Catalurgy: Flow from the gods

Magic from those who came from nothing

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Everything came from something... aside from the Gods. Popular theory is that they've always existed -- which requires far more power than you can even imagine. Now that they're "dead", we can extract some power their Husks, and use it for ourselves.

— Professor of Catalurgy at the Veiled Academy.

Incredible power flows through the veins of ancient gods. Old wounds gape and drip ooze from the still standing eternal undead, occasionally dripping upon poor unfortunate wildlife -- spawning forms of terrifying Rendlings. This liquid is known as Ichor, which is incredibly dangerous when unrefined -- poisonous to the point of mutation -- but incredibly powerful when properly treated. Catalurgists may use specific Ichor to create, to modify, and to enhance.

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Through the use of an artificial organ, a Thymalladus, Ichor can be refined down into a substance that has become known as Catalyst -- something that can grant a sliver of the gods' powers. To be able to conduct Catalurgy, a willing or subdued human must undergo a dangerous operation. One of the patients kidneys is removed to make space for the Thymalladus. The veins, arteries, and adrenal gland from the removed kidney are all transplanted and connected to the new organ.
Ichor gets stored in tanks, located in harnesses across the Catalurgist's body. Through a series of tubes, Ichor is pumped into the Thymalladus, and Catalyst is pumped out. Sent to specific "key" points across the body, Catalyst fuels a Genesist's creation magic, a Transmutists modification magic, and an Aurists personal field magic.

The Cost of Magic

To even begin down the road of learning Catalurgy, one must pay a heavy cost. The operation replacing a kidney with a Thymalladus is dangerous, painful, and irreversible. Approximately 30% of all operations result in death; even more rarely, 1 in every 10 of those death cases results in a horrific event known as a Rendling-Human Chimeric event. This means hopeful Catalurgists must find a doctor willing to risk a chimeric event, pay them enough to go through with the operation, and still have a 30% chance of losing their life.

Burn

The life of a Catalurgist gets no easier after the operation is complete. The recovery time is long, sometimes taking more than 6 months for the implanted Thymalladus to be ready for Ichor to be introduced. Catalurgist must get used to living with tubes and harnesses all across their body in preparation for Ichor tanks and pumps. The style of harness worn is often a point of personal style, as Catalurgists work it into their wardrobe.
Once the Catalurgist is ready, they can introduce Ichor to their system, and begin learning what it is like to experience Burn. Burn occurs at a slow, constant rate at any time the Thymalladus is processing Ichor. Low level Burn presents its self as a deep restlessness, and a mild ache in the bones. Some Catalurgists report feeling mild unscratchable itches, and report body temperatures that are always just slightly too warm to be comfortable.

Active Burn

Actually conducting magic causes the Thymalladus to go through and metabolize Ichor at a much faster rate, sending it across the body to the Catalurgist's key points. At this point, Burn becomes an effect that is much more important to mitigate. Active Burn matches it's name -- the Catalurgist's core temperature rapidly rises, and hotspots begin to flare up across their body. This is combated with ice packs and coolant systems within their garments, but those can only do so much. Should a Catalurgist push their limits too far, they will erupt into a ball of acrid flames, and ultimately die.

Ichor is only to be introduced to the body via the Thymalladus. Should it enter the bloodstream directly, or be ingested... well, there's more than one way have a Chimeric Event.

— Professor of Catalurgy at the Veiled Academy

Table of Contents

Introduction

The Cost of Magic

The Creation of Magic

The Practice of Magic

The Limits of Magic

Practitioners, instructors, and creators of Catalurgy work hard to keep this arcane art secret. Common knowledge is limited to: Catalurgists are always seen carrying tanks of liquid, are capable of extraordinary feats, and are to be feared.

The Use of Magic

Title of Practitioners

Catalurgist

Specializations

Genesist, Transmutist, Aurist

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Catalurgy is fueled through the use of Ichor.
Genesists have the power to create. Beginners create simple temporary objects, most often water or ice, or other compositionally simple objects. Experts can increase the complexity -- including making things permanent.
Transmutists generally go through a long period of research before attempting their form of Catalurgy, as Transmutive Catalurgy is so dependant on understanding. Beginners are usually tasked with something simple like pulling heat from water to create ice, while intermediate Transmutists can attempt to change colour, size, or even composition of things.
Aurists take a unique research path, learning to recognize and control their emotions, as well as understanding how their emotions modify the electromagnetic fields that surround them. These fields, referred to by Aurists as their "Aura", are what they are able to affect. At the beginning they work on hardening this "Aura" into a protective barrier. Once mastered, Aurists will begin to learn how to apply different effects to their "Aura" -- things like heating the space around it, or projecting it away from their body.

