#icruxti lore

[scatteriskity]

>> Lore Drop: Smoke and Mirrors

Realm: Circadyne, of the Icruxti

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Flare: Think of it like a halo or aura of light. It's correlated with Dyne capacity; the bigger the potential, the brighter the shine.

Flare can tell you a lot of things - Dyne capacity, energy levels, emotional state, even health status - but not all Icruxti can read the auras in great detail. At best, they can probably eyeball which altitude you're from. Sometimes big displays of magic or emotion will make the flare very obvious as well.

(Calire is one of those who can read flare - she's a healer! Most healers can. As well as those working more espionage or security type roles where it's important to gauge who's in the room.)

[How Humans Deal With It] They can't.

It's completely overwhelming to the senses. Flare is magic radiance of a wavelength that can't be processed by the brain, which defaults its experience to "bright and blurry". This usually triggers some crossover to other senses as well: a sharp taste in the mouth or stinging smell, pressure or prickling upon the skin.

Wouldn't go so far as to call it an eldritch overload experience, but it's undoubtedly unpleasant.

[On Reflections 🪞] The perception of flare is completely done by the brain. It doesn't exist on a visible light spectrum. And for some reason, it doesn't do well in reflections.

A camera that doesn't use any mirrors will still be scrambled by the radiant output of flare. But a mirror (or any reflective surface, really; a shiny tray, a still pool, etc.) will dissipate the smears of light and leave you with a nice, plain, non-shiny image of the Icruxti.

On that note, the Icruxti don't really like mirrors (particularly the high-Dyne ones). With their glow and glamour stripped away, it's almost like looking at a corpse. Because the only time Icruxti do not glow with Dyne (even those with minimal baseline), is when their life-force is fully spent.

[scatteriskity]

>> Lore Drop: On Dyne

Realm: Circadyne, of the Icruxti

Dyne: the magical force of this realm. Technically, saying that the Icruxti possess Dyne is not a totally accurate description; they all possess a capacity to use it.

Ambient Dyne is everywhere in the atmosphere. The saturation of Dyne in the atmosphere increases the higher up you go.

The higher up you go, the greater Dyne capacity you must have to live up there.

The higher Dyne capacity you have, the more you can do with it.

What does this mean? Higher capacity Dyne users living at higher altitudes. Indeed, the realm has a vertical progression of power. It's not purely social stratification, but a physiological one as well.

It's less of an elemental manipulation power, and more like a force? An energy? Something like that.

Typical uses:

Common: create a spark/light a fire, jumpstart a small device, hold something together temporarily

Skilled (often in combo with casting): minor healing or mending, short-range telekinesis, ability boost (speed, sensory, strength), change temperature

Expert: manifestations (flight, claws, armor, etc.), major healing/mending, dominance, environmental effect

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The Consequences of Dyne Overload

Dyne overload affects Icruxti and humans differently. Humans are not built to breathe Dyne, which displaces oxygen at high saturation. The result is a Dyne saturation crisis, functionally leading to hypoxia that can be fatal if not corrected rapidly. A late stage sat-crisis can also present with blue-tinged sweat, tears, or fluid coughed up from the lungs.

True Dyne overload, however, exerts its effects on Icruxti who are in Dyne environments that are more concentrated than their capacity can handle. Often presenting as a "fever and flare" - new or existing Dyne markings glowing and radiating heat - with agitation and aggression, or confusion and lethargy.

This can be avoided through proper capacity training, and by not ascending altitude too quickly.