Traits

A member of the Abrendese race.

Clothing Style: Typical Victorian Garb
Language: English

The Abrendese are fairly recent arrivals to the world of Shérok—clocking in at about five centuries ago. Before their arrival, the world of Shérok was made of small villages with low technological ability but incredible magic skill. After their arrival, the Abrendese imparted their advanced knowledge of space travel, engineering, cloning, medical practices, and experimentation to the Shéar. They began to build huge cities and automate many old occupations. There are two distinct populations of Abrendese—your typical ‘street dweller’ and the nobility. The nobility are shunned, though they hardly notice. The street dwellers live alongside the Shéar and are only distinguishable through their accents and a fondness for gadgets.

Clothing Style: Anything Goes
Primary: Brown ; Secondary: Gold
Bestia are the most plentiful of the Erré, and their animal forms tend to mimic mammals and marsupials.

The Bestia actually inhabit two islands. The first and largest of them has rolling hills that give most homes a view of the islands. People from all over Eredia and even the visiting Shéar live here alongside the Bestia.

Bestia Culture & Politics

Bestia d’la Mer has hundreds of doors to and from the Chronoscape, making it the de-facto hub of the entire planet. Their homes are typically made of four joined buildings (often inhabited by multiple generations) with a large courtyard or garden in the center. The buildings themselves are made of clay and stone, with each topped off with a thatched roof.

Races and refugees of all kinds mingle among the Bestia, and it’s sometimes difficult to tell whether someone is native or not. The locals take full advantage of the foot traffic, setting up stores and food stalls where the Peregrines like to take short cuts. On top of this commerce, the island is a popular hub for dealings with worlds beyond even Shérok. They possess the most wealth of any other island. This wealth is evenly dispersed, for the most part, so it’s difficult to notice when visiting the lands.

Not everyone enjoys the mingling of cultures on the main island of Bestia d’la Mer. Those on the smaller island show a clear distaste of visitors. After the Abrendese caused Shérok to plunge from a veritable paradise into a world of crime, some of them began to turn away all inhabitants of the Chronoscape. Eventually, this extended to the Shéar. Abrendese were certainly not welcome on their land. These people believe that the larger island is forsaken and that their island is the only true Bestia d’la Mer. They also believe that the current Bestia-mar must be out of touch with their god. Nonetheless, they are more than eager to receive monetary support from the mainland.

Bestia Religion & History

As with all other Erré islands, Bestia d’la Mer is named after its god, Bestia. What’s more, the god is appropriately named after his domain—the beasts of the world. It’s said that a great calamity occurred which caused the original Erré to flee to the Chronoscape. Bestia was the one who made a safe haven for the mammals, marsupials, vermin, and other creatures of the land. When he accepts someone into his domain as a Bestia, they will gradually grow attributes that match the animals whom he originally saved.  

Among the Erré gods, Bestia serves as the biggest troublemaker. The trickster can only be managed by Ere, though even she has trouble keeping him on a leash. The god once made a bet with Phinae on whose children were stronger. The winner would rule over the living, while the loser would rule over the dead. Phinae was quick to take the bet. The Bestia were strong, but the Phinae were much stronger. It almost seemed that their strength had no limit. However, Bestia had a plan. He had all of his children shapeshift into terrifying beasts and frighten the Phinae any time they attempted to perform a feat of strength. Unable to compete, Bestia and his children were the winners. Phinae and his children retreated to the sea, but out of revenge, the sea god split Bestia d’la Mer into two pieces.

The god himself is kind and welcoming of all people. He sees all of the living—even creatures outside of his domain or people from a different realm—as his own children. As such, the mainland of Bestia d’la Mer is full of people from all places, and those less welcoming to foreigners are tolerated all the same.

Bestia Magic

More than any other race, the Bestia have a penchant for shapeshifting. They can even revert to a fully human or animal form at will and—unlike the other races—it takes absolutely no magical effort to do so. They still receive magical training in their early years to make shifting a clean process. Those who show great magical talent are selected for further training among priests. From there, they can gradually learn to speak to certain animals. These animals include all the creatures whom Bestia originally saved.

