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[✓] [Further Alchemy] Affliction (Loregames Rewrite)


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    For a lengthy period, credible accounts of the original Afflicted have been few and far between. The meager remnants of notes that could be found were written in a cipher to protect their contents from prying eyes. Fewer still are those who bore witness to the archaic generation of Afflicted. Reports tell of twisted beasts and aberrant monstrosities. The only cogent information available from these sources is as follows; the procedure to create an Affliction is one of highly sophisticated Alchemy.

 

In more recent times, the concoction necessary to Afflict an individual has been born anew. The resulting creation was a diluted deviation from the horrors of the previous iteration, though still requiring alchemical prowess and luck to achieve. However, this version of the Afflicted was still flawed, lacking permanence and the ability to maintain a firm grasp within the host. As a result, the Affliction would fade away into nothingness.

 

Dismayed by these outcomes, an alchemist began new research nearly a decade later, seeking to usher in a new brood of the Afflicted, a new beginning. Upon the foundation of several decades of research, from moonstruck cultists wishing to mutate and emulate the horrific forms borne of the Void, studious Marked Men seeking mastery over the body and its resources and acolytes of Garumdir trying to rebirth themselves in metal to Aspectist herbalists longing to appear at one with the wilds or fanatically echo the spidery form of Nemisei, the next colourful and hideous spawn of Alchemy has arrived.

   

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    “Stray from the crude, malign machinations of the generations bygone, compose our Affliction anew.”

     

By an amalgam of an alchemical concoction wrought of carefully cultivated reagents a newfound being is brought into fruition, the Affliction, although in a premature stage. Even with an abundance of the aforementioned, the likes of a skilled Alchemist is a prerequisite to concoct the Affliction, one whom has furthered their learning of Alchemy.

     

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    A rudimentary depiction of the Affliction in its earliest stage, inert.

    ((Credit to Enipnion))

     

    The Affliction is a pitiable thing on its own regard, harbored therein the phial it is birthed, being suspended in a lethargic state. Regarding aesthetics it appears roughly as a miniscule creature, translucent and discolored in design. The Affliction has outstanding potential with the boons it later will bring, known as the Affliction; yet it shall will ultimately perish within this inactive existence if it is not imbibed within a year dating from creation (One irl week). The Affliction requires a functioning host to properly function and flourish past this stage of feeble infancy; the being of a Descendant is an ideal location.

     

    Another change from the last iteration is that the individual in question has to willingly accept the Affliction to have it established, if it is imbibed and not accepted naught will take root.

     

     

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    “To associate with the malevolent is damnatory, nor will I correlate with the overly zealous, no- we strike our own accord.”

     

    The Affliction references the creature itself and the boons it grants, whilst the Afflicted itself is the hosting individual.

    The Affliction is not completely alchemy, neither rooted in magic, but an amalgamation of both, Further Alchemy.

     

    The connection, symbiosis-

     

    This symbiosis begins when an individual ingests the concoction which harbors the torpid being. This imbibed being hastily assimilates within minutes as it creates a shroud or veil around the bearer’s psyche, without interfering with the inner intricacies; this is a measly grasp that will stabilize and strengthen over time and bond alike. This minute Affliction passively feasts on the nutrients that the person would intake; basically comparable to the likes of equivalent exchange, sprouting a larger shroud than the meager veil it formerly procured over a great span of time. A handful of Saint’s days shall pass before the Affliction may decide to make itself known to that whom nurses it; one may be strained awake as a startling pain envelops over them, procuring the feeling of dulled nausea, the individual experiencing something similar to a cold sweat, though in truth it is the Affliction excreting measly amounts of liquefied essence. 


On the Mind-

One’s thoughts and attitudes would begin to change as the host becomes more attuned to their symbiote and the workings of Alchemy; the laws of equivalence and the ordering of the world. It would be difficult for a new afflicted to stay focused on abstracts and the non-physical philosophies, as their minds become methodical and machine-like. As the Symbiote grows and solidifies its bond to the host’s body and brain, they would find themselves distracted and intrigued by the ordering and processes of the day-to-day world; hierarchies of power, craftsmanship, natural philosophy and so on. It would be difficult for an Afflicted to suspend their disbelief, or hold themselves to any philosophy or theology not rooted in logic and reasoning.
 

