The Worldbound - A lore and character creation guide

Worldbound

The human clans of the Hidden Valleys of southwestern China and northern Tibet are hidden by ancient energy called Vihatma. These clans are collectively referred to as the Worldbound. The Worldbound draw on Vihatma to fuel their bodies and defend against the natural wildlife and rival clans. Many, if not all of the clans, have a unique martial art that draws on Vihatma to reach superhuman feats of energy manipulation and increase their natural human attributes to reach the peaks of metahuman ability. These are referred to as The Thousand and One Pathways to Heaven or just Paths. Some paths require the use of a weapon, some only a certain type of Vihatma. While I will not, in this guide, detail the paths, I will describe the varying levels of power each Worldbound reaches and I will give a rundown on Vihatma later in this guide.

Oak - No innate ability, generally only Children and Non-Worldbound are considered Oak rank. - 0 Vihatma storage

Foundation of Copper - Basic utilization of pure Vihatma. Able to activate basic constructs and scripts. Generally achieved at 5 years old. - 100 Vihatma

Bronze - Generally with this rank - normally reached by 9 years old - you are able to see and interact with the various forms of Vihatma in the world. This is also where you will begin your trading in one of the thousand and one paths. - 150 Vihatma

Iron - This rank, once spiritually and physically ready for it, reforges the body. Gaining low level superhuman ability at the beginning of this rank, as well as any clan specific abilities that may be manifest in ones blood or spirit. In order to break out of this rank, one must practice every day with their Vihatma and use a special breathing technique or else find shortcuts. Many people don’t break out of iron before they are 40 years old at least. - 200 Vihatma

Steel - A steel is the rank just above iron, generally reached by age 30. Steels have a proper say in their clan, but no real power. At this level, they gain a steel soul. Their soul becomes deeper, and sharper. So that the use of Vihatma becomes more efficient, and the storage of Vihatma becomes increased. - 250 Vihatma

Silver - Silver is the highest ranking that most people will develop without external stimuli. The amount of dedication it requires will, in all likelihood, not be reached by anyone younger than 70 years of age. Even a true genius will likely not reach this until they are well into adulthood. In order to break out of Silver, one must create a binding with a kindred. An animal that has gained enough Vihatma to become self aware and begin practicing the arts themselves. Silvers also gain a sense of spiritual awareness that grants a form of danger sense and a way to see the progression of others spirits. - 500 Vihatma

Gold - Gold is the highest rank that most Worldbound will ascend. A gold worldbound gains a World Sign, a physical marker that sets them apart from the lesser worldbound. A world sign can be largely anything, but is always some sort of physical attribute either changed or added to their body. To reach Gold, a worldbound has to accept a contract with a Divine Beast or bind a spirit to their soul. - 1000 Vihatma

Divine Beast contracts are rarer, and generally illegal among worldbound clans. This is due to the power that this binding allows, as a Divine Beast can absorb Vihatma on its own and send it to their Worldbound. Additionally, the connection between the two can be maintained thousands of miles away, allowing the worldbound potentially unlimited amounts of power. Though if the Divine Beast is killed, they lose this connection.

A Spirit Binding is the preferred path, it doubles the potential Vihatma storage of a user and grants them a measure of the spirits experience and knowledge. Though if done incorrectly, the spirits personality can potentially destroy the hosts personality.

Platinum - Also called High Gold, Platinum rank is the first step out of obscurity and into celebrity for the worldbound clans. At platinum rank, one’s ability to absorb Vihatma is largely made passive, with Vihatma flooding toward the platinum making their energy regeneration significantly higher. - 1000 Vihatma.

