Merged Overview of Magicka



Basics -

Elder Bloods are the ultimate source of Magicka; there are over twenty known Elder Bloods and each one produces a unique Eldersoul with special capabilities not shared by the others. The only universal factor involved in every form of Magicka is the presence of Younitaari Crystals within the body.

Each and every Elder Blood originated from a single being, scholars sometimes use this to categorize them into five groups; Kaldoric, Auran, Draconic, Phoenician, or Colossian. Since the techniques are so varied even among those coming from similar sources (such as Dragons) this method of identification is not exceedingly popular. The most widely accepted categorization method has three branches, Biological, (Those relating to the various forms of life or the body and the manipulation thereof) Nomological, (Those relating to the laws of Physics) and Trinitary (Those relating to the Soul, Spirit, or Veins), with several subcategories in each.

Technically, the Grethas and Crystal Keys are also Elder Bloods, but they are differentiated from normal Magicka since their mechanics and the way they work are easily capable of being classified under a totally different name and system. (i.e Primazii and Istaari, respectively.)



Utilized Energy Types -


Note: This is not a complete list of energy types and only contains those specifically used in Primazii techniques and the root types thereof.


The Spirit – The Spirit is the essence of a being and can best be described as the individuality, consciousness, emotions, and willpower, but it does have its own unique energy type.

-The Cerebrum: The Cerebrum is an indivisible sub-part of the Spirit; and one of the three types of Guides, with the other two being the Crest for animals and the Seed for plants. It is the link between the Spirit and the Soul which activates the conversion process of Soul energy into Physical energy as well as drawing information from the genetic code to guide the body in its utilization of the Physical Energy or perform other functions.

The Soul – The Soul is the power source of a being, the average soul contains approximates nine-thousand veins worth of Physical energy, a single vein is enough to sustain the body's functions for approximately eight days. (The number of veins within a Soul can vary based upon race and genetics, the Spirit actually produces the Soul at the moment of conception based on the genetic information it receives.)

-Physical Energy: Physical Energy is the energy used by the body to perform motor functions, maintain the immune system, stave off the decay caused by aging, and to regenerate. It is also the energy Ketaarists and Istaarists draw upon and convert into Elemental or Kinetic energy when performing techniques.

-Nature Energy: Nature Energy is essentially a variation of Physical Energy that is used by plantforms for their growth, reproductive, and regenerative functions, it is generated through photosynthesis and thus bypasses the need for any kind of Soul-like energy.

-Electromagnetic Energy: Electromagnetic Energy is defined as all the energy types found within the Electromagnetic Spectrum, including both Light and Radio waves.


Eldersoul – An Eldersoul is a secondary soul formed by the Spirit following the introduction of extraoriginal DNA into the body.

-Elder Energy – Elder Energy is any kind of unclassified energy created from an Eldersoul by the Cerebrum using information from extraoriginal genetic code. (Elder Bloods or Dragon Bloods both fit this category.)

Genetic Energy – Genetic Energy is defined as any amount of information within a Soul or Prime that a Guide uses to perform a specific function. Essentially, it can be defined as anything a Guide “learns” from a genetic code, natural or foreign.



Details -

Upon receiving the genetic information of an Elder Blood or Dragon Blood, the Spirit will form a secondary Soul with special characteristics designed specifically to work in tandem with the latent characteristics of the foreign blood. There is a variation of Eldersoul for every Elder Blood or Dragon Blood in existence.

All Eldersouls have unique potential hidden within them; some allow the user to manipulate a specific type of energy such as electromagnetic or nature, not normally accessible by Istaari. Others allows one to manipulate space or time, cerebral energy, dreams, or even dark energy. Still others allow one to manipulate the skeletal structure and the body itself, or generate and control microorganisms and biological substances such as acid. There are virtually no limits to what Elder Bloods are capable of.

Each Eldersoul has three states of release; with each state the Elder Blood more fully manifests itself in the physical appearance of the one who possesses it and unlocks greater potential within its set of techniques. The three states are designated; Activated, Awakened, and Ascended with each increment drastically increasing the user’s power level.



How does it work? -

In order to utilize Magicka the user must enter a release state of sufficient power, most techniques require the Activated release at the minimum while a very few don’t require any release at all; they are referred to as Inert techniques. Normally , there is an ambient presence of Elder Energy within the body of anyone who possesses an Eldersoul allowing them to perform Inert Techniques, but as mentioned before; with each successive release state this energy circulation increases exponentially opening the door to more potent techniques.

Using the genetic information contained in an Elder Blood, the Cerebrum is able to draw energy from the Eldersoul and utilize it to perform Magicka techniques.



Technique Rankings -

There are four ability ranks, C and B which cover Inert, Latent, and Activated techniques, A rank, which cover Awakened techniques, and S rank, which cover Ascended techniques.



Draconism -

Draconics are practitioners of Magicka who possess a Dragon Blood specifically. They are somewhat similar to Shapeshifters, sharing traits with Primazii, but also having elements from Magicka such as an Eldersoul and three release states, and even having a trait unique from all three of the other systems, the ability to liquify and/or suspend crystal at will. Each release state progressively metamorphosizes the user’s body into a dragon with the Ascended state initiating and sustaining the full form of a dragon.

