Tutorial Using Presence

[Xeykard]

Spoiler: lil disclaimy boy?

This is bigly inspired by Hunter x Hunter, which is a pretty great anime. If you ever need inspiration on how to use presence/stealth/whatever the fuck I'm talking about here, would definitely recommend. Or even if you aren't, still just a good show. Nen is probably a more complex power system, but I think Nen and the Force are comparable in some interesting ways; at least enough ways that it brought some thoughts into my brain.

Double disclaimer, I wrote most of this on a train a month and a half ago, and am coming back to it later with a pretty different mindset, so it might feel a bit frankensteiny. Anyways, the meat of it.

Hey! This is going to be kind of a guide, kind of a rant, kind of a discussion about an angle of Force powers that I find kind of interesting. I'm just a huge fan of the [menacing presence] and [dope stealth] shit found in a lot of shows, anime and games. I think it fits really well with the Force + the general mystic power vibe, and I think it can add an interesting new layer to combat/other adversarial encounters on Chaos. PLEASE take any of the ideas in here and run with them. I'll give some examples of how I do stuff, but don't write like me (I am a silly goofy goober).

The basic premise is this: a skilled Force user can manipulate their presence to accomplish various feats when in contention with others, particularly against those who are also Force sensitive. This can come in a number of forms; I'll list a few here:

• Stealth; a classic. Quashing one's presence completely to hide from an enemy or sneak up on them; could even serve like a sort of passive mind trick ("you don't see me") to sneak past gullible NFUs. Obviously best paired with... actual stealth techniques.
• Blending in; similar to above, except instead of no presence, the user appears to be simply not Force-sensitive. Great for disappearing into crowds or tricking Force sensitives you're interacting with. Also likely less strenuous and requiring less skill than a pure stealth. Of course, has the variant of changing one's outward alignment in the Force when sensed by others. Palpy vibes.
• Reinforcement; keeping one's presence focused inward, shoring up mental defenses and steeling one's resolve supernaturally. Kind of the standard, neutral stance.
• Menacing (!!!); lashing out using the strength of one's presence, bloodlust, or other emotions to instil fear or throw off opponents. Probably the one most effective against NFUs, as they don't have the same natural defense against Force abilities, but still very cool to use against anyone. Can come in many degrees. Probably more effective in the hands of a darksider. Sort of like Force fear.
• Expansive; sort of vague in my brain, basically menacing but not mean. Pushing one's presence outwards to support or influence people nearby. Minor resolve buff to friendlies, an increase in natural charisma, or other vibes-based enhancements.
• Sensing; enhancing the user's ability to sense the presences of others, maybe even to the point of countering the hiding or suppressing of one's presence.

This list isn't exhaustive, and I am VERY FRUSTRATED because I know I'm forgetting one right now so I might come back and add stuff. In any case, those are some general vibes. A lot of this plays off the idea of using the Force to sense things, which I think is criminally underused on Chaos. A Force-sensitive's ability to sense things -- nearby people, the immediate future, etc -- is kind of insane if you think about it. It's the supernatural ability to gain knowledge of one's surroundings. Basically, by manipulating one's presence, you can manipulate the information you're giving and receiving.

I think I write out presence-shifting the most with Xeykard. As an Inquisitor (and a Barabel) I see him as a hunter; he likes to be able to sneak up on his prey. By default, I tend to write him as concealing his presence completely, quashing it to nothing while he's hiding, or occasionally making himself appear as normal to the Force when in public. Meanwhile, his apprentice, Aryrene, is far less skilled with the Force, and thus relies on a Taozin amulet to hide their presence. That also frees up their focus to do other things.

When in combat, Xeykard will alternate between concealing his presence and attempting to overwhelm his opponent with it, depending on who he's fighting. By concealing his presence, a Force-using opponent has a much more difficult time predicting his next moves. Equally, the sudden flood of a menacing presence might throw an opponent off-guard, or deceive them on the timing of Xeykard's strikes if he shifts his bloodlust around.

By adding this extra layer to combat/oppositional encounters, it sort of frees me from the need to write every strike. It's a really easy marker of how the fight is going -- is Xeykard on the defensive, hiding his presence completely so he can escape? Is he confident, and releasing his presence completely to frighten his opponent? How it switches and changes over the course of the fight gives a good indicator of... well, the fight's vibes.

You can use it in social or less-adversarial situations, too -- Auteme, my politician/Jedi, might occasionally flood a room with her presence when she enters, as a way to subtly grab people's attention. Of course, this is directed at non-Force users, so it might seem especially over the top for anyone who can sense what she's actually doing.

You can also extend this beyond the realm of the mental. Describe your character's presence gathering around their fist as they deliver a Force-empowered punch, or how they extend a spectral hand to telekinetically pick up some rubble, or how they lace their very words with a part of themselves to persuade or deceive someone. Or, at a basic level, how they gather their presence tightly around themselves like armor (a great way to excuse how much of a beating they can take without dying).

This also seems like a good measuring stick for how skilled a Force user is. A padawan might have to actively practice expanding their senses, while to a knight it's second nature. A master might be able to accomplish incredible feats of sensing and foresight; a powerful Sith might be able to reduce someone to a bawling mess by menace alone.

At the same time, what 'stance' a Force user picks as default might inform others of what kind of character they are. Abrasive or combative? Their presence is hot, leaking out like gas ready to ignite at a moment's notice. Secretive or antisocial? They're hard to notice -- their presence is like a needle in the haystack that is the Force. Disciplined and reliable? Their presence is like a rock; their mental defenses are unwavering even in moments of apparent weakness.

Anyways, that's all for now. Hope I inspired something in that brain of yours. (Very beautiful brain you have there, by the way. So moist and wrinkly.)