Those who manage to speak fluently are made into a priest and receive further training from their fellow priests, the Bestia-mar, or the god himself. A fully trained Bestia priest will be able to read the minds of smaller creatures. The Bestia-mar is also granted the ability to control animals directly (this does not include people). This ability works best the tamer a creature is, though the Bestia-mar has no trouble commanding one or two non-cooperative animals at a time. His favorite color is brown, the color of the earth from which all things come. Second to that, he enjoys the gold of life-giving seeds.

Clothing Style: Ancient Greek or Roman Garb
Primary: Blue ; Secondary: Black

The Phinae are strange in that they do not always resemble creatures. Sure, you’ll see fish, eels, sharks, dolphins, and those sort of aquatic things around. But you’ll also see people growing coral, studded in urchins, or covered in kelp. You might also see people that look completely human plus some gills or a couple scales.

Phinae Culture & Politics

Young Phinae are exceptionally rare, and Phinae that visit land are even more rare. They have no islands of their own and instead spend their time at the bottom of the sea, ruled by a singular Phinae-mar. In the rare event that they have a visitor, magic is used to create corridors down to the cities. It is much more common for the Phinae-mar to visit land than the other way around. When Phinae do opt to leave the waters, they never stray far from the sea. When outsiders visit the world of the Phinae, the inhabitants are welcoming and very accommodating (almost to a frightening extent). Water dragon riders are incredibly common among them, thanks to their advantageous location and scrying abilities.

Because of their location and the nature of their ruler, they rarely partake in the politics of the land. They are acutely aware of the things that go on, though, making their information incredibly useful to those that can win their trust. Since the Erré sea extends into the Chronoscape, their knowledge about culture and the movement of people extends much farther than the margins of a map.

Phinae Religion & History

The god of the Phinae is the only one to directly interact with their people. They serve as the Phinae-mar and represent their people in all political events. However, their identity changes as the dominant spirit of the realm changes. Like many gods, Phinae represents the conglomeration of many souls, with one particular entity at the helm. This entity is the soul among them with the most attachment to the world above the sea, usually through lingering regrets or anger. Their shape shifts depending on this latest identity, along with their name and gender, but they are ultimately the same god. As time goes on and the new soul observes more of the world, they gradually forget their human memories and fade into the ‘old’ Phinae. By allowing human souls to lead the helm, Phinae remains connected to the realm of the living. It prevents them from doing something drastic (such as flooding the world to prevent suffering).

The current Phinae is female and takes great interest in the Tsotska. As such, she is more likely to appear when the Tsotska-mar calls him than any other entity of the worlds. Among all the gods of Eredia, Phinae is the strongest. Their power even reaches into the Chronoscape. They can instantly know what all creatures of the sea know. Since there are many underwater doors to the Chronoscape, they receive information from far-flung worlds and can travel quite swiftly by merging with the waters or hopping from the minds of fish to fish. It is only through this collective knowledge that Phinae knows the frivolous nature of abusing his powers. He is capable of bring the dead back to life—which is how all Phinae are born—so long as they die in the sea. While he is a god, the Phinae treat him more as a king or a great grandfather than an all-powerful being. The Phinae uses the color blue to represent their eternal home and the color black to represent the eternal sleep they are all too familiar with.

Phinae Magic

They are quite capable of breathing underwater, but there’s a bit more to their magic than modified appearances. No one appears to be born or die there. The cuts and injuries they incur are filled by sea life rather than skin and flesh. It isn’t unusual for some Phinae to have exposed bone, though they are just as jovial as ever. Land dwellers that spend too much time among the Phinae will find themselves drawn back to the sea, consequences be damned. It isn’t unusual to find people that resemble those lost to sea dwelling within the realm of the Phinae. However, upon prodding, they will insist they have always lived there.

