You may join as any of these races (except for hybrid and demi-god). Merfolk, Accepted and Abandoned are always born. Attuned are always born as Accepted and changed through IC events with one of the gods/heralds. Ancients can be either born or changed through IC events with Dygra.

This ability can only be used once per season and is up to admin discretion. It should be used in times of actual need, and is not meant to be used simply for conversational interactions

This race is significantly more likely to receive gifts from the various gods given their 'purity' (that is, having no immediate allegiances to either the New or Old Gods). In order to try and curry favour and win the Accepted to their causes, both sets of gods will often try and tempt or bribe this race with various gifts.

Magical Items
Magical items are almost exclusively bestowed onto the Accepted by the Gods (as a result of levelling). The Accepted are the only race who may purchase magical items using their MP.

Magical items can be upgraded the way magical abilities can, from basic to upgraded and then to mastered. The strength of your item is character-dependent and can be found on your profile under the ability tab.
Usually magical items have the following format: [magical ability] [AOE/distance] [ restrictions]. When upgrading your item, you can either upgrade the strength of the magical ability, the distance or the restriction, but not all three. Items typically go from 10ft, to 20ft, to 30ft in terms of AOE/distance, however, items that are on the ‘stronger’ side of the scale might be tempered by a smaller AOE (i.e., an item that nullifies magic around you might only have a radius of 2ft). Note: Shields vs Armour: Items (like armour) which are not typically “activated”/require an action to use, will always come with a cool-down. They will block incoming damage automatically before requiring a cool-down. Items like shields do not require a cool down, but do take a full action to use in PQ+/KQs.

When we decide on the restrictions for items, we take into account the full range of what the item can do. For instance, if you want a shield that can block you and someone else, you will likely have a longer cool-down for your item, whereas items that are straightforward typically have fewer restrictions.

Examples

Magical Daggers (Basic) | Daggers that when thrown return to the user’s hand. Range 10ft
Magical Daggers (Upgraded) | Daggers that when thrown return to the user’s hand. Range 20ft
Magical Daggers (Mastered) | Daggers that when thrown return to the user’s hand. Range 30ft

Magical Armour (Basic) | Blocks incoming damage at the user’s basic-damage stat. Requires a 3 post cool-down.
Magical Armour (Upgraded) | Blocks incoming damage at the user’s upgraded-damage stat. Requires a 2 post cool-down.
Magical Armour (Mastered) | Blocks incoming damage at the user’s mastered-damage stat. Requires a 2 post cool-down.

Magical Shield (basic) | Blocks incoming damage at the user’s basic-damage stat.
Magical Shield (Upgraded) | Blocks incoming damage at the user’s upgraded-damage stat.
Magical Shield (Mastered) | Blocks incoming damage at the user’s mastered-damage stat.

Have a look at our records page for an idea of what items already exist in the world. You can also message your admin-chat on Discord to talk about potential items.

What's it like to be an Accepted?

1. Your soul is completely untouched, making you desirable to the gods.
2. You receive the most stats as you level compared to the other races.
3. You receive magical items as you level.
4. These items are almost always unique to the character. Not unlike magic, items come in basic, upgraded, and mastered form depending on their strength.
5. You have the ability to channel a spirit, herald, or Old God, unlocked as you level, to aid you in a time of crisis.

Flavour

1. Both the Old Gods and the Voice are going to want to win you over to their side (becoming an Attuned or an Ascended). You might be able to use this in your favour when it comes to god interactions!
2. There is a military group in Stormbreak called the Dragoons who are exclusively Accepted with dragon companions.
3. There is no such thing as an Accepted-hybrid, but you may become an Ancient by visiting Dygra, or become an Attuned by visiting the Old Gods/Heralds.

Writing

1. It is up to you how you decide to play being an Accepted! As the race with the most potential (according to the gods), your character may think of themselves as “above” other races - most of the citizens of Stormbreak believe this.

   Adversely, perhaps your character feels as though they are missing out on something.

2. When writing an Accepted, the use of channelling is what uniquely sets you apart from any other races. Not even demi-gods have this ability.

Magic comes in two broad categories: Base magic, and Custom magic . As a user levels they unlock magical ‘slots’. Each slot holds a magic that may be upgraded 3 times to increase magical potency (“Basic”, “Upgraded” and “Mastered”), and are categorized as ‘light’, ‘grey’, and ‘dark’. Base magics are attainable by all of the Abandoned, whereas custom magics are unique and are never duplicated from one user to another. Magical slots, magic, and upgrades can be attained through the levelling system, through a random encounter with a magical force in the world, or through IC questing and challenges. There are no limits on the amount of magical slots that your character can have, but earning them becomes progressively more difficult.

