[This chapter serves as a record of the forbidden history and the occult laws of Nucleus. The information herein is known only to the High Clergy and the keepers of the Silent Sanctuary. Reading it may attract unwanted attention.]
— The History: The Four Epochs —
❖ The First Epoch: The Fission
The beginning of time. The Creator, the Primordial Atom, shattered. His blood (Radiation) flooded the universe. There were no humans, only twisting, formless horrors born from the chaos.
❖ The Second Epoch: The Lead Age
Humanity emerged, hiding in deep underground bunkers lined with lead to survive the surface radiation. It was a dark age of fear and prayer.
❖ The Third Epoch: The Alchemical War
The first Catalysts discovered the Elixirs. They waged war against the monsters and built the Great Domes. The world was divided into the current Nations.
❖ The Fourth Epoch: The Current Era
The Age of Fog and Industry. The Domes protect us, but the "Corruption" is slowly leaking inside.
— The Hierarchy of Power: The Seven Shells —
The human soul is small and unstable. To hold the power of an Authority, one must build layers around their spirit. These layers are called Shells.
❖ Shell 1: The Neophyte (The Core)
State: The Catalyst has just opened their spiritual eyes.
Power: Enhanced senses, minor physical changes.
Risk: The most dangerous stage. The soul is raw and exposed to the "Voice" of the element.
❖ Shell 2: The Adept
State: The first layer is stabilized.
Power: Supernatural abilities manifest. (e.g., A Carbon Adept can harden skin; a Scorch Adept can generate sparks).
❖ Shell 3: The Master
State: The limit of mortality.
Power: Professional mastery of the element. They are the captains, the elite soldiers, and the bishops.
❖ Shell 4: The Transmuter (Demigod)
State:The Great Filter. To reach this Shell, one must abandon their humanity.
Change: They gain a Mythical Form. They are no longer flesh and blood; they are living manifestations of their Element (e.g., A living shadow, a walking furnace).
❖ Shell 5: The Saint
State: A walking calamity. They no longer need to breathe or eat human food; they feed on energy directly.
❖ Shell 6: The Angel
State: The messengers of the Void. They can rewrite the environment of an entire city to match their element.
❖ Shell 7: The Sovereign (Old One)
State: The logic of the world. They are the Element. There can only be one Sovereign per Path at a time.
— The Laws of Ascension —
❖ The Catalysts
Those who seek power must walk the path of the Creator's fragments. They consume Elixirs—mixtures of cursed metal and monster blood—to house a specific Authority within their soul.
❖ The Communion (The Acting Method)
Power comes with a price: The Voice.
Every Authority has a will. The Scorch wants to burn; the Plague wants to rot. If a Catalyst fights this nature, they will go mad.
To maintain sanity, one must perform The Communion: acting in perfect resonance with their Authority.
A Keeper of the Phantom Path must remain unseen.
A Keeper of the Scorch Path must be volatile and rash.
By wearing the mask of the God, one fools the madness into sleeping.
❖ The Saturation (Valence)
The Shells have a limit. To advance, a Catalyst must "saturate" their current Shell by digesting the potion through Communion. Only when the Shell is full and stable can they attempt to build the next one.
— The Nine Great Paths —
The 118 Authorities are grouped into Nine Ancient Paths.
I. The Path of the Sovereign (Carbon - Group 14)
Archetype: Rulers, Architects.
Concept: Structure & Binding.
Shell 1 Ability:The Scribe. Perfect memory, slippery defense (Graphite skin).
II. The Path of the Scorch (Alkali - Group 1)
Archetype: Berserkers, Zealots.
Concept: Reaction & Energy.
Shell 1 Ability:Kindler. High body heat, creating sparks. Weak to water.
III. The Path of the Phantom (Noble Gas - Group 18)
Archetype: Spies, Assassins.
Concept: Nothingness & Inertia.
Shell 1 Ability:Whisperer. Ventriloquism, minor levitation (floating).
IV. The Path of the Plague (Halogen - Group 17)
Archetype: Torturers, Witches.
Concept: Hunger & Corrosion.
Shell 1 Ability:Taster. Immunity to poisons, acidic saliva.
V. The Path of the Forge (Iron/Transition - Group 8)
Archetype: Soldiers, Smiths.
Concept: Magnetism & War.
Shell 1 Ability:Apprentice. Instinctive weapon mastery.
VI. The Path of the Crypt (Nitrogen - Group 15)
Archetype: Necromancers.
Concept: Death & Suffocation.
Shell 1 Ability:Gravedigger. Sense death, resistance to cold.
VII. The Path of the Breath (Oxygen - Group 16)
Archetype: Elemental Mages.
Concept: Fuel & Combustion.
Shell 1 Ability:Bellows. Control wind currents, fuel fires.
VIII. The Path of the Coin (Coinage Metals - Group 11)
Archetype: Merchants, Bankers.
Concept: Value & Conductivity.
Shell 1 Ability:Penny-Pincher. Sense precious metals and luck.
IX. The Path of the Abyss (F-Block)
Archetype: Monsters.
Concept: Mutation & Decay.
Status:Forbidden.
— Terminology of the World —
❖ Distortion (Monster)
When a Catalyst fails to stabilize their Shell. The "Voice" takes over. The human soul is erased, leaving behind a creature of pure instinct and twisted flesh.
❖ Sealed Artifacts
Objects left behind by dead Catalysts. They retain the powers of the dead but possess strange, deadly curses.
Grade 3: Safe for use.
Grade 2: Hazardous.
Grade 1: City-destroying potential.
Grade 0: World-ending scenarios.