The Shimmerings, known to some by ancient names like Sprite, are diminutive, whimsical, and exuberant creatures from scattered Mana-Shimmer Dimensions—volatile, pocket realities akin to localized distortions of the Rift. They are pure expressions of magic and consciousness, loving to play pranks, explore new galactic phenomena, and embrace everything related to cosmic Mana.
Shimmerings aren't entirely clear on their own origins, often born from concentrated Mana or the chaotic energies of a Rift-rupture. In their native Mana-Shimmer Dimensions, they are essentially immortal, their consciousnesses reincarnating into new forms of planar fey or even merging and splitting apart. However, Shimmerings are incredibly curious about all forms of magic and the predictable laws of physics, leading a significant number to risk the material galaxy to explore the new possibilities offered by the unusually static nature of mortal existence. These creatures mingle with other, smaller groups of Material Plane comrades, including exiles from their native dimensions, those whose family swore pacts to mortals, and even contemplative individuals curious to enter the mortal cycle of souls.
The first generation of Material Plane Shimmerings were content to guard Mana-rich locations or objects, learn alien music, and play harmless pranks on the unsuspecting. Panic struck when children born in the Material Plane didn't manifest energy wings upon adulthood—some Shimmerings transitioning to the material galaxy likewise lost their wings after a time. Believing this to be a sign that the Material Plane was too alien for them, many of the initial Shimmering explorers returned to the perceived safety of their Mana-Shimmer Dimensions.
However, their wingless children exhibited a potential unmatched by any of their ancestors, as well as a particular magical affinity for the material galaxy. They became the mightiest of Shimmering heroes, but also, on occasion, the most dangerous villains. As they came close to reaching their full strength, many of them did grow their wings at long last: larger, unique, and more vibrant crystalline light-wings or energy fields than any from the Mana-Shimmer Dimensions had seen before, a true sign of their limitless potential.
If you want a character who is tiny, mercurial, and insatiably curious, you should play a Shimmering. You Might:
Play good-natured pranks on those around you, intended to teach a lesson, aid in locating a lost item, or even help find love.
Become sidetracked by something new and eye-catching (especially Mana-infused or technologically advanced) before you have fully followed through on your previous plan.
Find something magical that's so important to you, you can't help but protect it with every ounce of your strength.
Others Probably:
Expect you to know strange planar mysteries and perform fantastical Mana-magic well beyond your actual abilities.
Consider you the prime suspect whenever unexplained hijinks or serendipity comes their way (e.g., flickering lights, minor tech glitches, lost keys).
Misconstrue the way your mind works, seeing your flitting attention as a sign of being scatterbrained or unreliable.
Core Identity: Whimsical Curiosity, Mana Connection, and Planar Adaptability Shimmerings are fundamentally driven by an insatiable curiosity and a profound connection to cosmic Mana. They embody a whimsical, often mischievous nature, using their innate magical abilities to explore, play pranks, and interact with the galaxy in unique ways. They are drawn to novelty, particularly anything infused with Mana or advanced technology, and are constantly seeking to understand the interplay between the material and planar realms. Their fluid identity and capacity for reincarnation allow them to adapt to diverse circumstances, always seeking new experiences.
Physical Description
Shimmerings are tiny faeries whose features vary wildly based on their heritage. The Wingless—those with the potential to become powerful heroes and villains, including all PC Shimmerings—slowly grow their energy wings over time as their magical potential manifests, though some never grow wings at all. Those Shimmerings with humbler destinies typically grow wings when reaching full adulthood and mastering their innate Mana-magic. Shimmerings reach adulthood at around the same rate as humans do, but a typical fey who can manage to stay out of mischief and danger can live 1,000 years or more. Material Plane Shimmerings who sense their time is coming to an end usually return to their Mana-Shimmer Dimensions to be reborn and start their adventure all over again.
Societies Across the Spheres
Shimmerings habitually live in tiny, reclusive villages hidden in Mana-rich asteroid fields, abandoned bio-luminescent derelicts, or deep within forgotten planetary cores with abundant cosmic beauty or other curiosities of interest. Other Shimmerings live as loners or with small family or peer groups, traveling across the galaxy in search of excitement.
Shimmerings often stay on the lookout for other creatures who, like them, have stumbled into self-awareness. They might have regular conversations with animated objects, constructs, droids, or even dormant AI units, in which they're deeply polite out of a desire to leave a good impression for the time when the object “wakes up” or activates.
