The Touched
“The Light made us human; the world made us something else.”
— Ecclesiarch Mureth Val, On the Children of Divergence, 2874 YL
“The blood remembers. The world answers.”
— Scholar-Magus Iskari Venn, The Codex of Divergence (2310 YL)
Overview
The Touched are mortals whose bloodlines have been altered by contact with extraordinary forces—the Leylines, the Verdant Realm, or the Astral Shoals.
Though biologically human, they manifest abilities and features beyond normal understanding.
Each lineage carries both stigma and wonder, their existence blurring the line between faith, science, and myth.
Touched individuals are rare but not unique; most major nations know of them, even if by rumour or superstition.
In Cezorus and Valyssia, the Church of the Lifestar officially classifies all Touched under “Aberrant Yet Redeemable” status—souls at risk of corruption but not irredeemably lost.
The Verdane (Fae-Touched)
Origin: Descendants of those exposed to the Verdant Leyline, or born near regions where the boundary between Aesos and the Fae Realm thins.
Their ancestry carries the resonance of living magic—growth, emotion, and dream.
Origin: Descendants of those exposed to the Verdant Leyline, or born near regions where the boundary between Aesos and the Fae Realm thins.
Their ancestry carries the resonance of living magic—growth, emotion, and dream.
Appearance:
- Subtle asymmetry and bioluminescent eyes of green, amber, or violet.
- Hair often reflects the hues of blooming flora.
- Skin tone may shift with season or environment, lightly iridescent under moonlight.
Abilities:
- Heightened empathy and instinctive communication with flora, fauna, and emotional states.
- Many can influence natural growth or calm beasts.
- Resistant to Verdant Leyline radiation; vulnerable to prolonged exposure to Shadow energies.
Cultural Role:
- In Sundaraal and Oranyth, Verdane are revered as healers and forest seers.
- In Valyssia and Cezorus, they are tolerated but considered dangerously mutable.
- The Church insists Verdane souls are “rooted too deeply in the world,” often assigning them to agricultural or environmental orders.
Symbol: A blooming branch coiled around a crescent moon.
Verdane Subtypes – The Children of the Verdant Leyline
| Variant | Origin | Traits | Notable Regions |
|---|---|---|---|
| Groveborn | Born near Verdant Snarls or living forests resonant with Aether life. | Green or amber eyes; mild bioluminescence; strong empathic link to living flora. Can accelerate growth or heal small wounds. | Oranyth, Sundaraal |
| Thornmarked | Descendants of Verdane lineages who endured corruption or war. | Faint bark-like texture along arms or shoulders; emotions tied to defensive instincts; may lash out with psychic thorns under stress. | Tzintava, Cezorus frontier |
| Lilybound | Born during solstice alignments when Leylines surge through riverlands. | Voice carries a harmonic timbre; can calm beasts or dispel panic. | Sundaraal river deltas, Neferkara oases |
| Bloomveil (Urban Verdane) | Verdane ancestry adapted to cities; sensitive to Mana-Tech radiation. | Skin iridescent in Aether light; skilled herbalists or empathic medics; easily overwhelmed by sensory noise. | Leolin Bay, Doroska |
The Resonant (Ley-Touched)
Origin: Born near active Leyline crossings or from ancestors altered during the early Ages of Magic.
The Resonant are attuned to the hum of the world’s energy, their bodies acting as imperfect conduits for Ley-flow.
Appearance:
- Subtle geometric markings visible beneath the skin when exposed to Mana or stress.
- Hair and eyes echo the colour of their dominant Leyline—pale gold for Light, deep azure for Elemental, viridian for Verdant, onyx for Shadow, and mixed hues for hybrids.
- Occasionally emit faint luminescence when emotionally charged.
Abilities:
- Can perceive Mana fluctuations and Leyline resonance.
- Skilled at manipulating Aether Spindles and operating Mana-Tech intuitively.
- Prone to exhaustion or sensory overload in high-energy environments.
Cultural Role:
- In Cezorus, Resonants are highly prized and heavily regulated—often employed in Mana-Tech industries or Church research.
- In Valyssia, they serve as oracles or holy technicians.
- In Tzintava and Oranyth, they are considered living instruments of the world-spirit.
- Many join secret orders seeking to restore the balance of the Leylines.
Symbol: A radiating circle crossed by four lines—representing harmony within chaos.