BASE MAGICS

• Life drain and Healing are incompatible: you may not possess both magics, and someone with Life Drain magic is unable to be healed by someone with Healing magic.

• Healing magic does not work on the ascended
• Naturals will be aware of what basic magics and their limitations are, as well as whether a magic is light/grey/dark (note: this is learned information, not innate). Outlanders can easily gain an understanding of this through research/conversations
• Because of how the following list is populated, Channeling is listed here, but is not available to characters other than the Accepted.

Accepted Channeling (Light)
• Basic form: Allows an Accepted to channel a spirit during a time of crisis (1x a season). Can be combined with other accepted channeling to increase power.
  Example: Can call down a sprite, genie, ghost, fantom, etc, based on region
• Upgraded form: Allows an Accepted to channel a herald/demigod/spirit during a time of crisis (2x a season). Can be combined with other accepted channeling to increase power.
  Example: Can call down Safrin, Ludo, Frey, Dygra, or one of the demigods during a time of crisis, or one of the lesser spirits.
• Mastered form: Allows an Accepted the opportunity to channel one of the gods during a time of crisis (2x a season). Can be combined with other accepted channeling to increase power. If combined with another mastered channeling, increases the odds of a Big God answering to 15 %
  Example: Based on die-roll (1%), the Accepted can try to call on Vi, Mort, or Rae. On a failed roll or by choice, can call down one of the heralds/demigods or lesser spirits.

Air manipulation (Grey)
• Basic form: Can manipulate the air. Must be within a 5ft radius, control is weak and unstable and requires concentration.
  Example: Can create small puffs of air, vaguely redirect air currents. Can make small objects slide across a table.
• Upgraded form: Can manipulate the air. Must be within a 30ft radius and allows the user to levitate medium-large sized objects up to 5ft above the ground . Control is excellent.
  Example: Can create controlled gusts of air. Levitation of medium-large sized objects includes humans or smaller. Movement might be shaky and requires concentration; probably can't move more than one human at a time without risk of having them fall.
• Mastered form: Can create and control the air. Must be within a 30ft radius.
  Example: Can levitate medium-large sized objects up to 10ft above the ground. Can create air to breathe where there is none. Can create small tornadoes.

Creation (Light)
• Basic form: Can create small non-magical items (up to 5 in a thread). Items disappear at the end of a thread and are very crudely made. Must be combined with a base (or higher) magical element.
  Example: With base (or higher) earth, can create a cup or small towel.
• Upgraded form: Can create medium to large non-magical items (up to 3 in a thread). Small items last roughly a week or so and medium-large items disappear at the end of the thread, and are adequately made. Must be combined with a base (or higher) magical element.
  Example: Can create inorganic items such as desks and tables with base (or higher) earth. Can create raw minerals with earth, or refined minerals (sand, metal) with earth and fire.
• Mastered form: When combined with Mastered Air, Mastered Earth, Mastered Water, and Mastered fire, can create 2 magical items per season (with admin approval). Without mastering the four elements, can create well-made complex machines, and an unlimited number of regular items per thread limited by endurance stat. Small items last their natural lifespan. Medium and large items degrade after a season. Complex machines (a telescope, music box, etc) must be created with the knowledge of the character (i.e., cannot create a machine you don't understand/wouldn't be able to build with relevant tools)
  Example:

Disintegration (Dark)
• Basic form: Can break apart people-created solid matter of small-to medium-sized objects within 5ft
  Example: Can cause a table to splinter, can disintegrate a person-made lock, but could not shatter a tree or a stone without earth magic.
• Upgraded form: Can break apart or explode people-created solid objects within 30m
  Example: Can explode a table or part of a wall.
• Mastered form: Can cause people-created solid matter to disintegrate into dust.
  Example: Could disintegrate a stone wall.

Earth Manipulation (Grey)
• Basic form: Can manipulate the earth. Must be within a 5ft radius, control is weak and unstable and requires concentration.
  Example: Can move branches, can throw rocks, can straighten flowers or move leaves.
• Upgraded form: Can manipulate the earth. Must be within a 30ft radius. Control is excellent.
  Example: Can uproot trees, help make things grow at 5x speed (can insta-grow a flower, but not a tree), move large organic objects, create rock towers.
• Mastered form: Can create and control the earth. Must be within a 30ft radius.
  Example: Can create organic matter (limited to the creation of flora-type constructs. Cannot control bodily organic matter. Created earth must be of the type within the current board you're in).

