Sigilate
Your body is like an arcane battery, with a brand of the Sigilate on its surface wherever you choose. You were most likely born to a family or ancestry who also bear the same Sigilate Brand, as it is hereditary / genetic. The sigil manifests at birth, and an affiliate-being born with a Sigil is an inheritor, a Sigilyon destined to uphold a much more noble purpose: owning, operating, or ruling a: corporation, an empire, or a birthright.
A Sigil (alternatively referred to as a Brand) is a fleshborn icon of magical power, appearing as a skin-deep emblem on the sigilate's skin that lays dormant or almost scarred when not in use, but pulses with magical power when activated or when the sigilate begins rites of casting. The innate magical power a sigil grants its branded sigilate is a nigh-innate talent or ease of practice with the correspondent sigil-of-power, almost like spells-borne magical evolution. With such a sigil, a sigilate may be able to practice spells they wouldn't have had access to in their life, or perform in excellence where other non-branded may perform adequately.
Sigils can't be genetically grafted, biomancied, or stolen from their respective Sigilate. A creature born without one just doesn't have one nor can gain one unless they start from scratch, possessing a- or being born in a body with one. Due to the nature of the sigil, it's almost an equivalent to an organ that grows with its sigilate, and therefore every branded sigilate's individual sigils are that, individual and custom-grown to that sigilate, with no other able to harness its power. Even if the sigil were to fall into the hands of biomancers, gene-tailors, or replicators, the Sigilate Houses' practice of genetically cloning the sigil is difficult and cryptic, even to the Houses' who have studied their properties for millennia. Natural reproduction and the continuation of the sigilate bloodlines fare the easiest to continuing to fill the ranks of the sigilate, with what little clone-grown or replicated sigilates to exist will commonly bear defunct brands known as the aberrant brand.
Throughout the ages, the most prominent houses of the Sigilate were born to the Meta-Human peoples of the Commonwealth, who ultimately bonded together to form the Meta-Human Sigilate Houses. Most of these houses also grew in power and wealth, forging Megacorporations, their individual members becoming oligarchs, despots, warlords, and even rumored to swear fealty to a Sigilate Shadow Government that pulls all the strings behind the grand galactic curtain. Though Meta-Humans make up the predominate amount of Branded individuals, any being, from the smallest amoeba to the largest tarrasque is capable of being born with a Sigil.
Creating a Sigilate Character
Sigilate in the Biolance Setting manifest on all species potentially, especially on would-be Player Characters.
Sigilate Sigil. You must choose a Sigil you've inherited physically. The following Sigils listed from the Available Sigils table all have traits granted to your Sigilate Player Character in the following pages.
Available Sigils
These sigils below are a list of selectable Lineages avaiable for use as Player Characters.
| Sigil | Magical Power |
|---|---|
| Aberrant | Wild sigil powers |
| Beast | Nature magic and animal conjuration |
| Detection | Visual prowess |
| Healing | Healing magic |
| Hospitality | Charm and utility magic |
| Locating | Finding and searching anything |
| Manufacturing | Creation and destruction |
| Shadows | Stealth and trickery magic |
| Sentinel | Physically defensive magic |
| Storm | Electrical and elemental magic |
| Texting | Communicaton, enchantment, and translation magic |
| Warding | Arcanically defensive magic |
| Warping | Dimensional magic |
Un-Available Sigils
| Sigil | Magical Power |
|---|---|
| Atom | Radioactive or growth/shrinking magic |
| Chosen | Divine / prophetic magic |
| Death | Dying and resurrection / undying magic |
| Flesh | Bio/Organic and cloning magic |
| Service | Service and enthrallment magic |
| Stars | Light & galactic magic |
| Time | Chronomancy & time magic |
Sigilate Houses and Species
As stated, any species is capable of manifesting a Brand, but some of the Sigilate Houses have specific species that make up the representation and population of their House, such as the Meta-Human Houses. It's not uncommon for other species not of the House's population to have a Sigil of their bloodline, but how that came to be can be discussed with your GM.
More information on the lore of the Sigilate Houses on Page 6. Sorry for no pretty images (yet).
Sigil of the Beast
If your character has the Sigil of Beasts, you gain the following traits.
Wild Intuition. When you make an Intelligence (Nature) or a Wisdom (Perception) check, you can roll a d4 and add the number rolled to the ability check.
Primal Connection. You can cast the animal friendship and speak with animals spells with this trait, requiring no material component. Once you cast either spell with this trait, you can't cast that spell with it again until you finish a short or long rest. Wisdom is your spellcasting ability for these spells.
The Bigger They Are. Starting at 3rd level, you can target a beast or monstrosity when you cast animal friendship or speak with animals, provided the creature's Intelligence score is 3 or lower.
Spells of the Sigil. If you have the Spellcasting or the Pact Magic class feature, the spells on the Sigil of the Beast Spells table are added to the spell list of your spellcasting class.
Sigil of the Beast
| Spell Level | Spells |
|---|---|
| 1st | animal friendship, speak with animals |
| 2nd | beast sense, calm emotions |
| 3rd | beacon of hope, conjure animals |
| 4th | aura of life, dominate beast |
| 5th | awaken |
Sigil of Detection
If your character has the Sigil of Detection, you gain the following traits.
Deductive Intuition. When you make an Intelligence (Investigation) or a Wisdom (Perception) check, you can roll a d4 and add the number rolled to the ability check.
Magical Detection. You can cast the detect magic and detect poison and disease spells with this trait. Starting at 3rd level, you can also cast the see invisibility spell with it. Once you cast any of these spells with this trait, you can't cast that spell with it again until you finish a long rest. Intelligence is your spellcasting ability for these spells, and you don't require material components for them.
Spells of the Sigil. If you have the Spellcasting or the Pact Magic class feature, the spells on the Sigil of Detection Spells table are added to the spell list of your spellcasting class.
