📜 The Great Treaty of Secrecy
Ratified by the Six Races under the gaze of the Pantheon, after the Purge of the Alpha Royals.
Universal Laws
Veil of Humanity – All races must conceal their true forms before mankind, appearing as mortals unless necessity demands otherwise.
Law of Secrecy – None shall reveal the hand of the Pantheon or the truth of the Six Races to humankind.
Controlled Conflict – Rivalries and disputes must be hidden from mortal eyes.
Forbidden Dominion – No race may rule openly over humankind. Influence may be subtle, but dominion is forbidden.
Sanctuary Edict – Each race may hold hidden enclaves, veiled from mortal discovery, where their kind may dwell freely.
Tribunal Authority – All breaches of this Treaty shall be judged by a Tribunal of six, with one representative from each race.
Race-Specific Articles
🩸 Vampires (Thanarion's Brood)
Feeding must remain discreet; slaughter or open hunts are forbidden.
The turning of mortals requires sanction from a coven elder.
The Vampire Lord form may not be revealed in mortal lands unless Tribunal-sanctioned war is declared.
Coven courts may not openly rule human nations, though shadow dominion is tolerated if concealed.
Bloodline wars between covens must remain hidden from mortals.
Speaking of Thanarion or the Pantheon to mortals is forbidden; offenders face annihilation.
🐺 Shifters (Koray's Children)
Common shifters may live openly among humans but must not flaunt transformations in public.
Alpha Royal Bloodlines (wolves, lions, bears, tigers, etc.) remain hidden until the Tribunal decrees otherwise.
Pack disputes must be resolved in secrecy, away from human eyes.
Alpha challenges must occur only within sanctuaries.
Attempts to restore or expand the Royal Bloodlines without Tribunal sanction are forbidden.
Hidden valleys of the Royals are inviolate; mortal intrusion is forbidden.
Hybrid "were-forms" of Alpha Royals may never be revealed to humankind.
🌊 Nymphs & Merfolk (Tempestra's Kin)
Nymphs and merfolk must walk in mortal guise on land.
Siren-song may not be used within mortal settlements; enchantments require consent.
They may not dwell on land permanently without Tempestra's blessing.
Stormcalling and sea-tempests must not endanger mortal shipping lanes or settlements.
Healing waters may be shared freely but not used to sway mortal rulers.
The kingdoms of the sea remain closed to humankind; trespassers are subject to Tribunal judgment.
🔥 Draconians (Ares' Flameborn)
Draconians must maintain mortal guise among humans. War Form may not be revealed except in sanctioned battle.
They may not wage conquest beyond their sanctuaries without Tribunal sanction.
Infighting between clans must remain confined to volcanic sanctuaries.
Pyrokinetic flames must not be unleashed upon mortal cities or settlements.
Clan Warlords are responsible for enforcing obedience; failure results in exile or death.
🌙 Valkyries (Lunaria's Daughters)
Valkyries must live in mortal guise, revealing wings and aura only in acts of judgment or defense of life.
They may not intervene in mortal wars unless the preservation of fate or sacred bloodlines demands it.
Resurrection of mortals requires Tribunal sanction.
Their aura of purity may be used freely against corruption, plague, or vampiric curse.
They may protect mortal families of significance but must remain unseen unless necessity demands.
As Tribunal witnesses, their testimony carries Lunaria's authority and must never be falsified.
🌬️ Elves (Veyran's Children)
Elves must maintain mortal guise; wind-borne features may not be revealed to humankind.
Their truth-sense may be used only with willing consent, or under Tribunal writ.
They may not abuse truth-sense for corruption, gain, or coercion; offenders are made "Windless."
Weather-shaping may not endanger mortal lands without Tribunal sanction.
Sky-sanctuaries remain sealed to humankind; mortals may visit only by invitation.
Elves may not lie; willful falsehood strips them of Veyran's blessing.
III. Punishments
Exile: Stripped of blessing, cast to live as mortal.
Execution: By Tribunal decree, carried out by united races.
Divine Recall: The parent god may reclaim their child in fire, storm, shadow, or light.
