Cultivation mechanics
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Steps and Realms:
Cultivators gain power through the incorporation of radioactive energy, Si, into their bodies. Burning away the old self, and building something stronger in its place. Realms are significant milestones that bring with them a remarkable change in the fundamental properties of an individual, and are usually classed in a hierarchy of Wretch, Mutant, Aberrant and Supercritical from weakest to strongest. Though informal realms like Mortal and Wanderer exist these are not universally accepted and are the subject of frequent debate. Power increases within Realms are rarely discrete, however progress in each Realm is measured through Steps. An abstraction of various changes to a cultivator and the rough level of power they have absorbed.
The Curse:
All cultivation damages the body. This is an inescapable truth, so long as flesh exists there is a limit to how much Si can be safely accepted in the body of an individual, and while growing more advanced in cultivation and having a stronger will is known to always significantly increases your resistance it can be seemingly random where ones individual limit lies. When the body surpasses its natural capacity to cultivate this results in the condition colloquially known as The Curse. A period of decline as every single tissue that makes up the body starts to fail and die until either a breakthrough is made, or an individual succumbs. Many medications, often made with products distilled from Fruit of Life infected vegetation, can slow down and weaken the effects of The Curse, but unless Si exposure is reduced or a natural breakthrough occurs this can never stop The Curse entirely in its tracks.
The Realms
Wretch:
Functionally not too far removed from pre-war mortals, Wretches usually have no significant deviation from standard human form and have a lifespan on average around 50 years. Like any other realm this has 10 steps, though this is often difficult to correctly distinguish. With each increase in Step a Wretch gains improved physical strength and radiation resistance and a network of Meridians begins to grow. While all Wretches have Meridians, only those step 6 and above usually are able to meaningfully use them and only after directed effort. As such, though Mortal and Wretch are often used interchangeably, most consider those below the 6th Step as "true mortals". By the 9th and 10th Steps the core of the Meridian Network forms into a small organ in the abdomen, which would later become the Dantian. A structure key to higher level cultivation, and of similar structure to Spirit Beast cores.
Mutant:
Marked by the formation and ignition of the Dantian organ, unlike Wretches increases in Mutant Steps are easy to differentiate. Due to unknown reasons, each increase in Step in the Mutant Realm causes the development of a new beneficial biological trait, though not always externally visible. Until the 5th Step these mutations are totally random, though some believe them to be influenced by subconscious factors, and any improvements in lifespan are negligible without a specific Mutation for the trait. After that point however, in what some refer as the Wanderers Realm, while not totally controlled a cultivator can influence the direction of mutations based on their desires. At that point aging also changes, as the rate of aging significantly decreases as a Cultivator grows ever older. Not quite truly immortal, but potentially capable of lifespans in the millennia. At the Tenth Step of the Mutant Realm the Dantian once more begins to undergo changes, growing in size and sometimes moving up the spinal column to be closer to the brain.
Aberrant:
The Aberrant Realm is the stage at which true mastery of radiation may be achieved in the metamorphosis of the Dantian and Meridian Network into the Demon Heart. This chambered organ not only offers greater internal control over Si, but can extend ones control over radiation beyond their own body. In early stages this usually manifests are more efficient cultivation, improved psychic capability if present and the ability to eject internal Si reserves out of the body as a (often grossly inefficient) weapon. Later Steps however can manipulate radiation around a user to achieve varied effects, and in some cases even take control of the power stored in others.
Supercritical:
Those who have reached this stage are truly rare, and as such extremely little is known. Currently it is simply understood as the peak of all Cultivation, the Realm of Gods and Monsters, less individuals and more unnatural disasters. At this point the weaknesses inherent to a physical form are finally overcome. After all, the limits of the flesh do not apply when the flesh no longer exists.
Currently no Supercritical cultivators are active in human affairs. The reasons for this are unknown.
