THE JØKUL
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ORIGIN
“Bring out yer dead!”
The cry rose in the frosted air, evening sun weakly twinkling on the plague-stricken village.
Leweth pulled the reins, and the exhausted horses obediently stopped. Behind him, masked villagers with dead eyes and shaky limbs loaded their relatives and neighbours onto the cart.
He whipped the reins, and the horses moved on down the path. They were being taken to the forest - there was a lake there, one deep enough to dump the dead in. It was naturally bowl-shaped, too, and the winter was not yet so deep that it had frozen over. When the ice formed, the diseased corpses would be hidden away beneath metres of frozen ice, out of mind and sight.
The cart arrived, and with a grunt, he hopped out. He looked to the lake and saw a lone old woman sitting on the far shore. She was eating something, though he could not see exactly what.
He called out - “‘Lo?” - but there was no response.
Unease coiled through him. These woods were not the sort to hang around in; he was paid well for the risks he took, and wasn’t unfamiliar with danger, so he began trekking around the lake, sword gripped tight in hand. Why a lone hag would be out here by a lake of corpses, snacking on some meat, was beyond him.
She stood. He was about ten metres from her now, and as her blue eyes met his, he froze in terror..
For she had not skin but instead ice, and she ate not cattle but man.
Within an instant, he had dropped his sword and turned - to run - but his legs were frozen. Not literally - he could feel them shaking - but fear kept him rooted to the spot.
The Fjaarriagua spoke, and the wind whispered her deal to the man.
“Continue bringing your corpses - my feasts - and I will spare you.”
Leweth could not move. He could not breathe. He could not think.
A sword - his own, he would realise afterwards, wielded by the witch - slid across his right hand, sending his fingers falling into the snow. He let out a howl of pain, stumbled forth, clutched his bleeding hand tight against his clothes, and turned around for fear-
She was gone. So were his fingers.
———«»————————————«»————————————«»———
Every day, he lugged his macabre cargo. Every night, he left them by the side of the lake. Every morning, he returned to find the pile vanished.
This, Leweth thought on one of his trips, is how men go to hell.
Sometimes, he’d find golden coins where the bodies had been dumped - small piles of minas, left here and there as apparent thanks, though Leweth figured that it was more likely encouragement to keep on.
After many months, the plague slowly receded. The cart Leweth took was lighter and lighter every day, until one day he rode his cart through the village, hoarsely calling out, “Bring out yer dead, bring out yer dead..”
His journey through the village was uninterrupted. There were no corpses, and though others rejoiced, Leweth feared. Without corpses, he could provide no food for the witch.
What will she do to me? Will she eat me, as she did the others?
He kept on, deep into the forest.
———«»————————————«»————————————«»———
Leweth waited by the lake, shivering - for reasons beyond the cold. Every few minutes, he’d stand, muttering to himself, ‘You’re mad, she’ll take you instead of them, she’ll gut you, she’s a WITCH..’
Then he’d sit. Why that was he could not say.
Almost an hour passed, and the sun drew low. Convincing himself she wasn’t coming, he stood, and as he moved to the horses, a hiss drew deep through the air, chilled the bone and froze the mind..
“Where is my feast?
Leweth turned and saw her standing directly behind him. He opened his mouth to reply, but found that he could not - fear had frozen his throat.
The storm blew fierce. Hail whipped through the air.
“Where is it?” The undead witch grasped his neck and yanked him as a father might a child - sending him sprawling into the snow. He coughed, spluttered, tried to pull himself away - but found that he now lay by the frozen lake. Any further back and he’d be dipping in the freezing cold water with the piles of corpses at the bottom.
The Fjarriagua grasped his collar and wrenched him to his feet, snarling down, bloody teeth baring wide for him to see. Leweth whimpered fear, blubbered some wretched explanation, but her anger could not be satiated. One slice, and her blade removed his arm - as she kicked him into the lake.
Leweth plunged into the freezing waters. His body went still with the shock of the cold, and he sank into the depths.
———«»————————————«»————————————«»———
The witch gnawed on his arm, and reconsidered.
. . .The man served well whilst he still could. The plague ending was not his fault.
She looked through the clear water and saw his body, resting with the other corpses - still, but not quite dead. She felt no guilt, nor sorrow, only reconsideration.
Maybe he can still serve. There are always other uses.
There was a click in the cogs of her mind, and the abomination smiled - a terrible smile. She plunged down, retrieved him from the lake, and started dragging his body through the woods to her lair.
