Operatus Est

Within the Founder’s Children cult there are several tiers of devotion. The bulk of the members, known as the “Liberi” are from all outward appearances relatively normal seeming, adorned in cult regalia and coated in white grey chalk, they are overall still typically human in form. However when a member opts to go through the Rite of Ascension more than once the effects on their physical form can be dramatic. The ones that survive this ordeal are called the “Operatus Est”.

Typically this physical transformation skews in one of two directions, either into the imposing Brute form or towards the slight but no less potent Ardent form. Brutes tend to have short lifespans, their extreme physical transformations putting an intense strain on the human physiology. Most brutes adopt the use of crude prosthetics to compensate for this physical deformation, which also serve a secondary use as brutally effective melee weapons.

Occasionally an Ardent will linger on well past the average human lifespan. These centuries old beings, essentially living mummies, are known as Elders.

With all three of these classes, but especially among Ardents, they allow the nite dust to transmute sections of their skin into a gold like alloy, effectively making armor. Unfortunately for them when this metal dermis is damaged or deteriorates the skin does not regrow and they are left with substantial wounds on much of their bodies.