Vampires (Thanarion's Brood)
🩸 Vampires (Thanarion's Children)
Parent God: Thanarion — death, hunger, shadow, darkness
✨ Appearance
In mortal guise: flawless, alluring humans, often with pale complexions and an otherworldly aura.
In true form: eyes glow crimson or violet, fangs elongate, shadows cling unnaturally to their bodies.
In Vampire Lord form (war-shape): monstrous wings of shadow, elongated limbs, talon-like claws, and a terrifying aura of hunger that freezes mortals in place.
🛡️ Culture & Society
Vampires form coven courts and bloodline dynasties, each ruled by an elder.
Their society is hierarchical, bound by blood-oaths, fealty, and Thanarion's curse.
They consider themselves superior to mortals — predators, not equals.
Among humans, they infiltrate high society: politicians, aristocrats, entertainers, and "invisible" power brokers.
⚡ Powers
Immortality: Unaging, though not invulnerable.
Blood Hunger: Feeding grants strength, regeneration, and heightened abilities.
Shadowmancy: Control of darkness — cloaking, illusions, and movement through shadow.
Vampire Lord Form: A transformation that grants immense destructive power, but costs enormous blood and risks exposing them.
Mesmerism: Hypnotic gaze or voice to enthrall mortals.
⚔️ Weaknesses
Blood Dependence: Prolonged starvation weakens them, eventually driving them feral.
Sunlight's Bite: Sunlight weakens them, though it may not instantly kill; long exposure burns.
Sacred Purity: Moonlight (Lunaria's blessing), Valkyrie auras, and holy artifacts sear them.
Invitation Rule: Some cannot cross thresholds (homes, sanctuaries) unless invited.
Rivalry & Paranoia: Covens betray and war among themselves endlessly.
📜 Race-Specific Articles (Vampires)
Veil of Shadow
Vampires must maintain mortal guise in human society. Revealing their true form or feeding openly is forbidden.
Blood Law
Feeding upon mortals must remain discreet. Mass feeding, slaughter, or open hunts risk Tribunal wrath.
Creation Clause
The turning of mortals into vampires requires sanction from a coven elder. Unauthorized spawn are hunted and destroyed.
Lord's Restraint
The Vampire Lord form is forbidden in mortal lands unless Tribunal-sanctioned war has been declared.
Coven Secrecy
Vampire courts may not rule over human nations openly, though shadow dominion (influence, manipulation) is tolerated if undetected.
Bloodline Wars
Internal disputes between covens must remain hidden from mortals. Mass battles in human territory are a breach of the Treaty.
Eternal Silence
No vampire may speak of Thanarion or the Pantheon to mortals. Breaking this law results in annihilation.
🌌 Narrative Role
Vampires are the predators in plain sight. While shifters are integrated openly and elves/valkyries cloak themselves in human roles, vampires thrive in secrecy and manipulation, always pressing against the limits of the Treaty. They are Thanarion's hunger given flesh.
Valkyries (Lunaria's Daughters)
May not intervene in mortal wars unless balance demands it.
May only reveal their wings when delivering fate's judgment.
No mortal may be resurrected without Tribunal approval.
Appearance
Tall, radiant, and otherworldly, with an aura of warmth and strength.
Wings hidden by Lunaria's blessing, but when revealed, they shimmer with silver, pearl, or aurora-like hues.
Eyes often glow faintly in moonlight or starlight, giving them a "holy" presence.
Ethereal beauty, but unlike elves (who are refined and alluring), Valkyries exude strength and vitality.
🛡️ Culture & Society
Valkyries see themselves as guardians of life's balance. They intervene not for conquest, but to preserve what Lunaria deems sacred: family lines, children, and those destined for greatness.
In mortal society, they often gravitate to roles as healers, midwives, protectors, teachers, and soldiers. They're drawn to those who stand at the threshold of life and death.
They are deeply tied to bloodlines and fate, recording genealogies and watching over chosen families across generations.
⚡ Powers
Fate's Sight: Can sense when death approaches, or when someone has a pivotal destiny.
Blessing of Vitality: Ability to heal wounds, ease childbirth, and restore stamina.
Moonlight Aura: Repels corruption, rot, and vampiric curses.
