Ki

Ki is a discipline of magic that allows the user to channel and redirect the stream of magic flowing in their body. This allows the person to concentrate their strength, speed, and toughness in a smaller portion of the body, becoming more effective in armed and especially unarmed combat, and other physical tasks. However, it is not about helping the body to reach its potential; it is a veritable overdrive that forces the body well past its potential. Any practitioner of the Ki knows that power is relatively easy to acquire, but surviving that power is the actual challenge. It is said that some masters were capable of throwing supersonic punches, but witnessing such an act is extremely rare because it would at the very least break their hand. A true master is one who strikes a balance between empowerment and safety, knowing exactly how much risk they are willing to take at any given time.

There is no mistake that the disciplined was developed for combat; any peaceful application of the art, for labor or entertainment, was most likely an afterthought. In the right hands, it is a very effective killing tool, however, it was quickly noted that it led to very high casualty rates among its users, as well. Some suggest this may be due to the user losing sight of their own limits, or yielding to euphoria. Ki, like all magic, has a price which in this case is as subtle as it is nasty. Physical consequences are not felt until very late; instead, the user experiences a feeling of being invincible and a higher pain threshold as well as violent, destructive instincts sometimes unable to tell friend from foe. Because of this, many users are incapacitated or killed before the actual damage kicks in.

When this happens, it takes away the very thing the Ki user prizes most: his body. The telltale sign is a painful, electric-like spasm coursing through the limbs at random. These lumps of uncontrollable energy travel all over the body, dealing damage from the inside whenever they burst or spike. The user is torn apart by his own magic, which breaks flesh and bone alike. Limbs pop out of their joints, at times even the eyes are ejected from their sockets. Sometimes a master witnessing the scene can help redirect the insane magic storm and limit the damage taken by another. Usually, though, the consequences are devastating when not lethal and will give headaches even to master-level healers.

References

Loot Runners 3: The Wind and The Willow (mentioned)