Ascension

Ascension is the process by which a creature accumulates primal forces in their blood. This allows the subject to attain greater levels of power and other abilities. Theoretically any living thing can undergo ascension, but in practice the vast majority of those who undergo the process start with a certain baseline of power. This is the level which defines a person as an Aspected and is associated with the ability to absorb primal forces into ones blood. Once this ability has been obtained, the aspected gains additional abilities as they ascend. There are several ways to absorb primal forces which can alter the rate of ascension:

• Ambient Absorption: Aspected and greater beings possess the ability to draw primal forces out of the world around them. As primal forces are everywhere, this results in a baseline level of ascension that all Aspected enjoy. This is rather slow however, and has diminishing returns with those of sufficient ascension. Thus it is mainly only seriously relied on for those that are just beginning the journey.
• Active Absorption: Those of slightly greater power gain the ability to control their level of absorption. This allows them to actively absorb primal forces from highly concentrated wells. In days past these wells would be the primal cores, but the exodus to the promised lands has since made that impossible. In reality though, any sufficient concentration of primal forces will do, and those still exist, be it from magical creations or even from specific artifacts forged for burnings. 
• Essence Vampirism: Some aspected possess the ability to flay the essence of creatures they kill and absorb the primal forces from their blood. This has a small impact on most creatures, but can lead to the absorption of incredible power from more potent subjects. This ability is more closely correlated to vessels than conduits.
• Force Syphoning: When an aspected opens up their essence to the world around them, they allow primal forces to rush in and out of their body. Those of sufficient skill can use this to hang on to small bits of force in their blood so that when they close their essence again, they retain more than they did at the start. This ability is more closely correlated to conduits than vessels.

While all Aspected start out with ambient absorption, some will attain different methods of absorption in nonstandard orders. This is likewise the case with abilities that come from ascension. Ascension can provide a plethora of abilities, but most individuals do not receive all abilities at once. Val and Hael also have slightly different sets of abilities, though they have many in common. The following are abilities that are associated with Val aspected ascension:

• Enhanced Athletecism: Scaling proportionately with level of ascension, Val brings about greater order to the body allowing it to greater strength and endurance than before. 
• Enhanced Durability: Val crystalizes on the surface of a conduits skin, allowing it to be as hard as metal in response to incoming attacks.
  
• Spellcasting: Val allows conduits to open their blood to it and thus work Val aspected magic.
  
• Ordered Intuition: Some conduits gain an instinctive understanding of systems of order both natural and manmade without any need for study. This includes use of Val in spellcasting. 
• Agelessness: The mark of an ascendant, a sufficiently ascended being is no longer subject to the whims of time upon their life. 
  

The following abilities are associated with Hael aspected ascension:

• Enhanced Athletecism: Scaling proportionately with level of ascension, Hael infuses the body with life, allowing it to adapt to a plethora of situations with supernatural strength, endurance and speed.
• Healing Factor: Hael is the stuff of life, and it heals the body of a vessel very quickly. Even lethal wounds can be healed in a matter of minutes. The only way to kill a Vessel is with Aitu Sera or Val. This ability has been supercharged by primal imbalance and Hael's corruption by the endless.
• Spellcasting: Hael allows vessels to open their blood to it and thus work Hael aspected magic.
• Shapechanging: Some vessels gain the ability to morph their body instinctively, taking on shapes of creatures with similar body masses to their own. 
• Agelessness: The mark of an ascendant, a sufficiently ascended being is no longer subject to the whims of time upon their life. 

Type

Metaphysical, Arcane