Archivum Wisteria - Recent changes [en]

Vampires

Zadammac — Tue, 26 May 2026 19:30:29 GMT

Created page with "Category: Monsters Category: Undead Category: Vampires '''Vampires''' are members of a broad category of Undead, usually viewed as Monsters, who are found in pockets across Wisteria and presumably across the surface of Ahren, including some that are native to the Depths. The origin of vampirism is the subject of numerous conflicting mythologies, but in general, the following traits describe Vampires broadly: they retain, at least some of t..."

New page

[[Category: Monsters]] [[Category: Undead]] [[Category: Vampires]]
'''Vampires''' are members of a broad category of [[Undead]], usually viewed as [[Monsters]], who are found in pockets across [[Wisteria]] and presumably across the surface of [[Ahren]], including some that are native to [[the Depths]]. The origin of vampirism is the subject of numerous conflicting mythologies, but in general, the following traits describe Vampires broadly: they retain, at least some of the time, their full mental faculties they had in life; they are deathless, and; they require feeding upon the living, usually in the form of feeding on the blood of living victims (or, in some cases, willing human hosts). [[Ars Magica]] scholars and the scholars of similar schools of magic understand vampire through a germ theory of disease, where the tainted humours of an older vampire contaminate those of a victim under certain circumstances, ultimately leading to the victim becoming a new vampire. In some cases, early treatments can undermine this contamination and restore the victim to life, but it is broadly considered impossible to cure a vampire that has "fully converted". Because of this germ theory of the Vampiric condition, vampires can largely be grouped into clans or houses in the same way that many living sophonts track their lineage - "Bloodlines" defined by lists of sires and dams. In many cases these bloodlines are organized enough to even keep such records, though obviously doing so in great secret. There is some significant variation among the Bloodlines in terms of the particulars of diet and the development of certain supernatural powers. Many of these distinctions are, of course, completely unknown to the layman - this knowledge is more the purview of [[Via Lemurae]] wizards and specialist vampire hunters. Depending on the area in which a person lives they are likely to believe that any given vampire could exhibit all the powers of all the Bloodlines which are active in their region.

== Vampire Basics ==
While various [[Vampire Bloodlines]] may pick up specialty traits representing particular powers, as varied as shapeshifting, mind control, flight, and so forth, all vampires share a few common defining traits as a result of their [[Undead]] nature and the nature of carrying some form or other of the Vampiric Germ.

=== Weakness to the Sun ===
All vampires are intolerant of sunlight. This intolerance affects them any time they are exposed to direct sunlight; indirect sunlight scattered from nearby objects, reflected by mirrors, or passing through windows does not usually cause them damage, but does trigger an almost-unignorable circadian response compelling them to rest. A vampire who somehow finds themselves exposed to the direct, unfiltered light of [[Vita]], [[Ahren]]'s sun, takes cumulatively-increasing damage bypassing all of their natural resistances until they burn away into ash and have their bodies destroyed. For most intents and purposes, this effectively kills the vampire. It is the onset of this trait in particular that draws the line between curable and incurable vampirism; this usually sets in within three to nine days of contamination - though in some cases, the effect may be instantaneous.

Since the effects of sunlight are continuous, a vampire loses access to its regeneration trait until it is removed from direct sunlight, either by seeking shelter, the passing of a cloud, or the use of magical means.

=== Weakness to Positive Energy ===
As implied by their sunlight weakness, positive energy (in 5e parlance, "Radiant Damage") bypasses any resistances they have (other than those granted by equipment). A vampire who has suffered any of a number of different kinds of damage conditions, including Positive Energy Damage, loses access to the regeneration ability described below.

=== Stasis and Negative Energy Healing ===
All [[Undead]] share a common condition of a disruption of the relationship between [[Soul]], Mind, and Body. In the case of Vampires, their misalignments bind their souls to [[Stasis]], the celestial antipode of the sun. Their souls will "go there" when they die, regardless of the activities of any faith or lineage they otherwise possess. For that reason, a slain vampire cannot be restored to life by the ordinary means available to the living (if any such means exist).

Negative Energy (5E Parlance) "damage" is restorative to vampires; they heal, rather than being damaged, in the same magnitude that they otherwise would have been damaged by it. Some rare vampire bloodlines feed through this means (inflicting Negative Energy damage and restoring health to themselves), but for most vampires this is only effective when they themselves are the targets of the effect that caused it. If a vampire is bolstered by Negative Energy in the same round as being harmed by Positive Energy, they may regenerate at the start of the next round as though they not been so damaged.

=== The Blood Hunger ===
Vampirism stands apart from other forms of Mindful [[Undead]] in that the nature of the Soul-Mind-Body disruption leaves the body in a state where it still must feed - after a fashion. While most vital functions of the body have diminished, the body must be fed. Almost universally, this feeding is done by consuming the blood of living beings. A vampire's choice of feedstock is ultimately up to them, however, it is not an uncomplicated, purely moral choice.

