The Iegumbra - a place beneath the fabric of the world as they know it. Most cannot even sense it, less can interact with it in any meaningful way, and even fewer still can traverse the boundaries of spacetime and enter this place that is both a dimension in of itself, and a reflection of it's umbranaut. It is a bubble in a vast ocean. For Arhulians, this place was the domain of their true power and truest self. A place disconnected from time and space in such a way one could interrogate themselves, hone discipline, and scour weakness. Provided, they can handle the isolation of their own presence.
Zel'Vultet rested his vessel. Unlike the tempestuous ripping tides of maelstrom, jagged mountains of flesh cutting rocks, or the fog smothered plane where nightmares and anxieties manifested physical forms, this vesicle universe was a reflection of it's master and the authority they commanded over their own domain. This Arhulian rested upon a great sphere of obsidian, painted in a glassy film of water. The air was still. Zel'Vultet cupped their hands in front of their body. The task was simple in concept, yet formidable in execution. Between their hands was a small, intense point of purple light. It shimmered as the stars in the clear sky did above, but not from the air. Zel'Vultet was channeling their psionic power at it's maximum, and concentrating it into the smallest point they could.
As a dam with the floodgates open, Zel'Vultet could feel the faint burning in their veins as their soul's luminescence scalded their vessel from within. It hurt. Although there was no physical need to breathe in the Iegumbra, they breathed in and out to give their vessel a rhythm to synchronize to. This point of light, as big as a marble, contained enough energy to break even the mightiest of steel-ships in half should it be manifested as raw destructive energy. In this state, it was naught but a harmless wisp.
Zul'Vultet could feel it. The pain was subsiding. Their control was growing. Their Thread - the umbilical of will that binds spirit to vessel - was acclimating to this power, and resisting the oncoming threadburn. It was arduous, meticulous work to channel psionic energy in such small increments, yet anything more could risk tearing their own thread from their vessel should they command too much power recklessly. Psionic training is as a exercise in patience as it is magnitude. What once was a raging tempest of seething energy was now a calm bead of light. The Arhulian felt the stinging pain be overcome by a surge of relief, and perhaps - a tinge of confidence. "Just a little more." They thought. As they did so, their words manifested into physical sounds in the amaranthine plane.
"The hill has been crested. Focus. Maintain. Endure. Soon, this power be yours and flow from within and without thought as blood does in your vessel." Many Non-Arhulian Psions pride themselves on channeling as much power as they can withstand in a single instant in a display of explosive power. But like an explosion, it always vanished with the moment. The innocuous miniature star that Zul'Vultet cradled was just that - a beacon of light that cascaded power pure and unending.
A fantastic commission from Yivah!
This is a big piece I have been wanting for a while now, a page displaying many of the special abilities Arhulians have, from living weapons, to psionic abilities, in addition to their extraordinary perception. Arhulian psionics manifests in multiple ways, with most Arhulians adopting an area of specialization. The three broadest categories, ordered in difficulty of mastery would be extrasensory - "6th sense", telepathy, etc..; vessel manipulation - combat morphs, living weapons, regeneration, etc..; and domain externalization - energy manipulation, control of fundamental forces, and so on. At some point, I'll have to make a world bible for their psionic powers!
All abilities listed in order of right to left, top to bottom.
1 - Living Weapon Biomorph
Arhulian bones are made of a material called 'Arhdrargyrum' as living metal that can be manipulated to form a variety of useful structures from shields to whip swords. Even the density and hardness of the material can be directly affected. Even without psi training, broken Arhulian bones can heal in a matter of days. There's a finite amount that can be actively manipulated for external combat morphs that can be increased with training. This one is blocking a tank shell - rather than deflecting - with whip swords ready to impale the viewports.
2 - Wisp in a Jar
Although it's the most basic of the energy manipulation techniques, creating a 'Wisp' is a big milestone. A wisp is a point like concentration of psionic energy. It can be used to generate light, ignite items, and highlight things for more advanced psionic attacks, as well as even act as a remote point of observation. Wisps can be moved to solid materials, and thus can reach objects that are otherwise inaccessible. Wisps are also why Arhulians predominantly forgo the use of black powder for military applications, and they know all too well the risks of remote detonation... something their adversaries wished they had known.
