Flux
From Mizahar Lore
| "The Flux is a safe pursuit of harmony within yourself - that is and will continue to be the army's official stance. We have no need for a soldier who's afraid of using his own weapons. Most of them will die before they can develop serious consequences, at any rate." - Ludwig Marsh, Suvan general |
| Personal magic | |
 | |
| Full name | The Flux |
|---|---|
| Availability | Mainly western Mizahar |
| Learned from | Users, books |
| Key concept | Channeling power and strength through the body |
| Uses | Melee and ranged combat, physical tasks |
| Risks | Major stress on involved body parts |
Flux, or more commonly the Flux, is a discipline of personal magic that allows the user to channel and redirect the stream of Djed flowing in his body. This allows him to concentrate his strength, speed and toughness in a smaller portion of the body, becoming more effective in armed and especially unarmed combat, and other physical tasks. While sometimes advertised as a philosophical path of balance, it is anything but. The Flux is actually one of the more dangerous disciplines, and the incredible stress it places on the augmented body parts - way more than the body is designed to withstand - carries serious consequences both immediate and long-term.
Overview
It is generally agreed that, in the pre-Valterrian world, the Empire of Alahea was the foremost magic power on Mizahar whereas the Empire of Suvan possessed the stronger military tradition and discipline. Most magic remaining in the aftermath of the Valterrian was mostly perfected in Alahea, with a few exceptions - such as the Flux. The Flux was the most widespread discipline in Suvan, where it was applied to a number of weapon styles and martial arts. Any wizard graduating from the Martial Wizard Society in Suva had to know the Flux as well as the basics of Suvanja, the combat style designed for the military.
The Flux spread to Eastern Mizahar in the fourth century AV, though it is still more practiced in the West, especially Taldera and Kalea. Some races are ready to embrace it fully, others will most likely not touch it fearing damage to their bodies, like the Isur who hold their arms in great reverence.
The Flux is manipulation of Djed in order to increase power and speed. However, it is not about helping the body to reach its potential; it is a veritable overdrive that forces the body well past its potential. Any practitioner of the Flux knows that power is relatively easy to acquire, but surviving that power is the actual challenge. It is said that some Flux masters were capable of throwing supersonic punches, but witnessing such an act was extremely rare because it would at the very least break their hand. A true Flux master is one who strikes a balance between empowerment and safety, knowing exactly how much risk they are willing to take at any given time. As with all personal magic, there is no hard limit; the user makes his own fate.
Pathways
Nerves connect the physical body with the astral body - Djed flows through these neural pathways in order to transmit orders to the limbs. With effort, this energy powering the nerves can be harnessed and manipulated. For example, when one is about to throw a punch, he could draw strength from the unused body parts and channel it all into the arm and fist. Likewise, a parry with a weapon could be more successful with more energy focused on the arm. A skilled user can perform several redirections, one after another, flowing with a combination of attacks and blocks. Finding the right rhythm is of paramount importance, because if one puts one's entire strength into a punch which ends up falling short, the body will lack the speed and power to react to a counter-attack.