Usog

**Usog** (Ooh-Sog) is a phenomenon unique to the Blood of the Aswangs Reboot. It is the ability of an individual to manipulate reality through visualizations using the power of faith, It is loosely based on the actual phenomenon by the same name.

## Usage

According to the Reaper, people have the power to change and control their own destiny. This is through Usog, which is an ability to create truth out of visualization and sight. It is a very powerful form of magic used by the heroes of Blood of the Aswangs. Usog allows one to manipulate only one element that is best suitable for their personality. The Reaper was powerful enough to blow up a moon of a desolate version of Earth with no people or water and thus started training the Aswang Prince to wield his own ability.

Usog is essentially done through believing that a phenomena of an element is happening, i.e. a burning bush. If you believe hard enough and use a powerful glance at the bush, the bush will get caught on fire.

Usog also allows its users to see and interact with spirits. It also allows the user to better differentiate colors, being able to see a multitude more of colors.

## Usog Drawbacks

According to Prometheus, when a person is starving, their glances will uncontrollably wield the Usog and would cause the user to unintentionally harm others. This is especially true if the meal is placed right in front of them or is imagined by the user for a while. Thus, Usog-Users avoid looking at each other's eyes when eating meals together.

Usog can also punish non-Usog users. If one is far too arrogant, then the forces of the universe will very well punish that person, According to Prometheus who gave an example, "When you keep flexing and talking about how you're going to the waterpark, being really excited about it, only for the trip to not happen because of a storm." Basically, that means the Usog isn't just a psychic force one possesses. It is a cosmic force that everyone should respect through humility.

When Miguel's arrogance became tremendously high, Usog began to play its works. He went on to humble and humiliate Tyrone and began monologuing about how he was a god amongst men, only to see that their gaze seemed to weaken his full guard and security, making him open to attack. He became powerful and unstoppable indeed, but he immediately became erratic and paranoid, even seeing the Nazarene amongst the crowd.

## Usog History

Usog was first studied by ancient Usog-Users in the Cordilleras of the Philippines and in Ilocos, practicing magic that gives respect to the spirits of nature known as Engkantos. This group of peopler were originally healers known as Shamans, only using it for battle during the Spanish Colonization. Usog was used for thousands of years for healing, but soon, around 500 years ago, Shamans made deals with the spirits known as Engkantos to control nature thru glances to rebel against the Spanish in secret. They continued battling them until their near defeat only for the mock battle between America and Spain to occur leading to the American colonization times when the United States reigned supreme over the Philippines, where they rebelled in secret and forcing the United States to abandon it partially during the Japanese Occupation. Usog-Users would nearly win once more only for the Americans to defeat the Japanese at the last minute and give the Philippines independence. Today, Usog is kept secret and prayers and meditation are used to strengthen one's connection to the force.

Usog is not celebrated, however, because it was kept secret. Heroes in the past time such as Bonifacio, the Lunas, Goyo, and even Rizal were users of this tremendous power. There were hundreds of secret societies, one being known as the Modernong Katipunan, a society Prometheus built from pieces of the Philippine KKK (Kataataasang Kagalangalangan Katipunan/The Most High and Honored Society, the Pinoy one, not the other bad American one).

## Common Types of Usog

**Note: All types begin from most common to rarest.**

According to Prometheus, there are 24 common types of Usog each with a repeated pattern of "Water, Earth, Wind, Fire".

## Uncommon Types of Usog

**Note: All types begin from most common to rarest.**

# Kulam

**Kulam** (Koo-Lam) comes from the Tagalog word for "black magic". It is essentially the opposite of Usog. Kulam represents one's anger, ego, and arrogance, boosting their power thru self-love. Some practices of Kulam includes killing life in order to become more powerful. The sadism empowers the individual to such alignment, making them more powerful. This makes them evil and makes them reject humanity in order to become more powerful, essentially using their ability to inflict pain in others to make themselves more powerful. There are several cults of witches and warlocks all over the Philippines in rural areas.

Kulam originated from, ironically, Spanish friars, who wanted to vanquish the Philippine rebels but ended up making a deal with Demons instead of Engkantos (who defended the Filipinos) in order to become more powerful. These friars used their powers for evil purposes such as villainous acts of rape to Philippine women and killing entire villages.

One race of demon in the Philippines became particularly powerful with Kulam. These are the Aswangs. They are a race of demon who feasts on the unborn children of mothers using their forked tongue, eats livers, and eats young children at the night. However, they learned that by becoming stronger, they can eat larger prey. Aswangs, you see, are the most proud race of demons because of their deadliness and their violent tendencies, being known as a ruthless race of conquerors who had ruled over the islands far longer than the Spanish ever did, even continuing their rule as criminal families before and political dynasties in modern times.

## Kulam Drawbacks

Kulam was described to be connected with having faith and indulging in oneself rather than having faith and respect for others and the cosmic forces of the universe. This would eventually remove one's humanity, making them obsessive, clingy, greedy, and hungry for power. With the usage of one's own pride, they can become more and more powerful. Pride, wrath, gluttony, envy, greed, lust, and sloth all pertain to this force of power. It also makes their ego heightened, making them vulnerable to losing.

## Common Types of Kulam

**Note: All types begin from most common to rarest.**

## Uncommon Types of Kulam

**Note: All types begin from most common to rarest.**

# Mutations

**Mutation** is a phenomenon in the Bleeding Ego storyline. According to Prometheus, Usog and mutation is different. He states that mutations are more physiological than being oriented with faith. Mutations originate from the fungus known as the Splooge which is a fungus directly created from the drop of the Aswang Blood. Mutations vary depending on the person's personality. For example, Anna is the voice of reason and keeps the group together. She is thus the healer and her ability is to weave indestructible string. Neuro is a coward and a pathological liar, thus his ability is to shapeshift. Lord is a simple-minded but resolved friend, giving him the ability to become the perfect human beind. Jedan is flexible in many situations, being able to adapt into any scenario, giving him stretchy abilities.