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…
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?
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...
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?
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.
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.
The six sages of the Duela camp are the de facto leaders of the group who believe in their cause more than anything. Each aligned with one of the draconic elements, these dragons work together — not without difficulty — to protect their kind and ensure the success of the dragon settlement in Lyonesse.
THE LAND
A provider for and protector of the camp, THE LAND is the largest of the sages, though none would dare speculate as much in their presence. They are known to be the surliest of the sages, though they often spend time egging on and training with the dharra'mi. Of all the sages, they trust THE BREATH the least.
open elemental affinity.
open sage abilities.
THE SEA.
THE SEA has a tumultuous past. They were once held prisoner and tortured by witches in the early days of the war, and are very guarded about how they made their escape. One thing is certain: the experience changed them greatly. They remain more diplomatic than most of the sages despite the personal wrongs witches have committed against them.
open elemental affinity.
chaos-manipulation (magic) sage abilities.
THE SKY.
THE SKY is a renowned leader who's survived multiple attempts on their life by opponents (and one or two other dragons). They have a predator mindset, yet their past gives them the perspective to temper his more violent instincts. The unofficial leader of the sages.
co-founder of the Duela Camp.
storm dragon.
time-related sage abilities.
THE LIGHT.
An anxious voice of reason, THE LIGHT is the most wary of their presence in Lyonesse and has taken it upon themselves to mind the camp's defenses. They are outspoken and opinionated, but well intentioned. THE LIGHT has the most experience of all the sages with human technology, having spent many years among humans in their mortal form.
open elemental affiliation.
telekinetic sage abilities.
THE BREATH.
Eccentric and enigmatic, THE BREATH does not have as long of a history with the other sages as they do amongst themselves. They are extremely talented with their telepathic abilities — in fact, their power often concerns the others. They were once part of a large nest, a very long time ago, but now struggle to acclimate to group living.
open elemental alignment.
open sage abilities.
THE BODY.
aka YINDI MAY'YUN — played by andy
A natural born leader, THE BODY has a long history of building community that sets them apart from other dragons and especially from the more reclusive dragon sages. They were the one who approached THE SKY with their plan to infiltrate Lyonesse, though they are adamant about leading as a group rather than as an individual. This preference is more than a noble pursuit, however; in the process of tearing a new portal into the realm, THE BODY suffered the consequences of the law of exchange for the first time — they can only maintain their dragon form for brief moments, temporarily locked in their mortal flesh.
Hey everyone, we’re super excited to introduce you to the site we’ve been working so hard to prepare for you. Unfortunately, some things are still in the works, so Lyonesse will open this weekend. We'll be working hard in the meantime to finish up the rest of the documentation. Feel free to ask questions if you have any and/or spam the various plotting channels in our Discord. Thanks for understanding and being so patient with us.
Mortals with some flair, psychics have found their niche providing advice and trying to locate magical objects. Some psychics have dedicated their lives to their talents while others try to pretend their powers do not exist.
HISTORY.
Commonly called oracles or seers in antiquity, often delivering vague messages from the gods to commonly act as harbingers of hope or destruction. Divination was a primary tool to channel their abilities and often used bones, stones, plants, or other organic material (read: blood and flesh) to “consult” the “gods” or “spirits.” Though in antiquity many oracles were women, psychics of all genders are possible.
IN LYONESSE.
Psychics joined the Hallowed Council in the 14th century. Since their arrival in Lyonesse, psychics have proven their worth by aiding in the recovery of magical objects. Some of the objects recovered thanks to psychics of The Psions wings include: The White Claw, The Stele of Hammurabi, Green Armor, and an Omphalos. Wing 7 (Words) and Wing 1 (Judgment) both have Memphis-class members in Lyonesse and work in tandem with each other and the other species to locate the magical objects to prevent them from falling into hands of those who may misuse them.
FACTS.
ABILITIES.
Psychics are mortal dowsing rods in the way that they can always find sources of magical power.
They have abilities including clairvoyance, precognition, psychometry, and channeling. Divination is another skill psychics possess, though their affinity for it depends on the practice the individual puts in.
Particularly adept psychics can also astral project their consciousness small distances or enter dreams of those near to their physical bodies. Where a witch would need to recite an incantation, psychics just do.
A unique ability of psychics is that they can see into other realms, notably Atlu Ghar, the home of the fae, but they cannot cross over. Usually seeing into the Fen is accomplished through clairvoyance or channeling and is more like watching a movie than a live interaction. These interactions with other realms can be manipulated by magic and are not always accurate.
WEAKNESSES.
Mortal beings, psychics have very much in common with humans. As fleshy meat sacs, psychics are susceptible to things including, but not limited to: fire, vampire or werecreature bites, and natural causes such as age and illness. Psychics are highly susceptible to magic and often can be persuaded with money. Psychics share lifespans with humans.
