Quirk

The essential essence of a Quirkbound being. The mechanism by which a being can access and manipulate nanata (magic). The tangible soul. Also called a soulstone.

Description
A quirk is an access point to nanata within Quirkbound life. It allows control over the flow of magic that can be found in all matter and energy on Thylia. Some possess strong quirks and are able to perform mighty feats. Others have the barest spark of ability within their quirk and can barely influence the world around them. All of the sentient races on Thylia have a quirk except for the so called Quirkless. These are the second iteration of humanity, the "modern" variant that arose after the Daemon Wars.

The quirk is buried in the cerebrum of a sentient being. There is no way of removing it without killing the creature. Upon death, the quirk generally "burns out." There are some few, however, that maintain a thin thread of connection with nanata. These are highly sought after by sorcerers, especially necromancers, as a source of great power.

The Vordun keep the quirks of their honored dead, giving them over to their Kikugu'udra NihoHa, or shaman. The shaman can sometimes "commune" with the souls of the dead if one or more of those quirks are still active. As a result of this practice, these ancestral caches of quirks are a treasure trove to an evil-aligned sorcerer.

Quirks, once removed from the brain of an individual, are perfect, translucent spheres. They can be of any color and are nearly indestructible. They range in size from a grain of millet to a large marble. Size does seem to have some bearing on the ability of the individual to manipulate nanata. The larger the quirk, generally the greater ability. Color does not seem to have any impact on ability, although it might have an impact on an individual's alignment.

History
It is generally believed that Alswer the Wise bound quirks to the sentient races during the Founding Age. He did so to give the races access to the power source of the nanata. Nanata was able to manipulate matter and draw on the incredible energy of the material universe. In the Founding and into the Age of Legends right up through the Daemon Wars, nanata powered great machines (through the binding of the quirk) and helped to build a world spanning civilization.

The binding of the quirk was not without its dissenters. Drakha, though at first supportive of the plan, became increasingly alarmed at the races' dependence on nanata. He eventually left the other gods to their own designs and built an obsidian spire near the northern pole of Thylia. Here he brooded over the problem of "Quirk-life." His hatred of the sentient races grew and festered over the centuries, as he gathered allies who agreed that destruction and subsequent rebirth of "untainted" life was preferable to the comfortable status quo. He turned the majority of the Faed to his cause (thus creating the daemons). Eventually this sparked a rebellion among them that was the genesis of the Daemon Wars.

The Daemon Wars caused the destruction of most of the ancient world. Were it not for the intervention of the other gods, Thylia would have been completely lost. Within of the ruins of the ancient world, Alswer planted the Quarkless, to sleep until such a time as they were needed. These humans had no ability to manipulate the nanata, but as a result, could not directly be manipulated by it.