Abyss

Abyss can turn hardness into flow, dissolving tension and making rigid things give way.

Identity: Settling observer. Drives things toward depth-seeking flow. It reduces rigidity, smooths gradients (heat, pressure, tension), and turns structure into motion.

Trigram Story: Absorb then settle carrying. Receives force and guides it downward into depth.

Phase Affinity:

Water (carry or modify)

Color: Black, indigo blue

Manifestations of Abyss

Example Abyss infusions

• Sand bag (
  
  Ground) Continuous holder now settling. Turns into clay or liquefies depending upon saturation.

• Non-Newtonian fluid (
  
  Thunder) Settler that held returns to settling. Turns into Newtonian fluid. No longer "fights back" and instead yields and settles.

• Boulder (
  
  Mountain) Holder continuously settles. Continuously erodes as effect is sustained.

• Bonfire (
  
  Blaze) Continuous settling. Extinguish.

• Newtonian Fluid (
  
  Abyss) Emerger that held now settles. Moves to a shape then collapses. Fluidkinesis.

• Mirror (
  
  Lake) Presser that held now settles. Reactive properties cease. Reduces partitioning and reactive separation.

• Smoke (
  
  Wind) Emerger continuously settles. Collapses the smoke.

• Compressed Spring (
  
  Tornado) Presser continuously settles. Disarms potential.

Example Abyss draining

Removing

Abyss increases sharp boundaries, rigidity, brittleness, and gradient intensity.

• Mud: Dirt. Loss of cohesion through drying. Structure hardens.

• Fluid: Ice-like brittleness

• Smoke with moisture: Dries into particulate ash.

• Wet wood: Becomes brittle and cracks.

Abyss trigram embodiment

A rare power where a

Starborne caster’s body becomes a living embodiment of

Abyss for less than 5 seconds. A

Sanctum Master must rest for five minutes, and lesser casters require exponentially longer resting time. Mixed-trigram casters cannot embody a trigram.

Abyss-enhancing tools

Offensive uses of Abyss

Use against an object

• Liquefy. That high with
  
  Ground-like ingredients will bend and liquefy.

• Erode. That high with
  
  Mountain-like ingredients can be eroded over time.

• Disarm potential. Stored potential is soothed and settled.

• Brittle snap. Materials that normally dent, flex, or distribute stress stop and now cracks, kinks, and fails.

Use against a body

• Bones lose support

• Cause muscle spasms

• Erode the skin

• Fatigue, sleepy

• Move the blood

• Obscure senses

• Mute voice

• Loosen muscles

• Bones become brittle

• Muscles slow reaction

• Skin becomes fragile

• Turn blood to sludge

• Heighten senses

• Amplify voice

• Reduce muscle’s force strength

Offensive power ups

Defensive uses of Abyss

Support object defense

• Impact smearing. The hit does not localize into a crack starter. The force spreads through the object like a wave and then settles. Shields bruise instead of shatter. Walls dent instead of fracture.

• Crack blunting. Abyss softens boundaries at the crack tip. Fractures do not “bite” forward because the sharp stress concentration gets rounded off. The crack stalls or crawls slowly instead of running.

• Vibration damping. Anything that rings itself to death gets saved. Abyss turns oscillation into distributed motion that settles. Bridges, scaffolds, weapon shafts, and armor plates last longer.

• Thermal gradient smoothing. Fire, forge heat, sun shock, sudden cooling. Abyss reduces abrupt temperature differences inside the object, which prevents thermal shock cracking.

• Joint forgiveness. In fitted joins, rope lashings, rivet seats, and mortared seams, Abyss gives controlled slip. The structure can move microscopically under load without tearing itself apart. It “gives” and then reseats.

• Seal and waterproofing. Draining Abyss makes porous materials stop behaving like they have internal pathways. Water, smoke, and dust stop wicking through. Perfect for vaults, granaries, archives, armor padding, and respirators.

• Anti-sag stiffening. Draining reduces creep. Beams stop slowly settling, straps stop stretching, ropes stop relaxing, armor stops “taking a set” over time.

• Hard edge retention. Weapons and tools keep crisp boundaries longer. Removes the softening that makes edges roll or smear.

• Anti-rot by dryness. If moisture is part of decay, draining Abyss can deny the “wet gradient” that lets it spread. Wood, textiles, and stored goods resist mold and slow rot.

