Table of Contents
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Source Infections
A source infection sets in at level 20 if an individual has any particular source type for their abilities which is found in 30% or more of their abilities. Source infections at first have very little effect, but as they grow stronger, they accumulate into more significant influences on an individual that has one. Every level the effect slightly increases, as long as the source infection is not replaced. An individual may only have 3 source infections on them at any particular time, and the lowest is always replaced by a newer one that exceeds it in percentage of abilities the source is found in, regardless of the rank of that third source infection. This resets the source infection if it comes back at a higher level, further ensuring all entities using different sources for abilities have a chance to conceal which sources they are using if they vary their usage enough, as well as having the potential to change their mind later to emphasize specific sources they might not have originally gained source infections in, but at the cost of losing the at least one current source infection.
Rank | Strength | Stability Bonus | Effect/Damage Bonus | Resistance Bonus | Pool Size Bonus |
Rank 1 | Cosmetic | +1 Stability | +1 Effect/Damage | +1 Resistance | +1 Pool Size |
Rank 2 | Cosmetic | +2 Stability +1d10/2 Weekly | +2 Effect/Damage +1d10/2 Weekly | +1 Resistance +1d10/2 Weekly | +2 Pool Size |
Rank 3 | Cosmetic | +2 Stability +1d10/2 Weekly | +2 Effect/Damage +1d10/2 Weekly | +2 Resistance +1d10/2 Weekly | +3 Pool Size |
Rank 4 | Cosmetic | +2 Stability +1d10 Weekly | +2 Effect/Damage +1d10 Weekly | +2 Resistance +1d10 Weekly | +4 Pool Size |
Rank 5 | Minor | +3 Stability +1d10 Weekly | +3 Effect/Damage +1d10 Weekly | +3 Resistance +1d10 Weekly | +5 Pool Size |
Rank 6 | Minor | +3 Stability +(1d10 +1d10/2) Weekly | +3 Effect/Damage +(1d10 +1d10/2) Weekly | +3 Resistance +(1d10 +1d10/2) Weekly | +6 Pool Size |
Rank 7 | Minor | +4 Stability +(1d10 +1d10/2) Weekly | +4 Effect/Damage +(1d10 +1d10/2) Weekly | +4 Resistance +(1d10 +1d10/2) Weekly | +7 Pool Size |
Rank 8 | Minor | +4 Stability +2d10 Weekly | +4 Effect/Damage +2d10 Weekly | +4 Resistance +2d10 Weekly | +8 Pool Size |
Rank 9 | Modest | +5 Stability +2d10 Weekly | +5 Effect/Damage +2d10 Weekly | +5 Resistance +2d10 Weekly | +9 Pool Size +1d10/2 Weekly Recovery Bonus |
Rank 10 | Modest | +5 Stability +(2d10 +1d10/2) Weekly | +5 Effect/Damage +(2d10 +1d10/2) Weekly | +5 Resistance +(2d10 +1d10/2) Weekly | +10 Pool Size +1d10/2 Weekly Recovery Bonus |
Rank 11 | Modest | +6 Stability +(2d10 +1d10/2) Weekly | +6 Effect/Damage +(2d10 +1d10/2) Weekly | +6 Resistance +(2d10 +1d10/2) Weekly | +11 Pool Size +1d10 Weekly Recovery Bonus |
Rank 12 | Modest | +6 Stability +3d10 Weekly | +6 Effect/Damage +3d10 Weekly | +6 Resistance +3d10 Weekly | +12 Pool Size +1d10 Weekly Recovery Bonus |
Rank 13 | Strong | +7 Stability +3d10 Weekly | +7 Effect/Damage +3d10 Weekly | +7 Resistance +3d10 Weekly | +13 Pool Size +(1d10 + 1d10/2) Weekly Recovery Bonus |
Rank 14 | Strong | +7 Stability +(3d10 +1d10/2) Weekly | +7 Effect/Damage +(3d10 +1d10/2) Weekly | +7 Resistance +(3d10 +1d10/2) Weekly | +14 Pool Size +(1d10 + 1d10/2) Weekly Recovery Bonus |
Rank 15 | Strong | +8 Stability +(3d10 +1d10/2) Weekly | +8 Effect/Damage +(3d10 +1d10/2) Weekly | +8 Resistance +(3d10 +1d10/2) Weekly | +15 Pool Size +2d10 Weekly Recovery Bonus |
