Celestial Constructs

Species made by other mortal species with celestial or popular magic.

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Atsoine

Former infernal beings who defy patriarchal power to become something new.

• Lifespan: Varies by original species
• Diet: Varies by original species
• Habitat: Anywhere
• Socioeconomic Status: Forbidden

Some imperial species, such as enders or infernal akhoata, are so embedded in their patriarchal values that to transition genders ends up transforming their species. Their appearance varies depending on their intentions and their original species, but the process usually ends up leaving them with more multicolored features that they did not have before, such as eyes, hair, skin, etc. This only occurs if they transition their gender with celestial magic, as the magic is often existentially threatening to them otherwise.

The process of transformation varies by what magic was used, but it always involves celestial magic that alters every aspect of the atsoine’s being - mind, body, heart, soul, and ultimately their True Name. In doing this, they have the choice of what they will be like. Most choose something close to their original species, though some choose more radical changes.

Regardless, the process leaves them with special powers and reduces or removes their former, infernal powers. One of their powers will always be the celestial version of their main infernal power, but the others are always the ability to see the true self of another person once per year, the power to sense other people’s emotional response to seeing gender nonconformity, and the power to walk give others self-confidence with a ten minute speech, at least temporarily.

Atsoines are forbidden by imperial law, and thus, they must hide themselves or live in defiance, or flee to non-imperial lands. Many have found one another and formed special communities where they try to live matriarchal values and restore the old ways from before the Fall.

Stats reflect their former selves.

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Cadunuga

Paper dolls empowered by truth.

• Lifespan: 40-60 years
• Diet: Paper scraps
• Habitat: Places with lots of paper
• Socioeconomic Status: Oppressed

Wielders of celestial truth magic often use the magic of True Names to animate statues and other figures, but some ancient wielders of this magic created paper dolls with the power of celestial truth and brought them to full life. The secret to making them has been passed down for millennia, and the dolls themselves have learned to make new cadunugas as well.

Cadunugas vary in appearance, but most are simply paper cutout dolls, hominid in shape, with features drawn on them. They use paper to make their clothing and tools, but they are all flat in form. Most stand about 6” tall. They are empowered by the magic of truth, and as such, they are much stronger than they seem.

All cadunugas have a True Name inscribed on them somewhere, covered by their paper clothing, and this Name allows them to draw five powers: the power of the body (making themselves stronger and tougher, allowing them to survive in a world not made for paper people), the power of the heart (effectively a higher read people score), the power of the mind (an understanding of objectivity and subjectivity that allows them to know fact from fiction more keenly than others), the power of the soul (their magical essence amplified), and the power of their Name, which they can invoke to create a new cadunuga.

Cadunugas are resistant to the things that should destroy them as paper beings - fire, moisture, wind, etc - so long as they live honestly. They can alter their bodies to have more dexterity, agility, and so on, fueled by that same honesty. If they tell or live a lie, their resistances and mobility will falter, and they will suffer a terrible fate.

Cadunugas live in libraries, archives, universities, and other places where paper is abundant, usually working there as long as it is not an imperial institution. Sometimes they are enslaved, however, in imperial institutions. They believe in honesty, hard work, and making incredible paper artworks. You are not allowed to name one Russell.

PRO 8 ATH 8 STR 7 AWA 9 WIL 9 PRS 9 Read people 11 STH 12 ESS 9

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Creda

Beings whose bodies are transformed by celestial magic.

• Lifespan: About 20 years more than their previous species
• Diet: Same as their previous species
• Habitat: Anywhere
• Socioeconomic Status: Oppressed

Sometimes people who are severely injured and near death may seek out the magic of celestial healers, using the power of health and medicine, and in order to save them, the healers must fully transform them bodily. The result is a creda, a person who is reborn in bloody flames, with new powers.

Credas will resemble their former species, but they will have fiery blood (if they had blood) or a fiery core of some kind. They will have the ability to reshape their bodies slightly, and they will regenerate from wounds quickly. They will lose any non-celestial powers they once had except those determined by their bodies or necessary to their survival (flight, waterbreathing, survival in outer space, etc.).

Some creda are not created, but born to other creda. These will resemble their birthing parent and have powers similar to them.