Alongside their strange longevity and dubious origins, the Phinae can borrow the abilities of the Phinae-mar to perform small rituals and scry all kinds of things. They can see scenes from the future, determine the fate of others through cards, and even warn others of impending danger. On top of that, particularly adept Phinae may meld into the water and travel great distances quickly. Transforming or possessing sea life is second nature to them. Rumor has it that all feral sea serpents were once Phinae who aspired to be dragons themselves and never bothered to shift back. Alternatively, they may have forgotten their original identity in the first place.

Clothing Style: Ancient Greek or Roman Garb
Primary: Gold ; Secondary: White

Ere are the only inhabitants that can appear entirely human in shape, though many have soft pastel skin akin to flowers. More than anything else, they value knowledge. They boast the largest library in all of Eredia, and certainly the largest physical library between Eredia and Shérok (it’s hard to compete with digital libraries). Due to the limited space of the library, recreational books are not permitted within its walls. It’s all historical tomes, scientific studies, researcher’s notes, and magical findings.

Ere Culture & Politics

The Ere are led by a council who host hundreds of souls. The living host is the one who takes the prominent role in communication, but the memories and thoughts of each spirit can be called at will. When calling upon multiple spirits, they will typically identify as female. More than anything else, they value knowledge. They boast the largest library in all of Eredia, and certainly the largest physical library between Eredia and Shérok (it’s hard to compete with digital libraries). Due to the limited space of the library, recreational books are not permitted within its walls. It’s all historical tomes, scientific studies, researcher’s notes, and magical findings. Their mandatory schooling includes not just magic but mathematics, science, literature, history, and so on. They believe that a variety of knowledge is just as crucial—if not more crucial—than physical health.

Because of all this, they have incredibly prominent guests that come to ask for legal counsel. Their architecture greatly resembles that of ancient Rome or Greece. They have the largest forum of all islands and host frequent festivals. It’s sometimes said that there’s a festival any time the council wants to drink. In any case, the Ere tend to be quiet towards outsiders, but will open up if food or gifts are involved.

Ere Religion & History

Unlike the other island gods, Ere is not seen as a single presence. All of the Ere host a small part of her power, which is returned to her upon their death. The more spirits you possess, the closer you are to using her power. Eventually, you end up with someone who has hundreds of souls. These ‘people’ serve on the council for hundreds or thousands of years, with each legion switching hosts every century or so. Each of these council members can speak on behalf of their god, Ere, and display enough power to be called a god in and of themselves. They can be killed like any mortal, and if they are outside of Ere d’la Mer’s boundaries, the legion will disperse entirely. As long as Ere inhabit the island, it is possible for a new legion to form and replace the one that was lost.

Ere is capable of some incredibly frightening feats. She can possess not just one but many living people at once. Along with that, she’s capable of reading the minds of others. The only people outside of her control are ones actively protected by Tsotska. She also has no command over simple animals or dragons beyond the ones her hosts bond to. Among the ‘living’ gods, she is undoubtedly the strongest, and she isn’t afraid to wield this power to intimidate her enemies.  

Ere Magic

Despite their subtle differences from the humanoids of Shérok and the Chronoscape, they do seem to have powerful magic abilities. The souls of the dead will attach to the living, which makes the oldest of the Ere a conglomerate of souls. The appearance of her spirits ranges from wispy tendrils to dainty butterflies to terrifying amalgations--all depending on the perception of the one viewing her. On top of this passive magic granted to them by their god, they train in an extensive variety of magical arts.  

The most prominent of their skills lie in healing magicks. They can cure many illnesses, heal many wounds, and identify the physical causes of many ailments. Combined with their anatomical knowledge and excellent surgeons, it’s where you need to go if you want an illness addressed. Even if their magic has no effect, they will take you in, pamper you, and research all of your symptoms in an attempt to save you and others. Beyond this, they practice simple magic. Lighting up small areas, levitating small objects, creating illusions, and so on are all within their power. Explosions and lightning bolts are not. They use wands of various materials (ranging from wood to bone to programmed devices) to channel their magical power.

