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nessie-rp · 3 years

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WERECREATURE.

Werecreatures roam almost every continent, with legends of manbeasts stretching across cultures since time immemorial. This class of being shares one common trait: the ability to magically transform from human to therian predator. There are five known types of therianthropes, each with distinct origins and sets of traits. No connection to shapeshifters has yet been discovered, though they consider themselves kindred species in the unchanging city. The most common werecreatures in Lyonesse are nahuales and werewolves, each respectively claiming territory in New Aztlán and Old Town Row.

There are five types of werecreatures: NAHUALES/WEREPANTHERS, WEREWOLVES, WEREBEARS, WERETIGERS, and WEREHYENAS.

HISTORY.

The first of these beings were born from humanity's first brushes with magic, when humankind had just started to form civilizations thousands of years ago. Their histories are human histories, for the most part, given that to live as a werecreature is to walk two paths at once: person and beast. Of the five forms, we know that at least two — the wolves and the hyenas — originated from curses from outside influences (or, in the case of the hyenas, self-imposed), but the origins of the other three are largely attributed to witches with unique bonds to transformative magics that drifted apart from witch ways to forge their own.

IN LYONESSE.

Each kind of werecreature comes from a different walk of life and oftentimes an entirely different part of the world. The wolves were the first through the gates, but the nahuales and tigers followed soon after. It wasn't until the 19th century that any bears or hyenas were documented in the city.

The nahuales' connection to magic was what brought the first group of them to Lyonesse, hailing from Central America but intrigued by the possibilities of dimensional travel that the gates presented. It wasn't long before the mage leader of that group became interested in a more permanent presence in the city in the early 14th century, leaving a few trusted members of his family — the ones who would later stake their claim on New Aztlán — to learn more about the supernatural beings they had never previously interacted with.

The wolves did not initially demand a council seat when they began to immigrate to the city, chased out of their villages by angry humans — no, instead a pack tried to start a new settlement on the far side of the Morroi forest without notifying the council. The colony was disbanded by the council after many negotiations with the leadership of the pack, though there is reason to believe threats were levied against the wolves because of the dangers of exploring and occupying land so far from the safety of the gates. It was at this point that the wolves gained a seat on the council.

The tigers, hyenas, and bears do not have a strong enough presence in the city as of yet to have much interest in political power. They mainly keep to themselves.

FACTS.

SHARED ABILITIES.

PHYSICALITY.

All werecreatures possess enhanced senses and superhuman strength and speed, even in their human forms. Many individual werecreatures can go toe-to-toe with other powerful species, such as the fae or the vampire, depending on their control of their abilities. A lone opponent rarely has a chance against more than one werecreature.

SHAPESHIFTING.

Beings of dual natures, werecreatures have a human form and a beast form. Their ability to transform themselves between the two comes with certain conditions, depending on the specifics of their lineage (see individual lore sections for more details), but one constant remains: the transformation of man to beast and back again. Some can partially shift, gaining more noticeable predatory traits (i.e. fangs, claws, glowing eyes, colorations and hair patterns). An intentional partial shift is not an easy feat, and usually only experienced werecreatures or those of significant power can accomplish and maintain such a thing. Younger and less trained weres may partially shift in response to traumas, unexpected stimuli, or overwhelming emotions.

HEALING.

All werecreatures have a greater control over their physical systems which allows them to magically change forms, but this also extends to controlling other body processes — most notably, healing. Though their healing abilities are not as strong as dragons or vampires, many can concentrate their energy into rapid healing from severe injuries. This can give them the time they need to seek medical attention or bring them back from the brink of death, but will run out of steam depending on therity of the injury. It's an imperfect process.

INTERSPECIES RELATIONS.

Werecreatures have a natural affinity for other shapeshifters, though this notably does not extend to the trickster fae who tend to shapeshift into other humanoid forms. Though they are not naturally opposed to vampires, vampires have a mistrust of them that has exacerbated tensions between the species at different points in history.

In general, the more reclusive or solitary weres are wary of other beings, even in the city. That being said, weretigers have had certain... misunderstandings with yōkai in the past, as have werebears with the nahual shifters of the Americas.

MYTHS.

These things do not apply:

All werecreatures are forced to shift on the night of the full moon. That's a werewolf thing. Short end of the stick, huh?

The bites of werecreatures are toxic to vampires. Nah, but they'll still hurt and cause significant damage.

They're the natural predators of vampires. Someone really should be, but werecreatures may or may not have significant beef with their local covens.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS.

CAN A WERECREATURE GET DRUNK/HIGH?

Alcohol and drugs must be consumed in large quantities to affect a werecreature because of their heightened metabolism. Their effects also burn off much faster than they do in humans. Magical substances can affect werecreatures much more easily than normal substances, but they still have a stronger tolerance to their effects than humans do.

NAHUALES & WEREPANTHERS.

