Essence-Woven

Undertaking many forms, the Essence-woven embody the story they represent. While this can range from sage old trees to spritely young individuals with too wicked of a grin, when talking about the species people are most often talking about those who take humanoid shape and participate in Memdian society. Modelled after the Gods just like their blood and bone counterparts, there are a few ways to distinguish an Essence-woven from a Flesh-woven.  

The Tell

  Every subspecies of Essence-Woven has a single or small handful of traits that give them away as something not entirely of flesh and bone. Whether it be the way their eyes always glimmer even in the darkest of rooms, how their hair always seems to be laced with tinsel, their teeth just too sharp, one will always know it when they see it.   Some are more obvious than other, such as the Melderian Fiorabhin having green skin and wings that take the form of petals, compared to the Paydama that requires one to catch their eyes in sunlight. Many choose to accentuate these features with makeup, jewelery, or other fashion choices, proud of their heritage. Others will choose to cover them up, but it seems entirely dependent on the culture they're from.

The Blood

  The main difference between those who are born from a mother and those born of a story lies just under the skin. As opposed to the red blood of man and beast, any Essence-woven bleeds a thin white substance known in Prismerese as Iro. Pure magic concentrated into a liquid, it is imperative for many magic rituals and is said to be the thread that keeps the Essence-woven well, woven together. It is common for Essence-Woven, especially in The Theocracy of Melderi , to give this ichor freely to their community within reason.

"The Essence-Born are a reminder from the Gods to researchers that we are still, in fact, mere mortals."

While there are many patterns between subspecies, no two being are woven into existence the same way. Scientifically, it has been observed that Essence-beings come to life when enough of a particular kind of magic is concentrated into a single area and given a purpose. A couple begs and prays for a child until one begins to grow out of their flower bed, a group of schoolchildren tell stories in the dark of a monster until eyes glow in the underbrush. It need not always be that explicit - Paydama, for example, are said to be born of stories of change , hope and agony in equal regards. They appear in equal measures on the construction sites of new homes and in the wakes of disasters. Researchers are unclear what conditions are exactly is nessecary to create an Essence-Woven, other than people speaking ideas and the essence needed to form them. There seem to be no magic words, no particular percentage of essence in the air, iro being present or not seem not to impact anything. They stumble into this world knowing nothing but a name and what they are meant to do. Which is far more than the Flesh-born are given, granted.

Magic begets magic to live, and stories need to be told in order to continue spreading. Ways of acquiring enough essence to keep the iro flowing varies wildly from species to species, but a bona-fide way to keep one kicking is to keep telling the story that bore them. This is a double-edged sword, an Essence-born legend can effectively live forever, but the easiest way to kill one is to make sure they are forgotten. In Prismer and Rafaria, it is bad practice to even speak the name of a Paydama, lest they get the taste of your voice.