View source for TOA Tara Notes

== Nu'mair ==
Nu'mair are elemental spirits that live in rural areas all over the world.  They tend to abhor technology and stick to the purity of nature and that kind of stuff.  The Chinese ones in particular are fairly insular, and TOA has only so-so relations with them.

The Temple Master we went to see was a rain Nu'mair; he looked like a being made of pure water in humanoid form, so lovely!

== Qi'Zan ==
Qi'Zan are telepathic and a little shy about it since I guess some humans get offended by it.  I don't mind much since I am used to Ceelie but I guess some people are more private!

I only know one Qi'Zan, his name is Lebrek and he works in a coffee shop in the bookstore in the Soho Mall.  He is so helpful at picking out books.

== Doppelgangers ==
Well, they don't like mirrors or crowds.  I'm going to have to read up more on them, or just ask Viveka if she wouldn't be offended or anything.

Okay, so, when they drain the energy from their... umm... the bad guy, they can take on their form. Including clothes! But they still have to try hard to act like the person...

== Unicorns ==
For obvious reasons I guess I know a good amount about these guys, but they tend to be pretty mysterious so there isn't much information out there that is reliable about them.

Most of them have the power to take human form, which is I guess how I came about.  In human form they still tend to look a bit ethereal, with a tiny stub horn and really silky hair.  In their natural form, well, there's a couple accounts of what they look like.  My guess is that they're slightly different for each region, kind of like how Drakks look like Eastern or Western dragons.  The Western unicorns tend to look like slender horses, though their feet are more goatlike with cloven hooves, and their tail also goatlike.  Most have tufty "beards" and large, round eyes.  While the most common color is white with pale gold hair, some reports say that there are other colors like black and chestnut.  I think they probably exist but aren't as common.  The horns on Western unicorns are straight and usually elegant spirals, around 16" long or so.

Eastern unicorns are shorter, with more strongly goatlike faces.  Their horns tend to be curved and smooth.  Their colors are a rainbow of hues, but white is again the most common.

What is really controversial is the list of powers attributed to unicorns.  Most agree that they have healing powers, and I'm pretty sure that's true since I can do it.  Similarly I'm pretty sure the rumors about sensing danger and knowing the future are true, as well as the ability to judge a human soul.  What I'm less convinced about is the supposed powers of disappearing, of leaping incredible heights or possible levitation and flying, and ability to control other minds.  It might be, but there's just so much controversy that it's hard to say one way or another.

History and mythology books seem to suggest that at one point they were more common, but during the age of chivalry they started to be hunted by humans for their horns and retreated to the woods.  There were sightings for a while after that up until the Industrial Revolution, after which they almost entirely disappeared.  I guess they don't like technology, or maybe it's all the rampant debauchery that offends them.  I know it is hard for me to see these things every day.

I still wish I could meet one though.  I think it would help me find out a lot about myself and maybe be a little less scared about what I am.

== Nightmares ==
Nightmares are creatures that tend to be reclusive, and live by consuming the souls of others, feeding on their fears until they are dead. Scary! The way they get into your head and find the thing that you are most afraid of is really, um effective I guess.

We had to fight one in order to get a Golden Fork. I know that it was an evil creature and had to be destroyed, but also, we were intruding on its home. Well, at least we made things safer for that village.

The natural form of a nightmare is this big black tentacle type beast, but it can make a lot of other not real things to fight with it, so it is tough to beat one! Viveka was very good against it because they are kind of alike, Doppelgangers and Nightmares, they both eat souls. Only Viveka does not need to kill people! So, she was able to eat away at the illusions, which really helped in the whole thing.

The thing to remember if you are caught in a Nightmare is that it is not real!!! If you can realize that then the Nightmare will not be as powerful against you. Also, if you have a strong will you can manifest different stuff within a Nightmare, modifying it to help yourself out. But you must concentrate very hard.

== Breathless ==
I met my first Breathless and they were VERY scary. A breathless is a creature that lives off draining the soul out of others. A little like a doppelganger, but they just do it for fun! They can also make other Breathless by draining their souls and stuff. Usually they do this through tricking you into emotion, like seducing you. They are evil and also very snooty!