Regeneration

Regeneration is the bio-mystical process by which several species and individuals, most notably archons, rejuvenate themselves from fatal injuries, disease, or states of extreme weakness like old age. It can also be invoked voluntarily in many cases, though many are cautioned not to waste the ability as its number of uses is limited. The process heals and restores all tissue, though results in a complete physical and almost complete psychological change. The ability is usually present in species and individuals who're intensely exposed to arcane energy, like the aforementioned archons, Merlin, and phoenixes.

## Process

The regeneration process takes about fifteen hours to fully work through. When triggered, the body begins to gather larger amounts of raw arcane energy into it, causing the subject to occasionally emit a whitish-bluish-purplish glow from their hands. Superficial wounds begin to heal and strength is restored to the subject. This period typically only lasts a minute or two, but can be extended through force of will for a few hours before the stored energy begins to eat away at the body. The second phase of the regeneration is the primary stage, when the stored energy is released from the head and hands in a great surge of the aforementioned colour. Over the course of about thirty seconds, cells are duplicated and destroyed hundreds of times until healthy, fully healed tissue is produced. This part of the process is both exhilarating and extremely painful.

The final phase of the process lasts the longest, when the lingering energy in the body continues to siphon off, usually being exhaled or vomited, as final changes occur and the overall body settles down. During this time, lingering arcane energy in the brain leads to odd, erratic behaviour. Sometimes this takes the form of memory lapses, extreme hyperactivity and/or lethargy, loss or impairment of motor control, or any number of strange neurological quirks. As this could put the subject as risk of injuring themselves or others, certain recovery rooms can be used to help siphon off the excess energy and steady the subject's brain patterns.

Such raw arcane energy guarantees changes to certain genes, and as a result physical appearance is drastically altered, though the subject *can* have some subconscious, or even conscious, influence on the result. Similarly, large portions of the brain change too, resulting in a new personality. However memories are *not* affected, and overall 'nurture' aspects of the subject's personality will not change, but 'nature' ones do. However, once again, each incarnation often has subconscious influence on the next. Ultimately, though, despite some potential guidance, the result is still random, even within the parameters the subject might have. Subject willing, sex, gender, skin colour, or outward species, among other things, can all change.

## Limitations

The most basic limitation to the ability is the number of times it can performed, though different users possess different numbers. Archons generally possess the capacity to use the ability about twenty times, though this is an average. Phoenixes are capable of using the ability hundreds of times, while individuals of other species who happen to have it can use it as few as three times, to as many times as an archon, or more.

Another limitation is that, because the ability requires the absorption of large amounts of raw arcane energy, it can become difficult to impossible to use in universes where arcane energy levels are low or non-existent. The Dreamlands, for example, are particularly dangerous for those with this ability as it's largely non-functional there. There are potential ways around this limitation, such as carrying a store of arcane energy, though this is difficult due to the volatility of the energy and often impractical.

Getting fatally injured a second time while a regeneration cycle is in progress will cause death. As subjects are left weakened and confused after the second phase of the regeneration has occurred, this puts them at increased risk of this scenario occurring, so it's also a rather impractical ability in combat.

## Users

* Archons
* Archon-Human hybrids
* Phoenixes
* Merlin