listener
mama and the mothman
Playable Races
Watchers
Mortal eyes that pierce the veil. Mortal minds capable of harnessing the truth. Mortals who are not so mortal…
Watchers are humans with strong mental fortitudes, keen instincts, and natural mental resistances. Outside of a few abilities, they are relatively human, save for a few circumstances. While Watchers are relatively weak in regards to physical prowess and durability, their abilities, depending on said circumstances*, often make up for it in other ways.
There are a few abilities that almost every Watcher shares: an incredibly strong resistance against vampiric compulsion and fey subtleties, and strong instincts and vibes, for their ability to see within the veil is truly their only power, something that unveiled's oft take for granted.
* Like the quote that says, "Not every witch is created equal," so can be said for Watchers.
There are two ways in which to become a Watcher:
Naturally | Over time, especially in a place of power like Pirn, mortals— humans —can adjust to the magic permeating the area, and begin seeing through the veil that surrounds reality. Like witches, Watchers seem to run in family lines, but unlike witches, not every child born will be a Watcher.
Blessed (Alternatively, Cursed ) | Otherworldly beings have been known to bless humans throughout history, with the gift of foresight or truth sensing. Alternatively, some otherworldly beings have been known to curse humans throughout history, bestowing harrowing abilities like foretelling loved one's deaths or a glance turning someone to stone.
---- if you're interested in playing a guide, please attach this to your full sheet ----
blessed/cursed or familial line of watchers?
describe the type of watcher your character is. were they directly blessed/cursed, or has it traveled down through the family line? what is the blessing/curse?
power set
what is their power, other than what has been described? does it have any visual or sensory effects? what's its strengths and weaknesses, creative uses and potential for growth, if any?
what makes your watcher powerful enough to stand beside a fully unveiled character?
there are drawbacks to playing watchers, i'm aware, but what makes your character uniquely powerful? is it their power? blessing or curse? how have they learned to use it to their advantage other than just a skill set?
Guides
Righteous souls, reborn. Given a second chance to guide others along the same noble path. Healers with seraphic light.
Guides have already died and cannot truly be killed*, as they’ll reconstitute after a short period of time. They are quasi-angelic beings; mortals who died in a righteous manner, one way or another, and were rewarded for their sacrifice, by helping guide future generations. It is an optional profession, one that should bring joy to the one who guides.
Strict adherence to the Established Rules is expected by every Guide, though depending on performance (and who their charges are), some things are overlooked. A few things that are not: non-platonic relationships, overzealous actions and unnecessary risks, taken by either Guide or Charge, and debauchery with demonic entities*.
* Guides can be killed by their Maker and poisoned by certain demonic rites.
* Which is incentive for one to be Recycled.
* Which is incentive for one to be Recycled.
All Guides have access to the following abilities:
Dematerialization | Guides have the ability to dematerialize and rematerialize wherever they wish, in one of three planes of reality: the upper plane, the lower plane, and the material plane. The older and more experienced a Guide is, the more people they can dematerialize with them. Talented and experienced Guides can merely wave a hand and transport large swathes of people from one location to another, but newer and intermediary Guides must travel with, and must have some form of physical touch. While newer Guides might have trouble dematerializing quickly, experienced Guides and disappear and reappear within seconds.
Healing | With hands that spawn seraphic light, Guides are innately capable of healing their charges and those of pure hearts. They cannot, however, heal themselves, or those completely demonic. Attempting the latter would cause discomfort. Healing is a relatively quick process, though it does depend on the extent of the injury they are trying to heal. They can heal someone on the brink of death, but they cannot heal those already dead. Nor are they capable of reviving someone. Every Guide has a unique trigger that they must learn for themselves in order to "unlock" their seraphic gifts.* They are usually one of the three cardinal virtues: faith, hope, and love.
* This is said to be a failsafe in case demonic entities somehow snatch a Guide's powers.
