Lineages

Certain illustrious families of Metahumans can trace their ancestry back to ancient Precursors, or even claim direct descent from those active in the modern day. Such ancestry confers far more than just pride in one's heritage: metas of Precursor descent will often manifest additional minor abilities, as well as potentially dangerous drawbacks.
*If you'd like to make a player character in one of these lineages, just reach out to the staff member listed as a contact.*

## The **Zalthials** - Children of the Night

*(Contact: Goofball/Sarah)*

Descendants of the infamous Precursor Dracula, the Zalthial family have spread throughout the world in service of their dread father, or to serve their own personal pursuits. Wherever a Zalthial has laid their roots, more of the family are sure to already lurk within the shadows or follow soon after them. For Dracula's descendants remain a tightly knit but secluded family, who prefer not to rub shoulders with others or step into the spotlight where unwanted eyes may find them. From the shadows, the Zalthials convene in great "clans", where they may exert power and influence as one unbeknownst to the public.

A Zalthial is expected to help their family wherever they can, and their family will usually return the favor. Clans are typically part of the societal elite, and together they can pool their resources and push one another's ambitions forward. Yet their mere existence is a tightly guarded secret, and each clan goes to great lengths to ensure that any leaks are buried, one way or another. Together, the various Zalthial clans form a secret society of vast wealth and influence, but though they are loosely aligned there is frequent competition among them. Often do the clans contend for power, influence, and favor with their dread father, whom they are all beholden to regardless of their own aspirations.

The life of a Zalthial is a life of intrigue, luxury, secrets, and above all... Blood. For though the various Zalthial clans and their individual members are aligned, and keep in close contact, they nonetheless must vie with one another to advance within their secret society. To obtain power as part of the upper echelon of a clan, or to procure favor with Dracula in hopes of obtaining vampirism, one must be ruthless and decisive in one's actions. Yet the ambitious should be wary: failure to fulfill one's bargain to either the family or Dracula himself bears a cost few can possibly imagine.

Those beyond the clans, unaware of their heritage or the secret society which their family has formed, may not yet be safe. They're always at risk of suddenly being roped in, at the behest of a clansman who wished to recruit one of the family, or through devilish schemes which seek to take advantage of them. Though a few Zalthials have managed to escape their crazed lineage, many are inevitably pulled into the shadows, to play whatever nefarious games they have in mind.

**Boon:** As Dracula’s descendants, Zalthials are forever within the night’s cool embrace. They see clearly in darkness while masking their own movements, and should they wish a Zalthial may even take shelter in the shadows around them. Though they cannot move nor make a sound in such a state, only another Zalthial can see them through ordinary means, and they may inscribe messages or leave things behind within their pocket of shadows. Another curious but delightful consequence of their lineage is a natural, compulsive admiration for bats.

**Bane:** While they may have the favor of the night, day's light looks furiously upon Dracula's progeny. They're forever locked to a nocturnal sleeping schedule, feeling far more active at night than they would under day's light. And though their eyes are adjusted for the darkest of corners, they're scorned in the presence of light, especially when said light suddenly shines upon their hidden pockets of shadow. Such illumination will immediately cast the Zalthial out from where they hide, revealing them to the world.

## Descendants of **Sekhmet** - The Unrelenting Flames

*(Contact: Sage)*

Having traveled the world relentlessly over the course of her many lives, Sekhmet's descendants can be found nearly anywhere across the planet, among any ethnicity. As a result, there is no one centralized family surrounding the Precursor. The largest concentration of her blood, the **Valentinians**, have risen in notoriety on the American West Coast as a crime syndicate that's starting to reach out to other places in the world. Those descended from Sekhmet will be able to tell with their power alone should they have one. They are host to powers that involve fire, light, and endurance. Usually these abilities are Triggered powers that violently flare up at some point during their life.

**Boon:** Sekhmet's descendants will always find themselves with a body full of pure determination. Unable to tire, they require no sleep and have seemingly endless stamina, while also suffering no ill effects from natural poisons and diseases. They're able to sustain themselves on very little food, water, or even air, even without a power, and to a normal person they can seem like indominable juggernauts.

