Vissi Compendium
Vissi Compendium is an Official GemStone IV Document, and it is protected from editing.
Preface
{Player},
If you are reading this codex, it likely means you have been entrusted by the illustrious Lady Luari Maivaldius to wield her most mysterious and powerful artifacts, the Orbs of Vicissitude. Understand the honor you have been granted, for only our great Lady is able to create them, and among Nyessemian society only nobles have been entrusted the right to own them by her privilege. While others on the Council that our society relies on for order and guidance may object to allowing Elanthians access to these instruments, ultimately the Lady does as she feels best, and she has deemed to share them with select Elanthians that she believes can assist her and our people.
Let this knowledge reflect the trust she has placed with you, and do not dare betray her trust.
- Kaelisund, Grand Chancellor of the Exalted Lady Maivaldius
What Are the Orbs of Vicissitude?
The Orbs of Vicissitude are wondrous artifacts under the exclusive control of the exalted Lady Maivaldius. She alone knows the secrets of their creation, and she alone unlocked the enigma of the vissi threads that power them. While only the Maivaldius family will ever know how to create the Orbs, our Lady has entrusted the knowledge of creating vissi threads to select retainers so that they too may share these threads with you in her stead. Although the threads they can share pale in comparison to those that the great Lady can weave, be content with the knowledge that the threads she is willing to share with you are still impressive nonetheless, rivaling the potency of anything even the greatest of your mages or sorcerers could hope to produce.
When you agreed to serve our benevolent Lady by accepting her invitation and gifts, she entrusted you with a pair of arcarium, dual artifacts that work as a set and house the Orbs of Vicissitude, the true source of power. Your arcarium are bonded with your ur'vissi (a force that ignorant commoners often refer to as a soul, spirit, or one's being), and they rely on your ur'vissi in order to invoke the Orbs. Your arcarium cannot be used by any other, for no other possesses your ur'vissi. While bonding the arcarium to your ur'vissi may sound disconcerting to the paranoid or fearful among us, I assure you the Orbs are safe to use; the Lady has learned how to tap into our ur'vissi without causing it or the physical body harm.
Each Orb represents a half of our dualistic nature, and together they form a whole. Body and spirit. Good and evil. Shadow and light. Reason and passion. Innumerous societies across different worlds have attempted to form philosophical and religious traditions that explore the idea that our nature is defined by interdependent, opposing forces. Although we may hold a greater affinity with one aspect, ultimately our being is composed of both.
As I attempt to explain the dualism inherent in the Orbs, I shall do my best to break it down into simple terms. Understanding the basic concept of dualism is not cause for pride, for although that knowledge has merit, it is a superficial and minimally useful knowledge when not explored much deeper, much like learning to recite the alphabet or invoke a simple cantrip.
The Aversaris Orb reflects passion, instinct, self-gratification, raw power, desires, and chaos; it is the realm of your primal nature. The Vangaris Orb reflects reason, deliberation, sacrifice, restraint, duty, and order; it is the realm of your controlled nature. In isolation, each is insufficient and weak, but when embraced together as a greater whole, they grant our Lady infinite strength. Or, in your case, simple echoes of her strength that are still greater than you would discover had you not received the blessing of her Orbs.
Our Lady sagely understands that if the weak physical body could draw strength from the ur'vissi housed within, how much greater a power could we wield if we were able to directly harness that ur'vissi and amplify its strength through the Orbs.
Theoretically one could opt to wear a single arcarium and thus wield a single Orb, but some theories are so contemptuously foolish that they are not worth exploring deeply, and this is one such case. It would be unheard of for a Nyessemian noble that was granted our Lady's gift to only use half of it, and any Elanthian "hero" that opted to embrace only half their nature's force rather than embrace the strength of their full dualistic nature is clearly unqualified to fully appreciate and wield these majestic artifacts.
What Are Vissi?
While this codex is not meant to share the mysteries of the ur'vissi, for why would our great Lady deign to share such knowledge outside her family, I will provide a brief summary of its workings. The physical body can be viewed as a vessel for the ur'vissi, for without our ur'vissi, we would cease to be; the body would be a mere husk.
Our ur'vissi is ever-changing and evolving; it grows and adapts throughout our lives as our vicissitudes, both fortunate and fateful, imprint themselves upon it. Some scholars would dub these imprints to be knowledge or memories, and while not entirely inaccurate, the truth lies much deeper. Although the mind attempts to use past knowledge to determine courses of action, oftentimes reactions aren't born from measured thinking but rather by what many consider instinct. Instinct can be seen as an echo of ur'vissi, where a past vicissitude imprinted itself so deeply on your ur'vissi that a response may be driven from that very core rather than from a reasoned mental exercise.
