The Riastrad

The Riastrad is considered by most Ardri to be the apex of the old magic. The Riastrad is abhorred by the Plains Clans, considered unnecessary by the Bog Clans, useful to the Forest Clans and vital to the Mountain Clans. How long Riastrad can be maintained is dependent entirely upon the strength of the old magic in the user. The longer it is maintained the harder it becomes to control.

If it is not controlled the Riastrad drives the user to kill anything and everything it can. The Riastrad is usually ended when it's users energy is exhausted leading to a blackout. The average Riastrad lasts between an hour or two but can last up to four hours with anything beyond that being considered extremely dangerous. The exhaustion caused by the Riastrad is dependent upon the duration of its use. The time it takes the Old Magic within to recover is typically about eight times the length of its used duration. Physical recovery usually takes about an hour or two if a four hour Riastrad is maintained. The Riastrad cannot last any less than 30 minutes, the Riastrad is therefore not useful for short engagements and is best used in only the most dire situations. Were it not for the Riastrad, the forest Clans would be extremely **** to creatures like the Moruga and the Nadal at all times. The Mountain Clans depend heavily on it for use against large creatures such as the Bristlebear. The Riastrad is useless against a Raghik, if the Riastrad is used in the presence of a Raghik its maximum duration is halved and it's exhaustive effects remain at their fullest. That is to say that someone who can maintain Riastrad for a maximum of two hours could only maintain it for about an hour against a Raghik, and if it is maintained for the full hour the user will suffer the 16 hour recovery period as though the Riastrad was maintained to its maximum of two hours. If Riastrad is activated in the presence of a Raghik it is nearly impossible to control.

You personally dislike using the Riastrad as it seems to take all of the fun out of fighting. In your eyes it is the possibility of defeat that makes victory most rewarding. You also despise the refractory period it incurs as it could be disastrous if one were to encounter a territorial Moruga or other such threat while the recovery period was incomplete.

The Riastrad is as difficult to explain as it is to control. It is, at its purest, the ultimate marriage between instinct and focus. That instinct being to survive and that focus being to kill. The Riastrad drives its user to kill indiscriminately and with each kill the Riastrad becomes slightly harder to control. Not all Ardri experience the same boosts when they use their Riastrad.

When you enter the Riastrad the speed of your movements, thoughts, and reactions increases. The scope of your cognition increases, that is to say that you are also better able to process and correlate the sensory data you receive. Your instincts reach their peak effectiveness and you can accurately predict and avoid most attacks. While you are in this state you feel no pain and fatigue, though you suffer from the physical effects of both in the same way with or without the Riastrad, only your body's ability to sense them changes.