Gloamlight
Gloamlights
“Follow the lights, they said. It’ll be safe, they said.” — Last words of a lost travelerGloamlights are ethereal fey spirits haunting Yelebur’s swamps and fog-choked moors. Glowing like will-o’-wisps, they drift through the mists, leading lost travelers either to safety or to doom. Their translucent forms and glowing eyes give them an eerie, melancholic beauty.
Physical Description
Gloamlights are tall and willowy, with semi-transparent skin that glows faintly in dim light. Long tendrils flow from their heads and backs, resembling drifting fog. Their eyes are luminous orbs without pupils, radiating soft light. Their features are delicate yet unsettling, with faces that seem to shift slightly in the mist.Society
Gloamlights live solitary existences, bound to misty regions where they serve as guides—or tricksters—for travelers. They follow ancient pacts with the natural world, believing every traveler they guide fulfills a destined path, whether that means safety or demise.Gloamlight Traits
Your Gloamlight character has the following traits: Creature Type: Fey (Wild) Ability Score Increase: Your Wisdom increases by 2, and your Charisma increases by 1. Age: Gloamlights appear ageless, existing in the mist for hundreds, if not thousands, of years. Alignment: Most Gloamlights are neutral, following the whims of fate rather than mortal concepts of good and evil. Size: Gloamlights stand around 6 feet tall but weigh very little due to their ethereal nature. Your size is Medium. Speed: Your base walking speed is 30 feet. Fey Ancestry: You have advantage on saving throws against being charmed, and magic can’t put you to sleep. Mistform: As a bonus action, you can partially dissolve into mist until the end of your next turn. While in Mistform, you can move through creatures and objects as if they were difficult terrain. If you end your turn inside a solid object, you take 1d10 force damage. You can use this trait once per long rest. Luminous Guide: As an action, you can emit soft light from your body in a 20-foot radius for up to 10 minutes. Allies within the light have advantage on Wisdom (Survival) checks to navigate or track. You can use this ability once per short or long rest. Darkvision: You have darkvision out to a range of 90 feet. You can see in dim light as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. You can’t discern color in darkness, only shades of gray. Languages: You can speak, read, and write Common and Sylvathis.Basic Information
Anatomy
Gloamlights are ethereal fey, their tall, willowy frames composed of semi-translucent, glowing skin. Their forms shimmer like mist, with long tendrils that drift from their heads and backs, resembling streams of fog. Their limbs are elongated and delicate, yet strong enough to float effortlessly through the air. Their eyes glow with a haunting luminance, lacking pupils, and their faces are smooth and featureless, save for subtle contours that shift and ripple like water. Gloamlights lack internal organs in the traditional sense; instead, they are filled with swirling motes of light that pulse with their emotions.
Biological Traits
Gloamlights possess an ethereal, mist-like form, allowing them to float effortlessly above the ground. Their bodies can pass through small spaces and even thin barriers, provided there are cracks or openings. Their glowing tendrils emit soft, hypnotic light that can lull weak-minded creatures into a trance. They are immune to natural diseases and poisons, and their forms heal rapidly when bathed in moonlight or dense fog. While they lack traditional physical strength, their luminous forms can harden in moments of danger, becoming sharp and jagged like crystalized mist.
Genetics and Reproduction
Gloamlights possess an innate connection to the mists and the spirits that dwell within them. Their glowing eyes can see perfectly in darkness and through dense fog, allowing them to navigate their swampy domains with ease. They can sense the emotional auras of living beings, detecting fear, curiosity, or calmness as if it were a tangible light. This extrasensory perception makes them excellent at discerning intentions, though they often use this knowledge to guide—or deceive—travelers. They also have a limited form of echolocation, perceiving subtle shifts in air currents and sounds through the mist.
Growth Rate & Stages
Gloamlights manifest rather than grow. They coalesce from the dense mists of Yelebur’s swamps, their forms taking shape over the course of several weeks. Once fully formed, a young Gloamlight appears as a dim, flickering wisp, its light faint and unstable. Over the next decade, they grow stronger and more defined, their features becoming sharper as they absorb ambient magical energy from the swamp. By the time they reach maturity—around 20 years—they have full control over their luminous forms. Gloamlights do not age in the conventional sense but slowly fade over centuries, their light dimming until they eventually dissipate into the mists from which they came.
Ecology and Habitats
Gloamlights are most commonly found in Yelebur’s dense swamps, moors, and fog-shrouded valleys. These areas, heavy with moisture and magic, serve as the perfect cradle for their kind. They prefer regions where the veil between life and death is thin, often gathering near forgotten graveyards, ancient ruins, or sunken temples. Their presence in an area tends to thicken the mist, creating an eerie ambiance. Though they can exist elsewhere, they are intrinsically tied to their swampy homes, and prolonged absence from such places causes their light to weaken.