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To Survive a Nuclear War: Pre-War fallout shelters
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Before the war that would spell the end of what is now known as the Golden Age or the Age of Wonders the world had hung on the edge of annihilation for more than a century. It was impossible even for the most short-sighted leaders to live in the shadow of such a threat for so long and not make preparations for the worst of eventualities. While many survived the inferno that swept the world simply from existing too far from major targets by happenstance or prior preparation not everyone could simply rely on being too far from civilization to survive a full scale nuclear war. The next best option for many was simple: to hide where the bombs could not reach.
Early shelters
When the threat of all-out nuclear war was relatively new most major cities had installed many massive public shelters meant to shelter large portions of their populace from the initial wave of devastation at the very least and theoretically buy time to wait out the worst of the fallout. These public facilities however often fell into neglect and disrepair after decades spent unused, their funding stripped or embezzled away, leaving many to rot. Even for those that did work as intended, they were unequipped to deal with the vast amounts of people that flooded them in the panic at the end of the world, forcing thousands of people to brave the ruined world above as each one inevitably failed. It is believed in the extremely irradiated desolate wastelands that formed where once the greatest cities of man stood, hundreds of thousands of survivors quickly perished. Those who managed to survive however found a strange new power that would define the new world that emerged in the ashes of the world.
Gilded Tombs
The richer members of society however often had sprawling private facilities designed to be sustained long term, often referred to as Underworld Estates. Owned by the families of high ranking corporate executives, major politicians and even many celebrities, these were not only meant to ensure their survival in a worst case scenario but also maintain a semblance of the lofty lifestyle they enjoyed before. These expensive structures however did not save those who knew not how to take care of themselves in a world where the money of the old world suddenly lost all relevance, and as it became increasingly clear that the world above was likely to stay ruined for centuries the status quo in such little slices of the old world was bound to fail. By the end of the Age of Ash, many of these shining structures would fall into disrepair, many more would find new owners as the servants brought with the original owners realised the structures that previously kept them loyal were no more. Worse, with their abundance of precious metals, relatively intact pre war technology and other resources these estates were often the targets of raiders whenever they were found. Still those same resources as well as an abundance of weapons that could bridge the gap between a mortal and a cultivator means many a Sect or noble house could trace their origins to these lavish underground palaces. Otherwise they are simply one more ruin to be rummaged through by Rats for scraps.
Citadel Shelters: Totally Not Vaults™
The government of the United States of North America and Pacific Territories(Often known more simply as the United States of America or USA for short) knew of the danger of its own doom as well as the potential inadequacies of existing facilities and so invested trillions into creating something better. In collaboration with many major corporations, the most significant being the manufacturing giant Citadel Solutions, some of the most complex shelter systems ever conceived were designed and slowly developed primarily in the large Appalachian and Rocky Mountain ranges. Insulated by hundreds of feet of solid rock, difficult for enemy weapons to precisely pinpoint and target, built to be sustainable for hundreds of years without any outside contact and large enough to easily hold thousands it is no wonder why many believed these to be the safest place to when the unthinkable happened. Unfortunately, as with many things, it was not so simple. The cost for such extensive undertakings were simply immense even with the deep pockets of government and corporate investors, corners were cut, competition between corporations escalated to near absurdity and though it would never show on official books and records much of the money went directly to the pockets of oligarchs and corrupt officials rather than construction efforts. When the day of judgement finally arrived some of these shelters were indeed successful, eventually developing great subterranean cities that would expand into some of the most prosperous kingdoms of the early post-war era. Many more are graveyards, forgotten crumbling catacombs left to rot, their failing seals allowing for intrepid explorers to enter… or for the things that have infested those vast halls of rot to crawl out.
