Shadows of Humanity
From Channel Cities
While this is not part of the Channel Cities and World of Ærnth setting, it will use this same wiki database as it is also a setting that I am actively detailing and developing with the intention of operating email based or table-top RPG's in. It is loosely based off of the Secret World setting developed by Steven Brown for use with his The Everlasting RPG systems. Due to potential naming descrepancies, any time that a wiki entry or page title can exist in both settings, the one for the Shadows of Humanity setting will be followed by parentheses containing "soh" as shown here for Dwarves (with this first link being for the Channel Cities and/or World of Ærnth setting) and with the Shadows of Humanity listing for Dwarves appearing as Dwarves (soh).
This setting is a modified version of our own present-day world, except that many of the mythological creatures from legends and fairie tales do exist, but keep themselves and their existance a secret from the world, thus the setting name Secret World used by Steven Brown. Steven had even developed an extensive Everlasting Lexicon (massive list of terms with explanations and definitions for use with the setting he developed).
Contents |
SoH- Gentes of the Everlasting
The following are a list of the types/races of mythical beings (protagonists, note that all character references within this wiki that reference the Shadows of Humanity setting will use "protagonists" rather than the term "character", which will be the standard for the Channel Cities setting) that exist within the Shadows of Humanity setting"
Abominations
Abominations (alien evils- not available to players)
Angels
Angels (exceedingly rare servants of divinity)
Daevas
Daevas ("immortals" vaguely reminiscent of Highlander immortals or Greek/Norse/Celtic demigods)
Dead Souls
Dead Souls (ghosts)
Demons
Demons (soh) (not available to players)
Djinn
Djinn (spiritual/emotional megalomaniacs from another plane of existance)
Dragons
Dragons (soh) (exceedingly rare and ancient beings)
Dwarves
Elves
Faeries
Faeries (soh) (alien creatures from other realms of existence, from fairytales (not the Disney types either))
Gargoyles
Gargoyles ("sin eaters" creatures who hunt down wrong-doers and make them pay)
Ghuls
Ghuls (rotting undying beings who have traded their humanity for immortality)
Manitou
Manitou (totem animal/plant spirit bound into a human host)
Orcs
Osirians
Osirians (reincarnated magicians bound to the wheel of time)
Possessed
Possessed (best described as a split-personality psychopath, sort of… better to read the entire entry that this links to as it is somewhat complex and one of the most challenging Gentes to role-play)
Questers
Questers (humans who are so dedicated to a cause that they can not die until their life's mission has been completed, example: Grail Knights)
Reanimates
Reanimates (best described as Frankenstein's Monster type of creatures or cybernetic death-mechs)
Revenants
Revenants (dead spirits inhabiting bodies and walking the lands of the living)
Vampires
Wer
Wer (those who suffer from the Changing Disease (Lycanthropy (soh)))
SoH- Ethos
This concept can probably best be described as the Protagonists Heroic Archetype. Anyone who wants to participate in the Shadows of Humanity setting will need to decide on the theme or personal mythology that they want to develop and role-play through their Protagonist. Nearly any hero from literature, movies, stories, poems, etc. can be categorized into one of the following Ethos:
Child
Tales of the Child involve personal growth; the hero moves from innocence and safety to understanding and independence; with knowledge come pain and strength. The Child is weak and powerless within her current situations and often naïve and immature. The Child must grow and eventually take command of her own life. The Child must turn loose of the things to which she clings, learning those things are unhealthy and limiting.
Craven
The Craven is not only a reluctant her, she is a coward to boot. She may or may not lack the skills and abilities necessary for success, but she definitely does not have the self-confidence and courage required. The Craven must come face to face with her own impotence and overcome it by facing her fears and rising to the call of adventure. By striving, failing, and continuing to try, the Craven will learn what she needs to succeed. By learning to risk everything she holds valuable to help others the Craven will be craven no more.
Crusader
Tales of the Crusader involve championing the ideas and ways of a particular group over all others. The Crusader often works for law and order, a particular society, or a religion. The Crusader must not only face outer forces that oppose her crusade, but also question her own faith and belief in her crusade. She must either realize her crusade is wrong or she must defeat her greatest foes so that her cause will reign supreme.
Enigma
Tales of the Enigma involve self-discovery; the hero is unaware of who or what she is, or what she has just become. These journeys are deeply internal, but by facing external threats, the Enigma learns more about the riddle of her own existence and will eventually attain full awareness. Self-awareness may be a curse as well as a blessing since the Enigma most likely has a darker side of her soul that she must also explore.
Explorer
Tales of the Explorer involve the discovery of new and wondrous people and places. The explorer's journey is a very outward one in which the Explorer must triumph over great obstacles and forces that stand in her way. She attains power and knowledge and she expands the known world by successfully completing her exploration. She can bring back new knowledge and great gifts for others, but she can also destroy what she has discovered if she is not careful to protect it from the influence and eventual corruption that she brings with her.
Fatebound
Tales of the Fatebound involve freeing one's self from a seemingly unalterable dark destiny. The fatebound must first glean prophetic awareness of her ties to a dark fate. Often this understanding of fate is a gradual process. Only by following that fate and getting closer to its ultimate culmination can the Fatebound hope to understand her destined role. She must then either free herself from her fate by going against her normal behavior and belief, or embrace her dark destiny with her own free will. In either case the ultimate reward is self-understanding and enlightenment about the purpose of life.
Gloryseeker
Tales of the Gloryseeker involve attaining great renown and becoming the greatest to ever live in whatever endeavor she undertakes to achieve glory. The Gloryseeker must test herself through various challenges and defeat all others who seek the same prize. If successful, the Gloryseeker either becomes wise enough to forsake personally glory for some greater goal or she achieves her dream of becoming the greatest to ever live.
