Editing TRIPTYCH (section)

=The Broken=

Before a living being can step sideways, it must endure three trials. They are initiated by ingesting an alchemical mixture that unbalances the elemental forces within the body. First, the initiate's lungs fill with water; it wells up out of their mouth and nose as they struggle to breath. Then, their entire body erupts into flame! The fire only extinguishes itself when body turns to stone. If the initiate survives, the stone eventually crumbles to dust, leaving them cold, naked, and gasping for air.

Now, they are one of the Broken. The elements of their being have been unbound from each other, making it possible for them to acquire many amazing abilities. The first of these is stepping sideways. The stepper stands inside a set of concentric geometric shapes and lets go of one of their component elements. A hot, cold, or wet wind blasts through them and the entire world changes around them. Trees wither, traffic stops, buildings crumble, and people disappear. They can return to the material world at any time and, when they do, no time will have passed at all.

Through repeated exposure to these realms, the Broken can increase their bond to one of the elements. This grants them psychic control over that element when in either of the two realms that contain it. When stepping into the one realm that does not, they manifest only as an insubstantial "ghost." This can have advantages and disadvantages. In the material world, the Broken can exert only subtle control over their chosen element.

A more immediate path to power is to forge alliances with the strange creatures that inhabit the elemental realms. Every breed can step sideways at will, but only between the two realms that contain its native element. They can only venture into the material when summoned by the Broken, and even then their powers are greatly reduced. This is dangerous for the Broken, as an angry or malevolent spirit can take control of their body. Broken who have bonded themselves to an element are particularly vulnerable to possession by spirits of that type.