Difference between revisions of "Awakening"

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'''Awakening''' is the art of combining color, [[BioChromatic Breath]] ('''"Breath"'''), and an Awakening [[Command]] in order to animate an object, resulting in one of four types of [[BioChromatic_Breath#Types_of_BioChromatic_entities|BioChromatic entities]]. It is a manifestation of Investiture on [[Nalthis]]. Each Nalthian is born with one Breath, which they may choose to give away to another person, increasing his number of Breath. The more Breath one has, the more types of Awakening can be performed.
 
The process of Awakening begins when an [[Awakener]] releases some of their stored Breath into an object through the use of a Command. While doing so, the Awakener must also be in physical contact with a source of color (e.g. a piece of dyed cloth). If the Command is valid and is correctly visualized in the Awakener's mind, then color is drained from the color source and the target object becomes '''Awakened'''. It then proceeds to carry out the Command.
 
== BioChromatic Breath ==
Each Nalthian is born with one [[Breath]], which he may choose to give away to another person, increasing that person's number of Breath.
 
The more Breath one has, the easier it is to Awaken, and the more types of Awakening can be performed. Some feats of Awakening can only be performed when a certain [[Heightening]] has been reached.
 
[*]At the '''Sixth Heightening''' (~3500 Breaths), basic Awakening Commands become instinctive.
 
[*]At the '''Eighth Heightening''' (~10000 Breaths), the Awakener can override the Commands of Awakened objects.
 
[*]At the '''Ninth Heightening''' (~20000 Breaths), Awakening inorganic objects become possible.
 
[*] Finally, at the '''Tenth Heightening''' (~50000 Breaths), the Awakener gains the ability to drain more color from objects to fuel more powerful Awakenings, as well as the ability to issue Commands mentally.
 
== Color as fuel ==
*"Fight for me, as if you were me"
 
Other Commands may be simple -sounding but require a greater degree of mental control such as "Fetch keys" or "Find tunnels". Both of these Commands appear simple, but the visualizations required are actually quite complex.
 
There are places that use Awakened objects as a source of energy and industry.{{qa ref|590|34}}
On the other hand, closer proximity to a living form makes it harder to retrieve Breaths from an Awakened host. For example, one generally can no longer recover the Breaths one used on a corpse.
 
In between the two extremes of inorganic objects and dead bodies, there are also organic objects that are far removed from having been alive, things like organic textiles (e.g. cloth, rope, etc.). These have the advantage of requiring less Breath to Awaken than inorganic objects while at the same time allowing for Breath recovery. Such objects are called '''Type III BioChromatic entities''', and are understandably the most common type of BioChromatic host entities created. However, using other types of objectshosts can also be Awakenedvery useful.
 
=== Dead bodies ===
 
When a Nalthian dies, there is a small chance that his corpse will spontaneously Awaken in an apparently spontaneous manner as a sentient host called a [[Returned]], also known as a '''Type I BioChromatic entity'''. The Breath hosted by a Returned comes directly from the Shard [[Endowment]] through a process that is not yet clear.
 
Most of the time, however, dead bodies only Awaken during the process of creating non-sentient [[Lifeless]], or '''Type II BioChromatic entities'''. These creatures are made via complex Commands that reanimate a dead person or animal. These Commands are guarded closely by those who know them.
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