Outer Sphere (Hidden Enclaves & Mana-Veil Villages): Many Shimmering communities exist as tiny, reclusive villages hidden deep within Mana-rich asteroid fields, within the vast, crystalline structures of ancient nebulae, or upon bio-luminescent worlds shielded by natural or engineered Mana-veils. They guard hidden sources of raw Mana or unique cosmic curiosities, often interacting with Free Worlds Union prospectors or Grolak Marauder Hordes with mischievous distractions rather than direct conflict.
Inner Sphere (Urban Tricksters & Technological Curators): In the dense, hyper-urbanized ecumenopolises of the Inner Sphere, Shimmerings find niches as discreet pranksters, curious observers, or unique technological curators. They are drawn to advanced machinery, complex data networks, and the intricate, often overlooked, magical properties of daily life. They might cause minor system glitches, guide lost items to their owners with a nudge of Mana, or discreetly observe the inner workings of corporate structures or Commission operations.
Frontier (Rift-Playgrounds & Primordial Explorers): The most adventurous Shimmerings venture into the uncharted Frontier, drawn by the raw, unpredictable energies of the Rift. Here, they treat chaotic Rift-Burgs and volatile Mana-storms as playgrounds, seeking to understand the primordial forces that shape the cosmos. They might leave subtle, playful "signatures" of their presence, or discreetly guide explorers away from (or into) dangerous anomalies, driven by their insatiable curiosity.
Beliefs
Shimmerings run the gamut of alignments but are rarely lawful or evil, valuing freedom and connection over rigid order or malice. They are far more likely to revere the Eldest—the peculiar primordial entities of the Mana-Shimmer Dimensions—than those of the Material Plane.
Connection to the Rift and Mana-Shimmer Dimensions
The Shimmering's existence is intrinsically linked to Mana-Shimmer Dimensions—volatile, pocket realities akin to localized distortions of the Rift. They are pure expressions of magic and consciousness, often born from concentrated Mana or the chaotic energies of a Rift-rupture. Their unique connection to Mana allows them to perceive and manipulate cosmic energies in ways other species cannot, making them natural weavers of subtle magic and keen observers of planar phenomena.
The Rift-Storm Cataclysm was a period of immense cosmic flux that, for the Shimmerings, opened new pathways between their native dimensions and the Material Plane, accelerating their exploration of the galaxy. Their ability to reincarnate and their fluid identity are direct results of their planar heritage, allowing them to adapt and persist through countless cycles of existence. Their unique "light-wings" or "energy fields," when they manifest, are a visible sign of their Mana-infused nature and their limitless potential.
Shimmering Mechanics
Shimmerings are a Fey, Planar, Tiny, Humanoid ancestry.
Hit Points: 6
Size: Tiny (see Tiny PC rules in the Starfall Galaxy Core Rulebook).
Speed: 20 feet
Ability Boosts: Dexterity, Intelligence, and one Free Ability Boost.
Ability Flaw: Strength.
Languages: Common, Aetherial-Speak (a language of light, sound, and Mana-frequencies). You gain additional languages equal to your Intelligence modifier (if it's positive). Choose from Celestial, Draconic, Elven, Gnomish (Vividi), Goblin (Grakken), Jotun (Grolak), and any other languages to which you have access (such as the languages prevalent in your region).
Senses: Low-Light Vision (You can see in dim light as though it were bright light, and you ignore the concealed condition due to dim light.)
Magical Strikes: Your inherent Mana-magic pervades your entire being. All your Strikes are magical, whether with unarmed attacks or weapons.
Shimmering Heritages
At 1st level, choose one of the following Shimmering heritages, reflecting the unique variations in their appearance and emergent abilities from their specific planar origins.
Chaos-Mote (Dijiang adaptation): You have the form of a faceless, leathery ball of fur with short fur, six legs, and a primal connection to the chaotic forces of the Rift. While you have no discernible face, head, mouth, eyes, or ears, you can somehow hear, speak, see, eat, and breathe just fine (though it's unclear exactly how). Your erratic nature means you often react to stimuli in unpredictable ways. When you roll a failure (though not a critical failure) on a saving throw against an emotion effect, you get a success instead.
Echo-Mote (Draxie adaptation): You are kin to Aether-Dragons—legendary, faerie-like void-dragons, tracing your heritage back to the death of the mightiest of their kind in a Mana-Shimmer Dimension. You gain touch telepathy, allowing you to communicate silently and purely mentally with any creature you're touching, as long as you share a language.
