Paragon
Earned by achieving mastery in all five Elementia of Galdr - something few have ever done - to wield Paragon is to wield Aether itself, Transmuting it into other Metaphor, condensing it to Aetherite, or holding sway over souls. Becoming a Paragon requires Mastery in Fulgur, Abation, Zephyr, Aqua, and Terra, as well as allocating two Major Merits.
Be warned that achieving Ascension in Paragon entails 4,125 XP from six minor merits and three major merits, assuming no other merits were purchased.
Paragon
History
A human has a roughly .047% chance of succeeding in six Galdr initiations - the five Elementia, and Paragon. Galsterei speak with envy of those who attain this status, a legendary being with once-in-a-generation talent and ambition. To become a Paragon, they would need to master all five elemental Galdr.
Acquisition
Upon surviving Initiation into all five Elementia, an individual becomes a so-called Paragon Candidate, and many watchful eyes turn to them as they set out on a journey of self-discovery and reflection to obtain the Paragon's mark. This symbol is unique to every candidate, and arrears itself from an epiphany only experienced at the height of a mage's achievements. This is a chase after power greater than oneself, and to many it can feel hopeless - most candidates never find their Mark before they are swallowed up by age, murdered, or thrown off the path.
- Unlike other forms of Galdr, Paragon is a hidden symbol representing the five elemental disciplines, merging them together into one. In doing so, the mage is cast out into the Aetherium to forge their prophesized mark in the energies of creation. Then they must find their way back to Aarda before descending from the white-hot sun, down into the Planes below.
- Those who go to the Aetherium rarely ever return, but those who do ground themselves in reality may find their way back, changed by the experience. They must endure a glimpse of the Godheads, and Nihilos now looks upon them with its darkened eye. Few Paragons live long enough to Ascend, dominated by Alítheia for the power they represent.
Mageburn Symptoms
- Lesser:
- Moderate:
- Greater:
Spells
Aethermancy
Aethermancy is simply the manipulation of raw Aether. Fundamentally, Aether is not a defensive, nor an offensive force. Instead, its power lies in its own potential to seep through and cling to things.
Transmutation
Transmutation is the art of converting manipulated Aether into something else. They can convert Aether into any of the five Galdr, and back into Aether. What makes a Paragon most dangerous, is that they can fill a body with Aether - bypassing even most magical materials - and then convert that Aether into an element remotely. Surviving this would be a challenge even for those with a steel-clad constitution.
Dominion
The Paragon can easily wrest control of any Galdr at a lesser tier of power than their own elementia, preventing them from even being able to sense them unless their own Galdr rivals or exceeds that of the Paragon.
Soulmancy
A Paragon may alter a soul, grabbing hold of and stripping out the Other to Wick a Galdr of their Arcana. They might also alter the memories of another as they please, or darken a soul to its Pacts, bring comfort to the Blighted by temporarily keeping their curse - and power - at bay for as long as they touch them, and banish Ghosts to Aarda or else Avernus, possibly even as far as the Void. Only the Ascended have any resistance to this ability, unless they possess the Grandmaster Meditation necessary to steel their soul against such a thing.
Condense
The ability for a Paragon to condense Aether into Aetherite, a form of Alkahest. The Paragon may produce exponentially more each day as they progress.
Aetherian
The Paragon may shift their own flesh to Aether and back, Transmuting it to one or more of the Galdr within their purview. As an Aetherian, there is little that can harm a Paragon save for an Ascended-level spell or a Grandmaster skill, as only profoundly potent Metaphor would not be able to influence them like this. One might find irony in the fact that the seemingly mundane work of a world-renowned smith, or the strike of a Grandmaster Swordsman is able to harm them in this state.
Tiers of Mastery
Novice
Just starting out, a novice is only capable of simple, though still wondrous, Aetheric feats.
- A Novice Paragon may wield Apprentice-level Galdr freely without any cost.
Apprentice
The apprentice Paragon has grown a modicum more comfortable with their spellweaving but is still fairly weak.
Journeyman
The journeyman Paragon is a proficient spellcaster and steadily on their way to being deadly.
Expert
Now potent sorcerers in their own right, the expert Paragon manipulates their magic with the flowing ease or deadly force of the elements themselves.
Master
Wielding the Arcana with brilliance, the master Paragon is a force of nature unto themselves.
- A Master has twice the Aether supply, and can wield Journeyman-level Galdr freely without any cost.
Apotheosi
Now an Ascendant, the Empyrean is a sorcerer of legendary potency. More than having simply embraced Aether, they have become one with it, and the five elements.
- An Empyrean has thrice the Aether supply, and can wield Expert-level Galdr freely without any cost.
- Soulmancy
- A Paragon at this stage may invent new variants of existing Galdr.
Artifacts
There are no artifacts of Paragon that weren't crafted by the Paragon themselves. These tend to be impressive trinkets and curiosities devised by each Paragon's unique needs and chosen Practices.
Some examples of crafts a Paragon might create include:
- Charms that ward off soul tampering such as Arcana initiations.
- Tools that convert aether into elemental displays of all five elementia.
- Wards that convert incoming elementia into aether.
”He is the spirit of Aether given manifest in human form, and he is the epitome potential, whom all aspire to be. He is a Paragon not of power, but of the envy that beats in the heart of every Galsterei.” - Nereite Sci'lon
