The Vuleri are a race of small fox-like humanoids with wildly varying appearances and abilities. They are often fairly child-like in some way or another, but very often use this as a ruse to gain the trust of those around them. As beings not belonging to any single time period, they are often seen as being strange by those they cross paths with.
Often the ones encountered seem to have very powerful abilities, usually including, but not limited to the manipulation of Time and/or Space. The colour of a particular vulerin dictates the abilities granted to that creature. The magnitude of the ability varies widely, and can often be used in many different fashions depending upon the individual's personal style.
Vuleri are often only encountered in places and times of danger to the fabric of reality as they come to remove the cause. This is typically a temporal paradox, an error of existence, or to prevent something from happening in an "incorrect" fashion.
History[]
The true history of the vuleri species has not been revealed fully. What is currently known in their society is that they were created at the end of time. They were engineered to correct errors in the continuity, and then sent back to the beginning.
Culture[]
Vuleri culture is as wildly varied as the multiverse they inhabit. Most vuleri in an area will inherit the culture of an area of space-time. Some areas of the vuleri homeworld, simply called Home, are fashioned after medieval Earth. The next kingdom, nation, city, etc. could very well instead be styled similarly to an amazingly high-tech alien society.
The vuleri themselves are just as varied, preferring one culture from a section of time, some corner of the multiverse, or perhaps sometimes combining stylistic aspects of multiple. They'll often speak in the preferred fashion of their favourite culture, if they'll be understood or if it's not rude to do so. Most vuleri know a flavour of english, since they often find themselves having to visit the temporally troubled 21st century of Earth.
So, essentially, their culture is "whatever the flavour of the day is!"
There are only a few tenets that are actually held as important to them that allows them to have any culture of their own, and they appoint a "sage" to represent each of these tenets. So far, we have seen the sages of Freedom and Self. Sages of of Duty and Balance, as well as three others may also exist.
Identity, the self, is so important to them that their greatest punishment is to redact the name of the punished from history. Additionally, if one embodies an aspect of reality to an extreme extent, they may also be given a "True Name." A vulerin's True Name will match whatever aspect they embody. For example, a vulerin named Tom is exceedingly fast at everything, as well as being a great force of change. His true name is then given as "Impetus" by those around him.
Physical Characteristics[]
Vuleri are generally a very small species, usually ranging from 3 1/2 feet tall to 5. There have been known variations outside of this range, albeit such is rare. Often they posess very large ears and an oversized tail, but just like with height, this is also not necessarily so. They can also be either digitigrade or plantigrade in their leg structure.
Fur colour is significant among members of the species, as it is determined by their natural abilities. A summary of each colour and corresponding abilities will go -here.-
Vuleri are fox-like to varying extents. Some may have nearly elven features or overall seem more human while others might look almost like a nearly feral fox. Most extremes of these are also rare. Typically they appear more anthropomorphic.
Innate Abilities[]
A list of vuleri abilities and powers are -here.-
Especially powerful invocations will be often accompanied by phrases from the "vuleri magic language." The current version can be found -here.-
Psychology[]
As beings of undetermined spacial and temporal placement, their way of thinking is a little bit alien. Often non-time travelers will encounter them "out of order," with the vulerin in question having met them some time ago and the vulerin having come back to this point in time either to investigate something, or perhaps because they forgot that their acquaintance is living in a linear fashion. Sometimes they may do so also for their own amusement.
Vuleri usually, despite the very serious task they handle, seem very light-hearted and often offer humour to soften a dire situation. Some of them even go so far as to pull pranks on their past selves (relative to their own timestream) just for the sake of entertaining their friends.
It's not unusual to find that a vulerin has a hobby that they like to do when they aren't busy fighting for the continued existence of reality, much as a normal person does things when they aren't working. Some may enjoy art or creating music. Others may enjoy watching movies, building intricate rube-goldberg devices, or spending long nights relaxing under the stars of an alien world.
Home[]
"Home" is a planet steeped in chaos. It was originally a rogue planet of no determined consequence that was moved in time and space to, then protected from via currently unknown means... the Big Bang. A given area of the planet generally overlaps another in different pockets of time. A given location can have completely different physical behaviour from another nearby location, as it is determined by the occupant vuleri at the time.
This entire world is ran on whimsy.
Continuity Corp.[]
Not all vuleri have the ability to leave Home. Though vuleri all posess some form of time and space manipulation, some have only basic abilities, such as skipping time back a few seconds or lightening or increasing gravity. Generally the ones that will want to make a difference will join the Continuity Corp.