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The Fruit of Life: Radiation consuming fungi
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The Fruit of Life is a fungus that grows in symbiotic association with some plant species and takes in vast quantities of radiation as part of its growth cycle. The fungus usually only grows well with a few specific species of tree, enabling them to benefit from radiation that would normally kill or stunt their growth and the plants in turn providing vital nutrients for the growth and crucially reproduction of the fungus, which involves releasing countless highly toxic spores into the environment where they may hopefully find young seeds or saplings to bond to. Plant life altered by the fungus and compounds secreted by the fungus are important components in pills and due to the radiation sequestered by the fungus it serves as both a cultivation aid and cleans the land of radiation. Unfortunately its highly toxic and uncontrollable nature has made it in many cases more of a hinderance than a boon. While smaller populations can be controlled through burns the largest such forests covering much of former Canadian territory are nation sized fungal wastelands consisting of massive trees upwards of 300ft in height and fungal growths eclipsing the size of buildings is simply too large to burn away, and the resulting damage from such a massive fire necessary to truly contain that amount of forest is simply incalculable. Additionally certain strains of the fungus have taken over massive swathes of swampland in the American southeast producing a unique and toxic ecosystem only of use to specific tribes that have adapted to survive the toxic effects of the fungi. It was once thought no animals could survive in such forests once established, recent events however have proven otherwise with evidence of never before seen forms of life and even a strange form of civilisation operating in the unexplored corners of the Canadian fungal wastes. And with the disappearance of most Supercritical cultivators heralding a religious crisis of unprecedented scale across the various brother faiths of the Atomic Priesthood comes a spike in open worship of the strange old gods that rule the woods even beyond the barbarian tribes of the northern fringes...
As you could probably imagine this was inspired by Naussicaa of the Valley of the Wind, one of the films that had the longest lasting impact on a young me with its incredible imagery and story. I have always wanted to play with the concepts depicted in the film and this story gave me a great opportunity to do so. There is also a second inspiration to this...
Radiation eating fungi found irl
Isn't that so cool?
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Post apocalyptic religion: The Atomic Priesthood
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History and general structure
Before the end of the old world various institutions sought to preserve their knowledge in the case of the worst case apocalyptic scenario with... varying degrees of success. One such attempt was made to preserve the history, sciences and stories of the old world in one of the oldest formats known to man: faith. Thus was born the Atomic Priesthood, originally more archivists than engineers, now the primary source of old world knowledge and spiritual guidance in the vast Jackalope Empire.
Many religions sprung about in the wake of the end of the world, many being based on an ancient faith known as Christianity which was the dominant faith in the old American civilisation. The Atomic Priesthood is no different, in fact drawing upon the old prophecies written in the long forgotten holy book known as the Bible to explain the onset of the Age of Ash to wastelanders incapable of comprehending the ways of the old world. Nearly every variation of the Atomic Priesthood preaches that the world has already entered its end times, that through the hubris of man and the will of divine forces the sins of their ancestors were washed away in nuclear fire. Of course how one interprets this scripture of course varies depending on their church, sect and personal opinions, however central to the religion is the idea that one day the force that ended the old world will return for the survivors living on its scraps, and if not careful mankind is doomed to a second Age of Ash. Many Atomic Priests hold the same sacred symbols too as old Christianity, including the cross a symbol of mourning and hope, titles for holy men taken straight from the old faith at times and the belief in dual afterlives of Heaven and Hell. This however is where the similarities end.
Being born out of a necessity to maintain ancient knowledge that would otherwise be doomed with the burning of libraries and corruption of digital archives Atomic Priests serve multiple roles besides their spiritual duties. Most Atomic Priests double as historians, diplomats, engineers and medical workers depending on which of the Brother Faiths they were inducted into and trained in the rites of. Brother Faiths, as opposed to the Heratic Faiths, are technically all of the same faith as the central Imperial Atomic Church however they each specialize in a different area allowing for far greater knowledge to be retained and shared than would be possible solely through a central church. Indeed the structure of the Atomic Priesthood is almost entirely decentralized, the closest to a central religious authority among the Brother Faiths being the annual meeting of Archbishops in Ashcrown, the holy capital of the Empire. Though they were always meant to share this vast wealth of knowledge over time, like with many other organizations, with the death of the original generation of Atomic Priests this mission was forgotten and said knowledge was hoarded over the ages until nowadays many junior priests know little about the origins of the holy rites they practice on the great corroded machines that run much of Imperial civilisation. Still, not all are so content with a slow descent into corruption and decay, and a not insignificant portion of the Atomic Priesthood still strives to carry onwards the ancient holy light of science and learning into the uncertain future past the end of the world.