Spoiler

 

They would most notably begin to struggle with reading written word, requiring extra focus as they’re met with a pseudo-dyslexia; beginning to rearrange words into their equivalent meanings within the Material Alphabet and may often thoughtlessly find themselves writing in its runic script - even if prior unbeknownst to them - and confused as to how or why this alien language was taking hold.

As well, this excessive grounding to the Material Plane makes the Afflicted more vulnerable than ever to the grating effects of the Material Alphabet’s antithesis: Moonspeak. Being subject to Moonspeak in doses any larger than a sentence would be torturous, causing the Symbiote to panic and if not protected eventually shut down (rendering the Afflicted unconscious); forcing them to try and block out the sound and if unable (such as having one’s hands strapped down whilst being screamed at in Moonspeak) freezing their muscles in place whilst they are tormented with migraines until the speech ends. Written moonspeak would also appear as distortions in space, confusing the Afflicted to the point where they might not even acknowledge its presence, with the exception of those who were familiar and fluent in the language prior to becoming Afflicted, who would still be able to write and speak it albeit painfully; bringing on mental exhaustion and agonising headaches.

    This mentality of rationalisation creates minor difficulty in holding oneself to morals and social concepts that don’t translate to a black and white, pragmatic worldview. An Afflicted would seldom become deluded without evidence to support an argument, though when evidence is given in the overwhelming they might flip to opposite extremes of paranoia and opposition, on the spectrum of their methodical minds. For instance, an Afflicted being told ‘Orcs are evil’, would ask for evidence to support that line of reasoning, though an Afflicted exposed to Orc crime statistics would easily slip into prejudice against them. It also protects the host from most psychoactive and degenerative mental disorders such as dementia and alzheimers, as well as the effects of Moongazing (from being fed a Voidal Horror’s blood), but in cases of extreme delusion they may be subject to anxiety and as a byproduct of their worldview it is not uncommon for an Afflicted to slip into a nihilistic depression.

As a product of this strange psyche, peering into the mind of an Afflicted would be like ciphering a coded text. Thoughts and memories would appear instead as Alchemic concepts, symbols and signs, spoken communication being displaced by the silent runes of the Material Alphabet and leaving the host’s mind unintelligible to all but the most expert alchemists.

 

    With enough familiarization as well trial and error an Afflicted is capable of voluntarily exuding the Affliction which in turn can be used to partially sculpt their being into something different. In a manner akin to scratching one’s nose, an Afflicted might feel naturally inclined to manipulate their bodies in ways prior not possible without much thought. At its height, a well adjusted Afflicted would find additional limbs as easy to extend and manipulate as their originals, and broader bodily alterations as comfortable as maintaining their usual posture; not requiring conscious thought or effort to be put into maintaining their twisted forms.     

 

 

    On the Body-

     

    This iteration of the Affliction is fashioned to be far less detrimental to the Afflicted individual in question. Rather than the crude, malignant parasitism of trial generations, this amalgamation of Alchemy and Biology has been sculpted to toil in a symbiotic relation with the organism that has assimilated it within themselves. Soon after ingesting the concoction the Symbiote infects every organ, muscle and nerve of the Afflicted, strengthening the bond between it and the host as it does so, becoming one.

 

Spoiler

 

    This newfound Affliction bonds with the physical form, whilst the previous brood sullied the soul to something horrendous; this modern forthcoming refrains from altering with a thing so vaguely known. It instead constructs a shroud or bulwark around the bearer’s mind and body, strengthening over a long period of time, to protect against that which means to alter it; the Symbiote would naturally push back against other invading forces on the body, such as hostile bacteria, voidal corruption, amber, ectoplasm and so on.