**Bane:** A Descendant of Sekhmet must follow their core beliefs to the very end, lest their blood take control and force their body to perform what they truly believe to be the right course of action. This means that her descendants must always live true to themselves and those around them, with only those particularly vicious or twisted to be able to make it as villains. As a result, nearly all Descendants of Sekhmet are heroes or vigilantes, if only by force.

## The **Moirae** - Fate's Heartstrings

*Contact: Terrortoma/Hime)*

The Moirae are an assortment of families able to trace their bloodlines back to the dubious and enigmatic Precursor, The Morrígan. Like seeds tossed in the wind, the Phantom Queen’s bloodline has found itself scattered across Europe and the Mediterranean with major strongholds in Italy, France, and the United Kingdom. In these prime locations, they’ve either fostered or integrated with their respective nation’s intelligence agencies, leading each family to create networks amongst themselves that have only recently become interconnected. Those with a fragment of the Phantom Queen’s blood in their veins bear uniquely patterned eyes, and are host to occult-styled abilities that inspire and fortify friends or mislead and disrupt foes with motifs that include threads, wings, eyes, or eclipses. Suspected members of the Moirae family throughout the ages include **Bellona** and **Frederick the Great**.

**Boon:** The Morrígan’s progeny are touched by destiny, and as consequence are prone to experiencing distressing daydreams, nightmares, or phantom pains that coincide with incidents that shape their individual future alongside harrowing genetic memories dredged up from the depths of their bloodline. It’s said that when her blood gathers or if their ancestor is within close proximity, the premonitions and memories become clearer.

**Bane:** The Phantom Queen’s descendants are bound to perpetuate the future their progenitor weaves. Each member of her chosen family finds themselves drawn towards cataclysmic events in one way or another, destined to fight against something greater than themselves. During battles for preservation, those marked by The Morrígan’s blood become her bloodlust-fueled soldiers, casting reason aside for the sake of the single aforementioned goal.

## Spawn of **Surtr** - the Runebearers

*(Contact: Day)*

Unlike traditional legacies, there exists no common record of spawn directly descended from **Surtr**, a Precursor whose name has been all but lost to time. There is no shortage of these accursed few, however, and the so-called family is split into two distinct divisions known as the **Honored Blood** and the **Profaned Blood**. Those who bear the cursed mark of Surtr commonly possess abilities related to the use of runes, glyphs, or rituals bearing varied and fabled effects. Physical characteristics associated with this bloodline are often reminiscent of races spoken of in Norse mythology.

**Loki, the Honored Blood**

Devoted to a malign cause, the honored blood of Loki aim to enact their will upon the world with a sinister and subtle edge. Working primarily out of Scandinavia, members of this branch act as agents operating on their leader's behalf and are entrusted with vital duties across the world to sow their influence. Loyalty and service are justly rewarded, providing them increases in reputation and rewards for staying within the hierarchy, but even the most trusted among them remain blind to their clan's true goals.

**Odin, the Profaned Blood**

Left scattered across the realm after the fall of the Allfather, the profaned blood of Odin was left broken and without a cause. Many of the survivors chose to divorce themselves of their past, and enter hiding in a feeble attempt to reclaim a modicum of normalcy lost. Among these few survivors exists a group led by Odin himself dedicated to undermining the plots of Loki and foiling the trickster god's mysterious aims.

**Boon:** Burdened by Surtr's tainted blood, descendants of this legacy possess an immutable curse mark stolen from their progenitor; a once undefined rune shaped by the expression of their soul. These unique glyphs act as extensions of themselves, usurping any potential to manifest a power naturally as long as it remains. By fracturing this rune, the descendant may manifest a lesser version of their own ability. The times they may fracture their rune and its power are directly proportional to the rune's translated length.

