Directive
The Virindi are a mysterious race shrouded by cloak and mask. They are known for their mastery of Planar Magic,[1] their ruthless logic[1], and their experimentations on "meatlings".[1][2]
There are two important aspects to the Virindi culture: the Quiddity and the Singularity. The Quiddity is a shared consciousness that all Virindi are connected to.[1][3] The Singularity the place where the Virindi race resides.[3]
No Empyrean texts have been discovered which mention contact with the Virindi prior to The Sundering. Asheron himself has stated that the Virindi arrived on Dereth far after the Sundering,[1] and prior to the arrival of any of the other races.[1][4]
The Virindi seems to have a strict caste system, each having assigned functions. Many of the lower castes use inclusive pronouns when referring to themselves. Virindi Puppets rarely speak. When a Master was questioned about them it said, "As in flesh species, some are inferior. Inferior are emptied to serve as extra appendages for others. I have three. Useful." With a Virindi Servant, it is always "we" or "us." This becomes less common with members of the more sophisticated castes. Virindi Masters mix their "we's" and "I's," their "my's" and "our's." Virindi Directors almost always use singular pronouns. An important exception is when speaking to the nearly mute Virindi Observers, they use the inclusive.[2][5]
Early Derethian History
It seems that as long as Isparians have been on Dereth, the Virindi have been there, watching. The mysterious beings seemed content to limit their presence to the Direlands and Obsidian Plains, establishing a few well-hidden fortresses where they carried out experiments upon the creatures of the island, most notably Drudges and Tuskers.[2] The Virindi created more deadly creatures called Hollow Minions, resistant to human magic and able to batter through protection enchantments with ease.[6][3] The earliest documented human encounter with Virindi is that of Lord Cambarth's meeting and subsequent trading with a Virindi using the Isparian identity of Lord Sarvaen.[7]
The Virindi took increasing interest in the activities of their human neighbors in the midst of the struggle with Ilservian Palacost.[8] A pair of Virindi agents established themselves in the town of Ayan Baqur. Claude the Archmage and his associate Leopold proved a benign, if odd, pair of agents, rigorously maintaining a façade of human behavior, even if it was perfectly obvious to any human interacting with them that these two were foreign observers.[3] This facade was later repeated by the Virindi Jean and Luc in Mar'uun.[9]
As the conflict with Ilservian Palacost and his shadowy legions reached a climax, the Virindi took a more active role in Dereth's affairs. Asheron assembled a coalition of disparate groups to defeat the Hopeslayer, including the Virindi. The Virindi however, refused to grant the Fragment of the Singularity which might help to defeat Bael'Zharon. The Fragment was subsequently stolen and used in a ritual to weaken Bael'Zharon in this world. It has since been speculated that this theft angered the Virindi, perhaps goading them into a more aggressive stance against humanity.[10][3]
Activities on Marae Lassel
Though it is unclear which faction currently resided on Marae Lassel, it was before the New Directive was founded that Virindi established strongholds on the plateau and started experimenting with the creatures there.[11] At some point prior to 0 PY,[12][13] the Virindi discovered the Tumeroks trapped on Marae Lassel.[12] The young Tumerok rebel Aranpuh was the first to be altered by the Virindi (possibly by Aerbax itself[14]) to look more human. After Aran successfully took control of the Hea tribe of Tumeroks and gained the name Hea Arantah, all of his new tribesmen were altered in the same way and some where given special powers.[15][16] The Hea refer to the Virindi as the Atual Arutoa, who watch over them.[17] and the Aun therefore give rewards for proof of the kill of Virindi.[18]At some point after the alteration of the Hea, but before the Hea invaded the mainland (though after 0 PY[19][20]) Lilitha was captured by Hea Temenua on Marae Lassel.[21] She was given to the Virindi and can now be found in the Entrance to Portal Space.[21]
The Rise of the New Singularity
