Abilities of the Astrals
Hierarchy of abilities of the astrals and how they function.
Hierarchy of Abilities
★ Most common of abilities, generally harmless and mostly useful.
★★ Less common abilities, some are harmful. Regulation begins at this point, and those with this level of abilities are required to register with their local government.
★★★ Least common of abilities, very few useful, most are dangerous.
★★★★ Rarest of abilities, most regulated. Government keeps a specialized list of people who have these abilities, and those who have it are usually recruited for government work or are under surveillance.
Main Categories
Static: The ability is largely unchanged throughout the users life, and has little room to expand upon. Easiest to master and understand.
Transitive: Changes slightly throughout the user's life, however is still the same ability. Easier to master and understand.
Evolutionary: Hardest abilities to master. They can change slowly over time, turning into a new ability entirely.
Most abilities are static or transitive, very few are evolutionary. The rarest of abilities are ★★★★ evolutionary.
1 out 10,000,000 have a secondary ability.
Those with abilities have an 8th gland in their bodies, while everyone else has 7. It's found near the pituitary gland, and is called the Numen gland. Since it is a gland and with its proximity to the pineal gland, most people's abilities come during the onset of puberty.
Ways the Numen gland affects abilities and the body
Those with strange abilities may have their looks drastically change over time.
Increased stress makes the ability stronger in a flight or fight situation, but puts the body under more stress and can cause internal damage to the nervous system and endocrine system.
Astrals can heal faster than the average person, but that doesn't make them immortal, it doesn't mean that they can use their abilities without stress on the body or without consequences. Those who don't use their abilities often simply live slightly longer than usual.
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Over use or expansion of abilities can make someone grow a lot bigger, or increase secondary sex characteristics. Ex: larger breasts in women, hairier men.
Astrals really like meat. A lot of it. Over use of abilities under stress makes one hungry. Meat also gives plenty of iron, and lots of healthy blood is required to transmit the receptors from the numen gland into the bloodstream, and therefore use abilities.
Higher percentage of gender non conforming or sexual orientation variation in those with abilities versus those who don't since the Neuman gland pushes up against the pituitary gland.
Effects of a diseased Numen gland
Inability to properly control ability, or ability is extremely weaker/stronger compared to those with the same ability.
Some lack receptors. Someone may have a numen gland but not be able to use their ability because receptors don't work. This is usually discovered much later in life.
Limits of Abilities
Since abilities come from the endocrine system's numen gland, if loss of too much blood occurs, an astral is unable to use their ability. Also its a sign you might be dying so…. yeah….
Abilities can fade over time and become weaker or just fade entirely. Gives a lot of people identity crises. Most people lose their abilities in older age, such as menopause for women.
Overuse of abilities can give migraines, headaches, nosebleeds, and even visual/auditory hallucinations when under extreme stress. Called "Starry Eyes" syndrome.
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Astrals and Society on Earth
Having an ability obviously gives someone an upper edge in life. People with abilities are in higher positions throughout all fields. People with certain abilities go into certain jobs.
For instance, someone who controls water becomes a lifeguard, or works at a water processing plant. Someone who is psychic works as a detective, or works with children.
People with abilities that are hard to control go to schools tailored to them. Slater Academy is one of those places. Most of the kids who attend these academies come from wealthy families as well, since most astrals are part of the higher classes of society or at least make more than average.
People without abilities are given affirmative action in certain fields, because of the upper edge throughout society astrals are given. The appearance of astrals on Earth helped eliminate many forms of hatred and prejudice among racial lines but simply redirected it towards those who have abilities and those who are not from Earth.
After the invasion of the Regal Empire belief in major religions such as Christianity, Islam, Buddhism, etc. plummeted among citizens of Earth. Some Earthians are Novites, but many refuse to practice it because they see it as the religion of their oppressors (they're not wrong).
Most of Earth is still non-practicing.
Many who have abilities make up the highest forms of government, politics, and the military. Most of them are descendants of the viceroyalty from the Regal Empire that lived on Earth after its colonization. This adds to the hatred some feel towards astrals. They feel that nothing had really changed after the Empire left Earth, except that they simply have new faces continuing the same old rules.
Most of the changes in law and equality come from the rules the Galactic Union imposes on Earth for it to be a part of it.
Because most in government are descendants of Regalian viceroyalty or have abilities, they look down on those without abilities. They think that they simply need to work harder. Others think that they are lesser beings than them, and there is extreme classism added to the mix of society since the colonization of Earth. Many of those in government see those without abilities as "welfare queens and grifters".
History doesn't repeat, but it simply rhymes.