Earned by achieving mastery in all six Elementia of Galdr as well as an Ascension in a discipline of Aether - 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, an Ascension in Aether, as well as allocating an additional Major Merit.
Be warned that achieving Ascension in Paragon entails 4,550 XP from seven minor merits and three major merits, assuming no other merits were purchased.
Paragon
History
A human has a roughly .023% chance of succeeding in seven initiations - the six 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 six elemental Galdr and achieve an Ascension in an Aether-based Arcana.
Acquisition
Upon surviving Initiation into all six 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 master their Arcana, Ascend, and then 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 six 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 before being altered with Transmutation.
Transmutation
Transmutation is the art of converting manipulated Aether into something else. They can convert Aether into any of the six 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
A Paragon may remotely wrest control over any spell they can see which they also possess the Arcana for and alter it as if they had cast the spell instead. To do this, they must have a superior level of Skill in both Paragon and that Arcana. In one example, A Paragon who is an Exodus might shut, remove, or alter the destination of Portals belonging to another when normally an Exodii would need to be within six feet of the Portal to do so.
Soulweaving
A Paragon may alter the soul of an entity by maintaining contact with them for a period of time. None of these function as Conjurations, nor may they be incorporated within a Hybrid spell.
- Gnosis / Porosis
- By manipulating Boons (Gnosis) or Hexes (Porosis), a Paragon may confer temporary or permanent manipulations upon the soul of another, or within themselves. In order to impart a Cantrip of that tier, they must have invested enough experience into it.
- Low: As a Free Cast, awaken any known Ridhinne Boon or Hex within a soul for a duration multiplied by its Chronology, provided its Conditions are met.
- High: As a Efficient Cast, awaken any known Cantrip Boon or Hex within a soul for a duration multiplied by its Chronology, provided its Conditions are met.
- True: As a Standard Cast, awaken any known Cantrip Boon or Hex within a soul permanently, provided its Conditions are met at the time of its imparting; many will not survive the process. This entails the target expending a Minor Merit similar to bodily Cantrips imparted by Malediction.
- Soulweaves
- Below are different Soulweaves a Paragon may impose at a range of touch, sorted by Aether cost.
- Efficient Cast:
- Empower: Confer Aether Efficiency upon another for a duration.
- Standard Cast:
- Rewrite: Alter the memories of a soul; one memory may be adjusted per cast.
- Shelter: Shield a being from Nihilos, temporarily keeping their curse - and power - at bay for as long as the Paragon maintains touch and concentration.
- Banish: Banish Whispers to the Aetherium, forcing them to reincarnate, or obliterate it such that it cannot.
- Inefficient Cast:
- Sunder: With equivalent skill in Mysticism, Sunder a soul into its Alkahest.
- Wick: Rend the Other of a Galsterei to remove (uninitiate) one or more of its Galdr Arcana.
- Sever: Strip (uninitiate) a soul of one of its Gnosis, Pacts, or Gramarye.
- Soulrend: Rip apart a soul, converting that being into a Whisper.
Condense
A Paragon to condense Aether into Condensite, a form of Diffuse Alkahest. The Paragon may produce higher quality Aetherite as they progress (Skill Tier / 2, rounded down). They must still purchase this Diffuse Alkahest at a rate of 5 Seasonal Points per gram.
Aetherian
An Ascended Paragon may shift their own flesh to Aether and back, instantly transmuting it into 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 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.
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
- An Expert spends 3/4 the Spell Reserves for Aether Metaphor Arcana.
Master
Wielding the Arcana with brilliance, the master Paragon is a force of nature unto themselves.
- A Master spends 2/3 the Spell Reserves for Aether Metaphor Arcana.
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 six elements.
- An Empyrean spends 1/2 the Spell Reserves for Aether Metaphor Arcana.
- 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 six 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