Corvo

Introduction

Corvo are sometimes called 'Nightcrawlers', as their name roughly translates to such in the old Icherranian tongue they were first named in. Though they originate in the hills of Caena, the advent of the Dunash across Icheron and the domination of the Unbreathing Horde has forced them entirely astray of their original homes, clinging to old Covens and roots burrowed deep within Atharen's soil.

The Corvo, who all fall beneath the banner of one of four Brotherhoods, are a collective of men and women chosen by Brazim, securing information, culling threats and serving the whims and will of whichever merchant, Lord or King offers them coin. Though the Corvo offer Brazim information through their duties, it is largely believed that they are more a product of his vanity than practicality, a simple desire to leave his imprint upon the world.

Like most Blights, Corvo are kept to the shadows of civilization, their prevalence and number unknown. If they were common, it would be impossible to gauge. They are secretive, and most of their changes are subtle enough to be imperceptible to those other than the most vigilant of eyes, or experts in the field of Blights. Some may speculate that a particularly handsome man in their village, known for bedding loosely, may be a Nightcrawler; the same may be said of a courtesan of legendary beauty and grace, a woman privy to the ears of great Lords and Ladies. These speculations are scant proven, and the trademark of any proper Nightcrawler - in the face of great speculation - is to disappear.

Changes

The first tell to determine whether someone is a Corvo or not is, of course, the fact that they're exceedingly good-looking. Many of them were born this way, and many weren't; legends exist of starving wretches and malignant lepers becoming renowned beauties overnight, all thanks to this Blight. Even a naturally attractive person changes some once Brazim has blessed them with his favor. Their skin becomes clearer and more vibrant, their body naturally chiseled to their liking. The imperfections common to all mortals are lost on them, who may choose to surrender their scars, their extra weight, their drooping chin, slacking jaw or the stature they always found to be the one thing that held them back. Their skin almost appears warmer, their features more pleasant and inviting, their smile mystifying. A Corvo's scent is perhaps their most drawing feature: it radiates warmth and draws arousal from others, channeling their innate need for physicality with a fragrance that compels lust and the absence of caution.

The second most prominent change is that a Corvo begins to desire constant, or at least frequent, stimulation. They become more lustful, and more easily addicted to substances that excite the mind and the senses. Corvo are surprisingly cognizant and aware while under the effects of heavy drugs or while completely intoxicated, and they even appear to be more focused in many cases. For this reason, many Nightcrawlers are addicted to drugs, and they have little reason not to be; the normal drawbacks that mundane men and women face do not affect them, only the craving.

It is said that like their creator, whose domain is Ambition, the Nightcrawlers are never completely fulfilled. They always want more, seek more, juggling lovers, adventures, titles and lifestyles without relent, seeking thrills that only temporarily gratify their wanton longings. Joy and contentedness appear for a moment, but quickly disappear, and though the effects may linger for a time all eventually corrects itself to an uncertain state of being, with no ambition ever too great.

Corvo live for a long time. As will be explained later, one of the abilities they gain through this Blight allows them to siphon others' health, which not only helps them to recover from wounds but can also expand their lifespan. Human Corvae tend to live for roughly two hundred years, while Elves can live for over five centuries with this Blight. They tend to appear young and vibrant for most of this duration, and never appear to age beyond their mid forties, which they may not hit until near the end of their first century of life. Corvo are also known to be resilient to non-Bane related illnesses, meaning they are very unlikely to transmit or acquire diseases.

Creation

It is said that a Corvo slumbers, dreams of the realm of Amurlain, and simply awakens a Nightcrawler the next dawn. Though this is true, it is not the entire story. While they sleep, another Nightcrawler is directed to take them from their bed, injecting a poison into them that prevents them from waking for many hours. When their eyes do finally flicker open, they will be surrounded by the confines of a grand puzzle; the entrance to the local Coven, which they will be tasked with solving using their wits. The Corvo has until they die of dehydration to solve the complicated puzzle laid out for them, which is often a series of rooms of variable tasks that all weave together. When all tasks are complete, a door at the end of the 'path' will open. Beyond it will be the person who brought the new Corvo to be tested, and to complete their initiation they will have sex with the one who acquired them.