**Bane:** Once stolen from the titan themself, so too may the runes be stolen from those born to this accursed fate. Methods towards this end are widely unknown, but nonetheless, the Spawn of Surtr run the risk of losing the expression of their soul and its resulting gift of power. Any who manage to survive such an event are forever changed, just as their ancestor was once long ago.

## The **Gilded Lineage** - Masters of Arms

*(Contact: Sage)*

Descendants of the long-dead Precursor Gilgamesh are nearly always Channelers. However, these descendants are relatively rare, and aren't always born with powers. They're widespread around the world thanks to his journeys but almost all of them show some signs of Mediterranean descent. There are, however, at least two major families dedicated to drawing in these descendants to bolster their sides in a dispute that's lasted for over a century.

**Boon:** Channelers that are born of the Gilded Lineage are guaranteed to have a weapon that is entirely sentient and aware of its surroundings. It will even house a personality vividly distinct enough that if one were to listen to the Meta's thoughts, they would find two voices rather than one. This is because they originate from Gilgamesh's ancient vault, his most favored and trusted weapons out of the thousands he chose to keep after using them. They all speak fondly of him and how well they are still treated in the vault. Additionally, the weapon and the wielder can swap places, not in body, but in mind. This allows the weapon to inhabit the wielder's body and vice versa, thus allowing the weapon's power to follow it into the wielder's body. This sapping nurtures an increased understanding between one's power and self, while building a tighter bond to their weapon than most other Channelers.

**Bane:** The act of swapping places does not come without its own risks. The weapon has agency that no matter what happens to it, and its original form is still secured safely within the vault, meaning it can refuse to utilize its power at all should the wielder displease it, and in the worst cases even refuse to return the wielder's body, leaving the wielder trapped inside the vault until their original human body finally dies. When swapping places, the wielder is entirely at the mercy of their weapon.

## The **Iyansan** - Heralds of Thunder

*(Contact: Pollen)*

The children of Ọya, the orisha queen who reigns over all the clans and nations of western Africa. In their homeland they are treated as royalty, receiving the worship of the people and in turn acting as political advisors and mouthpieces for the Precursor's will. Most live a life of luxury and are granted anything they may desire, but in return are expected to train in the arts of war and serve as leaders in battles against Broken and Desolates. It is a life of celebrity and adulation, almost the closest a mere mortal can get to living as a god. It is also a life without freedom, spent trapped between the expectations of their mother and the endless wishes of the people.

Chained by their responsibilities, it is rare to ever see an Iyansan set foot in Lellorium. If one does appear, they must be one of three things: an **Envoy** sent to conduct diplomacy and fulfill bargains with outside powers, a **Spy** sent to gather information and sabotage their enemies abroad, or an **Outcast** who was cut off and exiled from the family, by their own will or otherwise. Members of the Iyansan lineage are almost exclusively Breakers, and their otherworldly forms bear powers associated with winds, water, and lightning.

**Boon:** An Iyansan has the ability to call upon a storm, and change the weather for several miles around to a raging, violent tempest. This power can only be used once a day, and takes ten minutes to reach full effect. The storm takes on a shape determined by the bearer's main ability, and can bring anything from lashing rains to blazing lightning to freezing hail and snow. An hour after it begins, however, the clouds will suddenly disperse, and the caller will be unable to summon it again until a full day has passed.

**Bane:** It is whispered that Ọya's first nine children were stillborn, and that in her grief, the orisha resorted to dark and forbidden methods to ensure her lineage. To say this is considered heretical, and yet there is a truth that cannot be denied: the Breaker forms of Iyansan sons and daughters are universally cruel and violent, fueled by a deep hatred of all life outside of one another. Iyansans are pushed hard in their youth to subdue and control their other selves, and those who fail to learn are summarily cast out, their very existence denied by their family and people thereafter.

