zoh-uhn
I am Zoan : They are Zoa : It is Zoan : This is about the Zoa
I am Zoan : They are Zoa : It is Zoan : This is about the Zoa
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Throughout the wild world, there are a host of spirits watching over the rivers, mountains, and forests. Known as Medicon, these petty gods were charged with stewardship over the manifold wilderness by the Sphere’s creators at the dawn of worlds. Though innately spirit, the Medicon often walk about in physical form, capable of the same things as any physical creature: eating, breathing...and reproducing.
Zoa are the offspring of mortals and gods, half-spirits who live somewhere between the Mortal plane and the Unworld. They are a sterile race, considered an abomination and outcaste by both mortal and immortal alike. Despite this stigma, the primal lusts of the Medicon slaked upon their eager worshipers continue to produce Zoa who grow up halfway between the staid, ordered world of Men and the ecstatic madness of the spirit world. Of Two WorldsLike their immortal parents, Zoa are intemperate creatures prone to fits of passion. Yet like Men, they are versatile, curious, and concerned for the material, caught up in the steady flow of time and mortality. Each Zoan bears affinity for a primal element or a physical location, deriving much of their power, personality, and appearance from this bond.
With their ties to the spirit world, Zoa grow up split between worlds or completely immersed in the world of one parent, never fitting in and never knowing exactly why. In either case, the Zoan is a strange figure, too wild and colorful for the world of Men and too static and grounded for the world of spirits. It is no surprise that most Zoa grow up to be adventurers seeking the next horizon, never sure of where they belong. The LIFE of a Zoan
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What do you do with the fire made flesh? The lightning made mortal? Put it in a cage? Dress it up in silk and jewels and call it a god? Or do you run in fear, cower in the common, shun the freak? Whatever you're going to do, do it quickly. I have pressing matters at hand. |
A kaleidoscope of the strange
The manifold spirits of the world are accustomed to taking a multitude of forms when they appear before Mortals in splendid panoply. There is simply no predicting what shape a Zoan will take when they are born. Like her spirit parent, a Zoan can appear as a being of unusual beauty, with fantastic and surreal features that words struggle to capture. But like her Mortal parent, a Zoan cannot shift between guises without the aid of magic and so remains locked in a body of ethereal oddity for the whole of her life. As such, Zoans are a kaleidoscope of the strange who vary wildly from one another in look and seeming; there are almost no boundaries as to how a Zoan can appear.
Heroes Anyway
Despite ostracism and discrimination from mainstream society, Zoans often aspire to become heroes of great renown. Perhaps it is their Mortal passions or their immortal desire for glory, but whatever the motive, a Zoan is never content to sit still and lead a mundane life. The circumstances of her birth, the extraordinary nature of her appearance, and the ebb and flow of her destiny simply won't allow for a life spent tilling fields or mending dresses. Zoans are born for greatness, either in the world of Mortals or the elysian lands of the spirits. And so the Zoan pursues the horizon, ever against the odds, the make a name for herself and a legend spoken by the tongues of Mortals and immortals alike.
Spiritual Heritage
As inheritors of the spirit realm, Zoans are naturally attuned to the elemental forces of the world and the spiritual magics that undergird reality. Not only are they more resistant to the weaponized applications of elemental magics, but Zoans are keenly aware of the presence of any magic, just as one might hear a faint noise or catch the scent of something unusual. Those who have truly honed in on their spiritual heritage can resist other forms of chaotic magic and even identify precisely which Mystery the magic they've sensed belongs to.
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SPIRITUAL HERITAGEGain +1 to two non-Physical Resistances of your choice. You can sense the presence of magic with an Awareness Feat, as though you were listening for a soft sound or tracing a faint scent.
AdvancedYou can use an Asset to unlock the Advanced version Spiritual Heritage, which grants two additional +1s you may assign to any non-Physical Resistances of your choice. Your magical sensitivity improves, allowing you to not only sense the presence of magic with an Awareness Feat, but identify precisely which Mystery the magic you're sensing is most closely associated with and the magic's intended effect.