Vampiric hunger passes through a series of levels, from 0-5, with 0 being fully satiated. A fully satiated vampire has best access to their regeneration ability as well as all their bloodline abilities, and this level of power is possible only through feeding on the blood of [[sophont]] beings - not necessarily those of the same race as the vampire, but certainly sentience is a requirement. Animal blood will suffice for any meal, but can never fully reduce the Blood Hunger to zero. The vampire gains a point of hunger each night, which must be balanced with sufficient feeding so as not to reach the fifth stage of hunger and become feral. The use of certain abilities specifically granted by the vampire's bloodline may (or may not) incur additional Blood Hunger.

Killing the host of the meal is not a requirement (but see feral vampires, below), though some vampires may prefer to do so for a variety of reasons, such as fear of discovery as a vampire (when passing among living populations), personal satisfaction, or inability to control the hunger. In gameplay-mechanical terms, the amount of hunger restored per blood meal depends on the amount of hit points of damage dealt to the target in the feeding process. Such a feed can be sustained for many rounds provided the vampire can continue to overpower their increasingly-weakened prey. Very often, younger vampires or vampires that are feral or have nearly become feral cannot control themselves and would require Wisdom/Willpower saving throws (or their equivalent in your engine of choice) to stop themselves early enough to save the host.

There is a chance, based on the virulence of the Vampire's bloodline and their "generational" closeness to the progenetor of the bloodline that a host left living at the end of a feeding session has contracted the Bloodline's humouric germ and will themselves become a vampire. For this reason, particularly virulent vampires (for whatever reason they happen to be so virulent) will often kill their prey to prevent the uncontrolled spread of their "Vampiric Gifts".

The damage dealt by a vampire feeding on a host, regardless of whether or not the host survives (or is contaminated with the germ), is gained by the vampire as hit points. If the vampire gains more hitpoints than needed to reach their maximum health, they have advantage on their rolls to stop feeding (provided they aren't feral), and gain the surplus as temporary hitpoints that will remain available to them until sunrise.

The mechanics for feeding (and going feral) are the same for vampire bloodlines which have alternative modes of feeling.

=== Feral Vampires ===
Vampires who fully reach the bottom of the hunger curve without feeding within one night of doing so become Feral. As best suits the tastes of the party and the Facilitator, in the case of player vampires this may lead to the vampire being removed from player control. In any event, the vampire has become uncontrollably hungry. They will use all of their abilities, and further-enhanced physical strength, to attempt to feed on the nearest available living creatures, preferring sophont races over base animals. The vampire will remain in this state until they have managed to either: feed to satiation; or, feed minimally and be put to sleep by the break of day and their exposure to indirect sunlight (or destruction by direct sunlight). A vampire in this state automatically fails their saving throws to stop feeding prematurely. For a sufficiently advanced vampire, one victim may not be enough to fully recover their sanity in a single night.

A vampire who falls asleep, having fed but not becoming satiated, will regain their sanity when they reawakening the following nightfall. A vampire who goes feral and does not feed in that evening instead falls into Torpor at daybreak and will remain so until reanimated by a blood sacrifice. If a blood sacrifice is not sufficient fully restore the vampire's hunger that vampire will awaken feral and remain feral until the previous conditions are met.

For most vampires, this state is obviously unpleasant and will be avoided at all costs.

=== Regeneration ===
Vampires regenerate a number of hit points per combat round as long as they have not been exposed to sunlight or taken positive energy damage in the previous round. In this way, vampires may be wounded, but never lastingly. However, a number of sources of damage are not fully recoverable via regeneration:
[*] Sunlight and Positive Energy/Radiant Damage cannot heal until the start of a round where none was taken in the previous round
[*] Silver weapons deal damage to vampires that cannot be regenerated until the vampire's next feeding.
[*] Holy Water damages vampires as though it were radiant damage, and, like silver, cannot be regenerated until the vampire's next feeding.

=== Physical Resistances and Immunity ===
In addition to their regenerative abilities which reconstitute their bodies almost immediately upon suffering damage, Vampires are merely a facimile of life, and not actually living. For that reason, they are immune to critical hits. They do not require breathing, and are immune to all poisons, unless explicitly stated otherwise in the poison's stat block. Becoming a vampire grants a number of (un)natural bonuses to various basic physical attributes such as strength and endurance. Since they don't need to breathe they are never winded, and cannot be fatigued (though there are still physical limitations on their encumbrance). Unless otherwise stated in their bloodline, Vampires do not age visibly, and even the ones that do do not suffer any physical detriment as they age, though their mental faculties may continue to sharpen.

=== Torpor ===
All vampires are subject to torpor, either through advanced blood starvation or through the special condition of having been staked - that is, having their heart pierced by a stake or similar weapon made entirely of wood. A vampire which is in Torpor is unconscious, unmoving, and ceases regeneration. They continue to accrue hunger at the regular rate of one point per night, but cannot awaken until the exit condition of the Torpor is met. This makes the vampire incredibly vulnerable, and they are just as aware of this vulnerability as mortal men are. A staked vampire can be easily let out into the sunlight to be burned away to [[Stasis]]. All vampires gain a point of Blood Hunger as soon as they enter torpor, even if the torpor is reversed by the following nightfall.