Instead of worshiping the same divine figures as their parent faiths, the Atomic Priesthood worships spirits they believe permeate the entire world, all descended from a single Great Spirit that both created the world and will one day finish the job of destroying it. According to the scriptures of the Atomic Priesthood the smallest unit of spirit originates in the Atomos, the smallest unit of matter. Uncountable trillions of atomos exist in even the pettiest of pebbles, yet it is the same power of these tiny "Atomic Spirits" that many priests believe to be the secret of the power of cultivators. There is still much debate of course over the exact nature of cultivation, however to all Atomic Priests cultivation is a gift straight from the Great Spirit to its children on the scorched Earth. A gift of life and power in a world that would otherwise be long dead. Other significant spirits include spirits of major rivers and lakes like Master Mississippi and the Superior One representing the Mississippi River and Lake Superior respectively. In order to preserve historical knowledge of the world major historical figures have been made into commonly worshiped Spirits, though details have gotten mixed and muddied over the ages. A common myth shared around the Empire is of Saint Washington, the first to unify the American Continent, said to have been a mighty general with the power of a million men in the age before cultivation, for how else would he have beaten back the wicked demon army of Great Bri'tan? Similarly his followers known as the Founding Fathers have been near deified as human Spirits including Franklin the Master of Lightning, Hamilton the Warrior Poet and the Trickster Mouse of the Gilded Arches patron to merchants and the wealthy. Not all who follow the Atomic faith believe in or give equal weight to all these minor spirits, but there are none among the Brother Faiths that deny the absolute divine authority of the enigmatic Great Spirit.
Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.
Heretic Faiths and The Golden Promise
Heretic Faiths are branches of the Atomic Priesthood that have strayed so far in mission, structure, core tenants or more often all of the above as to be no longer accepted as a Brother Faith. Often these radical priests merely form small short lived cults that fizzle out of relevance quickly, those that attract too much attention being stamped out by more militant Brother Faith branches as well as the Imperial Army or whatever Sects are nearby depending on the extent of their transgressions. The most common places for Heratic Faiths to form is thus on the godless Northern reaches of the Empire where the long frigid winters wear down the sanity of men in the winter while the toxic pollen of vast Forests of Life tear down what is left in the summer and the barbaric ever shifting borders of the warlord states to the South after the defeat of the Blood Red Star at the hands of Sarah Cunningham shattered the Khanate into little more than chaotic warring states. One notable exception is of course the loose group of theocracies to the west known as the Holy Union of the Golden Promise, united of course in their belief of the Golden Promise.
The Golden Promise originated in the visions of their prophet Joseph of Saltkeep in the wastes of Utah. Dismissed as mad ramblings by his brothers in the early Atomic Priesthood, he and a small group of followers set out west to follow his visions of a grand Golden Promise away from the judgment of his peers. There beyond the Rocky Mountains, in the vast deserts and ruined hellscapes of California he found an audience for his preachings in the small kingdoms that had eked out a miserable existence in the harsh post apocalyptic world. One way or another his words must have had some merit, for these kingdoms soon rose to the point where they were once the greatest power on the continent until the rise of the Khaganate of the Red Star and later on the Jackalope Empire. The Holy Union of the Golden promise as they are known believes that after the end of the Old World the Great Spirit whispered several golden promises to the prophet Joseph, promises that one day if humanity was to follow the true teachings of their God there will one day be no difference between Heaven and Earth, that the End of the World was no true end but instead the beginning of a new covenant. They eschew all other spirits besides the Great Spirit, even downplaying the role of the Atomos as merely a manifestation of the will of the Great Spirit and his heavenly servants and follow a far more rigid centralized structure. While they officially do not hold major state power in most of the kingdoms in the Holy Union the Church of the Golden Promise is the only officially recognised cultivator Sect in the entire region, and has a near monopoly on both force and technological maintenance on top of the belief of the masses. Joseph has long since disappeared along with most of his followers, save for until recently the pope of the Holy Union who had ascended to the Supercritical Realm in the decades following the disappearance of his teacher. Some say that Joseph simply had nothing left to do on Earth and so took his rightful seat in heaven leaving only one of his disciples to rule in his stead. In dark alleyways however the forgotten and downtrodden whisper that he had one final vision, one so horrible that it forever shook the faith of his last disciple and threatens to undermine the integrity of the entire Holy Union.
