Venereth
A venereth looks like any other member of their race and has no distinguishing physical features. On the day of their birth, however, their body is covered in enigmatic writings, which vary in colour and shape from one venereth to another.1
Origin
The history of Teneris is one of destruction and rebirth, in which ancient secrets come to light and are buried again, and knowledge decays and loses its context over the ages even in the hands of those who devote their lives to preserving it. Desolation was the greatest cataclysm the realm had ever faced; during it, counting the lost was easier than counting the survivors.1
The scholars who had foreseen the catastrophe were driven to deep sorrow and anger by so great a loss. A group of sages, whose names are now lost to history, performed a creative but perilous ritual before the Desolation claimed their lives. They sought to save knowledge of history, magic, the natural sciences and religion from oblivion and pass it on to the future, and to achieve so unorthodox a goal both they and the generations after them would have to pay a grim price.1
The markings
The writings on a newborn venereth fade within a few hours of birth and reappear only under certain conditions, which differ from person to person and seem arbitrary. Their meaning remains a mystery even to the wisest scholars.1
The markings do not seem to be hereditary, and the chance of being born a venereth appears to be entirely random: one twin may be a venereth while the other lives an ordinary life.1
A venereth who is raised from the dead reawakens with the same markings they bore at birth, which is taken as a sign that the writings are etched not on the skin but on the soul.2
Birth and persecution
When a venereth is born, especially in the countryside, the family often does not understand what is happening, and many families have abandoned such children deep in the forest in the belief that they were cursed or demonic. A baby whose markings glow a beautiful white may be taken for a divine blessing, especially if born into the clergy, but one whose marks resemble the colours of hellfire is unlikely to be so fortunate. Some families hide the truth, and mothers and midwives sometimes keep it even from the father.1
The Inquisition regards the markings as signs of witchcraft or corruption carried in the blood, and is inclined to execute any venereth on sight. Should a venereth have an unlucky encounter with the Inquisition, their family may find itself in serious trouble as well.1
Scholars have a saying among themselves: if a tiefling is born with a great deal of luck, it is called a venereth. They know the two are not the same, but both are born with marks, some more visible than others.1
Born with talent
Every venereth is born with an exceptional capacity to grasp one particular subject, an inclination sometimes so profound that it seems like inspiration or divine revelation. Venereth are born with knowledge written on their bodies and are predisposed to uncover it. If they pursue their subject, they can rediscover lost knowledge at a pace no ordinary human lifetime would allow, and so fulfil their purpose; many, though, die without ever answering or even understanding this calling.2
Life and names
A venereth ages and lives like any other member of the race into which they were born, and receives a name suited to the culture of their birth. Venereth have no language or culture of their own and usually do not live in communities.2
Kinds of venereth
Four kinds of venereth are found in Teneris, distinguished by the glow of their markings and the conditions that bring them out.2
- Moon venereth bear markings with a faint, moonlight-like glow, which appear when exposed directly to the light of a full moon.2
- Fire venereth bear markings with a faint, fire-like glow, which appear when touched by fire.2
- Storm venereth bear markings with a faint, yellowish glow, which appear in stormy weather.2
- Snow venereth bear markings with a faint, white glow, which appear when they touch snow.2
Notes
Sources
This article draws on:
- BoDBook of Dead(Bad Badger Games, 2024), pp. 14-15
Images in this article
Book of Dead (Bad Badger Games, 2024), p. 14. Art by the Bad Badger Games team.
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