Tribulation (Part 1 Redux) [OOC]

A
Aether - The element. Capitalized. Aether is a combination of all twelve base elements into one combination of pure energy. Only Sagens are able to conjure Aether, as you must have mastered each of the twelve base elements, and only a few Sagens can actually control Aether's destructive properties.

Air - The element. Capitalized. Those that can control Air have the ability to manipulate wind patterns and gases containing oxygen. Skilled Sagestics can use Air to levitate light objects or even themselves.

Aurens - A race of supernatural humans that have the ability to create pure energy out of nothing. Each Auren's energy output will symbolize their personality. For instance, red output can be related to being passionate, or wrathful.

The Aurens have been around as long as the Sagestics (circa 200 AD). Before the crusades the two races were strong allies. The Aurens were dedicated to keeping what was left of a destabilizing Roman empire alive by quelling religious rivalries amongst the many pagan belief systems. The Aurens began to see that religion in general was one of Rome's largest problems, and began to formulate ways to see to it that the empire never instated an official religion. Unfortunately, very few of their efforts succeeded and when Constantine the Great issued the Edict of Milan in 313, the Aurens gave up their efforts and remained silent.

It wasn't until October 2, 1187, when Saladin successfully took Jerusalem by siege, that the Aurens broke their friendship with the Sagestics, blaming them for "religious chaos that was engulfing the world". Since that day, both races have been colliding in underground wars.

B
Base Elements - A term used in reference to the twelve common supernatural elements. These are Fire, Water, Earth, Air, Lightning, Light, Dark, Spirit, Sonic, Metal, Nature, and Time.

D
Dark - The element. Capitalized. Those that can control Dark have the ability to create and manipulate dark matter. This is not to be confused with anti-matter.

Death - The element. Capitalized. Death came into existence as a result of Trigger's physical death after Jason defeated him using the powerful Infusion machine in Syrah. It is not yet understood how this resulted. Just as Jason is the only one who can currently control Aether, Trigger is the only being that can control, even conjure, Death. Yet, he can only do so when his spirit has possessed the body of another human being.

Death is a smoky, black matter that can cancel out Aether without canceling out itself. Because of this, Death is believed to be an unbeatable element. However, Enova is far more powerful and can do to Death what Death does to Aether.

E
Earth - The element. Capitalized. Those that can control Earth have the ability to manipulate soil, rock/stone, and natural metals (i.e. iron).

Echo Realm - The echo realm is an alternate reality that mirrors the real world. Those that frequent the realm often describe it to others as a "living painting", where the colors of the world are constantly moving in brush-like patterns, as if being blown by an eternal wind. The realm was called "echo" because of the eerie voices that seem to circulate throughout the world. Listen closely and you might here the echo of someone you once knew.

Even though the realm is not the real world, it is somehow physically connected. Whatever happens in the echo realm, such as moving a chair or opening a door, will happen in the real world; hence its explanation as being a "mirror". The only way in and out of an echo realm is via portals created by Sonic.

Enova - The element. Capitalized. Also known as Heaven's Element, Enova is the power of the angels. Sky blue in color, with trace amounts of electrical output, this energy's true potential is largely unknown to humans. In fact, few are even aware of its existence. The Illuminati have kept a vial of actual Enova matter, a rare substance that leads to theories about Enova's hidden attributes, hidden for centuries. The matter was discovered by the alchemist Nicolas Flamel, who later entrusted it to the brotherhood. Physical contact with active Enova matter will grant the subject the ability to wield it as an element.

Enova is the only element that can cancel out Death; and doing so will not cancel out itself.

F
Fire - The element. Capitalized. ...

I
Infusion - Capitalized. The supernatural process of granting "immortality" to a human being and granting one the ability to use elementalism. Infusion is achieved only in Syrah by the process of injecting massive amounts of Spirit and Light energy into a person using an ancient device designed by the first Sagestics. The device looks like a cannon in comparison, using several mirrors to deflect rays of Spirit and Light energy from skilled Sagens into the center of the cannon, where an unknown artifact magnifies the power before it is fired at the target subject.

Once Infused, the new Sagestic no longer ages, and can no longer die of illness and disease. They can, however, die during battle or other physical force.

L
Light - The element. Capitalized. Those that can control Earth have the ability to create and manipulate light waves. Magnification of the energy of these waves can turn a beam of light it into a devastatingly powerful weapon.

Lightning - The element. Capitalized. Those that can control Lightning have the ability to create and manipulate electricity.

Light Teleportation - Not as commonly used as phasing, teleporting on light waves was a method discovered in 1812, when a Light Sage secretly participating in the second war between the newly founded United States and Britain accidentally materialized his body into microscopic particles of light energy and merged them with the natural light waves in the environment. It is not yet known how the conscious mind continues to function in this state, or how one is able to move their light particles.

