FFXIV Lorecrafting: Desastr

Lorecrafting completely within the bounds of FFXIV - researched and only created with care.

NOTE: The images in this carrd are NOT official representation of FFXIV, nor of the characters as presented in the game. These are merely visual representations of how these species should look in an 'in character' setting.

Art Credit: @raksz

The Permafrost Vampires

When an ancient cult rises to relevance, bloodthirsty and ripe for chaos, you won't be able to run or hide.

Permafrost Vampires: Hooks

❄️Memory block is starting to fade, and the character is remembering an incident of being attacked by a Permafrost Vamp in the past.
❄️Someone is catching onto Lord Loki’s antics and trying to get to the bottom of what is going on.
❄️Escaped loyalist to the former Lord (message Desastr regarding this hook.)
❄️High Ranking Ishgardian members may be wary of this house as while “The Ritual of True Crimson” isn’t known much beyond the house, there had been a clear shift and vanishings of many Elezen following what happened that night which remains unexplained and shrouded in mystique.
❄️ There's been a general surprising uptick in chaotic behaviour by a previously passive House, which could draw attention to them from many circles.
❄️You are or know of a blood slave who escaped the cult, who either ended up turned or never caught again by the cult's former masters (message Desastr regarding this hook.)

Permafrost Vampires: Origin

Long ago, the thirteenth was flooded with darkness, resulting in the denizens of the star morphing into voidsent. In what was the equivalent of Coerthas, an elezen-adjacent tribe was transformed into serpentine, dragon-like voidsent. For eons they fought together like pack animals, growing in both power and cunning.An epiphany struck one of the most enlightened one day - they spoke of the misery of their desolate home, citing it was no place to survive. There had to be someplace better. They had received the vision of a place with far more aether and balance of light and dark. There had to be a way to get there…This voidsent had the form of what appeared to be a corrupted basilisk. After consuming a massive amount of voidsent, they were the most powerful among the former tribe (now ‘pack’) and thus promised that if they gained even more power, they would rip a portal open to another world.This was met with great pushback, triggering the basilisk to consume many of the opposing voidsent, and strike fear in the hearts of those who didn’t comply with the ‘great message’. The formation of the cult was one made in blood, and eventually, the power grew enough that it reached God status. They did as they promised - tearing open a hole through reality (void portal) to another star (the Source), where they claimed a patch of land in the far north and grew even more powerful given how aether-rich the area was.However, the God didn’t provide unconditional power or love to their subjects, as eventually they demanded offerings of a sanguine kind. Given, well, blood is a delicacy to voidsent. When provided offerings, the God began to provide distinct powers to their followers, the more blood they were provided by the cult.Eventually, the powers instilled on the worshippers had an interesting side effect: The thirst for blood, which would also sate the need for aether. Said thirst evolved into a total dependency the stronger the worshipper got. Eventually, the voidsent became total sanguinivores, only able to extract nutrients and aether from the blood of fellow voidsent or mortals.These dragon-like voidsent eventually regained the ability to transform back into their original selves as a reward for being so devout, again which were elezen-adjacent. This allowed them to blend into greater society and find themselves again, while also retaining the power to transform into various forms with the consequence of high blood requirement for transforming. Most of this is restricted to reptilian forms.Most aside from the typical traditional vampire powers granted are centered around a paralyzing stare and psychological manipulation like memory blocks or nightmares, like the basilisks of legend (and, well, not legend, as they exist on the Source.)This means that eons ago, one of these elezen tribes was actually made up of voidsent from the thirteenth. Their God eventually went into a deep slumber, though still received the offerings granted, eventually shifting to prayer as a form of aetheric ‘currency’ for the powers.As the centuries passed and crawled to the more tangible past (say, 2000 years ago), this cult began to worship Halone to blend in with the other Coerthan Elezen, or at least, say they did. There was a shift in the Permafrost Cult where eventually, the generations following believed Halone was their original God. This clashes with the longer-lived immortals, who claim to know the truth.Either way, during about 600 in the Sixth Astral Era (900ish years ago) they moved to Ishgard for a higher source of blood and settled there, establishing a minor house that persists to this day, sticking to the shadows as to avoid the dreaded ‘heretic’ label and coming across as extremely devout due to their worship of the Fury.They go through all of the motions of a typical follower of Halone, however, have their ‘own way’ of truly worshipping their god, unbeknownst to outsiders.The House itself is known to be extremely secretive and closed off to greater society, leading to mystique and rumor. However, they’ve always been on the surface extremely well behaved…Anyone trying to dig a little too deep would conveniently vanish or wake up with an odd bout of memory loss and symptoms of anemia.This specific vampire species is known as: Basiliscus lamia, or Permafrost Vampires.