ORGANIZATION & SOCIETY.
Most psychics operate remotely, but there will always be power in numbers. The largest of all psychic organizations calls themselves The Psions and largely act as consultants or surveyors via government contractors. The Psions feature a power structure with rankings such as Delphi, Memphis, and Dryw. There are ten branches of The Psions, called Wings (gaining its name from the Chinese Yi Jing), stationed all over the world.
In terms of The Psions’ power structure, a Delphi leads a wing with two Memphis-class right under them as their left and right hands. The Delphi will meet semi-regularly to address concerns within the community. The Wings are located in the following cities: Delhi, Mexico City, Kyoto, Cairo, New York, Tel Aviv, Athens, Lagos, San Francisco, and Guangzhou. Dryw are experienced psychics within the organization and largely outnumber the Delphi and Memphis.
Hierarchy of the Wings.
Conference of 10 Oracles, Leaders of The Psions (Delphi-class psychics)
↓
up to 20 Memphis-class psychics
↓
Dryw-class psychics
↓
All other Psion members
↓
Non-affiliated psychics
INTERSPECIES RELATIONS.
Psychics work closely with witches and have a good (in their opinion, at least) relationship with the fae. Psychics are useful to many species for their psychometric abilities and clairvoyance.
MYTHS.
These things do not apply:
Contrary to popular belief and thanks to the prominence of the media, psychics cannot perform psychic surgery where energies remove diseases or disorders.
Your eyes do not betray you; there is something in the water.
HISTORY.
With cities older than human civilization, the merrow thrive hidden in the depths of the oceans. Merrow like the world to believe they evolved on their own. In reality, ancient magical experimentation by the fae resulted in the creation of a new people thousands of years ago.
IN LYONESSE.
In Lyonesse, merrow have had Council presence since the fifteenth century as a result of increased trade in the Atlantic. This was purely a political move to satiate the Thalassi to allow passage for commerce into trade lanes that passed through their territory. Since then, one merrow has been present on the Council to relay information to the Thalassi and the appointment of the Magistrate rotates through the Thalassi, typically, once a Magistrate dies or retires.
FACTS.
There are merrow in the ocean and in some lakes and rivers, depending on where you look.
The average merrow lifespan is ~200-300 years. The merrow who don't return to the sea frequently can risk their health and longevity. Royals live far longer. The closer you are to the pure bloodline, the longer you live.
Physical characteristics of the merrow vary, much like natural aquatic life; that being said, all merrow are adapted in various ways to suit their environments. All merrow are born with tails rather than legs, for example, as well as the ability to breathe underwater. Some have what mortals would accept as "typical" scale patterns, others have sharkskin-like tails, still others resemble giant cephalopods. No merrow have been found with mammalian secondary characteristics beyond their humanoid ones (i.e. orca merrow, dolphin merrow, etc.).
Tails transform into legs when completely dry, but will transform back after prolonged contact with water. This transformation isn't entirely pain free; in fact, it is very uncomfortable to the individual for the first time or those who haven't done so for quite some time. Some merrows adapt quickly to walking on two legs, but others take longer to adjust. It's a faux pas in merrow culture to speak of legs or anything having to do with them. Legs are inferior.
ABILITIES.
MAGIC.
Merrow possess natural minor magical abilities, including the ability to heal faster when in contact with water as well as low-level water manipulation and air-manipulation magic.
As they come from fae origins, they have very minor illusion abilities, which have been known to cause shipwrecks or ensorcel sailors, but they do not have access to the full extent of glamour that the fae do unless they are specifically taught and trained. This ability tends to be honed only by those of means — royalty and nobility.
FORTUNE.
Merrow are also able to enchant certain items with good luck, although this requires that such items have contact with sea water (i.e. a necklace with a vial of sea water); items enchanted without a connection to sea water can have adverse effects.
KISS OF LIFE.
A lesser known fact is their ability to save one from drowning / bestow the ability to breath underwater with a kiss. Most merrow allow the world to continue thinking that this is a myth.
MESMERIZATION.
Merrow possess naturally enchanting voices, especially when singing. Their singing voices can influence the moods and behaviors of those within hearing distance. This ability can sway just about every supernatural creature (at least temporarily), although dragons can forge a resistance to it and fae are slightly less susceptible as it is a derivative of their magic.
PHYSICALITY.
An aquatic or amphibious species, all merrow are able to breathe underwater. In addition, merrow are fast and natural swimmers. Variations in speed and agility depend on the merrow's family lineage or the fitness of the mer themself. They also possess enhanced senses, strength, durability, and endurance by virtue of their preferred environments, allowing them to see in total darkness, withstand the pressure and temperatures of the depths, and, though less necessary in the modern era, stalk and hunt down food. Merrow are much stronger than humans, and on par physically with the fae.
