Creatures, Humanoids, and Human Subclasses

Bleakmen

Bleakmen are giant men, most around 7.5 feet tall. No Bleakwomen have ever been seen, and no one knows where they are. They come from The Bleak, a tundra and arctic wasteland in the far north. Some believe the Bleakmen are far enough north to escape the ravages of pallor, or else they are somehow immune to it. Bleakmen are notorious cannibals with bone weapons, fur armor, pale skin, and small, dark eyes. They do not appear to feel pain or fear and are difficult to kill. Nothing is known of their language or culture. They cannot cast magic and they have no Brimtags. They occasionally raid fishing villages in the far north of Norveg. They have been known to capture remote villages and spend weeks there brining and drying the human meat of the dead villagers, which they haul away when they depart. The Bleakmen are experts in outdoor survival and can travel for days at a time without resting. None have ever been successfully tracked and killed after a raid. Some Norvegns believe the Bleakmen can burrow into the snow and disappear. Slaying a Bleakman means lifelong fame for a Norvegn. There are no written records about the Bleakmen, but oral tradition says they had been decimated during the Age of Man but rebounded after the changing weather and advancing cold that preceded the Dark Age.

Boggles

Boggles are shy, quiet, nomadic arboreal creatures that live in thick, warm woodlands. They appeared around the time of the Brim War and have reproduced quickly. No one knows why they came, or where they came from. They don’t appear to have any cities or culture. During the day, they sleep in trees, and are active mostly at night. They are curious and love to explore and spy on things, but most of them are afraid of cities. They encroach upon rural settlements to steal shiny things and cause mischief.

Boggles average 30 pounds and are 3.5 feet in height. They have excellent hearing, sight, and nightvision. But their vision is not good in sunlight. Their faces are round, somewhat cat-like, with big blue eyes and pointed ears. They have sharp teeth and clawed fingers and toes. They have long, flexible tails that are very expressive and perform gestures when they speak. These tails cover their anuses and genitalia, making it difficult to determine the sex of the Boggle. Their fur is soft and colored in electric greens and blues, but it is not actually fur and does not shed or continue to grow. Their “fur” is actually an extension of their skin, full of colored pigments which the Boggles can manipulate at will. Each Boggle adopts a distinctive color pattern, usually variations of bright green and blue, with splashes of yellow under the eyes or around the mouth. However, they can change these colors to blend in with their environment. If they squint to hide their blue eyes, they become nearly invisible when motionless. Boggles understand that humans cannot read their facial expressions and body language, so they have created a way of expressing their emotions to people. When they are angry, their faces turn red, when happy they turn gold, when fearful they turn white, and when sad they turn black. The intensity of the color corresponds with the intensity of the emotion.

Boggles eat nuts, berries, and small animals (raw) and are not aggressive toward humans. They can stand and walk, but always run on all fours. Another odd thing about them is that they have no scent and cannot be tracked by animals. Brimdogs show absolutely no interest in them, and do not consider them intruders. It’s the same with all beasts, both domesticated and wild. Boggles are powerful jumpers and climbers and can travel through the forest from tree to tree without touching the ground. They have a species Brimtag but no Brimtag that can identify individuals.

Boggles are intelligent and have their own simple spoken language. They have no written language and are unwilling to learn one, so all are illiterate and innumerate. All speak a little Anglish, though not well. When they want to use an irregular verb in the past tense, they just use present-tense and add an “ed”. For example, “ate” becomes “eated”, “gave” becomes “gived”, and “broke” becomes “breaked”. They also have trouble with the “th” sound and usually pronounce it as a “d”.

Boggles cannot cast magic. Some peasants consider them annoying due to their petty thievery, but it is illegal to kill a Boggle except in self-defense. It is considered good luck to leave little treats and baubles out for the Boggles, because one day they may repay the favor. Being mean to Boggles can backfire, as they have been known to free livestock and poop in wells.

