The Power System of Orthea

In the dark Victorian fantasy world of Orthea, supernatural power originates from twelve metaphysical authorities known as Providences, each governing fundamental concepts of existence. Individuals who obtain these powers are called Awakened, supernatural beings capable of manipulating reality through the authority of their respective Providence.

Each Providence possesses nine stages of advancement known as Revelations, descending from Revelation 9, the lowest, to Revelation 1, the highest. Advancement requires increasingly potent supernatural concoctions and occult rituals, granting greater authority over the Providence's governing concepts. Every new Revelation grants additional supernatural abilities while retaining those acquired at previous stages. Awakened may also develop personalized applications of their powers known as Techniques, allowing individuals of the same Providence to possess vastly different fighting styles and supernatural capabilities.

Although each Providence governs a distinct aspect of existence, none possesses absolute superiority over all others. Every Providence holds conceptual advantages against certain counterparts while remaining vulnerable to another.

The Twelve Providences

I. The Fool — Paradox, Impossibility, and Ruin

The Providence of contradictions and impossible phenomena. Awakened of the Fool manipulate expectations, distort natural laws, reverse physical properties, and manifest supernatural anomalies that defy conventional logic. At higher Revelations, they can impose contradictory states upon reality itself, destabilizing physical structures, magical systems, and fundamental principles of existence.

Revelation Stages

• Oddity (9) — Base: Enhanced agility, reflexes, improvisation, and unconventional thinking. Can instinctively perceive contradictions, structural weaknesses, and supernatural abnormalities.

• Trickster (8) — False Impression: Manipulates perception and expectations, making objects, movements, or actions appear contrary to their actual behavior. Can produce minor supernatural anomalies.

• Jester (7) — Misdirection: Distorts the perceived relationship between actions and consequences, confusing opponents and redirecting minor supernatural effects toward unintended targets.

• Charlatan (6) — False Outcome: Temporarily substitutes an actual result with a contradictory outcome, allowing failed actions to succeed or successful actions to produce unexpected consequences.

• Contrarian (5) — Reversal: Inverts physical properties, forces, and conditions, including gravity, momentum, structural integrity, and the direction of supernatural effects.

• Paradoxist (4) — Contradiction: Imposes mutually exclusive conditions upon targets, allowing incompatible states to coexist and destabilizing the principles sustaining them.

• Anomaly (3) — Impossible Existence: Transforms themselves or designated targets into supernatural anomalies capable of defying conventional logic, bypassing restrictions, and existing in contradictory states.

• Absurdist (2) — Collapse of Reason: Establishes a territory where causality, physical laws, and supernatural prerequisites become unstable, allowing impossible phenomena to occur.

• Paragon of Paradox (1) — Grand Paradox: Imposes extraordinary contradictions upon reality itself, manifesting impossible events, collapsing supernatural laws, and sustaining phenomena that existence would ordinarily reject.

Strong Against: The Emperor (V), The Magician (II), The World (VIII).

Weak Against: The Priestess (III).

II. The Magician — Arcane Manipulation, Matter, and Transmutation

The Providence of spellcraft, supernatural energy, and material reconstruction. Awakened of the Magician manipulate arcane forces, create enchanted artifacts, transmute substances, and construct artificial supernatural entities. At higher Revelations, they can dismantle and reconstruct matter, establish territories governed by arcane authority, and formulate entirely new magical principles.

Revelation Stages

• Arcanist (9) — Base: Enhanced intelligence, concentration, analytical perception, and spiritual sensitivity. Can perceive supernatural energy and identify basic material compositions and magical structures.

• Spellweaver (8) — Arcane Weaving: Manipulates raw supernatural energy to produce elementary spells, including projectiles, barriers, and minor physical effects.

• Enchanter (7) — Enchantment: Imbues objects with supernatural properties and temporarily alters material characteristics such as hardness, density, or conductivity.

• Runecaster (6) — Arcane Formula: Constructs magical formulas and runic arrangements capable of producing complex spells and transmuting small quantities of matter.

• Spellbinder (5) — Arcane Synthesis: Combines spells, materials, and supernatural properties into stable magical creations, including enchanted artifacts and self-sustaining mechanisms.

