[✗] The Impetus Masters

[Swgrclan 2635]

The Once-Was
[ Ancient Histories ]

 

In the beginning,
Man was borne of the soul, and harbored within himself limitless opportunity. The quintessential Superior Soul which Man bore was a link to both the beyond and the within; allowing him to conjure vast powers, whether by drawing them from his very being, or from deities far beyond the mortal veil. It was in ancient times that the realms of Men experienced a sharp incline of discovery, and then, the creation of innumerous magics. Whether borne of the Dark of Men, or blessed by the light of Gods, or drawn from the depths of the Void, it all demanded the will of the soul. Nothing could be done without it, for without the soul, Men could not rise as they had. This had become the way of things.

But in soon time a divide was devised, and two sides formulated -- the Dark, and the Light. The Dark delved into the depths of Men, embodying the innate essences which made them mortal and feasibly powerful. The Light shone from the Gods, or Aengudaemons, whom looked upon Men and came to know them as worthy vassals for their causes; wielding limitless power able to be channeled through corporeal coils of Men. Tempted by these powers of the divide, mortal Men took sides, and soon converged upon eachother yarely; sparking an endless war.

But those favoring unity sought it's restoration; seeing no need for such fragmentation, for they saw the conflict as arbitrary and futile. It was the understanding of these few mortals that, in truth, the Dark could not exist without Light, and the presence of Light always begets the Dark. Thus they devised an order dedicated to bridging both sides -- seeking to use wisdom as a means to bind the two together, and to smout the extremes of either with a power they fashioned by the will of the soul.

The Soulbound Masters, or True Masters, as they were called, conceived a form of magic which dabbled in neither the Dark nor Light, for it was from the very depths of the soul that it was drawn. It was by the will of the Masters that, with a fragment of their spirits, that they bound weapons to their very being, establishing an endless bond at the cost of arcane bindings. Free of the Void, the Soulbound Masters existed for decades, tirelessly acting as middlemen and establishing short times of peace between Clerics and Necromancers, the Godless and the Godly, the Dark and the Light. When either side sought to rampage and disrupt these times of peace, the Masters met them with ardor, and struck them down with their weapons which they named Impetus, or weapons bound to the essence of the soul.

Much to their dismay, the Master's effort were, too, futile; for Men could not find it within themselves to remain unified, too caught up with their own powers to agree with others. With the seed of doubt sown into their order, the Order of Ardor soon suffered a fragmentation of their own. The divisions of Light and Dark infiltrated the hearts of the Masters and malformed the ideology they kept to so dearly. A conflict known as the First Impetus War transpired, but while the Order sustained in the end, it was only a victory through Light which allowed this.

 

 

"Centuries of progress, wasted... so much good, undone... for what?"

- The final words of Master Remus, last of the True Masters.

Enamored by the Gods, the neutrality of the Soulbound Masters was broken, leading their remnants to converge upon the Dark of the world not as servants of Gods, but of what they represented: Light, limitlessness, immortality, and perceived goodness. Taking the mantle of Ardent Masters, they rebuilt their order, and reformed the powers of their forebears. Little different to Clerics of yore, the new Masters wielded Impetus wrought of aurum, forged to fell culminations of darkness. They glorified the Light and the brilliance shone from Aengudaemons, for there were many, and they indeed were limitless and immortal. That was the nature of their being, and what the Ardent Masters could not have.

 

"We did not rise from the depths of Dark... we were always there. Dark is not cast; but borne of Light."
- The proclaimations of Master Adovacer, eldest of the Sable Order.

From the obscure beyond, Master Adovacer made rise of the Sable Order; a collection of Impetus-wielders aligned with the Dark. Borne of the disstenous among the Ardent Order, the Sable Masters waged a Second Impetus War against their brothers after their attempts to restore the Way of True Masters failed. It was with the Dark that Adovacer sought to rebind his fellows with his ken of the Ardent Order, but what is described as the "Old Dark" consumed his mind, and drove him to seek the total reign of all Masters whom roam.  

