[✓] [Voidal Feat] - Voidal Eminence

[squakhawk 7303]

Background/Origin

 

Long has the Descendant sought mastery over the incomprehensible. The Void, an infinite of creation and destruction, tangible only in it’s most outwards tendrils unto the physical plane. Ever since the first spark of connection, Descendantkind’s first dream was to master The Void. Arrogance, Selfishness, Ignorance; traits of one stubborn in perceiving understanding of something so minutely tangible.

The first words began to proceed throughout history; Ailer, in Elven cultures. Wizard from the halflings; Archmage, and Evoker, from Mankind. Words saved for those who sought to master what they could barely understand, Eminence, over The Void. Although, not every sorcerer was the name they wrought. The titles spread, the words commonplace- and soon anyone could call themselves a Master of The Void. Throughout history has pervaded those who excelled and proceeded beyond what any were capable of imagining- secrets spread to those who truly had excelled above all. These went by few appearances; enhanced understanding, power, and mastery, over The Void. Thus was created- Voidal Eminence, for those truly who ascended above all.

 

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Magic Explanation

 

Eminence is a pseudo mastery of The Inner Void, an understanding of how to utilize it to one’s best advantage. It is taught through a ritual with another Voidal Magi in which one binds themselves to an Affection, which acts as a catalyst for their mastery.

 

Voidal Eminence requires 3 slots dedicated to Voidal Magic to learn. One’s Eminence will go dormant if they lose knowledge or practice of Voidal Arts.

Voidal Eminence is self-taught, initiated through ritual.

Voidal Eminence is a Feat and one would make an app for so. This app requires the aiding-magi to place their approval on the FA.

Voidal Eminence is mutually exclusive with other Voidal Feats (Voidstalking, or Artificery).

Augmented knowledge enables one to feel the very substance of spells, and of active mana, expediting the flow of spells and rendering one capable of passively accumulating active mana throughout spells to perform an array of feats in combat

 

 

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Connection

Connection to Voidal Eminence is wrought from another source of Voidal Mana and The Eminent. Connection is sparked and maintained through an Affection. An Affection is some form of Voidal manifestation which one may physically hold or feel; something close to one’s self, resonating with their identity.

 

Requiring another source of mana greater than one’s self, a to-be Voidal Eminent would prepare to infuse mana within the to-be Affection. Alongside another source (By three additional voidal mages, a mana obelisk, a voidal tear, or a Voidstalker), they would infuse mana unto the Affection- similar but not quite as exhausting as Arcanium Creation, aswell potentially (willingly) afflicting things Arcanium could not such as flesh.

Examples may be as simple as a specific managem one may bind to themselves, or perhaps utilizing Focus Crystals within one’s self, using instruments of Arcanium or Magegold, or as severe as implementing tattoos or using limbs (should they be applicable) of the materials mentioned above.

 

Without one’s specific Affection, one may not find the benefits of or progress in Voidal Eminence. Should one’s Affection be lost or destroyed, a new one must be created through the same ritual requiring another mage above; binding one’s self to the Affection. Hence, why more severe solutions physically placed upon one’s body, may be more beneficial in such respects.

 

If one were to lose their Affection for two year’s (two week IC)  time, not only would the knowledge, but the practice of Voidal Eminence would fade rapidly into obscurity. 

 

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Physical Effects

A mage following the path of Voidal Eminence would notice no discernable changes that a normal magi is not already accustomed to, save their affection. 

 

An Affection may be implanted upon one’s self in the form of a limb, tattoo, or otherwise permanent alteration of one’s body to “Mark” upon themselves- eligible to utilize The Void and Active Mana in a much more fluent and continuous way. As stated before however, this Affection would require being made of Focus Crystals, Arcanium, or Magegold- although Atronach Limbs would aswell suffice. 

 

 

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Mental Effects

 Those warped by Eminence will undergo a variety of possible mental changes, and may suffer from the following:

 

Selfishness! It is something all users will develop.

