Vallahism

[Greater Vallah require Non-Standard Character Applications-Vallah Lord is Event Exclusive]

Vallahism is the original sin, the original curse. Vallah were some of the first blighted creatures to truly manifest on the realm, hiding shadows and filling their lust for blood. This Crimson Curse finds its way into homes of the innocent and the damned alike, tainting their bloodlines and seeks to avenge those who dared defile the shrines of the gods. The term Vallah means in an ancient tongue 'To swear in Holy Name,' derived from their tainted and nefarious origins.

Origin of Trait

The Vallah curse traces its origins back to some of the earliest instances in the history of the divine. Thousands of years ago, when man was still fledgling, the mortals were in conflict much as how they remain today. These orders of Light and Shadow, ones who followed the Mother of Night or Father of Radiance, found themselves at odds due to philosophical and moral differences. Generations of war followed until one day the followers of Ombra finally did something which appalled Sol too greatly. They stained his shrine in the blood of his faithful during a peaceful sermon on his nameday, which broke the holy treaty the two had established on already tenuous terms. It was on this day Sol sought his Sister, and convinced her into complying through sheer will, and force of arms. These once blessed and powerful Ombrites were now cursed, as their skin paled and their fangs grew long, while their eyes began to glow a crimson red during the night. Ombra however, ever the wiser and more tricky than her brother, had laid a deceptive trap. While her weaker followers would perhaps remain cursed and weakened in the sun eternally, her stronger followers would ascend past their previous powers, bringing the Night into the day forever more with their faithful vigil. While Sol may have charred their blood black with the curse, Ombra kept her followers stealthy, strong, and protected during both the time of her moonlit gaze, and her radiant, boisterous brothers.

Acquisition

Vallahism is transmitted through the blood as a fledgling curse, usually intentionally from the sycophant to the victim. Once there the curse manifests on their soul, attaching like a leech before over the coming of 7 septs manifests into something more symbiotic. It is over this period that the victim first begins to experience changes. They feel sickly, weak, and on the seventh day their curse manifests in full, making them one with the night.

Vallah who ascend to Greater Vallahism have surpassed the reaches of the curse, turning it into something that is more than just a malignance on their body. Greater Vallahism manifests throughout their whole body, turning their blood black and giving them heightened strength and agility. It is at this point where their curse becomes visible constantly, as Greater Vallah are unafraid of those who are beneath them. This is usually achieved through great acts of ambition, almost always malignant in nature to everyone but themselves.

Races that can contract Vallahism: (Note: Polymorphing into races not listed while having the curse is not possible.)

• Humans
• Elves
• Orcs
• Halfbreeds (Not Half Mer)
• Danakov
• Dwarves
• Goblins
• Satyr
• Dryads
• Skrayln

Physical Changes

Vallah have many effects and physical changes at various points, the specifications of these being detailed in the Mechanics section below. Some general assertations can be made however at the population of them at large. Vallah are creatures which prefer the night, possess large talons and fangs which they use to hunt their prey and to secure themselves blood. Many Vallah are either innocents turned in these raids or sycophants who hail from royal bloodlines, having used the curse to try and maintain a long, but cursed life.

Holy objects, gold, and other weaknesses plague their daily lives, making using coinage a tedious task. With this in mind, most Vallah societies have forsaken these metals and tools for other more worthy items. Ombra as their patron deity protects them in her shadows, making the curse feel muted within it.

Turning into a Vallah is not a pleasant experience, but rather a painful one. It feels when one begins to turn as if their eyes are burning and their bones are stretching. Their bodies break into feverish pitches, leaving them battered and wounded. It is during this time they also begin to learn to use their incisors to feed and to properly drink the blood of their prey.

The soul of the vallah which has turned is a curious anomaly. Unlike their Lycan counterparts, the Vallah curse has manifested itself as apart of the soul, becoming one with it and corrupting it into something more permanent to some degree. The soul of the Lesser Vallah is Crimson, while the Greater Vallah's is black, giving them a very distinct appearance.

Mental Changes

Vallah have no notable mental changes. They are no longer interested in eating normal food. Most Vallah do not like sunlight, choosing to remain in the shadows or opting to be nocturnal instead.

