Abyran
The abyran is a demon archetype which originates from the Lorae'tyr valence. There are three sub-types, abyran'a, abyran'sa, and abryan'ra. The abyran'a and abyran'sa are classified as minor demons and can be summoned through the use of Minor Summoning (725). The abyran'ra is a lesser demon, and cannot be summoned by players at this time. A lithe black abyran'ra has been the most common demon to pierce the veil when a sorcerer has a major failure for 740 Planar Shift.
Physical Description
The abyran are a species half-snake half-humanoids. Above the waist they have humanoid torsos, which blend into the scaly shaft and long tail of a snake. The skin of their torso can range in color, but is often some gradation of purple. The scaled portion of their body changes color to match their surroundings when endangered or excited. Their faces are mostly humanoid, but without hair or ears. They have unblinking, pupilless eyes, and have short protrusions on top their heads, which seem to move of their own volition. Their thin-lipped mouths contain a pair of menacing fangs, and long, thin tongues. The tongues of the abyran'sa and abyran'ra are forked, providing a sibilant quality to their speech. Like snakes, the abyran occasionally shed their skin.
The features of the abyran'ra are significantly different from the other sub-types. The most obvious being the protrusions of the head, which are instead a wreath of independently writhing serpents. In addition, the skin of the abyran'ra is generally a darker hue, usually black. Finally, the ends of its fingers are vicious scythe-like talons.
Society and Behavior
The abyran have an advanced society, easily the most advanced within Lorae'tyr. They have a caste system, comprised of a civilian/labor class (abyran'a), a priest class (abyran'sa), and a warrior class (abyran'ra). The abyran are constantly constructing intricate temples of stone, each with multiple sections which all share a central overlapping point (imagine a clover leaf). Due to the unpredictable time-shifting of the valence, portions of the temple are always in disrepair, though this manner of construction ensures that at least one segment remains standing. The abyran appear to hold snakes in high regard, and have been witnessed prostrating themselves to even the smallest serpents, sometimes statues of serpents.
The abyran'ra are powerful enough to use potent magic, both destructive and defensive. They have also been observed taking part in rituals which do nothing but display their power. Abyran'ra possess a particular fetish of violently removing the spinal columns of their slain enemies. They can then sharpen them into a bladed whip, and the set them aflame. Additionally, they clearly possess some sense of loyalty to their kin, because when they encounter a summoned abyran'a or abyran'sa, they will attempt to break the sorcerer's control over it. If they succeed, the sorcerer will lose the demon and incur a significant stun, but if they lose, the abyran'ra will be stunned instead. This is primarily fended off through training in Demonology.
Mechanical Benefits and Flaws
The abyran are moderate at holding coins, and possess adequate mana capacities. They can hold two objects, and inflict poison upon thieves they catch in their master's pockets. The abyran'sa are unique in that only they are able to break existing sanctuaries, whereas other demons can only interfere with the creation of new ones.
Roleplaying Verbs
POINT - You crook your finger meaningfully at the abyran'sa. Its serpentine face registers a brief flash of hatred before it approaches and draws up before you with its eyes averted in a show of humility.
PUSH - You push an outstretched hand towards the ground in front of the smoky amber abyran'sa. It slowly and begrudgingly lowers itself into a prone position, glaring at you with unmistakable loathing.
SLAP - You step forward and give the abyran'sa a stinging backhanded slap across the face. It draws quickly backwards, balancing on the tip of its tail and hissing warnings at you in a harsh alien tongue.
NOD - You give the abyran'sa a quick nod. It approaches and flows gracefully about you, shadowing your every move.
WAVE - You wave your hand across the abyran'sa's form. It emits a short hiss and begins to change colors, blending into the nearby surroundings with uncanny effectiveness.
SNAP - You snap your fingers briskly at the abyran'sa. It takes up a clearly guarded posture, claws and tail swinging easily about its compressed form.
Unlike most demons, NONE of these verbs work on the illusioned version of the Abyran.
