Eldagusto
Voivode of Neterkhertet
- Location
- The Bleak Shores of Never in the Land of Naught
Here is some Dark Souls Changeling Fun I done did. "In the Age of Ancients, the world was unformed, shrouded by fog. A land of gray crags, Archtrees, and Everlasting Dragons. But then there was Fire and with fire disparity. Heat and cold, life and death, and of course light and dark. Then from the dark, They came, and found the Souls of Lords within the flame. Nito, the First of the Dead, the Witch of Izalith and her Daughters of Chaos, Gwyn, the Lord of Sunlight, and his faithful knights, and the Furtive Pygmy, so easily forgotten.
With the strength of Lords, they challenged the Dragons. Gwyn's mighty bolts peeled apart their stone scales. The Witches weaved great firestorms. Nito unleashed a miasma of death and disease. And Seath the Scaleless betrayed his own, and the Dragons were no more."
Changeling across Concordia and beyond have noticed mysterious fae belonging to unheard of Houses appearing since the emergence of the Eye of Balor. They claim to be Souls from another age, an Age of Fire, and how they arrived in the Autumn World at the precipice of the Final Winter is a mystery and often contradictory. Some have claimed to have walked through the mists, others bring tales of a Painted World, and stories stranger still of Archtrees and Faults between worlds. They know nothing of Arcadia or the conflict between the Tuatha and Fomorians. They only share a common thread of desperation and tales of a bleak end of the world, seemingly coming from different epochs and lands within this Age of Fire. Some of the eldest Fae claim the first of these travelers crossed the mist before the Sidhe left for Arcadia.
These strange fae have erected strange holdings displaying an unusual reverence to their balefires.
House Nito
Court: Seelie
Nicknames:
Gravelords, Bones (vulgar)
Founded by the First of the Dead the Gravelords are dedicated to cultivating the essence of death. They will guard catacombs and tend graves to keep the eternal rest of the dead undisturbed. House Nito will regularly count not just the souls of the dead as among their vassals and servants, but often will ensorcel their earthly remains to attend their Holdings. Of all the houses, House Nito, takes the crime of intrusion upon their sworn territory with the gravest sincerity. Gravelords do not give warnings to those who would disturb those under their charges, they only add the offenders to their numbers.
The First of the Dead was the eldest and most mysterious of the four ancient lords and none amongst the living know if he has ever spoken to those among the quick. Nito has dedicated much of its power towards Death. The Children of the Great Dead One, the Milfanito and the Finito lead the House, and upon discovering the Autumn World they have adopted other kiths of death such as the Slaugh, Llorona, Shinigami, Revenants and Obambo, having even extended their sovereignty to oaths of fealty from Keremet or Prodigals such as Wraiths and Vampires, all those touched by the essence of Death they consider their proper subjects.
The conservative House Nito have been in good standing with the traditionalist of House Gwyn, and they have at best kept cold distance with firebrands of House Izalith, and interlopers of the House of the Dark Soul.
Boon:
As the heirs of the First of the Dead House Nito may speak and expect to be heard by the dead, ghosts can hear and understand the words of spoken by Gravelords in their presence. They find it easy to exert dominance over the dead, they reduce the difficulty of any roll involving a dead creature by one.
Flaw:
A member of House Nito must ensure the peace of the dead under their charge. Gravelords may only rest among the dead, they may not regain willpower from rest unless they are in the presence of remains or spirits of the dead, and anyone that defiles the sanctity of their shared rest will trigger lethal response from the Gravelord for the rest of the scene.
House Izalith
Court: Unseelie
Nicknames:
Demons, Abominations (vulgar)
The Old Witch discovered the Lord Soul of Fire before the beginning of the Age of Fire. The culture of House Izalith has cultivated innovation and change through the mastery of Chaos and Flame. The true culmination of their aspirations was when the Witch of Izalith used the power of her Lord Soul to recreate and improve upon the First Flame, and the Flame of Chaos was birthed from her pride and wisdom. The Civilization of Izalith was never the same again.