Susceptible to taking advantage, using, and manipulating others for your own advantage. Sometimes others can have use in your pursuit for more.

Constant craving for power. It’s in best interest to seek it through any means necessary. (Political, personal, etc..) Most Eminence users develop Megalomania.

Various “negative” complexes are common. Someone may develop a “hero complex” which makes them tackle harder work that they later brag about in search of recognition. Other complexes may include:

God complex

Superiority complex

Martyr complex

Ignorance, and arrogance. Opinions aren’t swayed easily. Descendants with this feat value their personal views, and take little consideration in hearing the opinions of others. 

Disregard for the feelings of others. Indifference! 

Impulsive decisions are made at times, often when proven wrong. Users may feel intense urges to perform daring acts out of the blue.

Narcissism, and Nihilism may develop.

Sociopathic tendencies. Descendants affected by Eminence lack the ability to notice/understand the feelings of others. 

Urges to show off, or gloat about the “best parts” of one’s self. 

The delusion that your top qualities are the best of the best. 

Substance abuse for a “greater” feeling.

Perfectionism 

An extreme sense of pride.

Different triggers, or events may cause ego trips (an event where you may feel admired, or noticed for something and your only goal is to increase this feeling.)

 

Various mental disorders may develop as well: 

Minor, to extreme cases of Depression

Bipolar Disorder

Binge eating disorders

OCD

 

 

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Abilities and Spells

[Passive] [Noncombat] - Aura Sensory

An affinity for their sect, one may find themselves sensing mana in a more literal form. As once when first connected, mana and voidal presence was a new feeling which faded with time - a magi may find themselves once more, feeling the same way. Unlike the product of amateurism before, the feeling becomes deeper and more profound, enabling the magi to understand the presence and concentration of mana, perhaps even giving insight to its origin.

A Voidal Magi possessing this feat may sense voidal energies and it’s concentration, within a given area of item to determine potential information required for further understanding. This may manifest in finding ones Aura Colour, detecting if the area had been recently cast in; and if so, what type of casting, and so on.

 

 

Eminents are further evolved in their understanding of arcane and thus perceive its flow with greater clarity, allowing them to become visibly aware of one's own (or another's) exhaustion when it comes to voidal spellcasting. This is to say that an Eminent will be able to distinguish the slightest flicker in their own or another's aura as spells are cast, which implies that they may tell when an arcane mage is more or less drained by the act of mustering a spell.

 

This effect is wholly aesthetic and cannot provide one any sort of combative advantage (or disadvantage) in any capacity, including but not limited to relaying information about another's spellcasting exhaustion. It is but a harmless, vain tool to allow Eminents another storytelling resource and all that one may see when another (or even oneself) starts becoming exhausted due to over-exertion is a decrease in light arouund the caster's aura.

 

Redlines

- Aura Sensory and all applications of Voidal Eminence do not apply to Kani’s passive mana, or other magics unless they are Voidal in nature.

- Aura Sensory may not “Detect” if someone is a mage. It is more of a hook-tell system, in which were a magi recently casting, one would be able to discern the specifics from their in accordance to opponen emotes of the magi being examined. This only applies to Voidal magi unless otherwise specified in lore, and any other type of mage may not be "detectable". 

- Aura Sensory may only detect casting as recent as one OOC, or if agreed upon, narrative hour since the spell was cast. 

- Aura Sensory has a range of ten blocks and requires line of sight.

- Aura Sensory examining Aura Colour does not discern who is a magi and who is not. Aswell, one does not have to be a magi to possess a latent aura colour. 

- Active spellcasting or Active Enchantment would be much more vibrant and easily visible to The Voidal Eminent. Enchantments and spells unactivated or non-voidal in nature would be observed no differently than normal. 