Once inside of the Coven stronghold, they will be informed of what they are, and the things that have changed. They will be introduced to their new, more appealing face, being offered a mirror to peer into. Then, they will be told of the Brotherhood and its activities, the importance of their Order upon the outside world, and the fact that Brazim chose them to serve as his agent. A Corvo is then introduced to the aspects that separate them from others; their natural abilities, which they will be instructed in over time. These skills then develop over the coming months and sometimes years, until they are honed through rigor and experience. All Corvo are given an emblem that allows for them to enter any Brotherhood stronghold globally, inserting it into a small hole in the walls outside and twisting it, which will incite the often gilded doors to open.

Houses

As mentioned in Brazim's article, the Corvo are not all resident to one, single faction, but four distinct Brotherhoods. These groups often come into competition with one another, fighting for control over ownership of the metropolitan drug and sex trade, housing themselves in high-society brothels and murdering one another in the night. The fittest Corvano are meant to survive, and to this effect, their war for power and wealth sees them fit to achieve Brazim's will. While each Brotherhood tends to have one main Coven Enclave, they all have Covens spread across the entirety of the continent, with some even having a presence in Icheron.

Scaeva

Scaeva, or the Brotherhood of Scaeva, is the most ancient of the Corvano Houses. Scaeva formed in the city of Teveno, once an independent city-state, before the consolidation of the region's cities into the Republic of Caena. From within Teveno, Scaeva formed the bones of what would eventually become the four Corvano Houses, exerting influence over Caenan politics and trade by means of information, seduction and art. x

The Father of the Brotherhood of Scaeva is Luca Viterano, the son of one of Caena's old Patrician families and one of the last of the nation's Generals before their fall to the Unbreathing Horde. x

Currently, the enclave of House Scaeva is located in Nivenhain-2, in the Kingdom of Lorien.

Demarik

The Brotherhood of Demarik x

The Mother of the Brotherhood of Demarik is Valjean Camarin, a Gentevarese militant known for her desire to spread societal decay through contagion, violence and the proliferation of drugs. x

The Brotherhood of Demarik was originally founded in Arlain, in Daravin, and its current enclave lies in Amoren.

Veravian

Veravian x

The Father of the Brotherhood of Veravian is Raphael Blackwall, a renowned Griscian innovator and businessman. x

The Brotherhood of Veravian emerged in the city of Brightmoor, in the Griscian Empire, and its main enclave still remains there.

Hasheva

Despite its initial destruction in Lorien's conquest of the Anderereich, Hasheva has become House Scaeva's only rival in pure scale, spanning the continents of Atharen and Icheron, and wielding palpable authority within the Emirate of Shaddai. x

The Mother of the Brotherhood of Hasheva is Mayim Halak, one of the last Cahari (indigenous Natanis) alive. x

The Brotherhood of Hasheva first came to be in the city of Cahan, though after Natanis' conquest by Lorien it has since relocated its enclave to the capital of Shaddai, Mahrat.

Abilities: Corvano

The first stage of a Corvo's development is the Corvano stage, during which they are a fledgling. Once they master their first four abilities, they are able to begin progressing towards the Cambion stage.

Shroud

The first tool of the Corvae, the Shroud, is their blood. Corvo acquire the ability to camouflage with their surroundings, and can hide in plain sight. This is done by biting down on their lips or fingers hard enough so that they bleed, before swallowing the ichor. The blood will then transmute their skin as it is swallowed, adapting it to their surroundings where it will continue to camouflage them for as long as desired. Making a Nightcrawler heavily bleed will immediately cause their camouflage to disperse, as they appear to require a sufficient amount of blood within their system to keep this ability active.

Shaper

The second tool of the Corvae, the Shaper, is their dominant arm, of which there may only be one. A Corvo's dominant arm can be changed at-will into a weapon, its color shifting grey-black with glowing red, arcane symbols and lines running across its length. Their shoulder will become similar to a pauldron, and their fingers will shift into claws with dagger-like edges beginning at their knuckles and extending several inches past their nails. This arm becomes exceedingly strong, leagues more powerful than it would otherwise be. It is estimated that their strength in this arm multiplies by around five times, while their arm becomes heavily resistant to damage, able to withstand bladed weapons and even Warhammers without fracturing internally, or being diced off. It appears that the arm is, in fact, indestructible, though it is not entirely invulnerable and can be damaged enough to go out of commission.

