Ars Manus

## **User(s)**

* Various Ascendants
* Various Maledicti

**Ars Manus** (武装術式, *Busō Jutsushiki "Armament Technique Formula,"*) is the practice of incorporating eir into purely melee methods. This form of combat is centered around making use of a particular style that involves harnessing the flow of eir internally then injecting the opponent with the same energy through physical contact.

## Overview

In the east, eir is called **Ki/Chi**, **Chakra** or **Qi** (気 *"Spirit,"*) sticking to it's original name everywhere else. Ars Manus is just this energy being used for melee or integrative purposes. Many martial artists practice and attempt to harness their internal energies, in doing so, they can perform actions that normally would not be achievable with magic formula. Depending on the power of the individual, they may be able to create things that are on par or weaker than an Anathema when it comes to their techniques. While Ki and Chi originated in China and Japan, Chakra originated in India. It can be said that Ki refers to the energy that moves throughout the body internally, while Chakra refers to the aura produced on the outside of the body. Regardless, both share the same system when it comes down to aura generation.

All bodies are composed of **Meridians**, they are the source of a person's strength, vigor and functionality. These aspects of an individual represent the internal system described by mages as eir circuits. When the meridians become damaged, it can cause the special cells producing eir to become ineffective and the specific part of the body to stop functioning altogether. In the best case, a person will still be able to function if they did good to protect themselves before they received a deadly strike to one of the regions. In the worst case scenario, they may never be able to channel eir again in that part of their body. Certain martial arts styles, such as the Meidō Satsui-ryū, focus on shredding apart the meridians with sword strikes, essentially robbing someone of their physical and spiritual energy by crushing them under the weight of their sins.

Ki has many uses, such as being able to prevent kinetic energy from bleeding out into the atmosphere until the point of impact as seen with the technique Senkō; Being able to absorb the impact of strikes and release the power back at the enemy, sealing or stealing a portion of a person's meridians, being able to shatter incoming weapons or knocking back enemies with a single glance, the negation or destruction of hostile energies as seen by the Yin and Yang Styles of the Manten Zetsuin-ryū, the ability to reach blinding speeds in the blink of an eye and many more.

People who use Ki can fight against Awakeners or Maledicti that focus on Ars Magna without the need for magic to keep up or even intercept certain attacks. Though this method of combat is somewhat lost to time as a sacred art, a few members within Orpheus know how to use it. Auras are quite uncommon and people who are able to manifest one from pure eir or seithr are undoubtedly the strongest ki users. It is not the same as elemental cloaking since pure energy has more potency and greater effect.

### List of Techniques

#### General Techniques

* **Senpo** (閃歩, *"Flash Cadence,") -* A sudden high-speed dash that allows someone to achieve psuedo-teleportation, moving from one location to another without the need for acceleration over time.
	+ **Senkō** (閃光, *"Flash Luster,"*) - A Manten School exclusive, an ultra-high speed dash that makes use of shock absorption to store the energy of each powerful step then transfer it throughout the body into an attack, effectively multiplying the damage dealt.
	+ **Senbu** (閃舞, *"Flash Dance,"*) - An attack performed during Senkō or Senpo that allows one to strike the meridians of an enemy in the same moment. The ki of the practitioner produces a vibrational refraction to cause hallucinations, after the enemy succumbs to it, the dash and strike are executed.
* **Shindō** (真道, *"True Path,"*) - An attack that strikes the heart meridian, forcing the person to obey the commands of another individual with the risk of their heart detonating as leverage.
* **Gyakusatsu** (虐殺, *"Massacre,"*) - An attack aimed at the governing vessel that causes hypersensitivity in the nervous system, tremendously increasing the damage that an enemy receives in combat. It can reach the point where a single breeze in the wind, causes them to collapse in shock.
* **Tasatsu** (他殺, *"Butcher,"*) - An attack that can be used on any meridian, it causes the body to continuously bleed out with no end, even if pressure has been applied. Blood will search for any available orifice to spill out from.
* **Zansatsu** (惨殺, *"Slaughter,"*) - An attack aimed at the conception vessel, it causes all of the bones within the body to break simultaneously. This strike kills in a single movement.
* **Tosatsu** (屠殺, *"Carnage,"*) - An attack aimed at the triple warmer meridian, it causes someone to turn their own weapon against themselves.
* **Jisatsu** (自殺, *"Suicide,"*) - An attack aimed at the governing vessel, it forces the victim to commit suicide either by self-harm or by being destroyed with their own energy.
* **Kyōkaiten** (境界点, *"Boundary Point,"*) - A strike aimed at the bladder meridian in the leg. It causes paralysis and prevents the opponent from being able to walk. This can be used to subdue a threat rather than kill them.
* **Hakuryūten** (白龍点, *"White Dragon Point,"*) - An attack aimed at the conception vessel, specifically the center torso. It causes the muscles to rapidly contract and the spinal cord to snap.
* **Anryūten** (暗龍点, *"Dark Dragon Point,"*) - A strike aimed at the liver meridian. The attack manipulates the flow of energy passing through that part of the body to cause blindness in an opponent, this can only be fixed with advanced healing spells or green aura capabilities.
* **Danchō** (断腸, *"Heartbreak,"*) - An attack aimed at the heart meridian. It causes damage to people who attempt to deceive the practitioner. It will continue to crush their heart every time they lie and eventually cause it to explode.
* **Tsukiji** (築地, *"Reclaimed Land,"*) - An attack aimed at the conception vessel. It causes the body to experience internal detonation the moment the victim makes any type of movement. This can be used for interrogation purposes and can also be deactivated by the practitioner.
* **Aika** (哀歌, *"Lamentation,"*) - A strike aimed at the governing vessel. This causes all of the senses within the body to malfunction and massively reduces depth perception.

