The Mortals of Battle have been blessed by the sacrifice of their First Hero, Mi-Yu. Because of this, each of them is able to access an "inner light" that allows them to perform supernatural feats. Due to possible confusion of definitions, I will explain how these concepts are referred to within this series:
Light:
"Light" is a source of power that resides within the Mortals of Battle. Traces of Light exist in every cell of these Mortals and are also embedded into thier Spirits. Light is not unlimited and must be rechared by resting, drinking water, and eating. Running out of Light can be harmful for the health of Mortals on Battle and is reported to be very painful.
When a Mortal runs out of Light, they can be prone to passing out, becoming ill, experiencing sensations of physical exhaustion, hallucinations, depression, and—in some extreme conditions—death. The amount of Light a Mortal can hold in their "Lightwell" at one time varies on an individual basis, but can increase exponentially through training or decrease with slothfulness. The mental, physical, and spiritual strengths of Battle's Mortals are connected, but do not equate directly to one another's worth. That being said, Mortals who care to make themselves strong of mind and body are prone to have deep Lightwells, and make for excellent warriors.
No Mortal of Battle lives without Light.
Radiance:
The "Radiance" of a Mortal refers to the unique way their Light manifests. Radiances have colors that shift and breath as along with the Mortal that wields them. These expressions of Light are entirely dependent on which of the twelve Clans of Battle each Mortal belongs to. Each Radiance is as unique as a fingerprint in both expression and ability. This is due to the complex genetic factors involved in passing on Light to heirs. This means no two Mortals have the exact same Radiance, even if they are from the same Clan and capable of similar feats (identical twins are occasionally a very rare exception.)
To help provide an example, Light from the "Human Clan" of Battle always possesses a "fire-nature," but no two are expressed in exactly the same way. Some can ignite themselves, some ignite targets. Others release raw, concentrated heat, or even possess Radiances that bless them with flesh flame-retardant enough to dance upon stars. Even if two Humans can both "breath fire," the color, heat, physical-consistency, and after-effects of their two attacks would look completly different when placed next to one another. The key is, although "fire" may be the common denominator, there are endless arrays of how Light is manifested and how a Human may express their Radiance.
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Radiant Arts:
A "Radiant Art" refers to specific techniques Mortals learn or create by making use of their Radiances. Radiant Arts can be as simple as a punch of concentrated flame, as complex gravitational manipulation, or as absurd as rejecting reality itself. These techniques require incredible amounts of training and dedication to reach a point where they can be used. A Mortals Radiance only becomes a Radiant when they focus on a clear objective for what they want to do with their power.
Light is an incredibly versitle substance, which makes training the mind for creativity to be as important training the body to withstand one's own power. Visually unimpressive Radiances have forged into reliable Radiant Arts that are diffucult to fight against. On the other hand, many Mortals with flashy Radiances grow so comfortable with their power, they never refine that great power into something truly extrodinary—and no one weeps more for wasted potential than I. In other words, it's all about knowing what you have and how to make the best uses out of it.
There is no law on Battle stating a Mortal is bound to honing one Radiant Art. However, most Mortals die without ever fully developing a Radiant Art, instead relying on the simpler expressions of Light their Radiance allows without more intensive training. Warriors of Battle tend to develop several Radiant Arts over their lives as they push themselves to learn new ways of making use of their Light's Radiance.
The warrior with the most Radiant Arts mastered in the history of the Crown Game: The Proto-Dragon, Nova (Sola's Scourge)—135 Radiant Arts
"Today, elder sister told me to pray for the weak. For a moment, I thought it was a sweet thing for her to say. I should have know better than to ask why. She said, 'Weak Mortals die first everytime a Dragon lands. You should pray all the weaklings make thier peace with their Game Masters before you arrive. Otherwise, they'll be too noisy and ruin it for you.' I love Nova, but sometimes I gotta wonder: How the fuck am I related to all these maniacs?"
? A note scribbled on a napkin, penned by the Sixth Dragon, Frost (he ate the note after so Nova would never find it.)
