Hello, Hate here. I'll be crafting a glossary of crucial worldbuilding elements—consider this your primer.
Let's dive in:
What is Severance Art?
If I were to simplify this, I'd call it swordsmanship. But damn simplicity—where has it ever gotten us? Severance Art is the philosophy of severing all that proves unworthy. To cut is to purify, to strip steel, flesh, and soul back to their truest essence. For Purists, Severance Art transcends mere discipline—it becomes communion: the sacred act of synchronizing with a Pure Armament and unleashing its raw nature.
What is a Purist?
Purists are masters of Severance Art. They wield Pure Armaments and hold an unshakeable belief that Impures prove the Heavens' imperfection without mortal intervention. Through a unique forge-craft called Purification, they transmute Impure carcasses into Pure Armaments. (Killed two birds with one stone there.)
Now, what is Essentia?
Call it the antithesis of Severance Art. You could simplify it as magic—but hell no, I am Hate, and I despise simple things!
Essentia is the art of sensing, drawing, and weaving the world's primal energies into tangible form. Its practitioners, called Weavers, believe all Impurity represents the flaws expelled from the Heavens upon achieving perfection—filth that must be obliterated, not refined. Where Purists sever to purify, Weavers weave to annihilate.
They view Impures as abominations—festering wounds upon the world. To "purify" them, as Purists do, constitutes heresy—allowing corruption to persist in altered form.
This ideological chasm has sparked countless conflicts between Purists and Weavers, though we now exist in an era where they attempt harmonious coexistence. (Scratches head sluggishly. "How many birds did we slaughter there? How many stones did I even throw?")
Other elements exist—the pillars of Severance Art, Essentia's intricacies, the granular details—but I won't spill my entire saga in some twisted glossary.
Now let's tackle the Rankings... brace yourselves for this one.
First, we'll plunge into Purist and Weaver hierarchies.
Both Weavers and Purists must cultivate qi, though through divergent methods, principles, and philosophical interpretations of it.
Yet the fundamental structure—gathering qi through cultivation while strengthening body, soul, and will—applies to both nonetheless.
Three known Realms exist: the EarthRealm, the SoulRealm, and the WillRealm.
The EarthRealm spans nine ranks, each containing three stages—lower, middle, peak—before advancing to the next rank.
The SoulRealm encompasses five ranks, each bearing three stages—lower, middle, peak—before ascending to the Will Realm.
The WillRealm contains three ranks with identical stages—lower, middle, peak. So yeah, that's the framework. Naturally, each stage carries specific abilities and significance—which is precisely why you should devour this book and pay attention to discover them.
Those who stand at the peaked of the Earth Realm are called Transcendents.
This who enter the Soul Realm are called Supremes, those who enter the third rank are called Immortals
At the Will Realm's first rank, they are still Immortals, at its third rank they become Demigods
Rumors whisper of another realm—but that's mere folklore now.
Now, let's examine the Impures.
Impures remain subjective to worldviews and schools of thought within our reality. Some claim they represent the Heavens' imperfections; others argue they're what fell away as the Heavens achieved perfection. Certain scholars contend that Impures crawl from the world's edge to plague it. Some insist they were deliberately crafted. I'm telling you, we'd never finish if we descended into philosophical drivel about Impures.
In reality, they're simply monsters and beasts—abominations, whatever you choose to call them. Some possess haunting beauty; others embody revolting ugliness!
Let's explore their classification and rankings!
We have:
The Lesser Impurity (Local threats)
- Stains
- Sullens
- Blights
The Greater Impurity (Regional threats)
- Wretches
- Glooms
- Aberrants
- Hollows
The Sovereigns of Impurity (Nation-level threats)
- Terrors
- Harrows
- Profanes
The Chosen of Impurity (Continental-level threats)
- Wellsborn
- Primals
- Echoes
The Abyssal Pinnacle (World-ending threats) (pray these never surface!)
- Chasms
- Nameless
Then let's move to something spectacular called Essence Flaws. Each Impurity possesses an Essence Flaw—essentially their superpower. These flaws directly correlate to purification and Pure Armaments wielding devastating power!
