[✗] [Feat Lore] Sorvians, the Man-Made-Men

[Omen Prince 391]

THE SORVIANS,

MAN-MADE-MEN

𒊻𒀖𒈜

 

The Sorvians are humanoid Construct entities that are created, by Sorvian Sculptors, with four vital ingredients: clay, porcelain, blood, and soul. Their true origins are unknown, even to the nameless Sculptor of Axios who rediscovered the process of their creation, who himself did not realize he had corrected the intended state of Sorvians who had once been crafted by crude ingredients like animal remains. In truth, even before the Axiote Sculptor, the Sorvians' secrets were claimed by a lost human kingdom, and prior to them had been mastered by Orcish “half-giants” who were responsible for the artform’s strange distortion. From where they emerged prior to the half-giants is and always shall be unclear; but what is known is that a perfect circle was achieved and a much more primal design had been regained by contemporary Sculptors.

 

THE SCULPTOR

𒀭 𒆠𒅆𒈗𒀪𒉡

 

Sorvian Sculpting is a magical feat that all beings containing a soul are capable of practicing. Descendant Sculptors are the most common of their field, for Descendants all-together contain the two most essential ingredients to the process: mortal blood, and a soul. Fresh blood, usually cut from the Sculptor themselves, acts as a medium through which spiritual matter (“anima”) may travel and may be transferred. This spiritual matter, composed of concentrated anima, is broken from the fragment of the Sculptor’s soul so it may be supplanted into their creations.

 

The act itself exhausts Sculptor, who is forced to adhere to a principle of self-sacrifice to achieve these acts, as Sculptors are totally incapable of channeling or drawing upon the soul of another Descendant, or once-Descendant, being. This means in order to excel in their craft, they must become deeply intune with their own spiritual condition, and thus master the means to channel it toward these purposes. The Descendant soul has the means to regenerate itself and manage the damages incurred by these practices, but there are still things within them that are separated from their mind as a result of that sacrifice. They may end up forgetting or losing parts of themselves like memories, which themselves are isolated within their Sorvian creations. These memories sometimes flicker across the minds of the Sorvians, who can never truly focus on them like the wakeful passing of dreams.

 

While the soul may cope with these spiritual sacrifices, it is known by Sculptors that they cannot create more than 3 Sorvians per Elven month on account of their soul becoming “exhausted” and unable to produce anymore soul essence for the artform, and will force them to take a long period of rest for 3 Elven months in order to recuperate. If they create 1 Sorvian, they will be capable of crafting another singular Sorvian the following month, and so on. The rules of this creation shift to accommodate for other forms of Sculptors, such as Sorvians themselves, who are limited to creating 1 Sorvian per Elven month unless their abilities are elevated by certain recently discovered augmentations.

 

Redlines

Spoiler

A Descendant Sculptor character may create 1 Sorvian character per IRL month. Alternatively, they may create 3 Sorvians in 1 IRL month, at the cost of not being able to create anymore 3 IRL months from the day of the 3rd Sorvian’s creation. Players must submit and have an accepted a Sorvian CA in order to play Conventional Sorvians.

 

Sorvians who become Sculptors may only create 1 Conventional Sorvian per month, with no option to create more than 1 on account of their lesser spiritual status. Sorvians must use the blood of either other Descendant or supernatural blood-bearing characters, or utilize augmentations in order to circumvent these limitations, as they lack their own blood originally and thus cannot participate in any Sculpting ritual without it.

 

Playable Newt characters also require a Sorvian CA, but limitations on Newt characters follow the X+1 Formula; this means even if a Sculptor reaches their monthly limit of either 3 or 1 Sorvians, they may still create an additional player Newt. Newts may contribute to a Sculptor’s monthly limit, meaning 4 player Newts may potentially be created by a Descendant character and 2 Newts may be made by a Sorvian character.

 

Entities that bear a soul but lack blood are also capable of Sorvian Sculpting, and because they are not Sorvians they are capable of producing up to 3 player Sorvians of either variety per month. These entities include: Darkstalkers, Machine Spirits, Palelords and Paleknights. In addition, Nephilim, Demi-Djinn and Tree Lords are capable of becoming full-fledged Sculptors on account of producing blood (or a blood-like substance, Tree Lord sap for example).

 

THE SCULPTING

𒀭 𒆠𒅆𒈗𒄘𒀪𒉡

 

The Husk

 

In order for a Sorvian Sculptor to sculpt, they must first begin with the creation of a Husk. A Husk is an empty vessel hand-crafted with clay, a wooden skeletal structure, and a porcelain mask all gathered and assembled by the Sculptor. Husks may range from 3 feet in height to 6 feet, depending on the form of Sorvian being created. 

 

Conventional Sorvians range from 5 to 6 feet;

 

 

 Newts are known to range from 3 to 4 feet. 

Both “Conventionals" and Newts stand equal in their mental faculties, spiritual condition, and ability to Sculpt and receive augmentations. Their only difference lies in their size and strength, with Conventionals being equal to that of a human soldier and Newts being equal to a Halfling farmer. Another form of Newt that a Sculptor may create more plentifully  and without limit are the Simpletonites, or more commonly known as "Background Newts". These Background Newts are able to understand and interpret simple commands such as participating in a Sculptor's workshop duties, or conducting musical bands in groups, or even serving as communicators and translators.

 

Awakening

 

The act of bringing Sorvians to life is known as Awakening. Awakening occurs when a Sculptor takes a porcelain mask, sheds their blood or the blood of another mortal, and uses that blood to inscript “Sculpting Language” upon the back of the mask. The Sculptor must channel their anima in the midst of this, focusing in order to sever a small fragment of their soul which is then transferred into that bloody script. This causes the runes to begin to shift in unusual ways, like an intelligible language that only Sorvian Sculptors may understand. What is exactly written is ephemeral, and has to do with the contents of the spiritual essence they are sacrificing, such as aforementioned memories of the Sculptor. When this mask is placed upon the face of a Husk, a soft light the color of the Sculptor’s personal aura emerges from the space between mask and face, and this signifies the sealing of the mask to the body. The Sorvian then awakens, sometimes with their first recollection being the fleeting dream of those sacrificed memories.

 

Sorvians are known to awaken already with the means to speak, communicate or animate themselves, though it is not uncommon for some to be mute, awkward or confused in the first days of their existence. This is why the Sculptor must dedicate themselves to guiding and instructing their Sorvians as soon as possible, as abandoning them runs the risk of the Sorvian becoming purposeless and deranged.

 

Alteration

 

Sculptors may apply different aesthetic styles to a Husk prior to awakening, as to align a Sorvian’s appearance to a cultural group they are born into. This includes the design of the porcelain mask, as well as hair, feathers, scales and the color of the Sorvian’s flesh such as found in various dyes. These aesthetics do not aid the Sorvian in their survival, and only mean to suggest a Sorvian’s alignment with a tribe, faction, purpose or general origin. While they may receive these aesthetics traits prior to Awakening, if a Sorvian is dedicated to the mission of their cultural group then they may slowly shift and physically change to suit the associated appearance. 

 

Sorvians may also be made to have four arms rather than just two. It is said this process was discovered to optimize a Sorvian’s efficiency in more intricate works like crafting where multitasking may be key. This does not weaken a Sorvian’s strength, but rather divides the strength of one arm into two while also lessening their durability in combat. The strength of each independent lesser arm is capable enough of wielding daggers or short-swords in combat, and lack the means to lift more than 15 pounds on their own.

 

Revival & Death-Dream

 

When a Sorvian is destroyed, their body either dries and stiffens into a crumbling clay statue, or crumbles away entirely. This may occur with and without the destruction of their mask, but if the mask remains and may be salvaged, then it may be repaired and reapplied to another Husk to initiate another Awakening. The Sorvian will return to life with their ego and memories in-tact with the exception of any memories or recollection surrounding the events of their demise.

 

When their mask is broken, the soul will be released but will be undetectable by beings or practitioners who deal in interacting or witnessing spiritual beings. This is because the soul shifts into a place that is not understood by Sorvian Sculptors, a place called the “Death-Dream'' where their soul resides in dormancy. The Sorvian’s soul indeed dreams in this place, subconsciously attempting to retain its accumulated knowledge and personality as the Death-Dream actively decays and threatens to separate their spirit into oblivion. A Sorvian returned to life may recall certain elements about the Death-Dream, but only that it was vastly and unfathomably dark and lacked any presence other than their own. If left in the Death-Dream for over an Elven month, it will scatter into nothingness and they will be permanently lost to the beyond.