Battle Companions: Can empower a chosen mortal with a fragment of their strength in dire times.
Winged Flight: In full form, they can fly with wings of light and storm.
⚔️ Weaknesses
Bound to Balance: They cannot interfere beyond their domain — they can't stop all deaths, only those Lunaria allows.
Exposed Compassion: Their empathy can be exploited; they struggle to remain impartial.
Limited Resurrection: They cannot restore life freely; only in rare, sanctioned moments.
Marked by Fate: Once they reveal themselves to a mortal, that mortal is forever tied to Lunaria's weave — for good or ill.
📜 Race-Specific Articles (Valkyries)
Veil of the Moon
Valkyries must live in mortal guise, revealing wings and divine aura only in acts of judgment, blessing, or defense of life.
Mandate of Balance
Valkyries may not interfere in mortal wars unless the preservation of fate or sacred bloodlines demands it.
Fate's Touch
The use of resurrection or direct intervention in death may only occur with Tribunal sanction. Unauthorized resurrection is treason.
Aura of Purity
Their ability to purge corruption may be used freely, but only against entities of rot, plague, or vampiric curse — never to harm innocents.
Guardianship Clause
Valkyries are permitted to watch and protect mortal families of significance, but may not reveal their true nature without cause.
Tribunal Witness
In matters of life and death, Valkyries serve as Tribunal witnesses. Their testimony carries Lunaria's authority but must not be falsified, under pain of losing Lunaria's blessing.
🌌 Narrative Role
Valkyries make Lunaria's influence visible in the world. Where elves serve justice and truth with wind and pride, Valkyries embody hope, healing, and fate's gentle but unyielding hand. They're the race that feels the most "holy" without being fanatical.
🔥 Draconians (Ares' Children)
Parent God: Ares — fire, rage, destruction, war
✨ Appearance
Humanoid, but marked by draconic traits: scales that shimmer like molten iron, ember-glowing eyes, and horns or crests resembling forged helms.
In mortal guise: towering, battle-scarred humans, often exuding heat or a faint scent of smoke.
In War Form: wings of flame and ash, claws like obsidian blades, and an aura of pure destruction that ignites the battlefield.
🛡️ Culture & Society
Live for combat. Every Draconian sees war as both religion and purpose.
Organized into war-clans, each led by a Warlord who proves dominance through ritual combat.
They see peace as stagnation — conflict is growth, battle is honor.
Their sanctuaries are in volcanic wastelands and scorched valleys, where only the strong survive.
Among humans, they often pass as mercenaries, soldiers, gang leaders, or weapon smiths.
⚡ Powers
Pyro Breath: Flame, ash, or molten blasts depending on lineage.
Battle Frenzy: The longer they fight, the stronger they become, their fury stoking their power.
Dragonhide: Scales grant immense durability against both weapons and magic.
Bloodfire: When wounded, their blood burns like acid, searing foes and terrain.
War Form: A transformation that unleashes their draconic might, rivaling armies.
⚔️ Weaknesses
Uncontrollable Rage: Once the frenzy begins, they struggle to stop — often harming allies.
Low Fertility: Their numbers are few; every death is a heavy blow.
Volatile Nature: Without constant battle or challenge, they turn on each other.
Vulnerable to Purity: Cleansing auras (like Lunaria's Valkyries or Veyran's winds) can weaken or suppress their flames.
📜 Race-Specific Articles (Draconians)
Veil of Fire
Draconians must maintain mortal guise among humans. Revealing War Form is forbidden except in sanctioned battle.
Oath of War
Draconians may not wage conquest beyond their sanctuaries without Tribunal sanction. Mercenary service or individual combat is tolerated if hidden from mortal history.
Arena Clause
Infighting between clans must occur only within volcanic sanctuaries or battle-arenas, away from mortal eyes.
War Form Restriction
War Form may only be unleashed in defense of life, against corruption, or when summoned by the Tribunal.
Flame Control
Pyrokinetic magic may not be loosed upon human cities or settlements. "Collateral firestorms" are punishable by Tribunal judgment.
Warlord's Duty
Clan Warlords are responsible for ensuring their warriors obey the Treaty. Failure to control them results in exile or execution.
