Night Watch (Lukyanenko Novel) - Races

Races

Within the Night Watch universe there are several different races with different characteristics and levels of power.

• Magicians Magicians of low levels are very common among both the Light side and Dark Others. Magicians may specialize in the power of Foresight, Healing, Cursing and Hexing, Battle Magic, or any number of other abilities. Powerful magicians are known to live abnormally long lives. Gesar, Anton, Semyon, Alisher, Ilya, Garik, Tolik and Zabulon are magicians of various levels.

• Enchantress/Sorceress Terms for a female magician, such as Olga, Svetlana and Yulia. Svetlana comments that the difference between enchantresses and witches lies in the way their powers manifest – witches use charms, rhymes and various external aids to work their magic, whereas enchantresses use gestures and incantation to direct Twilight power. A witch is harmless if she is stripped naked and her body is shaved, whereas to render an enchantress harmless requires gagging her and tying her hands.

• Shapeshifters Shapeshifters can change into animal form, often used for magical battle. Shapeshifters seem to choose one animal type for their transformations, such as a cat, lizard, bear, etc. Shapeshifters are found in both Light and Dark Others, although the term shapeshifter is usually used for Dark Others, whereas many Light Others prefer the term 'transformer magician'. They can only shapeshift into one specific species of their chosen animal unlike Bear and Tiger Cub who are magicians that turn into any species of bear and tiger respectively. There is essentially little difference between shapeshifters and transformer magicians, other than the side they are on – Semyon remarks that if Tiger Cub had been in a different mood the day she first entered the Twilight, she would have become a Dark Shapeshifter rather than a Light Battle Magician.

• Vampires Vampires are considered Low Others, and especially disrespected among their fellow Dark Others. Vampires can be born or turned, but all are undead and soul-less. All vampires are born with a hunger for blood; some choose to drink only donated blood but hunting licenses for humans can be obtained. They are able to eat normal human food, but it is tasteless to them. They can go out in daylight, but they do not like strong sunlight. Male vampires can only father one child. Kostya and his parents are vampires.

• Werewolves The Dark subspecies of Shapeshifters. Large, hairy canine forms of human legend, they possess a brutal strength and formidable teeth and claws. Their abilities are not impacted by the full moon, but they receive high increases in power in intervals of roughly one month (the onset of which they are said to be able to 'sense' around twelve or so hours before it happens). During this time, they are much more susceptible to the Twilight and may refuse to revert back to human form, a condition known as Lunacy.

• Incubus/Succubus A type of Other who possess extreme charisma and sexual appeal, which is their main ability. Ignat is an incubus, although as a Light Other, he uses his ability on Gesar's orders.

• Witch Witches differ from magicians in that they do not draw power directly from the Twilight, instead they create artifacts which slowly accumluate large amounts of power over time. This is an advantage and a disadvantage. If a witch wishes to move to the higher levels of power, she must sacrifice the youthful appearance enchantresses maintain (though they may use illusion to appear however they wish).

• Devona A human of extremely low intelligence whom a powerful magician invests with large amounts of power in order to make them a servant. Alisher's father was a devona created by Gesar. It is not a socially acceptable status for the individual concerned, who often finds himself shunned and rejected.

• Golem Creature created from various materials (e.g. clay, wood, metal) by a magician for a particular purpose, such as guarding.

• Warlock A male Witch (Dark Other).