Glory

Glories are immensely powerful and abstract beings, whose true form, cognition, and motivation are often incomprehensible to mortals. Acting in commitment to a single cause or ideal for all of time, Glories may be seen as patrons or servitors, either offering their dedication to something external to themselves, or appearing as a manifestation of the thing itself. Many Glories bring revelations, or seek fulfilment of a prophecy, be that in themselves, or through their interactions with other beings. Their Primary Attribute is their Binding, and their Secondary Attributes are their Eyes, Aura, and Wings.

Glories' primary Attribute is their Binding. This represents their intrinsic connection to a cause or ideal - usually something abstract or conceptual. You can draw on the Binding to give you some power over the thing you are linked to. On the other hand, you may be restricted by the association, its nature affecting your own in inconvenient ways. The advantage is usually a singularly powerful ability that you can call upon up to twice per turn (once per uptime and once per downtime). The disadvantage is usually a narrative restriction or bias placed upon the character.

Examples:

A Binding of Truth
Advantage: once per uptime/downtime, detect lies and falsehoods in a single conversation or document
Disadvantage: to knowingly lie causes great pain

A Binding of Song
Advantage: once per uptime/downtime, create strongly affecting music to influence people nearby
Disadvantage: can never be silent

A Binding of Gravity
Advantage: once per uptime/downtime, alter local gravity in a select location; the affected area will revert at the end of the turn
Disadvantage: fragile objects tend to fall and break in your vicinity

A Binding of Cringe
Advantage: once per uptime/downtime, your unbearable presence can be used to selectively drive people away
Disadvantage: you often find yourself in incredibly awkward situations

A Glory’s Eyes are a source of directed power; anything which falls under the gaze of a Glory must be prepared to face its divine scrutiny - or wrath. The effect of a Glory’s Eyes is immediate and highly targeted; it produces a direct and obvious effect on the subject of the Glory’s focus. The Eyes can also be used in the more traditional sensory capacity, though again the result is highly targeted, and it will be clear that something is happening.

Choose one of the following, or define your own:

• Eyes of Complex Analysis closely examine their target, picking up on the smallest of details
• Eyes of Condensed Starlight are capable of emitting beams of energy to destroy their targets
• Eyes of Hypnotic Recursion can confuse and disorient, or even entrance weaker-willed beings
• Eyes of Hungering Void can pull a target in a straight line towards you

A Glory’s Aura is a generally passive effect which occurs around it. It may have some control over its magnitude, but it cannot be directed in the same way as the power from its eyes. An Aura produces an ongoing effect in the area immediately around the Glory. It is indiscriminate and cannot be directed, though the area of effect can be enlarged or reduced at will.

Choose one of the following, or define your own:

• An Aura of Gleaming Gold draws the attention of everyone around you
• An Aura of Burning Plasma scorches anything or anyone who gets too close
• An Aura of Courageous Fanfare inspires confidence in everyone nearby
• An Aura of Distorted Gravity reduces the weight of objects nearby, causing smaller ones to float

The Wings of a Glory are generally not used for flying (though most can); rather, they are used to cover the body and protect it - usually from arcane or mystical powers of other Glories rather than physical threats. Wings provide protection, though usually in an indirect manner and are often metaphorical wings rather than literal, physical ones.

Choose one of the following, or define your own:

• Wings of Burnished Silver reflect harmful energies into the environment or, potentially, back onto one’s foes
• Wings of Ineffable Countenance make you hard to perceive directly
• Wings of Woven Dream protect you from things which don’t exist
• Wings of Swirling Vortices bend energies harmlessly around you

As with all Deeds, there are no strict rules except that they should be phrased as “shorthand reference + elaboration”. When one wants to refer to a Deed in play, one can simply refer to the shorthand (e.g. “Sang the Song of Peace”).

However, a Glory’s Deed is usually something, well, glorious: a singularly spectacular event in your homeworld’s history. Note that this will be displayed alongside your public bio.

Examples:

• Arbitrated the Trial of Monarchs in which all were found guilty
• Sang the Song of Peace which ended a millenia-long war
• Set the stars in motion ensuring their ultimate fate from the very beginning
• “Gifted” self-consciousness to the mortals ushering in a new age of awkwardness