• Archmage (4) — Artificial Creation: Constructs autonomous magical entities, artificial organisms, and sophisticated supernatural devices while permanently transforming complex materials.

• Thaumaturge (3) — Arcane Reconstruction: Deconstructs and reconstructs matter and magical formations, dismantling hostile spells, rewriting enchantments, and transforming elaborate structures.

• Grand Sorcerer (2) — Arcane Dominion: Establishes a territory where supernatural energy, spell formations, and material transformations fall under the Awakened's authority.

• Magister (1) — Prima Arcanum: Reduces matter and supernatural constructs to their fundamental components before reconstructing them into entirely new forms, establishing unprecedented magical principles.

Strong Against: The Empress (IV), The Reaper (X), The Moon (XI).

Weak Against: The Fool (I).

III. The Priestess — Secrets, Hidden Knowledge, and Isolation

The Providence of mysteries, concealment, and forbidden knowledge. Awakened of the Priestess uncover hidden truths, decipher supernatural information, suppress their presence, and isolate individuals or objects from external observation. At higher Revelations, they can conceal entire territories, sever supernatural connections, and render aspects of existence inaccessible to perception or comprehension.

Revelation Stages

• Initiate (9) — Base: Enhanced memory, concentration, intuition, and spiritual perception. Can recognize concealed information, supernatural traces, and inconsistencies while resisting mental intrusion.

• Whisperer (8) — Secret Whisper: Perceives fragments of hidden information through supernatural intuition. Can suppress sounds, obscure spiritual traces, and communicate discreetly.

• Cipher (7) — Cryptic Revelation: Deciphers unknown languages, occult symbols, and encrypted information while concealing written knowledge and conversations from unauthorized observation.

• Confessor (6) — Hidden Truth: Extracts concealed information from individuals, objects, and locations through lingering spiritual impressions. Can temporarily isolate memories from supernatural detection.

• Veilkeeper (5) — Veil of Secrecy: Establishes supernatural concealment over individuals, objects, or locations, suppressing their physical and spiritual presence.

• Oracle of Secrets (4) — Forbidden Revelation: Accesses profound supernatural knowledge concealed by ancient rituals or spiritual barriers. Can sever targets from external information and supernatural communication.

• Archivist (3) — Secret Dominion: Establishes a concealed repository of supernatural knowledge and isolates designated targets from external observation and surveillance.

• Mistress of Veils (2) — Existential Seclusion: Separates individuals, locations, or information from external supernatural influences, concealing entire territories from perception and divination.

• Keeper of Mysteries (1) — Absolute Mystery: Imposes supernatural secrecy upon fundamental aspects of existence, rendering selected truths, identities, or phenomena inaccessible to observation and comprehension.

Strong Against: The Fool (I), The Harbinger (IX), The Devil (VII).

Weak Against: The World (VIII).

IV. The Empress — Life, Proliferation, and Evolution

The Providence of biological existence and evolutionary development. Awakened of the Empress manipulate living organisms, accelerate regeneration, control vegetation, and develop extraordinary physiological adaptations. At higher Revelations, they can engineer new species, create self-sustaining ecosystems, and govern biological growth, mutation, and evolution across vast territories.

Revelation Stages

• Seedbearer (9) — Base: Enhanced vitality, endurance, natural regeneration, and biological perception. Can sense living organisms and recognize their physical conditions and weaknesses.

• Herbalist (8) — Vital Growth: Accelerates biological growth and regeneration, particularly in plants. Can stimulate minor healing and strengthen vegetation.

• Cultivator (7) — Biological Manipulation: Controls the growth and characteristics of living tissues, manipulates vegetation, and temporarily manifests animalistic features.

• Lifegiver (6) — Vitality Transfer: Transfers biological energy between organisms to heal injuries, replenish stamina, and strengthen physical capabilities. Can develop temporary physiological adaptations.

• Floramancer (5) — Monstrous Proliferation: Generates supernatural vegetation and specialized biological structures, combining characteristics from different organisms into hybrid mutations.