Permafrost Vampires: Summary

❄️Cultish vampires granted powers from a deity
❄️Originals were voidsent from the thirteenth granted access to the Source
❄️Total Sanguinivores who rely on drinking blood of mortals (Spoken).
❄️Most are within an Ishgardian House known as "House Glaceil".
❄️Turning is ritualistic
❄️NOT Elezen exclusive, though most as of now would be elezen due to isolation of Ishgard up until recently. That said, there would be a rare few scattered through the world.
❄️They have reptilian eyes, and can shapeshift primarily into reptilian forms via void magic.
❄️Most have splotches of scales on their bodies (which wouldn't be unusual for Auri, at least, but non-scaled Spoken races would also have this anomaly.
❄️Formerly hunted and stuck to the shadows, have now emerged and considered rather aggressive in some circles.

Permafrost: Physiology

DietPermafrost Vampires can only sustain themselves on Spoken Blood. They have powerful hunting instincts that have been refined over the eons. They can consume regular food, but would have not only a hard time chewing it, but it may cause them to feel a bit sick, though they can pass it without gaining any nutrition.These vampires don’t strictly get their water intake from blood, however, so require water as well.They can feed on and gain nutrition from the blood of each other.Senses, Speed, StrengthLike vampires of legend (and many voidsent), they have enhanced hearing, vision, speed, and strength.WeaknessesGiven these vampires are actually voidsent, light magic is quite potent when used against them. They can also be slain by normal means, it would just be quite a bit more difficult given their status as mythical monsters.

Permafrost Physical Traits

EyesPermafrost vampires all have variants of reptilian eyes, a mark of their God. They need to glamour it away as to not draw attention to themselves, if they try to blend in, anyway.Dentition & ClawsShark-like Teeth: A smile full of sharp teeth is what will greet you with most of these vampires. Some have longer canine teeth along with everything other sharp tooth, similar to snake fangs, that are retractable.Double Fangs: A less common morph of dentition is a mixture of flat teeth (typical of normal mortals/humans) and double fangs, on their canines and second incisors. Most vampires with this dentition type can lengthen their fangs.Two fangs: The most subtle dentition type and least common, as anything but their fangs would be quite useless for hunting. Still, these fangs (canine teeth) can be lengthened to be more impressive as well. Often, their lower canines will have a bit of a sharp edge or length to them as well.Claws: Along with impressive fangs, they have claws (also retractable) rather than fingernails.TongueMany of these vampires have forked tongues.SkinRegardless of original Spoken species, they will have splotches of scales on their skin, another mark of their god that they hold with pride (and again, need to hide if they are trying to blend in.)

Permafrost: Powers & Turning

TransformationThey have the ability to shapeshift into powerful reptilian forms. The older the vampire, the more powerful forms they can take. This is related to their original form they’d have been prior to leaving the Thirteenth. The more aether they’ve consumed (and blood) throughout the years, the better they can control this power, with the eldest being able to transform seamlessly without much aether consumption.Mind MagicLocking eyes with these vampires may be unwise if they’re secretly casting their spell. Many of them have mind magic to manipulate prey, lock them in place, or block memories after feeding from them. There is no consistency or way to predict exactly how these powers will manifest.TurningThe subject must be brought to the Temple and undergo a blood exchange with among the most powerful of the House. The vampire must be an eon or older for the process to work.Praise is given to The Fury, and the subject’s aether must be bombarded with void aether (typically stored and released by crystals) which would (albeit painfully) shift their aspect to void. Then, they would be transformed into a voidsent.The aim is to be turned into this specialized type of voidsent via Ouro’s blessing. A ritual scroll is recited once all the conditions above have been met. The subject falls to sleep and would wake up ravenous, requiring blood. Their journey as a Permafrost Vampire begins there.

Permafrost: Cult & House Details

Cult

Cult of Ouro: DetailsThe Cult worships a deity known as “Ouro”, which in present day is now known as “Halone”. Essentially, ‘Halone’ became another name for ‘Ouro’. This cult has their own way of worshipping The Fury, therefore, though prior to the Dragonsong War ending and Ishgard opening to the wider world, this was kept secret.The holy temple of ‘Ouro’ is where rituals such as turning and yearly celebrations take place. Blood, in a bowl, is offered to Ouro at this temple (a hidden, underground space within the Manor Hall itself). Prayer grants greater power to the vampires.Rituals include burning special Ishgardian incense that triggers a dizzying or euphoric effect in some. Blood slaves can be taken down and drunk from in front of a statue of Ouro. The members are not to kill or sacrifice their prey in this setting, as it is frowned upon and said to bring the Fury’s wrath.Song is a good form of praising the Fury, and often during rituals or days of prayer, hymns will be sung to praise their god.This is an exclusive cult and takes gaining favor of the House to be offered entry. Blood Slaves can rise in status and become vampires through good behaviour and proper worship as well.Those too curious and who push a bit too far can end up captured blood slaves by these vampires, ‘vanishing’ from public view to never be seen again unless they are turned.Present DayThe Permafrost Cult has had a strong minor house known as ‘House Glaceil’ for a long while. These secretive Elezen were not seen much during the thousand year war, especially not the Lords of the house. Rumour has it that the Lord never actually died, but that is just a ‘silly myth’ and anyone who had tried to investigate too close would receive the House’s ire. Given the House had a lot of resources, and their contribution to the war effort had been grand, it was ill-advised to be on their bad side or risk the ire of the Temple Knights.When everything in Ishgard shifted and changed, these secretive elezen did as well. Emerging from the shadows like snakes from their dens, they began to explore…And, above all, are very, very tired of hiding.They are in the process of emerging from the shadows, somewhat aggressive and hungry. It had been far too dangerous during the Dragonsong war, and during that time, they’d waited, gathering power until the day they could claim a swath of territory and prey for theirs.The time to strike, they’ve decided, is now.Of note: Members have have left the House throughout the centuries, and branched out all over the world. There’s a chance (which would be extremely rare) that other vampires of this kind exist outside of the primary House, including non-elezen that could have been turned.The leader of this house, Lord Loki, is chaotic, manipulative, and aggressive. His eyes are fixed on a place known as The City of Monsters as perfect hunting grounds.