Draconics must spend extended periods of time in their Draconics form in order to learn to utilize all of the biological functions available to them, which (since any species of Dragon can be sourced by a Draconic,) are often quite extensive.



Biological Details and Effects of Extensive Use -

When an Elder Blood is injected into the body the changes that occur are so thorough that it is extremely incapacitating and often leaves the user unable to utilize any of their techniques or even move their bodies at all for hours or days on end. It is also extremely painful and leads to short heart stoppages and muscle contractions which are intensely painful. (If an Elder Blood is inherited at birth, however, there is no risk.) Normally Younitaari Crystals cling to the Oritaari Platelets in the bloodstream in tiny amounts and are evenly distributed throughout the body. But once an Elder Blood is introduced into the body the Younitaari Crystals dissolve and literally become a part of the blood plasma slightly thickening its overall density and making it more difficult for the heart to pump the blood. It can take several weeks for the heart to stabilize after the introduction of an Elder Blood but since it is a muscle like any other, it does strengthen to overcome the added strain. In some cases the Blood Plasma’s color will change and begin to glow, though this doesn’t happen in all Elder Bloods, nor does it happen in a specific state; it depends on the Elder Blood in question, all are different.

It’s important to note that most people cannot withstand the possession of more than one Eldersoul without an energy overload that shatters all the Itaari Crystals in their system and renders them entirely unable to utilize Magicka, Primazii, or Istaari at all, in fact, when this occurs it is almost always fatal. Only a very few individuals are able to withstand the possession of more than one Eldersoul but those that can may become immensely powerful.



Conclusion -

Magicka is a complex system which is difficult to master. However, it is useful to the extreme, allowing users access to abilities that Shapeshifters and Istaarists could scarcely hope to match. That said, like all the others branches it does have its risks and should also be approached with caution.




Merged Overview of Istaari



Basics -

At its root, Istaari begins with the Cerebrum, the user must learn to directly manipulate his Cerebrum or he will be entirely unable to utilize Istaari Techniques even if the potential exists within his or her body.

All Tiran races possess the Crystal Key, which was gifted to them by Arda. (A few of the non-Tiran races also possess it, but not all.) The Crystal Key is essentially the genetic information needed to tap into the conversion properties of The Itaari Crystals within the blood streams and to control Physical Energy once it's converted into an alternate form.

Normally, the genetic code of Tiran races provides their Cerebrum with information for the only type of conversion they really need to survive, converting Soul Energy into “Veins,” otherwise known as Physical Energy.
With The Crystal Key, the Cerebrum is able to take it a step further and convert Physical Energy into Thermal, Fluid, and Kinetic Energy. (The ease of performing any of these functions depends on what variation of The Crystal Key was inherited; sometimes it's easier for someone to perform one conversion over another.)

But with skill, the Key can be made to go even further than this, it also has the ability to combine or focus any of the four types of Basic Energies (Thermal, Fluid, and Kinetic) into even more potent energy types such as Endothermic (Ice) or Volcanic. (Magma)



What are Itaari Crystals? -

As you may have gathered, Itaari Crystals are a type of mineral with energy conversion properties. This mineral is abundant in the world of Tira, it is found in high concentrations within water sources and thus seeps up through the food-chain into human-kind, there are three forms of Itaari Crystals, Oritaari, which is the most common, and two exceedingly rare variations known as Exotaari and Younitaari. All human-kind have these three types of the mineral present in their bloodstream in varying amounts. They are the second of the three fundamental elements of Istaari, control of the Cerebrum, the presence of Itaari Crystals in the body, and the genetic information necessary to activate them in the desired manner.




What are Archetypes? -

The Four Archetypes, Ardor, Essence, Breath, and Domain, are overarching categories composed of the various element that can be manipulated via Istaari.

Archetype Title: Ardor
Type: Basic

Alignment Percentage: 19.71% of Population

Overview: Ardor is the Archetype of Honor and Faith, it is thought to represent an eternally burning conviction. Ardor is one of the most deadly Archetypes in combat, users can learn a variety of techniques from simple combustion, to breathing flame, from deadly landscape carpeting explosions, to a simple sustained hand flame for heat and light. Smoke and Ash can be used in tandem or separately for a variety of purposes, an ember could be split open to shower the battle-field in searing debris, smoke could be used to cover a retreat or impair vision. Magma is the deadliest of the Ardor Elements, it has the capacity to be used in hundreds of ways from a shrapnel of brimstone to obsidian blade coatings.

Component Elements: Fire, Magma, Smoke, Ash


Archetype Title: Essence
Type: Basic

Alignment Percentage: 21.67% of Population

Overview: Essence is the element of Wrath and Purity, it is thought to represent the onslaught of true justice against a darkened world. Essence is an Archetype well suited to manipulating a given battle. Users can learn to throw thousands of gallons of water across the battlefield in a tidal wave or create a rapidly spiraling sphere of water which will knock even the stoutest of foes to the ground, they can learn to breathe underwater or surround their bodies with a dome of water spinning so rapidly not even a bullet can penetrate it. All of their techniques can be amplified even further through heating the water to scaling temperatures. Oil can be used to amplify Ardor techniques and for special purposes such as the lubrication of wheels or siege engines. Finally, Ice is a deadly addition to anyone's arsenal, extreme cold is always a potent weapon able to cause muscular contractions and system shutdowns; ice itself can also serve as an excellent protective barrier.