* **Tenrai Ensō** (天雷淵叢 *"Thunderous Heaven Gathering,"*) - This ki ability allows the practitioner to generate a shockwave from a single powerful glare, it was used by Izanagi. The ki produced by the sudden burst can shatter blades or incoming weapons. It can even send others flying in an instant.

#### Aura Techniques

* **Eizui** (影髄, *"Shadow Pith,"*) - This technique allows the user to achieve invisibility by camouflaging their aura with their surroundings, they can even blend with water vapor. This can be done by temporarily entering an astral body state or by concealing the aura in the way mentioned above. (Black, Indigo)
* **Jinkai Byōdō** (神界廟堂, *"Spirit Plane Mausoleum,"*) - Allows an individual to exert their aura over a specific space. Senpo masters can capitalize on this by finding an enemy and instantly moving behind them to strike one of their vulnerable meridians. (All)
* **Gajō Ketsugō** (牙城結合, *"Stronghold Binding,"*) - Allows an individual to manipulate their aura in order to form armor. This can come in the shape of a massive giant created with ki or just standard spirit armor that cannot be seen by the normal eye. This technique is similar to Augeo in the sense that it reinforces the body or the constituents of an object through density or compactness. (Yellow)
* **Suiryū Shouha** (水流掌波, *"Water Flowing Palm Wave,"*) - By manipulating the aura, an individual can create a devastating wave of energy in the form of a photonic blast. In it's uncharged state, it will only produce a powerful wave of aura with the sharpness of a water jet cutter. (Yellow)

* **Shintō Mekkyaku** (心頭滅却, *"Mind Destruction,*") - Using ki to gain spatial awareness of all things within a certain area, the range of detection is made incredibly accurate to the point where it allows one to detect even the movement of molecular objects or spatial alterations. This can also be used to achieve clairvoyance and effectively counter an incoming attack by trusting in the universe to guide the practitioner in the right direction. (Indigo and Blue)

## Aura Information

An individual who obtains an aura may develop one or two different colors, these can blended together to form an amalgamation. So far, no one has been capable of having more than two aura types, aura combining excluded. On another note, it seems that Ki and Chakra share many similiarities, because of this they reach common ground throughout the world of Ars Manus. Though this form of combat generally just follows the fundamentals of ki, it takes most of it's roots from the Hindu and Buddhist system of the Seven Chakras. They are as follows:

### The Red Aura, Muladhara

**Muladhara** (Sanskrit: मूलाधार or मूलाधारा; IAST: *Mūlādhāra*, lit. *"root of Existence." Mula* means root and *dhara* means flux.) or the **root chakra** is one of the seven primary chakras according to Hindu tantrism. It is symbolized by a lotus with four petals and the colour pink or red.

