The Forbidden are a mysterious people that no individual truly knows much about. They are members of an unnamed, wraith-like race of creatures from the Nether who come to the Mortal realm to reclaim escaped souls and bring them back to their rightful place; however, a few of these creatures find the Mortal Realm to be so curious and fascinating that they decide to break their bond with the Nether and live out the rest of their days among those who live in the Mortal Realm. These are the Forbidden.
The Forbidden are born or created without eyes. They rely on their ability to see a creature's soul and the life essence of the Mortal Realm to navigate the plane. Therefore the player must wear either black sclera contacts or some type of eye cover to represent the Forbidden's missing eyes.
The Forbidden is a dark, Nether-born race, and costuming should reflect the spirit of the dark and mysterious.
The Forbidden is not the name of the race; in fact, no mortal creature can correctly pronounce the true name of the Forbidden's race. They are called such because it is forbidden for them to abandon the purpose of their creation: the collection of lost souls. However, the fact that a few of them do abandon their purpose shows that they are far more human than they may appear.
The Forbidden are often seen as genderless; however, several have been known to exhibit gender norms both male and female. This is often a result of falling in love with a gendered species and accommodating that lover’s preferences. It may also be an attempt to fit into a chosen society.
A Forbidden’s greatest fear is that another of it’s race will hunt it down and bring it back to the Nether. This is the main reason why most Forbidden live solitary lives. In spite of this, there are some that choose not to live in fear and are very open about what they are.
The Forbidden have been around since the beginning of life. They are a creation of the Nether, birthed from nothingness. There are numerous accounts of the Forbidden being involved in wars, revolutions, and great events of the past, but most knowledge and history of the Forbidden is hearsay as most Forbidden decide to live in solitude or with a select few. Those acquainted with a Forbidden are fortunate and few.
Pylvius Perceran, the famous human Historian, is the only known recorder of Forbidden history. Having managed to convince several Forbidden to meet him in person and answer his questions he recorded the following:
My acquaintances all seem to share a relatively selective amnesia. They cannot remember life in the Nether very clearly, only muddied visions of shadows and vague feelings of despair or emptiness. If this is true, it is no wonder they desire to leave the Nether and abandon their purpose.
One fellow I managed to meet is, as far as I know, the longest living Forbidden in the Shards. His name is Kreaden and his is approximately over 1,000 years old. He is a frail looking creature, skin and bones really, and his empty eye sockets are great craters in his visage. He is alarming to look at, but after talking with him, I find him to be a very knowledgeable and fascinating person. His knowledge of Orn is vast and unending. I could have sat at his feet for a lifetime and never heard the same story twice. He told me of the Great Flood, incidentally he was not referring to a flood of water but rather a flood of Forbidden, that took place just after the Shattering. So many souls became lost during the Shattering that the creatures we refer to as The Forbidden almost outnumbered us Humans. With so many experiencing the Mortal realm for the first time, a great number of them decided to stay. The after effect was the Reckoning. ‘The Others,’ as Kreaden called them, came in great numbers to return the Forbidden to the Nether. I believe this is why those who survived the Great Reckoning live such secluded lives.
Due to their inability to procreate, The Forbidden cannot pass on their genetic code. They are each created in the Nether, and none know the process of their creation. There is some belief that Despair creates each Forbidden from a tortured soul. When tied to the Nether, the Forbidden are ageless: they do not grow or change physically. But once that connection is severed the flaws of the Mortal realm begin to affect them. They all age differently, and there is some suspicion it is due to they type of soul the Forbidden was created from. But this is all hearsay.
The Forbidden are often categorized by their motives for abandoning their duty. There are four most prevalent: for Love, for Nature, for Adventure, and for Killing.
For Love: Forbidden who have fallen in love with a mortal are usually Forbidden with high empathy and compassion. Many of these have said that they never felt truly comfortable in the Nether and hated reclaiming souls. Many become healers in order to protect the one they love.
For Nature: The Nether is a dark and shadowy land, it can not compare to the abundance of life that is the Mortal Realm. Many Forbidden are so intoxicated by the beauty they find in the Mortal Realm that they refuse to return to the darkness of the Nether. Many of these Forbidden severed their ties on their first trip to the Mortal Realm.
For Adventure: For some Forbidden, the repetitive mission of reclaiming lost souls and bring them back to the Nether is a boring one. Many watch the comings and goings of mortal life for a long time before they decide to remain in the Mortal Realm permanently. Those who take up a life of adventuring find many different styles of adventuring to be acceptable: ranging from darker criminal activities, to becoming a mercenary for hire, to even taking on the Paladin’s Mantle.