FACTS.

Nahuales are a mortal species with an extended lifespan (~250-300 years) with a deep connection to ancestral magics, including those of transformation and mediumship. They are classed as werecreatures for their ability to shapeshift from man to jaguar. They cannot be differentiated from non-magical jaguars when transformed. Their power comes from a spiritual connection to the worlds around and beyond them, a severed tie in magical practice between the nahual and the witch.

Only those born with a certain daysign, according to the tōnalpōhualli, are born nahual. According to nahual spiritual belief, the daysign acts with a person's tonalli — one third of a mortal's "soul" — to determine their characteristics and destiny. Because of this, being born to a nahual does not guarantee that the child will inherit the gift, as it always depends on daysign — and astrology is sacred to these beings to such a degree that natural mating cycles have evolved to favor the births of those with nahual signs. A mortal may be born without the ability to transform but still be destined to become a nahual; they must be bitten. Those who are bitten and not meant for the gift will die.

NOTE: Because of this species' mythos and significance in modern spiritual practice and cultural studies, nahuales must be portrayed by face claims with some indigenous roots in Mesoamerica.

ABILITIES.

NEPANTLA.

Sensitive to the comings and goings of magic, nahuales have the power not only to sense places of power but to traverse liminal spaces. The nepantla is a place neither here nor there — neither shadow nor shining. Chaos is in constant lurch around all living things, but it can get caught here and there, folded over itself, confused. It is these spaces — dimensional portals, djinn entrapments, ruptures in time, the cosmic branches of all world trees, those worlds which are not for mortal eye to behold — which can be accessed with easy by the nahual, drawn to their energy but unaffected by their capricious magical natures. Some say this makes nahuales the lightest of all creatures on their feet, hardest to detect when they are unwilling to be found. Others consider this a mark of just how dangerous they can be, a reason to stay away for fear of being drawn into the twilight neitherworld.

MEDIUMSHIP.

It is said that a nahual never dies. Linked together through time and past death, nahuales can communicate with their ancestors. This mental link develops over time, and will be stronger in some than others. They are extremely vulnerable when reaching out with their tonalli to the dead, and they can only communicate with other nahuales in this manner lest they risk their own lives.

SHAPESHIFTING.

Unburdened by the curse of the wolves or hyenas, nahuales are free to shift when they please, though they may be compelled to transform by offensive magic or intense emotional responses. Their extra connections to magic make them the fastest werecreatures in shifting from one form to the next.

WEAKNESSES.

MORTALITY.

Nahuales are susceptible to human disease and fatal injury, though their longevity is in part bolstered by their healing abilities. Excessive trauma and prolonged illness can still kill them, as can magical attacks.

TZITZIMITL.

Named for bonemonsters of the stars from Aztec myth but known by many names, the tzitzimitl manifests first as trouble with vision before worsening into blindness. It is caused by long stays in the nepantla. Time passes differently there with every voyage, so the risk of overstaying is one that cannot be understated. After the onset of the blindness, the nahual will begin to lose other senses until they become trapped and convinced that they are being burned alive. The worst time to travel the nepantla is during a solar eclipse, as it is almost certain that a nahual will suffer the tzitzimitl immediately upon their return. Cures for this illness are yet unknown.

WEREPANTHERS.

Werepanthers (also called werepumas or werecougars, as their form more closely resembles a cougar than a jaguar) are descended from nahuales but have a more tenuous connection to their ancestral magics due to colonization and the eradication of native cultures in the Americas. As such, they resemble other werecreatures who have lost all of their magical abilities save the power of transformation.

ORGANIZATION & SOCIETY.

Nahuales strongly prefer to live among humans and tend to be very open about their true natures with other beings, in contrast to many other species that prefer to keep their existence secret. Because of this, and the rarity of new nahuales, they do not have a rigid social structure outside of those imposed by humans, such as nuclear or extended families that live in the same home and small social circles. They often occupy places of importance in their communities and make excellent leaders. In Lyonesse, they have integrated themselves with all kinds of supernatural structures.

Notable astronomical events bring nahuales together for festivities or simple communal observance, as these are moments when the spirits of the ancestors are the most active — the dead may compel the nahuales they have communicated with to seek out their still-living loved ones, which leads to larger gatherings.

WEREWOLVES.

FACTS.

Werewolves are a mortal species with an extended lifespan who have the ability to shapeshift from man to wolf. Essentially, their first shift begins to slow down to their aging, allowing them to live up to 150 years of age. Once a werewolf reaches 100, they begin to age more quickly and feel less of a need to shift to their wolf form. Most werewolves that pass away of natural causes have stopped shifting completely for at least 15 years or more.