Clothing Style: Ancient Greek or Roman Garb
Primary: Green ; Secondary: Red
Like the Ere, the T’teré appear quite human, with a single difference…those big wings of theirs which makes them look like birds. The wings can attach on their back or onto their limbs. Many also grow taloned hands and feet, with the most dramatic appearances involving feathered arms, legs, and a sharp beak.

T’teré Culture & Politics

T’teré are ruled by a single T’teré-mar, though their exact identity is unknown. Instead of revealing the identity of the T’teré-mar, a mixed council dictates and discusses the decisions. It is typically considered democratic, with the final word and major political decisions decided by the reclusive ruler. All members of the council treat each other equally, and outside of their Chamber, they are all treated as a T’teré-mar would be.

They live on the smallest islands in all of Eredia, and their little homes have to cling to the mountain at the center of the main island. Thanks to the tiny size of their islands, every roof has a view of the ocean. Roofs are flat and have large entrances and exits, since these tend to be used more than doors. Rain water from the roof is a serious problem for lazy families. They tend to dislike outsiders and keep them restricted to the docks unless it is urgent business for the council. Due to odd rumors coming from many directions, they show an obvious annoyance to any Tsotska they come across.

Very few become dragon riders, as they breed and raise Gryphons. These beasts do their job just fine without a magical bond. Those that do become Riders might still keep their old Gryphon around, much to the dismay of jealous dragons.

T’teré Religion & History

The history of the T’teré goes back quite far and is purposely muddled by the T’terré-mar’s efforts. The majority of people were immigrants from Bestia d’la Mer who were tired of overcrowding and visitors from every corner of the universe. They eventually considered themselves a separate people from the Bestia, though they had no god to call their own.

Eventually, a child appeared that had feathered wings. This was the first instance of any Erré in the world having wings at all. Birds were not under the domain of Phinae, Bestia, Ere, or Tsotska. The child was revered as their god, treated as their ruler, and otherwise allowed to do as he pleased. He had wisdom beyond his years and aged slower than the others, cementing their opinion. As their worship for the child grew, the child gained powers of his own. He became the god they sought and was able to grant the same shape-shifting skills that the other gods of Eredia could.

In reality, he was no god. He was a simple creature from the Chronoscape that held a humanoid appearance for far longer than he should have in that situation. Although he hailed from a race that hunted humans as prey, the worship and kindness of the Erré turned his heart for the better. Their strength became his strength, and with time and the assistance of whatever rested in the planet, he could grant the wings they desired. He still warned his newfound followers of the dangers of the Chronoscape and of accepting anyone under their wing without question. This gradually morphed into the xenophobia that many T’teré exhibit to this day.

The island took its name simply because it was easy for the bird-beaked people to say. The name was then attached to their god. As the original T’teré-mar grew slowly, he stole away from the public light to avoid scrutiny. He does not show himself in public or even visit the Council Chambers. His only ruling duties involve signing off on important decisions or settling quarrels. Though he has existed for almost as long as T’tere d’la Mer, he appears to be in his early fourties.

T’tere Magic

Being creatures of the wind, T’teré took control of the skies. In time, their magic developed to move and manipulate wind. When traveling in a flock, they can create a tailwind to travel vast distances. A hundred-mile trek across the sea is trivial for them, though taking a path through the Chronoscape is usually faster.

The advanced magic users of the T’teré are able to control storms or quell them. When the other islands are in drought or in peril from an impending storm, they call on the T’teré for aid. Combined with the endurance of a Gryphon or dragon, they are masters of the skies.

This is a member of the Erré race without a specific affinity. You can learn more about Eredia here.

A member of the Shéar race or any older race from the world of Shérok.

Clothing Style: Typical Middle Eastern/Desert Garb
Language: Shéar (A mix of Spanish and Italian.) Written vertically right to left or horizontally left to right.

These are the main people that live everywhere on the planet. They are the name for natives of the planet that don’t have any other affiliation. Because the kingdoms (or Pradeshes) are currently united and several of them inhospitable, it is much more likely for Shéar to refer to themselves by their planetary origin rather than a particular kingdom. Their average skin tone is cinnamon, though they can have any natural human skin tone without being out of the ordinary.