• Biomancer (4) — Evolutionary Reconstruction: Restructures living organisms to grant advanced regeneration, enhanced instincts, permanent physiological modifications, and environmental adaptations.

• Progenitor (3) — Genesis: Creates entirely new living organisms with predetermined traits, instincts, and evolutionary potential, including self-sustaining species.

• Mother of Life (2) — Life Dominion: Establishes a territory governing biological growth, reproduction, regeneration, mutation, and evolution across entire ecosystems.

• Primordial Matriarch (1) — Primordial Genesis: Exercises extraordinary authority over biological existence, creating unprecedented lifeforms, vast ecosystems, and self-evolving species capable of adapting to extreme supernatural conditions.

Strong Against: The Moon (XI), The Devil (VII), The Reaper (X).

Weak Against: The Magician (II).

V. The Emperor — Dominion, Sovereignty, and Judgment

The Providence of authority, obedience, and supernatural law. Awakened of the Emperor possess commanding presences, issue binding orders, strengthen subordinates, and punish those who violate their decrees. At higher Revelations, they can establish sovereign territories where their commands become enforceable supernatural laws governing behavior, abilities, and consequences.

Revelation Stages

• Noble (9) — Base: Enhanced charisma, composure, mental fortitude, and judgment. Possesses a commanding presence and instinctively recognizes insubordination and hierarchical weaknesses.

• Commander (8) — Imperial Command: Imbues spoken orders with supernatural authority, compelling weaker-willed individuals to obey simple instructions.

• Castellan (7) — Territorial Awareness: Perceives movements and intrusions within an established area, designating basic territorial rules and detecting violations.

• Sovereign's Hand (6) — Subjugation: Suppresses resistance through supernatural authority and issues binding commands that impose penalties upon deliberate disobedience.

• Warlord (5) — Imperial Banner: Establishes an influence that strengthens allied coordination, morale, and combat effectiveness while enforcing declared military orders.

• Overlord (4) — Dominion: Claims a territory where commands possess greater supernatural potency and established laws impose punishments upon violators.

• Monarch (3) — Sovereign Decree: Imposes supernatural laws and restrictions, pronounces binding judgments, and suppresses prohibited abilities within their dominion.

• High Emperor (2) — Imperial Judgment: Extends supernatural sovereignty over entire populations, enforcing laws and judgments through overwhelming supernatural authority.

• Absolute Sovereign (1) — Absolute Dominion: Establishes a vast imperial territory where the Awakened's will functions as an overriding authority, compelling reality to enforce their decrees.

Strong Against: The Devil (VII), The Reaper (X), The Harbinger (IX).

Weak Against: The Moon (XI).

VI. The Sun — Radiance, Purification, Faith, and Divinity

The Providence of sacred light, religious devotion, and divine miracles. Awakened of the Sun channel radiant energy to heal injuries, conjure solar flames, purify supernatural corruption, and bestow protective blessings. At higher Revelations, they can consecrate vast territories, draw strength from collective worship, and manifest artificial suns capable of sustaining extraordinary miracles.

Revelation Stages

• Dawnbringer (9) — Base: Enhanced vitality, endurance, spiritual sensitivity, and resistance to supernatural corruption. Can produce faint radiance and perceive traces of faith.

• Illuminator (8) — Sacred Illumination: Generates concentrated light that dispels darkness, reveals concealed objects, weakens minor corruption, and bestows small blessings.

• Sunbearer (7) — Solar Flame: Conjures radiant flames capable of damaging physical and supernatural targets while granting protective sacred energy to individuals and objects.

• Purifier (6) — Purification: Cleanses poisons, diseases, curses, and supernatural corruption through radiant energy and sacred ceremonies.

• Radiant Knight (5) — Solar Armament: Manifests weapons, armor, and barriers of condensed sunlight, drawing upon willing followers' faith to strengthen them.

• Exorcist (4) — Sacred Consecration: Expels possessing entities, breaks powerful curses, and permanently consecrates objects and locations against hostile supernatural influences.

• Solar Apostle (3) — Solar Dominion: Establishes a radiant territory that heals allies, weakens hostile phenomena, and transmits blessings through spiritual connections with worshippers.