With regard to their origins, werewolves are a species that are either born or turned. No cursed wolves have been created since at least 1879. Born werewolves experience their first shift around puberty, usually between the ages of 13 and 16. Despite being born a werewolf, those that are born still experience the sickness that comes with the days leading up to their first shift. Born werewolves are more naturally inclined to have better control than turned werewolves.

Werewolves are easily distinguishable from normal wolves, being much bigger than any normal wolf. Their fur can be any natural wolf coat colors, regardless of their human form's coloration.

ABILITIES.

SHAPESHIFTING.

The full shift can be enacted at will, except on the full moon. It’s usually a quick but uncomfortable or even painful process. Alphas are usually the fastest at their shifts, but it isn't entirely unheard of for lower ranked wolves to be able to shift from man to wolf in the blink of an eye. Significant injuries will make the shift more dangerous and painful. Transformations that are forced (i.e. the full moon, alpha command, or magic-induced) are extremely painful to the individual, but intentional shifts can eventually become less painful. Many wolves choose to shift well before the full moon to avoid a forced shift.

WEAKNESSES.

THE FULL MOON.

The full moon is a shackle that werewolves can never escape, forcing their kind to transform for the duration of every full moon for the rest of their lives. During the night of the full moon, the majority of werewolves (including all but the most powerful alphas and betas) are more beast than man, increasing the risk they pose to creatures of all species. On the days leading up to the full moon, werewolves are often restless and irritable.

SILVER & WOLFSBANE.

Both substances can be fatal to a werewolf if ingested/injected or through prolonged exposure. Wolfsbane can induce vomiting, dizziness, general weakness (shifting becomes near impossible), and in some rare cases, drive a werewolf mad. Silver burns on contact and is most commonly used in restraints. Older werewolves are more likely to develop some resistance to wolfsbane and silver.

MORTALITY.

Werewolves can survive most injuries that would kill a human, thanks to their healing ability, but would not survive the most traumatic, such as fatal damage to the heart, decapitation, explosion, etc.

LOSS OF A MATE.

The unexpected death of a mate can drive a wolf so deep into despair that they become gravely ill.

MAGIC.

Werewolves are very susceptible to magic, especially magic that ties to the moon and rituals that are completed during the night of the full moon.

THE TURN.

To become a werewolf, one must be bitten during the week of the full moon. The higher the attacking wolf is in the pack hierarchy, the better the chance the individual has of surviving the transformation. This transformation happens on the next full moon, but the victim will endure a long and strange illness for the entire month between. Those bitten have a high chance of the transformation killing them or driving them insane.

ORGANIZATION & SOCIETY.

Werewolves congregate in pack structures like their natural kin. Packs are often full of related wolves, depending on their history and the amount of territory they occupy. However, regardless of blood relation — pack is, in most situations, family.

ALPHAS.

Packs are led by an alpha pair. Alphas can be of any gender, as the position is determined by power and ability rather than by any specific biological factors. Magic, stemming from the original curse, is what gives the alpha ranking its authority. Female alphas are highly revered in werewolf culture. Alphas are identifiable by the bright, illuminating glow of their eyes when partially or fully transformed; it is also easy to identify an alpha amongst other wolves of their pack due to the social deference they command.

When it comes to succession to alpha status, such a title is usually bestowed based upon respect rather than strictly inherited. Should an alpha die before naming a successor, the alpha rank is conferred to the next strongest wolf in the pack, usually one of the betas. Pack elders are often involved in this decision should the previous alpha face an untimely demise.

BETAS.

Known as the seconds in command to the alpha, betas are responsible for helping enforce the alpha’s rules. They can be any gender. Their main concerns are pack security and safety as well as ensuring the alpha's orders are followed.

None of the betas have power over another, though many will defer to older and wiser members of the pack.

PACK ELDERS.

Elders have been with their packs for a very long time, guiding and caring for the younger generations. Soemtimes they're parents or adoptive family of the core pack members (alphas and betas) — other times there's no specific familial tie; either way, they're always gramps or auntie or baba. Respect for the elders is expected, though they may not have any official position of authority and they may not even still be turning members of the pack. The respect they are owed doesn't come from social pressures so much as it comes from the roles they typically fill in the pack as connections to pack ancestors and caretakers of the young.

LONE WOLVES & ROGUE WOLVES.

Lone wolves are rare, and do not thrive outside of pack life.

Rogue wolves are outcasts, labeled as such for an infraction among their pack and/or the werewolf community (putting others in danger, disobeying their alpha, intentionally biting humans to change them, etc.). Wolves may also be described as rogue if they have gone mad from wolfsbane exposure or from forced transforming. These wolves, reduced to predator instincts and mad with rage, are sentenced to death in Lyonesse. A local alpha, pack elder, or in extreme cases, the council all have the authority to carry out the sentence.

MATES.

Wolves take partnerships very seriously, as any mated pair may eventually break off from a pack to build their own. The mating bond is equivalent to marriage within a pack; in fact, in Lyonesse mating carries the same legal connotations and recognition as marriage as of the 1925 Ritual Partnership Act.