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Spirit Beast tiers
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Over the course of the story I have made references to Spirit Beast tiers, but I have not exactly elaborated on what that really means. Spirit Beasts are ranked primarily by the measures needed to take them down, rather than direct power or cultivation level, though these factors are intrinsically linked. In theory you could squeeze more power from a large Screeching Swarm than you can with a Crimson Phoenix. That however doesn't make the Phoenix a lesser threat, and in a world where only recently have large populations of people once again gained the luxury of seeking power over survival there are different priorities. There are five recognised tiers of Spirit Beast strength, each roughly correlating to the expected amount of effort needed to put them down.
Tier 1
Can be dealt with by a small group of mortals bearing weapons and relatively easily by even a pre-Mutant cultivator. These include most Screeching Swarms, Bone Worms, and a normal Rattlebeast. Whether by virtue of lacking in special tricks, lacking strength or fairly exploitable weaknesses these Spirit Beasts while far from harmless are probably able to be dealt with by a well prepared group of regular mortal farmers.
Tier 2
When things start getting... difficult. It is recommended for only trained soldier mortals to even begin to engage with these creatures, and are generally when Cultivators start to get called to deal with threats. These include the humble Jackalope, Crimson Phoenix and Chupacabra as introduced in the Trials but also include most large livestock Spirit Beasts like Mustard Horses or Doxes. Still, a well trained and equipped individual even in the Wretch realm could overcome these Spirit Beasts if they know how to properly engage.
Tier 3
Beyond the ability for Wretches to deal with, typically requiring Mutants or powerful firearms to handle. At this point strength and cultivation ability become more directly linked, even with the less supernaturally capable specimens. Young Mountain Maulers, DeathKrabs, Mancatcher Spiders and Swamp Stalkers are typical examples of these Spirit Beasts, requiring either a small platoon of soldiers or a Mutant cultivator or two to handle.
Tier 4
Necessitating multiple Mutants to handle or a cultivator on higher levels of cultivation these are truly dangerous threats, which thankfully are far from common. Full grown Maulers are the most common example of a Tier 4 Spirit beast able to simply shrug off most forms of conventional weaponry with their sheer brute power, but also include the rare Swarm Empress varient of the Screeching Swarm, the fabled Fungal Bears spoken of mostly in distant Northern legends and Shredder Sharks. Thankfully these are usually quite rare as it is exceedingly uncommon for any Spirit Beast this level and above to tolerate beings of similar power in their territory.
Tier 5
Mostly a hypothesised tier requiring Abberant and above Cultivators to handle, far beyond the ability of mortals and true living god-beasts. Few Tier Five Spirit Beasts have been recorded in history, the slaying of one known as the Horror of Houston being one of the founding myths that led to the rise of the man who would one day be known as the Red Star Khan. While rare on land these creatures appear to be more common in the depths, including the Twilight Leviathan as well as the Mindeater Squid spoken of in hushed tones by fishermen on the coast. Indeed the mere existence of these monsters in the oceans has discouraged most from even attempting to make the perilous journey across the seas, resulting in only a few instances of direct contact to the fabled lands beyond the ocean.
Tier 6
Here be Dragons.
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The Appalachian Kingdoms and the Guilds
While the once grand and opulent Citadel-Kingdoms of the Rocky Mountains were crushed into a few scattered underground towns in the aftermath of the Red Sun Conquests the underground cities built in the Appalachian Mountains in the north-east were too far for even the seemingly endless road legions of the Red Star to touch. The region mainly consists of the kingdoms of Twel, New Boston and Pit. These stretch all the way to the east coast and hold a disproportionate amount of cultural, economic and military power in the region and as such have subsumed many of the smaller formerly independent city-states in the area. These kingdoms once fought among each other frequently, but with the Red Star Conquests and the later rise of the Jackalope Empire fear of conquest by outside forces spurred the signing of the Appalachian Accords and the ceasing of old hostilities, for now at least.