Sigil of Detection Spells
| Spell Level | Spells |
|---|---|
| 1st | detect evil and good, detect poison and disease |
| 2nd | detect thoughts, find traps |
| 3rd | clairvoyance, nondetection |
| 4th | arcane eye, divination |
| 5th | scrying |
Sigil of Healing
If your character has the Sigil of Healing, you gain the following traits.
Medical Intuition. When you make a Wisdom (Medicine) check or an ability check using a herbalism kit, you can roll a d4 and add the number rolled to the ability check.
Healing Touch. You can cast the cure wounds spell with this trait. Starting at 3rd level, you can also cast lesser restoration with it. Once you cast either spell with this trait, you can't cast that spell with it again until you finish a long rest. Wisdom is your spellcasting ability for these spells.
Spells of the Sigil. If you have the Spellcasting or the Pact Magic class feature, the spells on the Sigil of Healing Spells table are added to the spell list of your spellcasting class.
Sigil of Healing Spells
| Spell Level | Spells |
|---|---|
| 1st | cure wounds, healing word |
| 2nd | lesser restoration, prayer of healing |
| 3rd | aura of vitality, mass healing word |
| 4th | aura of purity, aura of life |
| 5th | greater restoration |
Sigil of Hospitality
If your character has the Sigil of Hospitality, you gain the following traits.
Ever Hospitable. When you make a Charisma (Persuasion) check or an ability check involving brewer's supplies or cook's utensils, you can roll a d4 and add the number rolled to the ability check.
Innkeeper's Magic. You know the prestidigitation cantrip. You can also cast the purify food and drink and unseen servant spells with this trait. Once you cast either spell with this trait, you can't cast this spell with it again until you finish a long rest. Charisma is your spellcasting ability for these spells.
Spells of the Sigil. If you have the Spellcasting or the Pact Magic class feature, the spells on the Sigil of Hospitality Spells table are added to the spell list of your spellcasting class.
Sigil of Hospitality
| Spell Level | Spells |
|---|---|
| 1st | goodberry, sleep |
| 2nd | aid, calm emotions |
| 3rd | create food and water, Leomund's tiny hut |
| 4th | aura of purity, Mordenkainen's private sanctum |
| 5th | hallow |
Sigil of Locating
If your character has the Sigil of Locating, you gain the following traits.
Darkvision. You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. You can't discern color in darkness, only shades of gray.
Hunter's Intuition. When you make a Wisdom (Perception) or Wisdom (Survival) check, you can roll a d4 and add the number rolled to the ability check.
Finder's Magic. You can cast the hunter's mark spell with this trait. Starting at 3rd level, you can also cast the locate object spell with it. Once you cast either spell with this trait, you can't cast that spell with it again until you finish a long rest. Wisdom is your spellcasting ability for these spells.
Spells of the Sigil. If you have the Spellcasting or the Pact Magic class feature, the spells on the Sigil of Locating Spells table are added to the spell list of your spellcasting class.
Sigil of Locating Spells
| Spell Level | Spells |
|---|---|
| 1st | faerie fire, longstrider |
| 2nd | locate animals or plants, locate object |
| 3rd | clairvoyance, speak with plants |
| 4th | divination, locate creature |
| 5th | commune with nature |
Sigil of Manufacturing
If your character has the Brand of Manufacturing, you gain the following traits.
Artisan's Intuition. When you make an Intelligence (Arcana) check or an ability check involving artisan's tools, you can roll a d4 and ad the number rolled to the ability check.
Maker's Gift. You gain proficiency with one type of artisan's tools of your choice.
Spellsmith. You know the mending cantrip. You can also cast the magic weapon spell with this trait. When you do so, the spell lasts for 1 hour and doesn't require concentration. Once you cast the spell with trait, you can't do so again until you finish a long rest. Intelligence is your spellcasting ability for these spells.
Spells of the Sigil. If you have the Spellcasting or the Pact Magic class feature, the spells on the Sigil of Manufacturing Spells table are added to the spell list of your spellcasting class.
Sigil of Manufacturing Spells
| Spell Level | Spells |
|---|---|
| 1st | arcane weapon, identify |
| 2nd | continual flame, magic weapon |
| 3rd | conjure barrage, plant growth |
| 4th | fabricate, stone shape |
| 5th | creation |
Sigil of the Sentinel
If your character has the Sigil of the Sentinel, you gain the following traits.
Sentinel's Intuition. When you make a Wisdom (Insight) or Wisdom (Perception) check, you can roll a d4 and add the number rolled to the ability check.
Guardian's Shield. You can cast the shield spell once with this trait, and you regain the ability check to cast it after you finish a long rest. Wisdom is your spellcasting ability for this spell.
Vigilant Guardian. When a creature you can see within 5 feet of you is hit by an attack roll, you can use your reaction to swap places with that creature, and you are hit by the attack instead. Once you use this trait, you can't do so again until you finish a long rest.
Spells of the Sigil. If you have the Spellcasting or the Pact Magic class feature, the spells on the Sigil of the Sentinel Spells table are added to the spell list of your spellcasting class.
Sigil of the Sentinel Spells
| Spell Level | Spells |
|---|---|
| 1st | compelled duel, shield of faith |
| 2nd | warding bond, zone of truth |
| 3rd | counterspell, protective from energy |
| 4th | death ward, guardian of faith |
| 5th | Bigby's hand |
Sigil of Shadows
If your character has the Sigil of Shadows, you gain the following traits.
Cunning Intuition. When you make a Dexterity (Sleight of Hand) or Dexterity (Stealth) check, you can roll a d4 and add the number rolled to ability check.
Shape Shadows. You know the minor illusion cantrip. Starting at 3rd level, you can cast the invisibility spell once with once with this trait, and you regain the ability to cast it when you finish a long rest. Charisma is your spellcasting ability for these spells.
Spells of the Sigil. If you have the Spellcasting or the Pact Magic class feature, the spells on the Sigil of Shadow Spells table are added to the spell list of your spellcasting class.
Sigil of Shadow Spells
| Spell Level | Spells |
|---|---|
| 1st | disguise self, silent image |
| 2nd | darkness, pass without trace |
| 3rd | clairvoyance, nondetection |
| 4th | greater invisibility, shadow of moil |
| 5th | mislead |
Sigil of the Storm
If your character has the Sigil of the Storm, you gain the following traits.
