--------------| General Information |--------------
[This chapter exists to give you a knowledge about the Catalyst Anchor and other horror aspect comes with it. And it might give you a small spoiler.]
∆ The Catalyst Anchor
- The Mark of the Unbidden Guest -
Description:
"It begins as a dull ache, a phantom pressure against the throat as if an invisible hand has decided you belong to it. By the time the bruise darkens to the color of a dead star, the anchor is set. You are no longer anchored to this world alone; you are a buoy floating over an abyss."
The Anchor is a metaphysical weight that tethers the soul to the abyss. The infection will infects the human who is a young adult, around eighteen to twenty two years old. It preys upon those at the threshold of their prime, consuming their potential to fuel the transition between realms. While in the waking world, the Infected hear a rhythmic, metallic dragging sound—the sound of their soul being pulled toward the Dream.
∆ The Fallen Dream
- The Crucible of the Dozing -
Description:
"Sleep is no longer a sanctuary; it is a Shore. When the eyes close, the Anchor drops, dragging the spirit into a realm where the laws of man are replaced by the whims of the Forgotten. To wake is to triumph; to sleep eternally is to become part of the landscape."
The Fallen Dream is a distorted reflection of the victim's greatest failure or fear, twisted by the influence of a dead god. It is a "closed loop" of time. If an Infected dies here, their body in the real world doesn't die—it becomes a Hollow Shell, a living corpse that breathes but never speaks, while their soul serves as fuel for the Dream's architecture.
∆ The Graveyard of the Fallen Gods
- The Infinite Necropolis -
Description:
"Beyond the personal nightmare lies the communal tomb. Here, the sky is the color of a bruised lung, and the earth is composed of the shattered ribs of titans. It is a place of expedition for the brave and a larder for the things that still hunger in the dark."
The graveyard isn't only one tomb but many, each tomb has different trial, different madness and different horrors. To step into the Graveyard is to enter a fractured mosaic of dead civilizations. One tomb may be a labyrinth of suffocating silence, while the next is a screaming wasteland of rusted iron. A Hunter does not just explore a space; they survive a specific brand of divine insanity tailored to the god buried beneath their feet.
∆ The Awakened (The Hunters)
- Those Who Refused to Drown -
Description:
"To be Awakened is to be a thief who stole their own life back from the jaws of a god. They are 'Hunters' not because they seek sport, but because in the Graveyard, one must either hunt the past or be consumed by it."
Upon Awakening, the black bruise on the neck crystallizes into a Stigma—a unique glowing pattern that acts as a conduit for their new abilities. They are called Hunters because they "harvest" the essence of the Fallen to maintain their sanity. An Awakened who stops hunting eventually begins to "drift," slowly turning into a monster themselves.
∆ The Fog Gates
- The Veils of the Chalice -
Description:
"The air thickens, turning to a gray shroud that tastes of copper and old incense. The ritual is complete. The gate does not open a door; it dissolves the boundary between 'Here' and 'Nowhere'."
The Fog Gates are temporal scars that demand a swift resolution. The Hunter must conquered it before the Twilight Night begin. It happen if the Hunter didn't finishes the trial at the Graveyard of the Fallen Gods. The Unholy Beings will lurked into the real world as new Fog Gates open in crowded area. This makes every expedition a race against the sun; failure doesn't just mean the Hunter's death—it means bringing the nightmare home to the innocent, turning city squares into slaughterhouses as the veil dissolves in the dark.
-------------| Common Terminology |-------------
∆ The Chalice Ritual
- The Opening of the Vein -
Description:
"The land does not forget its dead; it simply waits for a cup to be filled. To pour the blood of the failed into the glass is to pay the toll for the living. Only then will the fog part, and the tomb surrender its secrets."
The ritual is a bridge built on failure. By using the blood of "The Failed" (those who died in the Fallen Dream), the Caster bridges the gap between the world that was and the world that is. Performing this at a Chalice Tomb—a site of historical slaughter—acts like a needle piercing through the fabric of reality.
