The World Serpent

Fraag wrote:

Name:
The World Serpent

Wielder:
Scholar Bai Suzhen of Fenghai

Proof of purchase:
August IOTM Purchase

Description:
The concept of the World Serpent is something that has permeated the legends and mythologies of a multitude of different cultures over the cours of history, each developing their own lore and legend around their version of the snake that coils around the world, and sometimes the universe itself. Certain cultures refer to it as Ouroboros, the snake that bites its own tail, others refer to it as Ananta Shesha, the Leviathan, and some notably talk about Jormungand, the snake that calls the oceans of Earthland it's territory and is said to cause massive devastation with the twists of its body that, according to legend, is large enough to encircle the entirety of the world. Of course, it was always unclear how much of these stories is rooted in reality, but that has never stopped humans from perpetuating stories, and indeed, making them their own.

Within what is modern-day Minstrel, a group of influential men and women existed centuries, if not even millenia ago, who are rumored to have been in leagues with the World Serpent itself. The Cult of Jormungand, as it is has come to be known in stories, reveered the creature as a god that represented the infinite and the power to hold the world within one's grasp. In exchange for ritualistic sacrifices to the World Serpent, it would offer them fortune, blessings, and great power, with members of the cult carrying the mark of the serpent on their bodies, a snake that bites its own tail. Over generations, the members of this cult would rise to power, though as they grew in influence and standing, so would increase the demands of Jormungand's blessings, until, one day, it wanted the cult to take the young son of the king of Minstrel so it could devour the boy to sate it's ever-growing hunger. Driven by their blind fanaticism and the prospect of the World Serpent's reward, they obiently carried out this task, sacrificing the king's son in the process, yet, while they were successful in this task, their plot was found out.

When the king learned of this and the existence of the cult, which included some of his closest confidants, the man, devastated by the loss of his only child, lashed out in unrelenting anger and rage, ordering every last member of the cult exterminated. Their existence threatened, the cult pleaded with the serpent to aid them, though Jormungand, furious with their failure, instead placed upon them a curse that would not just remove their blessings, but also permanently burnt the mark of the serpent into their flesh to brand them as outcasts for all eternity. Through a series of inquisitions, brutal trials, and morbid executions, they would be hunted down one by one ... except for one. A single member of the cult managed to flee the country before the king and his men could capture them, vanishing from the face of Earthland, along with the Cult of Jormungand and the mark of the serpent. Over the generations, the stories were forgotten, and life returned to normalcy, but the World Serpents hunger would only continue to grow, until it would awaken once more. The mark of the serpent will manifest again in the descendant of the sole survivor, and, who knows, perhaps the World Serpent is ready to bestow it's blessing on a mortal once more?

Abilities:

❊ Champion of the World Serpent ❊
The hunger of the World Serpent has grown, and continues to grow evermore. With this, Jormungand has awoken once more, and, surprisingly, seems to have chosen its champion, granting the one marked by its curse strange and ancient powers. While the World Serpent itself is not especially capable of magic or the arcane, the user embodies the beast's strength and is not entirely limited by this drawback. The user gains access to a new magic type called "Serpentine" which they will be able to use in the creation of magic. "Serpentine" type magic relies on the use of Jormungand's divine authority as the legendary World Serpent to imbue spells with conceptual infinity, allowing the user to utilize "Caster" type spells in any magic using the "Serpentine" magic type. The increase to max spell durations applies only to the given magic in question and doesn't stack with other "Serpentice" magic type or "Lost" magic type benefits. The benefit levels for "Serpentine" type magic can be found below:

• Solitary: +5 posts to max spell durations. +100% to Spell Damage and Strength
  
• Primary: +4 posts to max spell durations. +50% to Spell Damage and Strength
  
• Auxiliary: +3 posts to max spell durations. +25% to Spell Damage and Strength
  

❊ Beast of Ragnarök ❊
Not much is known about the enigmatic World Serpent to the majority of people, though it is said that Jormungand is large enough to encircle the world, and strong enough to crush it between its body. While not exactly a patron of the arcane, the World Serpent is nonetheless steeped in divine power of special kind, and what it lacks for magical or fantastical properties and proficiency it makes up for in raw power, raw strength, and perhaps most notably, raw durability. These traits also carry over to those that draw their own power from the World Serpent. The user of this lineage cannot use Defensive spells of any kind. They cannot cast shield spells, cannot manifest barriers to defend themselves, or otherwise utilize spells that are based on Spell Durability (Note that others can still use these spells on the user and grant them their shields, etc.). The user can still use Equipment classed as Armor and benefit from its durability. In exchange, though, the user benefits from an unnaturally impressive vitality, their body naturally being as durable as the divine scales of Jormungand. The user's base HP, in return for the previously mentioned drawback, is increased by 300%.

❊ Mark of the Serpent ❊
The user, as a descendant of the single survivor of the purge that has eradicated the rest of the original Cult of Jormungand, has inherited the mark of the serpent, a manifestation of the curse placed upon their lineage by the World Serpent. Somewhere on the user's body, the same mark of the serpent will manifest as if it has been etched into their flesh, a serpent biting it's own tail making it obvious that the user is afflicted with the same curse. The curse, while branding the user as a hunted exile, is a definitive sign that the user is influenced by the World Serpent and benefits from the pseudo-deity's power. The user gains an additional user-rank Advanced Spell per magic, which will rank with them up to H+ Rank. These additional Advanced Spells will each gain a single additional base effect. Further, the user gains access to one additional Signature Spell for each of their magics, all of which will rank with the user up to S. Lastly, the user gains 5 additional user-rank spell slots for a single one of their magics, which will rank with the user up to S. The base MP cost of these 5 spells is doubled and the spells in question, in addition to following the theme of the magic they are contained in, must be serpent-themed.

❊ Jörmungandr's Coil ❊
The user, as the chosen one of the World Serpent, receives the blessings of Jormungand. To embody the World Serpent is to hold within one's embrace the world. The godlike power of the primordial Serpent Jormungand flows through the user's body, granting them exceptional potential. The user's Base Spell Damage and Base Strength are increased by 50% passively.

❊ Shard of Infinity ❊
Jormungand, as a false deity of infinity, represents a piece of conceptual endlessness, and by extension, the universe that encircles the world. The user can temporarily invoke this infinity by using their body as a vessel for Jormungand's divine authority, boosting their magical capabilities by a potentially limitless amount. Invoking infinity, the user can enter a state called "Serpent Force", covering portions of their body in white, serpentine scales, their pupils changing into snake-like slits and their irises glowing with a bronze hue. Serpent Force, in essence, functions like Third Generation Slayer Force, meaning the user can enter Serpent Force at will, provided they have at least 50% of their total MP left. Once the user enters Serpent Force, they will receive the following benefits:

• Serpent Force increases the user's Strength, Spell Damage, and Speed by 100% as long as Serpent Force is active.
  
• While Serpent Force is active, the user is surrounded by an aura of pure magical energy that seems to grow the longer the user remains in their state of Force. This increases either their Base Spell Damage or Base Strength by 50%. This increase is separate from other base increases and can apply independently of the cap imposed on base increases.
  
• While Serpent Force is active spells cost no MP to cast.
  
• In order to maintain Serpent Force the user must spend 10% of their total MP every post it is active. MP cannot be regained or regenerated while Serpent Force is active by any means. Once the user of Serpent Force hits 0 MP or once they choose to cancel it the state of Serpent Force will end. If the user hits 0 MP through Serpent Force they suffer from the consequences of running out of MP as they otherwise would.