There is an odd tradition in the deep rural wooded areas of the central Empire. Couples that cannot conceive a child can put a wooden bassinet outside their door at the beginning of winter. If they leave a bit of food in the bassinet every night, with an occasional bauble, by the beginning of spring, they may be gifted a Boggle Baby, which will appear in the bassinet one morning. These are not actually infant Boggles, but are Boggles in their teens, not yet fully grown. The couple can then raise and dress the Boggle like a child, and it will have child-like qualities for the rest of its life (Boggles live for 40-50 years). The Church disapproves of this practice, and is suspicious of Boggles, but can find no traces of Brimian influence on these odd creatures.

Boggle Babies occasionally leave their homes, disappearing for a few days at a time, to meet up with their brethren in the forest and share what they have learned about the humans. A few of these Boggles make their way into cities, helping their human foster parents bring produce to market. Boogle Babies are very impressionable, and if they are raised by cruel humans, they become mean and evil little Boggles. A few of these mean Boggles leave their human homes to find work in the cities as spies and thieves. Boggles have no interest in mating with humans, and even if they did, the union would produce no offspring.

Boggle Nouns and Adjectives

Word for an individual, both singular and plural: Boggle. Example: “The Boggle inhabit that forest.”

Adjective: Boggle. Example: “There are no Boggle cities.”

Anglicized name for their language: Boggle. Example: “Boggle is strictly a spoken language.”

Bonebiters

Bonebiters (or just biters) are night creatures with heavy, powerful jaws. They are clumsy and slow, very strong, feel no pain in their arms and legs, move slowly and do not sleep. They have lost their hair, and their skin is inflamed with blisters that are sensitive to heat and light. Their teeth have rotted away, and they have developed sharp, bony ridges for teeth. When they are hungry, they snap their tooth ridges together repeatedly, making a chilling clacking sound. They are light sensitive, have night vision, and tend to linger around graveyards and battlefields where they harvest fresh bones. They can smell corpses from miles away and the vast majority have only feral intelligence. They hide during the day. They have been known to work in packs to attack solo travelers at night. If a victim survives the bite of a Bonebiter, they are likely to contract bonebite, an incurable disease that ultimately leads to transformation into a Bonebiter. People who have contracted bonebite usually begin cracking open animal bones and eating the marrow long before they physically transform. A Bonebiter can only be killed by removing their head. Bonebiters are rare, found mostly in western Latica and around Brim archeological sites. They can heal most wounds if they have recently fed. Their lifespans appear to be endless, but they can be put into a dormant state if unable to feed. They did not exist in the Age of Man, and many believe that the original Bonebiters were once servants of the Brim. Like normal humans, Bonebiters all have individual-identifying Brimtags.

Corryns

In Brythony, the broadspider, or corryn, is a beneficial creature. The spider is about 2 feet wide and is usually not aggressive toward humans. Its webbing can be used to stanch wounds. There is a rule in Brythony that you never kill a spider. Corryns have a species Brimtag. Some of these creatures have encroached on the far western Empire, where they are killed on sight.

Demifay

History

The Demifay are highly intelligent beings created by the Brim. But many do not consider them a race because they are sterile and cannot reproduce. They are few in number and have retreated into wildland areas such as the Maze Hills and possibly Murkwood. Some believe they may also be in the Underlands, but there have been no credible sightings there.

Much is known about the Demifay because they were still in communication with humans just after the Brim War. But a decade later, they fled into seclusion due to racism and violence at the hands of humans, who found the Demifay aloof, entitled, and disdainful. And perhaps most importantly, the Demifay refused to share with humans their magical expertise and unique insight into the Brim and Fay.

There are thought to have been less than 300 Demifay at their height, all within the Empire. There have been no reports of Demifay anywhere else in the world. It is believed they are long-lived, with lifespans of several centuries. But no one, including the Demifay themselves, knows their true lifespans. Accounting for disease and accidents, Imperial academics estimate there may be only 100-150 Demifay still alive today. It has been over 80 years since anyone has made a credible sighting.

