Ablutives are cleaners who gain magical powers from acts of sincere service, forgiveness, kindness, or support and the emotional resonance that comes from it. They are taught how to wield this magic by mentors, often starting when they are young.
They engage in acts of service, usually cleaning for others, to other oppressed, exploited, abused, enslaved, indentured, imprisoned, or impoverished people. The emotional resonance forms with both the emotion and the act of support, and the ablution captures it either in a dumaqu jewel (which is very rare) or in a piece of soapstone.
Once captured, they keep this token to gather more as they continue to serve and support others. Though they must find wage labor, usually cleaning for oppressors and exploiters, to survive, they spend other time working for their fellow oppressed to build magic. As they do this, they gain certain abilities:
Cleansing stone: their soapstone can be wielded to cleans anything it touches in a 20’ radius. It is an 8 difficulty to clean things physically, 11 to alleviate emotional turmoil, 14 to clarify thoughts, 17 to purify a soul, and 20 to clean all four at once.
Waters of purification: they can infuse waters so that they purify that which they wash, magically removing hexes, curses, geases, etc. as well as removing infernal effects.
Restorative scouring: they can scour a place, person, or thing clean with an hour’s work to remove curses, hexes, and infernal effects at a power of 10. For more magical power, they must spend more time on it at a rate of four hours per point above 10.
Redeeming anointment: someone who has done grievous harm to the ablutive may be offered a task or quest for redemption by being anointed with magical water used in a restorative scouring if they are both willing and redeemable.
Ritual of relief: the ablutive can perform a ritual around a person carrying a heavy burden - physical, emotional, mental, or metaphysical - and bring them relief at a power of 10, with greater power possible by adding to the complexity of the ritual. The relief will only be temporary unless they succeed critically.
Release from service: if someone is bonded in service either magically or mundanely (including enslavement, imprisonment, or indenture), ablutives can break that bond magically via a ritual that sacrifices their soapstone (requiring them make another).
Drop of innocence: an ablutive can take a single drop of water used in a restorative scouring that can be placed on someone. If it glows upon touching the target, the target is innocent of an accusation (stated before being dropped). If it burns, they are guilty. They can do this once per year.
Bubble of forgiveness: an ablutive can use water from a restorative scouring to create a bubble that floats over someone who has aggrieved them. If they take accountability or find redemption within six days, the bubble pops and gives them a magical reward. If they fail, it pops and burns the with celestial acid.
Merciful word: the ablutive can speak a word that alleviates all pain and suffering for exactly one minute, once per year.
Abilities may vary. Consult the GM.
PRO -2 ATH +1 STR +2 AWA +2 WIL +2 PRS +1 STH -2
An engineer who makes inventions for the greater good.
Benefactators are skilled inventors and artisans who create machines that can help the people in their community. They are empowered by innovation, curiosity, and enthusiasm. Though they study mundane engineering, mechanics, devices, and building, they tap into a magical form of creation as well. The sources for a benefactator’s magic are their devotion to making devices that help the people, their curiosity into how things work, and their enthusiasm for their work. They can pull from any of these for their magic, but the best benefactators balance all three.
In order to tap into their devotion to helping the people with their devices, they must first make devices to help the people. The most potent are new inventions that meet the people's needs, but building any device for the people works. After they have built a device with this intention and purpose, they must provide it to those who might need it, freely, and make sure they know how to and have the resources to use it. This simple act will generate some energy they may tap into, but they must sense it first (a roll of AWA against an initial difficulty of 14 if they are aware the potential for the energy exists, vs. 20 if not). Then they must build a device that can interact with it, using special materials that are hard to find. These are usually provided by a mentor or teacher or acquired via a quest or through doing other good works. The difficulty on making such a device is a 14.
In order to tap into their curiosity, they must first indulge it by seeking knowledge or experiences that are not harmful to the world. This just means they can't seek out an experience like serial murder or learn about necromancy, to name two examples. As they follow their curiosity, they must not let it waver, but instead, let it continue to grow as they learn. Similarly, they tap into their enthusiasm simply by following it and using it to do their work. If they lose enthusiasm for their work, they weaken. If they stop being curious, they weaken.
