Netherverse

INFORMATION: Cleanse the many worlds of its phantoms and husks, defeat the factions directing them, and restore peace and balance to the worlds by closing the portals that connect them!
## Summary

The Wielders (name subject to change over the development process) are a group of specialized individuals hailing from realms all over the multiverse, all with at least one thing in common: their status as a chosen protector of the multiverse from meta-threats (such as phantoms and husks) using their unique weapons and abilities. They vary greatly in species, native world, power type and nature, weapon manifestation, and more, but no matter their combination, their first obligation as beings is to protect each and every world in the multiverse from invasive threats whenever they arise.

Wielders can know they're being gathered when their tattoos begin glowing, though if the wielder was chosen but never told (or discovered by the rest of the wielders), they may not understand what it means. When a wielder is chosen by a weapon for the first time, the mark (and its powers, etc.) appears in their DNA, but the actual marking never shows until the first time they set foot into the wielder freeworld/home base (where it is verified). If they are called before they ever discover their chosen status or before they set foot into the freeworld, the silhouette of their tattoo will glow on their skin, but the insignia itself will not actually appear.

If a wielder fails (or refuses) to arrive at the meeting place within 24 hours after they are called, their entire skin will begin to feel like it's burning/on fire alongside the glowing marking, and will not stop until they arrive successfully, instead becoming more intense with each passing hour. Because of its otherworldly origin, this burning sensation is unable to effectively be treated or soothed by any herbal or medical remedies, and can therefore only be relieved by answering the call.

When a wielder is called for the first time, they are telepathically given instructions through the subconscious to reach the home base/whatever other meeting place may be calling their presence. They may not consciously know the way, but their "heart"/"gut" appears to know, and it is what new wielders are expected to listen to in order to arrive successfully.

## Attributes

### **Forms**

Alongside having arcane and/or elemental abilities to accompany and complement their weapons, Wielders also have the ability to shapeshift depending on the world they enter. If a wielder enters a realm where it appears necessary (such as a realm that relies heavily on abilities they don't have initially, such as gills or wings), they will take on the form of the dominant/native species to that realm in order to gain those abilities and better blend in with the population while they do their work.

Finally, wielders may also have a "limit break" form, which activates based on an arbitrary condition during battle. This condition can vary widely between wielders, but some examples include charging up the form's power as time passes, being triggered after a certain amount of damage has been dealt physically, or even just based on the wielder's emotional state (e.g. activating when they've become too angry, afraid or depressed). This form, once charged sufficiently through combat, may be activated at will if possible, but some wielders may enter it automatically if the condition is met depending on what it is. The more this form is used during combat, the stronger they become while in that form... but it becomes very taxing on the wielder's energy if used too much, and has been known to drive wielders to madness from abuse.

Because wielders are so varied in so many aspects of their identities, their powers are just as unique and characterizing as their weapons and themselves. The above powers apply at least in some capacity to all wielders, but depending on the wielder, there may be other powers or power-related quirks they possess.

### **Consequences of Death**

Wielders, being considered the "chosen ones" of their weapons, are "reborn" with half their power in the form of a powerful and unique husk if they are ever overtaken by phantoms or any other manifestation of darkness, due to the strength of their spirit. Their husk also retains the ability to use the wielder's weapon.

If their husk is ever reunited with their spirit (whether in the form of a phantom or on its own), their husk combines with the spirit to revive the wielder at full power and in their previous form. Because of this, it is technically impossible for a Wielder to truly die while fighting against phantoms and/or husks, but if either the husk or spirit they leave behind are destroyed, they will never be whole again in the same way. (Husks of wielders whose spirits have been destroyed often become seekers (wanderers?).)

It is possible, however, for a Wielder to die from circumstances unrelated to phantoms or husks; if this occurs, the weapon the Wielder used will choose a new master based on their qualities.

## Organization

### **Homeworld**

The Wielders do not technically have a homeworld (because of how varied they are by nature), but they have a headquarters in the freeworld known as <Worldname>, where all members are sometimes called together when new dangers are discovered and require eradication. If wielders happen to lack a homeworld for whatever reason, this is also where you can find them congregating during times of peace.

### **Hierarchy**

The social hierarchy of the Wielders is very flexible at best, and almost nonexistent at worst. Considering their status as the chosen protectors of the multiverse at large, social constructs and rankings are one of their lesser worries, and they very rarely congregate in the same area for long enough to require any kind of pecking order during interactions. If Wielders ever feel a need to have meetings and strategize to deal with an issue, it's customary for the wielder of the strongest weapon (<Weaponname>) to take up a position as commander and give orders or conduct meetings as needed. However, this isn't law, and if the wielder of <Weaponname> is unsuitable to lead the group, the most suitable (often the wisest of the wielders) will take their place naturally.

