*SIMILAR TO: TEGAMI BACHI heart, WORLD TRIGGER trion*
Scientific study of Echoes has revealed an intangible source of energy within all living beings. That energy allows humans to stand on equal footing with Echoes in combat.
Usage of a Heart power is like an ultimate move. It can be used multiple times in a fight, and the effect commonly scales with multiple uses.
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Children in Locus City generally awaken to their Heart at early ages of development, typically catalyzed by forming a sentimental connection to an object.
Usage of Heart is strongly linked to the user’s emotional state. High heart usage comes hand in hand with strong emotions.
A character’s total Heart starts at 100 points. After use, it recovers over time in small increments. There are consequences to continuous overuse.
With modern technological advances, combatants are able to track their own Heart.
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Each person’s Heart has a unique effect. Almost everyone in Locus City can use Heart and has a Heart effect.
Society has adapted to the omnipresence of heart effects. Children undergo mandatory education and counseling in public school related to their heart development. CELMED actively monitors users in childhood and adulthood through mandatory checkups, WATCH watches over the public for signs of dangerous overuse, and PUBSA detains Heart users who break the law.
A child’s Heart effect is typically weak. It, along with their ability to use Heart, grows and develops with them as they mature.
If a human is attacked with another human’s Heart, the recipient will feel the emotion powering it and see a selection of relevant memories, alongside its usual effect.
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The object that catalyzes a child’s awakening to their Heart is called a Keepsake. A character’s keepsake is irreplaceable and uniquely sentimental.
Characters may use their Keepsake to recover a significant amount of Heart one time. Afterwards, their Keepsake’s memories are shown visibly to others in the area, and their Keepsake is permanently destroyed.
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Frequent use of Heart without adequate rest has been observed to lead to fatigue, mental drain, and physical deterioration.
There are 2 conditions associated with heart overuse.
When a character’s Heart drops below a certain level, they find themselves significantly fatigued and undergo a negative personality shift. This is called experiencing Desolation.
This state is reversible but persists for a set amount of time. Alternatively, it is treatable with an item called the Ego Diffuser.
After Desolation, if a character’s Heart levels continue to drop, their Heart will sustain permanent damage. This is called undergoing Necrosis.
Repeatedly entering a Necrotic state will lead to diminished Heart capacity, even after recovery, and permanent physical changes.
Damage from Necrosis is irreversible. If a character enters a Necrotic state too many times, they will become Heartless.
Children under the age of 12 have never been observed to undergo Necrosis. Researchers speculate this is due to their high Heart capacity and low capacity for usage.
A medication called V.E.I.N.S. is in development to treat Necrosis. It is currently experimental and is considered too dangerous to take more than once in a lifetime.
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*SIMILAR TO: TEGAMI BACHI's Gauche Suede becoming Noir*
If a person's Heart is entirely consumed after consistent use, they will completely lose their Heart effect, memories, and sense of self with no chance of restoration.
The character will essentially become a shell of themselves. As they recover, they will require full-time medical care. Even if they recover completely physically, their past self will not return.
They may develop a new personality and consider themselves a new person. The amount of similarity between their new and old selves is up to the mun.
IC, people who have undergone this process are referred to as having become Heartless.
OOC, the character will be retired from PC status to NPC status. Without a Heart effect, they are no longer eligible to be a Combatant.
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Due to the constant-threat nature of Grudges, citizens are encouraged to arm themselves and protect both themselves and their neighbors.
Weapons can assist with the usage of a Heart effect, and many citizens choose to purchase customized weapons or modify their own in order to better suit their effect.
Because of this, the development and modification of weapons has become a major industry within Locus City.
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Weapons should be somewhat realistically wieldable by your character, with some allowance for narrative cases like characters who have undergone extreme strength training, unless your character’s ability gives them the ability to wield a very oversized weapon.
Large weapons may be explained by modern technology making them collapsible and portable.
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Weapons should be largely considered one type of weapon. They should not consistently transform into multiple different weapons.
Weapons that are disguised as regular objects in everyday life, then transform into their weapon form — eg. an umbrella that turns into a sword — are permitted.
Improvised weapons (nontraditional weapons made of misc. objects) are permitted.
Dual wield weapons are permitted.
Weapons that are a static mix of maximum 2 types of weapon — eg. a gunblade, two swords that combine into a spear — are permitted.
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