Des'mour

_Lacrimosa

"The Valmour are tight lipped about their origins, but sometimes secrets slip even from the masters of their keeping. Those stories come at a high price - and sometimes the Valmour are known to tie up loose ends when strands begin to go awry." The broker's amber, luminescent globes peer out from underneath the ornate blackened ceramic mask, and you swear you can see something shift in the reflection of his eyes. "So what are you willing to trade - to start chasing spectres?"

Merchant Empresses of the West, the Matriarchy of the Valmour, were not always marked by gilded palaces & complicated statecraft but instead carved their worth out of the hunt. Swift footed, silent & deadly, they collected flawless treasures off the most vicious & rare monsters in the treacherous territories of their home & brought them to the grand market. It is said, though, that those who strayed too far into the hunting grounds of House Valmour were known to become lost to the forest. - Spectres do harbour dark secrets.

Carefully Managed

The Des'mour are descendants of the legend Brakia Valdesi, who united the Western provinces of Tawdri in the early second age & ascended late into her life. A close lineage, the Des'mour are a Matriarchial race that has carefully groomed their lineage over twenty-six generations, carefully selecting those who marry into their family. The only known Valmour descendant to have eloped was found next to their newlywed the evening of their wedding, both dead from medically & magically inexplicable anemia - despite lacklustre evidence pointing to any culprit, this story has often implied that the Des'mour prune their tree before their race can become too dilute.

Spirits Never Forget

Extended lifetimes & an incredible mind paint the Des'mour with a vibrant & sharp memory; unlike other races who have forgotten the magic of the first age, the Des'mour remember every cant, ritual & memory passed down from their ancestors - and steal those of the souls they take. Masters of secrets & keepers of ancient knowledge, the Des'mour use their influence like a web, catching every valuable speck of information that falls into any strand - or mercilessly hunting any prey unlucky enough to stray into their domain. Similarly, the Des'mour will remember each slight & wrongdoing with vicious acuity and take their price - in gold, or blood - even if it takes generations.

Influence Beyond Borders

It has long been said that the Valmour has a reach that transcends the mortal realm; this is supported by the peculiar & inexplicable nature of their race's unique traits. Capable of crossing great distances with instantaneous effect & disappearing in the blink of an eye from impossible scenarios, the Des'mour are, without exception, in the right place at the right time. This odd & unlikely phenomenon seems to circulate all of the business dealings, feuds, battles & rituals of their ilk as well, drawing information & loyalists to their cause like moths to a flame - or a thief to gold.

Racial Magic

Willpower & Majesty

Despite the sometimes treacherous & predatory methods of the Des'mour, their resolve is in question by none - when they are determined to achieve something, the Gilded Spectres will let nothing stand in their way or tear away their pride.

"I have never seen anything like it; over three hundred men and a ocean of blood soaked into lavish floors, the stink of bile & shit was practically burned into my nostrils. Killing two women cost me my entire legion."

- Legatus Minora, Raphiel Morier

Basic Information

Anatomy

Pale, cream-soft skin; long, tapered ears; silky raven black, platinum white & rich gold hair; piercingly luminescent eyes & the scent of ionized oxygen - these are the traits that permeate the stories written about the Des'mour; all true, of course - but not the entire picture. The Des'mour bear unique golden scars, each a fingerprint upon their skin that can never be altered, replicated or removed through means magical or scientific - the very nature of its reflection an amalgamation of every memory that the entire Val'mour race has accrued. This scar spreads over time, the speed of its propagation increasing year after year until the inevitable takes its owner.

Biological Traits

• Females are born 60% more often than males.
• Hair coloration differs between black, silver & gold; it is unclear whether this is correlated to age, magical potential or some other unexplained phenomena.
• Females & males lack any notable facial hair, but grow all other forms of body hair.
• Eye & hair color, as well as birthmark shape & starting size do not seem to stem from genetics.

Additional Information

Social Structure

The Des'mour follow a matriarchal age-tiered social structure with each tier comprised of male & females of the race & each tier superior in social standing to the last. The entire race is comprised by one, unbroken social chain, connected to the Valmour family ancestry.

• Majesty [Tier 1]
• - The Valmour family ruler/heir.
• - The oldest living female.
• - The oldest living male.
• The Choir [Tier 2]
• - The Valmour family.
• - The eldest females.
• - The eldest males.
• The Court [Tier 3]
• - All other females.
• - All other males.

Facial characteristics

Typically 'western european' features with pointed, tapered ears & luminescent eyes.

Geographic Origin and Distribution

Wherever the Valmour roam.

Average Intelligence

Historically Notable.

by Gu Junyi

Scientific Name

Decorum sancto spectre

Lifespan

765 Years

Average Height

1.7m / 5'6"

Average Weight

124 - 149 lb / 56 - 68 kg

Average Physique

Females trend towards moderately athletic build with tapered hips & a slim profile. Males tend to be slim but physically fit, with a select few more exceptionally built examples.

Body Tint, Colouring and Marking

Pale toned skin with an unpredictably reflective/refractive scar tissue tangentially visually similar to gold.

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