Windwright's Intuition. When you make a Dexterity (Acrobatics) check or any ability check involving navigator's tools, you can roll a d4 and add the number rolled to the ability check.
Storm's Boon. You have resistance to lightning damage.
Headwinds. You know the gust cantrip. Starting at 3rd level, you can cast the gust of wind spell once with this trait, and you regain the ability to cast it when you finish a long rest. Charisma is your spellcasting ability for these spells.
Spells of the Sigil. If you have the Spellcasting or the Pact Magic class feature, the spells on the Sigil of Storm Spells table are added to the spell list of your spellcasting class.
Sigil of Storm Spells
| Spell Level | Spells |
|---|---|
| 1st | feather fall, fog cloud |
| 2nd | gust of wind, levitate |
| 3rd | call lightning, wind wall |
| 4th | conjure minor elementals, control water |
| 5th | conjure elemental |
Sigil of Texting
If your character has the Sigil of Texting, you gain the following traits.
Gifted Scribe. When you make an Intelligence (History) check or an ability check using calligrapher's supplies or computer devices, you can roll a d4 and add the number rolled to the ability check.
Scribe's Insight. You know the message cantrip. You can also cast comprehend languages once with this trait, and you regain the ability to cast it when you finish a short or long rest. Starting at 3rd level, you can cast the magic mouth spell with this trait, and you regain the ability to cast it when you finish a long rest. Intelligence is your spellcasting ability for these spells.
Spells of the Sigil. If you have the Spellcasting or the Pact Magic class feature, the spells on the Sigil of Texting Spells table are added to the spell list of your spellcasting class.
Sigil of Texting Spells
| Spell Level | Spells |
|---|---|
| 1st | comprehend languages, illusory script |
| 2nd | detect thoughts, suggestion |
| 3rd | sending, tongues |
| 4th | arcane eye, confusion |
| 5th | dream |
Sigil of Warding
If your character has the Sigil of Warding, you gain the following traits.
Warder's Intuition. When you make an Intelligence (Investigation) check or an ability check using thieves' tools, you can roll a d4 and add the number rolled to the ability check.
Wards and Seals. You can cast the alarm and mage armor spells with this trait. Starting at 3rd level, you can also cast the arcane lock spell with it. Once you cast any of these spells with this trait, you can't cast that spell with it again until you finish a long rest. Intelligence is your spellcasting ability for these spells, and you don't need material components for them when you cast them with this trait.
Spells of the Sigil. If you have the Spellcasting or the Pact Magic class feature, the spells on the Sigil of Warding Spells table are added to the spell list of your spellcasting class.
Sigil of Warding Spells
| Spell Level | Spells |
|---|---|
| 1st | alarm, armor of Agathys |
| 2nd | arcane lock, knock |
| 3rd | glyph of warding, magic circle |
| 4th | Leomund's secret chest, Mordenkainen's faithful hound |
| 5th | antilife shell |
Sigil of Warping
If your character has the Brand of Warping, you gain the following traits.
Spacial Speed. Your base walking speed increases to 35 feet.
Intuitive Motion. When you make a Dexterity (Acrobatics) check or any ability check to operate or maintain a vehicle, you can roll a d4 and add the number rolled to the ability check.
Magical Passage. You can cast the misty step spell once with this trait, and you regain the ability in cast it when you finish a long rest. Dexterity is your spellcasting ability for this spell.
Spells of the Sigil. If you have the Spellcasting or the Pact Magic class feature, the spells on the Sigil of Warping Spells table are added to the spell list of your spellcasting class.
Sigil of Warping
| Spell Level | Spells |
|---|---|
| 1st | expeditious retreat, jump |
| 2nd | misty step, pass without trace |
| 3rd | blink, phantom steed |
| 4th | dimension door, freedom of movement |
| 5th | teleportation circle |
Meta-Human & Affiliate Sigils
| Sigil | Corporation | House | Major Interests |
|---|---|---|---|
| Detection | TNV | Tasan | Enforcing and ruling totalitarian surveillance states. Spying and keeping tabs on galactic civilizations. |
| Beast | BBMC | Bolatanta | Finding, studying, and breeding xenoform animaloids. Finding gene-strands, selling or improving genome for privatized use. |
| Hospitality | PJH | Pinlankma | Creating public and privatized luxury tourist attractions across worlds, and establishing housing monopolies on-worlds. |
| Manufacturing | WWC | Gral | Privatizing copyrighted schematics and monopolizing mass-industrious goods and equipments. Everything within the bounds of good economics. |
| Warping | FPC | Garland | Specializing in magitech and portal technology. Monopolizing and establishing planar trade and integrity. |
| Texting | DEEC | Lorlon | Reinforcing and establishing connections to the Digital Plane, and spreading / taxing the use of Ethernet. Managing and manipulating widespread communication. |
| Storm | SEI | Azaron | Researching and manufacturing high-quality, high-tech computational and energy systems for planetary infrastructure. |
| Sentinel / Warding | SCTPI | Sheldin | Keeping up to date and staying on the edge of cyber, digital, and supernatural security. Protecting brand Megacorp sites and systems. |
Halfling Sigils
| Sigil | Corporation | House | Major Interests |
|---|---|---|---|
| Handling | SXC | Littlefriens | Protecting endangered xenoform animaloids and ecologically protected worlds. |
| Healing | CCC | Bigheart | Enacting mortalitarian aid programs and offering aid to medicinally deprived or ruined worlds. |
Black Market Sigils
| Sigil | Corporation | House | Major Interests |
|---|---|---|---|
| Locating | BMSC | Bloodmoon | Finding threats to Underworld or Black Market interests, keeping tabs and surveilling key figures, finding items or locations of importance. |
| Shadow | BMKC | Blacksun | Protecting Underworld or Black Market interests, assassinating key figures, gathering intrigue or subterfuging information. Being a thorn in everyone's sides. |
Everything about the Sigilate
The Meta-Human Houses
Individually, the Houses are spread across worldly cultures and share internal traditions, secrets, and practices specific to each. Specifically, here are a few facts that apply to most of the Houses:
- Worldly Dominating Organizations. Most Branded Houses, even from a small family that is no greater than a generation of 1-3 ages with little under a dozen spread sigilar still have enough clout and influence that they span several worlds, if not outright owning planets, sectors, or systems of space. Such worlds are dotted by their manufactured cities or structures of commerce, research, and anything under the waking sun. Some businesses, including even those owned by sigilar, under Megacorporation or not may be tied to a Branded House, but more often as means to providing services or supplies without any direct connection to the house's leadership.
