Fantasy Visionary Panic [Lore Thread]

[Cresion Breezes]

​

all art by me

Lore Thread​

At a certain time in history, the Muduo (Eye-snatchers) appeared. They are fierce, grotesque creatures, some even have abilities that humans only dreamt of when thinking of gods. These creatures preyed on humans, but only specifically their eyes. They have a special attraction to those orbs, as for why, it’s still quite unknown.

To take refuge from these monsters, the humanity of today huddles in cities connected via railroad, made with materials that can hide the presence of a person’s eyes. Of course, there is a fighting chance, humanity’s champions: the Visionaries. Visionaries are people who possess a strange eye colour, as well as a supernatural ability that goes along with it. They vary in nature, but they give people the ability to fight against the Muduo.

Welcome to Mistol, or the ‘Capital of the Mist’, as many would describe it as. Being the largest settlement of humans, it is an industrial city surrounded by a perpetual mist, with a strange tower at its core. It is said the mist keeps the Muduo at bay, a rumor or truth? That’s still unknown.

This bastion is not fool proof however, the ever expanding population thins out the mist, and Muduos occasionally spill over in places where the mist retreats. This is why Mistol is also the biggest employer and talent agent of Visionaries. With good treatment, benefits, and even a special method to allow the survival of lethal damage, foreign Visionaries’ desire to seek employment in Mistol is almost as strong as an average Mistol citizen’s wish to awaken as a Visionary.


Of course, there is always a catch to these sorts of things, but...you don't need to worry. Everything will be fine.

 

[Cresion Breezes]

VISIONARIES​

• Visionaries
• Heterochromite
• Slates

• 
  
  
  

  

  
  
  Visionary: Phenomenia/Sententia​
  
  The most common branch of visionary abilities are the phenomenia, these abilities pertain to the physical world. Any ability that has bearing and effects on the physical world is classified as such. Everything from manipulation, conjugation, and augmentation falls into this category. Due to their abilities affecting the outside world, these visionaries can only use their abilities while their eyes are open. Not blinking at the wrong time becomes a crucial skill.
  
  The second most common, and second category are the sententia, abilities that do not physically manifest. These are more difficult to verify, but they generally pertain to the mind and collection of information. Telepathy, enhanced senses, and precognition are some types of abilities that fall under this.
  
  Visionaries tend to attract Muduos more than those who are without powers, hence they serve as great protectors of the average people, though this does put them in the line of danger whether they wish for it or not.
  
  
• 
  
  
  
  
  Heterochromites, stemming from the term ‘heterochromia’, a condition that they all possess, are individuals who have access to two abilities. Their two abilities are not related, and even if they are, it tends to be a coincidence. Natural heterochromites are exceedingly rare and not very well documented. They seem to attract Muduo more than average visionaries.
  
  [Please note that this is not a playable archetype by default, please DM me if you wish to play one. I will be strict, there will be spoilers, you be warned.]
  
  
• 
  
  
  
  
  Slates do not possess any special ability, yet they exhibit the same attraction of Muduo as visionaries. Many slates are children or young teenagers that tend to awaken to a visionary ability later on in life, although there are cases of slates never receiving powers even as they become adults. Most slates live near Misthart Tower in special zones where the mist is the thickest out of necessity. This results in most of them working for the Tower as well, some even as combatants.
  
  

 

[Cresion Breezes]

​

FACTIONS​

• Misthart Tower
• Immortal Lotus
• The Blue Market
• Pilgrims of the Soulbound Fog

• 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Emmerson ‘Misthart’ Luden
  
  The Chief of Misthart Tower, he is a slightly enigmatic but compassionate figure that oversees most combat operations that happen within Mistol’s fog.
  
  His sickly and constantly injured state is a testament to his devotion to the position. Being a visionary himself, his ability allows him to weave protective wards around others that will absorb a single fatal injury by redirecting most damage to him. Although he seems genuine, there are many who distrusts him, especially within the higher rankings of Misthart Tower. It is not uncommon for employees to reject his protection.
  
  
  

  ---

  
  At the heart of the city stands the great Misthart Tower, an enormous structure that serves as the main government institution. It handles many day to day affairs as well as the employment of Visionaries and defense against the Muduo. About 10% of Misthart Tower’s employees are visionary, the rest are ordinary people simply having a job. There are six main departments within the Tower that handle various different jobs.
  
  Although it holds quite a bit of power, it is generally frowned upon to refer to any department of Misthart Tower as a "military", many younger people of Mistol does not even know what militaries actually are. This is due to a historical incident that is scarcely documented, perhaps one day the truth behind what happened will surface.
  
