Ideogenic species are species that originate from the idea magic of one or more Edeia. Typically, ideogenic species are transformed beings or beings that otherwise use existing souls, rather than creating new ones.
While the designations of species can be somewhat ambiguous, here are a few points of consideration:
They should have distinct, consistent characteristics. Broader categories, such as the blighted, are not considered species (though specific blighted are), though they may still be listed here if they consist of ideogenic species.
Most have a way of creating new members without the direct influence of the Edeia, whether through environmental exposure, infection, propagation, or other means. However, it is unusual for them to be able to reproduce via direct creation of new life.
If you have finished a Conceptualization (peer-reviewed or reviewed by Auspice) for your Edeia, you can propose an ideogenic species or category of ideogenic species originating from your own Edeia to be listed in the Community Ideogenic Species sheet. You may also submit if Auspice allows it directly. Please use this form and/or consult with Auspice if you are interested.
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Direct: new members are created through the direct influence of the original Edeia.
Environmental: new members are created through exposure to a certain environment.
Conditional: new members are created when they meet certain conditions.
Infection: new members are created through infection by other members or other infectious agents.
Reproduction: new members are created through being born from existing members of the species.
Separate genesis routes are separated by commas, while combined genesis routes (all elements must be achieved) are separated by dashes.
Embodiment: a manifestation of magical characteristics including abilities, behavior, and appearance (included shifted forms) that do not permanently change biology but are distinct enough to be classified as a species.
Transmutation: transformation of physical and/or biological characteristics.
Reconstitution: complete reconstitution of the physical form and/or metaphysical characteristics of existence. The original body may be left behind or not.
Open: Anyone can create members of the ideogenic species.
Ask: You must ask the creator of the ideogenic species to create one.
Those that die near or within the physical space a Sanctuary occupies, or those whose bodies are brought to a Sanctuary not long after their death, may be given a chance to return as a spirit creature referred to as a Sanctial.
Sanctials can only form from individuals who die in or near a Sanctuary, or have their remains and lingering soul brought to one. For the latter case, the conditions for whether or not a soul lingers vary—typically, the more unexpected the death, and the more unfinished business they feel they have, the longer the soul lingers. If the soul has departed, Sanctification (the process of becoming a Sanctial) cannot occur.
The Sanctification may occur immediately after death or after a delay. When it does, a pale energy will emerge from the remains and take the form of a spirit. The remains will be left behind, and are often buried in the Sanctuary.
Sanctials will typically take the appearance of animals, though not necessarily a specific species. Different characteristics may be combined—for example, a wolf with antlers.
They have the colors of Sanctuary. They generally are a pale bluish to yellowish color with eyes like a night sky, sometimes with markings and/or shifting patterns of night blue. They may have tree branch-like horns or antlers that have the appearance of pale gold, and a small floating orb of white light, usually near their head.
Conditional Immortality: Sanctials can live forever within a Sanctuary, but have limited time outside of one. Some live out their days in peace, and some go on a last journey through the world for one purpose or another.
Minor Shapeshifting: enough to disguise as a mundane version of their spirit form.
Telepathy and Linguistic Acquisition: Sanctials can communicate telepathically, including conveyance of language, images, and meaning. Through communication of "meaning," they can interact with any sentient being even if they do not speak the same language. Some are able to learn languages from those they connect to even if they were animals before death.
Spirit Presence: As spirits, they can alter their visibility, tangibility, and whether or not they levitate or interact with gravity.
The Malum are those who achieve strong synchronization with and mastery over a Malicious Manifestation granted by Malice.
Any conscious individual is capable of becoming a Malum. They must first receive a Malicious Manifestation from Malice. Then, they must increase their synchronization to it, generally by becoming more in tune with and expressive of their emotions. Generally, they need to use the Manifestation's abilities and push it further, leading to the Manifestation manifesting abilities and forms that are more integrated with the body rather than separate tools or weapons.