These flaws divide into five categories:
Minor Flaw (Distortions)
Nature: Petty warps—grotesque but survivable. Common among Stains, Sullens, and Blights.
Examples: Whispering voices, parasitic vines erupting from wounds
Threat Level: Local danger, hunting packs.
Lesser Flaw (Corruptions)
Nature: Functional powers that warp environment or prey. Manifested in Wretches and Glooms.
Examples: Spore breath infecting small animals, memory theft, voice mimicry.
Threat Level: Dangerous in groups; novice Purists fall to these.
Greater Flaw (Aberrations)
Nature: Flaws evolve into systemic deformities affecting combat and perception. Aberrants and Hollows dwell here.
Examples: Severed flesh spawning new limbs, wounds that never heal.
Threat Level: Regional corruption; entire towns vanish when these rise.
Supreme Flaws (Cataclysms)
Nature: Reality-warping flaws; the creature transcends mere monstrosity, becoming a living scar. Terrors, Harrows, and Profanes inhabit this tier.
Examples: Land corruption into endless flesh-forests where every plant turns carnivorous; perception rewriting where prey cannot distinguish reality.
Threat Level: Nation-shattering; requires Eternal Immortals and Demigods to even attempt subjugation.
Absolute Flaws
Nature: The Impure transforms from creature to concept. Wellsborn, Echoes, Primals, Chasms, and Nameless embody this pinnacle.
Examples: Infinite hunger; entire continents devoured by proliferating biomass.
Threat Level: World-ending, existential crisis. Pray the Heavens answer your calls—or better yet, end yourself with dignity, because when have the Heavens ever heeded mortal pleas?!
Summary:
Ranks 1–3 (Stains → Blights) → Tier I Flaws
Ranks 4–5 (Wretches → Glooms) → Tier II Flaws
Ranks 6–7 (Aberrants → Hollows) → Tier III Flaws
Ranks 8–10 (Terrors → Profanes) → Tier IV Flaws
Ranks 11–15 (Wellsborn → Nameless) → Tier V Flaws
Now, let's tackle Pure Armament ranks! Told you this would get complex—I hope I haven't lost you? If you've made it this far, you might as well see this novel through to the end!
I'll provide brief exposition on Pure Armaments.
PureArmaments are weapons born from purified remains of Impures. They transcend mere weaponry. Each Pure Armament exists as half-weapon, half-being. They harbor dormant wills—fragments of the Impure's severed existence—rendered obedient and cooperative through the Purist's Severance Arts.
To claim a Pure Armament, a Purist must synchronize with the weapon, forging resonance between their dantian and the Essence Flaw. Failure often results in death, corruption, or the weapon becoming permanently dormant and worthless.
Pure Armaments possess three states:
Dormant → Base state; weapon slumbers.
Awakened → Aspirants resonate with Pure Armaments to become Purists while awakening the weapon's essence flaw.
Ascended → Extremely rare, requiring the wielder's Soul Realm resonance. Here, the weapon transcends its fixed nature, displaying traits beyond its rank.
Now for the RANKS!
When Impure components are harvested and purified—forged into Pure Armaments—the Pure Armament becomes the purified reflection. Their ranks carry the refined essence flaw—the cleansed counterpart of what they once were, embodying the Purists' philosophy: "To sever is to purify."
- Common
- Uncommon
- Rare
- Exquisite
- Superior
- Epic
- Legendary
- Mythic
- Sacred
- Exalted
- Radiant
- Celestial
- Divine
- Origin
- Absolute
Exhales wearily. We can finally dive into the story...
If you've read this far, you're either insane or destined to walk this path with me. Either way, the Heavens won't save you now.
Oh, and temper your expectations. I'm a novice who loves writing, world-building, and crafting unique characters that exist not merely to propel plot but to be individual souls. I'm also aware I can't satisfy everyone, so don't expect miracles. But I promise you a compelling story if you find satisfaction in what I offer!
Let's begin.