 

In order to return the Sorvian’s soul from the Death-Dream, a Sculptor must initiate the Calling Incantation ritual in the place of the Sorvian’s demise. The Calling Incantation uses material references of the Sorvian in order to lure them out of the murk. These material references take the form of things created or crafted by that specific Sorvian, as all things created by Sorvians bear an invisible imprint that their soul may recognize. 

 

Without these imprinted references, the Sculptor must rely upon chance. They instead use the Sorvian’s name as their reference, which has a far lower chance to fail to grasp the lost soul’s attention in the Death-Dream. Because the Calling Incantation may occur once per Elven day for a given Sorvian, there are ample chances in the period between the Sorvian’s demise and the loss of their spirit.

 

Redlines

Spoiler

On Husks:

A Husk matching either Conventional or Newt Sorvian physiology is required for the creation of a Sorvian player character, but because it is composed of mundane ingredients (clay, porcelain) their creation is left to the Sculptor player’s discretion.

 

On Background Newts:

Background Newts are nonplayable Newt roleplay accessories that may be made and instructed by Sculptors to tend to simplistic and noncombative tasks. Any form of combat will cause them to flee into hiding, which they may emerge from to return to their creators later on.  There is no limitation on the number of Background Newts that may be created, but they cannot be amassed in armies unless for a gag in roleplay that does not involve true combat. 

 

On Awakening:

Awakening of a Sorvian may only occur following the acceptance of a Sorvian CA. Awakening requires a Sculptor use a valid fresh blood source in order to inscribe the Sculpting Language upon the back of a Sorvian’s mask. Awakening occurs after a Sorvian player’s CA is accepted. 

 

On Alteration:

Sorvians may be given specific designs and aesthetic appearances by their creator as long as these designs do not provide any form of significant benefit in instances like combat or magical resistances and interactions. The Sorvian mask may be given a wide variety of designs and shapes, but cannot be made to act similarly to Descendant faces on account of being unable to move or shift. Minor extremities and bodily details may also be molded into a Sorvian’s body, such as porcelain eyes that gently glow the color of the Sorvian’s aura, ears, extra or fused fingers and a humanoid-seeming musculature. These alterations are superficial and do not affect a Sorvian’s senses or level of strength, and as such if they are damaged (removal or destruction of eyes or ears) they will not affect a Sorvian’s abilities. 

 

Sorvians, either Conventionals or Newts, may be given four arms with each lesser arm bearing half the strength of the original. This augmentation may be built into a Husk prior to a Sorvian’s Awakening, but it may also be applied post-birth. This requires the Sorvian to be disassembled or otherwise destroyed so their mask may be applied to a new and redesigned four-armed Husk.

 

On Revival & Death-Dream:

When a Sorvian is destroyed but their mask has been spared, the Sorvian’s mask may be taken and reapplied to a new Husk by a Sculptor character. Because the Sorvian’s soul is safe within their mask, there is no time limit for their revival in this instance and their revival may occur at any time.

 

If the Sorvian’s mask is broken, their soul is released into the Death-Dream and must be called back by a Sculptor using the Calling Incantation. The Calling Incantation requires an item crafted and signed by the deceased Sorvian character, who leaves an imprint on these items even if they are mundane. Without these physical references, the Sculptor must rely upon the Sorvian’s name alone to try to draw the soul out. A Calling Incantation may be practiced only once per IRL day at the site of the Sorvian’s death, and without the imprinted item, the Sculptor must /roll 20 and achieve a roll higher than 15 in order to successfully achieve a Sorvian’s revival without reference.

 

An imprinted item is an object or device created by the hands of a Sorvian character. This item must be an actual mechanical item which is given a name, description and player signage by the Sorvian character, and may be either mundane or magically enchanted by other characters. Imprinted items lack any kind of specialty or improvement, as the imprint left on them are merely the marks of the character’s involvement in their creation, and only serves to act as Calling Incantation references.

 

On Misc.:

Sorvian characters may only create more Sorvians with Sorvian Sculpting and are both physically incapable and not permitted OOC to participate in any kind of roleplay leading to or involving FTB, or fading to black for reproductive purposes. Any Sorvian player found guilty of this will risk the CA for their character being revoked indefinitely.

 

Additionally, a Sorvian character cannot be altered or modified to be given parts indicative of mortal or Descendant reproductive purposes. 

 

CLAY & PORCELAIN

𒉡𒋻𒄀 𒉡𒈲𒅈𒀜𒄅𒆸

The two material ingredients used for Sorvian creation are vital to the function of their once obscure spiritual state of being, which is something believed to be entirely fabricated and man-made. In the ancient days of Du Loc, the relationship between clay and porcelain was realized by the dubious Sculptor Man-Makers who were dedicated to a deeper understanding of their subjects. Though the Man-makers have faded into the shadow of mankind, their teachings survived among their Sorvians and spread beyond them in contact with other Sorvian tribes.

 

The Man-Made-Soul

 

The Man-Made-Soul is the spiritual core of a Sorvian that is imbued into their porcelain masks, composed entirely of a fragment of a true Descendant soul. It acts in a manner similar to a seed; once planted, it grows overtime within a Sorvian's mask and this is expressed by their ability to receive, process, understand and recollect knowledge about the world, their surroundings and their living experiences. Without this means for a minor growth, the Sorvian could not evolve or adapt independently and thus would need to remain entirely dependent on their creators for direction.

 

A Man-Made-Soul lies leagues below the strength and constitution of a Descendant's Greater Soul, and is ultimately unable to grow to the point to where Greater Soul status may be achieved. The Man-Made-Soul is, however, equal in strength to Lesser Souls, and thus enables Sorvians to participate in supernatural practices of a far less spiritually intensive degree. This is why they are capable of producing their own kind; because the Man-Made-Soul is capable of both its minor growth and regeneration that offset reproductive consequences. These are both qualities believed to have been inherited by their Descendant makers, whose Greater Souls function the same way at a much higher degree. 

 

While they are at an equal level with Lesser Souls, Man-Made-Souls do suffer a condition inherent to them as being created by mortal hands. The entire Sorvian's body maintains a system of life dedicated to the stabilization and development of the spirit in their mask, and so every part of them is vital.

 

Porcelain

 

The porcelain of a Sorvian's mask, which itself is a highly refined or processed form of clay crafted by Sculptors, acts as the vessel within which a Sorvian's soul may comfortably reside. This is on account of porcelain's unique receptiveness to Sculpting Language, which is the arcane rune system used to seal Man-Made-Souls into the fragile material.

 

The Sculpting Language is retained by the porcelain as a kind of body and soul facilitating data or code with which the memories, ego and functionality is autonomously written and thereby recognized by their spirit. The soul projects the mind and will and therefore a being's means to act on their desires, such as in acts of motion or animation and communication. Therefore, the Man-Made-Soul projects that through the Sculpting runes upon the mask, which then relay signals to the body attached to it.

 

Clay

 

The Sorvian's body is comprised of raw clay, which upon their Awakening is transmuted into a material known as "pseudoflesh". This pseudoflesh lies in a perpetual limbo and remains in this limbo until physical damages or spiritual disruptions occur, whereupon it reverts to a weak and crumbling dry clay. Within the chest cavity of a Sorvian lies a loose form of anima or spiritual matter that is required by the Sorvian's mask to transmit signals to their material form. Pseudoflesh is likened to the feel and texture of actual mortal flesh, but lacks blood and the warmth of true life.

 

This loose anima is generated passively within a Sorvian as a result of the presence of their growing soul. While primarily used to transmit aforementioned signals through the body, much like the brain does for a mortal form, it is also recycled to expand the runes upon the back of a Sorvian’s mask. This growth or expansion allows for the culmination of memories and the Sorvian’s progressive personality. Without this clay body, the soul within a Sorvian mask would remain dormant and absent-minded for their lacks of means to properly interact with external stimuli. 

 

 

Channeler's Mastery

 

Over the years of generations of Sorvians being created and Sorvians creating more of themselves, a capacity for minor magical activity has developed in their kind, and the foundation of this ability stems from the Sorvian's mastery of their own artform. Total control over the anima within a Sorvian is only achieved when they have reached a mastery in Sorvian Sculpting, enough to teach others, as they have come to understand the extent of the spiritual channeling required of their evolving craft.

 

This manifests in a Sorvian master's ability to participate in the magical arts of Housemagery and Bardmancy, using their raw anime as fuel for these acts. Because they are tapping into this fuel for other reasons, it is riskily expended and exhausts a Sorvian at twice the rate of Descendant practitioners. However, both magical arts may be utilized to the same extent as Descendants, only at the risk of the Sorvian's wellbeing on account of their capability to use their complete supply of anima and thus be rendered lifeless. 