During the Brim Occupation, the Brim managed to pierce the veil surrounding the Otherworld, the plane of existence into which the Fay fled thousands of years ago, at the beginning of the Age of Man. The Brim invaded the Otherworld and brought back Fay captives to cross-bred with humans. The brief lives of humans make them short-sighted and obedient, and they reproduce quickly. All good for a slave race. However, humans (compared to the Brim) are bad at using magic. And the Brim needed their slaves to use magic because every aspect of Brim society and their various construction projects relied on the use of magic. By cross breeding the humans with Fay, the Brim hoped to create slaves who were good with magic, but who still retained all the advantages of human slaves.

To make the Demifay, the Brim chose Melanesians for the human half. Nothing is known about the Fay who were used. The experiment failed. The resulting hybrids were sterile, and the Brim were unable to make them fertile before perishing in the Brim War.

Appearance

The Demifay are about 3 inches shorter than Imperials, with slenderer frames. They are a little slower, and much weaker than humans. They have smooth, hairless, deep-bronze skin with a long curly head of hair that ranges from black to auburn, and occasionally dark blond. Their eyes are large, amber or gold in color. Those with gold eyes have excellent nightvision (both low-light and infrared) but can be blinded by bright sunlight. Those with amber eyes have moderate low-light vision, but not infrared, and they can tolerate bright lights. Both types of eyes glow if light shines upon them at night. All Demifay have eyesight that is 20-10 or better, with superior depth perception. Most Demifay are nocturnal, active at night, and sleeping during the day. They have full lips, high cheekbones, and large, slightly pointed ears. Their teeth are bright, with slightly enlarged canines. Their long fingers have small, fixed claws at the end. They enjoy the taste of blood and prefer to eat their meat fresh and uncooked. Humans find their appearance both alluring and discomfiting. Demifay have individual-identifying Brimtags, just as humans.

Abilities

Demifay are known to have several unique natural abilities. One such ability is Presence, which allows them to sense the presence of each other very accurately within 130 yards, even through obstructions. Presence does not allow communication, just an awareness and identification of the own kind. Another Demifay ability is Primacy, which gives them a natural domination over wild creatures. Animals are subservient to the Demifay, and even wild animals can be trained to perform simple tasks. Demifay who have extensive experience with humans can use Primacy on humans, but it is far less powerful on people than on animals. It can be resisted by a strong-willed human. Demifay also have a natural ability called Binding. It allows them to have a single animal minion without needing to cast a spell. They share the senses of their minions in the same way that mages do. Demifay prefer nocturnal minions such demicats, owls, and bats. Brimdogs hate the Demifay for some reason, so the Demifay developed their own favored pet called the Demicat.

The Demicat is primarily a nocturnal creature, but it can operate in the daytime. Demicats are large for domesticated cats, weighing 20-30 pounds. They have black fur and dark blue eyes. They run wild in the Maze Hills, hunting rodents and birds, and some have been domesticated and uplifted by the Demifay to use as minions. They are quicker and more athletic than a normal house cat and have better eyesight and hearing. They are excellent climbers and spend most of their time in the trees. Demicats don’t like humans and cannot be domesticated by them.

The few remaining Demifay are known to be talented casters who are not affected by Recedence. Long ago, when the Demifay broke ranks with humans and fled, Anglia captured several Demifay for study, to discover how they avoided Recedence. But the captives become weak and morose when separated from their kind. All died within a few weeks. Nothing about Recedence was revealed, but humans learned the Demifay are extremely social creatures and need to be around their own.