Component Elements: Water, Ice, Oil, Steam


Archetype Title: Breath
Type: Basic

Alignment Percentage: 27.59% of Population

Overview: Breath is the Archetype of Freedom and Valor, it is thought to represent the unrealized potential of the human spirit when present with it's Creator. Breath is the Archetype best suited to amplifying one's potential in battle. Users can manipulate it's powers to speed their movements, cause their weapons to vibrate for drastically increased sharpness, direct projectiles after launch, or even manipulate sound; fog can be used in a similar fashion as smoke and the various gases can be used in many different ways.

Component Elements: Pressure, Gases, Sound, Fog


Archetype Title: Domain
Type: Basic

Alignment Percentage: 31.03% of Population

Overview: Domain is the Archetype of Truth and Sacrifice, it is thought to represent the solid unchanging laws and realities that the world is composed of and the slow erosion of the Spirit of the just through self-sacrifice. Domain is the Archetype best suited to defense and secondarily to battlefield control. Users can toss chunks of jagged rock across the battlefield at high speed or change the very shape of the terrain they stand on, they can manipulate dense rock and minerals to form protective walls and barriers or generate massive explosions via the control of raw Lithite. Sand can also be packed into dense layers and barriers that are even more effective than solid stone, mud and clay can also be used for various purposes such as entrapping and hindering foes as they attempt to advance. Over all, it is perhaps the most versatile Archetype, though this is debatable.

Component Elements: Soil, Mire, Stone, Sand



What Energy Types are Utilized in Istaari? -

Note: This is not a complete list of energy types and only contains those specifically used in Primazii techniques and the root types thereof.

The Spirit – The Spirit is the essence of a being and can best be described as the individuality, consciousness, emotions, and willpower, but it does have its own unique energy type. This energy cannot, however, be manipulated by Istaari in any way.

-The Cerebrum: The Cerebrum is an indivisible sub-part of the Spirit; and one of the three types of Guides, with the other two being the Crest for animals and the Seed for plants. It is the link between the Spirit and the Soul which activates the conversion process of Soul energy into Physical energy as well as drawing information from the genetic code to guide the body in its utilization of the Physical Energy or perform other functions.
The Soul – The Soul is the power source of a being, the average soul contains approximates nine-thousand Veins worth of Physical energy, a single vein is enough to sustain the body's functions for approximately seven days. (The number of Veins within a Soul can vary based upon race and genetics, the Spirit actually produces or “releases” the Soul at the moment of conception based on the genetic information it receives.)

-Physical Energy: Physical Energy is the energy used by the body to perform motor functions, maintain the immune system, stave off the decay caused by aging, and to regenerate. It is also the energy Ketaarists and Istaarists draw upon as a source when performing combat Techniques.

--Thermal Energy: Thermal Energy is typically used with the Ardor Archetype to generate Flames or Smoke and to convert stone into Molten material or reduce something to Ash. It does, however, have the capacity to drain heat in addition to generating it so it is also used in the Essence Archetype for Ice Techniques.

--Fluid Energy: Fluid Energy is the primary energy used in the Breath and Essence Archetypes to control the flow of oil and water, as well as gases.
--Kinetic Energy: Kinetic Energy is used in all Archetypes as a catalyst to initiate high intensity motion and is also the primary energy for the Domain Archetype being used to break, lift, and grind stone and other the earthen materials used in Domain Techniques.

---Duel Techniques: Skilled users of the four archetypes are able to combine one or more of their elements together to create special effects and increase the potency of their abilities, these are known as Combination Techniques.




Technicalities of Life and Death in Tira -

At any given time the Spirit has two layers of protection, Physical Energy and the Soul. The amount of Veins available to the body for use at any given time is referred to as the Physical Buffer. The Spirit will never leave the body unless the Physical Buffer is entirely depleted of energy or an imbalance occurs in the amount needed to entrap the Spirit and the amount available for the task. (Or alternatively from these, if the Soul itself is entirely depleted of energy. [Which is death from aging])
Both Physical and Soul energy can be drawn upon by Istaarists and Ketaarists to create energy shields which protect the body from physical damage until broken, but whenever the body is damaged it results in expenditure of Veins from the Physical Buffer. If the injury is severe the Veins are depleted at a constant rate; in the event that the Veins left within the Buffer are depleted the Spirit will begin to be drawn out of the body toward it's Source. (i.e God/Heaven)

That said, it may be as long as twenty minutes before the Spirit actually does leave the body. Essentially, the Soul is kicked into over-drive during this period converting itself into Veins at an abnormally rapid pace. It's output in this panic stage is just enough to maintain entrapment of the Spirit while also attempting minor stabilization and repair of the body. This condition is often referred to figuratively as Death's Doorstep and actually surviving it without outside aid is extremely unlikely, it is the body's final, desperate attempt to maintain life.