Lux Veritatus - A 12th century offshoot of the Knights Templar; the Lux Veritatus became a secret society that devoted themselves to battling the dark arts. Immensely more powerful in the modern age today, the society still remains underground, but have infiltrated the higher echelons of government entities to ensure balance. The Lux Veritatus is the last line of political defense that the Sagestics have. However, if the Veritatus continue to openly defend the race against media pressure, they may lose all of their political power with one faulty decision.

It is the Veritatus that first prophesied the coming of an innocent child that would spell the end for evil on earth. This child was originally thought to be Jason when he became the first Sagen to master Aether, as well as defeat Trigger. But now that centuries have passed with the world's darkness growing ever more profound, the society still awaits the fulfillment of this age-old prophecy.

M
Metal - The element. Capitalized. Where the Earth element allows the user to manipulate "natural metals", the more complex and specified Metal element allows the user to manipulate metallic elements that have been altered by mankind to the extent that Earth no longer has any ability to control it (i.e. carbon fiber). Metal Sagestics can also control natural metals like iron.

N
Nature - The element. Capitalized. Those that can control Nature have the ability to manipulate the earth's vegetation and wildlife (i.e. animals/mammals, etc.).

P
Phasing - The supernatural process of teleportation. This method is more common that light teleportation, and is used quite often as both a means of fast travel and quick maneuvering in the heat of battle. Each phase increases the heart rate, requiring physical stamina. Consistent back-to-back phasing can prove to be lethal or even incapacitate the subject.

The tell-tale signs of a phasing are trickles of black of smoke around the subject, and the sound and feel of a light gush of air in the vicinity. Phase time from one location to another depends on the distance from the point "a" to point "b". Within a few miles the phase is instantaneous; but if the distance from, for instance, the north pole to the south pole, it may take several seconds for the subject to materialize in the new location. While materialization is instant, the "lag" between dematerialization and materialization is where the dependence on actual distance comes into play.

In order to phase to a location, the subject must be familiar with the area he or she is phasing to. First attempts usually leave the subject with a heavy feeling of nausea, called phase sickness. This may last anywhere from a few minutes to several hours.

S
Sagestics - A race of elementals divided into two classes. A Sage (the first class) is able to control one to eleven elements. A Sagen (the second class) is able to control all twelve base elements. Sagestics are first granted, upon Infusion, the ability to control one element based on their personality (similar to how an Auren's energy output is compared to their personality). For example, a Sage that is generous, soft-hearted, and caring may be granted the ability to control Spirit. This first element learned is called the signature element.

The Sagestics lived at peace with the Aurens until Saladin took Jerusalem in 1187. They believe that the Aurens blamed them for the "chaos" because of their choice to meddle beneath the temple of Solomon with the Templars during the crusades rather than protect pilgrim Christians as they had originally promised. It is speculated that this only enraged the Aurens, who already despised the idea of organized religion, and caused the alliance to fail.

Sagestics are primarily Christian, but incorporate the ideas of several denominations in their practice; preferring to not "put God in a bottle". Along with being trained in controlling the elements, Sages and Sagens are encouraged to practice theology, but not be taught it, nor teach it. Instead, they are encouraged to simply share it; listening to others before voicing what they believe in.

Shadow Realms - A shadow realm, like the echo realm, is an alternate reality; however the shadow realms have no physical connection to the real world. The physical laws of a shadow realm will vary. Some realms may have the same laws as the real world, while others may have completely different laws. The main access to a shadow realm is via a portal created by Light; however many supernaturals simply phase into realms they are familiar with.

Sonic - The element. Capitalized. Those that can control Sonic have the ability to manipulate sound waves. Magnification of the waves can result in a powerful offensive tactic.

Special Elements - A term used in reference to the three uncommon supernatural elements. These are Aether, Death, and Enova.

Spirit - Those that can control Spirit have the ability to manipulate the chi or supernatural energy of the soul. While often used for healing or meditative purposes, Spirit's abilities in combat in should not be underestimated, as the strength of the human spirit can take the form of powerful energy in the hands of the conjurer.

Supernatural - That which cannot be investigated empirically. Anything above or beyond what one holds to be natural or exists outside natural law and the observable universe (Webster's Dictionary). Throughout the Tribulation series this term is often used in reference to any race with abilities that are beyond typical human comprehension or defy natural law.

Syrah - The shadow realm home of the Sagestics. Syrah has very similar characteristics to earth, complete with mountains, forests, oceans, wildlife, etc. Much of Syrah reams unexplored as its only human inhabitants are the Sagestics themselves. The only civilization in Syrah is the Sagestic's headquarters, a fortress and city, often called the Citadel of Syrah. The focus of the complex is the extravagant sanctuary in the center.

T
Time - The element. Capitalized. Those that can control Time have the ability to manipulate the space-time continuum through different, but limited, methods. Time Sagestics may not be able to turn back or skip through time, nor pause it completely, but they can often peek into the near future. A Time Sagestic, in battle, can create physical and controlled lapses in the continuum, often in the form of spheres, where, on the inside, time is broken and non-existent. Objects inside will move at various speeds, or maybe not at all. This can give Sagestics skilled with Time the advantage of speed by shaping these anomalies into paths or wormholes.

