Starbinding

Starbinding is one of the handful of forms of magic on Pelera, accessed through connecting to the stars. The stars in the sky are alive and possess alien intellect inscrutable to mere mortals, but they have incredible arcane power that they are willing to share with those who desire it- for a price. Those who pay the price to obtain these powers are called 'starbinders'.
In theory, anyone can become a starbinder. However, the process of becoming a starbinder requres a massive amount of preparatory work. The prospective starbinder first needs to undergo rigorous training, then must study celestial lore and discern the movements of the star they wish to bond with.
Once these preparations have been made, the prospective starbinder must wait until the star they want to bond with is properly aligned within the celestial sphere. The starbinder must perform a complex ritual under the open night sky during the star's alignment and offer up a piece of their lifespan in exchange for power from the star. If the ritual was successfully performed, the starbinder will make an astral bond with the star and gain access to whatever abilities their star of choice provides. Each star provides a unique set of powers, and the magnitude at which a starbinder can use said powers is dependent on how much of their lifespan they sacrificed during the starbinding ritual.
Even after the ritual is complete and the price of life is paid, starbinding still poses a risk to one's wellbeing. Whenever a starbinder uses their abilities, they are directly channeling the essence of that star- a star that is a burning mass of gas or plasma. Starbinders will begin to take on heat from their star as a side effect of the use of their powers, with reckless usage of said powers causing serious internal injuries as the star's power literally burns the starbinder on the inside. Some records of particularly foolhardy or inexperienced starbinders talk of the starbinders essentially self-cremating after pushing themselves too hard. The heat a starbinder takes in is a near constant concern, and those who thought they could mitigate the internal burn caused by tapping in for too long by taking powers that give resistance to fire and heat have been proven disasterously wrong.
Another bad idea for starbinders is attempting to bond with the sun that Pelera orbits. While there has been one notable exception who managed to 'sunbind', every attempt before and since has proven catastrophic. One starbinder attempted to only give a second of their lifespan to the sun, believing their body could handle the power gained from such a miniscule offering. They then immediately disintegrated.
A starbinder's magic also grows in strength and understanding as their connection to their star deepens, with lifelong dedication and refinement of the bond granting mastery of their powers.

Occasionally, starbinders will experience visions or hear voices sent by their bonded star. These messages are often strange and unsettling but typically provide guidance or act as warnings of celestial events that may affect the starbinder or the world at large. Conversely, experienced starbinders can commune with their star through deep meditation and seek counsel and insight from the wisdom of the stars. However, actively communing with a star requires a great deal mental discipline and focus, making it beyond the scope of what novice starbinders can do.
In times of great peril, experienced starbinders can perform an 'embodiment' and draw upon their maximum level of starbinding strength to manifest an aspect of their star in the physical world. This can take the form of a shining aura, a shell of starlight covering their body, or even a temporary transformation of their body. While embodiments are indesputably the height of a starbinder's power, they come at a terrible cost- while a starbinder is manifesting an embodiment, the power eats away at their life, draining the starbinder at exponential rates the longer they maintain the embodiment. As a result, embodiments are last-ditch efforts done only by the most desparate of starbinders.
In extremely rare occurences, a starbinder will have the inborn ability to bond with multiple stars at once. Typically, a starbinder can only make a pact with one star at a time, and even then binding with another star requires another period of intensive research and meditation and losing all the progress they made cultivating the power of their previous star. Those who can bond with multiple stars do not lose any growth in their old abilities, and will possess a greater range of abilities as well as being able to blend aspects of their celestial powers. However, maintaining this 'harmonization' is extremely challenging and demands an incredible amount of skill.

Type

Metaphysical, Arcane