Grist

Tǔhuā Lǎbā (Earth-Flower Horn), the dragoness who Governs Geomena, Seeks ivory, and Embodies flowers.

Grist

 Referred to as Wang-Wu by the Jian and the Dragons who live amongst them - or ‘the Ten-Thousand-Things’ meaning all Saol and every discernable thing comprised of Planar Metaphor - Grist is the Glamour embodied by Dragons (and Kobold Shamans) to Cultivate an identity which they may then be channeled into miracles. Grist requires a Minor Merit to pursue.

History Ancient Proto-Dragons catalyzed Grist within their bloodline long before the other races of Ælphyne had formed their own. Grist is often referred to by the Faefolk as ‘Primordial Glamour’ with jealous reverence. They once clashed with dragon-kind, banishing the majority of them from Ælphyne to Antarok in the Dragon-Faefolk Conflict. Settling in the new world, the Elder Dragon Huǒxīyì Chī performed Outer Alchemy upon primitive beastfolken to create Kobold with Grist of their own.

Concepts Gristle: Grist is a Glamour derived from an arcane fluid rich in Saol called Gristle. This catalyst forms within a small gland surrounded by thyroid cartilage in the throat - beneath the 'Adam's Apple' - which then circulates Gristle in trace amounts throughout the body, pervading the environment through perspiration or else congealed within the larynx for exhale. Three-Among-Many: Through Saol, the Gristled possess a connection to three concepts which inform how Grist will manifest, and how it will influence their lives; one to govern, one to seek, and one to embody. Governed - a Metaphor: Luxium, Geomena, Aeris, Imber, Somnium, Fabula, or Anathema. The rest oppose the Saol which powers the Glamour, or they are too nebulous to be governed by it. Sought - a mundane object, material, or artform to be hoarded or sought. Examples might include pastries, feathers, gold, smithing, or swordplay. The Gristled eats less when Cultivating near to these things, and could eat what is sought without consequence. Embodied - one specific form of mundane life to embody - any breed of animal or flora they feel drawn towards. Examples are roses, tigers, a race of people, or blue jays. Path to Oneness: To be One is to be aligned with Three-Among-Many, in what is Governed, Sought, and Embodied, in one's Soul and the flow of their Life Force. Grist influences its host and others onto a path towards this seemingly unattainable ideal, and to achieve Oneness is to become an Aspect of Grist, a Meridian. Incitement Incitement - initiation into Grist - occurs when the Three-Among-Many are Cultivated by those with Grist throat-glands. They will have no sense for how any of this works as they begin, often undergoing a spiritual journey to find what they wish to Govern, Seek, and Embody. Once these three concepts are internalized, a spark of Oneness will blaze within themselves - a torch that will not easily be blown out. This will take a few hours of time beneath the tutelage of a wise dragon for some, while most will require a lifetime of experiences to catalyze a Three-Among-Many unique to them. Young Adult Dragons Incite without effort - for them, it is instinctual and profoundly sudden once they mature, and they inherit their initial Three-Among-Many from the parent they spend most of their time with. Whelp 'Prodigies' who Incite early almost always form the wrong Three, and they are pushed out of the nest by other dragons to preserve harmony within the Flight. Throat-Glands As Grist is a Glamour, the throat-glands necessary to channel its spells are passed on from a parent to its offspring. Dragons and Kobold are all born with the ability to Cultivate their Grist. There are bloodlines with draconic ancestry, and half-breeds with Grist as well. Gristled can utilize Outer Alchemy to temporarily grant someone Grist by turning them into a chimera of their Embodied animal and granting them the organ, but this will fade upon leaving the Gristled's influence unless the grantee Incites their Grist and wields Inner Alchemy to retain the form. If trustworthy and powerful Gristled are scarce, a Maltrician may transplant donated throat-glands which may then be Incited. The ‘donor’ is usually a Kobold, or - sadly - a Dragon Whelp. Notes: If the Gristled is undead, they will obtain the Geist variant of Grist detailed at the bottom of this page. Until a Glamour organ is Incited, it does not require spending a Minor Merit to obtain. Mageburn Symptoms Mageburn is rare for the Gristled as they must Cultivate their spells and rituals. Overuse and dilution of their Gristle will weaken the strength of their Cultivation, lead them astray from the Path to Oneness, and hinder their ability to Cultivate without burning even more Saol. Doing so may weaken their immune systems, inflame their vocal chords and afflict them with life-long mental illness or worse. Lesser: Sore Throat, Fever, Headaches, Chills, Irritability, Weakness, Incessant Urges, Lethargy, Anxiety Moderate: Asphyxiation (Inflammation), Panic, Narcolepsy, Powerful Urges, Temporary Aesthetic Mutations Greater: Glamour Organ Failure (Throat Rupture), Coma, Schizophrenia Become-Ten-Thousand: Seen as a fate worse than death by the Gristled and cautioned by parent to child, to Become-Ten-Thousand is to lose a hold on one's Three-Among-Many, by consequence inviting the 'Ten-Thousand-Things' of nature within. These tortured souls have become ever-changing beasts, warped by their Inner Alchemy to become all that they witness until they bleed through their Saol and die. Spells Cultivation Gristled Cultivate to prepare their spells continuously rather than the standard way of casting them, expending Spell Reserves as they finish Cultivating rather than when they discharge the spell. They incorporate experiences, belongings, and environments relevant to their Three-Among-Many through focused pursuits of meditation, introspection, or labor as an artist seeks references for a painting until the spell is primed or finished. Cultivation may also be performed aimlessly without any intention or Life Force expenditure: there is a sense of moving towards a unification of the mind, body, and soul as one Cultivates - a Path to Oneness - and for most, this is well worth the effort Any Grist spell or ritual requires a month of dedication - concentration is not necessary - for a Novice to prepare or finish, and at least a day for a Master; only a Meridian may do so in the span of a breath. Changing the Three-Among-Many is possible through Cultivation until becoming a Meridian; this would take