![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
REIYOKU GLOSSARY
Jul. 15th, 2019 11:39 pm Reiyoku is a setting which borrows upon the idea of the Ka and Ka Battle (and by extension, Shadow Game). Each person is born with a shadow-a monster, a Ka-bound to their soul. This monster does not typically awaken or make itself known until certain conditions are met, but these conditions rise in number until a large portion of the world population has one, in the series.
Shadows manifest as an armor and a field spell (called a 'Field Monster', and summonable under certain conditions) during a duel-which is restricted to a field as cast by the 'Duel Gloves' formed by KaibaCorp. These gloves lessen damage in a battle, and allow cards to summon their counterparts, or cast magic, from the Shadow's Realms-a duel therefore combines the thrill of true combat as fought wearing Armor, with the strategy of the cards. Any lasting injury or damage to the surroundings are in addition reversed completely with the end of a battle-meaning that a monster does not need to necessarily hold back their own power.
In Reiyoku however, people have learned to Hack these gloves, for the sake of stealing (or even killing- though stealing is more profitable) shadows-this results in victims entering a coma-like state where they are frozen in time, known as a 'Time-Lock'.
The only cure for this is to replace the Shadow, which is where Doctors enter.
A Doctor is someone with a unique glove created to access another's Soul Room- or 'Dream'. A Dream, typically, isn't entirely open to the Shadow's Realm; however when a shadow is removed, a gateway is forced into a gaping hole, allowing the realm to take over. Doctors enter these soul rooms to find their way through the realm until they find a shadow compatible enough with the victim. Once the shadow is connected to the soul, the victim can awaken.
A shadow removed from its bond is known as a Renegade Shadow, or Sealed Shadow-however, the term primarily applies to shadows farmed directly from the realms as well. More mundane doctors are able to, with permission, access those whose minds are yet awake, carefully wandering through until they find the closest point of connection, and from there entering the realm to bring back shadows at random. This allows them to be tied to various objects, so that those without a woken shadow of their own can participate in duels.
Alongside Doctors exist Officers-bringing in the element of the Shadow Game. An Officer is the more brutal counterpart to the Doctor; they exist to hunt down those who would steal or kill shadows, and using their gloves are able to force barriers between shadows and their partners. This locks victims in a semi-comatose state, not quite a time-lock, forcing the criminal to suffer a determined amount of time in waking silence without tiring.
While the primary form of Dueling is 'Shadow Battles', other remnants of Solid Vision Duels yet remain, as well as AR. Solid Vision is less popular, as the devices are prone to becoming lethal with exposure to Shadows; as the output cannot be controlled, Solid Vision is thus heavily regulated, and typically used only for children's tournaments where participants of all sides have no shadow. It can additionally be used in small amounts without trouble-however, these limitations combined have forced Action Duels almost entirely out of existence.
AR is immune to the effects of Shadows, however, and is thus still popular in various regions of the world. Its popularity varies, due to the limitations of requiring an AR Lens to witness however, leading it to become something considered a 'traditionalist sport' (for those who prefer Just The Cards).
Offshoots of Shadow Battles which depend on the monsters involved also exist; examples include Ceremonial, where duelists upon either side 'fight' until one or the other succeeds in a particular summon.
Shadows manifest as an armor and a field spell (called a 'Field Monster', and summonable under certain conditions) during a duel-which is restricted to a field as cast by the 'Duel Gloves' formed by KaibaCorp. These gloves lessen damage in a battle, and allow cards to summon their counterparts, or cast magic, from the Shadow's Realms-a duel therefore combines the thrill of true combat as fought wearing Armor, with the strategy of the cards. Any lasting injury or damage to the surroundings are in addition reversed completely with the end of a battle-meaning that a monster does not need to necessarily hold back their own power.
In Reiyoku however, people have learned to Hack these gloves, for the sake of stealing (or even killing- though stealing is more profitable) shadows-this results in victims entering a coma-like state where they are frozen in time, known as a 'Time-Lock'.
The only cure for this is to replace the Shadow, which is where Doctors enter.
A Doctor is someone with a unique glove created to access another's Soul Room- or 'Dream'. A Dream, typically, isn't entirely open to the Shadow's Realm; however when a shadow is removed, a gateway is forced into a gaping hole, allowing the realm to take over. Doctors enter these soul rooms to find their way through the realm until they find a shadow compatible enough with the victim. Once the shadow is connected to the soul, the victim can awaken.
A shadow removed from its bond is known as a Renegade Shadow, or Sealed Shadow-however, the term primarily applies to shadows farmed directly from the realms as well. More mundane doctors are able to, with permission, access those whose minds are yet awake, carefully wandering through until they find the closest point of connection, and from there entering the realm to bring back shadows at random. This allows them to be tied to various objects, so that those without a woken shadow of their own can participate in duels.
Alongside Doctors exist Officers-bringing in the element of the Shadow Game. An Officer is the more brutal counterpart to the Doctor; they exist to hunt down those who would steal or kill shadows, and using their gloves are able to force barriers between shadows and their partners. This locks victims in a semi-comatose state, not quite a time-lock, forcing the criminal to suffer a determined amount of time in waking silence without tiring.
While the primary form of Dueling is 'Shadow Battles', other remnants of Solid Vision Duels yet remain, as well as AR. Solid Vision is less popular, as the devices are prone to becoming lethal with exposure to Shadows; as the output cannot be controlled, Solid Vision is thus heavily regulated, and typically used only for children's tournaments where participants of all sides have no shadow. It can additionally be used in small amounts without trouble-however, these limitations combined have forced Action Duels almost entirely out of existence.
AR is immune to the effects of Shadows, however, and is thus still popular in various regions of the world. Its popularity varies, due to the limitations of requiring an AR Lens to witness however, leading it to become something considered a 'traditionalist sport' (for those who prefer Just The Cards).
Offshoots of Shadow Battles which depend on the monsters involved also exist; examples include Ceremonial, where duelists upon either side 'fight' until one or the other succeeds in a particular summon.
Despite the above, Action Duels in fact make a return throughout Reiyoku through the efforts of a determined prodigy-he finds a way to filter Solid Vision until it becomes powered by the Realm itself, making the fields malleable, and action cards possible, without the entire battle suffering the effects of old Solid Vision Duels. The result is the first 'Action Shadow Battle', which ushers in a more entertainment based method of dueling.
For reference on Yuume's place within this world and story, please see the 'Backstory Notes'.