 

 

In the end, the Masters nearly completely destroyed themselves, and the remnants of both organizations scattered to the winds, but not before the shattering of Adovacer's Impetus in their final battle, and the destruction of his dark-consumed  Superior Soul. It is said Last Master Maelys, once the eldest of the Ardent Order, vanguards the corpse and broken Impetus of Adovacer, fearing he will rise once again.

 

"Is this what we could not see? Unity? So blinded by radiance... we did not realize their intentions in time."
- The ruminations of Last Master Maelys.

 

The Prevalent
[ Impetus Paths & Details ]

Far ahead in the ages, the power of the Impetus and the legacy of the True Masters perserveres. So does that of the Ardent and Sable Masters, whom once paralleled the endless conflict of Light and Dark that still transpires to this day. The art of the Impetus is innate within all Men; for it is borne of the soul, and shaped by it's ordained nature. Thus, there are three paths to take -- two paths of futility, driven by power, and one true way, guided by no path but by understanding.

 

The True Way

The wisdom of Master Remus, the first to fall in the First Impetus War. Disciples of the True Way adopt neutrality and thus wield Impetus drawn to neither side, only the calm grayness of the in-between. True Masters wield soulbound weapons which have no augments, making them on-par with the common weaponry of the mortal realms. Soulbound weapons used by True Masters are known as "Gray Impetus". True Masters cannot wield arts of the Void, but are suseptible to the seductions of the Light and Dark, meaning they may fall into either path if they succumb to their offerings.

 

The Ardent Path

The fervor of Master Maelys, the last of the Ardent Order. Disciples of the Ardent Path assume duties of the deities, seeking to shepherd mortality with the radiance of Aengudaemons and subdue the Dark with Impetus forged of aurum. Ardent Masters wield soulbound weapons which lean toward slaying monsters and culling Dark beings, but still bear an edge good enough to slay Men. Soulbound weapons used by Ardent Masters are known as "Vehement Impetus". Ardent Masters cannot wield arts of the Void, nor Dark Arts, and they become as they are by adopting their Vehement Impetus as mortals connected to Aengudaemons. As Masters of the Light, they cannot be seduced to darkness, but may fall into the madness which the extremes of Light bear innately -- blinding radiance and limitlessness, which Aengudaemons embody as both benevolent and malevolent entities.

 

The Sable Path

The dissent of Master Adovacer, the once-eldest of the Sable Order. Disciples of the Sable Path bear shadowed intentions, involved with the meddling of Dark Arts and the antithetical agendas which enbolden them. Sable Masters wield soulbound weapons which are focused directly on the slaying and suffering of Men, and occultism tied with the suffocation of Light. Though the armanents of Sable Masters do not act as banes of entities or embodiments of Aengudaemonic power, their grim powers make them effective in combating the Light. Soulbound weapons used by Sable Masters are known as "Derived Impetus". Sable Masters cannot wield arts of the Void, nor Aengudaemonic magics, and become as they are by either mastering the power of the Impetus as unholy beings or practitioners of Dark Arts. As Masters of Dark, they despise the Light and cannot be drawn to it, but may fall into the madness of the Dark -- the Old Dark, known in ancient writings as the insanity of the Void and the blackness of the Abyss.

An Impetus Master is guided to each of these choices depending on the circumstance of their current practices.  A Necromancer or Ghoul* may become a Sable Master, but not an Ardent Master; and a Cleric or Ascended may become an Ardent Master, but not a Sable Master. True Masters, whom are first and foremost regular mortals, may be drawn into Light or Dark and lose the neutral nature of their Impetus if successfully lured into either side.

