A pattern of Membrance that seems entirely dedicated to replicating and reconfiguring human consciousness. 

According to legend in the Swells, the Vronans were born from jars of liquid that Verdant refugees carried with them. Mystics would open these jars during ceremonies, or emotionally charged occasions, and “store” the energy produced. In times of need, said energy could be released to protect the Verdants. One day, these jars produced physical guardians: the Ronins of Verdance, later shortened to V-Ronins, and then bastardized into “Vuh-Ron-Ans”. The original composition of the fluid in the jars is unknown, but various mystics have attested that it was just mud. 

Like the Singing Road pattern, the Vronans have a distinct life-cycle. It is divided into three stages:

1. Inert Mass
2. Condensing Mass
3. Coherent Mass

• Inert Mass, known by the colloquialism “Goople” is a green non-newtonian fluid. There have been instances of “expired” mass that has started decomposing. 
• Condensing Mass is a transitory phase in the Vronan life-cycle. Inert Mass only starts “condensing” in high concentrations, or when “agitated” by neural activity. This phase only lasts until Vronans have been formed.
• Coherent Mass, the technical name for Vronans themselves. This is the stage they maintain until the Vronan is killed or “starves” back into Inert Mass. 

Physically, Vronans are humanoid masses of their pattern’s material. Their behaviors, speech (if any), and “fate” are all determined by local neural activity. The pattern “feeds” off of the brain-activity from nearby humans in the first two stages of its life-cycle. When the Vronans are formed, they reflect this input. For example, a Vronan formed from Goople in a sub-level stripping operation would have high muscle-mass, respiratory complications, skill with pickaxes, and a knowledge of the site’s layout. However, not all Vronans are this defined. Most have only absorbed enough activity to move around, say a few phrases, and complete a few basic actions. 

While Vronans are made of solid material, they can replicate bleeding, suffocation, and other trauma. They can be “killed” in many of the same ways that humans can. Depending on their input, some Vronans will committ suicide, suffer heart-attacks, or develop terminal diseases. Once the Vronan is dead, its body loses form and becomes Inert Mass: restarting the cycle. This mass carries all of the memories, skills, and emotion from its last form. This means that, while individual Vronans are typically frail, their “content” is immortal. Over several “generations”, Vronans can approach a degree of sophistication that makes them nearly indistinguishable from humans. However, Vronans are incapable of processing new information or experience until they become Inert Mass again. 

This content can be permanently destroyed through two means:

• Physically destroying the mass. Either through incineration, dissolving in acid, flash-freezing, or being digested by a non-human life form. 
• Depriving the mass of any human neural activity for a period of at least one year. However, larger masses will have a longer time before they “starve”. 

The pattern reacts to heightened emotional states. Bodies of Inert or Condensing Mass have been known to multiply in size during charged or traumatic events. Violently murdering someone near a mass of Goople is practically guaranteed to generate at least one Vronan. In the years since the Pattern’s introduction, these “Bloody” Vronans have posed a serious danger to groups living in the Swells. 

The Vronan pattern originated in the Swells, and it is largely confined to that region. Even there, it is deeply polarizing. While some factions see the creatures as a way to preserve cultural heritage and the legacies of their dead, others consider the Vronans as an existential threat to humanity. zing. While some factions see the creatures as a way to preserve cultural heritage and the legacies of their dead, others consider the Vronans as an existential threat to humanity.