 

 

 

[Passive] [Non-combat] Magister Magnificus
It is woven into the fibre of their bearing, that these casters are certain of their ability, and by all means the very gesture of weaving spells is proven as close to them as flesh and blood. Hard pressed are they to conceive of limitations that would hamper their influence. Empowered by this ideology, only their hand can extend just a bit further than others into the depths of the unknown.

 

Archetypical geniuses of Voidal Magic, some claim. Others deem them power hungry and covetous. Nonetheless, an Eminent seated at the pinnacle of control over the Inner Void is a proven master in every right. The precision of their influence over Mana, inherent tether to Void, and indominable focus all serves the Eminent rightly; so much that these magi may envision and compose two total Magnum Opuses over their lifetime. The first of which is the inherent claim of any mastered Mage, and the second of which replaces the opportunity to learn one. Solely a skill of those archons who take hold of Magic and mold it to their Material desires.

 

-An Eminent may choose to replace their ‘learned’ Magnum Opus slot for a second ‘Created’ one. Note: Created Magnum Opuses cannot be dropped.

-An active Eminent Affection is required to access this ability and the subsequent created Magnum Opus.
-All Magnum Opus and Spell Forging redlines must be observed.
-The player is required to post their Eminence [FA] when applying for the second Magnum Opus.
-Magister Magnificus is a tier 3 Eminence ability.

 

 

[Active] [Noncombat/Combat] - Expulsion

Expulsion is the act of temporarily becoming a focus - withdrawing the mana around one’s self and condensing it, before firing it in a metaphorical, metaphysical “ring” outwards. In doing so, no matter the circumstance - a Magi would be significantly hindered, if not outright knocked out from sheer mental strain; let alone killed outright, upon the unlikely case of overexertion.
 

Expulsion would require the mage take two emotes, outside of any other casting - one emote for “Condensing” mana, all of which may be around them, and a second emote for “Expulsing”, or pushing out all the mana they had condensed. 

Expulsion would reach up to ten-metres outward from the mage in every direction, causing a knockback effect of at least three meters upon targets. Extremely heavy (Golem or heavier) targets may only be staggered, while those below such a threshold would be put to the floor - requiring an emote to get up once more. This forceful movement would encourage unnatural body movements and likely dealing damage with the colliding environment.

Due to “Active” mana being the main focus of the magi, it may be that of a familiar magic- outside of just pure force. This may manifest in the form of different evocation, although ineffective with other forms of voidal magic.

Fire Evocation may send out an incinerating plume of flame- alongside the knockback and knockdown effect, may inflict light (first degree) burns along exposed areas of the target. This may aswell manifest to smoke, which may temporarily blind or choke opponents.

 

Water Evocation may manifest into water or ice, bearing the force of such aswell - enough to knock even the heaviest opponents to the ground, or expulsing objects akin to hail, ranging from mostly harmless or lightly irritating pebbles to larger shapes and sizes to golfballs or rock-like objects with harmful edges which may bruise and give minor cuts.

 

Earth Evocation may manifest as rocks or sand, the prior bearing the force to knock down the heaviest opponents and even dent armour; the latter, sand, which may temporarily impair an opponent's vision and graze exposed skin. 

 

Air Evocation would be more difficult to utilize, but potentially far more effective - knocking down opponents with much more force, and twice as far. An opponent may be sent flying a direction up to six meters away, and down much harder; enough to knock the wind out of someone, encouraging exhaustion and still requiring one emote to stand once more. 

 

Other forms of voidal magic would bear an aesthetic affect representative of that magic - Translocation perhaps an intermittently-disappearing-and-reappearing ring, illusion potentially taking on an appearance as a reflection of light or someother, etc.. Each of these effects would be strictly aesthetic however, do not provide any harmful advantage in combat.

 

Expulsion would at the least disable a mage from casting further, and put them at a high level of exhaustion - optionally, a mage may be outright knocked out from the amount of force conjured.