Demifay are known to have several unique natural abilities. One such ability is Presence, which allows them to sense the presence of each other very accurately with 130 yards, even through obstructions. They can also sense the presence of humans and animals within 80 yards. Presence does not allow communication, just an awareness and identification of the entity. Another Demifay ability is Primacy, which gives them a natural domination over wild creatures. Animals are subservient to the Demifay, and even wild animals can be trained to perform simple tasks. Demifay who have extensive experience with humans can use Primacy on humans, but it is far less powerful on people than on animals. It can be resisted by a strong-willed human. Demifay also have a natural ability called Binding. It allows them to have a single animal minion without needing to cast a spell. They share the senses of their minions in the same way that mages do. Demifay prefer nocturnal minions such demicats, owls, and bats. Brimdogs hate the Demifay for some reason, so the Demifay developed their own favored pet called the Demicat.

The Demicat is primarily a nocturnal creature, but it can operate in the daytime. Demicats are large for domesticated cats, weighing 20-30 pounds. They have black fur and dark blue eyes. They run wild in the Maze Hills, hunting rodents and birds, and some have been domesticated and uplifted by the Demifay to use as minions. They are quicker and more athletic than a normal house cat and have better eyesight and hearing. They are excellent climbers and spend most of their time in the trees. Demicats sense vibrations through their paws and can “feel” the approach of heavier creatures from 120 yards away. They can also communicate with other demicats by thumping their tails against the ground and sensing the vibrations. Demicats don’t like humans and cannot be domesticated by them.

The few remaining Demifay are known to be talented casters who are not affected by Recedence. Long ago, when the Demifay broke ranks with humans and fled, Anglia captured several Demifay for study, to discover how they avoided Recedence. But the captives become weak and morose when separated from their kind. All died within a few weeks. Nothing about Recedence was revealed, but humans learned the Demifay are extremely social creatures and need to be around their own.

Language

The Demifay speak Anglish because they were born within the Empire.

Demifay Nouns and Adjectives

Word for a person, both singular and plural: Demifay. Example: “Only a few Demifay remain.”

Adjective: Demifayen. Example: “Little is known of Demifayen culture.”

Dragons

The last dragons were thought to have lived in Norveg but died out millennia ago during the early Age of Man. Norvegn Nobles like to collect their bones, which are thought to confer strength in battle, though most are only small fragments preserved in resin. Without special treatment, most bones left in the open will decompose in a decade or two.

Firstborn

The Firstborn are the original humans, before the Brim breeding experiments produced the Hinds and Makers, and before the Visitant created the Reverent. The Firstborn are the majority of the population.

Fomori

History

The Fomori were monsters from the Age of Fay. They are rumored to be feral creatures from an underground or aquatic origin. They are cunning but not highly intelligent and possess only Stone Age tools. They are considered one of the Elder Races because their existence predated mankind. The stories passed down say the Fomori destroyed the Arboreal Fay who lived in vast tree cities across Murkwood. The Fomori were eventually defeated through a combined effort of multiple Fay groups. Many Fomori were killed, and the rest were trapped in a dark place called Downbelow. This war with the Fomori weakened the Fay and made them vulnerable to humanity’s new iron weapons. As a result, the Fay were forced to flee into their Otherworld, and so began the Age of Man.

For thousands of years, all throughout the Age of Man and the Dark Age of the Brim occupation, the Fomori have been absent. However, one decade into the Golden Age, after the death of the Brim, a few Fomori were spotted at night along the edge of the Murkwood. They have not been seen close up, but they appear to be tall, wide, and pale-skinned. They wear armor of bone plates and carry huge stone clubs. Some reports say they have long upper canine teeth than extend down over their lower lips. Although Iberia was quite troubled by the first sight of Fomori, nothing ever came of it.

Every decade or two, someone spots a Fomori at night along the edge of the Murkwood, but they never leave the forest. No one knows how or why they have returned, but they seem to mind their own business. There is no real appetite for a military operation to drive them out of that dangerous and impenetrable wood. There are no human settlements in or near Murkwood. The closest is the Iberian city of Torrondo, about 70 miles from the northeast side of Murkwood.

