Spirit Abilities

This page describes Spirit abilities used in the world of The Darkness was Comfortable for Me.

## General

Spirit abilities can call upon the myriad Spirits present in the world, using yourself as an intermediary to activate one of the abilities of a singular element.

To obtain Spirit abilities, the natives do so by making contracts with Great Spirits of the desired element, for the price of 10 silver coins or 1 gold coin for Lynx. Some are easier to find due to the abundance of Great Spirits of certain elements in comparison to others. Chosen can obtain them in the same way, but they also have the chance to obtain them through the status board, which forgoes the need to contract with a Great Spirit, meaning the more rare elements are equally as obtainable, albeit for the price of 10 points.

Spirit abilities are not unique to Sentient Creatures, but can also be used by Wild Animals, who have displayed at the very least, enough understanding to use them somewhat effectively. Although, there is a chance they are using them solely on instinct as a defence mechanism as opposed to in a strategic way.

When it comes to the use of Spirit Abilities, those with the most complete control over them are the Great Spirits. While humans experience with Spirit Abilities is something to obtain, train, and grow into something more, Great Spirits use them as if it were natural and to the highest ability if they so desire. This effortless access to an infinite ocean of Spirit Energy is part of what cements them as gods in the eyes of the natives.

### Proficiency

In terms of obtaining these abilities, an individual will start out with a single base ability, with the rest being obtained through constant use of said abilities, increasing proficiency and raising the abilities' tier. Tiers range from 1-5 and are described in terms of "low (1-2), mid (3-4), and high (5)." A tier is raised by bringing the proficiency of an ability to 100.
As these abilities appear and increase in tier, they grow and evolve each in their own way, often increasing in effective range, duration, strength, efficiency, utility, etc., allowing the caster to employ them more effectively.
One major difference between the Chosen and the natives of this world is that they have live updates in regards to which abilities they have and what tier they have reached using the status board. In comparison, every time a native wishes to know about their own Spirit abilities, they must visit the Church in which the Great Spirit they have contracted with resides in order to have the Spirit inform them of how much they've grown. Moreover, when it comes to the methods of improvement, the natives have a very Spiritual view of Spirit abilities, enforced in no small part by the Spirit Churches which claim the inspiration and growth one gets from the Spirits is dependent on the qualities of the individual, which while technically true is also misleading, and results in the natives having a limited understanding of the nature of their abilities. This puts the Chosen at a significant advantage in regards to rapid improvements, despite having less exposure to the concept as a whole. Being able to see the immediate effect of your actions, or lack thereof, allows them to determine what is truly necessary to increase one's proficiency and not just ignorantly beat at a wall that will never break in hopes of getting stronger.
### Limits

In general, the limits of how much one can use their Spirit Abilities are dependent on how much they increase their proficiency and tiers over time. However, there is also a factor of natural affinity. In other words, the starting point of an individual varies greatly, although whether or not the ceiling of each person's growth differs as well is unknown.
Said natural affinity with Spirit abilities is due to the differing level of Spirit Energy within each individual. With each use of Spirit abilities, the caster's Spirit energy is depleted. As one reaches the limits of their own supply, they will start to feel the effects of it, starting with dizziness and increased body temperature, which in the end leads to the person fainting. Fainting is likely a sign that you are reaching your limit, but have not yet reached the absolute end of what is in your body, so expending an exorbitant amount of Spirit energy at once—through say, successive uses of a high tier ability—may be dangerous as you could go past that limit and fully run out, which may very well be fatal.
## Attributes

There are six primary elements regarding Spirit abilities, as well as Chaos, which is a notable outlier from the rest both in terms of mechanics and rarity. Each element has seven regular abilities along with a sealed eighth ability.

The sealed eighth ability is essentially a legend to the natives of the world. The Great Spirits have said it exists, but due to no one seeing it in recent history, it has faded from fact to fantasy in the eyes of many. Some even believe, though incorrectly, that it is impossible for a human to reach the eighth ability. The requirements for unlocked the sealed ability of each element are largely unknown by the populace.

According to the Great Spirits knowledge, the eighth ability is known as the "secrets of [element]," which can only be learned by those who devote their lives to Spirit abilities. A successful user would emerge only once every 10 years, but they are rarely seen now. Dark Spirit ability users that can access the eighth ability are especially rare, with none being seen for several centuries, not even from Milliestas, the Nation of Everlasting Darkness. To obtain this ability one must "become empty." The Spirits will only answer those they see as pure.