Energy Shields -

An energy shield is defined as a static shell of protective energy suspended around the body which protects it from all corporeal or energy based damage to flesh, bones, and organs, or the siphoning or direct manipulation of the Physical Buffer until it is broken. (The primary exceptions to this are Spirit and Soul energy, which can theoretically be effected regardless of the presence of an energy shield.)

Normally a fledgling learner of Istaari will only be able to generate a single shield, but over time they may be able to generate as many as three shields. With extensive training, they can even learn to shield each individual part of their body with three separate layers of shielding. (Core, Left Leg, Right Leg, Left Arm, Right Arm, and Head.) Normally, shields are formed using Physical Energy.

The Three Aspects: Energy shields have three primary Aspects regarding the way they function, I will list them below...

Capacity – The amount of energy within a shield, shields break once their Capacity is exhausted. (High to Low)

Durability – The amount a shields' Capacity is drained by attacks of varying degrees of strength. (Resilient to Vulnerable)

Recharge – The rate at which the body naturally restores the energy shield to it's full Capacity. (Rapid to Hindered)


Differentials: Each of these Aspects has an effect on the other two, increasing one decreases the other two by differing factors...

Increasing the Recharge Aspect decreases the Capacity by a factor of two and the Durability by a factor of one.

Increasing the Capacity Aspect decreases the Durability by a factor of two and the Recharge by a factor of one.

Increasing the Durability Aspect decreases the Recharge by a factor of two and the Capacity by a factor of one.


Attuning:

Attuning energy shields is a very complex process that involves a lot of strategy. With a standard energy shield, all three aspects begin at a default of 50%.

50% Recharge – 50% Capacity – 50% Durability

As an example of differentials, if the user were to up the recharge rate of one of his shields shield by 6%, the Capacity would decrease by 12% and the Durability would decrease by an equal 6% resulting in this;
56% Recharge – 38% Capacity – 44% Durability

One has to anticipate the attack methods of his opponents and attune his defenses accordingly for the best possible chance of survival.


As an example, my standard set-up on a three layer shield would be as follows;

Layer 1 – The “Alert” or “Warning” layer, this layer is essentially designed to absorb the initial attacks from any assailant and prevent assassinations. (An assassination is defined as a one hit kill wherein the target was unaware of his assailants presence or intentions)

100% Recharge
25% Durability
0% Capacity

Layer 2 – The “Control” or “Endurance” layer designed to protect the user until he forms a counter-attack strategy against his assailant.

100% Capacity
25% Recharge
0% Durability

Layer 3 – The “Emergency” or “Critical” layer designed to preserve the life of the user in the face of a high level attack that blows through the first two layers or if fighting a high-tier battle that will necessarily drag out for a long period of time.

100% Durability
25% Capacity
0% Recharge


Pulls: Pulls can be performed by skilled Istaarists or Ketaarists, they affect the percentage of one Aspect of an energy shield without invoking the penalty of a Differential.


The four increments of Pulls are named after the Lunar Phases,

Crescent – 5%

Demilune – 10%

Triquar – 15%

Full – 25%


Each successive Pull requires a great deal of skill to apply, and must be learnt in order from weakest to strongest. Most if not all Istaarists can only have one Pull active at any given time.


Synchronizations: Synchronizations are additional percentages that can be added to shields to increase resistance to specific combat conditions.

Thermal: Thermal is defined as the resistance to the Heat and Cold elements in an attack.

Kinetic: Kinetic is defined as the resistance to the Force elements in an attack.

Electrical: Electrical is defined as the resistance to Electromagnetic energy, including Light.

Sonic: Sonic is defined as the resistance to any Vibrational elements in an attack.
Biological: Biological is defined as the resistance to any Chemical, Corrosive, or Gaseous elements in an attack.
Siphonic: Siphonic is defined as the resistance to energy draining damage.

Three Synchronizations can be added to any one shield;

Primary – 60%

Secondary – 25%

Tertiary - 5%




Details -

Anyone who has carefully scrutinized my system up to this point would have recognized that the amount of Veins within a Soul actually extends the lifespan of a typical Tiran well-past the amount of time that humans actually live. If you take the number of Veins provided by the average Soul, (9000) and multiply it by the number of days a body can sustain itself from a single Vein of energy, (8) you get 63000 days, if you then divide this result by the number of days in a year, (365) it gives you approximately 200 years to live. Yet most Tiran's lifespans are limited to around 100 years, just like us here on Earth. Why is this?

The answer is simple, Tiran life-spans were longer before an event known as the Great Slumber. But only by around 40 years, this would put them up to 140 out of 200 possible years, where are the extra 60? And why do Tirans still only live 100 years if they used to live 140?

Once again, simple answer, the first 40 years shaved off the potential 200 comes from the extra Physical Energy the body needs to exert to combat sicknesses, diseases, and injuries sustained over a life-time. The last 60 years are lost as a result of two aspects, the first is the Physical Energy which is captured by The Itaari Crystals in the blood stream are one cause, (This occurs even to those who don't practice Istaari and cannot directly manipulate the crystals.) and this accounts for approximately 40 of the lost years. The other 25 lost years are drained only by actual utilization of Istaari Techniques, meaning those who don't use Istaari have a longer life expectancy, between 100 and 120 years at best.