## The **Tavros** - Holders of Instinct

*(Contact: Terrortoma/Hime)*

Though the whereabouts and origins of the lost Precursor **Asterion** are shrouded in mystery, his bloodline can be found dispersed across the world, with major hotspots concentrated around Europe. Within this region, they’ve established various public safety organizations that all fall under the umbrella of their London-based operation **ARGUS**, a crowning achievement as one of the largest hero associations in the world. In modern times, the family and organization is led by former hero **Archibald Tavros**, who has made it his life's work to expand the accessibility of heroic institutions and increase their standards. Those who bear the Tavros blood and name are host to animalistic metamutations accompanied by abilities that represent or epitomize the primal emotions that drive them.

**Boon:** Asterion’s progeny are host to two emotions: one that dominates their personality and guides them, and an opposing but equal one that triggers their familial boon. When the conditions are met, their abilities will gain a powerful temporary enhancement that can manifest as a sudden boost in potency, a limit briefly surpassed, or a momentary change in the nature of their powers. After the moment passes, a child of Asterion will return back to their primary emotion and require a night’s rest before being able to use their powers again.

**Bane:** Those in the Tavros family are bound to the innate emotions of mankind, with personalities that are always dominated by a single powerful emotion. While the intensity of this emotion can vary or be controlled by the individual with time and practice, the claim it stakes on them is nigh unshakable. Their guiding emotion always bleeds into their actions and words, solidifying how a Tavros perceives the world and exists within it.

## The **Arashi** - Tempest-Touched Peacekeepers

*(Contact: Terrortoma/Hime)*

After his return, **Susanoo-no-Mikoto** went on to live countless lives in the Land of the Rising Sun, and brought forth his many descendants. While the bloodline is mostly localized within **Japan**, traces of the Arashi family can be found in other countries where they engage in philanthropy and various global humanitarian efforts. The family’s largest modern organization operates out of their homeland and goes by the name **Kaze International**, working around the clock to provide relief and aid in the aftermath of global crises. Members of the Arashi family are host to powers centered around speed and precision, with hints of their thunderous and typhoon-riddled lineage.

**Boon:** Those who bear the blood of Susanoo are said to carry the winds of cyclones beneath their feet. As long as they keep moving, members of the Arashi family are able to run across the surfaces of liquids and use the air beneath their feet as a stable enough surface to continuously jump.

**Bane:** Despite their innate mobility, the Arashi are fated to follow in their ancestor’s footsteps and bind their loyalty to something they see as greater than themselves. At some point during their lives, members of the family form a bond with something tangible that they must look after and protect no matter the cost. These bonds are most commonly formed with close family members, friends, or lovers, but may also be formed with locations and objects of importance such as birthplaces or heirlooms.

## The **Julong** - Demigods of the Battlefield

*(Contact: Sage)*

The Julong family are descendants of the mythical warrior **Lu Bu**, a Chinese general of great martial power who rose to prominence during the war of the Three Kingdoms in the 2nd century. The Julong family are divided into two classes: members of the **“old guard”** and various outsiders. Most of the Julong family do not even realize that they are descendants of a Precursor, and simply believe they are part of a tight-knit family. These members can be found almost everywhere, and tend to take on a myriad of combat-oriented jobs, from soldiers to private security to gang enforcers and martial arts instructors.

The “old guard” are comprised of Julong elders, and those privately chosen by current elders. These elders hold positions as high-ranking military officers, officials within criminal organizations, or shareholders in international weapons companies. They are aware of their ancestry, and work together specifically to follow the carefully-laid plans of their great ancestor.

**Boon:** Descendants of Lu Bu have a significantly easier time learning martial skills, and their bodies are built for combat. Practically speaking, they have a higher threshold for strength/speed/durability/mental capacity than a normal human at about 1.5 times peak human, or alternatively may have one specific trait increased to 3 times human limits. They can also learn how to use weapons, martial arts, or tactics significantly faster than normal.

**Bane:** Descendants of Lu Bu have a crippling bane that is tied to their gifts. Specifically, their injuries cannot be healed through any use of powers of medical technology after an hour has passed. This gives them a deadline to seek help before wounds become effectively permanent, causing many to end up physically crippled for life.