  
  
  
  
  • ---Sentinel---
  • --Armanment--
  • ---Logistics---
  • --Research--
  • -Special Task Force-
  • -▉▉▉▉▉▉▉-

  • 
    
    
    Sentinels are patrol agents that survey various areas of the city regularly. They are responsible for sounding the sirens when Muduos are sighted, and keeping track of the density of mist within the city’s borders. In addition to Muduo related affairs, sentinels also act as informants and undercover agents when investigating human crimes.
    
    
  • 
    
    
    The Armament Department is the main security force for day to day life. They act as the police, military, and emergency services, with a focus on combat and rescue. This department has the second highest number of Visionaries employed, and has many members who are more specialized in man to man combat rather than against the Muduo.
    
    
    
  • 
    
    
    The humble but crucial Logistics Department that is responsible for maintaining the supply chain and bureaucratic organization within Misthart Tower. They deal with the behind the scenes events as well as long term aftermath of Muduo attacks, such as evacuation, rebuilding, and support of victims and displaced citizens.
    
    
    
  • 
    
    
    The Research Department is one full of brilliant minds that are attempting to learn about the Muduo as well as Visionaries, although that is but a small part of the department. Technology recovered from outside of the city’s mist is also analyzed here as many members attempt to piece together a more sustainable life for the growing population. They also manage many hospitals.
    
    
    
  • 
    
    
    Special Tasks Forces are pulled together from various departments, sometimes even consisting of non-employees. They are notably specialized to deal with combat against the Muduo, with most members being Visionaries. But it is possible for a team to receive missions that pertain to other aspects as well, acting as the city’s contingency reserve.
    
    
    
  • 
    
    
    The urban legend-like secret “department” of Misthart Tower known as “The Scavengers”. They dispose of Muduo corpses, often recovering the consumed remains from them. Although more often than not, the eyes are always missing due to a Muduo’s desire to absorb them. The members all wear masks and clothing that conceal their identity, hence not much about them is known.
    
    [Please note that this is not an available player faction, if you would like your character to have a history with them, please contact me with your idea.]
    
    
    
  
  
• 
  
  

  
  ​
  
  
  
  
  Sangye Sen
  
  The young founder of the Immortal Lotus, she began the organization to collect resources and talent to unravel the truth behind Misthart Tower. It is rumored that she has a history with Chief Luden, and that relationship is what ultimately caused her suspicion of him.
  
  Although she is attempting her best to always seem strong and stoic, she has trouble actually controlling the Immortal Lotus due to its loosely organized nature. There exist splinter factions that dislike her and refused her leadership, and even suspect her to have sold them out to Misthart due to her previous relationship with them. Some of the more radical members think her more pacifist ways are a hindrance to their pursuit of the truth.
  
  

  ---

  
  The Immortal Lotus are the ‘volunteer corps’ of Mistol, consisting of a group that includes both normal people and visionaries. Many people believe that they are a gang or a dissenter group. This is true to an extent as the common thread they share is their general distrust of Misthart Tower, Mistol’s government, and their leadership. Their leader is a skeptic who believes that there are certain things hidden from the general populace, and many members join due to sharing that idea.
  
  Although they are skeptics, they also share the desire to keep the city and its inhabitants safe. As a result, the Immortal Lotus sometimes ally with Misthart Tower when it comes to the defense of the city, but are disruptive at other times in less pressing matters. Their chain of command and organization are fairly loose, the depth of their members' pool.
  
  
• 
  
  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  Owenios Alufstien Starmazer
  
  The Blue Markets have no true leader, but Owenios is considered one of the most well-known individuals in the area. He was a former Misthart employee who claims to have been through something unspeakably horrifying during an incident with them. Many dismiss him as sort of a nutjob, not because of this history but his distinction in being the source of the information that "eating Muduo would change your visionary powers". This is what started one of the greatest trafficking crazes in the Blue Markets.
  
  Misthart's records and older employees claim that he used to be a very different individual.
  
  

  ---

  
  A black market that exists on the edge of Mistol, it is known as the “Blue Market” due to it being in an area where the mist is thin enough to see the blue sky at times. This is where independent visionaries and true government skeptics gather. There are antique shops and bars that litter the area, both items, services, and information are exchanged here, some deals being less savory than others. It is even rumored that there is the trading of visionary and Muduo body parts.
  