Individual homes are scattered in the wilderness and made by hand. Their homes change depending on the climate—just draw what you would expect an Earth home to look like in a swamp, forest, and so on. In any place where many people gather, the architecture changes straight to urban skyscrapers. The density is also incredible—easily comparable to the densest areas of China and India. There’s not an in-between for the general populace! Shéar also tend to live alone, rather than family groups. It’s not unusual for families to become entirely fragmented over the land.

Anyone who travels through the Chronoscape as a lifestyle is called a Peregrine. Many of the Naki were originally Peregrines that had their compass settle on Shérok. The compass of their dragons—if they even have one—won’t point anywhere. That’s how they like it. They learn the ins-and-outs of the world around them. While the dangers may shift and change, the doors go different places, and former colleagues disappear into the mists, the Peregrines learn how to deal with it. With practice and luck, a Peregrine will know danger when they see it and stay out of its path. They know how to approach game they’ve never seen before and can converse in some common languages that will get them by.

To stay safe, Peregrines will sometimes form caravans. Caravans consist of up to two hundred people traveling together. In order to stay in one place, it’s left to Riders to serve as navigators, guides, and hunters. Although caravans are faced with many troubles, the Peregrines keep them stable. While having so many mouths to feed and few ways to trade makes survival hard, the benefits of seeing the same faces every day and staying together with family vastly outweighs the struggles. Caravans typically exchange members between each other, rather than adopt vagrants traveling alone. A lone traveler is seen as a threat and someone who was potentially exiled from another caravan, and thus a danger.

With that said, not all caravans are benevolent. There are some that keep themselves occupied with the poaching of all types of wildlife–monsters, plants, humans, and whatever they believe is valuable–to sell on in the most profitable way. These groups are typically referred to as poachers.

The Moondrifters are a caravan that has gained a reputation for their cult-like behavior. Their activities are strictly monitored by those within. Seemingly nonsensical laws are tied in with their religion to manipulate and command those within their ranks. It’s not unusual for god-like entities to exist in the Chronoscape, so for them to presume a god guides them isn’t outlandish. What is odd about this group and their god is the extent to which they follow the teachings. Those found to commit a sin or break a law are branded as an outlaw. Many can be condemned because they were associated with a criminal, and sometimes even victims of violence could be considered corrupted and driven out.

Unfortunately, they are known for their avid evangelism. They will try to convert unwitting lone Peregrines and execute them if they refuse to change their ways. When dealing with multiple individuals, the Moondrifters do not try to convert whole caravans. Instead, they kill all of the adults and take in the children as their own. The children are raised to hate their old community and taught that they deserved what happened to them, all alongside the normal cult rules. They are typically human, though will raise species outside of humans when they are adopted as children. Along with normal human skin tones, they may appear as a ghostly white or with hues of blue. They are one of the few communities the Naki do not actively communicate with.

This is a catch-all group for races and species outside of the setting or undescribed in other areas. It can include other ARPG or closed species, so long as the owner of that species has given permission. Just a few examples are below:

• Angels, demons, or species in-between
• Humans from another world
• Giant plant people
• Sentient objects
• Talking bugs
• Slimes

A member of the Irrit tribe. They are a group of united older tribes that don't necessarily consider themselves Shéar, despite their location on the continent.

Clothing Style: Typical Central Americal Garb
Language: Shéar (A mix of Spanish and Italian.) Written vertically right to left or horizontally left to right. Language Script Key

These are the singular magical peoples remaining in Shérok. They dwell in the small, inhospitable deserts of Shérok, but are blessed by their gods to a life of splendor. Those who would do them harm become turned around in thick sandstorms while their allies navigate the sands without an issue. They live a nomadic life throughout the desert, but an oasis will spring up wherever they rest. Whether this is the truly the work of gods or some sort of magic that follows them is up for debate. They are not led by anyone in particular and instead barter among each other as friends and family would. They track their family lines through their mothers, and their oral history goes quite far. Some tales may even occur before the Abrendese arrived to the planet—at least, that’s how far the generational tree seems to go.