Uses -

So what exactly are Istaari Techniques good for? If they shorten your life-span, why learn or use them? Wouldn't you want to stay as far away from them as possible?

Well, the primary reason to learn them is the same reason that Arda first gave The Crystal Key to the Tiran races. Self-Defense; Tira is a harsh world, far more dangerous than Earth on the best of days. In addition, the forces of Darkness are much more overt in their operations, nearly every city on Tira has a Criminal Syndicate and ties to the Criminal Underworld, and nearly every Criminal Syndicate has connections to The Judgment Eye buried deep within it's foundation. Since this is about Istaari, I won't get into details on The Judgment Eye, but suffice it to say it's a dangerous organization, it is both the herald as well as the arms and legs of the Demon Lord, Baal, in the world of Tira.

Istaari enables you to use both your environment and your body as a defense mechanism whether you are armed or not. However, like with any weapon, Istaari can also be used for evil purposes, throughout history many people have attempted to gain immense power through the use of Istaari Techniques, a few have succeeded.

Istaari Techniques can also be useful in mundane tasks and every-day life. For example, it can be used in the creation of tools, the construction of buildings, the nurturing of plant-life, irrigation, harvesting, travel etc... It has many uses in addition to its combat purposes.



How does it work? -

Istaari works in three steps, first the user draws on the energy stored within The Itaari Crystals in their bloodstream, for the first 10 years or so, the user will draw energy for techniques from these crystals alone, but once they run out of energy once, they are never able to replenish faster than they are drained ever again, and the user must from that point forward draw energy directly from their Soul. This is referred to as the Threshold and often (though not always) results in a temporary period wherein a practitioner of Istaari becomes unable to utilize even the most basic techniques.

Either way, once the user draws on enough energy to perform the desired technique, they activate the conversion properties of the crystals in their bloodstream and change the energy they've gathered into one of the three basic energies, Kinetic, Thermal, or Fluid.

Once that's complete, they activate that energy in the manner necessary to complete their technique.

For example, the Stone Shrapnel technique; the user first draws energy from their body, converts it into Kinetic Energy and then uses it to propel a shrapnel of rock shards toward his target. This can be done in several ways, he could use a number of small stone from the ground around him, he could break up a medium sized stone and propel the broken shards from it, or he could break a chunk off a large rock or rock wall and propel those shards. There are usually multiple ways to perform every technique, but they all end in the same basic result. (If there is no earthen material present at all the user can pull it from the Plane of A'el, but at a heavily extended energy cost.)

Another example, Dragonbullet, this is a higher level technique which essentially allows the user to breathe fire. (Although the origin point is not actually within the lungs or mouth.) First, the user draws on the necessary energy from his body, converts it into Thermal and Fluid energy, and then gathers the energy around his throat. (At this point there is still no heat.) Finally the energy is siphoned outward to a point just past the mouth where the two energies are combined and activated to form a stream of intense oxygen-hydrogen-fed fire which is directed forward by a strong air current from the Fluid energy and ignited by a concentrated spark from the Thermal energy. The stream can then be sustained for as long as the user has Fluid and Thermal energy to feed it.

One final example, an application of Istaari not involving combat, people can channel the three energy types into Itaari Crystals that they mine from the ground, as such, they can design crystals for specific purposes. One such use is in charging a crystal with Fluid Energy and then configuring it to automatically release the energy overtime. A person could then place it in the ground above the root system of a plant and it will automatically release water over time negating the need for extended human interaction.

There are thousands of ways Istaari techniques could be used, these are just a few.



Technique Rankings -

There are six ranks of skill in Istaari with each being progressively more difficult to master and perform. The first rank has no special symbol, but each tier up has a + added before its name.
Example: +Dragonbullet, ++Astral Dragonbullet, +++Cyanic Dragonbullet, and so on...




Ketaari -

The Ketaari Arts are a non-elemental division of Istaari which relies primarily on enhanced Martial Combat and stronger Energy Shields.

Ketaarists are able to apply as many as three Pulls to their Energy Shields and two Synchronizations whereas Istaarists are usually only able to do one of each.

As mentioned, Ketaarists do not rely on Elemental Attacks; instead, they utilize Kinetic Energy to enhance one or more of the Martial Disciplines by increasing the force of their attacks, movement speed, movement abilities, penetration and sharpness via vibration, and diffusing incoming attacks and the force of long falls through energy redirection.

The five disciplines are as follows;

-Retribution – Retribution governs blades, poles, (such as spears and staves,) blunt weapons, (such as maces, and flails,) and 2-handed weapons such as battleaxes and war-hammers.

-Guardianship – Guardianship is the art of self-defense and governs the skillful use of armor, shields, defensive weapons and defensive movements.

-Physical – Physical governs the use of the body as a weapon, strikes, kicks, throws, and other complex attack movements as well as general movement. (Ranging from walking across a field to scaling a wall.)