The denizens of Izalith were reborn in the Flames of Chaos, their bodies twisted into a myriad of new shapes. The Houses of Gwyn and the Dark Soul looked in horror at the evolved countenance of their once brethren. The Lord of Sunlight warred House Izalith, sacked their glorious capital and bound them behind Seals powered by the greatest Miracles. For a time they dwelled within agreeing not to test the bounds of their imprisonment, taking to their new identity as Demons with a stalwart pride. This discovered paths of exodus this way and there, but eventually the Seal was breached, but too late. While the civilization of Izalith would thrive they would never return to their apex. Through gifts of fire, promises of secrets, and revelations of ichorous earth they spread into the legends of the countless cultures of the Age of Fire.
Upon their discovery of the Autumn World the Demon Kiths of House Izalith adopted the bestial and strange kiths found there. Pooka and Beasty, Ogre and Troll, Imp, Devil, Satyr, Baphomet and all number of animalistic or monstrous seeming fae joined under the banner of Chaos and freedom, even being taught their secret Witchtongue and Chaos Runes. They still hold burning hatred in their hearts for the their once peers among the other Four Great Houses of the Age of Fire, and they have bided their time long enough, this new frontier of the Autumn World provides an unprecedented opportunity for freedom and change, but grudges cannot be forgotten and a reckoning for countless slights has built the foundation of their culture.
Boons:
The secrets of change through fire is available to all members of House Izalith, they may commune with the Flame of Chaos and accept a rebirth of form, mutating beastial features such as horns, extra eyes or limbs, armored scales of volcanic rock, wings, or increased size. Upon receiving a Baptism of Chaos a Demon may receive 4 points worth of merits and accept up to 7 points worth of flaws. The Art of Pyretics may also be unleashed as if their knowledge was one higher as long as they know at least one dot.
Flaws:
The mutations born of Chaos have branded House Izalith with an eternal stigma. Social rolls suffer a +1 Difficulty against others not of House Izalith, or of the Fomorians forces such as House Balor and their kin among the Black Spirals who understand the beauty of Chaos mark.
House Gwyn
Court: Seelie
Nicknames:
Sunlit Lords, Embers (vulgar)
Founded by Gwyn the Lord of Sunlight and most powerful of the Four Lords, House Gwyn enjoyed the a position of unparalleled influence and prestige at the beginning of the Age of Fire. As time passed this undeniable truth would be questionable as the First Flame would gutter and diminish. Gwyn however knew the Age of Fire would not last forever, but he took every measure to ensure contingencies to prolong the First Flame's lifespan at any cost, and so he made the ultimate sacrifice and became the first Lord of Cinder.
House Gwyn was ruled by the Gods, with Giants and Lords making up some of their greatest knights and veterans of the War of Ancients, and a sworn honor guard of Winged Demons from Izalith, a concession for winning their war below the Earth. Radiant Sunlight, in the form of his greatest Miracle the Sun, and Omnipotent Lightning, which he used to rend the Everlasting Dragon's invincible scales, are the symbols of Gwyn and so his House hold them in high regard. From the Jewel of Lordran, Anor Londo, they ruled in the halcyon days of yore, but after Gwyn sacrificed himself the gods would drift across the world entire worshipped by men of all stripe.
Slowly the Gods would be forgotten as the Age of Fire waned. When the Autumn World was discovered through the fault between realms, they seized their opportunity to claim positions of prominence in this new world of men. If they could not be worshipped as Gods in this new world they would claim positions of similar prominence as politicians, bankers, business moguls, celebrities and crime bosses. They took oaths of fealty from any kith drawn to their gross incandescence and peerless puissance, such as the Trolls, Boggans, Eshu and even the Sidhe. Curiously the TylwythTeg of Cymeru recall stories of the House of Gwyn the White in the Age of Legends. House Izalith has festered as their consitent rivals, but Gwyn's secret fear was that the House of the Dark Soul would one day snuff the First Flame and Usher in the Age of Dark. While they may be forgotten they will ensure their legacy never fades.