- Members of the House. The rest of the ranks of a Sigilate House can be filled with non-branded individuals (including non-branded born to branded parents), and the title House is superfluous and synonymous to the overall organization their allegiance lies in, whether through bloodline, servitude, or intrinsic contracts. Sigilar within the house, of course, have a higher standing and place in its hierarchy due to their direct ancestry and bloodline, and the powers granted by the brand. Commonly, Sigilar don't even live amongst each other in the same household, choosing to operate as leaders or operatives in distinct areas where their expertise can shine through, acting as an authorative reach for their house. Those that do, only do so for the rearing of their children and offspring, cultured specifically through the Sigilar parent(s) for the practice of teaching the use of the Brand while external/third-party teaching and learned experience is kept at minimum through the means of trusted tutors or professors.
- Names and Ranks of the Hierarchy. Sigilate (or often called in disrespectful terms: the Branded) often refers to one who has a Brand of the Sigilate/Brand of Power. Sigilyon are those who are adolescents, untrained, or newly born to a House who haven't fully awakened or developed the Brand which normally manifests within their youth before adulthood. When the Sigilyon grows into a matured Sigilate with a fully developed and functional Brand, they are indoctrinated fully into their House and are given the noble title of Sigilar, which is an honorific that is referred to first, then followed by their Family Name and then their First Name, such as Sigilar Sheldin Naros. Sigilate Houses are ultimately ruled by a matriarch or patriarch, referred to by the honorrific: Sigilant, an individual who potentially may be the first ever born with the Brand, who has passed down the brand through their numerous blood-relatives kept alive through untold magical and natural preservative means. Some Houses who lack a Sigilant may be led by a council of Sigilar, or may have reinstated a new elder amongst them to act as the Sigilant (though these are referred to as Sigilann).
- The Sig-Gil. Sig-Gil are those Branded but do not affiliate or are affiliated with a Sigilate House for any means except excommunication. Commonly this occurs when a Sigilyon heir to the Sigilate is produced without their notice, and actually bears forth an unexpected Brand that wasn't given proper learning by their House. Alternatively, a Sig-Gil that is born to a less restrictive Sigilate House may choose to decline the indoctrination into the house as a sigilar, choosing an alternative path in life while the House or their parents may still leave an open invitation to return to their birthright, even to the scrutiny of the rest of the House.
- The Siggs. Siggs are those Branded but have been outcasted, excommunicated, or outright removed from their houses. A Sigg likely leads a terrible lifestyle, hounded by the darkest aspects of galactic civilizations and go to great lengths to find isolation, rarely acting in ways that aren't purely for self interest, fearing the event of being caught by enterprising and cruel biomancers.
- The Solshagil Insyndicate. The Meta-Human Sigilate Houses throughout the ages have maintained their power and influence through endless means of cutthroat practices, ignoring meta-human rights, and overall corporate cruelty & greed. At least once through each of the 7 Galactic Wars, 1-3 Houses have been destroyed and assimilated into the others. This includes the Meta-Human Sigilate House of Shadows, known formerly as the House Solshagil. Rumors circulate, but it's not confirmed, that House Solshagil still exists, acting as the over-organization / sigilate shadow-government whom facilitate and enforce cooperation between the Meta-Human Sigilate Houses.
Sigilate and Backgrounds
Of course, in the realm that is Dungeons & Dragons and TTRPGs, anything is possible, but here are some ideas for how to settle your Sigilate character in the galaxy of Biolance. By choosing a Sigil, you are establishing your character's connection to one of the Sigilate Houses. It's up to you to define your relationship to the house. Were you brought up in the house? Or are you independent from it? This is best represented by your background, and here are some options to help your imagination flow:
- House Agent. You have an ongoing relationship with your house. Most likely you have taken actions or work to pursue their ultimate goals, whether the morality of such actions have strained your loyalty to them or hardened your pursuit to the cause is up to you. Alternatively, you could take the noble background to reflect a blood tie to the leaders of the house.
- Sig-Gil Scion. Raised as a sigilyon of the house, trained to master the brand, magic, or martial techniques. Instead of confirming your place as a sigilate of the house, you've decided to distance yourself for whatever means, becoming a Sig-Gil. This means of course that you have no responsibilities or are expected anything of the house, but still may be garnered protection or special privileges. However you decided to not follow the path of your house is up to you, whether you were interested in exploring the cosmos, finding your own place and setting your own path, or just merely for the fun of it.
- Outcast. When a sigilate defies their house, has done an action the house cannot abide or cover-up for the consequences of. Such a sigilate is cut off from their family and house, whether sanctioned directly from the higher ranks of the Sigilant, or directly done by their own parents. In the past before the Replicate Wars, such siggs had their sigils physically removed from their body, flesh-grafted over it, or given a mark of houselessness. In the worst outcome, a sigg rarely lived to escape their house's wrath, often killed or turned into a living arcane battery, the process of which were incredibly inhumane and cruel, done by some of the more pragmatic but cruel houses, as to not allow a living sigilate expose house secrets or give biomancers a chance to experiment with the sigil-genome. If you're an outcast, a sigg, consider what you did to deserve this punishment, or what avenues lead to your escape from your house. Did you outright betray your house? Partake in extremely illegal activity? or perhaps did you participate in a massive blunder that wound up costing your house greatly?