At some point, generally via a strong emotional trigger (usually malice or other intense negative emotions that are associated with some desire to act, such as to harm another, protect someone, protect oneself, etc.), the individual will draw out all the power in the Manifestation and fuse with it, shifting into their Malum form. After the first time, fusing again becomes easy and instinctive.
The Malum are able to fuse with the Manifestation to take a demonic appearance—a shadowy body of pure black with highlights of one particular color, usually the color of their soul. They typically have a more abstract appearance, along with horns, claws, thin markings that give the appearance of segments, and solid colored eyes with no iris or pupil.
When in their Malum form, they tend to be extremely honest with their emotions, with malicious emotions sometimes being amplified. When they are not fused with their Manifestation, they retain their original appearance and are less influenced in terms of their behavior.
When in Malum form:
Magic Form: They can no longer be injured through physical means, only magic (which disrupts their energy). They can manipulate their form to create shadowy constructs, including tools and weapons.
Sustainment: They do not need sustenance or sleep.
Physical Force: They can exert a great deal of strength without any fatigue.
Minor Telekinesis: Can levitate and manipulate moderately light objects near them.
Empathic Projection: Can project their emotions to others, making them understand and/or feel the emotions.
When in regular form or in general:
Reduced Sustainment: They need less sustenance and sleep then what is typical for their original species.
Manifestation Mastery: Due to their genesis process, Malum inherently have high mastery and synchronization with their Manifestation and its associated general abilities as well.
Sylves are beings that have undergone renewal by Sylnae's power. All Sylves are connected to Sylnae; Sylnae can sense when they die and renew.
Sylves begin as a Sylve tree or plant that has grown from where a creature has died. The creature does not need to be biological, but it needs to have a soul and be able to "die."
A Sylve tree has a similar appearance to Sylnae's body, having glowing teal markings and leaves on the wood. The time it takes for a Sylve tree to bear fruit can range from days to centuries, depending on their will to return to life. If they no longer wish to undergo renewal, then when they become a tree/plant, they will not bear fruit. The fruits may have different forms—soft exterior, hard exterior, smooth, rough, and so on. Regardless, they will eventually fall from the tree, and the fruit will split open to reveal the Sylve in the form of a young child covered in sap, capable of walking, talking, and various basic skills, but without any episodic memories.
Sylves grow rapidly until adulthood, after which they age very slowly—their lifespan tends to double or triple from their original, and after they die, they will turn into another Sylve tree that bears them once more.
With each renewal, a Sylve may or may not remember their past life. Generally, as they age, they remember the memories they had at that age. They can meditate to accelerate this process. If, at their core, they wished to cast off their old memories and life while they were a Sylve tree/plant, then they will be born without the capability of remembering their old memories. Instead, the Sylve tree/plant will bear smaller fruit in addition to the primary one that rebirths them; the smaller fruits, if consumed by that individual, will return the ability to regain their old memories. If consumed by anyone else, they will either pass out and dream glimpses of the individual's memories, or experience waking hallucinations that offer glimpses into the past life (or lives). If the original Sylve consumes their fruit, the rest will wither and fade. A Sylve can instinctively recognize their Sylve tree/plant(s).
Generally, a Sylve's soul is their original soul, taken out of the normal cycle through the ethereal plane. Sylnae's renewal has the capability of pulling back the souls of the dead, though it is most effective for the recently dead. If the original soul has dispersed or reincarnated, the metaphysical echo of memory is used as a "frame" and ethereal essence is gathered over time. These renewals take the longest, potentially centuries.
The body of a Sylve will resemble their original species, though they tend to gain characteristics such as glowing teal eyes, markings, and growths of branches on their body. They tend to, but not always, have a graceful appearance in a way that might make others refer to them as elves. They have a minor ability to shapeshift, which includes the ability to disguise themselves in a mundane form. They can live off water and photosynthesis, but are still capable of eating.
A majority of Sylves live in the Arbor of Renewal, the forest that Sylnae made at the site of a disastrous final battle in a war.
Cyclical Immortality: They can die, but will always be able to be reborn if they wish it.