Because the weapons are specialized in certain fields (power source, attack type, wielders' natures, etc.), it is common for their wielders to take up specific roles frequently in organized plans; ie those wielding <WP1> and <WP2> would be at the back using range to their advantage, while those wielding <WP3>, <WP4> and <WP5> would all be at the front lines to do the most damage. Similarly, their wielders may be more inclined to fill social roles, such as forming friendships and/or (friendly) rivalries with one another, based on their demeanors (as chosen by the weapons).

### **Laws**

Wielders have very few hard-set laws within their ranks, and of those laws, they are very loosely enforced, just like their Hierarchy. While there is no official written document containing the laws most wielders abide by, below is a compilation of the expression of all values wielders are expected to exhibit in law form, for reference.

* Wielders must put their mission before all else. A wielder's mission is their purpose of existence. You live and die for the multiverse, as its servant and protector. Abandonment of or defection from the mission for any reason is unacceptable.
* Wielders must be vigilant, and stay ready to serve their purpose even during times of peace. Darkness never truly rests, and neither will you.
* Wielders must be honest while they serve. Using your powers to a selfish end that contradicts or distracts from the mission is unacceptable.
* Wielders must not interfere directly with the affairs of natives of an invaded world. To protect the continuum, work from the sidelines and leave natives alone when you can, even if they seem to be in trouble.

The most controversial of these few rules, however, is the fourth. Its controversy comes from its ethics; while some wielders are perfectly content following this rule to the letter whenever they can and never interacting once with the natives of the world they're fighting for, just as some worlds' natives are completely opposed to any interference from wielders who arrive to assist them, many others feel it is cold and cruel to turn a blind eye to natives in need who can be helped, especially if the world appears to be going into a darker place as an indirect result of the wielder's inaction. In spite of good intentions, however, even minor interference from a wielder into an otherwise independent and parallel world has been known to cause major imbalance in the powers of that world, and caused mass destruction due to a domino effect and the tearing of the world's "protective fabrics" causing things like hiccups in memory and time passage. So, the argument continues even to present day.

## Members

### **Origins**

WIP

INFORMATION: Become whole again by collecting all of the spirits from the different worlds and unlocking the Great Spirit's power. Don't forget, you can control lesser husks as your minions to get to your goal!
## Summary

Seekers are the husks of those with powerful hearts who have been consumed by darkness and turned into phantoms. While their hearts take the form of generic phantoms (though, usually very powerful ones), the bodies they leave behind are "reborn" and become husks of similar yet still unique appearance, complete with a new name (which is an anagram of their old name plus the letter X) and a total wipe of all memories of their previous lives.

## Attributes

### **Consequences of Death**

Seekers are the wandering husks of former powerful individuals (including wielders) with a distinct motivation to become whole again (through the obtaining of a spirit). Because of this, their deaths are permanent when they occur, just as any other husk's would be. If a seeker's whole form was a wielder, then upon death, the weapon the seeker wielded is released and is free to choose another wielder. However, as long as the seeker is alive, the weapon belongs to that husk still.

## Organization

### **Homeworld**

Just like the Wielders, the Seekers do not technically have a homeworld (because of how varied they are by nature), but they have a headquarters in the freeworld known as <Worldname>, where all members typically live when they're not off seeking spirits.

## Members

### **Origins**

WIP

INFORMATION: Conquer all worlds by engulfing souls in darkness and turning them into mindless phantom soldiers! Be careful not to embrace your own inner darkness too much, or you may become a phantom yourself!
## Summary

The Sorcerers are a collection of dark-realmed individuals gathering from worlds all over the Netherverse, each with their own motivations but one common goal: to see to it that all those with hearts in the known Netherverse are consumed by darkness and turned into Phantoms to serve them as vicious, mindless soldiers.

Sorcerers have an induction ceremony for any new aspiring members, which can only be performed after the individual has passed a test set by the other members in order to join. This rite of passage changes over time depending on how close or far the group is from its ultimate goal, among other factors. Generally, this test includes a show of independent strength and drive to succeed through the abandonment of the heart's attachments (like those the individual may have grown to love prior to becoming a Sorcerer, if applicable). This test can vary in its execution and conditions: sometimes, the individual is forced to betray the one they love by turning away from them during a confrontation, sometimes they are forced to kill the individual, and sometimes they're just forced to sacrifice them to "the cause" by tricking them into being consumed by darkness and becoming a phantom. Either way, showing significant hesitation or even outright denying the conditions of the test can have... adverse consequences.

The ceremony itself involves being infused with the powers of darkness (not being consumed; there's a big difference) so that they may control their own phantoms for the sake of the cause.

Like the Wielders, Sorcerers may have "friends" whom they take with them on their travels if they so choose in order to further perpetrate the cause. Unlike the wielders, however, these friends are more often than not treated as minions at best, and pawns or meat-shields at worst, because of the "each one for themselves" mentality many Sorcerers have. Those who do have genuine friends on their travels, however, are typically an unstoppable combination because of their advantageous dynamic together.

## Attributes

### **Forms**

Sorcerers sometimes have multiple forms of varying shapes, sizes, abilities and triggers.