A Cheat Sheet to the Shadowhunter Setting

THE NINTH ACCORDS
an RP based on Cassandra Clare's THE MORTAL INSTRUMENTS world

Last revised: December 27th, 2013

01. Introduction
02. Rules
03. The World
04. The Other World
05. Shadowhunters
A. History
B. Alicante & Idris
C. Equipment & Training
D. Runes & the Gray Book
E. The Mortal Instruments
06. The London Institute
07. Downworlders
A. Fair Folk, the Children of Lylic
B. Vampires, the Children of Night
C. Werewolves, the Children of the Moon
D. Warlocks, the Children of Lilith
08. Demons
09. Source Material & References


01. INTRODUCTION

This guide and outline is meant to be a sort of cheat sheet to the world of the Mortal Instruments in order for people unfamiliar with the setting to make a believable character within it. The RP is set in London, England, and based around the Shadowhunters that make their home there. For those who have read the books, the majority of the events of The Mortal Instruments series have not yet occurred, as we're just borrowing the world and setting, but please refer to The Ninth Accords -- The Premise post for more information on precisely where our story starts. 

02. RULES

-1: Original characters only. No copy-written characters from the books, from other books, comics, TV, movies, or other media. This also means that you are not related to any of the characters in the books, past or present.

-2: Make it fit the world. Character concepts or races based on other similar media such as, but not limited to the Buffy-verse, Twilight, the World of Darkness or Supernatural are also prohibited. Races within the Mortal Instruments are described further down and characters must fit to those descriptions. Likewise, high tech is not permitted. The technology in this setting is much like modern tech; they have computers, cell phones, etc. If you can't easily obtain it in your city, you can't have it in this setting.

-3: The RP takes place in a world which may be considered an alternate universe where the events of the books are concerned. While we will be using -some- of the history and some of the events that occur in The Mortal Instruments (such as the Uprising), references to Valentine Morgenstern and theft of the Mortal Cup are really not permitted, or to any of the canon characters found in the books or movie. Daylighters do not exist; and characters with Clary and Jace's particular heritage and additional abilities are not permitted.

03. THE WORLD

The world is simply modern, mundane London. People go to school or work, they come home to their apartments or houses, they sit down and play on their computers or text their friends from their cell phones. The world they know is modern, and exciting, ever-changing as new technology, fashion, trends, and politics evolve.

For more information on the city of London, click HERE .

04. THE OTHER WORLD

But what if there was more to the world?

The other world, the Shadow World, is a secretive place of creatures of myth and magic, known to those humans initiated at birth to it. This world exists side by side with the mundane world, but is far more dangerous. Demons and mythical beings roam this world, often times after the sun sets, making the night an interesting and immensely dangerous time. All those things found in stories are real. Only mundanes can't see them.

05. SHADOWHUNTERS

But there are those that can. The Nephilim, or Shadowhunters, are the only ones that can stand between those dangers of night and the mundanes. Shadowhunters are restricted by their own mortal bodies in their feats. Shadowhunters have to rely on their own wits and cunning, their own physical prowess to defeat their enemies in combat. Over the years, they've developed their own weapons and methods of training.

-A. History

According to legend, Jonathon Shadowhunter appealed to the angel Raziel for help with the growing demonic problem on earth some one thousand years ago. Raziel answered, mixing his blood with human blood in a chalice, and offering it to Jonathon and his compatriots to drink. These humans became the Nephilim, guardians of the world. The angel gave the Nephilim the Gray Book and tasked them with ridding the world of demons and maintaining the peace between the Downworlder races.

-B. Alicante & Idris

Shadowhunters have their own country, Idris, located somewhere between France and Germany. Wards have been set up along the borders that prevent mundanes from crossing into the land, transporting them from one border to the other without them realizing it, making it difficult for mundanes to know about the country. The capital of Idris is Alicante, also known as the Glass City. Most Shadowhunters grow up in Idris before being dispatched to Institutes around the world.

Idris is small, very rural, and technologically behind the rest of the world, since the wards, and magic in general, tend to warp and disable electronic devices. A green country, it's very fertile and plays host to Lake Lyn, the lake the angel Raziel supposedly came out of when greeting Jonathon Shadowhunter, and a forest nearby which is home to at least one werewolf pack. It's worth noting that Lake Lyn is poisonous to Shadowhunters though the Fair Folk can drink from it without harm. The water of Lake Lyn causes hallucinations in Shadowhunters, and eventually death when ingested and not treated.