Resonance-Mote (Gandharva adaptation): You're descended from the self-proclaimed musicians, poets, and dancers of primordial Mana-Entities, with a body that's part humanoid and part equine or avian, often subtly shimmering with energy. If you gain wings, they manifest as many different brilliant colors of pure Mana-light. Due to your planar connection, the tradition of any spells or magical abilities you gain from a Shimmering heritage or ancestry feat is divine or occult (your choice, made at the time of gaining the spell) instead of its normal tradition. You become trained in Performance (or another skill of your choice if you're already trained in Performance), and you can cast summon instrument (reflavored as a Mana-construct of an instrument) as an innate cantrip.
Kinetic-Mote (Grig adaptation): You have the hindquarters of an alien insectoid or a small kinetic-driven construct, and you adore art and music. Your powerful legs grant you a +2 circumstance bonus on Athletics checks to High Jump or Long Jump, and you gain ghost sound (reflavored as a subtle energy hum or psychic whisper) as an innate cantrip.
Whisper-Mote (Kanchil adaptation): You have the head of a small, cunning creature (like a space-mouse or alien deer) and hooves instead of feet, with a reputation for being clever and persuasive—able to get yourself out of sticky situations with wordplay and a bit of luck. You become trained in Deception (or another skill if you were already trained in Deception). You gain a +1 circumstance bonus to Deception checks to Lie when specifically attempting to avoid danger or punishment (such as trying to convince a powerful Klaris General not to execute you), to Deception DCs against Sense Motive checks to uncover such lies, and to initiative rolls when you roll Deception for initiative.
Aqua-Mote (Leungli adaptation): You have the head of a goldfish or carp and scales that come in an auspicious combination of stark white, black, orange, red, and gold, often with subtle bioluminescence. If you gain wings, they appear much like the wispy Mana-hairs of a celestial dragon. You gain a swim Speed of 10 feet and the amphibious trait. Like all creatures with the amphibious trait, you can breathe both water and air.
Lumin-Mote (Luminous Sprite adaptation): You glow with inherent magical luminance, emanating from your Mana-infused form. You naturally shed light as a torch; this light has the evocation, light, and planar traits. You can extinguish, rekindle, or change the color of this light using a single action, which has the concentrate trait.
Bio-Mote (Melixie adaptation): You have the features of a bee, butterfly, or other insectoid creature that loves energy-rich sweets or purified Mana-nectar. You can ask questions of and receive answers from arthropods (insects, spiders, scorpions, crabs, and similar invertebrate animals or their genetically engineered equivalents), as well as use Diplomacy to Make an Impression on and Request things of them. Most space-bees, cosmic-butterflies, and bio-beetles have an indifferent or friendly starting attitude toward you and give you time to make your case, though other arthropods react to you like any other adventurer.
Sonar-Mote (Nyktera adaptation): You have batlike features, an affinity for batkind and similar echolocating fauna, and hearing that is second to none. As long as you can hear normally, you can use the Seek action to sense undetected creatures in a 60-foot cone instead of a 30-foot cone. You also gain a +2 circumstance bonus to locate undetected creatures that you could hear within 30 feet with a Seek action.
Greater-Mote (Pixie adaptation): You are larger than other Shimmerings, indicating a greater inherent Mana-capacity or a stronger connection to the Material Plane. Instead of Tiny, your size is Small.
Shimmering Ancestry Feats
You can select Shimmering ancestry feats from the following options.
1st Level Feats
Aether-Slumber (Charmed Sleep) (Common, Shimmering) Feat 1: When you enter a prolonged period of rest, you can turn into an inanimate object a little smaller than a human’s thumb—easily overlooked and carried, or a minor deactivated tech-piece. This provides you with an effective hiding place.
Scout-Beast Rider (Corgi Mount) (Common, Shimmering) Feat 1: The smallest of planar fey have ridden small, loyal alien fauna or scout drones as mounts since time immemorial. You are trained in the Ride skill.
Shimmer-Wings (Evanescent Wings) (Common, Shimmering) Feat 1: You've manifested ephemeral Mana-wings that can flutter for brief spurts, allowing for short bursts of flight. As a single action, you can gain a Fly Speed equal to your normal Speed until the end of your turn. You can use this once per round.
Aetherial Cantrips (Fey Cantrips) (Common, Shimmering) Feat 1: You've learned the cantrips Shimmerings have used since time immemorial, drawing on ambient Mana. You gain your choice of two common cantrips from any spell list. You can Cast these Spells as innate spells at will. A cantrip is heightened to a spell level equal to half your level rounded up.
Commune with Sonar-Fauna (Speak with Bats) (Common, Shimmering) Feat 1: Prerequisites Sonar-Mote heritage. You can ask questions of, receive answers from, and use the Diplomacy skill with echolocating fauna (like bats or similar alien creatures).