WEAKNESSES.
MORTALITY.
Merrow can be killed in much the same ways humans can (drowning excluded), and certain illnesses — mortal strains and merrow strains alike — can also hurt or kill them. They are afforded some safety from death by virtue of their physical prowess and magical abilities, but at the end of the day they, too, must be wary of the fisherman's net.
COLD-FORGED IRON.
Inherited from their progenitors, the merrow intolerance for cold-forged iron is less severe than that of the fae, though it has posed more and more of an issue as humanity continues to explore and pollute the oceans and waterways of the world. The greater the amount of iron, the more irritation it will cause. A small amount of cold-forged iron, i.e. the amount present in an aluminum can, might tickle a merrow's skin, but an object made specifically with the purpose of harming them, i.e. a tool for removing a scale, would cause burning pain.
"CALL OF THE SEA."
This common slang is used to describe the urge to return to the ocean that merrow feel when they surface. If they do not heed this compulsion for a long enough time, they can fall ill. Merrow must periodically return to the water or risk becoming gravely weakened and susceptible to human disease. While this does not mean an individual will die immediately, prolonged states weakness and illness can bring about their death.
ORGANIZATION & SOCIETY.
Seven seabed monarchies comprise the Thalassi, a consortium of royal leaders whose powers may or may not keep the denizens of the deep in line. Each monarchy presides over a stretch of ocean, including the kingdoms of the Arctic, the North Atlantic, the South Atlantic, the North Pacific, the South Pacific, the Indian, and the Southern Oceans.
The Arctic Court has recently become an autocracy after a long period of warring kings.
The North Atlantic Kingdom exists as a hereditary monarchy.
The South Atlantic Kingdom is an elective monarchy known for its palace harem.
The North Pacific Kingdom is a highly secretive dynastic monarchy which has changed hands between two noble houses for hundreds of years.
The South Pacific Clans are a united federation of tribes led by chiefs.
The Indian Court functions as a diarchy rather than a monarchy, with a hereditary monarch and elected monarch sharing power more or less equally.
The Southern Court is a matriarchal hereditary monarchy.
The locations of the royal courts and of important underwater cities are kept secret via a magical blood oath, perhaps an echo of the geas of the fae. Merrow are unable to reveal this location, no matter the cost. Those who try to disclose one of these secrets are cursed to lose their voices. All merrow who come up on land have to make this vow, or they are not allowed passage.
Some royals choose to never breach, and stay beneath the waves in their cities for their entire lives — which are quite long, as the pure bloodlines are functionally immortal. However, many, many, royals do choose to go above, and often die as a result. It’s easy to tell when royal feuds are going on beneath the waves, because no royals will breach. Or if they do, they swiftly come to regret it.
There is a huge disconnect between the royals and the more common merrow, which often leads to discontent, minor rebellion, and the exile of dissenters. The ocean is vast and wild, and so are her peoples — the absolute power of the Thalassi constantly creates tension with the free and roaming natures of merrow. There is too much space for this power to be as absolute as it claims, so the royals, while the struggle to maintain favorable public opinions on their legitimacy grows, are hardly even aware that that sentiment is even as widespread as it is.
Some have split away from their metropoli to scavenge, hunt, and lure humans to their deaths beneath the waves, sacrificing the comforts of merrow society for a more "survivalist" lifestyle. These merrow can sometimes congregate in smallish family groups, colloquially referred to as pods; after all, it's unusual for a merrow to be on their own for very long.
INTERSPECIES RELATIONS.
On the social end of the scale, merrow enjoy the company of others (especially their own kind), and it's very common to find them in groups. Solitary merrow are rare, and often means that such individuals have been exiled or raised away from merrow communities. These exiles from merrow society often form their own loose coalitions/family groups. A lone merrow doesn’t survive long on their own.
While considered a social and generally benevolent species, for the most part at least, merrows are taught from an early age to avoid interaction with witches, given that their scales and skins are said to be valuable to magic users. Most common uses for scales are in potion making. Gaining such scales is not an easy feat, given the fact that scales are very tough, and can usually only be pried up by an item made of iron (or phoenix talon). A missing scale can take weeks, if not longer, to grow back and is a very painful process. Scales must be taken from a living individual, as those taken from a deceased individual are not as valuable on the market or potent in magical uses. Such scales are easily identifiable by the professional eye because they lack brightness and sheen.
Because their blood is similar in some ways to the fae, it is scrumptious to vampires but not to the same degree. It’s just a nice snack. Like guzzling a bottle of water fresh off a workout. Some vampires like sushi.
MYTHS.
These things do not apply:
They're all women. Nope.
When they die, they turn into seafoam. No, but that would be a cheap funeral.
