Resonance

Resonant Energy is, by its very nature, a paradox. It is energy drawn from Father Crow and leaked into the real world through genetic fuckery. It is, in its most basic uncontrolled form, destructive, though those who have gone through the Resonance Adaptation Process (also known as Project Odin) are capable of controlling it much like one would a psionic.

It should not exist, but it does with minimal problems.

There are three phases of the RAP: Passive, Active, and Defined.

Passive is generally the most common, and easiest to maintain. Through a series of splicings, the subject is infused with bits of genetic material gathered from a Crowling, which is a hybrid offspring of Father Crow and Mother Hen (the embodiments of destruction and creation, respectively).

The splicing process is INCREDIBLY painful. Always. And in the beta, it doesn't always take the first time.

Also, if a purpleblood were to attempt to go through the process with the beta, they would be unmade from the inside out. Their flesh would sublimate. Not pretty.

However! The new version guarantees it takes on the first try, regardless of hemotype. Still hurts like a sonovabitch, and you might be knocked out for a week, but it's a one time deal

The passive perks scale inversely with hemotype, with bigger boosts for lower hemotypes and mutants. It acts, at it's base, like your classic super soldier serum. Increased strength, stamina, reflexes, reduced pain, and accelerated natural healing. The beta also increases levels of aggression, which typically leads to berserking with lost limbs and such. Though as the subject gets to the more advanced phases, the aggression is toned back down.

The jump from Passive to Active is typically caused by a sufficient build up of emotional trauma. Many subjects in the Orchs required the use of dummy sessions to trigger the transition, while those with already fucked up pasts are capable of jumping straight to Active after the initial procedure ends. It is important to note that the subject must be consciously aware of said trauma. Dissociation and repression lock down the Active state as well as the Defined state. This is referred to as the Trial of Huninn

Once Active, the subject is able to manipulate a personal field of Resonant Energy that they are immune to the effects of. This field initially manifests itself as a nimbus of green flames, much like the aura of a First Guardian, though that is where the similarities end. Living matter that comes in contact with unbound Resonant Energy ceases to exist. There is no chemical or physical reaction; it simply flakes away into nothing. Non-living matter is still eroded, but at a much slower rate; inanimate objects don't have existential crises.

Fun Fact! Resonant Energy is uneffected by SBurb powers. No amount of Hope Mojo or Void Hoodoo can directly counter a blast of Resonance. (The main reason for this, OOC, is so that Resonance-based conflicts can't just be locked down by a single spunky Void player)

Anyway, after some training, an Active Resonance user is able to contain their energy within themselves, as well as prevent it from negativity interacting with other matter. There is a rather dangerous issue with Active users though. If two Active users' Resonance mix, there is a significant chance of a Paradox Energy Feedback Loop. Resulting in both users being erased from existence, as well as a significant chunk of their surroundings. The more Active users involved, the bigger the blast range. It increases exponentially.

Now, in order for an Active user to reach the Defined state, they have to go on a journey through their own mind, guided by an avatar of Father Crow himself. They look over significant moments and memories and Father Crow determines a common thread. And if he feels like it, he gives the subject their Descriptor, based on that thread. One can be Defined without being granted a Descriptor. Being Defined simply removes the risk of detonation. The Descriptor is always an infinitive; Daedys is To Analyze, Eris is To Grasp, Tormaz is To Borrow, and so on. But each has its limits. Nothos can Save anyone but himself, Eris has a hard time letting go once she's Grasped something, and Tormaz always has to return whatever he has Borrowed. A Descriptor may have limited function at first, though through practice and ingenuity their limits can be surpassed.