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uh-na-thuh-muh
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There are dark, ancient things slumbering in the heart of the earth. Things from beyond the pale boundaries of reality, where elder things sleep...things which ought not be, yet are. Things summoned by empires in days long passed, things worshipped by mad cults, things which creep and slither into Mortal minds and beget children of madness; Anathema. The presence of the Anathema is unnerving. Perhaps it is the whiteness of the eyes, the hollow tone of the voice, or something primal the brain cannot name, yet recoils from in horror. These cursed children go through life alone, rejected and reviled by any normal Mortals they come into contact with, embraced and loved only by the mad cults that spawn them. Anathema often come into leadership within such groups or reject their parentage outright, setting out on a journey of their own to undermine the mad plans of their Aberrant fathers.
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AppearanceAnathema resemble their Mortal parent in most ways, excepting their dark, stringy hair, blue skin, and haunting white eyes. Anathema give off an aura of unease and speak with hollow, emotionless voices. Their shadows writhe unnaturally when no one is watching. |
HomelandAnathema are found where cults devoted to the worship of Aberrants lurk in darkness, practicing their hideous rituals in secret. Oftentimes, this is either in remote villages or in large cities where a group can operate without drawing too much attention. |
bur-ay-uhn
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Children of the wind, riders of the lightning, the Boreans are the sons and daughters of the sky. Spirits of storm and cloud who choose to congress with Mortals may create from their union a Borean child. Such beings are passionate and tempestuous, ardent in their expressions of freedom and unbound to the laws and traditions of mere men. Boreans do as they please, wandering wherever the winds take them. Once a journey, a treasure, a relationship no longer interests them, the Borean has no qualms about leaving it behind and moving on to the next thing. While they can be self-absorbed and bad at keeping commitments, Boreans are inspiring to be around and always have a good story to tell. They are the life of any party they perchance to visit, with friends won and lost at every turn in the road. The free spirit of the Borean is the envy of all who behold it, a thing of beauty never to be tamed or tied down.
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AppearanceBoreans resemble the race of their Mortal parent with many unusual features from their spirit parent like shock white hair, skin in hues of blue, spiral markings upon their bodies, and eyes that glow with the iridescent shade of caged lightning. |
HomelandWhere Mortals meet the sky, one may find several Borean children nestled among the populace. Remote villages in the mountains, monasteries built upon the highest peak, and towering cities that scrape the belly of heaven; all are likely places for a Borean to be born. |
dra-gn-kihn
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When the Sphere was created, the Dragons were sent by the gods to watch over Mortal-kind and ensure they never ascended to the peaks of power where the rule of the divine could ever be challenged. While some Dragons saw their charge as one of suppression and tyranny, other Dragons sought to inspire nobleness in the Mortal heart, a reverence for the gods, and an appreciation for the Mortal place in the Cosmic Machine. In time, many of these Dragons grew close to the Mortals they served...and when such a relationship grew intimate, the result is Dragonkin. Feared by Mortals for their frightening appearance and shunned by the Dragons for the taboo nature of their parentage, young Dragonkin soon discover they must find their own place in the world. Many become great heroes or terrible villains, depending on the kind of Dragon they are descended from.
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AppearanceApart from a humanoid physique, Dragonkin bear very few traits from their Mortal parents. They have draconic features, non-functioning wings and a tail, and are covered in a thick layer of scales.. The color of their scales and eyes depends on their draconic heritage. |
HomelandDragonkin can come from anywhere, as most of The Sphere is not far from the attention of Dragons (though how interested these Dragons are in the affairs of Mortals varies). Most hail from remote places where liaisons between Mortal and Dragon go unnoticed. |
gawnt
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The goddess of death, Setharkis, is a lone moon wandering through the Cosmic Machine. She appears on each world in due course and when she does, in the fullness of her glow, the departed may walk among the living. During such times, a long lost spouse or lover may visit their living loved one during the lonely reaches of the night...leading to the birth of a Gaunt, a living child sired by the dead. Gaunts are haunting creatures, not only for their cold, pale skin, emotionless faces, and noiseless presence, but for the feeling of dread they create in any who behold their countenance. To see the Gaunt is to see a reminder that death is not far from anyone, and indeed often walks unperceived among us. The Gaunt must find her own path through life, discovering its meaning and fulfilling her purpose before sweet repose takes her down into the depths of the shadow she has always walked in.
