Vallahism

[This trait falls under the Low-Level Resriction clause and must be acquired at the most basic level. Some or all of the traits available on this page fall under the Mixed & NPC Only Acquisition clause.]

Vallahism is known as the original sin, the original curse. Vallah were some of the first blighted creatures to truly manifest on the realm, hiding shadows and filling their lust for blood. This Crimson Curse finds its way into the homes of the innocent and the damned alike, tainting their bloodlines and seeking to avenge those who dared defile the shrines of the gods. The term Vallah means in an ancient tongue 'To swear in Holy Name,' derived from their tainted and nefarious origins.

Origin of Trait

The Vallah curse traces its origins back to some of the earliest instances in the history of the divine. before the fracture, countless years ago, when man was still a fledgling, the mortals were in conflict much as how they remain today. These orders of Light and Shadow, ones who followed the fallen Mother of Night or Father of Radiance, found themselves at odds due to philosophical and moral differences. Generations of war followed until one day the followers of Ombra finally did something which appalled Sol too greatly. They stained his shrine in the blood of his faithful during a peaceful sermon on his nameday, which broke the holy treaty the two had established on already tenuous terms. It was on this day the fallen deity Sol sought his Sister, and convinced her to comply through sheer will and force of arms. These once blessed and powerful Ombrites were now cursed, as their skin paled and their fangs grew long, while their eyes began to glow a crimson red during the night. Ombra however, ever the wiser and more tricky than her brother, had laid a deceptive trap. While her weaker followers would perhaps remain cursed and weakened in the sun eternally, her stronger followers would ascend past their previous powers, bringing the Night into the day forever more with their faithful vigil. While Sol may have charred their blood black with the curse, Ombra kept her followers stealthy, strong, and protected during both the time of her moonlit gaze, and her radiant, boisterous brothers.

Acquisition

Vallahism is transmitted through the blood as a fledgling curse, usually intentionally from the sycophant to the victim. Once there the curse manifests on their soul, attaching like a leech before over the coming of 7 septs manifests into something more symbiotic. It is over this period that the victim first begins to experience changes. They feel sickly, weak, and on the seventh day, their curse manifests in full. At this time, their entire body is wracked in horrible pain as they vomit up an amount of blood before collapsing to the ground. During this time, the victim loses consciousness, their heart stops, and they inevitably die before the curse manifests itself and revitalizes the person back to life.

Transformation

Vallahism Acquisition Cycle: (Note: The following occurs over the first seven OOC days after becoming infected before the person fully turns. All effects continue to occur until they fully turn, unless noted otherwise.)

Sept 1

The victim feels more tired than usual, skin paling a little as if they were sickly, and their skin is cold to the touch despite still being very much alive. They start losing their appetite, but not enough to stop eating entirely. They begin to gain a more preferential look toward a more carnivorous diet, and this worsens every following stage. They must feed on flesh or blood at least once during this 7 day transformation, or on the final day it will simply result in their deaths.

Sept 2

The victim starts feeling fatigue, muscle soreness and all the above symptoms worsen, the weakness now leading to one rank of strength and speed being lowered. They begin manifesting symptoms much like the common cold, such as a runny nose, congestion, chills, a fever, red itchy and/or watery eyes, but also in more severe cases get symptoms like the bubonic plague if it is not their first time turning. They lose one rank of speed and strength as their bodies weaken.

Sept 3

The victim starts feeling pain in their gums at the roots of their teeth as their canines begin to sharpen more into incisors. Their skin pales further and the edges of their nails begin to blacken, as if they were dying out. Their eyes start to grow reddened and irritated, with black veins appearing beneath the whites of their eyes.

Sept 4

The victim starts growing an aversion to sunlight, feeling oddly uncomfortable within its rays. Their teeth also finish sharpening, now becoming fully formed into deadly incisors. They begin to suffer a minor irritation to gold, as if they were allergic. Their bodies weaken further as symptoms worsen, leading to a total of two ranks of strength and speed being lowered instead of one.

