The Forgotten Fey - The Verusha

[Kane]

Verusha – The Unfinished, the Mind Rippers

99 Last Age: It was rare that we captured one of the Fey Killer’s commanders alive. Crippled in the battle for Three Oaks, he was left for dead as fire swept the battlefield. Horribly burned and blind in one eye, the foul creature resisted all attempts at interrogation. It had already endured so much, was in such great pain, there was little we could to induce it to give us information that could be vital to our survival. More drastic and less sure measures were necessary.

The adept Arajar, led him in, one of a handful of Verusha under our care at Three Oaks. He looked vaguely like a Caransil child, but his features were not quite right; the eyes too far apart, the facial bones oddly placed, and the way it moved, like it couldn’t walk in a straight line. As always, it had an innocent smile and the bright, but seemingly empty, curious eyes of an infant. Arajar led it toward the orc and placed its hands on our prisoner. I watched as the Verusha’s features changed taking on aspects of the orc including the appearance of the orc’s terrible burns. The Verusha showed no pain and seemed to enjoy watching the changes.

After no more than a handful of minutes, it became a crude copy of our prisoner. Arajar asked it a question and the Verusha answered in guttural Black Tongue. Now would begin a day of frustration. The Verusha had the thoughts and memories of the orc; at least for a while, but no concept of what it meant nor how it was important to use. Arajar would talk to the Verusha seeking the right questions to key memories and gather the information we needed.

Description/Influence: The Verusha are a race of fey that seems unfinished; forever frozen in the process of evolving – incomplete. Small by Caransil standards, a Verusha is rarely over four feet in height and slight of build. Their features are misshaped with oval non-symmetrical faces, slightly offset noses and small rounded ears. Mentally they are childlike; fascinated by people and places they’ve never seen. They can complete common tasks but have little concept of the results now or in the future.

The Verusha would have vanished as a race if they did not have the protection of their fey cousins. The Caransil, and to a lesser extent the Miransil, have allowed small communities of Verusha to live in their villages and cities. The Verusha fill simple and repetitive roles as farmers, fisherman, and gatherers, freeing up their cousins for more important roles. In the Last Age, their role has gained more importance due to the never ending demands of the war.

The Verusha have one unique ability, they are mimics. If they come into close physical contact with an individual they can take a crude approximation of its shape; able to pass as a member of that species from a distance, but not under close scrutiny. Even more incredible is that the Verusha can also mimic the thoughts and abilities of their subject; to include language, the manipulation of tools and even mana. This ability is limited by the Verusha’s limited intelligence and lack of understanding of the thoughts and skills they’ve copied.

The Order of Truth has studied the Verusha and believes the race has a limited form of telepathy that allows them to mirror the abilities and memories of creatures they can closely. The Verusha can keep the adapted shape almost indefinitely, or until they find a new interest, but can only keep the thoughts and abilities for at best a day. This ability has been invaluable for gaining intelligence. It’s rumored that the Queen has two Verusha “copies” to help protect her from assassination.