Ignore the black sooty mark behind the desk, and focus on your studies.

— Professor of Catalurgy at the Veiled Academy

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The Creation of Magic

Specialization

Ichor varies depending on which God-husk it was extracted from -- resulting in three distinct forms, and three different specializations of Catalurgy. Further differences in Ichor may be distinguished on a per God-husk basis, but this field of research is exceedingly new, and under developed.
When the specific Ichor is pumped to each Specialization's Key points, the Catalurgist is able to conduct magic. Each specialization has different "scaling" factors, which determine how much Ichor is consumed, and how much Burn results from casting magic.

Aural Ichor is the easiest to source, aye. Just makes it all that more bothersome. Aural Catalurgists can wreak havoc anywhere, and are a real pain to take down -- so it's become some sort of "mad arms race" to train the best ones.

— Alindah Patsic, Intelligence operative of the Russin Army

Genesis

Source of Ichor:
Dimiti, Codod, Farad

Opaque, with colours shifting between seafoam green and vivid aquamarine. Genesis Ichor gives off a soft glow and feels cool to the touch. It allows for a special type of Catalurgy responsible for the creation of both temporary and permanent physical matter. Key points across a Genesis Catalurgist's body include their heart, hands, and stomach. Genesis Catalurgy scales with both complexity and mass of the object being summoned.

Transmutive

Source of Ichor:
Rak'tos, Tatete, Qetzel

Often described as crystalline liquid, Transmutive Ichor is a transparent liquid that shimmers and sparks, and often takes on odd flowing formations within it's container. Transmutists use this Ichor to change properties of things they understand. The two key points on a Transmutive Catalurgist's body are their head and hands. Transmutive Catalurgy scales with both the complexity and the resistance of the object being modified.

Aural

Source of Ichor:
Old King Caed, T'kalia, Miyu, Qur, Xiuthan, Avartarian, Sharenskus

The most common form of Ichor, and therefor Catalurgy. Aural Ichor is a deep purple tinged with cool streaks of violet and indigo. It is warm to the touch, and not very viscous. Aural Catalurgists use it to alter the electromagnetic field around themselves. Key points are an Aural Catalurgists hands, feet, and lungs. Aural Catalurgy scales with the amount of energy poured into the field around them, and the distance from their skin the field is projected.

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The Practice of Magic

While Catalurgy is fueled by Ichor, it is guided by body and mind. A Catalurgist uses the key locations across their body, depending on which form of Ichor they are using, and focuses their mind on what they want to accomplish. For the physical touch portion of Catalurgy; Genesists will touch an object or hold it close, a Transmutist will press their forehead against something, and an Aurist will focus on their breathing while assuming certain stances.

Genesists are able to summon objects into existence by visualizing the intended object perfectly. The object summoned always comes into existence in contact with the Genesist's hands, chest, or abdomen. Beginner Genesists are often tasked with creating simple temporary physical objects -- water, ice, pure metals -- as they learn to build a tolerance for the burn of Catalurgy. Temporary Genesis induces Burn for as long as the object is allowed to "exist".

I'll never forget the time I watched a student attempt to create an actual star. Of course he wasn't able to visualize it properly. He forgot he had to touch it too. Nothing's grown in that forest for years.

— Jeain Swayzweller, journeyman Genesist

As a Genesist progresses, they train their mind and are thus able to visualize more complex objects. At the same time, they strengthen their body to withstand the greater burn they incur with complicated Genesis Catalurgy. When one is found to be approaching mastery over temporary Genesis, they can begin learning how to make objects permanent. Permanent Genesis incurs a much greater initial Burn -- so much so that it often results in the fiery death of the Catalurgist.
Transmutive Catalurgists follow similar training to Genesists; though instead of seeking perfect visualization of objects, Transmutists instead desire perfect understanding of their intended target. Once a Transmutist is able to fully understand something, they may then begin to use Catalurgy to alter it. Exceedingly powerful Transmutive Catalurgists have even occasionally been seen modifying energies and intentions. Once, through a particularly violent conversation, the very words coming out of someones mouth were altered with a well timed headbutt.
The only thing off limits to Transmutists appears to be the modification of one's self. The reason for this is commonly thought to be that it is impossible to truly understand the self without a view from the outside.