There were always other uses.
———«»————————————«»———————————«»———
It was there, at that foul lair, that the first Jøkul was created.
She laid him out on the table, crusted with dried blood, and grated her frozen teeth together - before drawing her malign power through her, etching a mark onto the nape of the near-dead Leweth..
The magic infused itself into Leweth, a fraction of her being given to his, and the eyes of Leweth flew open, ice-blue - a spasm of cold running through what passed for the Jøkul’s damned soul.
EXPLANATION
MARKING
The process of creating a Jøkul is simple; a Mother etches a brand into the flesh of a Descendant (the design being up to the choice of the brander), like she would to create a new Fjarriagua. For the Mark of a Fjarriagua is the same to both her and the Jøkul- the latter being lesser in nature. After initial bleeding, the blood freezes over; the design is permanently marked into the skin of the Jøkul, unfreezing, a curse upon the afflicted.
This marking gives them access to numerous abilities, and causes minor physical differences. The main impact of the curse, however, is its need for fuel. The icy brand feeds off the warmth of the marked Jøkul - starting with innate warmth, after [2] OOC weeks, the Jøkul must replenish their Warmth via draining others of theirs.
The Jøkul are a Feat; they are not undead, and are considered a dark magick in the context of interactions with Holy magicks and other forms of lore.
The Jøkul dislike all forms of food that are not raw meat. They are by no means incapable of eating cooked meat or plants, but they cause the Jøkul minor discomfort.
The mark of ice, frozen into their skin, induces a constant chilly feeling in the Jøkul and drains at the heat of their body, which leads them to strive for Warmth - unless the mark is purged, the hunger for Warmth is unending, utterly insatiable, and is the cause for the Warmth mechanics noted below.
The Mark of the Fjarriagua being the same to both her and the Jøkul, such follows the same process of a Fjarriagua. Only a Mother may create a new Jøkul, although a Fjarriagua with a valid TA may have that Jøkul transferred under them. Requiring the Jøkul, upon FA-creation, to have their respective Fjarriagua throw their TA, with the cursing Mother's player to mention that they cursed in a reply, only putting the respective Fjarriagua on cooldown and not the Mother. Should the Mother instead have cursed the Jøkul and put them under her own TA, then that Mother is put on cooldown.
A Fjarriagua requires a TA to possess a Jøkul, and can have a maximum of [2]. A Mother can have a maximum of [3]. Fjarriagua can only create [1] Jokul per OOC week. Any Fjarriagua may transfer a Jøkul from their TA to another's TA by sreqing.
Jøkul is incompatible with Corcitura, Heraldry, and other similar feats.
To become a Jøkul, one must have a soul unclaimed by any deity (which excludes Azdrazi, Machine Spirits, etc. from getting Jøkul); in other words, Descendants, Kha, Klones and Musin can become Jøkul - there is no gender restriction.
When a Jøkul PK’s, the slot is freed up for the Fjarriagua/Mother. A Fjarriagua/Mother may also contact LT to remove someone from their slots if they’ve gone inactive, essentially Exiling the persona.
Klones are capable of gaining the FA, though Machine Spirits cannot. The mark, curse, abilities, and Warmth mechanics, carry onto every Klone.
Characters under the age of 16 are incapable of gaining this feat.
CAs are incapable of gaining this FA.
OOC consent is required to mark someone, though IRP consent is not.
Jøkul may ascend to Fjarriagua should they be female at a minimum of possessing the FA for [1] total week, allowing them to bypass the Fledgling state of Fjarriagua. They also have to link their FA in their CA post to have it denied and a slot freed up for whoever they were bound to.
MENTALITY
The Jøkul live an accursed life. The mark of the Fjarriagua placed on them ravages not just the body, but also the mind - madness encroaches upon them with every waking hour, battling their humanity into a slow, frozen death. Warmth, though an addictive necessity for the Jøkul, is profoundly uncomfortable to experience; it satiates the curse, yet burns painfully at their skin. Depression is not an uncommon malady amongst the Jøkul, nor is loneliness or isolation. They tend to bind themselves closely to their new frozen kin, seeing them as their blood-bound family. To protect their own coven is above all- yet even above that, comes the will of the Fjarriagua that bound that Jøkul, seemingly bending the soldier's will to her very own.
