The Zethos Hazardous Abilities Center (ZHAC):
In the world of Zethos, magic is relatively common. Enough so that special measures had to be put into place to prevent those blessed with extraordinary capabilities from causing mass destruction or exerting their whims over those less fortunate. Thus, the ZHAC was created.
Housed in the snowy mountains of Voi'elle, the ZHAC is a fortress of cement, steel, and magic-suppressing technology (generously provided by CherubCorp).
Many of the higher ranking ZHAC personnel are magically gifted themselves and have gone through extensive schooling and training to be best equipped to set their wayward peers on the right paths.
Patients admitted into the ZHAC are evaluated based on their cooperation and risk levels (Ward Colors) along with their magical capability levels (Tiers).
Tiers classify raw destructive potential, independent of personality, cooperation, or ward placement.
A patient’s Ward = behavior + stability.
A patient’s Tier = power + potential damage.
ZHAC Tier System:
Tier 1: “Enhanced Mortals”
Profile:
Individuals with no true magic, but enhanced physicality, training, or minor supernatural quirks.
Examples:
Peak‑condition fighters
Alchemically enhanced humans
Minor beastkin traits (claws, strength, senses)
Threat:
Low. Dangerous only in close quarters.
Risk: Low
Protocols:
Standard restraints only during transport
One‑guard escort
No suppression devices required
Cleared for group therapy and common areas
Weekly check‑ins with medical staff
Internal note: “Treat like a normal inmate with a temper.”
Tier 2: “Parlor Trick Casters”
Profile:
Individuals with non‑lethal magic or small, controlled abilities.
Examples:
Light manipulation
Minor illusions
Spark-level fire
Frost breath, not full ice magic
Threat:
Moderate. Can injure, but not destroy.
Risk: Moderate
Protocols:
Light suppression bands (wrists or ankles)
Two‑guard escort for transfers
No access to flammable, conductive, or magically reactive materials
Daily magical stability check
Allowed supervised group activities
Internal note: “Keep tabs, non-dangerous, but do not underestimate.”
Tier 3: “Elemental Combatants”
Profile:
Individuals with powers that are dangerous but containable.
This is where most combat‑capable mages fall.
Examples:
Fire, ice, lightning, or plant manipulation
Telekinesis under 500 lbs
Blood magic with strict limits
Shapeshifting into non‑giant forms
Threat:
High. Capable of killing, causing structural damage, or overwhelming guards.
Risk: High
Protocols:
Mandatory suppression collar
Three‑guard escort with one mage‑trained officer
No physical contact without restraints
Environmental controls in rooms (temperature, humidity, etc.)
Immediate sedation authorization if powers breach suppression
Weekly psychological evaluation
Internal note: “Treat with caution. Escalates fast if triggered.”
Tier 4: “City‑Scale Threats”
Profile:
Individuals whose abilities can devastate a city block or destabilize infrastructure.
Examples:
Large‑scale elemental storms
Necromancy capable of raising dozens
Telekinesis capable of collapsing buildings
Spatial distortion on a small scale
Threat:
Severe. Requires specialized suppression and multiple handlers.
Risk: Severe
Protocols:
Dual‑layer suppression systems (collar + room dampeners)
Four‑guard escort, all armored, with one specialist caster
No direct staff interaction without remote monitoring
Reinforced containment cell with emergency lockdown
Daily magical output scans
Two‑doctor approval for any procedure
Internal note: “One mistake affects the whole facility.”
Tier 5: “National Threats”
Profile:
Individuals whose abilities could destroy or cripple an entire region or country.
Examples:
Weather mages capable of continent‑wide storms
Plague casters
High‑tier chronomancers (localized time dilation)
Summoners of large, uncontrollable entities
Threat:
Extreme. ZHAC rarely contains these - they usually die, disappear, or are handled by higher authorities.