Each element also has their respective weakness, with a counterpart element that will cancel out their effects. Called "Rewriting of Elements", it is the rule that states whichever element of the pair is cast second will cancel out the first:

* Fire is extinguished by water, water is evaporated by fire.
* Earth is scattered by wind, wind is damned up by earth.
* Light is smothered by darkness, darkness is illuminated by light.
* In regards to the Chaos element, it so rare that very little is known about its abilities, including any potential weaknesses they could have in relation to other elements, or anything else for that matter.

### Fire

Not much has been explained about the fire Spirit element, but from what has been said, the abilities are too weak to be used in battle until their tier has been increased.

### Water

The water Spirit element has been shown to have support, defensive, and healing abilities thus far, making it one of the more versatile Spirit abilities that has been introduced.

[Healing Water]:
A basic healing ability.
[Water Screen]:
A wall of water is created, serving as a shield to protect from attacks aimed at the caster or those near them.
[Water Bind]:
A low tier binding ability. Said to be extremely weak, it is well known to be even more difficult to use than shadow bind.
[Ice Coffin]:
The higher grade form of [Water Bind]. A high tier water Spirit ability that completely suppresses the target. It is a powerful binding ability, perfectly encasing the targets in a coffin of ice, as well as dealing cold damage. The ability is undone when it leaves the caster's vision.
[Ice Coffin] is unique in the sense that only the water and dark element have the coffin ability, so it cannot even be countered through the Rewriting of Elements.
[Maelstrom]:
A superior water Spirit ability. Upon its use, surge of raging water is released in all directions with the user as the source. Its power truly a materialization of the ocean, moving with such force that it annihilates anything in its range.
### Wind

The wind Spirit element has yet to be explored in detail, but from what is known, it seems to contain powerful offensive and defensive abilities which can be obtained much sooner than other elements. There also may be abilities that serve to buff the caster's maneuverability.

[Unnamed Initial Wind Ability]:
The basic wind Spirit ability. Its effects are wholly unknown outside of being able to scatter the basic earth Spirit ability [Gravel Mist] through Rewriting of Elements. From what little is mentioned, it has been described as "plain."
[Wind Wall]:
A wall of wind forms in the location of the caster's choice, creating a strong defensive barrier.
[Wind Cutter]:
An offensive wind Spirit ability, said to be quite strong even in its base form.
[Rumoured High Tier Wind Ability]:
It has not yet actually been seen, but one of the high tier wind Spirit abilities is said to allow the caster to float in midair. The details are unknown as to whether this can be considered a flight ability or simply allows the caster to hover in the air.
### Earth

The earth element has not been detailed much in the story, but it is known that of the elements, it is one with high physical power.

[Gravel Mist]:
The basic earth Spirit ability. Many small floating rocks and gravel appear in the caster's surroundings, acting as a minimal deterrent in most cases, but it can also be used to blind opponents if they're caught off guard.
[Earth Wall]:
Although it has only been mentioned in passing, it is the earth Spirit ability that serves to counter [Wind Wall], so it likely has a similar effect, with a wall made of earth appearing where the caster wishes, providing a strong defense from any attacks.
### Light

[Light]:
The basic light Spirit ability. A sphere of light appears midair, blinding those in the surrounding with the exception of the caster.
[Cure Glow]:
A basic healing ability.
[Photon Ray]:

A very powerful offensive light Spirit ability. A dazzling streak of light shoots from the caster's hand, moving at unavoidable speed and piercing through the target. With such high power, it consumes a decently large amount of Spirit energy. Despite its speed, it can be avoided if the target takes notice while the necessary energy is building.
[Invisibility]:
An advanced light Spirit ability, allowing the user to turn themselves invisible.
### Dark

The dark Spirit element has little direct attack abilities, and consists mostly of support abilities from the outset, but as proficiency increases, they begin to gain offensive aspects as well, some of which are quite formidable in battle. Dark Spirit Abilities are at their strongest in dark areas or at night.