Regeneration: They are able to regenerate injuries and loss of limbs in seconds to minutes.
Sustainment: They do not need any sustenance to live, but need water and either sunlight or sugar to maintain energy. Sleep is not needed, but pleasant.
Minor Revitalization: A passive aura that induces improved health, energy, and vitality.
The blighted refer to all of the ideogenic species created through Blight's blights. All blights created by Blight require direct or nearly direct transmission from existing species members. Some of the blighted that exist in the present Age of Reunion are listed below.
Alterveins were the original strain of vampire-like entities made by Blight — the first transformative blight that Blight made. They infect others by sharing blood, and they have considerable a craving to both drink blood and a minor compulsion to infect others. They develop sharper teeth and pupils that become slits while they are excited or experiencing cravings. They have minor sensitivity to sunlight.
Alterveins have a minor degree of shapeshifting, able to transform into certain animals or creatures. They gain minor powers to manipulate blood.
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Generally, most new Alterveins are made by turning. Only organic beings with blood that can be "infected" by the Alteric blood can be turned. Turning is typically done by giving an individual Alteric blood (blood of an Altervein) to ingest, and then draining that individual of all the blood in their body. The individual will experience death, and return as an Altervein.
In the case that not all the blood is drained, there are a few possibilities:
Above a certain threshold, the individual may become ill, but eventually recover with no lasting effects.
Below that threshold, the original blood will war with the Alteric blood. If the individual does not perish, this will eventually result in the individual experiencing a slow and painful transition. While fledgelings made this way typically exhibit better adjustment to their Alteric state, this method is considered cruel, and has been banned by the Alteric community.
Turning, when consensual, is generally considered a very intimate affair—though it is not at all sexual in nature, at least by default. The process brings the sire and to-be-fledgeling very close physically and mentally; usually, the sire will be the one to drink all of their fledgeling's blood, and this can lead to a profound and euphoric experience for both. The sire will usually stay by their fledgeling's side to soothe and comfort them as they die and rise once more.
When turning is not consensual, it can be terrifying and painful—not to mention dangerous for any hapless individuals to find the new Altervein. Multiple Alterveins can take part in siring a Altervein, if they both give the individual their blood and both take part in draining. It is relatively uncommon.
An existing Altervein can also have their bloodline changed by having another Altervein go through the process of siring them once more, i.e. the sire must feed the individual their blood and then drain the individual of all of theirs. Changing a bloodline requires a significant amount of blood given by the new sire. This is usually done after requesting permission from the original sire unless they are unavailable or have a bad relationship with the individual to be changed. A sire can also be re-sired by one of their progeny, leading to a balanced relationship between the two from a bloodline standpoint.
Generally, the sire of the Altervein is responsible for bringing up the new fledgeling and keeping them from running wild. If the sire is not available (i.e. dead, having run off, or too young to be qualified) the closest older Alteric relative will be asked to take them under their wing.
For those in united society, the fledgeling becomes a legal dependent of their caretaker. The sire will often sequester the fledgeling away from living beings to prevent them from going into a frenzy. In the first few years of life, the fledgeling can easily be overwhelmed by their bloodthirst and new senses, leading to catastrophic situations for both the fledgeling and others. The sire may bite the fledgeling to comfort and/or restrain them if necessary.
To feed the fledgeling, the sire may hunt on their own or feed from blood bags and have the fledgeling bite and feed from them—fledgelings often have a strong urge to bite, and feeding from their sire can address this need. This will also strengthen the bond between sire and fledgeling.
For united society, the fledgeling should gradually be exposed to situations that test their will against their bloodlust—a living animal, fresh human blood, etc. After five years, if they are able to remain in complete control around humans, they may be authorized to join the public of united society.
Alterveins do not age and are extremely difficult to kill; they generally are active for several hundred years or only a few if they are killed while still vulnerable as a fledgeling.
