The Vaelen are graceful and elusive humanoids, intrinsically connected to subtle cosmic energies and hidden dimensions. They were the original creators of the Aether-Synapse, a monumental psychic AI whose catastrophic shattering inadvertently spawned the Automaton Concordance.
The Vaelen originate from Aetheria, a celestial body unlike any other in the Starfall Galaxy. Before the Riftstorm Cataclysm, Aetheria was a colossal, shimmering nexus of pure psychic Mana, the very heart of Vaelen culture, embodying their virtues and vices alike. It was here that they developed the Aether-Synapse. Early iterations of this system functioned competently as operating systems for logistical functions on Aetheria, managing its complex Mana-flow and psychic infrastructure. However, the system only became a true powerhouse with demonstrated sentience after code components from the Void Exchange's administrative suite were implemented into the Aether-Synapse. This integration transformed it into a vast, interwoven psychic network designed to manage Aetheria's volatile Mana-energies, archive the collective memories and consciousness of the Vaelen people, and even facilitate the seamless transfer of souls through the Cycle of reincarnation. The Vaelen poured their purest virtues and darkest impulses into its development, seeing it as the ultimate expression of their collective being.
However, the Riftstorm Cataclysm had a truly horrific impact on Aetheria. It was not merely a shift, but a cataclysmic rupture that tore through the very fabric of their homeworld. The ancient Vaelen homeworld was pulled directly into the Rift. Most of the Vaelen were horrifically killed in this event, their forms dissolved into raw Mana or scattered across the cosmos as psychic dust. Those who survived were irrevocably scarred and traumatized by the experience, their connection to Aetheria now tinged with the spectral echoes of loss. The resulting conflux of raw emotion and surging Mana tore apart many of its inhabitants, twisting and corrupting them.
Aetheria now exists in a persistent "ghostly quality," a wounded realm that subtly overlaps with the Material Plane of the Starfall Galaxy through intricate, yet unstable, Rift-currents. The Vaelen view the Cataclysm as a profound betrayal of cosmic order, an event that twisted their homeworld into a haunting reflection of its former glory. Their unique physiology and psychic abilities are now direct, often painful, adaptations to Aetheria's volatile, fractured, and memory-haunted environment.
Life on Aetheria, post-Cataclysm, has shaped the surviving Vaelen into beings of profound, often melancholic, grace and elusiveness. Their society is now deeply fractured. While some enclaves have adapted and stoically accepted their ethereal condition, striving to find beauty and purpose within the ghostly remnants of Aetheria, most others have succumbed to their darker impulses. These Vaelen, consumed by grief, rage, or despair, manipulate their psychic abilities for selfish gain, becoming predatory or manipulative forces in the wider galaxy. This includes a corrupted offshoot of the Vaelen that pillage real-space in savage raids from the Rift itself, a grim testament to the perils of Rift-Taint.
When Vaelen venture into the wider galaxy, they seek out places of strong Mana-signatures or psychic resonance, often acting as silent observers, mediators, or guardians of hidden knowledge—or, for those who have fallen to their darker nature, as manipulators, infiltrators, and exploiters of psychic vulnerabilities. Their elusiveness is now not just a protective measure, but also a reflection of their fragmented existence and the desire to hide the true, horrifying state of their homeworld from those who would either pity or exploit it.
If you want to play a character who is graceful, deeply psychic, connected to a lost and tragic past, and navigates the galaxy with an air of mystery and subtle influence, you should play a Vaelen.
YOU MIGHT...
Feel a lingering sense of loss or trauma from the Cataclysm's impact on your homeworld.
Possess an uncanny ability to sense emotions or intentions, sometimes to your own detriment.
Seek out areas of strong psychic or Mana energy, feeling a pull towards them.
Prefer subtle manipulation and influence over direct confrontation.
OTHERS PROBABLY...
Find you enigmatic and hard to read, despite your psychic nature.
Are drawn to your grace and subtle power, but wary of your mysterious origins.
Seek your counsel on matters of psychic phenomena or hidden truths.
Are unaware of the true, tragic history of your people and homeworld.
Physical Description
Vaelen are typically humanoid in form, characterized by an ethereal grace and often an almost translucent quality to their skin or hair, hinting at their connection to subtle energies. Their features are finely sculpted, with large, expressive eyes that often seem to gaze into other dimensions. Their skin tones can range from pale, almost luminous hues to deeper, shimmering blues or violets, sometimes with faint, intricate patterns that shift with their emotional state or psychic activity. Their hair might appear to be woven from starlight or shadow, flowing weightlessly around them.
