Entropy
Chaos. It is a fundamental force of the cosmos. In every breath and in every moment, there is some measure of unpredictability. Ransera is no stranger to chaos. There are those who embrace it. There are those who rail against it. But there are none who understand it as the Chaon. They who have been forever marked by chaos and who wield its powers indiscriminately. These souls who inflict upon the world the full force of chaotic energies that at times, not even they can fully control. Such is the weight of a chaos mage, such is the mark of Entropy.
Origins
It is unclear exactly when Entropy came into existence. What is also unclear is whether there is a single entity responsible for its creation. What is agreed upon is the fact that it is an ancient magic with no known single point of origin. Chaonites, those who carry the Rune of Entropy, have always been few in number. Their influence is such that even one of them is enough to strike fear in the hearts of any that come across them. Scattered across history there have been a number of organizations that have been committed to wiping them out due to their perceived danger to everything around them. During the Age of Dreams, the power of chanoites was such that to have even a handful of them on one’s side, was enough to tip the scales of balance in one’s favor. Combined with the magic of Aeternus, the magic of Entropy was used by the Archmages of ancient days to perform feats of Archmagic with far greater ease than is possible in the current era and every era thereafter.
In the aftermath of the collapse of the Boundless Empire, the Dragon God Malgar remade the veil between the mortal realms and others. This veil however, was fundamentally different than that which came before it. As such, those remaining chaonites found that their ability to manipulate the forces of chaos had grown exponentially. The Dread Mists had always been a force of concern in the years before, but now they could summon and wield them with such staggering impunity that it was terrifying to all who faced them. Indeed, chaonites came to be considered so dangerous that an entire order of mages undertook the task of devising a method to counteract them permanently. This undertaking birthed one of the few runes of magic known to have been created by mortals, the Rune of Negation.
It was the power of these Entropic mages that allowed the armies of darkness to march across the world, virtually unchallenged as they fell under the sway of Shaeoth and his generals. When the Dark One was defeated, the Rune of Negation was used to assist hunters in systematically wiping out as many of the chaonites that were left. This endeavor rendered the magic functionally extinct.
Initiation and Threshold Sickness
The method of obtaining a Rune of Entropy is no secret. It is something that has been known among the magical community for ages. However, pursuing it and surviving not only the journey to acquire it but also its initiation is fraught with so much danger that only the truly desperate or utterly deranged undertake the endeavor. Even then, if an Entropy mage is discovered there remain zealous hunters that make it their mission to ensure this magic never rises to prominence ever again. Seeker beware, to accept the Rune of Entropy and step out into the world is to invite such a life upon one’s head.
The method to obtain the Rune? Simple. Carrying a Prismatorium dragonshard, find the biggest and most volatile Miststorm one can. Heedless of the dangers that such a manifestation poses in and of itself, simply walk into the storm and begin channeling the aether of the shard with neither form nor function. Allowing the Dread Mists to funnel into the dragonshard, when it glows and vibrates with the power of the storm, plunge it into ones body.
Upon piercing their flesh with the mist infused dragonshard, the individual will become bathed in the primordial forces of chaos and begins to undergo a transformation. Using the prismatorium dragonshard as a conduit, the entirety of the Dread Miststorm will begin to funnel its way into the individual’s body, suffusing their soul. Once the entirety of the storm has been absorbed into them, it will explode out of them with violent force and during this moment…there is no telling what will happen. From there, the experience becomes something wholly unique to the individual but one thing remains true for all of them.
Stories say that at some point, when the prospective initiate is on the verge of either perfect insanity or profound understanding, they are visited by someone. This being then bestows upon them the Rune of Entropy. Retellings of this encounter point to a great many powerful figures as perhaps being the entity that bestows the rune, some say it is the Masked Queen herself. Some say it is the Mistlord Myshala. Some even say that it is another chaonite who has sensed the spark of a new initiation coming into the fold.
What is known is that in the aftermath of this event, the world has seen the birth of a new chaonite and thus, a wielder of the Rune of Entropy.
