I. WHAT IS A FOUNDATION?
A Foundation is not magic. It is not science.
It is belief made real—the physical and metaphysical manifestation of a person's deepest certainty.
If you believe the world is cruel… it becomes cruel through you.
If you believe you cannot be stopped… nothing will.
A Foundation is not something you use. It is something you are.
"It is the spine of your soul, exposed." Anonymous Zone Hunter
II. THE FOUR STATES OF POWER
1. Normal (Unaffected)
• Cause: Never awakened belief strong enough to warp reality.
• Effect: Safe from corruption, defenseless against Zones or Forsaken.
• Note: Cannot see Forsaken. Cannot enter Zones.
1. Developed
• Cause: Belief triggered by trauma, survival, obsession, or clarity.
• Effect: On death, becomes Forsaken.
• Note: Most Founders fall under this category.
1. Given
• Cause: Born with fully formed Foundation. Rare, mysterious.
• Effect: Cannot become Forsaken. Cursed by paradox tied to their belief.
• Example: A healer who can't feel touch. A dreamer who forgets every dream.
1. Man-Made
• Cause: Artificially implanted belief via Forsaken Hearts or tech.
• Effect: Unstable, short-lived, prone to fracture or meltdown.
• Note: 70% fatality rate. Often used by desperate nations.
III. BELIEF AS STRUCTURE
Foundations grow by conviction, not levels. They change with the user's mind.
Examples:
• A zealot of justice may shatter weapons of the guilty
But if he begins to doubt, his Foundation breaks.
The more specific the belief, the stronger and more stable the Foundation.
Most Founders use mantras, rituals, or symbols to anchor their truth.
IV. THE FORSAKEN
When a Developed Founder dies, their belief lingers.
It no longer serves them so it begins to serve itself.
A Forsaken is:
• Mindless but intelligent
• Shaped by belief, not biology
• Addictive to itself seeking repetition of its truth
They learn. One defeated will inform the swarm.
They reflect. Their appearance and behavior often mirror their old Foundation.
Example: A Forsaken who believed in "Unending Wrath" may burn forever, even underwater, attacking anything peaceful.
V. FORSAKEN TYPES
All Forsaken are dangerous. Some are apocalyptic.
Each has its strength but also a breaking point.
DRIFTERS
• Threat: Emotional corrosion, memory fog
• Check: Strong-willed individuals
• Condition: Stronger when ignored or pitied
• Consequence: Weakens under clarity or attention
SCREAMERS
• Threat: Sonic devastation, panic induction
• Check: Conflicting resonance or chaotic environments
• Condition: Thrive in silence
• Consequence: Implodes if harmony is shattered
WRETCHES
• Threat: Regenerative berserkers
• Check: Repeated emotional cues or belief-infused weapons
• Condition: Grows stronger the more it's harmed
• Consequence: Mutation becomes unstable over time
NAMED
• Threat: Cognitive hazards "The Forgotten Bride," "The Bleeding Brother"
• Check: Lore, recognition, myth deconstruction
• Condition: Stronger when misremembered
• Consequence: Collapses when fully understood
ZONE KINGS
• Threat: Immortal outside their Zone
• Check: Must be killed within their Zone
• Condition: Warps reality within Zone
• Consequence: Cannot evolve without risking collapse
WAKING SINS (rare)
• Threat: Reality-breaking belief avatars
• Check: Only stopped by mass-scale belief contradiction
• Condition: Awakens during world-shaking events
• Consequence: Usually self-destructs if resisted hard enough
VI. ZONES & ZONE KINGS
When a powerful Founder dies, their belief may warp space instead of forming a Forsaken.
A Zone is:
• Invisible to ordinary people
• Emotionally and physically unstable
• Continuously generates new Forsaken
A Zone King is:
• A Forsaken that adapted
• Gained a new Foundation within their Zone
• Becomes immortal unless killed within that Zone
Example: A Zone King who believes "Hope is a disease" may suppress light, healing, and speech within their domain. Hope itself causes pain.
VII. RESONANCE
Extremely rare. One in a billion.
Resonance Foundations use sound, memory, and vibration instead of traditional elemental or mental power.
Abilities:
• Detect Forsaken by echo signature
• Reconstruct events via harmonic memory
• Communicate through vibrations
• Reshape thought and identity via tone
There is currently Only one individual known to use resonance. He can silence battlefields. Rehear a dying prayer. Collapse a mountain with one frequency if it echoes true.
VIII. FRACTURES
Sometimes a Founder doesn't die… but comes close.
They survive but what comes back is not whole.
Fractures are:
• Emotionally broken
• Mutating uncontrollably
• Feared and pitied
• Often trafficked or hunted
No cure. No salvation. Only instability.
IX. HEARTS
Sometimes a Forsaken leaves behind a crystallized core: a Heart.
These are illegal, priceless, and highly dangerous.
Uses:
• Refined into drugs to simulate Foundations
• Implanted to create Man-Made Founders
• Forged into weapons with residual belief
Most experiments fail. Those that succeed… don't stay human for long.
X. FULFILLMENT HIGH
When a Founder perfectly aligns with their belief under pressure, in battle, or in sacrifice their Foundation rewards them.
It is called the Fulfillment High.
Effects:
• Reality-bending clarity
• Temporary surge in power
• Euphoric, almost divine ecstasy
• Addictive. Many chase this high. Many lose themselves to it.
You are never closer to divinity than the moment you become your belief.
XI. BELIEF DOMINANCE SYSTEM (BDS)
When Founders clash, the winner is not "stronger" but truer.
The world favors whichever belief resonates more deeply.
Victory is decided by:
• Consistency – How stable is your conviction?
• Demonstration – Are you living your belief?
• Resonance Factor – How loudly does your truth echo into the world?
Power is not random. It is earned by how deeply you live your truth.
XII. CULTURE OF BELIEF
Belief governs power. So society reshaped itself around it.
Common practices:
• Binding Mantras – Daily affirmations to stabilize Foundation
• Silent Vigils – Mourning for Forsakened family
• Fracture Checkpoints – Mental evaluations after battle
• Belief Inspectors – Investigate Foundation integrity in high-risk areas
Faith is no longer a private thing. It is your weapon, your ID, your threat.
XIII. FINAL NOTES
• Anyone can become a Founder. Few survive.
• Not all Forsaken were evil. Some were saints.
• Zones are spreading. Civilization is shrinking.
• The world isn't ending it's rewriting itself to match every wound it remembers.
"May your belief never falter. May your death be forgotten by others."