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Markenism is an Alorian-based Affinity that has plagued rare individuals and even some families for centuries. Marken, or the "God Cursed," have been hunted down for centuries and killed due to a lack of understanding about their condition and fear of the violence and killing that usually goes in their wake. Marken are typically very mundane individuals who suffer a condition that causes them to violently change during certain specific conditions that may vary from person to person into enlarged, more beast-like versions of themselves. The reason why Marken are often also called "God Marked" or "God Cursed" is because this affinity frequently occurs at the hands of a divine entity or a god belonging to a religion. Marken are the traditional "Werewolves" as they are known in other forms of pop culture, however, Marken extend beyond the Wolf part and embody other animal transformations also.
Becoming a Marken
Markenism as a curse transfers in more ways than one, and how the curse is acquired may alter how an individual Marken behaves, or is seen by society. Below are all the variants of Marken "infection" as it is called, including some basic information about the premises.
| Family Cursed |
A possible way of Marken infection, is to be born in a family that has Marken ancestry. Markenism transfers from parent to children at a 100% rate, though does not manifest until age 18. Marken infected this way tend to be more in control of themselves when transforming. |
| God Cursed |
A more common way of Marken infection, is to be cursed by a God or some other Divine Entity for desecrating a Temple or Shrine of some kind. Other forms of sin punishment within the Religion can also result in a Marken Curse. These Marken tend be more violent and out of control. |
| Blood Cursed |
Markenism is blood-transferrable, meaning that a blood transfusion of infected blood can infect. The amount of blood required for this process is considerable however, a few drops or even a splash will not be sufficient. These Marken tend to be more violent and out of control. |
| Bite Cursed |
Marken bites when transformed are extremely infectious, estimated to be at a rate of 90%. These Marken tend to be more violent and out of control. Infection only applies to the victim with OOC consent in Combat Roleplay, they can contrive reasons for why the bite did not infect. |
| Nature Cursed |
Markenism is sometimes part of being Godborn or Arkenborn. For example, a Godborn child of Halfvel is always a Marken. These Marken are fully in control of themselves, and can even behave more humanoid even when fully transformed. See those pages for more info. |
There may be other niche ways to become infected with Markenism that are not mentioned on this page for brevity sake. If you have a custom idea for an infection, please make a Ticket and discuss the lore continuity viability of that idea with Lore Staff. Generally, Markenism is incurable, there is theoretically a cure because any condition can be reversed, but there is no historical record of it ever having been done, so infection is permanent.
Infection Changes
Markenism has several effects on the host's body, and also their mind. The changes are different for each person, and can also differ in severity. The most often form of changes, is increased body hair and a more feral or beastly appearance. Other forms of changes caused by infection are sensitivity to light, sensitivity to touch, heightened hearing, smell, and taste. Other possible changes also occur in the personality, with increased anxiousness, loss of temper, and rage. Markenism can also cause long-lasting melancholy and hopelessness, as it is an incurable condition.
Transformation Effects
Transformation for Marken is on a sliding scale, rather than a flipswitch. Some Marken transform slightly, gaining more beastly traits and fur, but refrain from transforming fully into a monster. To differentiate between a full transformation and a more gradual sliding scale, the full transformation is referred to as Full-Marken, while any other degree is called Half-Marken. In Full-Marken, the Marken's head is animal-like, and their body has more feral proportions, completely covered in fur or scales. When in Full-Marken, the Marken loses the ability to speak and often engage in higher reason, Marken become violent and even attack loved ones in this state, and sometimes cannot remember anything they did. Marken that are fully transformed cannot cast Magic anymore, as they have no higher cognition to the Veil. However, for the sake of practicality, we recommend you still keep using the same Combat Stats and Abilities, just mask them cleverly to what a Marken could physically do in your emotes. If all parties are consenting, the Marken could also be given more HP or Attack Stats to satisfy the fantasy of the monster, however this should generally be avoided in situations where Combat is highly competitive.
Transformation Triggers
Transformation Triggers are conditions that Marken have that can cause their involuntary (or voluntary) transformation. For every Marken, the condition is different, so it is possible to have one of the described below triggers, any combination of them, or entirely new ones you have designed yourself.
- Period phases are a common trigger, usually related to the phase of the moon, time of the month, or other celestial objects.
- Anxiety, Fear, Anger, or Rage, are also common triggers, essentially grouped together as the emotional triggers.
- A less common trigger is the smell of blood, the sight of violence and/or blood, or other forms of death or carnage.
- A less common trigger is a specific spell, incantation, or phrase, particularly related to a God Cursed Marken.
- A less common trigger are flashing lights, auditory over-stimulation, social pressure, or weather conditions.
- An even rarer trigger, are special locations, people, or specific series of events unfolding in front of the Marken.
Marken Types
There are six distinct types of Marken, each with their background stories and each with general cultural niches. All the art depicted on this page shows Marken at its default design, but players have more creative freedom to tweak aspects such as fur, or eye color.