Having no Warmth directly mutates their mind. The Jøkul obsess over Warmth, their ravenous hunger for it utterly insatiable - and when a Jøkul falls below [3] units of Warmth, they fall prone to sporadic bursts of rage, lashing out at minor inconveniences and bearing a crippled mental stability.
The mind of the Jøkul is kept whole and sane via their maintaining their Warmth. Ignoring their need for Warmth causes a dangerous, angered spiral into insanity - until their Warmth is restored.
[3] units of Warmth is the threshold for the beginning of this mental decline. Each Jøkul may roleplay this as they see fit for their character.
How the Jøkul themselves view the world is left up to them; it is, no doubt, affected by their new curse, but each player is free to decide how they interact with, for example, dark creatures, or Canonists.
Jøkul are incapable of feeling romantic and sexual attraction towards their markers and others due to the madness that has overtaken them. They are thus incapable of sexual FTB.
The disconnect in their mind that causes them to be unable to feel romantic and sexual attraction has caused a rippling effect that makes even pursuing something close to the topic, even for the manipulation of others to steal their Warmth, an aversive pathway and will never be carried out.
The coven to them becomes their family, their friendly attachments with those outside muffled. To serve their coven is above all, going as far as to put their life on the line for their own.
The Fjarriagua that bound the Jøkul, as well as the Mother that inflicted that curse, may issue commands to the Jøkul, who will find their very will bend to such. The commands must not be sexual nor romantic in nature, nor may they force a Jøkul to kill themselves.
PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION
The appearance of a Jøkul is determined by the stage of their Warmth. As the curse drains it away, their body begins to take on more of a frostbitten appearance; without replenishment - such as not replenishing their Warmth through Cold Touch, or by avoiding raw flesh and meats - their frozen nature becomes all too apparent on their skin.
The Jøkul possess [6] Warmth units.
At [5+] Warmth units, their appearance is fully mundane, save the characteristic blue eyes of the Jøkul.
At [4] Warmth units, a slight discolouration on parts of their bodies might be noted - E.G, their fingers, ears and lips.
At [3] Warmth units, mild patches of discoloration appear throughout their skin - as if bruised. Their skin is cold to the touch.
At [2] Warmth units, they appear mildly frostbitten.
At [1] Warmth unit, the frostbite looks severe in nature, with cracks of ice akin to glass on their skin.
At [0] Warmth units, they appear ghoulish - as if between life and death. Their body appears frostbitten unto death, their cheeks turned inwards, eyes radiating in a dim, blue glow.
Beyond physical appearance, the Jøkul gain no physical boons of strength from the curse. Their heart beats slightly slower, and their blood therefore bleeds somewhat slower, 1/3rd of the pace of a normal descendant. They maintain the same general appearance as prior to their being cursed, though they may have somewhat sunken or pale skin, or a thin figure.
The Jøkul appear frostbitten if [2] OOC weeks are spent without replenishing warmth.
The Jøkul gain immunity to the cold - beyond losing warmth, a Jøkul will never suffer adverse effects akin to hypothermia from cold conditions. This permits them to wear numbingly cold armour.
The Jøkul are affected normally by alchemical potions and substances.
A gnawing hunger overtakes them, one striving for Warmth. Through either stealing it from Descendants (under Abilities section), or other means, they may only temporarily satiate it, although their depthless hunger for it may never be fully quelled, only worsening the longer they go without it.
Their slower breathing does not stop them from drowning.
Having a portion of their soul frozen, the Jøkul age slower than the typical Descendant, living twice longer than their race.
Due to the sheer numbers of the Jøkul, the intensive draining of their spells, while Warmth mechanic being tied to both their feeding and their abilities, the Jøkul may feast upon raw flesh and meat out of combat to regain their Warmth following the next OOC day. Cold Touch, on the other hand, serves as a combative option for such.
ABILITIES
The curse does not come without gifts. Via utilising their innate Warmth as fuel, the Jøkul are blessed with magickal abilities that serve to protect themselves, the Fjarriagua, and fight those who would threaten them.
TELLS
Harnessing the ability of the Jøkul requires a tell of some sort. Some examples are:
Flakes of ice breaking off their skin.
An azure glow within their eyes.
Breath emitting fog, as if exhaling within an icy region.
Veins coursing in a visible blue, as if filled with ice.
Tells are required to cast. Jøkul cannot cast without using a tell/tells.
The Jøkul have aesthetic freedom in their tells, though they must be adherent to the theme and niche/aesthetic; you can emote wintry breath, but you can’t emote fire sparking from your fingertips.