only a month for something adjacent like altering which species of bird is Embodied, or a year if multiple drastic changes must be made. Inner Alchemy Inner Alchemy is the ritual for how those with Grist Cultivate their Three-Among-Many to change themselves permanently, so slowly that only its difficult to observe. There are only up to three specific changes at a time: how what is Governed manifests in their body, how they sense what is Sought, and how what is Embodied shapes them and their diet; one use of Inner Alchemy accounts for up to three changes. This Cultivation Ritual is available from Novice. Governed: The Gristled will develop an aesthetic mutation representing one of the three concepts belonging to that Metaphor; an example would be Luxium fire upon the tip of their tail which feels warm but does not burn. This aesthetic might not be purely visual - if Somnium is Governed, Nightmare might bring haunting images of one's own nightmares to the back of their mind. The effect is always minor and never enough to bring harm to another or benefit themselves in a tangible way. Sometimes weak Gristled are hunted, as these aesthetic changes might linger in their hide and bones. At Journeyman, the Gristled develops a notable resistance to what they Govern, and at Master they are nearly immune unless that source matches their own power. Sought: The Gristled develops a single supernatural sense - taste, touch, feel, scent, or sight - for hunting or experiencing what is Sought. While only mundane things and materials are ever Sought, someone in search of dolls might have a sense for automata and skillfully crafted zombies are nearby. There might be a pleasing smell to track, or they might stand out better from everything else. It might also hinge upon touch to bring them comfort. At Novice this is merely one sense, but every tier of Grist thereafter offers potential for another until all five are earned at Master. Embodied: The Gristled shifts aspects of their body towards any facet of their Embodied animal or flora. This can be any kind of anatomy, sense, or even mental changes. If they Embody a specific race or animal, they might blend qualities of these with themselves or outright become them. A Gristled who Embodies the orchid plant might slowly alter themselves into one over the course of a month, losing itself to the floral way of life until the winter or some nauseating change in the soil. It's not impossible for the Gristled to pollinate each other and germinate offspring of their original race from seeds, but they will only be able to reproduce with life that also has a soul. Flora Embodiment is also one way to qualify for Inciting Draoidh. Note: How your character uses Inner Alchemy should be detailed on your Character Sheet. If you are feeling overwhelmed, consider ignoring Inner Alchemy until you are ready to explore it in-character. Inner Alchemy is learned at Novice. Governed Breath Each Gristled by Apprentice may Cultivate the Metaphor they Govern into a breathed spell, stored within their throats for exhale. Meridians and Ancient Dragons may breathe Governed Breath continuously until they burn through their Life Force. The quality of any created object depends on relevant Craft skills known by the character. Only one use of Governed Breath may be prepared at Apprentice; Luxium: A wave of bursting flames, or a finely focused beam of burning light. They might also spit gobs of solid light, stretching it over entrances or creating bridges or large volumes of weightless objects such as spears or caltrops which linger for an hour. Geomena: A wave of sand to batter and bury, or spitting a rock to stab, bruise, and crush. They might also hollow out a well-supported tunnel in stone with their breaths, or sculpt stone with as much detail as they can muster in a span of breath. Aeris: The Gristled breathes a wave of buffeting or cutting wind. They might also spit a sticky gob of air gel that reduces the target's weight to that of a feather for up to an hour. Imber: A wave of water to crush and wash away, or a chilling breath that causes minor frostbite at Apprentice, freezing the surface of its target solid at Master. They might also breathe a rain cloud to disperse their water over a wide area, or a vision obscuring fog. Somnium: A wave of chromatic color that induces a hallucinatory state - vivid dreams whilst asleep - or lethargy, for an hour. The Gristled does not control what kind of hallucination is received, but might guide their experience through other means such as conversation or trickery. Suggestive at Novice, and overpowering by Master. Resisted through equal skill in Meditation or an appropriate Dreamcatcher. Fabula: A spit of bone javelins, or large volumes of one kind of bone. The bones receive a boost to their hardiness for an hour as they are expelled. They might also breathe a visual and auditory projection of a story - embellished or no. Anathema: A spit of sliming black bile that slowly digests what it falls upon. They might also by Master concentrate this bile to destroy magically 'invulnerable' objects such as a Liches' Phylactery. Outer Alchemy Obtained at Expert, Outer Alchemy is the ritual for projecting Inner Alchemy outward. This is a slow process which requires regular Cultivation, applying what is Governed, Sought, or Embodied to nearby objects and life in a similar manner to Inner Alchemy. The effect is semi-permanent so long as the Gristled is nearby and engaged in some sort of Cultivation, reverting gradually over the course of a month should they leave and not return. Everything within a location can be altered at once, slowly through Cultivation. Below are the differences specific to Outer Alchemy. Governed: They may apply the specific aesthetic change affecting them to objects and life nearby. Sought: When applied to an object, it will resemble what is sought in some mundane and sensible manner. In this way, the Cultivator might alter artworks, trees, or their environment to depict what they seek. Life might be granted the Gristled's same sense for what is Sought. Embodied: Cultivation can be focused on individuals over time, transforming them part-way, even entirely into an Embodied animal or flora. If they Embody a form of fauna, the Gristled might choose to impart their Grist throat-glands this way - or Draoidh for flora - requiring Incitement to keep the Embodied form and thus the gifted organ. Their entire body will revert to normal within a month if they leave the Cultivator's influence, otherwise.