Due to global perception of magic, they tend to stay within the sands and rely on travelers for foreign goods. Some will venture out of their lands, but their magic will dim. Similarly, most will not leave for the Chronoscape because their magic is intertwined with the land. Their skin is normally dark tan and they have bright red hair. Their eyes vary widely in color and will change when they cast magic. While their ancestry is very recognizable, they can easily masquerade as Naki when they travel, so long as they keep their magic under wraps.

These are open species, closed species, and other ARPG group critters that have entered the game as Riders! Permission was received from the associated species owners/group moderators before entering them into the game. These species remain 100% within the domain of their original creators. The parenthesis shows what species they are. The imports or masterlist pages for these characters are located in the notes section of the character profile.

If you would like to use another ARPG character as a Rider in Chronocompass, we require:

1. Proof that this is allowed in screenshot form.
2. A link to the masterlist entry for the character, so the correct group can be credited.
3. Familiarity with the rules of both groups--don't break the rules of either when using your Rider! Two common rules that come up are:
   • Most groups do not allow import images to be used outside of their corresponding group. For these, you will need to make your own art to use on the Chronocompass import image, OR you may use gemstones on a background without an image of your Rider at all.
   • The world of 'double activity rolls' is very iffy when a character is being used in two different ARPGs. While this situation isn't written outright, it's frowned upon and we highly discourage doing this! In example, if a Rider is doing a hunt in the other group, the image should be redeemed as No Prompt in Chronocompass.

Attyceps are the alliance of arthropods and fungi. Both of those groups became highly specialized over the years, with many species of arthropods and fungi represented. Most of these ‘families’ of arthropods work together, leading to hives with a huge variety. Amanita tarantulas and morel ants can work together side-by-side, although Hives are more likely to have ‘related’ arthropods, such as arachnids in one and lepidopterans in another. 

Physiology

It is believed that the start of the largest Hive was brought about by a genetically modified species of cordyceps. In addition to controlling its ant host, it also granted the host great intelligence, and its preservation became more of a farming endeavor than an eat-the-host tactic. Because this is a huge win for both species, they developed in tandem to become smarter and more efficient farmers. They diversified and convergently evolved into their many arthropod forms. It’s worth noting that the potential of a dragon Rider is located in the fungi, not their host, and Attyceps Riders without a fungus have never been reported.

Host Size

Attyceps hosts are not shapeshifters, but they do go through metamorphosis or instars like modern arthropods. They start as an egg, develop into larva, and then go from there. Their pupa and chrysalises tend to be mobile, though they do not get very far. Shed exoskeletons are usually consumed by fungi. Like the host species, final size varies dramatically, with some hosts never ceasing to molt and grow. There are unfortunate incidents where hosts are unable to shed due to large size and die in their last molt.

Fungi Details

Like their hosts, the fungi have evolved convergently to resemble a variety of species we know. Before they create a bond, they feed on dews, pollens, shed exoskeletons, and other treats given to them by their host species. While some do go ‘rogue’ and actively hunt for a host, most of the farmed varieties are quite content to be treated like royalty even if they are not selected. Fungi are the source of magic and supernatural abilities in the Attyceps, with each species boasting its own specialties. Some fungi might excel at fire magic, while others can bond so well with their host that they cause physical enhancements. Multiple individuals of different species can infect the same host, though the host may grow weak if they take on too many. The Queen of the largest Hive has a sample of every fungi they care for, rendering her almost immobile. Her great size and wisdom allow her to survive and contribute to the hive.

Outside Interactions

The Hive has spread into separate divisions over time, with a select few choosing to fight with others, but most cooperating. Like their original parasite, they aim to ‘reproduce’--in this case, spread as far as possible, looking for new hosts. Since this is seen as greatly beneficial to the Attyceps, they don’t always understand that another species may not want to be a host, or that their fungi aren’t always compatible with other creatures. When they are not gently prodding others to become One of Them, they do a lot of work preserving nature, establishing environments in ‘dead’ areas, and protecting populations that they deem at risk.