Instead of the Sect structure usual to the Jackalope Empire the Appalachian Kingdoms has guilds which draw heritage from the old corporations that ruled America. Operating more like businesses, the Guilds have their own jurisdiction independent of any particular kingdom and unless a dire threat to the survival of the Kingdoms is present work by a contract basis. In exchange for an exclusive membership contract with a particular guild a cultivator gains access to the resources and backing of the organisation, however individual cultivators are less bound than in the Sects of the Jackalope Empire and often can change to a competing guild if dissatisfied with their current Guild. Powerful guilds in the region include the Daltokki Guild, the Libera Guild, the Ultima Guild and the WILDHUND Guild, each with their own quirks and specialisations.
Daltokki: Once the undisputed most powerful Guild rising from Citadel Twelve, their origins in a pre-war biotechnology corporation said to have come from a land in the distant east grants them extensive medical knowledge, especially on cybernetics. Their prestige has fallen over time, especially due to how outdated much of their knowledge has become with modern human biologies, but the kingdom of Twel is well known for their high standards of living with the average mortal lifespan reaching 62. Their guild-master, Seo-Ah Kim is said to have been at the verge of the Supercritical Realm for some time but according to rumour has witnessed something that has shaken her resolve to ascend. Their symbol is a rabbit against a full moon.
Libera: Descended from a small militia in Citadel 33, Libera has since grown via absorbing smaller guilds into the de-facto military power of New Boston. They maintain the the largest functional foundry-complexes in the entire region, from which they manufacture many types of weapons, vehicles and ammunition. Very few independent guilds remain in New Boston, with most absorbed into Libera completely, but outside of special circumstances they rarely interact with other kingdoms outside of trade and cultivator tournaments. Their symbol is a bald eagle drawing inspiration from Old America.
Ultima: With enigmatic origins and the smallest of the major guilds with only 200 full time members, 30 of which are Cultivators, normally Ultima would not be of any major note. However they have something that makes up for it, the Fleshwelded Knights are a feared group of enigmatic cultivators fused to ancient machines said to possess a mind of their own. 8 Fleshwelded Knights are known to exist, the process of bonding to their Knight exposes a Cultivator directly to the unfiltered power of the nuclear reactors which power the suits due to the containment being faulty even before centuries of gathering dust. Those who do not succumb to the Curse in the process gain a mutation that fuses them with the suit, such that removal can mean death. Still, a 32ft tall blend of steel and superhuman flesh is nothing to be trifled with on the battlefield, especially when they can unleash Abberant techniques powered by their leaky reactor cores. Their symbol is a crown shaped like a U with a sword running down the middle.
WILDHUND: This Guild is believed to have originated from various smaller mercenary groups during the Age of Ash. They are known for the capture, training and breeding of Spirit Beasts for use in battle including Jersey Devils, Motharchs and even a Mountain Mauler. Based in the Pit, the single most overpopulated Citadel in the three kingdoms with its original name long forgotten by all of its inhabitants, they are perhaps equal or possibly greater to the Libera Guild in number but do not hold a similar monopoly of force in their home kingdom. Their symbol is a snarling dog with a snapped leash.
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Psychic power and Formations
Psychic mutations are a distinct form of mutation that allows for control and manipulation over psychic energy. What is psychic energy exactly? Scholars debate endlessly the exact definitions but in short it is an energy fundamentally connected to thought, or at the very least something close enough to thought. It is also fundamentally linked with Si through a relationship not yet fully understood even by the greatest psychic scholars, all that is known for certain is that through the use of special geometric structures often similar to pre-war circuitry radiation can be converted to psychic power through the focus of an individual for a specific effect. In theory anyone can power a formation, but in practice anything beyond the most mundane formations or those specifically attuned to an individual requires a degree of psychic manipulation only brought forth by certain mutations.
