Notes on magic and merasha
Mar. 13th, 2018 04:36 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
kingforbothMagical
Kelson gets his magic two different ways. One is through his Deryni heritage, which he got through his mother. Those abilities are linked to certain genes which enable magical ability, but those abilities need training in order to use them. Deryni abilities may or may not be X chromosome linked.
The other way is through what is referred to as the Haldane Potential. First discovered in Kelson's line, certain humans have the genetic potential to have Deryni-like abilities turned on. The Haldane Potential in particular is triggered by trauma or pain. When one king dies, the blood magic ritual is completed which turns the gene expression on. However, unlike Kelson's Deryni magic, the Haldane Potential comes with a full set of instructions. That part of his magic is pre-programmed, to help the new king keep his throne against potential magic users.
KK's Notes of Haldane Magic
The other way is through what is referred to as the Haldane Potential. First discovered in Kelson's line, certain humans have the genetic potential to have Deryni-like abilities turned on. The Haldane Potential in particular is triggered by trauma or pain. When one king dies, the blood magic ritual is completed which turns the gene expression on. However, unlike Kelson's Deryni magic, the Haldane Potential comes with a full set of instructions. That part of his magic is pre-programmed, to help the new king keep his throne against potential magic users.
KK's Notes of Haldane Magic
Haldanes can be blocked.
Haldanes are a specialized kind of deryni, rarer than healers. They start blocked to begin with, and the initiation ritual unblocks them. Pain is a key element.
Merasha
Merasha is a drug, which acts different depending on species. In humans, it acts as a simple sedative. Against Deryni--and those with Deryni like abilities and genes, like Kelson's Haldane Potential, it completely shuts down any magical abilities, and the touch of another mind or magic is extremely painful. They also become paralyzed, blind, nauseous and the slightest touch causes pain. The dosage is important, it lasts a couple of hours, so to render someone incapacitated they would need frequent dosing. However too much can kill, cause seizures or disrupt breathing.
It is very fast acting. It has a slightly bitter aftertaste. When ingested, it starts as a tingling in the back of the throat. Then the nausea and dizziness starts immediately as it hits the stomach, sitting like hot coals, but not enough to vomit up the merasha. The vision begins to blur and tunnel until the subject is blind physically and magically, the shields start to fail, pocketing like swiss cheese until they're gone. The limbs start to go, nerves hypersensitive yet loosing all sensation until the body can't move at all.
While the merasha lasts for about 6-12 hours, the effects of the merasha last longer, like the worst hangover ever. Kelson remembers screaming for two hours the last time he was exposed to merasha training, before they knocked him out, but it was only internally, he was never able to make a sound.
It can taken with food, be injected or absorbed through the skin. There is no antidote for merasha. As of Quest for Saint Camber, Kelson has had a brief 2 hour 'training' on how to deal with it, or at least recognize the symptoms so he knows what is happening. If taken from The King's Justice, Kelson has not yet had training.
It is very fast acting. It has a slightly bitter aftertaste. When ingested, it starts as a tingling in the back of the throat. Then the nausea and dizziness starts immediately as it hits the stomach, sitting like hot coals, but not enough to vomit up the merasha. The vision begins to blur and tunnel until the subject is blind physically and magically, the shields start to fail, pocketing like swiss cheese until they're gone. The limbs start to go, nerves hypersensitive yet loosing all sensation until the body can't move at all.
While the merasha lasts for about 6-12 hours, the effects of the merasha last longer, like the worst hangover ever. Kelson remembers screaming for two hours the last time he was exposed to merasha training, before they knocked him out, but it was only internally, he was never able to make a sound.
It can taken with food, be injected or absorbed through the skin. There is no antidote for merasha. As of Quest for Saint Camber, Kelson has had a brief 2 hour 'training' on how to deal with it, or at least recognize the symptoms so he knows what is happening. If taken from The King's Justice, Kelson has not yet had training.
