Cortex / Classification index
KNOW WHAT
YOU ARE HIDING.
An inheritance. A hunger. An ability you cannot explain. In Paroxysm, what you are changes the risks of being seen.
Public setting guide. The notices use the Cortex's voice. Each subject file also contains player lore and mechanical guidance.
Vampire
Hunger is not an exemption.You pass for human until you need to feed. Every relationship can become a source of shelter, suspicion or blood.
Werewolf
Instinct is not a defence.You live with a nature that refuses to become convenient. Survival means deciding what to restrain, what to embrace and who gets close enough to see either.
Faeborn
Fortune is not a permit.Fae ancestry can surface after generations of ordinary human life. Unusual luck follows you. It does not always favour you. To the wrong people, your captivity is an opportunity.
Demonborn
History has already warned us.An infernal inheritance follows you into a world that remembers Hell. Others see a threat before they see a person. What you do with that expectation is yours to decide.
Angelborn
No power is above review.Divinity is not the same as permission. Your inheritance carries expectations, but it does not decide whether you become a protector, an instrument or something else.
Demigod
Blood does not confer authority.Divine ancestry gives you advantages and expectations that an ordinary family cannot explain. Your inheritance does not place you above the institutions that claim this world.
Character creation / Available paths
Human backgrounds.
Different obligations.
Choose a background as well as a personality. Institutional roles and higher tier characters have their own requirements.
| Archetype | Tier | Listed ages | Background |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local | 1 | 18 to 80 | Human |
| Visitor | 1 | 18 to 80 | Human |
| Student | 1 | 18 to 60 | Human / school role |
| Soldier | 2 | 18 to 50 | Human |
| Timeswept | 2 | 18 to 80 | Human |
| Wildling | 2 | 18 to 80 | Human |
| Important Local | 2 | 24 to 80 | Human |
| Civil Servant | 2 | 22 to 50 | Human / mandatory Cortex |
| Gifted | 2 | 25 to 80 | Human classification |
| Special Forces | 3 | 30 to 50 | Human |
| Local Celebrity | 3 | 18 to 50 | Human |
| Community Pillar | 3 | 28 to 80 | Human |
Civic Educator is the Academy role. Selecting Civil Servant enforces Cortex membership.
Progression / Bloodline records
Power has a history.
| Bloodline | Tier 2 | Tier 3 | Tier 4 | Tier 5 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vampire | Vampire | Veteran Vampire | Aged Vampire | Ancient Vampire |
| Werewolf | Werewolf | Veteran Werewolf | Ageless Werewolf | Ancient Werewolf |
| Faeborn | Faeborn | Faeborn Veteran | Ageless Faeborn | Fae Child |
| Angelborn | Angelborn | Angelborn Veteran | Ageless Angelborn | Freed Angel |
| Demonborn | Demonborn | Demonborn Veteran | Ageless Demonborn | DemiDemon |
| Demigod | Demigod | Demigod Veteran | Ageless Demigod | God Child |
Tier 4 and Tier 5 require an earned guest remake ceiling. Actual age and apparent age are separate requirements.
Character creation / Special paths
Other origins.
Civic Educator
The table displays Civic Educator while retaining faculty as its internal name. The role belongs to the Cortex Academy's teaching and supervision structure. Its table age range is not ordinary human character guidance.
School staff role
Dreamchild
A real special entry. It is not one of the six standard supernatural bloodlines.
Dream-related entry
Fantasy
A special character entry. Do not advertise it as an ordinary waking-world human background.
Dream-related entry
Elseborn
A separate table entry rather than a replacement name for Faeborn.
Special entry
Gifted Veteran
The table marks this record as a player archetype but its create flag is false. Its supernatural classification differs from Tier 2 Gifted.
Not enabled for ordinary creation
Wight
A special player record. Do not present it as a standard creation choice.
Not enabled for ordinary creation
Dabbler
A special player record with its ordinary creation flag disabled.
Not enabled for ordinary creation
Land Monster / Sea Monster
Monster play is separate from ordinary permanent-character creation and has its own earned-remake rules.
Monster guest path
Fae / Divine / Demon / Ghost / Cthulian / Primal Spirit
Higher powers use the guest system. These records are not free Tier 6 choices in ordinary creation.
Higher-power guest path
Source notes c5dfe60
Repository edition reviewed 2026-09-19. The running game may differ.