 

Redlines

Spoiler

On Channeler's Mastery

The Channeler's Mastery is a Sorvian exclusive passive upgrade that occurs when a Sorvian character is approved for a Sorvian Sculpting TA, allowing them two minor spell slots that may only occupied by both Housemagery and Bardmancy. Because of the open and otherwise harmless flavor-based nature of these two magic lores do not enable to Sorvian to become significantly magically powerful, it does not impede on their restrictions against magic otherwise exclusive to Descendant characters.

 

A Sorvian's use of Housemagery or Bardmancy exhausts them twice as quickly as Descendant characters, and unlike Descendant characters may even put a Sorvian at risk of death if these two magical arts are used excessively within the span of an IRL day, or more than 5 individual instances of using either magic.

 

When a Sorvian uses either magical arts in a given instance of roleplay, it will exhaust them enough to prevent them from participating in combat scenarios properly. This makes them too disoriented to properly use any minor combative uses to these magics unless they are used at the very beginning of combat.

 

SORVIAN CONSTITUTION

𒂊𒀈𒈽𒀉𒅡𒄴𒈿𒁉

 

The man-made-men, while superficially alike other mortal beings, differ from them significantly in their strengths and limitations. Not only this, but they too differ in physical composition and spiritual status.

 

Strengths

 

• LIMBO: Sorvians are potentially immune to the effects of time. They do not age and do not experience permanent physical degradation without moving or being animate. This is maximized if a Sorvian is a pacifist or one who avoids dangers; they will exist to perpetuate through history should nothing come to disrupt their limbo. War-faring or highly physically active Sorvians will more quickly erode, requiring more repair by a Sculpting who may be themselves or someone else entirely. This erosion is signified on their clay bodies as dry cracks in the otherwise smooth faux-flesh.

 

• LIMBO II: Sorvians are not bound by certain conditional mortal limitations. They do not need to breathe and are only susceptible to water if plunged a certain depth. Sorvians do not experience exhaustion or physical fatigue while maintaining the strength of a common human soldier. Sorvians are not required to eat or drink. Sorvians are capable of, but do not require, sleep and rest. Additionally, Sorvians are resistant to harsh weather or regional conditions such as extreme heat, humidity, and cold. Direct fire will scorch and crack them, and they may become frozen solid, but if kept from being broken or rendered into dust by these elements, Sorvians will survive them.

 

• PALEBEAST IMMUNITY: Sorvians are uniquely immune to most powers and tendencies associated with dark beings or wizards. They cannot be drained of Lifeforce by Necromancers for their lack of Lifeforce entirely, and they cannot be harvested for blood by Blood Mages or blood-consuming darkspawn for their total lack of it either. A Sorvian is also immune to magical curses, poisons, and disease.

 

• TOLERANCE: Sorvians have a particularly high tolerance for pain and may continue fighting even if limbs are severed from their body. This allows them to enjoy resistance to torture methods or forms of combat meant to debilitate an individual via the infliction of painful wounds.

 

• MEMORY: Sorvians are capable of photographic memory across the span of a century. This means they may retain all forms of precise information perceived by them unless otherwise interrupted by instances of physical destruction or deactivation. Memories gained within that 100 years will begin to fade following the pass of their century to make room for new clearer memories, but the information will be retained and accessible if put into physical record or reminded of by other individuals or events. This psychological constitution allows them to be highly calculative and efficient beings that may quickly process mathematical information and exponentially improve learned skills.

 

Weaknesses

 

• FRAGILITY I: A Sorvian’s means to exceed certain mortal limitations stands in contrast to their actual fragility. Being capable of constant and continual physical duress does not make them immune to degradation, meaning every instance of high-intensity motion or stress upon a Sorvian body will erode the durability of their joints and overall constitution. Though this is the same for all living beings, Sorvian bodies do not have the means to regenerate and thus make the damaged parts of their body. Instead, they continually break down and become at risk of losing limbs and other extremities if not properly maintained by Sculptors with blood and clay.

 

• FRAGILITY II: Complex or even heavy weaponry is not needed to damage a Sorvian significantly. A sword or cleaver is capable of severing their limbs with ease and a dagger may puncture their chest cavity like how it may easily pierce damp clay. Dealing an open chest wound such as this will cause the Sorvian to bleed the spiritual essence they require to function, and after 5 emotes in combat they will be rendered lifeless unless the wound is patched in that time. A Sorvian is capable of “hanging on '' for 10 emotes if combat has passed or if these damages were sustained in instances outside of violence or conflict with other individuals. A Sorvian does not bleed this essence unless a wound is dealt to that specific cavity in the chest region of the body.

 

• FRAGILITY III: The Sorvian mask is extremely sensitive to contact and may be broken to destroy a Sorvian. This is achieved by striking the mask 3 times with a weapon capable of inducing physical damage or by accidents in which the Sorvian may endure trauma to the head or face. Additionally, if the head is destroyed or removed entirely from the body, the Sorvian will perish whether or not the mask remains upon the head.

 

• ELEMENTAL FRAGILITY: If plunged or pulled under 120 feet or 36 meters of water, the chest cavity of a Sorvian will implode and induce their demise within 5 emotes. Additionally, if they are successfully caught aflame for more than 5 emotes, all parts of their body touched by the blaze will begin to crumble. This is especially dangerous for their chest cavity, which will begin to leak their spiritual essences if flame scorches it directly.

 

• MENTAL STABILITY: Sorvians are capable of processing emotions and thoughts. However, they are not proficient in identifying those feelings. This can cause their mental demeanor to collapse within years, months, or even weeks. If a Sorvian is injured substantially during a traumatic time in their life, these pains may reoccur. Which is often referred to as phantom pains. These can happen when a Sorvian is nearing its breaking point. Sorvians are prone to becoming overwhelmed by thoughts, emotions, and outside factors. When a Sorvian is losing their stability they might be delusional or behave irrationally. Examples are; yelling, running into compromising conflicts, believing an event happened despite it being completely made up, and snapping at their kin. One of the rarest forms of mental instability is disconnection from reality. This is when a Sorvian shuts down entirely, their body may lie motionless for decades, staring out into nothingness.

 

• OBSESSION: As all constructs do, they will crave a purpose, task, or directive. For Sorvians, if they have been abandoned by their creator, they can assign themselves tasks. They are usually, making their purpose a part of their name or personality, (Wave-maker, Scroll-Hoarder, Bird-Watcher, etc). This obsession can grow out of society, either their fixation unneeded or outdated. They can lose themselves in trying to prove that their purpose is valid. This does not only relate to purposes but made-up religions, prophecies, or myths.

 

• MIMICRY:  Sorvians are often looking for validation or acceptance by society. They base themselves off of interactions, and things they see. Often, a young clay golem will be seen observing from a distance or forcefully jabbing itself into others' conversations. This mimicry can even go as far as the Sorvian growing hair, feathers, or fur on their head. Their masks can be altered through time to represent what their purpose or focus is, sometimes taking a humanoid appearance to make themselves seem approachable. If their social needs are not met; they will lose their mental stability.

 

• MALFLAME: The particular assembly of the Sorvian soul renders it highly vulnerable to Naztherak Malflame. This vulnerability primarily stems from their mask, which exists as a physical vessel fused with the spiritual matter processed in their chest cavity over time. When Malflame makes contact with a Sorvian’s mask, it will burn uninterrupted for 5 emotes, and severely debilitate the Sorvian both physically and mentally as the pain exceeds their means to process it. While Malflame cannot shatter their mask, it will damage the mask enough to be broken with one strike instead of three. If a Sorvian survives an encounter where they suffer Malflame burns, their mask will remain in extremely poor condition and must be left to repair itself over the course of an IRL week to achieve proper restoration. If repairs are expedited and the mask is repaired by a Sculptor, a Sorvian’s mask will return to its 3-strike durability, but will leave the Sorvian deeply traumatized and addled with phantom pains, twitching, involuntary movements, and overall mental instability from the magical damages dealt by the Naztherak element.

 

• SPARKLESS: A Sorvian cannot utilize any form of magical power beyond the feat of Sorvian Sculpting, with Housemagery and Bardmancy possible under specific conditions. Non-magical feats may also be practiced freely by Sorvians such as Alchemy in most forms that do not require higher magical powers. This is because their soul is “lesser”, and thus does not bear the constitution and spiritual strength necessary for those advanced channeling powers in its original state.

 

• SENSELESS: Sorvians do not share the same amount of senses as Descendants. For example, they cannot taste or smell, though they can hear and see as clearly as other mortals. Their sense of touch is also very dull which shares a relationship with their pain tolerance. A Sorvian cannot be made to go permanently blind, but covering the eye holes of their mask leads to blindness for as long as the coverings remain.

