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 to become a Paragon.

Aqua

History

Galsterei speak with envy of the Paragon, a legendary being with once-in-a-generation talent and ambition.

Acquisition

File:ParagonSymbol.png

Mark of Paragon.

Unlike other forms of Galdr, Paragon is not 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 mark in creation, and must find their way back to Aarda before descending from the white-hot sun, down into the Planes below.

Discovering the Paragon's mark is a journey of reflection and study. This symbol is unique to every mage, and comes from an epiphany only experienced at the height of a mage's career. This is a chase after a power greater than oneself, and to many it can feel hopeless.

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: Mild Overpoweredness
• Moderate: Giving Nearby People Panic Attacks
• Greater: Metagaming, Powergaming
• Creation: Deleting someone else's PC.

Just kidding.

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.

Soul Touch

A Paragon may alter a soul, stripping out the Other on touch to Wick a Galdr of their Arcana, or alter their memories as they please. They may also darken a soul to its Pacts, or bring comfort to the Blighted by temporarily holding their curse - and power - at bay for as long as they touch them. Ghosts may be forced to Aarda, or banished to 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 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.

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.

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 as another Ascended, and can wield Expert-level Galdr freely without any cost.

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.

”There's something off about that boy.” - Father of Paragon Icthys

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