User blog:Slapson/Abnormality Description

An Abnormality refers to a set of supernatural traits that all humans are capable of manifesting, in the form of phenomena they can induce on themselves in the world around them. One who possesses an Abnormality is known as an Abnormal. Abnormalities are otherwise known to people as "talents" or "powers". Most people name their Abnormalities once they appear. One Abnormality will naturally manifest per person in their entire lives. In one specific case, however, someone could possibly gain more Abnormalities depending on what that first Abnormality is. Gaining an Abnormality also results in the user gaining certain increased physical traits, though this shouldn't be confused with what an Ability grants.

Every Abnormality is unique to each person, although some can be very similar to one another in practice. All Abnormalities come in two parts:


 * The Ability is the part of an Abnormality that grants its user a power that benefits them. This is what most people think of when discussing Abnormalities, and they can often be referred to as such. Many Abilities are discovered upon their initial manifestation, though others may take time to be learned of. Many types of Abilities can appear, such as controlling electricity.


 * The Aversion or the Weakness is the part of an Abnormality that is inevitably detrimental to its user and dooms them to some hindrance. They may be interrelated to the use of an Ability, but not always. Some Aversions may be severe and constantly active, while others may only activate under certain conditions, allowing certain people to ignore their weakness as long as they know how to avoid invoking it.

Every Ability must have an Aversion to exist alongside it, and vice versa.

The conditions that determine what kind of Abnormality one will manifest and when are not understood, nor are the origins of Abnormalities themselves. They manifest most often between the ages of thirteen and twenty with outliers being quite rare. It can be said that only one's individuality can truly determine the nature of an Abnormality.

Techniques
When one manifests an Abnormality, they may often formulate techniques or expressions of their power as a manner of self-defense, or to better control their Aversions. Regardless of the Abnormality one uses, they must train in in order to become skilled at using them. In this world, it's dangerous to go on without learning even basic self-defense skills, lest you risk getting killed in a fight or by your own hand.

Effects on Animals
Although humans will always manifest Abnormalities, it can also rarely occur in some animals. Animals that manifest Abnormalities may display greater intelligence than other members of their species, either prior to or after they become an Abnormal.

There are two animals known to possess Abnormalities.
 * Bad, a bloodhound.
 * Penn, a penguin.

Surpassed Abnormalities
A Surpassed Abnormality is an Abnormality in which the user is fully capable of ignoring their Aversion. This shouldn't be confused with simply avoiding triggering the weakness (for example, Barrie avoiding temperatures that are too low, cold being his weakness), but rather being able to face the weakness head-on without experiencing the typical detriments. The Aversion is still technically there, but it's been completely neutralized without the help of outside forces. Most Abnormalities are incapable of achieving this feat due to natural limitations in how the Abilities work or because the Aversion may be too tightly knight in with the use of the Ability.

Those who have Surpassed their Abnormalities tend to be extremely powerful, as they no longer have a visible weakness. Some may even be able to turn their Aversions into new powers that they can control.

Classification
Due to the fact that every Abnormality is unique, and unpredictable, with its own set of rules and powers, it's simply not possible to come up with a definite categorization for all Abnormalities. In spite of this, however, there have been attempts to create broad classifications for them, in order to help at least define how some of them may function. These usually constitute a group of Abnormalities having a common set of traits with each other, such as a similar ability among all of them. They may be classified into certain sub-types. It is very common for different categories to overlap.

The primary classifications are listed below.

Physical Abnormalities are defined as those which affect or alter the user’s body in some way, but not in the capacity that lets them freely change as shapeshifters can. While some may experience a transformation on their bodies, this change is permanent and they can't freely go back and forth.
 * -|Physical=

Transformative Abnormalities allow the user to change from their normal form into something else. Often, they will gain new powers as a result of their transformation, which can cause them to fall under more than one category besides this one. Notably, the most common subtype of these are Animalistic Abnormalities, where the user can change between their normal form and that of a completely different species. Transformative Abnormals are also known as Shapeshifters.
 * -|Transformative=

Manipulative Abnormalities are those which allow the user to control a specific type of object, element, or thing in their environment. Some may strictly control one type of thing, while others may be able to control that object and things that are related to it, even marginally. There have been many different names for many different sub-types (Pyrokinesis, hydrokinesis, electrokinesis, etc...), though the catch-all term is Telekinesis.
 * -|Manipulative=

Abnormalities that allow the user to create something. Often overlaps with the Manipulative type, since an Abnormal will likely be able to create the thing they can manipulate. This isn't always the case, however. It was originally paired under a subtype of Manipulative Abnormalities.
 * -|Formulative=

Abnormalities dealing with the mind, or those that don't quite fall under the previous categories. Users are commonly and broadly known as Telepaths. The most common type of ability this falls under is Telepathy, the ability to send or receive information through supernatural means. Subtypes include:
 * -|Telepathic=


 * Empaths - Those who can read and sense the emotions of others.
 * Clairvoyants - Those who receive information through the environment itself, or otherwise without the aid of a foreign party (e.g. precognition).