Cold Touch - [Combat | Non-Combat] [4-6]
Over the course of [4] emotes, via maintaining contact with a Descendant or a living creature, the Jøkul may steal their Warmth to themselves.
On the [2]nd emote, the body of the victim begins to feel chilly;
On the [3]rd emote, the victim's body begin to ache, with bruises and the traits of frostbite developing on their skin;
On the [4]th emote, the victim loses consciousness, their body rendered frostbitten, though not yet to a critical extent;
On the [5]th emote, the body of the victim is frostbitten to a critical extent;
And on the [6]th emote, the victim loses all innate warmth within their body, fully feeding the creature [6] units of Warmth, essentially killing them. Each emote of Cold Touch fills up [1] unit of Warmth.
Breaking physical touch will interrupt the spell, although may be resumed should the Jøkul manage to grasp the victim once more.
Cold Touch may only be performed on playable personas of organic matter. This means that Homunculi (though not Machine Spirits) can be affected by it.
This ability may not be used on one of their own people (Fjarriagua, Mother) for they lack the innate Warmth to be sapped. However, it may be used on other Jøkul, as a method of stealing what little warmth they have from each other for themselves.
The final emote of Cold Touch will result in the death of the victim.
Cold Touch works through cloth, though not through any form of substantial clothing/armour.
In the case of out of combat capture RP, they may ask the victim for consent to speed up the emote count.
Ice Manipulation - [Non-Combat]
The Jøkul find themselves capable, to a simplistic degree, of conjuring and bending the ice around them, to a [2x2x2] area. Where a Fjarriagua may create complex and intricate designs - for example, an ornate necklace made of ice, Jøkul may instead create the rough shape of a necklace, with little to no intricacy. Should the Jøkul be near a Fjarriagua Altar, they will find their capability increased, permitting them to manipulate a [4x2x2] instead.
Warmth Units required: [0]
This ability is flavour. This cannot be used in combat, or to benefit combat scenarios; E.G, the Jøkul are incapable of rendering a portion of the floor ice and therefore slippery to trip opponents up.
The Jøkul may bend or conjure ice around them out of combat, though only to a basic level of detail.
This spell does not work whatsoever in dry/hot climates, such as deserts, volcanoes, jungles.
Call of Frost - [Combat] [2]
Over the span of [2] emotes ([1] emote to connect, [1] emote to cast) the Jøkul may conjure a weapon or tool made of ice, no bigger than the size of a warhammer. Though the weapon would look akin to ice, it would possess the durability and strength of ferrum. Despite their having ferrum durability, if exposed to flame, the weapon would melt as if made of ice.
Warmth Units required:
-One-handed weapon or tool: [1]
-Two-handed weapon or tool: [2]
Weapons created by Call of Frost are as durable and tough as ferrum.
A hot climate is not enough to melt the creations of Call of Frost. However, any form of direct heat, whether mundane or magickal, that makes contact with the weapon will melt it similarly to melting ice with fire.
Aesthetic freedom in the creation of these tools/weaponry is permitted; for example, Jøkul are capable of pulling an ice weapon out of their chest, or shaping a weapon out of nearby ice, etc.
The creation of Arrows, Bolts and other small munitions are summoned in a bundle of [3].
For all forms of lore interaction, these weapons are considered magickal ice.
Frost Mending - [Combat/Non-Combat] [2] Over the span of [2] emotes, the Jøkul may conjure stacks of ice and snow to stack them on a wound in order to temporarily cut off blood loss, until they get adequate help to heal themselves. This spell does not heal tissue but rather seals it until proper aid is given - a seal that may easily be broken should they be struck once more.
Warmth Units required:
Minor wounds (no more than 2 inches wide & 1 inch deep): [2]
Moderate wounds (no more than a laceration or appendage loss): [3]
This is, essentially, a bandaid - it does not permanently heal wounds.
Continued fighting and swift movements will cause the wound to reopen.
Frost Mending does not work on lethal wounds - for instance, a gash in the neck - and it cannot be used to reattach limbs (though minor reattachments such as the finger or ear is permitted).
Frost Mending only works on their kin; Jøkul, Mothers, and Fjarriagua.
Full focus is required, making them vulnerable for [2] emotes.
Disperse - [Non-Combat] Capable of partaking in rituals with their kin, the Jøkul - harboring their Warmth - max rapidly expel it during a ritual, using it as a form of fuel, to grant their Greaters their energy.
