Brand

The Origins

Brand was created by the God of Tyranny, Command and Rage, Jaxkael. Brand had an origin unlike any other magic: it was first introduced within Muid, given to Arkanai at first to execute those who blasphemed against its creator, and then - later - to be used as a tool for their missions in fulfilling the will of the Gods. Through time, as more of Brand's functions became discovered by its wielders, it became a magic highly sought after. A bounty was placed on any Arkanai suspected of wielding it, and those discovered to be its practitioners would be brutally tortured until they initiated others in their craft.

Today, Brand is among the most widely spread magics, and it is the only magic legally allowed in the Grisic Empire. Brand has largely become associated with Magehunting, and a special class of magi within Grisic have been tasked with 'harboring rot' in order to stamp it out of the Imperium. Despite its application in this field, Brand is wielded by many mages outside of these orders, a favorite among battlemages globally.

Concepts

The Axis: The origin of the name 'Brand' arrives from a process known as Soulbranding, wherein which the exterior layer of the initiate's soul becomes crystallized and therefore physically interactable. For this reason, the mage becomes known as a 'Branded', forever marked by the process of initiation. The Axis is the word for that crystallized encasement, and rather than a purely interior detail, it acts as a conduit through which the Brand mage may manipulate, view, and channel raw ether. The Axis is also where a Branded's weapons emerge from, crafting them rapidly within its structure before allowing the mage to pull their weapon through their body.

The Armory: In order to craft weapons with ether, the Branded must memorize their shape, and know them as innately as their own skin. For many Branded, this means becoming a weaponsmith and learning to forge their own weapons. For others, it means carefully studying and detailing every aspect of a weapon, and understanding how each curve and edge relates to the weapon's applicability within war. Once a weapon is understood wholly, it may be forged within the Axis, and added to a Branded's Armory. The Armory is a collective of memorized weapon templates, typically built from exact replicas of physical weapons and reforged with ether. All weapons in a Branded's Armory are incapable of harming the mage, passing through their body like air as they're pulled through to be wielded. Armory weapons, called Arms, are the focus of much of Brand's abilities, and appear to serve as a sort of foci.

Initiation

To begin the initiation, the initiator places their open hand against the face of the initiate, gripping their jaw and pressing their open palm against their mouth. The mage will then squeeze harder, locking the lower half of their head in a tight, vice-like grip before channeling a mass of what feels like conductive ether into them. The initiate's body will twist and resist as it feels it is being shocked, only for the feeling to shift into a cold-burn that burrows deep into their chest. The longer the initiation goes, the more painful it becomes until it is unbearable. As the Mark of Control lodges within the soul and begins to crystallize its edges to become the Axis, the initiate's body will often fall limp, and at this point it is a test of whether they can will themselves to stay alive through the remaining duration. Those who fail the initiation are those who allow themselves to succumb, dialing back their neurological functions to avoid the pain and dying as a result. Those who endure the pain throughout, keeping themselves conscious and focused, will become Branded, and the initiation will complete.

The physical Mark of Control for Brand is a black, diamond-like shape that will generally appear on the back of the neck or at the tailbone, but can appear randomly across the body. When one has recently channeled ether, the four-pointed shape will glow with an opalescent-crystal hue, the colors blending and flowing into one another across the marked shape.

Overstepping

The drawbacks listed below do not always come in pairs, and certainly not simultaneously. Some may come and others may not.

Lesser: Nausea, fatigue, headaches, muscle spasms, dehydration

Moderate: Bleeding through the nose, eyes and ears, intense cramps, seizure-like shocks and spasms, internal bleeding, vomiting and weakness

Severe

Invader: Upon facing Severe Overstepping, the most common drawback for the Branded is 'Invader'. Rather than viewing the Branded as a part of its own shape, the Axis will almost seem to engage an immuno-response against them, attempting to cull them from within. It will begin to produce Arms rapidly, one after another, pushing them out through the Branded's body forcefully. These Arms will not pass through them harmlessly, and will instead rip through their tendons, organs, flesh, bones and skin, ripping them apart from within in a gruesome and horrifically painful flurry. By the end of Invader, the Branded will likely have their entire Armory ripping through their form, a fallen corpse in a sea of weapons facing towards the Axis at the core of their chest.