This would give an effective immunity to contagious diseases as well as a major resistance to non-thanic ingestible poisons; where a harmful enough substance to usually kill a descendant is digested, the Symbiote will bear the brunt of the damage so as to protect the host and be rendered inert, require a full day in narrative time to recover. This effect can be consciously suppressed also, should an Afflicted wish to experiment with the effects of drugs, poisons and medicines on oneself; as a byproduct granting Afflicted the bizarre ability of being able to sober up from a drunken stupor on demand.

This is achieved by the Sybiote’s monopoly and streamlining of the body’s resources, ensuring that all nutrients are devoured as efficiently as possible and stored for later use. This keeps a well fed Afflicted at peak physical fitness for their specific race, allowing them to reach their full natural potential in strength and agility without the same effort input usually required by bodybuilders and gymnasts to achieve the same results.

 

     

    On Magics-

 

These mechanics make it impossible for an Afflicted to wield any voidal magic, shade magic, mysticism and other bodily altering arts, as well as making them effectively incapable of becoming any other sort of ‘creature’ by undergoing the mutations of Strigae and Frost Witches (the only exception to this being Klones and Machine Spirits as further detailed below).

 

Spoiler

 


This is simply due to the impact on the Afflicted mentality, that’d strain their ability to think in excessive abstracts to the point where magical entities like the Void - whilst they could be understood and comprehended through study - become impossible to fathom to the point of forming a connection.

Furthermore mental communion in the forms of the whispering Aspects of nature and the transient Old Blah of the Spirits becomes lost in translation, due to the Afflicted individual’s mental reprogramming to the Material Alphabet. This makes it impossible for one to practice any form of Shamanism or Druidism whilst hosting the Symbiote.

Other deific connections are possible as a two-way relationship between the Afflicted and the deity, but would be heavily subject to said Deity’s own preferences and the mechanics of what boons that connection might yield.

In the case of Klones and Machine Spirits, users would effectively lose the bodily benefits and abilities granted by the Symbiote as it’d be absent in these new bodies (though its mental imprint remains on the Afflicted psyche). Klones made prior to becoming an Afflicted would need to be re-infected or otherwise operate as normal descendant bodies, though new ones using components from the Afflicted body would develop with their own dormant parasite as a default.

 

Machine Spirits, being made from metal, tubing and alchemical fluids, are unable to host a Symbiote though they can be designed with additional limbs and modifications that resemble the usual Afflicted attachments which could be utilised thanks to the altered mental state of the Afflicted (where a usual Machine Spirit is mostly confined to humanoid designs), albeit being permanent physical parts of the host rather than retractable or freshly generated limbs. They would also need to be built in accordance with the Animii Crafting guidelines and would take time to do in keeping consistent with said guides.

Also noteworthy is that whenever in the immediate presence of someone recognisably establishing a Voidal Connection, unheard whispers of Moonspeak will be picked up on by the Symbiote across the mage’s bridge through the outer Veil, bringing feelings of discomfort and anxiety to the Afflicted individual in a manner akin to standing too close to an open flame. They would feel naturally inclined to bring a stop the spellcasting or distance themselves from it, whilst their Symbiote would also note the potential to harvest Liquid Mana from said mage, bringing a temporary parchness and thirst to the Afflicted only quenched by the drink. It is not uncommon for an Afflicted then to seek the restriction magic in its home residence, or to alternatively try and subjugate or employ mages in harvesting their abundant supply of Liquid Mana.

 

   

     

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    “You will be I, and I will be you, we are singular, yet separate.”

 

    Although the newfound iteration appears substantially less crude, malignant, and things of that manner this amalgamation of Alchemy and Biology it is not without faults, the flaws are never truly able to be eradicated, they remain, in some way, shape, or form.

    As the Affliction bonds within the host, alteration in their qualities should be anticipated, the changes will be minor unless the Affliction is neglected, deprived.

    Soon after the connection is established their skin slowly begins an usher to a lightly gray, somewhat pallor even; irises subdue to a dimmer tinct, eventually near devoid of chromatic color; countenances themselves appearing recessed, sunken and gaunt.

