Critique my science fantasy power system.
(The document is written by an in universe uwezo dynamics researcher.)
Uwezo Dynamics - The U-particle
Particles generated by minds of sentient beings, they are quanta of Uwezo energy.
Sentient minds cause excitations in the uwezo field, creating these particles.
Unpowered people can't use them (without assistance) because they create too few particles.
Classification
These u-particles particles are channelled via the union of mind and body.
There are two axes that define the use:
- Stability vs Opportunity : This determines if one is majority solid or fluid energy.
- Focus: The self vs the world i.e. internal vs external. The answers emerge from one's desire at moment of awakening.
Thus, users are split into 4 quadrants.
- Body - Stability focused on self - Physical strength and mastery over one's body.
- Summon - Stability manifested in the world - Creating a single relic/familiar.
- Infusion - Opportunity focused externally/world - Using energy to alter and manipulate matter.
- Mindscript - Opportunity focused on self - Mental spell-like code.
Solid vs Fluid Energy
The energies act like stamina; limited and recover over time.
Innate users have a 80/20 split for their main energy type.
Solid energy:
- is static, unmoving. Effect works simply by existing.
- acts on a binary. The effects are the same at full and near empty. At empty, the ability fades until recovery.
- These quadrants are simple to use, but inflexible.
Fluid energy is:
- flowing, needs to flow to create an effect.
- On a progressive consumption. Like a budget i.e. starting with 100 then spend 20, now only 80 can be spent.
- These quads need more practice and knowledge to use, but are much more flexible.
Assisted Use - Amre Machines
Unpowered people can use some abilities via Amre (AMplification & REverberation) machines which use the u-particles they produce.
These are locked to the 4 quads, but lesser since these are not innate users:
- Body stays similar.
- Summon is not possible at this level, so they can only enhance an object.
- Infusion is limited to one element.
- Mindscripts are limited to 5 maximum. The unpowered are also hard limited to one quad. The bonding process takes up to a week, and the machine must be kept on their person.
Why can't all use Uwezo then?
- Ability to channel the particles seems to be random.
- Amre machines are extremely complex, requiring nanometric precision manufacturing.
- The knowledge is gatekept by the various world militaries.
Innate Use
Ignition
Innate use is gained after a person undergoes a rare process called ignition.
Ignition occurs during a climax of negative emotion, it is unclear if ignition can occur due to positive emotion.
During the ignition process, the body is enveloped in a red light and the body is remade, henceforth referred to as somatic rebuild.
This process is described as an absurd level of pain; one survivor account says : "Its like getting ran over in slow motion, while needles are shoved in your eyes, and your children are murdered and your dog gets skinned, all at once."
The survival rate for ignition is currently at 73%, and it lasts 30 seconds.
The factors influencing ignition susceptibility are still unknown.
Rank system
Innate users are sorted into discrete ranks, the highest living being rank 3.
Higher ranks have access to greater energy pools, and supplemental skills.
However, ranking up requires a re-ignition which takes longer with each rank.
The difference between ranks is large, and grows with each rank. Theorized to follow a pronic sequence.
Primary Abilities
Innate users can use all 4 quads, to varying degrees.
The main quad is called their primary and will have primary exclusive abilities.
The aptitude will be split as follows:
- Primary- main quadrant, both axes match. Their natural talent shines.
- Secondary - energy type match.
- Tertiary - focus type match.
- Blindspot - Both axes mismatch. Most difficult to use.
Body
The simplest quadrant to use.
The primaries can have either:
- Passive enhancement: they are always at full strength and do not need to activate.
- Transformation: A limited time physical change that bestows extra abilities, e.g. turning into a dragon could allow flight.
Non-primary users must activate the body technique for a specific body part.
Transformation types emerge from one's psyche, often emerging from the Jungian Shadow. In a notable case, a user ignited but their tulpa (independent mental being) was the only one who could use uwezo, taking over the body via transformation.
Summon
Primaries can:
- Evolve their summons over time to gain useful effects, and switch between the different forms as needed.
- Quick summon, where the summon appears instantly and wherever needed in a 10m radius.
- Summon familiars; autonomous beings that can act on commands.
Non-primaries must perform a process to call their relic summon, which can not evolve. Summons can either be enchanted relics or familiars. A relic is an object with supernatural properties e.g. lightning blade or a monument that locks down an area with a barrier. These effects depend on the users psyche.
Infusion
Primaries can:
- Infuse and manipulate material remotely within a 50m radius.
- Manipulate atomic & subatomic particles such as electrons, though at immense energy cost.
- Manipulate multiple elements/materials at once.
Note that these require extensive study of material sciences and practice. Solids are easiest, followed by liquids then gases then reactions such as fire and plasma/lightning. To start, infusers will often choose pure metals of medium density e.g. copper, iron, as they are the sweet spot due to the free electrons and regular atomic structure.
Non-primaries can only learn one material at the molecular level and must have physical contact.
Mindscript
Primaries can:
- Run multiple mental threads in parallel for complex scripts. Theorized to follow the formula: Thread count = 2^Rank.
- Method call; where a script is called by another script to combine effects. Limited only by complexity threshold.
- Build their Header Library; where numerous scripts can be stored in memory for reuse. Storage increases with rank.
Due to this, mindscript is said to be the most difficult but most versatile quadrant. Scripts must be designed, tested and refined, as they do not occur naturally.
The primaries usually choose to specialise in a certain domain e.g. sound & vibration, though generalists do exist, trading deep mastery for broad versatility.
Non-primaries can hold up to 5 single scripts at a time.
Amre machines for Innate users
In our testing, innate users are unable to use standard Amre machines due to the massive energy difference compared to an unpowered person. The machines would just melt or explode.
Research into different build materials has been ongoing, with platinum group metals (especially Osmium) showing the most promise.
Common skill : Madaraka
Madaraka (meaning sovereignty) is a common ability shared by all innate users.
Noted effects include:
- negates non-uwezo attacks on the body up to a certain power wattage, massively boosting durability.
- Increases general strength, endurance and reaction time.
- Repairs pre-ignition damage to the body e.g. lost limbs, genetic disorders.
- Heals the body at an advanced rate if damaged.
- Reduces need for food and sleep if not using their abilities.
- Maintains users' preferred hair style based on their mental self image.
- Changes their eye colour to a bioluminescent gold.
The cause of these is theorized to be the somatic rebuild during ignition. This effect occurs passively, and is strengthened with higher rank.
Overdraw sickness.
One's uwezo reserves are not infinite. If overextending occurs, users will encounter overdraw sickness, charaterized by:
- Internal and External bleeding.
- Nerve damage.
- Short term memory loss.
- Fractures.
- Organ rupture.
- Visual and auditory sensory degradation.
At a certain point, the mind shuts itself down due to self preservation, resulting in loss of consciousness. Notably, these effects do not seem to be healed by Madaraka, meaning standard medical treatment and recovery time is needed.
There have been 7 confirmed fatalities due to overdraw sickness.
Recovery
Use of Uwezo is taxing on both mind and body.
Military enrolled innates are required to follow dietary and exercise plans, as well as quadrant specific recovery programs designed by exercise physiology, nutritionists and Uwezo dynamics researchers.
Body practitioners experience skeletal and muscular stress, requiring protein and calcuim supplements.
Infusers struggle with thermal regulation, needing hydration, electrolytes and ice baths.
Summoners must maintain their central and autonomic nervous system e.g. via meditation.
Mindscript must have REM sleep and/or sensory deprivation to clear the mind.