Dietary Needs and Habits
Gloamlights do not consume physical sustenance. Instead, they draw energy from the ambient magic of their surroundings, especially from sources rich in emotion. Fear, curiosity, and wonder are particularly nourishing, which is why Gloamlights often lead travelers astray—not out of malice, but to feed on the emotional intensity of being lost in the fog. In rare cases, they may absorb the residual essence of recently departed souls, guiding these spirits to their resting place while simultaneously feeding on the lingering emotional energy.
Biological Cycle
Gloamlights follow the natural cycles of the mists and the seasons. During the colder months, when fog hangs low and thick, they are at their most powerful, their forms glowing with intense brightness. In the warmer seasons, when the mist thins, Gloamlights grow fainter and more elusive. Their energy is cyclical; they must periodically return to the heart of the swamp—places known as "Mistwells"—to replenish their essence. It is here that they absorb the raw magical energy needed to sustain their forms and extend their existence.
Behaviour
Mysterious and enigmatic, Gloamlights are neither purely benevolent nor malevolent. They view the world through a lens of detachment, observing mortal lives as fleeting moments in the endless fog. Their behavior is deeply tied to emotion; they are drawn to strong feelings, whether joy, fear, or sorrow. Some Gloamlights take pleasure in helping lost travelers find their way, while others revel in leading them astray, savoring the growing fear. They are contemplative beings, often spending centuries silently drifting through the mists, lost in thought. Social by nature, they form loose communities, gathering in places of great emotion or during rare celestial events.
Additional Information
Social Structure
Gloamlight society is fluid and transient, much like the mists they inhabit. They form temporary gatherings known as “Mist Convergences,” where multiple Gloamlights meet to share knowledge, stories, and energy. There is no formal hierarchy, though the oldest and brightest Gloamlights are afforded respect for their wisdom and stronger connection to the mists. These gatherings often occur near Mistwells or during specific lunar phases when the veil between worlds is thinnest.
Civilization and Culture
Major Organizations
Gloamlights do not form rigid organizations but gather in loose collectives known as “Mist Convergences.” These gatherings are ephemeral, forming around powerful Mistwells or during significant celestial events. However, there are whispers of a more structured group known as the Veilwardens, ancient Gloamlights who oversee the delicate balance between the world of the living and the spirit realm. The Veilwardens rarely interact with outsiders but are said to possess immense knowledge of life, death, and the paths between them.
In more populated regions, especially where Yelebur meets Tunin, Gloamlights have formed minor associations with spiritualists and mediums. These partnerships allow Gloamlights to guide the living and dead alike, sharing their knowledge in exchange for emotional energy.
Beauty Ideals
To Gloamlights, beauty is defined by luminosity and the clarity of their glow. The brighter and more stable a Gloamlight's light, the more alluring they are considered. Complex patterns within their glowing forms, such as swirling tendrils or streaks of silver and violet, are highly prized. A Gloamlight with a smooth, steady glow is often seen as serene and wise, while those with flickering or shifting lights are considered youthful and energetic. Emotional expression through color changes also plays a role in beauty, with the ability to shift hues gracefully being admired.
Common Etiquette Rules
Politeness among Gloamlights is subtle and nonverbal, communicated through shifts in glow and tendril movements. Brightening one’s light in another’s presence is a common greeting, while dimming it slightly signals respect or submission. Interrupting a Gloamlight’s drift through the mist is considered rude unless done gently and with purpose.
When interacting with outsiders, Gloamlights often test intentions through small deceptions—leading someone in circles within the mist before revealing themselves. It is considered polite to accept these misdirections with grace, as they are seen as a ritual of introduction.
Common Dress Code
Gloamlights do not wear clothing in the traditional sense, as their ethereal forms render it unnecessary. Instead, they adorn themselves with floating veils of mist, shaped into intricate patterns that drift around their bodies. During Mist Convergences or other gatherings, Gloamlights enhance their natural glow with shimmering motes of light, creating a visual display akin to wearing luminescent jewelry. These veils shift and change, reflecting their emotional states and intentions.
Culture and Cultural Heritage
Gloamlight culture revolves around the balance between guiding and deceiving, reflecting the dual nature of the mists they inhabit. They see themselves as caretakers of the fog, preserving its mysteries while allowing mortals to experience its trials. Storytelling is central to their heritage, but rather than using words, they share memories and emotions through patterns of light and mist.
They value the ephemeral and fleeting, often celebrating moments that pass quickly but leave lasting impressions. The act of guiding a lost soul—whether safely home or deeper into the swamp—is seen as a spiritual duty and a form of artistic expression.
Culturally, Gloamlights are deeply tied to the concept of liminality—the spaces between life and death, light and dark, safety and danger. This belief permeates all aspects of their society, from their drifting communities to their relationships with other beings.
Common Customs, Traditions and Rituals
One of the most sacred Gloamlight traditions is the Luminous Drift, a ritual where Gloamlights gather to drift in unison across the swamps, their lights forming shifting patterns in the mist. This event is both a celebration of unity and a way to honor those who have faded into the fog over the centuries.
Another important tradition is the Guiding Night, where Gloamlights purposefully seek out lost travelers during dense fog and choose whether to lead them to safety or deeper into the swamp. This ritual reinforces their role as both guardians and tricksters, highlighting the delicate balance they maintain.
