AELTHEN

“Though the Aelthen come from beyond the known planes, none that we know of predate the migration to Tempest. Some historical records claim they came willingly, others that they were forced here by a catastrophe that sealed away their homelands forevermore. Regardless, they remain one of the few links to the realms beyond, and the aspected nature of their forms belie a lingering connection to that forbidden place.

The ritualistic nature of the transformation into the Aspects is a closely guarded secret, known only to the elders of the Aelthen, however, what is common knowledge is that they derive their power from something called the Aelflame: a deific source of power brought with them from their long lost home.

One hopes that whatever would drive an entire civilization, let alone one empowered by such a source of power, across the span of the realms should never arrive here.”

~ Lorekeeper Jonas, ‘The Realms Beyond the Horizon’”

Costuming Difficulty: Low

Description

Aelthen are a breed of long-lived, arcane outsiders who typically present as a pointy eared, shimmery skinned humanoid with sharp fangs. These beings draw their inner powers from an ancient boon granted by a cosmic, deific wyrm who’s name is lost to time. This blessing is commonly referred to as the Aelflame. Within the spirit of all Aelthen lies a spark that can be awakened by a ritual performed by the most ancient of Aelthen - The Aeldest.

The ritual itself is a closely guarded secret and many Aelthen spend their entire lives without their spark having been enkindled. In some cases, the Aeldest may guide a young Aelthen to ignite their flame early in their life, though the motives of this choice are often not revealed to anyone. The ignition of one's Aelflame is as much a rite of passage as it is a social boon, as those who undergo the rite often “bloom”: a rather significant physical transformation. This ritual always includes three Aelthen who each become one of the three subspecies, one of each. Rite-Sibilings commonly feel a strong bond with one another, and follow each other's exploits from afar, if they don’t outright keep in close contact.

Ætori: The Aspect of Body

Aelthen who find themselves attuned to the Body are invigorated with energy directly from the Aelflame. Their eyes naturally tend to shade towards warmer colors, such as gold, red, and orange and their ears shorten to just barely pointed human-like ears. Their hair commonly has streaks of metallic gold and thin veins of gold present themselves over the large portions of the Ætori’s body as a result of the magical energy surging through to their muscles.

The Ætori are physical marvels: their reflexes are lightning fast, and are often unnaturally graceful. They are capable of quickly healing themselves, leaving golden scars scattered over their bodies, as well as an ability to unleash catastrophic amounts of power in short bursts burning their own flesh from within..

Bellorae: The Aspect of Soul

Aelthen who are attuned to the Soul are emotional savants and have an impassioned sentimentality. Their forms tend towards jewel-like tones that are deeply saturated, like sapphires, emeralds, and amethyst. Their skin often takes on a similar blush with unearthly hues dominating the cheeks, hair that falls in blue, green, and purple cascades, eyes like cool gemstones, and lips like freshly cut aloe. Many have prominent ears that exceed a hand’s breadth, often coming out near perpendicular from their heads.

Bellorae are capable of embracing and manipulating emotion to their benefit. They can force an uncomfortable sense of fear in their foes, or lend an object or location a sense of calmness and tranquility. This can often present itself in a literal healing, where mending the frantic emotions of an ally also closes physical wounds.

Shaddari: The Aspect of Mind

Aelthen of the Mind are calculating masterminds, with an immaculate understanding of the world. Their eyes are often pale and milky, or jet black, and their skin often has a silvery overtone that is marked by veins of pure silver coming from their eyes and hairline. Their ears remain the same length as the unattuned Aelthen, but often become twisted and gnarled like that of a bat.

The Shaddari have an incredible natural mental acuity, and while this doesn’t necessarily make them smarter than anyone else, they do possess a powerful memory for the intricacies of magic. The Shaddari are often born with an innate magical sense, and find it even easier to add to their collection of knowledge over time, even when they devote themselves to other pursuits.

Challenges

General

Knife Ear (1): [Repped, Ear] Aelthen ears are noted for being pointed along the top to a greater or lesser extent. The Aelthen must wear a moderately sized set of ear tips.

Outer Light (2): [Repped] The natural magical essence that exudes from the Aelthen glitters in strong light, giving

the breed a lustrous appearance. The character must wear fine shimmer powder on a significant portion of exposed skin.

Scales of the Aelwyrm (2): [Repped] Small patches of purple scales adorn the bodies of some Aelthen, often on the neck, cheeks, forehead, or forearms. While the specific hue varies from Aelth to Aelth, they are always some shade of purple. The individual scales must be distinct from one another, and must represent a scale pattern. After the ignition of the Aelthen’s Aelflame, the color of their scales may change, but not always: Aetori scales may be gold, red, or orange. Bellorae may be green or blue. Shaddari scales may be silver or gray. Note that these additional color options are restricted by the Aelthen’s chosen Sub-Breed.