Boon: Gwyn and his direct descendants inspired the greatest Miracles used in the Age of Fire. By recalling stories of the Miracles of the Gods to go along with their Cantrips they may add 1-3 extra dice to their cantrip activation dicepools. Treat these like stunt dice that depend upon how interesting the quoted parable or stories are, or how long it takes the Sunlit Lord to recount them. The first point of glamour spent on a cantrip in a scene is free if calling upon a storied Miracle.
Flaw: Gwyn was right to fear the dark. Magics and attacks drawing upon the powers of darkness, such as a Lasombras Tendrils of the Abyss, or a sword of chimerical shadow, do aggravated damage, and if already doing aggravated damage they deal an extra three dice of damage.
House Darksoul
Court: Unseelie
Nicknames:
Bearers of the Curse, Kindling (vulgar)
At the End of the Age of Ancients Lord Gwyn King of the Gods sent the Pygmy Lords to rule in the Great Ringed City at the End of the World, being watched over by his youngest daughter Filianore. Elsewhere the descendants of primeval man spread and populated the lands south of Lordran, spreading the Dark Soul thin but numerous. Fearing the coming of a Dark Lord ushering in the Age of Dark with the fading of the First Flame Gwyn performed the first Linking of the Fire creating the Dark Sign to seal the growing humanity and provide a natural and numerous kindling for the Flame.
House Dark Soul is a house fractured and divided. Some would call them the weak compared to House Gwyn but what they lack in individual puissance they make up for in being the single most numerous of the Houses of the Age of Fire. They are at odds in their goals, the traditionalists uphold their oaths to the tribe of Gwyn with their promise to Kindle the Flame to preserve the World and the Age of Fire, while those who favor the legacy of the Father of the Abyss seek to Usurp the Flame and become the true Dark Lord who could usher in a New Age of Dark. They make up the spouses, slaves and servitors of the other Great Houses when not acting in the role of their greatest Nemesis.
Upon seeking refuge in the Autumn World they have sought alliance with its manifold Fae. The noble rulers of the House come most often from the Undying Kith, but particularly potent members come from the Children of the Abyss, and Darkwraiths, and they share the Ilythillian Kith with House Gwyn, and Banner House Londor is led by the Hollows, and the mysterious Ashen Ones and Unkindled. From the kiths of the Autumn world they attract members from virtually all kiths. Redcaps find kinship with the Hunger of Hollows, and likewise with the Slaugh and the Dark Soul. The Hollows of Londor and the Children of the Abyss have reached out to the Thallain as kindred spirits.
Boon: Being the House of the Dark Soul of humanity the Bearers of the Curse are naturally resistant to Banality, reduce the difficulty of any roll to resist banality, including enchanting, by –2 difficulty or treat their Banality as two less whichever is more beneficial.
Flaw: Fire was used to yoke the Dark Soul, and as such they make natural kindling. Double any health levels taken from damage by fire.
House Seath
Court Unseelie
Nicknames:
Paledrakes, the Scaleless (vulgar)
The Age of Fire would not have come about without the assistance of Seath the Scaleless and his ruthless pragmatism, genius and cunning. Seath born without Scales was an imperfect dragon and envied the immortality of his Everlasting kin. For betraying his kin Gwyn granted Seath nobility in the landed title of Duke, his own unparalleled research facility in the form of the Duke's Archives, and a fragment of Gwyn's own omnipotent Lord Soul of Light. With all this Seath achieved his goal of simulating the immortality of his brethren by obtaining their Primordial Crystal but this did not curb the blind lame albino Seath's endless ambition.
In time the Paledrake has actualized the most advanced Sorcery in the Age of Fire, and set his sights upon new horizons for his sorcerous arts, pushing the boundaries of his experiments, creating new life forms and even attempting to bring back a race of dragons. House Seath is a pragmatic and diverse House including Kiths such as Lords and the Undying, and the six eyed Channelers, the imperfect dragons that are the Snakemen and Pisacas, the Drakes, the albino Crossbreeds and a number of other unique creations. Reaching the Autumn World House Seath has embraced all manner of kiths dedicated to advancement of knowledge particularly the Dragonkin and Knockers as well as any number of sorcerers. Many of his House emulate Seath as an enlightened sage or even prophet, and to achieve greater communion with his example it is not uncommon for his most obsessed adherents to disrobe in order to emulate his scaleless nature and achieve true enlightenment.