Rank 16 | Strong | +8 Stability +4d10 Weekly | +8 Effect/Damage +4d10 Weekly | +8 Resistance +4d10 Weekly | +16 Pool Size +2d10 Weekly Recovery Bonus |
Rank 17 | Potent | +9 Stability +4d10 Weekly | +9 Effect/Damage +4d10 Weekly | +9 Resistance +4d10 Weekly | +17 Pool Size +(2d10 +1d10/2) Weekly Recovery Bonus |
Rank 18 | Potent | +9 Stability +(4d10 +1d10/2) Weekly | +9 Effect/Damage +(4d10 +1d10/2) Weekly | +9 Resistance +(4d10 +1d10/2) Weekly | +18 Pool Size +(2d10 +1d10/2) Weekly Recovery Bonus |
Rank 19 | Potent | +10 Stability +(4d10 +1d10/2) Weekly | +10 Effect/Damage +(4d10 +1d10/2) Weekly | +10 Resistance +(4d10 +1d10/2) Weekly | +19 Pool Size +3d10Weekly Recovery Bonus |
Rank 20 | Potent | +10 Stability +1d10 Daily | +10 Effect/Damage +1d10 Daily | +10 Resistance +1d10 Daily | +20 Pool Size +3d10 Weekly Recovery Bonus |
Elan Path
Aethereal Magic
Aethereal Magic is the highest rung on the elan path. It radiates out from The Aether and The Greylands in small amounts through cold spots and in places where ectoplasm is found in high concentration, such as on the fields of battle where great massacres occurred, and in small amounts in any area where new life is born or a life is lost. Drawing on it is dangerous to an individual's soul, but patience and training can decrease the risk.
Those with an aethereal magic source infection have a wispy cape of ectoplasm which layers over and clings to their attire, giving a thread-bare textured look to them. While resting, those with close proximity to them may occasionally have a dream or nightmare tied to one of their previous deaths or a past life of a fragment that comprises their soul.
Cinereal Magic
Cinereal Magic is the second highest rung on the elan path. It draws from the soul and concentration of the individual using it, slowly degrading their soul until it fragments, however, meditating in places of birth and death sometimes allows one to pull threads of fading aethereal magic in order to stitch the wounds in their soul.
Those with a cinereal magic source infection have a grey swirling pattern running from the back of their neck down to their shoulders and along their back to their waist. While meditating their body will be more likely to project an image of their soul surrounding them while not actually leaving their body if they are not using an ability to do so, making many wary of approaching and interrupting their meditation.
Tenebrous Magic
Tenebrous Magic is the third rung on the elan path. It draws upon the souls of other individuals, whether living or dead, burning and further fragmenting their essence to release their power.
Those with a tenebrous magic source infection have grey swirls on their shoulders and a spiral of grey lines running from their thighs down to their feet, with their knees unaffected. While resting, their body will be more likely to have wailing specters moving in and out of these markings which may communicate with them during their sleep, though many have learned to sleep through the attempted interruption.
Sere Magic
Sere Magic is the bottom rung on the elan path. It draws upon the cor of other creatures, whether living or dead, burning and further fragmenting their essence to release their power.
Those with a sere magic source infection have a grey swirling pattern on their chest, hands, waist, and if they have one, tail. While resting or meditating, their body will occasionally have glowing imagery of their last few cor absorbed surrounding aspects of themselves, reflecting their power will making most animals avoid bothering their calm.
