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Theon: God of Accord and War.
Appearance: They appear as mortals, but some have eather that glows in their eyes.
Abilities: Gods cannot shadowstep like Primals can. Only the strongest can hide their appearance from others. Mist and eather are extensions of their will. Some can use compulsion. Some can dig into the mind and read memories. Some can project thoughts. Powerful gods can detect magic. Few—but some—can shift forms. Some are able to gain access to memories during feeding like the Primals can. Only the eldest and strongest gods can power electricity.
Biology: Shadowstone to the brain or heart will kill them, but if they’re stabbed elsewhere, and the blade isn’t removed, it can paralyze them. If they are even nicked with the bones of the Ancients, it means instant death. All gods need to feed, but feeding from a mortal does the same for them as taking from another god. Gods can go long periods without food, but it will eventually devolve them. The Culling brings them into maturity, slowing the aging process and intensifying the eather within them. Their blood is a glimmering bluish red.
Habits/Mannerisms/Strengths/Weaknesses: Seeing a god in the mortal realm is not unusual—they get bored or are there to carry out their Primal’s business. When gods kill mortals, they usually leave the bodies as warnings. Gods find mortals fascinating.
Related: Deities are the third-generation descendants of Primals or the children of gods beyond that. Godlings are the offspring of mortals and gods. Elemental Atlantians are the closest and purest descendants of the deities. Many believe that changelings—like me—are the resulting offspring of a wolven and deity pairing, though there is room for argument there. Perhaps it’s just having those bloodlines somewhere in the ancestry.
And those are just some of the bloodlines descended from the gods. What about the others that came about then? Since the draken resulted from a partnership between a Primal and the dragons, I propose we begin there.
Draken:
A very long time ago, dragons existed in both realms—even before the Primals and gods in the time of the Ancients. When the Primals and gods came to be, Eythos befriended the dragons. He wanted to learn their stories and histories, so, being powerful, young, and impulsive, he offered to give them mortal form so they could communicate. Some agreed to the dual life—the first being Nektas—and those descended from the first became known as the draken. Nektas and Eythos then went on to create mortals.
Here is some more information about the draken…
Appearance: They look mortal in their god forms—outside of fine ridges on their skin that resemble scales. These scales appear on different places of the body at different times depending on how close they are to shifting. Other times, the draken look like dragons: spiked tail, horns, wings, frills around the head, eyes with vertical pupils, and scales that feel like leather. All draken’s eyes were a brilliant sapphire blue until Kolis shifted the balance. After, they turned blood-red. Once Sera came into her power, they turned blue again.
Abilities: They know when the Primal they are close to has been wounded and can always sense the Primals. Draken are immune to the changes a Primal’s essence forces upon those around them. They can gravely wound the Primals but cannot kill them. Like the Primals, draken are virtually unending. Their fire burns through anything.
Biology: They have acute senses. Draken spend the first six months of their lives in mortal form, and then shift, typically remaining in their draken forms for the first several years—the shape they’re most comfortable in. They mature like a god for the first eighteen to twenty years, then hit a growth spurt in their draken form. They compare shifting to shedding too-tight clothing. Reproduction is complicated, and centuries can pass without a fledgling being born.
Habits/Mannerisms/Strengths/Weaknesses: In their teens and early twenties, they can be killed by a blow to the head or heart, just like a god. Many draken lost their lives when Kolis falsely became the Primal of Life. Draken are not always entirely aware of their surroundings, often leading to furnishings and those around them getting knocked about—though I often wonder if they do know and simply choose to seem oblivious. For most, bonding to a Primal is a choice and a point of pride. The bonds don’t automatically transfer—when their Primal dies or goes to Arcadia, the bond is severed. Draken are forbidden from attacking a Primal but not members of their Court. Hunters by nature, they will eat just about anything—including gods and mortals. Bone chains have no effect on them. Only draken—and those who have Ascended—can enter the Vale. Their young can sleep through anything—even a war.
