Revelation

Rather than Grandmastered, a mage is Revealed. Mages are capable of revealing a maximum of four times. However, be warned that even a single revelation causes earth shattering changes to the mage themselves. Each revelation following the first comes with startling changes that push the mage further and further away from the mortal that they once were. Each Discipline has its own special Revelation that comes with new heights of magic but a departure from the being the mage once was. Debate rages on what the nature of Revelation is. Some suggest it is the Spark finally merging with a host and fully expressing its nature. Conjecture also suggests Revelations are when the parasite finally overpowers the mage, kills them, and subsumes their identity. What can be certain is that a mage who Reveals cannot return to what they were, nor are they their chosen race any longer. When Revealed, a mage loses access to any special powers or abilities afforded to their race. While they may still resemble who they were, they most certainly are not themselves.

Despite the fact all Sparks move towards Revelations, only a rare few ever transform. Some mages go their entire lives at the height of mastery without ever feeling the Spark push for that final level of growth. Revealed mages are considered quite rare in Idalos history and only a few have every been recorded. While lore of their existence does linger, most who speak of them are not regarded with trust or belief. One of the most famous examples of a Revealed Mage, Ellasin the Lich, is abhorred and feared throughout the lands of Idalos for her designs and ambitions.

It is said, however, that some Revelations do not go as typically observed. These Revelations, termed Atavistic Revelations reveal the nature of the Spark beyond the humanity it was housed within. While Revelations for each discipline are typically standard, using a human shape as the base, a player may instead opt to craft an inhuman form that fits with the themes of the Revelation on the lore page. In these cases, the Spark was powerful enough to impose its will on the reshaped body and repurpose it closer to its strange whims and alien intelligence. While this may come with some additional abilities (to be discussed with a Prophet) it also completely eliminates the ability to pass as human in ones Revealed glory. Although the Revealed often find ways to obscure their nature, this often limits their power severely and is not quickly dismissed. In narrative terms, you may creatively shift the Revelation you are given…but to maintain balance it will not be easy to simply disguise oneself as human. While all Revealed can suppress their nature for short times, to do so is to limit their power severely, closing their ether reserves to the level of a low end master. In addition, shifting between forms or maintain a form in the case of the Protean (Becoming) is not instant. Pushing ones nature into dormancy forces one to reawaken it when necessary which is a slow and vulnerable process.

When a Mage reveals, there is a struggle. In most cases, the Spark subsumes the mortal and cannibalizes their knowledge and personality, twisting it to its own ends. Sometimes, however, when a mage Reveals, they manage to hold onto their goals, their ambitions when mortal. It is difficult to say whether the Mage and Spark truly merge, or if the Spark simply takes over and can sometimes be confused into acting similarly to the mage they once were, or if true symbiosis can be achieved. In any case, the Revealed are a force to be reckoned with. Each and every one of them feels the hunger within them more clearly, but no longer are they interested in the common souls of mortals. A Revealed mage innately hungers for the souls of other mages, for Sparks. While this innate hunger can be resisted, many Revealed in history made no attempts to try save for when it safeguarded their current existence.

The only truth that can be drawn from such rare ascensions, is that the Mage is never quite the person they used to be any longer. Merged with an alien mind, a new being entirely, they may act as they used to but those close to them will note the differences. Mages lose that very part of themselves that makes them Mortal, regardless of if they manage to keep their original goals or not, and it forever seems to mystify them from then on.

Note: As Player Characters , you will not be destroyed nor turned into an NPC by becoming Revealed in a discipline. However, you are expected to play this transformation honestly. Consider your Awakenings. What do they say about the personality of this Spark? What are you now that you have abandoned your humanity entirely? No Revealed mage is simply themselves with a bunch of new powers and as Revelation is OPTIONAL, it is assumed that when the player decided to become Revealed, they are accepting what that means. We expect to see a significant and lasting change in how you play your character forward. It is possible to remove the Spark before one Reveals. Once caught in a Revelation, there is no known power that can reverse it. Beforehand, mutations and even Sparks can be removed by the intervention of an Immortal, or other story conceits as decided by the Prophets. Work with your storytellers to find a plot appropriate to the removal of such a powerful divine parasite.

Stifle Stifle is an ability that Revealed Mages may learn that allows them to suppress their Revealed shape for a few to several trials. Doing so returns them in form to the shape they had before Revelation but in forcibly suppressing their power they plunge in ability to the lower end of Master or upper end of Expertise in terms of etheric force. When they desire to return to their true form (as eventually they must), they must reawaken that power which takes as many breaks as they spent Trials Stifled. This awakening cannot be sped up by any means. In addition, the longer they Stifle themselves, the greater their latent hunger grows. For up to fifteen total trials in a Cycle, a Revealed will acquire the Thirst Flaw. Each ten trials after increases that Thirst as though they were Flaying. Revealed who spend too much time suppressing who they are sometimes lost to the hunger of their true nature.

Revealed Mages: Gaining Unique Techniques

Upon becoming Revealed in a Domain Magic discipline, the mage has reached a new level of magical prowess. Not only has their power grown but their Spark has now truly manifested within their host allowing the Revealed Mage to explore the outer reaches of their magic.

A PC may propose a plot in which they create a new unique technique for their magic that will be specific to them. This is similar to how Immortal Champions may gain new special abilities from their patron Immortal after completing a great feat. The same can be done for Revealed Mages. Upon slaying a fearsome enemy or accomplishing a monumental task the mage can develop a new technique that pushes the boundaries of the techniques currently defined in their magic.

To do this a plot outline must be submitted to the PSF that details what will lead the mage to developing this new ability. This is not something that can be done with a single thread, it will be a very substantial plot that will require time and effort. Once your plot(and technique) is approved, it may either be modded or self modded.

When you post up your request for the plot you must also post your new proposed ability. Both the ability and the plot outline must be approved in order to proceed.

There is no limit on how many of these unique Revealed abilities you may attempt to create. While there is no hard limit, it is asked that only one of these undertakings be going on at a time as they are often huge in consequence and can have a substantial effect on the PC and potentially the world.