Weaving

Overview

  Martial artists called Weavers follow a Pattern as they weave the tapestries of their own fates on a journey to power and enlightenment. Life energy flows through their spiritual veins, or Soulthread, allowing them to harness the natural aura of the world around them. Almost all the people in Sanctum Hollow can Weave, yet occasionally a few cannot; these are called Drabs and are considered unlucky.  

The Weaver’s Arts

  Most everyone in Sanctum Hollow can manipulate spirit energy in a mystical martial art called Soul Weaving or simply just Weaving. Weavers absorb ambient aura into their Soulthread, which is collected in what is referred to as their Spool. Once this aura has been assimilated into one’s body, it is referred to as essence. Essence used particularly for martial arts is referred to as ki. There are four archetypes of techniques that a Weaver can use. As you use a technique, it will be cumulatively woven into your Soulthread, making the technique stronger and more versatile. In addition, it is believed that some forms of essence are more difficult to use in certain techniques. The technique archetypes are as follows:   All Weavers are either a Sizer (empowering body/weapons with essence), a Reed (controlling ambient aura), a Pirn (briefly projecting essence outside the body), or a Fabricator (creating stable and tangible manifestations of essence), and that it is impossible for an individual to learn techniques outside their own category for it would ravage their Soulthread. One's affinities are determined by the results of a test of their spiritual origin, or the Threadbearer Test.  

Refinement

  Advancement through the ranks of Weaving is referred to as Refinement. A level of Refinement is a degree of spiritual development that advances as a Weaver improves their essence while fulfilling the requirements of the next rank. Some ranks have special requirements or give special abilities. At each refinement rank the quality of their essence is improved, as is their control over it.   In Sanctum Hollow, Weavers sew patches on their shirts to denote their Refinement rank. The ranks begin at the Staple level, children and Drabs are at this level.   Staple   All people are born at the foundational stage called the Staple. Outside of children, the only people that remain at this stage are spiritually crippled, the rare and unlucky Drabs. This rank grants the individual the ability to sense their own Soulthread. Compared to all other Weavers they are spiritually weak and have the bodies of normal people. They are capable of activating weak scripts and some can employ simple techniques, though doing so quickly exhausts them. Weavers at the Staple rank instinctually spin the essence that naturally resides in their Soulthread, but are not yet able to take in the various natural aura's generated by all things in the world.   Warp   Most sacred artists naturally advance to the rank of Warp as children, after they've had their affinity determined and settle into one of the four Weaving Archetypes. They learn to take in aura from the world around them and spin it through their Soulthread to replenish lost essence. Through repetition this allows them to fill their pool of essence to its limit.   Warp-and-Weft   Once a critical mass is reached, one solidifies their Spool, around which their Soulthread is wound. This process is uncomfortable at the start and slightly painful in the last moments as one feels a great pressure bearing down on their very spirit. The individual may lose consciousness for a time at the end of this process while their soul's refinement is raised to this rank. This process changes an individual's Soulthread from a loose collection of spiritual fibers to a stronger one that glows brighter on a spiritual level. Strengthening one's Soulthread around a more solid Spool provides several benefits:

• The primary ability gained is what Weavers call Aura Sight. This sight allows one to see the natural aura in the world around them. Depending on the density of that aura, the variety of sights can vary from dull and limited to intensely bright and overwhelming. It is important to note that some varieties of aura are far harder to see than others and may take time and training to see them all.
• Additionally, Weavers are better able to take in aura and spin it into the essence that flows through their Soulthread. Over time, as they spin a certain aura into essence, their Soulthread gains the ability to produce this particular aura on their own, replenishing their own essence. They now have a greater capacity to store essence and can make use of more varied and potent techniques.

Warp-Stop   Achieving the end of the Warp ranks is a Weaver's first critical step. They begin to connect their spirit to their body, with the goal of preparing the body for the future burden of a powerful spirit. They become truly superhuman as their bodies are strengthened and remade with essence. This new body is connected to their spirit through the core of their enhanced Spool, referred to as their Warp Core. There are a variety of different bodies and Warp Cores, each with different abilities and functions. Rising to this Refinement rank grants the following main benefits:

• Greatly increased essence pool with more potency, surpassing existing limits. You can also perform more techniques.
• A body enhanced by essence and purged of impurities, more sturdy than a normal person's body.
• Varied abilities a specialized Warp Core can give.

Pick-Thread (Picker)   Just as the Warp-Stop rank and the warped core of one's Spool renews and reforges the body, the Pick-Thread rank has a similar effect on the spirit. It serves to further open your physical form to spiritual senses. You are able to sense not only natural aura, but the essence of other Weavers. Additionally, you have a greater pool of essence and can recover it more easily.   End-Thread (Ender)   This is the peak of known Weaving potential. Here your essence strengthens your spirit to previously unknown levels. Your control over your own essence can allow you an additional discipline, your essence pool greatly increases, as does the limit you can control your essence.