 

SORVIAN PSYCHOLOGY

𒍡𒁹𒋰𒄯𒅀𒅑𒈾𒊏

 

Originally created for the purpose of servitude, a Sorvian is concerned first and foremost with the directives and protection of their creator. For having been made by them, they cannot help but feel a strong admiration for their makers, even if they are dubious or of questionable moral disposition. These personal elements are irrelevant to the Sorvian, who are fulfilled by their servitude to their maker’s absolute authority.

 

This authority manifests in a literal way through a Sculptor’s means to give commands to their Sorvian, who may ponder or question the nature of the command but not disobey it unless it is determined without a doubt to directly lead to their destruction. Only their original creator holds this authority, and it cannot be transferred to another Sculptor even if a Sorvian becomes masterless and chooses another Sculptor or being to act as their master.

 

In the event of being freed or “released” by a Sculptor, that authority is retained, but a Sorvian’s mind will change to adapt to these significant events. They are known to choose, or be able to be persuaded toward, a specific religion, ideology or path to fulfill themselves where there now lacks any desire to adhere to their prior masters. Sorvians have been known to be released to pursue such paths and, in some circumstances, come to despise their makers for moral reasons they ingrain for having dedicated themselves to a specific set of morals or code. The authority of their original maker remains forever or however long their maker remains alive or otherwise capable of making those commands, even if the Sorvian has somehow become their enemy.

 

When independent, a Sorvian’s mind is less stable and more prone to delusion. Their entire initial existence revolves around servitude, and unless tempered and trained toward independence in their first days they will find themselves too absent too bear and begin to mentally degrade. Without reference or access to other sources of meaning in life, they may begin to fool themselves into servitude things that do not exist or hold actual presence at all, such as fantastical idols or false ancient legends devised in their dreams. This makes putting them on a proper path more difficult, and the longer they go on this way, the higher the chance a Sorvian Break may occur.

 

Sorvian Breaks

 

A Sorvian Break is a psychological episode that may take hold of a Sorvian when they have sustained significant psychological trauma, which may occur in particularly horrible moments (the death of their maker, or the downfall of their ideology) or even after long periods of time being purposeless. When a Sorvian Break occurs, the Sorvian’s original mental state has the chance to be “rewritten” or erased entirely, replaced by an entirely new ego and personality that is separate from the original Sorvian. The new ego that emerges at the end of a Sorvian Break is known to be aware of fragments or parts of their prior life, but feel no relation or attachment to it whatsoever. Sculptors may attempt to partially reverse a Sorvian Break by training the new ego to focus intensely upon those remnant fragments, but this may reintroduce and exacerbate mental illness in the Sorvian or cause the “return” of that original personality in a deeply flawed and disturbed form.

 

Sorvian Breaks may be manually induced upon Sorvians that are psychologically damaged, though it cannot be weaponized against them and requires a kind of inverse therapy in which the Sorvian is gaslit or otherwise subjected to engineered trauma strong enough to cause the episode. This is usually reserved as a technique to salvage a Sorvian and prevent them from falling into disrepair and death as a result of their madness, only at the cost of their true selves.

 

Ideological Reliance

 

Sorvians are born inherently bound to a need for authority, instruction and ultimately purpose. They associate their creator most strongly with these desires and at first feel total fulfillment in achieving the bidding of their makers. They crave a belonging to the identity and culture of their maker, to be alike them in their morals, traditions and perhaps even appearance, even if reduced to small features upon their person. It is therefore necessary for a Sculptor to bring their Sorvian creations into the fold of any group, culture or belief system they happen to belong to, even if personal directions only they follow. This craving to serve all aspects of their maker is on account of the sameness of their spiritual matter, as there lies a very fragment of the Sculptor's soul in their living creations.

 

If their master is lost or they are "released" by them, a Sorvian will be motivated to seek purposes that still align with the things already taught to them in the days of service. Thus they will not be satisfied by a peaceful life living quietly among mortals, and while capable of forcing themselves to do so it will incur a gradual strain upon their minds that may range from ten years to fifty years, leading to a far higher risk of Sorvian Breaks in which their entire personality and ego are lost or fragmented in place of a newer mind.

 

Sculptors are therefore incentivized greatly to care for their Sorvians by elevating them above standard servitude, to introduce them into families, cultures, religions or ideologies in which they may foresee, and pursue, more significant goals that lend even greater purposes to the smaller tasks given to them. Ignorance of this necessity, or even the abandonment of Sorvians to determine their own direction whether at birth or in the middle of their lives, will leave them in a state of gradual discombobulation and eventually breakdown as their primary source, both literally and ideologically, fails to meet those needs.

 

Redlines

Spoiler

On Sorvian Psychology

When created, a Sorvian is drawn to their Sculptor creator and must rely on them for reliable guidance and training in order to properly navigate the open world. The original creator of a given Sorvians has the means to command them, and those Sorvians cannot resist fulfilling those commands unless its direct consequences involve self-destruction or suicide.

 

Sorvians may be officially freed from service to their creator. This does not suspend the creator’s authority over them, but it causes the Sorvian to be attracted to other forms of direction such as religion, ideology, or even the intense practice of one or a given set of skills. Their personality adapts to revolve around these new paths, and as a result of strong dedication their form may shift and change aesthetically to fit their given path as aforementioned.

 

Sorvians are capable of independent thought and abstract contemplation, but are highly influenced by the morals of their maker or their chosen path and thus have a perpetual bias for their view of the world that may make it difficult for them to grapple with information conflicting with their ideals or understanding of their surroundings.

 

On Sorvian Breaks

Sorvian Breaks happen when a Sorvian character experiences extreme mental trauma, which because of the complexities of roleplay are left to the discretion of the Sorvian player. This also means Sorvian Breaks cannot be weaponized against them, even if they may be triggered intentionally. Sorvian Breaks erase a Sorvian’s prior identity, replacing it with a new slate and ego which may recall, but will feel no connection to, their prior existence. The original Sorvian may be returned through different forms of guidance, but it will return flawed and in an unstable mental state that lacks the entirety of the original Sorvian’s mind.

 

Sorvian Breaks occur at the discretion of the Sorvian player, who may use them as a means to further develop their Construct character.

 

On Ideological Reliance

Sorvian Sculptor players are expected to provide a proper upbringing experience to the player invested in their Sorvian character, which includes any group, organization or otherwise that the Sculptor is also invested in. This is intended to further strengthen the activity of given player groups, nations and cultures while also giving a Sorvian player a complete and cohesive way to develop their character with other players.

 

Sorvian players are expected to invest themselves in their characters and embrace the ways inherent to the groups or individuals that create them, and do not tend to stray away willingly from them without psychological damage and confusion incurring upon their character. Becoming severed from their source without being released under their Sculptor's permission contridicts the purpose of their creation, which is to serve their maker. 

 

Sorvian characters cannot live "absently" or normally like other Descendant characters without experiencing gradual psychological breakdown, as this leaves them without any purpose or direction granted by whatever they are conditioned to see as their authority, such as their Sculptors. While they are capable of trying, they must follow psychological guidelines and incorporate these weaknesses into their character until they find another purpose with the same or similar player group.

 

SORVIAN CREATIONS

𒂀𒀸𒈥𒀢𒆸𒈾

 

In the time since the artform’s revival, it has been experimented with and tested by meticulous and adventurous Sculptors that believed Sculpting may be expressed in various different forms. Two distinct forms of Sorvian Creations have emerged - Sorvian Oddities, and Sorvian Armaments, both of which serve contrasting purposes.

 

Sorvian Creations are composed entirely of porcelain. Similarly to masks, they are inscribed with the blood and soul of a Sculptor and given specific purposes, especially so in the case of the invariable Sorvian Oddities but less so for Sorvian Armaments that are engineered for the act of war. The material composition causes Sorvian Creations to be particularly fragile, especially if complexity is involved in their function.

 

Because Sorvian Creations lack a Husk, they do not have the means to expand mentally beyond their original state, and thus are entirely dedicated to their inscribed purpose without end. This means a Sorvian Creation does not react to communication or stimuli unless directly related to their function and does not have the mental faculties to actively intelligently communicate with others.

 

Sorvian Creations may be crafted by any form of Sculptor, but they do require blood and spiritual sacrifice in order for the Sculpting Language to be inscribed so they may be charged with purpose. This sacrifice does not exhaust a Sculptor as severely as traditional Sorvian Sculpting, but does require the Sculptor to rest for up to an Elven week in between each Sorvian Creation. Sorvian Creations do not affect a Sculptor’s ability to create traditional Sorvians, and are affected only by their given weekly limitation.