 

Redlines

- After Expulsion, a caster may not utilize any spells, and may not provide any meaningful combat; barely able to pick up any form of weapon, and inable to complete any physically-arduous task, despite prior-strength or stamina. Unless magically rejuvenated, the recovery process a full day in narrative time.

- After casting Expulsion, the magi physically acts objectively worse in all forms of movement and combat than a standard, normal descendant of any class, and is easily outperformed and outmaneuvered. 

- Expulsion may not be used to damage (or by side product damage) the environment unless with RO consent.

 

 

[Passive] [Noncombat/Combat] - Incanter’s Flow

Incanter’s Flow, or “Spellweaving”, is the practice of understanding a rhythm of casting, and becoming in tune with evoking. With so, one may, following certain feats of spellcasting - perform spells of incredible power or varied versatility. 

 

Incanter’s flow is a light “rhythm” or progression while casting. As one casts and remains connected, it becomes significantly easier to cast and continue so- manifesting within passive, and more active, effects.

Passive

After remaining connected for X amount of spellcasts (connect(or charge)-> cast, X counts for it being “completed”), one would have effects based on the dedication to their casting. If using noncombat spells, X counts for every emote spent.

 

1 Completed Spellcasts (or 1 emotes noncombat) - After the threshold reached, one would have their fatigue reduced- enough to feel as if they had not come under the effects of standard casting-exhaustion - this effect becoming more prevalent should the chain be continued. This is visualized in any strictly aesthetic manner of a magi entering “Their Element”, but a tell must be given that a mage has entered their flow.
 

2 Completed Spellcasts (or 2 emotes noncombat) - After the threshold reached, one would have their aura manifest more physically - brighter, denser, or far more prevalent in general. Should the caster be unable, they would be able to manifest their aura colour into their spells. Aswell, the Spellcaster may utilize Expulsion through range, allowing the focalpoint of knockback to be focused wherever a spell may land.

 

3 Completed Spellcasts (or 3 emotes noncombat) - After this threshold is reached, it would be incredibly difficult to lose connection or focus unless intentional. Unless magically disrupted, further wounded beyond small cuts or a bruises(requiring a single solid blow or cut upon their person, be it a limb or their main body), or outright knocked to the ground, one would remain connected to the void until the end of combat, or for a narrative hour noncombat. Additionally, their intensive focus allows them to more swiftly cast their spells at the cost of half of their physical might, allowing them to remove [1] emote from the casting time of any voidal magic(or in non-combat, perform rituals twice as fast). In combat, the minimum this may reduce a spell to is [1 connect+2 cast] for its requirements, and may only effect spells up to Tier 4 in nature.

 

Redlines:

- When Transferring noncombat to combat, one may not transfer over their level of Incanting flow. Upon transition, it reverts to 0. This as well applies to if one does 3 noncombat emotes to achieve the “Narrative Hour Noncombat”. 

- Reduced casting time still requires all usual instances of a spell to be emoted, essentially allowing you to mix two of the emotes together as your character performs their magic more swiftly than usual. This can only bring a spell down to 2 emotes of casting after connection, NO less.

- Reduced casting time only applies to spells of Tier 1-4, and cannot be used to lower the casting time of Tier 5 spells.

- Each emote while in Incanter’s Flow (regardless of stage) requires a tell of some kind to show the mage has entered a heightened state of casting. Examples include a much more vibrant aura alongside an emotionless, concentrated expression. Other things work, so long as there is a change in both the aura and physical demeanor of the caster.

- When physically acting (movement, dodging, withstanding, so on) or physically fighting (parrying, blocking, swinging, so on) in combat, a magi with unbreaking focus would be objectively worse than any average descendant, and not capable of overpowering, outmaneuvering, or outperforming any other descendant successfully in these fields. Considered to be at half of their usual strength.

- 3 Completed Spellcasts applies the “Narrative Hour” rule, usable in subsequent combat scenarios, but only within an Event.