If the vampire was put into torpor by being staked, they will awaken instantaneously when the stake is removed, and may be Feral if they had been staked long enough to accumulate that many points of Hunger.

If the vampire was put into Torpor by going feral from blood hunger and failing to feed before daybreak, they can be awakened by a blood sacrifice. The size of the sacrifice determines whether they will be feral, or not, when they awaken. Since the vampire cannot feed on its own while in torpor, the sacrifice must be presented to them in a form where the blood can be fed to them, and it must also be fresh. If the sacrifice itself is not enough to take them fully to satiation, they will remain feral until they have fed to that level, or the other exit conditions for the feral state have been met.

=== Vampire "Bans" ===
Vampires can be subject to a number of "bans", or artificial restrictions on their behaviour, depending on the bloodline. By many (both vampires and laypeople), these limitations are not always immediately apparent and are often considered signs of divine involvement in the nature of vampires. Common bans include the inability to enter a dwelling without explicit invitation, the inability to pass over bodies of running water, the requirement to return to their literal grave (or carry with them the earth of their grave), and so forth.

For a "wild" vampire who was sired by accident or left unsupervised by their progenitor, sorting out which bans are real and which ones are not is left to their experimentation. For laypeople, the notion that any of these Bans holds true for a vampire they are encountering can lead to false senses of security. Some shrewed vampires will feign compliance with bans that don't actually apply to them, and some scholars believe that some bans, like exposure to garlic, may not be true for ''any'' bloodline but are actually fabrications of organized vampires left in the public folklore after generations of deliberate deception.

=== Communion of the Bloodline ===
While any feeding session with a surviving host can potentially lead to a vampire, all vampires possess an automatic understanding of, and ability to execute, a ritual known as the Communion of the Bloodline. While some may dress this ritual up with full ceremony to rival the services of the grandest mortal temples, the important germ of the process is that the vampire must injure themselves and allow the injured victim to feed on a quantity of their blood. The ritual does not actually require that the vampire be the one to injure the victim; the "newborn" vampire having been gravely injured only to be "rescued" by the gift of this communion is so common an origin story among Wisterian vampires that it borders on being a trope. This process trades the vampire's blood in the form of accumulating points of Blood Hunger, to a minimum of 1 point.

An injured host who receives the Communion of the Bloodline is instantly converted to a vampire and enters the state of being a vampire with 1 point of Blood Hunger. Because this conversion is instantaneous, they have no grace period in which they could be cured.

An uninjured host who receives the Communion of the Bloodline is rendered temporarily a thrall of the vampire in question. They gain temporary hitpoints equivalent to as many points of Blood Hunger the vampire is willing to accrue to feed them (that is, "enough" HP to have satisfied that level of hunger if the process was reversed). For as many days as points of hunger thus transferred, the thrall has disadvantage on all saving throws against the vampire.

== Vampire Bloodlines ==
=== Bastonia ===
=== Atarlie Empire ===
=== Lordless Lands ===
=== Shimmering Shore ===
=== Underground ===

== Vampires in Wisterian Folklore ==

Vampirism

Zadammac — Tue, 26 May 2026 17:49:38 GMT

Redirected page to Vampires

New page

#REDIRECT [[Vampires]]

Monsters

Zadammac — Sun, 10 May 2026 16:00:39 GMT

← Older revision		Revision as of 16:00, 10 May 2026
Line 14:		Line 14:
	** This includes some artifically-created creatures like the [[Gravenlings]] and other magical experiments		** This includes some artifically-created creatures like the [[Gravenlings]] and other magical experiments
	** This also includes some "naturally occuring" creatures such as those that spawn deep in the formlessness of [[the Depths]].		** This also includes some "naturally occuring" creatures such as those that spawn deep in the formlessness of [[the Depths]].
	* [[Draconic]] creatures like the [[Sea Drakes]] of the [[Bay of Dragons]].		* [[Draconic]] creatures like the [[Sea Drakes]] of the [[Bay of Dragons]] or the [[Salamanders]] of [[Zeemarch]].
	* [[Constructs]] are a category that will be broadly familiar to many RPG players and broadly exists to cover the case of creatures that are not and never were alive, but which exist and act upon the world, such as the [[Secondborn]].		* [[Constructs]] are a category that will be broadly familiar to many RPG players and broadly exists to cover the case of creatures that are not and never were alive, but which exist and act upon the world, such as the [[Secondborn]].
	* [[Fairy]] creatures exist under the influence of the [[Great Fae]] and can be thought of as special outsiders native to [[the Dreaming]].		* [[Fairy]] creatures exist under the influence of the [[Great Fae]] and can be thought of as special outsiders native to [[the Dreaming]].
	* [[Planetessimals]], being creatures native to planes other than [[Ahren]]. The term is drawn from an [[Ars Magica]] terminology in-world and is a blanket category that not all cultures would actually recognize as being a blanket, instead naming specific terms for creatures from the specific planes other than [[Ahren]], e.g [[devils]] from [[Hell]] and [[demons]] from [[The Abyss]], etc etc.		* [[Planetessimals]], being creatures native to planes other than [[Ahren]]. The term is drawn from an [[Ars Magica]] terminology in-world and is a blanket category that not all cultures would actually recognize as being a blanket, instead naming specific terms for creatures from the specific planes other than [[Ahren]], e.g [[devils]] from [[Hell]] and [[demons]] from [[The Abyss]], etc etc.

