When an Arcanus calls on the core, the energy can take a shape of its own — first a liquid, then a mask, then a suit of bone-hard plating.
Battle form opens glands along the body that the armor pours from, and shifts the airways toward the neck — the mask would otherwise suffocate them. The form also boosts physical strength, endurance, and elemental power. None of the armor is required to be in battle form; some fight with only the mask, others summon a full suit.
The form is expensive. An experienced individual can hold it more than a day without summoning any armor; once armor is called, the duration drops to hours. The armor can liquefy back into the body to recover energy, but the re-absorption is slow.
Step 1
The energy flows from the glands as a viscous core-fluid.
Step 2
The fluid pulls into the shape of plates, masks, and spurs.
Step 3
The material hardens into a bone-like plating that repairs itself when re-summoned.
Every suit is unique. The plating is hard and inflexible; the body-tight under-layer is soft and gives easily. Designs may extrude from the body, but no more than a short horn or spike.
As rank grows, new pieces unlock — Worker, Soldier, Knight, Warlord+. At Legendary+, glowing seams can appear where the core spills through the seams.
A coat of energy that never solidifies. It offers less protection than true armor, but costs far less to summon and is available at any rank.
Limits: cannot extrude or detach from the body, and can only ever be a single color. Mostly worn by Warlord and below who cannot yet manifest the full real set.