TW: Descriptions of violence

Now we're getting into the substance of Penumbrancy, i.e., the various powers a Penumbrancer can have.

**The Seven Branches of Penumbrancy**

There are seven branches of Penumbrancy. Most Penumbrancers can only use magic from three branch during their time as a Penumbrancer, but there are some who can use spells/blessings/curses from four branches. Only the four Prime Penumbrancers and Vozeo can use magic from all seven branches of Penumbrancy.

1. *Creation* focuses on summoning Controlled Eclipsed Demons, weapons, projectiles, and objects. Penumbrancers who focus on this branch are usually the second to attack when they are on offense missions with the Alliance of Venrias.

2. *Destruction* focuses on explosions, force fields, and strong waves of energy to destroy one or more targeted people or structures. Penumbrancers who focus on the Destruction branch are the first to attack when they are on offense missions with the Alliance.

3. *Restraint* focuses on the summoning and usage of chains, tentacles, vines, and ropes to restrain, injure, and overwhelm a target. These Penumbrancers usually stay in the Complex to torture prisoners. They only leave the Complex when the Alliance calls them to come to a Prisoner Confinement Facility, then torture prisoners there.

4. *Illusion* focuses on creating tangible illusions that act in very realistic ways, but leave no evidence of existence after vanishing. Like Restraint Penumbrancers, Illusion Penumbrancers stay in the Complex or go to the Prisoner Confinement Facility to torture prisoners of the Alliance.

5. *Toxin* focuses on the use of magic to poison one or more targets. Toxin Penumbrancers are usually chosen for stealth missions, or they accompany the Restraint Penumbrancers to torture prisoners in the Complex or the Prisoner Confinement Facility.

6. *Elemental* focuses on using a stronger version of Elemental magic to manipulate the four elements. Elemental Penumbrancy is not as strong as Universal or Lyterri magic. Those who are in this branch of Penumbrancy are sent to defend the Destruction and Creation Penumbrancers on offense missions, and accompany the Toxin Penumbrancers on stealth missions as back-up in case anything goes wrong.

7. *Transportation* focuses on creating and closing portals between two points. Penumbrancers who are focused on this branch work in pairs, where one will go on missions with the Alliance, and the other will stay in the designated safe location. For a quick escape, the first Penumbrancer will call the second one on a cellphone. Through that phone call, the two Penumbrancers work together to create a portal from the location of the mission to the safe location. The first Transportation Penumbrancer is always the last to go through the portal, so that they and their partner can close the portal behind the first Penumbrancer. In order to create a Transportation portal in the first place, there must always be two people opening the portal from both locations.

Over the past four decades of the Fourth Millennium, the Governments of Fenrathae have picked up chatter within the Alliance about the Leader of the Alliance and the Four Prime Penumbrancers of Fenrathae having access to a possible eighth branch of Penumbrancy. The Eclipse Hunters of Fenrathae (Brightened Elemental Mages and Darkened Elemental Mages who work with the Governments of Fenrathae to track and bring down Penumbrancers on their homeworlds) have noticed the term *“Soul magic”* frequently being used to refer to this possible eighth branch. So far, though, the Eclipse Hunters have not confirmed if Soul magic is the eighth branch of Penumbrancy.

**Other Things**

It is believed that there are fewer Penumbrancers than Mages, simply because of the nature of the Eclipsed Genesis Rite and because of the fact that those under 23 who do attempt to undergo the Rite die due to the fact that their souls are not yet mature enough.

Once someone goes through the Eclipsed Genesis Rite, they slowly become more prone to sunburn, because their soul is being gradually consumed by the Exiled Spirit. Thus, their body becomes less resistant to sunlight. Those who have been Penumbrancers for over fifteen years tend to stay indoors until nightfall because of how quickly and easily they get sunburned. If they do go outside during the day, they usually carry a parasol to keep the sunlight off of them. Prime Penumbrancers have always been Penumbrancers for twenty years or more. They also stay in the Penumbrancy Headquarters Complex on their respective planet.

The Leaders of the Alliance of Venrias, in conjunction with the four Prime Penumbrancers of Fenrathae within the Alliance, are said to have developed a new Penumbrancy spell in the last 30 years. This spell is rumored to have the ability to freeze one’s soul for several hours, sometimes even a day. The purpose of this dangerous spell is, as of yet, unknown.

In order for one to become a Prime Penumbrancer, they must take an oath of high loyalty to the Alliance of Venrias, after undergoing rigorous training in all branches of Penumbrancy. The night the oath is taken, the Ascendant Prime Penumbrancer pays a visit to the previous Prime Penumbrancer, who is always on their deathbed. During the previous Prime Penumbrancer’s final two hours, that Prime Penumbrancer uses a weak Destruction curse to make their successor infertile or barren. It is believed that the Prime Penumbrancer must have their ability to reproduce taken away, so that they may channel the Eclipsed Shadows through themselves as efficiently as possible.