W
Water - The element. Capitalized. ...

Jason
Jason (last name is unknown) is the main protagonist of the series and is supposedly 500 years old, but was Infused at the age of 14. Don't be too quick to judge his youthful appearance, however, as his wisdom far surpasses that of the other elders in the Sagestic Council. Jason is the only Sagen with the ability to control Aether, one of the three special elements and a combination of all twelve base elements. Jason used Aether to severely weaken Trigger in the epic battle at the end of Delavega, the first part of the series. Ever since, Jason has been regarded as powerful figurehead amongst the Sagestics. Jason is also takes it upon himself to personally oversee the training of each new Sage and becomes Alex's personal mentor and close friend in Tribulation.

Alex Conner
Alex Conner is Jason's protégé, and possibly his successor. Terrance was tasked with finding and recruiting Alex, a mission that turned into a near catastrophe when McClone interfered at Alex's high school. Alex is 14, the same age as Jason was when he was Infused, and is often confused as Jason's own brother, when in actuality, there is no blood relation and Jason does not have any living relatives. Andrew, one of Terrance's friends, had two distinct visions of Alex in the prequel Plans for You, each revealing that Alex may soon come to have power equal to, or possibly greater than, Jason's own.

Terrance Sinclair (Starring The Ghost Writer)
Stylish, handsome, and cunning, Mr. Sinclair represents the next-generation of Sagestics, choosing to blend in with humans and living amongst them without drawing too much attention to his abilities. Terrance was in his mid-thirties when he was Infused back in the 1930's during the Great Depression era of America. He found a new life amongst the elementals and gradually prospered. When the underground wars between the Aurens and Sagestics breached the ignorance of the world's population, however, Terrance chose to stop wearing his robes and go with the current fashion to blend in and stay out of the way of discrimination and hatred. Easy-to-say, Terrance dislikes being different and will casually side-step any confrontation when possible. However, when the time calls for it, his skills as a Sagen will make him a valuable ally, or an extremely dangerous enemy.

Shemhazai
Shemhazai is one of the fallen angels that sided with Lucifer after the war in heaven. He loves to boast about his role in leading a sect of 200 fallen angels to earth to mate with women and give birth to the hybrid off-spring of human and angel known as the Nephilim. This psychotic father will stop at nothing to give the world to his children and completely revive the extinct race. (see this wiki article for more information)

Lucy
Lucy's true affiliation as a demon is never known in the series, but throughout Tribulation she constantly manipulates Dodger, feeding off of his emotions and seducing him with her beauty. Lucy is connected to Dodger by a shadow chain, a bond that cannot be easily broken. Dodger speculates that the chain was created after the death of his parents (caused by his use of dark alchemy), which he blames himself for.

Dodger
The anti-hero of Tribulation, Dodger is a valued and vulnerable victim Trigger's possessions. Dodger grew up as the son of two extremely wealthy parents, but his aristocratic lifestyle came to an abrupt end when his practice with alchemy ended up costing the lives of his mother and father in a freak accident. Having no other family that would take him, Dodger secluded himself to his parent's manor and continued to study his alchemy alone, until he discovered that a demon, Lucy, had chained herself to him. Dodger attends the same high school as Alex, but the two never meet until Terrance and McClone both come searching for Alex. Despite Lucy's disapproval, Dodger sees an opportunity to redeem himself and uses his alchemical abilities to assist Terrance in holding off McClone until a portal could be opened to safely transport Alex into Syrah. From there, Dodger chooses to assist the Sagestics, but Trigger begins to manipulate his thoughts and dreams more frequently, causing him to become more vulnerable to full possessions.

Maka
Even though she's older than Jason, Maka never cared to take the time to learn the other elements, and thus, technically, remains a Sage. However, Maka is known as the master of the Earth and Nature elements, and commands them with ease and elegance. Maka helped Jason during the epic battle against Trigger 500 years ago in Syrah, and still remains a true friend, ready to answer the call when her help is once again needed. In the original Tribulation Maka and Dodger developed a romantic relationship as she helped him overcome his internal struggles with Trigger, standing by him until the end. Will the same bond be there in the revised edition?

Trigger
[No Image] Trigger is the dark alchemist that Jason supposedly defeated in Delavega, the first part of the series. However, Trigger's death was only physical, and his cursed spirit had remained to roam the earth for over 500 years until gaining enough power to possess others and toy with their minds. He chose to carry on his mischief inside Dodger, frequently possessing him, because of Dodger's unique skills with the same ancient alchemy that he had used before the battle with Jason. Dodger's own self-pity over his parents' deaths makes him extremely vulnerable to Trigger's full-body possessions. Furthermore, just as Jason has the unique ability to conjure and control Aether, Trigger's death resulted in the creation of the Death element, which only he can control when he has a body to possess. Death can cancel out Aether and is more powerful, but one other special element, which remains to be discovered, can cancel out Death.