Credas are very rare and usually exist only in places where celestial magic is legal, for creating one usually takes multiple healers’ magic. They are unwelcome in imperial lands, but fit into the cultures they came from awkwardly otherwise.

PRO [previous] ATH +2 STR +2 AWA [previous] WIL [previous] PRS [previous] STH [previous] ESS +1

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Gaidut

People transformed by inmortal patience.

• Lifespan: About 100 years more than their previous species
• Diet: Same as their previous species
• Habitat: Anywhere
• Socioeconomic Status: Oppressed

Gaiduts are people of any species who have achieved an impossible level of patience via celestial or popular practice. When this happens, they transcend their previous forms and gain a heart of jewel, eyes of metal, and blood of celestial sand. Otherwise they appear to be as they were before.

Gaiduts lose their former powers and gain increases in will power, the ability to hear heartbeats, and the power to instill patience in others via touch. They are immune to provocations, impulsiveness, and other emotions antithetical to their patience. They are also physically unmovable when they want to be.

Gaiduts usually live quiet lives and are often from some celestial or popular faith, country, or philosophy, but some achieve it accidentally by clinging to the virtue of patience to cope with imperial life. Regardless of how they come to it, the potent form they take protects them from imperial powers and gives them the ability to resist and stand up for themselves better, to help those they care about. Many have found one another and had children, patient-born gaiduts, who are born with the same powers and patience as their parents, resembling the birthing parent in form.

Imperials hate them.

PRO [previous] ATH [previous] STR [previous] AWA [previous] WIL +6 PRS [previous] STH [previous] ESS +3

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Istapisi

People who have been internally calmed.

• Lifespan: About 40 years longer than their former species
• Diet: Fruitarian
• Habitat: Anywhere
• Socioeconomic Status: Oppressed

Istapisis are beings of any species who have achieved a place of perfect inner calm, thus fully transforming themselves. This is always the culmination of a lifetime of meditation and peacefulness and mindfulness. One can only reach this by living a life outside of imperial power structures and through celestial practices. If they do this, they transform fully, their bodies glowing with a pearlescent light and becoming completely attuned to the world around them.

When they transform, regardless of their previous species, their bodies become completely smooth, losing hair, crags, cracks, spines, horns, antlers, or any other jaggedness. Their eyes glow pearlescent grey, and their voices become completely neutral. Otherwise, they look like their former selves. If their former self did not have a physical body, they coalesce into something grey and hominid and smooth, but their souls retain the magic of their former selves in a small way. They always have some remnant of their past self, but the powers they once had vanish in favor of celestial magicks.

They become indefatigable emotionally. They become unconfuseable. They become resistant to inflicted emotions in general, and they cannot be provoked. Their calm becomes a physical defense, making their bodies tougher and stronger, but their ability to inflict harm vanishes. Their voices create calm in others if they wish it to.

Istapisis are extremely rare. When they form, they are usually in some remote place, usually monastic or hermetic, and they rarely venture forth. But some have a purpose or a need to go into the world and spread their calm, or to bring calm to a specific person or place.

Imperials hate them.

PRO 1 ATH [previous] STR [previous] Toughness +6 Attack -9 AWA +3 WIL +1 PRS [previous] STH [previous] ESS +2

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Runray

People reborn with the Sacred Hunt.

• Lifespan: About 60 years more than their previous species
• Diet: Varies, usually meat-heavy mortal fare
• Habitat: Varies
• Socioeconomic Status: Oppressed

Runrays are people transformed by the cycle of the Sacred Hunt. The cycle includes potential rebirth; those who follow this and achieve it somehow are reborn as they were before, but with antlers. If they already had antlers, they grow an extra set that is blue.

Runrays maintain some of the magic they had before if it was not infernal, but they gain a sympathetic sense to anyone or any being who has been preyed upon. This sympathetic sense allows them to know who has preyed upon the person or being. Their antlers glow in the presence of that predator or being if they meet them and gain bonuses to fight them if need be. They also gain one power based on the spirit of the Sacred Hunt they most related to in life.

Runrays are usually part of a culture that follows the Sacred Hunt and therefore, they are considered special figures within that culture. They are seen as holy figures, but they are not privileged above others. If they choose not to accept the special role, they are allowed to live in these communities continuing their old lives. Imperials oppress them severely.

Stats vary by previous species.