The Goddesses' blessings

The goddesses Circ and Tri's blessings are the powers they gave to their respective "blessed ones." The blessing gives the blessed ones the ability to create and manipulate magical force fields. There are two variations of the blessing: Circ's blessing (the Circa Power) and Tri's blessing (the Tria Power).

## Overview

Blessed ones can use their hands, feet, and sometimes eyes to control magical, transparent, glowing force fields that are "infinitely thin." The force fields of the Circa Power are yellow and circular, while the force fields of the Tria Power are purple and triangular. The blessed ones can make the force fields as large or as numerous as they need, but they become harder and more strenuous to control as the number/size increases. The force fields are strong and can withstand a large amount of damage (amount varies based on the individual blessed one's strength), but they are able to be broken with enough force. Having a force field broken takes a great toll on the body of a blessed one, dealing internal injury to their body and causing them to cough up blood.

The Circa and Tria Powers also give the blessed ones increased strength, speed, endurance, resilience, and healing. They have a greater natural strength, speed, and endurance than the average person, they can withstand more injury before being incapacitated/dying, and heal significantly faster than the average person. However, they still must train and take care of their bodies to become the strongest they can be.

Blessed ones are distinguished by their eye color, which matches the color of their magic, and by the markings on their hands and feet, which match the shape and color of their magic. Using the power causes blessed one's eyes and markings to glow.

## Inheritance

The Tria and Circa blessings are passed down through firstborn children. If the blessed one of the youngest generation dies (i.e. they have not had children), the power is passed on to their closest blood relative in the generation. The power first goes through siblings from oldest to youngest, then cousins on the blessed side from oldest to youngest, then second cousins, etc.

The blessed ones always take the blessed surname (*Ayika* for the Circa, *San* for the Tria). If the power is passed on to a cousin who didn’t have this last name, they will change it. However, only the blessed family may have the surname. A blessed one gives the surname to all of their children (and their spouse, if wanted), but any of the children who do not have the blessing must give their children a different surname. Only the blessed one may pass down the surname.

## Power Amplification

The power of a blessed one can be raised through practice, but there is still a maximum strength they can reach. The only way to increase this maximum is for them to “fail to protect a loved one” — meaning someone they love must die or they must witness them be tortured. Because of the high cost, most blessed ones do not attempt to grow their power in this method. When the power is amplified, additional, faint, temporary marks show up on their face and arms. They are the color and shape of the respective power. The blessed ones also experience additional strength and endurance during a power amplification that eventually wears off, similar to an adrenaline rush.

## Origin

Many years ago, the weak and disorganized land of Shingurun was under constant attack by pillagers from neighboring lands. The goddesses Circ and Tri took pity on the nation, each choosing one warrior from the land. Circ chose a woman named Ibukunoluwa, and gave her the power to summon yellow, circular force fields. Tri's champion was a woman called E'ling, who received the power to create purple, triangular force fields. Ibukunoluwa took the surname *Ayika* (meaning *circle*) to honor Circ, and E'ling took the surname *San* (meaning *three*) to honor Tri. Each blessed one was told that the purpose of the power was to protect their family, their friends, their lovers, or their neighbors, and it was not to be used for selfish purposes.

With their newfound power, Ibukunoluwa and E'ling were able to defend their villages from invaders, then the neighboring villages, and then the neighbors of the neighboring villages. Those who were saved by the blessed ones began to follow that woman and the respective goddess. As the influence of Ibukunoluwa and E'ling grew, their people began running into each other and fighting over which blessed one to follow, sometimes leading to violence. Ibukunoluwa and E'ling found themselves as the leaders of two opposing clans: the Circa Clan and the Tria Clan, each convinced that their blessed one was the worthiest and their goddess the truest.

The firstborn children of each blessed one inherited the power, then their firstborn child, and the pattern continued. The two clans continued to fight over the land of the Shingurun, which was beginning to become too small for the warring clans. They began expanding outwards, the power of the blessed ones destroying anyone who opposed them.

## Known Holders

### Tria

* Meilian San (current holder)
* Weirong San (deceased)
* Haoyu San (deceased)
* Xiaoyang San (deceased)
* E'ling San (deceased)

### Circa

* Adelana Ayika (current holder)
* Temikorede Ayika (deceased)
* Ibukunoluwa Ayika (deceased)