House

Name:Glaceil [Ice + eye]Crest:
See above... there is a hidden ouroboros within the shattered crimson ice.The “Ritual of True Crimson” IncidentLoki massacred his father + those loyal to his father to take the mantle of leadership in the House recently, and it was a whole bloodbath. They were, in fact, slaughtered on the altar in the Temple of Ouro, one of the very few actual human sacrifices in the Cult’s history. Given the Cult only sacrifices the most notorious of enemies, this was a huge deal.This took place a while following the end of the Dragonsong War.Hunting MethodsPermafrost Vampires utilize their mind powers to lock prey, as typically, their powers have a paralyzing component. Most have the ability to block memories, however this can fade over time, or worse, their prey could be resistant. Either way, they rely on absolutely terrifying prey into never speaking about it.After all - speaking up against the Lord of a House or a House in general is super dangerous, as are trying to start rumours that could potentially be disproven to those minor houses that do behave and are loyal to The Fury (and, currently, Aymeric.)House Glaceil Specific: They have former blood slaves, though part of the house does not mistreat or abuse them. Following the Ritual of True Crimson, they would have been given the choice to leave or willingly stay and be given compensation for feeding the House.Their prey can rise ranks and even earn vampire status if they behave. They are, in fact, treated incredibly well, showered with wealth and comforts, and most of what they can ask for. With the caveat being they can be fed from anytime, should they have chosen to stay.Those loyal to the now-late Lord Zimant Glaceil would have been far less kind to their prey, forming further division in the house, which led up to the recent massacre.Some Permafrost Vampires opt to hunt prey in the wild rather than feed upon slaves (Alexandre, for example, would prefer this method, or willing prey) and thus would rely more heavily on memory blocks.

Note: Modified picture, not representative of playable models in FFXIV.

Avian Voidsent: "Birdsent"

When looking at this species of voidsent, one might look to the allagans and assume they are an ancient species.Such an assumption would be incorrect; some modern scientists are following in the Allagans' footsteps to create the perfect killing machine.These beautiful birds are the end result.

"Birdsent" Summary

No one will ever change this animal we've become...
🐦A semi-vampiric species of voidsent with two forms: primary and “limit break”
🐦In primary form, they have wings, legs, and tail feathers of a bird. Common characteristics also include random scales on other parts such as arms.
🐦Borne of intricate experiment, the very DNA of these creatures were modified. Quite like how voidsent get fragments of everything they eat, birdsent have hints of that down to the core of their biology. This is also reflected in their aether.
🐦They are a mixture of: Gryphon, Caniformia (the biological suborder), Aves, human (original Spoken form), typically, and chimeral vampire.
🐦Quite like Hellhounds and Succubi are their own unique voidsent species, these are created as a void-aspected entity, but are Source-borne.

"Birdsent" Physiology

DietBirdsent primarily devour aether, extracting more from the aether-dense living than anything else. However, like other voidsent, they can eat large quantities of food to temper the hunger. They do crave aether from Spoken, however, similarly to most other voidsent.Now, while most voidsent crave blood, but do not need it, these feathered friends do need it. 25% of their diet is made up of blood from Spoken entities. They require this to maintain a healthy diet and obtain all of the nutrients they need.Senses & StatsScent, sight, and hearing are greatly enhanced like typical vampires of legend. These semi-vampiric voidsent have a significantly increased agility, akin to other winged voidsent such as Ahriman and Vodriga. Their strength increase is minimal compared to other voidsent. In the hierarchy, they would be considered ‘glass canons’.Born/TurningCurrently, the only known way to become a birdsent is in an unknown laboratory and via specific scientists pertaining to that lab. The process is extremely complex and requires a considerable amount of time and resources per voidsent, especially relating to aether.This is because in order to turn them into a voidsent, their aether needs to be blasted with void aspected crystals. During this process, the DNA of the Spoken being tormented in this fashion would need to be modified with highly precise tek (allagan-grade) so that all of their cells would go through the sequence change.A specific chemical mix containing the proper strings of DNA is required for those steps, which takes both time and effort to extract, and has a limited shelf life.All of that said, a way to speedline the process is underway in this unknown laboratory, and the birdsent themselves may figure out how to turn another into them. This is not known IC, but a significant blood exchange (1L of blood every day for 3 days) has the chance to transform another Spoken into a birdsent.For a voidsent to turn into one, they would need to devour a significant amount of aether from a birdsent.Unknown in canon as of now, but should the birdsent have offspring, the child has a chance of exhibiting traits of a birdsent (ex: Born with wings) or even being a complete birdsent themselves.

