The Blessing of Maerzek
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The Blessing of Maerzek
The Maerzek are those who have earned Aeva’s Blessing. Aeva’s blessing is fairly rare, for she is neutral in the war between immortals and humans, but she still is a voice for the humans. Anyone that is a craftsman, and takes pride in their work, will be viewed favorably by Aeva. She will not mark those who struggle to have confidence in their work and themselves, nor will she mark those who settle for their lot in life. Those marked by Aeva are often not able to abide working under a boss, supervisor, or other leader, preferring to either by in charge themselves, or be independent. Those who pursue perfection, to constantly improve themselves and their crafts will catch Aeva’s eye. The mark manifests itself by presenting a pair of crossed hammers in the palm of each hand.
Favored
| Ability Name | Ability Description |
|---|---|
| Ore Purification | The Favored can purify ore and processed metal through a variety of means. And while all of those marked by Aeva can use every method, most tend to stick to one preferred method. Their bodies adjust to handle this processing so as to not damage themselves, this includes teeth being temporarily strengthened to bite and chew on metal, digestive systems that can pass metal without toxicity. This also allows the impurities to be passed, digested, or expelled, though often in a separate method than the metal. These adjustments happen automatically within the mark, to protect them from the process of purification that might damage another person if it were attempted. Methods include chewing up the metal and spitting out the purified product, swallowing it and regurgitating or passing it, or grinding it in their hands. There are other methods, as discovered by the curious. This metal inside the Favored's body is not protected from outside magical draws, should it be applicable. |
| Maerzek Skills I | The character is granted an extra three skill points which may be spent only on the following skills: Smithing, Engineering, Teaching, Alchemy. Any skill points granted by this Mark can break the 250 (or 100 if fast track) point cap on skills. Within these skills, the points may be spent how the pc chooses. |
| Always Equipped for the Job | The Favored is able to mold and manipulate their hands to form tools, both known or unique for the situation that is needed. This is done without pain, and is a fairly quick process. This is done mentally, no need for one hand to be physically manipulated by the other or by other tools. Without being coupled with other abilities, these tools are made of flesh and bone as suited to the Favored, and the tools' appearance reflects this. Should the tool be damaged, the tool automatically reverts back to a hand, with the damage reflected therein, i.e. a screw driver breaks along the shaft, reflected as a break in multiple fingers. This can range from making a key for a lock or a hammer for building a home. The variety of tools available is wide, and is only limited by the amount of mass in the hand, as well as the inability to have inner mechanisms such as adjustable tools. It can make tools smaller than the hand’s mass, but not larger. This ability can be maintained for 1 break at Favored, 3 breaks at Adored, and 6 breaks at Exalted. |
| Respect the tool | The Favored has a unique bond with the tools they use. They always know where their own personal tools are located, anywhere in Idalos, are unable to drop them, often shown in a surprising display of dexterity or use of feet or just pure luck, ensuring that the tool never hits the floor or is damaged, and have a close, personal relationship with them. That said, the tool can be set down anytime the Favored desires. This often leads to them rarely replacing tools, preferring to repair and upgrade them, or building new ones themselves. These favored tools also heal themselves from damage within proximity of the Favored, wood regrowing to fill cracks, rust flaking off, etc. |
| The Important Things | The Favored is able to delay the need for food, water, and other bodily functions in order to keep working. This can only be used during the process of crafting or repairing something. Upon completion of the task at hand, the Favored's body immediately begins to repay the toll the delay caused. The urge to relieve themselves, drink, eat, sleep all hit the favored, and must be dealt with immediately in order to not risk damage and death. Typically this means the most urgent of them, water and relieving of oneself must be dealt with in the first break, with the others during the following break. This ability cannot be used again for the same amount of time as it was used. For example, if the Favored with Expert Endurance used the ability for 3 trials straight, upon completion, it cannot be used for another 3 trials. Upon acquisition of the mark, the Favored can delay the listed bodily functions for a full trial, but will make them up in full immediately after.