Variation in mutation:
All psychic mutations alter the shape and in some ways the function of the brain, this may be more or less obvious depending on individual. Anything ranging from alteration of perception to changes in personality or even physically apparent tumours can be frequently observed and are as varied as cultivators themselves. Contrary to popular belief not every psychic cultivator can "see" the flow of psychic power, but all can in some way sense it in a way that can be interpreted by their brains subconsciously or consciously. This is the basis of telepathy, receiving and transmitting thoughts through sifting threads of psychic energy and directing ones own specific frequencies to a target. Commonly a psychic mutation comes with a specialised technique, this is due to the formation of internal formations during the mutation. In other words: a part of the internal anatomy of an individual has been altered in structure to host a formation baked into their very flesh, often tied with the mutation that gave them psychic power in the first place. This can manifest in ways ranging from an affinity towards manipulating a certain type of material, an innate understanding and talent towards a specific application of psychic power or the rarely observed cases of linked souls. Two individuals sharing halves of an internal formation allowing extremely efficient coordination and dual cultivation. This is most often found in twin cultivators but has been observed in other close and often familial relationships.
As with any other cultivator the bodies of those with psychic abilities contain very valuable resources. Particularly unsavoury individuals and organisations have sought and sometimes even succeeded at slaying psychic cultivators, seeking their power. Cultivators return their Si to the Earth upon death, with particularly powerful cultivators exploding in a final burst of power when they die. Certain psychic cultivators, even at much weaker levels of cultivation, can somewhat replicate this effect by converting their stored Si into psychic energy at the moment of death, tearing out of their corpse and causing significant damage or strange lingering effects. It is unclear what exactly causes this to happen, any who could provide insight into the subject is in no position to share their secrets.
History of formation crafting:
During the dark days of the Age of Ash very little headway was achieved in terms of codified understanding of formations. Cultivators of that era lived short lives and were either feared and persecuted as devils or worshipped as gods, psychic ability was just one more thing that separated them from the masses of Wretches. Independently however certain basic foundational formations were discovered that now serve as the groundwork towards modern formation crafting, either through trial and error or through superstitious replication of the long lost work of the Golden Age. These formations are:
Channelling: The most basic formation, a set of circular runes that serve to intake raw power in the form of Si or other sources of radiation and converting it into psychically available energy, which is then channelled through a set of lines and dots towards a target or a greater formation to empower. This relationship can be reversed and allow psychic power to be converted into concentrated Si.
Barrier/reinforcement: Complex multi-layered geometric structures as varied as the clouds in the sky, taking in power from channelling formations to create a layer of protective psychic energy either within a structure or as an external bubble. Depending on size, complexity and power availability can range from only being capable of protecting an individual from minor threats to shielding entire cities from attack.
Communication: Two corresponding receiver and transmitter sigils usually marked by the receiver being an open semicircle while the transmitter is fully enclosed, though not always. Allows for long range communication and exchange of information, however is best utilised by psychic individuals. Those without psychic talent may find it difficult to translate their thoughts into something usable over the link, or parse the data being transmitted. Nonetheless vital to Imperial logistics, and any other large scale civilisation in the modern era. Many weaker cultivators with minor psychic gifts have very highly paid positions simply relaying messages from one city or outpost to another.
Manipulation: Not really a category of its own, but covers a large array of different functions involving altering materials, elements and their properties. Involving long chains of lines and ovals as well as sigils corresponding to elements and effects, these are incredibly versatile and often are used in the rapid construction of fortresses by Sects and producing effects like gusts of flame, clouds of toxic gas or sudden release of water. Almost anything can be manipulated with a formation given you know what symbols to use and the proper shape and order of the formation, but discovery of new manipulation formations is fraught with danger due to the high likelihood of a mistake leading to... undesired effects.
Many many more formations exist ranging from bodily enforcement to teleportation. However these often involve different combinations of the "basic" formations in order to produce effects of ever increasing complexity. For example most teleportation formations involve hundreds of linked manipulation formations connected to a modified communication formation by channelling formations as well as a special "core" that allows for more than merely flesh to be transported.