Appearance: They are dark-skinned in appearance, usually anything from a deep, dark purple to a medium-toned greyish-blue. Their skin appears to be hard, but is actually quite brittle and is covered in bumps and sharp jutting angles. Their skulls have two horn-like protrusions of varying sizes and their eyes, if they have a discernible set of them, can be of a huge variety of colours. Since they are not naturally formed, their shapes and sizes vary drastically and end up being fully grown at anywhere between 4 to 10 feet.
Ecology: All Zianites are genderless and reproduce by finding another Zianite they share a bond with and channelling their magic energies together to create a new Zianite egg. The egg is as hard as stone, but can be shattered by the young Zianite when it's own magic energies become powerful enough to leave the safety of it's hard shell. Zianites may breed many times during their lifetime, but each time they do they expend a vast amount of energy and require many months of recovery afterwards. Zianites do eat and sleep like other creatures, but only to rest or recuperate their magic energy, as all living things possess some manner of magical essence.
Diplomacy: Zianites are wary of other races because of their dark origins, and rightly so. They are especially wary of Colvatchians, as they are very aware that they may be seen as loyal to the Colvatchians' old nemesis, even after the demon beast's death. After the Great War, the Zianites made their position quite clear and have begun to be treated with more kindness by other races.
Religion: They were given life through Arglazia's dark magic, making him their direct god and creator. They were once members of Arglazia's personal army, but were forgotten when Arglazia grew powerful enough to conjure shadowy wraiths, monstrous giants and other fiends. Most Zianites have nothing but utter hatred for Arglazia for tossing them aside, though there are a few secret groups who remain loyal. After settling in Longbirch, the Zianites did begin to venture out and found faith with other gods, particulary Luna, the Moon Goddess. Many Zianite clerics go on sacred journeys known as Dusk Crusades in order to purge the land of undead and bring about peaceful nights.
Naming Conventions: Most Zianites have a single name which is derived from a Standard Demonic (combination of Latin and Greek) word. Their names usually have a straight-forward meaning, such as "wise", "strong" or "heroic". Parents choose names in the hope that their child will be blessed by it's meaning. Examples of Zianite names are: Fortiso, Sanus, Iroa, Angelos, Sofos and Callidus.
| Type | Lore | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| Positive 1 | Essentially being formed from obsidian and crystal and potentially being very large, you are also incredibly heavy and aren't someone who is easily pushed around | You are immune to knockback and minor abrasions from things like cactus, stalagmites and berry thorns |
| Positive 2 | Powered by mana, you are at your strongest where magic is present | You gain Strength level 1 while your mana bar is full |
| Positive 3 | You were born from the darkness and many Zianites still live secluded in mountain caverns | You gain Nightvision when you are in light-level 5 and below |
| Negative | Your body, while resistant to small cuts and scrapes, can be brittle and is especially vulnerable to strong impact and explosions, your body needing to slow down to repair itself after such an event | You are inflicted with level 2 Slowness for 15 seconds after taking explosion or fall damage |