Wither represents spiritual corruption caused by exposure to Vel, unstable Threads, divine imbalance, and chaotic resonance. As corruption grows, it slowly fractures the Hero’s emotions, identity, and connection to the world.
Corruption develops in two stages:
Wither Seedlings then Wither.
Seedlings represent the early signs of corruption, while Wither Tokens represent corruption that has permanently taken root within the Hero’s soul.
WITHER SEEDLING MAX Copy link
Wither Seedling Max represents how many Seedlings a Hero may safely carry before corruption manifests into permanent Wither.
Wither Seedling Max is determined by Origin.
Astralkin possess a Seedling Max of 5 due to their close connection to the Astraleth and their naturally resilient spiritual structure.
Nuhlrin possess a Seedling Max of 4, reflecting their balanced mortal harmony.
Vathians and Orvah possess a Seedling Max of 3 due to their unstable or fractured ancestry.
The Zaltar possess a Seedling Max of 0 and are completely immune to corruption. They cannot gain Seedlings or Wither Tokens.
When a Hero reaches their Seedling Max, all current Seedlings immediately crystallize into permanent Wither Tokens.
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Wither Tokens represent corruption that has permanently embedded itself within the Hero’s spirit.
Unlike Seedlings, Wither Tokens are placed directly into the Hero’s draw bag and remain until removed through powerful cleansing, purification, or redemption.
When drawn, Wither Tokens provide no positive or negative value. Instead, they represent hesitation, spiritual instability, intrusive influence, and creeping corruption.
Wither Max = 3 for all corruptible Heroes.
A Hero who reaches 3 Wither Tokens stands on the brink of catastrophic transformation. At this stage, corruption may begin reshaping the Hero physically, emotionally, spiritually, or cosmologically.
Further corruption may result in loss of control, mutation, possession, involuntary transformation, or complete surrender to Vel’s influence.
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Wither is not simply damage or disease. It is the slow erosion of balance, identity, and spiritual stability.
Seedlings represent corruption approaching. Wither Tokens represent corruption that has already entered the soul.
As corruption grows, the Hero becomes increasingly visible to the chaotic forces moving beneath Rhuna itself.