Sept 5

The carnivorous outlook becomes an outright aversion to regular foods, with the person now desiring meat products exclusively, and generally on the rarer and bloodier side when cooked. They grow increasingly uncomfortable in sunlight, beginning to develop a phobia of it.

Sept 6

The victim’s whites of their eyes look less irritated and begin to turn black, while the iris itself begins reddening around the edges. Their nails or claws fall off, making way for darker, more blackened replacements that are (un)naturally harder to the touch. Their skin develops breakouts of odd rashes that are painful but fade within hours, and occasionally bleed a thick black ichor.

Sept 7

The victim’s skin is now unhealthily pale color, and the iris color turns entirely red during the night, while the white of their eyes turn entirely black. Their blackened nails fully grow in and become too tough to be cut by regular tools. The extension skill of the fingernails may be discovered.

Sept 8

All the symptoms of a Vallah have emerged and the transition is completed in its entirety. On this day, the cursed temporarily dies after coughing up a black ichorous liquid. They remain ‘dead’ for only a few moments before awakening again as a full-fledged Vallah, barring those possessing the need for a coffin, who remain dead until the transfer is completed.

Physical Changes

Vallah has many effects and physical changes at various points, the specifications of these being detailed in the Mechanics section below. Some general assertions can be made however at the population of them at large and not the more unique cases.

Vallah's eyes are entirely black, with red irises that glow during the night. Their nails or talons are black and sturdy like iron, yet sharp just as their canines which have now turned to razor-like incisors. They no longer crave normal foods or meals, even scoffing at the idea of animals or their products. Blood and on occasion flesh of sentient beings becomes the primary diet of the accursed, with everything else simply not satiating the hunger they constantly need to suppress.

Their skin is often pale, cold to the touch and gaunt, as if their bodies have withered and long since died yet continue to walk the mortal plane, such as it is. They become naturally vulnerable to holy machinations, be it flame, magic, blessings, weaponry or otherwise.

Vallah generally cease aging due to the curses effect on the soul. This means they are functionally immortal in terms of this, and their soul reflects this change if looked at directly. The soul of a Vallah is often seen with a Crimson sheen, while those who have embraced a path within the curse are seen as Blackened, giving them a very distinct appearance.

Mental Changes

Vallahism comes with a variety of mental shifts that can be suppressed or removed through unique mutations, but speaking generally on the curse as a whole, they are as follows:

Vallah do not inherently have the need nor desire to eat or drink anything that is not blood or flesh of sentient beings. Though animals may occasionally be passable, even gorging on a fully grown cow still does not totally scratch the itch they truly seek. Their tastebuds, though operating as they normally would, do not register flavors other then the prescence of iron and savory notes that come with that which they seek. The same can be said for their olfactory senses, and this can often prove a challenge for them in everyday life.

Vallah do not generally desire to be in the sun. Beyond the general sickness and feeling of suppression within it physically, their minds have developed almost phobia like sensations at the mere idea of the prescence of sunlight, or risk thereof. Because of this, they generally shade their homes or places of rest and relaxation in darker, more light absorbing colors such as blacks, purples or reds, in hopes to unconsciously never have to see it if they can help doing so.

Blood Starvation

The Vallah's curse is to feed on those they can draw blood from, whether it be willingly or unwillingly. Every sort of Vallah has to feed in some fashion no matter what. Should they find no prey, Vallah will enter into an animalistic and feral state where they only have one goal: Feed. For the next 24 OOC hours upon entering this state, though varying on the Vallah and their mutations, the Vallah will do all that they can to satiate their hunger, attacking the first sentient being they see. Their nails extend into talons, no matter if it's day or night, while their teeth grow sharper, particularly the fangs and their skin grows an even greater parchment white. If they have fed, they will go unconscious for the next hour or so before awakening with a tunnel vision recollection of what occurred and soreness to their gums, fingertips, and muscles due to the curses strain pushing them over their physical limitations.