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AppearanceGaunts resemble their Mortal parent, but bring a set of unique features from their dead parent as well; cold, pale skin. Dark eyes, wispy hair, and a presence that is difficult to sense. Most Gaunts show little to no emotion when they speak, though they do feel quite deeply. |
HomelandA Gaunt can be from anywhere; the moon of Setharkis drifts indiscriminately through the Cosmic Machine and any world where the moon is full can be visited by the dead. Gaunts are rarely allowed to grow to maturity before being killed or forced out on their own. |
kith
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In the wild places of the world, the petty gods of the land and sea have regular dealings with Mortals. These dealings involve sacrifices, worship, and other tributes in exchange for favors like rains, bountiful crops, and protection from disaster. The Medicon are not known for their restraint, and these relationships are often inequitable with the gods taking far more than they give and growing greedier and more demanding every season. Oftentimes, the "tribute" they demand results in Kith, children born half-Mortal, half-Medicon. Feared by Mortals and rejected by the spirit courts, these children quickly come to rely on themselves and find their own way in the world. Using their gift for nature magic and their inborn Mortal tenacity, many Kith grow to challenge the rule of spirits and monsters over the destinies of Mortals, becoming great heroes in their own way and time.
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AppearanceKith resemble a fusion of Mortal and spirit traits, bearing the likeness of their Mortal parent in many ways but with striking inheritance from their spirit side. All bets are off when it comes to the appearance of a Kith, though most have pale skin and pointed ears. |
HomelandAmong the rural, frontier folk where superstitions hold strong and the rule of the Medicon is absolute, Kith are most likely to be born. While it is not impossible for Kith to be born from city Medicon, it is rare; far more common is the unexpected Kith born to fearful peasants. |
nef-uh-leem
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Just as there are many kinds of people throughout the worlds, there are also many kinds of Demons. Some are monstrous, raging beasts who long for blood and carnage. Others are more subtle in their approach, preferring corruption of the eternal soul to destruction of the temporal body. Oftentimes, these beautiful Demons seduce women and men (with a preference for the magically talented), their union resulting in a Nephilim, a child born of Mortal light and demonic shadow. Of course, these unnatural beings are rejected by Mortal society, their parents shunned for consorting with Demons, and forced to live as outcasts. Nephilim have an inner darkness they must struggle against their whole lives, eternally drawn to foment chaos and destruction, even when they don't mean to. Nephilim are tragic figures who often fight against the evil that conceived them, anti-heroes who contend in darkness for the sake of the light.
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AppearanceNephilim resemble their Mortal parent in most ways, except for their pale skin, dark lips, and eyes of pitch black. Many have unusually colored hair and an arcane mark somewhere on their body which identifies them as a child of hell. |
HomelandWhile Nephilim can be from anywhere, they are often found in places where Demonic activity is strong - and Demons are drawn to the use of magic. It is often individuals with a magical gift who give birth to Nephilim through accidental or intentional congress with Demons. |
oh-ree-uhd
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Spirits of the earth are humble, simple beings enamored with the beauty of their world and dedicated eternally to a single simple task, be it growing the grass on a lone hill, threading a river through a canyon, or watching over a range of mountains. While they partake in the activities of the local Spirit Court when they must, they rarely have any dealings with Mortals. Occasionally however, a visitor to the rocky wilds might encounter such a spirit. If a relationship were to blossom that lead to physical intimacy, the result of this union would be an Oread; a creature born of stone and skin, caught between civilization and the wilderness. Oread are generally quite cheerful and friendly, enjoying the companionship of animals, the cool kiss of the wind, and the grass between their bare toes. They often live alone in the wilderness, rejected by Mortals and Medicon alike. Yet when an Oread finds his place or purpose, he is rooted like a stone, unwilling to diverge from his path and the friend's he's made on it.
