Revenants

## Introduction

Revenants are one of the three Greater Afflicted that emerged from the cursing of the Edimmu. They expanded eastwards and reign most of southern asia from the shadows. They are the masters of spirits, beding and altering ghosts and wraiths from the Underworld.

## Characteristics

### Essence

A Revenants Essence is not a liquid unlike that of other Afflicted. Instead their powers are bound to a magical mist of black and blue that floats through their veins. When hurt this mist is clearly visible, yet wounds of Revenants tend to loose less Essence that those of other Afflicted, instead regenerating their flesh in a clean fashion. As a drawback, Revenants are both pale and cold which betrays their Undead nature more easily then that of Ghuls or Vampires.

### Bane

The Revenants are extremly vunerable to wood. Its touch numbs their mind and withers their flesh. Splinters caught inside their flesh will cause Rigor Mortis and ultimatly turn them back into haggard corpses if not removed. A wooden stake thrust into a Revenants head will purge all Unlife from them and turn them back into a long dead corpse. Even physical contact with wood can cause a Revenants skin to harden and become sluggish while inflicting severe pain. Not every type of wood has the same effect however. Processed froms of wood like paper have no effect on Revenants, outlandish wood like oak or timber has almost no effect on them other then causing displeasure. The wood of a peach tree is by far the most perilous to them. Stakes made from peach wood or even worse peach seed are extremly deadly to them and can be pushed into their flesh with almost no resistence, making their dull tips as penetrative as the edge of a razor.

The vaporous Essence of a Revenant aswell as any form of mist controlled by them condenses when in close proximity to wood, turning into water that is utterly useless to a Revenant.

### Hunger

While Vampires and Ghuls use their fangs to feed and sustain their Unlife, the Revenants have a more intricate method of feeding. They do not hunger for sustances bound to the mortal world as their curse turned them utterly alien to it. Instead a Revenant uses their claws to extract the souls from their victims. Through plunging them into the chest of their prey they can slowly force their victims soul out of their body and absorb it as it flows out of their victims mouth into their own wide open maw, resulting in their preys death.

Revenants can extend their claws to up to 30 cm in length depending on their age. While mostly doing this at will the sight of multiple deaths can raise their Hunger and force their claws out of their fingers. Even after a mortal has died there remain precious minutes to extract their soul before it leaves them by it self and is out of reach for the Revenant.

Stealing the soul of a mortal usually requires several minutes and results in a bloody fight with the victim. The Revenants claws need to stay within their target during the entire process. For that reason most of their kind prefer to feed on a mortal after they died. Unlike other Afflicted a Revenants desire to feed is cold and controlled. They never toy around with their food, instead granting it a swift death. During the process their face will loose any form of expression while their eyes focus the target and are semingly unable to look at something else. For that reason a Revenants Hunger is commonly refered to simply as *"The Gaze"*. Those that survived it describe the weight of the gaze as so strong it seems to leech the warmth out of their hearts while their flesh is struck by trembling chills. Nothing human is in their eyes, just the cold desire to consume. It is only when they consume the soul of their prey that they let out a single owl-like shriek.

### Corruption

Revenants share a supernatural connection with owls, yet they this bound is far weaker then those of other Afflicted. For that reason their physical corruption barely resembles that of their chosen animal. Instead over the years their skin begins to turn grey-blue and sunken. Most Revenants gain an extremly smooth skin that appears to be stretched to thinly over their withered body, yet in some cases it may begin to shrivel and develop a network of wrinkles. Their eyes begin to turn black over time while their iris and pupil turns into a pale blue that glows in the dark. Their hair will turn white and grow longer with each year until reaching their hips, something most Revenants find repulsive enough to cut it back every night.

Their claws, already extremly long and sharp, will only increase in size and strength over the years while passibly extending out of their fingers until reaching a length of about 10 cm inside their fingers and 30 cm when expanded. Some Revenants have even been reported to develop sharper teeth, yet this form of corruption remains rare.

### High Night

A Revenants High Night occurs four times a year between the shift of seasons. At the beginning of a new one a Jiangshi gains great power, allowing them to walk freely between the material world and the countless layers of Umbra. When the daylight fades and the stars of each 7th celestial mansions shine on the earth, a Revanants Essence gains in strength and potence, even allowing them to spread the curse of the Revanant and create new childers. These are often associated with one of the four seasons depending on their *Turning* and either walk under the sign of the *dragon* (spring), the *phoenix* (summer), the *tiger* (fall) or the *tortoise* (winter). The central day of each seasons renders a Revenants powerless however. They may not use any of their Wraithcraft Powers, neither can they enter or leave Umbra depending on their location during the respective day.

Some Revenants have developed a seasonal sense, granting them strength during a respective seasons. During the spring they feel the touch of the *Azure Dragon of the East* which gifts them speed, during the summer the touch of the *Phoenix of the South* which grants them willpower, during fall they are touched by the *White Tiger of the West* blessing them with strength and during winter the *Black Tortoise of the North* grants them resilience.

## (...)

### Yunsong

Masters of Distortion and Creation

Wraithcraft- Master of Mogwai, Avatar of Yama and Commander of the Spectral Hordes

Distortion- Voice of Destiny, Imprison Soul

Creation- Hand of Perses

### Senshi

Masters of Prospection and Resurrection

Wraithcraft- Umbral Vigor, Otherwordly Resilience and Banishment

Resurrection- Rigor Mortis and Spark of Rampancy

### Aph

Masters of Execration and Contagion

Wraithcraft- Sagiris Shroud and Mistform

Execration- Uncanny Odem and Accursed Grasp

Sworn vengeance to Yunsong

### Host of Namtaru

Masters of Distortion, Prospection and Creation

Evocation- Voice of the Wyrm,

Wraithcraft- Master of Mogwei, Banishment

Prospection- Dead Sight

Creation- Creators Artifice