They also observe the Veil’s Rest during lunar eclipses, when the boundaries between the living world and the spirit realm thin. During this time, Gloamlights gather around Mistwells to commune with lingering spirits, guiding them onward or learning their stories.
Common Taboos
The greatest taboo among Gloamlights is the act of fully revealing themselves to mortals without the cover of mist. Doing so is seen as exposing their essence, leaving them vulnerable and breaking the delicate balance between seen and unseen.
Another severe taboo is guiding a soul—living or dead—without intention. Wandering aimlessly with no purpose is considered a waste of their energy and an insult to their role as wayfarers of the mist.
Additionally, Gloamlights view fire as a corrupting force. Creating or wielding flame within the swamps is strictly forbidden, as it can dissipate the mists that sustain them.
History
Gloamlights are believed to have first emerged during the earliest days of Yelebur, born from the mists that rolled over the land after the Angshire Spirits shaped the world. Ancient tales speak of how Chergathar, Goddess of Spirit and Soul, blessed the first mists with consciousness, leading to the birth of the Gloamlights. These beings served as her guides, shepherding lost souls through the fog to the afterlife.
During the Mazînmagisk Era, Gloamlights remained neutral in the conflicts between Giants and mortals. They observed from the swamps, guiding both sides equally—sometimes helping lost giant scouts return to their armies, and other times leading mortal wanderers to safety. Their enigmatic nature made them both revered and feared.
In the modern era, Gloamlights have become the stuff of legends in both Yelebur and Tunin. Many still haunt the swamps and moors, though some have wandered into Tunin, drawn by the emotional energy of the bustling cities. Their roles as guides and deceivers remain unchanged, and they continue to be both a blessing and a curse to those who encounter them.
Historical Figures
Shyallith: Revered as the first Gloamlight, Shyallith is both a myth and a spiritual figure. Many believe that they still drift deep within the oldest swamps, their glow brighter than any other, guiding the most important souls to their rest.
Vaelrin the Trickster: Known among Gloamlights and mortals alike, Vaelrin was famed for leading an entire Tunin battalion into a bog during the Mazînmagisk Era, where they became hopelessly lost. Some say Vaelrin later guided the survivors out, but only after they agreed to respect the swamps' sanctity.
Selmara the Veilwarden: One of the first Gloamlights to fully bridge the gap between the living and the spirit realms, Selmara founded the Veilwardens and was responsible for maintaining the balance between guiding and deceiving. Her teachings still influence Gloamlight philosophy today.
Common Myths and Legends
A well-known Gloamlight legend speaks of The First Drift, the tale of the very first Gloamlight born from the mists. It is said this being, known as Shyallith, drifted alone for centuries, learning the paths between life and death before guiding the first lost soul to the afterlife. Shyallith's light eventually became the first Mistwell, serving as a beacon for all Gloamlights.
Another legend tells of The Eclipsed Wanderer, a mortal who, during a rare lunar eclipse, followed the guidance of a Gloamlight deep into the swamps. Rather than leading them to safety or doom, the Gloamlight merged its essence with the mortal, creating the first of the Veilwardens—a bridge between the living and the dead.
In more ominous tales, some Gloamlights speak of The Dimmed Ones, ancient Gloamlights who lost their light entirely and now drift as shadows in the mists, seeking to steal the glow from others to restore their own fading forms.
Interspecies Relations and Assumptions
Gloamlights are enigmatic to most other races, leading to a mixture of reverence and fear. Druids and rangers often seek them out, hoping for guidance or wisdom, while common folk view them as omens—either of safety or doom.
They share a respectful, if distant, relationship with Thistleborn, as both races value the natural world, though Thistleborn often view Gloamlights as overly somber and detached. Mirelings, with their chaotic energy, are seen as amusing by Gloamlights, though their toxic fungi sometimes disrupt the mists, leading to minor conflicts.
In Tunin, Gloamlights are rare but not unheard of, often found near old cemeteries or places heavy with emotional history. Mortals in these regions sometimes leave offerings of polished glass or crystals, hoping to appease the Gloamlights and ensure safe passage through the fog.
Relations with necromancers and those who tamper with the dead are strained, as Gloamlights view such acts as violations of the natural cycle they strive to maintain.
Lifespan
Immortal (though they fade after 800-1000 years)
Average Height
5 to 6 feet
Average Weight
Weightless (though they can exert up to 40 lbs of force)
Body Tint, Colouring and Marking
Gloamlights glow with soft, ethereal light, usually in shades of pale blue, green, or violet. Their mist-like tendrils ripple with subtle shifts in color based on emotion—calmness brings soft blues, excitement glows gold, and anger manifests in deep crimson. Their semi-transparent bodies often display faint, swirling patterns, resembling fog banks or flowing water. In rare cases, ancient Gloamlights develop brighter, more complex patterns, like veins of silver light running through their forms.
Geographic Distribution
Related Ethnicities
Comments