This ability is enhanced by the Endurance skill. At Competent, this ability lasts 2 Trials, at Expert 3 Trials, at Master 4 Trials, and at Grandmaster 6 Trials. |
| Reinforcement | The Favored develops resistance to heat and lightning. At Favored, this resistance allows the marked to handle tools fresh from the forge for up to 3 bits at a time, and survive being struck by lightning/electricity, albeit with a lot of pain, headaches, and a long recovery period, depending on severity. At Adored, this resistance increases, allowing the Adored to work within great heats for up to three breaks without pain or injury. Additionally, when struck by lightning or electricity, they are stunned, still receiving pain and headaches, but the recovery period is reduced to a trial or less, depending on severity. At Exalted, this resistance to heat is increased once more, allowing the Exalted to work indefinitely within extreme heats. When struck by lightning or electricity, they are pained, stunned, for up to a break or less, depending on severity. |
| Better than Calluses | The hands and arms of the Favored are able to be relocated upon the Favored’s body. This functions by the arms disappearing within the body, and popping back out where the Favored wishes them to be. This is often used when working in cramped spaces or when unable to break away from a project. Tools and objects in hand, as well as clothing on the arm from shirts and such are unable to be transferred alongside the arms. If attempted, they will either prevent the arm from withdrawing into the body, or will be dropped away from the arm. |
| The Little Things | The Favored is able to see in a semi-microscopic fashion. While unable to see microbes, bacteria, and individual atoms, they are able to scrutinize things such as tiny gemstones for flaws, wood for hairline fractures, and so on without the aid of tools. This does not work in a telescopic fashion, merely semi-microscopic. |
| Home is where your Hammer is | The Favored is right at home in any workshop they enter. If it is a space designed to create, it welcomes the Favored, so forges, woodshops, artist studios, etc. welcome the Favored. They know where every tool is, and should be, and how to use the tools within the shop, despite variations. The exception of this are tools that are magically imbued, be it by a divine touch or those crafted by magic practice or domain. These tools must first be found, used, and learned by the Favored in order for this ability to include them. Additionally, the workshop will strive to clean itself. This is often done by seemingly in a string of crazy, random happenstances. A door might open just as the wind is blowing, allowing the dust on the floor to blow into a perfect little pile. A line of ants may enter the workshop to take away a puddle of water in the corner. This happens in a variety of ways that all but the Maerzek assume to be coincidence.
With this sense of bonding with a workshop comes an innate compulsion. This compulsion is often described as a minor nagging though in the back of the Favored's mind. It is a yearning to improve the workshop. What this means varies from Favored to Favored, but it is often represented in terms of repairing facets of the workshop, increasing efficiency in the shop, and just generally upgrading it. Failure to follow this compulsion has no overt effects, though the nagging never goes away until the workshop meets the Favored's standards. |
Adored
| Ability Name | Ability Description |
|---|---|
| The Call of the Ore | The senses are tuned to detecting metals. This ability can affect each of the five senses, but isn’t an activated ability. It is personalized to each of the five major senses, and is tied to the Detection ability. Upon acquiring the mark, the Adored gets one sense upgraded. At Competent Detection, they gain a second sense, a third at Expert, a fourth at Master, and the fifth at Grandmaster. It is a very personalized as to how it is experienced, but there is one constant among them, and that is metals rare in proximity will appear more prominently. If a person is in the presence of a bunch of one specific metal, iron for instance, be it in a mine or shop, and someone with an Adamantium Sword shows up, it dominates the senses over Steel. |
| Maerzek Skills II | The character is granted an extra six skill points which may be spent only on the following skills: Smithing, Engineering, Teaching, Alchemy. Any skill points granted by this Mark can break the 250 (or 100 if fast track) point cap on skills. Within these skills, the points may be spent how the pc chooses. |
| A Craftsman’s Touch | The Adored is able to shape and form a wide range of materials with their hands, with the ease of working with clay. This includes metal, wood, stone, gems, glass, cloth, etc. This ability bypasses natural hardness allowing things such as the densest stone, diamonds, adamantium, etc to be manipulated. This cannot be used on living objects nor on objects that are imbued by divine or domain magic. This is a slower process, and requires fairly intense concentration. This does not protect their hands from sharp edges and other hazards, but can be used in conjunction with abilities that will provide protection. |
| Tool Calling | The Adored is able to call upon their own personal tools from anywhere in the world. This is done through a variety of ways, often personalized to each individual. Some can simply reach into their pocket and pull out the tool needed, others will find them stashed in a nearby drawer. And once it is returned from where it was retrieved, the tool returns to its original location. Some Adored are able to summon the tool directly to their hand, with it flying through the air. This particular method is a personal preference, as it can be slower based on travel speed and distance and be stopped by standard physical barriers. This particular method, as most of a Maerzek's abilities, is designed to create. As such, the tool flying toward the Adored will intentionally avoid colliding with people if able. If unable, it will go through them to the best of its ability. This applies to any tool the Adored has worked with extensively in order to develop a bond with it. The definition of a tool is broad and sweeping for the Maerzek, for nearly anything can be used to create, alter, or destroy, and this is why the bond must be developed. This separates the tools of import to the Maerzek from those they do not care for. |
| Battery | The Adored is able to fully control their sleep and make the most of the energy stored. This allows the Adored to instantly fall asleep and wake precisely when they wish. Additionally, the Adored is able to sleep for times longer than the average person, if so desired. By sleeping longer than average, they are able to store more energy within them, in order to maintain peak efficiency. This is representative in 1 break of sleep equals 2 hours of peak efficiency for mental and physical performance. This stored energy does NOT reduce the amount of time the Adored is asleep if put to sleep by outside means. The stored energy is lost, and no new energy is stored during this time, as it requires the intent of the Adored to be present.