Little is known of the Fomori. They have been heard speaking, so they must have a language, which the Empire has tentatively called Formic. It is not known if Formic has a written component. Although the Fomori have shown no aggression toward humanity, parents use them in cautionary tales, warning their children not to stray too far from home.

Fomori Nouns and Adjectives

Anglicized word for an individual entity, singular: Fomor. Example: “The Fomor stepped forward.”

Anglicized word for multiple entities, plural: Fomori. Example: “There are Fomori in Murkwood.”

Anglicized adjective: Fomorian. Example: “Nothing is known of Fomorian culture.”

Anglicized name for their language: Formic. Example: “No one knows if Formic is a written language.”

Ghosts

A ghost is a dead person who is either so powerful or so traumatized that they can resist rejoining the Logos, and so continue to maintain a metaphysical identity in the real world. Many have a particular agenda and are willing to depart once it is accomplished. But some only wish to spread their own fear or anger to the living. Ghosts cannot be seen or communicated with, but their presence feels like icy air and creates a strong sense of foreboding. Those who knew the ghost in their human life can recognize their ethereal presence. Ghosts are known to fear Reverents and will withdraw from them. Ghosts cannot be affected by magic.

Hinds

Hinds are a variety of humans developed by the Brim to do hard physical labor. They are four inches taller than normal humans, square-jawed, thick-browed, and much more muscular. They have all the skin, hair, and eye colors of humans, but with more body hair. They can lift much more weight and work harder for longer. They can also move more quickly, both in body and on foot. They heal much faster than normal, are more resistant to drugs, poisons, and diseases, never get sick, and are less affected by pallor. They tend to form strong loyalties. They cannot achieve a reverie or cast magic, and are prone to dyslexia. They often find work as hard laborers or soldiers. Hinds rarely mate with normal humans, and when they do, there are never any offspring. Hinds are respected in the military and rural areas, but somewhat discriminated against in the cities. Like normal humans, they have individual-identifying Brimtags. Hinds are not allowed to become nobility.

Makers

Makers are a variety of humans developed by the Brim to do mining and construction. They are seven inches shorter than normal humans, but more muscular. They have all the skin, hair, and eye colors of humans. They have larger eyes and better low-light vision than normal humans, but also see well in sunlight. Makers are fussy, stubborn, and exacting. They are all about the facts. They have a perfect sense of distance, weight, and proportion and never have to measure anything when doing construction. And when taught math, most can do it in their heads. Unlike most humans, Makers feel at home in small dark places, and are often used to dig mines and construct undercastles. If they lick a piece of metal, ore, stone, mineral, or gem, they can identify it by taste. They get testy and bored when not tinkering on a project. Because of this, and their diminished reach and footspeed, they rarely join the military. They are 30% more likely than normal humans to have an elemental aptitude. They learn Matteria 30% faster with half the miscasting chance, and all the other Practical Arts 30% slower with double the chance of miscasting. They make excellent smiths and engineers but are not artists. They are not “people persons”, avoiding eye contact, long conversations, and never taking positions in government or trade. They never smile. Makers rarely mate with normal humans, and when they do, there are never any offspring. Like normal humans, they have individual-identifying Brimtags. Makers are not allowed to become nobility.

Manamorphs

Manamorphs are creatures created by the Brim. They come in all shapes and sizes, and naturally draw mana, which in some manner empowers them. Manamorphs are usually arthropods, or arthropod-human hybrids, and they are found across the world. Their intelligence is higher than most animals, but not as high as humans. In the Beastlands, Manamorphs can grow to titanic proportions and can breed true. But outside the Beastlands, they are smaller and sterile. They can be killed, but their natural lifespans appear to be indefinite. They do not have Brimtags.

It is not clear why the Brim created manamorphs. Some believe they are failed experiments at creating a better slave race. Some believe the creatures were built as battle beasts. Some believe the manamorphs were created accidentally, as a side-effect of the Brim’s dark magic.