     

    Troubling enough for this symbiotic relation to persist the Afflicted must upkeep double the caloric intake of a regular descendant, or alternatively, ingest some types of nutrient high alchemical elixirs. This is because the Affliction idly feasts on the nutrients taken in by the host, though it dearly attempts to not gorge or consume further than what it deems the minimal, lest the bearer be hampered from hunger, or worse, perish from starvation.

     

 

Spoiler

 

A much needed solution comes in the form of ingesting various forms of alchemical elixirs, utilizing these to satiate the ever hungering Affliction for a longer period of time. If the individual does not imbibe the aforementioned on some basis of regularity they will begin to appear further and further haggardly, perchance even giving the appearance of a leper as the Affliction strains itself to acquire the needed sustenance to preserve itself.

 

With enough neglect the symbiotic shroud will decide to invoke a plethora of mental ailments on the host such as persisting nausea and even psychosis; these are tells or signs that Affliction is unable to survive from the mere nutrition the host is offering, withering in a sense. After ingesting a suitable amount of the aforesaid the Affliction will siphon it from their being and feast thereon. This will eventually revert the individual in question to a more healthily impression, these mental illnesses fading away into obscurity.

     

    Afflicted age somewhat slower due to the symbiotic relation, as long as it is maintained, the being working on keeping the host functional for a longer period, as without the bearer the Affliction would be naught. Lifespans are increased usually by a third, so for example a human could possibly live to a maximum of 200 years instead of 150.

     

    Much as any other descendant, Afflicted still wholly possess blood and bone, being susceptible to the throes of mortality and all that it entails. Their maws still require sustenance to keep them functioning, slumber is entirely necessary for function. A blade will cut and maim them as it would any other, a magi’s cast of flame will still scorch and incinerate. Overall, their inner workings are identical to Descendants, as that is what they are. While the last brood of Afflicted were endowed with uncanny physical enhancements this forthcoming ensures they remain as prior to the symbiotic relation, this Affliction does not tamper with their inner beings in a malign manner.

On the Sectioning of the Body

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For the Afflicted, the body is sectioned into six parts, those being the head, the torso, the legs, and the arms. This means a tier 5 afflicted may alter every part of their body once, and one of those six twice. The only exception to this are seen in Aesthetics.

     

     

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    “Make no mistake, whilst you harbor, I will offer.”

     

    The Affliction is a peculiar boon, no doubt, while some various aspects harken back to the Afflicted of yore there are a number of newfound capabilities and characteristics to this succeeding brood. Although the last iteration was practically capable of utilizing their boon near unceasingly this is no longer; the boon offered by the Affliction can only be exerted for so long before it ultimately falters and recedes into an impermanent state of recuperation, encroaching back to complete fruition after a Saint’s day has transpired. The sheer amount of efficient usage one can derive from their Affliction increases with the mere passage of time as well experience gained by practice and teaching, similar to the majority of magics.

     

    The Affliction follows a tier based system not dissimilar from regular magics, their aptitude increasing as the bond strengthens.

     

-Bodily Alteration-

 

    “Better suit yourself, if only for a short while.”

     

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    ((Credit to Anthony Fransico))

     

Spoiler

Alteration of oneself is the focal point for this newfound brood of Affliction, much as the generation of bygone. Utilizing the Affliction, an Afflicted can temporarily sculpt their beings into something different; this combination can take the aesthetic of a liquid or mist/haze, there is no mechanical change. Whilst vaguely similar to transmutation the procedure is not magical, but rather revolves around the Affliction becoming manifest for a brief while, excreting the fluid or mist from the bearer’s pores and the like to subsequently direct and form around the region desired, hardening, shaping into whatever willed.

This manipulation can alter limbs into a prosthetic-esque appearance as depicted above or merely build atop the body of the individual, more akin to adding a layer over the skin, as one would garb themselves in cloth or metal - More on aesthetics later. These changes to one’s body are non permanent, reverting after some time has passed or at the individual’s will. Similarly, the more extensive the changes are is based on the aptitude of that individual. The excreted liquid/haze/mist is generally hues of gray, but can take the color of the bearer’s aura. Pain is invoked during alteration, lesser and lesser as one progresses.