This ability also prevents skills or magic of Competent or Below from putting the Adored to sleep, as well as prevents Adored or below Immortal marks from putting the Adored to sleep.This only applies to sleep, not other forms of being rendered unconscious. Standard disturbances will still wake the Adored. At Exalted, these thresholds increase to Master or below for skills and magic, and Exalted or below from Immortal Marks. |
| The Honor of a Name | Once per season, the Adored may Name an item they have crafted or repaired. This can apply to any crafted item, of any size. However, for larger items, such as ships or homes, the item must have had the vast majority crafted personally by the Adored. If multiple Maerzek work on a single item or structure, they count as being part of the vast majority.
A Named Item may only have 1 Wielder at a time, but it can change in the event that the Wielder dies or betrays/abandons the Named Item. This only applies to Named Items crafted by any Maerzek, not other items that might be named. Additionally, a person may only Wield 1 Named Item at a time. Attempting to wield multiple Named Items will result in the first Named Item feeling betrayed, will often become lost in a coincidental fashion, to seek a new Wielder. No Named Items may share the same Name if crafted by the same Maerzek. Other Maerzek may craft items of the same Name, though it is considered an extremely poor practice to do so intentionally. Naming an item gives it improved properties, but more importantly, gives it access to the Renown System. The Named Item improves itself as its renown increases. This Renown is awarded in thread reviews by the reviewer separate from any renown the PC might earn, though please inform them of the desire to acquire renown for the Named Item. +100 - The Named Item will never rust or rot. +200 - The Named Item will never lose its edge or become brittle. +300 - The Named Item acquires its own personality. This does not grant it any form of communication beyond expressing raw feelings and desires upon the Wielder. +400 - The Named Item can never be used to damage the Wielder. +500 - The Named Item can repair itself from damage, healing over the course of 10 trials based on damage received. +600 - The Named Item is able to telepathically communicate with its Wielder. +700 - The Named Item may be called to the hand of the Wielder from anywhere. +800 - The Named Item can control itself independently of the wielder, often in tandem. This may come in the form of using multiple tools in tandem in a workshop, letting the tool act as a guard while the Wielder sleeps, or fighting alongside one another in combat. +900 - The Named Item is indestructible/impervious to damage or alteration, from sources mundane, and able to heal from damage magical or divine. Additionally, Aeva herself can unmake the Named Item if she saw reason to do so. +1000 - The Named Item will absorb the wielder’s soul in the event of their death. This can be used as a method of bringing the wielder back to life. This can be achieved through one of two methods. If the Wielder’s original body can be repaired, the Named Item can be put back into their hand, returning their soul. If the Named Item is put into a hand of a living mortal person, they can force out the other soul, and put the Wielder’s soul in it. This cannot be applied to Mortalborns, Immortal Avatars, nor other beings. This results in an internal battle of wills and souls between the host and the Wielder, often described as "fighting in a dream of the host's mind." High levels of Discipline and magical and divine safe guards often give greater advantage to the host. If rejected, the Wielder's soul is forced back into the Named Item. Additionally, the host can also choose to surrender their body without a fight, yielding to the Wielder. The displaced soul is ejected from the body, and will under go the standard process of meeting Vri, Pier & Pre, if applicable. They can go on to be an Echo as well if they follow the requirements as such, and this is often a common method, with their former body being their Anchor. Both of these methods results in the Named Item sacrificing itself for the Wielder. It loses its name, all of its properties, and turns to dust. This is often devastating to the Wielder, the same as losing the dearest of friend. |
| Working Spirit | A second set of arms, of a spiritual nature, crafted from Ephemera by Aeva herself, can be summoned to the Adored’s body. These arms cannot be adjusted, and are exact copies of the Adored’s existing arms. However, they are fully controllable, have the same strength as the existing arms, and may be relocated upon the body as desired. These spiritual arms can be called and released as needed. The appear to others as ghost like, ephemeral. They have no special relation or effect upon spirits and souls than standard arms might. |
| Inner Workings | The Adored is able to see inside of crafted items, to see what they are made of, what is stored within, and how they function. This can often be used for determining the cause of small devices or objects not working as intended. This ability cannot be used on living objects, nor can it be used on objects that have not been crafted by a person. This ability can be used on items of divine or magical nature, unless they have an ability specifically designed to prevent detection. However, this ability to see within it only allows the user to see the mundane workings of the item, they are not able to discern any magical workings from this ability alone. |
| A Yearn to Mend | The Adored is constantly on a call of improvement, repair. This manifests itself as a mental beckoning in the Adored. This call will often drag them to workshops that have fallen on hard times, that have work teams that are falling apart, or other places needing approved upon. Ignoring this call often results in Workshops shunning the Adored. When the Adored is shunned by a workshop, they will find a seemingly inordinate amount of accidents and instances of bad luck befalling them. The longer they are in the presence of a shunning Workshop, the worse it gets. This ranges from constantly striking one's thumb with a hammer to losing tools, to finding various Maerzek abilities no longer working within the shop. In extreme cases, it has been said that a Workshop would collapse upon the Maerzek that refused to help. |
Exalted
| Ability Name | Skill Description |
|---|---|
| A Touch of Pride | The Exalted is able to study a crafted item, taking into account the various techniques, details, and materials used in its making. From this, they are able to discern exactly where an object was made, what it is made from, who made it, and when it was made. Additionally, they can discern what tools and techniques made it, even if they themselves have never used such techniques and tools.