* **Revelation of Darkness:**

As the base ability, Revelation has been posited to be the only ability to actual call or create Spirits of it's element when used, which means it may be the most important of all the abilities when it comes to increasing one's proficiency.
[Dark Mist]:
Spirits in the atmosphere pass through the caster and take the form of mist, partially darkening the surroundings. At the lowest level, the mist covers a radius of 50cm around the caster, whereas it reaches around 3 meters and produces a slightly more dense darkness before reaching mid tier and evolving into [Darkness Fog].
[Darkness Fog]:
The higher grade form of [Dark Mist], it produces a much more intense darkness, completely concealing anything in its vicinity. As the proficiency and tier increases, it reaches the point of those in its effective range feeling as if not only their sight, but other senses, such as hearing, are dulled as well. It can even reach the point where those enveloped by it are unable to even tell if they are standing anymore.
When the proficiency of this ability is high enough, and it is used multiple times in quick enough succession, the density of summoned darkness is so great it becomes a viscous, tangible substance, likely due the great number of spirits present in the surroundings. The true nature of the Revelation class abilities shines through in instances such as this, with the calling of additional spirits to the surroundings allowing the user to access higher tier abilities without have unlocked them, most notably thus far with the Call class ability.
Far beyond the level of humans, at what is likely the pinnacle of technique and power for the Revelation class, is the ability to summon a darkness so absolute that it warps even space itself, swallowing all that enters it. With the exception of the Great Spirits whose use of their respective elements comes naturally, only those who reach the peak of Spirit abilities would be able to manipulate darkness in such a skillful manner.
* **View of Darkness:**

[Dark Vision]:
This ability allows the caster to see clearly in darkness, much like the name would suggest. When at low proficiency, its effects can be hindered by a higher proficiency Revelation of Darkness. The effect is similar to Night Vision.
[Dark Sense]:
The higher grade form of [Dark Vision], obtained once the ability reaches tier 3. When used, a wave of perception is felt by the caster, providing information about their surroundings and anything in the vicinity. It has a large area of effect, spanning a 100 meter radius around the caster as it's starting range.
* **Transformation of Darkness:**

[Shadow Runner]:
Darkness slowly appears, consolidating into a humanoid form, albeit without density. The apparition will begin to run in a straight line without stopping. At its lowest level, the runner takes the form of a small child. As it's proficiency increases, the apparitions form grows in size and appearance, although this does not alter it's minimal affects.
[Phantom Warrior]:
The higher grade form of [Shadow Runner]. Spirit energy changes into darkness, gradually consolidating into a human form with the appearance of a warrior. Donning a helmet, armor, a shield on its left arm, and wielding a large sword, its appearance is one that could be seen as a threat. The phantom will make noise by drumming its shield to draw attention to itself, slowly moving toward a target. However, as it still is only a phantom it can neither interfere or be interfered with by anything, so it can still only serve as a distraction away from the caster.
* **Falsehood of Darkness:**

[Shade Shift]:
A clone of the caster formed from darkness appears by the side of the caster. The clone has no physical body and is only a translucent image. It doesn't have much of an effect in bright places, but in the dark it would be difficult to discern falsehood from reality. The quality of the clone increases with the abilities proficiency.
[Shadow Morph]:
The higher grade form of [Shade Shift], it allows the user to swap places with their own shadow. A projection of their body is put in their place while their consciousness and perspective is transferred to their shadow. When in this state, the user can move freely along the ground at a bit faster than a walking pace.
* **Deposition of Darkness:**

[Shadow Bag]:
A Spirit ability that allows the caster to store items in their own shadow. At base level, its capacity is around that of a single travel bag. As it is a storage device, the ability is constantly depleting Spirit energy when in used, but only in minute amounts, making it efficient if the caster has a high capacity.
In terms of use, the caster simply has to activate it and anything in the shadow of the caster will fall in. The caster is aware of everything within their shadow and only they can take items out of it. The items within [Shadow Bag] are isolated from each other, as well having their state being preserved until they are removed again.
[Shadow Storage]:
The higher grade form of [Shadow Bag]. The only major change in this ability is an eight-fold increase in carrying capacity.
* **Casket of Darkness:**

[Shadow Bind]:
Countless dark tentacles emerge from the shadow of the caster's target, sealing their movements for a few seconds. The restraining power is strongest when casted, losing power as time goes on. The effective time also depends on the strength of the target itself, with some even being able to break free very quickly. The ability can not be casted again until the effects of the previous cast have dissipated, but if the target of the first cast dies, it can be immediately used again.
In general [Shadow Bind] has a limit of binding one target per use, but multiple individuals can be targeted in exchange for a greatly weakened binding power. Both the strength of the binding and the time bound increase with the proficiency.
[Dark Coffin]:
The higher grade form of [Shadow Bind]. It appears as an icosahedron of darkness, sucking targets that make contact with it inside. The location it appears is chosen by the caster, but it cannot move from said location once its manifestation has started. Once trapped inside, the target is completely restrained. The binding power is strong, but the Spirit energy consumption is as well, so it is not as convenient as [Shadow Bind]. Moreover, only the caster or their summons can pass through the coffin and inflict damage on the bound target, making the ability far less useful in group battles.
[Dark Coffin] is unique in the sense that only the water and dark element have the coffin ability, so it cannot even be countered through the Rewriting of Elements.
* **Call of Darkness:**