"Birdsent" Physical Traits

EyesIn all cases, birdsent have black sclera (white of their eyes). In some cases, their eyes mimic the bird that their wings and legs do, with striking glows. In other cases, they can have glowing eyes of various colors, like reds, purples, or amber that do not pertain to their bird species. Finally, they can express as purely jet black, though it’s speculated if this is tied specifically to the bird-type (as in, their bird has naturally jet black eyes) or can show up as a random trait.DentitionBirdsent have a mouth full of sharp teeth, indicating a diet of strict carnivory. Though they can consume multiple types of food and are technically omnivores, they do favor meat. Like how iguanas can devour vegetation with sharp teeth, however, this applies to the birdsent. They can very much enjoy non-meat-based foods and their bodies would not reject it.Wings, Tail Feathers, & LegsBirdsent take on the wings, tail feathers, and legs of a certain type of bird. It’s speculated one’s soul will reflect what morph they will take. For example, one of the original birdsent had the soul of a ‘blue jay’, whereas another had the soul of a ‘grackle’, and this reflected in their wings.Since this species is lab-created, and thus not natural, they cannot reach around and touch most of their wings. However, ironically, the birdsent reflect the natural way of things by relying on their flock for preening, just like birds do in the wild or in captivity.Some parts of birdsent wings will have a dull glow to them, and that depends on the voidsents’ aether. Most of the time, the colors on the wings reflect their bird species, but that is not always the case. This also applies to their tail feathers, which, like in actual birds, aid them in flight.Finally, the birdsents’ legs are that of a bird, taking on the coloration of the bird they’re meant to be. However, they do not change structurally from the mix of a human and birds’ leg, and nor do their talons, which in all cases curve like a predatory bird, regardless of the bird species they are meant to be.ClawsAll birdsent have claws rather than fingernails, curved quite like talons in some cases. These are present on their avian feet as well, which can do considerable damage upon kicking.OdditiesThere are a number of oddities that come with being a birdsent. All of them have jerky, odd movements like that of a bird. It can come across as very inhuman. Often, it is not realized they’re doing this until it’s pointed out, but they cannot help it even if they tried. The typical fluid motions of what they used to be have turned into mostly twitch-like actions.A more rare trait in birsent is pointed ears, if they originally had rounded ears, like hyuran or garlean birdsent. Though becoming one of these creatures is not strict to pureblooded garleans, the process works well on them, because their aether is least likely to explosively clash with the process and complicate things.In that same vein, the Garlean Third eye (which is keratin, the gem on the middle of their forehead) will often ‘corrupt’, turning into the color of one of their feathers. This doesn’t impact their ability to use the third eye for spatial awareness.Some speculate it aids in detecting or even seeing aether, but this is an advanced sense that would not be present initially in a freshly turned birdsent.Of note, they are not created with the ability to fly and need to learn it.

"Birdsent" Second Form

All birdsent have a ‘limit break’ form, which requires a large burst of aether to access. Due to sample corruption from the species, this form is indeed a gryphon. Rather than turning into Feliformia, however, their non-avian counterparts are Caniformia.All gryphon forms are covered with feathers rather than fur. All have wings and are quadrupedal. All forms have a long, whip-like reptilian tail with tail feathers at the end. They do not have legs of their caniformia parts - rather, they have purely bird legs for front and back.Where the forms sometimes deviate is on the face - some forms have beaks, some forms have muzzles. It seems to be random, but beaks trend slightly more rare versus muzzles.

"Birdsent" Affinities

Birdsent have an affinity for bardic magic, be it through instruments or singing. They are naturally inclined toward powerful void magic, and may be considered a higher tier voidsent because of it. However, as with most voidsent, it takes time to build up power.They have exceptional sight in the dark in typical cases.