• Lock down a damaged zone. When something is already failing, draining Abyss can “freeze” the failure state so it stops propagating. It does not repair it, but it prevents the collapse cascade.

Defensive power ups

• Diffuse pain. The sharp edge of pain softens.

• Panic dampening. Adrenaline spikes settle fast. Your breath stays slower and deeper, which prevents the fear spiral that makes defense crumble.

• Bleed control. Draining Abyss in your blood makes it less mobile. Cuts leak less. Bruising and internal bleed spread slows. This is not healing, it is containment.

• Toxin and infection containment. If something enters the body, draining Abyss around the site slows spread through tissue planes. It buys time.

Abyss on the Mind

Abyss casters can merge into another mind. This allows them to read minds and feel emotions. They can apply

Abyss to a mind by emphasizing that aspect of themselves. They can effect multiple aspects simultaneously because of the mind merging. They cannot apply an effect without it effecting themselves as well.

• Shifting opinions. Open to new experiences. Urge to move on (over
  
  Ground aspects)

• Less reactive. More accepting. Adaptive. (over
  
  Thunder aspects)

• Bend the rules. Destabilize. Open to new ideas. (over
  
  Mountain aspect)

• Disengage. Lose focus. (over
  
  Blaze aspect) This is difficult to do because it causes the caster to also lose focus.

• Wandering throughs. Easier to influence. (over
  
  Abyss aspect)

• Less charismatic. Ideas blend. Less defensive. (over
  
  Lake aspect)

• Less alert. Less attentive. Become self absorbed. (over
  
  Wind aspect) This is difficult to do because it causes the caster to be less attentive.

• Patient. More receptive. (over
  
  Tornado aspect)

Abyss is not able to remove aspects from a mind, only overlay their own onto another mind.

Mental Shield

Erodes and dissolves intrusion. Target feels effects then it erodes away. Persistent intrusion will cause

Ground aspect to grow, effectively trading flexibility for stability, and speed for inertia.

Abyss Magic as a Tool

• Unstick and unjam. Doors, drawers, swollen joints, seized fittings, stuck lids, tangled knots. Infusing Abyss makes interfaces yield and slide instead of resisting.

• Comfort in harsh environments. Smooth temperature and pressure gradients in a room, tent, or clothing layers. Heat stops feeling spiky. Cold drafts stop feeling like knives.

• Quiet the house. Infuse into structures to damp vibration and stop sharp rattles, creaks, and ringing. Things stop “snapping” and start settling.

• Soften materials for work. Clay, plaster, dough, fibers, leather, wood bending. Abyss makes the material more compliant during shaping, then you let it dry or set normally.

• Controlled erosion and cleaning. Remove hard crusts, scale, and mineral buildup in channels, cookware, stonework, and tools by turning brittle deposits into sludgy, removable material.

• Fluid handling. Make liquids behave like cooperative systems: pour without splashing, fill without bubbling, siphon smoothly, move slurry through a hose without clogging.

• Smoke and dust collapse. Infuse Abyss into airborne particulates to make them settle faster. Great for kitchens, workshops, ash storms, and post-fire cleanup.

• Waterproofing and moisture control. Drain Abyss from walls, storage, boots, and cloth to reduce wicking and seep. Keeps archives, grain, and medicine stores safer.

• Preservation. Drying and rot prevention. Draining reduces the “wet gradient” that lets mold and decay spread through fibers and wood.

• Stiffen for precision. Temporarily drain Abyss from soft materials so they hold a crisp shape for carving, sanding, stitching, or assembly. Great for crafts that need sharp edges.

• Stabilize a structure. If something is creeping or sagging, drain Abyss locally to stop the slow settling motion and buy time for repair.

• Stop spills from spreading. Drain Abyss from a pooled liquid so it stops flowing outward and can be scraped, scooped, or contained more easily.

Everyday self Abyss buffs

• Sleep aid.

• Stress melt. Sharp emotions lose their edges. Irritation, anxiety, and urgency turn into something you can hold without snapping.

• Heat and cold leveling. You stop feeling sudden temperature changes as aggressively. Good for desert nights, cold winds, and hot workspaces.

• Increase energy.

• Reduce sensory overload. Draining Abyss can sharpen boundaries between “me” and environment, making crowds, noise, and emotional bleed-through less intense.

• Cognitive crispness. You think in cleaner edges. Better categorization, faster decisions, less drifting rumination.

