Scions

History

Dark Ages

As we know, Astral and Void creatures created Sealkin; it could be argued that they are the oldest of Scions. Then came the vampire, Fautyr, Undine, and Archaic. All of these creatures are so ancient and, for the most part, so alike in their abundance that they are considered distinct races. True Scions happen to be offspring from a single individual choosing a partner of a different race; their offspring are most often viewed as strange to their selected home. So Scions were never groups living as unified masses but rather individuals or siblings sharing the same mixed parental origins. Thus, those encountered, even if they shared equal racial lineages, had a unique experience due to the different environments and experiences that shaped them.

Regardless of whether it was a human, an N-erectus, or a brand new setting, the parents agreed that there was no difference in how scions and their mixed parents were viewed and treated by their chosen community. But as soon as the scions grew up, childhood hardships transformed into acceptance of behaviours or proven skills. The extreme experiences scions endured often contributed to the development of their reputation. Many a Scion developed quite a reputation for themselves and either held grand positions or was sought as party members for bold adventurers. The bold or experienced viewed scions as exotic characters, and they became the source of bedtime and tavern stories. Apropos preparing for adventure, let’s get something to eat. I’m starving.

“If a scion chose you as friend yoy have one for life.”

~Skjald Yell'a'Beard

First-Third Age

The creation of our world did not change the perspective of the enigmatic Scions, nor did it alter how human commoners and rural folk view both N-Erectus and the Scions. The common folk lump them all together; a rural peasant who has never left their village isn’t thinking about genetics—they see someone with horns, cloven hooves, or unnaturally pointed ears and think, “That person can probably turn me into a toad; best keep walking.”

The T’Aurs are defined by tremendous size and strength of peaceful nature; their view of Scions is deeply communal and protective. They aren’t concerned about “pure blood” nearly as much as they care about harmony and purpose. If a Scion inherits a fraction of that gargantuan strength but lacks the massive physical frame, the T’Aurs might see them as uniquely gifted—fragile in appearance, but capable of great things. Thus, a Scion raised among the T’Aurs would be fiercely protected. Because they can walk in human cities without causing a panic, the T’Aurs at times rely on their Scions as emissaries, diplomatic bridges, or traders to the outside world.

The Fautyr’s view is entirely based on where the Scion’s heart lies rather than on their parentage. Nature isn’t concerned about clean bloodlines; it cares about balance. If a Scion respects the flora, fauna, and history, listens to the spirits, and guards the wilds, they are a Fautyr in spirit. If a Scion is born to a Moss’Ari, the Fautyr welcomes them seamlessly into the fold. But if that Scion leaves the wilds to live in a stone city built by the proud Wanderers, Mermerant, or Confluents, the Fautyr would view them as lost, a branch that has withered and disconnected itself from the root.

The Scions are a fascinating cultural mirror. Depending on which parent they take after and which settlement they grow up in, they are viewed as a tragic short-lived child, a vital diplomatic bridge, or a test of spiritual loyalty. There are, of course, more, like dwarves, kobolds, sealkin, sproblins, undines, and Yarogryl. We have never heard of a scion of Etin, Faerie, Jotunn, Lava Imp, Risar, Troglodyte, or Vampire. The N-erectus call humans the 2nd steppe, referring to them as numerous as grass or trees in a forest. Thus, they came to call scions for graftings, as a scion is quite literally the bridge between the older, astral-tainted world and the younger human era.

“Among the straws on a steppe, some are of such splendour that they draw the eye.”

~Skjald Sejrik

Scions are a unique racial group that stands out even among themselves, and they are the group for which changes have occurred the least since the dawn of time. Not even the eruption of Mt. Vula and the Deep Blue Tsunami spawning of the Arisen have influenced how they generally were perceived. The age of hordes and the creation of the realm did not impact them either. But when the Great Invasion suddenly swept across every isle, covering the entire realm of the high king, the N-erectus stood shoulder to shoulder with humanity. The devastating, seven-year invasion became a crucible that shattered centuries-millennia of casual prejudice and forced a cultural evolution. The existential threat from the invaders—an enemy so alien that reasoning with them was impossible—radically altered the old definition of “us versus them”. The N-Erectus were no longer the strange, ancient Others; suddenly, they were the ones bleeding on the frontline next to you. Scions became the natural bridge upon which trust grew.

