Abilities

The general magic of Manifestations and Malums is shadow magic, involving the manipulation of shadows. This is more or less an extremely adaptable fabrication ability. Using shadows, they can make any solid forms, extra limbs, tendrils, claws, weapons, and more. Malums can produce infinite shadows from themself and their Manifestation, but if their shadow or manifestation makes contact with the shadow of a person or object, then they can take control of that shadow as well, physically moving or puppeteering the entity that cast the shadow. It would take practice to take over very large (e.g. the size of an oil tanker) or very small (e.g. grains of salt) shadows, soft shadows, and shadows with low contrast. Resisting a Malum's control of one's shadow is often a matter of both physical strength and mental willpower. 

When in Malum form:

• Magic Form: They can no longer be injured through physical means, only magic (which disrupts their energy). They can manipulate their form to create shadowy constructs, including tools and weapons.

  • Malums can adjust their size somewhat, but it is harder to maintain the more it diverges from their typical size. Their normal Malum height can be different from their original height, but usually not by too much.

  • Malums can become temporarily intangible and amorphous, allowing them to phase through objects and/or take on a smoky, shadowy form without clear anatomy. This can be somewhat uncomfortable, especially if maintained for extended periods of time.

• Levitation/Flight: Malums are capable of levitation, but it does not come naturally to all of them. Some prefer to manifest wings to fly. 

• Sustainment: They do not need sustenance or sleep. 

• Physical Force: They can exert a great deal of strength without any fatigue.

• Minor Telekinesis: Can levitate and manipulate moderately light objects near them. 

• Empathic Projection: Can project their emotions to others, making them understand and/or feel the emotions. 

• Longevity: After achieving the first Malum transformation, their aging is significantly slowed. They do not age at all in Malum form.

When in regular form or in general: 

• Reduced Sustainment: They need less sustenance and sleep then what is typical for their original species. 

• Manifestation Mastery: Due to their genesis process, Malum inherently have high mastery and synchronization with their Manifestation and its associated general abilities as well.

• Form Alteration: Malums, even in base form, can partially merge with their Manifestation, whether temporarily or permanently, and to varying degrees. The greater the degree, the more their physical appearance and physiology can change, and the less the Manifestation will appear separate from them. This is the case with Amiron, who has carapace-like limbs and claws but normal skin on their torso and head. This partial fusion can also grant minor shapeshifting abilities, allowing for a dynamic form.

Desolants are those who achieve strong synchronization with and mastery over a Malaise granted by Desolace, fusion of Malice and Desarae.

An individual given a Malaise can be referred to as a host. Those who achieve the Desolant transformation are referred to as Desolants, whether they are transformed or not. When they are not fused, Desolants are in their base form; when fused, Desolants are in their Desolant form.

Genesis

Any conscious individual is capable of becoming a Desolant. There are generally two pathways: directly receiving a Malaise from Desolace, or already having a Manifestation or being a Malum and being altered by Desolace (or, more rarely, by Malice or Desarae acting deliberately in concert).

In the direct pathway, they must first receive a Malaise from Desolace. In some cases, this is an offer from them that is accepted—but there are also cases where those deeply entrenched and despair and malice are granted one unwillingly. 

Once they have a Malaise, they must increase their synchronization to it, generally by sinking further into their despair and letting the malice it exposes go unchecked. Generally, they need to use the Malaise's abilities and push it further, leading to the Malaise manifesting abilities and forms that are more integrated with the body rather than separate tools or weapons.

At some point, generally via a strong emotional trigger—an overwhelming despair paired with the desire to act on the malice it lays bare, whether directed at another or at oneself—the individual will draw out all the power in the Malaise and fuse with it, shifting into their Desolant form. After the first time, fusing again becomes easy and instinctive.

In the alteration pathway, if the individual has a Manifestation but has not become a Malum, Desolace or Desarae can use their magic to transform the Manifestation into a Malaise. The individual then must go through the same process as the direct pathway.

If an individual is already a Malum, Desolace or Desarae can alter their Manifestation as well. This will cause their Malum shift to become unstable or inaccessible as they acclimate to the different magic, but achieving Desolant form tends to be fairly quick and straightforward. 

Characteristics

Malaise

A Malaise is a manifestation of an individual's despair and malice, given form by Desolace. Malaises typically:

• Have a dark, abstract appearance that drips with ink, evaporating into faint smoke after some time.

• Have horns, claws, and sometimes wings, in shapes that echo the host's own despair.

• Have dynamic size and shape, shifting with the intensity of the emotion feeding it.

