Attunements

**Attunements** are tattoo-like marks that allow creatures with them (known as Attuned), to use magic. These Attunements are earned in a Judgment, granted by a Visage, or obtained while climbing one of the soaring spires, although earning them outside of a Judgment is exceedingly rare. If you pass a Judgment from a soaring spire, you will typically be granted an attunement specific that spire, although exceptions are known to exist. Attunements are the primary form of magic on the continent of Kaldwyn.

Each attunement grants the attuned a set of abilities, which vary drastically between attunements. Attunements also grant the user access to mana. All attunements grant access to gray mana, and individual attunements initially grant access to two other types, and a third type after reaching citrine level. Each attunement also grants access to a shroud, a magical barrier, starting at carnelian level.

An attunement works by collecting ambient mana out of the atmosphere in the marked part of the body, stopping when it reaches the body part's safe mana value. Mana collected in this manner is then able to be used by the attuned, as well as converted (at a small percent loss) between the types provided by the attunement.

## Attunement Levels

Attunements have a "level" based on their current safe mana value. In Valia, these levels are named based on gemstones the color of the generated shroud, starting at Quartz (clear) going up through Carnelian (red), Sunstone (orange), Citrine (yellow), and Emerald (green). Some have theorized that an additional attunement level, Sapphire, exists above emerald, but has been proven to not exist. Reaching each of these levels requires exponentially more mana than the last, making high-level attuned rare to the point where it is speculated that there are only a one or two hundred Emerald-levels on the entire continent.

Some attunement levels unlock additional functionality, the most obvious example being the shroud, with an aura which changes color at each level to match the level's color, starting with Carnelian. Additionally, reaching the Citrine level unlocks a tertiary mana type. Many attunements also have additional features available at later levels.

In addition to levels, attunement power is further subdivided into "ranks": A-E within each level. These ranks do not typically grant additional attunement functions, but help to more accurately determine attunement powerTemplate:Citation needed.

The primary way to increase an attunement's power is to use mana from the attunement location, although other methods exist, such as eating certain mana-rich fruits.

The attunement level and rank signify how much mana is available to the attuned. The thresholds for each level, including the theoretical sapphire level, are below:

## Attunement Locations

The location of the attunement on a person's body defines the primary method they will use to direct spells. All attuned will have multiple methods of directing spells, though spells directed through using the attunement are more potent. The location of the attunement also increases the rate of mana regeneration for that part of the body, potentially giving the attuned more access to a particular type of mana. The seven potential locations for attunements are the Mind, Heart, Lungs, Left Hand, Right Hand, Left Leg, and Right Leg.

 Leg
 Lung
 Heart
 Mind

## Attunement Functions

Attunements are complicated, but as Corin discovered in AA3 they are more like complex enchantments with multiple functions all working in tandem to accomplish different effects. Functions are parts of the attunement that does one specific thing. That could be something like displaying the attunement rank, or it could be something even more fundamental as evaluating the attuned's safe mana value. But it could also be something more complicated like a Summoner's bindings and contracts, or the Mender ability to heal broken bones.

There are general functions, unique functions, and function specializations as broad categories of comparing the functions across the attunements. Whereas looking at how the functions work themselves there are: passive, active, and conditional functions and thus even more complexity as to how attunements work.

### General Functions

General functions are ones that are found across *multiple* attunements. Common ones are:

1. Detect Safe Mana Value
2. Detect Attunement Location
3. Absorb Ambient Mana
4. Store Mana
5. Display Attunement Rank
6. Generate Shroud

There are other functions in common across attunements. Such as two at Citrine that are:

1. Unlock additional mana type
2. Mix additional compound mana types

These general functions are well documented by groups like Farren Labs, even ones like the Enhanced Shroud that Guardians and Shadows possess.

### Unique Functions

Unique functions are where things get a bit into the weeds.