Telepathic Sensing | Guides are able to telepathically sense their charges and other guides, as long as they are on the same plane of reality. They're able to sense their location, emotions, and wellbeing. If their charge is hurt, a psychic-relay is transmitted back onto them, making them vulnerable to traps where their charges are used as bait. Talented and experienced Guides, have learned to expand this connection farther, allowing this one-way transmission to become two in needed circumstances.
---- if you're interested in playing a guide, please attach this to your full sheet ----
is your guide young in the ways of guiding or are they experienced?
depending on your answer, your guide will have anywhere from 1-3 charges (witches, watchers, and future guides), who they are bound to protect. while ideally charges will be other pc (or npcs of mine) feel free to create 1-2 npcs of your own!!! (not mandatory though!!!) it also decides the range your character's powers will be according to the above
strengths and weakness regarding their power set
which ability are they most comfortable with? which do they struggle with? do you have any creative ideas on how your character uses them or suggestions to add?
what are the visual and sensory cues of your characters powers?
as there are several different classifications of seraphic beings, you're free to create the subtle effects that individualize your dematerialization and healing abilities. does your seraphic light give off a warm, solid glow, or is it almost too bright for ones eyes? do you poof in particles of light or vanish with a small pop of light? do you leave after-images of rainbows? whatever it may be, it must be of or relating to seraphic beings.
what is their cardinal trigger? how does it affect their healing abilities?
(if you wish to reveal this in character, pls attach to the pm you send me)
Hybrids
Brittle, split souls, neither wholly unveiled nor veiled. An amalgamation of power unchecked. Justifiably nebulous.
Hybrids are half-mortal, half-unveiled creatures. And as they come in many different shapes and varieties, it's hard to put a solid lock on them. Suffice to say, however, they are generally weaker than their fully unveiled parent, and physically (and/or magically) stronger than both humans and watchers, though they do share some of the same abilities as the latter, not including the ones bestowed by their unveiled side. Hybrids, for the most part, don't usually "fit it" anywhere; it's up to them to set up shop and let roots grow. Pirn is such a place that Hybrids like to settle down.
Like watchers, Hybrids have a natural resistance against fey subtleties and vampiric compulsion, and they often sport similar, superior survival instincts compared to mortals.
Common Hybrids:
Practitioner Witches | With their witches blood so far removed, practitioner witches are those who can use ritualistic practices to produce very limited effects, sometimes even faulty ones. Street psychics and Wiccans who produce limited magic by means of the natural magic around them. However, they lack the innate active powers that witches do.
Demon Hybrids | Is your mom or dad a demon? Did he seduce your mother under the guise of a rich tycoon and vanish into thin air until you came into your powers? Did she even bother to show and explain your newfound abilities? As there are a variety of classifications of demons, their actual skill set will vary. Usually, however, demonic offsprings will inherit dematerialization that allows them to freely travel to the lower and material planes, and some kind of active power in regards to their demonic heritage. Depending on the type, sunlight sensitivity may incur.
Dhampir | The rarest of the three most common hybrids, dhampir's are of mortal and vampiric descent. They have sunlight sensitivity, but are not destroyed by the sun's rays when fully submerged within it. The "purity" of the vampiric blood within a Dhampir will usually decide how uncomfortable they are in the sun, ranging from mild irritation to severe sunburn. They have enhanced instead of superhuman physical abilities, though well above a human's, and like vampires, the older one gets, the stronger they become. Oddly enough, for the rare few Dhampir, their ability to Compel is quite strong; it's said that a special dhampir whose only a century old could out-compel a vampire of the same age.
Rare Hybrids:
Changelings | It's taken the fey awhile to catch up to our modern ways, and as such, changelings that make it back to the material plane happen about once per century. Due to their time elsewhere changelings are trapped in a reality flux, where they neither age nor deteriorate by natural means. They are, however, weak to ashwood and iron, and while they are supernaturally fast and agile (rivaling shifters), their bodies are quite frail. Changelings don't remember anything from their time in elsewhere and simply remember waking up in the mortal plane, with a natural desire and a will to survive. Most are fully grown by the time they arrive.