General Mechanics

General

• Vallah do not require food or water, but they can still partake in the consumption of it even though it isn't pleasant nor provides any benefits.
• Vallah have darkvision at night, even if their race does not originally possesses it. If a race has special darkvision, it reduces it to be at the normal level as every other cursed. The darkvision allows them to see in shades of grey during normal darkness. It counts as mundane for the sake of supernatural abilities which may overpower it.
• Vallah are vulnerable to holy damage and things prefixed with holy, certain relics, and any damage type involving silver. When coming into contact with vallah, these cause more severe burns based on the longevity of the contact.
• Vallah metabolisms are extremely slow, and so poisons, diseases and pathogens take twice as long to affect them. This does not include Corrosion sickness.
• Creatures of the night [wolves, bats, rats, bears, snakes, and other vermin], take no interest in Vallah unless provoked to do so.
• Vallah must drink fresh blood from sentient creatures to fulfill their hunger once every 7 OOC days. Blood from animals can push this hunger back for up to 3 OOC days if gorging every day, but if a day is missed past the 7 day mark, they will immediately enter blood starvation.
  • Vallah cannot feed on other vallah to sustain the curse.
• The spawn of Vallah may inherit the curse, denoted by a red outer circle on their iris as it remains dormant but present in their system.
• Vallah cannot sleep in anything other than a coffin or in something emulating a coffins environment, but require at least a day of rest once every 7 OOC days. Every day awake without sleep after that point increases the risk of blood starvation by reducing the days needed in between feeding by 1.
  • They can still be affected by outside sources (spells, injuries, etc.) and be rendered unconscious/in a sleep state.
• Vallah has a coagulant and pain reliever stored in their incisors and used when feeding. It is possible for the Vallah to feed on the sleeping or willing, leaving the only sign of their presence being two red pinpricks on the user when they look.
• When around blood, Vallah tend to become less focused on anything but the scent and sight of the blood, depending on how long since they last fed. They are drawn to it, but won’t necessarily go after the source of it unless it is nearly the time for them to feed.
• Vallah an extended life of five times their base lifespan. Vallah age normally until adulthood (18).
• Vallah have sanguine blood which is able to turn other viable persons. This turning requires OOC consent.
• While in the sunlight, Vallah are crippled and are only able to walk and lift small objects, such as to drink or read a book. Their speed and strength are reduced by two stages. This does not come into play if in the shadows or at night. Most armor and clothing does not protect from this, but moonstones temporarily do. Sunstones count as sunlight for these purposes.
• During the night, Vallah have an increased 10 maximum hit points due to their unholy vitality while they are fed. Conversely during the day, they lose -10 maximum hit points.
  • Blood starvationn lowers their maximum hitpoints by 20 to a minimum of 1, but increases their speed and strength ranks by 1, and removes any sunlight debuffs while in this state.
• Vallah are resistant to curse damage.

Path of the Originals

[Mixed Acquisition prevents the standard acquiring of this trait, it must be found by other means.]

Greater Vallahism

• Are immortal and do not age past the point of adulthood.
• Have canines that grow two times their usual length at will.
• Greater Vallahs have black blood.
• Greater Vallah suffer harsh effects in the sun, increased compared to Lesser Vallah. During the day, their speed and strength are reduced by three ranks, to a minimum of rank E.
• Greater Vallahs require blood and/or flesh feeding once every two OOC weeks. If a Greater Vallah feeds, the above effect of crippling sunlight is reduced by one during the day. They must feed on a player character.
• Greater Vallahs have the ability to climb surfaces and stick to them. This grants them greater upward mobility on usually unclimbable surfaces.
• During the night, Greater Vallah are not vulnerable to the standard vulnerabilities of a regular Vallah. Instead, they are treated as a normal person would. This can be circumvented by lighting an area with *Sunstones, but this will not inflict the sunlight debuff, merely disabling their nighttime abilities.
• Greater Vallah can heal major limbs by drinking 3 pints per limb lost. It takes 1 round to drink half a pint. These wounds will heal over a period of a day per severe injury.
• Greater Vallah are stronger and more agile ONLY during the night, in caves with no surface light or if within the radius of a moonstone.
• All Original Greater Vallah have rank A speed and strength, and it is fixed to this regardless of other influences.
• Greater Vallahs have reptilian, amber-colored eyes at all hours.
• During the night, greater vallah have an increased 15 maximum hit points due to their unholy vitality while they are fed. Conversely during the day, they lose -5 maximum hit points.
  • Blood exhaustion lowers their maximum hitpoints by -25, to a minimum of 1, but increases their speed and strength ranks by 2.