Scraps from The Comprilith

No books, paintings, records, or any information at all has been found within the Comprilith regarding Catalurgy. By all accounts, Catalurgy is a modern invention, though it's exact conception date remains unknown.

Vague records exist regarding the magical properties of Ichor, but no substantial information exists on the subject. Most information about Ichor is related to Rendlings.

This lack of information is one of the main reasons why the general public fears and dislikes Catalurgists, as it's seen as unnatural and not "of the Gods".

More common than Transmutive and Genesis Catalurgy is Aural Catalurgy, the art of altering electromagnetic fields surrounding the Catalurgist. Aural Catalurgy is not rooted in understanding or visualization, but instinct and emotion. As their Thymalladus receives its first few doses of Aural Ichor. beginner Aurists will start to notice and feel the electromagnetic fields around them. Aurists are given time to study how their own personal emotions affect the field that surrounds them -- like how when they are angry, the field around them "feels hot".
After enough practice and time, skilled Aurists can learn to infuse their surrounding field with elemental energies, harden it, or even enhance their senses. Modifying this personal field requires power to be funneled into the space around them -- something that costs a proportional amount of Ichor, and induces a proportional amount of Burn.

Locations

Every single country has some form of Catalurgy agency or institution set up, and all of them do their best to remain hidden.

Institutions

The countries work hard to keep their academys secret -- hiding them deep in the wilderness and in hard to reach places. Some places forgo the secrecy, existing in densely populated areas, as if daring the public to wonder about what goes on within the buildings walls. While the location of these schools may be known, the general mystery surrounding Catalurgy still keeps the public in the dark about what Catalurgy really is.

Known location:
Azca Wastes home of Catalurgic Progress

Research Centers

Catalurgists that complete their education and choose not to follow the path of war often further themselves in Research Centers. Usually paired with a Mass Storage Site, these locations are as secretive as the Institutions, and even more heavily guarded.

Known location:
The Peninsula Estates

Mass Storage Sites

The most heavily guarded of all Catalurgy sites -- large quantities of some or all types of Ichor are stored in these locations. Generally paired with Research Centers or Institutions, though sometimes found on their own -- the planet's governments work very hard to keep their location secret.
Individual Catalurgists are then granted small tanks of Catalyst that they carry on themselves in specially made harnesses.

Known location:
The Underwater Silos of the Shattered Isles

Professions

Most Catalurgists are quick snatched up, or commissioned by various military, as they make for very strong special forces. The remainder of Catalurgists find work in furthering Catalurgic research, or doing their best to remain hidden.

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The Limits of Magic

The limits to which Catalurgy can be pushed are defined by the Catalurgists themselves. An athlete can only push themselves so hard before their muscles fail. A machine can only take on so much stress before it collapses. Training and reinforcement can help push boundaries, but there is a limit. Catalurgists are just the same, and are held in check by both physical and mental limits upon their bodies and minds.

Physical Limits

When performing exceedingly difficult Catalurgy, like a Genesist summoning a permanent complex object, the Thymalladus is known to consume Ichor a blistering rate. Two to Three tanks of Ichor are common to be used in the highest tier Catalurgy, resulting in a large amount of Burn occurring in the Catalurgist's body.
The most powerful of Catalurgists push these bounds by carrying yet more Ichor, or by wearing cooling packs to mitigate burn. Much Catalurgic research is done into developing newer, more efficient, and more compact cooling equipment.

Mental Limits

Mental limits are expanded through study of the world, and study of the mind. Those furthering their abilities will take Art courses focusing on complete visualization, Science courses dedicated to total understanding, or Human studies committed to comprehending emotions.

Resistance

In special cases, the resistance of the subject is taken into account as well. For example, a Transmutist attempting to change someone's mind will find the willpower of their target vastly increases the difficulty of their attempted magic.

I look out across this sea of faces, and I see a lot of eager new Catalurgists. Some of you are probably think that you can now do anything you want, create anything you want, affect anything you want. Well, you're right. You can. However. Many have attempted to overstep their bounds, just to catastrophically fail from trying to do too much with Catalurgy. Learn from from those dead Catalurgists. Respect your body's limits. You can only handle so much Burn.

— Professor of Catalurgy at the Veiled Academy

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