Possible Adjectives
Abyran summoned by Minor Summoning may have the following appearances. The description of each will follow this format: "a/an {descriptor} {color} abyran'{subtype}," with the options possible displayed in the following table.
| Descriptor | Color |
|---|---|
| anfractuous | coppery |
| coiling | dark blue |
| dull | dark green |
| flexuous | dark indigo |
| large-fanged | dark ochre |
| lithe | dark russet |
| oval-eyed | dark umber |
| scarred | deep blue |
| serpentine | deep grey |
| short | deep maroon |
| short-armed | deep ochre |
| sinuous | deep purple |
| thick-bodied | deep red |
| wide-scaled | dingy blue |
| winding | dingy orange |
| dingy red | |
| dull brown | |
| dull green | |
| dull indigo | |
| dull maroon | |
| dull orange | |
| dull violet | |
| mottled green | |
| mottled ochre | |
| mottled tan | |
| mottled violet | |
| muted beige | |
| muted blue | |
| muted coppery | |
| muted indigo | |
| muted ochre | |
| smoky amber | |
| smoky blue | |
| smoky green | |
| smoky ochre |
Illusion Possibilities
| Illusions |
|---|
| a cloaked figure |
| a coat-wrapped figure |
| a cowled figure |
| a dark-mantled figure |
| a robed figure |
Sorcerers With These Uncommon Runes
- Berkana (Abyran'sa)
- Cataclysmx (Abyran'sa)
- Dergoatean (Abyran )
- Desorceri (Abyran'sa)
- Hesha (Abyran)
- Iaz (Abyran'sa)
- Isola (Abyran'sa)
- Kaldonis (Abyran'sa)
- Krolnivar (Abyran)
- Licel (Abyran)
- Lylia (Abyran'sa)
- Malisai (Abyran'sa)
- Melikor (Abyran'sa)
- Querthose (Abyran; Abyran'sa)
- Radamanthys (Abyran'sa)
- Rozy (Abyran'sa)
- Ryynish (Abyran)
- Stralan (Abyran)
- Stralan (Abyran'sa)
- Vulterith (Abyran'sa)
- Yactaevia (Abyran)
Abyran'ra
A wreath of thirteen black serpents ring the abyran'ra's head, bestowing it a full crown of the twisting vipers as they writhe back and forth in an undulating, hypnotic fashion. Its pale, lidless eyes are devoid of pupils -- merely rippling with faint hints of color every few moments. Twin pairs of fangs peek out from beneath its thin lips, and the smoothness of its skin fades away into sleek scales below its abdomen, its lower body tapering into a massive, sinuous tail like that of a snake's. Its elongated, spindly fingers end in scythe-like black talons, their razored edges gleaming with the faintest light as they weave sinuous patterns in swift, slicing arcs. A spiky mottled black abyran'ra scythes its talons back and forth as it hisses a sibilant invocation. A spiky mottled black abyran'ra raises its hands above its head as luminescent slivers of incarnadine slither across its palms! A spiky mottled black abyran'ra slithers in and gathers its coils about itself. A spiky mottled black abyran'ra slithers in, the ebon serpents atop its head writhing menacingly. A spiky mottled black abyran'ra slithers in, its pupiless eyes surveying the area. A spiky mottled black abyran'ra slithers in, swaying hypnotically back and forth on its sinuous coils. A spiky mottled black abyran'ra dips its head up and down, jerking from side to side as it lets loose a flowing hiss. A spiky mottled black abyran'ra tries to sink its curved fangs into you! AS: +590 vs DS: +351 with AvD: +32 + d100 roll: +80 = +351 ... and hits for 109 points of damage! Neck skewered, sliding past the throat and spine! That looks painful. You are stunned for 7 rounds! The serpents upon a spiky mottled black abyran'ra's head writhe and undulate in exultation! A spiky mottled black abyran'ra descends upon your corpse, its talons moving in swift, sweeping arcs across your back as its forked tongue darts in and out quickly. After a moment, the abyran'ra plunges its hand into the base of your neck and rips out your spine in one fluid movement! The mottled black abyran'ra rises up on its coils and runs its scythe-like talons over the blood-drenched spine in a sinuous fashion, a faint webwork of incarnadine energy lacing across its surface. After a moment, it begins to grow longer and longer, its bony protrusions melding into razored blades that wreath it on all sides. With one swift, sharp CRACK of the whip-like bone, the blood drenching the bladed spine bursts into flames -- the rippling scarlet hue cast by the blaze washing over the abyran'ra's face in lurid waves. A spiky mottled black abyran'ra cracks its flaming elven spine, the razored bone-blades edging it blazing even higher with lurid crimson fire. A spiky mottled black abyran'ra suddenly thrusts its hands forth, its spindly, serpentine fingers tracing a complex pattern in the air -- the intertwined sigils clearly visible as dark crimson light trails from the abyran'ra's fingertips to form an undulating webwork of otherworldly beauty -- then it vanishes.