3 - Nova & Psi Sword
The power of the Soul or 'thread' replenishes infinitely - though there are limits to how much power can be channeled at once, and how quickly it restores - much like the reservoir of a dam. Going Nova is to greatly magnify an Arhulian's ability to channel their Soul, allowing astonishing feats of power and speed to be put on display. Their fur turns a luminescent silver during Nova. That said, there is a danger; there is only so much power a vessel can handle before the power of the Soul scalds it from the inside out and eventually de-anchors. (Otherwise known death.) Going Nova removes the invisible barriers from keeping psions commanding more power than what their vessel can withstand, thus Nova requires a great deal of experience and training to use safely. Nova itself is difficult to obtain, as it is a great power revealed in response to a need. To have Nova to come out 'in the wild' as a response to trauma or dire circumstances is considered a worst case scenario as the potential for the user of hurting themselves as much as the object of their distress is great.
The user is also wielding blade of condensed psionic energy that is able to cleave most matter with ease. In addition, the it can be thrown as an explosive javelin, or reconfigured into a sphere which serves as the nucleus of many energy attacks, making it a versatile weapon.
4 - Thrumming Needles
Dense, hovering needles of Arhdrargyrum that can be accelerated to great speeds to impale targets outright, or act as remote foci for specialized psionic attacks.
5 - Bellunade
To differentiate their 'guns' from black powder derived weapons, the source word bellum was used instead of gunhild to denote Arhulian weapons. They function as linear accelerators, using their own psionic energy as the power input instead of magnetism to launch (usually) inert projectiles at tremendous velocities. The biomorphs for them feature additional muscle for fine control as well as bracing. They can function recoiled or recoilless modes depending on the needs of the wielder.
6 - Guardian Shell
A hard energy projection that encapsulates the user that not only physically blocks incoming attacks, but distributes energy across it's entire surface area and diminish the energy of incoming attacks. Depending on the size, desired energy usage, and protection level, shells can diminish the effectiveness of attacks to be minor, or stop them entirely. Everything from kinetics, to radiation, to blast waves or focused energy.
7 - Astral Lance
A concentration of energy that not only burns and pierces as a laser would, but it can saturate a target with dangerous amounts of psionic energy that then explosively decomposes. Unlike mundane equivalents, these attacks have every high total energy, and controllable brisance. All psionic attacks are resisted by willed/souled beings, even ones that are completely blind and untrained. Thus, though certainly lethal, astral lances have remarkable destructive properties towards inanimate material. It's been noted that attacks that are "only" fatal to a living target should have left the body completely aerosolized when compared to a mundane explosion of the same destructive effect on the environment. The easiest place to generate focus for a psi attack is the head - more skilled users can generate focal points across their body such as the hands and tail.
8 - Amaranth Fire
A lavender psionic fire that burns with unnatural properties, nearly able to combust almost anything. Although resisted even passively by living beings, living targets can still be harmed by the indirect effects of the flame, such as loss of structural integrity, combustion products, smoke, and radiant temperature.
9 - Euclidean Translocation (Levitation)
Supernatural flight. Notes include the ability to short range teleportation (true translocation), temporarily becoming incorporeal during great bursts of speed (flash-stepping), and traveling at tremendous speed - as long as it's on a relatively straight trajectory. (Shine-dashing)
10 - Eclipse Arm
One of the mightiest biomorphs at an Arhulian's disposal. Creating a stable gate to the Umbra - a dimension of psionic energy - with the rest acting as a focus. An arhulian can forgo draining themselves and only focus on controlling throughput, resulting in them being able to command tremendous amount of energies. A small 'pistol shot' can flatten giant boulders/small rock formations while the ones wielded by the most powerful Arhulian psions in the world at maximum output could easily rival thermonuclear weapons in destructive capabilities. All who have witnessed an Eclipse Arm were never that Arhulian's target, because such a weapon is only called fourth when the Arhulian wants to make their target not exist anymore with conviction.