Undead

Zadammac — Sun, 10 May 2026 14:52:25 GMT

Created page with "The '''Undead''' are a classification of monster which are characterized mostly by interruptions of the connection between the soul and the body of a creature. For a variety of reasons, undead creatures proliferate Ahren and are found all across the contient of Wisteria, though they are not so common as to guarantee that your average person will ever actually have to encounter or deal with an undead creature. For obvious reasons, they have a markedly outs..."

New page

The '''Undead''' are a classification of [[monster]] which are characterized mostly by interruptions of the connection between the [[soul]] and the body of a creature. For a variety of reasons, undead creatures proliferate [[Ahren]] and are found all across the contient of [[Wisteria]], though they are not so common as to guarantee that your average person will ever actually have to encounter or deal with an undead creature. For obvious reasons, they have a markedly outsized presence in folklore and concern in every culture that comes across them. The most notable universality of undead creatures is that it is the only monster group you could actually join at any time, as few (if any) creatures ''originate'' in a state of undeath. Some [[Ars Magica]] scholars posit that all undead are fundamentally [[Planetssimals]] of [[Stasis]], though this is a minority opinion. Origin stories and folkloric interpretations of the undead vary according to specific creature type.

== Corporeality ==
One common way of dividing the undead into more specific categories is to draw a divide between corporeal and incorporeal undead. Corporeal undead possess physical forms - often but not always the bodies they had in life - and can be countered or otherwise interacted with through ordinary physical means. Incorporeal Undead do not have traditional, physical forms, and are instead appearing in the material world via correspondances, usually either with [[the Bardo]] or the [[Ethereal Plane]]. However, this category speaks little to the origins and causes of undeath of the individual creatures; it's instead a broad way of categorizing undead, usually into those which can be fought directly (corporeal) and those which require propitiation or magical expunging (incorporeal).

== Unnaturalness and Artifice ==
Some undead creatures are created, on or for a purpose, through the deliberate action of mortal individuals. This category, including things like [[Legion Wights]], [[Zombies]], and [[Shadow Servants]], are known as "Artificial Undead". In most parts of [[Wisteria]] the creation of, and sometimes even exerting mastery over, such creatures constitutes a severe crime, seen as a violation of the autonomy of the creature who was made undead. However, it is also a major field of study for the [[Via Lemurae]] and for other formal practicioners of Necromancy as a general practice.

Except for relevant historical periods, the vast majority of the time, the vast majority of undead are what are called "unnatural undead", created by the confluence of supernatural, preternatural, or sometimes even natural forces in the world. These undead are usually of highly specific kinds that might be endemic to just one region - or even, just one cave, dungeon, or dwelling. While individual instances of unnatural undead are not grave risks to the natural order, the change in incidence over time in certain areas can create more or less of a problem.

== Soul, Mind, and the Undead ==
As earlier stated, undeath is a state usually caused by an interruption in the connection between the [[soul]] and the body of a creature. This interruption's signature significance is the cease of biological life functions in the affected individual. Put another way, all undead are fundamentally "dead" who are, for whatever reason, remaining animate. In many cases, the distruption of the connection between body and soul is so severe that many undead are considered functionally mindless, a feature particularly of corporeal undead. (For incorporeal undead, the problem is obviously the loss of the body, not the soul).

However, many kinds of undead, both unnatural and artificial, maintain some level of mind, ranging from the relative primativism of [[ghouls]] and [[zombies]] all the way up to effectively unchanged cognition, such as that seen in [[Vampires]]. The important thing to remember is that undeath is about ''the soul losing the ability to sustain the life of the body'', not the soul being entirely absent.

For this reason, analysis of the undead is a common regression in philosophical arguments about mind/soul dualism.

== Relationship to Energy ==
The corruption of the soul-body connection also disrupts the connections all living things have to [[Vita]] and [[Stasis]]. Effectively, this usually reverses the relationship the Undead has to "positive" and "negative" energies. Undead creatures are often injured by positive energy while being "healed" (or at the very least, "restored in function") by negative energy.

