MAGIC

Magic being integral to the setting of Finding Sanctuary means a WHOLE PAGE OF INFO for all who are playing to refer to! Yay! 

Within this page are explanations on magic signatures, mutation levels, power types, sensitivity, the nuances of shapeshifting magic and an explanation on true mutants versus synthetic mutants -- as well as how it works overall! If you have any questions or need elaboration on any of the topics covered here, feel free to ask in the help desk or make a ticket with our team and we'll help you!

HOW MAGIC WORKS

In the world of Finding Sanctuary, magic is everywhere. What is known to us as ambient radiation, within Finding Sanctuary it is magic, and is what sustains your character's abilities if they have one. In Finding Sanctuary there are no spells, no wizards. There is no such thing as "fire magic" or "ice magic". Magic is magic, and powers are just magic that is manifesting a certain way. Therefore, what magic you and the other players' characters will have will be a magic exclusive to them and ONLY them or their families. Powers in this universe are passed through family ties, they're genetic in nature and made to evolve and get stronger as time goes on. From when magic was first discovered, magic abilities in the human population of the planet have increased in power. With each generation of children, more magic is passed down within the family and as time goes on magical traits mutate and change, becoming something new. These traits are now known to scientists as magic signatures.

MAGIC SIGNATURES

Like a fingerprint, everyone in Thalos and beyond has a magic signature. They are not tangible to most, and are best described as the way the body USES raw magic to regulate itself. Whether it comes out in the form of Cryokinesis or Gecko Physiology, it does not matter; the moment magic manifests outside the person using it, they are considered to have a magic signature. These signatures are passed down genetically, can skip generations and rarely mutate into something completely new. They are unique to every individual and get stronger over time for those who are true mutants. Synthetic mutants also have magic signatures, but due to not passively drawing in magic, they cannot always be tracked. 

As magic signatures are fingerprint levels of unique, they cannot easily be copied. The best being achieved is but a shallow imitation of the real thing.

TRUE MUTANTS vs. SYNTHETIC MUTANTS

While nobody in Thalos really wants to be a true mutant, a new fashion that has arisen in the wake of the creation of Nectar -- a substance comprised of almost purely magic -- allows you to temporarily become a mutant. 

Often considered controversial by traditionalists within Thalosian society, Synthetic mutants are capable of using magic much like a true mutant with one limitation: they do not passively attain the magic, they must ingest it or absorb it in a far more direct way. This means that they need more of it in order to activate their magic. This is why bars and high end pubs, while you can get a drink with nectar in it, there is only enough for magic buzz -- around 1-2%, as opposed to nectar's 80%+ depending on the batch. 

Synthetic mutants have more freedoms than true mutants, but like any other person with powers, require a chip and tattoo for their safety. 

True mutants, as mentioned, passively draw magic! They actually require it in order to live, otherwise they get sick. A deficiency in magic is common in and around the Slums. Some mutants have chips that draw magic AWAY from them, so they cannot use their abilities as effectively. This prevents any sort of overload of magic for the mutants within Thalos' walls -- the other extreme to magic. An overload renders a true mutant incapable of controlling their magic and can in some cases result in hospitalization or death. More often than not, overloads occur through mutants with a high sensitivity ingesting nectar when they shouldn't...

SENSITIVITY

Because of the way Synthetic mutants get their powers, they primarily differ from true mutants through their sensitivity to magic. Sensitivity is what determines how or the extent magic effects them. It's what determines how your character's body regulates and intakes magic. This magic can come from ambient magic or from something more direct like Nectar or someone's power. Because it actively corresponds to how your character's body reacts to magic, in some way it'll determine the way your character can look in terms of mutations. 

Typically scientists rate sensitivity on a scale of one to ten. 10 being very high sensitivity, and one being the lowest. Normies often have a sensitivity of one (1) or two (2) at most, with minor mutations capable of manifesting due to genetics. Synthetic mutants can have a sensitivity level normally from 2 - 5, five being their cap as they're not able to passively burn magic they intake, or absorb it all the time like true mutants. True mutants, with their tendency to absorb the magic around them, must have a mutation level of four or higher, four being extremely low and minor for a true mutant. Only true mutants can top the scale at a sensitivity of ten.

