Post Terminus 1.1.7 Patch Notes: Lore Expansion: The Exul, the Stricken, and the Aberrant (Non-Player Races)
Foreword: These bits of lore have been planned since the early stages of Post Terminus, but were left unfinished. I apologize for how long it took for them to be introduced. Thank you to Raph (K3) for extensive help on finalizing the following.
In brief: The Exul serve as counters to the Vis and carry a similar weight in the lore, with repercussions to the different planes. In respect to potential future impacts on spell-casting, it's important to note that no Exul dwells in Divinitus, where healing and restoration spells come from, but an Exul does exist in Mortalis (the physical plane), where no Arcanum spells are drawn from.
The Stricken is an overarching term referring to races that became twisted by the Cataclysm and the corruptive influences of excessive Terra Regia exposure. They are, in a way, cousins to the playable races, and though not explicitly evil on a moral scale, they are decidedly hostile toward much of the world.
The Aberrant is an overarching term referring to races that deviate from what the 'prime' races consider normal. They are completely different from the playable races and tend to be small populations. They do not fall in a particular place on a moral scale, but are typically on neutral terms with the rest of the world.
Updated: Religious Appellations
Instead of the current, "Serpens the Serpent," the prime appellation for Serpens will now be The Arbiter. Additional canon appellations have been established for the Vis as well as the Exul. This does not mean players are limited to the ones stated.
| Vis | Appellations | Plane | Exul | Appellations | Plane |
| Castus | The Immaculate; The Merciful; The Benevolent | Divinitus, Ruler | Spurcus | The Impure; The Condemned; The Malevolent | Mortalis |
| Occultus | The Hidden; The Secret; The Mysterious | Divinitus; Astrum | Arcanus | The Concealed; The Void; The Obfuscator | Astrum |
| Bellator | The Destroyer; The Warrior; The Furious | Divinitus; Infernalis | Eversor | The Usurper; The Assassin; The Fuming | Infernalis, Ruler |
| Serpens | The Arbiter; The Serpent; The Mediator | Divinitus; Natum, Ruler | Typhon | The Ouroboros; The Dragon; The Deceiver | Natum, Ruler |
| Aquila | The Eagle; The Navigator; The Bulwark | Divinitus; Natum, Ruler | Corax | The Raven; The Shadow; The Infiltrator | Natum, Ruler |
New: The Exul
In time immemorial, when the gifts of the Vis were new and vibrant, there was but one plane. Unnamed and unknown in nature to even the most studied of philosophers and scholars, it has only been wildly speculated that such a place might've been where the Viskar themselves came into being. Then, the Viskar bade the Vis to their own homes, and split existence into the five planes. From the endless chaos and vast abyss, they conjured and created, leaving but shards of this former plane to bind this new existence together, to fill it anew with life that the Vis would put their gifts to task. Even in scripture, it is not known how or why the blasphemers came about; only that they did, and were thrust from Divinitus for transgressions unknown. Unfit and unsightly, they became known in tongues that precede even the oldest churches and ruins. Scores of ancient text and tapestry speak only of their story, and thus they became known as the Exul: The Separated and Exiled. The consequence of their existence is a mystery, but their influence is known across all but the supposed home of the Viskar themselves, Divinitus. From the plane of Infernalis, the hell-blasted landscape of daemons and devils, was wrought the steel-clad Eversor. Usurper and warmonger, the proclaimed Barbed Sovereign sits upon his thorny throne, waging eternal war against The Destroyer. From the plane of Natum, ephemeral and ever-changing as the seasons, the sickly Typhon was conjured and bound. Deceiver, plague-maker, Typhon works in horrid ways to undo what wonders The Arbiter and The Bulwark may create. Alongside the Deceiver, came the sable Corax. The shadow and figment of villainous deeds, it is thought that Typhon and Corax would sow seeds of great illnesses and ennui on Mortalis, only for Serpens and Aquila to divulge the solutions to the mortals when their need is greatest. In this terrible game, the impartial and enigmatic Cete holds court, absolving Natum from the consequences. From the plane of Astrum, little as is known of it, emerged the veritable mystery of Arcanus. The concealed and obfuscated, what purpose and end Arcanus serves is impossible to understand. Many make wild claims to Arcanus' ties to sedition and treason, but others whisper of more long-reaching sinister purposes; thwarted only by the timely intervention of The Hidden in schemes unknowable to mortals. Finally, thrust upon the plane of Mortalis itself; the often-thought leader of these blasphemers and heretics: Spurcus, the Condemned. Lurking in dark corners and unseen shadows, the Prince of Ends works to undo all, for reasons unknown. |
New: Aberrant Races
Umbrum, the Dusk
Codex: Link
Excerpt: "...a sentient species of reptilian nomads purported to have existed since before the Cataclysm, who claim responsibility for one of the most unusual phenomena in our world; the Idols of Senes.
The Umbrum claim the empire of their ancestors was incredibly vast, and possessed nearly unparalleled scientific knowledge and skill with the arcane. They say that in their hubris, their ancestors brought upon themselves an apocalypse of their own design; a plague that wrought havoc amongst their people, devastating their population and leaving the remaining few twisted and changed."
New: Stricken Races
Janu, the Revenant
Codex: Link
Excerpt: "...Distorting their drive and ambition, the laicar people who succumbed to the corruption became hollow shells of their former selves, apathy soon turning to outright hatred of their hot-blooded cousins.
The Januins are shriveled and ghastly, looking like the dead come back to life. Ennui supplants resilience; instead of affinity to trades, a sinister touch of the arcane; and in place of passion, repulsion."
Eresh, the Troglodyte
Codex: Link
Excerpt: "...Unable to abandon the massive trees that had once been their home, some bands of enlil refused to leave the shattered trunks and the deep, hollowed roots of the once-mighty trees. Abandoning traditions and aspirations both, they regressed to a more primal state. Known as the Eresh, this corrupted race is highly protective of the deep root-formed caves that they've made their home. Despite a lack of civilization, though, the eresh are intensely devious and clever, held back mostly by a dearth of higher aspirations.
Perhaps the most unsettling trait of the eresh is that they are cannibalistic, seeing all other creatures, sapient or not, as game for hunting."
Ophidian, the Naga
Codex: Link
Excerpt: "... In the oceans of Araevis, the corruption continued to spread and, possibly, still continues into the modern age. The Tenebrae and Chlorae Oceans, covering most of the world, grew to become inhospitable. Those velen who remained behind inevitably became dyed in the same darkness that had poisoned the deep waters, and soon only the ophidians remained.
Velen cities that had been abandoned were taken over by the ophidians. Not content with mere leftovers, they pushed to expand their societies: they built new cities, furthered technology, and waged an endless war against their cousins."
Gera, the Collective
Codex: Link
Excerpt: "...The origin of the gera collective is an even greater mystery than that of the demvir. The robotic beings seem to date from a similar, or even earlier, era. Little is known about them, however, because discoveries have been extremely rare, and the gerans actively avoid revealing information about themselves. What is known, however, is that they are found in ancient ruins that predate the Cataclysm by millennia, possibly protecting artifacts once housed there.
Aside from visual differences, the gerans differ from demvir in one very important facet: the demvir have individual personalities and identities, but each individual gera is only a part of a collective hive mind, devoid of individuality. This collective allows the gerans to share knowledge, perception, and problem-solving ability. The more gerans there are, the stronger the collective as a whole becomes."