Opal - Opal tier worldbound gain further enhanced physicals, generally on the level of mid tier metahumans. Additionally, they can reinforce their Vihatma with soul fire, with their Vihatma techniques becoming stronger in response. Opal tier worldbound can create Vihatma forged weaponry permanently. - 1500 Vihatma

Sapphire - Sapphire tier worldbound can access wild Vihatma more readily, using types that are not part of their path. - 3000 Vihatma

Ruby - Ruby tier worldbound gain increased physicals, on the level of high tier metahumans such as Atlas, Ascendant, and Lightyear. - 10,000 Vihatma

Diamond - The highest peak a worldbound can reach, Worldbound that reach Diamond tier shape the world as they wish. Diamonds find themselves in a power struggle with others of their tier, largely avoiding changing the world in ways that would step on the toes of others on their level. - Unlimited

Elemental Vihatma: The basic form of Vihatma, these are naturally occurring in abundance in areas that represent them.

Fire - Heat, warmth, and voracity. Fire Vihatma is the energy of volcanoes, wildfires, and the hearth. Found in abundance in both natural and unnatural flames.

Water - Flexibility, nourishment, and pressure. Water Vihatma is the energy of a crushing waterfall, the oceans, and the drinking water that maintains life. Found in abundance in natural lakes, oceans, and rivers.

Earth - Strength, durability, and immovability. Earth Vihatma is the energy of mountains, deserts, and the very ground itself. Found in abundance where the earth is open to itself, such as mountains, deserts, and mines.

Air - Force, freedom, and maneuverability. Air Vihatma is the energy of the sky, wind, and the breath inside of all things. Found in abundance everywhere.

Metal - Structure, refinement, and the blade. Metal Vihatma is the energy of society, and human progression. Found in abundance in mines, seeping off the edge of blades, and in cities.

Ice - Cold, immobility, and hopelessness. Ice Vihatma is the energy of tundras, glaciers, and the arctic. Found in abundance during blizzards, tundra, and anywhere that the cold overwhelms the heat.

Lightning - Speed, energy, and storms. Lightning Vihatma is the energy of storms, power plants, and modern technology. Found in abundance largely anywhere modernity has taken hold.

Nature - Healing, growth, and plants. Nature Vihatma is the energy of every wild place untouched by man. Found in abundance in forests, untouched wilds, and all plant life.

Esoteric Vihatma: Esoteric Vihatma is less straightforward than the elemental Vihatma, though easy to find once you know where to look. Esoteric Vihatma is, much like Elemental Vihatma, found everywhere. But in higher concentrations where the concepts are heightened.

Yin - Order, law, and light. Yin Vihatma is the energy of justice and rule. Found in abundance in courts, but created in areas where the light overtakes the dark.

Yang - Chaos, lawlessness, and darkness. Yang Vihatma is the direct opposition to Yin Vihatma. It is the energy of the outlaw and the criminal. Found in abundance in prisons, but created in areas where the dark overtakes the light.

Blood - Health, instinct, and animals. Blood Vihatma is the energy of flesh, animal life, and freshly spilled blood. Found in abundance on battlefields, in the bodies of every living animal, and in hospitals.

Thought - Illusion, shapelessness, and dreams. Thought Vihatma is the energy of the mind. Found in abundance nearly everywhere, though most highly in institutions of higher learning.

Essence - Soul, self, and spirituality. Essence Vihatma is the energy of the inner self. It is hard to find, and herder to master; but it’s applications are mind boggling.

Life - Evolution, change, and longevity. Life Vihatma is the energy of the living. Found in abundance deep in the body of all living things as a thin green line, Life Vihatma is among the most dangerous to use, as to use your own Life Vihatma shortens one’s life span and to use another’s is to do the same to them. Life Vihatma must be harvested before death, lest it become Death Vihatma.

Death Vihatma - Entropy, void, and non-existence. Death Vihatma is the energy of the dead and the dying. Found in abundance on battlefields, graveyards, and places of death. Death Vihatma is common, easy to harvest, but dangerous to use. Death Paths tend not to have reinforcement techniques for their own bodies, as to reinforce one’s body with Death Vihatma invites death into one’s self, shortening their life quicker and quicker.

Corruption - Control, subjugation, and possession. Corruption Vihatma is the energy of the tyrant, the despot, and those that seek power above all else. An unnatural Vihatma, Corruption is created mostly unwillingly by diamond worldbound. Though it is now found anywhere and can be utilized by any tier worldbound. This Vihatma can convert other forms of Vihatma into Corruption Vihatma.

