Auras

[Ebilest Hamster]

Auras

Belfiar Le'Minz

Table of Contents

1: Introduction
2: Form - Avatar
3: Form - Weapon
4: Form - Creature
5: Form - Pet
6: Other Uses
7: Forbidden Uses  

[Ebilest Hamster]

~1~

Introduction

Aura Manifestations are an extension of the person who wields them; call them mental energy, physical manifestations, astral projection, or what have you, the fact remains that Aura Manifestations are that which gives Aura Academy graduates their greatest power agains the forces of darkness. The forms that a person's Manifestation can take are varied, and have abilities and attributes entirely independent from their master's. An Aura Manifestation can only be Manifested when a person has stored great amounts of Aura in their body; this is also the only way that a Manifestation can gain in power. Some of the forms of Manifestation that have been seen are listed on the following pages.  

[Ebilest Hamster]

~2~

The Avatar Form

Some of those who are able to Manifest find that their Manifestation actually takes the form of an avatar of themselves; resembling a duplicate of them composed entirely of glowing Aura, the Avatar has very different abilities from its master, and acts as an extension of its master's will. The master of an Avatar is unable to move until he has allowed the Avatar to dissipate; his mind cannot take the strain of commanding two bodies at once, particularly with one composed purely of Aura. There are rumors that some who have completely mastered their Avatars can merge with their Avatars to gain many of the abilities of both forms, allowing them to think and act as one supremely powerful being. This is unconfirmed, as the only person known to have Manifested an Avatar at this time is Headmaster Le'Minz of Aura Academy.  

[Ebilest Hamster]

~3~

The Weapon Form

A far more common Manifestation, the Weapon that is Manifested is an extension of the wielder's mind and body. A weapon more perfect for that person can never be crafted; this weapon is born out of a wielder's dire need and suits them and only them perfectly. Such a weapon is perfectly united with its master's art; those who have such a weapon may find that certain abilities completely unique to their weapon allow them to perform feats of swordsmanship, markmanship, or magecraft absolutely unparalleled among those using more common mortal weapons. These Weapon manifestations can take the forms of phantasmal bows, axes, swords, daggers, even staves or in some very rare cases guns.  

[Ebilest Hamster]

~4~

The Creature Form

Some say that the art of the summoner involves the complete and utter understanding of each and every creature that can be summoned; being able to empathize with the creature allows the summoner to call forth the essence of that creature, the Aura that would form such a creature, to do their bidding. This theory seems to be born out in the form of Manifestation known merely as Creatures. Creatures are generally Manifested by mages, particularly summoners; by no means are they restricted to these people, yet summoners seem to better understand what is required to bring forth a truly powerful Creature. Creatures vary as widely as their masters; some might only be the size of an apple and be capable of great stealth and trickery, whereas another might be taller than a small building and possessed of enough might to level an army. These Creatures are not mundane; they are capable of wicked intelligence and cunning, and possess skills, abilities, and attributes just as would any mortal. These Creatures fight side by side with their Masters and brook no one to interfere with their master's business. The most interesting thing about a Creature is it cannot die; being formed of pure Aura, when the Aura that formed it is exhausted the essence of the Creature's nature remains, able to be summoned forth when the master regains his or her strength.  

[Ebilest Hamster]

~5~

The Familiar Form

There are those for whom the force of Aura is very strong, yet ill-controlled. For these individuals, and those around them, life can be quite hazardous - their highly charged beings can impart vast amounts of energy to their surroundings. Because these rare individuals can be so dangerous if left unaided, a technique has been adapted to aid them. Originally used by summoners, the technique of allowing an Aura to manifest itself as it will into the form of a small familiar for the possessor of the Aura allows energy to bleed off into the familiar, forming an outlet for the uncontrolled Aura and a source of energy and 'food' for the familiar. These familiars frequently are quite intelligent, and have a mind of their own - their personality is often the antithesis of their master's, to the amusement of all around them.  

[Ebilest Hamster]

~6~

The Berserker Form

Some of those affected by an ill-controlled, chaotic Aura choose to walk a different path from that of the Familiar. They revel in the tremendous power of a chaotic Aura, allowing that Aura to empower them. These people are unstable, but can perform tremendous feats of agility and strength. Their physical stamina is remarkable, and the sheer force of their Aura can affect their environment as they move, literally multiplying the force of every motion tenfold. These people must be particularly careful - not only is their strong Aura a hazard to those around them, but expending too much of their Aura can bring them close to death. A Berserker's rage is to be feared - although they may die of their efforts, the damage they can do in the time they live would cause the greatest of warlords to pale in fear. The greatest danger for the Berserker is a lust for power - their great expenditure of Aura often leads them to seek other sources, and leech Aura from other beings.

The information in this section comes partially from a conversation I had with Sylvir Fenrir. His ideas were noteworthy - I took the liberty of incorporating them into this new Aura form.