 

Sorvian Oddities

 

Sorvian Oddities are porcelain objects and devices imbued with a miniscule fragment of a Sculptor’s soul in order to charge them with a specific purpose. They are made with a higher degree of complexity and precision necessary for the construction of purely porcelain material, which renders Oddities into fragile creations that must be treated, used and maintained with utmost care and dedication. Sorvian Oddities are the non-combative variant of Sorvian Creations, and thus are reserved for being made into devices meant to fulfill day to day purposes or simplistic tasks.

 

The prime rule of Sorvian Oddities is that their function relies upon the vocal communication of commands by the individuals wishing to use them, deriving from a Sorvian’s natural tendency to adhere to authority. Though traditional Sorvians only adhere to the commands of their maker, Sorvian Oddities cannot make the distinction of who gives the command and submits to them anyway. This is how they are activated, and they typically require specific phrases or questions in order for them to begin functioning on account of their Sculpting inscriptions only having a set amount of communications that the Oddity may recognize or process. This means Sorvian door locks or chests would only adhere to specific passwords, or that Oddity calculating devices would only know how to reference mathematical equations and solutions.

 

Other examples of Oddities are Sorvian clocks, which cannot contain intricate clockwork mechanisms but rather express the time vocally as long as the Oddity has a reference of time, needing to be exposed to the outdoors by either being placed outside or near a window so they may evaluate the position of the sun and make their accurate estimations. More examples include simpler Oddities such as coins that may whisper their own monetary value, or porcelain statues of individuals that may speak known terms or sayings associated with the modeled individual. Oddities may even serve temporary purposes like messages, such as a handheld porcelain tablet that may speak the subtly shifting engravings marked upon them with Sculpting Language. The voice these Oddities speak are nearly the same, if not exact, to the voice of their Sculptor creators. This is because in the midst of an Oddity’s creation, there must be a brief “training” or functionality testing trial in which the Oddity is taught to mimic specific phrases or words associated with different parts or the whole of their vocal function.

 

Sorvian Oddities, while they do not have the mental capacity to intelligently communicate with other beings, may experience a form of depression or inactivity as a result of not being used at all or for long periods of time, or if kept within storage chests unattended. It may take some time before an inactive Oddity may be kickstarted back into use, only possible by attempting to activate it with any associated phrase or use multiple times through the day of its discovery.

 

Sorvian Oddities are also given a far smaller fragment of the Sculptor’s soul which affects the lifespan of the Oddity’s functionality. The rate of regeneration of their mortal soul fragment experiences is unable to outpace the amount of energy the Oddity must expend to both be used and to remain indefinitely active or “alive”, and this lifespan usually reaches up to 10 years, or 10 Elven weeks. A Sculptor may precisely detect the amount of charge left in an Oddity and will know when they have been completely drained of their spiritual power. 

 

The solution to this is as simple as the Sculptor reinvigorating the Oddity by repeating the steps of its creation ritual, primarily in transferring another minor soul fragment into it with their blood. This is known to have no effect on an Oddity’s purpose other than affecting the voice they speak, as the recharging process includes requiring the Sculptor to briefly retrain the Oddity in their inscribed purpose.

 

A more extensive list of Sorvian Oddity examples are as thus:
 

Oddity clocks

Oddity coins

Oddity door locks

Oddity chests

Oddity calendars

Oddity calculators

Oddity messages

Oddity statues & sculptures

Oddity jewelry

Oddity lightsources

Oddity dolls & figurines

Oddity books

And many more!

 

Redlines

Spoiler

Sorvian Oddities are noncombative devices that are made to achieve usually vocal and communication based effects. They cannot be engineered to self-destruct or be weaponized unless to strike someone over the head with one, which will shatter the item.

 

Only one Sorvian Oddity may be created by a Sculptor per IRL week. When an Oddity is created, another form of Sorvian Creation such as Armaments are also unable to be made until an IRL week passes from the day of the Oddity’s creation

 

Sorvian Oddities intended to contain and narrate knowledge or history cannot contain sensitive materials such as instructions on how to concoct secret Alchemical recipes or serve as instruments for learning magical arts.

 

Sorvian Oddities mimick the tone and sound of their creators, but cannot do so perfectly and are usually monotous copies of the original voice.

 

Sorvian Oddities must be player signed mechanical items. These mechanical representations must have the appropriate name and description to convey and explain their purpose and function while also including the IRL date of their creation.

 

Sorvian Oddity items have a “charge” duration of 10 IRL weeks. When 10 IRL weeks pass from the date of their creation, a Sculptor character must recharge the item and recreate it to include the new date of creation in the description.

 

When Sorvian Oddities are destroyed completely, they cannot be brought back from their destruction. A similar Oddity will have to be made to fulfill the desired purpose of the Sculptor character. If only minor damages are sustained, a Sculptor may be able to make imperfect repairs to its structure which may incur communication and functionality errors.

 

Oddities cannot actively or intelligently communicate despite having the means to project words and phrases vocally and being able to process vocal commands. 

 

Oddity function relies upon the Sculptor’s inherent ability to hold authority or command over their Sorvian creations, but Oddities lack the ability to identify who gives the command, only that it has been said and must be carried out. This means anyone can use any Oddity produced by a Sculptor, and that their function cannot be exclusive to one or few characters.

 

Example Mechanical Item

Spoiler

Name: The Living Beskytte Record

Description: A porcelain tablet 52×31×31 inches in size and 5 inches thick, it is dyed in the colors of the Sorvian clan Beskytte with these designs framing depictions of Sorvians all around the edge of the record. Across the face of the tablet are vertical lines of unusual runes recognized by Sculptors as Sculpting Language. These symbols cannot be transliterated or translated, but by speaking the phrase “what is your history”, those runes will begin to shift strangely before the eyes before a monotone voice comparable to the Sorvian Glass’ voice begins speaking the history of the Beskytte clan’s foundation in the Descendant domain of Norland. What is spoken leaves much to be interpreted as the Sorvian Oddity does not have the means to answer questions regarding what it says about Beskytte history, only what was engraved upon it in creation.

[ Created 11/4/23 ]

Player signed by: MangoManMini

 

Example RP Scenarios

 

On Sorvian Oddities:

Creation

Spoiler

Carmine finishes polishing the completed product of his week-long efforts, a pristinely modeled porcelain figurine of a toga-wearing Sorvian balanced by a thin flat base to ensure it may be displayed on a shelf or stable surface. They closely inspected their work, ensuring that the sole red color dyed upon the toga had not smudged upon other parts of the figure’s anatomy. The tiny mask’s features were left intentionally without detail, allowing any Sorvian to identify with the creation.

 

Carmine takes gentle hold of their figurine and sets it on its side, calling forth their mortal assistance Clayton Porc now that the final step in the Oddity’s creation had come. Cutting his palm with a wince, Clayton reaches out and offers the bloodied palm to Carmine, who dips a finger into the small red pool before using it, like ink, to inscribe a specific series of horizontal lines of Sculpting Language upon the underside of the figurine’s standing platform. They focus deeply during this process, channeling a tiny fragment of their soul through the blood as a medium and upon the porcelain platform’s bottom. The runes written there briefly shimmer and shift before Carmine’s gaze, awakening under their careful treatment. These bloody symbols rapidly dry and become sealed to the fragile material, becoming one with its make.

 

Carmine then stands the figurine straight and steps back. “Say: I hate the Palebeast,” They say to the figurine, which stands there silently for nearly ten seconds before a monotone repetition of the voice emits from it: “I plate the Palebeast.”

 

Carmine tips their hooded head in confusion, saying, “Incorrect. Say: I hate the Palebeast,” They repeat firmly, attempting to speak as clearly as possible. Another ten seconds pass before the Oddity repeats the words: “I grate the Palebeast.”

 

Carmine looks over to Clayton Porc, who has busied himself with wrapping the superficial wound upon his palm. They look back to the dysfunctional Oddity and attempts its programming for a third time, speaking their command strongly while trying their hardest to convey the authority of their Sculptor powers. “Incorrect. Say the following phrase: I hate the Palebeast!”

 

Now fifteen seconds pass, and in startling reply the small figurine repeats the near-same tone and emotion of their creator, finally achieving the desired result: “I hate the Palebeast!”

 

Carmine nods satisfactorily, reaching out to pick up the Oddity and inspect it further. They carry it into another room to dedicate another hour to testing the creation’s capacity to understand the phrase spoken to it, repeating its activation until it becomes capable of mimicking the words uniformly. 

