Specializations#
not essences
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Article is missing information.
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Article contains spoilers: Full Series
Introduction#
A specialization is the foundational element of truly utilizing the Governance and is somewhat analogous to the RPG concept of a class. The key difference is that instead of being based upon a profession, these specializations are based on a concept. For example, a specialization concept of “feast,” could mean a literal feast- the result being a cook of some sort- or a feast of some other thing, such as life force, resulting in some manner of life-leeching combat specialization. Usually, these are far more complex, resulting in specialized roles such as ‘Balancebringer’ and ‘Felborn.’
The potential to activate a specialization is always inside a Kaalvalese native. This requires a special ritual - the Governance was designed this way to gatekeep power to responsible people, so that four year olds weren’t blowing themselves up on the street. Predictably, this has caused some groups to gatekeep specializations entirely, not allowing people to have coordinated ability sets that made full use of the Governance.
The ritual allows the user to pick a base specialization concept that they have previously been exposed to. Elemental concepts such as water are predictably common, and so are various sentience-based concepts like truth and judgement. Harder to come by are things like magic or reality, which indicates a user who spent a lot of time around powerful metaphysical energies.
Specializations can be further refined by absorbing manifestations, various objects containing concentrated ‘concept.’ Manifestations are products of the Governance, created by manipulating ambient aura into solid objects held together with Governance cores. They form in places where there has been an overflow of some concept. Manifestations are more powerful depending on how large an overflow is. For example, the concept “Internecion” could occur during a war of nuclear proportions. “Fire” could occur in a burnt down house, while “Inferno” could appear down in the deepest depths of a volcano. Absorbing these requires a ritual and is how people attain complex specializations. The Governance allows variation such as this because it recognizes the benefits of versatility. Making all fae uniformly powerful would be detrimental to their future performance.
Without a specialization, a user may still level and use other aspects of the Governance. However, their abilities and other aspects will not lean towards a theme or synergize with each other, leading to an overall less efficient power set.