Ascended
! For more context you should know what a Tainted is !
This article is expanding on that condition being a different variant.
! For more context you should know what a Tainted is !
This article is expanding on that condition being a different variant.
This article is expanding on that condition being a different variant.
Ascended by rebirth
Out of all ways the rymbiotic relationship can take form, being an Ascended is the most rarest and powerful union.
A Tainted lives with a weaker voice in their head, a Bound in sequence with their arcane spirit and a Rooted shares life with a second consciousness parallel to their own.
What all these have in common is, that the main consciousness, the humanoid undergoing symbiosis with an arcane animal' spirit, remains fully intact and unaltered. Becoming a mage neither does change your personality, nor anything else. You are still you and will remain your own until the end.
This does not hold true in the Ascended coexistence however if you can even call it a coexistence anymore. Becoming one of them can only be achieved if you possess the following:
- You should have an extraordinarily positive relationship with the arcane animal, as such a deep connection can only be achieved through years of living together, laughing and suffering together.
When the barriers of the limited conversation between you and your friend don't matter at all anymore when you can understand each other with a single glace. When you feel the Veil forging a deep rooting connection between you and your best friend that doesn't even need a symbiosis to feel magical.
Such a connection, where the humanoid even is able to cast extremely weak versions of their partners gate to the Veil through the power of their spiritual bond alone.
These so-called Tamers are predestined to eventually become Ascended. - Your desire to not lose your friend in case of them being unable to continue for any reason must outpower your inner desire to remain your own. Only if you love your friend more than yourself and they do the same, the following symbiosis will transverse the creation of a Rooted arcanist starting something far greater instead.
Reformation
In this unique case, the symbiosis plays out differently. Not even a wound of any sort will be necessary for the spirit of your arcane friend to enter yours. Using the mental bridges created by the Veil through your relationship built on trust and compassion, the 'parasite' will enter your soul through these express entrances.
Bypassing the mental shields, that are usually always up preventing your and your symbiote's soul from touching, the spirit will enter your soul without any sign of repulsion. Your self fully accepted what will come next: The reformation.
Your souls are now enclosed in the very same space and are bound to merge in the coming minutes. The last check-up before ascension is about to begin.
Your consciousness and the of your best friend will meet on an imaginary table discussing what each party loves of the other; what they will decide to keep, what to upgrade and what to remove.
The Arcane Arcanum describes this purely spiritual process as 'maternal union'. You and your friend plan out your 'spiritual offspring' as your two souls are about to merge into one. The maternal union decides how much of your original personality will be left over after the ascension is complete.
Due to how crucial every part of your life is more of your personality and bonds will remain intact if you show deep affection to those around you. This means the Ascended can remain fully the same up to a whole new individual after the union commenced.
But regardless of this detail, the reformed soul will show traits of both sides; a new you.
"Don't you worry father, I am still me, your little girl.
I haven't changed, my ascension only buffed out some of the less desirable aspects of me.
We came to the conclusion that changing anything of my personality would make you, my queen and my siblings sad.
This feeling was so strong that we even left in most of my flaws before merging.
But still, these moments were the happiest of my life, I feel fresh and new.
And Nero is now protecting me forever and ever, just as he desired."Evamal Schetl (3) after waking up in Miriko's arms.
Together alone
Unlike the other ways of symbiosis, this perfect merging leaves behind a single consciousness within the host's mind. For the Ascended, it feels like being the child of their parents, everything both sides wished the other to be.
A state of euphoria and doubt, wondering if you will be able to live up to your creators' dreams.
A thought process the Ascended better not venture too deep into, or they will develop mental struggles built on unsatisfaction with your own life
They are fully their own with full access to the Veil, its knowledge and its secrets.
The Ascended will feel like being a part of the Veil, wandering all the time at the edge between the physical and spiritual world of Prius; a citizen of both and neither; the ultimate link.
Coma
After the union is complete the freshly Ascended will fall into a short term deep coma state to reroute their entire body to accustom it to the new soul.
They will usually wake up again from the coma in 48 - 72 hours fully renewed.
It is advised to have somebody looking after you if you decide to ascend, or you could risk not waking up at all anymore being completely defenceless for the time being.
Magic
Living always with one foot dipped into the Veil, an Ascended has an easy time using powerful magic abilities. They are true master's of their gate to the Veil, but struggle greatly with opening new gates developing their powers further. Being alone on their spiritual journeys into the Veil, overstretching their mental mind can be a difficult and often fruitless undertaking.
The Ascended might got granted the knowledge and connection to the Veil by their merged partner, but not their experience navigating the spiritual realm. Without a guide to back you off it is quite difficult figuring out how to open the gates to the other schools enhancing your abilities in non-linear ways.
That means, while Ascended are undoubtedly the strongest arcanists around, they are versatility wise outclassed by everybody else.
Positive however: Due to them being only one single entity, experiencing the all-ending Arcburn is impossible.
Ascended are immune against the ultimate punishment of the Veil allowing them to explore the Veil indefinitely.
Alienation Complex
Depending on how much of the original personality remains after undergoing union, the resulting Ascended can feel very disconnected from the rest of the world.
All of a sudden their whole previous life doesn't matter to them anymore, carefully crafted relationships are reset to null and void.
Feeling unable to remain in their previous environment Ascended with a completely altered personality purposely abandon all those that care about them trying to find a new life without the shadow of their previous dragging them down.
Experiencing how much you are truly loved, where you haven't realized it before, wishing you had kept more of your flawed former self is a maddening and saddening experience that can be truly unbearable.
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