Preternatural Bloodlines
[GM Note: This is a list of versatile heritages and what role they play (if any) in the world of the Reverie Isles. For the purpose of categorization, people whose bloodlines have been influenced by an extraplanar creature native to the Nine Realms are collectively known as Nephilim, just as those who’ve specifically been touched by one of the Elemental Spheres on the plane of Fundament are known as Scions.]
Common Bloodlines
Ardande
Ardandes are scions whose souls have been touched by elemental wood, or are the children of muan djinn, also known as kizidhars. Unlike other scions, ardandes can emerge from just about anywhere in the Multiverse that life is able to flourish, for such forces are not exclusively elemental. Though they all share in its connection, these forces affect each ardande differently, such as thick yellow sap that flows through their veins instead of blood (as with ambersouls), mushrooms that grow from beneath their skin (as with moldersouls), or delicate flowers that blossom within their hair (as with springsouls).
Ardandes do not typically live longer than an average member of their ancestral race.
Naari
Naaris are scions whose souls have been touched by elemental fire, or are the children of pyric djinn, also known as ifrits. Most naaris are born this way, but it is possible for someone to have a flame kindled within them through a brush with the Sphere of Fire later in life. Regardless of their origins, every naari connects with this inextinguishable internal fire in their own way, which may appear as a warm radiance that spills from their eyes (as with brightsouls), smoldering embers instead of hair (as with cindersouls), or sizzling magma that creeps through their veins rather than blood (as with lavasouls).
Naaris do not typically live longer than an average member of their ancestral race.
Oread
Oreads are scions whose souls have been touched by elemental earth, or are the children of petran djinn, also known as jabalis. From the slow but steady progress of an artisan to the rigid discipline of a soldier, each oread finds their strength in a different place. With minds and bodies as enduring as the earth beneath their feet, an oread’s bond with the Sphere of Earth commonly manifests as a thin layer of sand or dry dirt upon each of their limbs (as with dustsouls), crystal shards that jut from their scalp like hair (as with gemsouls), or skin that cracks like the muddy clay of a riverbed (as with miresouls).
Oreads do not typically live longer than an average member of their ancestral race.
Sylph
Sylphs are scions whose souls have been touched by elemental air, or are the children of sussuran djinn, also known as jaathooms. Identity is everything for a sylph, so the specific region in the Sphere of Air from which their heritage arose is more likely to influence their disposition than for any other scion. There are countless traits associated with each aspect of air, such as hair that effervesces like a cloud of toxic gas (as with fumesouls), skin that’s perpetually stained orange with soot (as with smokesouls), or an aura of tempestuous wind that flairs up with bouts of strong emotion (as with stormsouls).
Sylphs do not typically live longer than an average member of their ancestral race.
Talos
Taloses are scions whose souls have been touched by elemental metal, or are the children of talican djinn, also known as zuhras. These metallic folk more closely resemble full-blooded elementals than other scion, as their physical forms are utterly imbued with the Sphere of Metal’s magic, causing them to tarnish with injury and rust as they age. These influences manifest in a variety of dynamic ways, such as skin made of steel or polished copper (as with ferrousouls), bodies that gleam like platinum or gold (as with gildedsouls), or bones shaped from silvery liquid mercury (as with quicksouls).
Taloses do not typically live longer than an average member of their ancestral race.
Undine
Undines are scions whose souls have been touched by elemental water, or are the children of thalassic djinn, also known as faydhaans. As beings born from the ever-shifting influence of the Sphere of Water, undines are always the type to “go with the flow” whenever faced with an unexpected setback. The magical fluidity of elemental water leads to all sorts of manifestations in mortals, such as teal tinted skin that is perpetually wet and salty (as with brinesouls), hair that billows like a column of swirling gray steam (as with mistsouls), or blood as frigid as the runoff of an Old World glacier (as with rimesouls).
Undines do not typically live longer than an average member of their ancestral race.
Uncommon Bloodlines
Aphorite
Aphorites are nephilim with the blood of an axiomite running through their veins, or those who’ve been changed by the lawful vibrations of Nexis. As the cosmic counterparts of ganzis, aphorites contain a fragment of the Continuum’s eternal equation within their minds, which can manifest in a multitude of ways, such as extreme body symmetry, skin that glows faintly in the dark, or birthmarks of fractals and repeating symbols. Due to the perplexing nature of their origins, many aphorites strive to seek out and unveil undeniable truths in their day-to-day lives, which common folk often fear but respect in equal measure.