 

On Sorvian Oddities:

Activation & Use I

 

Spoiler

Julian Bird-watcher paces across a wide field of flowers, surrounded by the buzz of bees and hummingbirds as he carried a porcelain sundial toward the highest point of the clearing. He looks up to the sky and watches the position of the sun, determining it was a short time before noon arrived.

 

Julian Bird-watcher bends down onto one knee and places the fragile sundial upon an a dried patch of mossy earth, stabilizing it so that the face of the device was directed toward the clear blue sky. Using his four arms to uproot grass and brush away dirt to give the sundial more balance, he then tips back to seat himself cross-legged while he observed the inactive porcelain craft. Both pairs of hands press together before him in ritual preparation of the Oddity’s first use.

 

“What is the time?” He states clearly. Sculpting runes engraved along the sundial’s gnomon and dial plate briefly flare and shift strangely before his gaze, signifying activation. “It is fifteen minutes past twelve,” It finally replies, its voice a monotone mimicry of its maker’s. “What is the weather?” Julian asks further, replied to after a five second evaluation of their surroundings: “The sky is clear … There is no estimation for a change in the current weather pattern for the next … five hours.”

 

Julian Bird-watcher gives a curt nod, satisfied by the sundial Oddity’s dynamic function and accuracy. He stands and reaches down to carefully gather it from the ground, holding it close to his red robe as the shimmering runes fall into a sleeping dormancy.

 

On Sorvian Oddities:

Activation & Use II

 

Spoiler

Domrak trails through the streets of Numendil, perusing the many wares being sold by clamoring and rugged merchants. He approaches one of the stalls and raises one of his four arms, greeting an Adunian salesman with one tooth.

 

“Is this mortar and pestle for sale?” He asks, gesturing to the stone set displayed upon the wooden bench.

 

“Aye it is, put it together meself ye know… more value to it. Fifty mina,” He slurs, getting to the point. His glassy eyes did not make it clear if he trusted the creature he was interacting with.

 

“Yes… very well. How about this?” Domrak asks, reaching into his robe with his left lower arm to retrieve a pale, polished porcelain imitation of a Mina coin. It appeared to bear similar engravings to a fifty-coin piece, though the center bore a peculiar rune that did not belong to the Common Alphabet.

 

“Eh? Wotsis?” The merchant drawls, leaning down to get a look at it with his old milky eyeballs. He seemed confused, trying to recall if new forms of currency had been seen circulating the markets.

 

Looking down into the same palm that held the porcelain coin, Domrak spoke to it directly rather than the salesman, saying, “What are you worth?” The rune at the center gently flares, shifting unreadably before the gaze of the fascinated haggard Adunian.

 

“I AM… FIFTY MINAS.” It was an odd, bold imitation of Domrak’s voice, as if made to be more charismatic in the value it identified with.

 

The Adunian merchant briefly reels backward, acting as though he saw a ghost in the fragile coin. “It’s yers! It’s all yers!” He gibbered out, greedily reaching out to collect what he perceived to be an enchanted coin of wealth.

 

Domrak passed it to him with a respectful tip of his head, then moving to gather the mortar and pestle. He moves to depart from the stall.

 

The Adunian merchant can be heard rambling to the coin, “What’re yer worth?!” To which the coin replies in repetition, “FIFTY… MINA.”

 

Sorvian Armaments

 

Sorvian Armaments are the Sorvian Creations reserved for the acts of war and defense, signifying a Sculptor’s ability to adapt their art to a hostile world they must actively navigate through. Like Sorvian Oddities, the armaments are swords of two varieties that are fashioned completely out of porcelain, and thus in their powerless or unawakened state are extremely fragile and must be kept secure and protected with the use of thick clay scabbards. 

 

Their true use lies in their awakening, as porcelain swords do not have any feasible use on the open field of combat and would break even before any clash of swords would occur. A Sorvian Armament is useful only after their awakening, which involves the traditional act of imbueing these porcelain weapons with a Sculptor’s minor spiritual fragments, inscribing the shifting runes of Sculpting Language in blood across the blade. Those inscriptions act as instructions for the armament to fortify itself when activated during combat, channeling the entirety of their spiritual power towards a kind of transmutation that makes them equal in strength, constitution and sharpness as a mundane steel sword.

 

A Sorvian Armament is activated only after their creation and awakening, and is done so manually and at-will if wielded by the original Sculptor creator without need for spoken incantations. The effects of their activation are useful only when the weapons are active, meaning the wielder must be sure to keep it within its paired clay scabbard at all times when not in use for it returns to a fragile and easily broken state when not channeling the power invested within it,

 

This activation causes an aesthetic flair to manifest across the length of the blade, which is also where the Sculpting Language is inscribed across the complete length of them. Forms of aural energy emerge from the woken runes, capable of producing a wide variety of visual effects such as appearing ensorceled with flames, crackling energy, or simply the shimmer of an aural light from the blade of the armament. The color of these flairs depend on the color of the wielder’s aura, meaning a Sorvian may only discover the color of their soul’s aura by creating a Sorvian Armament of their own.

 

These aesthetic effects do not incur a supernatural damage onto other beings and is merely the expression of the armament burning off spiritual energy in order to maintain the weapon’s fortification effect. Therefore, the flame or visible energy coating the weapons are barely detectable by other beings besides in the sounds produced, as these aural projections give off only a faint warmth that may cause the armament themselves to become warm. This also means Sorvian Armament’s active state cannot shift away from the nature of steel in order to mimic the effect of other various alloys such as gold, boomsteel and thanhium. Sorvian Armaments cannot be enchanted separately in any fashion either, and so are limited to the one and only mundane use in mortal combat equal to every other common warrior in the world.

 

Sorvian Armaments may be broken even in their active state by being overexerted in combat, causing a porcelain Sorvian Armament to splinter or shatter at the same rate a steel blade may chip or bend. Extreme damage to an armament, such as being broken in half entirely, will lead to the weapon combusting in their hand in a flash of aural light, leaving them destroyed forever. They may be repaired by any Sculptor, as well as recharged by them, as Sorvian Armaments share the trait with Oddities in having a far more limited spiritual blood to draw upon than traditional Sorvians. This means they will require re-imbuement by a Sculptor every 10 years, or 10 Elven weeks, from the moment of their making. Doing so will shift the weapon’s ownership to the Sculptor responsible for imbuing them, allowing them to activate them at-will where others are forced to rely on more crude activation methods.

 

If stolen from a Sculptor or given by them as a gift or otherwise, a Descendant or blood-bearing individual, whether a Sculptor or not, may draw their palm along the edge of their palm or expose the blade to a source of fresh blood in order to activate its fortification effect. This is the only way for individuals who are not the weapon’s original Sculptor creator to utilize a Sorvian Armament, activating it in a more of a hijacked manner where the Sculpting Language upon the blade misfires in the presence of the genus or spiritual matter in the blood. A Sorvian Armament may be activated as many times as necessary in combat if not significantly damaged, and have no limit on how they remain inactive. However, frequent use will lead to the general degradation of the porcelain structure, forcing a Sculptor to apply clay based repairs with their blood at least once per Elven week. A particularly ancient Sorvian Armament is known to appear riddled with cracks and damages but kept stable by any clay seals or patches upon the body of the weapon, tarnishing their original refined and artistic appearance.

 

Sorvian Armaments, similarly to traditional Sorvians such as Conventionals and Newts, have two minor subtypes that are distinguished by their size. The Sorvian Xiphos is a blade better suited for Newts on account of being only 12 inches in length maximum, while the Sorvian Rhomphaia represents all porcelain blades ranging beyond 12 inches and to a maximum of 40. Both forms of Sorvian Armament are entirely the same bar their physical size and combat capabilities, and may be given various superficial designs or applied with dyes of all colors as porcelain crafts typically are.

 

Redlines

Spoiler

Only one Sorvian Armament may be created by a Sculptor per IRL week. When a Sorvian Armament is made, another Sorvian Creation, including Oddities, cannot be made until that one week passes

 

Sorvian Armaments may be activated and readied for combat within 1 emote, equal to that of drawing a mundane sword from its scabbard. The wielder must meet the conditions for activating it and reference the weapon’s aesthetic effects as to distinguish whether it is active or inactive throughout combat. Armaments are deactivated at the will of the wielder and cease their aesthetic flair once this occurs. 

 

A Sorvian Armament’s charge lasts 10 weeks from the point of creation, and must be remade after that 10 weeks with a new date of creation and expiration. No other details need to be altered on an armament’s mechanical representation, allowing Sculpting to continually recharge them without remaking the entire weapon.