  Visionaries who do not wish to affiliate with other factions often make their living here, defending the distant area where the city’s official defense force struggles to reach. Misthart Tower tends to employ a hands-off approach to this area, although some informants may tell you otherwise…
  
• 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  The Pilgrims of the Soulbound Fog, or "The Pilgrims" for short, are the major religious groups in Mistol. They worship the mist due to its ability to hold Muduo at bay and shield the city from danger, and believe that the Muduo represents some form of human vices. Their members go from very devote to simply normal believers, most citizens who believes the mist is some form of divine blessing aligns with their beliefs. They pray in areas where the mist is the thickest and have a special dietary restriction in which they refrain from consuming any creature that has eyes.
  
  The Pilgrims are actually intertwined with the founding myth of Mistol. They speak of a legend where their ancestors once also lived in a place with the protective mist, but their callousness and cruelty caused it to dissipate, hoards of Muduo descended upon the village and destroyed it. The Pilgrims made a journey to a new place with newly founded mist, and became worshippers of it. Legends even speak of human sacrifices in the name of the mist, this of course is no longer the case.
  
  Misthart lets them be, but seems to have an ambivalent or even awkward attitude towards the religion.
  
  

 

[Cresion Breezes]

FAQ Vol.1​

What is the tech level like?
Mostly modern, but with a sense of retro and old school style. Technology for day to day life and military resembles the late Cold War era, with phones still being bricky and televisions still being boxes. Medical technology, however, largely resembles what we have in the 21th century. Generally, 1960s technology is good reference for every day items, but if your character works on cutting edge research or the likes they could have access to experimental technology that resembles the 70s and 80s

It should be noted that technology seems to have stagnated in the past years, on accounts of human settlements being constantly destroyed and rebuilt over and over again, there has been little time for big breakthroughs.

Are there other cities? Can I make a character from other locations?
Yes, other settlements do exist. These are mostly small villages and towns with low population density and some local visionaries to defend it. There are other places large enough to be considered a “city” that is possible to become plot relevant later on.

Your character can come from a small settlement, but if they are from another large city please consult me, as large cities all need proper lore establishment in this setting.

What are the main transportation methods?
Railway. Automated railways connect settlements and are the main method of transporting people and goods. This is due to roads being too dangerous to constantly maintain. Smaller settlements near Mistol are connected via rail. Planes do exist and are used elsewhere, but they avoid traversing Mistol’s airspace due to the constant thick fog that surrounds the city.

Can blind people be visionaries?
Technically, yes, but it depends. Visionary powers seem to stem from the physical eyeball rather than the ability to see, so as long as someone still physically has eyeballs they can still be a visionary.

Can I make my own faction?
Yes, but please ask me about it.

Can I make a character who’s not a visionary/have no powers?
Yes, as long as they have the skill to keep up with those who do.

Is this sky always pink?
Yes, at least during day time.

FAQ Vol.2​

Are Visionary abilities hereditary, or is it completely random?
They are not hereditary, there is a "pattern" in regards to who has them, but in practice it's functionally random.

What can you do with Muduo corpses? Are they edible? Can they be made into weapons?
he Scavengers dispose of them, but where they go is a mystery, some people have smuggled them in underground markets, but that is a severe crime. It is rumoured that eating them makes visionary powers stronger, but it's really just a rumour.

Other than that they seem to just sit there, it's unknown...or not public knowledge what can and is done with them.

Are there different variants of Muduo that are more dangerous than others?
How dangerous a Muduo is depends on two factors:

1. The amount of eyes they have, this may be deceiving as some Muduo have eyes hidden away beneath the surface

2. What type of creature they resemble, the more complex they are the more dangerous they are. A Muduo that resembles a vertebrate animal would be "oh fuck" zone, one that is humanoid, no matter how uncanny valley it may be would be the "impossible to solo possible tpk" zone

Do Muduo intelligence increase the more eyes they absorb or are they just wild animals running off of instinct?
It's sort of random, it depends on the quality of eyes they absorb, but it is an upward trend.

What do Muduo generally look like?
They're based on non vertebrate animals but drippy and shadowy and have eyeballs in places they're not suppose to. Amoebas, cephalopods, prokaryotes etc. Higher more complex animals means they are stronger.

They are pitch black, many a gooey and dripping what seems like liquid flesh, some have unnatural human parts sticking out of them in places if they have eaten humans.

 

[Cresion Breezes]

MUDUO CATEGORIES

​

• Primordial
• Beastial
• Amalgam
• Humanoid

• 
  The Primordial Muduo are believed to be the first or initial stage of Muduo, they appear as formless masses of shadowy flesh with slimy viscosity. They are usually the size of large household animals such as dogs and cats. There have been records of these creatures spontaneously coming into existence from the elements of nature, being reformed from larger Muduo's remains, or just being excreted by more advanced Muduo. Although most of these creatures are formless and has a purely fleshy texture, some that have consumed certain animals would take on the traits of arthropods or insects. These are more basic traits such as shells and exoskeletons, more advanced animal traits would cause them to go up in category.
  