There are various courtship practices and ceremonies observed in wolf packs — some more similar to mortal courtships in that they involve sharing gifts, declarations of intention, and spending time alone together, and others more in common with wolves, such as grooming and territorial displays.

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nessie-rp · 4 years

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an upcoming urban supernatural rp.

jcink premium ◇ original lore ◇ community focus follow us to participate in our site buzz! nessie-rp.tumblr.com

#jcink rp #jcink buzz #supernatural rp #fantasy rp #jcink premium #rp ad #nessierp

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nessie-rp · 3 years

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the rules of magic

There was no before and there will be no after — there is only chaos, the hidden force that moves and shapes the universe. Chaos is primordial and essential to life, the cloth from which all souls and beings are cut. Magic is the manifestation or channeling of chaos, the energy of bending the very entropy of the cosmos to your will. Semi-sentient and hungry, chaos will not be ordered without sufficient cause, hence the phenomenon known as the law of exchange, whereby all magic comes with a price.

The ability to use magic comes from the imprint of chaos on a person's very soul. Anything with a soul can be marked with magical ability, though some are more adept and powerful than others. Humans, as a rule, have close to no magical ability, which is what differentiates them from witches. Because of this, a person's magic cannot be stolen or snuffed out — merely locked away, contained, transformed (as in the case of witches who lose many of their powers upon being turned into a werecreature or vampire), or otherwise hindered.

Though anyone can be born with a strong affinity for magic, witches are the only beings who possess a connection to chaos varied enough to perform any kind of magic, regardless of skill. Other beings have different connections to chaos, owed to innate magical predispositions — for example, fae are the only other beings beyond witches who can be said to "cast spells" but they are bound in many ways to abide by rules which do not apply to witches. Despite their unparalleled access to chaos as the source of magic, witches are only as strong as they are disciplined. And lucky. A person's magic is not a never-ending well of power — it demands upkeep, and not everyone draws from the same size basin.

No magic is inherently good or evil — what makes it so is the intention behind the spell, or the socially-constructed consequences of the price demanded by the law of exchange.

LAW OF EXCHANGE.

Some of kind of sacrifice is always necessary in order to bend chaos to your will. The price. Inescapable.1 This sacrifice can be anything — the most typical are things like "my next heartbeat," "the breath in my lungs," "my dirty dreams about Professor Miller," etc. It is because of the law of exchange that many witches have such short lives.

SPELLS.

When it comes to complex magic, that which only witches and fae can use, the basic action of magic is called a spell. Many different spells exist which produce the same result, and what particular version a witch uses varies depending on their background.

Some spells are performed merely by the witch manifesting chaos through their imagination. Other spells require different levels of preparation, be they steps (different stages of manifesting materials or outcomes), ingredients, actions (i.e. gesture, sacrifice, ritual, ceremony, etc.), or words.

Curses, charms, incantations, hexes, jinxes, transformations, glamours, and other ensorcelments are all technically spells. The only kinds of magic that are not exclusively spell-based and requires an added component or action — typically time, either as in duration or as in a specific moment — are potion making and alchemy. These may require any of the above mentioned elements, in any combination.

Anyone can learn any kind of spell, but certain branches of magic may come more naturally to some than others depending on their temperament, family entanglements with magic, or other characteristics.

PLANES & REALITIES.

PLANES.

Different planes — or dimensions — coexist in time but not space with each other. All are connected by the world tree, an axis mundi of many names that feeds on chaos and creates it in a never-ending cycle.

THE MORTAL PLANE. This is the visible, material reality of space and time from which supernatural creatures and humanity sprang. The here and the now. It occupies one layer of all eternal existence, but contains the vast majority of physical life as we know it.

THE ASTRAL PLANE.

This is a realm of soul, thought, and energy, a misty sea of the noncorporeal. It traces the contours of the mortal plane, with analogous features (the same locations and people as the mortal plane), but has none of its substance or vitality. The person that visits this plane is no more and no less than their soul, so danger encountered here can have massive repercussions. Here, those souls are pinpricks of light and sound in an otherwise senseless void.

THE EITHERWORLD.

This is space between realms, the place of the world tree and the void and all the cosmic dust from whence came, come, and will come all things, living and dead. Unlike the astral plane, this realm is corporeal but obeys none of the laws of science and magic which we have come to expect in the mortal plane. Here is a world of transit, of both And. Neither. Pockmarked with ways into the other realms it cradles, only a few beings have a strong enough tether to their bodies and souls to travel here, and it is always a dangerous business.

ROOMS.