Pointed Grin (2): [Repped, Teeth] The Aelthen are often noted for their pronounced canine teeth.

Woe Unto The Iron Maiden (3): Aelthen, owing to their magical nature are far more comfortable with arcane protections than those of wrought metals. The Aelthen’s Maximum Armor Points for physical armor is reduced by one.

Vessel of the Aelflame (4): [Repped] Occasionally, the Aelthen find themselves better able to focus when they have a representation of the Aelflame available to them - whether this is simply a tool to maintain mental focus, or an actual magical conduit is unclear. The Aelthen must carry, or have on them visibly, a lit vessel, lantern, glowing crystal or other illuminated object in order to access any breed advantages; this must be a repped object with a visible light source with at least two dimensions greater than four inches.

Unfit to Kindle (6): Rarely, some Aelthen are just not fit to enkindle the Aelflame beyond the spark they were granted at birth. This Aelthen cannot choose a Sub-breed in the Aelthen Breed, and has -1 Maximum Life Points.

Ætori

Flamewrought (1): [Repped, Eye Makeup]  Ætori often have a gold, red, or orange tinge to the area around the eyes, reflecting the flames that writhe in their spirits.

Subtle Point (1):[Repped, Ears] Ætori ears are noted for coming to a slight point, almost passing for humans without scrutiny. The Ætori must wear a moderately sized set of ear tips, no greater than 2” beyond the natural extent of the player’s own ear. This cannot be taken in conjunction with the Knife Ear challenge.

Gilded Strands (2): [Repped] Streaks of golden metallic hair are common among the Ætori, and some backwater communities claim it even has innate magical properties.

Sun-Kissed Scars (2): [Repped] Some Ætori, having been injured numerous times in combat, wear their scars with pride, as the Aelflame knits together their wounds time and time again. These wounds heal with thin traces of metallic gold across their body.

Retribution From Within (4): The Ætori Aelflame sits uneasily inside the Ætori’s body, and when they call upon its gifts, it burns them. Whenever the Ætori expends a spike for any reason, they also suffer 1 Piercing by Agony.

Burning Gaze (4):  [Repped, Eyes] Ætori eyes are commonly gold, red, or orange in color, a piercing gaze reflecting the flame in their hearts. Scleral contacts are not allowed for safety reasons.

Bellorae

Pools of the Moon (1): [Repped, Eye Makeup] Bellorae often have a blue, green, or purple tinge to the area around the eyes, reflecting the waves of the deep, buried in their spirits.

The Rising Tide (1):  [Repped, Ears] Bellorae sometimes have long points to their ears, graceful arcs rising high above their hairlines, often pierced several times, with each piercing representing a life event with deep meaning.This cannot be taken in conjunction with the Knife Ear challenge.

Jeweled Veins (2): [Repped]  Striations of rich, cool colors streak across the body of some Bellorae, though it is unclear why. Any exposed skin has small streaks and veins of the chosen color.

Waves of the Deep (4): [Repped, Hair Color] Bellorae are sometimes graced with full heads of hair that take on deep sea-like hues, most often in greens, blues, and purples.

Sublime Pools (4): [Repped, Eye Color]  Among some Bellorae, the ritual alters their eyes, giving them hues commonly seen in aurorae, brillant greens, blues, or purples, and not always the same in both eyes. Scleral contacts are not allowed for safety reasons.

Warmth, Tainted by Spite (5): You weren’t chosen by the Bellorae Aelflame, and it has no intention of letting you forget it. It often refuses your commands of it, so much so as to twist your intentions. Whenever using a Heal effect from either a Power or Spell, you must expend a Spike or suffer X Final by Spite, where X is the amount healed. In addition, you have one fewer maximum Spikes.

Shaddari

Eclipsed (1): [Repped]  Shaddari sometimes have stark white or deep black shaded skin around their eyes, accentuating the piercing gaze common to the type.

Likeness of Wyrm (1): [Repped, Ears] The ears of the Shaddari are often noted for being complex gnarled protrusions, sometimes coming to multiple points, or resembling the fins of sea creatures. This cannot be taken in conjunction with the Knife Ear challenge.

Argent Bands (2): [Repped] Silvered veins wind their way across the bodies of some Shaddari, like dappled moonlight, reflecting the flame nestled within.

The Bleaching (4): [Repped, Hair Color] The ritual of the Shaddari occasionally leeches all color from the recipient's hair, leaving behind a silver, gray, or stark white mane of hair that never regains its former colors.

