Ouroboros Flames

She had told me that we needed to accept the change, that change was part of our nature as living thing. My magic, Neaves had coined a new name for it a while back, pyromancy. Had always been less than useful, my wings having been torn irrepealably, my connection to Syn's sun's having been broken since I was an infant. The few outbursts of power I could make, had been... destructive. Neaves, was never angry at me, Erlin was always annoyed, Pyria, always looked at me with those too-understanding eyes. My physical might was all I had, nothing compared to my family of The Shrine Guard.
 
But, if Neaves was right, then this was a truth I didn't have to accept. I heard the roars and howls of the swarm of the damned coming. Small flame summoned in my hand, thinking back to the lessons Neaves and Ilgor were teaching us all. But, another thought came to mind, an inner flame. One that had always been there, that fire in my soul that had been given to me by Syn and Azu, the ones to light the fires of the world. Just because my connection was broken, didn't mean it wasn't there...
 
The flame turned black in my hand, sucking in the light like desert sands soaked in the fury of the skies. They were close now, the ground rumbling as they neared the walls I had sworn to protect. Sworn to protect those who now prepared themselves to defend those walls from this darkness. I needed more power, I needed more than just my strength, I needed my faith to be born anew. The black fire sunk into my skin like I had seen Ilgor do with the Archon Stones, a slow warmth filled my chest.
 
That same black flame billowed out from where my damaged wings were, like I had never been a cripple. Fire filled my eyes as I pulled my war sword from the ground, deflecting away a bullet shot at me from the encroaching hoard of darkness. "Breath in, get up, move. You have a job to do, an oath to fulfil. People to protect, a family to return to." Shooting forward with a speed I didn't know I processed, somewhere in the back of my mind I felt that fire burning away my life, granting me the power I sought. A gift from my goddess, born of a broken faith, she never really gave up on her children did she?
 
"Well, Damn it all then!" I laughed, as my only thoughts were swing, duck, dodge, kill. Next one, then another, and another and another. That fire, so kind and small, ate away at me. Eroding me, yet giving me everything I needed. I lost count, day turned to night, horror after horror fell. Wound after wound gained, bruise after battered bruise earned. Fight, survive, kill before they kill me, protect the city, protect Neaves, protect Ilgor, protect Mother Aafjie. Erlin, Pyria, Cori...
 
I lay on my back, sword having melted and broken some time ago as I began tearing those things apart with my bare hands. breathing slow as that flame died out in my soul. Confident that I had killed them all, that hoard brought down by the strength of a single man, broken as he was. The last thing I remembered before fading out of consciousness was a face looking down at me, a warm feeling filling my chest. "Damn, I missed one."
 
I woke some few days later, my beard having grown quite a bit in that time. My body covered in head to toe in bandages and poultices, I tried to sit up, yet everything screamed at me the moment I tried. "Sleep, rest. You've done a mighty thing, single handedly fighting off a hoard we were unprepared for, inventing that strange spell of yours. Good thing I found you when I did, I would have missed you." Ilgor said as she kissed my cheek, though the light hug she gave me made my ribs hurt like hell.

Effect

Fire is born of air and heat, when the caster breathes, they too breathe fire yet unrealized. The caster must breathe in their flames and take that power within themselves, to realize an ouroboros is the truth in the matter. The power that the pyromancer or even any Child had always come from within, as such when a caster uses this spell, that power is simply returned to the caster for which it requested of the forces of the world around themselves.   Caster immolates their body, their soul, their mind in the fires of the self, and are granted an immense power. This spell is meant as a true last resort, for the magic temporarily ascends the caster's Divine Spark to godhood as The Quartet had always intended for their children. But, a mortal soul either unwilling, or unprepared to ascend themselves under their own might, suffers on that lofty summit.   Temporarily maxes all stats, grants a 4x movement speed, as well as grants two extra actions per turn. This effect lasts as long the caster's health can withstand, the spell drains the caster's health by 5 points per turn, plus any additional damage made to them by enemies, all enemies will also be unable to target anything but the caster. The lower the health of the caster the more potent the effect down to 75% health add a 25% modifier to all actions, at 50% health add a 35% modifier to all actions, at 25% health add a 45% modifier to all actions. At the "zero" mark, spell effects fade and a phoenix effect procs, caster will be given a token 1 health, but be entirely unable to make any actions, saving throws, or retreats without the assistance of another actor. The caster is rendered entirely helpless. The only stat unaffected by this buff is the health/constitution stat. Whatever the stat is at the time of use is what remains, beware fickle use of this spell, for it is both awesome and awful.

Side/Secondary Effects

When the Caster has burned away their life to the fire they saw so fit to render, the fires will have consumed what they gave. As the ashes fade, and the heat realizes unto itself, the Caster will have felt the full potential of their might. The Caster will remain unable to do anything but wonder at the grand fires that consume them.   Caster will remain in a debilitated state where they cannot react or move to outside stimulus for the next foreseeable future. One their own a Caster may recover from the immense toll paid for their spell in a few months. With the aid of a Great Healer, this can be lessened to a few days, if brought before them quickly. Until either of these conditions are met, the Caster will be unable to preform any true physical work, or even cast any magic at all. How quickly does the fire consume, for the brighter the candle, the faster it burns.
Rise and shine by Thereasonwhy
Related Content: Talent   Elemental Enhancement   Brownie Speech   War Throat   Neaves Emberwing
Related Deity/Higher Power
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Comments

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May 26, 2025 23:01 by Marjorie Ariel

Great job, mixing story/worlbuilding elements with rules/play elements

May 26, 2025 23:21

I'm glad you liked it!

May you find the truth as it billows through the branches...
May 27, 2025 03:29 by Asmod

And the art is bloody epic