∆The Chapel
- The Bastion of Sanity -
Description:
"In a realm where the soil hungers and the wind whispers madness, a wall is more than stone—it is a prayer. A Chapel is where the Hunter stops being prey, if only for an hour."
These aren't just buildings; they are consecrated ground. To build a Chapel, Hunters must paint the perimeter with "Sanctified Ash." Inside, the influence of the Fallen Gods is dampened, allowing the Awakened to rest without the risk of their souls drifting further into the abyss.
∆The Hunter's Item
- Spoils of the Slaughter -
Description:
"The Unholy do not die quietly. They leave behind fragments of their malice—a tooth that bites through shadow, a rib that glows in the dark. Use them, but remember: everything from the Graveyard has a price."
Known in some circles as "Remnants," these items are physical manifestations of a creature's Rank. High-rank items are sentient and may require a specific "Blood Price" to activate, such as a temporary reduction in the Hunter's own vitality.
∆ Attunement
- The Art of Stained Wisdom -
Description:
"Power is not gifted; it is traded. You bring the stone, the Caster brings the knife, and together you carve the laws of magic into your very spirit."
Attunement is a painful process of "rewiring" the soul. By consuming Blood Stones, the Caster helps the Hunter synchronize their spirit with the frequencies of the Graveyard, unlocking specialized combat arts or elemental resistances.
∆ Spirit's Blood
- The Hollow Echo -
Description:
"A shadow of a shadow. It rises from the red puddle, wearing the skin of your enemy but obeying the snap of your fingers. It is a puppet of gore, fueled by the memory of its own death."
These are short-lived Sanguine Constructs. While they lack the intelligence of the original Unholy Being, they possess its instinct. The more "fresh" the blood used, the more lethal the Spirit's Blood becomes.
∆ Blood Rune
- The Vessel of Potential -
Description:
"A cup can only hold so much wine before it spills. A human heart is a small thing, but through the murder of the Awakened Unholy, we can stretch the soul until it holds a sea."
The Blood Rune is a pulsating geometric brand on the Hunter's heart. While Unholy Beings are born with multiple "chambers," humans must graft extra capacity onto their souls. This "Extended Capacity" feels like a constant fever, as the soul is literally being stretched to accommodate more power.
∆ Blood Stone
- Frozen Malice -
Description:
"Cold to the touch, heavy as a sin. It is the crystallization of a life ended in violence."
These stones are the currency of the Graveyard. They aren't actually stone, but coagulated soul-essence. If left outside a Blood Rune for too long, they evaporate into a red mist that attracts nearby predators.
∆ Ranks
- The Ladder of the Damned and the Divine -
Description:
"A ladder for those who seek the divinity."
These ranks are serves to both Humans based on their Blood Rune they have posseses or how many trial they have faced off. There are seven ranks for both Humans and Unholy Beings:
(Humans)
- Hollowed
- Awakened
- Vessel
- Apostle
- Ascended
- Demigod
- Immortal
(Unholy Beings)
- Hollowed
- Awakened
- Wild
- Dire
- Elder
- Mythical
- Ancient
∆ Class Classification
-The Tally of the Blood Runes -
Description:
"Do not count their eyes or their teeth. Count their Runes. For every Rune, a new way to die is born."
> Scourge (1 Rune): Fodder. Dangerous in packs, pathetic alone.
> Cursed (2 Runes): Possess supernatural traits (poison, invisibility, etc.).
> Beasts (3 Runes): Large, territorial apex predators.
> Undead (4 Runes): Existences that refuse to stay dead; require total destruction of the core.
> Blight (5 Runes): Walking plagues that corrupt the environment around them.
> Calamity (6 Runes): Capable of wiping out a Chapel in a single night.
> Titan (7 Runes): Living geography. To fight one is to wage war against a mountain.
∆ The Tier of Remnants
- The Measure of the Dead -
Description:
"A Hunter's strength is often measured by the weight of the relics hanging from their belt. A tooth from a Calamity is not merely a trophy; it is a Tier 6 weapon that remembers the taste of god-flesh."
