Venin

Every cadet at Basgiath is taught the venin are a fairy tale. They are not. They're what you become when you stop borrowing power from a dragon and start ripping it straight out of the ground — and the ground never grows back.

The dark wielders Navarre erased from its own history: raw, addictive, near-limitless power siphoned from the earth itself, dead land trailing behind them, and a whole wards system built for one purpose — keeping them out.

At a glance

What it is: Power channelled straight from the earth — 'the source' — instead of through a bonded dragon. No discipline, no limit, and no dragon to tell you when to stop.
The cost to the world: Wherever venin draw long enough, the land dies for good. Ash-choked wasteland like the Barrens is what they leave behind.
The cost to the wielder: Bloody red eyes, crimson veins spider-webbing graying skin, gnarled hands. The power shows on the body that spends it.
Who they are: The true enemy Navarre buried — and scrubbed out of the Archives — so a whole kingdom would train for a war it was told wasn't happening.
The ranks: Ordered by depth of corruption: Initiate, Asim, Sage, Maven. A Maven is a general in all but name.
What stops them: Navarre's wards. Venin can't channel inside them, or on land already drained. It's the whole reason the wardstone exists.
What kills them: Not dragonfire — they're immune. Alloy daggers forged in a luminary, and lightning. Very little else.
How you become one: You reach for the source and take it. Jack did it out of jealousy; Xaden did it to keep Violet alive. The door's always open. That's the horror.

Who turned

The ones who took the source, and the ones who stop them.

Swipe to meet them all

Jack Barlowe Venin by choiceJack Barlowethe tell we all misreadEnter Jack Barlowe →

Theophanie The MavenTheophanierecruits instead of killsEnter Theophanie →

Xaden Riorson The rider who turnedXaden Riorsontook the source to save herEnter Xaden Riorson →

Violet Sorrengail Lightning-wielderViolet Sorrengailkills what blades can'tEnter Violet Sorrengail →

Sloane Mairi The siphonSloane Mairithe same power, minus the corruptionEnter Sloane Mairi →

Fen Riorson The Great BetrayerFen Riorsonrebelled to fight them in the openEnter Fen Riorson →

Aretia The forgeAretiaarms the alloy that kills themEnter Aretia →

The Tyrrish Rebellion The apostasyThe Tyrrish Rebellionthe war over telling the truth about themEnter The Tyrrish Rebellion →

The long versionRead its whole storyEverything, in one place.Enter the full story

We're Caffeine and Curses. The Library started as my design research — I can't put a venin on a shirt without knowing the robes are purple and the red veins spider out around the eyes — so we keep the notes here where everyone can use them. The pages are fan-made, not official; the licensed designs are in the shop.

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Made by fans who never left.

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THE LIBRARY

Venin

Every cadet at Basgiath is taught the venin are a fairy tale. They are not. They're what you become when you stop borrowing power from a dragon and start ripping it straight out of the ground — and the ground never grows back.

The ones who took the source, and the ones who stop them.

Join the Library.

Made by fans who never left.

We assume you've read them.