Curiosity can be weakened by boredom, contentment, or rote. In order to maintain it, they must change things up occasionally. However, enthusiasm may be dampened by distraction, so changing things up may risk enthusiasm (for their targeted work). Thus, they must find a balance, maintaining focus on their work while engaging with it in different ways as they go. This translates into a roll of AWA to maintain the balance and WIL to maintain focus.
If they do this, they gain bonuses to their work, going from +1 at the start to +9 at their peak over the course of a single work. Failed rolls will lower that bonus; successful rolls will build it. Since their primary work is counterfeiting currency or objects, this is where their enthusiasm and curiosity and innovation must lead for it to work. Other paths will weaken them.
Benefactators craft anything that is needed by or good for their community, so long as it is not given to or wielded by oppressors, exploiters, abusers, slavers, impoverishers, imprisoners, indenturers, or other evil people. They are, as such, criminalized in colonized lands.
PRO +2 ATH +1 STR +1 AWA +3 WIL +1 PRS -1 STH -1
A printer of liberatory literature. While they can print mundane things, they can create magical printed pieces empowered by acts of resistance. They resist tyranny by printing literature that spreads anti-tyrannical ideas, and that act of resistance generates magical power.
Use of this magic is something that requires preparation and quick reaction, as one must be aware of when it has been generated and act quickly and in unison with others in order to use it. This starts with an act of defiance against an oppressor, usually a printed piece. This piece, if shared with others, will inspire them, and thus, a tiny amount of energy will be born. Anyone can be the spark of defiance. But only the freeprinter can wield it. Someone who feels inspired by an act of resistance has the potential to become a freeprinter if they have the skills, but only if they understand what they are feeling, why, and how to wield it. It requires that they act on the inspiration, on the force of liberation, and continue the act of defiance. If they and others act in unison, enough power might be generated to be useful. A freeprinter will then be able to act, if they have been taught how to wield such power.
Placing their hands on their breast, they may draw forth that power and channel it into their printing press. To channel this power from their hearts, they must act in unison with the others engaged in resistance, though only one of them needs to know what they are doing (and thus be a freeprinter). Hands over heart, pushed forward, clasped, concentrating, unwavering in devotion to liberation, and acting all at once, they may draw out fulvous sparks of magic. If they are near their press, they will then be able to place the spark on the press to empower it.
Once the press is empowered, it may be used for further acts of resistance. As resistance continues, more liberation power will build up, eventually allowing the printed pieces to self-replicate and have other effects:
Inflammatory pamphlet: a pamphlet that instills righteous outrage, inspiring the reader to act against tyranny.
Declaratory pamphlet: a pamphlet that can be read by those who can’t read.
Instructional pamphlet: a pamphlet that teaches the reader something, often used to teach people to read, to organize a union, or to free-print.
Uplifting pamphlet: a pamphlet that gives hope to the reader, giving them a bonus to their next act of resistance.
Clandestine pamphlet: a pamphlet of anti-tyrannical materials that hides itself from agents of tyranny.
Coordinating pamphlet: a pamphlet that self-replicates to anyone in the revolutionary grouping to give them specific instructions or information for the cause.
Revolutionary pamphlet: a pamphlet that inspires revolutionary action.
Other effects are possible. Consult the GM.
Given that they can only use their powers to oppose colonizers, they are of course criminalized in the colonies.
PRO +1 ATH +1 STR +2 AWA +2 WIL +1 PRS +1 STH +1
Type: Servant
A goodservant is a servant who helps not the rich and powerful, but the people. They are empowered by acts of service to others among the oppressed, exploited, and abused. They live the virtue of service, refusing to work for the powerful, performing acts of support and aid to the communities they live in.
Most goodservants are raised by other goodservants, but some come to it after receiving aid from a goodservant and being moved to follow suit. They spend years serving others before they gain any magic from it, but they work without intention of gaining those abilities. If they do this work selfishly, it will not work. After years of service, they begin to find their abilities as needs come up. They will find someone in need of food, and suddenly, they have some magical ability that helps them acquire it, for example. It varies by their experiences, resources, and needs.