This is not a purely magical phenomenon and actually affects all cycles of life. Undead creatures do not procreate, and usually do not heal on their own without at minimum satisfying some form of special condition. Most undead creatures do not derive sustenance of any kind from eating, though a few eat in "corrupted" ways instead. As a rule, undead bodies appear dead on close examination, though some "higher" undead may pass for living under certain conditions (or using certain abilities they obtained through skillfull means, like the use of [[magic]]). Undead do not breathe, do not need to stay hydrated (but see [[Vampires]]), and may or may not need periods of daily rest. Many kinds of undead are able to go into topor states that allow them to remain unconscious for incredibly long stretches of time.

== Noteworthy Examples of Undeath ==
* At least one master of the [[Order of the Obulus]] created a creature known in legend as the [[Abominable Man]]; consisting of a deliberately modified and reanimated corpse of a recently-slain foe which is now bound to serve, intelligently, its new master. The specific creation technique of this creature may be lost to time but it is suspected by relevant scholars to have been extremely intensive.
* A [[Barrow Wight]] is the general term for a special kind of [[Revenant]], the latter being a creature that has managed to reanimate its own body by means of its unnatural outrage. The Barrow Wight is called such when it has reanimated due to the violation of its resting places.
** In [[Baghar]] and much of the [[Shimmering Shore]] it is the practice to create a [[Mummy]]. Usually certain conditions within the grave or tomb activate spells that cause the Mummy to animate.
*** Some mages have been known to exploit mummification as a path to immortality without the same risks, necessarily, as Lichdom.
*** Some mummies have associated diseases that can create undead thralls collectively known as the Mummy's "curse".
* The [[Hortdan]] is the victim of any of a number of [[Rising Plagues]], a form of feral undead that rise to feast on the living. Such feasting does not sustain their lives but serves to spread the disease that created the Hortdan in the first place. The term comes from [[Baghar]], though it appears to be a loanword to an older [[Skitari]] term given that most Hortdan are to be found in the [[Great Fen]]. They are known by other names in other lands when they appear; in particular where they occur among the [[Orcs]] they are known as "Bogdead" and the [[Bastonians]] use the term [[Ghoul]] to describe them.
* A [[Lich]] is a catch-all term originated in Bastonian mythology for the state of undeath created when a person, usually a powerful mage, breaks their soul out of their body and rebinds it to a physical artifact. This creates a state of affairs where it is more important to destroy the artifact than it is to destroy the actual body of the lich, as the Lich remains capable of magical feats in the latter case, including usually the ability to reconstitute their form.
* The [[Dwarves]] of the [[Clans of Magnus]] speak of an undead creature known as the [[Reborn]]. These take the form of an (often wrathful) dwarven soul which attaches itself to certain clays in the Depths and animates them.
* [[Servus Rigidus]] - In the lands of the [[Atarlie Empire]] it is known that some necromancers in service of [[Lycanthir Lugalor]] occasionally raise soulless corpses as servants and warriors controlled by written edicts which are affixed to their foreheads. This practice is seen as supremely controversial given the Atarlie culture of ancestor-worship.
* [[Vampirism]] is a form of undeath that can be passed on from host to host directly and with intention. Vampires develop intense intolerance of sunlight and a nocturnal habit and feed on the blood of [[sapient]] creatures. Vampires who don't feed risk becoming feral in the pursuit of a meal and progressively lose access to their powers, which are numerous.
* The [[Zombie]] is the victim of a ritual poisoning which expels the soul rather violently from the body, which is believed to have originated in [[Rokea]], though the practice is now seen in other places. Zombies are capable of following only the most simple instructions and are predisposed to follow the instructions of whoever dosed them with the poison, but are not usually mindlessly violent.

Monsters

Zadammac — Sun, 10 May 2026 13:08:22 GMT

Created page with "The term '''monster''' is somewhat fluid and applies both ''broadly'' (in the sense of being a catch-all term for a variety of creatures which may not actually be related to each other in any way other than being viewed as monstrous) and ''variably'' (in that there is a cultural - and even personal - component to the term 'monstrous' and that one person's monster may simply be another person's magical beast). It is, however, the appropriate taxonomic term to apply to bro..."

New page

The term '''monster''' is somewhat fluid and applies both ''broadly'' (in the sense of being a catch-all term for a variety of creatures which may not actually be related to each other in any way other than being viewed as monstrous) and ''variably'' (in that there is a cultural - and even personal - component to the term 'monstrous' and that one person's monster may simply be another person's magical beast). It is, however, the appropriate taxonomic term to apply to broad swathes of creatures present in the world of [[Ahren]] and on [[Wisteria]] specifically, in part because it is a ready term familiar to players of the RPG systems the setting is at least partially designed to interact with. As we'll likely see, this may occasionally lead to some creatures that are sentient or sapient being labelled as monsters by reason of familiarity of the association. It is obviously important to treat such instances cautiously. As a glaring example, many other RPG systems would refer to the [[Orcs]] and [[Minotaur]] (who both have nations and cultures important to the [[Lordless Lands]]) simply as "monsters". In general this practice is avoided; especially in instances where many sapient or sentient creatures form a culture they should be listed on the [[sapients]] article instead.