- “Unbreakable Focus” only applies to effects such as deafening sound, pain, or so on. Things such as casting while armoured or sprinting would still completely disable one from casting. Things that break connection normally on the mages behalf (Ex. armored, sprinting, losing line of sight (by blindness or normally), would still break connection or cease casting).

- An Eminent can sustain light-injuries without losing their connection at full stacks. Able to be broken by anything more than a light cut/bruise, or alternatively a direct hit - such as a punch square to the torso, head, etc. Being pushed over/tripped would break focus. Common sense applies here. Loud noises also will not break focus.

- Ranged-Expulsion applies all normal effects and designs of normal Expulsion, to both the Caster and Targets.

 

[Passive] [Noncombat/”Combat”] - Clarity of Mind

Able to completely separate one’s minds into sections of thought, one could focus upon multiple tasks at once. Physically separating pieces of thought is not easy, though a Voidal Eminent would be highly proficient in splitting their thoughts. This may manifest in superb multitasking, high situational-awareness, or generally high cognitive function. The mind cleared of obstructions one may harness their voidal connection to sever themselves from emotional or impaired thought to think completely clear.

A Voidal Magi possessing this feat may find themselves incredibly apt at situations which would require intense, split, or generally heavy thought. This may be a fight from multiple angles, performing multiple tasks at once, or finding themselves generally more able to process thoughts and logic significantly quicker than before.

 

Redlines

Clarity of mind is not a metagaming tool. It is strictly a flavourful way to intensely focus on tasks, situations, or scenarios which require good thought or intuition. 

 

General Redlines

- Performing the connection of Voidal Eminence does not give any indication, idea, or process of how to make Arcanium. It is strictly separate from an Affection.

- Affections must be immediately visible and in open air when in use.

- An Affection may only be as small as a brooch, regardless of place upon skin or in the form of an item. It may be as large as something one could physically carry. 

- An Affection unless otherwise given other reason (ex. Enchanted) does not provide combative advantage or affect.

- Affections are unique to The Eminent. In the hands of other magi, they would not give them the effects (nor method of how to learn) Voidal Eminence.

- After being destroyed or a period of inert dormancy (one week from the creating-eminent), an Affection would no longer carry any form of use or power - allowing creation of a new Affection. Once this new Affection is made, the old Affection, regardless of it were to spontaneously rematerialize or were regained once more, would be unusable.

 

 

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Tier Progression

 

Tier 1

A Magi familiar with Voidal Eminence would begin to feel the physical and mental changes rather rapidly onset, likely causing some mental instability and physical confusion; resulting in cold or fever-like symptoms as the body adjusts to changes. As well, the magi is plagued by periodic headaches and miasmic visions of errant Mana as they grow accustomed to Aura Sensory. This Tier lasts two weeks.

 

Tier 2

A Magi familiar with Voidal Eminence would have the physical and mental changes apply in full at this point, becoming more solid and far less afflictive. They would begin to understand the basic core of what they are capable of; finding themselves able to use Aura Sensory and Expulsion. This Tier lasts two weeks.

 

Tier 3

A Magi familiar with Voidal Eminence would be much more controlled and understanding of their abilities, grasping at the finer edges of their practice; able to utilize Incanter’s Flow and Clarity of Mind in their casting. 

 

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Purpose

The Archmage, Sorcerer, and Wizard aesthetic is one Voidal Magic is often overlooking given how minimal a bare magic can seem. Hopefully, with this write given, those aesthetics are covered and serviced with unique interactions, changes, and mindsets of culture added within this piece which may round out that sect of Voidal Mages to have more behind their roleplay.

 

Credits

Squak (Write)

Witchlore (Review & Consultation)

Johann (Review & Consultation)

Zarsies (Review & Consultation)

Auric_Saint (Review)

 

[JustMeMorgan 1000]

Squakhawk you can have my kids +1

[squakhawk 7303]

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.