Path of Essence

[Mixed Acquisition prevents the standard acquiring of this trait, it must be found by other means.]

Greater Vallahism

• Essence Vallahs have black blood.
• Essence Vallah appear much like a standard Greater Vallah but they do not have fangs or claws.
• Essence Vallah do not feed as other Vallah do. Instead, they set their hand on a target and begin draining them of their energy or in other words, their ‘essence’. Every person has essence and as it’s drained, it has similar symptoms to being drained of blood. An Essence Vallah must feed once every two OOC weeks. They must feed on a player character.
  • Every Essence Vallah has an ‘essence well’. This well determines how many times they might use their abilities and how much ‘essence’ is in their well is determined by how much they’ve fed.
    • Each Essence Vallah requires a minimum of 5 essence, but they have an essence well maximum of 15 that completely drains by the end of the 2 OOC weeks. Should they use all 15 before the 2 OOC weeks are up, they will suffer from the effects of essence starvation.
• Essence Vallah cannot feed to heal injuries or limbs as they do not partake of flesh or blood.
• Essence Vallahs are more agile during the night, in dark houses, caves, or within the radius of a moonstone.
  • All Essence Vallah have rank A+ speed and rank C strength during the night. During the day, their original speed and strength rank pre-vallahism return. These ranks are fixed to this regardless of other influences.
    • During the night, essence vallahs do not gain additional hitpoints. Conversely during the day, they also do not lose any hitpoints either.
• Essence Vallahs have reptilian, white-colored eyes with black sclera at all hours.
  • Essence exhaustion lowers their maximum hitpoints by -20, to a minimum of 1, but they become able to cast their essence abilities at the cost of aging themselves by that many years instead.
• Essence Vallah are weaker in stature than other Greater Vallah, but their curse seems to make up for this with four special and unnatural abilities. These abilities each cost essence from their essence well to use and can only be used at night or in caves.
  • Blink | 2 Points of Essence
    • The Essence Vallah shifts the position of their soul, dragging their physical body with it to another location they can see within 6 meters (blocks).
  • Claws of Essence | 2 Points of Essence
    • The Essence Vallah can summon incorporeal talons to their fingertips. These claws do not do any physical damage but can harm incorporeal beings. They go through armor, and if they hit a corporeal being, it drains the target of 2 points of essence and gives it to the Greater Vallah. This can only be used once on a target every 10 turns.
  • Essence Bomb | 3 Points of Essence
    • The Essence Vallah creates a sphere of concentrated essence and launches it at a specified area within 8 meters. The essence then explodes in a 3x3x3 meter area, dealing mild [2d6] curse damage in the area. Those standing within must make a resistance roll to mitigate the damage (DC WIP).
  • Sanguine Cloud | 5 Points of Essence
    • The Essence Vallah commits a circular area 5 meters in width and length and 2 meters high, causing a cloud of red, sanguine smoke to flood the area. Anyone within this sanguine cloud or walks into it for the first time, or ends their turn there that breathes must make a roll to resist the effects of the cloud (DC WIP). On a successful roll, nothing occurs and they resist its effects. On a failure, the afflicted become hexed, and are unable to stop themselves from entering a bloody rage and attacking the closest person in their line of sight. Every turn the afflicted makes the same roll to resist, but the DC gets lower by 1 until it breaks, to a maximum of 5 turns.