Worldbound Powers

The powers that a worldbound has largely depend on their path, and while I won’t be describing any specific paths; I will however describe the various aspects of a path.

Breathing Technique - A breathing technique is the foundation of a path. While it doesn’t grant supernatural abilities on its own, it is used to strengthen the spirit of the user and store Vihatma for use. Breathing techniques are unique, each one designed to accentuate the aspects of a path.

Vihatma Sense - At bronze tier, a worldbound gains an awareness of the Vihatma around them. They can sense it’s source, and how much of it there is. Though, silver rank is significantly better at seeing the world around them through this sense. Many say the difference is akin to being colorblind prior to silver rank.

Iron Body - Once again, unique to the path; an iron body is attained at Iron rank. The physical traits this iron body recieves always includes enhanced physicals - speed, strength, etc. with each rank after iron gently increasing its power. Opal, Ruby, and Diamond showing the most improvement.

An iron body can also have unique aspects to counteract more harmful aspects to their path, such as regeneration or toxin resistance.

An iron body is forged through hardship at the moment of advancement. An example would be forcing someone to hold their breath by dunking them into ice cold water while they advance. Many don’t make it out of the advancement alive.

World Sign - A World Sign is a physical trait that proves one has advanced into the gold tier. This can be largely cosmetic or have a useful side effect.

Techniques - A technique is the art behind a worldbounds power. Similar to a martial arts move.

A technique comes in four major forms.

A construct technique - utilizing the Vihatma to create an item, generally of only one major type.

A manipulation technique - Utilizing Vihatma in its purest form, manipulating it like many metahumans manipulate elements.

A controller technique - Utilizing Vihatma to control others.

And a reinforcement technique - Utilizing Vihatma to reinforce one’s own body or mind.

Wild Vihatma Control - While one can only use the Vihatma that their spirit is attuned to, at least until Sapphire tier, one can manipulate that Vihatma without absorbing it. Albeit in weaker, less structured ways.

Divine Beasts

A Divine Beast is an animal or plant that is infused with Vihatma in one way or another, allowing it to use its Vihatma to defend itself. While not all Divine Beasts are intelligent, many if not most are and live much longer than normal animals. Intelligent divine beasts can become worldbound themselves, eventually joining a path.

These divine beasts can make contracts with worldbound to further their own power, as well as the worldbound they contract with.

Spirits

Spirits come in many shapes and sizes, but they all share one common trait. They are entirely infused with Vihatma. Much like Divine Beasts, many spirits are intelligent. However, these spirits are often running on instinctual intelligence rather than human intelligence. Some may even consider them alien in many ways.

Vihatma Weapons

Worldbound can create weapons out of Vihatma, shaping spirits into blades, spears, armor and shields as well as any other form of weapon or armor one can think of. These items are infused with Vihatma deeply, and have unique abilities based on the types of Vihatma used in its creation.

Weapons can be used by anyone, regardless of their Vihatma attunement. Though to activate the abilities these weapons have, one must be at least Bronze tier.

Vihatma Attunement

One can only attune to two types of Vihatma, even when they reach sapphire tier. These two types of Vihatma combine once they’re stored inside of a person, becoming unique. An example is Water and Metal Vihatma. When these combine in equal parts, they become Quicksilver Vihatma.

Worldbound Weaknesses

Spiritual Disruption - A Worldbounds spirit is heavily concentrated in their stomach. A strong blow to their stomach can completely destroy their connection their spirit, at least temporarily. This disables all of their abilities aside from the physical ones.

Vihatma Incompatibility - Though unique to each path, Vihatma incompatibility is as much a part of a worldbound as any other aspect of themselves. This incompatibility is normally due to elemental or conceptual incompatibility with the idea behind the path. Fire is usually incompatible with Ice, but not always for instance.

Limits - A worldbound only has so much they can store at once. Outside their element, a worldbound can only fight for a short amount of time and must recharge. This can be mitigated somewhat by Divine Beast contracting or simply carrying a source of Vihatma with you such as a Vihatma Weapon.