Ayi'la

Soul Bonding

• Overview

  Soul Bonding is a form of magic associated with Ayi'la's native land, Natyra. It refers to the union between two living entities, forged by magically imbued crystals that grow off the land, to empower one half of the partnership while drawing resources from the other. While the origin of its power remains a mystery, the natives of Natyra, the natyrians. believe the twin crystals are tied to the creation of their world and that each gem is a sliver of the Great Deity himself.
  
  The Ancients, those who founded the mystic powers, formed their first bond with the animals of their land, a tradition carried on through the centuries in which created a harmonic relationship with nature itself. The animal is considered the natyrian's guide, both in body and in spirit, and often comes to them first through a dream or vision. Only then when their spirit guide, the solkari, is revealed do they reach their rite of passage and strive to find a twin crystal of their own. When the rite of passage is completed and the crystals are obtain, the natyrian performs a ritual to forge the bond by tethering one of the twin crystals to their chest. The crystal is awakened by the natyrian's life essence and calls upon their bond, manifesting the animal in physical form as the second of the twin crystals is tethered to their chest. It is unsure as to whether the solkari is summoned from the plane beyond or from the physical realm, but it is believed that the solkari's animal form is associated with the identity of the natyrian's own soul.
  
  Once the ritual is complete and the bond is forged, both Master and Guardian are one through the connection formed by the twin crystals. With one crystal being the conductor, the Master's, and the other being the receiver, the pair can harness the power of the crystals, which is released in elemental form depicting the natural environment in which the crystals sprouted from. By feeding his own life essence into his half of the twin crystal, the Master empowers the Guardian with elemental ability either through the sheer manipulation of it, or transformation into the element.

• The Bond

  The bond is an important element to the arcane and is the core of its design. Not only does the bond allow both parties to tap into the full power of the crystals, but it creates a companionship that lasts a lifetime and beyond. As a child, the natyrian are taught to follow and believe in the guidance of their spirit guide and once the solkari is manifested into the physical realm, they are loved not only by their Master but their tribe. The solkari are an extension of their master's soul and are sacred to their society and spirituality. When two opposing tribes are at war, it is dishonorable to attack another's solkari and thus, natyrians fight natyrians while solkari fight solkari.
  
  But the bond is much more than a union forged by magic. It is an intimate connection between the two that are tethered, one that is accompanied by a deep understanding of one another's emotions and thoughts. Some may argue that the bond is stronger than mortal love as it represents a relationship between man and his soul. The two that are united are in sync, and while the solkari has a personality of its own, it has undying loyalty towards its master.
  
  Surprisingly, when one of the bonded dies, the other does not. Instead, they remain in the physical world feeling as if the core of their being has left them. Men become hollow and disassociate, a shadow of their former selves, while the solkari snap and become a wild and unstable entity of power. This is the only instance where the natyrians condone the act of killing a solkari in order to keep others away from its wrath. It is believed however, that when both Master and Guardian pass into the great beyond, they are reunited for an eternity.

• The Heart Crystals

  Heart crystals are unlike any other crystal or mineral that grows in Natyra. While other minerals are often restricted to caverns, mountainous regions, rock and stone, the heart crystals can sprout from anywhere throughout Natyra. Be it the bark of an ancient oak tree, the bottom of the river or ocean, or even from a living flame. Heart crystals typically grow rapidly, though it appears the rate of their growth is entirely dependent of their environment. For instance, those associated with the earth standardly grow slower, roughly taking a year or maybe two to mature into its full form. Meanwhile, fire heart crystals can sprout within minutes of a flame being ignited, but can also shatter within seconds of the fire being put out of its handler is not careful.
  
  The heart crystals are regarded as a sliver of the Great Divine and thus are deemed as holy symbols to Natyra's native people. They are chameleon in nature, often adapting characteristics of their environment in shape, structure, and color. A crystal sprouted in the seabed of the ocean may be a deep cerulean while a one that sprouted in the plains would be emerald. It is this chameleon nature that also establishes the heart crystals trait and the element it is most affiliated with, as that too comes from its environment. The heart crystals adopts many characteristics of its element and it is unsure how its primary attribute is awakened during the ritual that forges the bond. While it is more common for the solkari to harness only one attribute of the heart crystal's element, there is the rare occasion in which the solkari can embody two or more of that crystal's elemental structure.
  
  When the ritual is being performed, the bond is forged when one half of the heart crystal is attached to the Master's chest. This act is done by pressing the barbs located on the bottom of the crystal into their chest, piercing the flesh. The barbs then grow inward, attaching to the Master's heart but also encasing it in a light crystalline shell. Surprisingly, the ritual is not lethal as the crystal helps stabilize the heart, though the process is incredibly painful.

• The Cost and Effect

  In order to harness the full potential of the heart crystals, one must actively utilize the bond. This is primarily done when the Master channels a portion of their life essence into the crystal, in which then is transferred to the Guardian and then converted into energy that the Guardian and manifest into elemental form. The life essence is collected from the heart through the barbs that pierce it and the amount of life essence obtained gauges the level of power in which the Guardian possesses. A small supply of essence may enable the Guardian to release a wave of fire, while a larger source could embody the Guardian with fire, turning them into an avatar of inferno that can set an entire forest ablaze.