Fire Manipulation (Dark)
• Basic form: Can manipulate flames. Must be within a 5ft radius, control is weak and unstable and requires concentration.
  Example: Can extinguish a candle, can make flames flicker and dance
• Upgraded form: Can manipulate flames. Must be within a 30ft radius. Control is excellent
  Example: Can manipulate large sections of fire, can move fire through the air
• Mastered form: Can create and control flames. Must be within a 30ft radius.
  Example: Can create fire.

Healing (Light)
• Basic form: Heals minor wounds at basic level.
  Example: Limited to minor cuts, abrasions, and bruises. Can also heal fatigue and dehydration. *Cannot heal the ascended
• Upgraded form: Heals wounds at upgraded level.
  Example: Includes open and closed fractures, concussions, headaches . Can ease minor mental afflictions like depression and anxiety symptoms, or heal someone who has been 'charmed'. *Cannot heal the ascended
• Mastered form: Heals wounds at mastered level.
  Example: Includes healing of organ system damage, life-threatening bleeding, and can help to heal major mental illnesses. (limited by endurance stat). *Cannot heal the ascended

Illusion (Grey)
• Basic form: Can create minor sensory effects within a 5ft radius
  Example: Could create the sound of running water, make a candle appear to have been lit, or to make a small mouse seem to scurry across the floor. When investigated however the illusions are obvious.
• Upgraded form: Can create illusions within a 5ft radius
  Example: Illusions seem realistic and can be large (so long as they are within a 5ft radius), combining multiple sensory effects (a candle that appears to burn seems to give off heat, light, and sound).
• Mastered form: Can create 100% compelling and complex illusions within a 30ft radius.
  Example: Could make the immediate area appear to be covered in stars, could make someone appear as though they were covered in flames, etc.

Life Drain (Dark)
• Basic form: Can negatively influence the life force of a living thing within 5ft
  Example: Can make someone feel exhausted, can make a flower wither
• Upgraded form: Can negatively influence the life force of living things within 30ft
  Example: Can cause crops to die, can make someone pass out, can make muscles cramp.
• Mastered form: Can take life force from a living thing to temporarily make themselves stronger within a 30ft radius.
  Example: Life force is equivalent to the strength of the creature (a human will usually give more 'life force' than a flower would). Cannot be used to heal wounds, only to add additional strength/stamina

Lightning manipulation (Dark)
• Basic form: Can manipulate lightning. Must be within a 5ft radius, control is weak and unstable and requires concentration.
  Example: Can control static electricity
• Upgraded form: Can manipulate lightning. Must be within a 30ft radius. Control is excellent
  Example: Redirecting lightning strikes
• Mastered form: Can create and control Lightning. Must be within a 30ft radius.
  Example: Can create lightning

Summoning (Light)
• Basic form: Can summon 1 small animal (house-cat sized or smaller)
  Example: Animals are 'real' for all intents and purposes. They pop into existence at the behest of the summoner and disappear once the spell is no longer cast (based on endurance stat). Cannot be permanent. Creatures have no real personality or memory. I.e., a creature re-summoned daily would not 'remember', be affectionate, etc.
• Upgraded form: Can summon 1 medium-sized animal (small bear/large dog) or 2 small animals (house-cat sized or smaller)
  Example: Animals are 'real' for all intents and purposes. They pop into existence at the behest of the summoner and disappear once the spell is no longer cast (based on endurance stat). Cannot be permanent. Creatures have no real personality or memory. I.e., a creature re-summoned daily would not 'remember', be affectionate, etc.
• Mastered form: Can summon 1 large or 2 medium or 3 small animals or 3-types of mythical creatures of any size
  Example: Animals are 'real' for all intents and purposes. They pop into existence at the behest of the summoner and disappear once the spell is no longer cast (based on endurance stat). Cannot be permanent. Creatures have no real personality or memory. I.e., a creature re-summoned daily would not 'remember', be affectionate, etc. The 3 mythical summons must be decided upon reaching mastered-status.

Telekinesis (Grey)
• Basic form: Can move small objects in a 5ft radius.
  Example: Can pick up and move books, cups, clothing.
• Upgraded form: Can move medium objects, in a 30ft radius
  Example: Can move chairs, tables, clusters of objects.
• Mastered form: Can move large objects.
  Example: Could move a wall, a large boulder, help to move a human.

Water manipulation (Light)
• Basic form: Can manipulate water. Must be within a 5ft radius, control is weak and unstable and requires concentration. Can manipulate water in glasses and puddles
  Example: Can manipulate water in glasses and puddles
• Upgraded form: Can manipulate water. Must be within a 30ft radius. Control is excellent
  Example: Can create major disturbances in pools and rivers, can move large quantities of water
• Mastered form: Can create and control water. Must be within a 30ft radius.
  Example: Can create water; can alter water temperature

COMBINING MAGIC

Combining magic has the potential to increase your abilities over and above their constituent parts. A table (created from earth + creation) where both elements are basic, is going to be more roughly constructed/less elegant/less strong etc, than a table created by a user who has mastered both elements. This should be kept in mind when creating items.

