Qi (Realms)

Qì (Chinese: 气; pinyin: Qì) is a resource used for Superpowers in the Realms of the Multiverse found in many, if not all, biological life forms. Despite this fact, only few can use it to perform amazing feats. These few are known as Awakened, while the feats themselves are known as Superpowers.

Origin

Adam, the first human, was given knowledge of everything in the Greater Omniverse by God, including of energies present within the souls of every living being. After being sent to Earth and founding his own tribe consisting of himself, his wife, and his many children, he sought to teach them to connect the spiritual energies of one another, creating a universal, empathic language and fostering peace and understanding between individuals without the need for speech.

However, Cain did not use Qì as his father intended. Instead, he combined his spiritual energy with his physical energy, kneading and weaponizing it to call down a meteor on his brother, killing him instantly and accidentally inventing Superpowers.

Overview

Qì for Superpowers is generated by combining two distinct energies - physical energy and mental energy. Physical energy (身体 能量 Shēntǐ Néngliàng, Body Energy), drawn from the body, can be increased by training, stimulants, and other physical modifications. Spiritual energy (心神 能量 Xīnshén Néngliàng, Mind Energy), drawn from the soul, can be increased through study, meditation, prayer, and experience. With either one or both of these energies cultivated to become more powerful, the Superpowers will follow suit. Therefore, practicing a particular power will build up one's mental energy, allowing more Qì to be generated, which results in the ability to perform the same power to greater effect.

Magic users can access a powerful and unstable third source of Qì, magical energy, by entering a pact with ghosts or demons, or in rarer cases, drawing it directly from the Realm of Ghosts. The act of using magical energy is forbidden in planetary law.

A fourth source of Qì, cosmic energy (宇宙 能量 Yǔzhòu Néngliàng, Universe Energy), drawn from the universe itself, was discovered following Tianshi's ascension. So far, only Celestials can access cosmic energy.

Since Qì is connected to the soul, each person has a unique Qì signature, akin to a fingerprint. The connection between Qì and the soul also allows for the changing of Qì colours (explained below) along with changes in personality. Despite the uniqueness of each individual's Qì signatures, similarities between Qì signatures of relatives exist and are commonplace. For example, a father's Qì signature, though unique, would have some similarities with that of his son.

Types

Qì come in seven types; the six coloured Qì and colourless Qì. The seven types of Qì include:

Black Qì

The black Qì symbol, depicting a gem.

People with black Qì can be described as cynical or pessimistic while they themselves would call themselves pragmatic or practical. While people with any colour of Qì could and usually would have a drive to win, black Qì users take this up to eleven, with little, if any, regard to rules. To them, life is hard enough without limiting themselves. To not use any means to achieve a goal would show weakness, and to show weakness would lead to defeat. Such is the philosophy of black.

Powers using black Qì tend to be disruptive in nature, taking advantage of the opponent's weakened state to benefit the user. Of the Five Elements, black corresponds to earth.

Blue Qì

The blue Qì symbol, depicting a droplet.

Blue Qì users are thinkers. They value knowledge and the pursuit of knowledge and are naturally drawn to logic and technology. Blue users see the world as a canvas, full of opportunities waiting to be seized. To them, any possibility, any dream, can be achieved by unlocking the secrets of the multiverse.

That being said, blue users uphold the concept of indeterminism. The reason they love knowledge so much is that with knowledge, they can be masters of essence, improving upon nature. They value thought over action or emotion, and the future over the past or present. Blue powers tend to be indirect and "manipulative". The element of water corresponds to blue.

Red Qì

The red Qì symbol, depicting a flame.

People with predominantly red Qì are adventurous individuals. Carpe diem would define most of their thoughts. They live in the moment, not wasting time with doubts or details. This is why they dislike rules and laws, seeing them as little more than a way to inhibit one's enjoyment of life. They are also emotional and passionate, maintaining strong bonds with those they care about. Joy to those who managed to win the hearts of people with red Qi, because their impulsiveness, paired with their passion, makes for a romantic, exciting, lover.

Shuneng using red Qì are typically short bursts of large amount of energy, achieving great destruction at a relatively high Qì cost.

Pros:

• Devastating area effects
• High burst damage
• Offensive buffs and damage-over-time

Cons:

• High Qì costs/low Qì reserves
• Low health and/or low defence
• Some Powers give its users debuffs