Alicante the Glass City is a beautiful rennaisance style city, trapped in another time, or so it seems. Several things stand out about Alicante, most of all the strange, glass towers that dot the area like obelisks. These are the demon towers, imbued with magics to ward the city against demonic invasion, and to this date, a demon has never crossed into Alicante. Another thing is the lack of electricity. Those that make their home in Alicante must rely on other methods to power their homes. Witchlights are common methods of lighting their homes.

C. Equipment & Training

Witchlights: Usually small stones that radiate a strong, white light. Handheld and carried by all Shadowhunters. Also used to light the interiors of buildings in Idris.

Steles: The thin, pencil like rods with blunted ends on both sides, used by Shadowhunters to draw Marks. Usually made of crystal, glass or metal, they come in a variety of styles and designs. Enchanted with magic, they are updated periodically by the Clave.

The Gray Book: All Shadowhunters, young or old, know the Gray Book. A sort of manual of runes and Marks handed down for generations, said to be dating back to the same book that the angel Raziel gave the first Nephilim. All Shadowhunters have a copy of it, somewhere in their possessions, usually given to them by their parents even before they start to receive Marks. The runes within its pages are the only runes that exist, as new ones cannot be created.

Seraph blades: Made of tempered steel, seraph blades are imbued with strong magic, rendering them capable of injuring demons. Each blade is unique, and must be named after an angel before its magic is activated. There seems to be an innumerable amount of seraph blades, making them an easily replaceable weapon and most Shadowhunters seem to carry at least one on their person at any given time.

Runes: Also known as Marks, runes can do any variety of things, from wishing good luck to rendering one's footsteps silent. There is finite number of runes, all taken from the Gray Book. Not all runes are combative in nature, there are runes for mourning, blessings, fidelity, and other such things, all that can be written, traced, Marked or embroidered.

Whether in Alicante or in one of the Institutes world wide, Shadowhunter training is fairly similiar across the various Nephilim families. Children begin to receive Marks, or runes on their bodies around the age of 10 to 12 years old. They must be old enough to understand what is happening, and why, for drawing runes is a painful experience, like burning the Mark into flesh temporarily. Physical training can start as young as they can walk, enduring various regimens designed to tone and hone their young bodies to peak physical condition. Training is an ongoing process for Shadowhunters, and continues for the rest of their life.

The weapons used by the Nephilim seems to be as varied as the weapons themselves. Armed with any number of things, Shadowhunters can and will use anything they can get their hands on. Not limited to blades or knives, they're also fond of bows, pikes, swords, metal whips, maces and other assorted weapons. One must have a proficiency for some types of armaments and Shadowhunters are no exception. Generally, Nephilim train with as many different types of weapons as they can get their hands on.

Shadowhunters wear a sort of armor, though not the sort that would be recognized as such in modern times. Always black in color, Shadowhunter armor is embroidered with runes granting protection against their foes and other useful attributes in combat. Padded in places, and tight fitting, it's meant to protect its wearer against demons in whatever manner it can.

E. The Mortal Instruments

-1. The Mortal Cup

The Mortal Cup, also known as the Angel's Cup, was a cup from Angel Raziel. A warlock summoned the Angel Raziel, who mixed some of his own blood with the blood of men in a cup, and gave it to those men to drink. Those who drank the Angel's blood became Shadowhunters, as did their children and their children's children. The cup was used to create more Shadowhunters through the years, when Shadowhunter ranks were depleted.

-2. The Mortal Sword

The Mortal Sword, also known as the Soul-Sword, The Angel Blade, or Maellartach, was the second Mortal Instrument given by Angel Raziel to the Shadowhunters, kept by the Silent Brothers. The Soul-Sword is used by the Inquisitor in trials to determine if a Shadowhunter is lying.

-3. The Mortal Mirror

The Mirror, also sometimes called the Mortal Glass, is the great mystery of the legend of Jonathan Shadowhunter. It is clearly the third of the Mortal Instruments given by Raziel, and it is mentioned in all Shadowhunter histories, so we do not believe that it is a later addition. No specifics, however, are given about the Mirror--where it resides, what it looks like, or even its intended function. There have been many searches for the Mirror in our history, in excavations and old libraries, through crypts and ancient Shadowhunter ruins--none of them successful. There have also, of course, been many false Mirrors that have been claimed as real, either by charlatans seeking power among the Nephilim or by naive and hopeful Shadowhunters desperate for an answer to the riddle.