• Seraph (2) — Divine Incarnation: Transforms into living radiance, gaining extraordinary mobility, regeneration, and resistance while channeling collective worship into powerful miracles.

• Solar Sovereign (1) — Eternal Daybreak: Manifests an artificial sun illuminating vast territories, continuously purifying corruption and unleashing devastating solar energy while sustaining extraordinary divine miracles.

Strong Against: The Devil (VII), The Reaper (X), The Moon (XI).

Weak Against: The Harbinger (IX).

VII. The Devil — Desire, Corruption, Bonds, and Connections

The Providence of temptation, obsession, and spiritual relationships. Awakened of the Devil manipulate emotional attachments, exploit desires, establish supernatural contracts, and corrupt the spiritual essence of individuals. At higher Revelations, they can control entire networks of spiritual connections, influence collective desires, and redistribute vitality or supernatural power among bonded individuals.

Revelation Stages

• Tempter (9) — Base: Enhanced charisma, emotional perception, interpersonal intuition, and resistance to psychological manipulation. Can recognize desires and emotional attachments.

• Seducer (8) — Temptation: Amplifies or suppresses existing desires, affection, trust, jealousy, and attraction, making individuals more susceptible to persuasion.

• Manipulator (7) — Obsession: Instills unnatural fixations upon people, objects, or ambitions while perceiving vulnerabilities within emotional relationships.

• Corrupter (6) — Emotional Bond: Establishes supernatural connections between individuals, transmitting emotions and gradually strengthening dependency or weakening inhibitions.

• Pactmaker (5) — Infernal Contract: Establishes binding supernatural agreements exchanging benefits, obligations, or spiritual resources, with predetermined consequences for violations.

• Tormentor (4) — Desire Exploitation: Converts suppressed desires, guilt, affection, and obsession into suffering, manipulating spiritual bonds to transfer pain or drain vitality.

• Archfiend (3) — Spiritual Corruption: Transforms spiritual essence, intensifies destructive impulses, and manipulates emotional or supernatural connections across entire networks.

• Devil Sovereign (2) — Corruption Dominion: Establishes a territory where desires and attachments intensify, allowing simultaneous manipulation of spiritual bonds and collective corruption.

• Incarnation of Sin (1) — Absolute Temptation: Exercises extraordinary authority over desire and attachment, establishing profound spiritual networks capable of merging vitality, consciousness, and supernatural power.

Strong Against: The Harbinger (IX), The Moon (XI), The World (VIII).

Weak Against: The Emperor (V).

VIII. The World — Space, Dimensions, Motion, and Momentum

The Providence of spatial existence and movement. Awakened of the World manipulate distances, accelerate movement, redirect kinetic energy, and establish portals connecting different locations. At higher Revelations, they can construct independent dimensions, govern spatial boundaries, and restructure vast regions of space while controlling the motion of everything within them.

Revelation Stages

• Wayfarer (9) — Base: Enhanced agility, reflexes, stamina, spatial awareness, and physical coordination. Can perceive distances, trajectories, and nearby spatial distortions.

• Traveler (8) — Spatial Perception: Perceives precise locations and movement trajectories, even through obstructions, while temporarily accelerating personal movement.

• Pathfinder (7) — Spatial Step: Instantly traverses short distances through spatial displacement and redirects movement without conventional momentum.

• Gatekeeper (6) — Portal Creation: Opens temporary gateways connecting locations and channels accumulated kinetic energy into attacks or movement.

• Spatial Weaver (5) — Spatial Distortion: Stretches or compresses distances, manipulates trajectories, and preserves momentum despite obstacles or directional changes.

• Dimensionwalker (4) — Dimensional Passage: Traverses pocket dimensions for concealed movement or refuge while transferring and redirecting kinetic energy through contact.

• Worldshaper (3) — Spatial Construction: Creates stable pocket dimensions with customizable environments and spatial boundaries, establishing passages between distant locations.

• Dimensional Sovereign (2) — Spatial Dominion: Establishes a territory controlling distances, velocity, acceleration, spatial boundaries, and dimensional connections.