Healer
The Healer may start out as self-centered and selfish, but, either through witnessing suffering and developing empathy from it, or by suffering greatly herself, the Healer develops the driving goal of easing the suffering of others. Some Healers spend the majority of their lives healing people. Some Healers work to heal entire cultures, nations, or societies. Some Healers, of a darker sort, believe they can ease pain only by brining painless death to the weak or suffering. Other dark Healers "heal" those who have been victims by exacting vengeance for those who cannot themselves, thereby relieving the suffering of those people.
Lover
Tales of the Lover involve risking everything to find and protect the hero's true love. The Lover must first find her true love, then either her true love is lost or put in great peril. The Lover must risk losing everything, even her own life, to save her beloved. Tales of this sort are always romantic and beautiful, though they can sometimes prove tragic as well.
Martyr
Tales of the Martyr involve sacrificing one's self for the greater good. The hero follows some greater purpose that leads her along many dangerous paths. The Martyr may gain strength and power, but all her efforts short of ultimate sacrifice will not be enough in the end. In the end, the Martyr must give up everything; possibly even die, to achieve her goal. This is a difficult Hero's Journey since the ultimate reward is self-sacrifice for greater good. The hero transcends material existence, becoming something more than anyone can attain through worldly works. Through martyrdom comes glory, vast benefit to the world, and divine rewards for the Martyr.
Outsider
Tales of the Outsider involve acquiring acceptance as a valued member of a society. The Outsider begins her Hero's Journey as someone who is not liked or trusted. She may be a loner by choice, other members of her society may have cast her out, or she may be a stranger in a strange land. Over the course of the quest she must prove her value to society by respecting it, by offering it something of value, or by protecting it. While others may see her as different at first, eventually they will come to understand that she is like them in many ways.
Penitent
Tales of the Penitent involve finding atonement for past transgressions. The Penitent must first come to grips with her terrible sins, whether they are against her or the world as a whole. She must then desire making amends for her terrible past by setting right the things she has made wrong. This process of atonement will lead to a great understanding of the value of heroism and goodness and the Penitent will find forgiveness as her reward, from both herself and others. There is, however, always a dark side to the Penitent that can erase all the good she has done, setting things wrong again, so she must be ever vigilant.
Progenitor
Tales of the Progenitor involve the creation of something of great importance. The progenitor is the creator and giver of life to anything ranging from worlds, to lifeforms, to organizations, to new societies. The creation process is never easy. It requires the discovery of a need for something followed by great effort in its design, creation, and eventual perfection or independence. The quest may end either with the birth of something of great significance that will affect the lives of everyone, or some time after the creation has passed beyond its childhood, making the Progenitor a mother figure as well as a life-giver.
Promethean
Tales of the Promethean involve finding and brining back to the world a wondrous gift that will benefit everyone. The Promethean must first recognize the need for a particular gift and then she must search long and hard for it, over many obstacles, before finding the gift. The Promethean must acquire the gift once it has been found, either by facing more challenges or by stealing it. She must then return it for the benefit of all people. Thus, the Promethean's ultimate reward is also a great reward for the entire world.
Prophet
Tales of the Prophet involve warning the world about cataclysmic events that will take place in the future unless something is done to prevent the events. In many ways the world is destined for certain events and it is the Prophet who must instigate change so that the world can avert great disaster. The Prophet may take an active personal role against the coming future by attempting to directly stop terrible events from occurring. However, only by convincing others of the truth, and by getting their help, can the future take a new and brighter course. Preventing catastrophe is its own reward, but often the Prophet becomes a great leader by saving the world.
Schemer
Tales of the Schemer involve developing and implementing some great master plan for acquiring great personal power. This ethos is better suited for antagonists than for protagonists, but it is possible to have a Schemer protagonist, so long as the Schemer's plan will benefit some greater good. The Schemer starts as a humble servant, becomes the master of his own destiny, and eventually becomes the master of many other peoples destinies. Her schemes are most likely things that will drastically alter the world for her own benefit and those she wishes to help.
Scourge
Tales of the Scourge involve annihilating something. The Scourge is a force of destruction whose sole purpose is to destroy everything in her wake. She often starts out as a victim who suffers greatly, perhaps losing everything but her life. The tragedy, however gives her great inner strength fueled by rage and pain. She then vows to destroy that which caused her suffering, learns what she needs to know in order to destroy her enemies, and then begins the eradication. She ravages the force that caused her pain and eventually destroys it or succumbs to her own inner rage, becoming that what she sought to destroy. Even if the defeats the force that caused her pain, she must still come to grips with her own rage. If successful, she finds happiness and learns to live again.
Trickster
Tales of the Trickster involve taking advantage of the naiveté of others and rejecting tradition in favor of crafty common sense. The Trickster is charged with pranking and deluding all suckers, and takes special interest in hypocrites and dullards. The Trickster is sometimes best used as an ethos for antagonists, since Trickster protagonists can annoy other protagonists and their roleplayers. While the Trickster always works for her own advantage, her pranks are often useful in teaching her victims valuable lessons or in giving some special gift to the world.
Wisdomseeker
The Wisdomseeker is the hero whose reward for the Hero's Journey is knowledge, powerful knowledge, capable of creating a greater good. The journey itself is less external and more internal, as it is a test of the Wisdomseeker's worldliness and wisdom. The Wisdomseeker must endure hardships and loss in order to grow wiser through the pain and suffering. The Wisdomseeker will face threats and she must outsmart them. The Wisdomseeker must face sin and overcome (or possibly accept) its blot upon the soul. The Wisdomseeker must face temptation and learn strength of will. The reward at the end of the Hero's Journey will help to enlighten the entire world through the spread of the wisdom.
SoH-
more details to come in the future (as time permits)...