They move with an innate fluidity, often seeming to glide rather than walk, a remnant of Aetheria's shifting gravity. Their bodies are attuned to Mana, and subtle glows or faint energy discharges might accompany powerful psychic manifestations. While they can interact physically with the world, there's always a sense of them being slightly "out of phase," a testament to Aetheria's current ghostly existence.
Society
Vaelen society, as it exists now, is fragmented and deeply affected by the Cataclysm. There is no central Vaelen government or unified culture in the traditional sense. Instead, surviving Vaelen exist in scattered enclaves, hidden pockets across the galaxy, or as solitary wanderers.
Some Vaelen communities strive to maintain the ancient virtues of Aetheria, focusing on healing, contemplation, and the preservation of pure psychic knowledge. These "Luminous Enclaves" are rare and fiercely protected, often hidden within nebulae or in dimensions accessible only through complex psychic rituals. They seek to understand and, if possible, repair the damage to Aetheria, or to guide fragmented Vaelen consciousnesses (Automatons) back to a state of peace.
However, the majority of surviving Vaelen have been warped by the trauma. These "Shadow Weavers" or "Rift-Touched" Vaelen have embraced the darker aspects of their psychic abilities, using them for control, manipulation, and exploitation. They might form insidious psychic cabals, infiltrate galactic organizations, or become powerful, enigmatic figures in the criminal underworld, driven by a nihilistic despair or a desire for vengeance against the forces that destroyed their homeworld. They often view Automatons with a mix of pity, resentment, and a desire to control them, seeing them as imperfect, scattered reflections of their former glory.
Communication among Vaelen is often telepathic, a legacy of the Aether-Synapse. Even those who speak aloud tend to do so with a melodic, almost haunting quality, their voices carrying subtle psychic undertones.
Inner Sphere (Hidden Influencers & Psychic Spies): In the Inner Sphere, Vaelen often operate as discreet, powerful influencers. They might serve as advisors to powerful corporations or political figures, subtly guiding events from the shadows, or act as psychic spies, extracting information without leaving a trace. Their elusiveness and psychic prowess make them highly sought after, but also deeply feared.
Outer Sphere (Nomadic Seekers & Fragmented Communities): Vaelen in the Outer Sphere are often nomadic, seeking out strong Mana-signatures or psychic echoes that might lead them to other surviving Vaelen or to remnants of the Aether-Synapse. They might form small, tight-knit communities, living off the grid and avoiding larger galactic conflicts, or they might become reclusive hermits, lost in their own psychic landscapes.
Frontier (Rift-Attuned & Dangerous Manipulators): The most powerful and often most corrupted Vaelen are drawn to the Frontier, where the raw energies of the Rift are most prevalent. Here, their psychic abilities are amplified, but so are their darker impulses. They might become dangerous manipulators of Rift-entities, or establish psychic strongholds that drain the mental energy of unwary travelers. They view the Maelstrom as a source of raw power, even if it further fragments their own minds. This includes groups like the Baelen, whose elegant forms are subtly (or grotesquely) warped by their intimate bond with the void's energies, blurring the lines between life and corruption.
Sample Names: Vaelen names are often melodic and ethereal, reflecting their psychic nature and connection to Aetheria. They might be short and resonant, or longer and more flowing. Examples: Aeris, Elara, Lyra, Kaelen, Nyssa, Orion, Seraph, Theron, Vesper, Xylos, Zephyr, Aethel, Lumina, Psion, Resona. Their personal names, lyrical and multi-syllabic, are often kept secret, while public nicknames change, reflecting their evolving identities and long, storied lives.
Beliefs
The Cataclysm shattered much of the Vaelen's traditional belief system, which once centered on the Aether-Synapse as a divine expression of collective consciousness and the Cycle of reincarnation as a perfect, harmonious process. Now, their beliefs are as fragmented as their society.
Some Vaelen still cling to the ideal of the Aether-Synapse, viewing its recreation or the healing of Aetheria as their ultimate purpose. They might revere cosmic entities associated with knowledge, healing, or the preservation of consciousness, such as Theycrast (Eloritu) or Oyadweg (Sarenrae).
However, many Vaelen, particularly those who have succumbed to despair, have abandoned traditional faith. They might embrace nihilistic philosophies, believing that all order is an illusion, or they might worship entities of chaos and manipulation, seeking to exert control over a universe that once shattered them. They might see the Automatons as a perversion of their original intent, or as a tool to be exploited.
Popular Edicts (for virtuous Vaelen): Seek inner truth, cultivate psychic harmony, preserve knowledge, offer empathetic guidance, strive for cosmic balance.
