The Lore
These hybrids are created by force. Not all bonds are true. Proceed with caution
Narrated by Agnes Calder
A Quiet Word Before You Read. If you’re here, then something has already begun to stir. I won’t dress this up or pretend any of it is harmless. Some truths are better approached slowly — with care, and a willingness to listen. What you’ll find here isn’t a record of triumphs. It’s a record of warnings. Of things nearly lost when moments of imbalance were mistaken for progress, and certainty silenced doubt. Read what’s written. Notice what isn’t. Remember that choices matter.
The Zan’Aethran
The Zan’Aethran weren’t conquerors. They weren’t inventors like those of today. They did not create anything that changed the way they lived like a TV or telephone. They were keepers. They believed the world worked best in balance — not control. That every living thing carried a pattern within it, and that some patterns were meant to join together. Soul-binding, as we now call it, was never a weapon to them. It was a responsibility. They left no cities behind. No empires. What they left instead were fragments — symbols, stones, places carefully hidden so they would only be found when the world was ready to understand them again. Whether we’re ready now… that remains to be seen.
The Grove of First Light
The Grove was never meant to be discovered. It was meant to wait. A place created by the Zan’Aethran — shaped by stone, water, and living earth — where Soul Eggs were kept dormant until the right souls arrived. Not every egg would respond. Most never do. The Grove doesn’t listen to authority, knowledge, or intent. It listens to truth. We swore to keep it hidden. Lira. Paula, Andrew, Maeve, Ren and myself and others who understood what would happen if someone tried to force its secrets open. More importantly is to ensure Kassian never finds it. It is precious and sacred.
Soulbound Hybrids
A true Soulbound Hybrid isn’t created. It awakens when a soul matches — The bond does not form through strength or ambition. It forms through honesty. When a connection awakens, it does so naturally, without force. The hybrid that emerges is a reflection of what already exists within its human half — not what is desired, but what is true. Its qualities, its strengths, and its power are drawn from that inner nature. This is why no two bonds are ever the same. The bond isn’t ownership. It’s partnership. And once broken… it may never fully heal.
The Codex
The Codex isn’t a spellbook. It’s a record — part journal, part warning. Over generations, those who encountered Zan’Aethran remnants added what they learned. Observations. Ritual fragments. Failures most of all. Some pages were deliberately obscured for fear of falling in the wrong hands. Others were never finished. That wasn’t an accident.
The Falsebound Files
These are the records I never wanted to exist. Falsebound hybrids are the result of force — when a bond is demanded instead of offered. The results are unstable. Dangerous. Cruel to both halves of the bond. Some survived longer than expected. Others didn’t. If you’re reading this section, understand one thing clearly: Not all bonds are true. And some doors should only be opened if you’re prepared to live with what follows.
A Final Warning If what you’re looking for is power, stop here. If what you’re looking for is understanding… then step carefully. The truth doesn’t announce itself loudly. It waits to see who approaches
Agnes
PS - I have included what we have discovered about the Soulbound Egg evolution below)
Soul Egg Evolution
Egg formed from Zan Aethran power and natural world energy over time
Soulbound Egg
Dormant, waiting stage - alive but inactive
The Egg listens and when approached can flicker or show signs of awareness.
The Egg can surge or pull away, doubt can interupt the bond attempt.
Falsebound Egg
Match stabilises., egg responds and full size hybrid emerges.
Machine created signal forces a hatch without a soul.