Mutations

Brand's mutations often involve affecting the appearance of the Arms, affecting their properties or behaviors in some way, or changing some characteristic of the body to be more weapon-like. Another common set of mutations involve the Axis; perhaps making it crystallize through the chest, or certain limbs or patches of skin becoming crystallized like it. Some develop mutations that expand upon Galvanize and the ability to affect ether, and some even seem to develop Ethersight more innately. Brand is, like any other magic, rife with drawbacks within its mutations, so many of them are quite negative in a way that tends to be more extreme or inhibitive than others. For example, while Ethersight can cause blindness due to wielding it poorly, some Branded actually develop blindness as the result of a mutation.

Abilities

Glyph: Novice. From very early on, the Branded learns how to draw Glyphs, complex, circular symbols of intricate character and detail. Glyph is known to be one of the most singularly useful abilities within magic, and many mages become Branded purely so they may learn this ability, and subsequently master it. By drawing a Glyph and impaling through its center with one of the mage's Arms (Armory weapons), the Branded may utilize this Glyph as a direct conduit for their abilities, including abilities of other magics. This means that one might conjure an ability remotely, allowing the mage to overwhelm or surprise a foe, or to channel their abilities without them being noticed. Glyph has many applications, and as mages have explored them, they have only found more.

This ability is, however, known for having several limitations. To begin with, the range through which Glyph might be accessed is limited. At Novice, a Glyph can only be accessed within ten feet (or three meters), with this range increasing by ten feet per the Branded's level of mastery, up to fifty at Master. Additionally, Glyph needs to be prepared. A Glyph is a highly complex symbol requiring hundreds of strokes, with a circumference comparable to a water-well. Once it has been 'inlaid' with ether, it is very difficult for a Glyph to actually be removed from a given spot, but it can take as long as an hour to create a single Glyph. This changes at Expert, when the Branded becomes able to memorize and produce Glyphs with ether, but until that point it must be prepared beforehand. Finally, a Glyph must have an 'Arm' impaling through it in order to be viable for utilization. This limitation also eventually disappears, though only at Master.

Devise: Novice. Devise is doubtlessly the most core ability of Brand, though it is one that is both dangerous and difficult to learn. It is the construction of Arms, the ethereal weapons that a Branded wields. In order to Devise, or construct these weapons, the Branded must understand them innately (as is mentioned in The Armory), and must visualize their forging through ether. The weapon is constructed within the Axis, piece by piece, and as it is made it will be forced out through the body of the Branded. In order to perform this ability without being killed, the mage must recognize the weapon as a part of their own shape, typically through meditation and force of will. Devise is often only first learned following hours, days or even weeks of meditation and deep thought on the process, as it is often lethal but does not need to be. Once the ability is performed correctly and the weapon passes through, presenting its handle through the body of the mage, the mage must grip the weapon at its handle and firmly grip it, dislodging it from the Axis. No wound will be left behind, the weapon incapable of harming its creator if forged correctly. This also means Branded may slash, hammer or impale themselves through with their own weapon in order to attack foes at differing angles, a trick that often leads them to victory in battle.

Arms constructed by Devise follow a few rules. To begin with, excluding in the case of Arsenal, a Branded may only utilize a select number at any given time, determined by their mastery in Brand. This number is one at Novice, three at Apprentice, five at Journeyman, eight at Expert and ten at Master. In addition, in order to understand a weapon enough to be able to craft it adequately, the mage must be at least Apprentice in that weapon skill, with more variety and better results coming with greater understanding. A weapon's durability is determined by the Branded's level of mastery, with a Novice's weapons being weaker than iron, while a Master's weapons nearly rival Redspear Steel, Atharen's most durable weapon material. Arms vary in color, but they generally appear as glowing weapons, often almost ghost-like with seemingly transparent interiors, though not always. Some Branded have weapons that appear as mundane weapons, while some may carry complex, glowing ethereal patterns. The appearance of Arms can change over time, often as a byproduct of the mage's internal psychology, and even - some say - their morality. At most, a weapon created by Devise cannot last longer than six hours before dematerializing, and as a Novice they tend to dematerialize within one to two hours.

