Harmonies

Harmonies

To our ancestors, Harmony was a nebulous concept. Shared tradition, maybe, or family, or duty, or obligation. No more! Reach out and let Harmony flow through you!

With the rise of Light and Dark, the power of Harmony is within your grasp. However, much as Light and Dark are only found in Seln blended into the concrete world, you must incarnate Light and Dark into your own being by blending it into your own body and soul.

Harmonies act as a form of character customization.

Harmonies come in two delicious flavors:

• Light Harmonies reflect your hopes, dreams, and growth
• Dark Harmonies reflect your honor, obligations, and determination

Gaining Harmonies

Each time you advance to the appropriate step, you immediately gain the matching Harmony.

Select one element to bind with either Light or Dark.

• Each element may be bound to either Light or Dark Harmony - never both
• You may bind to your Bane, making this a rare way to strengthen your power in your Bane
• This selection is permanent and instant

Light and Dark grant slightly different benefits, and these benefits increase the more you devote of that Harmony to that element.

• Light
  • 1 point: +1 Attribute
  • 2 points: +1 Charge
  • 3 points: +2 Aura
• Dark
  • 1 point: +1 Attribute
  • 2 points: +1 Charge
  • 3 points: +2 Chakra

Attributes, Charge, and Chakra always apply against the element selected for this Harmony. Aura gained this way joins your general Aura pool.

Example

Sara first gains a Light Harmony at step 2. She decides to apply this Light Harmony against Water and gains +1 Charm. From this point forward, she may not bind Dark Harmonies against Water; it has been claimed by Light.

Soon she gains her first Dark Harmony and places it in Earth to gain +1 Prowess.

Over time, she decides to heavily invest in LightWater. Eventually she places all three Light Harmonies in Water for +1 Charm, +1 Water Charge, and +2 Aura. On the other hand, she spreads her Dark Harmonies out, placing one in Air, Earth and Fire. Thus, she gains +1 Insight, +1 Prowess, and +1 Drive over time.

Your place in Harmony

Your Harmonies have several additional effects.

First, it may unlock special Challenges

• “With LightWater 1, you sense something amiss in the well. Challenge Water.”
• “With DarkEarth 2, you shrug off the pounding rain as a minor distraction.”

Second, it influences the disposition of many creatures throughout Seln

• For example, a Phoenix is likely to respond more favorably to a cultivator singing of LightFire
• Spirits and Shades are notoriously picky, openly favoring Harmonies close to their own

Arts may also require aligned Harmonies

• For example, an Art may require that you have DarkFire 1
• This would mean you must assign at least 1 Dark Harmony to Fire to qualify for this Art

Harmonious transformation

Finally, your Harmonies have the potential to change your body. This is optional; you may freely choose to ignore these changes.

You choose the exact nature of your transformation (including none at all). These changes may offer narrative explanations for how you gain the mechanical benefits of your Harmonies. These changes should not, however, grant additional mechanical benefits beyond those listed above.

As usual, the following are just examples meant to inspire. If you want an effect of DarkFire but plan to Harmonize to DarkEarth, just steal the one you want and use it in your element!

Light Harmonies

As the element of beauty and beginnings, Light tends to improve your physical appearance and encourage beautious glamours around you.

LightAir: Adaptability

• Freckles appear in a constellation on your back, neck or shoulder and change to represent powerful spirit guardians every day
• Your eyes shift color every day, often independently, sometimes even appearing predatory or reptilian
• Patterns of henna appear on the back of your hands, shifting every day

LightWater: Beauty and Grace

• Shimmering reflections play across your shadow
• Your clothing billows perfectly to accompany your actions
• Your hair grows silken and straight, never misbehaving

LightEarth:

• Your hair changes color by the ley lines, reflecting the most powerful elements
• Your arms and hands harden to living stone
• Your footprints and other signs of passage appear in the Spirit world rather than the physical one

LightFire: Youth and Creativity

• You take on a youthful energy and mien, often mistaken for younger than your biological age
• You shrink, becoming slimmer and petite
• Your hands shimmer with a thin coating of fairy dust, especially as you work

Dark Harmonies

As the element of honor and dedication, Dark tends to heavily mark your body through hoof, muscle and bone.

DarkAir

• Tattoos of pure Dark coat your belly and back, writhing in the corner of the onlooker’s eye. They foretell ominous events and dooms
• You sprout a tail, fluffy or sleek. Apologies to your tailor

DarkWater

• Your hair turns the darkest black like a pool of ink. Even shining a light on it produces no reflection
• You endure any bad weather without perspiration or body odor

DarkEarth

• Your canine teeth grow longer and sharper, often glistening as you speak
• Your feet shift into a pair of hard hooves

DarkFire

• You grow a hooked, sinuous tail. It has a mischievous mind of its own and often finds trouble
• Cracks of flame open like wounds across your flesh, hinting at the passions within