-Marksman – Marksman governs the use of thrown weapons, bows, cross-bows, pistols, rifles, and sling-cannons.

Some Ketaarists (namely those from the Tansu bloodline or those who possess or have inherited Ceridora) also learn a much greater degree of control over Physical Energy to the point they can focus it into simple shapes to produce weapons or protective barriers outside their energy shields, this simple two-point summary of their additional abilities is probably a severe understatement as they are rare enough that few people if any know the true extent of their power.




Biological Details and Effects of Extensive Use -

As was already mentioned, the crystals used in performing Istaari Techniques are found in the bloodstream, they typically take a rounded hexagonal shape unlike the bi-concave disk shape of red blood cells and the generally spherical shape of white blood cells. They exist in lesser number than either of these though and typically do not overcrowd the bloodstream, though rare medical conditions may result in this.

Utilizing the conversion properties of Itaari Crystals puts stress on their internal structure, extremely high-level techniques or many low-level techniques in rapid succession can cause the crystals to crack and eventually burst into hundreds of sharp fragments which can damage any other type of cell in the body in addition to the walls of the vascular system and the interior of the heart. As a precaution, The Crystal Key contains genetic information designed to help the body quickly isolate these crystals and expel blood plasma that is saturated with crystal shards through the respiratory system, (coughing) the pore system, (sweat) or the tear ducts. (crying)

A prolonged battle between users of Istaari can result in fatality purely from internal damage or blood loss. That said, it's extremely unusual for this to occur and usually only happens in prolonged battles that continually use high-level techniques.



Conclusion -

Istaari is a useful system both in the arts of war and in times of peace, they are a fundamental aspect of Tiran life and a big part of the way their societies work and have advanced. Despite this, they have their risks and should be approached with caution.



A Basic Summary of Primazii



Basics -

Primazii is basically Shapeshifting; the two fundamental aspects of Primazii are the Grethas Key and Exotaari Crystals.

There is much speculation on where the Grethas Key originated from, but the general consensus is that it came from a woman known as Grethende. Who she was, or indeed, what she was, remains a mystery to Tiran Historians. It is said in Loukrian Legend that she was a Demon Lady, but scholars often dismiss this as fantasy and assume that she was a Loukrian with some kind of rare ability, possibly an Elder Blood.

The Grethas Key contains the information necessary to tap into the body’s Exotaari Crystal network and activate captured Primes or convert the Soul into a Prime. Exotaari Crystals are much like Oritaari Crystals but are not typically used in Istaari Techniques. Of the three crystal types Exotaari are the only kind capable of containing Primes, they are black in color and in addition to Primes may also be charged with Physical, Elemental, and Duel energy.

Essentially Primazii is a variation of Istaari which utilizes the latent properties of Exotaari Crystals rather than Oritaari Crystals. The Grethas Key was never possessed universally but did have the quality of being spread in a similar fashion to a virus; as a result, nearly everyone on Tira became infected with it eventually and the gene became hereditary, enabling Therianthropes and Shapeshifters as we know them today to come into existence.



Utilized Energy Types -

Note: This is not a complete list of energy types and only contains those specifically used in Primazii techniques and the root types thereof.
The Spirit – The Spirit is the essence of a being and can best be described as the individuality, consciousness, emotions, and willpower, but it does have its own unique energy type.

-The Instinct – The Instinct is the essence of an animal and contains its individuality, consciousness, emotions, and willpower.

-The Cerebrum: The Cerebrum is an indivisible sub-part of the Spirit; and one of the three types of Guides, with the other two being the Crest for animals and the Seed for plants. It is the link between the Spirit and the Soul which activates the conversion process of Soul energy into Physical energy as well as drawing information from the genetic code to guide the body in its utilization of the Physical Energy or to perform other functions.

--The Crest: Crests are essentially a form of Cerebrum which are possessed by animals. They convert Primes into Physical Energy and also tell the bodies of animals how to use the Physical Energy by drawing information from their genetic code.

Primes – Primes are essentially variations of Souls which are utilized by animals as the source of their veins. They also contain the Genetic Energy (Not the actual Genetic Code) of animals; which possesses the information their Instinct uses in performing their special functions. For example; a human Cerebrum does not contain the information necessary for their bodies to create Spider Silk, but a Spider's Crest does possess it, drawing that information from it's Prime.

Genetic Energy – Genetic Energy is defined as any amount of information within a Soul or Prime that a Guide uses to perform a specific function. Essentially, it can be defined as anything a Guide “learns” from a genetic code, natural or foreign.



Technicalities of Primazii –

Primazii is driven by the presence of a Prime within the Exotaari Crystals in the body. Primes typically have much less net energy than Eldersouls and therefore the body is in most cases able to contain multiple Primes. In the event that a person attempts to infuse too many Primes into their body it can cause an energy-overload which will shatter all the Exotaari Crystals in the body, preventing the user from utilizing Primazii Techniques at all and often resulting in fatality. (The ability to use it can be restored over time if the person survives.)

Animal Primes can be inducted into the body in one of three ways; it can be intentionally “injected” via Transfer Chassis, it can be passed on hereditary if you are born from a parent who was a Therianthrope, or it can be contracted if you sustain an injury from a White or Black Beast.

