Dark-Wielder Progression
Only showing what’s been revealed up to your current progress. Future events, identities, and relationships are hidden.
Overview
Dark-wielder progression is described as a ranked course among dark wielders, with four recognized ranks. The available accounts give Violet and Ridoc little confidence that someone who begins channeling can simply give up the power.
Mechanics
Channeling from the earth beyond the wards is described as effortless once the temptation is present, as easy as breathing.
Violet monitors progression through visible signs in Xaden, including changes around the irises and veins at the temples. She worries that repeated slips could make the iris rings permanent or turn the temple veins red, and his lingering non-gold eye flecks after Deverelli keep that concern active even without confirmation of a new rank.
Higher-level dark wielders can have specialized powers tied to their rank. Violet reasons that Theophanie is most likely a Maven because the feats attributed to her include guiding a horde through a thunderstorm, controlling or redirecting natural lightning, helping start the Suniva fire, and possibly killing dragons after years of training.
Xaden treats time since the last act of channeling as one measure of his condition, keeping a private count that might indicate stability. He still expects the condition to worsen and regards control as something that may only delay the outcome.
Limitations
Ridoc’s reading gives him no examples of initiates who simply walk away from the power. Xaden also rejects the idea of treating progression as only hypothetical, correcting talk of if he progresses to when.
Known Users
Theophanie is treated as a high-level dark wielder in Violet’s assessment, most likely a Maven because of the scale and variety of powers attributed to her.
Xaden is tracked through the progression framework after three acts of channeling, and he keeps count of the days since the most recent one as part of judging his stability.