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Introduction, Excerpt from: The Transhuman Primer

What is a highborn? By definition it is a catch all term for all the post human variants. The term highborn however does little justice in encompassing its intricacies. It is then of little surprise then that the term was first coined by the plebeians of the Old Empire. Regressed minds with little education are fertile grounds for fanciful notions. By their broad terminology, mutants too would be considered highborn. Whilst the masses and even some of the highborn would be loath to admit it, there is a degree of truth in this notion.

In more enlightened circles we acknowledge that the defining difference between the mutant and a highborn is one of purpose. Despite occasional helpful characteristics, mutants by and large show little thought or rational behind their design. It is not uncommon for them to display deleterious traits. Cankers and failing bodies are hallmarks of the mutant. In contrast, the highborn display the mark of intelligent design behind their being. Physical and cognitive superiority is a near universal trait amongst the highborn. Depending on their lineage, they also display additional variations. Consider the primus variant of highborn. They are the closest to base man. Their internal physiology is almost identical. Yet by all measures they are superior to their cousins. And cousin is a fitting term for the relationship between variants and humanity. Evidence suggests that base man is the progenitor of all highborn.

The human design is echoed in all identified variants. Our belief that the highborn are a result of human augmentation stems from this observation. Rather than a species entirely independent, they seem to be a controlled step towards in another direction. In some long distant past, even more ancient than the Old Empire, it is theorized that something had shaped the flesh of man. Superstitious minds would ascribe this as proof of the divine. Modern literature available to our society believes otherwise. Antiquarian scholars and expeditions have revealed that the gods are an unlikely candidate. Speculations on the exact origins of the highborn are available for your perusal elsewhere. The aim of this primer is to deliver a basis for further study on this topic.

Though we have yet to discover how the first highborn were created, we can safely conclude that their synthesis is a product of magic. Some have proven otherwise but when it comes to the topic at hand there are no absolutes. Most highborn have the spark of the unnatural in their being. The line between the sciences and arcane is a difficult thing to parse. We do not know of the alchemy employed in their creation. As a civilization we have lost staggering amounts of knowledge of the ancients. The fall of the Old Empire has not helped in matters. As students of the arcane however, what we have lost in theory we have surpassed in aptitude. Our most sensitive magi have detected traces of what we dubbed destiny in the highborn.

Long evidence has found that there is a degree of the fantastical to the highborn. There are many well documented records of improbable feats ascribed to them. Even with their trans-human capabilities, they have occasionally achieved the impossible. They death of Marcellus Monomachos is a well-documented anecdote of history. The ancient legionary was said to have fought his last battle sustaining catastrophic injuries. His singular defense at Massicus bridge had allowed the retreat and preservation of his legion. Literary and historical significance aside, it is generally agreed upon that the man continued the fight long after decapitation. The removal of the head is not an injury that even the highborn can overlook. Whilst such an account may be considered fanciful, it is nevertheless a recurring theme. The late Schwartz Ritter was recorded to have continued a duel after losing all his limbs. The dismembering swordsman was forced to decapitate him when the obstinate knight refused to yield. Numerous eyewitnesses report that the detached head went on to bite the offender’s leg.

Dramatic examples aside, it cannot be disregarded that pivotal events in history have hinged upon the highborn. There is the argument that superior ability naturally consolidates to positions of authority. Perhaps it is so, but the highborn lead charmed lives. They are creatures who live in a world with different rules to our own. Has there ever been a highborn who died of old age? Or death by accident? Very few have perished to disease of assassination. Even in the midst of battle, few have ever been hit by stray projectiles or unintended blows. There is a shield of destiny about them.

Survivability and martial prowess aside, they possess other more insidious qualities. Personally, I have seen highborn make appeals to incomprehensible effect. As experienced magi we are largely immune to the innate quality of mesmer that they exhibit. As far as we can tell theirs is an ability that comes naturally to them. From their perspective it is passion that moves even the most entrenched adversary and basest of cynic. Extensive research shows that they have an ability to project their will on to susceptible individuals.