So vast is our Lady's knowledge that she learned how to draw threads from the ur'vissi so that they can be inserted into the arcarium to serve as a catalyst for the Orbs of Vicissitude. We call these threads vissi, isolated remnants of the greater whole. And just as the body serves as the vessel for the ur'vissi, the Orbs serve as the vessel for the vissi.
I cannot stress enough that vissi are simple remnants of the greater whole, much like how a snowflake represents the greater whole of a blizzard. And just as every snowflake is unique, so too is every vissi remnant. It is up to us individually to determine which vissi best reflect us or cater to our present needs.
A vissi may reflect an emotion or temptation you experienced during a past vicissitude, or it may reflect an encounter you had, a decision you made, a simple action you undertook, or a sight you beheld. Every event offers its own vicissitudes, whether detectable or too subtle to be known, and they cast echoes that imprint on our ur'vissi in ways we often cannot fathom. As such, an isolated vissi stripped from the context of the greater whole may, like a vivid dreamscape, seem simultaneously familiar and foreign. Logical and irrational.
Although the different vissi that can be drawn from an encounter can seem innumerable, the retainers that have been trained and entrusted by our exalted Lady can draw specific vissi threads from your ur'vissi as you assist her with her experiments. It's not always an exact science since capturing a specific vissi is tricky when it is embedded among the greater whole, but repeated exposure to the same test or experience can spur the same imprints on your ur'vissi, making the collection of a specific vissi more, if not entirely, predictable.
Why is this useful? Most vissi can be empowered by merging the same type of vissi together, thereby eventually unlocking additional potency or new boons as it reaches certain plateaus. Think of it like the equivalent of physical repetition when learning a new skill; duplicate vissi threads "train" the original vissi, and eventually new levels of expertise are unlocked.
Finally, it is important to note that since vissi are mere remnants of the ur'vissi, they may be given to and used by others. A crude analogy would be like plucking a hair from your head and giving it to another; your body (ur'vissi) obviously cannot be given or loaned to another, but a strand of hair is an inconsequential remnant of your body and certainly could be. Although our eminent Lady's retainers largely draw remnants of vissi directly from your ur'vissi as you undergo her trials and return them to you, they will retain some of your vissi for our Lady's research and use, and it is possible that you will be granted some vissi threads drawn from others by our Lady, so great is her charity.
You, too, are free to give or exchange your vissi with others, though due to their intrinsic value, I'm not sure why you would.
The Two Types of Vissi
There is a vast selection of vissi available, each varying in potency and ability. If you serve our most charitable Lady Maivaldius well and honorably, she will likely make available steadily more vissi for your use. Such is her most generous nature, and it behooves us never to forget it.
Explaining the intricacies of vissi to novices would likely achieve similar results as trying to explain arcane rituals to a toddler; the toddler may be an enthusiastic student, but passing such knowledge to a mind not yet equipped to absorb it would only lead to detrimental results. As such, I will provide a surface level explanation of the two main types of vissi: chimera and primal.
Chimera vissi can be thought of as the personality, intelligence, and sentience of your ur'vissi. The reason we refer to these vissi as chimera is that the remnants, when stripped from the greater whole, lack the full cohesion of the ur'vissi, to the point where they may seem like figments of the imagination. To a novice, exploring chimera vissi for the first time may feel like looking into a fragmented mind or witnessing a yearning that can never be fulfilled, but make no mistake: although these may be fragmented remnants, they are still very much aware in their own ways, and they possess the ability to guide, or even directly influence, their owner.
While I am not aware of anyone experiencing permanent deleterious effects due to chimera vissi, temporal effects can still at times be disconcerting. Since our veracious Lady wishes you to be prepared, for your success is her success, she would want me to point out that since commoners on Nyessem are not granted the right to use Orbs of Vicissitude, the amount of practitioners has been limited, so it is always possible that Elanthians may have unexpected effects.
Primal vissi, as its namesake suggests, lack sentience, discernment, or thoughtfulness; they are driven by instinct and action. The cornered beast does not stop to ponder its situation as you approach it, but rather it exhibits a primal instinct and strikes. So too do primal vissi; do not look to them to provide insight, but rather treat them as simple tools to benefit you.
Neither chimera nor primal vissi are superior to the other, and the wise wielder of the Orbs will learn to balance the boons of both. Focusing solely on chimera vissi would be akin to a genius that lacks the drive to act; what good will dreams do when you lack the strength to claim them? Inversely, focusing solely on primal vissi would be akin to a mindless zombie; your hunger may be true, but without thought or consciousness, will you ever accomplish anything?
Sometimes a primal vissi will be so weak as to be transitory, resulting in what we call an ephemeral vissi. This may be due to a retainer failing to extract the vissi from the ur'vissi properly or it may be because the subject's ur'vissi or vicissitude was so weak that the retainer had nothing of substance to work with. Since our Lady's retainers were trained by her, we are forced to conclude the latter cause.