• Worldbearer (1) — Absolute Space: Restructures vast regions of space, sustains independent dimensional realms, imposes or nullifies motion, and alters the relationship between distance and velocity.

Strong Against: The Priestess (III), The Emperor (V), The Empress (IV).

Weak Against: The Devil (VII).

IX. The Harbinger — Omens, Forewarning, Probability, Chance, and Fate

The Providence of prophecy and possible futures. Awakened of the Harbinger interpret supernatural omens, anticipate approaching dangers, perceive potential outcomes, and manipulate the probability of uncertain events. At higher Revelations, they can redirect calamities, influence interconnected chains of events, and enforce seemingly inevitable destinies through supernatural authority over fate.

Revelation Stages

• Augur (9) — Base: Enhanced intuition, foresight, risk assessment, and sensitivity to probability. Can recognize meaningful coincidences and approaching dangers.

• Omenreader (8) — Omen Interpretation: Interprets supernatural signs to predict near-future events and slightly influence uncertain outcomes.

• Foreseer (7) — Precognition: Receives brief visions of possible futures, anticipating attacks and decisions while imposing minor misfortune upon targets.

• Herald (6) — Prophetic Wager: Sacrifices the probability of one favorable outcome to increase another, attaching supernatural significance to symbolic actions.

• Prophet (5) — Fate Perception: Perceives branching possibilities and approximate probabilities, guiding individuals toward favorable or disastrous futures.

• Doomcaller (4) — Calamity Foretelling: Declares impending misfortune and manipulates probabilities to encourage its manifestation, provided the event remains possible.

• Calamity Herald (3) — Fate Manipulation: Alters interconnected probabilities, redirects disasters, exchanges favorable and unfavorable outcomes, and influences foretold events.

• Eschatologist (2) — Fate Dominion: Establishes a territory governing possible futures and their probabilities, enforcing prophetic conditions and redirecting collective misfortune.

• Herald of Inevitability (1) — Absolute Fate: Exercises extraordinary authority over possible futures, transforming improbable outcomes into near-certainties and establishing seemingly unavoidable prophecies.

Strong Against: The Sun (VI), The Magician (II), The World (VIII).

Weak Against: The Reaper (X).

X. The Reaper — Death, Finality, Sacrifice, and Exchange

The Providence of mortality, spiritual dissolution, and sacrificial power. Awakened of the Reaper perceive approaching death, communicate with departed spirits, reanimate corpses, and exchange vitality or spiritual resources for supernatural effects. At higher Revelations, they can harvest souls, establish territories governed by mortality, and impose irreversible endings upon sufficiently weakened existences.

Revelation Stages

• Mortician (9) — Base: Enhanced endurance, pain tolerance, resistance to decay, and sensitivity to deathly influences. Can perceive corpses and recognize dying organisms.

• Undertaker (8) — Death Sense: Perceives remaining vitality and approaching death while converting physical suffering into temporary strength and spiritual resilience.

• Gravedigger (7) — Corpse Preservation: Halts or accelerates decomposition and sacrifices possessions or prepared offerings to generate supernatural energy.

• Soulkeeper (6) — Spirit Communion: Communicates with lingering spirits, perceives spiritual impressions of death, and transfers vitality or suffering between willing participants.

• Necromancer (5) — Sacrificial Animation: Reanimates corpses as obedient servants and strengthens undead creations through sacrificial offerings.

• Deathbringer (4) — Mortality Exchange: Accelerates the deterioration of living targets and exchanges lifespan, vitality, or spiritual resources for supernatural effects.

• Harvester (3) — Soul Reaping: Extracts and preserves spiritual essence from the recently deceased, converting injuries, curses, and spiritual burdens into sacrificial energy.

• Death Sovereign (2) — Death Dominion: Establishes a territory accelerating mortality, governing deceased spirits, and empowering supernatural phenomena through sacrificial covenants.

• Final Reaper (1) — Absolute Finality: Exercises extraordinary authority over mortality and the termination of existence, imposing irreversible death upon sufficiently weakened targets and preventing conventional resurrection.

Strong Against: The Empress (IV), The Harbinger (IX), The Fool (I).