Changelings are innately capable of changing their physical form, morphing into someone else. With this ability, however, comes the unfortunate side effect of taking on the personality traits of the person they're morphing into. Before 1103, when changelings were somewhat common, it was a shared belief that ancient changelings created a new life with every shift, as they weren't bound by the same consequences current changelings are. In addition, changelings have a singular ability, halfway between a spell and an active power, that grants them minimal control and manipulation over one of the following: mists, plants, storms, and animals.
---- if you're interested in playing a hybrid, please attach this to your full sheet ----
hybrid classification: name your classification (if something other than the 3 listed)
define your unveiled parent, who and what are they (if you wish to reveal this in character, pls attach to the pm you send me)
racial features
list any features that your character gains from their otherworldly parentage. for example, dhampir's and certain demon hybrids have sunlight sensitivity. some demonic hybrids may have another form they shift into; while this could be a part of their power set (and listed under both), it stems from their infernal ancestry. do they have horns or unusual colored eyes?
power set
please include a description of your characters power(s), including any sensory details, including any visual effects, if applicable. as well as ways you think the power can grow. include strengths and weaknesses in regards to this ability: are they a demon hybrid who doesn't quite have mastery over their dematerialization or are they a dhampir struggling to learn how to compel? be creative! even if they're experienced, what are some quirks your characters have in regards to using them?
changeling specific // what is your ability? what is your natural desire? what are your characters thoughts about elsewhere?
how do they use it? what visual and sensory clues, if any, happen upon its use? what are its strengths and weaknesses as a power, and what are your characters strengths and weaknesses using it? are they comfortable with it? the natural desire can be anything; as your characters have little backstory prior to their "reawakening" (they're basically amnesiacs) where they're but hollow shells with a singular burning desire. up to you to decide what their natural desire is and how far they've come to fulling it. and along the way, what kind of person have they become? timid, shy and easily confused? readily startable and prone to bouts of paranoia? someone meticulous in remembering everything from here on out? to an extent, all changelings know about their time in elsewhere but something makes it incapable of actually being communicated, be it through thoughts or words or written languages. how does your character feel about this?
Witches
Maidens and Masters of the Moon. Old World psychopomps, New World heretics. Reality binders binded by Reality.
Witches are separated from Witch Practitioners by having an active power— which stems from having ample amounts of blessed blood within them. Witches are humans who have been blessed by different patrons of magic, though the Patron of the Moon claims ownership over the First Witch, the most powerful, and now has over fourteen “separate” branches that span globally. There are an incalculable number of different patrons for witches, however, and the only true difference is in their moral alignment and visual and sensory aesthetics.
Witches are capable of warping reality, with their spells, rituals, active powers, and potions. Most do not reach the true, nigh-immortal potential as ancient witches did, but they are plenty powerful with a wide range of abilities in which to handle difficult situations. If morally aligned positively, young witches are given Guides— to oversee that their blossoming magic isn’t corrupted by evil. Witches who are predominantly active in the field of destroying evil may be blessed with a Guide regardless of age, and those who may be precious to their Patron may be given a personal Guide to watch over them.
Strengths, Weaknesses, and Peculiarities
Due to the arsenal bestowed upon them, witches are generally respected and in some cultures, revered by others within the Unveiled community. They perhaps have the most antagonistic relations with vampires*, but after the Covenant of 1673, tensions have slowly eased, and in communities like Pirn, nearly non-existent, unless perhaps it’s a personal grudge.
As their blood creates euphoric feelings within a vampire, and enhances their mental abilities nearly twofold. However, it is highly addictive, and too much consumption of witch blood will cause a vampire to burst into particles, as they’re incapable of processing the innate blessing within witch blood.