"Birdsent" Origin

In the depths of the lab of an organization known as ‘Sol Invictus’, scientists with twisted ideologies were at work to create loyal monsters they could control. Given their strong hold of the black market for trading things like voidsent parts (blood, horns, scales, and more), and forbidden knowledge from grotesque scientific experiments, Sol Invictus had been rich with resources.A rare material with aetheric locks on it, as to deny access to its origin, had been tampered with by Sol Invictus and applied to the Birdsent experiment. In reality, Chimeral Vampire blood had been used to bombard the DNA of victims in the experiment. This concoction was replicated, but as a corrupted sample, as DNA from the chimeral vampire steeds, gryphons, had been involved mistakenly in the mix.Thus, these creatures were formed in a sort of happy accident, many factors coming together to create this beautiful monster.While the first several tests completely destroyed subjects, and later wielded unfavorable results, the first successful flock was a beautiful monster to behold. Fortunately for the flock, and unfortunately for Sol Invictus, the first birdsent violently escaped containment.

Note: Modified picture, not representative of playable models in FFXIV.

'Gloomhaven' Ashkin

Pureblood Garleans can't manipulate aether without a drastic change (either aid of a voidsent, or being granted the Resonant.)Unless, of course, they become...Something else.

'Gloomhaven Ashkin': Summary

A cold wind blows as the angels cry... the living will descend and the DEAD WILL RISE.💀 Exceptional strength, speed, & senses, typical of most other Ashkin.
💀Do NOT decay/rot if they maintain their bodies by eating flesh. This is how they heal/restore themselves as well.
💀 Given the lack of decay, their organs are functional. Lack of aetheric + flesh source, however, for too long would cause damage.
💀 Take 3 months - a year to gain access to their FULL souls. Their shattered souls partially ascended to the lifestream. During this time, they rely upon their necromancer for guidance & aether. They act both heavily exhausted and as if they are totally drunk.
💀 Totally random as to whether they retain any of, some of, or all of their memories.
💀Can sense where their necromancer + other Ashkin linked to their necromancer is at all time due to an aetheric link. Consequently, they can sense when someone linked to them is being attacked.
💀 'Bloodflow' is pure aether and glowing blue in color, similar to Specters. Their default scent, to those who have a strong sense of smell, would be similar to cereleum.
💀 Their eyes 'glow like the full moon', typically.
💀They are highly susceptible to fire, and therefore would (typically) fear too much of it.
💀 0 ability to maintain their body temperature, not that it bothers them. As a consequence, they're either freezing to the touch or the temperature of the room they're in.
💀 Capable of resisting necromancer commands with full soul - however, would be at a disadvantage against enemy necromancers, who could take temporary control.
💀 Experience bouts of fear, anger and grief at an elevated level than in life.
💀Can go through extreme damage, however would need the necromancer to re-ressurect them for things like decapitation (within a 3 hour window of the 'killing blow'). Would need to restore themselves with flesh consumption after extreme wounds.
💀 Can go at least 3 days without rest or sleep and as a consequence can be terrifying persistence hunters.

'Gloomhaven Ashkin': Origin

The Resonant experiment was quite the subject among Garleans, and while a small few received notable aetheric manipulation as Pureblood Garleans, and something anagolous to the Echo, there would be many unwilling Garleans with the faulty Resonant.That was to be the fate of one Garlean Scientist, who gained the impressive ability to pull the strings of a recently deceased soul back from the lifestream by identifying said soul's inability to move on.In doing so, she became a Necromancer. Unfortunately, any surge of power or damage results in 'worst-case-scenario' prophecy, plaguing her mind and causing irreparable mental damage.The scientist rose her very own 'found family' with her odd powers. She spotted souls clinging to their bodies and decided via compulsion she would raise them from the dead.Not that she quite knew what she was doing at the time, but, well... she learned fast.(Story time?!)That said - the scientist requires a voidsent partner to stabilize her aether/magic use, otherwise she would burn out and destroy herself.

"Let me tell you a story...