MUTATIONS

Mutations are what the manifestations of a magic signature are casually referred to. The amount of mutations a person has and the type of mutations directly correspond to whatever your character's power is along with their sensitivity and age. Generally speaking, the higher your character's sensitivity is, the more mutated they will be as a result. Design wise, you can have a character with a sensitivity of ten be relatively normal in appearance, but you can also have them be affected by cosmetic mutations passed down through their family. Mutations like small tails, claws, sharper teeth, pointy ears, are all common examples of mutations you'll see in true mutants and synths alike. Normies can also have some passed down mutations to a minor degree, such as mildly tapered ears or a scale or two -- that's fine. As newer generations get stronger, that is something becoming more common. You can see a chart with more info about mutations here!

In terms of age, true mutants never stop mutating until they die. Generally their powers will come in full force from the age of five to twelve, strengthening through puberty and slowly getting stronger as they get older. But because their bodies passively take in magic, if their sensitivity is high enough, their body will burn off excess magic by mutating instead. This can lead to older characters tending to have stronger more pronounced mutations if their magic signature and genetics allow for it.

Sensitivity as a result of age can also happen, especially if some external catalyst (i.e. nectar) has accelerated the mutation process. A sudden influx of magic is enough to kick the true mutant's body into overdrive, and the body will do anything to survive the magic onslaught -- like mutate -- and some are lucky, alive but more mutated.

Others die. This is why a true mutant consuming nectar is so dangerous, and why they're prohibited from purchasing it anywhere.

POWERS AND ABILITIES

In Finding-Sanctuary, magic manifests in multiple different ways, and the Company has begun to categorize and label specific abilities in an attempt to understand them adequately. These abilities are distinctly different from one another and cannot combine one with the other.

ACTIVATOR ABILITIES

Activator abilities are what you'd typically expect from groups like this, and they're subsequently the most common form of magic found in the mutant populace. Things such terrakinesis, pyrokinesis, teleportation, telepathy -- anything that requires a person to consciously use their ability, of their own volition, would apply here!* The ability could be simplistic - such as super speed - or complex - such as ice manipulation, and they can also be as reactive or passive as the player desires; but at the end of the day, they all are activated in the same way -- through the character manipulating their ability in some shape or form.

Activator abilities can present in both True Mutants and Synthetic Mutants; the only difference is that Synths would need Nectar provided to be able to use their powers. Their magic also tends to be weaker in comparison to a True Mutant with the same ability, given their heavy reliance to nectar. In True Mutants, however, their magic's strength comes from their sensitivity levels. The higher one's sensitivity is, the stronger one's magic will manifest.

*Some passive abilities, if minor in terms of function, are still considered activator abilities for simplicity's sake.

If a character's magic does any of the following:

• Magic like pyrokinesis, terrakinesis, hydrokinesis -- where a character would have to use their mind to create and manipulate a substance.

• Abilities one can turn off and on at will, such as super speed, or super strength. 

• The ability can be a physical attribute that is summoned or created from magic, but if its always on the person (i.e. Wolverine's Bone Claws), they are NOT an activator ability but a physiological one.

Then they'd be labeled as a mutant with an Activator ability!

PHYSIOLOGY ABILITIES

Not all abilities are able to be controlled; in Finding-Sanctuary, some people's magic manifests into something more physical... What we refer to as a Physiological Ability. These are also straight-forward; a person with fox-like features and capabilities would be considered a Fox Physiology magic. Most mutants can have small minor mutations regardless of their abilities -- like small claws, fangs, etc. -- but if a person's body is drastically changed by their magic, it's labeled as a physiological mutation instead. 

Often, these abilities are related to other creatures, such as foxes as stated before, dogs, cats, whatever you can think of! However, sometimes these physiology mutations are as simple as large bone protrusions or very large ears to enhance hearing. It's all dependent on the magic you choose for your character. 

Physiology Abilities can only affect roughly 70% of the person's physical appearance, and must still be identifiable as a human. Just like any magic ability, they must have drawbacks too, such as things relating to their physiology! A mutant with bird physiology might have lighter, more hollow bones -- therefore, they'd be more fragile than other mutants but perhaps better at gliding in the air for short periods of time.