A fantastic commission from Yivah!
This is a big piece I have been wanting for a while now, a page displaying many of the special abilities Arhulians have, from living weapons, to psionic abilities, in addition to their extraordinary perception. Arhulian psionics manifests in multiple ways, with most Arhulians adopting an area of specialization. The three broadest categories, ordered in difficulty of mastery would be extrasensory - "6th sense", telepathy, etc..; vessel manipulation - combat morphs, living weapons, regeneration, etc..; and domain externalization - energy manipulation, control of fundamental forces, and so on. At some point, I'll have to make a world bible for their psionic powers!
All abilities listed in order of right to left, top to bottom.
1 - Living Weapon Biomorph
Arhulian bones are made of a material called 'Arhdrargyrum' as living metal that can be manipulated to form a variety of useful structures from shields to whip swords. Even the density and hardness of the material can be directly affected. Even without psi training, broken Arhulian bones can heal in a matter of days. There's a finite amount that can be actively manipulated for external combat morphs that can be increased with training. This one is blocking a tank shell - rather than deflecting - with whip swords ready to impale the viewports.
2 - Wisp in a Jar
Although it's the most basic of the energy manipulation techniques, creating a 'Wisp' is a big milestone. A wisp is a point like concentration of psionic energy. It can be used to generate light, ignite items, and highlight things for more advanced psionic attacks, as well as even act as a remote point of observation. Wisps can be moved to solid materials, and thus can reach objects that are otherwise inaccessible. Wisps are also why Arhulians predominantly forgo the use of black powder for military applications, and they know all too well the risks of remote detonation... something their adversaries wished they had known.
3 - Nova & Psi Sword
The power of the Soul or 'thread' replenishes infinitely - though there are limits to how much power can be channeled at once, and how quickly it restores - much like the reservoir of a dam. Going Nova is to greatly magnify an Arhulian's ability to channel their Soul, allowing astonishing feats of power and speed to be put on display. Their fur turns a luminescent silver during Nova. That said, there is a danger; there is only so much power a vessel can handle before the power of the Soul scalds it from the inside out and eventually de-anchors. (Otherwise known death.) Going Nova removes the invisible barriers from keeping psions commanding more power than what their vessel can withstand, thus Nova requires a great deal of experience and training to use safely. Nova itself is difficult to obtain, as it is a great power revealed in response to a need. To have Nova to come out 'in the wild' as a response to trauma or dire circumstances is considered a worst case scenario as the potential for the user of hurting themselves as much as the object of their distress is great.
The user is also wielding blade of condensed psionic energy that is able to cleave most matter with ease. In addition, the it can be thrown as an explosive javelin, or reconfigured into a sphere which serves as the nucleus of many energy attacks, making it a versatile weapon.
4 - Thrumming Needles
Dense, hovering needles of Arhdrargyrum that can be accelerated to great speeds to impale targets outright, or act as remote foci for specialized psionic attacks.
5 - Bellunade
To differentiate their 'guns' from black powder derived weapons, the source word bellum was used instead of gunhild to denote Arhulian weapons. They function as linear accelerators, using their own psionic energy as the power input instead of magnetism to launch (usually) inert projectiles at tremendous velocities. The biomorphs for them feature additional muscle for fine control as well as bracing. They can function recoiled or recoilless modes depending on the needs of the wielder.
6 - Guardian Shell
A hard energy projection that encapsulates the user that not only physically blocks incoming attacks, but distributes energy across it's entire surface area and diminish the energy of incoming attacks. Depending on the size, desired energy usage, and protection level, shells can diminish the effectiveness of attacks to be minor, or stop them entirely. Everything from kinetics, to radiation, to blast waves or focused energy.