• Focus lock. Attention stops wandering. You can hold a goal without sliding into daydream.

• Body stiffness for precision. Hands steady, posture more defined, less “slosh” in joints. Useful for craftwork or formal bearing.

Economic advantages of Abyss Magic

Abyss Starborne, and with Abyss- can wield

Abyss magic.

Abyss magic is “interfaces stop fighting.” It smooths gradients (pressure, heat, tension), makes materials and systems yield without breaking, and turns messy flow into cooperative flow. It also enables sealing and crispness by draining Abyss when needed. It rewires the baseline failure rate of civilization: fewer jams, fewer cracks, fewer clogs, fewer dust-choked lungs, fewer broken interfaces.

Jobs Abyss Magic Dominates

Maintenance, repair, and unjamming

• Mechanism unstickers: jammed doors, seized fittings, stuck gates, swollen joints, tangled knots. Abyss makes interfaces yield and reseat instead of snapping.

• Rigging and rope crews: knotted lashings, stiff lines, and seized pulleys become faster to reset with less fiber damage.

• Plaster, mortar, and seam repair: cracked plaster, racked joins, and failing seams become “re-seatable” instead of replace-only.

Fluid handling and dirty-work infrastructure

• Slurry and ore-wash operators: slurry transport without clogging; controlled flow through channels and hoses.

• Cistern and channel cleaners: mineral scale, crust buildup, and clogged lines can be softened into removable sludge.

• Waste channel and sanitation crews: waste slurries keep moving; fewer blockages; less stagnant overflow.

• Dock and ferry operators (gorge crossings): safer loading and unloading through reduced spill, better flow control, and less sudden interface failure.

Materials processing that needs compliance

• Clay and ceramics prep: clay, glazes, and slip become more workable without over-wetting; fewer cracks from bad handling.

• Leather and fiber workers: leather bending, fiber conditioning, and cordage finishing become easier with less tearing.

• Wood bending and shaping: wood can be made temporarily more compliant during shaping, then allowed to set normally.

Air quality and post-event cleanup

• Smoke and dust collapse crews: airborne particulates settle faster in workshops, kitchens, ash storms, and post-fire zones.

• Workshop quieters: vibration and sharp rattles get damped so workspaces run smoother and safer.

Public health and comfort trades

• Heat and pressure leveling services: harsh temperature spikes and draft knives get smoothed in rooms, tents, and layered clothing.

• Medical fluid managers: containment and flow support for blood, swelling, and internal pressure issues, paired with ordinary medicine.

Jobs Abyss Magic Enables

Abyss-sealed preservation markets

• Waterproofing and moisture control services: walls, boots, cloth, archives, grain stores, and medicine stores stop wicking and seeping.

• Rot and mold prevention contractors: drying and gradient denial slows decay in wood, textiles, and stored foods.

• Dry vault and archive builders: preservation architecture that relies on “no wicking” as a baseline feature.

Quality manufacturing through “smooth gradients”

• High-grade dye and vat houses: dye baths that do not blotch, extraction that does not spike, and repeatable outcomes for premium cloth tiers.

• Fine glaze and finish studios: smoother heat and moisture transitions reduce cracking, crazing, and finish failures.

• Precision assembly prep: drain Abyss briefly to stiffen soft components for crisp carving, sanding, stitching, and tight fits, then restore normal behavior.

Transport and trade risk reduction

• Low-loss freight services: heavier loads moved with fewer failures at interfaces (vibration, friction heat, shifting loads).

• Cheaper insurance tiers for Abyss-serviced cargo: fewer brittle cascades makes long-distance movement less risky and more financeable.

Civic hygiene and labor productivity upgrades

• Municipal cleanliness contracts: smoke control, dust settling, and waste-flow reliability become formal public services rather than ad hoc misery.

• Fewer lost labor days ecosystem: better air, fewer infections, fewer injuries from stuck systems and sudden failures.

Social and mental overlay professions

• De-escalation and mediation houses: Abyss overlay reduces reactivity, increases adaptiveness, and helps groups stop snapping into conflict.

• Interrogation and negotiation specialists (ethical and coercive variants): mind-merging makes truth work, empathy reads, and opinion-shifting possible, with the built-in constraint that the caster also feels the overlay effects.

• Sleep and stress clinics: sleep aid and stress melt become paid services, especially for high-output seasons and trauma-heavy labor forces.

Abyss Trigram Details

Water interpretation from Benebell Wen