Rooms are the generally accepted term for folds in the mortal plane with only one entrance, typically possessed by a witch. New ones are a rarity, as they're very difficult to create, but some places (like Acadia Chaucer Academy of Bewitchment, amongst other old buildings in Lyonesse) already have their own. Though they may appear to occupy a fixed amount of space in the mortal plane, they're highly mutable places where time behaves in strange ways and space exists where there shouldn't be any. Legend tells of a room created by Myrddin when the city was first founded, but no evidence of its existence has yet to enter the public sphere.

OTHER REALMS. Other realms exist layers over, under, and between the mortal plane and all the rest. These have their own quirks, but usually share some characteristics with the mortal and astral planes in different combinations. Some such realms include the Altu Ghar (or the Fen, or Faerie), dreamtime, limbo, the afterlife, the celestial plane, and others.

REALITIES.

There are versions of reality beyond number, possible courses of events that play out here, and in the next world, and the next. Attempts at time travel or dimensional travel can cause slips in reality where people, events, or objects drift from their reality or origin into another, which is why these magicks are so notorious.

TALISMANS.

Magical talismans can be used to channel energy more effectively or as protections against intrusive magicks. They take many forms, most commonly jewelry or other highly portable objects. Talismans are slightly less difficult to create than a familiar but they still require significant power and will in order to be of any real use. As a non-sentient object, talismans also have a longer shelf life, so to speak, because they can be passed down from one generation to the next. They do not need to be wielded by a witch to have some effect, especially if their primary purpose is protection.

PLACES OF POWER.

Places of power can be naturally occurring or created. Naturally occurring places of power are thick with chaos and have always been such. Created places of power absorb energy from bursts of magic that occur there, and they are normally not as powerful as naturally occurring ones — examples of this include the sites where dragons are said to have died, the Tristainhold, and the wreckage of the H.M.S. Titanic.

There are a few natural places of power within Lyonesse, and more created ones, though the city itself is already significantly imbued with magical energy by nature of being slightly removed from the mortal plane. These places include each of the gates, Guatiao, the Duela camp, ley lines that cross in the northern square, and a few curious plots of land within Southwyk that have yet to be thoroughly investigated.

MAGIC & TECHNOLOGY.

As a natural phenomenon with extraordinary capabilities, magic can interface perfectly well with technology — in many ways, magic is its own technology, governed by another set of rules and principles. Technology that interfaces with magic may take on a life of its own.

In Lyonesse, there is a rather even split between people who prefer "traditional" ways and those who gleefully adapt to modern innovations in the magical sciences. This divide largely falls along generational lines, which is hardly surprising.

DANGEROUS & NOTABLE MAGICKS.

NECROMANCY.

HIGH RISK HIGH PRICE

very likely to backfire. usually frowned upon because skewing the balance of life & death is seen as an unwise pushing of limits, an attempt to play god.

TIME TRAVEL & DIMENSIONAL TRAVEL.

HIGH RISK MODERATE PRICE

fickle magic — likely to drop you somewhere you didn’t plan on being. if done in a group, there's less of a chance of winding up in the wrong time or place and/or injuring yourself.

TELEPORTATION.

MODERATE RISK MODERATE PRICE

high chance of error (wrong place, wrong time). much more difficult (and therefore less commonplace) than apparition in Harry Potter

CLAIRVOYANCE.

LOW RISK LOW PRICE

psychics are much more reliable for predicting the future than witches, as their spells to replicate this ability are not as delicate at sorting the strands of possible realities. seeing into the past or scrying is much easier than seeing into the future.

ILLUSION MAGIC.

LOW RISK LOW PRICE

many consider illusion magic a gateway to more questionable magic that can be used to tamper with people’s minds, feelings, and memories.

1 except for the fae, the lucky bastards.

#magic #nessierp #buzz #lore

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nessie-rp · 4 years

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Harvest time brings much joy and celebration to the streets of Lyonesse — but this year it brings more. Many believed dragonkind to have gone extinct after centuries of wars with humans and witches across the globe. In reality, they had been biding their time, tending their wounds, and learning how to work together, as a species ill-inclined towards living in groups. If the world didn't want them, where would they go?

Years ago, a few dragons tore a new gate into the fabric of Lyonesse, far away from the city in the Duela Mountains. And now they've come to the Hallowed Council to make their presence known, sending one of their own to be the public face of their growing community. With old tensions rising, new alliances being formed, and more gossip in the city than has been heard in decades, are dragons here to stay? Do the people of Lyonesse have a choice? Note from Staff: Our apologies that this plot drop is late! In all the excitement, we got a little mixed-up with the drops. This prologue frame is meant to set the scene for future chapters, but is mainly intended to give everyone the chance to acclimate to the site, make some fun characters, and get to know everyone before we do anything more intensive.