== Types of Monsters ==

In general, monsters can be organized into broad types:
* [[Magical Beasts]], being creatures quite close to familiar animal species but with special properties.
** A subset of these are [[Tyranomorphs]] such as [[Dire Rooks]] or [[Hearth Lions]].
* The [[Undead]] is a particularly broad category that can be broken down into subcategories, or aspects. Unfortunately, many undead belong to two or more subcategories.
** [[Corporeal Undead]] are undead which have a physical body, usually the body that was present in-life.
** [[Incorporeal Undead]] are undead who influence the material world (see: [[Cosmology]]) without necessarily being present in it, such as ghosts.
** [[Unnatural Undead]] are undead who have become undead without outside influence, as a result of supernatural causes.
** [[Artificial Undead]] are undead who became so due to the direct influence of some other sentient creature, such as the undead servants of a master of the [[Via Lemurae]].
* The [[Aberrant]] are a similarly broad category of creatures which are alive in some senses but which don't necessarily follow the normal plans of life on [[Ahren]].
** This includes some artifically-created creatures like the [[Gravenlings]] and other magical experiments
** This also includes some "naturally occuring" creatures such as those that spawn deep in the formlessness of [[the Depths]].
* [[Draconic]] creatures like the [[Sea Drakes]] of the [[Bay of Dragons]].
* [[Constructs]] are a category that will be broadly familiar to many RPG players and broadly exists to cover the case of creatures that are not and never were alive, but which exist and act upon the world, such as the [[Secondborn]].
* [[Fairy]] creatures exist under the influence of the [[Great Fae]] and can be thought of as special outsiders native to [[the Dreaming]].
* [[Planetessimals]], being creatures native to planes other than [[Ahren]]. The term is drawn from an [[Ars Magica]] terminology in-world and is a blanket category that not all cultures would actually recognize as being a blanket, instead naming specific terms for creatures from the specific planes other than [[Ahren]], e.g [[devils]] from [[Hell]] and [[demons]] from [[The Abyss]], etc etc.

Main Page

Zadammac — Sun, 10 May 2026 12:05:05 GMT

← Older revision		Revision as of 12:05, 10 May 2026
(One intermediate revision by the same user not shown)
Line 3:		Line 3:

	[[Wisteria]] is also the name of the principal continent in the setting's material world, [[Ahren]], which is the focused area of worldbuilding and the point of origin for most of the "core" playable races and cultures in the system, which features a focus on nations as opposed to races, whether focusing on the hearty and faithful citizens of [[Bastonia]], the haughty citizens and serfs of the [[Atarlie Empire]], humble folk of the [[Hearthlands]], the proud dwarven [[Clans of Magnus]], or the more wild folk such as the raven-herding [[Carcolie]] Wood-Elves, or any of a number of other wild kin in the confederate nations of the [[Lordless Lands]]. The setting even offers a higher-magic region to be found in the disaster-wracked [[Shimmering Shores]], where the cities of a proud and ecumenical empire now struggle against their very environs and each other for survival.		[[Wisteria]] is also the name of the principal continent in the setting's material world, [[Ahren]], which is the focused area of worldbuilding and the point of origin for most of the "core" playable races and cultures in the system, which features a focus on nations as opposed to races, whether focusing on the hearty and faithful citizens of [[Bastonia]], the haughty citizens and serfs of the [[Atarlie Empire]], humble folk of the [[Hearthlands]], the proud dwarven [[Clans of Magnus]], or the more wild folk such as the raven-herding [[Carcolie]] Wood-Elves, or any of a number of other wild kin in the confederate nations of the [[Lordless Lands]]. The setting even offers a higher-magic region to be found in the disaster-wracked [[Shimmering Shores]], where the cities of a proud and ecumenical empire now struggle against their very environs and each other for survival.


			=== Current Expansion ===
			* Revisions to the cultures of the [[Orcish Nation]] and [[Hearthlands]].
			* Revisions to the naming of sites related to the [[Clans of Magnus]] to remove transparent references to World of Warcraft and Forgotten Realms.
			* Fresh Exposition on [[Monsters]] and incorporating that work back into the nation descriptions.