Aphorites possess a hardiness consistent with their axiomite relatives, typically living up to 100 years longer than their ancestral race.
Cambion
Cambions are the nephilim that inevitably result from trysts between mortals and fiends, or are those whose ancestors struck a pact with such beings. Though this does not guarantee or even predispose a cambion toward evil, they are often viewed with unwarranted suspicion or disdain from the very moment of their birth. Cambions with curled horns, crimson skin, and triangle-tipped tails are referred to as hellspawn due to the sire of their bloodline being a devil or another dark denizen of the Infernal Plane, but other variants exist, such as those who descend from one of the many daemons or demons of Abaddon.
Cambions have a fiendish vigor latent within their blood, typically living up to 150 years longer than their ancestral race.
Changeling
Changelings are the unearthly creations of hag covens that possess a single, strangely-colored orb in place of one of their eyes, but are otherwise indistinguishable from their adopted families. Often (though not always) female, a changeling is usually placed into the care of mortal parents, who unknowingly raise them as their own. But when they come of age, their foul mothers will likely try to lure them home to become hags themselves through a phenomenon known as “The Call.” Common folk often find changelings to be charming, though, there’s always something just a little bit off about them.
Changelings who ignore the Call do not gain the accursed immortality of a hag, but still typically live up to 50 years longer than their ancestral race.
Empyrean
Empyreans are unusually attractive (whether it be in appearance or character) nephilim that descend from celestials. Due to their hypersensitivity to magical forces, empyreans have the unique ability to perceive a halo-like aura called a “nimbus” around the heads of other nephilim, from which they can usually determine what type of extraplanar creature the other’s bloodline arose from. Empyrean lineages most commonly originate from angels, winged creatures of pure goodness that can hail from any good-aligned plane, such as Heaven. These empyreans are often referred to as angelkin by common folk.
Empyreans are blessed with supernatural longevity, typically living up to 300 years longer than their ancestral race.
Ganzi
Ganzis are nephilim with the blood of a protean running through their veins, or those who’ve been imbued with the chaotic energies of Fundament. As the cosmic counterparts of aphorites, ganzis harbor an infinitesimally tiny sliver of the Maelstrom within their hearts, which can manifest in a multitude of ways, such as polychromatic eyes, feathers growing in place of hair, or long tails covered in scales and fur. Common folk tend to see ganzis as impulsive but full of life, which can be off-putting for some but attractive for others, often establishing ganzis as trendsetters within the communities to which they are born.
Ganzis possess a vivacity consistent with their protean relatives, typically living up to 100 years longer than their ancestral race.
Lycan
Lycans are the offspring of werecreatures who did not inherit their parent’s curse, but are nevertheless capable of partially shifting into an animalistic form. Many lycans are difficult to distinguish from common folk in their community, but sometimes (often before, during, or after a full moon) their bestial eyes, hairy or sinewy bodies, and noticeably heightened senses betray their true nature. Werewolves (formally known as lycanthropes) are the most widespread source of a lycan’s lineage, likely due to their foremost position at the top of the magical creature food chain, with wererats and wereboars not far behind.
Lycans do not typically live longer than an average member of their ancestral race.
Rare Bloodlines
Dhampir
Dhampirs are the outcome of a vampire (or another dhampir) reproducing with a living creature. These pallid, often abnormal individuals gain a portion of the supernatural powers and vitality associated with the Vampyr’s Bite; but due to the diluted nature of their curse, they receive none of the drawbacks from their parentage, allowing them to walk through sunlight and live among other mortals with ease. The most widespread source of a dhampir’s lineage is from a moroi, which is what many common folk think of when they hear the word “vampire.” These dhampirs are called svetochers by others of their kind.
Dhampir are gifted (or perhaps cursed) with unnaturally long lives, typically living up to 400 years longer than their ancestral race.
Dragonborn
Dragonborn are DESCRIPTION .
Dragonborn LIFESPAN .
Revan
Known as “duskwalkers” by common folk, revans are the result of a soul reincarnating into its own body after death, which causes their hair and skin to become drained of color, turning white from shock. Revans are created when a psychopomp finds a soul in the afterlife with an unrealized potential for greatness, whether it be because their life was deliberately taken from them, willingly sacrificed, or ended by mere accident. For reasons unknown to even the wisest of planar scholars, only a dozen or so of these liminal beings can exist at any given time, and it is theorized that this number is only going down over time.
Revans do not age after their awakening, but their existence is fraught with danger and their new lives are typically short.
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