Defiletech

Defiletech is created by infecting Aethertech and Magitech with demonic modifications. This corruption process transforms them with darker magic, making them suitable for use and attunement by demonic creatures. Defiletech is often visually distinct and acts differently than the original design, but generally follows a similar form and function.

Defiled Aethertech

Defiled Aethertech requires both the original Aether and a minimal amount of Miasma to function. This limits their use to within Shadowlands, though even low-saturation areas are sufficient.

Carnatech (Carnal Magitech)

With Carnatech, the artifacts activate by extracting the Demon's Carnal Miasma instead of having to channel Chi. This is a painful, generally unfamiliar experience to Demonkin, but allows them to use the artifacts even outside of a Shadowland. These artifacts are generally only given to high-ranking Demonkin who have been augmented with Carnal Stakes.

Infernatech (Infernal Magitech)

With Infernatech, the artifacts consume power from shards of calcified Infernal Miasma instead of having to channel Chi. This is a harder alchemical process to perform, and is generally limited to Kaijin or Calibra himself, but it can increase the available power to the device; often significantly. The shards that fuel the artifacts, known as Hellshards, must be extracted by an alchemical surgery. They consist of Infernal Cores taken from living Chimerans or Demonkin with sufficient power, killing them in the process. Additionally, Infernatech is only effective when the corrupted artifact benefits from surges of power rather than needing a consistent input.

Demon Stake

Demon Stakes are small, surgically implanted magical items created by demonic alchemists that grant Miasmic powers to Demonkin or Chimerans. They are powerful, but difficult and time-consuming to create, especially in demonic cultures that don't value alchemy. Demon Stakes can be recycled. The loss of a host body does not diminish the power of the Stake, allowing it to be reused between generations.

• Archdemon: Grants two ranks of Miasma powers and increases access to Miasma.
• Battery: Adds a large Miasma reserve that fills over time, and can be called upon for sorcery when needed.
• Battlemaster: Can send telepathic instructions to nearby Demons that possess a Mindsync Stake.
• Carapace: Chimeran body gains enhanced physical resilience, especially for those with existing exoskeletons.
• Carnal: Greatly raises the amount of Carnal Miasma available; useful for Defiletech.
• Coreguard: Hardens one's core, encasing it with additional protection. Also works for Chimerans.
• Insight: Raises intelligence at the cost of Miasma burn and needing several more hours of sleep daily.
• Mindspeed: Perceive, think, and react much faster. Useful for battlemasters and elite warriors.
• Mindsync: Can receive telepathic instruction from nearby battlemasters. Also works for Chimerans.
• Mindward: Gain immunity to mind magic.
• Monster: Grow larger and become much stronger, tougher, and more aggressive. Also works for Chimerans.
• Regen: Slowly fills a reservoir of Miasma by draining reserves. Grants extreme regeneration when needed.
• Shadowmaster: Grants the ability to suppress sound and conceal oneself in shadows, greatly improving stealth.
• Strength: Gain enhanced strength and toughness. Also works for Chimerans.
• Tamer: Can understand and communicate with Chimerans. Instructions hold psychic influence over them.

Warlock Stake

Warlock Stakes are small, double-pointed magical stakes created by demonic alchemists, usually Nyzari or Direkin. Injecting a Warlock Stake into a Fairkin's body grants very enticing demonic powers; however, it also corrupts the user and enacts a price. The imbuing process takes a few days, during which the Warlock slowly gains demonic power and corruption in equal measure.

Injecting a Warlock Stake is simple. Once it punctures the skin of a viable host body it slowly burrows itself inward to nestle deeper inside, making space for itself like an invasive organ. Removing a stake inflicts potentially mortal damage and leaves physical and emotional voids within the user. For days or weeks after removal the body desperately pulls in stray miasma, and the emotional and mental turmoil can incite crippling agony. In some ways, the cure can be worse than the curse.

Impact of Stakes

Warlocks with a single stake can flare Miasma through their aura, revealing a light demonic signature and granting them safe passage in demonic territory. Demons and Chimerans will recognize their alignment and not attack. This reason alone is often sufficient for Warlock cults to seek out and accept stakes.

Warlocks with two stakes must actively suppress their Miasma flare to avoid detection by Fairies, Priests, and those who can sense demonic energies. This effort slowly depletes mana and can become exhausting if sustained for several hours, though is often a necessity for city dwellers.

Warlocks with three stakes are "fully demonic," and are negatively impacted by Prana like any other demon. Those who sense demonic energies (such as Fairies and trained Priests) can recognize their demonic signature even when the user is actively suppressing their Miasma. Such Warlocks tend to live in remote areas, avoiding populated areas due to the risk of exposure.

Warlocks with four stakes are rare, as they are visibly demonic in nature, and lose one of their most precious advantages: blending in with Fairkin society. Long-serving Warlocks with decades of loyal service to their Patron may be granted a fourth stake, allowing them to lead clans in remote, unpopulated areas.