Alterveins can heal and regenerate from almost any injury so long as they consume or have consumed enough blood. If they bleed out, are unable to feed for a significant time, or are significantly injured by light or holy magic, they will enter a coma from which they can be revived by feeding them blood. They can only absolutely be killed if their body is destroyed such as by burning it to ash, or by permanently separating the soul from the body.
Some Alterveins are content with their immortality, living forever, while others may tire of it. Those who do will usually find a place to rest for eternity. Another trusted Altervein will often be asked to drain them of all their blood, putting them into their coma, and then they will be locked away in their eternal sleep.
Theoretically, Alterveins can be revived from eternal sleep, but there are often seals and other deterrents preventing access to the body, and reviving an Altervein from eternal sleep is considered to be a great transgression by other Alterveins.
Alterveins generally look mostly like their original species, with their natural state having some notable characteristics. They are able to hide some of their Alteric features with their shapeshifting abilities, but this takes some amount of effort. For Alterveins who were originally human:
Pale skin: Alterveins generally have very pale skin.
Cold body temperature: Alterveins do not generate any natural body heat. If they were to take a warm bath/shower or something similar, their body could retain heat for a short time. If they were to walk around in freezing environments, their joints and musculature can actually freeze.
Fangs: Most Alterveins have extended canines containing their venom. These can be extended or shortened to some extent. Some Alterveins naturally have all their teeth sharp.
Slit/glowing eyes: In day-to-day activities, an Altervein's pupils may seem round enough to appear normal. When feeding or using their abilities, Alterveins' eyes tend to "activate" — their pupils become slitted and their irises glow. Some may also have the sclera turn red or black.
Pointed ears: This varies: some have distinctly elongated and pointed ears, some are only slightly pointed, and still others may not have pointed ears at all.
Pointed nails/claws: This can also vary. Some may have humanlike nails that are just slightly pointed—this is most common. Others may have longer and stronger nails, varying to the point of them becoming actual claws.
Alterveins must consume blood to function properly. All the blood in their body is blood consumed by another and transformed into their own through the Alteric essence in their blood. Feeding can be done through a variety of methods. Alterveins may feed from live donors, whether directly through a bite or indirectly through bloodletting or some tool. They can feed from other Alterveins, blood bags, and creatures with blood as well.
Live donors of the same source species of the Altervein are generally the most satisfying and filling experience. The Altervein will be able to taste unique flavors associated with an individual. In united society, both the Altervein and donor must get approval, either separately (in the case of irregular or random donors) or together (in the case of a regular donor to a single Altervein).
When done as more of a practical act between two who are not very close, the Altervein will usually bite at a distal location such as the wrist or elbow, as opposed to the neck. The physical and psychological effects associated with a bite are usually less intense in this case.
It is possible for both a donor and an Altervein to develop a behavioral addiction or dependency in varying degrees to live feeding, sometimes requiring intervention to wean them off each other or reduce feedings to a frequency that is safe for the donor. Altervein venom is not physically addictive due to magical properties, however, and one cannot build a biological resistance to any of its effects.
Immortality: Alterveins do not age. They are also extremely difficult to kill; they can undergo grievous injuries—lose limbs, be beheaded, get stabbed in the heart, etc.—and regenerate by drinking blood. If they bleed out, are unable to feed for a significant time, or are significantly injured by light or holy magic, they will enter a coma from which they can be revived by feeding them blood. They can only absolutely be killed if their body is destroyed such as by burning it to ash, or by permanently separating the soul from the body.
Optimal health: An Altervein remains in optimal health so long as they have a sufficient blood supply. When an Altervein is turned, they are cured of all infectious, degenerative, and other physical ailments. Limbs can be regenerated, eyesight/hearing loss/other sensory losses can be restored, blemishes on their skin vanish. Moles and freckles may remain unless the skin or the area is damaged or lost and needs to be regenerated. Wounds will heal and scars will fade. If an individual was born with defects, depending on the type, they may or may not persist; in some cases, there can be a process to modify a body with blood magic to guide the Altervein's body to its optimal form.