Fervent Path
Primal Magic
Primal Magic is the highest rung on the fervent path, and comes from adecrea and is their primary form of processing the energy of The White Void in order to try to infect aethrixes in order to multiply their numbers, and to launch at Pral in order to combat the pragur. As they send blasts of it against the barriers some aethrixes have, occasionally portions slip inside, punching through multiple realms as it dissipates in the form of a blazing white comet.
Those with a primal magic infection have glowing white sclera, a glowing mouth, and palms which radiate out white light, as well as a grid-like pattern of light on the chest and back. While resting or meditating, slowly spinning cubes of light which will rise out of their body and slowly dissipate, but will rotate faster when an uncollected source of primal magic is nearby.
Faith Magic
Faith Magic is the second to highest rung on the fervent path, being created by the focus of numina to channel for power which they may wield in areas they have influence, as well as to bestow on devoted followers.
Those with a faith magic infection have diamond pattern on their back of thin white glowing lines which runs down their legs to their feet, an aura surrounding them which shows energy of the numinae which favors them the most, either singularly, or if multiple are tied, a balance of their respective influences, as well as having their footsteps occasional show a sign of that influencing power before fading away. This may be flowers growing behind them, the ground cracking with every step, radioactive footprints, and so forth.
Conduit Magic
Conduit Magic is the third rung on the fervent path. Those who draw on the ambient energy shed off by numina when they convert primal magic into faith magic. Often, powerful followers of numina or other entities working toward ascending toward the power of a numina absorb this energy, but even they cannot absorb it all. Sometimes some, such as the loa, may bestow it to their own servants, while others are able to open their chakras to draw upon the ambient energy itself despite how potent it still remains.
Those with a conduit magic source infection have a series of diamonds and angular wedges shaped to resemble ten mandala which appear on their skin, primarily moving from their coccyx up to the top of their head, illuminating when meditating, in the presence of an entity like the loa, or when using a conduit ability.
Valor Magic
Valor Magic is the fourth and lowest rung on the fervent path. As ambient conduit magic fades, it dissipates out into the environment and the entities within it. Most do not even feel it, but those with the proper mindset and training are able to build it up steadily for later release in a stream of energy through their body, or bursts leaving it to effect other entities and the environment. Many cultures have different names for it, though one must be of a determined mind and sound body to wield it, making it much more common in those practicing martial arts than those using less mobile magic.
Those with a valor magic source infection have a large white hollow diamond on their back with lines and arrow wedges moving from it out to their hands, which glows white when meditating, and has spiraling white arrow lines moving along their arms when using valor magic abilities.
Dire Path
Spore Magic
Spore Magic is the highest rung on the dire path. Those who find the hardened blood of a pragur, known as sporestone, are able to wield its chaotic power to affect themselves, other entities, and the environment, however, at the risk of its degradation releasing potential bursts of mutative power. While a sporestone will naturally degrade even without use, it may renew itself when exposed to dark essence back to a maximum of 80% of its previous maximum potency as long as it hasn't entirely dissolved.
Those with a spore magic source infection have bulging and slightly pulsating blue veins and arteries with root-like extensions along their skin beyond them especially around their eyes, and moving from their upper arms along to their hands, where some of their skin will harden and darken to resemble but not have the same properties as the sporestone which they utilize, as well as bone spikes jutting out at the joins of their arms and hands. When resting or meditating, they will have a higher chance of making mental contact with a pragur or having a dream or nightmare about one.
Blood Magic
Blood Magic is the second to highest rung on the dire path. As sporestone dissolves in an environment, it bolsters the potency of the mind and blood of those exposed, sometimes creating lineages and cultures based around this power. In its highest severity, individuals are able to use the blood of others or themselves to create tainted foci known as blood gems and fill them, which may be used to draw the potency of their power forth for impressive results.