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AppearanceOread are large, muscular, and usually bald. Their skin is hard and slate grey, much like stone. They have flat, broad features and carry over many of their Mortal parent's racial characteristics. The Oread almost always wears a smile on his face, whatever the circumstance. |
HomelandOn the frontier, in remote or rural communities, where civilization sets a lone toe into the mountainous wilderness is where encounters between the spirits of stone and Mortals are likely to take place, and in such places Oread are born. |
uhn-deen
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The spirits of water are a capricious sort, always changing, always moving. Mortals who rely upon the sea for sustenance or trade often pray for their fickle favor, hoping for calm seas or a bountiful catch. Occasionally the spirits respond. Sometimes a relationship grows. Sometimes romance between Mortal and sea-god swells like a storm and a tempestuous night of passion results later on in the birth of an Undine; a child of land and sea. Like their spiritual parents, Undine are both adaptable and unreliable, always moving from place to place, always changing their minds, goals, and interests. Yet there is great ambition and dreams as big as the sea bursting within the heart of an Undine, inherited perhaps from their Mortal side. Undine live for the pursuit of adventure, adapting to whatever environment they find themselves in, taking on whatever challenges lie ahead for the sake of their dream.
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AppearanceUndine resemble their Mortal parents in many key features, but with skin resembling the color and texture of the foamy sea, pointed ears, and eyes that glisten like the deep. They tend to change their style on the regular, wearing whatever is at the cutting edge of taste. |
HomelandWhere the land meets the sea and communities of Mortals rely upon it for trade and sustenance, in these places Undine are likely to be born, though few ever remain in the place of their birth for long. As soon as she can walk, the Undine is always off on a new adventure. |
vuhl-kn
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Spirits of the blaze, whose passions burn hot as the mid-day sun occasionally meet with Mortals whose spark shines just as bright. From their tempestuous relationship, a Vulcan may be born. These beings are blazing hearts, ill-contented with the dull monotony of the Mortal world yet unwelcome through the mad gates of the Spirit Courts. Vulcans seek adventure and passion their whole lives, fuel for the inner fire, inspiration for the song that bursts from within. Life is for the living and Vulcans live every moment to the hilt, burning the proverbial candle at both ends to experience all the pleasure and pain life has to offer. They are sensual and adventurous, finding more joy in the journey than in its destined end. What hearts and bridges are burned along the way are all a part of the experience; to love a Vulcan is to embrace the flame, feeling its warmth even as you are consumed.
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AppearanceVulcans retain much of their Mortal parent's racial features, but stand apart from others of their kind due to their hair which rises and writhes like flames in brilliant reds and oranges. Their eyes glow with a similar light, burning with passionate intensity. |
HomelandEncounters between Mortals and spirits of flame are quite uncommon, making Vulcans some of the rarest Zoan. However, where Mortals live near volcanoes or other areas of geological unrest, one may find more Vulcans born here than anywhere else. |
weer-gool
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In the wilder places of the worlds, the Spirit Courts consist not only of the Medicon who watch over trees and flowers, but those who represent the various beasts of field and fen. Mortals who encounter these spirits in their humanoid forms are often struck by their beauty, and these spirits in turn are fascinated by the ways of Mortal-kind. When such a romance blossoms between beauty and beast, the result is a Weirghul; a creature that belongs to both the animal and Mortal kingdoms, yet finds respite in neither. Weirghul often become half-feral creatures, lone hunters who stalk the wilderness, watching their Mortal brethren from afar. Feared and hunted as a monster, the Weirghul has learned to keep its distance from the bright lights of the village, but holds out hope that it may one day find acceptance, friendship, and family, even among a small group of open-minded folk it can call kin.
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AppearanceWeirghul combine the traits of their Mortal parent with those of their animal-spirit. They often have sharp fangs, animal eyes, long furry ears, and bodies covered in fur. Weirghul are also more muscular and generally taller than their Mortal parents, a gift from their wild side. |
HomelandWeirghul may be born where the worlds of civilization and the wilderness cross over one another, where Mortals must contend with the Medicon of various beasts. In remote, rural areas, such meetings occur regularly and Weirghul are often born. |