Legend tells us that Raziel can be summoned by the use of the Mortal Instruments. One must hold the Cup and the Sword and stand before the Mirror. This claim must, however, remain but a story, since the Mortal Glass is lost to our knowledge, perhaps lost entirely to time.

06. THE LONDON INSTITUTE

The London Institute is located on Upper Thames Street in London, England. It sits on the former site of the Church of All-Hallows-The-Less, which was destroyed in the Great Fire Of London in 1666. 

For more specific information on the London Institute, please refer to the forum posted under In Character - Setting Locations. 

07. DOWNWORLDERS

"Downworlders" is the somewhat derogative term for demon-hybrids and refers to faeries, warlocks, vampires, and werewolves. While not necessarily evil, they are not mortal or mundane in any sense of the word. They cannot be Marked by runes and are generally looked down upon by most Shadowhunters as a lesser, tainted series of races.

Bound by the Law and the Accords between the four Downworlder races and Shadowhunters, they are prohibited from killing, revealing themselves to, or interfering with mortals. Breaking the Law means being subject to it, and Shadowhunters can be tasked with killing the lawbreaker as a result.

-A. Fair Folk, also known as  faeries are a secretive, mischievous race. From what is known about the faerie, their race is the result of mixing demonic and angelic blood together. Beautiful and often times cruel, they enjoy playing pranks and jokes at the expense of others. Ruled over by the Seelie Queen, the entrance to the Seelie Court and the Faerie Realm can be found from The River Thames where it passes the London Eye. Eating food or drink within the Seelie Court prevents the imbiber from leaving without the Queen's permission. At this time, it's unknown if there is an Unseelie Court as well as there is in legend and myth, but one can assume there is.

Characters of the faerie persuasion can be inspired by myth and legend and will generally be permitted.

-B. Vampires, also known as the Children of Night are, like in myth, the immortal, undead drinkers of blood. They are born from mortals who have ingested vampire blood, died and must climb their way out of their own grave to be reborn as an immortal vampire. As the cursed undead, they cannot bear sunlight, the word of God of their lips or enter into hallowed ground such as churches and synagogues. Generally, vampires are pale creatures with dark eyes, possess heightened senses, as well as super strength and speed.

Vampire characters should note that they cannot day walk for any reason. Sunlight will burn and kill a vampire, as will a stake to the heart, or beheading. By the Law, they are not permitted to drink human blood and must make do with animal blood.

Legend or stories suggested that the demon who made vampires and the demon who made werewolves were in a feud with one another, and that this suggests as to why the two races are in constant war with one another.

-C. Werewolves, also known as the Children of the Moon, come from a similiar source as vampires. It is said that a demon rivaling the vampires' maker, created the race of werewolves in opposition. As a result, the two races are forever at war with one another, bred into them by their tainted bloodlines. Though, it has been seen that they can overcome these instincts, many simply do not wish to do so, and continue the feud between the two.

To become a werewolf, one must be bitten by one. Not all bites result in lycanthropy, however, and one must wait until the next full moon to await the potential transformation. Older, more experienced werewolves are said to be able to control their transformations, changing at will save at the light of the full moon. Werewolves have the traditional weaknesses, namely silver. Their strengths include changing into wolf form, stronger than average speed, strength, and fortitude.

However, werewolves can live almost perfectly normal lives as mundane mortals, aging at the same rate as humans. Most werewolves live in packs with others of their kind, and very few seem to want to live as mundanes. Werewolf packs are lead by the strongest, usually decided in a fight to the death between the current leader and the rival.

-D. Warlocks, also known as the Children of Lilith are the result of a demon and human union. Raised by their human parent, they generally have no knowledge of what they are until their demon mark begins to manifests--wings, webbed fingers, cloven hooves, tails or cat eyes, for example. As spellcasters, they can use magic in a way that Shadowhunters cannot. Warlocks are unfortunately sterile and cannot reproduce, but are very long lived, their lives stretching well over several centuries.

Spellcasting is part and parcel of being a warlock. The full nature of what warlocks can do is unknown but not limited to portaling, healing and destructive spells. Characters are recommended to keep a level head about the sort of spells they'd be slinging around. Warlocks cannot replenish their energy instantly, there are no mana potions to use. Once energy is used, it is gone until rest and time restore it.