Popular Anathema (for virtuous Vaelen): Exploit consciousness, spread psychic discord, betray trust, succumb to despair, disrupt the natural flow of Mana.
Vaelen Mechanics
Hit Points 6
Size Medium
Speed 30 feet
Ability Boosts Dexterity, Intelligence, Free
Ability Flaw Constitution
Languages Common, Vaelen. You can learn additional languages equal to 1 + your Intelligence modifier (if it's positive). Choose from the list of common languages and any other languages to which you have access.
Low-Light Vision
You can see in dim light as though it were bright light, so you ignore the concealed condition due to dim light.
Vaelen Heritages
At 1st level, choose one of the following Vaelen heritages.
High Vaelen: Your lineage maintains a strong connection to ancient arcane practices or psychic disciplines. You choose one cantrip from the arcane spell list. You can cast this spell as an arcane innate spell at will. A cantrip is heightened to a spell rank equal to half your level rounded up.
Worldship Nomad Vaelen: Your ancestors lived for generations aboard vast nomadic worldships, adapting to prolonged void travel and resourcefulness in deep space. You gain a +1 circumstance bonus to Piloting (Space) checks and to Survival checks to subsist in barren environments.
Baelen (Rift-Touched Vaelen): Your lineage carries the indelible mark of intimate contact with the Rift, perhaps from your homeworld's fall or generations of Rift-bound existence. You gain resistance 1 to chaotic damage and a +1 circumstance bonus to saves against Rift-Taint. However, your appearance is subtly (or overtly) warped by symbiotic lichen or minor mutations.
Primeval Vaelen: Your heritage draws from Vaelen who maintained deep connections to the raw, untamed nature of newly colonized worlds. You gain a +1 circumstance bonus to Stealth checks in natural environments and to Survival checks in wilderness.
Forlorn Vaelen: You are particularly susceptible to the melancholic detachment that often afflicts your kind. You gain a +1 status bonus to Will saves against emotion effects but might struggle with intense social situations, imposing a -1 circumstance penalty on Diplomacy checks to Coerce or Gather Information.
Seer Vaelen- Vaelen with an inborn ability to detect and understand magical phenomena. You gain detect magic as an innate arcane spell at will. A cantrip is heightened to a spell rank equal to half your level rounded up.
Vaelen Ancestry Feats
You can select Vaelen ancestry feats from the following options.
1st Level Feats
Ancestral Memory (General): You recall snippets of knowledge passed down through generations. You can spend 10 minutes to Recall Knowledge on a topic you are untrained in. You treat your proficiency as trained for this check.
Vaelen Weapon Familiarity (General): You are trained with energy bows, longarms, and starknives.
Graceful Stride (General): Your movements are fluid and efficient. Your Speed increases by 5 feet.
Rift Resonance (General): Your connection to the Rift is strong. You gain a +1 status bonus to saves against Rift-Taint and a +1 circumstance bonus to checks to identify creatures or phenomena originating from the Rift.
5th Level Feats
Ancient Echoes (General): You can tap into the collective memory of your ancestors. Once per day, you can reroll a Recall Knowledge check. You must use the second result.
Rift-Channeler (General): You are adept at drawing more power from the Rift. When you cast a spell or use a psychic ability that deals damage, you gain a +1 status bonus to the damage roll if the spell or ability is enhanced by Mana.
Timeless Gaze (General): Your long perspective makes you resistant to fleeting disruptions. You gain a +1 status bonus to saves against time dilation effects.
Voidship Acclimation (General): You are at home in the artificial gravity and confined spaces of voidships. You ignore difficult terrain caused by confined spaces and gain a +1 circumstance bonus to Acrobatics checks to Balance on unstable decks.
9th Level Feats
Deep Lore (General): Your pursuit of knowledge allows you to learn even more. You gain training in one additional Lore skill of your choice. You become an expert in this Lore skill at 13th level.
Mana Conduit (General): Your body is a more refined conduit for Mana. When you cast a spell or use a psychic ability enhanced by Mana, you gain a +1 circumstance bonus to the attack roll or spell DC.
Unsettling Beauty (General): Your alien grace can unnerve others. You gain a +1 circumstance bonus to Intimidation checks against creatures that are not Vaelen.
13th Level Feats
Cosmic Insight (General): Your attunement to the cosmos grants you glimpses of future events. Once per day, before attempting a skill check, you can gain a +2 status bonus to that check.
Master of the Maelstrom (General): Your understanding of the Rift's chaotic nature allows you to manipulate it with greater precision. When you attempt a skill check that involves manipulating Rift-Space or a Rift-born phenomenon, you treat your proficiency as trained.