Blood Exhaustion

Vallah's curse is to feed on those they can draw blood from, whether it be willingly or unwillingly. Every sort of Vallah has to feed. Greater Vallah are also known to feed on flesh, while both must draw blood. Should they find no prey, Vallah enter what is a sickly and aging state. When the Vallah enters this state, their skin begins to show their true age as well as their body. They lose their enhancements during this regardless of the time of day from this starvation, and if they are far enough beyond [50 years past the lifespan's average age] their body gives out and dies. If a Vallah lets themselves get into this state, even Greater Vallah-once they feed, they return back to their normal forms, but find themselves permanently aged 5 years older physically.

Mechanics

General

• Vallah do not require food, water, etc. But they can still partake in the consummation of such.
• Vallah nails are as tough as iron and can be extended at night. Blackened in color, these talons are able to cut through most cloths and gambeson with ease.
• Vallah have enhanced vision at night, able to see through it as if it was day.
• Vallah are weak to holy items and gold. When coming into contact with vallah, these cause more severe burns based on the longevity of the contact.
• Vallah are immune to most diseases and pathogens.
• Creatures of the Night [wolves, bats, rats, bears, snakes, and other vermin], take no interest in Vallah unless provoked to do so.
• Vallah must drink fresh blood from sentient creatures to fulfill their hunger. Blood from animals or stale blood does not work.
• Lesser vallah cannot feed on other vallah to sustain the curse, but greater vallah can sustain off of lesser.
• The spawn of Vallah have the potential of being Lesser Vallah too.
• Vallah cannot sleep.
• They can still be effected by outside sources (spells, injuries, etc) and be rendered unconscious/in a sleep state.
• Vallah have coagulant and pain-relievers stored in their incisors and used when feeding. It is possible for the Vallah to feed on the sleeping or willing, leaving the only sign of their presence being two red pin pricks on the user when they look.

Lesser Vallahism

• Have an extended lifespan of five times their base life. Vallah age normally until adulthood (18).
• Have canines which grow 1.5 times their usual length at will during the night time.
• Lesser Vallah have sanguine blood which is able to turn other viable persons. This turning requires OOC consent.
• While in the sunlight, Vallah are utterly crippled, and are only able to walk and lift small objects, such as to drink or read a book. Their strength and speed are reduced by two stages. This does not come into play if in the shadows or at night. Most armor and clothing does not protect from this, but moonstones do. Sunstones count as sunlight for these purposes.
• Lesser Vallah require to blood feed every two OOC weeks or suffer the effects of blood exhaustion. If a vallah feeds on a player character, the above effect of crippling in the sunlight is is reduced to one stage lower, however their eyes remain blood red even during the day.
• Lesser Vallah eyes turn crimson at night, during the day their maintain their normal eye color unless they have fed on a player recently

Greater Vallahism

• Are immortal and do not age past the point of adulthood.
• Have canines which grow two times their usual length at will.
• Greater Vallah have black blood.
• Greater vallah suffer harsh effects in the sun, increased compared to lesser vallah. During the day, their strength and speed is reduced by three stages, to a minimum of two.
• Greater Vallah require blood and/or flesh feeding once every two OOC weeks. If a vallah feeds on a player character, the above effect of crippling sunlight is reduced to one during the day.
• Greater Vallah have the ability to climb surface and stick to them. This grants them greater upwards mobility on usually unclimable surfaces.
• During the night, Greater Vallah are no longer as weak to gold and holy items, etc. Instead they are treated as a normal person would. This can be circumvented by lighting an area with Sunstones, but this will not inflict the sunlight debuff, merely disable their nighttime abilities.
• Greater Vallah can heal major limbs by drinking 3 pints per severe injury. It takes 1 round to drink half a pint. These wounds will heal over a period of a day per severe injury.
• Greater Vallah are stronger and more agile ONLY during the night, in caves with no surface light or if within the radius of a moonstone.
• All Greater Vallah have Tier Six Strength and Tier Six Speed.
• Greater Vallah have reptilian, amber colored eyes at all hours.

Vallah Lord

• Vallah Lords have black iris.
• Vallah Lords have all the traits otherwise that Greater Vallah have, unless they conflict with the ones listed here.
• Vallah Lords when exposed to the moonlight appear as vicious creatures. Their skin turns grey and shrinks to their face and skin as their vampiric features become more prominent.
• Vallah Lords do not need to feed, the curse having become utterly soul-based.
• Vallah Lords are not affected by the Sun.
• Vallah Lords each have a suite of 3 special effects that have mutated from their ascended form unique to them and only them. This varies wildly between each Vallah Lord, but its effects are quite powerful.

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