Discussions/AbyssalEssence
Ok, just been thinking over the Essences of Abyssals and how they might differ from Solars, other than the obvious ones. For example, it seems implied that like Solars, Abyssals can have memories of their former lives... but might the taint of the change alter them? Maybe give them a dark spin, or could it survive untouched? I had some other ideas, but i'm tired and forgot them. lol - haren
Well, it's implied by the existence of Lytek that one needs to 'clean up' a shard's memories before it passes to its new host; this means that Abyssal memories, pulled out of his influence, are either "messy" or else maintained by some other powers, who might engineer the taint themselves. We also see implied segregation between Essence given two pieces of information - its channeler and its source. Abyssals don't regenerate Essence in Creation; Solars can't drink blood. No one but DBs have access to the elemental bonuses of the Five Glorious Dragon Paths. Sidereal sutra-magic is theirs and their alone. And so forth. For curiosity, I'd like to see this expanded (for Eclipses) into a subsystem that allowed them to power Charms as Exalts of other types; a reinterpretation of their anima ability. It doesn't seem strange that they could 'partition' their Essence pool into several pools holding different kinds of Essence, thus powering out-type Charms more effectively. Perhaps one could, say, use Essence from an elemental Manse to power Immaculate Arts with access to their special DB bonuses and no surcharge, for instance. Or use Sideral Essence to light up sutras and pay for MA cheaply. - FourWillowsWeeping
Well, the important thing here is that most Abyssals' previous lives were all Solar. And the Abyssal book seems to imply that there is something. And your idea does hold alot of merit in some ways with the partitioning idea for Eclipses. I mean, we've seen that Day castes (and the implication that also Night castes) are able to imitate each other, but if Night are capable of imitating a day Caste, with work, they should be able to imitate other Exalted, at least in appearace. The reason is this, supposedly Day Caste Abyssals are able to imitate due to the tiny spark of Solar in their essence, but there is no similar counterpart in Night Caste Solars. They don't have a spark of Abyssal in them, so maybe it's just easiest for them to imitate each other (and probably the Infernals also). So, why not other Exalts? - haren
Just a thought on the 'Abyssal Memories'- what if the Abyssal Tainting Technique can't remove old memories, but it does twist them. Of course, variosu Exalts already remember more or less of their previous lives. These memories, for the Abyssals, come as twisted voices and compulsions, rather than full on flashbacks like the Solars occusionally get.\\ Abyssal Memories are Whispers. And if Lytek ever stopped doing his job, a similiar effect might happen to the other Celestials as well- hell, in the case of someone like Ketchup Cejack's shard, the sheer volume and weight of ego behind the memories might overwhelm the living mind, warping it wildly. (See: Rand al'Thor and Lews Therin Telamon, Wheel of Time) - DariusSolluman
Hm... I like the Wheel of Time connection, but I'm not so much into the idea of day caste Abyssals having a bit of pure solar in them. Remember, Solar Impersonation Style (and it's theoretical counterpart... call it Abyssal Impersonation Style) is just a charm. A midnight could learn it. A daybreak could learn it. Charms are not by any means caste specific. I do kind of like the idea that Abyssal memories are more dark and twisted than Solar memories. And, as far as Lytek... if Lytek could get his hands on an Abyssal Essence, don't you suppose he could manage to fix it? Clean off the Abyssal taint? That would explain one of the reasons its so important for Deathlords to get their hands on the Essences when their deathknights die. - Seraph
Actually in one sourcebook it is said that Lytek has excess to an Abyssal and is trying to find a cure and that he is making progress. --proxy.haw-hamburg.de
What sourcebook is that? I'd like to see it. About Whispers: I don't think they are memories. As the Abyssal book says, they are voices from the Abyss, a kind of connection of the Abyssal with his Malfean master. Do Abyssals keep memories from their past lives? I think that's up to the deathlord. If it fits his purposes, a deathlord could simply leave the memories in the shard, or he could remove the ones he didn't want his deathknight to have. Obviously he wouldn't do it with Lytek's skill level, but with the help of the Monstrance it seems reasonable to me. I don't see the 'clean up' as a requirement, but as some kind of safety measure to avoid the new host to go crazy trying to handle too many memories. Otherwise, it would be desirable to actually keep those memories in the shard, so the new host would require much less training - he would already have the knowledge of essence, in some intuitive way. As for an Abyssal imitating other types of Exalts, I don't think it's possible. In fact, I think the only type of Exalt an Abyssal is able to mimic is a Solar (all of the castes, but the stealthy nature of Day castes makes it a logical assumption that they are the ones more likely to do so). They are able to do so because they have a Solar spark inside them. Buried deep down, but it's there. The implication that Night castes can do the same is wrong because Solars don't have an Abyssal spark inside them (and the Great Curse certainly does not qualify for that). For the same reason Abyssals shouldn't be able to mimic other Exalts as well. I think that Abyssal shards are still Solar in nature - with some kind of infection, introduced by the deathlord, playing the role of the taint. To prevent the shard from going back to Lytek, a portion of it remains in the Monstrance - that way the shard, attempting to remain in one piece, would return to its cage in case the deathknight died. The deathlords are eager to recover lost shards not because they worry about Lytek - but because they are aware of each other. Since their automaton wasn't able to recover all essences from the Jade prison, they don't have as many essences as they think they should - their concern is to keep each other from stealing their own shards - and, if possible, steal from the others. To 'clean up' the shard, Lytek wouldn't need only access to the Abyssal - but also to the Monstrance.--Nabeshin
