Heroic Adrenaline
Heroic Adrenaline is a common term for a still studied quick of mortal biology where being exposed to frequent danger and peril causes individuals to experience spurts of growth in skill and talent that would otherwise take years to develop. This often appears in adventurers, heroes, villains and those who venture into Rifts due to the risk to life and health they experience as part of their regular activity. The Phenomenon can be the explanation how small groups travelling together for only a year or less could learn magic to contend with most ancient of mages, or how a warrior could develop a strength of arms to fight a dragon in mere months from leaving their home.
Once the threat to life has past however, many who experience this boost to their skills end up declining back to a more middling level to where they started. This is usually due to not being able to keep up with the daily maintenance that would be needed to gain their increased power without the Heroic Adrenaline to aid them.
Causes
The exact requirements to trigger heroic adrenaline is unclear on the threshold required. Members of a standing army who fight several large battles back to back are unlikely to experience the phenomenon while treasure hunters who take precautions to avoid risks despite visiting dangerous locations may also never experience it. However, a common farmer who fends of rift attacks may experience this phenomenon and chase that further gain.
Despite the Threshold being unknown, the main trigger is a frequent risk to one's life, either from battle, traps or other natural dangers.
History
When this phenomenon was discovered, it was attempted to be artificially recreated by making people believe they were in danger to trigger natural adrenaline rushes if this caused the same effect over long term. However, without the real threat of danger none of those tested on received this boon. Indeed similar research to putting groups into real danger outside of their control also did not prove to generate the effect artificially.
Research into the Phenomenon is now infrequent and a footnote, as no way to successfully trigger this has been found.
Cultural Reception
When the discovery of this Phenomenon was discovered to be danger and risk, some people grew to use this as a way to "quick start" their journey. It became common for fledgling wizards or sorcerers to travel to dangerous locals or rifts to trigger the effect to skip some early parts of their basic learning. Similarly, those looking to gain martial prowess could also partake to get an edge they needed in a shorter time than would be naturally required.
However, the risk of life must be real in order to trigger the effect, so while this may be an option for some individuals, those actively seeking this short term boost are still uncommon.
Origin
Natural
Cycle
Short-term
Rarity
Uncommon
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