#nessierp #plot #buzz #updates

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nessie-rp · 4 years

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◇ SPECIES ◇

Our initial species list includes: dragons, fae, humans, merrow, phoenixes, psychics, shapeshifters, vampires, werecreatures, witches, yōkai, and a selection of hybrid species that will be explained in their own section. On Lyonesse, playable species must have a predominantly human(oid) form. With the exceptions of dragons and "phoenix"-type creatures, whose human forms are granted via magic, we will not currently be allowing species that have mythological monstrous forms (i.e. griffins, sea monsters, yeti, etc.) and would have to take a human form to interact with the site. Part-humans will be considered on a case-by-case basis. It’s perfectly likely that these creatures do exist, as our lore is open and ever-expansive. It is also likely that there are creatures of non-human semi-intelligent origin, such as unicorns, which will never be playable on Lyonesse due to our specific urban setting and focus on supernatural society. These creatures may be encountered in the wild, but they don’t often form groups or specifically interact with more human(oid) supernatural beings or mortals.

#nessierp #jcink rp #jcink buzz #supernatural rp #fantasy rp #species #buzz

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nessie-rp · 4 years

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intros

we wanna get to know you. drop an introduction post in our tag (#nessierp) using the following template!

name

age ◇ pronouns ◇ timezone favorite potato product? things you’re looking forward to on the site? drop a meme!

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nessie-rp · 3 years

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WILL YOU STEP THROUGH THE GATES?

https://lyonesse.jcink.net/index.php?

LYONESSE

is a brand new mature urban supernatural roleplay set in a fictional hidden city with original lore, a chapter-based plot progression system, and a deep community focus. Come check us out! Follow us at @nessie-rp or join our Discord.

OUR STORIES BEGIN…

Years ago, a few dragons tore a new gate into the fabric of Lyonesse, far away from the city in the Duela Mountains. And now they’ve come to the Hallowed Council to make their presence known, sending one of their own to be the public face of their growing community. With old tensions rising, new alliances being formed, and more gossip in the city than has been heard in decades, are dragons here to stay? Do the people of Lyonesse have a choice?

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nessie-rp · 3 years

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PHOENIX.

The phoenix, in its many forms and with its many names, is a spirit creature of which very little is known to the common person, even in supernatural spheres. Conflicting stories of their origins abound — that they are born when a falling star passes over the birth of only the purest of souls, that they existed before the earth was separated from the sea and will exist long after one reclaims the other, that the dragons breathed life into ash and from those ashes rose the first phoenix, and so on. None but the oldest phoenixes themselves know the truth of their origins, and even then it is rare that a phoenix will experience the memories of their first lives — rarer still for them to share such an intimate reminiscence.

Mythological touch points include: the Greek phoenix, Egyptian benu, East Asian fenghuang/hō-ō, Chinese Vermilion bird, Slavic firebird, Iranian huma and simurgh, Turkic konrul, Arabian anqa, the figure/iconography of Garuda in South/Southeast Asia, Chilean alicanto, Mayan Vucub-Caquix

HISTORY.

Mentions of a winged spiritual being with some mastery over life and death stretch back to 3000 BCE (see: Herodotus’ writings on Heliopolis, the then-capital of prehistoric Egypt). The ancient Egyptians even believed that the gods Atum and Re would occasionally take the form of a benu, a type of phoenix-creature.

This was not the last time a phoenix may have been worshipped as a god. Taking on an aspect of divinity allows for more influence over the moral leadership of a society, which is a phoenix’s ultimate goal.

It is said that phoenixes show themselves to mankind at important moments in history, but their reclusiveness in recent centuries has made such sightings scarce.

IN LYONESSE.

The phoenixes have no official position on the Hallowed Council, preferring to keep to themselves and work outside of politics. Their presence has been felt in Lyonesse for at least five hundred years, though it's likely they've been in and out of the city since shortly after its founding.

FACTS.

A common symbol of life, death, and rebirth, phoenixes are linked inextricably to this cycle. only under strict and often fatal conditions do they break it. They are among the most powerful, ancient, and secretive species of the supernatural world.

All phoenixes typically find a moral purpose to serve in their early lives, some kind of mission, and attempt to serve that purpose in all their subsequent lives. It is unknown whether phoenixes are compelled to choose a cause due to their nature or if their attempts to shepherd the mortal world come from a dictate of the first community of phoenixes. Many simply continue the cycle both because it has been so as long as the world can remember and as a way of coping with endless resurrection.

General characteristics of phoenixes include:

Reincarnation and pseudo-immortality.

While they are essentially the same being in each of their lives, the "mortal" lives that phoenixes live before awakenings affect their personalities, interpretations of the world, memories, and sense of purpose so they remain highly mutable beings. Phoenixes may not always take the same form in each of their incarnations. It’s common to find a phoenix that strongly resembles or evokes one of their past forms, but much more difficult for them to preserve their physical appearance exactly from life to life.

Phoenix births are extremely rare, as they can only be born from the union of two phoenixes.