* **Physical Augmentation**: The practitioner can channel their aura to increase their physical aspects.
	+ **Bodily Attribute Augmentation**: The practitioner can use their aura to enhance specific bodily attributes of their body and their physical and mental condition to any level, enhancing their capabilities to massive levels.
	+ **Optimal Finesse**: Those with red auras can use their aura to enhance their finesse to the highest potential.
	+ **Biological Manipulation**: The practitioner can manipulate the biological aspects of living organisms, including himself or herself (As per Hindu beliefs, life starts from the Muladhara chakra.)

### The Orange Aura, Swadhisthana

**Svadhisthana** (Sanskrit: स्वाधिष्ठान, IAST: *Svādhiṣṭhāna*, English: "where your being is established." "*Swa*" means self and "*adhishthana*" means established.) or the **sacral chakra**, is the second primary chakra according to Hindu Tantrism. This chakra is said to be blocked by fear, especially the fear of death. Opening this chakra can boost creativity, manifested desire and confidence.

* **Empathy**: People of this aura type can empathize with others for better understanding.
	+ **Animal Empathy**: They can empathize with any kind of animal.
	+ **Combat Perception**: They can predict the foe's movements by reading their emotional pulses.
	+ **Ecological Empathy**: The practitioner can feel the emotions of all things within the surrounding ecosystem.
* **Emotion Manipulation**: They can control the emotions of every individual, including his or her own.
	+ **Indomitable Emotions**: They have unusually strong emotions, enabling them to bear extensive emotional damage without succumbing to its effects.
	+ **Emotional Consistency**: Their power is dependent on certain emotions.
	+ **Emotion Aura**: They can turn their emotions into pure aura.
	+ **Emotion Empowerment**: The more of an emotion they feel, the stronger they become.
* **Emotional Trigger**: They can activate and utilize powers based on emotions.

### The Yellow Aura, Manipura

**Manipura** (Sanskrit: मणिपूर, IAST: ***Maṇipūra***) is the third primary chakra according to Vedic tradition. Manipura translates from Sanskrit as "city of jewels" alternatively translated as "resplendent gem" or "lustrous gem". Manipura is often associated with the colors yellow, blue in classical tantra, and red in the Nath tradition.

* **Aura Generation**: The practitioner is able to generate their own unique aura.
	+ **Aura Constructs**: They can form their aura into solid constructs, capable of reforming them with complete control.
* **Aura Flight**: They can use aura control for flight, reaching hypersonic speeds at full power.
	+ **Jet Propulsion**: They can use their aura to propel themselves in any manner, direction and speed as they wish.
		- **Spiritual Weaponry**: They are able to solidify their aura and shape it into any kind of weaponry.
		- **Spiritual Armor**: They can form their aura into durable armor.
	+ **Energetic Pressure**: They can destroy an entire surrounding area with nothing but the force of their aura.
	+ **Energy Duplication**: They can duplicate themselves by using their aura.
	+ **Ergokinetic Combat**: They can channel their aura into their arms and/or legs to create power energy enhanced strikes.
	+ **Ergo-Telekinesis**: They can use their aura to manipulate matter.
	+ **Indomitable Will**: They possess an unusually strong force of will, enabling them to overcome any situation whether it be life threatening or not.
	+ **Life-Force Beam Emission**: They can project their aura in the form of a destructive beam.
	+ **Spiritual Energy Conversion**: They can convert their aura into a form of energy or matter.
		- **Aura Infusion**: They can infuse their aura into an object and/or person.
		- **Aura Mixture**: They are able to mix their aura with the aura of others.

### The Green Aura, Anahata

**Anahata** (Sanskrit: अनाहत, IAST: *Anāhata*, English: "unstruck") or **heart chakra** is the fourth primary chakra, according to Hindu Yogic, Shakta and Buddhist Tantric traditions. In Sanskrit, *anahata* means "unhurt, unstruck, and unbeaten". *Anahata Nad* refers to the Vedic concept of *unstruck sound* (the sound of the celestial realm). Anahata is associated with balance, calmness, and serenity.

* **Disease Detection**: They can use their aura to sense the pain, disease, etc, from others and themselves.
* **Healing**: They can heal or regenerate themselves or another.
	+ **Empathic Healing**: They can heal emotional and traumatic pains.
	+ **Healing Aura**: They can generate a healing aura.
	+ **Mental Healing**: They can heal the minds of themselves or another.
	+ **Internal Bodily Cleansing**: They can cleanse the body from any foreign impurities.
* **Foreign Forces Removal**: They can remove any foreign forces from their body and other's bodies as well.