WE WORKIN PAST THIS POINT DOG DONT EXPECT MUCH

Path of Savagery

Greater Vallahism

• Have all the mechanics of an Original Greater Vallah unless stated otherwise.
• Savage Greater Vallahs have nails as tough as steel that can be extended.
• Savage Greater Vallah have more intense features that prove their Greater Vallahism, that being ashen skin, pointed ears, sharp features, and other bat-like facial features.
  • They also tend to be more savage or barbaric, desiring blood and flesh more often than the standard Greater Vallah.
  • Savage Greater Vallah do not have a coagulant or pain-reliever in their incisors as other Vallah, all of their teeth are sharper, particularly the teeth on either side of the fangs.
  • They also have their fangs out at all times and cannot retract them at any time.
• Savage Greater Vallahs suffer extreme effects in the sunlight to the point their skin and flesh begin to burn under its direct rays. After ten emotes of being in direct sunlight consecutively, they will be rendered to ash.
  • Turn 1: First-degree in the area affected.
  • Turn 5: Second-degree burns in the area affected.
  • Turn 8: Third-degree burns in the area affected.
  • Turn 10: Reduced to ash.
    • This can be circumvented using Moonstones or being in thick shade such as in dense jungles or inside a house. Moonstones do not give them their nightly boons.
• Savage Greater Vallahs require blood and/or flesh feeding once every one OOC week. If a vallah feeds, they do not turn to ash in the sun, but they will gain up to second-degree burns and continued irritation and pain as long as in sunlight.
• Savage Greater Vallah can heal major limbs by drinking 2 pints of blood per severe injury. It takes 1 round to drink one pint of blood. These wounds will heal over a period of 12 OOC hours per severe injury.
  • Greater Vallah are stronger and more agile ONLY during the night, in caves with no surface light.
  • Savage Greater Vallahs have Tier Seven Strength and Tier Five Speed.
• Savage Greater Vallahs have reptilian, crimson-colored eyes and black sclera at all hours.

Vallah Lords

[NPC Only Acquisition prevents acquiring this trait.]

Vallah Lord

• Vallah Lords have a black iris.
• Vallah Lords have all the traits that their Greater Vallah path has unless they conflict with the ones listed here.
• Vallah Lords when exposed to the moonlight appear as vicious creatures. Their skin turns grey and shrinks to their face and skin as their vampiric features become more prominent.
• Vallah Lords do not need to feed, the curse having become utterly soul-based.
• Vallah Lords are not affected by the Sun.
• Vallah Lords each have a suite of 3 special effects that have mutated from their ascended form unique to them and only them. This varies wildly between each Vallah Lord, but its effects are quite powerful.

Races Blood & Essence

• Small Races: Eight Pints / Twelve Essence
  • Dwarves
  • Halflings
  • Draxgar (Small)
  • Skrayln
  • Goblins
• Medium Races: Ten Pints / Fifteen Essence
  • Humans
  • Elves
  • Half-Elves
  • Half-Mer
  • Danakov
  • Satyr
  • Aervan
  • Leonin
  • Syrien
  • Dryads
  • Shifters
  • Fey
• Large Races: Twelve Pints / Twenty Essence
  • Orcs
  • Centaurs
  • Draxgar (Large)
  • Half-Orcs

Vallah drinks around 1 pint of the total blood (10 pints) of an average adult human. How much a Vallah drinks from an individual will have varying degrees of effect. It takes two weeks IC (2 days OOC) to regenerate a single pint of blood. It takes 1 round to drink half a pint of blood. It also takes 1 round to drain 3 points of essence from a person. Varying degrees of effects occur depending on how much blood is drained and can be found in the Races Blood & Essence Chart.

The Realm of Ephimoria • Beyond the Fracture