Gameplay
Supernatural development usually begins right as puberty starts to end.
The most typical age for this in males is 18, 16 for females. Development
takes on average three years.
Supernatural development generally begins quite subtly, with mild increases
in health and physical performance, those around the developing supernatural
might notice that they generally seem to have more energy than normal, and
begin to perform better in sports.
The development takes it's toll however, only a few months in most would be
supernaturals start to exhibit mental symptoms. Mild to severe psychiatric
disorders, as well as irresponsibility, poor judgment, recklessness are all
common side effects. While mental disease is no more common in adult
supernatural than adult naturals, a full 75% of them will have a past
history of mental disease or crime. Short prison stints or periods in
asylums are relatively common.
About mid way through the process actual supernatural abilities and talents
will begin to develop, usually starting off very uncontrollable and of
extremely mild power but slowly increasing in strength. It's also common at
this time for characters to begin to have dreams related to their ancestry.
As the process comes to a close, the mental effects fade away, the dreams
become much less common and the individual's abilities both grow stronger
and come more completely under their control. As far as the world is
concerned the individual has successfully managed to 'turn their life
around. '
There are two ways for supernatural development to be blocked. The first is
insanity, characters who're highly mentally unstable will be stuck in stage
where their powers are weak and uncontrollable, they also are often stuck
with the ancestry dreams as well, which can make them useful research
subjects for trying to glean more information about the past of
supernaturals. This also means that despite their likely troubled past,
serious mental disorders of the mundane type are all but unheard of amongst
active supernaturals.
The second is complete closed-mindedness to the possibility of the
supernatural. This has to go far beyond normal scientific skepticism. It
can occur when treatment for their mental illness is particularly severe and
effective, or when someone has been raised into a strong belief that
contradicts the existence of the supernatural. Occasionally people with
particularly distressing powers or who've used them in particularly
distressing ways will create a subconscious block themselves preventing
their belief. Societies also occasionally brainwash people into this belief
in order to lock their abilities away.
Mature development also occurs but is much rarer in the world at large.
Only 5% of supernaturals will develop late, but there's no particular time
when it will occur if they do. It's much more common than this in Haven
however because of the proximity to the gate. It also occurs if someone has
a block that occurred before or during supernatural development that then
breaks in later life. Mature development is much faster, usually taking
place over only a few weeks. However it is also more dangerous, if the
individual develops psychological or behavioral problems they're likely to
be much more severe, causing people to become raging psychotics or malicious
psychopaths for short periods of time before the effects fade.
Many people attempt to become supernatural, fortunately a good portion of
the world's population has some fragment of a supernatural gene within them,
and thus have a chance of manifesting it if they try. When successful these
attempts produce something very similar to mature development, although the
psychological and behavioral side effects are usually less common, only
affecting about 25% of deliberately manifested people.
Methods:
Alchemy) Experimentation with potions comprised of mixtures of mundane and
supernatural ingredients can be effective at triggering a manifestation.
Although the exact same potion will never work on two different people.
Gene Therapy) Modern science also has a solution, genetic therapies based on
the genes of manifested supernaturals can be effective at triggering
manifestation, although again each treatment is unique to the patient.
Meditation) Some people are able to trigger manifestation after prolonged
periods of mastering monk like meditation practices.
Ritualism) Experimentations with mystical rituals directed at the target can
be effective at inducing manifestation, although again the exact ritual will
be unique to the individual, it also tends to go through a lot of blood
before the right one is found.
Trauma) Sometimes manifestation is brought on by serious physical or mental
trauma, in some cases this may be used to attempt to induce manifestation.
Sometimes in very primitive ways such as torture, other times in more
clinical ways such as anesthetized electroshock therapy.
Becoming Supernatural
Supernatural development usually begins right as puberty starts to end.
The most typical age for this in males is 18, 16 for females. Development
takes on average three years.
Supernatural development generally begins quite subtly, with mild increases
in health and physical performance, those around the developing supernatural
might notice that they generally seem to have more energy than normal, and
begin to perform better in sports.
The development takes it's toll however, only a few months in most would be
supernaturals start to exhibit mental symptoms. Mild to severe psychiatric
disorders, as well as irresponsibility, poor judgment, recklessness are all
common side effects. While mental disease is no more common in adult
supernatural than adult naturals, a full 75% of them will have a past
history of mental disease or crime. Short prison stints or periods in
asylums are relatively common.
About mid way through the process actual supernatural abilities and talents
will begin to develop, usually starting off very uncontrollable and of
extremely mild power but slowly increasing in strength. It's also common at
this time for characters to begin to have dreams related to their ancestry.
As the process comes to a close, the mental effects fade away, the dreams
become much less common and the individual's abilities both grow stronger
and come more completely under their control. As far as the world is
concerned the individual has successfully managed to 'turn their life
around. '
There are two ways for supernatural development to be blocked. The first is
insanity, characters who're highly mentally unstable will be stuck in stage
where their powers are weak and uncontrollable, they also are often stuck
with the ancestry dreams as well, which can make them useful research
subjects for trying to glean more information about the past of
supernaturals. This also means that despite their likely troubled past,
serious mental disorders of the mundane type are all but unheard of amongst
active supernaturals.
The second is complete closed-mindedness to the possibility of the
supernatural. This has to go far beyond normal scientific skepticism. It
can occur when treatment for their mental illness is particularly severe and
effective, or when someone has been raised into a strong belief that
contradicts the existence of the supernatural. Occasionally people with
particularly distressing powers or who've used them in particularly
distressing ways will create a subconscious block themselves preventing
their belief. Societies also occasionally brainwash people into this belief
in order to lock their abilities away.
Mature development also occurs but is much rarer in the world at large.
Only 5% of supernaturals will develop late, but there's no particular time
when it will occur if they do. It's much more common than this in Haven
however because of the proximity to the gate. It also occurs if someone has
a block that occurred before or during supernatural development that then
breaks in later life. Mature development is much faster, usually taking
place over only a few weeks. However it is also more dangerous, if the
individual develops psychological or behavioral problems they're likely to
be much more severe, causing people to become raging psychotics or malicious
psychopaths for short periods of time before the effects fade.
Many people attempt to become supernatural, fortunately a good portion of
the world's population has some fragment of a supernatural gene within them,
and thus have a chance of manifesting it if they try. When successful these
attempts produce something very similar to mature development, although the
psychological and behavioral side effects are usually less common, only
affecting about 25% of deliberately manifested people.
Methods:
Alchemy) Experimentation with potions comprised of mixtures of mundane and
supernatural ingredients can be effective at triggering a manifestation.
Although the exact same potion will never work on two different people.
Gene Therapy) Modern science also has a solution, genetic therapies based on
the genes of manifested supernaturals can be effective at triggering
manifestation, although again each treatment is unique to the patient.
Meditation) Some people are able to trigger manifestation after prolonged
periods of mastering monk like meditation practices.
Ritualism) Experimentations with mystical rituals directed at the target can
be effective at inducing manifestation, although again the exact ritual will
be unique to the individual, it also tends to go through a lot of blood
before the right one is found.
Trauma) Sometimes manifestation is brought on by serious physical or mental
trauma, in some cases this may be used to attempt to induce manifestation.
Sometimes in very primitive ways such as torture, other times in more
clinical ways such as anesthetized electroshock therapy.