Interestingly enough, witches are hierarchical by blood, with first borns often being born stronger than their siblings. It is not completely understood, but common belief states it's so the older sibling can protect the younger ones. Funnily enough, only children seem to bear no boon or consequence and are about as strong as their lineage would provide them to be.
Witches of a positive moral alignment are duty bound by an ancient oath to do no harm to and protect innocents from evils beyond the veil. While personal gain isn't strictly monitored, the powers that be can and will "mute" powers, if too often and severely abused. If a Witch falls from positivity, and revels in negative energies, they're oft "adopted" by patrons of lesser-to-somewhat-equal power of the opposite spectrum. Sometimes, however, active powers can be removed, leaving them nothing more than a Witch Practitioner. "Fallen Witches" as they are dubbed, are stripped of their rights to a Guide, as well as any protections or boons bestowed upon them by their previous patron.
Witches have a certain amount of energy they can expend on spells, rituals, and active powers within a day. If pushed past their limits, witches will be rendered unconscious as a precaution to their bodies, as expending too much energy can be fatal.
A witch's life expectancy varies wildly, depending on the patron behind their blood's blessing and the access to a Guide to heal injuries from the neverending evils that assail them. The average is human (80) and a half (40), though some lineages are known to live well beyond two centuries. A witch and their abilities will always scale proportionally in regards to their life expectancy. For example: there are two witches, both aged 50. The first will only live to be 120 years old, the second will live to see 300. The first witch will be more powerful (as she has lived more of her life) than the second.
Active powers are revealed (usually) around 5-7 years of age, however, late bloomers are common, especially in lineages containing other unveiled blood. The full depth of a witches magical potential, however, is not bestowed upon them until they reach their physical and mental maturity between the ages of nineteen and twenty-five.
There are three cardinal realities that a witch cannot alter, warp, or bind:
01. Time
02. Death
03. Love
All witches have access to the following abilities to some degree:
The ability to cast and create spells, perform rituals, and brew potions that alters, warps, or binds reality.
An active power which may or may not be related to their Patron.
A Guide that will oversee their magical potential once it fully blossoms, usually between the ages of eighteen and twenty-two.
With the blessing of their patron, comes a limited, but significant increase to their durability and healing factor, both of which are abnormally high for a human, but weaker than a shifter.
---- if you're interested in playing a witch, please attach this to your full sheet ----
we’re going to treat spells similarly to d&d; depending on how powerful your character’s bloodline, you’ll have x-amount of spell slots to use between gm posts. with that being said, characters can have up to six spells “at the ready”, with differing levels of power and expertise that increase or decrease the amount of spell slots used. the opportunity to learn new spells in character should be expected with time! active powers, in the context of d&d, are like cantrips: free to use whenever, though witches will eventually run out of energy and need to recoup.
what is your character’s active power?
has it been passed down through your family for generations, or is it an amalgamation of different powers? is it something unique to your character? describe it: what it looks like and smells like, if applicable, what it does and what it doesn’t, its strengths and weaknesses and any quirks your character may have while using it.
how many spells does your character know? what are they?
name of spell, description, range, needed components, including somatic, verbal, and material. does your grimoire come with instructions on how to perform it? or did your character figure it out on their own? did they create it? if so, how? remember you can have your witch start with up to six spells, but if they’re younger than 80, realistically, they’d have about four, along with near mastery over their active power.
like shifters and vampires, witches have an affinity for one of the three inherent abilities: casting and creating spells, brewing potions, or performing rituals. which is your character more attuned to?
do they have a love for cooking or perhaps a green thumb? prolly a witch who feels most comfortable working with potions. are they creative, rhythmic, and natural oriators? then perhaps they're most comfortable writing and casting spells. is your character meticulous and precise, able to remember difficult steps in order to create something otherworldly? than perhaps they vibe with rituals. neither is truly stronger than the other, they all have their own pros and cons, lemme know how yours is influenced!
Shifters
Savants of primal urges. Neither one nor the other, but a composite of the two. Inevitably animalistic.