- Mysterious Bloodline. You may have been the descendant of sigilate members of the house who were also outcasts, members who were part of dissassimilated houses, or maybe you were the successful experiment of artificially grown sigilates? You may have no ties to any of the Sigilate Houses, Meta-Human or not, but were connected by the bloodline before you manifested your sigil. As an outsider to the house, you might know nothing about them. Whatever you decide, this is an opportunity to talk with your DM about the role you'd like the house to play in a campaign. Do you want them to be your enemy? Would you prefer to avoid them completely? Or do you want to work your way into a position of power in the house, even overthrow its rulership, despite being an outsider?
Powers and Natures of the Sigil
Each sigil grants a set of abilities that reflect the innate powers of the sigil. It's origins belay a great mystery, though most scholars point their existence closely to the Words of Power, magical words first spoken by the great Empyreans, Primordials, Star-Titans, and Elder Evils that shaped the multiverse. Clerics and priests correlate the sigils almost equivocally to the various domains a faithful individual could follow, the various domains Gods hold sway and influence over. In this way, some sigilate claim a nigh-divine birthright. While an aasimar or celestial-born individual exists, a sigil-branded sigilate equates their ancestry to creation, to the fundamentals of the multiverse, or that by word-of-god sigilate were born to be greater than their peers: borne mortals.
In this way, one could consider the sigil to be the source of all a character's spells or class features. An Abjuration Wizard with the Sigil of Warding may practice, study, and replicate their sigil, personally branded magic that enhance or originate from your sigil rather than the spellcraft of other wizards. A Cleric with the Sigil of Texting may receive actual messages through the sigil from their deity, a strong support in both faith and essence channeled through the sigil. As a Warlock with the Sigil of Warping, you may have come in contact with your patron after a mishap utilizing the dimensional power of your sigil, and it remains your anchor and connection to that being.
Over the centuries, the Sigilate Houses have developed tools that enhance and channel the powers of a sigil, and these items give the houses much of their economic power.
Sigil Appearances
A sigil commonly appears on the skin. Uncommonly do they appear on a sigilate's eyes, replacing their iris or pupils. Even rarer so, do they appear under the skin, on their organs such as directly on their heart, stomach, or even brain (which often glows through the skin). An example being those of House Bigheart, whose Sigilate's sigil appears on their heart.
Sigils lay dormant when not active, appearing blackened or darker than the surrounding pigment of the skin, almost deep enough to notice an indent. When activated, the sigil flushes with magic and bright color (though it doesn't often produce useful illumination), which is assumed to be raw magic (ether) that runs through the bloodstream of the sigilate, and it grows warm or cool to the touch.
A sigil can't be removed---even if an organ or appendage bearing the sigil is cut away, the sigil eventually manifests on another part of the sigilate's body. All sigils share a similar initial appearance corresponding to their bloodline, but a sigil can grow in size and complexity as a character gains levels and uses it to cast more powerful magic. The appearance of a sigil commonly takes the form of some sort of letter, however cryptic or un-affiliated it may be. As it grows, it can span to form a whole word or arc across the entirity of the sigilate's body.
While the sigil shares the same general appearance, your sigil could have a unique quality. You can roll or pick from the Sigil Quirks table for inspiration.
Sigil Quirks
| d10 | Quirk |
|---|---|
| 1 | Your sigil is unusually small, even small enough to fit on a single finger. |
| 2 | Your sigil is faint, and doesn't appear until it manifests when activated (which doesn't feel painful for you). |
| 3 | Your sigil appears somewhere else on your body whenever you finish a long rest. |
| 4 | Your sigil emits dim light in a 5-foot radius for 10 minutes whenever you use it. |
| 5 | Your sigil tingles and changes color for a moment when you're within 10 feet of someone with the same sigil. |
| 6 | When you use your sigil, it animates and adopts the appearance of your face or your holy symbol (if religious). |
| 7 | Your sigil is an unusual color, an indiscernable color, or a scintillating rainbow of colors. |
| 8 | Your sigil changes size or permanently grows whenever you use it. |
| 9 | Your sigil causes nearby muscles to spasm for at least a minute after you use it. |
| 10 | When you use your sigil, you see the world in the shades of color your sigil is. |
The Meta-Human Houses
Plenty is said about the Sigilate Meta-Human Houses, here is plenty more.
House Azaron
- Sigil of the Storm
- Sigilant: Azaron Lukaan
- Megacorporation: Sturmfront Electrical Industries
- Headquarters: Farworld IV : Bolt Tower
Sigilant Azaron Lukaan of House Azaron is said to bear the Sigil of Lightning. The first of his line to herald an age of technology and power through endless energy. Star-power, natural fuels, and elemental energies all fall under the purview of magitechnology House Azaron has mastered. When the growing strains of energy to power entire worlds of cities, House Azaron met with each and every of their demands, leading them to be well-favored amongst the Meta-Human Houses, specifically House Garland who requires much more power to fuel their dimensional magitech.
To a lesser extent, House Azaron has subsidiaries such as the M-World Terraformers, which control weather formations and can transform barren planets into lush paradises; Rokotar Incorporated, which are technicians and system analysts; and the Skywaz Instutition of Elemental Arts, all of which provide excellent services and quality workers who operate under SEI.
The specialty and skills innate to House Azaron are a point of pride, for without the foundation that is their magitech and energy systems, most likely will find most of the other Megacorporations falling into disarray or deficit, especially for the Commonwealth in general. As an example, while House Gral makes the most amount of money and profits, House Azaron will take a quarter of those profits, and not only restricted to just one House at any moment.
The dark side of House Azaron revolves around the rumors of enslavement of elementals and spirits, and even rumors that some Sigilate of House Azaron aren't even treated as real people, but turned into still-fully sentient, breathing meta-human magical batteries, stuffed into machines or cells to act as power sources.
