Aura

Animus Vitae. The soul. The ephemeral presence that drives every living thing on the planet; it makes us who we are, and defines how we act. No one truly knows *exactly* what it is, but everyone values it. In the world of Aurum, a lucky and talented few learn to wield it to truly amazing effect.

These aura-wielding individuals are known as Casters. Their aura shines brighter than most, which strengthens their minds and bodies. It heightens their senses and enables them to perform feats normally beyond mortal capabilities. Because of this, the typical Caster is often viewed with fear, skepticism, or jealousy by the average member of society. On the other hand, Casters in the right circumstance may end up worshipped as heroes or even Gods.

The true reason to fear or idolize a Caster, and the origin of that very title, is due to the discovery of a mineral called Aetherium (also known as Aurastone) in Aurum. Through a specially cut and polished Aetherium lens, a Caster can learn to focus their aura as if through a magnifying glass. Used properly, these uniquely faceted “spell crystals” produce what can only be called magic!

Aura Sensitivity

Casters can inherently sense the aura of all living things. A caster can tell by touch if a living being is pregnant, or when a creature is dying. Every caster senses aura in their own way, and due to its intangible nature, an aura may be described in any sense; as a temperature, a weather pattern, a sensation, a melody, a color of light, a distinct hum, an emotional vibe, etc.

• The average living creature’s aura can only be detected once within the vantage of an onlooking caster’s mundane senses.
• A caster's aura, on the other hand, is particularly radiant, and can be faintly detected by other casters from about [50 x Aura Level] meters away. Despite being able to detect powerful auras from such a range, the investigating caster cannot distinguish the unique characteristics of another caster's aura signature outside of the range of their mundane senses.
• If you can feel someone’s aura, you can tell if they’re dying without a Medicine check. A dying character’s aura flickers like a suffocating candle.
• You can stifle your aura so that others can’t feel it, but while doing so, you cannot cast spells and suffer a -3 Distraction penalty.
• Casting a spell causes a flare of aura, momentarily doubling the range at which the caster's aura can be detected, and always cancels the aforementioned ‘suppression’ effect.
• Certain monsters also radiate an aura, or may be capable of detecting it themselves!

Aura Signature

Every individual radiates a unique aura, a signature that casters can detect and recognize. Since each caster senses aura differently, it’s difficult to communicate details about an individual’s aura beyond its raw strength; one caster might describe a man possessing an aura with the ‘aroma of cinnamon’, while another caster perceives the same man as having an aura like ‘crackling white noise’, and yet neither of those onlookers is incorrect.

• A caster leaves a unique trace of their aura signature behind on anything affected by their spells. These aura traces can linger for up to (Aura level) days before fading.