Mana-Spark (Sprite's Spark) (Common, Shimmering) Feat 1: You can fling a portion of your Mana at foes. You gain a ranged spell attack that deals 1d4 force damage with a range of 30 feet. This attack has the manipulate trait.
5th Level Feats
Xeno-Fauna Speaker (Animal Speaker) (Common, Shimmering) Feat 5: Prerequisites ability to communicate with some type of animals (such as Sonar-Fauna or arthropods). You can speak to all animals and basic bio-forms (e.g., non-sentient alien fauna, genetically engineered livestock, simple bio-drones), not just a particular subset.
Resonance Hum (Catchy Tune) (Common, Auditory, Concentrate, Emotion, Mental, Shimmering) Feat 5: You create a subtle Mana-infused hum or a psychic melody so captivating, your foes can't help but be distracted. As a 2-action activity, you can target one creature within 30 feet. They must succeed at a Will save against your class DC or spell DC (whichever is higher) or become fascinated by your hum for 1 round.
Energy-Spark (Elemental Spark) (Uncommon, Shimmering, Uncommon) Feat 5: Prerequisites Mana-Spark. You’ve learned to alter the Mana-magic of your Mana-Spark, imparting them with elemental energies. When you use Mana-Spark, you can choose to have it deal acid, cold, electricity, or fire damage instead of force damage.
Lumin-Wings (Energize Wings) (Common, Shimmering) Feat 5: Prerequisites Shimmer-Wings. You stoke your Mana to energize your wings, temporarily transforming them into glowing, majestic forms. Your Fly Speed from Shimmer-Wings increases by 10 feet.
Mana-Disguise (Fey Disguise) (Common, Shimmering) Feat 5: You can disguise yourself with magical illusions woven from ambient Mana. You can cast illusory disguise as an innate occult spell once per day.
Commune with Dormant Tech (Speak with the Sleeping) (Uncommon, Shimmering, Uncommon) Feat 5: You can speak to all inanimate technological objects and the slumbering data-spirits within them. You can spend 1 minute to commune with a technological object, gaining fragmented information about its history or recent usage (GM's discretion).
9th Level Feats
Aetherial Veil (Fey Magic) (Common, Shimmering) Feat 9: You can use planar Mana-magic to hide yourself and expose hidden foes. You can cast invisibility on yourself as a 2nd-rank innate occult spell once per day.
Ascendant Wings (Hero's Wings) (Common, Shimmering) Feat 9: Prerequisites Lumin-Wings. You have begun the final steps to reaching your full potential, and your wings are becoming a permanent feature. Your Fly Speed becomes equal to your normal Speed, and it loses the clumsy trait.
13th Level Feats
Aetherial Sheath (Fey Skin) (Common, Shimmering) Feat 13: While you are more susceptible to certain forms of anti-Mana tech or raw physical impact, you also have an incredible resilience and a deeper connection to the healing energies of Mana-Shimmer Dimensions. You gain resistance 5 to one damage type (your choice, excluding physical damage types), but weakness 5 to the opposing damage type (GM's discretion). Once per day, as an action, you can regain 1d8 Hit Points.
Phased Trickster (Invisible Trickster) (Common, Shimmering) Feat 13: You have learned how to become invisible and remain so, briefly phasing through reality. You can cast greater invisibility on yourself as a 4th-rank innate occult spell once per day.
17th Level Feats
Cosmic Cycle Rebirth (Along the Deep River) (Uncommon, Shimmering, Uncommon) Feat 17: Once per year, when you die, your consciousness turns into an immaterial ball of Mana-light, returning to a Mana-Shimmer Dimension to be reborn. You return to life in 1d4 days at a randomly determined location within 100 miles of your death, with a new body (similar to your old one but potentially with minor cosmetic differences) and all your memories, effectively reincarnating.
Primal Energy Surge (Common, Shimmering) Feat 17: Your connection to Mana allows you to unleash bursts of raw, primal energy. Once per day, as a 2-action activity, you can unleash a 30-foot burst of elemental energy. All creatures in the burst take 8d6 damage of one type (acid, cold, electricity, or fire, your choice; basic Reflex save).