Scuttlebeasts

Scuttlebeasts, or simply scuttlers, are the most common form of Manamorph found outside the Beastlands. Some of these creatures have been domesticated in Brythony and the Maze Hills. No two of them look exactly alike. Most are a little larger than humans, with somewhat human facial features, but with six-twelve insect legs, some with human-like hands, and an insect maw. They can stand for short periods of time but walk in a prone position. They communicate with a bone-chilling chittering than can be heard for a mile or more. They have no cities or culture. They are 2-3 times stronger than humans, and nearly all can spray an enzyme called jellybone from their mouths that blinds their victims and liquefies their prey’s flesh for easier eating. But jellybone only affects organic material. Some scuttlers can create sticky webs. Some are fast and can run down their prey. Some are slow and dig pit traps. Some drop from the trees in ambush. They can hibernate for months or even years if sources of food and water are unavailable.

Scuttlers have developed a healthy fear of humans and usually stay far from civilization. In and around the Empire, they are found deep within provincial interiors, western Latica, the jungles of Melanesia, the forests of southern Brythony, the Maze Hills, and a few in Ynys and the Underlands. They rarely stray farther north because they don’t do well in the cold.

Scuttlers may attack humans if driven by hunger, or if their territory is breached. The titanic manamorphs in the Beastlands, however, are unafraid of humans and see them as prey. This is the biggest reason why people stay out of that area.

Megarachs

Megarachs are titanic spiders found only in the Beastlands. An armored megarach exoskeleton (they don’t have bones) was once found in the desert south of the Waterwall River (probably the result of a failed attempt to cross the desert and enter the Empire) hundreds of years ago. The exoskeleton was broken up and rebuilt as the famous Spiderthrone in Argenteaux before Gallia became part of the empire. The exoskeleton, nearly eighty feet across, has been turned upside down, its body under a glass floor, its legs forming the supports for the wall, and its fangs forming the back of the Spiderthrone.

Healthy megarachs living in the Beastlands can range in size from a half-inch across to nearly 90 feet across and 36 feet tall, with powerful, six-foot long fangs. There are only a handful of these titanic megarachs alive, most are only 4-8 feet in diameter. They have supersensitive hearing via the fine hairs emerging from their plated exoskeletons, and can acutely sense vibration for hundreds of yards through their padded feet. They have eight eyes that glow orange and provide a nearly a 360 degree view of the world, and can jump 3-5 times their body length in less than a tenth of a second. This is so fast that if someone is standing beside or behind the jumping spider, they will hear a sonic boom. The mid-sized spiders, in the 20-50 foot range, are able to jump the farthest, followed by the big spiders, then the smaller spiders. A 60’ spider can run at almost 300 mph for short distances, less than a quarter mile, and cruise up to 43 mph for a few minutes before they need to rest. Generally, they remain still, unless hunting, in order to conserve energy. Once they find a good hunting ground, they stay in that area until the game runs out, preferring not to migrate. If necessary, they can remain dormant for up to a year, waiting for the game to return. Moving burns a lot of calories and they can’t travel more than six to ten miles without eating. They rest about 6 hours a night, in an inactive state rather than sleep. They hunt during the day.

Megarachs slow down as they get cold, and must shelter when it gets freezing. They cannot survive freezing temperatures because they are acclimated to the savannah. They cannot swim. They see equally well in day or night, and do not build webs. They are chase and ambush hunters with no natural predators (when full grown). The largest ones are centuries old and have molted their carapaces hundreds of times in order to grow. The oldest ones are nearly as intelligent as people. Although they don’t spin webs, they can use their silk to entangle prey, or create a tether when they jump (so they don’t fall if attempting to breech a gap). Their fangs can scissor together to hold prey, or clamp down to cut them in two or throw them a great distance. Barbs at the end of their fangs can be used to puncture victims and deliver a paralytic venom. They can also release a powerful enzyme from their mouth parts called jellybone that melts flesh and bones and allows the spider to suck up the jellied remains. This is the same enzyme found in Scuttlebeasts, and it only affects organic material. When not hungry, they will bind their paralyzed victim in silk and eat them later. They may also tuck their eggs beside a bound body so their babies will have something to eat when they hatch.

