Radiance

Paladins are beacons of Hope, capable of both inspiring those around them and smiting their foes with righteous fury. Radiance requires a Minor Merit to pursue. 

Radiance

History

The Pact of Andormu, Godhead of Aarda, associated with Hope, Warmth and Light. As with all Pacts, it is suspected that it came to be either alongside the birth of its Plane or shortly thereafter.

Nevertheless, Radiance is generally looked upon positively, even in societies that traditionally shun magic for the Hope it inspires and Warmth it can bring. While not all Paladins are inherently good people, they are usually the most zealous champions of whatever causes they have pledged themselves to– and as such, they are incredibly appreciated amongst their peers for both their spellwork and their overall effect on morale.

Acquisition

Paladins are borne from hope– the kind of hope that fills the body with the power to overcome great obstacles. That being said, the origins of a Paladin are rarely as glorious as the spells that they wield. They are often lone survivors of disasters who have such overpowering optimism that all other emotions are drowned out. It’s this optimism that fills them with warmth as they begin to make a Pact with Andormu. If one believes hard enough, they can complete the Pact and gain the power to make it out of their precarious predicament. While one does not have to be the victim of a disaster to become a Paladin, it is a requirement for them to be in a situation where their lives, or the lives of those they care dearly for, are on the line.

Living As A Paladin

Most Paladins are optimists, sometimes to a fault. Their beliefs tend to be set in stone and they go to great lengths to do what they feel is right. However, what is right depends on the eye of the beholder. It’s not unheard of for Paladins to commit objectively evil acts for what they perceive to be the greater good.

Paladins are often scarred by the event that prompted their transformation and wish to protect others from similar hardships. Paladins are well equipped to fight blighted and undead and tend to gravitate towards eliminating such threats. For this reason, people tend to think positively about them.

Types of Light

Celestial Light

• The light of Aarda is Luxium, carrying a golden yellow hue laden with warmth that eventually burns. Flame will always be potent against the undead, heating up even the incorporeal Apparated who get too close.
• The light of Æylune is Ardor, which carries a bluish hue, like a chilling, cold fire that saps the stamina of even those immune to Luxium, but it cannot kill or wound, only lower body temperature to the point of falling into a coma.
• The light of Læloch carries no Metaphor but tends to make the most beautiful white light; while it cannot harm when wielded by a Paladin, it is often used as a spotlight or to make silvery, mirror-like objects out of Hardlight.

Internal Light

• Light may be drawn out from within as Saol if the Paladin is alive, which is a pale green color that fills the undead or elderly with a sense of calm.
• Light may be drawn out from within as Miasmata if the Paladin is undead, which is a desaturating color that enables the non-living to move without fatigue while ensuring that the information shared within is impossible to forget.

Mageburn Symptoms

• Lesser: Muscle Weakness, Spiritual Weakness (reduced inhibitions, lack of will)
• Moderate: Radiant Veins, Loss of Consciousness
• Greater: Hardlight Shattering
• Radiant Veins: Tears in the flesh rent by raw Luxium; these are typically concentrated in areas of the body relevant to the spellcast, if applicable. The wounds cauterize themselves, but they cause immense pain which may impede the Paladin’s movement and mood.
• Hardlight Shattering: Body parts already afflicted by Radiant Veins are subsumed by Hardlight and shattered.

Spells

As a Pact forged with the Godhead Andormu, Radiance utilizes the Metaphor of Luxium for casting.

Inspire

Paladins may channel Luxium in order to inspire hope in those around them for a cause they champion. The caster will briefly glow, and anyone within the spell’s radius who shares the same cause as the Paladin will find themselves feeling hopeful, confident and courageous. The ‘cause’ in question must be singular, though can be vague, and must be decided upon by the Paladin at the time of the cast.

Lumenshape

Allows Paladins to use hardlight to create objects, reshape them, and even control them in a radius around themselves. Hardlight constructs can be made permanent when embedding them with equivalent tier Luxiite.

Blinding Light

Paladins can emit a flash of light from their body that is capable of blinding those around them. Alternatively, they can focus the effects into a cone if they only want to blind targets in one particular direction. At higher levels, this can cause permanent blindness.

Lucense

Paladins may infuse their eyes with light, allowing them to see in complete darkness. They also gain the ability to look at bright lights without negative side effects. At higher levels they could stare directly at the sun, if they wanted to. This is often cast before using Blinding Light.

Intensify

Paladins can use this ability to direct a beam of searing energy from a light source. This ability may draw power from any light source, detailed below. Doing this drains the Metaphor of a light source if applicable, so it is possible to, for example, put out fires simply by directing that energy elsewhere.

The beam of energy travels at the speed of light, but it still takes time to intensify enough to cause damage. All of the damage of the beam is focused right on the target. This is not an ability that can damage everything that is between a light source and a target.

Tiers of Mastery

Novice

A Novice Paladin's spells may be weak, but their conviction towards that which inspired the acquisition of their Pact surely isn’t.

• Inspire:
  • Affects everyone that shares the Paladin’s cause within a 5 foot radius.
  • The effect is very mild, like a breeze– warm, but fleeting.
• Lumenshape:
  • Can control light in a 5 foot radius around themselves.
  • Hardlight constructs fade in under a minute and crumble if struck.
• Blinding Light:
  • Can emit a short flash of light.
  • It is, at most, a nuisance and mainly used for communication or a brief light source.
• Lucense:
  • Not Available
• Intensify:
  • Not Available

Apprentice

At Apprentice, the Paladin gains access to Lucense, allowing them to freeling cast without impeding their own vision, as well as see well in dark or blinding areas.