There are two versions of the Grethas Key, the Latent and the Activated. The Latent is what most people possess, it has little to no effect on the body and is really just extra information that the body never uses under natural circumstances. The Activated Key kicks in whenever the Exotaari Crystals in a living organism are saturated with a Prime; in that case the Grethas Key will adopt the Genetic Persona of the Prime and actively seek out new hosts by entering through wounds inflicted by the carrier or by being passed on through hereditary information. It is essentially an incurable genetic virus. (Loukrian Legend sometimes refer to it as being sentient because of it's apparent ability to comb ecosystems for useful genetic material and reject all that is not useful.)

The Activated Key will slowly leech energy from the Soul of it's host, converting it into whatever Prime the Key is coded with, turning them into a Therianthrope.



Exposure Types -

So what is a Therianthrope, and what are Colored Beasts?

We’ll start with Therianthropes. As was mentioned previously, this condition is like an illness in its nature. A Therianthrope has a foreign genetic code within them which is known as the Grethas Key; the Key steals energy from their Soul at a steady rate and converts it into a Prime, which is essentially an animal’s version of a Soul.

When the Key is present in a body it slowly builds up Primal energy in the body. During a full moon the energy is activated; this forces a partial transformation into the Prime’s corresponding animal . The bodies of most living creatures are at least 80% water and the blood plasma itself is 93% water, thus the moon has an inexplicable tidal effect on the blood which causes the Grethas Key to hyper-activate and force a transformation. Although it is usually temporary, the effects of the transformation can be devastating. Other than this the only other time a transformation is forced are while a child is still in the womb or during very early childhood, in which case the individual’s willpower is simply too weak to be able to resist the Grethas Key’s effects.

In most cases those with this condition are completely unable to control themselves during its activation period. They may react violently to anyone within close proximity, or run a great distance into unknown territory acting on their Prime’s driving instincts. Both these outcomes could be catastrophic for the individuals involved.

Over time, more and more of the person's Soul is converted into a Prime, if the level ever passes the 98th percentile the Therianthrope entirely loses their humanity and becomes a White Beast; a condition which is virtually irreversible.

A White Beast is a Therianthrope that has progressed through the ladder of Primal Conversion to the 98th percentile and cannot return to their human form. This eventuality can be averted only by learning to control the Grethas Key; otherwise it is an inevitable fate for a Therianthrope. With each passing day more of the Soul is converted into a Prime making it harder and harder for the host to maintain their humanity.

Even White Beasts still possess a slight amount of Soul Energy from when they were human; this conflicts with their bestial DNA and cancels out the effects of the melanin, turning them white. In addition, their eyes become a deep black color because the soul and the prime act like positive and negative to each other; while only one would normally show in the color of the eyes, when both are present they cancel each other out and result in a deep black color, the clash of negative Prime energy and positive Soul energy around their eyes also effects blood flow causing the veins around the eye sockets to extrude slightly from the surface of the skin and become black. White Beasts have access to all transformational forms that a human would be able to use, and some can even utilize Istaari Techniques, though it is done in a wild and imprecise fashion that reflects their bestial nature.
A Black Beast is an extremely rare occurrence; a White Beast that has killed and devoured another of it's kind. This only occurs with predatory animals, and it can also occur in animals that are not normally cannibalistic, so long as it’s predatory. If a White Beast were to kill and devour a White Beast that was not of the corresponding type the two energies would conflict and overload destroying the Exotaari Crystals In the body and negating any possibility of a hybrid transformation. (This eventuality also has the potential to restore a White Beast to their human state if it doesn't result in fatality.)

Black Beasts have hyper-active melanin because they effectively possess two Primes making them appear extremely dark. In addition to this their eyes appear bright white because the two Primes combine to cause an overabundance of negative Prime energy in the eyes. They are most well-known for bi-location which is their ability to be physically present in two locations at once, as well as their enhanced senses and physical strength.

There is one last phenomenon which should be addressed here. Blood Beasts, among all four exposure types these are the rarest and most deadly of all. They are created in essentially the same way as Black Beasts are. A White Beast turns into a Black Beast by devouring the heart of another of its kind, Black Beasts become Blood Beasts in the same way, by devouring the heart of either a White Beast or another Black Beast. They are called Blood Beasts due to their perpetually red/violet coloration, possessing three Primes increases the mass of the animals by an average of 35% and vastly overworks the body causing perpetual bleeding which completely soaks their forms. (The violet color appears wherever there is fur that is especially dark.)

An animal with three Primes is known as a Tier I Blood Beast, one with four Primes is a Tier II, (Usually reached by a Black Beast devouring the heart of another Black Beast) and finally, one with five primes is a Tier III Blood Beast. Never in recorded history has any animal reached the theoretical Tier IV state, since possessing six primes has been immediately fatal in all recorded cases of its occurrence.



Shapeshifting –

So what happens to a Therianthrope who learns to control the Grethas Key?