Culture: Draken do not have ceremonies for their dead as they know they’ve moved on. When possible, one close to the deceased burns the body within hours of the death, and each mourns as they see fit. Mating is very much like mortal marriage but isn’t entered into lightly, as the bond can only be broken by death.
So, what about the wolven, our other dual-natured?
Wolven:
Kiyou wolves were wild, fierce, and loyal to their packs but driven by instinct, survival, and pack mentality. Everything was a challenge for them, and many didn’t survive very long. The kiyou were on the brink of extinction when a Primal—most believe it to be Nyktos—appeared before the last great pack and asked if they’d protect the gods’ children in the mortal realm. In return, the Primal offered them human form so they could communicate with the deities and have long lifespans. He asked—didn’t demand—and it was not an agreement of servitude but rather a partnership. Some kiyou refused as they didn’t trust the Primal, and still others simply wanted to stay as they were.
Once they were of two worlds, they formed bonds with the deities. Those bonds were instinctive and passed down through the generations. Eventually, however, Elemental Atlantians began outnumbering the gods’ children, and the ties eventually shifted to them. The wolven numbers were severely impacted during the War of Two Kings, which is why they are so adamant about regaining land now.
Not all Elemental Atlantians or wolven are bonded. For those who are, while they cannot read each other’s minds, the bond allows them to sense one another’s emotions. If an Atlantian is wounded significantly, they can draw on their bonded wolven for strength. If one of them dies, the other is weakened but will survive. The Joining changes those things slightly, heightening all (see more below). Given the reasons behind the partnership in the first place, the bond means the wolven must obey and protect the Atlantian(s) in all things, even if it means the wolven’s death—nothing supersedes the bond. While Atlantians are not required to give their lives for their wolven, most bonded would.
What else can I tell you about the wolven?
Appearance: They look like oversized wolves in their true form and run hotter than normal.
Abilities and Biology: Wolven can heal fast, thanks to quickly replenishing blood. They have extended lifespans—some have even lived as long as I have. Only wolven have keener senses than the Atlantians. They are vulnerable to any wound to the heart or head. Wolven can sense unrest, vamprys, and Primal emotion.
Culture: Scars are revered and never hidden within their culture. Public displays of affection are commonplace.
Habits/Mannerisms/Strengths/Weaknesses: They will do anything to protect their homes and families. Wolven have their own language. Most find clothing cumbersome. Gods hold a special place in their hearts since one made them of two worlds, which is why they feel honored to be in the presence of a child of the gods. No wolven has ever ruled—their pack instinct is too strong.
The Joining: It’s an old tradition, not done much anymore, when a bonded pair extends the bond to the Atlantian’s partner, thus making the wolven duty-bound to both Atlantians and tying all their lives together. It requires an exchange of blood by all parties. The ritual can become very intimate and include sex, but it does not have to. It is not to be entered into lightly, as the blood bond goes all ways. If one dies, the others die, as well. It doesn’t work with mortals—all parties must have at least some Atlantian blood. The ritual must be done in nature with all participants naked. Vows are spoken, and blood is exchanged—the strongest of the party drinks first from the others, then they drink from each other; lastly, they drink from the strongest. An Atlantian blade is used to mark the center of the chest near the heart for those without fangs needing to draw blood. The blood is taken from the wolven’s throat as it is a conduit of sorts, a bridge to link the lifespans, and then blood is drawn simultaneously from the strongest partner to ensure they hold the lifespans of the others and become the base.
Other: It takes many decades to raise a wolven; therefore, it’s normal for siblings to be born decades apart. It takes wolven at least two decades to gain control of their forms. Young wolven are very accident-prone in their alternate forms, and if injured, they must shift as soon as possible to avoid permanent damage. At a wolven wedding, only the wolven can dance around the fire—or their Liessa. Wolven are relatively healthy, but a few diseases can fell them—the wasting disease that took Elashya and her grandmother, for one.
Now, let’s delve a little bit more into what Kolis did to Eythos and what the consequences were…
The Shifting of Fates:
The story begins with a mortal named Sotoria…