Risk: Extreme
Protocols:
Full‑body suppression harness
Escort only under emergency conditions
Containment cell isolated from main facility
24/7 surveillance with automated countermeasures
Magical stabilizers active at all times
Director‑level authorization required for interaction
Internal note: “Contain if possible. Report aggression to higher personnel immediately and disengage.”
Tier 6: “Continental / Global Threats”
Profile:
Individuals whose existence threatens entire continents or the world.
Examples:
Reality warpers
High‑order dimensional mages
Ancient beings with catastrophic power
Magic that destabilizes ecosystems or ley lines
Threat:
Cataclysmic.
Containment is theoretical.
Most are believed extinct.
Risk: Cataclysmic
Protocols:
Multi‑layer suppression array integrated into the cell
Zero physical contact; remote interaction only
Cell located in deep‑containment sublevels
Reality‑stabilization wards active at all times
Daily readings from arcane, environmental, and dimensional sensors
Only the highest‑ranked ZHAC personnel may authorize access
Internal note: “Treat aggression of any kind as life threatening. Eliminate immediately.”
Tier 7: “Mythic / Impossible / Universal Threats”
Profile:
Magic that should not exist.
Abilities that bend time, space, causality, or the fabric of reality.
Examples:
Time rewinding
Universe splitting
Reality rewriting
Magic that breaks the laws of physics entirely
Threat:
Unquantifiable.
Considered mythical.
If one existed, the ZHAC would not be able to contain them.
Risk: Unquantifiable
Protocols:
Containment is theoretical
Facility shifts to emergency protocol if detection occurs
No direct interaction permitted
Multi‑disciplinary oversight (arcane, scientific, divine)
Evacuation plans prepared for dimensional instability
Treated as an extinction‑level event
If possible, eliminate on sight
Internal note: “If one exists, containment is no longer the priority - survival is. Eliminate on sight.”
ZHAC Ward System:
PURPLE WARD: “The Abyss”
Classification: Irreversible Threat / Non‑Rehabilitative
Profile:
Individuals who cannot be rehabilitated and pose a catastrophic danger to staff, other patients, and the public.
These are the cases where the ZHAC has essentially given up on treatment and shifted to containment-only.
Traits:
Unpredictable, violent, or mentally fractured
Magical abilities too strong or unstable to safely suppress
History of lethal incidents
Zero cooperation
Protocols:
Full restraints during transport
Triple‑reinforced cells
24/7 surveillance
Two‑doctor approval for any interaction
Notes:
This is where the ZHAC hides its failures.
BLUE WARD: “The Frostline”
Classification: High Threat / Potentially Rehabilitative
Profile:
Powerful, aggressive, dangerous individuals who are uncooperative right now, but not beyond reason.
Traits:
Strong magical abilities
Volatile temper
Aggressive but not mindlessly so
Capable of forming attachments or responding to authority
Protocols:
Suppression collars or dampeners
Armed escorts
Strict schedules
Limited privileges
Notes:
Blue Ward patients are the ones who could improve- or could snap and end up in Purple.
GREEN WARD: “The Think Tank”
Classification: High Intelligence / Low Physical Aggression
Profile:
Dangerous not because of violence, but because of intellect, manipulation, or magical finesse.
These individuals may cooperate- or may be playing a long game.
Traits:
Highly intelligent
Non‑aggressive or selectively aggressive
Skilled manipulators
Magical or strategic threats
Protocols:
Psychological monitoring
Restricted access to information
Staff rotation to prevent attachment or manipulation
Controlled privileges
Notes:
Green Ward patients are the ones who smile at you while planning your downfall.
RED WARD: “The Kennel”
Classification: Low‑Magic / High Aggression
Profile:
Aggressive, non‑cooperative individuals with little or no magical ability.
They’re dangerous, but containable.
Traits:
Frequent fights
Physical violence
No significant magical threat
Often gang‑affiliated or criminal
Protocols:
Physical restraints
Standard guards
Anger‑management programs
Group therapy (when possible)
Notes:
Red Ward is loud, chaotic, and constantly on the edge of a brawl.