>  The following information is unconfirmed by canon, although canon does have hints that align with the following
>
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### Attunement Specializations

An attunement may gain a specialization if a specific type of mana is used disproportionately more than others for an extended period. This typically requires at least ninety percent of the mana used by the attuned to be of that type for about a year. When attunement specialization is gained, the attunement changes, gaining an additional line and skewing future mana production toward the specialized type. Some attunement specializations grant additional effects.

An example of this would be an Elementalist specialized in Lightning. Once the specialization was gained, the attunement would start generating a larger proportion of lightning mana. This specific specialization has the additional effect of automatically generating a lightning shroud, rather than requiring the attuned to manually create one.

## Artificial Attunements

Full article: Artificial Attunements

Farren Labs, in Caelford, have developed artificial attunements, which are functionally similar to attunements, but without the requirement of taking a judgment. There are other corporations  that have also developed the ability to create artificial attunements, but not to the degree or expertise that Farren Labs have.

Artificial Attunements are incredibly expensive to make, requiring a class 5 mana crystal of each of the mana types used in the construction, as well as having other difficult and expensive to manufacture parts like applicators with purified mana.

## Notes

References:

1. ↑ *The Torch that Ignites the Stars* Chapter 2
2. ↑ *The Torch that Ignites the Stars* Appendix 2
3. ↑ *The Torch that Ignites the Stars* Chapter 3
4. ↑ *Sufficiently Advanced Magic* Chapter 6
5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 *Sufficiently Advanced Magic* Appendix 2
6. ↑ *The Torch that Ignites the Stars* Chapter 11
7. ↑ *The Torch that Ignites the Stars* Chapter 23
8. ↑ *Sufficiently Advanced Magic* Chapter 13
9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 *Sufficiently Advanced Magic* Chapter 5
10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 *Sufficiently Advanced Magic* Appendix 3
11. ↑ 11.00 11.01 11.02 11.03 11.04 11.05 11.06 11.07 11.08 11.09 11.10 11.11 11.12 11.13 11.14 11.15 11.16 11.17 11.18 11.19 11.20 11.21 *Sufficiently Advanced Magic* Appendix 1
12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 12.2 12.3 *Sufficiently Advanced Magic* Chapter 11
13. ↑ *The Torch that Ignites the Stars* Chapter 6
14. ↑ 14.00 14.01 14.02 14.03 14.04 14.05 14.06 14.07 14.08 14.09 14.10 14.11 14.12 14.13 14.14 14.15 14.16 14.17 14.18 14.19 14.20 14.21 14.22 14.23 14.24 14.25 14.26 14.27 14.28 14.29 14.30 14.31 *Diamantine* Appendix 1
15. ↑ 15.00 15.01 15.02 15.03 15.04 15.05 15.06 15.07 15.08 15.09 15.10 15.11 15.12 15.13 15.14 15.15 15.16 15.17 15.18 15.19 15.20 15.21 15.22 15.23 15.24 15.25 15.26 15.27 15.28 15.29 15.30 *The Torch that Ignites the Stars* Appendix 4
16. ↑ Andrew Rowe, Climber's Court Discord #author-answers 2020-01-18
17. ↑ 17.00 17.01 17.02 17.03 17.04 17.05 17.06 17.07 17.08 17.09 17.10 17.11 17.12 17.13 17.14 17.15 17.16 17.17 17.18 17.19 17.20 17.21 17.22 17.23 17.24 17.25 17.26 17.27 17.28 17.29 *Soulbrand* Appendix 1
18. ↑ *Diamantine* Chapter 11
19. ↑ 19.0 19.1 19.2 19.3 19.4 *On the Shoulders of Titans* Chapter 4
20. ↑ 20.0 20.1 20.2 20.3 *On the Shoulders of Titans* Chapter 11
21. ↑ *On the Shoulders of Titans* Chapter 7
22. ↑ *The Torch that Ignites the Stars* Chapter 14
23. ↑ *On the Shoulders of Titans* Chapter 2
24. ↑ *On the Shoulders of Titans* Chapter 23
25. ↑ *The Torch that Ignites the Stars* Chapter 7
26. ↑ *Climber's Court #author-answers*