• Inspire:
  • Affects everyone that shares the Paladin’s cause within a 20 foot radius.
  • The Inspiration is warm, but fleeting– the effect only lasts up to 5 minutes.
• Lumenshape:
  • Can control light in a 20 foot radius around themselves.
  • Hardlight constructs are as strong as wood and can last up to 30 minutes.
• Blinding Light:
  • Can emit a short flash of light in up to a 20 foot radius.
  • It is about as disruptive as a camera flash.
• Lucense:
  • Fully effective in a 20 foot radius around themselves.
• Intensify:
  • Not Available

Journeyman

Now with access to Intensify, a Paladin is wont to occupy themselves by experimenting with Intensifying different kinds of light or learning to weave their other abilities together.

• Inspire:
  • Affects everyone that shares the Paladin’s cause within a 50 foot radius.
  • The Inspiration is intense, but fleeting– the effect only lasts up to 5 minutes.
• Lumenshape:
  • Can control light in a 50 foot radius around themselves.
  • Hardlight constructs are as strong as iron and can last up to an hour.
• Blinding Light:
  • Can emit a short flash of light in up to a 50 foot radius.
  • The effect is slightly painful and disorienting; victims will struggle to see with patchy vision for up to 10 seconds.
• Lucense:
  • Fully effective in a 50 foot radius around themselves.
• Intensify:
  • Can create beams of light from sources within 50 feet.
  • Beams can be up to 1 foot in diameter and take thirty seconds to reach maximum intensity.
  • The beams can melt iron.

Expert

An Expert Paladin is a force to be reckoned with, whether referring to the strength of their optimism or their hardlight constructs.

• Inspire:
  • Affects everyone that shares the Paladin’s cause within a 100 foot radius.
  • The Inspiration is intense and lasts up to 10 minutes.
• Lumenshape:
  • Can control light in a 100 foot radius around themselves.
  • Hardlight constructs are as strong as iron and can last up to three hours.
• Blinding Light:
  • Can emit a short flash of light in up to a 100 foot radius.
  • The effect is painful and disorienting; victims will be blinded for 10 seconds and struggle to see with patchy vision for up to an additional 50 seconds.
• Lucense:
  • Fully effective in a 100 foot radius around themselves.
• Intensify:
  • Can create beams of light from sources within 100 feet.
  • Beams can be up to 2 feet in diameter and take fifteen seconds to reach maximum intensity.
  • The beams can melt steel.

Master

Beacons of Hope, those that Master Radiance are figures that inspire awe in all around them.

• Inspire:
  • Affects everyone that shares the Paladin’s cause within a 100 foot radius.
  • The Inspiration is intense and lasts up to 30 minutes.
• Lumenshape:
  • A master is no longer limited by a radius. If they can see light, they can manipulate it.
  • Hardlight constructs are 1.5x as strong as steel and can last six hours.
  • Constructs may be made permanent with a Sphere’s worth of Luxiite and Master Ensorcelling skill.
• Blinding Light:
  • Can blind within a 100 foot radius.
  • The effect is extremely painful and disorienting; it causes permanent blindness if one’s eyes are not covered.
• Lucense:
  • Fully available for as far as the caster can see.
• Intensify:
  • They are no longer limited by a radius. If they can see light, they can manipulate it.
  • Beams can be up to 5 feet in diameter and take five seconds to reach maximum intensity.
  • The beams can melt materials 1.5x as strong as steel.

Ascendant

Ascendant Paladins, or Elsyiar, are figures of myth, depicted as both the valiant heroes in children’s fables and the zealous generals responsible for sweeping victories won by searing their foes into ash.

Paladins now enjoy a ⅓ discount when casting Luxium related spells in direct sunlight.

• Inspire:
  • Affects everyone that shares the Paladin’s cause within a 100 foot radius.
  • The Inspiration is intense and lasts up to an hour.
• Lumenshape:
  • An Elsyiar is no longer limited by a radius. If they can see light, they can manipulate it.
  • Hardlight constructs are 2x as strong as steel and can last a day.
  • Paladins can now add weight (up to that of steel) to hardlight creations, making them much more effective.
  • Constructs may be made permanent with a Globe’s worth of Luxiite and Grandmaster Ensorcelling skill.
• Blinding Light:
  • Can blind within a 100 foot radius.
  • The effect is extremely painful and disorienting; it causes permanent blindness if one’s eyes are not covered by materials impassable by light.
• Lucense:
  • Fully available for as far as the caster can see.
• Intensify:
  • They are no longer limited by a radius. If they can see light, they can manipulate it.
  • Beams can be up to 10 feet in diameter and take two seconds to reach maximum intensity.
  • The beams can melt materials 2x as strong as steel.

Contrivances

Some examples of creations capable of being produced through Practices and Theorems will be listed below. This list is not exhaustive. Otherwise, Contrivances may be crafted from the Paladin's Sundered Luxiite directly.

Ensorcelling

The most notable creations Radiance is capable of are their hardlight constructs, though contrivances which may bend, intensify, or otherwise manipulate light are also common.

Alchemistry

Potions made meant to confer the effects of Inspire or Lucense are favorites among things Radiance may assist in making.

”I briefly served beneath a Paladin– he was the gentlest of souls, he even refused to hurt insects without due cause…but he was vicious when threatened. The first time he used a beam of light to disintegrate somebody before my eyes, I was too stunned to even react. ” - A Knight 

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