   

     

    - Formed weaponry are not greater than their mundane counterparts. A bladed arm would serve just as a normal blade. 

    -Procured armor is no different than their normal counterparts, reaching the maximum potential of Platemail. Armouring is as durable as any ordinary armor counterpart up to steel in quality with no added defence, and would weigh the same as if an individual were to equip that armour normally.

     

    - These formations are unable to be done instantaneously, generally taking 2-3 emotes depending on the size of the manipulation in question. Someone could pull out a weapon quicker than an Afflicted could make one, for example.

     

    - The aesthetic is up to the player’s discretion, whether the excreted essence be mist/haze-like that travels over the area to manipulate it or a viscous liquid. This is also the deal with how the manipulated area appears, perhaps completely changing the region as shown in the depiction or merely seeming as if something was overlaid the skin, etcetera. There is no mechanical difference.

     

    - Alterations can not extend past three meters (blocks). A pike or a spear would likely be the longest alteration, ranged weaponry is not possible, but things such as quills are.

     

    -Bodily Attachment-

    “I lend my aid- wield it well, host.”

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An Afflicted individual practicing Bodily Attachment.
    ((Credit to Chris Rallis))
 

    A more complex division of bodily alteration, attachment grants an experienced Afflicted the aptitude to form short-term additions to their present body.

Spoiler

As the name suggests bodily attachment builds off of the individual rather than change as alteration does.

Through enough concentration one can will the Affliction to build off of themselves, constructing something entirely new. As alteration this can roughly be likened to the art of Transmutation. An example of what this allows would be formation of extra appendages, though lesser than normal limbs.

The amount that can be attached to one's body is finite, the more one has procured the less feasible they truly are to utilize; attachments must remain attached onto the body to function. Similarly to alteration attachment invokes pain upon the persona, becoming less of a burden as the Afflicted becomes more experienced.

     

    - As alterations, attachments are not instantaneous and generally takes 3-4 emotes to form, more or less depending on the size and density.

     

    - Only accessible to Tiers 3 and higher.

     

    - Concentration is needed to perform an attachment successfully.

     

    - Five is the maximum attachments capable, the more additions equals the less they are feasible, degrading them. For instance, with five attachments each would only have the diameter and strength of a child’s arm; vice versa, if only one attachment was utilized the appendage would be comparable to a knight’s arm, that of a honed warrior.

     

    - Attachments can not extend past six meters (blocks)

 

    -Five attachments would only have the diameter and strength of a child’s arm, able to lift up to a maximum of 10lbs, or roughly 4.5kg.         


    -Four attachments would have the diameter and strength of a proficient mage, able to lift up to a maximum of 20lbs, or roughly 9kg.      

   
    -Three attachments would have the diameter and strength of an average farmer, able to lift up to a maximum of 40lbs, or roughly 18kg.  

       
    -Two attachments would have the diameter and strength of a man-at-arms, able to lift up to 60lbs, or roughly 27kg.         


    -One attachment would have the diameter and strength of someone of the Afflicted’s race that is in peak shape.

 

    -In combat,  all attachments after the first two will become clumsy and harder to control as the Symbiote is put into a state of panic. In light of this, an Afflicted with 5  attachments during combat would experience clumsiness in the 3rd, 4th and 5th, which would be unable to form sensitive enough ends to properly wield objects, and would also take an additional emote to aim and strike with.
 

     

-Aesthetics-

“You complete me.”

 

Lacking any personality or consciousness of its own, the Symbiote expresses itself through its host’s identity and self awareness. This leads to subtle changes in the appearance of mutations specific to the individual Afflicted. For example, Afflicted with low self confidence and a poor perception of themselves might find themselves accidentally appearing as they believe; an Afflicted paranoid about the size of their nose could accidentally cause it to grow slightly more bulbous or hooked, whereas a vain Afflicted might on the inverse cause their features to sharpen in a clearer reflection of their own personal interpretation of beauty. This could also be applied to things like ear size and shape, skin colour, hair colour, eye colour, vocal range and so on as aesthetic non-functional changes in appearance.

