Available Races

HUMANS

Accounting for ninety-nine percent of the population of Saint Calais, normal humans possess no inherent supernatural abilities, though the right individual may acquire certain learned abilities through study or apprenticeship. At this time, most of human society remains unaware as to the supernatural and paranormal activities happening around them - quite often in their backyard - and generally the other races like to keep it that way; it means less trouble for all parties. Still, there do exist certain humans who are knowledgeable about these supernatural beings and occurrences, though what they wish to do with said knowledge is left up to the individual.

• Humans may be turned into a lycanthrope or a vampire under certain circumstances, but they cannot be turned into a sub-race or halfbreed as such traits are determined at birth.
  
• At least one out of every three characters a member creates must be a normal human for the sake of population balance purposes. Thanks for understanding!

SUB-RACES


MEDIUM

Mediums are humans with the ability to see and communicate with spirits. Their power is hereditary; it cannot be taught, though very limited versions of their magic can be. While mediums aren't particularly inclined to a certain stereotypical nature, many mediums are somewhat reclusive due to the psychological burden of their communication (unwilling or no) with ghosts. They are the only creatures other than ghosts capable of capturing or harming ghosts. Often, mediums are employed and very well paid by certain factions to carry out a task only a medium can handle.

• Mediums turned into a vampire or lycanthrope lose medium powers.
  
• Mediums can create / enchant items empowered with the ability to harm ghosts (or that allow the user to see / communicate with ghosts), and can pass such items to non-mediums. Creation takes a great amount of effort, however, and thus this is attempted very rarely, or for a high price on behalf of the 'buyer.'
  
• Mediums can always sense the presence of a ghost, and can initiate communication regardless of whether the ghost in question can actually speak aloud.
  
• Due to their sensitivity towards spirits' presence, mediums may be overwhelmed by said presences and may suffer worse effects than others would under the attack of ghosts.
  
• Mediums can harm ghosts; more practiced and powerful mediums can compel them for a limited amount of time.

EVOKER

Contrary to widespread religion's general fear of anything apparently supernatural, evoker magic is divine in nature, and the earliest known evokers drew their magics from scripture. Like the medium, evokers' powers are hereditary, though again very limited forms of their abilities can be taught to others. Evokers' powers are considered 'defensive magic' to the naive, though in a nutshell that is somewhat true. They are capable of defending themselves and others with magical protections, usually in the form of verse or prayer. Their abilities are particularly useful when warding against supernatural creatures (except ghosts).

• Evokers turned into a vampire or lycanthrope lose evoker powers, though evokers are very resistant to being turned; some have been known to naturally fight off the diseases even after they have attempted to contract.
  
• Evokers develop magical means of defense against supernatural creatures; the exact nature and manifestation of these magics is specific to the individual, though 'casting' always involves some spoken form of verse, typically in prayer.
  
• Evokers can imbue items to carry some of their defensive powers.
  
• Evokers can craft 'wards' in writing that can be used to protect a building or home against supernatural creatures.
  
• Evokers must study and meditate daily to maintain their powers.

LYCANTHROPES

Lycanthropes are humans that have been cursed (or blessed) with the ability to change into an animal. There are no 'anthromorphic' lycanthropes; that is to say a lycanthrope's only alternate form is its animal form; no 'humanoid animal' forms exist. Once upon a time the curse of lycanthropy was very spiritual and mysterious; usually the receiver of the curse suffered so because of some form of great sin. Now, however, such a curse has evolved into something generally believed to be somewhat biological in nature, and the curse is passed along by a bite wound that, if left untreated, transforms the victim into a lycanthrope as well. It is theorized that animals too can carry the lycanthropic strain of their own animal type, but they themselves cannot be lycanthropes, though they can pass the 'disease' on to a human.

Wolves are the most common type of lycanthrope and are perhaps the most powerful, but other lycanthropes do exist.

• Lycanthropes cannot also be vampires. An attempt by a vampire to turn a lycanthrope will kill the lycanthrope.
  
• Lycanthropes involuntarily transform into their animal form on the (generally three) nights of the full moon of every month. During this involuntary transformation, they have absolutely no control over themselves.
  
• Lycanthropes are weakened for a few days leading up to the full moon and a few days following it.
  
• Lycanthropes can eventually learn to force their transformation; some find it painful, others learn to withstand the pain. At first it is difficult to maintain control of their voluntarily transformed self (as the animal attempts to submit to instinct), but over time the lycanthrope can learn to control their transformed self.
  