While Gray Impetus bear no augments or differences to normal weapons beyond the aesthetics imposed by the Master's soul, Vehement and Derived Impetus do. Vehement Impetus almost always have some involvement of aurum, as it is the alloy which allows them to ward of darkness the easiest, but they are not blessed by deities nor are they able to. Derived Impetus are less graceful than the aesthetically-noble Vehement Impetus and are more grim and direly-fashioned, and in ways which bring the most pain and suffering to the enemies of the Sable Masters before their deaths. Thus, Derived Impetus may bear innate abilities, like the tainting of wounds dealt, or small amounts of Lifeforce being ripped from a victim upon strike. These augments are minor, and are designed to effect victims the most after battle - if they survive.

*Undead creatures which aren't able to use magic in the first place are able to become Impetus Masters, but only of the Sable Path. Whereas soulbearing undead or Dark-aligned entities may wield usual Derived Impetus, Soul Shadow Undead may summon spectral or half-corporeal versions of Derived Impetus; this aesthetic does not implore combative differences, but compounds on the fact that Soul Shadow Undead do not hold true souls, and thus do not wield "true" Impetus; only shadows of them.

The Way of Things
[ Impetus Guidelines ]

 

The strengths, weaknesses, and roleplay guidelines of the Soulbound Impetus are compiled here.

 

Advantages

- A multi-alignment system based on three paths to suit character dynamism; Dark, Light, and True. Each path has their own unique, albeit inconsequential advantages to suit the choice made by the player character.
- The ability to summon a unique, unbreakable, soulbound weapon in roleplay and for use in PvP.
- Impetus cannot be broken (and if broken mechanically, can be remade for the player).
- Impetus cannot be stolen, mechanically nor in roleplay.

 

Disadvantages

- Varying magical disabilities, depending on the path choice of the player. True, neutral Impetus Masters cannot wield Voidal magics, and if they use Dark Arts or Aengudaemonic Arts, they risk becoming Sable or Ardent Masters. Likewise, Ardent Masters cannot use Dark or Voidal magics, and Sable Masters cannot use Deific or Voidal magics.
- Impetus augments becomes very circumstantially beneficial when aligned with either Light or Dark, as Ardent Masters use Impetus mostly focused on destroying dark forces and Sable Masters use Impetus mostly* focused on dealing pain to the victim, making theirs more unwieldy and less graceful. *Sable Masters may choose to wield an augmentless Derived Impetus, which removes any Dark Art bonuses they may have.
- Only one Impetus can be used at a time, and cannot be changed. Impetus also must be weapons, and occupy any soulbound slot allowed for players involved in becoming Masters.
- Doesn't particularly give any true advantage over another character, and rather limits Impetus Masters with the removal of some magical abilities in order for them to use convenient, summonable weapons.
- An Impetus may be forcefully disspelled or banished for a short period of time by those whom wield magics able to disable other magics, as summoning an Impetus demands the use of Mana in order to draw it out from the soul.

 

Red Lines

- An Impetus may only be a weapon.
- An Impetus cannot be blessed or enchanted in any way, with exceptions for optional augments for Derived Impetus users.
- An Impetus cannot be used in tandem with any form of magic.
- An Impetus must reflect the designated path of the wielder. A Sable Master cannot use an aurum Impetus, and an Ardent Master cannot use an Impetus infused with Dark-aligned augments.
- The Power of the Impetus takes up a magic slot.
- The Power of the Impetus must be learned from an approved teacher, and furthermore approved through an MAT-associated magic application.

 

Systemic Changes

As this lore is an attempt to canonized soulbound items (weapons, rather), it urges both the Administration and Lore Team to allow the acclaimation and use of soulbound weapons after proper methods have been undertaken, such as learning how to use Impetus from a teacher and getting a magic application approved for MAT clearance and documentation. Whether or not VIP-oriented soulbound items/weapons are involved is not regarded by this lore at all, and anyone who uses VIP-associated soulbound items/weapons will not partake in the use of Impetus in roleplay unless approved through prior-mentioned methods.