Some common abilities include the following:
Goodservants are very rare, and they often work as community organizers, mutual aiders, or social workers.
PRO -1 ATH +1 STR +1 AWA +2 WIL +2 PRS +1 STH -1
A jeweller who makes jewels that contain celestial emotions.
A lapidarist uses jewels of dumaqu, a crystallized form of radiant emotion. Lapidarists generate the jewels from their own hearts, literally and metaphorically. When they are feeling a celestial emotion, they can focus on it and store it, then act upon it when it has reached a certain point to manifest a blue jewel. The act must be sincere and profound. To capture and wield it, they must learn how via trial and error, guided by a mentor or teacher, and by seeking out specific emotional experiences to empower themselves.
They learned to cut the jewels to unlock different powers. A lapidarist is someone who intentionally creates, cuts, and uses these jewels to help others.
Dumaqu jewels are beautiful, glowing blue, often thought to be magical sapphires. Jewels have nine facets. Each facet exudes a different hue of blue light when any kind of light is shone through it. If it is held in shadow, it resonates with the shadow in a different shade of violet. If cut, the jewel breaks into nine pieces, each one representing the different facets. If kept whole and used whole, they exude pure celestial emotion.
The simplest way to use a jewel is to shine light directly through it. The light that comes out will drain the jewel and instill love of some kind into those that see it. One may also hold the jewel in darkness and let the darkness absorb the dumaqu. The object that is occluding the light will then very briefly contain the power of the jewel. If a jewel is placed into a box, for example, then darkness inside the box will take in the energy. If multiple jewels are put in, it will absorb the energy of all the jewels. Darkness creates what are essentially batteries to be drawn from. Shining light through the jewels uses the power of the jewels up quickly.
The emotions they can store and be empowered by include the following:
| Emotion | Effect |
|---|---|
| Aspiration | +3 to any action done in pursuit of a specific listed passion motivation. |
| Awe | stunning awesome aura. |
| Bravery | +3 to any action against an opponent 6 or more above your skill, stat, power, or ability. |
| Calm | calming touch. |
| Comfort | comforting aura. |
| Compassion | healing touch. |
| Confidence | take high die on any action for a skill, ability, power, or stat of score 9 or above, or for learning to use a skill below 9. |
| Contentment | +3 to resist being coerced. |
| Critical skepticism | +3 to resist deception. |
| Curiosity | +3 to perception. |
| Delight | +1 to every ally nearby you for one of their base stats. |
| Enthusiasm | +3 to a specific pursuit listed in passion motivations. |
| Faith | +3 to faith. |
| Generosity | any mundane necessity shared (not including money) will not run out if shared sincerely and shared to those in need. |
| Gratitude | sense where target of gratitude is. |
| Grief | grief from love, specifically. Empowers actions based on a relationship motivation. |
| Happiness | +3 PRS. |
| Honor | high die once someone engages in dishonorable behavior against you. |
| Hope | roll a d100 when in dire situations to see if a miracle occurs. |
| Inspiration | +3 to one artistic skill. |
| Joy | spread joy through a smile. |
| Love in all its forms | varies by form of love. Consult the GM. |
| Loyalty | bonding to those to whom they are loyal; only works if they are loyal to a non-imperial figure, concept, or organization. |
| Outrage | +3 to react to injustice. |
| Passion | +3 to a specific pursuit listed in passion motivations. |
| Relief | soothing touch. |
| Serenity | calming aura. |
| Sorrow | good sorrow, sorrow from love, not condescending pity or depressive sorrow. Grants protection from depression. |
| Surprise | +3 STH. |
| Trust | empowers based on a relationship motivation. |
| Wonder | bonus to learning a new lore. |
Jewels may be cut, shaped, set in jewelry or clothing, used in art, crushed to be consumed, or otherwise used as mundane jewels might be, and this might affect what magic is caused by them. Consult the GM.
PRO +1 ATH / STR -2 AWA +1 WIL +1 PRS +4 STH -1
A chandler of rainbows who make candles that can burn with celestial light in its seven component parts. These energies can then be redirected to empower others or create other radiant energies. Though anyone can use prisms on celestial light, few understand how to control the results or how it works. Only those deemed worthy by rainbow serpents learn those secrets.