• Lycanthropes age at the rate of normal humans.
  
• Transformed lycanthropes are generally stronger than their mundane animal counterpart.
  
• Lycanthropes in human form too are generally stronger and have improved senses as compared to normal humans, though the difference is not drastic; their transformed state is still stronger.
  
• Lycanthropes in human or animal form can regenerate physical wounds several times faster than normal humans can.
  
• Lycanthropes are vulnerable to silver and aconite.
  
• Lycanthropes can 'turn' humans by biting them to infect them with the lycanthropic strain; if the wound is left untreated, the human too becomes a lycanthrope with the same animal form as the lycanthrope who bit him or her.
  
• Lycanthropes are capable of siring / giving birth to children; depending upon the nature of the coupling, the child will either be a half or full lycanthrope.
  
• Animals can carry the lycanthropic strain and pass it along to humans, though the carrier animal displays no apparent signs of being a carrier; even scientific examination does not merit accurate results most of the time.
  
• Lycanthropes are sometimes known to be able to communicate with animals, especially animals related to or of the same species of the lycanthrope's animal form.

VAMPIRES

Like lycanthropes, vampires were first realized as a curse brought about by several reasons, most having to do with the sinful nature of the individual. This curse gradually transformed over time and though its origins and transfer have been mixed with biological evidence, it still remains a combination of both biological and supernatural instigation. These nocturnal creatures do feed on the blood of humans; some opt for animal blood, but such weaklings are generally seen as incapable and are often estranged from vampire families or clans, though of course exceptions exist, including groups that exclusively feed from animals. Nonetheless, vampires make formidable enemies, though they are certainly not without their weaknesses.

• Vampires do not sparkle.
  
• Vampires cannot also be lycanthropes. A bite wound from a lycanthrope left untreated will become horribly infected, replicating the effects of an extremely toxic contagion.
  
• Vampires require blood as sustenance, though the required frequency of feedings varies from individual to individual. It has been generally observed that younger, newer vampires need to feed more often, whilst older vampires need to feed less. This speaks only of necessity, however; personal preference is another matter.
  
• Exposure to blood is distracting to a vampire, though the degree of distraction varies according to age and state of hunger.
  
• Vampires are vulnerable to fire and combust easily.
  
• Vampires are vulnerable to direct sunlight, though the degree of vulnerability varies by age and power. Younger vampires cannot go out into sunlight at all; older vampires can bear it. Resistance can gradually be built though the process is very painful. Initial exposure to sunlight regardless of age leaves the vampire blinded and disoriented for a period of time.
  
• Vampires cannot enter a building without explicit permission from the owner; public facilities do not count as they are 'open to all.' An invitation may be revoked at any time by the owner, at which the vampire is compelled to leave immediately.
  
• Vampires possess heightened senses, particularly smell.
  
• Vampires possess superhuman physical strength and agility.
  
• Vampires regenerate physical wounds several times faster than humans, though they may not naturally regenerate wounds inflicted by fire.
  
• Some vampires are vulnerable to holy / blessed items, though this typically only applies to more powerful vampires of an evil disposition.
  
• Vampires are capable of siring / giving birth to children; depending upon the nature of the coupling, the child will either be a half or full vampire.
  
• Vampires are immortal in the sense that they do not die of old age; they can be killed by other means.
  
• Vampires can turn a human into a vampire by draining the human's blood until the human is near the brink of death, at which the vampire feeds the human some of his or her own blood. The gestation period varies from a couple of days to several years; regardless, the vampire and fledgling form a mutual (not one-sided) bond, typically akin to a parent-child or romantic relationship. Again, this is not the norm; the parent vampire has been known to abandon the fledgling.

GHOSTS

Ghosts, spirits, apparitions ... all generally fall under the same umbrella. Ghosts are the ethereal manifestations of the dead incapable of finding peace. They usually exist for a purpose left unfinished in life, though the stories vary widely from case to case. The appearance of a ghost is usually that of a semi-visible, colorless version of what the person looked like in life, garbed in whatever they were wearing at the time of death. Appearance does vary though, and benevolent ghosts have sometimes been seen in full color. Needless to say, their presence is chilling, otherworldly; luckily for the living, they are not frequently found. Of course, this might simply be because they can very easily stay out of sight ...