Gnostic Aseity

Zadammac — Wed, 06 May 2026 11:27:47 GMT

← Older revision		Revision as of 11:27, 6 May 2026
Line 1:		Line 1:
	The '''Gnostic Aseity''' is a hypothetical class of deities (usually represented as a single deity) which, if it existed, would be senior even to [[Primordial Dieties]] like [[The Almighty]] or [[The Fire-Keeper]]. The term refers to divine entities older than the creation of the universe, and possibly those who might have created the universe (or even the primordial dieties); anything younger would obviously be primordial. The name of the Gnostic Aseity is derived from the scholarship of [[Torserd ~~Magnussun~~]], who wrote of the "Daern olor xoth", which can be translated as the "thing which knows itself" or "That Knowing Knowledge". Unlike the other dieties worshipped on [[Ahren]], however, the Gnostic Aseity appears to have no material influence on the world. Of all the world relgions, however, only the church of [[Anghara]] teaches a Gnostic Aseity exists - [[Anghara]] itself.		The '''Gnostic Aseity''' is a hypothetical class of deities (usually represented as a single deity) which, if it existed, would be senior even to [[Primordial Dieties]] like [[The Almighty]] or [[The Fire-Keeper]]. The term refers to divine entities older than the creation of the universe, and possibly those who might have created the universe (or even the primordial dieties); anything younger would obviously be primordial. The name of the Gnostic Aseity is derived from the scholarship of [[Torserd Magnusson]], who wrote of the "Daern olor xoth", which can be translated as the "thing which knows itself" or "That Knowing Knowledge". Unlike the other dieties worshipped on [[Ahren]], however, the Gnostic Aseity appears to have no material influence on the world. Of all the world relgions, however, only the church of [[Anghara]] teaches a Gnostic Aseity exists - [[Anghara]] itself.

	== In World Religions ==		== In World Religions ==

Hearthlands

Zadammac — Tue, 05 May 2026 17:25:00 GMT

← Older revision		Revision as of 17:25, 5 May 2026
Line 1:		Line 1:
	'''The Hearthlands''' are a nation encircled by, and a protectorate of, the [[Atarlie Empire]], composed largely of [[~~halfings~~]] and [[gnomes]]. For generations, the peoples of the Hearthlands have enjoyed a peace uncommon on Wisteria, and their realm is both characterized by and famous for its peaceful and carefree lifestyle. These lands are also remarkably fertile, serving as a breadbasket not just for the Hearthlanders themselves, but also for the [[Atarlie Empire]].		'''The Hearthlands''' are a nation encircled by, and a protectorate of, the [[Atarlie Empire]], composed largely of [[halflings]] and [[gnomes]]. For generations, the peoples of the Hearthlands have enjoyed a peace uncommon on Wisteria, and their realm is both characterized by and famous for its peaceful and carefree lifestyle. These lands are also remarkably fertile, serving as a breadbasket not just for the Hearthlanders themselves, but also for the [[Atarlie Empire]].

	The Hearthlanders are principally known for their rural habit, rarely congregating into settlements much larger than a good-sized town. While the halflings and the gnomes both live separately and have their own ideals and culture, the shared culture of general peace has lead to a lot of unity among hearthlanders, who can all agree that continuing to live under the Empire's protection is worth the tribute they send.		The Hearthlanders are principally known for their rural habit, rarely congregating into settlements much larger than a good-sized town. While the halflings and the gnomes both live separately and have their own ideals and culture, the shared culture of general peace has lead to a lot of unity among hearthlanders, who can all agree that continuing to live under the Empire's protection is worth the tribute they send.

Halflings

Zadammac — Tue, 05 May 2026 17:23:49 GMT

Dreams of the Earth

← Older revision		Revision as of 17:23, 5 May 2026
Line 23:		Line 23:

	Though rarely expressed in their culture, Halflings have an affinity for natural magic. This affinity is not remarkable for halflings that become students of [[Ars Magica]], but occasionally a halfling becomes aware of the [[Secrets of Nature]] or similar schools of magic and finds they have a gift for the ability.		Though rarely expressed in their culture, Halflings have an affinity for natural magic. This affinity is not remarkable for halflings that become students of [[Ars Magica]], but occasionally a halfling becomes aware of the [[Secrets of Nature]] or similar schools of magic and finds they have a gift for the ability.

			Halflings closeness to the earth and their surroundings gives them a fundamental sense of the best ways to defend themselves in that terrain by becoming hidden.

	=== Fae Moods ===		=== Fae Moods ===

Gnomes

Zadammac — Tue, 05 May 2026 17:22:16 GMT

← Older revision		Revision as of 17:22, 5 May 2026
Line 1:		Line 1:
	~~{{Stub}}~~		The '''Gnomes''' are a novel and long-lived race of short, intelligent humanoids who were created by the [[Great Fae]] out of the dreams of the [[Halflings]]. The gnomes are a highly magical and innovative culture originating within the hidden dales and quiet places of the [Hearthlands]], though they appear all throughout eastern [[Wisteria]] and the [[Shimmering Shore]] by the time of contemporary history.

	~~The '''~~Gnomes'~~'' are~~ a ~~race~~ of ~~small humanoids native to~~ the [[~~Hearthlands~~]] of [[~~Wisteria~~]]. ~~They were created early~~ in the ~~history~~ of [[Ahren]] by the ~~Oldest~~ of ~~Fae~~, who ~~sired them through~~ their more ~~direct creations~~, the [[~~Halflings~~]]. As a ~~result~~, ~~all~~ gnomes ~~share~~ a ~~common closeness~~ to the ~~Fae~~.		== Origin ==
			Gnomes came into being early in [[Ahren]]'s [[History]], sometime during the [[Age of Bitter Darkness]], about a generation after the creation of the [[Halflings]]. The Great Fae, in their capriciousness, created the Gnomes out of cross-interpretation of the dreams of Elves where they concerned the [[Halflings]] and the [[Goblins]]. The Gnomes must have existed by the time of the [[Age of Rebellion]] because a gnome, [[Anteselmo of Balatrine]], figures in the hagiography of [[San Heather]]; how much sooner than this time period is a matter of debate, as the gnomes themselves have not kept the most accurate count of their time on the planet (as is, in all honesty, the general case for sapient life on [[Ahren]]).

