Frayborn

The Frayborn are a newly emerging race born from the residual chaos of the Rift — anomalies given form, consciousness, and intent.

Country of Origin: None.

• The Frayborn currently have no unified homeland.

Physical Traits:

• Frayborn are humanoid, though their forms often carry subtle asymmetries or traits that seem a bit “off”.
• They typically range between 4.5 to 7 feet tall, though extremes are not uncommon due to instability in their growth cycle.
• Skin is often marked with faint distortion lines that pulse faintly when exposed to energy or emotion; colors range from pale grey to deep indigo, sometimes overlaid with a faint holographic shimmer.
• Hair is often dull in color but unnaturally textured -- strands may seem weightless, perpetually wind-tossed, or absorb light rather than reflect it.
• Their eyes are their most striking feature; their irises resemble rippling distortions or pools of neon colors edged in black. When angered or channeling energy, their pupils dilate into fractal shapes.
• When physically or emotionally strained, parts of a Frayborn’s body can briefly phase, blur, or distort before stabilizing again.
• They emit low-frequency hums or faint static in areas of concentrated energy; sensitive creatures may detect a subtle “wrongness” in their presence.

Abilities and Traits:

• Natural Abilities:
  • Anomalous Genesis: Frayborn are not born in a conventional sense. They "coalesce" into existence fully formed, but this can happen at any apparent physical age from infant to elder.
    • Regardless of their form's age, they usually possess the knowledge, sensibility, and physical competence appropriate to it. A Frayborn who coalesces as an adult will typically understand at least one language, social norms for the area they coalesced in, and how to care for themselves (general hygiene, needing to eat/drink, etc.). One who coalesces as a child will usually have the understanding and mannerisms of a child.
  • Aging & Lifespan: Frayborn lifespans are inconsistent, ranging from decades to a century. They may choose to age naturally or undergo brief periods of accelerated maturation. In addition, a Frayborn can elect to pause their physical and mental development at any point once they have reached their desired stage. For example, one might choose to maintain the form and mindset of a twenty-year-old indefinitely, resuming growth only when they wish.
  • Innate Riftborn Affinity: All Frayborn automatically have access to the Riftborn Condition Progression secondary leveling system and must select a Riftborn Type (Unstable, Rift-Forged, or Symbiote).
  • Fray Resonance: They can draw ambient energy from fractured spaces, stabilizing small anomalies or temporarily sealing thin spots in reality.
  • Entropy Sense: They can perceive weak points in structures, systems, or energy flows—an intuitive awareness of where things are likely to fracture, corrode, or collapse.
  • Bonding - Frayborn typically bond with a Glitchling.
    • There is no cost to join a Frayborn that is already bonded with a Glitchling; if bonding after joining, they will be charged the standard bonding cost (250c).
• Strengths:
  • Their anomalous nature grants them a high resistance to corruption, dimensional instability, and psychic intrusions.
  • They can survive brief exposure to extreme and hostile environments, such as vacuum, intense pressure, or radioactive zones, where other beings would perish.
  • Their connection to the Rift allows them to instinctively navigate and even draw sustenance from chaotic or decaying energy fields.
• Weaknesses:
  • Their unstable essence is particularly vulnerable to effects from Starlight or Eminence abilities. Exposure can cause painful "scattering," forcing their form to become wispy and destabilized.
  • Attempting to absorb or manipulate too much energy at once can cause an internal collapse, rendering them catatonic or causing a violent, uncontrolled phase-out.
  • Their bodies are difficult to heal through conventional magic or technology, as their form inconsistently responds to repairs that assume a stable biological template.

Society and Lifestyle:

• Frayborn have not yet formed any permanent settlements. They are often drawn to places of decay, silence, abandonment, or chaos.
• Many become explorers, anomaly hunters, or scouts, using their unique perception to navigate hazardous, unstable regions.
  • Those who manifested as children and were adopted often develop a fierce, protective loyalty to their chosen family.
• They have no centralized leadership.

• Frayborn often adopt a descriptor from their point of origin -- a sound, color, emotion, or fragment of the location's name. Many later shorten or change these names as they stabilize.
  • Example Names: Verdant, Shale, Nexus, Pyron, Blue of Pyronmouth, Vell from the Breach, Ashen

Relationship with Other Races:

• Alliances: TBD
• Conflicts: TBD
• Neutral: TBD

Concept Images

Here are some examples of what Frayborn may look like. It's okay to have a different interpretation as long as you get close to the description above.

Glitchling

Glitchlings are unique magical creatures native to Rifts; they are similar to, but distinct from, the Astrofel found on New Ognos and have an innate ability to bond with Frayborn.

• Glitchlings resemble small, semi-corporeal creatures whose forms are in constant, subtle flux.
  • A Glitchling’s exact size and the pattern of its flickers can vary; they often have a sleek, vulpine or mustelid base shape, but with long, trailing tails and large, multifaceted eyes.
  • Their "fur" appears as a visual distortion, often in hues of monochrome static, deep violet, or neon green.
  • They communicate through soft, staticky chitters, harmonic tones, or the rhythmic, pixelated flickering of their form.

• A content or engaged Glitchling subtly harmonizes the chaotic energy around its Frayborn, causing the air to hum with a low, stabilizing frequency.
  • This "Static Aura" slightly dampens incoming hostile energy and muffle sound, making it harder for enemies to target the Glitchling's bonded partner and their immediate allies.

• Glitchlings commonly bond with a Frayborn at the moment of or shortly after the Frayborn's manifestation, phasing into existence from a nearby reality tear to join them, and typically bond for life.
  • A Glitchling can survive the death of its partner, but most will destabilize completely, their form dissolving into static within hours.
  • A Frayborn can survive the death of its Glitchling, though they often suffer from visual and auditory hallucinations as their own form becomes harder to stabilize.
• Glitchlings are constant, vigilant companions, often curled around their Frayborn's shoulders or nestled in the hood of a cloak.
  • They can become aggressively territorial and their form can destabilize into a hostile, glitching mass if forcibly separated from their Frayborn for extended periods.
• Glitchlings are formed from concentrated pockets of corrupted data, fragmented memories, and raw energy within Rifts.
  • Once formed, a nascent Glitchling will be instinctively drawn to a reality fracture at the precise moment a Frayborn is manifesting.
  • Attempts to artificially create or summon a Glitchling result in violent, unstable manifestations that are dangerously hostile and short-lived.

Concept Images

Here are some examples of what Glitchling might look like. It's okay to have a different interpretation as long as you get close to the description above.