Malaises are composed of and act upon the host's despair and the malice it exposes underneath. It may lash out at someone the host resents, or turn inward and harm the host directly. It can shapeshift into forms that reflect the host's desires: a blade, a noose, a mirror, or some other implement suited to the moment.

A Malaise can "protect" its host in the sense that even grievous injuries will not kill them; the Malaise will fill the wounds with inky magic that sustains and slowly heals them. 

A Malaise is mostly instinctive—if the host feels malice toward others, it will harm others; if the host turns that despair on themself, it will harm them instead. It amplifies and feeds off the host's despair and malice in turn. Letting go of those feelings while the Malaise is amplifying them is difficult, but doing so weakens its effects, including its ability to sustain the host's life. Removing a Malaise entirely requires Desolace (or their components) to do so, or another Edeia attempting to separate the magic.

It is a double-edged sword, granting power that eats away at the host's own heart while keeping them alive through pain inflicted by both themself and others—sustaining them even as they drown in despair and turn it into malice. Most would consider it a curse.

Desolant

Those who achieve mastery over their Malaise's abilities and/or a strong synchronization with it become able to fuse with it, taking on a demonic appearance streaked through with the ink and smoke of their Malaise. Their bodies appear as a shadowy black, perpetually weeping faint trails of ink that dissolve into smoke before they fall, with highlights of one particular color, usually the color of their soul. Their appearances typically have the following characteristics:

• Abstract appearance that constantly drips with pure black "ink." 

• Horns, claws, and a tail.

• Thin markings that give the appearance of segments; can also have markings and/or additional "eyes."

• Solid colored eyes with no iris or pupil, which may shed tears of the color of their soul. 

• A body type similar to their original species, but with more creature-like characteristics (e.g. bird-like head shape, digitigrade legs, hunched posture, etc.)

• Some are more smoky and amorphous, some are more solid, some have aspects of both.

When in their Desolant form, they tend to be extremely honest with their emotions, with despair and malice especially amplified. When they are not fused with their Malaise, they retain their original appearance and are less influenced in terms of their behavior.

In base form, Desolants tend to have more temperature fluctuations than is typical for their original species, often running just a bit too cold to be normal, though this can shift with mood. As with Malums, each Desolant develops their own signature contact sensation in fused form, generally unpleasant and "sticky," lingering for some time even after the contact ends. 

Abilities

Desolants have all of the abilities of Malums, and their shadow magic carries the same ink-and-smoke quality as their Malaise. They also have abilities similar to Desolace's:

• Desolate Coaxing: They can call forth feelings of despair or malice within others, drawing whichever one is closer to the surface.

• Desolate Recollections: They can help or force others to recall the memories most strongly associated with despair, as well memories connected to the resentments that despair leaves behind.

• Desolate Aura: They can exude an aura that affects others' despair and malice depending on their own intent and mood. It can be an aura that deepens hopelessness in those nearby, or perhaps one that draws out buried resentment. They can adjust how strong and how far the aura reaches, though typically they keep it at a low level with approximately a ten-foot radius.

History

The first Desolants emerged during the height of the Bloodblighted Zone crisis (see blighted lore), in the years between Malice and Desarae's meeting in the 1470s and Sanctuary's decision to quarantine the zone in 1480. As Desolace cultivated despair and the malice it exposed among the surviving enclaves, some among the afflicted—whether already touched by loss, or opportunists drawn to the chaos—found themselves marked with a Malaise. Few survived long enough to master the transformation before the quarantine went up; those who did became the first Desolants, scattering along with Malice and Desarae. Once they were transformed, they were resistant to the blight that caused so much strife. Some stayed, miring themselves in the silent despair of the zone lost to the Bloodblighted, perhaps even letting others feed on them despite knowing no mind or reason remained between those fangs. Others managed to leave, whether through their own power or the assistance of others. 

Throughout the years, with each of Desolace's appearances at great crises of malice and despair, a small number of Desolants might find themselves cursed with their power. Some were willing, some were not—but who became Desolants were those who embraced it, in the end. When Malice was contained and Desarae isolated themself, no new Desolants were created, but after they met again in Reunion, there was the rare occasion where they might find themselves offering a Malaise once more. 

Valents are those who achieve strong synchronization with and mastery over an Intent granted by Valem, fusion of Malice and Val. 

An individual given an Intent can be referred to as a host. Those who achieve the Valent transformation are referred to as Valents, whether they are transformed or not. When they are not fused, Valents are in their base form; when fused, Valents are in their Valent form. 

