System of Powers

This page describes how abilities and powers generally work in the Storyverse, as well as within most Stories in the Storyverse. They range from magical abilities to those that are effectively superpowers.

Elements, Crafts, and Aspects
A element is something that is controlled by an ability or power. These can range from traditional elements like fire and water, to more unusual things like sugar and rainbows. A craft is more like a category of human-made objects that can be controlled, altered, summoned, etc. via an ability, such as swords, shoes, drinks, books, and so on.

The term aspect is typically only used in reference to Celestirits or other powerful deities. An aspect can be used to refer to elements and crafts, but they can also be very abstract compared to elements and crafts. Examples of aspects include emotions, concepts, and other things that don't quite fit under the terms element or craft.

The following categories detail ways in which elements, crafts, and aspects can be manipulated via certain types of abilities. Note that control over an aspect in particular, in ways other than total control, is very rare in the Storyverse setting.

Mancies
From the suffix -mancy, meaning "prophecy", these are general magical abilities related to control over a particular element or craft. Mancies tend to be limited by the user's own magical energy, though it allows for manifesting the element or craft out of thin air if the user is strong enough for such magic. Users can learn multiple types of mancies, though some may only be specialized in one or two types. Note that having a mancy for magic in general (known as magimancy) is also possible, though this is fairly rare, not to mention difficult to fully master. Users can also learn and develop many spells and rituals for a given type of mancy.

Kineses
(Singular: kinesis) From the suffix -kinesis, meaning "movement", these are essentially psychic powers. Unlike mancies, only a few rare types of kineses will allow for manifesting the element or craft out of nothing, such as pyrokinesis and cryokinesis. These abilities rely on the user's mental energy, and having good focus and concentration is a big key in perfecting one's control over a kinesis. Users can learn multiple types of kineses, though it tends to be much harder to do than with learning multiple mancies. Some may even have an affinity for a particular type of kinesis.

Note that psychic abilities like telepathy, astral projection, and remote viewing count as kineses in the Storyverse setting, they simply have alternate names to fit with the -kinesis pattern. For example, telepathy is ideakinesis (idea + kinesis), astral projection is animakinesis (soul + kinesis), and remote viewing is oculukinesis (vision + kinesis). Things like clairvoyance and retrocognition/precognition are more under the category of scopies.

Tropies
From the suffix -tropy, meaning "to turn/change", these are abilities related to simply moving an existing element or craft. They are more or less similar to what are knowing as "bending" abilities in certain franchises outside of the Storyverse articles. Tropies do not allow for manifesting elements/crafts out of thin air at all, and thus there must be a preexisting source for a tropy to work. In the case of crafts, people with tropies can enchant objects of their craft so that they can summon them later. The number of items that can be summoned and then manipulated at once depends on the skill of the user.

These abilities rely on physical movements and energy in order to work, and so a person will not be able to use a tropy while physically too tired. A person with a tropy ability can learn multiple tropies, though it gets harder to learn more as a person gains more tropies under their control. The upper limit seems to be around 10. Trying to push oneself to learn more than that tends to have terrible consequences to a person's wellbeing.

Scopies
From the suffix -scopy, meaning "to observe", these are abilities related to predicting the future or otherwise obtaining some sort of information from observing/interacting with something. This can range from tea leaves to the movement of clouds. These abilities do not use up any sort of energy like the others, but need preparation and concentration in order to pull off. Even then, it can take great practice for a person to use this type of ability for accurate predictions. Most users are not born with a scopy, and must instead train to use one. However, the training and concentration needed tends to be very difficult to master, and only a rare few tend to have even one scopy ability, let alone multiple.

Opias
From the suffix -opia, used to denote something related to eyes, these are abilities that are also known as various forms of "eye magic", although they do not use up magical energy like proper mancies do. Instead, they actually use up magical, mental, and physical energies together, though to most people they will just feel very tired in general after using an opia ability.

How an opia works is that a user's eyes change color and sometimes shape, and while changed the user can use a specific form of ability. There is no limit on the user of this type of ability as long as the user's eyes are changed. However, the eyes can only stay changed like that for a certain amount of time. The time can be extended with training, but otherwise forcing the opia to stay active runs a risk of permanent eye damage. Short bursts of use are usually fine, but also run the risk of damaging the user if they end up too strenuous. In general, opias are safe to activate as long as the user isn't too tired (basically making sure they have enough magical, mental, and physical energies to handle this).

Other than that, each person can have only one particular type of opia, and can't learn or gain any others. There are even opias for magic in general, as well as psychic powers. Opias are the main form of ability in the Euphoric Melancholy Story, though it can also be found in a few others.

Powers
This is a general term for what are essentially superpowers. Flight, heat vision, super strength, and so on. While there is no limit to their actual use, each power also usually comes with a weakness. For example, a person with flame powers may become weakened when exposed to water. The weakness need not always be thematically related to their given power, but it usually is. Even if it isn't, it can still be debilitating to the user. A person can have multiple powers and multiple weaknesses, though in most cases a power user would just have one of each. Some powers can be exchanged or obtained, but most are genetic abilities that are inherited.

Total Control
This category of abilities is where a person or being has complete control over an element/craft/aspect. There are no downsides or limitations, the user can both manifest the element/craft/aspect out of thin air and control a preexisting source, and in some cases the element/craft/aspect will 'obey' the user and do as they say. In essence, a person or being having total control over an element/craft/aspect means they are effectively a god/goddess/deity of it.

As such, total control is usually only seen in actual deities, or in individuals who have gained a considerable amount of power. If a being can use an aspect as part of their powers, it's usually with total control.