Often the newly born chaonite will awaken much later and upon their flesh will be emblazoned the prismatic rune of Entropy, a shimmering reminder of what they survived.
Overstepping
Invoking the powers of Chaos are not without consequence. The powers of Entropy, however, are particularly insidious. As a mage begins to push themselves further and further toward the point of plunging into the realm of Overstepping, they experience hallucinations and phenomenon that whisper to them to continue to push further, to unleash more, and to inflict unrestrained chaos into the world around them.
Stage One, the Whispers
The Whispers take many forms but they are all known to compel the chaonite toward a path that urges them to use their powers more and more. They slowly become enraptured by the raw chaos that they manifest into the world which only plunges them deeper into the realm of Overstepping. If a mage can shrug off the whispers and pull themselves back from the edge, the backlash is mild resulting in exhaustion, fatigue, dizziness, nausea, fainting and other similar symptoms that will dissipate with rest and recuperation.
Stage Two, the Shining
If a mage forgoes pulling back from the Whispers, they enter a state wherein their body begins to become a fuse that is slowly being burned by the manifestation of their chaotic powers. While not a true physical burn, the mage is irreversibly marked as portions of their body begin to become crystallized, adopting a prismatic quality much like the prismatorium gem that was used in their initiation. If a mage can successfully pull themselves back from this point, they must live the rest of their lives with the reminder of just how close they came to losing themselves to the powers of chaos. Following this encounter, unconsciousness swiftly follows, with a wracking fever and sickness that often takes weeks to recover from. In the fallout of this event, the chaonite will find that their limb or body part continues to function as normal but it is forever marked by their close encounter with the unrestrained chaos they nearly unleashed.
Stage Three, the Chaosborn
A mage who loses themselves fully to the powers of chaos can never go back and will invariably plunge themselves into utter madness. The Chaosborn are chaos mages who have fully lost themselves to the powers that now rage out of control from them. They become a living conduit of chaos, with neither a mind nor will of their own except to inflict chaos on everyone and everything around them. Their bodies have fully crystallized into the prismatic gemstone that was used in their initiation as they become a walking Dread Miststorm. The person they were is gone. There is nothing left but chaos. The only option left for them is to be destroyed.
How It Works
Invoking the powers of chaos are quite simple. Every time a mage wishes to tap into their abilities, they are awakening the essence of the Miststorm that they invited into the halls of their soul. Reaching into this wellspring of chaos, the mage tethers it to the drop of chaos that exists within the world around them. For there is chaos in all things, and through the mage, that chaos is amplified to bring about an effect in the world. When the mage taps into their powers however, they must make a choice as to how far reaching the consequences of this invocation will be. Every time a chaos mage uses their powers, there is a chance that the power they willed into being will also manifest some form of the Dread Mists. How potent and how far reaching this manifestation is, depends on how much the mage is willing to embrace chaos in its purest forms. With that being said, many of the more powerful techniques available to an Entropy mage can only be enacted by embracing greater heights of this chaotic wellspring.
Controlled Chaos (0-25%)
Controlled Chaos is when the mage invites the powers of chaos into the world but does so in a measured and restrained way. As a result of this, the chances that their powers will create a rippling effect in the aftermath beyond their intention is decidedly low but still present. The downside to using only Controlled Chaos techniques means that only the least powerful abilities in an Entropy mage’s repertoire are available to them. There is a 0-25% chance of manifesting a localized instance of the Dread Mists at Category One danger. If a chaos mage is only allowing Controlled Chaos to flow through them, they can only use Novice or Apprentice level abilities.
Heightened Chaos (15-30%)
Heightened Chaos is when the mage taps into greater depths of the wellspring of power that rages within them. They invoke the storm of chaos that flows through their veins and use it to enact more powerful abilities but in so doing, they invite greater chances that the Dread Mists will ripple outward from their spells in ways that are beyond their intentions. This greater risk however, is required in order for them to manifest stronger techniques. There is a 15-30% chance that upon invoking Heightened Chaos that after using their ability, the Dread Mists will materialize at either Category One or Category Two in the localized area. It is only by invoking this heightened chaos that the mage can enact Journeyman level abilities.