Genesis

Any conscious individual is capable of becoming a Valent. There are generally two pathways: directly receiving an Intent from Valem, or already having a Manifestation or being a Malum and being altered by Val or Valem. 

In the direct pathway, they must first receive an Intent from Valem, fusion of Malice and Val. Then, they must increase their synchronization to it, generally by becoming more in tune with and expressive of their emotions. Generally, they need to use the Intent's abilities and push it further, leading to the Intent manifesting abilities and forms that are more integrated with the body rather than separate tools. 

At some point, generally via a strong emotional trigger (typically associated with some desire to act, such as to harm another, protect someone, protect oneself, etc.), the individual will draw out all the power in the Intent and fuse with it, shifting into their Valent form. After the first time, fusing again becomes easy and instinctive. 

In the alteration pathway, if the individual has a Manifestation but has not become a Malum, Val or Valem can use their magic to transform the Manifestation into an Intent. The individual then must go through the same process as the direct pathway. 

If an individual is already a Malum, they can ask Val or Valem to alter their Manifestation as well. This will cause their Malum shift to become unstable or inaccessible as they acclimate to the different magic, but achieving Valent form tends to be fairly quick and straightforward. 

Characteristics

Intent

An Intent is a manifestation of an individual's emotions and intentions, given form by Valem. Intents typically: 

• Have an abstract appearance, sometimes vaguely resembling an animal.

• Have some combination of white and black with no shading or color. 

• May have horns, claws, paws, and sometimes wings. 

• Have dynamic size and shape. 

Intents can be considered something like daemons that are composed of and act upon the individual's inner feelings, whether positive or negative. It may growl at an individual the host feels ill will towards or attack an individual the host truly desires to harm, or affectionately bump its head against someone the host feels close to. It can shapeshift into forms to and create objects to reflect the individual's desires: a blade to harm, a blanket to comfort, a pen to write a heartfelt note. 

The Intent will not attack individuals that the host does not feel malice for, and it will not provide any acts of kindness an individual has no desire to help. It not quite sentient, only a manifestation that acts based on the host's true motives and feelings; it does not speak, either. (There are certain circumstances that would allow it to gain an independent soul and other capabilities, however, such as by influence from Consciousness or Ego.)

Valent

Those who achieve mastery over their Intent's abilities and/or achieve a strong synchronization with it become able to fuse with the Intent to take a different appearance that may appear abstractly demonic and/or angelic depending on their internal motives and feelings. Their bodies appear to have some combination of black and white with highlights of one particular color, usually the color of their soul. Their appearances typically have the following characteristics:  

• Abstract appearance.

• Horns, claws, and a tail, and/or a halo and feathered wings.

• Thin markings that give the appearance of segments; can also have diamond markings and/or additional "eyes." 

• Solid colored eyes with no iris or pupil.

• A body type that is similar to their original species, but can have more creature-like characteristics (e.g. bird-like head shape, digitigrade legs, hunched posture, etc.) 

• Some are more smoky and amorphous, some are more solid, some have aspects of both.

When in their Valent form, they tend to be extremely honest with their emotions. When they are not fused with their Intent, they retain their original appearance and are less influenced in terms of their behavior. 

In base form, Valents tend to have more temperature fluctuations than is typical for their original species. They often run just a bit too hot or cold to be normal, and these temperatures can fluctuate based on their mood, but they are perfectly healthy. 

In Valent form, Intents can have a physical sensation associated with them if touched. What that feels like can depend on the individual and their mood, and there can also be other physical or mental "sensations," both pleasant and unpleasant, that are evoked when they are touched. Valents can adjust the intensity of their contact sensation; if someone they dislike touches them they can amplify a negative sensation to cause discomfort, and if it is someone they favor they can amplify more pleasant sensations. 

Abilities

Valents have all of the abilities of Malums, though they can manipulate light as well as shadows. They also have abilities similar to Val's, though applied to both kind and malicious emotions: 

• Emotion Coaxing: They can call forth feelings of kindness or malice within others.

• Emotional Recollections: They can help others recall kind memories, those that make them feel safe, comfortable, and appreciated, as well as memories at the root of any feelings of malice.

• Emotional Aura: They can exude an aura that affects others' emotions depending on their own intent and mood. It can be an aura of intimidation, an aura that draws out others' malicious feelings, or an aura with a comforting presence like a subtle mental embrace. They can adjust how strong and how far the aura reaches, though typically they have it at a low level with approximately a ten foot radius.