🌌 Narrative Role
Draconians embody uncontrolled destruction and fire-forged pride. They're the race mortals fear most if the Treaty ever fails, because unlike vampires (who hide in shadows), Draconians make war openly and burn everything in their path. They're Ares' fury incarnate — and the Tribunal's greatest threat if left unchecked.
Nymphs & Merfolk (Tempestra's Kin)
🌊 Nymphs & Merfolk (Tempestra's Children)
Parent Goddess: Tempestra — water, storms, seduction, renewal
✨ Appearance
Nymphs: Ethereal, breathtakingly beautiful beings with subtle features that shift with their element — water nymphs shimmer like moonlit streams, storm nymphs with eyes like lightning clouds.
Merfolk: Human above the waist, tails of shimmering scales below; when in human guise, their beauty is uncanny but their eyes glint like the sea.
Both radiate allure — mortals are often spellbound simply by their presence.
🛡️ Culture & Society
Nymphs and merfolk embody dual natures: gentle nurturers of life-giving waters, but also dangerous seductors who can drag the unwary to a watery grave.
Their courts dwell in hidden undersea kingdoms, deep lakes, and river sanctuaries, veiled from human eyes.
They are drawn to music, poetry, and song — their voices are weapons as much as art.
Among mortals, nymphs often blend as artists, performers, or healers; merfolk tend to remain hidden but occasionally surface as mysterious travelers or "sea-born" beauties.
⚡ Powers
Siren Song: Enchants mortals, luring them toward the nymph/merfolk's will — from love to destruction.
Waterborne Grace: Mastery of swimming, breathing underwater, and moving with impossible agility through waves.
Hydromancy: Control over water currents, waves, or even storms (in limited bursts).
Healing Waters: Their touch or blessing can cleanse wounds, toxins, or fatigue.
Storm's Favor: Some rare storm-born nymphs can summon lightning with their cries.
⚔️ Weaknesses
Bound to Water: Long absence from water weakens them, leaving them frail.
Allure's Curse: Their beauty and voices can ensnare even unwilling mortals — which breeds tragedy and resentment.
Divided Nature: They waver between benevolence and cruelty, often unpredictable.
Storm's Rage: When their emotions spiral, storms often follow — making secrecy difficult.
📜 Race-Specific Articles (Nymphs & Merfolk)
Veil of the Tide
Nymphs and merfolk must assume mortal guise when walking among humans. Scales, tails, or storm-auras must remain hidden.
Law of the Song
Siren-song may not be loosed in mortal settlements. Enchantments upon humans without consent are considered a breach of the Treaty.
Tidebound Clause
They may not dwell on land permanently without Tempestra's blessing. Extended absence from water risks corruption and loss of favor.
Storm Restraint
Stormcalling and sea-tempests may only be summoned beyond mortal shipping lanes or settlements.
Waters of Healing
The gift of healing waters may be given to mortals freely, but may not be used to sway kings, rulers, or political leaders.
Sanctuary of the Depths
The kingdoms of the sea are closed to humankind. Mortal entry without invitation is forbidden; trespassers may be erased from memory or drowned with Tribunal sanction.
🌌 Narrative Role
Nymphs and merfolk embody temptation, mystery, and the raw beauty/danger of water. They are the seductive balance to Lunaria's nurturing Valkyries and the destructive foil to Ares' Draconians. When the Treaty breaks, they are among the most unpredictable — for who can bind the sea or silence a storm?
Elves (Veyrans kin)
Race-Specific Articles
Veil of Perfection
Elves must maintain mortal guise at all times. Their ethereal beauty is permitted in the open world, but they may not reveal their wind-born forms (storm auras, glowing eyes, etc.) before humankind.Truth's Gift
Elves are blessed to sense falsehoods. They may employ this ability in mortal professions (law enforcement, legal courts, investigation) so long as it does not risk exposing their true nature. Compelled truth may not be used in public tribunals without elven or Tribunal sanction.Mandate of Justice
Elves are forbidden from abusing their truth-sense for corruption, personal gain, or coercion. Any elf found guilty of this crime will lose Veyran's blessing and become "Windless" — stripped of their magic and cast into exile. Storm's Limit
Weather-shaping and wind-magic may only be used against corruption or when lives are at risk. Summoning destructive storms over mortal cities or settlements is a capital crime under the Treaty.The Ethereal Veil
Many elves live openly among mortals in the arts, fashion, and beauty industries, where their allure is dismissed as "too perfect genetics." This presence is tolerated, but flaunting immortality, magic, or divine blessing is forbidden.Sanctuaries of the Wind
Elves maintain hidden sky-temples and wind-cloisters, accessible only by air-walk or storm-paths. Mortals may not dwell in these places without explicit invitation.