One of our favorites here. I bet it will help you feel a bit better about the Mistress. The civil war in Garlemald… Morana had yet to really have an idea on how to handle her powers. She witnesses the violent death of a Garlean Commander. She doesn’t know his name. She had recently escaped confinement in the chaos of things, after all. But, recalling she has access to very strange powers, she peers toward the strings of aether clinging to his body. He is not ready to leave. So… she calls back part of his soul. It will pour into his body until whole again. Morana didn’t really know -why- she did it.But … she felt her work was done.
So, she tried to scurry off into her little hidey hole.Except… he followed her, this commander. Because his aether was now attached by aether-link, you see. She became his mistress, after all - if brought back, we technically are compelled to follow her, until our souls are whole and she lets us make our own decision to leave or stay. Anyway, she didn’t know she’d be followed.So she settled into a very small abandoned building she managed to scavenge ceruleum heaters to in order to survive while the war raged.She started settling in for the night… when a shadow fell upon her.Did someone follow her?…Yes.Glowing eyes pale as the moon fixed on this Garlean woman.
Slowly, she turned to look at the entrance of the building. Standing there, looming, was a very tall, heavily-muscled Garlean zombie, splattered with blood given the violent way he died. He moved closer and closer to Morana.Step … step… step…Step… step… step…Morana was terrified. She realized he was the Ashkin she raised! Perhaps out to seek revenge?!At first, she glared. That glare-thing she does is actually natural, her other fear response kicks in after it. She tried, but her Ashkin kept his stare locked on hers. Something you should know about Morana - her eye contact is forced. She’s trained herself to do it for longer than her glare would otherwise hold. So, she broke it first, unnerved, and then her deeper fear response settled in. She shuddered, let out a cry of terror, and bolted. All around the building did she run.What happened?Well, her Ashkin followed. Of course. In confusion.Because why was his necromancer running from him?...So we have a powerful necromancer running from her own zombie. All around. And her zombie being utterly confused. Eventually, he had her unintentionally cornered. She yelled out, asking what he wanted. He tilted his head. He had no answer. He did not want anything. So, he remained silent. Morana yelled, ‘Who are you?’ That, he knew the answer to.Sort of.‘I do not know,’ he said in an echoey, gravelly, tone.She tried snapping at her zombie to go away. This confused him - but, wanting to obey, he took a few steps back. Morana did not specify a distance.Morana, thinking he was doing this on purpose and waiting to strike, stumbled back until hitting a wobbly display stand. Something fell and shattered, sending glass into her hand and causing her to scream. The Ashkin began to move closer again.Step…step…step…Terrified, Morana snapped at him again to leave her alone. She kept a terrified glare on him as he kneeled down.Was this it? Would this be how she died?No. Her Ashkin grabbed her wrist and gently pulled the shard of glass out of her hand. His gaze still locked on her. He said to her in a matter-of-fact tone, ‘No. You are wounded. You need aid. I will help you.’ Already defying her orders! Not that she knew it at the time that she even could control her Ashkin, mind you.But even then, when the soul wasn’t whole, she did not take the reins and send him off by a true, magical command. The Ashkin sat next to her, unsure of his purpose, but knowing she needed help. Morana was that angry kitten, theoretically hissing, spitting, and scratching. She glared at her zombie and tried to scoot away, but he moved closer.She shoved at him, clenched her jaw, clenched her fists… he did not budge, He then said, in a matter-of-fact tone, ‘You need a blanket’. He did go away after saying that. But only for ten minutes. Then, he returned with a blanket for her. It took Morana a while to calm down around Ced. But he got through to her and never left.Eventually. He became her brother.”

Noah: "She was absolutely terrified of Finn when raising him too, because right from the grave he was… well. Finn. Her glare was improved by then, so it took her longer to turn and try to run from him. When she did, Finn took that as a game, because when we’re risen, we act similarly to drunkards, and Finn gets even more bubbly than now when inebriated. He tackled her down and said:‘Hello ma’am! Did you just bring me back?! I didn’t know that was possible, but here I am! I have many questions. Hm… why do you smell very edible?’… suffice to say Finn was fed very quickly following that question.”

Finn: "Heh! ...I didn't mean to scare her that much... it was an honest question!"

'Gloomhaven Ashkin':
Create a Zombie

The crafted lore here is free to use if you're interested! However, the link to any of the characters mentioned here would be nonexistent, as that is a closed plotline.That said - you'd need your own necromancer & reason for them having gained a 'faulty resonant'. To balance things out, a voidsent partner is strongly suggested as to stabilize the aether/magic.Here's some key points to keep in mind:💀 Technically speaking, you don't need to be a Garlean at all or have the Resonant to implement this magic/origin into your story. Just a necromancer & your zombies.
💀 This lore would be similar to "Death Knights" from World of Warcraft. (TLDR: If maintained by the necromancer/themselves, they don't rot and maintain much of their original personality. They can be puppets, however, if the necromancer is evil/cruel. Zombies are capable of breaking free of their necromancer due to care put into restoring their souls entirely.)
💀You require flesh consumption both to not rot and to heal. However, you can consume non-Spoken flesh and be healed all the same. Whether or not your zombie has specific tastes is up to you.Plot ideas:
* You broke free from your necromancer and are on the run/in fear that they will try to take control again, maintaining yourself with a large amount of flesh consumption as opposed to absorbing power from said necromancer.
* Your necromancer is kind and you are a 'found family' with them + your fellows.
* You have no idea what happened to your necromancer, nor how you got here, but are on the search + at least know how to take care of yourself and avoid being obvious to the rest of the world, as Ashkin are 'taboo'. (try to blend in!)
* You left your necromancer on agreeable terms and are trying to lead your own life...er, undeath... in peace.

Note: Modified picture, not representative of playable models in FFXIV.

Khímaira lamia

The Allagans were successful in their late 'golden age' regarding chimera, and fellow Allagans/conqured peoples were not spared their experimentation.Some chimera still survive today, including those of a bloodsucking Spoken variety. Meet the Chimeral Vampires, anomalies breaking away from typical 'myth & legend' surrounding vampires in general.