If these techniques or tools are magical in nature, the Maerzek can discern what magic they are from, as well as technique/ability, if they've had experience with it prior. If it is a magical tool, they can discern the mundane aspects of the tool, as well as the fact that it is magical. They are not able to discern the individual enchantments of the magical items. |
| Maerzek Skills III | The character is granted an extra nine skill points which may be spent only on the following skills: Smithing, Engineering, Teaching, Alchemy. Any skill points granted by this Mark can break the 250 (or 100 if fast track) point cap on skills. Within these skills, the points may be spent how the pc chooses. |
| Idle Hands | The Exalted is able to detach their hands from their arms, while maintaining control of them. This has a wide range of uses from reaching into small spaces, to fetching a tool while busy on a project and cannot move away. These detached hands are subject to standard physics, meaning they must crawl, climb, and drag things. These hands are effectively living creatures, and as such, they can be taken, captured, lost, or damaged. That said, the connection with their hands allows the Exalted to detect the general location of their hand(s) in an effort to track them down. They aren't able to float or fly unless acted on by another ability. There is no pain, no blood lost during this time. Little concentration is need to actually control them, but the hands cannot provide additional vision or senses beyond touch. It is extremely rare for the Maerzek to send the hands far from their person for it exposes them greatly, and risks them being lost, damaged, or stolen. It has also been reported that some Exalted’s hands have continued working while they slept, attempting to create what the Exalted is seeing in their dreams. |
| The Tools are the Team | The Exalted’s favored tools acquire personalities of their own. Additionally, they are able to work on their own, as members of the Exalted’s team. This means that if they need to float to accomplish the job, they do so. They instinctively know what the Exalted desires. This only applies to tools the Exalted has worked with extensively, that they’ve developed a bond with. Additionally, it is limited to within the Exalted’s favored workshop, while the Exalted is within it, working. If the Exalted is on a break, or leaves the workshop, the tools return back to normal, mundane tools. |
| Blueprinting | The Exalted is able to create a spiritual design of an object from their mind. This functions as a three dimensional hologram, able to be placed, moved, and adjusted by the Exalted as needed. If the Exalted can visualize in their mind what they wish something to look like, they can Blueprint it. This is often used to make plans for an upcoming creation or teach apprentices. While within a shop, the marked is able to give a “vision” to others within the shop, of how they want something to look. |
| Build a Better You | The Exalted is able to absorb metals through the skin, with the intent of assigning it to a specific part of the body. This can be used on any metal, but is a slow process, taking a full break for most uses. The metal used becomes a magical, living metal. This can apply the metal to the skin, bones, muscles, and any of the organs, without disrupting their function. This is often used for protection purposes. This does create a notable increase in the weight of the Exalted, making swimming more difficult, or in some cases impossible.