Weak Against: The Sun (VI).

XI. The Moon — Dreams, Subconscious, Illusions, and Astral Influence

The Providence of sleeping consciousness and the boundary between dreams and reality. Awakened of the Moon induce sleep, construct illusions, explore subconscious memories, and project their consciousness into astral forms. At higher Revelations, they can manipulate collective dreamscapes, manifest nightmares into physical existence, and establish territories where waking reality overlaps with the subconscious.

Revelation Stages

• Dreamer (9) — Base: Enhanced mental resilience, dream recall, spiritual sensitivity, and resistance to psychological interference. Can recognize dreams and perceive nearby sleeping consciousness.

• Somnolist (8) — Slumber: Induces supernatural drowsiness or sleep, produces minor sensory illusions, and perceives faint astral energies.

• Lucidwalker (7) — Lucid Dreaming: Consciously controls personal dreams, projects minor dreamlike illusions into waking perception, and manipulates faint astral light.

• Dreamwatcher (6) — Dream Observation: Observes another individual's dreams and projects consciousness outside the physical body as an ethereal astral form.

• Oneirist (5) — Dream Infiltration: Enters another individual's dreams, interacts with subconscious manifestations, constructs elaborate illusions, and connects sleeping minds.

• Nightmare Weaver (4) — Nightmare Creation: Constructs artificial dreams and nightmares capable of psychological and spiritual suffering, granting dream constructs limited physical influence.

• Somnarch (3) — Dream Dominion: Establishes shared dreamscapes, controlling their environments and subconscious experiences while manifesting astral energy and celestial constructs.

• Dream Sovereign (2) — Waking Dream: Projects dreams, illusions, and nightmares into physical reality, establishing territories where waking existence overlaps with collective dreams.

• Lunar Eidolon (1) — Subconscious Manifestation: Exercises extraordinary authority over dreams and subconscious existence, materializing profound fears and desires and establishing vast dream-realms connected to reality.

Strong Against: The Emperor (V), The Priestess (III), The Harbinger (IX).

Weak Against: The Empress (IV).

XII. The Chariot — War, Conflict, Conquest, and Martial Supremacy

The Providence of warfare and supernatural martial prowess. Awakened of the Chariot possess extraordinary combat instincts, enhanced physical capabilities, supernatural weapon mastery, and the ability to accumulate strength through prolonged confrontation. At higher Revelations, they can manifest entire supernatural arsenals, empower armies, claim conquered battlefields, and establish territories where the intensity of warfare continuously amplifies their power.

Revelation Stages

• Combatant (9) — Base: Enhanced strength, endurance, reflexes, pain tolerance, and combat instincts. Possesses instinctive weapon familiarity and battlefield awareness.

• Vanguard (8) — Battle Instinct: Perceives hostile intentions, incoming attacks, and weaknesses in fighting styles while enhancing physical capabilities during confrontation.

• Warmonger (7) — Battle Frenzy: Converts ongoing combat intensity into increased strength, speed, endurance, and injury resistance, adapting techniques against opponents.

• Blademaster (6) — Martial Mastery: Achieves supernatural proficiency with conventional weapons, imbuing them with martial energy capable of penetrating supernatural defenses.

• Warbringer (5) — Arsenal Manifestation: Conjures supernatural weapons and armor while projecting a battle aura that strengthens allied combatants and their coordination.

• Conqueror (4) — Conquest: Accumulates supernatural power through victories, overcoming opponents, and claiming contested positions while suppressing defeated enemies.

• Warlord (3) — War Manifestation: Manifests supernatural armaments, siege weapons, and autonomous martial constructs, converting collective conflict into supernatural energy.

• War Sovereign (2) — War Dominion: Establishes a territory where armed conflict strengthens the Awakened and allies, allowing control over battlefield conditions and supernatural arsenals.

• Incarnation of War (1) — Absolute Warfare: Exercises extraordinary authority over warfare and conquest, manifesting legendary weapons and martial armies while accumulating overwhelming power through sustained conflict.

Strong Against: The Emperor (V), The Empress (IV), The Reaper (X).

Weak Against: The Devil (VII).