Below are a list of common examples. If you have a specific question, please ask Honey/Odd!

• In order to 'break down' earth (i.e., making sand or gravel from stone, getting at base elements within rocks) is earth + disintegration
• In order to make vegetables/fruit, you need earth + creation. To make meat (raw) you would need summoning + creation. For cooked meat or leather, you would need fire + summoning + creation.
• In order to make metal, you need fire + earth + creation
• In order to make drinks, you need water + creation
• In order to make poisonous gas, you need air + creation + earth
• In order to make healing potions, you need water + healing + creation
• In order to make poisonous potions, you need water + life drain + creation
• In order to break large stones or chunks of earth in half, you need earth + telekinesis

CUSTOM MAGIC

Unlike base magics, custom magics are unique to each individual magic user and may not be replicated. These magics are more limited in scope but are usually more powerful than base magics. Because each magic is unique, we recommend speaking to the admins about the type of magic your character would like. All magics should have some unique trigger (healing by singing, teleporting by incantation, etc). Custom magics may never duplicate other racial traits (custom magic can never turn you into an animal or allow you to live by drinking blood, for example, as those border on Attuned and Ascended abilities).

A few examples are below:

Basic Form: Can breathe purple fire. Fire comes in short bursts and is not very hot
Upgraded Form: Can breathe purple fire. Fire streams can reach up to 5ft and can be hot enough to melt metal.

Basic Form: Can turn into stone. Movement is extremely limited. (+# to strength)
Upgraded Form: Can turn into stone. Can move freely. (+# to strength)

Basic Form: Can teleport. Can only teleport ‘short’ distances (adjacent boards), triggered by song.
Upgraded Form: Can teleport. Can teleport anywhere, triggered by song.

What's it like to be an Abandoned

1. Were once called “Acquired” before the first war with the Voice/Old Gods.
2. There are two types of magic, ‘base’ and ‘custom’. Base magics are listed here (https://cotf-rpg.com/misc.php?action=races#magic), and are the most common among abandoned. Custom magics are unique to each user (a base magic is fire manipulation, but fireworks, making animals out of fire, teleporting through fire, are all examples of custom magics).
3. All magic comes in either basic, upgraded, or mastered form, which indicates how powerful it is.
4. The gods dislike you (at shrines, you have a lower chance of receiving a response from a god).

   The Voice was once an Acquired, and look how that turned out for everyone (two wars, and now she's dead).

   Lore-wise your soul is tainted by magic

Flavour

1. The longer you’re in the world, the more familiar you will become with magic. The 12 base magics are known in Caido, but it’s up to you how familiar you are with them and if you’d be able to easily identify them. Outlanders should realistically have a harder time with this.
2. Your magic can manifest in various ways with small aesthetic effects. For instance, those with healing magic can have their hands glow while they heal if they wish, or those with fire manipulation might have red/yellow hands while they use their magic.
3. You may make up whatever triggers to use your magic you want. Do you want your character to bleed in order to use their lightning magic? Do they need certain ingredients in order to be able to heal? It’s all up to you.

Writing

1. Magical ability is directly tied to your character’s endurance stat.

   If your endurance is less than 1, you cannot use magic for more than a few seconds

   An endurance stat of 10-11 means you can maintain basic-level spells for a few minutes at a time.

   An endurance stat of 14-15 means you can perform most basic spells for a duration of less than an hour, upgraded spells for a few minutes, and mastered spells for a few seconds (prior to this mastered-magic is uncontrollable and brief).

   An endurance stat of 20-21 means you can perform most basic spells for under 5 hours at a time, upgraded spells for up to an hour, and mastered spells for a few minutes.

   An endurance stat of 24-25 means can perform basic spells limitlessly, upgraded spells for under 5 hours, and mastered spells for up to an hour.

   An endurance stat of 29-30 means you can cast basic and upgraded spells limitless, and can maintain mastered spells for under 5 hours.

   An endurance stat of 30-40+ means you can use your magic limitlessly.

2. Abandoned who become hybrids must be ‘blessed’ by a god. This is one of the harder hybrids to create. Given that your souls are tainted by magic, it takes a god looking favourably on you, to give you attuned-abilities, or ascended-abilities. IC, this can be difficult.

Attuned

There is no maximum number of forms that an Attuned may acquire; through leveling and god interactions more slots may be attained and filled. At higher levels mythical forms become unlockable as well!