7 - Astral Lance
A concentration of energy that not only burns and pierces as a laser would, but it can saturate a target with dangerous amounts of psionic energy that then explosively decomposes. Unlike mundane equivalents, these attacks have every high total energy, and controllable brisance. All psionic attacks are resisted by willed/souled beings, even ones that are completely blind and untrained. Thus, though certainly lethal, astral lances have remarkable destructive properties towards inanimate material. It's been noted that attacks that are "only" fatal to a living target should have left the body completely aerosolized when compared to a mundane explosion of the same destructive effect on the environment. The easiest place to generate focus for a psi attack is the head - more skilled users can generate focal points across their body such as the hands and tail.
8 - Amaranth Fire
A lavender psionic fire that burns with unnatural properties, nearly able to combust almost anything. Although resisted even passively by living beings, living targets can still be harmed by the indirect effects of the flame, such as loss of structural integrity, combustion products, smoke, and radiant temperature.
9 - Euclidean Translocation (Levitation)
Supernatural flight. Notes include the ability to short range teleportation (true translocation), temporarily becoming incorporeal during great bursts of speed (flash-stepping), and traveling at tremendous speed - as long as it's on a relatively straight trajectory. (Shine-dashing)
10 - Eclipse Arm
One of the mightiest biomorphs at an Arhulian's disposal. Creating a stable gate to the Umbra - a dimension of psionic energy - with the rest acting as a focus. An arhulian can forgo draining themselves and only focus on controlling throughput, resulting in them being able to command tremendous amount of energies. A small 'pistol shot' can flatten giant boulders/small rock formations while the ones wielded by the most powerful Arhulian psions in the world at maximum output could easily rival thermonuclear weapons in destructive capabilities. All who have witnessed an Eclipse Arm were never that Arhulian's target, because such a weapon is only called fourth when the Arhulian wants to make their target not exist anymore with conviction.
A fantastic commission from Yivah!
This is a big piece I have been wanting for a while now, a page displaying many of the special abilities Arhulians have, from living weapons, to psionic abilities, in addition to their extraordinary perception. Arhulian psionics manifests in multiple ways, with most Arhulians adopting an area of specialization. The three broadest categories, ordered in difficulty of mastery would be extrasensory - "6th sense", telepathy, etc..; vessel manipulation - combat morphs, living weapons, regeneration, etc..; and domain externalization - energy manipulation, control of fundamental forces, and so on. At some point, I'll have to make a world bible for their psionic powers!
All abilities listed in order of right to left, top to bottom.
1 - Living Weapon Biomorph
Arhulian bones are made of a material called 'Arhdrargyrum' as living metal that can be manipulated to form a variety of useful structures from shields to whip swords. Even the density and hardness of the material can be directly affected. Even without psi training, broken Arhulian bones can heal in a matter of days. There's a finite amount that can be actively manipulated for external combat morphs that can be increased with training. This one is blocking a tank shell - rather than deflecting - with whip swords ready to impale the viewports.
2 - Wisp in a Jar
Although it's the most basic of the energy manipulation techniques, creating a 'Wisp' is a big milestone. A wisp is a point like concentration of psionic energy. It can be used to generate light, ignite items, and highlight things for more advanced psionic attacks, as well as even act as a remote point of observation. Wisps can be moved to solid materials, and thus can reach objects that are otherwise inaccessible. Wisps are also why Arhulians predominantly forgo the use of black powder for military applications, and they know all too well the risks of remote detonation... something their adversaries wished they had known.
3 - Nova & Psi Sword
The power of the Soul or 'thread' replenishes infinitely - though there are limits to how much power can be channeled at once, and how quickly it restores - much like the reservoir of a dam. Going Nova is to greatly magnify an Arhulian's ability to channel their Soul, allowing astonishing feats of power and speed to be put on display. Their fur turns a luminescent silver during Nova. That said, there is a danger; there is only so much power a vessel can handle before the power of the Soul scalds it from the inside out and eventually de-anchors. (Otherwise known death.) Going Nova removes the invisible barriers from keeping psions commanding more power than what their vessel can withstand, thus Nova requires a great deal of experience and training to use safely. Nova itself is difficult to obtain, as it is a great power revealed in response to a need. To have Nova to come out 'in the wild' as a response to trauma or dire circumstances is considered a worst case scenario as the potential for the user of hurting themselves as much as the object of their distress is great.