### The Blue Aura, Vishuddhi

**Vishuddha** (Sanskrit: विशुद्ध, IAST: *Viśuddha*, English: "especially pure"), or **Vishuddhi** (Sanskrit: विशुद्धी) , or **throat chakra** is the fifth primary chakra according to the Hindu tradition of *tantra*. Endocrine: Thyroid. The residing deity of this chakra is Panchavaktra shiva, with 5 heads and 4 arms, and the Shakti is Shakini.

* **Intelligence Enhancement**: They can channel their aura to gain a higher level of enlightenment which enhances their intelligence.
	+ **Causality Perception**: The practitioner with this aura can deduce cause and effect relations and create appropriate and effective countermeasures.
	+ **Hypercognition**: They can utilize their aura as a medium to perform complex mental operations beyond those of a normal human mind.
* **Occultism**: They can gain wisdom of the supernatural by channeling their aura.

### The Indigo Aura, Ajna

**Ajna** (Sanskrit: आज्ञा, IAST: *Ājñā*, IPA: [aːɟɲaː]; sometimes known as **Agya**), **Brow** or **third eye chakra**, is the sixth primary chakra in the body according to Hindu tradition and signifies the subconscious mind, the direct link to Brahman (ultimate reality). The third eye is said to connect people to their intuition, give them the ability to communicate with the world, or help them receive messages from the past and the future.

* **Spiritual Perfection**: They can be at one with their aura in order to keep control of their abilities.
	+ **Astral Projection**: They can separate themselves from their physical form.
	+ **Dowsing**: They can use their aura to track and locate objects, resources, and people.
	+ **Intuitive Aptitude** : They can learn the complexities and develop the perfect methods for any field of expertise without taking much time.
	+ **Mind's Eye**: They can use the indigo aura to access the third eye.
	+ **Psionics**: They can use various forms of psychic/mental abilities/powers.
		- **Telepathy**: In a meditative state, they can mentally communicate with others and even see the world through their own eyes.
	+ **Tranquil State**: They can quiet and clear their mind, allowing them to focus on only the task at hand.

### The Violet Aura, Sahasrara

**Sahasrara** (Sanskrit: सहस्रार, IAST: *Sahasrāra*, English: "thousand-petalled", with many alternative names and spellings) or the **crown chakra** is considered the seventh primary chakra in some yoga traditions. The Sahasrara is described as a lotus flower with 1,000 petals of different colors. These are arranged in 20 layers, each with approximately 50 petals. The pericarp is golden and within it a circular moon region is inscribed with a luminous triangle, which can be either upward- or downward-pointing.

* **Transcendent Aura**: They were blessed with the highest level of aura control, placing them far above others.
* **Space-Time Manipulation**: They are capable of influencing both space and time with their aura, creating phenomena such as Zeno's paradox or Time Dilation.
	+ **Space-Time Attacks**: They can use attacks pertaining to space-time manipulation.
		- **Space-Time Slicing**: They can tear through the fabric of space and close up any ingressions by pressing the space back together.
	+ **Spatial Manipulation**: They can influence space with their aura, controlling the distance between themselves and other objects or people.
		- **Spatial Attacks**: They can use attacks that distort the fabric of space to inflict damage to the targets.
		- **Spatial Constructs**: They can use their aura to create tools, objects, weapons, armor, and even appendages out of spatial energies.
		- **Spatial Infusion**: They can use their aura to infuse spatial energy into objects (usually a weapon), beings or powers, allowing them to expand the range of their attacks.
		- **Spatial Tuning**: They can create a field that is used for banishing others who come in contact with it or for swapping spaces with others once particular conditions are met.
			* **Spatial Telekinesis**: They can use their aura to manipulate matter and energy by manipulating the space it is occupying.
		- **Teleportation**: They can move instantaneously from one location to another without physically occupying the space in between two points.

### The Black Aura, Vairagya

**Vairāgya** (वैराग्य) is a Sanskrit term used in Hindu as well as Jain philosophy that roughly translates as dispassion, detachment, or renunciation, in particular renunciation from the pains and pleasures in the temporary material world. The Hindu philosophers who advocated vairāgya told their followers that it is a means to achieve moksha. It is associated with the color black.