Although an ephemeral vissi is a failed variant of a primal vissi, it still holds value since the remnant retains enough power to be invoked through your Orb, albeit fleetingly. If you are granted ephemeral vissi, by all means use them, but know that their potency can never be increased, and their life will be short-lived as you invoke them. Once you've drawn the last of their power, they will dissipate.
Singular Vs Dualistic Vissi
In earlier chapters, we spoke of how our being is dualistic, though at a deeper level than most people realize, and we observed how the Orbs of Vicissitude were designed to reflect that dualism.
Some vissi are capable of tapping into the Orb's dualistic nature, offering one ability (or suite of abilities) when inserted into the arcarium housing the Aversaris Orb while offering an entirely different ability (or suite of abilities) when inserted into the arcarium housing the Vangaris Orb. For the purposes of this chapter, we will refer to these as dualistic vissi.
Other vissi offer a single ability (or suite of abilities), regardless of which arcarium it is inserted into. We will refer to these as singular vissi.
I risk oversimplifying the following explanation by ascribing our natures to vissi, but since it will best convey the concepts in layman's terms, I shall do so. Just know that when I use terms such as "calculated," I don't mean they possess the same capacity for thought or response as we do. Remember that vissi are infinitesimal remnants drawn from the ur'vissi, so they are but a minuscule part of the greater whole, and the qualities I ascribe to each should be taken with that context in mind.
Primal vissi are far more likely to be dualistic in nature as their fundamental nature is what we would deem to be instinctual, and instinct is a raw force that is difficult to cage. It is this undisciplined fury that ironically grants them more flexibility for the savvy master, because their lack of deliberation, or what commoners would call intelligence, makes them more susceptible to being influenced by each Orb's duality.
Ephemeral vissi are never dualistic; their life is fleeting, and once the last of their power has been expended, they shall dissipate. As long as they benefited you before that point, they have served their purpose.
Chimera vissi are much more likely to be singular due to their intrinsic nature; they are generally more disciplined and seek to control through guile. It is this calculated disposition that makes them much more likely to resist the Orbs' duality and instead retain a single-minded focus on their inherent goal.
That is not to say all primal vissi are dualistic or all chimera vissi are singular; to every rule there is an exception. But understanding their inherent natures and natural propensities can help you better plan your Orb's vissi configurations. As you encounter dualistic vissi, consider how they will respond to each Orb, and let that guide their usage.
Empowering Your Vissi
Vissi are remarkable creations, and even at their most basic level they can provide you useful benefits, whether they be the subtle influences that chimera vissi provide or the more outwardly perceived abilities that primal vissi perform. But most vissi are born with significant untapped potential for growth, and it is up to you to fuel that progression.
Whereas you and I gain mastery through experience and repetition, vissi learn through a form of assimilation. When you merge two identical vissi together, whether by hand or through your arcarium, the two become one that possesses the combined experience of both. This means that as you undertake our Lady's trials, you should view duplicate vissi not as a waste but rather an opportunity to strengthen your own.
Just as no two people will obtain levels of mastery at the same pace when training for a particular skill, so too will different vissi types learn at different rates, and it would be impractical for me to explain to a commoner why that is. Sometimes a vissi may require more duplicates than another due to its inherent potency, but other times a vissi may be so weak that it requires more duplicates to strengthen itself to overcome its weak nature. Both can simultaneously be true, and without understanding the true mysteries of vissi that only our Lady and her retainers possess, you could not hope to understand.
One concept that will be easy to understand is the exponential nature of most vissi mastery. When a person first begins training a muscle, the untrained muscle begins from a weak state, and as such that person will see quick muscle development during the initial weeks and months. But as the muscle steadily becomes stronger, the progression will slow down. More effort and weight will be required to continue the muscle's growth.
The same is true of most vissi; while some may experience linear advancement, most will find that achieving the initial levels of progress is significantly easier than the final stages of mastery. Such is the way of things.
Let me conclude this chapter by explaining how the various types of vissi typically progress.
Ephemeral vissi do not experience progression. They cannot assimilate with each other, and they can never be improved. Use them, but don't miss them when they are gone.
Primal vissi, as we've discussed, possess a strength and fury that makes their power more difficult to control. For this reason, primal vissi are usually drawn in such a manner that they will only possess one ability. By limiting their substance, they become safe for the novice Orb wielder to use.
Since primal vissi are shackled in this manner, their growth and mastery benchmarks are typically reflected in increased potency. Their core ability may be strengthened, expanded, or become able to be invoked more often as you reach higher levels of mastery. Do not view their focused nature to be a liability, because a primal vissi that has reached maximum mastery can grant boons beyond your wildest dreams.
