Living Bombs

A Candle that Burns on All Ends

One of the many branches of Imbuing and the only forbidden one. Making a living bomb is the act of imbuing a living thing with quintessence. Unlike other forms of imbuing, living bombs can only store the castor's aether and cannot receive specific spells. When activated, the castors aether consumes the quintessence in the receptacle causing their body to rapidly deteriorate. As they are consumed by the essence of life itself, their body eventually reaches a point where it becomes dense and unstable aether. When the aether dissipates, it explodes and consumes everything around it. The magnitude of this explosion depends on the amount of aether poured in by the castor and the affinity the receptacle had for quintessence.

Effect

This spell is used to create a large explosion that consumes all that is caught in its range.

Side/Secondary Effects

This spell causes its receptacle to die. Many believe that those who are consumed by living bombs do not pass into the afterlife. Areas consumed by living bombs become a dead zone for quite some time being irradiated by foul magic. Those who trespass into dead zones can become deathly ill, driven mad, or mutated into an abomination.

Unwilling receptacles with strong wills can cancel the spell and reject a castors aether, making inoperable bombs.

Manifestation

Living bombs can look like anyone. It can be the bird on your windowsill or your neighbor watering their plants. When activated, the receptacles skin and hair will dry almost instantly and begin to crack. Their body begins to flake away exposing the dense aether inside swirling around like a swarm of gnats. As they reach their apex, the exposed cracks will usher out rays of light before the resulting explosions consumes everything.

Material Components

A living receptacle is all that is needed. Although willing participants are preferred since they readily accept the aether and create larger explosions.