For Killing: only a few Forbidden have taken this dark road. Becoming bored with collecting already dead souls, some Forbidden get seduced by the thrill of collecting fresh souls. They become obsessed with finding and hunting down their prey and are very calculated and methodical. These Forbidden often become serial killers, creating great fear among the other races of Orn.
The Forbidden have no organization other than that which gives them their purpose from the Nether. Once a Forbidden has severed it's tie, it loses all connection to the Nether and any governing body or greater being from which it might receive orders. A few Forbidden maintain connections with each other in a small and tight network of correspondents.
The eldest of Forbidden are often times regarded as royalty and are sought after for their expertise in evading the far seeing eyes of Etejeril. Many Forbidden will pay homage or make a pilgrimage to meet with an Elder.
The Forbidden are solitary creatures; however, they are not absent of humor, talent, skill, or personality. Each one is an individual with it's own interests and desires. Several of the Forbidden have even been known to fall in love with creatures or beings who make their homes on the Mortal Realm. Some Forbidden are drawn to the vast nature found on the shards, content to spend their lives studying and exploring all Orn has to offer. Others are intrigued by the comings and goings of people, fully content to watch on the sidelines as the drama of life unfolds before them. Others desire adventure and the thrill of the hunt, becoming wandering fighters set on experiencing everything they can.
The Forbidden's race are not inclined to empathy, but those who have broken their bond with the Nether are the ones who have the strongest feelings. These feelings become amplified or rather “freed” once the connection has been broken. As a whole the Forbidden do not look after others very well, especially children, but a few, particularly those who have fallen in love with a mortal creature, have been known to adopt and rear children of their lover’s race.
The Forbidden do not fare well in extreme environments except for short stints. Highly sensitive creatures to temperature and humidity, they prefer mild/dry locations. Many who are intrigued by the habits of people can be found in major ports and cities. Some even keep shops or taverns, wishing to hear stories of people's’ lives. Those who wish to surround themselves in nature can be found in forests and meadows living as hermits.
Forbidden do not see race because they do not see like mortals do. To them all souls manifest the same based on the person's/creature's status. Lost souls have a different essence than souls that are still living. Animal and plant life essence manifests differently than a sentient soul's. How a soul manifests is almost impossible to describe to those with mortal eyes due to the Forbidden's lack of experience with literal vision.
The Forbidden do not often partake in community life due to a fear of being found, captured, and taken back to the Nether. Having lost their life-sustaining connection to the Nether, they must survive in the Mortal realm just like any other creature and, therefore, can been seen occasionally at a market or in a shop buying goods. Some Forbidden have even gone so far as to contribution to art and culture although this is extremely rare.
Most other races see the Forbidden as omens of death and, therefore, avoid them.
The Forbidden are often said to be the children of Despair, the Sixth Death, and while some profess to follow Etejeril many have renounced or denied ever worshiping or following Etejeril. A few even pledge faith to immortals that most closely represent the reason they broke their connection with the Nether (i.e. Antasia/Nature, Arkrist/Adventring, etc.)
Cyril Spiller of Blood is one of the most infamous Forbidden to walk the Mortal Realm. He is the a primary reason Forbidden are shunned on first glance. After the shattering of Orn, Cyril, a messenger of Etejeril, came to the Mortal Realm in search of souls lost in the cataclysm. Bored with collecting souls that were already dead, he began collecting fresh souls. He slaughtered hundreds before he was finally caught and destroyed by Erik the Shining, a Forbidden himself and high-ranking paladin of the Order of the Lightbringers.
"From the Nether I came and to the Nether all must return." - a Foridden proverb
“Soul sight” - the ability the Forbidden have to see souls and life essence
“Clouded Eyes.” - pet name for non-Forbidden
“The Others” - members of the Forbidden race that are still servants of Etejeril
“The Misty Before” - the muddled memories of the life the Forbidden had before they severed their connection to the Nether
“Elder” - a Forbidden who has survived for a very long time (at least 500 years) on the Mortal Realm and has been able to escape the Eye of Etejeril
“The Shade’s Eye/The Eye of Etejeril” - the ability of Etejeril to find the Fobidden and drag them back to the Nether
“The Far Seeing” - the name for Etejeril the Forbidden use so they don’t have to actually say his real name. They believe if you say his name he can automatically see you.
“May the Mortal Realm protect you from the eyes of the Far Seeing.” - a Forbidden blessing