During The Rise of the New Singularity Story Arc, Renegade Virindi under the leadership of Levistras and other Virindi such as Aerbax and Adirred the Theoretican rebelled against the Singularity, the core of Virindi existence in portal space. They were straining against the constrictions of the race's communal mind, and were largely responsible for the aggression against humanity. They sought ways to free themselves totally from dependence on the “Singularity” – where the race evidently resides – and separate themselves from the shared Virindi consciousness, the “Quiddity.” They called themselves the New Directive and were determined to keep their individuality at all costs.[22][3]
One of the few Directors refusing to join the New Directive, even though he had developed some sense of individuality, was Dirrich, the Warden.[23] The Directive was not pleased with the contamination and ordered the return the essence of any renegade Virindi to the Quiddity so that it may be harvested and collected. [24][25]
It was speculated that when Virindi Inquisitors, enforcers of the Quiddity, arrived on Caul island and in some of the newly opened Virindi bases, that these Inquisitors were there to curb the activities of the breakaway Virindi faction, but the Inquisitors also turned their sickles on humans, suggesting that perhaps the renegades had reached a détente with the old guard, to eradicate the human foe before deciding their internal struggle.[3][26]
The resulting war between the New Directive and Virindi forces loyal to the Singularity nearly destroyed Isparian civilization on Dereth. The Singularity sought to wipe Dereth clean of life to ensure that this never occurred again, and the New Directive's goal of creating a New Singularity would have destroyed Dereth as we know it.[22]
Aftermath
Though in Dereth the New Directive and its factions are more active than the Directive, they still undertook action, for example the Gerent of the Singularity was in communication with Nuhmudira about assisting the Singularity "in the re-acquisition of errant subservients." [27][28]
Characters
Named Virindi
- Dirrich, the Warden[23]
- Sarvaen[7]
- Claude the Archmage[10]
- Leopold
- Jean ?? (or Apostate Virindi)
- Luc ?? (or Apostate Virindi)
Unnamed, "boss" Virindi
- Chakron Flux Virindi Master
- Chakron Flux Virindi Servant
- Gerent of the Singularity
- Representative of the Singularity
- Sotiris Virindi Director
- Tumideon Virindi Director
- The Collector - Virindi Collector
Related Pages
Lore Articles
Texts
Arrangement | Dirrich's Journal | Edicts of the Quiddity | Quiddity Commands | |||||
Tumideon Note | Virindi's Note |
Quests
Locations
Items
Energy Crystal | Fragment of the Singularity | Virindi Scalpel | Virindi Implant (Purple) | |||||
Virindi Implant (Red) |
Creatures
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 2001/11 Dark Majesty - Bestiary: Virindi
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2001/04 A Reign of Stone - Scrawled Note (Aerbax Laboratory)
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 2001/11 Dark Majesty - Portal Year 12 - The Rise of the New Singularity Cite error: Invalid
<ref>
tag; name "RiseNewSing" defined multiple times with different content - ↑ 2001/11 Dark Majesty - Ages of the Empyrean
- ↑ 2001/04 A Reign of Stone - Edicts of the Singularity
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 2000/10 Hollow Victory - Tumideon Note
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 1999/11 Release - Torn Journal
- ↑ 1999/12 Sudden Season - Virindi's Note
- ↑ 2009/03 Who Watches the Virindi? - Portal Space Research#Lore & Dialog
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 2007/10 Masked Memories - Delving into Claude's Mind#Lore & Dialog
- ↑ 2001/11 Dark Majesty - Virindi on the Plateau
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 2001/11 Dark Majesty - Bestiary: Tumeroks
- ↑ 1999/11 Release - History of Fort Witshire
- ↑ 2003/01 The Slumbering Giant - Destructions and Beginnings
- ↑ 2001/11 Dark Majesty - The Tah of Ahurenga
- ↑ 2001/11 Dark Majesty - Hea Tuperea's Reedsharks
- ↑ 2001/11 Dark Majesty - Atual Arutoa (Rumor)
- ↑ 2001/11 Dark Majesty - Aun Enemies
- ↑ 2001/11 Dark Majesty - Lilitha's Bow
- ↑ 2001/11 Dark Majesty - The Legend of Lilitha
- ↑ 21.0 21.1 2001/11 Dark Majesty - The One Named Lilitha
- ↑ 22.0 22.1 2004/11 On Bended Knee - Pack Levistras
- ↑ 23.0 23.1 2001/07 Lost in the New Horizon - Dirrich's Journal
- ↑ 2003/05 Discoveries - Quiddity Commands
- ↑ 2003/05 Discoveries - A Note From Aerbax
- ↑ 2001/07 Lost in the New Horizon - Edicts of the Quiddity
- ↑ 2003/10 Reign of Terror - Arrangement
- ↑ 2003/10 Reign of Terror - Preparation for the Ritus#Retired Lore & Dialog
- ↑ 2000/10 Hollow Victory - Sotiris Note