Blood sustainment: Alterveins do not need anything besides blood to survive. They do not need to sleep, though they are able to and seem entirely dead when they do so. They do not need to breathe for living, though they do need to in order to speak. (As a fun fact, in cold weather they do not produce foggy breath if they breathe.) They also do not eat or drink; they are able to drink small amounts of fluids but are completely unable to digest food.
Enhanced senses: Alterveins have sharper senses of sight, smell, hearing, and taste. Only their sense of touch is relatively dulled from their living state.
Enhanced physical ability: Alterveins have immense strength and excellent agility. They feel very little pain if any, even if they experience extreme physical injuries. They can sense that a temperature is hot or cold, but they do not experience pain or discomfort from it.
Bloodline link: Alterveins are linked to one another through their Alteric bloodline. The strongest bond is between sires and their fledgelings, though all Alterveins are linked to Blight and each other to some extent. The closer the relation, the stronger the link; they can sense when another is in danger or if they die, and some can sense when a new member joins the bloodline.
Shapeshifting: Alterveins are usually capable of some degree of shapeshifting. For many, this can be limited to changing their appearance to one that is more or less Alteric. Some can take the form of another creature, and some can shapeshift freely.
Psychic abilities: Alterveins have some degree of psychic ability, with some individuals being better with it than others.
Feeding connection: Alterveins can connect psychically to the person they are feeding with. The strength of the connection depends on the level of trust the donor has with the Altervein; the connection can persist even after the feeding is over if the Altervein has fed from the same donor multiple times and the two trust each other greatly.
Hypnosis/thrall: Most bloodlines can hypnotize mundane beings by making eye contact. The strength and apparentness of hypnosis varies, with some being able to entirely subjugate the subject's will, some making the individual unable to resist suggestion, some only subtly shifting the individual's will, etc.
Venom: An Altervein's bite has venom that makes the experience of the bite become painless and/or pleasurable. It can also have effects to paralyze the subject or make them relax, whether physically or mentally. The strength and nature varies between bloodlines. Some "pleasurable" venoms may have aphrodisiac effects, while others may feel good or even euphoric without anything sexual in nature.
Healing saliva: Altervein's saliva has healing properties; it can rapidly close a wound as well as stimulate the production of more blood.
Sterility: Alterveins are sterile in all aspects except their infectivity of the Altervein blight; their saliva and other bodily fluids have no other infectious agents. They cannot contract any biological illness, and infectious agents on their body will die or become destroyed quickly. If they drink blood with infectious agents, they may experience something akin to food poisoning, but their Alteric blood will purge the agents from the blood in time. They cannot biologically reproduce.
Kharon, depicting both his base form and Beast form.
Lunarwilds are a strain of "were-beings," including werewolves, that have lasted to present day. In their base state they look human and are not infectious, but they can transform by will or under the moonlight into a different form (not necessarily a wolf, but usually an animal) that is much more animalistic and infectious, with any bitten creature also becoming infected with the Lunarwild blight. Lunarwilds have severe reactions to silver.
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Lunarwilds are an infectious species, with the bite of any Lunarwild having a high likelihood of inducing the transmutation into the species. However, they can only infect organic or semi-organic beings; they cannot infect machines, spirits, and magical constructs.
Once an individual is bitten, they will experience symptoms of fever, restlessness, and insomnia. They also have more energy, counteracting the typical effects of sleep deprivation. These last for around three days before returning to a mostly stable state, if with gradually increasing strength. When the next full moon comes, around a month after the bite, then a transformation will be triggered.
When not transformed, Lunarwilds look more or less identical to how they looked before being bitten, save for the presence of tapetum lucidum and the ability to produce certain sounds like purrs and growls. When transformed, Lunarwilds take the form of some kind of beast. Most are reminiscent to real-life animals, with some being more realistic and some having more unusual or unnatural characteristics. The appearance depends on what feels right for the soul, and tends to be stable but can shift over time. Most are mammalian creatures, resembling wolves, cats, bears, etc. but other non-mammalian species are also possible. Their eyes are highly reflective, reminiscent of the moon, and their saliva and other fluids have a shimmering quality like moonlight.