Chimeral Vampires: General Summary

🦈 Gains 50% nutrition from blood. More power from Spoken, however can sustain just fine on Beastkin/other non-spoken entities. They remain carniverous, meaning the other 50% of their diet requires meat.
🦈The mixture of hemoglobin and hemocyanin in their blood results in a purple color + this rare blood being very valuable in alchemy.
🦈Levin + Water aspected species
🦈Enhanced senses, greatly enhanced speed (especially swimming), mild increased strength as compared to other Spoken.
🦈"True Form" (Spoken/FFXIV race selection) is land-based, but can transform into one of three wavekin forms.
🦈Most live in an isolated but advanced society, having intense caution to the outside world and frightening people away from them (think of the Bermuda triangle and vanishings due to that.)
🦈Will often get confused with Siren.
🦈Semi-ageless.
🦈Vampirates AHOY!

Chimeral Vampires: Origin

When the Allagan Empire managed to imprison the eikons of the Meracydians, a branch-group of scientists fascinated in chimeral beings1 and aetherical mixing set off to further their goals. Intrigued by the prospect of aetherical mixing, much like many people of their time, this group of Allagans, known as the “Neo-Trident Coalition” (NTC), wanted to create a chimera fierce on land and sea.They selected the primary element for this being to be lightning (levin). Their ultimate goal for this creature was to be a Spoken chimera.Eikons gave Allagans a hell of a time, but they could also be useful. The Neo-Trident Coalition researched rumours regarding a levin-aspected eikon revered by an isolated tribe of Miqo’te in the depths of the forests. The tales of ‘the electric lake’ led them to a ‘statue’ in the center of a body of water.This statue was of a two-headed crocodile, rumoured to be called ‘Sobek’. Indeed, glowing threads of levin-aspected aether flowed around this ‘statue’, which was a brilliant blue with branches of lightning going throughout what looked like stone for skin. The Allagans planned to harvest the aether here, possibly take pieces of the statue, when… it began to move.It was indeed an Eikon, and the struggle was great, but eventually they managed to capture the thing and bring it back to the lab. It took a lot of power to contain it, and so, they sought out to capture some of the Miqo’te from that tribe for aid in keeping it detained. There is little information of their fates during this time, but the rumours from the paperwork that survived to modern times have tidbits of grisly treatment.Now it was time for the secondary element - water. The goal was to find a lesser eikon rumored to be fed power by an isolated seaside tribe. This eikon was a primordial version of Leviathan, as the legend of the great serpent persisted for eons.After a significant struggle, the tribe was entirely exterminated, their texts looted and their summoned eikon detained. The remaining members of the Miqo’te tribe from Sobek’s capture proved too much of a hassle, so this route was much simpler. Plus, by this time, the Coalition had more funding & tech for a series of successful experiments.Now, it was time for the experiments to begin. The NTC were perfectionists. This species needed to be PERFECT. So… 994 unwilling victims perished to intense experimentation (blend of the aether and many elements of various monsters) until they came upon the first stable experiment, which then needed to be refined further.The scientific name of this species was known to be: Khímaira lamia, given the interesting side-effect that came with this Chimera’s existence…. The necessity of blood-drinking.

Chimeral Vampires: Complex Breakdown

For a total in-depth look at the lore behind these vampires, you can look here.A large group of these peoples will be on an island in the Cieldalaes called "Majoid Island". Their societal standards are here. HOWEVER: That society is a closed plotline, therefore while your origin point may be there, you would have left/been exiled from the society, as folks not involved in the plot written by OP wouldn't be here! This is being shared as reference material for those who want to deep dive their backstory.You don't technically need to read it to create one! The next section, or 'create a vampire', can be your guide otherwise.

Chimeral Vampires: Create

For the most part, this is open lore; however, your current home cannot be where the majority of these vampires are (Majoid Island) as they are isolationist + the plotline isn't super open (though you can contact Desastr on Discord for inquiry.)Here's some key points to help you!🦈You require 50% of your diet to be blood, the other being meat. Spoken gives you the most power.
🦈 You have natural siren-like abilities to lure others in for feeding.
🦈 You do not need to kill to feed.
🦈 You are slightly stronger than most. You are much faster than most. Your senses are enhanced.
🦈You'd likely have exceptional swimming skills.
🦈You'd have double fangs.
🦈 You bleed violet. Your blood is rare, so you'd want to enchant yourself hidden from others, including other vampire species, most likely.
🦈Your origin can be Majoid Island, but you would no longer be welcome there/be able to go there. You could have left due to exile or disagreeing with the isolationist lifestyle.
🦈 Your aquatic form is one of three creatures: Phuabo, Sea Serpent, OR Tatsunoko
🦈Various glowing tattoos or designs (similar to Au Ra Limbal rings for culture/customs) are favored by these people
🦈Be sure to look at the Complex Breakdown for more biological knowledge.Plot ideas:
* You are on the run from hunters/voidsent other vampire species trying to get at your rare blood.
* You are a recent exile/have recently left Majoid Island and are adapting to the world.
* You are an adventurer and have been born to an isolated chimera-vampire family with no knowledge of Majoid Island, but may be trying to find more about yourself.(Feel free to contact Desastr on discord for questions on Majoid Island and its general plot.)