Chimera vissi possess abilities that are more subtle, so they are typically safer for novices to use. For this reason, the typical progression path for a chimera will focus less on improved strength and more on expansion or the introduction of supplementary abilities, which we call suites. As discussed earlier, generally these suites of abilities remain unchanging regardless of the Orb they are inserted into, but some chimera vissi are dualistic, so elements of the suite can differ depending on the arcarium they are housed within.
Vissi Extraction
When a vissi thread is slotted into an arcarium, the arcarium serves as a simulated ur'vissi. As such, the inserted vissi bonds with the arcarium as if returning to its source of origin. While disrupting such a bond is as trivial as breathing for our illustrious Lady Maivaldius, for it was her mastery of ur'vissi that unlocked the secret to stripping vissi threads from the original source in the first place, none outside of her specially trained retainers have been granted that knowledge. So it shall remain, for none of her retainers would dishonor themselves or betray our Lady by sharing the knowledge they've been entrusted with.
But our Lady is nothing if not gracious, so she planted an arcane focus on her lands that prevented the bond from locking firmly in place, and so potent was its power that it extended well beyond her domain, covering much of Nyessem. This way Nyessemian nobility that owned Orbs of Vicissitude could remove their vissi from their arcarium at will despite lacking her esoteric knowledge.
Your vissi may be inserted into and removed from your arcarium at will without any risk of harm to the vissi for as long as you are visiting our Lady's domain, but know that once you return to your home planet of Elanthia that the distance between our planes will be too great for the focus' reach. On your world, the vissi will form permanent bonds when inserted into your arcarium.
As Lady Maivaldius wishes to stabilize the rift between our two planes to form a permanent connection, it is mutually beneficial that you retain sufficient use of your Orbs, for the more you use them, the more empowered you both become. With this in mind, our Lady has authorized the creation of temporal foci, known as vissi extractors.
If you hold an extractor in your hand while you attempt to remove a thread from your arcarium with the other hand, the extractor will flare with her stored magic and loosen the bond, allowing you to remove the vissi without harming it. Know that each extractor can only be used once before its magic is spent and it is destroyed, so try to collect a sufficient amount when you visit her domain. Extractors, like vissi, can be given or traded among you, so if you run out and are in need, perhaps other Elanthian guests would be willing to share some with you, though if they are like any practical Nyessemian, they would likely come with a price.
What Is Aevit?
While not directly related to ur'vissi and vissi nor usable by your Orbs, since commoners often confuse aevit with vissi, I feel compelled to provide a short explanation of the critical differences. In an earlier chapter I explained that the uninformed masses, ignorant of the mysteries surrounding their own natures, often parse their existence down to a minimalistic body and soul, and I pointed out that what they call a soul is in fact a shadow of what is actually the ur'vissi.
Using similar comparisons that these same rubes would better understand, aevit is not comparable to ur'vissi, but rather it would be closer to what they refer to as stamina or endurance. Don't misunderstand; when I say closer, I do not mean they are close to understanding the concept of aevit. I simply mean closer, but still woefully distant.
Aevit could be viewed as a culmination of spirit, mana, stamina, and mental focus. Since it is tied to the physical body, it bears no direct ties to the ur'vissi. People use their aevit every moment, for we would not function without it, yet they never realize its existence, instead narrowing it down to lesser, isolated forms such as stamina or mana.
Like stamina, aevit is both expended and restored as we exert ourselves or relax, whether physically or mentally. Unlike vissi, aevit is useless to your Orbs, for it grants no power beyond supporting the physical body.
Because you cannot command the raw flow of your aevit, our Lady has distilled it into a concentrated form called aevarch. Consider aevit to be a jagged, unpolished shard, whereas aevarch is a masterfully sculpted gem. While their essence is identical, the superior craftsmanship of the latter makes it far more useful for her purposes.
Beyond our Lady’s challenges, aevarch holds no purpose for you. You are invited to attempt some of her tests without investment, but using aevarch yields the best results, as it represents a literal investment of your own essence. These focused efforts allow the Lady’s retainers to harvest more vissi threads; in return, they provide richer rewards, including aevit: the currency you require to purchase vissi and other treasures.
Since our Lady has no need of your silvers or baubles, for she can simply create all she wants at her whim, you will find that she draws upon your aevit for any transactions since it is a commodity that serves a mild purpose for her.
As for how our aevit serves our Lady, this is something you need not concern yourself with; if you never realized you even possessed aevit prior to learning about it on Nyessem, then surely you won't miss it either. Rest assured our beneficent Lady does everything with your empowerment in mind, for your strength is her strength.
OOC Information/Notes
- Written by GM Isten, June 2026