Shifters are unveiled creatures who have the innate ability to transform into an animal. Like witches and watchers, this gene travels in the familial line, though unlike witches, not every child born will be a Shifter. While only a myth surrounds the origins of Shifters, it is widely hailed as the truth— though the “truth” differs between cultures.
In cultures around the world, it’s widely accepted that some trickster deity created the first Shifter.
There is a short period of time in which the shift takes place, and unlike many Unveiled whose abilities are determined innately, a Shifters transition period is determined by how often they do it. In other words, practicing and training are key components to a shifters regime.
Strengths, Weaknesses, and Peculiarities
Similarly to other Unveiled, the older a Shifter is, the more powerful they are. Again, however, this is mostly attributed to muscle memory, a clear understanding of their capabilities, and the knowledge and instinct to do so in combat (or necessary situations).
Every Shifter has a limited amount of time in their shifts, though this increases with practice and age. As a shifters life expectancy is double a humans and their bodies similarly halt in the reality that their body is fully grown in, those younger than 80 can spend about 6-18 hours in their animal form before needing to shift back to recuperate energy. Those older than 130 can usually spend an indefinite amount of time within their animal form.
Shifters are limited to one animal form to shift into. They do however, retain their animal instincts and strengths in their human forms, rivaling dhampirs in strength, agility, and durability. In some aspects, however, they also attain what's known as the Animal's Blessing, which usually happens when a Shifter comes of age— about 40 years old — which gives active access to what was always unconsciously there. As some animals have the ability to detect or sense forms of energy, so too do Shifters. Unlike vampires, Shifters are capable of using these animal blessings on other unveiled.
Due to the animal nature or the magic that created them, Shifters have an enhanced healing factor— weaker than vampires, but stronger than witches.
The myth states that a young maiden, lost in the woods and being chased by something unseen, happened upon a hooded figure who granted her one wish, whatever her heart desired. In return, the hooded figure asked for a single lock of her beautiful chestnut brown hair. The maiden agreed, and asked for a way through the woods. In turn, the hooded figure took a lock of her hair and turned her into a doe, free to frolic her way through the woods. In fright, the maiden took off through the underbrush, becoming a doe in every ounce of her being with each bound.
---- if you're interested in playing a vampire, please attach this to your full sheet ----
token animal: must be an animal that is currently exists (or has recently (~160 years) gone extinct)
how do they feel about their token animal?
do they like the kind of animal they shift into or are they scared or disgusted of it? if so, what will it take for them to come to terms with it?
what is your character's animal blessing? how active of a power is it?
can they use it consciously or are they still working on mastering it? have they even discovered it yet? how much energy does it take to use? do they have to be in one form or another (or both?) for it to work?
unlike witches who have an unspoken duty to either create or destroy evil, shifters are not bound by any such ancient oaths. if they fight for good, why do they?
some cultures, or tight-knit communities like pirn, that foster progressive ideologies within the unveiled world, call for everyone to join forces when something goes wrong. it could be as simple as that or a private vendetta against evil creatures from other planes.
Vampires
Deceased and desecrated vessels. Compulsive hunters. Otherworldly abilities, cursed with several achilles’ heels.
Vampires are unveiled creatures who have befallen the vampiric curse— reanimation of the body after death, with human blood necessary for survival thereafter. At the very least, a sip of human blood must be consumed within 24 hours or the creature dies, furthering their traumatic existence. The true origins of the curse remains unclear, and though the Patron of the Moon does not claim ownership, she does shield them within her moonlit embrace.
The older a vampire is, the stronger they are. On top of that, blood purity is a fascinating subject within vampiric societies, as it also decides how innately powerful a vampire is. While there is no master/slave relationship between a vampire and it’s maker, strong emotional bonds can be formed when a vampire first wakes and feeds.
There are four bloodlines considered most pure, though none have been directly descended from these lines in over seven generations: the Morelli’s, the Valacari's, and the La Roque’s*.