Empowered Chaos (25-60%)
Empowered Chaos is a turning point for the mage wherein they make the conscious decision to cross the threshold into a realm where summoning the Dread Mists becomes not just possible, but highly likely. This inevitability however, is necessary in order to access some of the more powerful abilities at their disposal. This allows them to truly break the boundaries between the mortal realm and invite the forces of chaos to warp the world around them. Only by invoking this Empowered Chaos is the mage capable of enacting Expert level abilities.
Unrestrained Chaos (80-100%)
Unrestrained Chaos is when the mage steps fully into the realm of chaos incarnate. They unleash the full potential for chaos that dwells within them, harnessing the vast power of the miststorm that birthed them as a chaos mage. Every use of their abilities while in this state will invite some level of the Dread Mists to manifest in the local area. Abilities not measured at the Master tier will invite the manifestation of either Category One or Category Two miststorms. Every use of a Master level power will invite, at a minimum, a Category Three miststorm into the local area.
Powers and Abilities
Chaos Bolt - Acquired at Novice. Requires Controlled Chaos. Every use of Chaos Bolt within a 24 hour period has a cumulative 1% chance to invite the Dread Mists (i.e. 2 uses raises the second use to having a 2% chance, then 3% and so forth.) Manifesting the destructive nature of Chaos, the mage unleashes a bolt of chaotic energy that has a chance of rendering a variety of forms of damage. There is a 1/6th chance the blast will unleash Lightning, Fire, Acid, Poison, Kinetic, or Frost.
Hex - Acquired at Novice. Requires Controlled Chaos. Every use of Hex in a 24 hour period has a cumulative 3% chance to invite the Dread Mists. By infusing a bit of chaotic entropy into the world around them, the chaonite can cause a disruption in the flow of the aether in a person of their choosing. This minor disruption can cause spasms, headaches, pain, dizziness, nausea, or even momentary disorientation.
Entropic Ward - Acquired at Novice. Requires Controlled Chaos. Every use of Entropic Ward in a 24 hour period has a cumulative 5% chance of inviting the Dread Mists. Conjuring the energies of chaos, the mage summons a shimmering curtain of crackling aether that jumps and sparks with the power of entropy focused into a thinly solid form. Within the glassy surface of this aetheric shield is infused the magic of chaos which reacts to a force that is directed against it, temporarily creating a force that repels what came into contact with it. The shield is destroyed upon impact, receiving the blow that would have otherwise struck the mage.
Levitation - Acquired at Apprentice. Requires Controlled Chaos. Every use of Levitation in a 24 hour period has a cumulative 1% chance of inviting the Dread Mists. Reaching into themselves, the chaonite calls for the mighty winds that heralded the very storm that brought about their state as an Entropy mage. The mage is capable of enacting levitation enabling them to hover, glide, and soar at varying altitudes.
Chaos Mote - Acquired at Apprentice. Requires Controlled Chaos. Every use of Chaos Mote in a 24 hour period has a cumulative 15% chance of inviting the Dread Mists. The chaonite gathers their aether to create an orb of condensed chaos. This mote of chaos can be used to empower their magic allowing them to cast at one tier of mastery higher than their current one. However, the consequence of using this property of the Chaos Motes will always push them toward Overstepping.
Touch of Entropy - Acquired at Apprentice. Requires Controlled Chaos. Every use of Touch of Entropy in a 24 hour period has a cumulative 20% chance of inviting the Dread Mists. Upon encountering an aetheric force, the chaonite is capable of introducing the corrosive effects of chaos into what they encounter. This will result in a degradation of the aetheric force they encounter.
Misty Form - Acquired at Journeyman. Required Heightened Chaos. Every use of Misty Form in a 24 hour period has a cumulative 20% chance of inviting the Dread Mists. The mage calls upon the essence of the Mists and cloaks their form in them, becoming incorporeal for a limited duration.