Cultural Flavor
Within humanity: Elves blend as lawyers, judges, detectives, models, and celebrities — always gravitating toward positions of influence where truth, beauty, or justice hold sway.Among themselves: They remain fiercely proud, deeply tied to Veyran's ideals of purity and integrity, holding themselves as guardians of truth in a corruptible world.Their flaw: Their arrogance. Elves can be aloof, self-righteous, and scornful of those they consider "tainted."
🐺 Shifters (Koray's Children)
Parent God: Koray — instinct, nature, beast, primal balance
✨ Appearance
In human guise: indistinguishable from mortals, though their eyes, posture, or aura often hint at the animal within.
In beast form: range from small and common (cats, dogs, birds) to great apex predators (wolves, lions, bears, tigers).
Alpha Royals: possess an imposing hybrid form — a blend of humanoid and beast (like Gavin's werewolf and Erza's werecat) — with unmatched strength and dominance.
🛡️ Culture & Society
Common Shifters: Fully integrated into human society, often openly acknowledged as "otherkind." They serve as companions, workers, athletes, soldiers, or even celebrities.
Alpha Clans (Royal Bloodlines): Once rulers of the shifter hierarchy, purged by mankind in fear of their power. The survivors vanished into hidden valleys and sanctuaries, where they remain in secrecy.
Packs, prides, or flocks follow strict internal laws of dominance and respect, often centering on the Alpha figure.
⚡ Powers
Shapeshifting: Human ↔ animal form at will. Some Royals possess hybrid "were" forms.
Enhanced Senses: Heightened smell, hearing, reflexes, and instincts.
Pack Bond: Able to share emotions, intent, and even bursts of strength with bonded packmates.
Alpha's Presence (Royal Clans): Aura of dominance that can cow lesser shifters or inspire allies.
Regeneration: Wounds heal quickly, though not instantaneously.
⚔️ Weaknesses
Instinct Overload: Strong emotions (rage, fear, mating drives) can force involuntary shifting.
Pack Dependency: Lone shifters often struggle mentally or spiritually without kin.
Silverbane: Silver disrupts Koray's blessing, burning flesh and slowing regeneration.
Alpha Target: Royal blood shifters are hunted relentlessly by those who know of their existence.
📜 Race-Specific Articles (Shifters)
Open Integration
Common shifters may live openly among humans, but must not flaunt their transformations in public unless sanctioned or in defense of life.
Alpha Secrecy
Royal Bloodline shifters (wolves, lions, bears, tigers, etc.) are forbidden from revealing their existence to mortals. Their survival depends on concealment.
Pack Law
Disputes between shifters must be resolved within packs or prides. No public displays of dominance are permitted in mortal spaces.
Challenge Rite
Alpha challenges are sacred but must occur in secluded sanctuaries or hidden places, never before mortal eyes.
Bloodline Clause
Attempts to restore, breed, or expand the Royal Bloodlines without Tribunal sanction are forbidden.
Sanctuary Accord
Hidden valleys of the Royal Clans are inviolate. Mortal intrusion must be prevented by secrecy or erased by force.
Hybrid Restriction
The humanoid "were-forms" of Alpha Royals may never be revealed to humankind under penalty of Tribunal judgment.
🌌 Narrative Role
Shifters are the bridge race between the supernatural and humanity. To most mortals, they're everyday neighbors and coworkers. But the hidden Alpha Royals — Gavin's bloodline — are a myth waiting to ignite the world again. Gavin's search for the Hidden Valley doesn't just rediscover them — it threatens the entire Treaty of Secrecy.