Below are some examples of Afflicted from different walks of life, and how they might opt (subconsciously or consciously) to appear when utilising their abilities. 
 

Spoiler

These changes can be consciously or subconsciously brought about, and sometimes become extreme when utilising Bodily Alterations and Bodily Attachments. As a rule, no one aesthetic will make an Afflicted inherently stronger than another (like armouring appearing metallic instead of chitinous), though impractical Aesthetics will still come with logical detriment. 


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An Orcish Afflicted, devout to Enrokh: the Spirit of Bloodlust, utilizing an axe-like and sword-like Bodily Alterations of broken muscle and bone.
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An Aespectist Afflicted emulating a Bryophyte, utilising their Bodily Alteration to cover themselves in bark like armour, as well as supplementing themselves with branch-like additional limbs with Bodily Attachment.

 

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An Afflicted zealot of Garumdir, utilising their Bodily Attachment to work two additional limbs that resemble the mechanical parts of an Animii. 

 

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An Afflicted Thalassian Sea-Witch, utilising their Bodily Attachment to sprout four additional limbs that resemble the writhing tendrils of a Kraken. 

 

- Aesthetics cannot functionally superseded the limitations prior set out by Bodily Attachments and Bodily Alterations.

- Aesthetics in specific Bodily Attachments and Bodily Alterations can be applied instantaneously as parts are added or resculpted as they yield no functional benefit, though aesthetics outside of this range or being applied to prior formed Attachments and Alterations would take two emotes to apply per changed area (IE making a single attached limb look like a bramble instead of a fleshy appendage)

- Aesthetics do not count towards the amount of Attachments and Alternations an Afflicted can have at once as they are not functional, but they will be dropped if an Afflicted is rendered unconscious by any means other than sleep. 

 

 

General Redlines for Affliction:

 

- Affliction is regarded as Further Alchemy, which must be taught and requires an accepted FA to use. TAs can only be made by Afflicted who have been taught how to create the Symbiote.

- Afflicted cannot practice any Magics which change or pollute the caster’s body in the long term such as Mysticism or Shade Magic as well as any form of Voidal Magic, Druidism or Shamanism. 

- Affliction cannot be combined with any of the CA races besides Klones and Machine Spirits, modified in accordance with the above lore. 

- Afflicted who have staved off poisoning must wait a narrative day before being able to access any of their abilities with the exception of Aesthetics and passive health.

- Afflicted improved fitness does not offer superhuman levels of strength, stamina or agility, merely a faster and easier route to peak performance that would otherwise require years of exercise and training.

- Afflicted will still remain mostly humanoid throughout their mutations; Afflicted cannot be used to emulate Druidic Shapeshifting to the extent of becoming another animal. 

- The mental changes brought on by Afflicted only serve to shift their personalities and perceptions and do not bring about any changes in the individual’s intellect or ability. The only ‘knowledge’ it might grant is an inherent understanding of the Material Alphabet.

- Afflicted are agonised by the sound of Moonspeak and must try to deafen themselves to it however possible. Opting to keep listening to Moonspeak will render the Afflicted paralysed and unconscious after a narrative minute.