For all the gifts that the highborn inherit, they are plagued by a singularly devastating phenomenon. In the common parlance it is described as going fey. The semantic origin of the term is most likely drawn from the mythological faire. Unhinged and capricious, the comparison is an apt comparison. Though again overly romantic. Again, one cannot expect better from the masses. Whatever process was taken to uplift man into highborn, it was not a perfect procedure. Perhaps the inception was flawed, or there were external environmental changes. The inbreeding between extant lines certainly had not helped. Whatever its root cause, the highborn have been plagued by mutation and instability.

Physical deformities and disturbed minds are the two primary symptoms of going fey. Currently there is little concrete knowledge on the affliction. Some highborn have suffered warped bodies but maintained sound minds. The inverse had also proven true. Though the most common is the degeneration of both. What all conditions exhibit prior and post onset is a sudden increase in capabilities. The already impressive physical aptitude of a primus is taken to new height when in the grips of the affliction. It is theorized that going fey is the result of flawed expression in the augmented individual. The theory is built upon observations of the conditions prior to a highborn going fey.

Extensive physical damage has proven to be a key factor in increasing the likelihood of the onset of the affliction. The incredible regenerative abilities of the highborn when heavily taxed, increases the possibility of going fey. Old age is the next primary factor. Four hundred years is the expected lifespan of a primus variant. It is not the age in which they are decrepit and wearied but rather the age in which going fey becomes increasingly likely. Finally, is the matter of heritage. Certain bloodlines exhibit greater instability than others. It is theorized that that the affliction is hereditary. Research had shown that the inbreeding between close dynasties of highborn has led to a higher likelihood of going fey. A common practice amongst damaged lineages is to dilute their blood with un-augmented stock.

It has been asked that if the dangers of going fey is mitigated by mixing with base humanity, why such practices had not become more widespread. There are two reasons contributing to the reluctance of the highborn. The first is the fact that the dilution of blood also results in the dilution of ability. It is no secret that the capabilities and lifespan of the highborn had been decreasing over time. Collegium scholars have published various papers on these phenomena. I am sure that in the coming years we will have more illuminating insights into this matter. The second reason against interbreeding is a simple desire to maintain power. Amongst conservative circles, the emergence on non-highborn aristocracy is a contentious topic. No matter how uplifted, they are still human.

A caveat that must be understood is that almost all insights into this topic has derived from the study of the primus. On this continent they are indisputably the most prolific variant of highborn. Understandably the highborn have proven uncooperative at best with our endeavors. What follows below is a brief outline of each variant and their notable characteristics. More detailed information can be found in their extended entries.

Primus:

The most common variant if highborn on the continent if not the world. Despite our limited contact with the east, we have gleaned that the primus too is present in distant lands. Averaging at a height of 7ft, their mass had once been recorded to be 330lb. The result of this disproportionate ratio can be attributed to the difference in our physiology. Bone and sinew of a primus whilst outwardly structurally like a base human, has proven to be constitutionally divergent. The formation and weave of muscle and bone has substantially more mass than that of man. Base humanity has often been likened to a crude imitation of the primus. They possess all the attributes of humanity and excel in all. Aside from prodigious size and generous features, a notable oddity is the hair and eye colors exhibited. The reason for this distinction has yet to be understood.

As befitting their size, the primus is required to consume prodigious amounts of nutrients. Far more than what a base human of their size would require. Their diet also included the consumption of rather unusual material as well. It has been theorized that the primus requires substances alien to human consumption to maintain their altered bodies.

Berserker:

A monster that has often sparked debate on whether it is a mutant or highborn. The only information gathered on them have been from combat or autopsy. Their name is fitting for the manner of creature they are. They have only been seen participating in displays of Æsc aggression. Far larger than a primus, they have also proven to be far more dangerous. In the few examples that have been recovered and studied, they have proven to be fascinating subjects. A berserker is a variant that embodies the theory of intelligent design. Their physiology is replete with redundancies and modifications that all result in a superlative warrior. Their recorded behavior and performance in combat paints a juggernaut that knows no fear and feels no pain. They move far more swiftly and leverage substantially more force than a primus. They could have been considered the finest shock troops in the world if not for two major flaws. They are all uncontrollably insane and they all dead men walking.

