The Vastra

Entirely bodiless — swirling motes of golden and sapphire flame — the Vastra interact with the physical world by inhabiting elaborate shells: loose armatures of vibrant silk, tailored sherwanis, salvaged lamellar bronze and brass. A jewelled mask, polished turban brooch or carved wooden visage sits where a head should be, hollow behind the eyes but for two dancing sparks.

They are the third Wisp tribe, and the only one that left.

The Claim

The Vastra hold that they carry the original, primordial culture of all Wisps, from before the realm fractured — that the Memoria's grief and the Lumina's seclusion are both late developments, and that the Wisps were merchants and celebrants first.

Neither of their cousins accepts this. Neither has been able to disprove it either, since the relevant period is precisely the one the Void has been eating, and the Vastra find that coincidence extremely funny in a way the Memoria do not.

The Bazaar

Out of Antah-Bazaar — a tent-city of silk and brass pitched at the very lip of the cataract — they work the trade routes of the whole Kingdom as caravan masters, dealing in relics, planar curiosities and fine textiles. Everything that leaves World's End leaves through them, and a good deal that never came from World's End at all is sold as though it did.

Incapable of eating or drinking, they throw opulent banquets anyway, delighting vicariously in the scent of rich spice, the roar of conversation and a good sitar player. A Vastra host is offended by a guest who eats lightly.

Ways

Vestment animation. They manipulate, inhabit and reconstruct garments, plate and cloth ribbon into agile humanoid forms, and can change shell the way anyone else changes clothes.

Intangible drift. If a shell is destroyed the essence simply discards it and slips harmlessly through strikes and obstacles until new material can be gathered — which makes robbing a Vastra merchant a poor long-term plan and an excellent way to acquire an enemy who cannot be killed and does not forget.

Resonance appraising. Projecting their field through an object tells them its structural purity, magical potency and commercial value, in that order and usually out loud.