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T ʜ ᴇ C ᴏ ɴ ᴅ ᴜ ɪ ᴛ ꜱ O ꜰ E ɴ ʟ ɪ ɢ ʜ ᴛ ᴇ ɴ ᴍ ᴇ ɴ ᴛ
[Cᴏɴᴅᴜɪᴛ] - Tʜᴇ ɪɴ-ɢᴀᴍᴇ ᴄʜᴀʀᴀᴄᴛᴇʀ ᴡʜᴏ ʜᴀꜱ ʟᴇᴀʀɴᴇᴅ ᴛʜɪꜱ ᴀʙɪʟɪᴛʏ.
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[Background]
First documented by the prestigious mind of Beranabus Seregon, written down within his own journals and papers, the Conduits of Enlightenment - named thusly by him - have existed long before ever meeting true “Discovery.” This phenomenon manifests itself when a mind and soul touch within the body of a Conduit. Sometimes on purpose and sometimes on accident, such as seen in the cases of baseless religions initiating their followers within rituals that derive them of their senses and leave them with visions of some unspoken horror beyond understanding, solidifying faith. Or those laying on the brink of death awaiting medicine, swearing to bear witness to an angel of the creator, cast down to soothe them in their most vulnerable moments.
Whatever the case, many people first undergo the Conduits of Enlightenment unknowingly in the form of unexplained visions during moments of great development. This does not mean, however, that they are wholly, or even partially, aware of what these are. Taking these visions at face value and little more.
Few are those that pursue a greater understanding and see the visions as something deeper, and in their search they grow to better understand their sense of self, and reach enlightenment in their own mind. It is these few who become known to the world as a Conduit, and master their own mind. The soul and mind are two vastly powerful things on their own, able to achieve a great deal more than often they are given credit for, and even then, they are given credit for quite a lot. Scholars and wizards think about the soul, and wonder how best to fuel their great schematics and plans. Weapons of war. A resource alone, is how a soul might often be reduced to by many viewpoints, and a mind merely the tool for tuning it.
This leads to a great overlooking of the finer tuned abilities of the mind and soul, especially when working in tandem with one another. Things that can tell a story or give a lesson, share a cherished memory or convey an idea, rather than merely killing one another.
Those who have learned to attune to their own mind and express the nuances of their own thoughts are known as Conduits, masters of the Conduits of Enlightenment. Through these, a Conduit causes not suffering, but tells a story.
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[Abilities]
There are only three abilities within the Conduits of Enlightenment. It is important to note that this is an open-knowledge piece of World Lore, in which anyone who takes the time to read this page has access to it, provided they go through the roleplay of its discovery. It requires no [FA], [MA], or [CA] to practice, and no [TA] to teach, but it strictly may never be used maliciously to anyone, under any circumstances.
Tethering - [Non-Combative]
Tethering is the act in which someone first undergoes the Conduits of Enlightenment, before they have learned to control their mind and develop their own Mindscape. This can happen naturally, through those who meditate often. Or, a Conduit who has mastered the Conduits of Enlightenment may artificially manifest this upon a willing student, requiring a hand upon both their heart and head to bring about. In either case, it is through a temporary connection of the mind and soul that the Conduits of Enlightenment begin.
The result of Tethering is often considered a scary thing to those who undergo it. But scary does not mean dangerous, as no threat is ever posed to the Conduit. When tethered, the would-be conduit undergoes a freeform set of visions related to their character, generally designed to aid them in self reflection and better understanding themselves. Only after “conquering” this vision does a character become a Conduit. For some this happens in one roleplay, either self-rp’d or controlled narratively by the “Teacher”. For others this takes weeks of trial and error, as some people struggle to accept themselves or their past.
Rᴇᴅʟɪɴᴇꜱ:
Mindscape Travel - [Non-Combative]
Through a state of enhanced meditation, the Conduit may enter a representation of their mental state within their mind. This is often, but not always, known to manifest as the place that the Conduit is most comfortable with in the real world. A particularly troubled Conduit may have the opposite occur, wherein what manifests is the place where most of their troubles are rooted within. This space is not a perfect copy however, and like a dream it frays upon the edges, the mind filling in gaps where a hole might be found otherwise.
After being made, a Conduit may then control and manipulate their Mindscape as though a lucid dream, showing what they please to their passengers, or simply allowing them a greater freedom to explore their own mind.
Rᴇᴅʟɪɴᴇꜱ:
Passing Thoughts - [Combative]
There are times in which words cannot bring about peace, where the inevitability of conflict brings two Conduits to clash upon a field of battle. These situations are beyond rare, given the already rare existence of Conduits in the first place, but therein lay the potential for the extraordinary to occur. Should these two Conduits fight with closed hearts and steeled minds, or even just one of them, nothing will occur. A fight as normal, with no outward effects. However, should reason and the hope for resolution exist within both, then through the trading of blows, their blades might speak for them. With souls resonating with a similar wish, their minds may touch upon one another with each clash of a blade. Flashes of thought from one to another.
This is not true communication, but an extending of ideas and desire. Flashes of memories. An example among two knights, both graying in their hair and wishing not to slay one another, one might receive flashes of the other’s memory, a vision of the child their foe has at home, smiling and wishing them a safe journey. In return, the other might receive a flash of a bride they never met, asking and begging them not to leave home, and to put aside their blade and remain. The end outcome of this is not one set in stone. This ability cannot, at the end of the day, affect one’s actual combat ability. It may portray among the two Conduits a desire to put aside their weapons, or even build camaraderie within them even as they slay one another. One is not forced to give up on their ideals in order to accomplish this - they must merely hope that the other side might come to reason, and thus no longer be deemed a foe.
Rᴇᴅʟɪɴᴇꜱ:
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[Citations]
Credits to Booklight12 for the original writing of the Conduits of Enlightenment!
» [Original Booklight12 Lore]
Credits to TimberBuff for updating it when it became very outdated!
» [2021 TimberBuff Lore]
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