Anyone who uses celestial light often enough will begin dreaming of rainbow serpents. If they are deemed worthy, the rainbow serpent will teach them the arts of the prismawicker. If they are not deemed worthy, they will have to find other ways to learn. Those taught by rainbow serpents are often required to render services to the serpents, going on long journeys to help others in the world. A prismawicker proves themselves worthy by helping others. A rainbow serpent will never teach those who harm others (or wish to) how to wield their powers.
Raw celestial light is more versatile and powerful than any of its single component parts, but it is much more difficult to control and can often overwhelm its targets. It also hits everything in its range, including targets you might want to avoid empowering. Because of this, prismawickers tend to use the components instead. In order to find raw celestial light, a prismawickers must either seek out natural rainbows, find objects that contain it, or generate it by helping others and receiving it from the rainbow serpents when they dream (they will awaken with celestial light around them that follows them until they use it).
Much as light splits into an infinite number of colors collected into seven categories, so too does celestial light split into an infinite number of variations split into seven categories of “radiance”:
Radiant body: Scarlet radiance, the energy of empowering bodies and physical matter.
Radiant action: Fulvous radiance, the energy of empowering actions, behaviors, and skills.
Radiant thought: Yellow or saffron radiance, the energy of empowering thoughts, knowledges, and learning.
Radiant movement: Emerald radiance, the energy of empowering movement, kinetics, energies and gaseous matter and sound.
Radiant identity: Sapphire radiance, the energy of empowering Names, the whole of one's being.
Radiant emotion: Lavender radiance, the energy of empowering emotions, as well as liquid matter.
Radiant soul: White radiance, the energy of empowering souls, identity, self, as well as light.
There is also a theoretical eighth component, known as black radiance, celestial absence, or empowering shadow, which is the explanation for the existence of celestial shadow, though others just claim this is an entirely separate energy.
Once split, celestial light can be filtered such that the only component present is the one(s) the prismawicker wishes to use. This is done either by using colored candles that absorb components the mage does not wish to use and only releases the celestial light the mage wishes to use. These colored materials are added to the wax or applied to the candle via oils when it is in use in order to direct and refine the celestial light.
Refining is done through use of complementary colors:
Scarlet (red) is refined by use of emerald (green) filters and vice versa.
Yellow is refined by use of lavender (violet) filters and vice versa.
Fulvous (orange) is refined by use of sapphire (blue) filters and vice versa.
White is refined by use of black filters and vice versa.
Magenta will neutralize a candle.
In other words, if you want a beam of red, add green wax over your candle, and so on. Use of in-between colors may result in more subtle or complicated results.
Unlike prisms, candles cannot be directed. They simply shine in their area of effect.
What can be empowered by a component is determined by its characteristics. Substance, color, and energy all come into play.
| Component |
State | Form | Stat | Skill / Power | Color | Element |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Black Radiance | Liquid | Shadow | All (esp. Stealth) | Unexpected skills | Blacks/greys | Darkness |
| Emerald Radiance | Gas | Sound | Awareness / Presence | Music, communication, language / Team activities | Greens | Wood |
| Full Radiance | All | Name | Any (esp. Prowess) | Any | All | All |
| Fulvous Radiance | Plasma | Action | Prowess / Stealth / Athleticism | Fine motor control / Acts of resistance | Oranges | Fire |
| Lavender Radiance | Liquid | Emotion | Presence | Alleviating pains / Medical skills / Cooking / Mixing | Violets | Wind |
| Sapphire Radiance | Solid | Identity | Presence / Athleticism | Skills to help others / Relationship skills / Sex / Empathy | Blues | Water |
| Scarlet Radiance | Solid | Body | Strength | Craft skills and manual labor / Inherent physical powers | Reds | Metal |
| White Radiance | Plasma | Soul | Willpower | Inherent non-physcial powers / Artistic skills | Whites | Light |
| Yellow Radiance | Gas | Thought | Awareness | Lores and knowledges / Hard-learned skills | Yellows | Earth |
Some things may not be the color they are associated or perceived to be - many "grey" steel armors are in fact blue, for instance. Or mostly blue.
