Chapter 5: Systems of Sovereignty
Kaelen collapsed against a pillar of broken bone, chest heaving, mind aflame. The Ashwalkers knelt in silence a few paces away, flickers of violet tether-light still linking their shadows to his own.
He hadn't commanded them.
Hadn't even spoken.
And yet they obeyed.
>
A glowing screen unfurled in his mind, like starlight shaped into symbols.
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Mechanic: Eclipse Ladder
> "All Paths Begin in Broken Light."
The Eclipse Ladder is the framework of ascension, unique to each Sovereign candidate. It consists of Ten Rungs, each representing a phase of cosmic attunement and personal transformation. Progression is not linear—paths can fracture or converge, depending on choices, trauma, and resonance.
Rung 0 – Initialization: The host is chosen by an Eclipse Core. Their affinity is assessed and locked based on their soul's signature.
Rung 1 – Eclipse Awakening: The body becomes a vessel for entropy-based energies. The soul accepts or rejects the bond.
Rung 2+: Each subsequent rung demands Aspects—tokens of dominion earned by defeating creatures of myth, void, or divinity. Progression can also be forced by overriding system thresholds using chaos energy or soul sacrifice.
> Current Rung: 1
Next Requirement: Acquire 1 Aspect of Sovereignty (any tier)
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Mechanic: Shadow Bind
> "Command the dead, but do not forget you are among them."
Shadow Bind is a sub-system exclusive to Void or Shadow Sovereigns. It allows the host to tether reanimated beings to their will. Unlike necromancy, Shadow Bind doesn't animate corpses through magic—it threads corrupted fragments of time and self into hollow vessels, effectively turning them into copies bound by resonance.
Core Attributes:
Bind Limit: 3 (Scales with soul strength and Willpower stat)
Control Type: Passive command via intent or will
Energy Drain: Proportional to number and tier of bound entities
Critical Weakness: If the host loses emotional clarity or enters dissonance, binds may rebel or collapse
> Bound Units:
Ashwalker Grunt ×2
Ashwalker Captain (Elite, semi-autonomous) ×1
Kaelen leaned forward, heart pounding.
He wasn't just evolving.
He was building an army.
A scream echoed above—the guards were still searching. And now, for the first time, he didn't feel like prey.
He turned to his shadows.
"Follow," he said.
And they moved.