Merzost: Magic; Abomination
Grisha practice the small science, merzost is forbidden. Jurda parem, the Turning, it is Merzost. Grisha are born. Creating one is a violation at the making of the heart of the world. There is a cost, paid in blood, to violate the natural order of things. For those grisha who survive parem, the nature of their power changes and the hunger for parem never quite leaves. It is all consuming and a second dose currently makes it impossible to break the addiction. It eats up their power and consumes them until nothing but a husk is left and the grisha dies. For those that take one dose and overcome the detox process, they still feel hollowed out -robbed of their power. In the empty space power floods but it will be unique, if it is discovered. These grisha may experience anything from pity to shunning; even from their own kind.
For the few non-grisha who survive the process of the turning, the cost is just as steep. A corruption of the body and soul, whether the Turning pulls latent grisha power to the surface or impregnates it into a person, is unclear. If they do not adapt quickly and learn to use their powers they will be consumed by it. There is great physical pain involved in the turning and the corruption may surface physical, emotional or manifest in the grisha power itself. Once initiated there is now way to control the outcome, if a patient survives or what power they will have.
A basic outline of the procedure:
Both Grisha and the Non-Grisha are dosed with a gas to encourage compliance and remove inhibition. This ensure orders are followed and makes all patients more receptive
Both Grisha are dosed with parem; non-grisha is strapped to a medical table and an IV is inserted administering diluted parem.
A Corporalnik (heartrender/healer/tailor) paired with a Materialnik (durast/alkemi), use their enhanced powers together to ‘call’ to any grisha power in a non-grisha. The corporalnik focuses on calling it and the materialnik focus on making it stay.
Specifics are unclear due to the effects of the gasses, but patients who survive the turning describe it as every cell of their body being ripped apart and stitched back together. Most patients (50% die of shock, heartattack, major hemorrhage, etc.) die at this stage. Another 10% will die within a few days due to consumption of life force from the Grisha power. There is no greater pain.
It is believed non-grisha who have a particular connection to an element or passion fare better and are more likely to survive. Stronger, more powerful grisha tend to have better results in initiating the process.
The Turning can take anywhere from around 20 minutes to 90 minutes once a patient is on the table. The process typically ends when one, or both Grisha pass out related to the exceptional use of their power as fueled by parem. In some cases both grisha remain conscious and are sedated as a means to relocate them to either detox or begin another process. Any physical discomfort felt by the grisha is undetermined as the effects of param and Parem withdrawal tend to overshadow it.
Any and all players not actively involved in the Turning process are able to observe it. Mandated observers include Ivan, Kuwei, Alina, Matthias, Zoya, Wylan, David, Ravi and Genya. Players are now welcome to write threads and drabbles regarding the turning or the aftermath for their characters related to the process.