Skill Tiers

Novice The Gristled at Novice has just begun to learn how to identify and then Cultivate their Three-Among-Many, an uncertain time for them: they struggle aligning their lives with what is Governed, Sought, or Embodied on their Path to Oneness, and they mainly focus on educating themselves, Cultivating the ritual of Inner Alchemy. Cultivation Time: 1 Month Apprentice An Apprentice of Grist has developed a subtle sense for their Three-Among-Many, Cultivating twice as fast as before. They begin to experience a tingling in their throats - Governed Breath - which they may now Cultivate towards. Even as an Apprentice, their breath while only useful once every two weeks is potent enough to addle, perforate skin, or break bone. Cultivation Time: 2 Weeks Breath Charges: 1 Breath Reach: 20 Ft Breath Power: Can melt, crush, or reinforce up to and against solid bone if applicable. Journeyman A Journeyman of Grist experiences a refinement of their powers. Nothing new is gleaned at this stage, only a reinforcement of what they have learned thus far. They may Cultivate and retain two uses of their Governed Breath in just a week, and their breath is notably more powerful, enough to kill or disable a man outright if they take the brunt of its force. Cultivation Time: 1 Week Breath Charges: 2 Breath Reach: 50 Ft Breath Power: Can melt, crush, or reinforce up to and against solid rock if applicable. Expert At Expert, a Grist experiences a deeper sense for their own environment, allowing for Cultivation to influence the appearance of a temple through Outer Alchemy across just three days of ritual. They spend much of their time seeking out and maintaining a location which they alter for their own comfort, taking on students of Grist or assisting other Cultivators. Their Governed breath is truly potent now, capable of bringing down scores if caught in their exhale. Cultivation Time: 3 Days Outer Alchemy Reach: A small location such as a shop or a temple and its courtyard. Breath Charges: 3 Breath Reach: 100 Ft Breath Power: Can melt, crush, or reinforce up to and against solid iron if applicable. Master A Master of Grist is so in tune with the Three-Among-Many that they require only a day of Cultivation to finish an Alchemy ritual or renew their Governed Breath to capacity. Their Governed Breath might bring down a small army without any way to defend against it, covering a large swathe of distance. Often they are hunted down and killed or recruited by the local governance for their power or meddling. Cultivation Time: 1 Day Outer Alchemy Reach: An entire city district, encompassing several streets and dozens of homes or businesses. Breath Charges: 4 Breath Reach: 250 Ft Breath Power: Can melt, crush, or reinforce up to and against solid steel if applicable. Aspect Achieving Oneness, an Aspect of Grist, a Meridian, has become powerful enough to justify being revered as a local deity. Their mere presence is a threat great enough to incite a country into war against them, or else to parlay or coerce them into cohabitation; A Meridian's Outer Alchemy disrupts an entire city, altering entire ecosystems across a country in subtle ways. Fortunately for most, a Meridian often retreats deep into the wilderness to lead a life of asceticism due to the inescapable sense of detachment their long lives and Oneness fosters. Cultivation Time: Immediate Outer Alchemy Reach: Subtly - small changes - across an entire country. Notably - major changes - within a city. Breath Charges: As Life Force permits. Breath Reach: 250 Ft Breath Power: Can damage to some extent most forms of enchanted material, reinforcing a considerable degree above solid steel if applicable.