As for the actual bestowment of these soulbound weapons onto approved players, I suspect the process would merely consist of the approved player making a modreq regarding the creation of their weapon, getting it detailed (name and description and enchantment aesthetics of their choice) and then locked onto their account or persona. If there is any deterrence regarding this process, I'd like to know. 
Also, as a particularly important footnote, it is the intention of this lore to provide both unique roleplay and a small bonus in PvP, as these soulbound weapons cannot be lost or stolen or broken, but this is only allowed under the premise that any and all Impetus-oriented soulbound weapons are created to be "average". None of them can have boosted stats and, at most, may have a 25-30 damage percentage as to assure they're fair and therefore cannot be used as meta-assets in extraneous instances like warclaims or raids.

 

Roleplay Guidelines

Each kind of Impetus able to be used in roleplay will be listed here with an exempletory situation involving the use of the Impetus and how it effects the circumstances within said situation.

 

True Master/Gray Impetus

*Master Mors distances himself from Bandit Jim, with no visible weapon upon his person.
*Bandit Jim approaches Mors with a heavy club, brimming with grim intentions. He slowly raises his weapon in preparation to charge his adversary.
*Master Mors raises his hand and, with the flow of a drifting, gray essence, summons a pristine, runed longsword known as Truthbearer. He takes a defensive stance.
*Bandit Jim takes a step back, surprised by the sudden appearance of the intricate blade. He prepares himself for battle, now evenly matched with Mors.

 

Ardent Master/Vehement Impetus

*Master Yale circles the undead wolf, having summoned his golden spear Impetus, the Radiant Lance, only moments ago in a soft flash of brilliant light.
*Undead Wolf snarls lowly, lowering itself in preparation to pounce. The sudden appearance of gold inspired brief, instinctual intimidation, but only slowed the inevitable.
*Master Yale draws back and raises the Radiant Lance, taking a defensive position.
*Undead Wolf lurches forth but does not regard the spear's length intelligently, and is impaled through the breast as a result. The aurum weapon sears its unholy being, quickly felling it.
*Master Yale draws the Radiant Lance from his opponent moments after it fell still, and wills it gone from his hands in another flash of warm, golden light.

 

Sable Master/Derived Impetus

*Master Xenort raises his grimly-fashioned shortsword Impetus, Soulmaim, toward his adversary, Master Yale; having summoned Soulmaim with a rush of black, mistual darkness only seconds beforehand.
*Master Yale, having already summoned his Radiant Lance, remains in a defensive striking position in preparation for Xenort's attacks.
*Master Xenort takes a step forward and suddenly mock-lunges at Yale in an effort to trick him and provoke a mistaken attack.
*Master Yale falls for the snakelike Sable Master's tactics, his body tensing up as he jutted his aurum spear forth.
*Master Xenort nimbly darts to the side and reaches out to grip his opponent's spear, preventing it from being swung about as he made a stab toward Yale's shoulder.
*Master Yale is caught in-place and impaled by the gruesome, lighter armanent; the Dark magics upon it causing his arm to seize up from an unnatural influx of agony.
*Master Xenort immediately rips Soulmaim from his wounded enemy's shoulder, preparing for another strike as Yale suffers during recovery.
 

These are all circumstances where each Master's Impetus were helpful in their own situations. However, all of these are only examples, and roleplay dynamics lead to more broad situations where the victories presented here aren't as likely.
 

[KBR 1484]

Oi loike et.

[Geo 1415]

Goodstuff

[𝙻𝚞𝚟 XO 3072]

Niiiiiiice 

[GDPR 014 24]

Very good.

[hosper 77]

Top notch 

[Ford 1990]

this is making me hot 

[Anawkin 247]

yes sir

[excited 10834]

I like it

[DrakeHaze. 2486]

No soulbound axe of krug :(

[Harri 4814]

where do i get one

[wolfdwg 1509]

i approve, so long as i get one

[KorusPrime 130]

Noice lore!

[Slothtastic 760]

Joor and Jukha want one. Where do we get one?! 

 

    +1

[Corvoo 562]

Damn, this was a good read. Impressive as usual, Swgr. This has my complete support, I truly hope to see it passed through.