08. DEMONS

Demons are not what you would think; they aren't fallen angels, they aren't the former servants of God. They are interdimensional parasites that travel from world to world and feed upon it until it's nothing but a hollow shell. When the world is used up, they move onto another world. No one's quite sure how demons travel between planes and worlds; it's an ability that seems to be unique.

There is an infinite number of demons, and several varieties. Some are a good deal stronger than others, and referred to as "Greater Demons," which must be killed in both their physical and ethereal forms, making them more annoying to deal with than normal demons. Greater Demons are generally rarer than their lesser compatriots. Some demons have the ability to possess a mortal, taking on that mortal's appearance until it choses to release it.

Sunlight and seraph blades are fatal to both varieties of demons. Upon their deaths, the tend to collapse on themselves with a shriek, sometimes leaving behind ash, dust, ichor or other fluids.

Demons can be summoned into the world by the Mortal Sword or by warlocks; unless properly warded and bound, demons will turn on their summoner and kill them, making them dangerous to those involved.

Types of lesser demons:

Ahiab Demon - A massive scaled demon with a thick, lizard-like body. It's blind and has a keen sense of smell. A thick line of serrated teeth run along its forehead where eyes should be. It has another mouth on the lower half of its face as well, fanged with dripping tusks. It has a narrow tail that glitters as it moves due to it being edged with razor-sharp lines of bone. It has talons and a long, forked tongue with a bulb at the end of it like a scorpion's stinger. It rapes his victims before killing them.

Behemoth Demon - It is formless, huge and slimy. A double row of teeth runs along the length of its oblong body. It slithers with an oozing, boneless motion. It eats anything and everything - people included. It can teleport and its mucus turns seraph blades ineffective. It is semi-corporal and very hard to kill. It can heal its wounds but it seeps its energy - the best way to kill it is to keep wounding it until it can no longer heal itself. Clarissa Fray describes it as "a blind slug with teeth". It creates low noises like angry insectile chittering when angered and when it is killed it leaves behind a puddle of steaming green fluid.

Drevak Demon - It is blind and tracks by smell. They smell rotten, like garbage and are incredibly fast. This demon is not a figher, it is mainly used as a spy or a messenger(implying it is capable of human speech). It does not suck its victim's blood. Drevak demons don't have teeth, they have poisonous black spines in their mouths. Drevak poison is incredibly painful and poisonous and should be dealt with by a warlock. A Devrak attack is called a "Devrak sting".

Iblis Demon - human-shaped but formed of a substance like coiling black smoke and a pair of burning yellow eyes. It likes to surround its prey but is not very bright. It bursts into ash when it dies.

Moloch Demon - likes to fight in groups. It has claws and jets flame from its empty eyes.

Oni Demon - has a green body, wide mouth, and horns (sharp tusks sprouting from its forehead). It has legs like tree branches and spade-like hands. It is smart.

Raum Demon - Dead white with scaled skin, a black hole for a mouth, bulging toad-like eyes, and arms that end in tentacles where hands should be. The tentacles are grey-white and tipped with blood-red suckers. Inside each sucker is a cluster of needle-sharp teeth. It has black blood and is poisonous. It is more dangerous than a Devrak demon and is incredibly fast.

Ravener Demon - A long, scaled demon with a cluster of eyes set dead center in the front of its domed skull. It is something like a cross between an Alligator and a centipede with a thick flat snout and a barbed tail that whips from side to side. It has multiple legs and claws as well as a row of fanged teeth. He drools green fluid and is extremely slimy and poisonous. It can hang off of walls and has a long lack tongue.

Scorprios Demon - has a wrinkled face, the agile hands of a huge monkey but the long, barbed tail of a scorpion. Its eyes are rolling and yellow and it has teeth like broken needles. It hisses. It is incredibly fast and very poisonous. It uses its scorpion-like tail as a weapon.

Shax Demon - has pincers and an insect-like carapce. They are brood parasites, who bring their victims back to their lairs in order to lay eggs in them while they are still alive. They also have a sharp sense of smell, and can be used for tracking.

Spider Demon - has eight pincer-tipped arms and poison-dripping fangs that protrude from its eye sockets. It sprays acidic poison.

09. SOURCE MATERIAL & REFERENCES

The Mortal Instruments books, by Cassandra Clare:

-City of Bones
-City of Ashes
-City of Glass

www.mortalinstruments.com
mortalinstruments.wikia.com