All that said, Physiology Abilities are allowed to affect the entire person, or even just specific limbs, such as the head, arms, or legs, if desired. It's all dependent on the ability and mutations. These abilities are rather new to the populace, and are still being studied by the Company to understand how they will affect and change the populace in the foreseeable future, and as such are not super common to see. (But by all means, feel free to do so! We don't have limits on how many people can use any sort of magic.)

If a character's magic does any of the following:

• Gives a character specific or drastic animalistic traits

• Has strange limb contortions, such as (but not limited to) large ears, bone protrusions, extra limbs of some sort.

• Parts of their body are strangely inhuman, such as skin that's covered in scales or hair that changes colours for example.

Then they'd be labeled as a mutant with a Physiology ability!

Please note that things relating to multiple tender body parts (such as multiple eyes) may fall under Physiology Abilities, but would not be able to survive day-to-day life because of their inability to protect these parts of their body easily. Mutants with these abilities do not survive past toddler stages due to their fragility.

SHAPESHIFTING

Most abilities in Finding Sanctuary are very straightforward. Shapeshifting... is complicated. 

Within this universe, due to the way magic works, there are two kinds of shapeshifting. The first is the Activator variant, with people who can shift into animals or enhance their abilities for a limited amount of time and on command. It can also be cancelled at any point the user wishes and the user is still capable of clear thought and direction, with mild instinctual influence dependent on the shapeshift at hand. This shapeshift is their primary ability, and like most magics is passed down in families. This means they can actually become crossbreeds, and almost false imitations of what creatures we know as myths. Activator type shifters can have small elements persistent in their original form (Ears. Eyes. Small claws...), but these mutations must remain small as they do not count as a physiology based ability. 

The second type of shift is something more lore heavy and complicated in terms of how it works, and these are called True Shifts. This variant of shapeshifting can skip generations, and only trigger in more recent generations because of sensitivity increases in mutants. This is because True Shifts are a way for the body of the mutant to burn off excess magic by completely changing the mutant into whatever its traits are based off of.  Because Physiology based mutants are mutated in a solely Physiology based aspect, they are historically more prone to triggering True Shifts as their magic has no other output. This is not to say that those with non-physiology type abilities like Pyrokinesis can't have True Shifts. This is because those with True Shifts have their primary ability as a direct CONSEQUENCE of their True Shift. The moment the primary ability is incapable of relieving the mutant of excess magic, whether it be from magic or an emotional flareup, a True Shift will trigger. While the Trueshifter is in a shifted state, they are incapable of using their activator ability if they have one as all their magic reserves are used to sustain their shifted form. 

These are painful, and hurt immensely, as the magic physically changes them into something different. Because of the massive draw of magic required for one of these shifts, a Sensitivity of nine or higher is required. Between the tendency for a true mutant to draw magic from its surroundings and the fact that True Shifts are a result of Magic Overload's release -- sometimes it can take a while for the afflicted mutant to change back. Individuals do retain their core personality, however their cognitive thought tends to be more simplistic, making them a liability on the field. Oftentimes after a shift, a mutant can suffer from amnesia during the shift, unable to remember anything that happened while shifted. Because of the risk that True Mutants, while their forms can be useful, pose -- they are considered a liability. Because they are not fully aware or simplistic and instinctive in thought, they can be denied missions by their direct superiors if their True Shift is known and documented and they have not been witness shifted in a long amount of time. This is to prevent the risk of uncontrollable shifting on the field and preventing that member from being incapacitated in combat as they shift. True shifters will take on all aspects of the form they originate from until their magic fades out and as such should have a canon spotter. It is recommended to play with friends if you have discussed with a mod and gotten approval of a True Shifting character, to prevent... injury on the field.

Please note that because of all this, a True Shifting character will need the following:

• A canon spotter for them to go onto the field with -- this would need to be another character in group! They will accompany the shifting character whether they're shifted or not.

• A sensitivity of 9 or higher, which will affect certain situations for your character in group.

• Most importantly -- Approval from the Finding-Sanctuary team.

Please also note that a True Shifting character can still have an ability, but it will be a much more basic ability relating to their shifting ability! Someone who shifts into a unicorn, for example, could potentially have minor healing capabilities!