			== Culture ==
			The gnomes are technically a minority culture in the [[Hearthlands]], but since the Halflings largely adopted their housing practices from the Gnomes, they have had an outsize influence on Hearthlands culture. Many gnomes are rebellious by nature and form subcultures as quickly as they form friend groups. Gnomes are to be found in some places outside the Hearthlands, usually as single adventurers or the descendents of such adventurers, but feature somewhat prominently in the [[Atarlie Empire]]. They are the third naturally longest-lived race on [[Wisteria]] after the [[Elves]] who are functionally immortal, and [[Dwarves]]; unsurprisingly, they are therefore among the easiest mortals for [[Elves]] and [[Dwarves]] to relate to.

			== Physical Attributes ==
			=== Lifespan ===
			Gnomes gestate for a year and a day (with some natural variation) and achieve physical maturity around the age of 16, with mental maturity around the age of 19. Once reaching adulthood their aging slows considerably - they are considered middle-aged at a hundred and senatorial by 180, usually living well into their second century, with an age of 300 being "ripe old" but not unheard of. However, these are the biological bounds. Census information collected by the [[Civil Service]] suggests that the average life expectancy might be closer to 210 years, given the gnomish propensity toward adventure and hazard.

			=== Physicality ===
			Gnomes are the smallest of the sapient races of [[Ahren]], rarely exceeding 90 cm in height. Hair colours range the full spectrum of visible colour, though hair tends to go white in senescence. Fair hair is considered especially desirable by the gnomes and there is a robust culture of dying hair at regular intervals.

			== Spiritual and Mental Attributes ==
			=== Faetouched and Star-Crossed ===
			Much more so than the halflings (who were also created by the [[Great Fae]], the gnomes are fully "of magic", occupying a place on the "of the earth" and "of the magic" spectrum far closer to [[Elves]] than races like [[humans]] or [[dwarves]]. Gnomes have a particular knack for magic. To use [[Ars Magica]] terminology, they have the aptitude for the modo arcanus and frequently also the modo potence. Magical bloodlines are rife in gnomekind and geneological studies often highlight these attributes.

			Most gnomes have at least a little spellcasting knowledge and can rely especially on magical illusions to protect themselves in the same way that halflings have a knack for physical stealth.

			=== Fundamental Rebellion ===
			Gnomes identify especially strongly with their dreams - both the literal dreams they experience in sleep and their ambitions and goals. While gnomes are not especially given to violence (compared to any other sentient race), they generally will not suffer to be impeded in the pursuit of their dreams. This has cultural manifestations ("become ungovernable" is fundamentally a gnomish phrase in its sentiment) but is also an aspect of their nature. They fundamentally resist magical effects which compel action or inaction or attempt to alter their mental state, disposition, or general awareness.

			[[Category: Heritages]] [[Category: Sentient Creatures]]

Halflings

Zadammac — Tue, 05 May 2026 17:03:09 GMT

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
-{{Stub}}
+The '''Halflings''' are a and short-lived race of short, intelligent humanoids who were created by the [[Great Fae]] out of the dreams of pastoral humanity. In their ancient history, the halflings were once a pastoralist culture similar in lifestyle and migration to the [[Orcs]] of the [[Lordless Lands]], though they were endemic to the much different [[Hearthlands]]. While this nomadic lifestyle has fallen out of their culture, they nonetheless remain physically suited to adventure, being sturdily-built for their size and possessing both talents and physical features that are useful for the adventurer. To [[human]] eyes they often appear small or childlike, but Halflings are just as mature as any other race by their adulthood.
-The halflings are a small race of humanoids whose species and culture were created whole-cloth through the intervention of the Oldest of Fae, who make up one of the two primary populations of the [[Hearthlands]].
+== Origin ==
-Smaller than humans or elves, they are culturally affiliated with good, quiet, gentle living, and were created originally as exemplars of this ideal - indirectly, as an expression of the collective desire for these things of all sentient life on [[Ahren]].
+== Culture ==
-They are themselves a progenitor race - the first [[Gnomes]] were sired by the fae through the Halflings.
+Halfling culture went through a change within about three generations from nomadic to rural-sedentary lifestyles beginning in [[128 Age of Elvish Springtime]], when their leaders signed the [[Treaty of Hall Hill]], formalizing the existence of the [[Hearthlands]] as a protectorate of the [[Atarlie Empire]]. The treaty had the consequence of reducing the Halflings' range, which lead to the adoption of more sedentary and beureaucratic living conditions. Some element of the Halfling propensity for the road has survived on in the [[Civil Service]], especially the [[Bounder Service]].