 

Sorvian Armaments are represented by player signed custom weapons and must be given an appropriate name and explanation detailing their design and function, as well as the IRL date of their creation. Armaments are typically represented by stone swords, but iron may be used to emphasize their white porcelain composition. Armaments do not require MArts for their creation, as they are not advantageous over regular weaponry.

 

A Sorvian Armament may take the shape of the Xiphos, which may be as long as 12 inches, or the Rhomphaia, which ranges from 13 inches to 40 or equal to a longsword. Sorvian Armaments of colossal size, such as greatswords, cannot be created. Sorvian Armaments only take the shape of swords, and cannot be made into axes, polearms, bows or any other form of weapon besides traditional blades. Sorvian Armaments are typically weighty like stone when inactive, but assume the same weight and balance qualities as steel swords when activated.

 

Sorvian Armaments hold a vast potential for different aesthetic features that may be described in their mechanical representations. Because they are made of porcelain, they may be dyed practically any color and given any range of superficial stylization as long as it is made of porcelain. The only constant in an Armament’s appearance is the presence of the long lines of Sculpting runes written across both sides of the blade except for the handle, pommel and crossguard.

 

Sorvian Armaments are recharged by Sculptors. Only the original creator of the weapon is capable of at-will activation of a drawn Sorvian Armament, and all other wielders are forced to expose the blade to fresh blood, even their own, in order to activate it without its creator. 

 

Sorvian Armaments may be repaired with clay and blood. Any breaks or cracks are sealed with a Sculptor’s blood and clay at the cost of tarnishing its original appearance. Repairs must be done at least once per IRL week in order to continually maintain a Sorvian Armament that is actively used in battle.

 

Sorvian Armaments are Sorvian lore based equivalents of normal weapons and are made equal to steel swords. The energy summoned around the blade upon activation is not harmful itself and only proves to confirm its functionality. Activated Sorvian Armaments may break under similar conditions needed by steel swords to break, but if unactivated may be shattered easily as the porcelain returns to a mundane state.

 

Sorvian Armaments must be concealed and protected by clay scabbards usually paired with them upon creation. Unless kept in this scabbard, it is highly likely an unactivated Armament will chip and break even under light forms of pressure on account of porcelain’s fragility.

 

The energy emitted by an Armament’s blade runes is aesthetically variable and may take the shape of either fire, crackling electrical energy or shimmering light, whereas the aural color projected by these flairs depend on the aural color of the wielder activating the weapon. A Paladin Sculptor’s active Armament may exhibit pale blue or gold light, or a Necromancer’s may exhibit a black or dark red fire, or a Druid may exhibit a green energy. It depends completely on the choice of the character player, who may already know the color of their aura through other magical acts.

 

Example Mechanical Item

Spoiler

Name: The Sorvian Falx of Itulan

Description: A Sorvian Armament in the shape of a 40-inch curved falx sword. The entire weapon from handle to blade is dyed completely black and is paired with a 3 pound clay scabbard decorated with engravings depicting a battle against a skeleton. The handle is wrapped in a red cloth that adheres to a warrior’s grasp. There are strange symbols that have been scorched into the black porcelain blade of the weapon, and when the Sorvian falx is awakened by its maker or by the fresh blood of the wielder, the porcelain composition becomes equal to steel in strength, durability and sharpness. An aural flair will emit from the runes upon the weapon’s awakening, taking the shape of a fire-colored electrical energy that only serves to fortify the fragile weapon into combat readiness and has no effect upon foes who are touched by it, only the sword’s wicked cleaving edge. [Created 11/1/23]

Player signed by: Ashkeeper Itulan (SilverPlatter)

 

Example RP Scenarios

 

On Sorvian Armaments:

Creation 

Spoiler

Ashkeeper Itulan finishes his work in crafting each individual piece of his envisioned Sorvian Rhomphaia, intended to take the shape of a 40-inch falx. The weapon is currently divided into five segments, and each piece is bound together by small bits of bloodied clay that act as an adhesive keeping each piece together. With the guardless handle all bound together, it is then wrapped with a thin black leather.

 

Ashkeeper Itulan carefully fits the long porcelain blade into its place in the fragile handle. He closely inspects the curved cleaving blade for any damages, ensuring the blade was completely flawless.

 

Ashkeeper Itulan lifts his right arm that had long ago been replaced by the Sacred Arm, the Sorvian artifact capable of shedding blood. With a knife, he makes a cut into the already scarred palm and dips his middle finger into it, bending over to write this blood like ink across the entire length of the blade, inscribing the unawakened weapon’s purpose in the language of his craft.

 

Tiny fragments of the Ashkeeper’s soul are channeled through the written blood, causing the damp red script to begin shimmering and shifting before his very gaze. He then steps back and observes the porcelain blade as the sacrificed spiritual fragments cement themselves into the fragile material. The runes originally written in blood have been scorched across the weapon’s blade, permanently set into the ceramic composition of the falx.

 

He reaches out to grasp the long hilt of the Sorvian falx, feeling its stoney weight as he watches the runes cease shifting and emitting their aural light. Holding it vertically with both hands, he pauses in deep silence as he balances himself, and then raises the falx upward to awaken its effect at-will. The runes along the porcelain blade more strongly shimmer to life, beginning to crackle and hum with an electrical aural flair that emits the orange and red hues of fire. Sparks fly from the weapon’s activation but disappear entirely once they touch the forge floor, leaving no trace of their contact with anything.

 

He then weighs the humming porcelain blade in his hands again, finding its weight more likened to a steel blade of the same shape forged by his clan. Turning toward a dented metal helmet laid upon his nearby anvil, Itulan draws the fearsome enchanted sword back before swinging it with great ire, striking the side of it with the inward-curving end and pierced the thin sheet metal,. The blade’s fortifying spell perseveres, enduring the strike just as a steel version would. The clash leaves the helmet flying across the room just from the force of the hit, more deeply caved in than before.

 

He then turns and steps back toward the horizontal brace, carefully settling the crackling weapon back down upon it. With the loss of contact between his hands and the Sorvian Armament, the fortifying spell weakens before his eyes and the flair ceases, returning the blade to fragile dormancy as it reverts back to its original strength and constitution. 

 

Ashkeeper Itulan then steps away, intending to gather more clay for the large clay scabbard needed to protect the new sword in his travels.

 

On Sorvian Armaments:

Activation & Disarmament

Spoiler

Wave-maker approaches the field of battle where his foe, Bandit Joe, who stands there holding his arming sword. The Sorvian slowly reaches down to his belt, where a weighty clay scabbard hands. He takes gentle hold of a wrapped hilt and slowly draws the porcelain blade from the earthen sheathe, holding it in both hands.

 

Bandit Joe begins his approach, mistaking Wave-maker as being prepared for battle. He raises his blade as he closes the gap, preparing to swing downward in a brutish assault upon his clay enemy.

 

Wave-maker slightly raises the porcelain blade up - in the very moment of Bandit Joe’s charge, it bursts in a crackling display of energy that sizzles and crackles, colored amber gold with streaks of black running across the length of the weapon’s runes. In the very next moment, he moves to clash swords with Bandit Joe, provoking another crackling reaction from the fortified Sorvian blade. This causes a small shower of colored sparks to fly from the collision and into Bandit Joe’s face, which upon contact do no feasible harm to him.

 

Bandit Joe’s blade parries with the Sorvian Armament, the shock of its transformation provoking him to step away in premeditated evasion. He wipes his face to ensure the strange energy did not burn his face, but finds the arcane flair generated by the blade had not affected him whatsoever. This reinvigorates his will to fight, where he steps forward and attempts a masterful feint against the clay golem foe.

 

Wave-maker too quickly reacts to the feint, swinging toward Joe and opening himself up to be disarmed. The awakened porcelain sword hums as it cuts through the air, displaying itself as lethal when in reality it is merely the power within the weapon expressing its self-fortifying abilities. 

 

Bandit Joe takes advantage of his successful feint and flicks his arming sword toward the middle of the crackling porcelain blade, producing an ethereal clang upon the second collision of their weapons. The force of his manuever is intended to make the magic clay sword fly from Wave-maker’s hands, disarming him to end their duel.

 

Wave-maker stumbles back as he loses his weapon. Immediately upon the loss of contact, the energies exhibited by the Sorvian Armament vanish and the weapon returns to a dormant state. This occurs while it is still spinning through the air, causing the blade to clatter against a nearby pile of dusty stones which render a large chip and a crack through the center of the blade, damaging it irrevocably. Knowing it could not be reclaimed and used again to prolong their battle, Wave-maker raises his hands in surrender.