Well, once an individual takes control over the Grethas Key they are able to reverse the conversion process of their Soul into a Prime; at this point they have the option of completely reversing it and curing their Therianthropic Condition altogether or keeping the Genetic Energy of the Prime.

Those individuals that choose to keep it are known as Shapeshifters; they have the ability to take the form of whatever animal they have Genetic Energy from. The transformation can be complete or partial and there are typically four levels infusion levels used, Crescent, (1/4) Demilune, (2/4) Triquar, (3/4) and Full (4/4). (It's important to note that the Genetic Energy from any animal contains a vast amount of information and usually only three different types of Genetic Energy can be contained within the Exotaari Crystals at any given time without causing an immediate overload.)

Although Primazii is a difficult Art to master, it is well worth it, skilled Shapeshifters are able to perform Bio-Elemental Techniques, and some even reach the level of Clansoul. With enough control over the Grethas Key, Shapeshifters are able absorb multiple sets of Genetic Energy without causing an energy overload. Once this is done they can take the form of both animals.

Alternatively they can combine the Genetic Energy of two or more of their captured Primes. When this is achieved it is referred to as a Prime Form and it cannot ever be changed, from that point forward the Clan Soul has a single alternate form, their Prime Form. When creating a Prime Form, the user has a great deal of freedom, he can draw genetic material from up to three animals, and also from his own body, including Elder Bloods. (Though Elder Bloods are extremely difficult to incorporate.) With this method one could potentially maintain a limited ability to use Istaari or Magicka while in their Prime Form, perhaps even generate an Energy Shield.

Prime Forms have a whole new set of risks to them which make them even more dangerous than unchecked Therianthropy. If a Prime Form’s infusion level surpasses 98% the user loses their humanity and becomes what is known as a Mythanthrope. These creatures are a phenomenon similar to White Beasts but since they are a combination of human and multiple animals (And sometimes Elder or A'ellian DNA as well) they are far more deadly.

In order to enter their Prime Form a Clan Soul must attain at least 95% infusion level, meaning they only have a 3% margin of error between their Prime Form and becoming a Mythanthrope. Since the Grethas Key is so difficult to control, Prime Forms tend to be very risky as the infusion level is constantly fluctuating between the 95% minimum and the 98% ceiling, as a result, Prime Forms should only be used as a final play or when absolutely necessary.

(In Loukrian Legend, some strains of the Grethas Key were reported to directly transform the infected individual into a Mythanthrope entirely bypassing the Therianthrope state. Though there is no evidence in modern times to substantiate this, it could theoretically explain the repeated occurrence of some creatures in Tiran legends, such as Gargoyles, Werewolves, Vampires, and others.)



A’ellian Primes -

A’el is often referred as the Chaos Plane; the animals that live there are often many times the size of their Tiran counterparts with capacities that go far beyond the normal scope of the animal kingdom. Their bodies and genetics were designed to give them abilities to cope with their harsh environment and the steep competition of A’ellian wildlife.

A’ellian animals often have what is referred to by scholars as Bio-Elemental functions: a physical function or adaptation that corresponds to one of the elements. It’s important to note that they cannot utilize Istaari; rather, the association between Bio-Elemental functions and the four elements is made both for scientific purposes and for simplicity’s sake.
There are two type of Bio-Elemental Functions, Passive and Active.

-Passive Functions could include an organic immunity to cold, heat retardant dermal structures, mineral infused dermal structures, etc…
-Active Functions could include chemical based fire-breathing; pressure based frost-breathing, electrical discharges, etc…

Bio-Elemental Techniques are defined as any kind of Bio-Elemental function that remains active when a possessor of an A’ellian Prime shifts into an alternate form or uses an A’ellian Prime in the creation of a Prime Form.



Biological Details and Effects of Extensive Use -

The Grethas Key causes the crystals used in performing Primazii Techniques to congregate around the heart, while normally they would cling to the Oritaari Crystals in the bloodstream in tiny deposits. (In Loukrian Legend, it is said that Grenthende did this so that those who attempted to remove “The Gift” as she called it, from their bodies would die as a result of their “ingratitude.”) The crystals always turn the heart black because of their color, thus making it easy to identify someone who possessed the Key during an autopsy. The crystals typically manifest around the heart in a conjoined-hexagonal hive pattern on the outer and inner surface. They do not impede any heart functions as the layer is thin enough and flexible enough that it has negligible effect on blood-flow.

Storing any amount of energy within the Exotaari Crystals and activating said energy puts a similar stress on their internal structure as Istaari Techniques do on Oritaari Crystals. Repeated transformations in a short amount of time can cause ruptures in the crystal network which severely and often fatally damage the heart. The same thing can happen if the user overloads the crystals by attempting to capture too much Genetic Energy. The Grethas Key itself contains no genetic information designed to expel these crystal shards, however The Crystal Key will pick up the slack if present, removing the danger provided the user survives the initial rupture.



Conclusion -

Primazii is a dangerous ability with a malicious nature; it is difficult to tame, but for those who can the abilities to fly in the sky as a falcon, plow through the oceans as a shark, or scale the mountains as a big cat are all opened to them, those and much more. Primazii should be approached with caution, but it can be incredibly useful if mastered.