Patron Stake

Patron Stakes are injected into Warlocks, but grant power to an attuned Patron (such as a Devil or high-ranking Direkin) instead of the recipient. They are given to Warlocks to prove loyalty or in exchange for deals, such as through offers of wealth, power, protection, or favor. The Patron can effortlessly sense the user through psychic awareness, particularly when concentrating. They can locate them at will, send telepathic messages, and glean intuitive insights about their subject. Most Patron Stakes also allow the user to send telepathic messages back to their Patron, though it consumes a meaningful quantity of mana, especially at longer distances.

Despite sacrificing some freedoms, Warlocks with Patron Stakes maintain a higher degree of trust and loyalty with their Patrons. With their direct line of communication, they are the natural candidates to lead Warlock circles and gain further benefits. It is also common for them to be entrusted with more Warlock Stakes as well.

Vampiric Stake

Vampiric Stakes are crafted with calcified Carnal and Infernal Miasma. These stakes draw upon and consume the user's blood, extracting its energies to grant extraordinary physical powers: greatly enhanced strength, enhanced speed and reactions, enhanced constitution, and significantly expanded lifespan (two to three times one's natural lifespan).

Many Warlocks have been enticed by Vampiric Stakes due to the tremendous power and longevity they grant, but they must replenish their blood supply to survive. Roughly a pint's worth of fresh Fairkin blood is required each day, which can be difficult to acquire discreetly without proper support. A low blood supply will cause them to appear pale and sickly, be fatigued and sluggish, and eventually lose their Vampiric powers until their blood is restored.

Shadow Stake

Shadow Stakes align the user with darkness and shadows. It attracts and converts Umbral Miasma, fusing one's aura with powerful miasma enchantments that can suppress sound and light at will. However, the aura reacts negatively with Sol Aether, causing the user to take additional damage from fire and Solfire. Even sunlight or nearby flames aggravate the skin, causing intense pain and inflicting minimal damage when remaining exposed for a short scene. The Warlock gains the ability to move with absolute silence, suppress nearby sounds, assume an indiscernible silhouette, and blend into shadows so effectively that they are nearly undetectable with natural vision.

Shadow Stakes can be a good option for Warlocks on their third or fourth Warlock Stake. It allows them to navigate urban areas at night without much difficulty, preying on unsuspecting victims.

Psionic Stake

Psionic Stakes are needle-sized implants that worm themselves through the base of the neck into the brain's psychic centers. The process involves minutes of convulsions and days of headaches. Once imbued, Psionic Stakes grant up to two ranks of psionic power. Typical designs provide telepathy, mind reading, domination, or charm. Long-term exposure numbs empathy.

Users also gain immunity to all mind powers except demonic suggestion and psionics, which pass unguarded. The Warlock becomes exquisitely sensitive to demonic intention and will often "choose" what demons suggest without realizing the push. It feels like desire, not compulsion. Most tell themselves it was their idea, but ultimately succumb to their control. Resisting demonic suggestion triggers migraines, nosebleeds, and blackouts.

Chimeran Stake

Chimeran Stakes are forged from inert Chimeran Cores and infused with powerful Carnal enchantments. Users gain the ability to rapidly mutate their bodies into a Chimeran-humanoid hybrid form. This alters their size and mass, enhances physical traits and resistances, and allows them to rapidly recover from severe wounds that would leave others crippled. The Chimeran form is obviously demonic, with obsidian-colored skin laced with infernal fissures, and can take upwards of an hour to restore back to a natural form after shifting.

Users of Chimeran Stakes gain an unnatural thirst for killing Fairkin and must regularly feed this bloodlust to maintain sanity. Suppressing the bloodlust causes the user to become increasingly restless and emotionally agitated until they eventually succumb to a mindless raging frenzy that only ends upon their successful murder of a Fairkin.

Sorcery Stake

Sorcery Stakes grant a tremendous amount of magical power, equivalent to two ranks of demonic sorcery power; enough to go from completely unskilled to a Silver Rank Adventurer. However, the stake pulls in Miasma with such intensity that it inflicts visible corruption. Black veins spread as far as 20 centimeters from the source of the injection; possible to conceal with clothing, but still a risk of exposure. The user also becomes highly vulnerable to Prana, taking physical damage from only modest exposure to it. The powers gained depend entirely on the alchemist's design, though usually Miasma-aspected powers are granted.

Lich Stake

Lich Stakes are thick, heavy stakes that replace one's natural healing functions with fast-acting Carnal Miasma. The Warlock's life is greatly extended, often by several decades, but they no longer heal naturally. Instead, bones splint with obsidian ridges and wounds rapidly knit with a black, sinewy lattice, repairing in seconds what would normally take weeks. The Warlock feels little pain, shrugging off bleeding, poison, and forms of trauma that would ruin others. They do not strictly need sleep or food, though both help with focus.

The Warlock's physical attributes may degrade from wounds as they are repaired by the Lich Stake. Even their degraded state can potentially be an improvement, though, such as when healing once-crippled limbs or organs. Their physical traits will typically never degrade too far below an average Fairkin.