Icons and Authority. The threshold between mortal sacred arts and the power to reshape reality through will alone.
Overview
An Icon is a symbol of a greater concept of reality. To contact an Icon is to become a Sage: to gain authority, the power to command reality directly. The first step is to become a symbol of a concept in your own person. The last step is to contact the Icon itself. Authority is limited to effects related to the Icon contacted, but within that domain, a Sage’s commands reshape the world. [WS Ch.7]
The Sage distinction was originally separate from the standard advancement hierarchy. Sage was not a rank but a mark achieved by some Lords, later incorporated into the progression as an expected stage. Ancient badge customs used symbols to represent the Icon the wearer aimed to embody. These badges were made from wintersteel, a material that can only be worked by will. [WS Ch.27]
Icon Manifestation
Manifesting an Icon requires three elements working in concert: a deep understanding of one’s
Multiple Icons are possible for a single practitioner. The records document Sages who contacted a second Icon after their first, each broadening their authority. Three Sword Icon Sages existed in a single generation, each on a different Path, demonstrating that the same Icon can be reached through entirely different routes. [WS Ch.7]
Icons can be manifested based on personal identity rather than combat power. One practitioner manifested a Broom Icon at Underlord, in front of scholars, to demonstrate this principle. The act reshaped understanding of what Icons could represent. [RP Ch.2]
Known Icons
The Omnicodex has documented the following Icons. The list is not exhaustive; the simulation continues to process additional data.
| Icon | Visual Manifestation | Known Wielders |
|---|---|---|
| Sword Icon | Varies by wielder | Adama (Sword Sage), Min Shuei (Winter Sage), Sage of Fallen Blades [WS Ch.6-7] |
| Void Icon | Blank wintersteel badge; character for “Empty” | Lindon [WS Ch.27] |
| Strength Icon | Fist facing down | Akura Fury [WS Ch.25] |
| Winter Icon | Not documented | Min Shuei [WS Ch.7] |
| Icon | Visual Manifestation | Known Wielders |
|---|---|---|
| Death Icon | Vast black scythe | Ozmanthus Arelius [RP Ch.2] |
| Broom Icon | Not documented | Ozmanthus Arelius [RP Ch.2] |
| Joy Icon | Bright violet flower | Real but uncommon [RP Ch.16] |
| Shadow Icon | Not documented | Akura Malice [RP Ch.1] |
| Bow Icon | Not documented | Conceptually connected to The Archer [RP Ch.17] |
| Icon | Visual Manifestation | Known Wielders |
|---|---|---|
| Shield Icon | Massive steel shield across sky | Ziel [WB Ch.13] |
| Creation Icon | Massive hammer shape | Lindon [WB Ch.33] |
| Lion Icon | Not documented | Reigan Shen [WB Ch.26] |
Sage Authority
Authority manifests as spoken commands that reshape reality. Documented commands include “Open” (forces sealed doors, tears spatial rifts), “Stop” (halts movement or processes), “Break” (shatters targets or techniques), “Freeze” (immobilizes), “Return” (spatial recall), and “Die” (commands the body to rebel against itself). Each command operates through the Sage’s Icon, and effects outside that Icon’s domain are weaker or impossible. [WS Ch.6-7, WS Prologue]
The records identify six principles governing Sage authority:
- Authority achieves the same result while skipping the process
- Effects aligned with the Sage’s Icon are easier to accomplish
- Effects that would be achievable without authority are easier still
- Splitting focus between multiple workings increases difficulty exponentially
- An opposing will can block authority
- Authority is conceptual, not literal
These principles are not absolute rules but reliable guidelines extracted from extensive observation. [BL Ch.8]
Willpower, the fuel of authority, is not finite like madra or
Authority and the Power Hierarchy
Authority operates on the highest floor of the sacred arts power hierarchy. Physical laws form the foundation.
Herald Authority
Heralds do not contact Icons in the way Sages do, but Icons are still present for them. A Herald is “blind” to Icons but can learn to copy Sage-level authority by observing the embedded authority in techniques and replicating it. This method is less versatile than a Sage’s direct command but can produce comparable effects in narrow applications. [WB Ch.7]
Hunger Icon
The Hunger Icon is a special case. It manifests as a widened mouth full of sharpened fangs in the sky, and its authority screams through reality, warping the world in an invisible vortex while color leeches from everything nearby. Unlike other Icons, the Hunger Icon can be actively suppressed by a practitioner who refuses to let it manifest. [RP Ch.23, DG Ch.15]
Related Topics
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Sacred Arts -
Advancement -
Soulfire -
Techniques