PULSE:
Pulse is the reactive force produced by the death of living beings, notably monsters and highly saturated humans. It is both created and claimed by violent means.
When a creature dies, its Pulse explodes like a storm. The killing blow claims it.
The Pulse enters the killer's body directly, burning through veins, nerves, and memories. You either integrate it or be torn apart. (suggestion revision: When a creature dies, its Pulse erupts like a storm. The killer who lands the final blow claims it.
Once claimed, the Pulse doesn't linger—it surges into the killer's body like fire, searing through veins, nerves, and even memories. You either integrate it… or it tears you apart.
OVERCONSUMPTION:
Over-consuming Pulse has the chance to corrupt one's heart (or core), turning the user into a Hollowed—a monstrous, lost being.
PULSE ABSORPTION:
As mentioned previously, only the killing blow captures the Pulse
- No sharing
- The full Pulse rush goes to the one who lands the final strike.
- Others may receive only residual energy, commonly known as a ghost pulse—a weak trace, often too small to advance with.
Pulse Yield Scales Based On:
- Total damage dealt.
- Threat level of the opponent
- Efficiency of the kill (clean vs. wasteful)
- Relative power gap between killer and target
Absorbing a powerful Pulse while being too weak can trigger Overburn, resulting in seizures, permanent damage, or grotesque mutations. Growth isn't always clean. Often, it scars.
Pulse theft (kill stealing) is regarded as a serious crime in most societies. Some even treat it as a personal betrayal or grounds for exile.
PROGRESSION:
Characters ascend through Pulse-based ranks as they absorb more and refine their combat ability. Pulse requirements vary depending on the person's inherent attribute type—Utility-types need less Pulse than Combat-types and Sorcery-types.
Ranks + Pulse Requirement:
Dormant (0) - 0 Pulse
Ignited (I) - 50 to 100 Pulse
Resonant (II) - 500 to 1,000 Pulse
Marked (III) - 2,000 to 5,000 Pulse
Titan (IV) - 10,000 to 25,000 Pulse
Paragon (V) - 50,000 to 99,999 Pulse
Eidolon (VI) - 100,000+ Pulse
Malakh (VII) - 10,000,000+ Pulse
OVERBURN:
Overburn occurs when a person absorbs too much Pulse at once, especially from targets far above their current level.
Effects of Overburn:
Disorientation – Pulse shocks the nervous system, causing temporary confusion or loss of motor control.
Burnout – Physical degradation from overload: burns, lacerations, internal strain, and extreme fatigue.
Mental Weakening – Pulse overloads the mind. Can cause hallucinations, mania, even permanent personality shifts.
Fatal Overburn – In extreme cases, the body combusts or collapses from within.
Managing Overburn:Smart fighters regulate their intake, absorbing Pulse slowly and in manageable chunks. Others? They tank it all and hope they don't explode.
(If you survive... maybe you're just him.)
INHERENT ATTRIBUTES:
Inherent Attributes are personal abilities shaped by one's identity—who they are at the core. These are tailored to the individual, often manifesting symbolically. Attributes fall into three main types:
Utility-Type Attributes:
The backbone of any group. Utility users are known for their adaptability, strategic depth, and are practically built for synergy. These skills are geared toward sensing, supporting, manipulating environments, and enhancing Pulse flow in others.
Characteristics: Analytical thinking, empathy, creativity
Abilities may include:
- Healing
- Energy restoration (improving others' ability to harness their Pulse effectively)
- Environmental manipulation (landscape altering).
- Communication-based qualities (telepathy, detection)
Extremely essential in team operations—shifting the tide, saving lives, or breaking open opportunities. Out of all three inherent attributes, Utility-type requires the least amount of Pulse.
Combat-Type Attributes:
Combat-type attributes display the raw and often unpredictable nature of Pulse, which is distinct to each individual. These aren't generic abilities; they're intensely personal, symbolic, and occasionally mythic in their appearance and use.
Characteristics: Strong will to overcome, destroy, and endure.
Powers may feel developed from:
- Bloodlines
- Emotional Trauma
- Spiritual Will
Manifestations can be strange, surreal, or sacred. These are the wild cards, the juggernauts, the ones you see coming from across the battlefield.
Sorcery-Type Attributes:
Sorcery is the manipulation of raw Pulse energy in its most abstract, mysterious, and dangerous state. These powers bend reality, following ritualistic or instinctive logic, and come with great risks.
Characteristics: Arises in people who are incredibly talented and have very, very high potential for growth.
Powers may develop from:
- Heritage
- Environmental Influence
- Religion
Reality warpers, anomaly weavers, and chaos insurgents. Sorcery is for the chosen and the cursed.