- Afflicted must consume double the caloric amount required by their descendant race, or supplement their diets with alchemically enhanced nutrition or liquid mana. Failing to do so will cause the Symbiote to stop functioning until the Afflicted can properly nourish it again.
-Afflicted are unable to ‘sense’ spellcasting; the Symbiote is only as aware as its host to the presence of Voidal Mages, and would only begin to read the juxtaposing murmurings of the Void when its host can clearly tell spellcasting is taking place.
-Afflicted are unable to forcefully suck liquid Mana from any sort of mage, and would instead be inclined to barter with them for it or in extreme cases try to torture them into producing it for them.
-The addictive desire for Liquid Mana brought on by the presence of Voidal Connections is as potent as a heavy smoker’s desire for nicotine; it can only be suppressed by drinking at least 100ml of Liquid Mana or escaping the Mage’s vicinity by entering another room or travelling at least twenty meters (blocks) from them and waiting for the thirst to subside after half a narrative hour. A byproduct of this addiction also comes in the presence of Voidal Enchantments, with which Afflicted would constantly feel the tugging desire to crack open mana gems to drink the essence from when wielding them.
-When aware that Voidal Magic is being practised, Afflicted will experience feelings of anxiety and discomfort, invoking a mild fight or flight response that will naturally force them to try and distance themselves from it or in extreme cases engage with the Voidal Mage to halt their connection.

 

Tier Progression:

 

Spoiler

 

Tier One
 

The symbiote is ingested by a host, causing it to awaken from its dormant state and infect their body, beginning the process of symbiosis. This minute Affliction passively feasts on the nutrients that the person would intake; basically comparable to the likes of equivalent exchange; a handful of days shall pass before the Affliction may decide to make itself known to that whom nurses it; one may be strained awake as a startling pain envelops over them, procuring the feeling of dulled nausea, the individual experiencing something similar to a cold sweat, though in truth it is the Affliction excreting measly amounts of liquefied essence.

By the end of the week the Afflicted individual will notice dramatic dietary shifts, suffering hunger pains until they begin regularly eating twice as much or supplementing themselves with liquid mana or alchemical nutrients. They would also begin to feel more healthy and able than before, with prior conditions like lethargy, back pains and muscle strain fading away. 

 

Furthermore, reading becomes more difficult, as if they’re trying to read text between other letters written on top of it, and their interpretation of the world also begins to shift, possibly causing them to question prior accepted truths and norms. 

At tier one, the individual is limited on the extent to which they can sculpt their body with Bodily Alteration, they may only have up to two alterations and only create very basic changes, examples of this would be a pair of talons or claws as opposed to fingers, or scales to cover the flesh.

 

Tier Two

 

The Afflicted feels healthier than ever, should they continue to properly satiate their growing hunger. Muscle mass and flexibility seems exceptionally improved and hangovers become a thing of the past.

Subtle changes - for the better or worse - might be noticed in one’s reflection. Putting conscious focus on these changes allows the Afflicted to begin willingly experimenting with Aesthetics. 

Reading is once more doable, but the Afflicted finds themself understanding the meanings of pictures rather than translating text on a page into thought. When writing they might find themselves accidentally scribbling in symbols they’ve never seen before when trying to spell a word, and strangely still understanding said symbols.

The Afflicted finds their world view either solidified or shaken, with the processes of nature and society either seeming much clearer and logical or confusing and problematic. 

At tier two, the Afflicted may create up to three alterations at a given time and has likely experimented with the symbiote enough in delve deeper into their capabilities and better tolerate the pain it may bring. Examples of this would be being able to form a blade out from one’s forearm, replacing the hand, or something more complex, for instance, a slight enhancement of their senses in the ways of finer vision within dim light or a somewhat more sensitive sense of smell.

 

Tier Three

 

The Afflicted reaches their physical peak for their respective race, finding themselves in a state significantly stronger and more agile than prior to ingesting the Symbiote. They’d also note how long it’s been since they’ve gotten sick.                       

The Material Alphabet becomes the Afflicted main read dialect, which they will acknowledge despite any further understanding of what it is or why they’ve learnt it. Conscious effort can be made to read and write in Common and other languages again alongside it. 

The Afflicted becomes more mindful and appreciative of the world’s complexity, from meagre craftsmanship to natural philosophy. Furthermore the world begins to seem more inherently ordered or disordered, depending on what impetus they have been exposed to to draw said conclusions. They might also find themselves mistaken at times, as a byproduct of this black and white mechanical world view. Methodical tasks become more satisfying, and easier to follow.