The user is also wielding blade of condensed psionic energy that is able to cleave most matter with ease. In addition, the it can be thrown as an explosive javelin, or reconfigured into a sphere which serves as the nucleus of many energy attacks, making it a versatile weapon.
4 - Thrumming Needles
Dense, hovering needles of Arhdrargyrum that can be accelerated to great speeds to impale targets outright, or act as remote foci for specialized psionic attacks.
5 - Bellunade
To differentiate their 'guns' from black powder derived weapons, the source word bellum was used instead of gunhild to denote Arhulian weapons. They function as linear accelerators, using their own psionic energy as the power input instead of magnetism to launch (usually) inert projectiles at tremendous velocities. The biomorphs for them feature additional muscle for fine control as well as bracing. They can function recoiled or recoilless modes depending on the needs of the wielder.
6 - Guardian Shell
A hard energy projection that encapsulates the user that not only physically blocks incoming attacks, but distributes energy across it's entire surface area and diminish the energy of incoming attacks. Depending on the size, desired energy usage, and protection level, shells can diminish the effectiveness of attacks to be minor, or stop them entirely. Everything from kinetics, to radiation, to blast waves or focused energy.
7 - Astral Lance
A concentration of energy that not only burns and pierces as a laser would, but it can saturate a target with dangerous amounts of psionic energy that then explosively decomposes. Unlike mundane equivalents, these attacks have every high total energy, and controllable brisance. All psionic attacks are resisted by willed/souled beings, even ones that are completely blind and untrained. Thus, though certainly lethal, astral lances have remarkable destructive properties towards inanimate material. It's been noted that attacks that are "only" fatal to a living target should have left the body completely aerosolized when compared to a mundane explosion of the same destructive effect on the environment. The easiest place to generate focus for a psi attack is the head - more skilled users can generate focal points across their body such as the hands and tail.
8 - Amaranth Fire
A lavender psionic fire that burns with unnatural properties, nearly able to combust almost anything. Although resisted even passively by living beings, living targets can still be harmed by the indirect effects of the flame, such as loss of structural integrity, combustion products, smoke, and radiant temperature.
9 - Euclidean Translocation (Levitation)
Supernatural flight. Notes include the ability to short range teleportation (true translocation), temporarily becoming incorporeal during great bursts of speed (flash-stepping), and traveling at tremendous speed - as long as it's on a relatively straight trajectory. (Shine-dashing)
10 - Eclipse Arm
One of the mightiest biomorphs at an Arhulian's disposal. Creating a stable gate to the Umbra - a dimension of psionic energy - with the rest acting as a focus. An arhulian can forgo draining themselves and only focus on controlling throughput, resulting in them being able to command tremendous amount of energies. A small 'pistol shot' can flatten giant boulders/small rock formations while the ones wielded by the most powerful Arhulian psions in the world at maximum output could easily rival thermonuclear weapons in destructive capabilities. All who have witnessed an Eclipse Arm were never that Arhulian's target, because such a weapon is only called fourth when the Arhulian wants to make their target not exist anymore with conviction.
Relax your grip, lady. No one's taking that thing away from you. (No one else wants it.)
If Jocosa were asked this question by someone in-universe (9/10 uncomfortable, especially here in her younger years) she would give the answer of "being in the family way again would not be medically advisable." That is truth-adjacent, but not the whole truth. As she says, questions surrounding her fertility followed her for years, through side-eyes from her peers; glances of pity by her staff; through exhortations and excoriations from her husband and father and mother.
Jocosa wasn't deluded--she knew why her strange, singular spawn was considered unacceptable. Years prior, even she'd have agreed that she was duty-bound to produce progeny. That was the girl that married a contemptible man at the behest of her father for the good of the bloodline. Despite pressure from those same men to submit herself to more pregnancies, for the first time, Jocosa refused their demands.
