Superpowers
Superpowers, powers, gifts, curses, supernatural abilities; countless terms exist to refer to them. Most commonly, they are referred to as Imbued powers, however. They can be acquired in various ways, but most who have them, have had them since birth, either passed on by a parent (or both!), or acquired in the womb.
Transmission & Vectors
Superpowers are, at their root, caused by a special energy known most commonly as Imbued energy, though little is known about it. The amount of energy in the world, and in a specific place, fluctuates. If more energy is present, more people with Imbued abilities are born to take some of this energy out of the world. If many Imbued die, the level of energy goes up again, and the cycle starts anew.
Aside from spontaneous power manifestation caused by the fluctuating level of Imbued energy, superpowers are also typically passed on from parents. If one (or more) of the parents possess Imbued abilities, so will the children.
Causes
As Imbued energy fluctuates, so does the number of people born with Imbued powers. The more energy present, be it via natural fluctuations or because many Imbued have died, the more people are born with Imbued abilities.
Symptoms
The only consistent symptom is the presence of, well, superpowers. Both Imbued and Mutants possess so-called Imbued abilities, superhuman abilities which 'ordinary' people don't possess. These can range from extremely mild, such as enhanced balance or slightly increased speed, to far more extreme. In the case of Mutants, they also come with permanent physical changes, though these are as variable as superpowers themselves.
Treatment
There is no treatment: if someone is born with superpowers, they will always have them, unless somehow entirely deprived of Imbued energy. If they have no more energy stored, and there is no more energy in their environment, they will be unable to use their powers... but they are never fully gone.
Prevention
Despite what some people desire, or even claim, there is no way to prevent Imbued from being born. It's impossible to completely remove Imbued energy from the world, and as such there will always be people born with the abilities caused by this energy.
History
It's difficult to trace the history of Imbued abilities through history due to their highly variable nature. Are tales of this historical figure's strength exaggerated, or did they have enhanced strength? Was this god merely a spiritual figure, or a Mutant with a great following? Was this person a scapegoat, or did they truly possess the ability to summon floods? Did this figure really cause a drought? Rumor, myth, legend, mere folktale?
Cultural Reception
Over the history of mankind, many different cultures have had their own view of Imbued, and often they differentiate between 'regular' Imbued and Mutants. In the United States, where the focus of this setting is placed, Imbued were hated, another group to discriminate against. With the rise of superheroes things are warming up, but still many Imbued prefer to stay hidden. But, slowly but surely, the future is becoming brighter, better.
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