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Description
Catalysts, in the world of Val Elenthriel, are magical objects that can be used to direct, and focus Syphir, allowing them to use sorcery.

There are two types of living organisms in Ashtar: Magical and Non-Magical. Magical beings can use their natural Syphir (spirit energy) and project it outwards, affecting their environments and their bodies supernaturally. Non-magical beings do have Syphir, but less than magical beings, and their bodies have not evolved to harness their spiritual energies. Humans are one of the non-magical types, but they are gifted with ingenuity and the cunning of the Elder Ones. So, they harness the power of catalysts to draw out their Syphir and affect their environment magically.

Natural catalysts come in the form of magical gemstones and metals that react well with ambient Syphir in their surroundings, such as Adamantine and Vollicite, as well as Beolyx Crystals, popular for spirit banishing. Living creatures such as special magical trees and magical creatures like Eilreems (or Unicorns), Demons, Faeries, and Dragons have anatomies that are natural channels for Syphir. Elves are the border between Magical and Non-Magical; their bodies have more magical properties than humans, halflings, or dwarves (such as increased natural healing factors and significantly longer lifespans), but they are not incredibly adept in magic without catalysts either. Skinshifters, despite the majority of them looking like Humans, are actually subspecies of Demons who have crossbred with animals of Ashtar. They possess the ability to use some magic, but most of their power is naturally focused into transforming their bodies into their root animal. Recently, thanks to the invention of Catalysts, they have developed catalysts that expand their transfiguartion magic to include their clothes, so they have gained the ability to keep their clothes after transformation. As a result, a new wave of loose-fitting and flamboyant fashion trend hit the skinshifter culture in the recent centuries and has persisted until this day.

Artificial catalysts come in the form of blending different catalysts together (like molding idols and talismans from plaster made from Alicorn- powdered Eilreem bones, and inlaying those talismans with catalyst gemstones) or by creating weapons and vessels from catalyst materials (knives from dragon bone or chimes, thuribles, and bells from catalyst metal).

Although the practice was developed millennia ago by the humans of Elenthriel, the Elves of Ghu-Ven Dai adopted it and perfected it, thus giving the humans more reason to resent the elves for outperforming them in every way. The Elves have used the technique to push the boundaries of their society, and they are as stubborn to admit that they only thrived so far within a few hundred years because of the inventions of lowly humans.

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Something I've had in my stash and decided to upload while at the airport. Val Elenthriel is a hell of a lot more complicated than I envisioned in 2013, haha. Worldbuilding is fun, isn't it?
Here come the skinshifters again, inspired by the webcomic called Strays Online.

Description
Catalysts, in the world of Val Elenthriel, are magical objects that can be used to direct, and focus Syphir, allowing them to use sorcery.

There are two types of living organisms in Ashtar: Magical and Non-Magical. Magical beings can use their natural Syphir (spirit energy) and project it outwards, affecting their environments and their bodies supernaturally. Non-magical beings do have Syphir, but less than magical beings, and their bodies have not evolved to harness their spiritual energies. Humans are one of the non-magical types, but they are gifted with ingenuity and the cunning of the Elder Ones. So, they harness the power of catalysts to draw out their Syphir and affect their environment magically.

Natural catalysts come in the form of magical gemstones and metals that react well with ambient Syphir in their surroundings, such as Adamantine and Vollicite, as well as Beolyx Crystals, popular for spirit banishing. Living creatures such as special magical trees and magical creatures like Eilreems (or Unicorns), Demons, Faeries, and Dragons have anatomies that are natural channels for Syphir. Elves are the border between Magical and Non-Magical; their bodies have more magical properties than humans, halflings, or dwarves (such as increased natural healing factors and significantly longer lifespans), but they are not incredibly adept in magic without catalysts either. Skinshifters, despite the majority of them looking like Humans, are actually subspecies of Demons who have crossbred with animals of Ashtar. They possess the ability to use some magic, but most of their power is naturally focused into transforming their bodies into their root animal. Recently, thanks to the invention of Catalysts, they have developed catalysts that expand their transfiguartion magic to include their clothes, so they have gained the ability to keep their clothes after transformation. As a result, a new wave of loose-fitting and flamboyant fashion trend hit the skinshifter culture in the recent centuries and has persisted until this day.

Artificial catalysts come in the form of blending different catalysts together (like molding idols and talismans from plaster made from Alicorn- powdered Eilreem bones, and inlaying those talismans with catalyst gemstones) or by creating weapons and vessels from catalyst materials (knives from dragon bone or chimes, thuribles, and bells from catalyst metal).

Although the practice was developed millennia ago by the humans of Elenthriel, the Elves of Ghu-Ven Dai adopted it and perfected it, thus giving the humans more reason to resent the elves for outperforming them in every way. The Elves have used the technique to push the boundaries of their society, and they are as stubborn to admit that they only thrived so far within a few hundred years because of the inventions of lowly humans.

______________________________________________

Something I've had in my stash and decided to upload while at the airport. Val Elenthriel is a hell of a lot more complicated than I envisioned in 2013, haha. Worldbuilding is fun, isn't it?
Here come the skinshifters again, inspired by the webcomic called Strays Online.