Arkenhall use suppression fields to regulate mana output during training and combat exercises. These are not simply barriers. They are adaptive wards woven into the very walls, drawing from the facility's core.
Levels:
Level 0 – Open Flow
No suppression. Students use their mana freely. Dangerous for unstable cores, rarely allowed without supervision.
Level 1 – Surface Pressure
A soft dampening field, like a constant weight pressing on the chest. Designed for beginners to sense their leaks and learn restraint.
Level 2 – Deep Pressure
The air feels thicker, like moving underwater. Mana responds slower, requiring deliberate control. Most dueling exercises and basic combat trials begin here.
Level 3 – Weighted Core
Heavy suppression. Students feel as though their mana is being swallowed before it reaches their hands. Only those with stable circulation can fight here. Mistakes at this level cause backlash injuries.
Level 4 – Crushed Flow
Extreme. Even breathing feels restricted. Only elite trainees or instructors use this. Often applied to test endurance, precision, or to strip a mage of their power in sparring simulations.
Level 5 – Sealed Abyss
Full lockdown. Mana cannot leave the core. Used only in rare cases, usually for containing unstable elements or interrogation. Staying too long at this level risks core fracture.
Every training chamber is calibrated to these levels, so instructors can just call out "Suppression Level Two" and the facility adjusts automatically.
^^Ren's case is unique: suppression works partially on him, because his Abyss energy isn't fully understood. Instead of blocking it, the wards strain against it, creating risks of backflow or leaks. This makes training sessions with him especially dangerous.^^