Phoenixes age at a normal rate in each of their lives until the point at which their past lives reassert themselves, at which time aging slows or stops completely. They then then experience extended lifetimes of between 90 and 200 years, but remain mortal.

When phoenixes "die," their last breath is one of fire. Their mortal shells are consumed and their immortal soul, the firebird, seeks a suitable host to birth their next incarnation through a process of metempsychosis.

Absolutely adore sunlight.

Skeptical of reptilian creatures, including dragons.

Quite fond of greenery, very good at caring for plant life.

AWAKENING & AVIAN FORM.

Phoenixes reach a point in each life where their memories of their past lives resurface violently — this is the point at which phoenixes are the most vulnerable, as they experience breaks between reality and their memoryscapes and their other powers slowly reawaken. After their awakening, they have access to their avian form. These feathered creatures seem to be made of flame and plasma, though they are solid and interact as a normal living being would with the world. The fire of this form will only burn if that is the intention of the phoenix. Seeing a phoenix in their avian form can sometimes be interpreted as an omen of death.

When in this form, a phoenix leaves its human, corporeal, and mortal body behind, leaving itself vulnerable to attack as the absence of the spirit in the body would prevent them from acting to defend themselves. The bird rises from the body and can move without a tether; should the body die the avian form will not also be extinguished. This form is incredibly fast and strong, and has some control over natural energies, including heat, magic, and electricity.

ABILITIES.

ENERGY MANIPULATION. Even in their human forms, phoenixes have the power to control energy in various states, mainly through pyrokinesis, thermokinesis, and electrokinesis. Though phoenixes are not prone to using these abilities offensively, they can prove extremely powerful in a confrontation and are not to be underestimated. This ability is innate, but does not manifest until after the awakening in each life.

HEALING. Their tears have immense healing properties and are extremely sought after by magical healers. They also have innate touch-healing magicks, but the most potent healing ability comes from their tears. These healing abilities do not apply to their own injuries/ailments.

MEMORIES. Occasionally, when a phoenix encounters the same situations in different lifetimes, they'll get a very strong deja vu type feeling that may trigger flashes of that situation happening in the past and, occasionally, in the future. It is the only known instance of phoenix clairvoyance.

IMMUNITIES. Phoenixes are completely fireproof and impervious to mind-reading and glamours. They are also much more resistant to human diseases.

WEAKNESSES.

MORTALITY. A phoenix can be brought to a true death by another phoenix or if they die while submerged in water. The killing of a phoenix marks the murderer for the rest of their lives and beyond. Other deaths can come about by any means, but they will always trigger the rebirth as long as the fatal injury/sickness/etc. is persistent enough to overcome their healing abilities. Magical practitioners have tried to interfere with the life cycles of the phoenix before to catastrophic consequence.

MAGIC. They are highly susceptible to witchcraft in their humanoid forms. Phoenixes who are cursed in one life may carry the curse to their next life, depending on the strength and conditions of the curse (i.e. if the witch was trying to kill the phoenix, the curse would not continue past that first death). They have no way of knowing that they are cursed until their memories reassert themselves with the awakening.

CONTAINMENT. Their avian forms can be caged or held prisoner if confined within/with metal forged in either phoenix or dragon fire. The latter is much more common than the former, though still uncommon. If the avian form is kept away from the mortal body for too long, the mortal body will die but the creature will continue to exist, in a limbo of sorts within their reincarnation cycle until they are freed from the cage and able to seek out a new host.

DARK PHOENIXES.

Those phoenixes who fail to find a purpose, who do not make a positive change in the world, or who are more self-centered than selfless are said to have gone “dark.” Committing an act of true evil will also sully a phoenix, i.e. killing another phoenix, sexual assault, murder of an innocent, etc.

SPECIAL CHARACTERISTICS.

Burning contaminated firewood will result in atypical flame colors; similarly, the impurities in a dark phoenix's soul will be displayed in their avian forms as their coats will be striped with uncommon colors such as green, blue, and white.

Dark phoenixes undergo much harsher awakenings than their purer counterparts. Their memories are often much more intense and violent, therefore much more difficult to manage reliving. They are considerably weakened by their first few transitions into the avian form and may even be unable to access this form for a considerable amount of time after regaining their memories.

Dark phoenixes are volatile and very powerful, burning hotter than their counterparts in their avian forms. However, this means that they tend to have shorter lifespans because they “burn themselves out,” so to speak.

ORGANIZATION & SOCIETY.

Phoenixes do not tend to congregate or have any kind of species-wide organization. Due to their rarity, natural secrecy, and the unpredictable nature of their awakening, they are usually solitary.

Though they do not have a typical family structure but, on occasion, they can be mated to a member of another species and absorbed into their own group structure. If this is the case, they tend to gain more sociability and become less guarded because they have the added protection of a mate.