Over the passing of time in the Age of Fire Seath's sins would catch up with him, his prized Primordial Crystal was shattered and his Light imbued Soul reaped, but his sorcerous talent was said to permit his soul to survive death and reincarnate. In the Autumn World House Seath attempts to cultivate knowledge and push the boundaries of research and experimentation. This can lead them into conflict with the other Houses such as House Dark Soul which resents their history of capturing their number for vivisection and experimentation, and House Velka have counted House Seath's many sins. House Gwyn however remembers their oaths of fealty, and how Seath was one of the few the Lord of Sunlight would turn to for sage counsel. Though many fear and hate House Seath they dare not admit their experiments may achieve salvation and a greater future that can survive the passing of the Age of Fire.
Boon:
The Paledrakes are the premiere Sorcerer of the Age of Fire. When wielding the Treasure Staves known as Catalysts Paledrakes may add the Catalyst's Treasure rating to their Cantrip rolls. Greymare rolls are made at a –1 difficulty.
Flaw: Hubris, madness and obsession are the failing of House Seath. Paledrakes will obsess over a mystical goal and to forsake an opportunity to advance this goal they suffer a banality trigger. Rolls to convince the Paledrake leveraging towards their goal are made at a –3 difficulty while those against the goal are made at a +3 difficulty.
Okay here is a rough draft of ideas for the Souls of the Age of Fire Gallain Type.
The Bells of Awakening are ancient Treasures that summon Souls from the Age of Fire to possess the bodies of the recently dead. Though it is believed they have also discovered how to be reborn in the souls of new life. The Bells of Awakening may also trigger the Chrysalis of those reborn in infants.
The Travellers from the Age of Fire are defined by two Legacies. The Soul Legacy representing the Soul from the Age of Fire and the Host Legacy representing the Autumn World Human Host.
Soul Legacy represents the lives of the Soul from the Age of Fire and Host Legacy represents the Legacy of the Host's mortal archetype.
Soul Legacies:
Warrior- A fearless warrior and weapon expert from the Age of Fire.
Quest: Show no fear in a dangerous situation and regain a point of willpower.
Ban: Flee from battle and lose a point of willpower.
Knight- Noble knight from the Age of Fire, not easily toppled due to their training and equipment.
Quest: Regain willpower when winning a challenging battle.
Ban: Losing a fair battle forfeits a point of willpower.
Wanderer- Aimless but tenacious wanderer of the Age of Fire.
Quest: Regain willpower from travelling to interesting new locations.
Ban: Whenever constrained by obligation or confinement lose a point of willpower.
Thief- Guilt ridden thief of the Age of Fire.
Quest: Regain willpower from successfully robbing something of value.
Ban: Lose willpower whenever punished or prevented from successfully stealing.
Bandit- Savage bandit of the Age of Fire, followed the belief of might makes right.
Quest: Regain willpower whenever gaining what you want from force or intimidation.
Ban: Forfeit a point of willpower whenever you are punished seeking what you desire.
Hunter- Hunter and marksmen of the wilderness of the Age of Fire.
Quest: Successfully hunting tracking quarry will earn a point of willpower.
Ban: If a quarry escapes your hunt, lose a point of willpower.
Sorcerer- Sorcerer and scholar such as those from Vinheim of the Age of Fire.
Quest: Whenever your knowledge of magic or the occult aids your goal gain willpower.
Ban: Whenever a mystery confounds your magic, lose a point of willpower.
Pyromancer- Pyromancer from the swamps and wastes of the Age of Fire.
Quest: When discovering new arcane secrets obtain a point of willpower.
Ban: Whenever your secrets are discovered lose willpower.
Cleric- Clerics and miracleworkers on pilgrimage from the Age of Fire.
Quest: Whenever comforting others through faith regain willpower.
Ban: Lose willpower when your faith is rebuked.
Deprived- Unclothed enigma from the wilderness of the Age of Fire.
Quest: Regain willpower whenever flaunting the laws of the land and going unpunished.