 

SORVIAN AUGMENTATION

𒍣𒈾𒅀𒅐𒄔𒅄𒄊𒅀𒁕𒄤

 

Sorvian Augmentation is another new expression of Sculpting that is intended to improve a Sorvian’s control over themselves and the nature of their being. The this sole form of Sorvian Augmentation takes the form of Sacrificial Hands, allowing Sorvians to bleed for their rituals. This Sorvian Augmentation is accessible only to Sorvians who have become Sculptor teachers, as gaining such a status proves their ability to expertly manipulate the cumulative anima within their bodies.

 

Sacrificial Hands

 

 

—Sacrificial Hands are right-handed limbs that regrow in place of a Sorvian’s right hand upon their ascension to Sculpting mastery. This transmutation takes approximately two Elven weeks to complete, and require the Sorvian to rest, meditate and exist undisturbed by any form of violence or conflict upon them or in their vicinity. These hands tend to appear darker or more cracked than the original pseudoflesh limb, and bear a warmth comparable to that of a Descendant’s in the same hand. These augments are unique in their ability to allow a Sorvian to bleed a form of pale gray blood known as “pseudoblood”. Pseudoblood is warm, murky and colorless, and only serves to assist a Sorvian Sculptor in achieving their rituals, conquering their previous limitation of relying on Descendants for their own blood. A Sacrificial Hand’s pseudoblood acts as a medium for a Sculptor to channel their spiritual essences through to achieve all forms of the Sculpting art. A right hand transformed into a Sacrificial Hand may extend its appearance up to the elbow of the right arm, and brings stronger sensations and feeling to that specific region of the Sorvian body. 

 

While the Sacrificial Hand makes blood more freely available to a Sorvian Sculptor, it is limited to five uses an Elven day in the production of pseudoblood for Sculpting rituals and forms of creation. This means every Elven day, a Sorvian Sculptor may independently create or revive Sorvians and procure Sorvian Creations up to five times within that given day. If those five chances are taken, then the Sacrificial Hand will become “sore” and will not produce pseudoblood until the following Elven day arrives.

 

Sacrificial Hands may be easily repaired or replaced if damaged or severed, but the actual act of their damaging is what poses a problem to a Sorvian - the pain felt is practically ten times that of what they experience when their other limbs are damaged, similar in that all things the hand may touch and feel are made equal to that of a Descendant. They are also destroyed just as easily, requiring no special tool, enchantment or gold in order to take advantage of a Sorvian’s new weakness.

 

One of the most beneficial advantages of the Sacrificial Hand is its ability to boost a Sorvian’s Sculpting limit. With a Sacrificial Hand in their possession, a Sorvian Sculptor is capable of creating up to three other Sorvians per three Elven month, but if the limb is lost or destroyed then any remaining opportunities for a Sorvian to create another of their kind within that Elven month are also lost.

 

Redlines

Spoiler

A Sorvian must be a approved Sculpting teacher in order to begin the transmutation of their right hand. This transformation takes two IRL weeks to complete and cannot be disrupted by combat roleplay, or else the process must restart. 

 

With a Sacrificial Hand in their possession, a Sorvian Sculptor character may create up to 3 other Sorvian characters per three IRL months. The Sacrificial Hand must be in their inventory for this to be possible, and if the hand is lost before all 3 potential Sorvians are created, they will lose the opportunity until the hand is regained. 

 

A Sacrificial Hand allows a Sorvian character to bleed for the purpose of completing Sculpting rituals. Sorvian blood is called pseudoblood, and is uniformly gray, murky and warm like Descendant blood. Pseudoblood cannot be used for Blood Magic rituals for lack of genus, and dark beings do not gain sustenance from feeding on their Sacrificial Hand. Doing so nonetheless, or incurring any open wound upon a Sacrificial Hand will cause one of its 5 daily uses to deplete.

 

A Sacrificial Hand may be repaired with clay by its Sorvian host but will crumble into dust upon being severed, just like other parts of the Sorvian. This requires another arm to be attached to replace it, forcing the Sorvian to initiate another two weeks of peace in order to transmute the replaced hand into a Sacrificial Hand.

 

A Sacrificial Hand may be cut to produce pseudoblood for Sorvian rituals up to 5 times per IRL day. These charges are restored upon the following IRL day, around the time of the use of the first charge.

 

Sacrificial Hands experience full-fledged feeling up to the elbow, equal to that of a Descendant’s. This means the hand being damaged or severed may stun or debilitate its Sorvian host for up to 2 emotes based on severity, as the pain encompasses a level of intensity they have never before endured. This agony may cause such a significant impact on a Sorvian’s mental health that to have a Sacrificial Hand severed three times from them will induce a Sorvian Break immediately after the third.

 

Pseudoblood acts similarly to Descendant blood in that it may be used by other Sorvians or Descendants for Sculpting, even if it is redundant for the latter. Pseudoblood dissipates roughly five minutes after being bled from the right hand, leaving no remains and joining the air invisibly. Pseudoblood also has no scent whatsoever. This utility is helpful for a Sorvian Sculpting teacher’s guidance in their Sorvian pupils.

 

A Sorvian’s Sacrificial Hand is represented as an item in their inventory which must be named, described and ST signed by an ST member overseeing the creation process. A description of the arm must be included, suggesting it is attached to the Sorvian and otherwise unattainable unless severed, which causes it to rapidly degrade anyway. Another arm item cannot be created or carried in the character’s inventory until two IRL weeks have passed from the original’s destruction. A Sorvian character cannot store their Sacrificial Hand, nor have a storage of back-up Sacrificial Hands, as it must be carried the entire time they are attached to the limb in roleplay.

 

Example Mechanical Item

Spoiler

Name: Glass’ Sacrificial Hand

Description: A dark, scorched-looking limb that is attached to the Sorvian Glass’ elbow. If severed from its Sorvian host, it will crumble away into a dark soot-like dust and leave the victim seething and debilitated with horrible agony for up to to 2 emotes. The arm is warmer than the rest of Glass’ body, and if cut will begin to bleed a murky gray fluid known as “pseudoblood” which dissipates in five minutes and cannot be collected even in sealed containers. 

ST signed by: ExampleSTMember

 

PURPOSE

𒍢𒄑𒁕𒈲

 

The purpose of this rewrite is to properly update the 2019 edition and add much deserved expansion in Sculpting roleplay possibilities. This is justified in part by the actual roleplay and accomplishments made by the multitude of Sculpting based groups or “families” that have emerged over these four years since Archipelego’s edition, in which many of the groups exhibited signs of “evolutionary” development stemming past their origins as completely servile playable Constructs. 

 

With this mechanical theme of evolution, Sorvian roleplay is envisioned to further diversify and positively impact the player community at-large, providing new and fun forms of Sorvian creations that have the potential to be enjoyed by practically all player groups active in the world. It also serves to provide new opportunities for Sorvian players themselves, who have found the absence of progression or means to do more with their abilities lacking after several years of consistent activity and several generations of characters created. These opportunities are not meant to boost the combative power of Sorvians or to grant them features that disrupt their mechanical equality with mundane characters, but rather to allow them to achieve a form of independence without relying entirely on Descendant or non-Sorvian Sculptor players to expand their communities.

 

This work is credited to:

Omen_Prince/Swgrclan (author)

SparkPowder (artwork, editing, formatting)

SlitheryC1 (feedback)

Johann_ (feedback, formatting)

The Sorvian community (for existing)

Edited November 18, 2023 by Omen Prince
Final edits

[MangoManMini 104]

Fingers Crossed. +1

[Sparkpowder 62]

PRAYING TO THE ALMIGHTY CLAY!! PLEASE ACCEPT THIS +1

[wowj 2826]

clay bros rising

[MeteorDragon 2826]

CLAY CLAY CLAY CLAY

[SlitheryC1 484]

I HATE the palebeast!!!!

[JoanOfArc 4586]

 

 

In a cozy nook we've sown,

From troubles, far we go,

With friends and kin, our hearts mend,

Our secret haven, a place to befriend.

 

 

[creamynoteblock 2426]

well-needed expansion on sorvian lore

[Reckless Banzai Screamer 11594]

RAAAAAH OMG I LOVE SORVIANS PLEASE GRANDFATHER ME RAAAAAAAH

[bloomtiara 368]

CLAAAYYYYYY

[NightcastorKitty 1210]

Ailuros holds out hand. "Handshake." 

[Blazehunt3r 85]

As a Sorvian, I approve of this Sorvian lore. +1

[NotAPan 464]

that is very clay of you all +1

[Bonito 2264]

this is pretty long could you add some family guy clips between paragraphs

[Omen Prince 391]

Final updates added:
"Channeler's Mastery" and "Ideological Reliance" added with redlines