk, crawl, swim, or fly. Jura is a harsh mother, expecting of her children only the best. She is proud of, and shows her favour to, those who thrive against adversity. Her associations are triumph, birth, harvests, hunts, nature, and sex.
The Bitter Wind (Descends from Querene)
Sithri, The Hated, Tormenter Supreme, The Well of Suffering
Sithri is the Dragon of Hope. Sithri does not believe in complacence or peace. Sithri sees hope as the strength born of suffering. Only by inflicting torments on all that is can anything learn to endure, learn the true meaning of victory. Her associations are hope, determination, sadomasochism, and defiance.
The Principles
“As I am, such is all. The only true defeat is surrender. Though Darkness is unstoppable, defiance is victory.”
“Victory lies within the self, but to know oneself, there must be time to learn.”
“Borders to define us, borders to defend us. Where the Void is, we are not, where we are, the Void is not.”
“Let every sun burn as a symbol and ward against the dark; destruction and creation are inseparable.”
“Strive towards the Light, here is salvation.”
“Without a cycle, stagnation. With stagnation, defeat. There must be an end to foster a new beginning.”
“All things strive to be.”
“Knowledge is power; use it wisely.”
“All are one, my power marks our bond.”
“To be absolute is to be vulnerable. To be undefined is weakness. Lines must be drawn.”
“Strength in suffering.”
“One alone can be overcome, many can be divided. Bring all into one, and the parts lock together impenetrably.”
Adjukant The Eternal
The Great Dragon, The Black King, The Shadow Supreme, The Rebel God, He Who Is All Things
Adjukant is the first of the Gods, the Eternal. The enemy of the Dark. A vast, black dragon of unfathomable power, Adjukant's positive traits are leadership, determination, willpower, endurance, and freedom. His negative traits are hatred, selfishness, begrudgery, arrogance, and deception.
Koranas The Patient
The Glass Dragon, The Sculptor, River of Secrets, Sand of Days
Koranas is the second of the Gods. From him does all time flow, without him nothing could change.
A shifting entity of glass and amber sands, Koranas' positive traits are patience, foresight, knowledge, and enlightenment. His negative traits are distraction, disassociation, narcissism, and apathy.
Rion The Mystic
The Unifier, Sea of Power, Well of Souls, The Storyteller, Prismatic Dragon
Rion was the god of Magic, who sacrificed itself to create the World. Its positive associations are sacrifice, magic, unity, and rebirth. Its negative associations are ghosts, regret, ingratitude, and forgetfulness.
Querene The Dreamer
The Ruby Dragon, The Artist, Song of Creation,
Querene is the fourth God, the origin of thought. Without Querene, there can be no language, no art, no thought. Querene's shape changes from moment to moment, save for the ruby eyes. Querene's positive traits are imagination, creativity, artistry, empathy, and compassion. Its negative traits are caprice, obsession, impracticality, and escapism.
Saganas Planeshaper
The Twisting Vision, The Stagemaster, Walker Between the Worlds, Architect of the Firmament
Saganas is the fifth God, who built the planes of reality, the homes of the Gods, and the sphere of Space. Saganas appears as a patch of night sky shaped like a Dragon, with spiralling galaxies for eyes. His positive associations are opportunity, travel, possibilities, and perspective. His negative associations are madness, confusion, ignorance, and abandonment.
Shining Virdina
The Morningstar, The First Sun, The Guiding Light, The Light Which Scours Souls Clean
Virdina is the sixth Goddess, the light of salvation, Goddess of judgement and cleansing, she who is Ambition itself and leads the way. Her positive associations are salvation, guidance, ambition, self-improvement, and objectivity. Her negative associations are pride, ruthlessness, vanity, and improper judgement.
Galathas of the Fury
Where The World Burns, Fire-Dragon, Allfire, Torch Which Lit The Stars
Galathas is energy – raw, roiling, destructive and creative drive. An immense Dragon of fire, magma, cracking red iron and heat. Galathas' positive associations are creation, passion, drive, inner strength. His negative associations are destruction, anger, vengeance, and short-sightedness.
Even-Handed Hune
Chaos Chained, The Jailer Divine, That Which Defines, That Is Not Yet Is
Hune is the God of Chaos and Order. Hune provides boundaries, distinctions, cohesion. Hune prevents complete, blended disarray without impeding chance and freedom. His positive associations are law, order, and stability. His negative associations are stagnation, oppression, and imprisonment.
Kelijak The Maker
The Steam Dragon, The Mechanist, Clockhearted God
Kelijak is the God of integration and invention. Kelijak wove and bound the layers of reality together into a working whole, an armour of interlocking plates against the Dark. Kelijak's positive associations are ingenuity, craftsmanship, and teamwork. His negative associations are greed, a lack of empathy, obsessive focus, and artlessness.
Mytherion
The Ultimate One, The End of All Things, Void-Dragon
Mytherion, the Dragon of Entropy, was born from the death of Rion, the realisation that the End could be. He is feared by all other gods save Adjukant. His associations are closure, endings, beginnings, and transitions.
Jura (Descends from Adjukant)
Mother Goddess, Of The Bloody Claw, Bitch-Queen
Jura is the Dragon of Life, mother of all things that walk, crawl, swim, or fly. Jura is a harsh mother, expecting of her children only the best. She is proud of, and shows her favour to, those who thrive against adversity. Her associations are triumph, birth, harvests, hunts, nature, and sex.
The Bitter Wind (Descends from Querene)
Sithri, The Hated, Tormenter Supreme, The Well of Suffering
Sithri is the Dragon of Hope. Sithri does not believe in complacence or peace. Sithri sees hope as the strength born of suffering. Only by inflicting torments on all that is can anything learn to endure, learn the true meaning of victory. Her associations are hope, determination, sadomasochism, and defiance.
The Principles
“As I am, such is all. The only true defeat is surrender. Though Darkness is unstoppable, defiance is victory.”
- Adjukant's Principle of Eternity
“Victory lies within the self, but to know oneself, there must be time to learn.”
- Koranas' Principle of Knowledge
“Borders to define us, borders to defend us. Where the Void is, we are not, where we are, the Void is not.”
- Saganas' Principle of Space
“Let every sun burn as a symbol and ward against the dark; destruction and creation are inseparable.”
- Galathas' Principle of Energy
“Strive towards the Light, here is salvation.”
- Virdina's Principle of Ambition
“Without a cycle, stagnation. With stagnation, defeat. There must be an end to foster a new beginning.”
- Mytherion's Principle of Finality.
“All things strive to be.”
- Jura's Principle of Life
“Knowledge is power; use it wisely.”
- Querene's Principle of Thought
“All are one, my power marks our bond.”
- Rion's Principle of Magic
“To be absolute is to be vulnerable. To be undefined is weakness. Lines must be drawn.”
- Hune's Principle of Chaos
“Strength in suffering.”
- The Bitter Wind's Principle of Hope
“One alone can be overcome, many can be divided. Bring all into one, and the parts lock together impenetrably.”
- Kelijak's Principle of Integration