The most notable characteristic of Lunarwilds is their "Beast." This can almost be thought of as a second personality born of the individual's fundamental emotions and instincts on the night of their first transformation. Some think of their Beast as a separate being, some think of it as another version of themself, and others have other ways of thinking about it. The Beast can overtake or blend with the individual's primary cognition depending on the circumstances:
During a full moon, when the Beast form is triggered, the Beast personality takes over entirely. Afterwards, the experience is remembered as dreamlike. The transformation can be prevented if no contact is made with moonlight, though they feel more restless and have a strong desire to run outside on full moons.
If the Beast form is voluntarily taken, not during a full moon, the Beast blends with the original cognition, allowing for a fair degree of reasoning and restraint. A Lunarwild experienced with restraint could safely interact with non-blighted individuals, though it is still considered risky.
When partially transformed, the mentality blends with the original cognition, which may lead to behaviors such as growling at those disliked.
The Beast's desires always reflect the individual's deepest desires, if with a significant loss of inhibition and blended with a compulsive desire to infect others. As such, transformed Lunarwilds tend to be violent towards non-infected individuals, though they may be able to refrain from aggression towards those they consider close and trustworthy. That said, they can be playful and affectionate with other Lunarwilds, with many engaging in cuddle piles or grooming sessions. They can also experience mating cycles when transformed; though any children born would match the original biology of the parents, there is a high likelihood of infection through the process of gestation and birth, making it another way for the blight to propagate.
Base form:
Cognitive Enhancement: Slight enhancement in cognitive abilities.
Physical Enhancement: Significant increase in strength, allowing them to lift cars with some effort.
Extended Lifespan: Approximately 1.5 to 2 times their original lifespan.
Partial Shapeshifting: Partial shapeshifting of beastly characteristics.
Full Shift: Full shift to their Beast form.
Beast form:
Physical Enhancement: Significant increase in strength, allowing them to lift cars with ease.
Sensory Enhancement: Significant enhancement in senses of sight, smell, hearing, and taste, and incredible pain resistance.
Regeneration: Incredible regeneration abilities, able to recover in seconds to minutes so long as their head is not cut off or their heart is not stabbed with silver.
Partial Shapeshifting: Alteration of their shape to change some beastly characteristics.
Instinct: Though they lose a significant degree of higher cognitive abilities, they have strong intuition and instinct in regards to who and what is dangerous or safe.
The Sporavenous are a species of "cognizant zombies" created through the infection of a biological host by the Sporavas fungus. The "Ravenous" broadly refers to all "zombies" created by Blight, though since the Sporavenous are the only extant Ravenous in the Age of Reunion, they are typically simply referred to as the Ravenous.
When an individual is infected, the fungus integrates with the host's brain and spinal cord, leaving personality and will intact but causing the development of intense urges to consume raw flesh of uninfected individuals. The infection spreads by both body fluids and inhalation of airborne spores. These Ravenous usually do not emit spores, but every month their aggressive urges decrease and they sprout mushrooms, usually out of their back or the sides of their head, that release a large amount of spores. They are compelled to protect the mushrooms until they are done releasing spores, after which the mushrooms fall off. These are actually safe to eat, and are considered a rare delicacy by certain crowds.
Most of the Ravenous of Sporavas exist in a quarantined area consisting of a Sanctuary and a limited area of "hunting grounds." They are immortal, not aging and regenerating from most injuries, so long as they somewhat regularly consume raw flesh of any creature. Manufactured "meat" developed in united society can sustain them, but they tend to feel weak or ill in the long term.
These are species created by members of the Ideation community. If you wish to submit one, use this form. The initial submission will be reviewed for lore accuracy and relevance to the Ideation community and worldbuilding. Afterwards, the lore creator can edit the information, though it is asked to consult with Auspice for any major changes. It is up to the creator how to manage their ideogenic species; this is only a listing with links and basic information.