Revoke: Apprentice. Revoke is a simple, but useful ability. By focusing on one of their Arms, the Branded may recall it back to them, the weapon being flung back to their hands. At Expert, the weapon instead seems to effectively rematerialize within their grip, disappearing from its original location after a brief moment of being rattled. Revoke expends a truly inconsequential amount of ether, and so many Branded who are near or in the midst of Overstepping will revert to simply utilizing Revoke with their Arms, in battle, rather than constructing new ones.

Arbiter: Apprentice. Arbiter allows the Branded to control their Arms remotely, though only within range of themselves or a Glyph. This ability's reach is the same as Glyph; it begins at twenty feet (at Apprentice), up to fifty within range of the wielder or Glyph at Master. Arbiter allows these Arms to be levitated and controlled with great precision, though the more Arms wielded at a given time, the more ether it will expend. One or two Arms being remotely wielded may accumulate little cost, but several (or ten) for significant periods of time can quickly accumulate heavy expenditure, leading to Overstepping. Most Branded use Arbiter to perform or coordinate a specific assault, before returning their Arms to them as needed through Revoke. A Master is said to be able to remotely manipulate a few Arms at a given time without much issue, only facing potential Overstepping through the prolonged use of nearly their entire Armory. For this reason, Myriad is seen as the advanced application of Arbiter, and is favored by true Masters of Brand.

Galvanize: Apprentice. While Brand was originally viewed as a weapon magic by the followers of Evitrix, it was learned eventually that the Axis allowed the Branded to interact with pure energy; Raw Ether, the basis of magic and the tool through which most reality is constructed. Through the Mark of Brand, the mage may emit what appears to be an electrical charge through the air, galvanizing nearby ether and making them malleable to control. This ability allows the Branded to control base, raw ether, which - once being harnessed - will physically clump together in the shape of a glowing blue essence, similar to that of a burning flame. The most common application of Galvanize is the construction of an ethereal bolt, which can be molded mid-air before being flung at a high velocity. These bolts tend to dematerialize all but the most durable of materials, able to obliterate through flesh, iron and even steel. At Apprentice, this bolt may be no larger than a fist in width, and a forearm arm in length. By Master, a Branded may galvanize larger and larger quantities of ether, able to fling boulder-sized bolts of ether at foes, dematerializing entire groups of enemies.

Replicant: Journeyman. As a Branded's number of Arms expands over time, most tend to find it difficult or cumbersome to constantly forge weapons within their Axis, pulling them inconveniently from within their bodies in the heat of battle. Replicant offers an alternative to that, replicating a weapon, its exact copy seemingly made from nothing - in an instant - exactly where the original is, before falling from its shape and typically lodging through the ground. This weapon is fully functional, and is identical to the weapon it was made from as a template. Replicant counts towards the Branded's maximum number of Arms, but actually expends less ether to perform than Devise.

Ethersight: Journeyman. In order to learn Ethersight, the Branded practices super-charging their Axis, galvanizing the ether within the crystallized structure without destroying their body from within with corrosive raw ether. Once the mage masters this ability, they effectively 'unlock' their Axis, allowing it to communicate with their Mark and even their physiology in unexpected ways. One of these ways is Ethersight. Through channeling the power of the Axis into the eyes of the mage, they become able to see ether. Ethersight, like Glyph, is one of the most well-regarded abilities within magic. While ether exists in all things, Ethersight can be honed to focus only on significant densities, allowing the mage to see living organisms through walls. Most importantly, mages are known to have significantly more ether around the core of their chest - where the metaphysical location of the soul is - and so, through Ethersight, a Branded can typically tell immediately if someone is a mage or not, and even how powerful they are. Ethersight only works within fifty feet. This ability is said to destroy the eyesight of the mage if it utilized wrongly, particularly during Overstepping. On the inverse, it also allows many blind magi to see, as they can tune the sharpness of the Sight, as well as the amount of ethereal density required for it to be used. Masters of Brand can pick up trace amounts of ether enough to view the shapes of objects and even the individual wrinkles within clothes, though this requires time and practice in honing this ability.