Here are a few adventure hooks designed to appeal to a Shimmering Player Character, leveraging their whimsical nature, connection to Mana and the Rift, and their often-underestimated abilities within the Starfall Galaxy:
Adventure Hooks for Shimmering Player Characters
The Glitch in the Grand Arcade:
Hook: A newly opened, state-of-the-art virtual reality arcade in an Inner Sphere ecumenopolis, boasting cutting-edge Mana-infused gaming technology, has developed peculiar "glitches." These aren't just software bugs; they're subtle, playful distortions of reality within the games, causing minor chaos and delight for some, but frustration and financial loss for the Mega-Corporation that owns it. The Spark Droid who designed the arcade's AI, or a Ysoki tech-investigator, can't pinpoint the source. They need someone with a unique perspective on emergent magic and technology – a Shimmering. The PC is drawn by the novelty and the subtle Mana-signatures, sensing a fellow playful spirit (perhaps another Shimmering or a nascent Rift-Entity using the arcade as a playground). The mission: understand the "glitch," and either contain it, or perhaps, enhance its whimsical potential.
Shimmering Appeal: This hook perfectly blends technology and Mana, appealing to the Shimmering's insatiable curiosity and love for pranks. The PC would be motivated by the sheer novelty and the chance to interact with advanced tech in a unique way. Their Commune with Dormant Tech and Mana-Disguise abilities would be invaluable for infiltration and investigation, while Resonance Hum could be used to distract or amuse.
The Fading Mana-Spring of the Elder Tree:
Hook: A legendary, ancient "Elder Tree" (a colossal, sentient Florin or a primordial Mana-conduit) in a secluded Outer Sphere nebula, long revered by local Tengu Aether-Flocks for its abundant Mana-springs, is slowly fading. Its vibrant bio-luminescence dims, and the Mana-springs are drying up, threatening the local ecosystem and the Tengu's way of life. A Triosan "Maintainer" senses a profound imbalance, or a Choran eco-engineer fears the loss of a vital bio-resource. They believe a subtle Rift-Taint or a parasitic Shadar shadow-weaver is siphoning the Mana, and only a Shimmering, with their innate connection to Mana-Shimmer Dimensions and their Aetherial Sheath resilience, can perceive the true nature of the drain and revitalize the Elder Tree.
Shimmering Appeal: This hook appeals to the Shimmering's connection to Mana and their potential for protection. The PC would be driven to restore the natural balance and help sentient flora. Their Mana-Spark or Primal Energy Surge could be used to counteract the drain, and Aetherial Veil might help them approach the subtle threat unseen. The challenge lies in understanding the subtle nature of the Mana drain and finding a way to protect or restore the Elder Tree.
The Lost Echoes of the Void-Dragon:
Hook: Whispers from the Frontier speak of a massive, ancient Kasatha worldship, long thought empty and adrift, that has begun to emit strange, fleeting "echoes" – not signals, but shimmering, almost translucent forms resembling tiny void-dragons. These Aether-Dragons are believed to be remnants of a powerful, long-dead entity from a Mana-Shimmer Dimension, and their presence is causing localized temporal distortions and attracting dangerous Rift-Entities. The Shimmering PC, especially if they have the Echo-Mote heritage, feels an irresistible pull, sensing a deep connection to their own planar origins. A Mnemosyn seeks to record this rare phenomenon, or an Oculon is fascinated by the visual anomalies. The mission: board the derelict worldship, understand the nature of these "echoes," and either guide them back to their dimension or contain their chaotic influence before they tear reality apart.
Shimmering Appeal: This hook directly engages the Shimmering's planar heritage and curiosity about cosmic phenomena. The PC would be motivated by the mystery and the chance to understand their own lineage. Echo-Mote (for telepathy with the echoes), Temporal Familiarity (if they gain it through feats or other means, for navigating distortions), and Cosmic Cycle Rebirth (as a thematic element for their own immortality) would be highly relevant.
The Shimmering's Plea:
Hook: A small cluster of Shimmerings, tiny creatures of pure Mana and consciousness, have appeared in an unexpected location – perhaps a derelict Kasatha worldship or a forgotten Serpent-Kin bio-dome. They are distressed, their vibrant colors fading, as they are slowly being drained of their Mana by a subtle, parasitic Rift-Taint or a reclusive, manipulative entity (e.g., a Shadar seeking to harvest their essence, or a rogue Automaton attempting to siphon their energy). The Shimmerings, unable to communicate effectively with most species, instinctively seek out the PC, drawn by their innate connection to Mana and their nonjudgmental nature.
Shimmering Appeal: This hook appeals to the Shimmering's gregariousness and their connection to Mana. The PC would be motivated to help these whimsical creatures, seeing them as a unique "collection" of life. Their Cosmic Channeler (if they gain it through feats or other means) could help them understand the Shimmerings' plight, and their Mariner's Spark (if applicable) might be useful in a confined or fluidic environment. The challenge lies in understanding the subtle nature of the Mana drain and finding a way to protect or relocate the Shimmerings.
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