Echyllis

Warning: This item is a plot element of the Arcadia Complex plot. Due to its retroactive nature, it is not meant to be applied to or overwrite any preexisting elements of the entire Ayenee setting.

“I believe you and that insolent man have been playing in a fire older than you realize. Echyllis- A nasty old material, some would call it a force. At least a little bit of it can be found strained down into anything and everything of worth. Creatures, planets, stars. Though it lived long before them, the Arcadians and Nepherians found ways to cultivate it in their technologies, and lives.” - OSC-01, Episode Two: Union

Echyllis is an ancient, abstract material found in varying quantities across the known universe. In its natural vaporous form, Echyllis is invisible to the human eye. However, the material may be channeled and compiled by the strong and the cunning of mind. Echyllis has many applications, and was most notably cultivated and exploited by the Arcadians and their foil, the Nepherians.

About Echyllis

A channeled drop of Echyllis, ranging from vaporous at the top to semi-hardened at the bototm. Echyllis is a string-like material that can be found anywhere matter is, in varying quantities. The arcane material is as old as time itself, with its exact inception believed to be a byproduct of the creation of matter itself. Echyllis is found in its highest saturation in the paradoxical space between dimensions known as the Great Nothing, with a near complete saturation of the material. Between dimensional travel and interference, Echyllis in its loose, vaporous form has become common in varying degrees around all of space.

Echyllis in high saturation can be detected through a radioactive property that becomes stronger as more of the material saturates an area. Traditional Geiger counters can detect it in high concentrations, but are ineffective with smaller doses and nowhere near as accurate as custom-engineered gauges.

Formation

Echyllis comes in four main forms: Vapor, Energized, Semi-Hardened, and Hardened. Echyllis cannot be created or destroyed, like matter itself, but it can be channeled into new forms, gaining or losing energy in the process.

Vapor

Vaporous Echyllis particles are invisible to the human eye, and are found in varying amounts everywhere matter can be found.

Energized

Energized Echyllis is vapor Echyllis that has been channeled or through natural means condensed, forming an unstable reaction. Energized Echyllis is visible as a colorful suspended reaction, often appearing as a wispy or liquid plane of light that ignores the conventional laws of gravity. Energized Echyllis' ongoing reaction lends it to create a lot of heat and energy until it destabilizes or burns out, giving it a short lifespan when created.

Semi / Hardened

Semi-Hardened Echyllis is Energized Echyllis that has been compacted further, creating a hard, physical shape. Naturally channeled or formed, Semi-Hardened Echyllis forms crystalline structures that are often low in geometry, giving them a blunt or spearlike appearance. In this state, the Echyllis is still unstable and will begin to deteriorate if not maintained. It is also still volatile, lending itself to shatter and release hot energy when struck with enough force.

Hardened Echyllis is combined with matter such as dust, metal, or debris in the air to form a much more stable structure. Like its Semi-Hardened counterpart, this form takes a crystalline shape when formed naturally, though it can be shaped or woven into metallic or flat structures.

Hardened Echyllis will maintain its charge for as long as its half-life may allow, unless outside forces interfere or draw. Discharged Echyllis crystals are a dark and dull color, and are more susceptible to cracking and erosion. They may regain their charge over time by being introduced to an area enriched with Vaporous Echyllis, or through accelerated means by contact with controlled doses of Energized Echyllis.

Age

Echyllis itself has a very long half-life when left to its own devices. The Energized form will cause a sparadic release of energy that can burn out quickly if not controlled, but the base will still be there afterwards. Drifting contact with other Echyllis particles will eventually distribute energy back to burnt out ones. This makes the energy of Echyllis an incredibly, unimaginably vast energy source- but not truly non-renewable.

Hardened Echyllis is susceptible to warping and growth over time, as contact with more energized particles can cause the structure to grow outwards. This reaction takes years to develop in stationary machinery, but can lead to faults in machinery using Hardened Echyllis as a power source or conduit. Regular maintenance and checkups can keep an Echyllis crystal that has been machined in shape.

Echyllis Imprints

Echyllis particles have an inexplicable trait which could almost be defined as memory recognition. While the material bears no mind or will of its own, Echyllis is capable of “remembering” forms it has taken, matter it has inhibited, and people who have channeled or otherwise inhibited it. This memory is weak, but can lead to the creation of strange phenomenon when the material is imprinted by a strong force.