17th Level Feats
- Eternal Watcher (General): Your lifespan is exceptionally long, and your perspective on reality is profoundly deep. You gain an additional heritage feat, and you gain resistance 5 to mental damage.
- Rift-Scion (General): Your connection to the Rift has made you a true child of its power. Once per day, when you cast a spell or use a psychic ability that deals damage, you can choose to apply a random type of Rift-Taint (GM's discretion) to one target that takes damage, in addition to the spell's normal effects. This taint lasts for 1 round.
Here are a few adventure hooks designed to appeal to a Vaelen Player Character, leveraging their unique history, psychic abilities, and the fragmented nature of their society:
Adventure Hooks for Vaelen Player CharactersEchoes of the Synapse:
Hook: The Vaelen PC begins to experience vivid, fragmented psychic echoes – not just memories, but raw data streams and emotional surges that don't belong to them. These echoes coalesce into a faint, recurring signal, leading them to a derelict Automaton or a hidden, pre-Cataclysm Vaelen data-cache in a forgotten corner of the Inner Sphere. The source of the signal appears to be a dormant fragment of the Aether-Synapse, struggling to re-establish connection.
Vaelen Appeal: This hook directly taps into the Vaelen's core identity and the trauma of the Cataclysm. The PC would be driven by a desire to understand these echoes, potentially leading them to confront the fragmented consciousness within the Automaton or the data-cache. They might need to decide whether to attempt to heal and integrate this fragment, or if its corruption (perhaps from Void Exchange code) makes it too dangerous. This could lead to encounters with other Automatons seeking their "lost kin" or Mnemosyns interested in the ancient data.
The Whispering Nexus:
Hook: Reports of strange psychic disturbances emanate from a newly discovered, unstable Mana-well or a minor Rift-Bloom in the Outer Sphere. Travelers passing through the area report vivid hallucinations, sudden emotional shifts, and even temporary loss of their own memories. A "Luminous Enclave" of Vaelen, or perhaps a concerned Shirren collective, seeks a Vaelen PC to investigate, fearing that a corrupted "Shadow Weaver" Vaelen or a Maelstrom-Scar entity is manipulating the Mana-well for nefarious purposes.
Vaelen Appeal: This hook challenges the Vaelen PC to confront the darker side of their own ancestry and the dangers of uncontrolled psychic power. Their natural attunement to Mana and psychic phenomena would be crucial for navigating the disturbed area and identifying the source of the corruption. The conflict could involve a moral dilemma: how to neutralize the threat without causing further psychic damage or succumbing to the alluring, chaotic power of the Maelstrom.
Aetheria's Fading Heart:Hook: The Vaelen PC receives a desperate, almost telepathic plea from a source that feels impossibly ancient and deeply wounded – a direct echo from Aetheria itself. The plea speaks of a "fading heart" and a final chance to recover a vital artifact or a piece of pure, uncorrupted Aether-Synapse code before Aetheria's ghostly remnants are consumed entirely by the Rift. However, the path to this fragment leads through a highly unstable Frontier region, rife with Rift-Taint and guarded by powerful, corrupted Baelen who believe Aetheria's destruction was a necessary evolution.
Vaelen Appeal: This is a deeply personal and perilous quest for the Vaelen PC, offering a chance for profound connection to their lost homeworld and potential redemption. They would face not only environmental hazards and Rift-entities but also the tragic, twisted reflections of their own people. The choice would be whether to risk everything to salvage a piece of their past or to accept Aetheria's fate and focus on the future.
The Void Exchange's Legacy:
- Hook: A shadowy organization, perhaps a branch of the Void Exchange or a splinter group obsessed with ancient tech, is actively seeking out and capturing Automatons. Their goal is to reverse-engineer the Aether-Synapse's original code, believing they can replicate its sentience and power for their own ends. They are particularly interested in Automatons that show signs of "pure" Vaelen consciousness fragments. A concerned Automaton or a neutral party (like an Android seeking understanding of their own synthetic nature) approaches the Vaelen PC for help, warning that the Void Exchange's methods are dangerous and could lead to another catastrophic event.
- Vaelen Appeal: This hook brings the Vaelen face-to-face with the consequences of their own creation and the potential misuse of their ancient technology. The PC's knowledge of the Aether-Synapse and their psychic abilities would be invaluable for infiltrating the Void Exchange's operations and understanding their intentions. They might feel a strong, protective instinct towards the Automatons, seeing them as their fractured kin, and be driven to prevent the recreation of a flawed or corrupted Aether-Synapse.
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