Ascendent

Basic Information

Alternative name(s) Demons Origin Pandemonium Lifespan Unknown Diet Unknown Subspecies Unknown

Physical description

Height Varies Distinctive features Varies

Cultural

Organisations Unknown Languages Unknown, but have been witnessed using telepathy Locations

Out-of-character information

Image source

STAFF NOTE: The Ascendent are not currently a playable species (other than characters that may have been Ascended during the Pandemonium event). This also certainly will change, but we're keeping some secrets for future events. Currently the stones do not allow travel to Pandemonium.


Commonly referred to as Demons by the people of Arethil, the Ascendent are a species that exist in Pandemonium. In their harsh environment they have mastered the art of change, of both magic and their own flesh, to survive.

There is nothing truly spiritual or ethereal about the Ascendent. They are creatures of flesh and blood, even believing that they share an ancestor with the common species of Arethil. Whilst the aggressive members of the species are extremely varied and often bare no resemblance to humans or elves, the base form their ascend from is humanoid.

Little is known about the Ascendent. In the Elbion year 369 a group of adventurers found a lost portal stone in the ruins of what may have been the capital of the Age of Wonders. Several Ascendent appeared in the area and the adventurers only survived when ancient golems reactivated to stem the tide.

Not long after the Ascendent made several incursions into Arethil. Red mists appeared across many lands and those caught within its spread were dragged away by Ascendent. A number from Arethil passed over into their lands and discovered corrupted portal stones before returning home.

Undiscovered portal stones were found where the mists had been. The proximity of these stones and Ascendent appearances close to ancient ruins has led some to speculate that the Ascendent themselves are responsible for the collapse of this enlightened civilisation.

The core foundation of their belief system is the krynt. To the Ascendent this could be thought of as the soul. Each Ascension brings the physical form closer to matching the krynt. They believe that there exists a 10th Ascension where the body and soul finally become aligned and immortality is achieved.

The oldest Ascendent have lived for far longer than the oldest elf, yet even they do not remember when they arrived in Pandemonium.

They believe that the portal stones once connected many places. Some great event led to the magic of the portal stones fading. This trapped the progenitors of the Ascendent left in the hellscape of Pandemonium. Meanwhile all the regions of verdent Arethil were left to creatures that would eventually become humans, orcs, dwarves and elves.

Change was all that allowed the Ascendent to survive with their connection to the other places removed. Their base form became stout and powerful, able to toil despite the thick air. With each ascension they became more powerful. The portal stones became all but forgotten.

The Ascendent value individuality greatly. They have no cental government, no ruling council. With ascension comes respect and power and often lesser forms swear fealty to greater ones. When the stones were discovered to have some magic again they were of one mind: they had to retake their home. Some magic in Arethil had reconnected their stones to Pandemonium.

When they first crossed over they found that they could no longer survive in Arethil. In rage they lashed out at all they could reach, laying waste to entire cities.

They did not abandon their plans. They had changed, ascended, to live in Pandemonium. They would find a way. They waited patiently for thousands of years, weaving their magic of change into their three portal stones. They launched an incursion into Arethil, finding no great cities where they spread the air from Pandemonium. The creatures of Arethil they found had become simple beings.

When they returned to Pandemonium so soon after arriving is not yet known.

They describe a being as of the Order of its ascension. A creature that has been ascended once is described as of the First Ascension. With each ascension their kind changes and gains new abilities. As they ascend, no two ever end up alike. Those within a domain of a powerful Ascendent often take forms that might resemble their leader. In this way different regions of pandemonium often contain demons of a similar appearance.

There is a strict hierarchy to the orders. A lower creature must follow formal protocol when addressing a superior. It could take a creature of the Third nearly half an hour to complete the typical greeting to address a being of the Seventh.

Traits:

• The unascended are close to beasts. They tend the mires and do menial tasks. They are humanoid: one head, two eyes, two legs and two arms. Their skin is a pale, deathly shade of grey. They are shorter than humans and broader, with a stooped gait.
• After the first ascension they start to diverge. Creatures of the First Order are often builders whilst those of the Third start to learn the power of change. Changing magic, changing the world around them, they learn to create. Some of the First and Second were the more simple demonic forms that attacked the people of Arethil when the red mists first appeared.
• Many creatures of the third and fourth orders are power creatures that can be fierce in battle. They begin to vary appearance significantly by this point. https://pin.it/uccel343kbksei
• The creatures of the seventh order are rare enough that nearly all intelligent ascendent know each by name and appearance. Giant beasts of great power with almost no physical traits in common. Often the souls of two creatures of the fifth ascension will combine to become greater. It is said that as many as ten krynts may reside in a being of the eight, but that one personality becomes dominant. https://pin.it/3l2ipyeguzddwq https://pin.it/ri6gd63p2ofar

They do not seem to communicate verbally. They use a mix of telepathy, chemical scent and body language.

See: Pandemonium

Cover their core beliefs:
Came from Arethil
Creators vanished and stone network collapsed.
The progenitor race changed into humans, elves, orcs, dwarves and ascendent depending where they were stranded.
Learned to evolve with the help of a mysterious catalyst.
Were disturbed in the Age of Wonders and found that the portal stones had been re-opened. Brought this civilisation to its knees. Entire regions died around the stones. Found they could no longer survive in Arethil.
Recently attacked Arethil with a goal of ascending species of the land to learn how to survive.