Echyllis Imprints at their highest strength and fidelity are able to take the form of what it has been in the past, most notably a living being. These specters are uncommon, and usually die out not long after inception. The strongest of Echyllis manipulators (referred to as Syllics) are capable of leaving their imprint on the world for much longer after their passing. Make no mistake, however- these rare specters are not a perfect copy of their progenitor. They may share traits, but Imprints on this scale are usually exaggerated and reflect the strongest traits, regrets, and desires of their progenitor. Approach with caution.

Usage

Echyllis has multiple uses, such as its use as a channeled resource, an efficient energy source, and its essential role in dimensional travel.

Channeling

Channeling (also called Echyllis Manipulation) is the art of collecting and condensing vaporous Echyllis into a more usable formation, such as energized particles or a hardened crystal. The act can be completed by a strong, compatible mind, or an equally strong set of machinery. Be wary that the power draw from either can easily drain the manipulator.

Natural

Natural channeling involves compressing Echyllis using the strengths of ones mental physique alone. The power is extraordinarily difficult for a normal human to achieve, requiring elongated exposure to the material with a rigorous training regime to even begin. The Arcadians and Nepherians were capable of channeling Echyllis naturally and easily due to their evolution within saturated dimensions, and the a weaker compatibility with the material can be found even in their thin-blooded offspring. The strong end of natural manipulators are referred to as Syllics.

Complicated or continuous channeling of Echyllis can easily wear on the mind and body of the manipulator, and overexertion can lead to lightheadedness or loss of conscious.

Artificial

Artificial channeling is the compression of Echyllis particles through machinery. The exact kind of machinery can vary depending on the application, but artificially-formed Echyllis structures (such as those made for fuses) is crafted using an Echyllis Spindle. Artificial channeling may also be used to draw energy from an Echyllis fuse to be used as a tool or weapon, but the effectiveness of the weapon depends on the materials used. The highest efficiency conductor is a secret that may well have died with the Arcadians.

As with natural channeling, artificial channeling requires a high power draw that becomes harder to maintain the more precise an operation is requested.

Energy Source

Hardened Echyllis crystals may be used as an energy source when placed inside a fuse case with proper adapters for the machinery at hand. On its own, a fuse may hold a long-lasting charge. The true benefits of Echyllis fuses come with reactor housings, which are capable of keeping the fuse in motion to attract and refract nearby Echyllis particles, greatly extending the longevity of a fuse.

Dimensional Travel

As Echyllis is found in its highest saturation between dimensions, it serves a vital role in safe travel between them. High-capacity Echyllis fuses may be used with Rift Boring rigs to tear a temporary hole into and through the Great Nothing, allowing passage through the otherwise impassable. Localized travel through rifts is also possible, and a far less risky endeavor. Syllics may open small-scale rifts through their own willpower, but these more volatile rifts are not as safe for traveling long distances.

Hazards

Echyllis is a versatile and powerful tool when channeled from its dormant state, but it is not without grave risk.

A victim of high-level Echyllis Poisoning, with Glassvein

Poisoning

Echyllis particles constantly emit a radioactive aura when colliding with one another. In most cases, this interaction is negligible and carries no risk to ones health. Energized Echyllis and areas of very high saturation can be a different story, however. The constant bombardment of these reactions can emit a radioactive aura strong enough to cause gradual radiation poisoning to organic matter in the vicinity. Echyllis Poisoning is not only a life-long risk, but can cause mutations to ones gene pool, threatening their offspring as well.

Early or low-level symptoms of Echyllis Poisoning include general unsteadiness, leading into nausea, sickness, fatigue, blood clots (rarely), headaches, and shortness of breath. Late or high-level symptoms may include discoloration of the skin, lightly accelerated aging, cancer, internal bleeding, genetic instability, tumors and other mutant growths, and death.

Other, rarer symptoms of Echyllis poisoning include Glassvein, a condition that causes hardened Echyllis formations to grow unwillingly to the infected persons nerve endings and other body parts.

Oversaturation

Although the Echyllis exposure required warrants some kind of disaster to reproduce without the object being destroyed, an object may become so saturated with Echyllis that it becomes a volatile explosive.