There are several species of megarachs, most the color of savannah grass. When they open their fangs, there is a flash of electric color, blue or green or yellow, depending on the species. This color come from a bright fur around their fangs. Different species of megarachs have slightly different abilities. Killing a megarach is very difficult. Arrows to the eyes or the mouthparts between their fangs can be successful, but it would take many such wounds to take them down. Their thick carapaces are immune to typical bow and crossbow arrows. However, multiple skyslayer bolts from mounted siege crossbows, when combined with arcane poisons, can punch through the carapace and kill a megarach. Several such shots, particularly in the head area, can stop the beast. Megarachs never die of old age. The biggest threat to the youngest ones is birds. And as megarachs get grow, they are sometimes injured taking down prey. As they grow larger, injury becomes less of a threat, and starvation a bigger consideration. The largest ones have a hard time keeping their bodies cooled, and don’t do well in temperatures above 80 degrees.

Megarachs can’t walk well in forests, but they are fast in open grassland or shrubland areas. The 60’ spiders weigh up to 40 tons, or about the size of 7 large elephants. They need 1,600 pounds of food a day to survive (they could survive on 1 large elephant for 9 days, or 2 water buffalos for one day, or 10 people for one day, or 30 gazelles for one day). They can go up to 4 days getting liquid from their prey, but eventually need to drink water, about 90 gallons a day. Getting enough food and water is the biggest danger for a megarach, and they don’t tend to do well out of their familiar habitats. They prefer large game and cannot survive on just squirrels and other rodents. They enjoy the thrill of the hunt.

Megarachs are the largest type of manamorph. Arthropods of this size cannot normally exist, but these were built by the Brim and are aided by a natural mana draw. They do not have Brimtags.

Mer

The Mer are humanoid marine creatures with tails instead of legs. They have long dark hair, gray skin, and large silver eyes. The females have breasts and can be mistaken for women who are swimming. They have clawed fingers and sharp teeth, and the females can sing a mesmerizing song that is more music than words. They do not appear to have a spoken or written language and communicate with each other using sign language. They have not been found in fresh water, and do not appear to have any cities or buildings, nor do they cast magic. They may be intelligent, but are not civilized in any way humans can understand. The Mer are believed to be a type of Fay that died or disappeared millennia ago. Around the time of the Brim War, a few Mer reappeared around the Mer Isles. No one knows how or why. They do not have Brimtags.

Old Gods

The Church is adamant that there is only one God. So while a cult worshipper may refer to their lord as an Old God, the Church will say demigod at best, with the rest being merely powerful entities. The only entity that the Church recognizes as a full demigod is Hadrix. Most clergy believe that these entities are powerful Fay who achieved immortality by assuming a metaphysical existence long before the Fay left the world. Some are good and some evil, each with their own personality and agenda. These entities can cast magic through their worshippers. It is thought there were many such entities during the Age of Man, but most grew bored with mundane human affairs and moved on.

Pre-Humans

Hairy, bear-faced Pre-humans live in Coldcrown Mountains. They are man-sized but exceptionally powerful. They are known to attack lost travelers and explorers with clubs and rocks. When they kill humans, it’s to protect their territory rather than to eat. They do not wear clothing and seem immune to the cold. They appeared around the time of the Brim War, and no one knows where they came from. No one has observed them using language, and no one has found any sign they live in settlements. They appear to be wild creatures. They do not have Brimtags.