Those with a blood magic source infection have blood red blotting on their hands, arms and feet, as well as having any future scarring on those areas decrease. When resting, they will have a puddle of blood appear on the ground below them that dissipates when they awake, and those in close proximity will have a nightmare related to loss of blood in themselves or others.
Leech Magic
Leech Magic is the third rung on the dire path. As sporestone further dissolves beyond the potency which creates a potential for blood magic, it still affects the body and mind of entities to help them create connections to other beings, either requesting or forcefully taking focus away from them and utilizing that sensation of dominance to bolster their power, allowing them to enact great effect.
Those with a leech magic source infection have a slightly pulsating dark blue root-like pattern along their temples, jawline, neck and a thin branching reaching out to their hands, waist, and if they have one, along their tail. When resting, they will have wisps of dark blue mist rising off of their body and swirling around them, and those in close proximity will have a nightmare related to the individual dominating and commanding them or other entities that have been encountered lately.
Psionic
Psionic is the fourth and lowest rung on the dire path. While not using magic itself, those with psionic potential owe it to mutation, either created by intentional genetic manipulation, exposure to psionic populations or entities whilst in the womb or not yet fully developed, or the exposure of dissolving sporestone. Those who use psionic power are able to use their minds to affect other entities as well as manipulate the environment around them.
Those with a psionic source infection have a bulge of their temples, overall shape of their skull being slightly enlarged, bulging veins along their temple and neck, as well as a winding light grey pattern running from their upper arms along the outer edge of their arms up to their wrists. When resting or meditating, those in close proximity have a higher chance of being pulled into their trance, dream or nightmare.
Axiomatic Path
True Speech
True Speech is the highest rung on the axiomatic path. True speech allows an individual to speak with the fundamental power which lies in the boundaries of each aethrix and its realms, creating the laws of physics and is often utilized by adecrea, bodel, pragur, living pentachorons and other entities of power beyond that of the numinae. While beings of lesser power than numina may utilize it, the inherent risk makes most entities prone to spreading out any knowledge of true speech words far and wide to lessen the chance of any learning too much to be contained in their body.
Those with a true speech source infection have their lips turn black, have dense markings forming a triangle on either cheek which change what the marking says depending on their current thoughts and mood but are in random languages per word, black lines under their eyes, and a feathery black wings spread across their chest and shoulders. When resting or meditating, those in close proximity who are talking occasionally say a word in a different language than the one they are currently speaking, and if silent they occasionally see black wisps rising up from the mouth of the one with the true speech source infection.
Semiotics
Semiotics is the second to highest rung of the axiomatic path. It allows an individual to concentrate on their own inherent symbolism of materials to accentuate their power without physically marring them. Often, those who have already used alchemy to distill the essences of materials will further accentuate their properties via semiotics in order to further boost their effects.
Those with a semiotics source infection have a black line running down from each temple along their cheek and from below their lip to their neck where it will band around it, and similar banding on their feet and legs. When resting or meditating, items, materials and entities around them will occasionally have wisps of the essences the one with the semiotics source infection views them as having, if even just subconsciously.
Signis
Signis is the third rung of the axiomatic path. It allows individuals to demarcate agreed cultural symbolism of materials to accentuate their power, creating a glyph, rune, sigil or other marking which is consistently able to be understood by those of the same culture and training in signis marks. It is often used by those imbuing items with potency of another source's power, such as enchanting a staff with a foci crystal embedded in it to refill the crystal faster or allow it to accentuate any abilities the staff may otherwise be designed to create.
Those with a signis source infection have a hollow black circle marking on their forehead, two concentric ones on their belly, and two concentric ones centered around their crotch, and if they have one, their base of their tail. When resting or meditating, occasionally these markings will have wisps of glyphs, runes or sigils they last used appearing near their own markings.