This living metal can heal from any wound or ailment, including previously existing ailments, but will require an equivalent amount of the metal used to maintain it, with an extreme example being that a brain built of adamantium might require several hundred pounds of the metal to recover from brain damage due to its complexity. Lost limbs can even be replaced using this, but with steeper costs to maintain. This cannot be used to override magical mutations nor corruptions. But it requires upkeep, having to be renewed once every forty trials, and it must be renewed by the same metal as was used originally. Otherwise the Maerzek must let the entirety of the metal to naturally decay, which takes an additional forty trials. There is no limit to how much metal can be applied, but there is also no method of purging it faster than the standard decay. Additionally, this ability allows for the metals within the Exalted's body to be completely resistant to outside divine or magical forces that would normally be able to manipulate these. |
| Hands are the Heart | The arms and hands of the Exalted will always heal from injury, including complete loss of the limbs. The severity of the injury will determine how long the recovery will take. A complete loss of an arm will take roughly 1 full arc to heal. A loss of a hand will take roughly 100 trials. |
Champion
| Ability Name | Ability Description |
|---|---|
| A Piece of Me | Once per cycle, a Champion may offer up a Masterwork item they have made to Aeva. This ritual of offering is different for every marked, for there is no right or wrong way to do it, though it almost always requires uninterrupted concentration and a full trial. During this time, the Champion will recall every memory of the Item’s creation, touching on every minor and major detail. If Aeva is pleased, she will Bless the item with its own mark from her. This grants the item magical powers and it effectively becomes an Artifact. These items will require PSF approval for the powers, with links to the various threads involved in the item’s creation, but consideration from the writer will weigh heavily for them. If an item is already magical in nature, such as formed by Ensorcelling, Aeva is still able to enchant it. However, the process of its creation will matter highly to her, as such Becoming Totems and Necromancy Creations will not be viewed upon highly. |
| The Workshop | This ability creates a private workspace, within Aeva’s Emean Domain, accessible only by the marked and Aeva, from anywhere in Idalos with doors, at any time of their choosing. Often Aeva works with the Champion to build and design this workshop to their heart’s desires. The workshop is as large as the Champion and Aeva feel it should be to serve the purposes of creation. The Champion can only leave the workshop from where they came from, making travel via the workshop impossible. Travel into the workshop is conducted by visualizing the workshop, and then opening a door, any door, and stepping through. The Champion may bring others in, but must maintain direct physical contact with those they wish to bring in. If the door the Champion entered from is destroyed or impeded, the exit door from the workshop will open up using the nearest available door to the entrance. Anyone left inside the workshop after the Champion has left are expelled by a magical force, quite literally throwing them out the door. The creation of this workshop alongside Aeva requires PSF approval, and will require a Location Writeup to be submitted in kind. |
The Curse of Maerzek
Aeva rarely bothers to curse mortals, but when she does, it is often considered one of the more cruel fates. Those she curses are often those who attack her followers, or followers of hers that became lazy and complacent in their duties to improve themselves and the world through their creations. Her curse mark is two crossed, broken hammers upon the cursed’s forehead.
Hated
The First Level of Aeva’s Curse results in two effects. The first is the Hated acquires Farsightedness, meaning that things close to them appear blurry while things far away are more clear. The second is their hands will mimic any non-biological material they touch. However, this only applies to the first material they grasp in each hand after a new trial begins. The hands still fully function and move, still retain feeling, and remain whole regardless of material. This can range from wood and metal to sand or excrement. Any damage to these hands can still be healed as wounds normally would. The strength of the hands, however, is determined upon the material they are currently mimicking. Because of this, many Hated will go to bed grasping specific items, and be very mindful as to the time of trial, for the trial change marks the renewal. Usually this curse is maintained until the Hated makes things right and expresses the genuine desire for forgiveness to Aeva.
Despised
The Second Level of Aeva’s Curse results in the entire body of the Despised being crafted into a Golem by Aeva herself. This golem can be made of any material that Aeva deems fit, in any size or shape she deems fit. This Golem is very much alive, retaining all memories and personality. However, it is given a specific task or purpose to complete, and it is programmed into their mind as an obsession or compulsion. Often this purpose or task is associated with what earned Aeva's ire to begin with. It is not uncommon to see a Golem fixing up abandoned or defunct workshops or serving a Maerzek. Upon serving their purpose or completing their task, the Despised is reverted back down to Hated.
Condemned
The Third Level of Aeva’s Curse works upon the Golem from Despised. Resources may be harvested from the Golem body (at great pain to the Condemned) by Maerzek, who are able to sense when a condemned is nearby. These resources may then be crafted by the Maerzek into items, all while the Golem can feel the pain of being shaped, changed, and crafted. Each piece taken from the Golem can be felt by the Condemned, before and after having been crafted. Each item crafted from the Golem retains its personality, and functions similarly to a 'hive mind'. These emotions can be expressed into anyone that uses the items crafted from their body. Because of this, if the Condemned is able to express enough remorse or desire for forgiveness, the items will often be found by various Maerzek, who will then, if so desired, go on a quest to make the Condemned whole again. If successful, the Despised will revert back down to the Despised level, and given a new task or purpose to complete.
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