Ban: Lose willpower whenever submitting to the laws of civilization over your own needs.
Host Legacies:
The Mortal Archetype of the host body, use an appropriate Changeling Legacy with Quest and Ban.
The Souls from the Age of Fire also chooses a defining Disparity.
Disparity
Cinder: The Disparity of Cinder represents Souls defined by their connection to the harmony of the Age of Fire. They seek to extend and prolong the First Flame and system imposed by the first three Lords and their Miracles.
Trigger: Cinder Disparity triggers banality when working to dim the First Flame, or the Flame of Chaos for House Izalith. This can be from weakening or extinguishing Bonfires or killing Firekeepers.
Dark: The Disparity of Dark represents Souls desiring to usher in the Age of Man, seeking to either put out the First Flame or Usurp the Fire. The Age of Dark will reveal the True Face of Man, and to them true harmony is removing the scourge of death and the shackles of the Gods and bringing about change and freedom that was naturally the destiny of the world.
Trigger: Dark Disparity triggers result from not denying the yoke placed upon them by the Ancient Lords of the Age of Fire. They must avoid oaths or servitude to those of the Disparity of Cinder.
Gray: The Disparity of Gray represents the near mythical state of the absences of Disparity in the Age Ancients before the discovery of the First Flame. Before life and death, light and dark, warmth and cold, there was only a gray timeless land. Those of the Disparity of Gray seek to achieve the perfection of the Everlasting Dragons and transcend life, death and want. They view the usurpation of the world from the Everlasting Dragons as ultimately ruinous to true harmony.
Trigger: Gray Disparity triggers may not slay any kin of the Everlasting Dragons whom they aspire to emulate. This can be Snakemen, Dragonkin, Crossbreeds, or other Gray Disparity Souls, but Undead Dragons do not count as they have been corrupted to far from their primeval state.
Seeming:
Uncursed: The Uncursed represents the seeming of most souls when the First Flame is strong. In general their body appears healthy and close to their Mortal Mien.
Immunity: The Uncursed may ignore Banality from spending time with high banality individuals or places.
Epiphany Specialty: Uncursed specialize in Revelry as their bodies are whole.
Cursed: The Cursed seeming represents a variety of curses most prevalent when the fire fades. The body appears unwholesome and mummified or gangrenous as with Hollows, or with Nameless Gods clinging to remnants of their original might.
Immunity: The Cursed may ignore Banality from devouring Souls (Gray Disparity Souls still suffer from slaying the kin of Dragons).
Epiphany Specialty: Cursed, ravenous for souls, specialize in Ravaging.
Souls from the Age of Fire refer to Arts as Soul Arts.
Instead of standard Bunks Souls of the Age of Fire channel Soul Arts through the methods of Miracles, Sorcery and Pyromancy. Miracles are divine powers of the Gods and the Lord Souls, they often are channeled through recounting of ancient Legends, the use of sacred chimes or sacred talismans. Soul Sorcery is the channeling of the soul through knowledge and a sorcerous Catalyst. Pyromancy is magic channeled through a Pyromancy Flame cultivated from your own soul. Each Pyromancer has their Pyromancy Flame ignited by the flame of a teacher.
Bonfires:
Rather than Balefires the Souls of the Age of Fire make use of Bonfires. Making use of a secret ritual, guarded by House Nito, known as the Rite of Kindling Souls may create and improve Bonfires by sacrificing Humanity. It works much like Balefires of the Kithain except for sacrificing permanent glamour you accept permanent banality over a pool of sacrificed glamour points. The Bonfire is centered around an artifact known as a coiled sword, it is said originally the Bonfires of the Age of Fire were lit marking Gwyn's great pilgrimage towards the Kiln of the First Flame.
There is a secret order of Firekeepers, beings with special souls heavy with humanity, that Shepard the Bonfires. The most auspicious trait of would be Firekeepers is blindness, as they place great importance upon the words of those who cannot see.
Souls of the Age of Fire may Ravage the Souls of the slain, acquiring Willpower from the Humanity of Mortals and Soul points (glamour) from the souls of supernatural beings.