Henosis
Henosis is the fourth and lowest rung of the axiomatic path. Often used via rituals and unified effort of other means, those who utilize it join with others to create great effect in small or vast distances. Those that use it are able to lessen how much of their own personal pool that they utilize, but take up an amount of time and energy from others trained to coordinate with them or otherwise willing and capable of timing their part during the design of said effort.
Those with a henosis source infection have a black band around their forehead with glyphs, runes or sigils in parts where it has interruptions, one or more lines running across their nose and face, bands on their forearms and ankles. When resting or meditating, black wisps will rise up from their forehead and form a hood of sorts, and when near others to whom they have last linked for a combined effort their bands will faintly glow a dark purple.
Amalgamate Path
Wild Magic
Wild Magic is the higher rung of the amalgamate path. It radiates out from bodels at the center of many planets, stars, comets and other running through the cracks in a planets crust as leylines, in solar flares, and other forms, all created from the concentration and release of other forms of magic accumulating and pulsing outward. Those who wield wild magic directly often have to use the extremities of their emotions to emphasize and focus their abilities, but as a result of its instability, it will also have the occasional random effect in the environment with the chances of one increasing the more powerful the ability created may be.
Those with a wild magic source infection have a somewhat chaotic and individual pattern on their belly, hands and arms which faintly glows when using wild magic abilities or recharging from leylines, glowing a different color depending on which domain was most prevalent in their ability if using one. When resting their pattern will have a 1d10 chance of altering, and if it does, a 1d10 chance of how significant a change will happen. Additionally, when having a dream or nightmare, any crit in their time in The Somnium Bleed will also affect the environment around their slumbering body as well.
Foci Magic
Foci Magic is the lower rung of the amalgamate path. As wild magic pulses out, it is sometimes becomes absorbed by the shed crystalline skin fragments of bodels known as foci crystals, or other forms of foci. Over time these fragile foci fill up entirely and will keep their magical potency until used, even when leaving a leyline or other area of wild magic. When one drains them for use with foci magic, the chaotic effect of wild magic is lessened, but they must be recharged again by wild magic to remain pure. They may, however, be charged by other magical sources, but will be unable to be used by anything other than that source again until purified.
Those with a foci magic source infection have a geometric pattern along their neck, back and belly, with a small cluster of it in the center of their forehead as well, which faintly glows when using foci magic abilities or recharging foci from leylines at an accelerated rate, glowing a different color depending on which domain was most prevalent in their ability if using one, and if the color of the foci if accelerating its recharge rate. When not resting their pattern will have a 1d10 chance of concealing itself each day until an ability or accelerated recharge is used, but while resting it will appear and faintly glow, its color reflecting their emotional state while in a dream or nightmare. When meditating, their pattern will have a 1d10 chance of concealing while meditating, but it will appear once done with their meditation.
Astir Path
Natural
Natural is the higher rung of the astir path. All capabilities all species may utilize without the aid of magic, psionics, or technology are natural abilities and skills. As one uses natural abilities, they may further accentuate them with technology, opening the mundane rung. The natural path, however, requires nothing more than passing the related check and having enough vigor.
Those with a natural source infection have an accentuation of their musculature via thin red lines with wedges spiking out from them along their chest, shoulders, hands and arms. When resting or meditating, these wedges will extend and curl slightly, and an aura of power is subconsciously realized by those in close proximity, though how others respond to it depends entirely on their own personality and subconscious reactions.
Mundane
Mundane is the lower rung of the astir path. Specifically, mundane abilities require non-magical and non-psionic technology to boost capabilities, and as part of that need, a lack of the related item may make an improvised check necessary to use something else similar enough, or be impossible without the prerequisite items or resources.
Those with a mundane source infection have winding thin red markings crossing over each other in large knots across their belly, along their waist, and if they have one, their tail, as well as running from each digit to their wrists. When resting or meditating, these markings will bridge to one another, forming either circles or straight segmenting, and an aura of intelligence is subconsciously realized by those in close proximity, though how others respond to it depends entirely on their own personality and subconscious reactions.