House Bolatanta
- Sigil of the Beast
- Sigilann: Bolatanta Bolsa-Bolaar-Bolan
- Megacorporation: Bolaar Biocore Mutant Corporation
- Headquarters: Bol II : Flesh Factories
Bio-Industries and their services provide meats, pets, legal organ trading, and viable mutation or organic therapy. The Sigilann Bolsa-Bolaar-Bolan Bolatanta is a bio-monger, whose aspirations have allowed House Bolatanta to have its own form of independance from the other houses, not needing support from any other house after Bolatanta's former Sigilant was killed during the first gene-wars.
House Bolatanta represents the other half of the overall sigilate meta-human's house of their military branch, sister to House Sheldin, offering not a quality of soldiers and bio-weapons, but a quantity of them. Steroid infused beast-weapons, mutant gene-warriors, and quasi-primordials make up the ranks of the Mutant Corporation's stock, at the lowest rungs of its armies and household. House Bolatanta after the events of the Protodermic Wars maintain some of the strongest positions amongst the meta-human houses, due to their reliance on organics and the practice of bio-weapons as opposed to the popular mechanical warforms. Its sigilar are practiced in biomancy and beast-training, content to trade and research xenoforms and monstrosities, to breed the greatest beast-weapons and improve quality of life amongst meta-humans with health-giving gene-science.
Rumors claim House Bolatanta has near-eldritch and bio-horrors crafted under their belt. Some rumors even insist that Bolatanta are on the edge of creating Super-Humans, or better yet: Super-Sigilate.
House Garland
- Sigil of Warping
- Sigilant: Garland Gondre-Glibol
- Megacorporation: Farland Portal / Planar Core
- Headquarters: Farfar VI : Mansion of the Beyond
House Garland, the Sigil of Warping has allowed Farland Corporation to dominate transporation across worlds and planes of existence. Sporting an impressive Spacial Navy, and toting extraplanar technology to fuel their casters and warriors, with an almost nonexistent issue regarding maneuverability of their bulk, goods, or armies. Some of the fastest vehicles in the multiverse are commonly piloted by Garland Sigilar. House Garland is capable of extraplanar delivery and teleportation technology, fielding and selling some of the largest Star-Gates and capable of teleporting entire cities, and even the worlds they sit on.
Sigilant Garland Gondre-Glibol prefers to maintain and improve trade between the multiverse and its extraplanar inhabitants. They are intent on utilizing the magitech of dimensional magic to secure their goals and the protection of their facilities. Since House Garland is capable of hiding away in entire demiplanes, rumors of an entire demi-universe and their increasing distance from the galaxy causes them to be more and more callous to the plight of the denizens of the universe.
House Garland's dimensional magitech was responsible for saving the Commonwealth from the full wrath of the Protodermic Wars, of which when applied helped save thousands of fleeing peoples, and organizing armies to combat the mechanical threat. Regarding the rumors of an entire demi-universe, untold potential locked within the Brand of Warping continues to be researched, especially on the prospect of new or alternative realities, even alternative universes, though such a design is nothing more than fairy tale and mere pipe dreams so far.
House Gral
- Sigil of Manufacturing
- Sigilant: Gral Mc'Maveya
- Megacorporation: World Wealth Corporation
- Headquarters: Grool III : City of Credits
The World Wealth Corporation is one of the largest still-standing monoliths of the manufacturing industries within the Commonwealth. Purchasing, growing, and stealing licenses, planets, and other industries. Anything ever created has likely been re-created by House Gral, and then sold in bulk. Their headquarters on the planet of Grool III is a flushed ecumenopolis, the largest city-world that rivals Core Worlds while not even being in their systems. Some of their largest skyscrapers, thousands of feet in height and width, are made of some of the most expensive materials in the multiverse. Gral trademarked blueprints and schematics are some of the most sought-out items in the multiverse, as Sigilar-manufactured goods and equipments rival some of the greatest the planes have to offer.
While still a Sigilate Meta-Human House, most of the species within the Sigilate House proper branch amongst most species of the multiverse. Sigilant Gral Mc'Maveya is one of the oldest and well-practiced Sigilant amongst all Sigilant. Mc'Maveya's Power- Equipment, such as Power-Armor and Power-Blades still remain some of the greatest weapons ever forged by mortals, rivaling the weapons of the gods. Gral Mc'Maveya and House Gral in general are staunch in their greed and corporate brutality, using their advancements in technology and quality to maintain an iron grip on the Commonwealth, even if it means suffering for its people through various means of ecological destruction for the purpose of profit.
House Lorlon
- Sigil of Texting
- Sigilann: Lorlon Layla-Valerya
- Megacorporation: Digi-Eye E-Corporation & Industries
- Headquarters: On the Digital Plane : Lorloa, the Corpse Grid
Controlling the media, constraining the rights of free speech, and maintaining the public's consumption of information or swaying them with the power of propaganda and social influence, among other things, are House Lorlon's specialty. Sigilar of House Lorlon are silver tongued, war machines of rhetoric and speech. Communication and surveilling all forms of it between peoples within earshot of anything under the influence of House Lorlon: phones, digital devices, computer systems, microphones, magical spells, and even your brain & minds can be tapped into by House Lorlon, and to that extent they can influence you too with the powers of their sigil. Even on top of that, the House trains and employs tight-lipped and licensed lawyers, scribes, interpretors, translators, barristers, heralds, loremasters, and others who work with words, to the extent that you would never recognize a member of House Lorlon due to just the practice of deceptive charisma.
House Lorlon by itself is responsible for the varying pacification methods done to keep the Commonwealth for millennia, making sure its people continue to act as pawns, workers, and soldiers for the Sigilate Houses, even if the common Commonwealth citizen wouldn't see it that way. Its Sigilann, Lorlon Layla-Valerya is responsible by herself for well over dozens of conspiracies and stirred trouble that have radicalized and rattled the cages of Commonwealth peoples, whether against her fellow Houses or any other manner of external threat. If there is ever a threat to ever threaten House Lorlon, it has already been paid off, deceived, or told to leave them alone, which is a policy Layla-Valerya enforces for her House.
