Heightening

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Heightening is a term used to refer to the different levels of power an Awakener may attain by accepting more Breath. Each level grants with it new abilities and powers. As the awakener increases in power, so too does the number of Breaths required to reach the next Heightening.

The Heightenings, while commonly discussed as discrete entities, are in fact merely markers of a continuous progression. Each Breath gathered increases an Awakener's power, giving greater color discrimination or more robust health for example and the heightenings merely mark the point at which these assorted abilities reach their full potential. So, for example, an awakener with 100 breaths has a much better musical ear than an ordinary person while still not having reached the perfect pitch that characterizes the second heightening.

First Heightening

The First Heightening grants Aura Recognition, the ability to see the Breath auras of others instinctively. This allows them to judge roughly how many Breaths the person holds and the general health of that Breath.

Requires - Approx. 50 Breaths

Second Heightening

The Second Heightening grants Perfect Pitch to those who receive it.

Requires - Approx. 200 Breaths

Third Heightening

The Third Heightening grants Perfect Color Recognition, the ability to instantly and instinctively determine exact shades of colors and their hue harmonics.

Requires - Approx. 600 Breaths

Fourth Heightening

The Fourth Heightening grants Perfect Life Sense, the ability to instinctively sense other people around you. Drabs are not detectable though.

Requires - Approx. 1,000 Breaths

Fifth Heightening

The Fifth Heightening grants Agelessness; an Awakener's resistance to aging and disease reaches its maximum strength. These persons are immune to most toxins, including the effects of alcohol, and most physical ailments. (Such as headaches, diseases, and organ failure.) The person no longer ages, and becomes functionally immortal.

Requires - Approx. 2,000 Breaths

Note: Returned achieve the Fifth Heightening by virtue of their Breath. They do not actually receive two thousand Breaths when they Return, but instead receive a single, powerful Breath, which brings with it the powers of the first five Heightenings.

Sixth Heightening

The Sixth Heightening grants Instinctive Awakening, the ability to immediately understand and use basic Awakening Commands without training or practice. More difficult commands are easier for them to master and to discover.

Requires - Approx. 3,500 Breaths

Seventh Heightening

The Seventh Heightening grants Invested Breath Recognition, the ability to recognize the auras of objects, and can tell when something has been Invested with Breath via Awakening.

Requires - Approx. 5,000 Breaths

Note: Reaching above the Sixth Heightening is incredibly rare, and so few people understand the powers of the Seventh Heightening and above. Very little research has been done.

Eighth Heightening

The Eighth Heightening grants Command Breaking, the ability to override Commands in other Invested objects, including Lifeless. This requires concentration and leaves the Awakener exhausted.

Requires - Approx. 10,000 Breaths

Note: The only known people ever to reach the Eighth Heightening and above are the Hallandren God Kings.

Ninth Heightening

The Ninth Heightening grants Greater Awakening, the ability to Awaken stone and steel, though doing so requires large Investitures of Breath and specialized Commands. This ability has not been studied or confirmed.

The Ninth Heightening also grants Audible Command, the ability to Awaken objects that they are not physically touching, but that are within the sound of their voice.

Requires - Approx. 20,000 Breaths

Tenth Heightening

The Tenth Heightening grants Color Distortion, the natural and intrinsic ability to bend light around white objects, creating colors from them as if from a prism.

The Tenth Heightening also grants Perfect Invocation, the ability to draw more color from the objects they use to fuel their art. This leaves objects drained to white, rather than grey.

A third ability granted is the ability to give commands mentally, called Mental Command, although this is said to be difficult to learn. This is the ability that allowed the God Kings of Hallandren to pass on their breaths after their tongues were removed.

There are rumors of other powers granted by the Tenth Heightening which are not understood or have not been made known by those who have achieved it.

Requires - Approx. 50,000 Breaths

Notes

The numbers given above are only estimates, as very little is known about the upper Heightenings. Indeed, even for lower levels, fewer or more Breaths may be required to achieve a given Heightening, depending on circumstances and the strength of the Breath.