When one of the Attuned shifts, they 'keep' their clothing (that is, when they shift back, they will remain fully clothed. Items will not transfer however).

If an Attuned sustains injuries that would otherwise knock them unconscious or prove to be fatal while in animal-form, they are immediately shifted back into their human forms. They will still have all of their injuries but will be conscious and be temporarily stabilized/.

Attuned may choose any non-extinct non-mythical animal for their shifts. Animals will always have their normal colouring (any scars that appear as humans may or may not be transferred to the animal depending on your preference) and be of regular size. (Our baseline for this is usually the animal's wikipedia entry)

What's it like to be an Attuned?

1. You receive an animal shift as soon as you join as an attuned, or change races. Your attuned shift can be any modern day animal, of regular size (as per the animals wikipedia entry). Mythical creatures (unicorns, dragons) or extinct creatures (dinosaurs, dodo birds) can be unlocked later as your mythical shift.
2. Whatever abilities your shift has, you will have. Squirrels come with very little in the way of abilities, however many species of snakes have deadly venom. This might be something to keep in mind when selecting your shifts.
3. At level 3 you unlock the ability to partially shift. Partial shifting is tricky. You MAY partially shift limbs for aesthetics and flavour (having scales/fur/feathers/a tail). You may also partially shift your eyes to see better (as in the case of felines in the dark), your teeth, or giving yourself claws. What you can’t do is significantly alter internal organs or drastically change your anatomy. For instance, if you had a giraffe shift, you couldn’t just elongate your neck and shift nothing else, as your body wouldn’t be able to support the extra weight. You also couldn’t simply change your lungs to breathe underwater, or give yourself a rhinoceros horn in the middle of your face. When it doubt, ask an admin!

   Flight: You may not partially shift wings in order to achieve flight.

   Proportions: Partial shifts are proportionate to your human size (i.e., giving yourself cat-ears as a human yields ears that are larger than cats actually have, but proportionate to you as a human).

4. When you’re shifted you may speak telepathically to any attuned, even those who aren’t shifted. At level 5 you unlock the ability to do this even when you are not shifted. The range of your telepathic voice is about half of what your speaking voice is (since you can’t exactly scream thoughts - so about 10m).

   Through this “attuned-bond” you can also communicate emotions, non-verbally.

   The bond typically works two-way between the two characters. It is possible through concentration to prevent one’s emotions from being ‘felt’ by other attuned, however it isn’t possible to block out an attuned’s mental voice.

5. Your clothing and small items such as rings and bracelets shift with you and will re-appear on your body after you are done shifting. Larger items like weapons and bags will not.
6. Attuned-hybrids cannot use magical while shifted.
7. If you are knocked unconscious while shifted, you’ll be immediately thrown back into your regular body.

Flavour

1. It’s up to you whether or not your character retains any of their animal instincts when in their human-forms. For instance, it would be perfectly fine to those with carnivorous shifts to want to eat raw meat and avoid vegetables. (You’ll still get sick though). Similarly, it’s totally fine to never experience any of your animal-instincts while in human-form as well.
2. Your shifts may retain your eye colour and any scars your character has, though they don’t have to.
3. There is no set time it takes for a character to shift, but try to be realistic about it. For instance, shifting from an adult into a small bird should take longer than an adult into a large wolf.

   Shifting looks very much like the animorph book covers from back in the day.

   Shifting is not painful, but can feel awkward or uncomfortable

Writing

1. Attuned who become hybrids must be ‘cursed’ by a god. Because your souls are looked upon favourably, for a god to ‘give’ you magic comes in the form of a curse. IC this usually means that it will not come from a god that you have a good relationship with.
2. Watch videos of your animal-shifts to get a sense of how they move and what their mannerisms are.
3. There are no obvious ways to tell who is an attuned from a regular animal (i.e., attuned do not have an innate sense of where each other are, other animals wouldn’t recognize them as being obviously different, etc).

Ancient

The Ancients must satisfy a carnal craving called Bloodlust. When they ignore the impulse to kill and feast on living creatures, Ancients turn into feral, demon-like creatures incapable of rational thought until the need is satisfied. If an Ancient goes too long without satisfying their Bloodlust, they will feel their limbs slowly turn to stone. This does not kill them, but puts them into a period of stasis until they can feed again or until they're bathed in fire/blood.

At level 0, Ancients start out with innate heat resistance and one of the following shifts: Fyrhund, Molten Tiger, Lial, Lava Wyrm, Gore Crow, or Rock Slider.