She'd never have dreamed of such rebellion in her youth. But coming into womanhood--or, perhaps, the nights enduring the humiliation of the marital bed, the years spent sick and suffering through futile pregnancies and miscarriages and stillbirths, and the months caring for the infant the family doctor told her would die (would be better off dead)--changed her. She developed resentment, spite, a thirst for power of her own and, most surprisingly, a deep affection for her wretched little whelp. Though her body had recoiled at the thing growing inside it and vomited him up prematurely, he still clung to life and to her, loyally obeying her desperate, whispered orders to stay alive just one day more. He had stayed by her side when none of her other offspring could and none of her family cared to, and she'd stay by his.
Death hadn't claimed him, and her family didn't claim him. Her son--her family's legacy--was therefore hers to shape, and hers alone.
In which Theo says "I'm not naive," then proceeds to be deeply naive.
This'd maybe rank as 6/10 uncomfortable. Theo has little to lose by helping Hyden, and Hyden has little to gain by alienating Theo. It only makes sense that the two most intelligent men on the continent should combine their minds to see their missing pieces restored. Theo has no reasons to believe Hyden is lying to him about his intentions (no reasons he's paying attention to, anyway).
Whether Hyden cares is another matter. Theo is aware that Hyden is not exactly the sentimental type. That's fine, Theo knows he is unusually emotional compared to most and being more sensible than that isn't a bad thing. After all, his mother was a pragmatic person, not given to flights of fancy or great shows of emotion. Despite that, she and Theo were kindred spirits, and she cared for his troubles like her own. He and Hyden have much in common as well. Maybe it isn't impossible that Hyden could care, too...
Discussing past relationships and what happened to Milana after she left him.
For several years after the split Hyden was far too occupied by his own issues to spare much thought for her. But news tends to get around in noble social circles.
She married wealthy, of course. And chose someone far more palatable to her parents (who she mended her relationship with after leaving Hyden). Absolutely NOT a wizard, she swore off of ever dating those things again. She had children and the family she hinted at wanting in the past. Whether any of them survived the fall of the Old Kingdoms is unknown, but reasonably likely, given that none of them had any magical blood.
She and Hyden never spoke again after the breakup and rarely if ever crossed paths at parties and events, because Hyden became something of a recluse after his injury. As you can see, he's not exactly over her (for one, he's periodically referred to her as his 'wife' and used terminology like 'divorced'--they were not married) but he seems to find more value in wallowing in his chosen narrative of "my wife left me because I'm sick :(" than in awkwardly trying and failing to talk things out. So 2/10 discomfort, perhaps. The extra point is because he has to brace himself for having his lies called out, but he's ready to defend them. Mostly he enjoys the pity party session.
(Also, the woman in the first picture hasn't been discussed before, but let's just say there are a couple reasons his fellow countrymen suspected he might have divided loyalties back in his early 20s.)
It's hard to rank how uncomfortable this question is, because Theo is certain of his goal but also has a whole lot of feelings about it. Let's just go with an arbitrary 8/10.
Theo would be inherently perturbed at anyone asking about his pet project as he has told no one besides Hyden about it -- but even putting that aside, discussing his grief and his failure to process it is naturally fraught. In this instance in particular, he's stumbling around expressing a thought he knows is not rational, but that he deeply feels to be true. It's a belief close to his heart (or, more aptly, his soul), one that straddles the line between spirituality and delusion.
Though his voice is faltering and his grasp on reality is somewhat unstable, his convictions are neither. He will never give up on Mother. He simply can't.
it's hard to describe just how much this game has utterly captivated me with it's protagonist and atmosphere. fluffy/dark-haired slightly feral bisexual with a nicotine addiction facing down indescribable horrors all while working in MYST-style isolation and clunky, tactile cassette-futurist interfaces… that's the good shit right there.
While Kel is a player avatar, I hope their "canon" story gets some charactization. Going from "Oh, god, I'm a disposable pawn and I'm never coming out of here alive." to "I have seen so much and can handle what others can't so much that they are boned if they try to silence me."