Hunter's Items act as bridges between the Unholy and the Human. The complexity of a creature's Blood Runes dictates the complexity of the item it leaves behind. For instance, when an Awakened Undead (Class 4) is slain, its item converts into a Tier 4 Awakened Item—perfectly attuned to a Hunter of equal standing. However, a Wild Blight (Class 5) yields a Tier 5 Ascended Item, providing power that far outstrips the wielder's current rank, often at the cost of extreme mental strain.
---------| Technique of Ashes & Ability |---------
∆ Technique of Ashes
- The Embers of the Soul -
Description:
"The Catalyst Anchor does not just tether you; it burns you. When you conquer the Dream, you are left with the soot of a dead god in your veins. This is your power, and your prison."
This is the core "Combat Identity" of a Hunter. It is a dual-natured existence. To use the Ash is to tap into the fundamental laws of the Fallen Gods. Because it originates from the Anchor, it is not "learned" but "birthed" through the trauma of the first trial.
∆ Attributes
- The Sanguine Foundation -
Description:
"Muscle, mind, and spirit—all can be hardened if you have enough blood to pour into the cracks."
These are the passive markers of a Hunter's evolution (Strength, Agility, Perception, Soul-Depth). While they grow naturally through combat, a Hunter can "force" evolution by burning Blood Stones directly into their Blood Rune, effectively "buying" a more resilient body.
∆ Technique of Ashes Ability
- The Manifestation of Ruin -
Description:
"A blade that cuts through shadows, a voice that commands the fog, a body that cannot feel pain. The Ash takes many forms, but it always leaves a mark on the world."
These are the active skills derived from the Technique. They are physical or magical feats that defy reality. However, because they are fueled by the "Ashes" of the soul, overusing them can lead to Ash-Cough, where the Hunter's physical lungs begin to fill with the grey residue of their own power.
∆ The Curse
- The Weight of the Gift -
Description:
"For every miracle, a tragedy. For every sun, a shadow. The Anchor never gives; it only lends, and it always collects interest."
This is the "Balance." If a Hunter has the ability to see through walls, their curse might be total blindness in natural light. If they have the strength of a Titan, they might lose the ability to feel the touch of another human. The more powerful the Technique of Ashes, the more devastating the Curse becomes, ensuring that no Hunter ever feels truly "whole."
∆ Epithet
- The Name Carved in Stone -
Description:
"The world forgets your birth name. The Anchor gives you the only name that matters—the one that will be whispered by the things in the dark."
An Epithet is a conceptual identity. It usually manifests after the Graveyard of the Fallen Gods trial, acting as a "True Name" that enhances the Hunter's resonance with the world. To be named "The Weaver of Iron" or "The Silent Ember" is to have the universe recognize your specific brand of power.
∆ Hierarchy of the Marked
- The Four-Fold Path of the Marked -
Description:
"The journey from a flicker to a conflagration is written in blood and ash. It begins with a bruise that will not heal—the Infected (Hollowed)—a youth caught in the gravitational pull of a dying god, waiting for the first sleep that will either consume them or forge them. Should they survive the trial of their own nightmares, they rise as a Hunter (Awakened), a scavenger of the Graveyard who has traded a piece of their humanity for a Technique of Ashes and a lifelong Curse. But a single Blood Rune is a small cup; those who crave the depth of the abyss must become a Pursuer (Vessel), expanding their spirit to contain the stolen essence of the Great Echoes they hunt across the tombs. Finally, for those who do not break under the weight of the Divine, there is the rank of Harbinger (Apostle)—the living omen. They are the masters of the Chalice Ritual, standing at the threshold of the Fog Gates as the final bulwark against the Twilight Night, commanding the very shadows that once sought to devour them."
This hierarchy is not just a ladder of power, but a cycle of survival. The Infected provide the raw potential, the Hunters provide the labor of the harvest, the Pursuers map the path through the madness of the tombs, and the Harbingers hold the fabric of reality together with their rituals. Every step forward in rank is a step further away from the "Real World" and a step closer to becoming a "Fallen God" themselves.