Observations of how the Æsc employ the berserkers have established that even they have little control over them. Unlike the primus, the berserkers do not seem to hold positions of high status in northern society. Rather they seem to be exclusive battlefield weapons released in the general direction of the enemy. Berserkers have been seen going into a frenzy rampaging even through their own. Once a battle is over, they are generally avoided until they have exhausted their fury or are put down by their own. As for the second flaw, the berserker is a terminally unstable creature. Once their inexplicably forged on armor had been removed, the berserker have been found to be riddled with cankers and deformities. Inexplicable growths and organs have been found in the carcasses of the creatures. How they function let alone survive is a mystery. By all conventions, the berserker is an impossible creature. A potential explanation lies within their remarkable regenerative abilities and the inexplicable foreign implants. It is hypothesized that the berserker is a manufactured variant as opposed to a product of birth.

Einherjar:

There is a theory that the berserker is in fact an einherjar gone fey. The truth of this matter is inconclusive due to the lack of information on the einherjar. Whilst there are apocryphal stories from the Æsc invasions, they are unsubstantiated tales. There are however marginally more reliable sources of information. Whilst contact with the Æsc people are unilaterally dictated by their own terms, (raiding, invading, occasional trading) their cousins have proven to be a less belligerent people. Still, whilst perhaps closer to the continent and less inclined to engage in hostilities, the Isles folk have proven to be an incredibly insular people. Between the Ghost Sea and their isolationist attitude, it has been difficult to establish inroads.

Nearly all contact with the Isles has been through the city of Lighthouse Keep. The seat of house Averntide. That very house is widely associated with the blood of einherjar. Several other houses too are known to share the same legacy. Attempts by magi to further investigate have been rebuffed and even halted. The mandate of the collegium forbids more aggressive methods of research. Thus, all further study is dictated by a change of policy from the Isles. What information that has been gathered points to a large divergence from the primus. The einherjar seem to lack the aesthetic touch. By observation alone they share a structural similarity to the berserker. Their prodigious size and aptitude for physical exertion correlates as well.

Lycanthrope:

A variant more commonly found in the east. It has proven to be a scourge against the forces of Free Cities and the Reich. It is one of the most well documented and comprehensively understood variant of highborn. Information of their origins whilst known is classified to all except the upper echelons of the collegium. Those who do not know need not know. If the berserker was potentially the greatest warrior, the lycanthrope is the indisputable apex soldier.

Whilst their average physical capabilities fall shorter than that of the primus, they remain a credible threat to one. Physically the lycanthrope appears as a ghoulish humanoid. Their limbs are disproportionally elongated. Altered muscle structures lend them a stooped loping gait. In terms of agility they are superior to the primus. Their tensile strength, endurance, and pronounced regenerative ability make them a terrifying opponent. The name lycanthrope is the official title given to the variant due to their similarity to the mythical creature. For all their fearsome physicality, it is their ability to work as a group that makes them so dangerous. Lycanthropes when formed into a pack share an uncanny group consciousness. They have a certain awareness of the location, intention, and condition of their pack. Whilst it is not a form of sophisticated mental communication, their shared instincts facilitate an impressive level of coordination. Paired with their remarkable fertility, they are both superb and easily replaceable. The imperial pretenders to the east are known to maintain an army of lycanthropes. It is an open secret that the Tzars’ imperial magi know far more about the lycanthrope than the collegium.

Vampire:

A recent discovery of the current years. Whilst not entirely understood, collegium archeologists and historians in conjunction with the naturalists have…

Paulinus, The Transhuman Primer, Introduction, Collegium Augusta, Arcanum Department