Delirium - Acquired at Journeyman. Requires Heightened Chaos. Every use of Delirium in a 24 hour period has a cumulative 25% chance of inviting the Dread Mists. By sending a ripple of chaos outward into the world around them, the mage creates a space where people experience a wide variety of hallucinations, emotions or phantasmal manifestations. This can range from intense rage, euphoria, hysteria, paranoia or even seeing one’s worst fears take form in the mists conjured by this space.
Chromatic Orb - Acquired at Journeyman. Requires Heightened Chaos. Every use of Chromatic Orb in a 24 hour period has a cumulative 15% chance of inviting the Dread Mists. The chaonite summons a concentrated orb of raw chaos that can unleash terrible destruction on everything in its path. There is a 1/8th chance for it to manifest Lightning, Fire, Magma, Ice, Poison, Kinetic, Psychic, or Acid.
Alkemancy - Acquired at Expert. Requires Empowered Chaos. Every use of Alkemancy in a 24 hour period has a cumulative 30% chance of inviting the Dread Mists. Using the power of chaos, the mage reduces something to a consumable aetheric state. They can then extract a desired property from this aetheric essence and use it as they see fit. Through this power, the mage might use Alkemancy to reduce a fish to an aetheric state and from that essence, extract the ability to breathe water. Whatever their intended use, the source of this property is destroyed. The more potent the source of this property, the more time and power it takes to reduce it to its aetheric state.
Shardcraft - Acquired at Expert. Requires Empowered Chaos. Every use of Shardcraft in a 24 hour period has a cumulative 50% chance of inviting the Dread Mists. Harnessing the mysteries of the Dread Mists themselves, the chaonite crystallizes the essence of chaos and in doing so creates a random dragonshard from that manifestation. They can choose to create a singular dragonshard or multiple lesser ones. The more they spread out this essence, the less powerful the dragonshards become.
Prismatic Spray - Acquired at Expert. Requires Empowered Chaos. Every use of Prismatic Wall in a 24 hour period has a cumulative 60% chance of inviting the Dread Mists. The mage summons the might of their chaotic energies and releases them in a wide spray to devastate the world around them by saturating it with chaos. The blast will release the following types of damages simultaneously: Lightning, Kinetic, Fire, Magma, Ice, Poison, Acid and Psychic.
Riftbreak - Acquired at Master. Requires Unrestrained Chaos. Every use of Riftbreak will have a 100% of inviting the Dread Mists. Harnessing the power of chaos, the mage tears open a hole in the veil and unleashes a torrential downpour of the Dread Mists upon all around them. The rift, simultaneously serves as a break between whatever plane of existence the mage is currently occupying and another random one. The rift remains open even after the ensuing Dread Miststorm dies down.
Unshackle - Acquired at Master. Requires Unrestrained Chaos. Every use of Unshackle will have a 75% chance of inviting the Dread Mists. Threading their influence into the aether of the world around them, the mage disrupts the Aether Flux all around them. This influence can extend even into other mages, causing them to temporarily lose control of their powers as they experience a surge of magic.
Tier Progress
Novice (0-24)
The novice Chaonite is more a victim of their powers than truly a master of them. Understanding how to harness the powers of chaos and unleash them onto the world can and will often result in unpredictable and sometimes frightening results. They gain the power to use the Chaos Bolt but have no direct control over what type of damage it manifests. Using their Hex, they can affect the people around them to a limited degree. Their Hex will inflict only a single condition that will last no longer than (1) minute. However, the novice is granted a powerful boon in being able to summon the Entropic Ward. Serving more as a reactionary form of protection, this thin shield will protect them from (1) assault regardless of its source (i.e. magical, mundane, mental etc.) before shattering. It must then be conjured again.