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The Howl Marken -
The Drakken Marken -
The Strangle Marken -
The Claw Marken -
The Brawl Marken -
The Scale Marken
The Howl Marken
The Howl Marken is the most traditional kind of werewolf-like Marken, with wolf-like body qualities. The Howl Marken is strongly associated with the Fornoss religion, as well The Covenant, making the Howl Marken a distinctly Ailor cultural aspect. Howl Marken are feared and reviled in Ailor cultures, as dangerous and murderous beasts of the night, but may in some of these religions also be seen as a blessing, and protector of holy sites. Howl Marken represents the personality traits of pride and vanity.
The Drakken Marken
The Drakken Marken is a very rare sighting, hailing originally from the province of Anglia. Folklore has it that the Drakken Marken Curse was brought about as Ailorkind tried to ascend to become Dragons, driving them mad and into a blood rage. Some Draconism believers, however, consider them a kind of berserker warrior, those who fully give themselves to battle for the Dragons and their cause. Drakken Marken are often seen among Archon, who have found ways to master their formidable powers. Drakken Marken represents the personality traits of dignity and stoicism.
The Strangle Marken
The Strangle Marken is a quintessentially Allorn Curse. A prophecy of doom placed on the most deceitful of Princes of the Allorn Empire. It is said that the first Strangle Marken came about when the Estelley Gods cursed some of the greediest tomb robbers, turning them into venomous murderous snake-like beings. Over time, however, some Elves have started to see the raw power that the Strangle Marken Curse gives as a blessing, establishing whole cults seeking to master becoming one. Strangle Marken represents the personality traits of deceitfulness and dishonesty.
The Claw Marken
The Claw Marken are more common among Suvial Estelley worshipers as Werecats and Weretigers, as a curse from the Goddess Avinla to punish obsession. Any Suvial will be able to recount the tale of Prince Bhagwaïla who obsessed over wealth and women so much that Avinla cursed him, only for him to turn in the middle of his court, burn his riches, and slaughter his harem. Claw Marken are exceptionally ferocious among the Marken, rarely leaving survivors to their vicious attacks. Claw Marken represents the personality traits of revenge and obsession.
The Brawl Marken
The Brawl Marken is often found among the Velheim, but also Breizh from Kintyr, cursed by the Unionist Goddess Eirlys for their stubbornness and irreverence of holy sites, to live as Werebears. There exist even rumors of whole Knight orders of Brawl Marken in Kintyr, hiding their affliction until the day that the world can experience the brawn and power they have mastered over the centuries in ironic defiance by showcasing the same irreverence to gods as they were once cursed for. Brawl Marken represents the personality traits of disobedience to gods and stubbornness.
The Scale Marken
The Scale Marken was once thought to be a failed experiment among the Allar, of biology-changing alchemy gone wrong, but was later discovered to be a cruel trick from the Dragon Nox on the recently arrived Sendrassians to remind them of the cruelty Dragons were capable of, in contrast to the Yellow Water Dragons. Scale Marken are the quintessential werecrocodile, featuring other fish and mer-like qualities that make them dangerous water predators. Scale Marken represents the personality traits of hatred and jealousy.
Marken Mechanics
All Marken have access to a standard set of Mechanics. Markenism is an entirely self-regulated curse, meaning that Players can decide how detrimental Markenism is to their day to day Roleplay. As such, even though it is generally thought of as negative, Marken do not gain any Combat related Mechanics like Vampires do, as most Marken will not actively hunted in the streets whenever they appear anywhere.
| Greater Strength |
You are stronger than the average normal person when it comes to out-of-Combat tests of strength. Whether it is in arm-wrestling, or other power competitions, you always rolls +5 on each Dice roll. You can also carry much heavier loads than other normal people. |
| Greater Hunter |
You are an apex hunter in the wilds, capable of greater sense of the hunt, sight, and hearing in nature. You can effortlessly capture animals in the hunt, and may receive additional benefits during Monster Hunt Events or Monster encounters in the forests of Regalia. |
| Fauna Bane |
Animals generally fear you. Birds fly away, squirrels hide, and insects run away. Some predators like wolves or mountain cats will think twice before challenging you. This effect even applies to domesticated animals and familiars. This does not apply in Combat. |
| Greater Smell |
You can smell things in great detail. While out of Combat, you can smell any poison or substances that have been added to drinks or food, and you can identify any medicine or alchemy's ingredients by smelling it. This cannot be used to discover identities of the disguised. |
Managing Markenism
Markenism is a curse that robs the victim of their agency and free will during their transformed moments, at least mostly, which results in a whole host of managing techniques and strategies to either mitigate transformation, or reduce the impact of loss of control during transformation. Any combination of the below mentioned techniques can be used separately or in tandem to have more control over markenism. Some of them are even legally mandated by the Regalian State, due to how illegal many aspects of Markenism are, and how Knights are constantly on the lookout for a wild Marken to kill. With a combination of these techniques, it is possible to mitigate the dangers and threats of Markenism as much as possible, but a complete removal of all threat of spreading the infection, or loss of control, is impossible. Every technique has downsides and drawbacks, or introduce new problems.