  These Muduo sometimes do not have any visible eyes, indicating their weak combat power, although sometimes they do have a few. A healthy person with little to no training should be able to fight off one or two of these. But despite their relative powerlessness, they are extremely persistent, and will mindlessly swarm any humans or visionaries they detect. Any casualties to these Muduo can be attributed to their strength in numbers,
  
  
• 
  Beastial Muduo are considered the result of Muduos consuming and assimilating certain complex animals. Their traits vary greatly based on what animals they have eaten, and often take up the animals most hostile traits such as claws, horns, exoskeletons, and scales. The size of these Muduo can vary greatly as well, and is also determined by the size of the animal they consumed the most. A good rule of thumb is to consider the complexity of the animal's form when trying to scout out the combat power of these creatures, the more complex features they have, the greater the danger they pose.
  
  Many eyes can be seen on the surface of these Muduo, but they are rarely in the right places. Eyes that resembles various animal eyes often appear on limbs and torsos, aiming at any of these exposed surface eyes are a good way to take them out. Very rarely a Beastial Muduo can have very few human-like traits, the implications of this is obvious enough.
  
  
• 
  The Amalgam Muduo are creatures that often look like a Chimera of man and animal, they are also characterized by having colour sometimes other than being a pure black shadow. These Muduo are considered highly dangerous as they are often fairly large in size, as their masses are the combined masses of multiple living things. These Muduo are hypothesized to have consumed many humans due to having large amount of uncanny human parts sticking out of various places, although most of these parts are not being used as intended. This is actually one of the best ways to defeat these Muduo, taking advantage of their ineffective amalgamated forms
  
  These Muduo also have a considerable amount of eyes, and began to show signs of having very human eyes. Getting close enough to one would often cause the sensation of staring into an actual human's gaze. They also sometimes possess special abilities just like Visionaries, however, they are unable to properly use or control these abilities. Any stimulus would cause the ability to active uncontrollably, even if it would harm the Muduo itself.
  
  
• 
  Humanoid Muduo are extremely rare and have not been sighted in decades around Mistol, judging by casualty reports that cause the create of Amalgam Muduo, the amount of humans that a Muduo needs to consume to attain this form is scarily high. These creatures are humanoid, they have limbs and a torso and a head, but the proportions are often uncanny and disturbing. They attempt to move in human ways but are often hindered by their own distorted forms. Their behavior can also differ slightly, such as acting territorial and being undeterred by phenomena such as Mistol's fog.
  
  Although these Muduo have many many eyes, they are often stored away from the surface of their bodies as a sign of privative intelligence. But some have so many eyes that they spill over to the surface. To take out one of these creatures one must be prepared to flay them alive layer by layer and resist their relentless attacks in the process. Humanoid Muduo often have Visionary abilities, although they are still unable to use them quite properly, resulting in frequent mindless outbursts, being able to turn its ability on itself is the key to defeating them.
  
  

 

[Cresion Breezes]

ST.NAUTILUS HOSPITAL

​

Built around 30 years ago after the last

humanoid muduo attack, a devastating one that left many casualties in its wake as the monster rampaged throughout the city, only being stopped at the foot of Misthart Tower itself, St.Nautilus Hospital is the largest and most advanced medical center within Mistol, and perhaps even in the entire known world. It not only cares for temporary patients, but many children and adults with long term illnesses as well. Many previously unheard of medical techniques and technologies came out of this institution, such as triage, pharmacology, and standard surgical procedures.

St.Nautilus is also the main medical institution for Misthart employed Visionaries, as it also specializes in dealing with situations where Visionary powers become actively harmful to the user and their surroundings, there are a large number of Slate children and teenagers permanently stationed here due to their conditions. It is known to employ Visionaries as medical staff if an individual's power is proven to be beneficial. It is even rumored that the Scavengers are closely related to the hospital in someway.

Although it is located quite close to the city's center, the sky above St.Nautilus shows its natural blue more often than most places, the reason why this happens is unknown. Many patients and even normal civilians gather in its courtyard to look at the real sky and clouds occasionally. The lifeless grey buildings are given life by a large amount of climbing vegetation that covers the walls, these plants seem to differ from the ivy and wisteria seen in other locations and outside of the city, they seem strangely unique to St.Nautilus Hospital.

---

​