The use of such will quickly strip them of their mundane appearance, making them visibly look frostbitten, as they lost their Warmth. Requiring them to sap once more, their craving worsened.
Warmth Slots required: [6]
Disperse can only be used in rituals, in order for a Jøkul to partake in a ritual, fully using the all the [6] Warmth slots up.
Should the Jøkul not have [6] Warmth harbored in them, they may not partake in a ritual.
The Jøkul may not host a ritual themselves, but may join in and aid.
Their Warmth cravings are intensified after the end of the ritual, as they are turned fully frostbitten in appearance.
Follows all rules and redlines of the ritual in question.
WEAKNESSES
The Jøkul are born of cold - they bear its weaknesses. Fire and aurum is their undoing.
AURUM, due to the bound nature of their soul, causes both pain and discomfort to the Jøkul. Upon being deeply struck by Aurum, their Warmth begins to leak out; when the Jøkul receive a deep wound from an Aurum weapon, their Warmth begins to leak out at a rate of [1] Warmth unit per emote.
FIRE is extremely detrimental to their being, due to possessing a body claimed by Frost. Incapacitating them until they pat them out of their body.
Damage taken by flame causes the Jokul to be unable to cast new magicks or attack. A dedicated emote must be given to putting the fire out; in this emote, they may move away or flee, but cannot cast, or attack.
Deep stabs caused by Aurum drain their Warmth by [1] unit each deep wound, inducing them to rapidly turn to their more horrifying physical turn. This also brings with it the detrimental mental effects.
Aurum cannot reduce Warmth units below [0].
REVERSION
The Mark is not a permanent fixture upon their soul. It comes with a heavy cost; mental instability, the probable loss of friends and family, the harsh treatment they may receive from the Fjarriagua, their being outcasted from society - any one of these things, pushed to the extremes, is enough to break a man. And broken servants serve no purpose.
There are two ways to revert a Jøkul; via Purging, and via Exile.
Purging must be conducted in a hot climate - a desert, or a jungle, for example. The aid of a deific magic with purging capabilities is required, such as a Druid through Blight Healing, a Shaman, and so forth. The rite of Purging is conducted upon the Jøkul, and the Jøkul is free of the curse. An affinity with warmth remains, even beyond the expulsion of the Mark; a hangover from the once-addiction.
Exile, on the other hand, is a far more brutal and traumatic method of disconnection. A Mother, or the overseeing Fjarriagua who the Jøkul is bound to, may forcibly rip the Mark out of the soul of the Jøkul - a traumatic process for the Jøkul, who will find themselves forcibly ripped from that which at once empowers and curses them.
Whilst Purging requires OOC consent, Exile does not.
Purging leaves a Jøkul with a lingering love of warmth and hot temperatures, though this is mainly flavour for the player to interpret as they see fit.
Exile can only be conducted by a Mother, or by the Fjarriagua who originally bound the Jøkul; whilst Fjarriagua can only Exile those who they have Marked, Mothers can Exile any Jøkul of their choosing.
Exile can only be done out of combat, and only on a restrained Jøkul.
Exile is a traumatic process for the Jøkul - they will experience a deep period of mental instability; grief, a feeling of the loss of family, or simple depression are all not unusual.
Jøkul who are Exiled, unlike those who are Purged, find no affinity for the heat, it causing them mild discomfort.
PURPOSE
Since this is our first major lore submission, we're probably missing a lot of clarification redlines, or there may be a contradiction/problem somewhere in here. Please take a look and drop feedback/thoughts below. Any improvements suggested would be a big help, and we'd very much appreciate it, since we're not trying to sneak anything by - any loopholes/gaps/contradictions are accidental, so do please help me remove them.
We hope it’s good. We wrote it because we love the niche and enjoyed the lorewriting. There’s a lack of Knights-From-The-Far-North personas, basically because the Fjarriagua is locked to female personas; this lorepiece helps to open up the niche to male personas and a larger playerbase whilst keeping them largely subservient to the Fjarriagua, and, specifically, the Mothers. A sub-lorepiece for the Fjarriagua is necessary, and an often overlooked aspect of why the Fjarriagua have struggled in the past is because they haven't had an available sub-magic, unlike nearly every other dark CA. This piece also fixes that.
(Also, apologies to LT - this was supposed to be published in the new month, but a scheduling conflict came up.) CREDITS
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