Post by TruthxLiesxMagic on Jan 18, 2008 23:40:00 GMT
Well, as the Admin, I guess I should take the plunge and post my in-progress Eco theory here. It's kinda sketchy right now, and I'm still trying to work most of it out in my head, but here is some that's certain. There's a possibility I might make some minor changes to the saturations levels, but that's all.
Channelling:
Saturation Levels:
Channelling And Saturation
Channelling:
- Universal Channellers:
Universal Channellers can channel, absorb and otherwise use any type of Eco. An example is Jak (of the House of) Mar, who can channel Red, Blue, Green, Yellow and Light Eco without severe bodily damage – and Dark Eco without threat of death, but with the threat of possible harm both physically and mentally. Universal Channelling is found to run in bloodlines, but not in every member of a bloodline. Hence, as Jak and Liana (of the House of) Mar share the Universal Channelling ability, their parents Queen Allena and King Damas (of the House of) Mar did not, although the Universal ability wad dormant in the Queen's bloodline. It should be observed that Universal Channelling is extremely rare, and is generally found in only several people per generation, and is not affected by living solely close to one type of Eco.
However, if a Universal Channeller chooses to expose themselves to an Eco to the extent of Complete Saturation (the level at which an Elf is classed a Sage, if they have thr right knowledge) they loose the ability of Universal Channelling, as this interferes with their chosen Eco. For example, Gol and Maia Acheron were Universal Channellers, but once entirely saturated by Dark Eco, they could not channel other Eco without a high risk of death by Eco Imbalance. But a Universal Channeller who becomes saturated in one Eco is not then considered a Primary or Secondary Channeller. So if the Acherons were to be purged of their 'excess' Dark Eco, they would reclaim the abilities of a Universal Channeller. Jak (of the House of) Mar is still to be considered a fully able Universal Channeller due to the fact his Dark and Light Eco saturations have taken the form of separate entities, thus allowing him to channel other Eco safely.
Universal Channellers have been known to keep their powers and exercise them safely, however, if they choose to become up to and including Long-Term Saturates in a chosen Eco – though it is advised that such experiments be carried out with due caution.
Universal Channellers can only be born. Unlike Primary Channellers, Universal Channelling cannot be forced
- Primary Channellers
Primary Channellers can channel one type of Primary Eco (Red, Blue, Green or Yellow) and one type only for longer saturation periods than Temporary Channelling. For example, Samos Hagai is a natural Primary Channeller of Green Eco, and so therefore cannot channel Blue, Red or Yellow Eco, and thus the need for four Sages in the Old World.
Whilst most Primary Channellers are 'natural', and are born with the ability, Primary Channellers can also be created via the process of Eco Injection Cycles (EIC), or Natural Eco Absorption (NEA). It has been observed, however, that natural Primary Channellers are noted to have better control of their powers than Primary Channellers created via EIC or NEA, and of artificial channellers, those who gained the ability via NEA have slightly more control over their powers than those who went through EIC.
- Secondary or 'Night And Day' Channellers
Secondary Channellers are channellers of Secondary Light or Dark Eco – or, in some rare cases, both – hence the nickname 'Night and Day' Channellers. While Secondary Channellers are much more common than Universal Channellers, they are still rarer than Primary Channellers, and it is believed this is why most Secondary Channellers – especially 'Day' Channellers – join the Golden Order of monks in the Wasteland.
Secondary Channellers only have the power to absorb, channel and control Secondary Eco. If they attempted to channel Primary Eco, the result would be the same as an Elf who possessed no channelling powers.
Saturation Levels:
- Temporary Saturation
Temporary Saturation is the lowest level of saturation. It lasts between ten and thirty seconds in non-channellers, and from one to two minutes for Universal, Primary and Secondary Channellers, and because the time span of saturation is so short, Temporary Saturation is not actively classed as 'proper' saturation. It occurs when an elf absorbs a very small quantity of Eco, and the reaction to the Eco differs from Elf to Elf, but can be classified into several categories.
If the Elf in question is not a channeller of the Eco they absorb, then they cannot in any way control the effects of the Eco on their body. The Eco generally runs its course, and the Elf will only feel a sensation of, for example, strength if Red Eco was absorbed. The only exception is Green Eco, which will without fail direct itself to heal any wounds in the body it has been absorbed into, and if no wounds can be found, it will give the channeller a feeling of increased energy.
If the Elf is a channeller of the Eco they absorb, however, they can directly focus the Eco to do what they want, within reason of the Eco's nature. For example, a Blue Eco Primary Channeller, or Universal Channeller can direct Blue Eco to increase his physical speed, or speed of thought, depending on their intention, but a non-channeller would have no control over what the Eco was used for.