Huntersight: Journeyman. It is no mistake that Ethersight allows Branded to serve as effective mage-hunters, and Huntersight is an ability built on that premise. While many consider it a sort of 'lens' of Ethersight, it is in fact another independent ability, one often learned after understanding the basics of Ethersight. Huntersight allows the mage to view trace ether, which is typically only left in significant amounts by mages. More of it can be seen by a mage who is suffering from Mageblight or Overstepping, or from mages who have recently used their abilities. Huntersight can track physical remains of this trace ether down to a source, potentially pursuing mages for many miles. This ability can, at Mastery, view traces left behind days or even weeks in the past, and by Mastery one often becomes able to tell exactly which Mark (magic) left which trace.

Transmutation: Expert. Transmutation allows the Branded to, finally, produce Glyphs without pain-stakingly drawing them. It is effectively the Glyph version of Replicant, allowing the mage to produce an exact replica of a Glyph within that Glyph's range. These Glyphs will become connected to one another through an invisible, etheric line running underground, producing a network of sorts where they may link together to act as conduits, and thereby extend the range of abilities. If there are no Glyphs presently available, Transmutation can produce an initial Glyph from memory, with a slightly greater amount of ether cost associated.

Disband: Expert. Disband is a defensive tool, produced by the Branded often as a desperate act to prevent harm. In order to utilize Disband, the mage must Galvanize the ether in the area surrounding another magical ability, supercharging the ether before dismantling the targeted ether within. This destroys the structural integrity of the ability, forcing it apart into harmless raw ether. While powerful, Disband has very limited application against abilities of truly massive scale, or abilities dispersed into many separate particles, such as a volley of projectiles. Disband also always consumes slightly more ether than the ability it is mitigating, and so while it can mitigate a Master or even an Ascended ability, this can easily lead to potentially lethal Overstepping if used carelessly.

Arsenal: Master. A Branded's "Arsenal" is the manifestation of their ethereal armory - materializing at their disposal - only to duplicate them en masse, creating at first tens, then hundreds of these fabricated weapons typically overhead and beside themselves to be launched at a foe. Arsenal is often an ability that moves in a straight line, launching these weapons at a high velocity within the designated radius. Its area of effect, however, is versatile; it can be conal, can follow multiple straight lines, and can even launch in odd formations such as variating crescent shapes. The weapons of the Arsenal can be guided to briefly follow after individual or multiple targets, making evasion and defense more difficult. Arsenal's weapons fade a few seconds after impact is made, though the ten original Arms may return to the Branded's side, allowing for a smooth transition into the next ability: Myriad.

Myriad: Master. Myriad is among the Branded's most powerful tools - all ten of their Arms will circle around them in ethereal form and can be forged, recalled or traded instantly, dematerializing and rematerializing in fractions of a second. The Branded can therefore exchange the weapon they are currently wielding with total fluidity. They can even switch between their Arms mid-motion, as well as dual wield these weapons if they desire. Thrown weapons will immediately return when willed to, and the Arms surrounding them can be made to violently dance around them, placing vast pressure on any nearby foes. There are effectively two versions of Myriad, and each has their own associated costs. The Myriad in which all ten Arms are persistently dancing like a bladed vortex, chasing after foes and attacking in formation is certainly far more powerful, but expends considerable ether. The Myriad that allows for constant weapon-swapping, more commonly utilized by Masters of Brand, can be sustained for much longer periods of time and tends to be a part of a Master Branded's general repertoire of abilities.

Descend: Master. Descend is perhaps the most awe-inspiring of the Branded's abilities to physically behold. The Branded will fling their weapon far into the clouds, ignoring their usual radius of control. At this point, they vastly alter the scale of that Arm, increasing it in size hundreds of times until the weapon appears almost apocalyptic. The weapon will then - as the name illustrates - descend, hitting the ground within around thirty seconds of time and impaling through. All of those initially struck by the weapon will instantly die, with the shockwave upon arrival known to perform immense harm to those caught within it, breaking bones and burying them beneath dust and rubble. The most damaging portion of the shockwave typically extends roughly five hundred feet outward, with the outermost areas causing far less significant harm. Descend is incredibly taxing to perform, and while it can decimate entire regiments within an army, it can by itself push the Branded to the verge of Overstepping.

