


Duct Shields
The user conjures shields or barriers from their aura that are beige in color and possess a disturbingly realistic skin like texture, complete with subtle pores and hair follicles. The constructs are roughly one and a half meters in height and width, though their size can be adjusted upon creation. If they are ever broken and later reformed, they permanently retain realistic scars and stretch marks that make their damage history visually obvious to anyone who sees them.
Upon conjuration, fleshy cables shoot out from the sides of the shield and anchor themselves into the surrounding environment, such as walls, floors, ceilings, or large objects. The user can also actively direct these cables to anchor into a specific target, like an opponent's limb or weapon. These cables serve as a force redistribution network, meaning that when the shield or the cables themselves are struck, the force is transferred directly into whatever the cables are anchored to. The shield itself is more durable than any single cable because it can distribute force across multiple anchor points simultaneously. If an anchor point suffers too much damage and becomes unstable, the cables will loosen and the shield's defensive capacity will decrease significantly.
If a blow is powerful enough to overwhelm the shield's ability to transfer force through its cables, the barrier will not simply shatter. Instead, it bends and unthreads, unraveling into a mass of blood red, slimy wires that writhe and contort as they attempt to pull themselves back together. During this unraveling process, the skin like surface ripples grotesquely, making the regeneration visually disturbing. This repair process takes a few seconds.
Regardless of whether the shield sustains any actual damage, every impact triggers a horrifying auditory response. The construct emits a wet, guttural scream that sounds like a wounded animal mixed with the sound of tearing flesh. This scream is loud enough to be disorienting in close quarters and serves as a psychological layer of defense, designed to startle, disgust, or demoralize opponents into hesitating or flinching during combat. This feature can be toggled off or on through direct touch by the user.