Anything with multiple colors within it will be empowered by any color present, but at a rate equal to the proportion the target is the specified color. For instance, a ship's sail that has a red stripe down the middle will be more strongly affected by white radiance than scarlet radiance.
No one has ever figured out how to create celestial shadow with radiance, hence why it is usually classified as a non-radiant energy. It is theoretically possible only.
Most naturally occurring rainbows contain celestial light, at least in trace amounts. To be specific, a rainbow is not merely the eruption of light into its spectrum, but such a phenomenon created by atmospheric conditions, especially in association with rain. In order to reach such a rainbow, a prismawicker usually has to be able to fly; most acquire this (if they do not already have it) via use of yellow radiance. A prismawicker will absorb celestial light by placing wicks of the correct colors into it to absorb it..
PRO -1 ATH -1 STR +1 AWA +2 WIL +1 PRS +2 STH -2
A unifier works to generate magic by uniting workers and getting them to work for themselves. This energy is then wielded by the workers collectively to protect themselves from exploitation, oppression, and other acts of terror from the parasite class.
All work done in groups generates this magic. Most of the time, it's a minimal amount, and it goes away quickly as the work ends or the group divides itself. But if directed, guided, and carefully driven, it will build upon itself until the group at the core of it is invincible until the magic is used up. It generates within the bodies of the workers themselves. Working alone does not generate this magic, and working in a group that is divided by internal conflicts generates less than it would otherwise. The work must be work that produces something of value, and it must be collective. The most energy is generated when mass numbers of workers work for themselves and other works. However, even smaller acts of solidarity can generate magic:
The main task of the unifier is to organize the workers so that they can unite in their work and consciously generate this magic. Once enough workers are organized, they must begin to reorder the work they do so that it is generative. The goal is to make their work internally diversified but unified in purpose, and to make sure it creates something for the good of all. Once enough of the workers are organized, they can also begin making sure they are acting in solidarity with workers and others fighting oppression.
Once enough magic has been produced and kept by the workers, they will sense it in their own bodies, and they will be able to transfer it among themselves.
To wield the magic, a majority of the workers must gather and decide how it will be used. No single worker can channel it out of the original group who generated it. This can only be done if all of the workers give their magic to a single worker, or enough give their power to a small group of workers, etc. They must all agree to use it externally and vote upon who will use it by touching them to give them the power. Even then, if the one who has it tries to use it in a way the group disapproves of, it will fail. It will be assumed any player playing a unifier has completed this and become a focal point, unless they wish to roleplay becoming a unifier.
Common uses of the magic include the following:
Allied eyesight: they can see through the eyes of someone else in their union (if the other consents) at will so long as they are awake and within three miles of each other. If the other does not consent, the attempt will fail automatically. It cannot be forced.
Shared strength: they can act with the united physical STR of the union once per month, if all consent.
Group defense: if they group is working in tandem on a job, all members of the union will have the defense score (PRO/parry/weapon skill+bonuses, ATH/dodge+bonuses, STR/toughness+armor+bonuses, AWA/perception+bonuses, WIL+bonuses) of the member with the highest defense for the applicable roll.
Filled bellies: if one member of the union eats, they all eat.
Resisting exploitation: any magical form of exploitation will suffer -6 to any rolls (including blood magic, infernal contracts, etc.) against the worker.
Diffused damage: an attack on one is an attack on all - wound and stun are diffused amongst the entire union (if they consent), reducing ties and normal wound/stun to a barely felt sting, special wound/stun to a flesh wound/no stun, mortal wound/stun to a normal wound/stun, and critical wound/stun to a special wound/stun.
Solidarizing touch: anyone who is engaged in struggle against oppression or exploitation will receive temporary bonuses when touched by the unifier.
Other powers may be possible. Consult the GM.
PRO / ATH / STR +1 AWA +1 WIL +2 PRS +2 STH +1
Copyright © by the contributing authors. All material on this collaboration platform is the property of the contributing authors.