Custom Ancient Magics

• Bloodboon (basic) | Can injure themselves for basic damage to heal themselves or others at an upgraded level with a range of 10ft.
  Bloodboon (upgraded) | Can injure themselves for upgraded damage to heal themselves or others at a mastered level with a range of 20ft.
  Bloodboon (mastered ) | Can injure themselves for mastered damage heal themselves or others at 1.5x their mastered level with a range of 30ft.

• Bloodbane (basic) | Can injure themselves for basic damage to weaken others at an upgraded level with a range of 10ft.
  Bloodbane (upgraded) | Can injure themselves for upgraded damage to weaken others at a mastered level with a range of 20ft.
  Bloodbane (mastered) | Can injure themselves for mastered damage to weaken others at a 1.5x their mastered level with a range of 30ft.

• Statuesque (basic) | Can turn to stone for one turn to defend against an attack. If the attack is melee, the attacker takes double your unarmed strike in damage. Has a three-post cool-down.
  Statuesque (upgraded) | Can turn to stone for a turn to defend against an attack. If the attack is melee, the attacker takes triple your unarmed strike in damage. Has a two post cool-down.
  Statuesque (mastered) | Can turn to stone for a turn to defend against an attack. If the attack is melee, the attacker takes 4x your unarmed strike in damage. Has a one post cool-down.

• Hearthstone (basic) | When in the Climb, can teleport up to 5ft within the current board. Requires a 3 post cool-down.
  Hearthstone (Upgraded) | When in the Climb, can teleport to any board within the Climb. During a PQ+/KQ, can only be used once per thread. Requires a 2 post cool-down when used within a board.
  Hearthstone (Mastered) | Regardless of location, can always teleport back to the Climb. When in the Climb, can teleport to any board within the Climb. During a PQ+/KQ, can only be used once per thread. Requires a 2 post cool-down when used within a board.

• Glamour (passive) | Can hide all or selective racial traits.

• Fire Resistance (passive) | Cannot be harmed by heat or flame.

What’s it like being an Ancient?

1. You cannot be harmed by fire.
2. You receive one ‘ancient-animal’ shift: Fyrhund, Molten Tiger, Lial, Lava Wyrm, Gore Crow, or Rock Slider. These are the only animals Ancients may ever obtain as shifts.
3. You cannot use magic while shifted. Unlike the Attuned, Ancients cannot partially shift or use attuned-telepathy.
4. Ancients have access to race-specific Custom magics, but cannot gain or purchase custom magics that are unique to individuals. Base magics are limited to Fire and Distintigration magic.
5. Your Bloodlust does not sneak up on you, but occurs at regular intervals based on when you last satisfied the need. Bloodlust can be satisfied by killing and eating another creature (bugs are poor substitutes, small animals are okay, larger animals are better, NPCs are better still, and PCs are the best). There are no manufactured ways of satisfying this need. Ancients who do not feed turn into feral, demon-like creatures incapable of rational thought until the need is satisfied. Too long like this, and their limbs will slowly turn to stone. This does not kill them, but puts them into a period of stasis until they can feed again or until they're bathed in fire/blood.
6. Ancients are all born with two horns, though these horns can be broken or damaged over their lifetime. Horns can be spiralled, pointed, nubs, etc., and can be made from either bone or rare gems. Tails are prehensile and leathery with a spade-like end.
7. When in 'stasis' some describe the experience as a long sleep, while others vividly dream.
8. If an Ancient is exposed to the cold for too long, their limbs will get exceedingly heavy, they will get sleepy, and their bodies will go into stasis. Only being bathed in hot blood or fire may awaken them.
9. Ancients often prefer their food raw when they are near the start of their Bloodlust.

Flavour

1. It's entirely up to you whether you hide your racial traits using your glamour. Some find it easier not to be so easily identified, while others are proud of what they are.
2. Your horns can be almost any sort you’d like, from ram-horns to small nubs or spiky protrusions! They can be made out of bone or out of rare gems. (Note: Ancients have horns as opposed to antlers. They do not shed their horns, and their horns continue to grow slowly throughout their lives).
3. The majority of Ancients are not upset by their Bloodlust or find the idea of being doused in hot blood or fire upsetting.
4. It’s up to you whether or not your character retains any of their animal instincts when in their human-forms. Similarly, it’s totally fine to never experience any of your animal-instincts while in human-form as well. When shifted, your shifts may retain your eye colour and any scars your character has, though they don’t have to.
5. There is no set time it takes for a character to shift, but try to be realistic about it. For instance, shifting from an adult into a small bird should take longer than an adult into a large wolf.
6. Shifting looks very much like the animorph book covers from back in the day.
7. Shifting is not painful but can feel awkward or uncomfortable.