They strictly forbid writing down direct accounts of their lives, though there is no organization charged with enforcing this. Many suspect certain phoenixes have made this their moral duty, so as to preserve the balance, but no records of such a person/group exist, perhaps because they do their work efficiently.

INTERSPECIES RELATIONS.

Many phoenixes keep their identities secret from the world, masquerading as humans or witches. Reclusive by nature, the only species they generally mistrust are dragonkind.

Their feathers retain magical energies if removed, but it is considered bad luck to trade in phoenix feathers, no matter how powerful they can be for witches. Some groups consider them sacred. Phoenixes shed feathers naturally when in their avian form for long stretches.

To vampires, their blood tastes like ash and they smell faintly of burning carbon. However, it is a little-known fact that drinking the blood of a phoenix allows vampires to walk in the sun for a short period of time without facing any of its ill-effects.

MYTHS.

These things do not apply:

They have only an avian form. Through magic, they can access this bestial form, but they are born with human forms and the magical ability to flit between forms.

They rise from ashes. Would be cool.

Bathing in the blood of a phoenix can reverse the aging process. As yet uncomfired but likely untrue.

#phoenixes #species #nessierp #buzz #lore

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kicking off our skin previews with our header! more tonight!

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LYONESSE, founded in the 11th century, stands as a testament to the power of interspecies collaboration. When an ancient sea giant began to terrorize coastal villages in Cornwall, the druid and prophet Myrddin Wyllt — known to the modern age as Merlin — gathered a company of mages, knights, fae, and, to the surprise of many, the exiled Laestrygonian queen consort, Psamia. Their combined might brought down the giant but not before the giant, Cormoran, tried to escape to the realm from whence he came: a pocket between this dimension and the next, ruled by concentrated and capricious magical energy. Trapped in this realm, the unlikely company had to work together once more to return to the world they knew, eventually using parts of the slain giant’s body to create portals back to the mortal world.

This success did not mark the end for the company. Mortal and magical beings alike were drawn to this new realm and, seeing on the horizon a kingdom unlike any that had before risen, Myrddin Wyllt made a proposition to the rest. From those magical creatures most drawn to the giant’s grave, the Hallowed Council was born, and from the mortals who fought alongside them came the keepers of the gates. Hidden from the mortal world, Lyonesse rose as a joint effort where people of all species could work together to build a place where old feuds and misunderstandings could be laid to rest, more and more beings seeking refuge and opportunity there as mankind forgot the old ways and sought a facade of control over their fate.

The city was once confined by the gatewall, but population growth had settlements quickly spilling over the old boundaries to the lands around. With Llyn Lothian to the north, the Morroi Forest to the east, and hills and ridges just beyond its southern farmland, the spires and towers of the most industrial parts of the city cannot overshadow its connection to nature. Split into eleven recognized districts, Lyonesse is now a thriving metropolis of more than six million residents.

◇ THE GATES ◇ As old as the city itself, the gate system is the only way to breach the wards that contain Lyonesse. Eleven portals were built out of the bones from Cormoran’s severed arm, seven in the walls of the city itself and two on the shores of Llyn Lothian. The city’s magic hides it away from the mortal world, but the gates connect the two in more ways than one.

Each gate is protected by a collection of human families with at least one Gatekeep tasked with the operation and guardianship of the gate at both points of entry — within the city and in the mortal world. It is said that Merlin entrusted the first gate — the largest and southernmost, located between Southwyk and Mellaltizi — to Trystan, though the original histories of the Gatekeeps were confused and lost after a library fire in 1686. Lyonesse was never created to shun the human world entirely, you see: collaboration between magical and non-magical peoples was ensured when Merlin bestowed this responsibility on mere mortals. Over the years, many have questioned this decision, but only humans with ancestry connecting them to the Gatekeeps of old have the ability to activate the gates.

Knowledge of the gates is one of the best kept secrets in the world — less social magical beings can go their entire lives without ever hearing of the city at all. (Popular opinion about this isolationism varies widely.) That being said, the law states that no magical being can be barred from the land, so anyone who learns about the city may journey there.

Gate travel is unlike other forms of teleportation, more taxing on the body and the spirit due to the barrier keeping Lyonesse in its own plane. Some experience it instantaneously, others lose hours in the mists between worlds. Both ends of the portal are heavily guarded. Upon arriving in the city, those who have never travelled there before must register regardless of if they are visiting, relocating, or seeking refuge. Blood is drawn by a mage in order to assign a branch to all those who enter the city and prevent magical tampering, though this system is far from infallible.

Gates are shown on the map above as diamonds along the city walls. They lead to the following mortal cities:

Buenos Aires, Argentina Cape Town, South Africa Edinburgh, Scotland Jakarta, Indonesia Lima, Perú London, England New Orleans, United States Rio de Janeiro, Brasil Shanghai, China St. Petersburg, Russia Toronto, Canada

#updates #buzz #setting #nessierp

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