I'm writing this entry for some of my players who'll be playing Icons in next month's game. It's to give them an idea of what sort of supernatural being the Icons are. Also it's to see how well I can explain the nature of the Icons in as brief a time as possible.
1. What are Icons?
The Icons tap into the collective endless dreams and ideas of the world where ideas are formed. This is called the Mindforge. They bring these ideas into a brief, phantasmal existence inside a bubble of malleable reality called a Chimeric Flux. (Also known as a Flux Field)
The Chimeric Flux by default extends to the Icon and all she touches, but can be extended by the Icon using magical energy. All Mindforge powers work and are fully “real” inside the Chimeric Flux. Any effects that leave the Chimeric Flux become insubstantial illusions that can be disbelieved. Objects and creatures that are outside the Chimeric Flux disappear within about 10 minutes, becoming insubstantial immediately and fading away as the Mindforge energies sustaining them disappear.
2. What can Icons do?
Three things: 1. An Icon can manipulate our current reality to a limited extent. 2. An Icon can attune himself to a fictional reality, called a Mythos, and bring elements of that reality into our current reality.3. An Icon can attune herself to the Mindforge in a dreamlike trance to enter other worlds of possibility and the dreams of sleeping humans.3. Can Icons bring into existance anything they can imagine?
No. Icons have two limitations. The first limitation is that of scope. For the real world, Icons can only manipulate one aspect, depending on their type. There are 6 known types of Icons:Conjurers - Who can create any object, as long as it is wholly within their Flux Field.
Transporters - Who can create illusory terrain, and by using lots of magical energy teleport the contents of whole rooms to other locations.
Connectors - Who can make or break relationships between objects and people.
Thespians - Who can take on the body, trappings and clothes of a fictional person.
Rouser - Who can create powerful emotions in the areas within their Flux Field.
Summoners - Who can create imaginary people and animals from thin air, who exist only within the Flux Field of the summoner.
When channelling a Mythos, an Icon may use any three of the above powers, set at the time of attunement, but they can only bring ideas and concepts plausible to the Mythos into the real world. Furthermore, channelling a Mythos costs the Icon a lot more energy then normal uses of her magic.
The second limitation is that of effect. When an Icon alters reality, she essentially declares something that is not real, as real. This is known as a Truth. Icons only have a limited number of truths that can operate in their minds at any one time. Beginning Icons have two. Experienced Icons can have up to four. When an Icon hits the number of truths that are active she will need to dismiss one of them, or tie off the Truth to a power source other then herself.
4. How do Icons power their magic?
Icons power their magic through energy from the Mindforge called Breath. Like the name implies, it is energy that is breathed in by the Icon from the collective mind of humanity. Icons can hold a vast amount of Breath, but the more Breath they hold, the more prone they are to hallucinations, violent emotional swings and poor impulse control. Icons who were educated by the Infinite Symphony are trained to resist the compulsions that having too much Breath will cause.
While drawing Breath, Icons must shut down all manifestations of their power, and enter a meditative state to draw Breath.
5. The Mindforge is tainted
Because of events in the Great War, the Mindforge is tainted. This manifests as a special Mythos that all Icons are attuned to. This Mythos is just like baseline reality, but you can use ALL powers of an Icon, and can use them to fulfill your every whim. However using this forbidden power in a selfish manner erodes your humanity. If you lose it you will become one of the monsters you are trying to protect the world from: A Wyrm.
6. What else do I need to know about Icons?
Icons have spirit companions called Clarion Spirits that provide their power in exchange for a repetitive task that the Icon must do called a Contract. Clarion Spirits, depending on the type of Cantor, can be very talkative (as in the case of Summoners) or quite quiet (in the case of Conjurers). They follow the Icon around, usually in an incorporeal form.
Icons can summon a spiritual weapon called a Mind edge. The Mind edge passes through anything material but does psychic damage to any living or sentient creature. Creatures "killed" by a Mind edge become unconscious if they are native to this reality, or really die if they are not. Like all magical effects, summoning the Mind edge requires a Truth to be active.