The Afflicted becomes able to use Bodily Attachment. Five is the maximum amount of attachments capable, the more additions equals the less they are feasible, degrading them. 

For instance;

Five attachments would only have the diameter and strength of a child’s arm, able to lift up to a maximum of 10lbs, or roughly 4.5kg.

Four attachments would have the diameter and strength of a proficient mage, able to lift up to a maximum of 20lbs, or roughly 9kg.

Three attachments would have the diameter and strength of an average farmer, able to lift up to a maximum of 40lbs, or roughly 18kg.

Two attachments would have the diameter and strength of a man-at-arms, able to lift up to 60lbs, or roughly 27kg.

One attachment would have the diameter and strength of someone of the Afflicted’s race that is in peak shape.

At tier three, the Afflicted may create up to four alterations and will be able to better utilize the aforementioned, being able to utilize their senses at their peak at will and research the biology of beasts and creatures to implement onto their own forms.

 

Tier Four

 

At tier four, the Afflicted is adept at the alteration of their body and are able to create up to five alterations. At this stage, the wielder is able to go beyond the peak of their ordinary form and augment their bodies to better suit their needs, whatever the situation. An Afflicted at this tier may create a form to allow for the use of echolocation, an adaptation to their legs to run even faster, artificially add to their muscle mass for strength or coat their body in chitinous or metallic armour.

Tier four Afflicted can also naturally produce the base strain required for bodily enhancement, and unlock the potential be taught how to create Symbiotes of their own to spread the Affliction.

 

Tier Five

 

At tier five, the Afflicted has mastered the alteration of their body and are able to create up to seven alterations. Utilizing the symbiote is something that may have become second nature to them, no longer feeling the pain its usage once brought whatsoever.

 

 

Credits and TL;DR changelog:

 

Spoiler

-Expanded upon the Origin of The Affliction, making it more culturally universal whilst still retaining some mystique.
-Clarified passive effects of Affliction on the body, health and so on.
-Clarified the capabilities of Bodily Alterations and added redlines.
-Clarified the capabilities of Bodily Attachments and added redlines.
-Clarified Aesthetics and added redlines.
-Moved away from the soul-based presence of the Symbiote to a more logical bodily infestation.
-Removed the ability to wield most magics alongside Affliction.
-Added homages to Voidal Horrors and the Material Alphabet to ground Affliction more in wider lore and add unique weaknesses.
-Added effects of the Symbiote upon the mentality of the host, in hopes of promoting more RP and character depth past ‘I have this neat ability now’ as critiqued in previous versions.
-Nerfed Machine Spirit and Klone combinations. 
-Added general redlines and clarifications.
-Added tier progression.


Additional changes as requested by ST whilst on Pending:

-Removed Strains so as to allow them to be better fleshed out as a future addition.

-Added Redlines restricting procured armour’s strength and weight.

-Added Redlines restricting the use of Bodily Attachments and restrictions specific to Combat.

-Expanded upon unique interaction with Voidal Magic.

-Expanded upon Liquid Mana addiction.


Credits, alphabetically, go to:
GammaByte – Consultant
Hexe – Writer and Slave Driver
Jaelon – Writer
Mordew – Writer and Sex God
Rift – Consultant

Skylez – Previous Writer and Consultant
 

 

 

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Ailise’s brain when she listens to herself speak

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I like this. 

Pretty faithful to my original work, but adds some much needed clarifications and a few neat things here and there.
 

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 wasn’t sure if this was gonna get a lg update, it would’ve been a shame to see such a unique piece of lore vanish from the server.

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Thank you for submitting your piece! Your piece is now under review and a reply will be given once a verdict has been reached.

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This lore is pending, you will be sent a forum PM in the next 24 hours with a list of issues that need to be fixed.

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This Lore has been accepted. Moved to Implemented Lore, it will be sorted to it's appropriate category soon. Please note that if this is playable lore, such as a magic or CA, you will need to write a guide for this piece. You will be contacted regarding the guide (or implementation if it isn’t needed) shortly.

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