Ancient Bloodlines

Blood can build or break a kingdom, when the conditions are right.

When you rasp and strain against the arcane as it crashes through you and the place you call home, who do you call to?

Perhaps the more important question is, who answers?

It is the nature of Malkora to ever be at the whim of its unfettered and ever-shifting Leylines, and this nature extends to all beings that call the plane home.

Power in the Veins

Ancient bloodlines describe the presence of this world's magic as it flows through the veins of its sophonts and sentient creatures, and the ways that these magical connections shape their lives and fates.

Alternate Paths

Different bloodlines experience the world's many magical phenomena in different ways, shifts and transformations driven by the ancient powers carried in their bloodstreams.

This innate quality of humanity opens the doors to unique interactions with the world, niche applications of magic, and unexpected strengths and weaknesses for all who interact with the arcane in any of its forms.

Magic isn't simply around you; it is within you. How will it shape your destiny, I wonder?

Bloodlines

Leyborne
Faithkept
Eldwrought

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Nature of the World

All humans who walk Malkora fall under one of the three categories: Leyborne, Faithkept, or Eldwrought.
No evidence suggests that these can intermingle and, though common, these bloodlines are not guaranteed to be passed down to offspring.

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Human Potential

Humanity takes many forms in Malkora, as one travels the world. Being at the whim of the world's innate powers and energies just as all other life is, humanity has survived solely through its adaptability — a trait bolstered by the ancient bloodlines they carry.

Not all humans are aware of their bloodlines; those who live in ignorance of their nature, or have yet to see its effects are known as Boharin — humanity's blank slate.

In most places of the world, where magic has not run its transformative course (such as the Kingdom of Arsavela), the words are synonymous; folks refer to themselves and one another as anything from human, bohar, boharkin, humankind, boharin, and so forth.

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Civilization: In Spite of the Arcane

What ravages one population may be another's savior, and what bolsters one civilization might tip another into downfall — all dependent on the blood of their people.

— Historian's notes

Of Lands Unaltered

There are lands in Malkora where the arcane has yet to rip its course, allowing for grand and long-lived kingdoms to flourish, unmolested by the turmoil of transformation. Lands like these are filled with people who know little of what the leylines are capable of; change is not their constant, and their traditions mirror this mindset.

One such kingdom is Arsavela, whose capital of Aurel has withstood the test of time with much assistance from its lucky draw in geographic location.

Of Lands Restored

Though change comes in drastic forms, it has proven to not always be permanent. Some lands in Malkora have tasted the influence of the leylines, facing grand transformations, and have since reverted to a state reminiscent of the days of yore. The people remember these changes, the before and after, and know that future change is inevitable.

Vynarsa has seen the effects of the leylines in its own borders, and continues to see them in their neighbors'. It is a kingdom restored, but uneasy.

Of Lands in Flux

For some, change is the constant. Lands shift and change with each passing day, some leyline emergences more unstable or powerful than others. Those who reside in these lands understand that adaptation is the only path forward, and that no one way of life can truly be everlasting.

The people of Bolkan build and break their homes with the erratic shifts in their landscape, never settling on a path forward. Cities rise and fall with each magical shift.

Of Lands Transformed

Some lands are changed indefinitely, never returning to their original state, but likewise never changing again. The people of these lands adapted to a new way of life long, long ago — they may have even forgotten how their ancestors once lived before the transformations set in.

The civilizations of Nimavi were divided long ago by the arcane that seeped into the land and every root within, living in opposition where they once had unity.

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Leyborne: The Mystic Bloodline

The pulse of the leyline's energies echoed back in the pulse of her heart; each erratic jolt of magic thudded through her veins, eager to break free.

The Leyborne of Malkora find their essence intertwined with the arcane energies of the world's Leylines, their lives and forms shaped as erratically as the flow of magic itself.

Connection to the world's magics has as many benefits as it does drawbacks; leyborne humans can become extraordinarily powerful in the right conditions, but their strengths are overwhelmingly dependent on the whim of the leylines.

Ceazan

The Ceazan are leyborne humans sometimes referred to as the ley-bound. They are identified by transformations caused by leyline emergences or arcane power which have left them dependent, in some way, on that magic source for quality of life or survival.

More variants to come!

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Faithkept: The Redeemed Bloodline

Where those folk walk, the gods are never far behind. That's either some great fortune, or the greatest curse to fall upon a fool in this land.

The Faithkept of Malkora harbor the influence of the Divine in their blood, thus carrying the blessings and curses of the gods with them, always. Belief carries these people a long way, even when the gods turn a blind eye to their plights and successes.

Not all who bear the blood of the Divines must walk the path of faith, but the influence of the gods cannot be denied when the world's shifts bring their attention to their Faithkept children.

Ikonan

The Ikonan are faithkept humans who have undergone great transformations at the hands of deities, most often taking on the forms of their patrons' symbolic animals or creatures of mythos. These humans are often individuals of great devotion, chosen to play a role in their deity's will.

More variants to come!

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Eldwrought: The Primordial Bloodline

The fire in his eyes became more than metaphor faster than I could react; in that moment, I could only hope that something salvageable remained in his wake.

The Eldwrought of Malkora carry a power in their veins that is deeply ancient, tying them to the world's Primordial beings in generational kinship. These people live closely with the elements and natural world beyond the arcane.

The Primordials are not ones to pursue their kin the way the gods do; they are sought, and summoned, but the cries of their children do not go unheard in this world.

Iskani

The Iskani are not only descendants of the elements, but have their very essence in their blood. These elements manifest physically on the body, displaying their elemental heritage for all to see.

Myren

The Myren often appear in places with strong leyline activity, developing an aversion to the arcane that aligns with a newly developed dependence on the natural world and the elements.

More variants to come!

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