Celestial Gaze (4): [Repped, Eye Color]  The Shaddari’s eyes are graced with the likeness of the stars: brilliant white, or void-like black. Scleral contacts are not allowed for safety reasons.

Writhing Hatred (6): As the Shaddari Aelflame within you began to take hold, something stirred as it mixed with your spirit, and became dark. Any Rituals you take part in, or are a target of, increase dark territory by two. In addition, you gain only half the normal amount of healing from all sources that do not have the “by Darkness'' accent.

Advantages

General

Children of the Aelflame (2): Deep connections within the breed manifest themselves in those who are ritually bonded together, though this connection seems only to extend as far as those who at least tangentially claim this Aelthen birthright. The Character gains the Boon Bonds Perk as a Breed Advantage from the Character Options Chapter. However, the three characters chosen must be of the Aelthen Breed as well.

Astral Grace (3): The Aelthen are widely considered to be graceful beyond the ability of the other breeds, to the point that many of them can boast of descending from the trees and cliffs in a single bound with little care. The Aelthen may take the Catfall Rogue Utility power as a Breed Advantage.

Those That Came Before (3): Many Aelthen will recall simple patterns of the world that crop up time and again to allow themselves to find their way through difficult times. The Character gains the Insight Supernatural Perk as a Breed Advantage from the Character Options Chapter.

Arcane Potential (4): When the Aelthen is the Primary Ritualist in an Arcane Ritual, the Aelthen may cut themself, Sacrificing two Life Points into the Ritual to move Dark Territory one step up or down the Dark Territory Table. This can only be done once per Ritual.

Ætori

Single Bound (3): The Ætori are well known for incredible feats of physical prowess, and virtually none can contest that they have an innate knack for reaching places others would consider improbable. The Ætori gains the Rogue Utility Power Leap as a Breed Advantage.

Wyrmblood Regeneration (3): Within some Ætori, the Aelflame chooses to bolster their chosen by healing their wounds The character may take the Quick Healing Physical Perk as a Breed Advantage from the Character Options Chapter.

Blood for Power (5): The Aelflame is no stranger to the ways of blood sacrifice. By roleplaying drawing their blood with a sharp implement for a Quick 30, they may Sacrifice one Life Point to Refresh Two Spikes by Spite. This power may be used one per Short Rest.

Aelflame’s Wrath (6): Among the Ætori, there is a rare and coveted ability to call upon the Aelflame directly, manifesting as a bolt of deadly energy. The character can use the Aelflame’s Wrath Power below:

Bellorae

Endowment of Tranquility (3): Bellorae seem to straddle the veil between this world and the next, and some, when they pass into the spirit realms, seem more at home than most. The character may take the Strong Spirit Supernatural Perk as a Breed Advantage from the Character Options Chapter.

Baleful Gaze (2): Bellorae are well known for being terrifying adversaries, and simply striking one is enough to elicit a piercing glare capable of stunning the most stalwart of warriors. They may use this power once per Long Rest: when the Character is struck with a physical blow, they may use this power targeting their attacker, “[Name/Description], Quick Repel by Fear.”

Calming Presence (3): The Bellorae Aelflame is known to bestow its peace of mind and tranquility of its great age upon those it has graced. Some Bellorae can extend this to those nearby, though it is often a draining experience. The character can use the Calming Presence Power below:

Touch of Tranquility (6): The touch of the Bellorae are often cause for even the most anxious to find peace. In some cases this touch is even known to salve wounds instantly closing them.

Shaddari

Mentally Connected (3): The Shaddari are well known to have a strange knack for intuiting the location of useful resources. Some say they naturally “feel” the ley lines of the land, others just claim to be inordinately “lucky”. The character counts as having purchased the Dowser Supernatural Perk as a Breed Advantage from the Character Options Chapter.

Unbound Intellect (3): The Shaddari are commonly academics, owing to their natural affinity for knowledge gathering. Many take pride in their accumulation of trivia and arcane factoids. The character gains the Sharp Mind Social/Background Perk as a Breed Advantage from the Character Options Chapter.

Natural Affinity (4): Those Aelthen who trace their ancestry back beyond the great planar migration often have natural magic. If they take Roles with spell-casting requirements (or that require spell-casting classes), the Character Point cost for those Roles is 1 lower, to a minimum of 0. In addition, if the character gains Novice spell-slots from any basic classes, the Shaddari gains one bonus Novice spell-slot. The character may only gain one additional slot this way.

Bewitching Tongue (6): Among some of the eldest Shaddari, a skill is rumored to exist, allowing speakers of an ancient tongue to cause even the most mentally resilient to fall to their charms.