Aspect: The Meridian

Becoming a Meridian 1-3 Paragraphs on how to become a Meridian. Becoming a Meridian requires the expenditure of a Major Merit. Meridian Spells An overview for how the abilities are seen and reacted to. Temple-Laws: Grist slowly suffuses the environment of the Gristled. They unconsciously manipulate their environment towards how they perceive the Three-Among-Many through their Temple-Laws. Leaving this environment or allowing it to be altered in any way that distances it from what is Governed, Sought or Embodied would weaken its Oneness and bring discomfort. Temple Law Disputes Gristled who live among others famously spend considerable time enforcing their outwardly confusing status quo through politicking, labor, and manipulation. With other Gristled, this turns into a violent dispute between members of disparate Temples. Formal visits will not cause a territorial dispute - staying somewhere in another incompatible Gristled's territory for more than a week guarantees this, and territorial battles between Gristled are exceedingly common. 'Third-Law-Empire - A 1-3 paragraph overview of the Ability. Consequences should go in the second paragraph unless the trait is very simple. This spell is obtained at Novice Title. Breathe-The-Three - A 1-3 paragraph overview of the Ability. Consequences should go in the second paragraph unless the trait is very simple. This spell is obtained at Novice Title.

Grist Variant: Geist

Much of the northern hemisphere is dominated by the Dragon-Queen Shēngsǐ Xuě, a Meridian who was reanimated by the Sidhe King Oberon in the Dragon-Faefolk Conflict and exiled to Antarok from Ælphyne as punishment for resisting Fae dominance. As the once jovial mother of Ælphynian Dragons fell into a melancholic slumber, the other Meridians who fled to Antarok became aware of how her power had twisted from Saol to Miasmata and cautioned the Flights to let her sleep forevermore. To this day, nothing grows in Slahane, the frozen, dead north of Antarok, nor can life reproduce there - all are infertile within the Third-Law-Empire of a Geist Meridian. Shēngsǐ Xuě enables the undead of Slahane to age into their prime with beauty and without disease through Miasmata and Imber, affording them a resistance to the cold with veins of chilled water rather than ichor or blood. This does not change their crazed minds which remain much the same as any other Draugr. Changes Whilst Saol is diametrically opposed to Miasmata, Grist uniquely ceases to function as Glamour and instead becomes a form of Poetics once its host has joined the ranks of the living dead. Geist retains every capability as Grist, yet rather than influence living things, its Gristle influences the dead and risen - any being or object animated by Miasmata or else in possession of it - towards Oneness. ‘Conception’ specifically cannot happen within the bounds of a Geist’s Cultivation - everything affected is infertile. Flora will cease to proliferate, and the land will become barren. It has no idle harm upon the already pregnant nor a fertilized egg, however. Note: Lore still remains the Theorem for utilizing and understanding Geist and its history, though someone skilled in Occultism would at least know the fable of Shēngsǐ Xuě and thus the existence of Geist. Acquiring Geist Geist belongs exclusively to the domain of the living dead which cultivate Miasmata within themselve; Geist shares its Spell Reserves with other disciplines of Dominion, rather than Glamour. Only the corporeal undead which are implanted with the organ of Grist or those Dragons and Kobold who are brought back from death as Draugr will possess this variant. The half-undead such as Devorare may Cultivate towards Geist or Saol. A player is free to play as a Geist provided they are corporeal undead. Being a Meridian is not required to obtain Geist - Novice Geist do exist.

"I've met with a terrible fate, haven't I? - Adopting a hatchling abandoned by its mother. The whelp demands every piece of gold we have and asks that we collect flower nectar to feed her. So many butterflies. Our dog has grown butterfly wings - I am growing butterfly wings. We all have butterfly wings in this village. My beautiful Nuǎnjīn Húdié, will you leave your pile of treasure to guard us from the Gnoll with your dazzling breath of burning light?" - A Charitable Magistrate

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