Reverent

The Reverent are a variety of humans, created by the Visitant during the Brim War. They are born with various human skin and hair colors, but all have dark-violet eyes. They live normal human lifespans, with their dark-violet eyes lightening as they age. Unlike normal humans, they do not have Brimtags. Reverents are not allowed to become nobility and have no interest in doing so. They are prominent in the Church leadership but cannot become Prelates, who must be Nobles.

All the Reverent have a natural connection to the Logos. They mostly breed with their own kind, often birthing as fraternal twins, and all join the clergy at the age of majority. The child of a normal human and a Reverent is always born as a normal human, without any special abilities.

The Reverent are what many call old souls. They are patient, wise, and highly intuitive. None have ever turned to evil. They abhor violence, chaos, and pain. They seek to heal the world by erasing the Brim’s legacy. And though they are capable of learning magic, they refuse to do so. They would like to rid the world of the magic passed down by the Brim, but acknowledge that it’s an impossible task. That genie is already out of the bottle.

The Reverent consider it a sacred mission to learn everything about the world, which is itself an expression of God. Most are highly educated, and never end their quest for learning. The Reverent continue to learn new skills and gather new knowledge until the moment of their deaths. Posidonius is their favorite saint.

Reverent Priests are practically worshipped by lay people for their wisdom and kindness. All Reverent have the title Reverent. If they wanted, the Reverent could possibly seize power from the nobility and establish a theocracy, but they have no such ambitions. They are content for the secular to rule, and in turn, the secular powers give the Reverent much respect and the freedom to operate within the Church as they please.

The Reverent can wield Logism, using it as a power as well as a religious philosophy.

Advantages and Abilities

-Powerful memories. Not eidetic, but close.

-They can easily learn new things, even when elderly.

-Unmatched gravitas and charisma, all without smiles or flashy emotional displays.

-Highly intuitive and wise.

-Respected across the Empire, even by opponents of Logism.

-All the Reverent, even without training, can sense the presence of Brimian objects within a 24-foot radius. Within a 12-foot radius, they can sense if the object has active magic. They dislike being around Brimian objects and structures, but often force themselves to do so out of duty.

-All the Reverent, even without training, can sense a Practitioner or Hedge Mage within a 12-foot radius.

–Unburdening. By touching someone for several minutes (usually holding hands) a Reverent Priest can literally draw a grief or trauma out of a person and bring it into themselves. It can be the pain of a lost loved one, the hatred for an enemy, or a primal fear. Then, over a period of several weeks, the Reverent goes through a series of intense meditations to defeat this darkness they brought into themselves. This cannot be safely done more than once per month.

–Mending. The Reverent, when properly trained, can mend a rend. They can touch something that is broken, and with an intense meditation lasting anywhere from 10 minutes to ten hours, meld it back together again. A broken limb, sword, or wagon-wheel can be made whole again, but only if they have all the broken pieces. This will not function on large items, such as a flattened house. It will not cure birth defects, because the defect is essentially the child’s natural state. It will not bring back the dead, grow back a missing limb, or cure diseases. After a mending, a Reverent needs a good night of sleep before attempting another mend.

–Divided Mind. By the age of 25, most Reverent have created their first divided mind. And most are able to create another over each subsequent decade of their life. Elderly Reverent may have as many as many as 7-8 minds. Each mind has a different area of expertise, personality, and even gender. While the origin mind of a Reverent Priest has their original personality and skills, they may also build other minds. For example, a Reverent could build a secretive botanist, or a loquacious lawyer. Each would have their own training, memories, and related skill sets. The Reverent can easily shift into these additional minds as the situation requires. But they will never build minds that are evil (no thieves or killers), violent (no soldiers), or minds that study magic (no Practitioners). For this reason, it is not unusual for a Reverent to have credentials in multiple Holy Orders.

Secondborn

The Secondborn are the human variants (Hinds or Makers) created by the Brim breeding experiments, and the Reverents, created by the Visitant. They are a minority of the population and cannot become Nobles.