Templar Abilities

Reaver: Reaver is a Templar's most valuable asset in the face of a powerful mage, though it can be difficult to pull off. It requires that the Templar have one of their Arms (or their innate weapons) impaled through the body of an enemy, and that the enemy be within range of a Glyph. If these two conditions are met, they may hold their hand outward, channeling their weapon as a conduit before galvanizing the ether within the target's body, disbanding all of it and effectively 'jamming' their ability to harness it. This will prevent the other mage from wielding ether for several days, even if they are Ascended. Given the physical superiority of the Templar, victory effectively becomes assured. This ability can even work to seal away Divinity, though only in a Draedan who has not yet awakened their domains. Performing this on an awakened Draedan will simply preclude them from performing Raw Magic. Reaver can only temporarily disbar another Templar from magic, as a Templar can interact with the galvanized ether within their own body to disband the effects of this ability.

Ruin: While Reaver is a Templar's go-to tool for defeating another powerful mage, Ruin is their go-to for all else. The Templar turns all of their Arms into ethereal lines which can be flexed and bent, glowing brightly. These ethereal lines can pursue foes so long as they are within range of a Glyph, following enemies before cutting them down with ease. The lines feel burning hot, searing the skin or flesh surrounding their mark, which they will often garrote into pieces. Considering the length, precision and flexibility of Ruin, it is exceedingly difficult to defend against or manage, and it is highly effective against large groups of enemies, with the Templar slicing through their foes with precise oscillations. Ruin's threads will persist until dispelled by the Templar or destroyed, though as an Ascended ability, destroying them is an unachievable feat for most.

Novice

At Novice, the newly initiated Brand mage gains access to Glyph and Devise, the two core abilities of the magic. Glyph allows the Branded to extend the range of control of their Brand abilities, and can also be utilized as a conduit through which the abilities of other magics can be performed. Devise allows the Branded to produce Arms through their Axis, pushing them out through their form until they can be gripped at the hilt and wielded in battle. Glyph's range begins at ten feet (or 3m) at Novice, and increases by ten feet (3m) every tier of Mastery going forward. This range is also shared by many other abilities within Brand, as is written within those abilities.

Apprentice

At Apprentice, the Branded gains access to Revoke, Arbiter and Galvanize. This stage of progression largely focuses on manipulation of the Branded's 'Arms', with Galvanize being an exception. Revoke allows the Branded to recall their weapon to them with ease, while Arbiter allows them to control weapons without physical contact, through their will (within the range of their body or a Glyph). Galvanize is a fundamental ability for the Branded in controlling ether, allowing them to shock ether into becoming active and malleable, before they can launch it as a projectile.

Journeyman

Journeyman allows the Branded access to Replicant, Ethersight and Huntersight. This stage largely focuses on viewing ether in order to discover mages or see targets through obstacles, and even to find ethereal tracks that one might follow for long-distances. The exception to this is the first ability, Replicant, which simply allows one to copy an Arm, the weapon being produced as an exact replica before lodging into the ground. Ethersight follows, which focuses on viewing base ether through a sort of optical lens, which can be turned off and on. Huntersight can instead view remnants of ether, and can even determine the specific magics that were used at a given site. Both of these abilities are useful for discovering and hunting magi, and tend to be used in this manner.

Expert

The Expert Brand mage may learn Transmutation and Disband, both abilities focusing on control over ether. The first, Transmutation, effectively acts as 'Replicant' but for Glyphs, allowing the Branded to copy an exact replica of a Glyph, linking them through an unseen line of ether that allows for extended control, producing a line of conduits. Disband allows the Branded to galvanize the ether around an ability in order to dismantle its shape, destroying any ability so long as it is not fragmented into too many sections. This ability, while incredibly powerful, exceeds the ethereal cost of the ability is is disbanding, and therefore can easily lead to Overstepping.