However, societal change was not uniform. Instead of a single blanket reaction, the great invasion and the cleansing crusade split human perception into two very distinct camps:

In the cosmopolitan cities, supply hubs, and active military campaigns, the view of the N-Erectus and Scions underwent a massive, positive shift. A human soldier who survived a brutal siege because a phalanx of gargantuan T’Aurs held the breach, or because an Alfar scout anticipated the enemy’s movements, will never look at them with casual suspicion again. To these veterans, the N-Erectus and scions are brothers-in-arms. In the taverns and military camps, human and N-Erectus soldiers spent seven years sharing rations, trading slang, and discussing tactics. The “enigmatic adventurer” stereotype faded as soldiers observed a dwarf worrying about his boots and a Fautyr complaining about the quality of the camp wine.

Scions became highly celebrated during this era due to their natural ability to serve as cultural and physical bridges, making them ideal officers, translators, and elite strike-team leaders. Some Scions now walk the streets in the post-war urban landscape, wearing military medals and garnering immense respect instead of fear.

But out in the deep countryside, the reaction was far more complicated, fragile, and prone to lingering paranoia. If remote farming villages were being overwhelmed by alien invaders and suddenly a host of cloven-hoofed Fauns or glowing Ljost Alfars burst from the treeline to slaughter the attackers, the peasants certainly became grateful in the moment—but they were also utterly traumatised. For a provincial mind, seeing the raw, terrifying power of the N-Erectus or scions in full wartime fury confirmed their worst fears. Some thought, “Yes, they saved us today, but did you see what that T’Aur did to that creature? If he turns that strength on us, we stand no chance.” Although rural folk no longer act hostile at N-Erectus or scions on sight, they experience a mix of relief and profound, tense awe. They might offer food and shelter out of genuine gratitude and a desperate desire not to offend beings who just proved how lethal they are.

Regardless, the great invasion in general turned the N-Erectus and Scions from ancient relics of the past best shunned into active co-architects of the isles’ future.

“In general don’t worry if a Scion emerges at a road bend or tavern.”

~Skjald El Mary

Cartography

Scions lives throughout all the Isles. Often they are travellers or carries out a cratfsmanship. In the more rere cases they work for humans or n-erectus.

“Some flames burn of their own will, scions mostly more wild than others.”

~Skjald Vinotis

Organisation

Scions are a millennial-old organisation spanning all the isles. They call themselves “The Grafts”, anchoring its origin resonant in the passed milennias more than as a mere war creation. While the grand empires, such as those of the Mermerants or the High King rose and fell, this silent network quietly endured.

It is not a rigid hierarchy, but a loose brotherhood of any and all professions—uniting urban soldiers, rural scouts, and solitary hermits alike. Rather than positioning themselves above humanity or the N-Erectus, members view themselves as rightful equals to both, dedicated to helping their scattered kin navigate a world that rarely understands them. Members recognize one another through subtle visual markers, often integrating a branched motif into their signet rings, apparel ornaments, or weapons.

Operating out of semi-secret chapters hidden within major ports and capital cities like Grimsborg, the network provides temporary housing, protection, and job placement for displaced or traveling mixed-blood lineages. On the roads, it functions as a massive, informal intelligence network born of ancestral survival tactics and seasoned by the seven-year invasion. Utilizing hidden symbols carved into highway stones and ancient trees, members share crucial warnings regarding residual alien threats, mark secure safe houses, and flag highly paranoid rural villages where scion travelers must tread lightly.

“Neither tumbling on the younger steppe nor pulling the ancient roots. We simply grow beside them.”

~Skjald Ulrich

Special

As a scion can be a grafting between several races one never know what they are capable of.

“How their bark, how their influence, each a unique scent.”

~Skjald Valgrif