Writing

1. Unless there is a good reason for it, all Ancients’ should be on good terms with Dygra.
2. Because Ancients spent so long in stasis within the Climb, many feel like it’s their second home, regardless of where they decide to ultimately settle.
3. It should be quite rare to find an Ancient in places like Halo because of how severely they are affected by the cold. Similarly, Deepfrost is a difficult time for the Ancients unless they reside in places like Torchline.
4. Ancients can be born or made. Currently there is no canonical preference amongst characters as to which is best.
5. The Ancients have been in stasis for centuries and would have no knowledge of any current events, nor will anyone in the world really remember who they are.

Demi Gods

Demi Gods possess boosted stats and may have unique or hybrid traits and feats, specially chosen based on your character's history or future goals. (Talk to an admin about this when you're close). Each Demi God will have a chosen 'path' or a unique aspect that they specialize in. At levels 0, 1, 5, and 10, you will receive a unique Demi God upgrade that will relate to this path/aspect of your character. You will also receive feats ("re-roll one dice roll during a KQ") and passive magic ("your eyes glow red when you are angry") as you level aswell.

For example, if your character is the offspring of Safrin and you want to have star-related magic, you might choose something like:
Star Sight | Can read the stars and gain information about upcoming events (Can use this ability once per month to learn about admin-related plot events)

Constellation | Can conjure fantastical creatures made of stars to aid in battle

In each case, these magics are more powerful than we would allow regular custom magics to be, but they are also focused on 'star-related' aspects.
Because Demi Gods are unique, much of their leveling and abilities will need to be discussed with admins. Demi Gods that are more animalistic might have increased numbers of shifts, mythical shifts, or other unique traits and feats. Ascended-based Demi Gods might have more powerful upgrades, etc.

Merfolk

The merfolk are an aquatic race that live in the Arclight Ocean in Torchline. Born typically from eggs, mermaids are half-human, half-aquatic animal (whale, fish, invertebrate, etc). All are born with passive magic that lets them breathe underwater, telepathy, and can shift from birth into what their lower-half animal is. Able to gain magic and animal shifts, mermaids are a unique hybrid of attuned/abandoned. To balance this, mermaids cannot leave the ocean until level 5 at which point they gain the ability to teleport themselves into various bodies of water. At later levels, they gain the ability to walk on land during certain times of the month.

Custom Merfolk Magics

• Siren's Song (Basic) | Can weakly influence the emotions of those within 5ft of them
  Siren's Song (Upgraded) | Can weakly influence the emotions of those within 5ft of them, and weakly compel those within 10ft of them into the water
  Siren's Song (Mastered) | Can weakly influence the emotions of those within 10ft of them and compel those within 10ft of them into the water
  

• Glamour (Passive) | Always appears youthful, vibrant, unnaturally beautiful/handsome, and healthy

• Journey (Basic) | Can allow an air-breather to remain under water for 10 minutes. Must remain physical contact.
  Journey (Upgraded) | Can allow an air-breather to remain under water for 30 minutes. Must remain within 5ft.
  Journey (Mastered) | Can allow an air-breather to remain under water for 1 hour
  

• Stormcall (Basic) | When combined with basic water and air, can create small localized storms (radius of 10ft). Effects include heightened winds and gathering storm clouds.
  Stormcall (Upgraded) | When combined with basic water and air, can create small localized storms (radius of 10ft). Effects include heightened winds, gathering storm clouds, minor thunder and lightning.
  Stormcall (Mastered) | When combined with basic water and air, can create moderate localized storms (radius of 20ft). Effects include heightened winds, storm clouds, thunder and mostly-controlled lightning strikes.
  
• Aquaportation (mastered) | Can teleport to any naturally occuring body of water (must be a pond or larger.)

What's it like to be one of the Merfolk?

1. You receive an animal shift as soon as you join as a Merfolk. Your shift can be any modern day sea animal of regular size (as per the animals wikipedia entry). Air breathing animals are allowed (seals, turtles) but cannot leave the ocean for more than a few minutes.
2. Whatever abilities your shift has, you will have. Minnows come with very little in the way of abilities, however many species of octopi and jellyfish have powerful stings. This might be something to keep in mind when selecting your shifts.
3. From level 0, Merfolk can partially shift into their animal form. Partial shifting is tricky. You MAY partially shift limbs for aesthetics and flavour (having scales/flowy fins/chitin). You may also partially shift your eyes to see better (as in the case of salmon in the dark), your teeth, or shift your arms to tentacles or crab claws. What you can’t do is significantly alter internal organs or drastically change your anatomy.

   Proportions: Partial shifts are proportionate to your human size (i.e., giving yourself tentacles as a human yields tentacles that are larger than small octopi actually have, but proportionate to you as a human).

