Page 5

After Malec was exiled and subsequently entombed, Queen Eloana forbade Ascension again and ordered the destruction of all Ascended to protect mortalkind, ushering in disharmony between Solis and Atlantia. The Ascended in Solis revolted, thus starting the War of Two Kings and changing history. As I mentioned, Solis’s recorded history is very different from the Atlantians’ recorded history, and is full of lies, misleading details, and half-truths.

There are different kinds of Ascension.

God and Mortal

If a god Ascends a mortal, especially one who is not a third son or daughter, they do not create another god—a god can only be born—they instead create a demis. Which is why it was always forbidden. Demis are things that should never be: beings with godlike powers who were never meant to carry such gifts and burdens. They are abominations.

God and Godling

If a god Ascends a godling, it results in a godling who lives. Most godlings cannot handle the Culling process because their bodies are still mortal. A godling must drink from a god during their Culling to survive. It’s not entirely clear if that is a full act of Ascension or just them drinking as a way to help the healing. If they do not receive the immortal blood, the eather will ultimately kill their mortal bodies—the Culling happens around ages eighteen to twenty-one.

Elemental Atlantian/God not yet through their Culling

This is Poppy’s situation—or at least part of it. She is an entirely different amalgamation of building blocks.

Atlantian/Mortal

If an Atlantian Ascends a mortal, they become a vampry. It’s the same as an Ascended Ascending a mortal, as Atlantian blood is required to facilitate the change.

Vampry/Mortal

If a vampry Ascends a mortal, they become an Ascended—a vampry—as long as they have access to Atlantian blood to complete the change. If they do not have Atlantian blood, the mortal becomes a Craven.

Primal not yet through their Culling/God

This is the case with Sera and Bele. Sera Ascended Bele, but she did not become a Primal. She received the Primal silver eyes and power boost, but she did not register as a full Primal. She could, however, challenge the Primal for authority of the Court, and become a waiting vessel for the Primal power should it need a place to go—which it did when Ash killed Hanan.

As I alluded to above, some one-off creations don’t entirely fit the mold of standard history. Still, it merits recording them here for posterity’s sake.

I mentioned them earlier, but let’s take a look at Revenants…

Revenants:

A Revenant, like a demis, is an abomination and something that should not be. It was Kolis’s experiment and crowning achievement, and he used his Primal magic to create them. It then became a pastime of Isbeth’s after Callum shared the process with her. For most Revenants—Callum and Millie aside—it takes a third child of two mortals, one who carries a non-dormant ember within them, death, and the blood of a god, King, or someone destined to become King. But not all third children have the trait that allows the transformation, and as we see with Callum and Millie, with the right set of circumstances, a first or second child can become a Revenant, though they are not quite the same as the others.

Kolis says the differences in Callum were due to intent and motivation. I think that may be true, combined with the power and circumstances of the building blocks used to create them. I’m sure we’ll find out more at some point.

After the Chosen become Revenants, they are no longer mortal. They have no soul. And they are completely impervious to illness or injury—including things inflicted by god power. They also don’t need to eat food or drink blood, nor do they need other comforts. They exist to please their creator.

The only way they can be killed is by the ingestion of draken blood, though it only takes a drop.

Now let’s review the Gyrms…

Gyrms:

Gyrms are beings created with Iliseeum soil and eather, which can be found in the blood of a god or the bones of a deity. There are different kinds of Gyrms. The Hunters and Seekers are mortals who summon a god in exchange for receiving their greatest desire. In reciprocity, they offer themselves to the god in eternal servitude. Once they die, they become a Gyrm, and their mouths are stitched shut to keep them loyal to the god or Primal they pledged themselves to. The Priests are considered Gyrms. If a Hunter or Seeker is destroyed and turned to ash, they go to the Abyss.

The Sentinels enter servitude by dying and refusing to pass the Pillars of Asphodel to have their souls judged. In lieu of possibly being sentenced to the Abyss, they become a Gyrm as a way of atoning for their sins. They serve for a set period of time and are more mortal than the Hunters or Seekers, retaining the ability to think. If they are turned to ash, they can either go back to the god they serve to continue their servitude or choose to go to the Abyss.

There are a few more things I’d like to go over here, but they are sort of out of context, so forgive me.

Dakkais

First, the dakkais. Dakkais were pets of the Court of Dalos. It’s unknown if any other Primals used them, but Kolis was fond of deploying them. They are a race of vicious, flesh-eating creatures rumored to have been birthed from some bottomless pit somewhere in Iliseeum. They are the size of horses and heavily muscled and trained like bloodhounds to sense and track eather. A wound to the head can kill them, and when they die, they turn to ash just like the Gyrms do.

Last, but most certainly not least, the viktors…

Viktors