YELLOW WARD: “The Haven”
Classification: Low Threat / Voluntary or Cooperative
Profile:
Individuals with minor or no magical abilities who are cooperative, seeking treatment, or using the ZHAC as refuge.
Traits:
Non‑violent
Willing to follow rules
Often victims of crime syndicates or magical accidents
May be awaiting relocation or rehabilitation
Protocols:
Minimal restraints
Access to common areas
Regular therapy
Optional training or education
Notes:
Yellow Ward is the closest thing the ZHAC has to a humane environment.
ZHAC Staff and Personnel Clearance Levels:
Level 0 — Visitor / Civilian Contact
Access:
Public‑facing areas only (lobby, intake desk, waiting rooms)
No patient information
No magical containment zones
Restrictions:
Must be escorted at all times
No personal items allowed past security
Purpose:
Delivery drivers, repair contractors, legal representatives.
Level 1 — Support Staff
Access:
Non‑secure wings (laundry, cafeteria, maintenance corridors)
Basic patient rosters (names only)
Non‑magical supply rooms
Restrictions:
No access to containment wings
Cannot view patient files or threat tiers
Purpose:
Custodial staff, kitchen workers, janitorial teams.
Level 2 — Medical Assistants / Junior Personnel
Access:
Yellow and Red Ward common areas
Basic patient medical files
Non‑hazardous magical suppression equipment
Restrictions:
Cannot administer sedation
Cannot enter Blue, Green, or Purple Wards
Purpose:
Nurses in training, low‑rank medics, new hires.
Level 3 — Standard Medical & Security Personnel
Access:
Full access to Yellow, Red, and Green Wards
Patient files up to Tier 3
Authority to apply standard restraints
Escort privileges for Tier 1–2 patients
Restrictions:
Cannot access Blue or Purple Ward containment rooms
Cannot view Tier 4+ files
Purpose:
Doctors, psychologists, mid‑rank guards.
Level 4 — Senior Containment Officers
Access:
Blue Ward access
Full files for Tier 1–4 patients
Authorization to administer sedation
Access to magical suppression systems
Restrictions:
Cannot enter Purple Ward without Level 5 escort
Cannot view Tier 5–7 files
Purpose:
Senior guards, combat‑trained medics, magical specialists.
Level 5 — High‑Risk Containment Specialists
Access:
Purple Ward access
Full files for Tier 1–5 patients
Authority to initiate lockdowns
Access to experimental suppression tech
Restrictions:
Cannot access Tier 6–7 archives
Cannot authorize patient termination
Purpose:
Elite containment officers, arcane researchers, ward chiefs.
Level 6 — Executive Clearance
Access:
All Wards, including Purple
Full files for Tier 1–6 patients
Authority to approve or deny transfers
Access to dimensional/magical anomaly reports
Restrictions:
Tier 7 information is compartmentalized and redacted
Purpose:
Facility directors, head researchers, chief medical officers.
Level 7 — “Black Clearance”
Access:
Tier 7 archives
Reality‑instability reports
Catastrophic event protocols
Access to sealed historical records
Restrictions:
None (but monitored by external oversight)
Purpose:
Only 1–3 people in the entire ZHAC system hold this clearance.
If you have Level 7, you are either:
the Director,
the Arcane Oversight Chair,
or someone who should not exist.
Level 8 — “Ghost Clearance” (Classified)
Access:
Not officially acknowledged
Used for individuals who are not on payroll
Access to everything, including Tier 7 and off‑record anomalies
Purpose:
Black‑ops agents, external auditors, or entities the ZHAC cannot publicly admit to working with.
This level is rumored, not confirmed.
Please Note: These worlds, concepts, and pieces of lore are all works of my own imagination. AI is only used for imagery and audio purposes (Ie: Songs, some character face claims, location imagery, relic imagery, species imagery, etc.) All creations made using AI will be marked as such. If it isn't marked, it's man-made.
*AI was used to generate location imagery on this post and for organizational formatting; however, all concepts are man-made and belong to SourAppleX1.