When the practice of the Digital Plane and varying Ethernet connections were forged to link the multiverse to the ever-present plane of knowledge, House Lorlon was the first to fully immerse themselves in this reality before its contemporaries even dared to step forward, including even House Garland. Taking residence in the Digital City of Lorloa, called the Corpse Grid for its realm being filled with dead or blank-minded trespassers whose very intelligence was drained from them due to Lorlon Sigilar's power over the plane.
House Lorlon continues to evolve, threatened by other emerging forces on the Digital Plane such as Rogue AIs, Rogue Technomancers, and enterprising Technowizard Warlords vying for control of Databanks and Router Lanes. Rumor has it that the Sigil of Texting already has evolved forward into a Sigil of Coding, which grants such Sigilar born with the sigil full command and mastery of manipulating the Digital Plane.
House Pinlankma
- Sigil of Hospitality
- Sigilann: Pinlan Peter-Orgat
- Megacorporation: Pink Joy Hospitallers
- Headquarters: Grool III : City of Credits
Almost all of the hotels, inns, restaurants, bars, breweries, and luxuries of high-life are either directly owned by House Pinlankma or licensed by the PJHM (Pink Joy Hospitallers Megacorporation). Almost a huge multitude of brands, licenses, and trademarks are owned solely by PJHM though they are contested by their brother House Gral. Example being House Pinlankma owning trademarks to meals, drinks, etc., but House Gral owning trademarks to most merchandise and appliances (but furniture is a huge point of contestment).
The strength of House Pinlankma lies in its ability to quell and maintain the masses in the Commonwealth. While it doesn't have the wordplay of House Lorlon or the information / connection capabilities of House Tasan, Pinlankma is the more favored and loved of all the Megacorporations, who maintain happy relationships and dole in sharing wealth & splendor.
Sigilann Pinlan Peter-Orgat refuses to sell information, preferring to work through relationships and dealing in favors. If a Sigilar of House Pinlankma ever truly requires something, they will likely be able to call in favors.
House Pinlankma beyond the Commonwealth has a number of "bound businesses" and franchises run directly by the house. Many Pinlan Sigilar take pride in innovating and creating their own businesses, charities, or firms. There are also many independent businesses licensed by House Pinlankma. The Sigil of Hospitality, placed as a trademark at least in every establishment or commodities is an assurance that it will meet Pinlankma standards of health and quality.
Pinlankma's mandate extends beyond providing creature comforts to those under its employ or paid services. Every one of the house's enclaves---which are more numerous than those of any sigilate house--is a sanctuary beyond the legal reach of any government or sigilate house. Even in the furthest reaches of Frontier Space or remote parts of Extraplanar domains, such as the Astral Plane, have some form of presence of House Pinlankma and the PJHM's establishments.
House Sheldin
- Sigil of the Sentinel
- Leaders: The Shield-Sigilann (Sheldin Naros, Sheldin Derdu-Shield, Sheldin Zakhar)
- Megacorporation: Shield-Core Threat Protection (SCTP Industries)
- Headquarters: Secunda II : City of Shielde Fortressa
The soldiers of the Sigilate Houses, their immortal vangaurd and impenetrable bulwark against the dreaded foes of the Sigilar. House Sheldin has played a pivotal role in every single Galactic War, even dating back to late ancestors and unbranded individuals participating in the Elder War, before the Sigil manifested in the first Sigilant. House Sheldin's Sigilant of course, died with Sol 3 during the Wars of Divinity, which lead House Sheldin to dividing its rulership to three different Sigilann instead, who ruled and militarized subsections of the Sigilate House's space in the Commonwealth.
Each Sigilann of House Sheldin represents a different approach to protective warfare and defensive-in-depth. Sheldin Naros is calculated, and rarely allows subterfuge or sneaky tactics to undermine his military. Sheldin Derdu-Shield is headstrong, and fields the largest military forces, even beyond the point of sound tactical logic or efficiency if only to just intimidate or outlast his enemies. Sheldin Zakhar represents the elite of the elite that are Sentinel Sigilar, choosing to command and field only specialized troops of Sigilar, rather than ascribe to large military forces like the other two Sigilann.
House Sheldin is almost caught in an endless rivalry with each and every one of its fellow Houses, as technology, warships, and magical prowess quickly outclasses the necessity for fielded personnel. That of course, isn't helped by the continued depression the House finds itself after each Galactic War, which dwindled their Sigilar ranks each and every time, diminishing their almost hundred-thousand-strong Sigilar House to a mere thousand. As time passes, rumor has it that House Sheldin's Sigilar will turn to mercenary work instead to make up for the losses and lack of support from other Houses, even including the entire House being brought into the fold of the Freelancers Guild.
House Tasan
- Sigil of Detection
- Sigilant: Tasan Niara-Mifran
- Megacorporation: Tsa-Na Visionaries
- Headquarters: Material Space in the Meta-System : Surveillance Station HV-Auruaq
Surveillance, prophecies, and vision are the tenements of House Tasan. As the multiverse and threats to the Sigilate Houses plan and prospect varying ways of their downfall, House Tasan is sure to see such attempts in advance, and take precautions to stop catastrophes. Tasan Sigilar are advisors to other House's Sigilar, the head of staff or security, elite secret service or specialized agents of order, and overall experts in divination-type magic. The Tsa-Na only deal exclusively in Mega-corporation and House security, having at one time worked for the Commonwealth overall before great breaches in their security and a loss of their Sigilar members from the Protodermic Wars forced them to act steadily on the backfoot. Sigilant Tasan Niara-Mifran cleared the construction of one of the few megastructures utilized by the peoples of the Commonwealth, including that of all the Sigilate Houses. Hyper-Vision-Auruaq, a station of absolute serveillance guided by high-tech systems and sentry arrays that peer across the material galaxy. Believing that the station would prove impeccably useful in any era, at any time for maintaining the state of civilization and spying on would-be enemy civilizations, its construction was completed well after the conclusion of the Protodermic Wars, hopefully guaranteeing such a catastrophe would never happen again under watchful eyes.