Imprint Haze

A hazard of staying in areas of high Echyllis saturation such at the Great Nothing is Imprint Haze, a byproduct of Echyllis' ability to form a memory of its use. Continued exposure to Echyllis that has formed an imprint can result in confusion, short term memory loss, inability to concentrate, hallucination, and falsified memories.

Due to the strange nature of Imprint Haze, it is entirely possible for an afflicted person to gain memories and traits they never bore before. Due to this, it is highly recommended to make your inter-dimensional travels as brief as possible to avoid the complications of the Haze.

Folly

“There are too few words to describe the nightmarish weaponry that the Councils had held close secret. Not even Amelia knew of what lie beneath the soil of Avisten. They could not destroy their creations, but only contain them in vain. When Avisten fell, the tortured souls were released and rampant. Our futile attempts at preserving the city were struck down in vain as a new force sought and destroyed. We could not determine if there was some malevolent thought behind them, or if these poor creations were simply driven by an instinct to escape. What took minutes felt like an eternity to all of us. The valiant stood against them, working to contain the fires of destruction and rebirth- and to finally seal them from whence they came.”

- Adila Marheart

Folly is the informal name given to an anomalous substance closely related to Echyllis. The material shares many traits with Echyllis, while also acting as an opposing force to the material. While knowledge of Echyllis has been retained and passed through the generations following Arcadia's demise, the Folly's infrequent appearance, historical taboo, and volatile nature has rendered it unknown at best and Arcadia's greatest secret. What is known is that the full rage of the Folly was unleashed at least once before, causing the Schism and the destruction of Arcadia and beyond. This leaves it up to the Downrider Expedition to track down information related to the material, assess its potential danger, and counteract it.

Formation

Very little is known about Folly as a substance, but it is closely related to Echyllis. It is evidenced that the two may have been created at the same time, under different circumstances. Unlike it's sibling, Folly appears primarily as a liquid-like state, a vantablack material with the resting consistency of ink. Whereas Echyllis creates light when in a sustained form, Folly absorbs light. It is still, however, capable of reflecting colors (albeit more limited). Unlike Echyllis, Folly is mostly stable in this form, capable of persisting under most situations.

Like Echyllis, Folly is capable of vaporization and hardening, though whereas Echyllis could be described as matter changing state, the changes in Folly are more of a hardening and softening of a consistent material. Because of this, Folly can saturate into other objects.

Interactions with Echyllis

Folly interacts with Echyllis in a relatively volatile manner, with contact between the two unleashing reactions ranging from mild burning to outright mutual destruction. In a clash between the two materials, the one with more force or mass behind it will usually come out on top. Despite this, Folly is capable of passively decaying Echyllis, converting it into Folly over time albeit at a much slower rate.

Usage

Unlike Echyllis, Folly cannot be feasibly manipulated. Means at willing the material both artificial and mechanical prove inefficient, though it can still be captured and contained physically with some ease. It's use as an energy source or as a means of safe dimensional travel are debatable but untested.

Hazards

Folly can be considered just as, if not significantly more dangerous than Echyllis, for one reason alone.

Folly Imprints

Echyllis is capable of retaining a sort of memory, though it can only be acted upon or mimicked through the strongest of channeling in Echyllis Imprints.

Folly Imprints, on the other hand, are capable of what appears to be full-fledged sentience. While uncommon enough on their own, collected Folly is almost always capable of forming into a Imprint seemingly at will, with no described reason as to how or why. Folly is capable of acting upon memory, emotion, and insight at a level bested only by the strongest Echyllis Imprints. Despite this, many Folly Imprints lack true personality or rationality, forming into instinctual beings that are more comparable to unstable and deadly beasts than common folk. Stronger, more willful Folly Imprints are capable of forming into more refined beings similar to Echyllis Imprints, with their key difference being the ability to evolve.

While Echyllis Imprints for the large part exist as a reflection of something deceased, a memory with little room for true change, Folly Imprints are capable of learning, adapting, and changing, no doubt due to the incredibly flexibility and durability of Folly as compared to the volatile burning of Echyllis particles. An example of such an Imprint would be Juryrig.

This page was originally created by Pancakei on Wed 04-12-19.