Aspect Power

Biodata

Power Progression

Nature and Mechanics

Aspect Powers are conceptual forms of supernatural magic. They may transform into one another through specific methods and can be weakened or strengthened; secret arts based on a strengthened Aspect receive corresponding enhancement. 4

Uncontrolled exposure can harm those without the techniques to regulate an Aspect. During the Rising Wind Season, prolonged exposure to Blazing Sun power can cause persistent fever, unconsciousness, shock, or death. 58

Fate Cards and Ability Cards

• Each individual possesses a central Fate Card within their Fate Disk, alongside one to three Ability Card slots. Learned secret arts and techniques can become Ability Cards and take effect when placed in the Disk. 2 177
• A Fate Card represents an individual's destiny, while Ability Cards record innate or acquired powers. At Third Order, the newly opened core card slot represents acquired experience rather than inborn fate or bloodline. 177
• Multiple abilities of the same Aspect can resonate and reinforce one another. Sylutia's three supporting cards transmitted moonlight to her central Alien Star Fate Card, which transformed and returned the energy as starlight. 171
• High-order Aspect Powers can erode their surroundings over time, transforming locations, objects, and living beings. Dragon-inhabited areas, for example, may produce Dragon Breath Grass infused with weak Dragon Eye power. 252
• A mage's Third Order core may take the form of a Spell Furnace or Spell Page. These allow spells to be constructed without occupying a separate Ability Card slot for each one, at the cost of reduced power or other limitations. 428 588
• A sufficiently large difference in Aspect rank produces suppression; at a difference greater than four, the disparity becomes qualitative. 522

Inheritance and Specialization

• Most people can only focus on cultivating one primary Aspect Power. 4
• Blood Law is latent in all red-blooded life and can be cultivated alongside another path at low ranks, but increasingly powerful Blood Law abilities interfere with a primary Aspect at higher tiers. 4
• Other bloodline-linked Aspects include Beast Fang in beasts, Dragon Eye in draconic creatures, Spiral Fish in aquatic and amphibious life, Insect Moth in insects, and Emerald Nectar in plants. Humans can cultivate these powers if they meet the necessary conditions, though doing so requires greater resources and skill than for natural inheritors. 4
• Blood Law and Beast Fang are among the simplest advancement paths, primarily strengthening flesh and bone; their direct physical growth made them common choices in past eras. 523
• Blazing Sun, Radiant Moon, and Dragon Eye are regarded as the three higher Aspect Powers. They are generally broader and more powerful than same-rank alternatives, though difficult to cultivate. 17 637
• Practitioners may learn some abilities outside their primary Aspect when the requirements permit it. Lady Falan, whose specialty was Blazing Sun, used the Emerald Nectar Blossom Method; certain combat techniques likewise accept more than one Aspect. 62 186
• Radiant Moon, Mist Shadow, and Nightmare are strong in the mental domain. At early stages, practitioners of other Aspects may cultivate one of them as a foundation before learning meditation techniques specific to their own paths. 145

Advancement Methods

Composite Aspects

Composite Aspects are not merely two Aspect Powers used together; they are organic combinations that produce new properties and reactions. 631 632

Radiant Moon is especially valued for such combinations: it is difficult to cultivate as a lone core, but can greatly amplify other Aspect Powers and produce unusual changes. 632 A Radiant Moon–Blazing Sun path is explicitly forbidden by the Hours. 632

Combat Interactions

• Aspect Powers can restrain one another, particularly at low orders where choosing the correct countermeasure can decide a battle. 291
• Blood Law and Beast Fang emphasize direct physical strength and can overwhelm same-rank opponents, but are vulnerable to mental attacks and specialized spell effects. 291
• Nightmare and Mist Shadow excel in mental-domain combat, making them effective against physically focused paths with weak mental resistance. 291
• Castle provides normalized resistance to abnormal states and opposing Aspect effects, making it effective against corrosive Nightmare and Winter Slumber powers. 291
• Dragon Eye possesses resistance to Blazing Sun, Winter Slumber, Dead Ember, Radiant Moon, Nightmare, Mist Shadow, and Alien Star due to the legacy of the Seven Law Dragons. 482
• Specialized same-Aspect abilities can create strength beyond an individual's nominal order through resonance and mutual reinforcement. 171
• Radiant Moon can counter some Dead Ember creatures; Sylutia used it to defeat a Third Order Hand of Death. 301
• Dead Ember can counter heroic figures recreated through Secret Speech: its power over death reduces the historically preserved impressions invoked by Heroic Poem to ash. 691
• A nominally high order does not guarantee effective combat use. Prince Jabs received Fourth Order Alien Star power through a forced ritual but lacked the training and control to wield it efficiently. 274 276

Role in Society

Those who cultivated the same Aspect Power historically gathered to exchange knowledge, forming the earliest schools. 4

• Castle underpins royal authority: towns and villages use Castle arrays built around pillars, towers, walls, and castles to create barriers that deter wild creatures possessing Aspect Power. 4
• The Mage Alliance developed unified standards for rune formats, secret-technique grades, and academy divisions, concentrating particularly on Castle, Secret Speech, and Gold Steam. 176
• Secret Speech specializes in history, memory, records, codices, and information. It is weak as a direct primary combat path but highly compatible with other Aspects and with the Mage Alliance's rune-based spell system. 341 430
• Secret Speech can reproduce many spell effects through runes, though spells constructed through it are usually substantially weaker than the same effects cast through a dedicated Aspect. 406
• At high orders, Secret Speech can record memories, sensations, behavioral patterns, and responses in physical containers, allowing mechanical puppets to act according to engraved information. 379
• Secret Speech can transmit sensations between a practitioner and a controlled puppet, enabling remote observation and command. Beyond individuals, its preservation and circulation of history and legend help shape a society's shared identity. 385
• Gold Steam concerns transforming and reforging the world. Developed by alchemists, it also supports fields such as extraordinary cooking and the Mage Alliance's machinery. 163 470
• In the Mage Alliance, Castle authority may be attached to an office rather than permanently bestowed upon its holder. A scepter can carry the office's rank, allowing its holder to wield the power when needed without continually affecting their personal Aspect. 585
• Practitioners seeking Fifth Order composite advancement benefit from established schools' records, resources, and tested Class paths; smaller organizations and unaffiliated mages have less support against the dangers of fusion. 640