Master

The Master Branded finally reaches the pinnacle of their power, and learns three new, devastating abilities: Arsenal, Myriad and Descend. All three of these abilities are focused on mastery over Arms, the Master a dedicated stage of progression for war-mages. Arsenal allows the Branded to mass-replicate weapons to their hundreds before launching them in a determined shape, devastating large groups of foes. This ability ignores the Arms limit, as the duplicated weapons are not able to be manipulated after their initial formation is determined. Myriad calls all ten Arms back to the mage to produce a swirling, bladed vortex around them, with the ability to instantly swap between weapons while they dance and assault foes. This is largely seen as a more efficient and more lethal version of Arbiter for the Master Branded, and can be truly overwhelming to face. Finally, Descend sends an Arm thousands of feet into the sky before expanding it hundreds of times in scale, dropping a truly colossal version of it onto the field to cleave and devastate foes beneath it, the shockwave culling those around the impact zone for hundreds of feet around.

Ascension: The Templar

By reaching within and allowing the Axis to consume the body and soul, a Branded mage may awaken from their crystallized husk born anew. What emerges from this cocoon-like shell is the Templar, an Ascended Magehunter of no comparison. Templars are radiant beings, of sculpture-like quality. Their eyes glow radiantly, appearing like the surface of the sun; a molten orange color permeates their eyes, which burn and unleash utterly small, whip-like flares. Golden lines, as wide as the tip of a pencil, tend to appear along their arms, legs, collar and pelvic area, glowing faintly. A Templar is often considered to be a living weapon. Their body changes, taking on internal weapons that can be drawn upon and unleashed no differently than organic functions.

The first of these is The Barb, a flexible protrusion that appears almost like a segmented spine, with two sharp, diamond-shaped heads, separated by the center of the 'spine' which may split into two if desired. The Barb can reach up to a hundred feet (or thirty meters) in length, and moves unbelievably quickly; it will typically rise over the Templar's shoulder before striking forward like a scorpion's tail, and can reach its full length in little more than half of a second, impaling through targets often before many fully comprehend it. The Barb can also split into its two heads while impaled through a target or barrier, allowing it to apply internal pressure from within, ripping apart organics or tough materials. The Barb can pierce through any physical material, with master-level magical defenses capable of temporarily repelling it or withholding its assault. When the Barb is not extended, it retreats into the flesh and compresses. The tailbone will almost appear jeweled through the skin, most often a ruby color.

The second change to the Templar's form is their heels, which can be changed into white, bladed lengths at-will. These heels are said to be the sharpest known material in existence, able to cut through virtually any mundane barrier with a single swipe. They can easily be skated upon, appearing to form an ethereal hook to the surface they're connected to, allowing the Templar to skate across jagged or rough terrain as if sailing over water at high speeds. Jumping from these heels can propel the Templar upward or forward more than a hundred feet, with the Barb often lodging into the ground before or during a jump to provide the Templar traction and aerial flexibility.

In addition to the Barb and the Templar's bladed heels, the Templar bonds to a set of armor perfectly suited to their form, which will be perceived as a part of their body by their Arms, and thus harmlessly passed through. This armor appears as highly dense plate, and can effectively negate all mundane weapons, only vulnerable to artifacts or magical abilities. The armor will cover the Templar's torso, arms and legs, though generally not the head and will barely - if at all - reinforce the joints, providing some vulnerabilities. This armor can be materialized or dematerialized at-will.

The last innate weapon of the Templar is the physical boundaries of their body itself. They have become their own Axis, and may forge weapons from any part of their body, without any ether. These Arms can even launch out from them at high speed to surprise a foe. Devise becomes a passive ability, as do Revoke and Replicant. While their limit on Arms remains the same, their ability to generate and call to them at will makes the Templar unprecedentedly deadly in physical combat.

Finally, as an Ascended warrior, the Templar is only second to the Empyrean in physicality. Their body is much stronger, quicker and physically durable than any mortal can hope to achieve, making their onslaught all the more challenging to withstand.