Shaper's 'claw' is exceptionally sharp, capable of slicing through steel and rending through flesh without any resistance. These claws are a Corvo's typical tool of assassination, and clearly, self-defense.

Siphon

The third tool of the Corvae, the Siphon, is their 'recreational organ'. Through sexual intercourse, the Corvo have the ability to siphon many things from others, choosing what they wish to take at the time. This can be physical health, youth, sustenance - such as nutrition and water - or even more abstract things like happiness, or inspiration. Though these effects fade, and return to normal, Siphon allows the Corvo to acquire nearly anything they're seeking at the time, by stealing them from another person. When a Corvo becomes more skilled in using the Siphon, they can even become able to incapacitate or kill someone through it, rapidly draining them of their stamina and shutting down their neurological functions.

Beguiler

The fourth tool of the Corvae, the Beguiler, is their eyes. By making direct eye contact with another, a Corvo is able to compel them to abide by their desires. After the eyes of the Corvo and target meet, they will proceed to either ask or demand something of them. This can be anything, though the most effective desires are those already brimming, held back by caution, suspicion or fear. If a Corvo asks someone to bed them who may already find them attractive, Beguiler is certain to work. The same goes for, perhaps, convincing a lover of theirs to give them coin who may be concerned for them, or convincing someone not to hurt them if they already have doubts or reservations. It is far more difficult to, for example, convince someone to gift the Corvo the deed to their home, or to end their own life, or anything that may be far outside of the bounds of their desires or personality. Still, Beguiler is highly effective, and though its compulsion is strong it is not felt as some external force, but rather presented as the individual succumbing to their own desires. They may regret their decision later, but those affected by Beguiler will ultimately see it as conceding to their own impulse or weak will.

Abilities: Cambion

After mastering all four of the initial abilities in their repertoire, a Corvano will begin to undergo changes as the Blight seeps through the vitreous boundaries of their soul. In the beginning, this is described as an "anchoring" process, during which they are slowly bound to Amurlain, a process that will allow them to eventually emerge from their metamorphosis into a Viscare. Work in progress.

Abilities: Viscare

The Viscare stage of a Corvo's development is their zenith -- it is when they bloom into their final state, becoming an Incubus if male, or a Succubus if female. These two entities, coined under the umbrella term Viscare for the sake of simplicity, are a rare species classified as mortal Dregs. On all of Atharen, there are few like them, bound to Bel in body and soul and contaminated by the power of a Corrupted One. There are only ever four Incubus or Succubus at a time, and these four are the leaders of the Corvo Brotherhoods, referred to as their Father or Mother.

Viscare are creatures of shadow, and exemplify the Corvano moniker, Nightcrawler. Work in progress.

Limitations

The Corvae are not prevented from becoming mages. The one restriction they carry is that those afflicted with other Blights cannot become one of them, nor the inverse.

In order to become a Corvo, a Support Forum thread acquiring permission from a knowledgeable Staff member on the matter is required, whether pre or post-Character Creation.

Progression

• Upon becoming a Corvo, the PC has very minimal access to their 'tools'. Each tool must be mastered for the abilities to become reliably usable, and until the stage is mastered, the abilities within it are only fledgling and are inferior to the state written in this article. For the purpose of objectivity and fairness, this progression occurs through the commitment of Skill XP (magic XP not required).
• Corvo gain beginner access to all of their initial tools at once, but must master them before they can reliably use them. Each tool requires 100 XP to master. This will appear in your CS as its own skill, listed as "Corvo: Beguiler", "Corvo: Shaper", "Corvo: Shroud" and "Corvo: Siphon". Like all other skills, they will begin at 0/100, though unlike other skills they do not require lores to master.
• Once mastering all four of their initial abilities, a Corvano will begin their transition into that of a Cambion, and will fully emerge as one after spending 100 XP in the skill [Corvo: Cambion]. The Cambion must then spend another 500 XP on their Brotherhood traits, after which they will begin the process of evolving into a Viscare.
• A Viscare gains their form immediately, but must spend another 500 XP mastering their final traits. As with the Dranoch, full mastery and progression through all stages of a Corvo's evolution requires a total of 1500 XP.
• No lores are required to progress as a Corvo.

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