Resonant Subtypes – The Voices of the Leylines
| Variant | Leyline Aspect | Traits | Notable Regions |
|---|---|---|---|
| Light Resonant | Light Leyline | Golden veins beneath the skin; aura of calm; limited healing or illumination; painfully sensitive to darkness and deceit. | Valyssia, Neferkara |
| Shadow Resonant | Shadow Leyline | Silvered eyes; can blur their outline or hide emotion; risk of melancholia or dissociation. | Kharados, Skjoldar |
| Verdant Resonant | Verdant Leyline | Eyes of green fire; commune with growth and instinct; unpredictable empathy surges. | Oranyth, Sundaraal |
| Elemental Resonant | Elemental Leyline | Hair and aura tinted by a chosen element; resistant to heat or cold; explosive tempers. | Cezorus, Kastovia |
| Hybrid Resonant | Mixed resonance from intersecting lines | Randomised luminescence; unpredictable talents—Aetheric bursts, levitation, dream-sight; high instability. | Tzintava ruins, the Dead Mere |
The Umbrals (Demon-Touched)
Origin: Bloodlines tainted during the War of Rebellion, when the Demon and its spawn fused with mortals of the Elder Races.
Though centuries removed, echoes of that corruption resurface sporadically.
Appearance:
- Eyes of burning gold, red, or pale silver.
- Skin marked by faint shadow-veins or ashen undertones.
- In extreme cases, horn ridges, vestigial wings, or a persistent shadow halo visible under moonlight.
Abilities:
- Limited control over emotion and shadow—can blur presence, instil fear, or siphon warmth.
- Resistant to spiritual corruption but vulnerable to holy radiance and Light Leylines.
- Capable of perceiving Astral entities invisible to others.
Cultural Role:
- Universally feared yet indispensable in the darker work of the world—monster hunting, espionage, and Astral defense.
- The Church of the Lifestar brands them “Scions of Ash” and maintains strict watch.
- In Skjoldar and Kharados, they are viewed as necessary evils, hired for their unmatched will.
- In Cezorus, some secretly serve within Mana-Tech’s Black Division, researching Astral breaches.
Symbol: A black flame within a broken circle.
Umbral Subtypes – The Scions of Ash
| Variant | Origin | Traits | Notable Regions |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ashborn | Purest descendants of the Rebellion’s Demon hosts. | Eyes of ember; ambient heat aura; immune to disease but weakened by holy relics. | Skjoldar, Desolation fringe |
| Nightblood | Touched by Astral entities feeding on fear or memory. | Pale or obsidian skin tones; can drain warmth from air; strong willpower; haunted by vivid dreams. | Kharados, Valyssia undercities |
| Eclipsed | Hybrid of human and dormant demonic essence awakened by Mana exposure. | Shifting pupils; temporary bursts of power under duress; inner voices whispering from the Astral. | Cezorus, Doroska |
| Wraithborn | Those who survived partial Astral possession. | Semi-transparent under certain light; can sense spirits; life-force unstable; prone to “fading episodes.” | The Dead Mere, Barrier Range ruins |
Comparative Overview
| Lineage | Power Source | Common Traits | Favoured Regions | Church View |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Verdane | Verdant Leyline / Fae Realms | Empathic, natural, mutable | Sundaraal, Oranyth | Tolerated, monitored |
| Resonant | Leyline Energy / Manafield | Attuned, luminous, cerebral | Cezorus, Valyssia | Regulated, exalted |
| Umbral | Astral Corruption / Demon Echo | Shadowed, passionate, dangerous | Skjoldar, Kharados | Distrusted, weaponised |
Philosophical Context
In Church theology, the Touched are the proof that creation still changes, that the Lifestar’s light is neither perfect nor final.
In secular circles, they are the next stage of evolution—the living expression of humankind adapting to Aesos’s Manafield.
Between those two truths lies the tension that defines the modern world.
Cultural Notes
- Verdane are seen as blessed-but-wild in southern nations; tainted-but-useful in northern ones.
- Resonants occupy privileged yet controlled positions in Cezorus and Valyssia—an uneasy alliance between Church oversight and Mana-Tech ambition.
- Umbrals live on society’s edge: demonologists, mercenaries, and relic-hunters who face distrust even as they protect others from darker forces.
Across Aesos, laws concerning Touched individuals vary:
- Cezorus: Mandatory registration for Resonants; Umbrals monitored by the Church’s Inquisitorial Division.
- Valyssia: Verdane restricted from holding clergy office; Umbrals exiled on sight.
- Oranyth & Sundaraal: Relative sanctuary for Verdane and Resonants alike.
- Kharados: Silent acceptance—“the soul is its own judge.”
Religious Interpretation
- The Church of the Lifestar teaches that the Touched are echoes of the Architect’s imperfect design, to be redeemed through service.
- Mana Scholars argue they are the natural evolution of humankind in a Mana-saturated world.
- The Eclipse Veil Society secretly believes they are the first step toward psychic and astral transcendence.