Continuity Corp is their officially sanctioned organization for dealing with threats to the timestreams. Vuleri acting without permission from Continuity Corp. will usually face punishment, though there are sometimes special circumstances...
Continuity Corp. also has jurisdiction over the prison planet Abaddon, which is "stabilized." This means the portion of Time-Space it occupies can not be altered by outside influence. Vuleri sent here can not escape by use of their abilities, nor use them in any way on this world. The section of the corps. that manages Abaddon is called "The Watch," which is predominantly managed by black vuleri.
Numbers[]
The greatest punishment is vuleri society is to have one's name redacted from history. An individual must have performed an action of great evil, generally in relation to dirupting the timestream. Next, it must be determined that they are irredemable and unable to be rehabilitated. These are generally given a randomized identification number, and kept on Abaddon, where they can no longer cause harm. These great criminals of Time are called "Numbers."
There was never a known escape from Abaddon...until the Never Were crisis broke a portion of reality and several slipped through... and more recently the escaped Number 12 orchestrated a massive "Jailbreak" from Abaddon, causing them to flood Primal Earth. Fortunately this was contained by Continuity Corps and Abaddon's specialized Watch. 12 was also responsible for having influenced events leading to the Never Were crisis, and is the most powerful known number to be at large.
Weaknesses[]
Vuleri are universally weak to electricity. Large amounts of electricity will disrupt a vulerin's space-time senses, and they will be unable to perform any actions using their abilities if they are shocked too heavily. This, of course requires contact with the charge, thus if contact with an electrical flow is avoided, no harm will occur. Often, vuleri that use high-technology will have energy fields and the like to protect them from this if they are unable to dodge lightning.
Vuleri are also vulnerable to "stabilization" of themselves or a whole area. Stabilization renders an area unchangable by external forces, causing time to flow in a linear fashion for the duration of stabilization. Space is rendered concrete and immaleable, also. Stablization can happen in varying degrees ranging from mild to heavy. Even mild stabilization can cause a great hinderance, weakening or disabling many basic abilities. Stabilization fields, projectors and the like are very rare, as the technology is well beyond the grasp of many societies. Effects can also be achieved through magicks or the natural abilities of a black vulerin as well, however.
Notable Individuals[]
Tom Foxx (aka: Impetus) - The first vulerin ever encountered by humans on Primal Earth. Colour: Orange. Has shown extreme capability in manipulating space and time. Basic abilities seem to be far more powerful than most other examples, but he has no particular special abilities beyond manipulating space and time. Impetus is particularly quick and agile, wielding 2 scimitars and a variety of artifacts and gadgets in combat. He is an extreme threat. Main article -here- for more info.
Josh Foxx - A clone of Tom/Impetus struggling for his own identity. The only known vulerin clone, created by a particularly powerful wizard to take Tom's place under his control. Much more unstable mentally, but also more open. Uses space manipulation to create hardspace fields around himself for defenses, causing most to think he is ridiculously tough. Wields the living, metamorphic weapon, Son-Gi. Son-Gi can manipulate stone, forming it into many shapes and moving it at will. Has a psychic link to Josh, which can act as a barrier against psychic attack. Also extremely dangerous. Main article -here.-
Flux - Yellow vulerin. Powerful space manipulation, moderate time control, though known to be reckless and sloppy in handling, often teleporting in violent fashions. Current Sage of Freedom.
Acumen - White vulerin. Moderate space and time abilities, powerful psychic. Current Sage of Self.
Discern - Black Vulerin. As a black, unable to manipulate time/space on his own, though he has aquired a powerful temporal weapon that can trap vulerin and keeps a high powered computer he calls the 'Kludgeculator' to travel space/time. Discern earned his name by showing amazing 'discernment' of detail when hunting and capturing a particularly dangerous "life-jacking" psychic vulerin. Currently searching for escaped Numbers as a member of The Watch.
Ferrix - Blue Vulerin. Ferrix strives hard to make a Name for himself without the aid or burden of Continuity Corps or The Watch. His skill with advanced technology is second only to the Purples, capable of wielding high amperage electricity with little to no effect to himself. He is considered 'eccentric' by even vuleri standards due to his lack of aversion to electric based attacks and flagrant use of electricity inches from his body to defend himself. He secretly wishes to make a name for himself as legendary as Impetus, or any of the Sages, but his desire to remain free from the burdens of responsability make him a poor leader.
Ariel - A purple Vulerin who is a representative to the Protectorate, who specializes in the creation of time manipulation machines, and reverse-engineering time travel technologies. She keeps a database of various ways time can be manipulated. Ariel is also the Keeper of the Stair in the multiverse, and creates Doors for the Protectorate when requested or needed.