House Tasan and their practices regularly come under great scrutiny by their fellow Houses, believing the constant breaches in information and tabs they keep could spell a domino-effect of House Tasan betraying them to other planar or galactic forces, so House Tasan and their activites are kept in constant check by its fellows. Rumors circulate the idea that House Tasan are hiding some of their newborn Sigilar, ones who bear a new Sigil of the Mind, who can channel psionic and dimensionally potent powers. Even moreso scary are the rumors that House Tasan know the location, and have willingly kept secret the current whereabouts of House Mansur, the destroyed House of Service and Enslaving, waiting for the right time to help them return to power, and thus help conquer the universe.
The Halfling Houses
On the Halfling Homeworld of Braveheart, lie the twin Megacorporations and Sigilate Houses of Littlefriens and Bigheart. While not as prominent in the overall galaxy as the Meta-Human Houses, nor not even having a fraction of their influence or might, special notice is given to both as they still rank as equally advanced as their contemporaries.
House Bigheart
- Sigil of Healing
- Leader: Bigheart O'Benny
- Megacorporation: Caregiver Creed
- Headquarters: The Moon of Braveheart : Loversden
House Bigheart and its halflings always appears on the fronts of Galactic War, considered the true saviors and samaritans of the battlefield. Coloquially known as the Caregivers, the brave ranks of Healing Sigilar would emerge onto battlefronts, often turning the tide of battle for which ever side they came to assist, often finding odd purchases as neutral arbiters or peacebringers if they entered the fold of a war between two civilizations allied to the Caregivers, and if not allied, preferably not wanting to be considered enemies of the Caregivers.
If a great epidemic or disease wracks through an entire world or systems of its inhabitants, House Bigheart arrives to clean up the pandemic to adequate success. The sheer miracle-work done by House Bigheart goes from the smallest scar or wound, down to almost impossible odds of successfuly stabilizing or outright curing / healing patients. A wounded soldier's impossible to treat injuries that involve them: having an entire side of their body blown off; having severe trauma or holes in their cranium; or even massive bloodloss can all be magically healed away with the graceful touch of a Caregiver granted to them.
Commonly, House Bigheart and affiliate subsidiaries in the form of independent hospitals or medicinal clinics supported by House Bigheart work with the Freelancer Guilds, and almost all of their standing armies have a Bigheart Sigilar fielded. The Battle-Medic Sigilar of House Bigheart are nothing to snuff off either, as proper Sigilate equipment they wield has the potential to make them nigh-immortal, or at the very least, extremely tenacious with a bit of regenerative properties on top solely powered by the sigil.
On Loversden and across the galaxy, the Caregivers Creed operate schools and clinics that teach medicinal practices, and train surgeons & doctors that provide both mundane and magical services. Loversden itself is responsible for churning out a near endless supply of potions of healing, ingredients sourced from Braveheart's fields. While many criticize House Bigheart's demands for payment, the house maintains that it's not about greed; it's about ensuring the prosperity of the house, so they can continue to help future generations to come.
House Littlefriens
- Sigil of Handling (Beasts)
- Leader: Littlefrien O'Lennon
- Megacorporation: Sunspawn Xenocorp
- Headquarters: Braveheart (Braea IV) : The Penhouse at the base of the O'Deus Tree
House Littlefriens and its halflings are animal-rights activists and active pursuers and champions of ecological protection, creating safe-havens and enforcing worlds as conservations for rare species of beasts, monstrosities, and alien lifeforms. Ultimately the spanning abilities of House Littlefriens goes beyond their origins in animal-handling, going so far as the impressive halfling terraformation magical techniques, utilizing trained bio-weapons and lifeforms, and generally excelling as masters of nature, which their Sigilars are trained as.
House Littlefriens has little influence outside the halfling worlds, and nor do they support or fuel the efforts of any real specific causes beyond their own. Even to the extent that continued repeals or re-writing of their classification of a Megacorporation is the subject of endless debate. The goals of House Littlefriens is as simple as, making the multiverse liveable by all beings, and also making sure they live comfortably and in harmony.
The Black-Market Houses
Acting as more amorphous and malleable forces of power, the allied Houses of Blacksun and Bloodmoon work to further the overall goals and malicious ends of the Black Market, an amorphous conglomeration of all the allied malicious forces in the Multiverse, from renegade mercenaries, cultists & warlocks, and extraplanars, ultimately ruled by Fiends and enforced by the Black-Market Houses.
House Blacksun
- Sigil of Shadows
- Leader: Donn Sun
- Organization: Black-Market Killer Corporation
- Headquarters: Black Market
The Sigil of Shadows throughout the ages have manifested on the Meta-Humans of Solace, the Dark Elves, and the Tieflings of Blacksun, which is where House Blacksun gets its name of origin from. House Blacksun doles in espionage, assasination, and infiltration while its brother House Bloodmoon handles intelligence, decryption, and counterintelligence. House Blacksun's operatives, referred more to as Shadow Agents, are masters of subterfuge and disguise, their only clientele are the Black Market and its endless clamoring cavalcade of villains, though if ever called upon by the rulers of the Black Market, they are sure to answer.
House Bloodmoon
- Sigil of Location
- Leader: Donn Moon
- Organization: Black-Market Stalker Corporation
- Headquarters: Black Market
The Sigil of Location / Locating throughout the ages have manifested on the Meta-Humans of Solace, the Wood Elves, the Tieflings of Bloodmoon, and the Hounds of Feriedes. Though finding things in a galaxy that has been more and more mapped out, every dark corner scouted and hidden veil lifted, hasn't fully outed the Sigilate of Location & Locating for being obsolete by any fashion. House Bloodmoon's operatives, referred to as Shadow Spies, are field or internal operatives, with at least one from both House Blacksun or Bloodmoon sent on a single operation at any time, these pairs called Eclipses by their organization. House Bloodmoon handles intelligence, hacking, decryption, counterintelligence, and spyware. Finally House Bloodmoon also handles the clean-up of any operation, making sure eyes don't pry, mouths don't squeal, and evidence goes down the chute of the hells.