4. While fully or partially shifted you may speak telepathically to any Merfolk or Attuned, even those who aren’t shifted. The range of your telepathic voice is about 10m).

   You can also communicate emotions, non-verbally.

   The bond typically works two-way between the two characters. It is possible through concentration to prevent one’s emotions from being ‘felt’ by other Mer or Attuned, however it isn’t possible to block out a mental voice.

5. Your clothing and small items such as rings and bracelets shift with you and will re-appear on your body after you are done shifting. Larger items like weapons and bags will not.
6. You cannot use magic while fully shifted into your animal half.
7. There are two types of Merfolk magic, ‘base’ and ‘custom’. Base magics are limited to Water and Air magic and are described here. These can be gained starting at Level 2 and upgraded at subsequent levels. Merfolk also have access to race-specific Custom magics, but cannot gain or purchase custom magics that are unique to individuals.
8. All magic comes in either basic, upgraded, or mastered form, which indicates how powerful it is.

Flavour

1. It’s up to you whether or not your character retains any of their animal instincts when in their mer-form. For instance, it would be perfectly fine for those with carnivorous shifts to want to eat raw meat and avoid kelp salads. Similarly, it’s totally fine to never experience any of your animal-instincts while in mer-form as well.
2. Your shifts may retain your eye colour and any scars your character has, though they don’t have to.
3. There is no set time it takes for a character to shift, but try to be realistic about it. For instance, shifting from an adult into a small jellyfish should take longer than an adult into a dolphin.

   Shifting looks very much like the animorph book covers from back in the day.

4. Your magic can manifest in various ways with small aesthetic effects. For instance, those with air magic can have their eyes turn white while they command the breeze, or those with water manipulation might have fins that glow faintly while they use their magic.
5. You may make up whatever triggers to use your magic you want. Do you want your character to sing in order to use their air magic? Do they need certain hand gestures in order to be able to command water magic? It’s all up to you.
6. Overall, the Merfolk are neutral towards the various human races and gods, but individuals may have biases for or against a race for personal reasons.

   Most merfolk follow the Old Gods, but the race is not tied to any specific one.

Writing

1. Merfolk can only be born, not made, and are all Naturals.
2. Watch videos of your animal-shifts to get a sense of how they move and what their mannerisms are.
3. There are no obvious ways to tell who is a shifted Mer from a regular animal (i.e. Merfolk do not have an innate sense of where each other are, other animals wouldn’t recognize them as being obviously different, etc).
4. See the entry on Abandoned for how your character’s Endurance affects magical casting ability.
5. Because low-level Mer can’t leave the water they probably aren’t familiar with flora, fauna, and locations from land-locked regions (i.e. Halo, the Climb, the Hollowed Grounds), and may not have much knowledge of human politics in those regions prior to the last few years.
6. Consider how being immersed in saltwater would affect various materials that the Merfolk have access to (i.e. coral, shell,bone, and stone are more durable underwater than metals).

Where can I post?

The following are a list of places that the merfolk cannot access by swimming. They will have to wait until they are at a high enough level to leave the water, or teleport into various bodies of water.

Hollowed Grounds
Domiciles, Levinsward

Greatwood
Everywhere!

Halo
Citadel, Palace, Snowcloak, Frostfields

Torchline
Everywhere!

Stormbreak
Nowhere! (can water-transport into the Eye of the Storm)

Hak Etme
Sunshine Pools, Sea of Dreams, Furnace, Boneyard

Oerwoud
Leap of Faith (can water-transport here)

The Climb
Nowhere! (can water-transport into Frey’s breath or the Mountains Roar)

King's End
Meadowreach, Last Step, Mourn, Dreaming Well, Queen's Gambit, Eye of fire

The Feverlands
Tar Pits, Hanging Tree

Draig Cordillera
Nowhere! (can water-transport into the Weightless Waterfall)

Changing Races/Hybrids

• Have the required MP (free for levels 1-3. After that, the MP required is 150 x your characters level (so level 4 requires 600MP)
• Visit the shrine of the Old Gods (to become an Attuned) or visit the shrine of the New Gods (to become an Ascended)
• Complete the ritual (depending on your character there may be additional requirements to prove your willingness to change your race! These are determined IC.)

Hybrid species are possible. In order to become a hybrid you must have a hybrid pass. Once the pass is use your level will be temporarily split and you will have to go back and satisfy the race-specific requirements for your new race. You may not level up your 'original' level until you have reached the same level in your new race (i.e., if you are a level 4 Abandoned and have become a hybrid with an Attuned, you must complete all of the levelling requirements for levels 1-4 of being an Attuned before you can level overall again)