Overview

Name of Heritage Group:

Umbranyx

The Umbranyx are a reflective-skinned people whose bodies shimmer like mercury or moon-glass, their surfaces subtly bending light in fluid ripples. They are infamous for an inborn compulsion to lie: Umbranyx cannot speak a wholly truthful statement without conscious struggle or pain.

Their pupils flare lavender or deep blue whenever falsehood crosses their lips—a tell that they cannot suppress, even when attempting to manipulate or deceive others. The glow is faint in daylight, near-blinding in shadow.

Their hatred of the Lumesylv is ancestral and absolute, rooted in light-reflection metaphysics, cultural rivalry, and a half-mythic grievance regarding “the First Division of Truth.”

The Umbranyx are not a “monster race” but are alien in affect, inscrutable in intention, and deeply problematic for other societies. Because they evolve through cross-breeding and mutation, they can appear as variants in hybrids or corrupted lineages across Keotura.

Species:

Race:

Culture:

Indigenous Regions:

The Shattered Peninsula around Umbranox

Attribute Shifts:

Charisma +2, Intuition -1, Willpower -1, Quickness +1, Perception +1, Endurance -1

Total IP Cost:

(GM Only)

Physical Traits

Frame

Average Frame Value (Male):

Light to Medium

Frame Min./Max. Values (Male):

Average Frame Value (Female):

Frame Min./Max. Values (Female):

Frame Variation (both sexes):

Height

Average Height Value (Male):

HV 6-9 (5'6" - 6'6")

Height Min./Max. Values (Male):

Average Height Value (Female):

Height Min./Max. Values (Female):

Height Variation (both sexes):

Physique

Average Physique Value (Male):

Slender, elongated limbs, fluid posture

Physique Min./Max. Values (Male):

Average Physique Value (Female):

Physique Min./Max. Values (Female):

Physique Variation (both sexes):

Resilience

Resilience:

Age

Average Lifespan:

80-160 years

Age Breakdown Table:

adjust table based on average lifespan

Interactive Points

IP Gained per interval:

(Avg. Lifespan/70 = Interval in yrs.):

Gender Ratio

% Male:

% Female:

Appearance

Appearance:

Skin: Smooth reflective surface like mercury, wet glass, or obsidian moonlight

Eyes: Solid color (deep blue, soft lavendar, or pale moonlight) - they flare when lying

Hair: Sparse, metallic strands or shadow-like tendrils (varies)

Their reflections often lag half a second behind their movement—an uncanny trait some scholars believe is a psychic echo rather than physical reality.

Inherent Physical Aspects

Inherent Physical Aspects:

Tellflare Eyes Rank 2

While lying, their eyes glow lavender or deep sapphire-blue.
The glow is involuntary and immediate.
Modifiers:

• Creatures aware of the tell gain +1 Influence or Insight vs Umbranyx
• Umbranyx gain +2 to base Deception (due to perpetual mental practice)

Moon-Glass Skin Rank 2

Skin reflects ambient color and light:

• +1 Defense vs ranged attacks (light refracting surfaces)
• –2 to Stealth in bright light (reflectivity)
• +1 to Stealth in darkness (absorbs shadows)

Psychological Traits

Inherent Aspects:

Reflected Echo Rank 1–2

Reflections sometimes move independently for a heartbeat.
This grants:

• +1 Awareness when detecting movement behind them
• –2 to Insight when engaging with reflective surfaces (confusing self-image)

Ancestral Hatred: Lumesylv Rank 2

Automatic emotional hostility toward Lumesylv, requiring a Willpower Trial to restrain aggression, sabotage, or verbal hostility.

Truth-Pain Rank 1

Speaking direct truth causes physical discomfort, migraines, or reflective distortions in their skin.

Mental & Spiritual Traits

Inherent MS Aspects:

Compulsive Falsehood Rank 3

Umbranyx must succeed a Willpower Trial to speak direct truth.

Failure forces a lie.

Success causes discomfort or nosebleeds (GM choice).

Recommended MS Aspects:

Common Traits:

• charming, eerie calm
• compulsively deceptive
• fluid moral boundaries
• instinctive hostility toward Lumesylv
• difficulty forming honest attachments

Core Motivations

• Preserve the Masque (maintain persona & lie)
• Subvert the Lumesylv
• Control Perception (shaping what others "believe" is power)
• Avoid True Reflection (truth hurts literally)

Common Suppressions

• Truthfulness
• Directness
• Long-term trust
• Cooperation without leverage

Development Considerations

Inherent Expertises:

Recommended Expertises:

Deception/Guile Rank 5-7

Social Manipulation/Diplomacy Rank 3-5

Observation (shadow movement) Rank 3-4

Illusion Lore Rank 2-3

History: Lumesylv Conflicts Rank 2

Stealth (dark only) Rank 4

Influence Rank 4

Special Abilities

Lie-Sense

Umbranyx can sometimes detect emotional dissonance when hearing truths.
(They do not detect lies — they detect failed lies.)

Shadow-Mimic Skin

Can adopt the hue of shadows or moonlight, achieving partial chameleon effects.

Slipstep

Short bursts of serpentine, unpredictable movement when startled or threatened.

Cultural Features

Environmental Adaptation

Principle Environment:

Adaptability:

Heritage Orientation

Orientation:

Guile (Active)

Orientation Description:

Their culture is constructed around misdirection, performance, and manipulation.

Orientation Aspects:

• Control (shadow-law, hidden hierarchy)
• Expression (lie-as-art)
• Isolation (few allies, many watchers)

The Umbranyx view "truth" as a weapon best kept sheathed.

Customs & Lifestyle

Status & Family

Family is a nebulous concept for the Umbranyx. They form small Guileclans, defined not by blood but by:

• shared lies
• mutual deceptions
• political maneuvering
• mirror-oath pacts

Kinship is fragile but politically potent; betrayal is expected and often ritualized.

Symbols & Art

Clothing & Decoration

Typical tools include:

• polished obsidian mirrors
• crescent-shaped blades
• reflective glass-thread cloaks
• scent-masking inks
• moon-glass amulets

Most wear minimal armor, relying on misdirection and smooth movement.

Religion & Magic

Language

Language Family:

Dialect:

Historical Notes