• No more than one ghost character is allowed per person.
  
• Appearance varies, though ghosts will usually appear as they did at the time of their death. Color (or lack thereof) is different from ghost to ghost. Usually the nature of their death is apparent in their appearance, and it is often not pleasant (gunshot wound, strangle marks, severed limb ... etc.) regardless of the friendly or hostile nature of the ghost.
  
• Ghosts are ethereal and therefore cannot (usually) physically affect the world around them. This also means they are capable of passing through objects without effort. Older ghosts have been known to be able to move objects (and therefore people), though such occurrences are rare.
  
• Ghosts can suffocate living creatures by 'inhabiting' the same space that the creature is.
  
• The presence of a ghost causes an extreme drop in temperature in its immediate vicinity.
  
• Ghosts may become completely invisible to pass unseen.
  
• Ghosts cannot become visible in direct sunlight, though sunlight does not harm them.
  
• The ability to speak or communicate varies from ghost to ghost, though most find it extremely difficult to communicate to the living for a number of reasons.
  
• For obvious reasons, ghosts cannot sire / give birth to children, though sometimes entire families of ghosts have been known to exist.

HALFBREEDS

Though rather uncommon, 'halfbreeds' are not completely unheard of. Halbreeds are the result of the coupling of a human and other creature. The parent races' perceptions of such creatures are widely varied; some find these children disgraceful or dangerous, others find them in need of extra protection, and still others regard them simply as what they are: children.


SUB-RACES

CLAIRVOYANT

Clairvoyants are humans who have inherited some of the abilities of mediums, though their powers cannot develop to be as strong. Some may even go through life without ever realizing that they possess a medium's blood, though they will have felt at some point that prickling on the back of their neck like they could swear something is watching them ...

• Clairvoyants lose their clairvoyant tendencies if they become a vampire or a lycanthrope.
  
• Clairvoyants possess most of the abilities of a medium, only to a watered down degree. Exact nature varies from clairvoyant to clairvoyant.

SAVANT

Savants are the evoker parallel to clairvoyants. They are humans who have inherited some of the abilities of evokers, though their powers cannot develop to be as strong. Many go through life without truly realizing what they are, though they may go through an encounter with a vampire or lycanthrope inexplicably unscathed.

• Savants lose their savant tendencies if they become a vampire or a lycanthrope; however, their immune system is naturally resistant to attempts to turn them into said creatures.
  
• Savants possess most of the abilities of an evoker, though to a much lesser degree. Exact nature varies from savant to savant.

HALF-WERE

Half-weres are the children of a lycanthrope and a human (or possibly two half-weres). These creatures are perhaps even more disadvantaged than full lycanthropes are due to occurrences being uncommon; little knowledge exists on their nature - including their strengths and weaknesses. Thus, half-weres are left to figure out their abilities on their own through trial and error ... and error is often the more frequent of the two.

• Half-weres' abilities vary widely; what they can and cannot do are, for the most part, left to the discretion of the character's creator.
  
• Half-weres are usually capable of the transformation that their lycanthrope parent is, though sometimes the transformation is botched in process or in result, and these effects are inconsistent.
  
• Half-weres are still vulnerable to silver and aconite, though to a lesser degree.
  
• Half-weres possess keener senses than humans, though to a lesser degree than full lycanthropes.
  
• Half-weres do regenerate wounds faster than humans, though the difference is subtle enough that only keen observation would discover this, or perhaps attention from a medical professional.

HALF-VAMPIRE

As one can imagine, half-vampires are the children of a vampire and a human (or possibly two half-vampires). Little is known about these halfbreeds; in essence, however, they are simply stronger versions of humans ... or depending upon one's perspective, weaker versions of vampires. They can pass more easily as humans than full vampires can, and some even live an entirely normal life without anyone else ever discovering their nature.

• Half-vampires' abilities vary widely; what they can and cannot do are, for the most part, left to the discretion of the character's creator.
  
• Half-vampires do possess bloodlust; some require blood as sustenance supplemental to a normal diet, though certainly they need it less often than full vampires. Some do not even need it to survive at all, though they still crave it.
  
• Half-vampires are still vulnerable to fire though to a lesser degree.
  
• Half-vampires possess keener senses than humans, though to a lesser degree than full vampires.
  
• Half-vampires do regenerate wounds faster than humans, though the difference is subtle enough that only keen observation would discover this, or perhaps attention from a medical professional.