Temporary Saturation is often used as a method of distinguishing whether or not an Elf has channelling powers – and if so, what Eco they can channel.
- Short-Term Saturation
Not to be confused with Temporary Saturation, Short-Term Saturation (STS) is the saturation of an Elf. The process of saturation gives an Elf considerable more control over the Eco they are saturated with, not to mention the Eco stays in the body for far longer than Temporary Saturation. STS in an Elf lasts for around three to six months, depending on how often the 'stored' Eco is used, and whether the saturate is a natural or forced saturate. Also, only an Elf with Universal, Primary or Secondary Channelling abilities with an Eco can become saturated with it on any level.
Tara Kasai is considered an STS of Yellow Eco, because she absorbs Yellow Eco in small amounts when near a racetrack or fixing cars with traces of Yellow Eco in them almost constantly. Thus, though the saturation itself is short-term, it never entirely dies as out in her line of occupation it is near constantly replenished.
Short-Term Saturates have been known to not notice their Eco stores have been emptied after the Eco had been flushed from the body, due to the weakness of the connection between Eco and Elf.
- Long-Term Saturation
Long-Term Saturation (LTS) is on a basic level very similar to STS, differing in that the Eco stays within the body for longer, and use of the Eco increases in strength. For example, an STS using Green Eco would only be able to heal minor wounds such as small burns, lacerations and sprains. An Elf with LTS would be able to heal medium severity wounds, such as breaks, larger lacerations, second-degree burns and possibly even first-degree burns in the case of an adept saturate.
LTS lasts for around five to ten years. It can be caused by many short exposures to an Eco, or one long and/or powerful exposure (see 'Causes Of Saturation').
LTS does eventually wear off, but saturates will certainly notice when their Eco stores have been depleted, due to the time span of the saturation, and the long-term benefits the Eco gives the body. An LTS of Red Eco for example, would feel after a few months the Red Eco affecting their strength, and possibly their temper. A Green Eco LTS would notice that they never got ill, and Green Eco saturation has been known to curb a fiery or grouchy temperament in certain individuals (though many will attest that Samos Hagai is not one of them).
- Permanent Saturation
Permanent Saturation (PS) is the level by which Eco never leaves the body entirely. This can only be attained by either a long-term period surrounded by an Eco, or an extremely powerful blast of Eco. The powers of a Permanent Saturate may dull with time if they stay away from their Eco for too long, or allow their Eco stores to get dangerously depleted, but the powers will never fade entirely.
Kirone Reinhardt is a Permanent Saturate of Blue Eco, due to accidentally unlocking a Blue Eco vent as a child, and being caught in the full force of the resulting blast of Blue Eco. Due to living mostly around the Kras City racetracks, he unknowingly gathers scraps of Blue Eco left behind after races, or when working on cars – though between race seasons he feels slower and gets occasional headaches, due to the fact that an Elf with LTS or PS becomes after a time (three to five years in most cases, though it varies from Elf to Elf) dependant on the Eco, and if they are cut off from a supply they develop symptoms of Eco Withdrawal – these include headaches, cramps, nausea and rashes amongst other unpleasant side effects.
- Complete Saturation
Complete Saturation (CS) is the highest level of saturation, and the level at which an Elf who is very highly skilled with and highly knowledgeable of their Eco can be considered a Sage. If an Elf attempted to become even more saturated, their body would be consumed by the sheer power of the Eco.
At the level of Complete Saturation, an Elf must pay a price for having such control over an Eco, in that if they were to fully empty their Eco stores or were to be caught in a blast of an Eco opposing their own, they would die. This is because Complete Saturates develop a dependence on their Eco similar to that of Permanent Saturates, but much, much stronger. An Elf who is a Complete Saturate can also only channel their chosen Eco safely, for if they tried to channel another, the Ecos would clash, and the body of the Elf would begin to degrade – the speed being dependant on how much Eco they had tried to channel, and certain other factors.
A Complete Saturate would notice certain physical changes, each specific to each Eco. The most common and most obvious change is for the saturate's skin to tint to the colour of the Eco. For example, a Complete Saturate of Blue Eco would notice that over time their skin tinted the electric blue of that Eco. In the time of Sages, this was considered the easiest way to spot one, even at a distance.
At this level, it is also possible for an Elf to undergo certain mental changes. For instance, a Red Complete Saturate may develop a feeling of invincibility, a Dark Complete Saturate a corruption of character and a lust for power and destruction, or a Green Complete Saturate a belief that they know best in every medical situation (although that usually is the case). Generally these changes can be diluted if the saturate dislikes them, but it is just as likely for a Complete Saturate to allow the changes to take place, and expect their friends to humour them.
