Genesis Type

• 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. 

Form Type

• 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. 

Permissions

• Open: Anyone can create members of the ideogenic species. 

• Ask: You must ask the creator of the ideogenic species to create one. 

Genesis

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.

Upbringing

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.

Death and Eternal Sleep

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.

Characteristics

Appearance and Physiology

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.

Feeding

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.

Abilities

• 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.

Genesis

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. 

Characteristics

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. 

Behaviors

Lunarwilds typically form packs of 3-20, though multiple packs may live together in a community or be otherwise affiliated. Each pack typically has a leader, though there could be none or multiple. The position is typically a matter of respect—other Lunarwilds will defer to the pack leader if they respect them. Some leaders gain respect through shows of power or dominance, while others may be weak physically but exceptional leaders in maintaining order and peace. 

Lunarwilds each have a unique scent, produced by scent glands around the neck. 

• The scent is weaker in their base form and stronger during a mating cycle. 

• When Lunarwilds experience strong emotions, their scent may change.

• Scenting, or scent-marking, is the act of applying one's scent on another, typically by rubbing the scent gland. It can be done as a mark of familiarity, comfort, or other things depending on the context. It can last from a few hours to a few days.  

• Bonding, or bond-marking, is the act of one Lunarwild biting into the scent glands of another, allowing for one Lunarwild's magical essence to become mixed into another's scent gland. This causes the scent to include a trace of the other Lunarwild's scent. It can be done mutually or on one side, and lasts for approximately a year unless refreshed. It may be done by close members of a pack, or by the pack leader to all their pack members, or mutually between the leader and pack members who live apart. 

• If a bond-mark is undesired, such as if it was given without consent, it can be expunged by "purging" the scent glands. This involves a sudden, explosive release of scent, causing the Lunarwild to become scentless for a few days before their natural scent returns, free of any bonds and other scent marks. However, it can also make the Lunarwild physically stressed or ill for the time it takes their scent to recover.   

The most traditional Lunarwild packs live as nomads, wandering the wilds wherever the winds take them. There is a strong culture of hunting in Lunarwild tradition, whether with teeth and claws, arrows and blades, or both. Traditional Lunarwild packs are also often paired with Carriophor flocks. Every month, Lunarwild packs find and prepare a hunting ground (which, in modern times, would involve putting up warning signs and a scent barrier to ensure that their hunt remains within bounds). They then accept their Beast as the full moon rises, transforming for the Lunar Hunt. 

Less traditional packs may live in permanent villages, towns, or even cities. Some participate in Lunar Hunts, while others do not. Some Lunarwilds may be part of a pack but live or travel separately, with members marked by mutual bond-marking with their leader. 

Abilities

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.