Unreviewed Burning Heart

[Neryn Ka]

OUT OF CHARACTER INFORMATION

• Intent: To create the artifact that sustains Neryn Ka's life
• Image Source: Generated by me via ChatGPT
• Canon Link: N/A
• Permissions: N/A
• Primary Source: N/A

PRODUCTION INFORMATION

• Manufacturer: Neryn Ka
• Affiliation: Neryn Ka
• Market Status: Closed-Market
• Model: N/A
• Modularity: No
• Production: Unique
• Material: Crystallized Blood, Alchemized Tarnicite

SPECIAL FEATURES

• Sustains the user's life
• Functions as a Force Battery
• Increases the user's potential in a small number of abilities

STRENGTHS

• From Beyond: The Heart alters its bearer's normal biology in a number of unnatural ways. It acts as a focus, conferring slowed aging, greatly increased pyromantic potential, and control over the bearer's own biology and appearance.
• Power Battery: The Heart can siphon the Force from living things, storing it to strengthen the user. When needed, the user may tap into this energy battery to empower their abilities, at least so long as the charge lasts.
• Metamorphosis: The Heart can temporarily transform its bearer into a larger, mightier Smoke Demon-like form. This confers greater Force power, improved physical strength and resilience, and naturally, a significantly more frightening appearance.

WEAKNESSES

• Low Power: The Heart requires life energy from organic beings to utilize most of its more impressive abilities. Should such food be unavailable, it functions at only a fraction of its full potential.
• Inner Demons: Extended usage of the Heart's transformative properties can have an increasingly-deleterious effect on its bearer's sanity. These effects are cumulative, permanent, and eventually, potentially fatal.
• Heartbroken: Removal of the Burning Heart will greatly weaken (and likely kill) its bearer.

DESCRIPTION

An artifact created by Neryn Ka, the Burning Heart is a large, vaguely orange-hued crystal. This gemstone is sizeable, being around the size of two clenched human fists together, and pulses with a soft, intermittent luminescence. Despite what would otherwise be a fairly noticeable appearance, this gem has been seen by few; it is imbedded deep in its creator's ribcage, taking the place of a heart.

Through sorcerous means, the Burning Heart sustains Neryn's life, circulating his molten blood throughout his mutated physique. Its energies utterly permeate his tissue, providing a number of beneficial properties.

The first is significantly enhanced pyrokinetic ability. Neryn's flames are a vibrant, unnatural crimson, and have been observed to stay burning under circumstances not normally conducive to the formation of fire, such as underwater or in hard vacuum. Likewise, it grants him excellent resistance to flame exposure.

The second is a Sithspawned physiology. Neryn has not been observed to age at any significant rate, and his very blood burns with the same fires generated by the crystal itself. Should he be injured (by a weapon that doesn't leave cauterized wounds, in any case) the resultant spatter of liquid fire can often harm the attacker in the act.

Thirdly, the crystal functions as a Force Battery, allowing the user to siphon the Living Force from a living being. This stolen energy can be used in a number of ways, but the most common is simply to strengthen the user's own power. With a significant enough quantity of siphoned energy, the user can become capable of truly astonishing feats of Force-use, albeit on a temporary basis.

Should the crystal manage to absorb a great deal of power, it can allow the user to briefly assume a greatly empowered form, one resembling a hulking, semi-ethereal horned figure. This is achieved through combining the functions of a Talisman of Transformation with the techniques used to create Smoke Demons, radically altering the user's own structure and appearance rather than creating a separate construct.

The resultant apparition stands some three meters in height, seeming to consist of translucent strands of ash and flame. Compared to Neryn's normal willowy physique, it is many times stronger, quicker, and more resilient.

This transformation has been observed to significantly increase Neryn's power ceiling, enabling feats of Dark Side usage normally well beyond his capability. As such, it is typically used when his normal capabilities will not suffice, when attempting to frighten or cow enemies, or simply for fun.