* **Aura Absorption**: They are capable of absorbing the spiritual essence of others as well as their powers.
* **Corruption Manipulation**: Their own aura as well as their victims can become corrupted by any means.
* **Negative Energy Manipulation**: The practitioner can use their aura to gain powers from malicious forces.
	+ **Aura Constructs**: They can shape their aura into any kind of material.
	+ **Damaging Aura**: They become capable of high levels of damage using their aura to contact the aura of the victims.
	+ **Demonic Energy Manipulation**: Due their connection to demonic powers, they are able to manipulate the energies as well.
		- **Demonic Infusion**: These individuals can infuse any object with their dark aura, granting it destructive and corruptible properties.
		- **Weapon Infusion**: They can channel their aura in their weapons in order to increase their effectiveness.
	+ **Evil Aura**: Their aura is capable of influencing not only the user, but those around them.
		- **Demonic Aura**: They can surround themselves in wretched demonic power.
		- **Energetic Pressure**: Their aura is capable of leveling the area around them.
	+ **Projectile Body**: They can utilize their aura around them to turn themselves in a projectile.
* **Indomitable Will**: Their will is indomitable due to their aura.
* **Negative Emotion Empowerment**: Their negative energy is somewhat quintessential. So the more they feel of a certain negative emotion, the stronger they become.
* **Physical Augmentation**: Like individuals with red aura, they can channel their aura to increase their physical aspects.
	+ **Bodily Attribute Augmentation**: They can use their aura to enhance a specific bodily attributes of their body.
	+ **Optimal Finesse**: They can use their aura to enhance their finesse to the highest potential.
* **Self-Aura Manipulation**: Control over their own dark aura.
	+ **Aura Concealment**: They can conceal their dark aura.
	+ **Aura Detection**: They can detect the presence of another aura, including dark aura.
* **Spiritual Armor**: They can create a form of armor through their aura, whether just around themselves or a massive battle avatar.

### The White Aura, Moksha

**Moksha** (/ˈmoʊkʃə/; Sanskrit: मोक्ष, *mokṣa*), also called ***vimoksha***, ***vimukti*** and ***mukti***, is a term in Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism and Sikhism for various forms of emancipation, enlightenment, liberation, and release. In its soteriological and eschatological senses, it refers to freedom from *saṃsāra*, the cycle of death and rebirth. In its epistemological and psychological senses, *moksha* is freedom from ignorance: self-realization, self-actualization and self-knowledge.

* **Indomitable Will**: Their will is indomitable due to their aura.
* **Pure Element/Positive Forces Manipulation**: They can use their aura to gain powers from benevolent forces.
	+ **Anti-Evil Aura**: Their aura is capable of influencing not only the user but those around them.
		- **Angelic Aura**: They can surround themselves in blessed angelic energy.
		- **Energetic Pressure**: Their aura is capable of leveling the area around them.
	+ **Aura Constructs**: They can shape their aura into any kind of material.
	+ **Divine Energy Manipulation**: Due to their connection to holy powers, they are able to manipulate the energies as well.
		- **Divine Infusion**: They can infuse any object with their pure aura, granting it destructive and corruptible properties.
		- **Light Energy Manipulation**: Their aura can be used to heal/purify targets and/or bring balance to a chaotic system made up of both types of energy
	+ **Weapon Infusion**: They can channel their aura in their weapons in order to increase their effectiveness.
	+ **Healing Aura**: They can become capable of high levels of healing using their aura to contact the aura of the wounded.
	+ **Projectile Body**: They can utilize their aura around them to turn themselves in a projectile.
* **Physical Augmentation**: They can channel their pure aura to increase their physical aspects.
	+ **Bodily Attribute Augmentation**: They can use their pure aura to enhance specific bodily attributes of their body.
	+ **Optimal Finesse**: They can use their pure aura to enhance their finesse to the highest potential.
* **Positive Emotion Empowerment**: Their positive energy is somewhat quintessential. So the more they feel of a certain positive emotion, the stronger they become.
* **Self-Aura Manipulation**: Control over their own pure aura.
	+ **Aura Concealment**: They can conceal their pure aura.
	+ **Aura Detection**: Detect the presence of one's pure aura.
* **Spiritual Armor**: They can create a form of armor through their aura, whether just around themselves or a massive battle avatar.