Artalos Injection
A common and legally prescribed management technique, is the injection of the Artalos substance during period of transformation to prevent full changing. Even for Marken who are ostensibly in control of themselves and their urges most of the time, involuntary transformation and mindless violence can still be a reasonable risk. The Regalian State mandates that all Marken who are publicly registered, carry a box with Artalos injection vials with them and a syringe, allowing rapid countermeasure to an involuntary transformation. Artalos works both as a supressant and a muscle relaxant, halting any ongoing transformation, or un-transforming a Marken who has already become a monster. This cannot be used mid-Combat.
Lykorian Conditioning
Lykorian Conditioning is a form of psychotherapy developed by the priests of the Evintarian Unionist community, that aims to mitigate the risks of personality shifting during transformation by re-aligning the untransformed personality to the transformed personality. In essence by reducing the friction between the two personalities, the victim can have more control over themselves during transformation. This form of conditioning has downsides however, as the natural traits of a transformed Marken are greed, violence, impulsiveness, and lack of empathy. By encouraging these traits in the untransformed victim, scholars universally agree that the price of retaining control during transformation, is to become a bigger asshole.
Panic Rooming
A very common management technique among Marken, is the usage of a Panic Room, usually a metal-reinforced room that is locked from the outside that the Marken enters during a certain period in the month. Intentionally triggering Marken transformations and raging out in such an enclosed room where there is no threat of infecting others or doing damage, reduces the risk of other forms of involuntary transformation. Avoiding transformation for long periods of time builds up angst and anxiety in the Marken, which in and of themselves can result in an involuntary transformation. In essence, Panic Rooming helps the Marken micro-dose their transformations to reduce the risk of them occuring in public.
Wolfbane Warding
Mages skilled in the Body School, Enchant School, or Mind School, are capable of placing so-called Wolfbane Ward spells on a Marken's mind that prevents their transformation, or retains their control over the transformed self. These Wolfbane Wards are extremely effective, but have drawbacks in and of themselves. Due to their nature as being Wards, other Mages can unbind them and break them if they figure out they are there, which usually immediately forces a Marken to transform. Secondly, having such involved Magical Spells cast on a person's mind, forces them to become Magically Aligned, even if they cannot actually use Magic themselves. These wards can also have other side effects like alignment bodymodding.
Darkbane Pacting
Darkbane Pacting is an almost universally un-recommended process of managing Markenism that is nontheless common among Evolists and those who deal and barter with Demons. Darkbane Pacting involves either contracting a Demon, or some other Demonic entity like a Duke or Arken to create a Pact to control Markenism. While this is an even more efficient management technique than Wolfbane Warding, obviously making pacts with Demons will always involve some unseen negative side effects. Commonly, A Demon might agree to restrain a Marken curse, in exchange for control of the body of the host should such transformations occur. There is of course also the risk that the moment the Demon is banished, the violence in Markenism comes back.
Trigger Avoiding
A common and easy to practice management technique is Trigger Avoiding, which involves learning the triggers of transformation, and avoiding them as much as possible. Transformation Triggers (discussed above), differ from Marken to Marken, and may sometimes even differ from the type of Marken Infection to another. Common triggers however are anxiety and fear or anger. Trigger Avoiding involves learning what situations cause the transformations to occur, and leaving as quickly as possible, or warning those involved in the situation what the risks of continued pressing are. Keep in mind that forcing a Marken transform is not a case of self defense. If a Marken is forced to transform, they will still be hunted by Knights.
Lothar Retaining
Lothar Retaining involves accepting Lothar Technology to restrain a Marken's involuntary transformations. The Lothar Order has a special collar device that uses a combination of Purestone and Technology to restrain the Marken's involuntary transformations, but also allows the Lothar to activate a remote transformation that allows them to use Marken as attack-dogs in Combat. Lothar are legally allowed to use Marken this way, and are blameless should a Marken infect a criminal this way. The Marken however loses their own agency and becomes a puppet of the Lothar Order. The collar also cannot be removed by anyone but Lothar, as it has a kill-switch on the inside that will kill the Marken if it is tampered with.
Marken Laws
Markenism is highly illegal in Regalia, however Regalia has some legal codes that help in the tolerance of Marken out of pity for their condition. These laws are extremely fragile, meaning that any kind of social or political pressure at court could result in them changing for the worse, and Marken being hunted in the open once more. There is no official state register of Marken currently, though Marken that are socially known to be infected are routinely checked on their management techniques and if they still comply to the laws as they are presented here.
- All Marken must carry with them them at least 3 vials of Artalos Injection, and know how to use them in an emergency.
- All Marken must have some Trigger Avoiding, or Panic Rooming plan available to them that they are already following.
- All Marken must refrain from transforming for any reason. Transformed Marken are apprehended and brigged, or killed.
- All Marken must avoid spreading the infection. Spreading the infection further causes long term imprisonment or execution.
Generally, Markenism is a burden, and makes living in civilized society harder. This is why many Marken end up leaving urban settings and living in the countryside, or in Regalia, living in the sewers where there are much less Knights present. If a Marken was transformed and captured by Knights, imprisonment lasts a very long time, and does not guarantee a release. Players are strongly encouraged to avoid ending up in this situation.
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