Chimeral Vampires: Known

Note that this isn't 'public record' so much as people who would like to be mentioned on this page. It therefore would also not be a comprehensive list.

Apollo - Player: TheRealDesastr; Profile WIP

Contact Desastr on Discord to be added to this list!

Art Credit for OC of OP here

Alchemical Vampires

Borne via alchemical experiments of a voidsent (succubus), this species exhibits many traits of the mythological bloodsuckers brought to life.They are biology-based void-touched of aetheric and bacterial modification.

Art Credit for OC of OP @/RivenHarlow on Twitter

Alchemical Vampires: General Summary

🦇 Voidsent-based vampire via aetheric + DNA corruption
🦇 Turned via ritual or potion drank by parent prior to birth
🦇Symbiotic relationship with gut bacteria requires a blood-based diet
🦇DNA & Aetheric manipulation results in succubus-like traits + blade-like dentition

Succubus art credit here

Alchemical Vampires: Species Origin

A voidsent scientist wished to create her very own 'void-touched', an idea inspired by the sight of blood-drinking bats. She therefore got to work.Quote from her scientific paper:
"The experiment commenced with a goal to create a voidsent species connected to the scientist itself. The objective, by the scientist’s promise, was not malicious toward organic life within the Source. The predatory species in the Source like vampire bats and similar are fascinating, and the goal was to create a humanoid species of the same nature. Aether vampires are essentially what voidtouched are, however, the goal was to avoid this given the chance of connection to the Thirteenth, a miserable hellscape few should be subject to. No, this species should have a connection strictly to the Source, with little chance of ever being forced to the Thirteenth. The Source shall remain their home."A potion was perfected before being tested on Steppe Xaela under the guise of a 'strength potion'. Children born of those who imbibed it were turned into the first Alchemical vampires.The next set of trials was conducted by the scientist herself from subjects she more closely selected.There is an unknown number of Alchemical Vampires on the Star at this time.Fun fact: This crafted lore was gone over by
Synodic Scribe in this video.

Alchemical Vampires: Complex Breakdown

View the IC scientific report here. It gives the lore in bulk as opposed to bite-sized pieces of this carrd. This is the original lore document for the Alchemical Vampires. Of note, there is a lot of biology jargon in this paper.You don't technically need to read it to create one! The next section, or 'create a vampire', can be your guide otherwise.

Art of my OC Goliath by Plouvoir on Flight Rising.

Alchemical Vampires: Create a Vampire

This is open lore, so if you like it, you are more than welcome to create a vampire.Here are key points you should know:
🦇 You require blood of Spoken for nutrition, but do not need to kill to feed.
🦇 Regular food will provide energy, but only eating food and not blood is the equivalent of a hypercarnivore eating just grass. You will deteriorate rapidly.
🦇 The void corruption will cause some anomalies (player choice). This includes wings, horns to ears (Auri), & succubus tails.
🦇 Alchemicals have natural blade-like teeth (all of them sharp) + claws.
🦇 Any eye color, but jet-black and blood red are the most common. A common trait among alchemicals is black sclera.
🦇 Some Auri have noted their scales turning a deep crimson.
🦇 Any race can be born this way should their parents have drank the potion. This is the more common way of being turned than the 'ritual'.
🦇 There would be no recent turnings, however explaining it away with a freak accident is acceptable if the 'born this way' or 'turned several years ago' route does not work. That would need heavy lorecrafting, but is possible.
🦇 Your body has supernatural regeneration, especially for your teeth.
🦇 You have enhanced strength, speed, and senses, much like the vampires of legend - but you CAN be killed by normal means.
🦇 You've stopped aging.
🦇 If you were turned via ritual, you do not remember either that process or who turned you.
🦇 If you go without blood for too long, you're prone to frenzy, which cases you to enter a deranged, rabies-like state where you try to attack anyone you see until you get the blood you need.

Plot Ideas

* You are on the search for others similar to you, given you were born...strange.
* Something very odd happened several years ago that you can't quite remember, but it caused an extreme change in diet. You're on the search for what went on.
* You're struggling through the complexities of life as a bloodsucker.
* You're a constant target of monster hunters given your unique regeneration.

Alchemical Vampires: Known Vampires

Note that this isn't 'public record' so much as people who would like to be mentioned on this page. It therefore would also not be a comprehensive list.

Winter Eve: Player - TheRealDesastr. Profile link: WIP

Spring Dawn: Player - TheRealDesastr. Profile link: WIP

Contact Desastr on Discord if you wish to be mentioned on this list.