* Leaving one open for anyone to create an ancient bloodline. Please note, even if your bloodline is accepted, your character will not be a direct descendant, as your powers might be too powerful for me to scale.
Strengths, Weaknesses, and Peculiarities
Vampires are incapable of going out into the sun— their flesh will sear and burn instantly. Though superficial wounds will heal, complete exposure will reduce them to ashes.
To survive, vampires need to consume human blood. The length between each feed entirely depends upon the vampire, though there's an average of two weeks per half gallon of blood consumed. Some will be able to stretch an extra week in, while others won't be able to last half that. When a vampire has not fed, the Thirst will eventually overcome them, turning them into deadly hunters whose only compulsion is for blood. The thirst is not sustainable, however, though many believe to be at their strongest while under its effects— which is partially true. Like mortals who experience adrenaline rushes and are capable of unthinkable feats, vampires too undergo drastic changes when the thirst overtakes them. They are reduced to nothing more than perverted primal urges, who feel almost no pain, and are single minded in their lust for blood.
While nigh immortal, as a vampire will continue to age while remaining physically halted in the reality they died in, there are a few ways they can be killed. That short list consists of direct sunlight, a wooden stake through the heart, complete incineration by fire, and a rare, magical variant of oleander known as neriun.
Only vampiric females are capable of conceiving and giving birth to dhampirs. It is a long and arduous process, however, and not something capable of doing without having expendable resources. Female vampires must mate with a human male and then spend the typical 9 months of pregnancy being completely satiated in thirst. In essence, as close to "human" as possible, with fresh, warm blood circulating through their veins.
All vampires have access to the following abilities to some degree:
The power within the curse bestows superhuman physical abilities. This includes super strength, speed, agility, durability, senses, and a healing factor that matches.
Compulsion | The hallmark power of the vampiric society, vampires have the ability to influence and alter the emotions, behavior, thoughts, and/or alter or erase the memories of humans*. Unless incredibly old and incredibly powerful, vampires cannot usually compel other unveiled beings, save for the occasional watcher.
* Those who specialize in altering and erasing memories are oft deficient in influencing emotions, behavior, and thoughts. Like the physical aspects of the vampiric curse, every vampire has one of the four that feels most "natural".
Telepathy | A rudimentary yet intermediary ability that not many vampires bother learning until they have full mastery over their compulsion, which can take upwards of two centuries. Those who do decide to delve into this ability, will find themselves capable of sending or receiving flashes and emotions to those nearby and eventually, across vast distances.
---- if you're interested in playing a vampire, please attach this to your full sheet ----
how did your character die as a human? what were the circumstances of their rebirth?
how long ago was it? did they know they'd be transformed into a vampire when it happened? if so, were they attacked without being compelled or a human somehow in the know? if so, what were the circumstances surrounding it? what happened when they awoke?
every vampire has a dominant physical trait, which is your character's?
some vampires have incredulous strength, whereas others are significantly faster. still, some are keen of sight, hearing, or smell, even more so than their vampiric peers.
what are your characters strengths and weaknesses, outside of (or in spite of) what's already been written?
do they have a particularly hard time resisting the urge to feed? if so, how do they overcome this? do they have a blood bank hustle or run a blood donation charity? have they located one of the nine ancient rings, forged by the ancient witch morena, that lets them deny natural order and walk in the sunlight? do they have trouble tolerating the sight of blood, the smell? are they new to vampiric life? if so, they might be unaware of how strong they truly are!!
of the mental abilities listed, which is your character more intune with? what are their strengths and weaknesses?
remember, the older a vampire gets, the stronger its abilities are. this goes for their mental abilities as well, though it's possible one's physiology preferred one over the other upon reanimation. powerful mental abilities for lesser physical ones. what do they find easy to do? difficult to attempt?
Edits and additional lore to come. // i stayed up way too long finishing this //
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