[Summon: Night Bug]:
Jet black rhinoceros beetles appear from darkness, surrounding and scraping away at their target. The bugs themselves are around ten centimeters in size, with around ten of them appearing in the abilities base form. As the abilities proficiency increases, the number of bugs summoned increases and their effectiveness becomes much more apparent, being able to dig into targets to the point of reach bone and sometimes even the Spirit Vein itself. They have enough power to kill weaker monsters, but their main purpose is often whittling down opponents health before a final blow is dealt. Although they are fast and small, the bugs are weak to small and plentiful obstructions.
[Summon: Dark Knight]:
Darkness condenses into the shape of a knight around 190cm tall. It is equipped with full armour, a shield, and a longsword, much like the phantom warrior, albeit with an actual physical presence. Similar to the phantom warrior, Dark Knight attracts attention by making noise, but with much greater strength and speed. The strength of this summon is quite high, with it being able to dispatch a Mantis with ease.
As expected of a higher tier ability, it consumes quite a lot of Spirit energy, with good reason considering its great strength. Dark Knight can also be concealed in the caster's shadow, allowing for its presence to go unnoticed until necessary. However, the limit of the summon is still a factor, so it will disappear if time runs out. As a summon, the Dark Knight can enter Dark Coffin if casted by the same person.
[Summon: Elemental]:
Likely the highest tier ability of the Summon class, [Summon: Elemental] enables the user to call forth a Great Dark Spirit. The amount of spirit energy converging onto a single space is so dense there is an audible sound, as what was only darkness before gains a distinct presence in the world.
The summoning of a Great Spirit, a being seen as a god in this world, is a far more challenging, with the power it grants the user being leagues above any previous summons. This ability is so rare that a human using it is nigh unheard of, even among long-lived Great Spirits. However, despite the power it provides, Great Spirits born out of a summon are akin to newborns when compared to already existing ones.
Certain limitations are also placed on the summoned Spirit, such that they cannot harm their summoner, which is a risk worth considering when dealing with beings with such a frivolous nature. As with the Night Bugs and Dark Knight, summoned Great Spirits are bound to the user by a Spirit energy tether that affirms absolute trust between both parties. There is also a time limitation on the summon, as with the lower tier summons.
The relationship between summoner and summoned is far more complex in the case of Great Spirit summons, as the interaction goes both ways. To the summoned Spirit, the user is both the child they must protect and the parent that created them. They would not hesitate to sacrifice themselves for their summoner's sake.
* **Return of Darkness:**

[Create: Undead]:

A special technique that each element has. For the Dark Spirit ability, it is creating undead. The required items for use are a Dark Spirit Stone or a Chaotic Spirit Stone. The created undead will take the form of the previous life of that stone. It is a method that can even recreate Monstrosity and Demon Lord undeads, but the required Spirit energy is high; caution is required when used. Increasing the proficiency will shorten the recreation time and increase the retention time. There are no changes in tier and the Spirit Stone will be consumed.
When this ability is used, light overflows from the Spirit Stone, reforming the body of the once deceased being that the stone originated from. The resurrected creature retains its original strength and is completely obedient to the caster. Once the time runs out, the undead will disappear into particles of light.
### Chaos

Chaotic Spirit abilities are unique among all elements in that they don't draw energy from the surroundings, but from the caster's own internal Chaotic Spirit Energy, which increases as a result of monstrosification. Because of this distinction, Chaotic Spirit abilities are also labelled as magic by the natives. As it uses the Chaotic element, beings that are not Chaotic in nature, such as Great Spirits cannot utilize them. Also called demonic abilities, only creatures with a highly Chaotic nature have the capacity to obtain Chaotic abilities. Those most qualified based on current understanding would be humans, devils, elves, and demon lords.

Chaotic abilities are so difficult to obtain that for a human to have them is nigh unbelievable. It is yet unknown how to properly obtain Chaotic abilities outside of using the status board, but in the one known case, they appeared once all Spirit abilities bar the special ability reached tier 3.

* **Terror of Chaos:**

[Fear]:
An indescribable wave is emitted, causing those in its vicinity to feel a deep terror towards the caster, strength leaving their body and leaving them vulnerable for the duration of its effects.
* **Shatter of Chaos:**

[Dispel]:
A Chaotic ability that nullifies all other Spirit abilities currently active in the surroundings. The Spirit energy that forms the active abilities is diminished into shining particles and finally disappearing.
[Protection]:
A defensive Chaotic Spirit ability that blocks all attacks. A translucent shield materializes where the user desires, blocking any attacks for its duration. It consumes a relatively small amount of spirit energy for a Chaotic ability.