Apprentice (25-49)
Gaining more confidence in their abilities, the Chaonite is able to more directly harness the powers of chaos. As a result of this growing understanding they are able to use the winds of a Miststorm and invoke Levitation. They are able to comfortably channel Levitation for up to (5) minutes. They gain the ability to conjure Chaos Motes. The apprentice Chaonite is able to comfortably conjure up to (2) Chaos Motes at a time. Each Chaos Mote will last for up to (10) minutes and upon tapping into one of them, the mage can extend their ability to cast magic at their current tier of mastery. By tapping into all of them, they are able to cast magic at (1) tier higher than their current mastery. Doing so will push them into the first stage of Overstepping at the conclusion of their casting. By invoking the Touch of Entropy, the mage can corrode aetheric forces that they come into contact with. They are only ever able to effectively erode aetheric forces that are equivalent to their current mastery level (i.e. up to Apprentice level at this tier). Their Hex is now able to afflict (2) conditions at the same time and will last for up to (1) minute. Their Entropic Ward will now be able to sustain (2) assaults before shattering.
Journeyman (50-74)
The journeyman Chaonite can be a nightmare for those that they encounter. These individuals have come to understand not just how to unleash the forces of chaos, but how to bend them to their will. To that extent, they are able to adopt the Misty Form and enter into an incorporeal state. They are able to comfortably maintain this state for up to (10) minutes. Through their understanding of chaos, they are able to unleash the Delirium, invoking a chaotic ripple that affects the body and the mind. This space will last for up to (5) minutes. The Chaonite is now able to conjure the Chromatic Orb, with their manifestations of chaos becoming so potent as to be able to inflict even mental strain upon those it strikes. Their Hex is now able to inflict (3) conditions simultaneously and will last up to (1) minute. The Entropic Ward is now able to sustain (3) assaults before shattering. They are now able to conjure (3) Chaos Motes which will enable them to prolong their casting or cast at (1) tier higher than their current mastery level. The motes will now last for up to (30) minutes. Their Touch of Entropy can now affect up to Journeyman level manifestations of aetheric power. Levitation will now last for up to (10) minutes.
Expert (75-99)
Becoming a true force of chaos in the world, the Expert Chaonite gains the formidable power of Alkemancy. This remarkable ability allows them to reduce that which they come into contact with down to its baser aetheric state from which they can extract (1) desired property from. Upon consuming this essence, the Chaonite will gain this property for a total of (1) hour. They gain the power to perform Shardcraft by condensing the energies of chaos into solid form. This will either create a single random dragonshard of no higher than Greater quality or they can create up to (4) dragonshards of Average quality. They are able to conjure the Prismatic Spray and visit untold destruction upon anything arrayed before them. Their Hex can inflict (3) status effects on an individual for up to (1) hour. The Entropic Ward is now able to sustain (4) assaults before shattering. They can now conjure (4) Chaos Motes that enable them to cast at the Master level in any rune of magic they might possess. However, doing so will push them to the second stage of Overstepping. They are able to invoke Levitation for as long as they are able to maintain concentration. The Touch of Entropy can now corrode up to Expert level manifestations. They are now able to maintain their Misty Form for as long as they are able to maintain concentration. The Delirium will last for up to (10) minutes.
Master (100)
Chaos Incarnate, the Master of Entropy is a living embodiment of the forces of chaos. They gain the power to use Riftbreak, tearing a hole in the veil of whatever plane of existence they presently occupy. While this portal opens to a random place, it can certainly prove to be a boon to those who learn how to use it to their advantage. They gain the power to Unshackle the aether of everything around them, causing chaos to manifest in the world in its highest form. When unleashed upon another mage, it can cause them to temporarily lose control of their powers. Their Hex will now last for (1) day. The Entropic Ward can not sustain (5) assaults before shattering. They are now able to allow other to tap into the power of their Chaos Motes. The Touch of Entropy can now affect Master level manifestations. The Delirium space will now last for up to (1) day. The Master can now obtain up to (3) properties from their Alkemancy substances. These properties will now last for up to (1) day. Through Shardcraft they are now able to make single random Superior quality dragonshard or (4) random Greater ones.
Can I begin with Entropy?
Entropy cannot be taken at creation. However, a player may petition the Support Forum to potentially acquire Entropy at any point 90 days after creation. Players should understand that seeking Entropy has a HIGH probability of mortality and that character death is a strong possibility. Consider carefully before requesting it.
