Twili
Table of contents
Subtle as encroaching dusk,
surprising as a sudden dawn.
Overview
Average Height: 5’ 6” – 7’
Average Weight: 135 – 160 lbs.
Life span: 130 – 160 years
(Mature in 20-25 years)
Skin colors: White, Gray, Black
(neon-blue etchings and sigils)
Eye colors: Orange, Red, Yellow
Hair colors: Orange, Red, Yellow
Vulnerability: Light
Bonuses:
- You may move through an enemy’s space as though it were Difficult Terrain, and through Swarms as normal terrain. You may only do this if the foe is in Dim Light or Total Darkness. You can’t end your move in a foe’s space.
- You have two additional Belt Slots. Items in these slots are in magical storage, and cannot be removed or detected by mundane means. (Such items do not have this protection when In-Hand.)
- With your bright, glowing eyes, you can see just as well in the dark as in the light. In addition, when Blinded, you are merely Dazzled instead.
- You gain the Twili Transit Spell.
- You gain one of the following Spells for free: Bubble’s Touch, Impa’s Disguise, Sol’s Gleam, Vanish, or Wrath’s Whip.
Play a Twili if you want…
- …To command subtle, powerful magic.
- …To be a stranger in a strange land.
- …To be at home in the shadows and the dim corners of the world.
- …To redeem your distant ancestors’ actions with your own.
Description
The Twili are descended from dark sorcerers who were magically exiled from Hyrule long ago. Their home, the Twilight Realm, has since suffered periods of war and strife: their initial hardships in colonizing their home in exile, periods of political instability due to an empty throne, the rise of the usurper Zant to power (and his subsequent defeat), and numerous other trials that would end many other societies.
Now, in small numbers, those Twili with a soul for adventure can return to the Light World. They seek power, wisdom, and courage – the aspects of the Triforce that their ancestors failed to claim by force. They might also seek knowledge of their race’s origins, or just a safe and secluded place to call their own.
Those rare Twili who now reside in Hyrule tend to live in dimly-lit, well-appointed homes – the bright sunlight of the Light World is annoying, perhaps even painful, to their senses. (For Twili who venture into the Dark World, its oppressive darkness might be similarly disconcerting – their Vulnerability may even change to Darkness while there!)
Twili typically have two-toned skin, with some parts of their body gray or black as the night, with other parts a lighter blue-gray or almost-white tint. Their skin is adorned with thin-lined patterns, mazes that glow with a faint blue neon color.
A Twili’s eyes are normally red, yellow, or orange; their hair, too, falls in this spectrum, ranging from neon-bright to a dull hue as they age. They are usually quite thin, as well as much taller, than Hylians.
Playing a Twili
Twili Heroes are often creatures of sly wit and subtle plans. They rarely commit fully to a single cause, seeing both the darkness and the light in all people and situations – giving some Twili a cynical sense of humor.
Their sardonic humor is further strengthened by the state of their homeland: the Twilight Realm is always facing hardships, from a simple lack of resources, to courtly intrigue and backstabbing viziers, to deadly beasts and vengeful wizards who rise from the dark mists surrounding the twilight-lit towns. To a Twili, it’s hard all over. In Hyrule, a world filled with blinding light, they have hope.
Twili are aware of their ancestors’ history with Hyrule – their grab for power, and subsequent exile – even if many of the denizens of Hyrule have forgotten. Some Twili seek to atone for these misadventures, while others might be trying to simply explore a new land, with its too-bright sun and small, curious people.
Because of their ability to sink into shadows and see in darkness, Twili make for versatile rogues and sneak-thieves. Their ability to keep additional items at the ready makes them versatile warriors and alchemists, able to swap weapons, devices, or potions to meet any situation.
Characteristics: Balanced, Ethereal, Magical, Mercurial, Nocturnal
Twili Names are typically based on aspects of light or darkness, often shortening a word to create a name. (They may also use such words from other real-world languages as their basis.)
Female Names: Dawn, Ecli, Eventi, Hamara, Midna, Nocturne
Male Names: Amont, Crepsule, Dusk, Gloam, Shade, Sumrak, Zant
The Twilight Realm
Twili hail from the Twilight Realm, a strange, half-realized shadow of the real world. The Twilight Realm rests in a permanent twilight, with motes of darkness rising from the land to meet a sunset-drenched sky. As a realm created by, and for, exiled sorcerers, magic suffuses everything in the realm, and even the shadows feel heavy with potency.
The Twilight Realm has no direct sunlight, making life difficult for its denizens. To counter this deficiency, they create and use Sols, melon-sized spheres of magical power that cast a bright white glow over their surroundings. In the light of these Sols, life can grow and thrive, and evil curses are cast aside. Sols also power the magical and technological innovations of Twili society, from moving platforms to imbuing the power of light on weapons.
The Twilight Realm is said to be connected to Hyrule via the Mirror of Twilight, a giant mirror locked away deep within the Gerudo Desert. Scholars argue whether other artefacts exist that might link the worlds of Light and Twilight together, pointing to examples like the Magic Mirror of Hebra Mountain, or perhaps lost shards of the Mirror of Twilight. If Twili adventurers roam the land of Hyrule, surely there must be some conduit between the two worlds.