Codex
Tiers: 1-6
1 - Basic (Most civilians)
2 - Advanced (Starting Point for Basic Alliance Soldiers)
3 - Expert (Required for Special Forces training)
4 - Master (Required for all N7 Graduates)
5 - Ultimate (Required for most Generals and Admirals)
6 - Absolute (Extremely Rare)
*Most average citizens are tier 1 and have access to only a few very basic attacks. A very very small amount of people make it to the 6th tier which is absolute mastery of their powers to the point where they no longer need to drain sources for energy and are almost impossible to kill for anyone other than another 6th tier. To put it into perspective, Kessler would have only been a mid level 4th tier Conduit and Cole would have been early 4th tier when he defeated him. During inFAMOUS 2's Good Ending, Cole was an early 5th tier and with the RFI strapped to him and bolstering his powers he almost managed to tip over into the 6th tier. The time it takes to go from 5th tier to 6th tier is immense and as such it requires a very long lifespan, rigorous/near suicidal training, or heavy augmentation and/or experimentation. Alternatively, as is the case for The Beast, a person could be awoken as a 6th tier conduit. This is a very very rare occasion, though not unheard of.
Conduit Types
Elemental Prime Conduits - Capable of manipulating natural or artificial elements. Can absorb, manipulate, project, and assume the properties of their element.
Biologically Enhanced Prime Conduits - Have superior physical abilities that far surpass the naturally enhanced abilities of other conduit types. Can not control elements or quickly heal by recharging. They must wait for their natural healing to kick in. Because of this they are more durable than any other form of conduit. Bio Conduits also have the ability to evolve their abilities and gain new ones. For instance, a person with Super Strength can evolve to gain Super Speed through intense speed training. If they train hard enough they can eventually achieve Body Supremacy which means near complete control over their physical body. Once achieving Body Supremacy the individual will have to learn how to use their body all over again. This means that their Tier level will effectively be brought back to Tier 1, called Tier 1+, as they master their powers again.
Energy Manipulating Prime Conduits - Can manipulate energy fields such as anti-matter, gamma, ray field, ultraviolet radiation, neutrons, photon energy, etc. They can absorb and project their energy type.
Psychic Prime Conduits - Capable of using their psychokinetic powers to influence others, see into the future, and alter their environment. Includes Telekinesis and Telepathy and any variations of the two.
Forced Conduits - Can not evolve their abilities and are usually stuck at the 3rd tier unless stated otherwise. Forced Conduits can be created through various ways: When a person is not happy with the Conduit Ability they are born with they undergo a very invasive surgery that rewrites their genetic code and gives them the Conduit Ability that they desire.
Some Conduits have the ability to force their powers on individuals who have yet to unlock their own ability. Several criminal or mercenary organizations put their troops through this to ensure no one is looked down upon for a "weaker" ability or, more importantly, so they can't attempt to usurp the boss.
A Power Transfer Device can also be used to transfer abilities from a weaker Conduit to a more powerful one or to give Latent Conduits the abilities of a Prime Conduit.
*Forced Conduits are looked down upon in society as they are viewed as weaklings who couldn't accept their lot in life.
Biotic Conduits - They are the byproduct of exposure to Element Zero while inside the womb. Most of these children do not survive past the age of 12 as their Conduit gene inflicts heavily with the Eezo causing many health problems. This led to the development of "Biotic Implants" that allows the use of the same Biotics that other alien races such as the Asari are able to use.
Implants are only given to children who make it to 13 years of age, even then there is no guarantee they will survive the process.
Should they manage to survive they are enrolled in a special program that teaches them to hone their abilities and live as functioning members of society or as a soldier of the Alliance. Most cadets call this 'school' "Brain Camp."
Lastly, while Biotic Conduits can never realize their Conduit Ability they are capable of the natural physical enhancements that come with Conduit Physiology such as superior strength, speed, durability, etc.
Latent Conduits - Individuals who have not unlocked their ability. While not entirely common, there is a substantial percentage of the population that is still latent as they have either not been in a scenario where they were in enough duress to unlock it through necessity or, their occupation simply doesn't require the need to unlock. Latent Conduits are still naturally faster, stronger, more durable, etc. than base humans. However they are still not on the level of a Prime Conduit.
Abstract Conduits - An Abstract Conduit can control forces that don't have a physical or visual state. These abstract forces consist of things like Power, Love, Art, even Reality itself. Basically things that are more metaphorical than the elements or biology, etc. These Conduits are incredibly rare, but are usually incredibly powerful when encountered and are usually well into the third tier when their powers activate, though some have been higher.
Humans
In the wake of the "Evolution" the population was flipped almost entirely on its head. Now instead of Conduits being a small minority of the Earth's population, it is now instead humans who find themselves outnumbered, though it is to a much greater degree. 0.01% of children born run the risk of being born as a regular base human. They possess no genetic benefits or enhanced abilities and an average lifespan of about 90-110 years (due only to the advancements of medical technology). Even though they are significantly weaker than Conduits, humans are not treated especially negatively in society as they are so rare that there really isn't much of a point. Even still, a human will find it hard to fit in with a society that expects its population to be able to perform great feats of athleticism and endurance in day to day life. Things like commuting to and from work are much harder when you can't scale buildings in the blink of an eye or run at speeds comparable to 21st century vehicles. Even still the small human population is just as tenacious and resilient as humanity has always been and continues to thrive in its own way.
First Generation Conduits
A First Gen Conduit is exactly as it sounds, any conduit who was awoken before or during the "Evolution." These conduits who were awoken by blasts of pure rayfield radiation are more powerful than the generations that would come later and possess much longer lifespans. Such as Cole MacGrath who is nearly 200 years old, still looks relatively the same as he did back in 2011. Most current 6th Tier Conduits are First Generation Conduits as they have lived for centuries and have had more than enough time to cultivate their power. Not all First Gens are 6th Tier. However, none are below 4th Tier.
Self Actualization
Conduits are capable of a form of self actualization based on their subconscious outlook on themselves. This is the reason that some Conduits look pale or sickly or even incredibly old, such as with Alden Tate. Even though he was one of the earliest First Generation Conduits and therefore possessed a much longer lifespan than the average human of his time, he still looked old and sickly, this is because of his inward perception of himself brought on by the humiliation caused by Kessler. He saw himself, whether subconsciously or consciously, as washed up and unworthy and his outward appearance reflected this.
Most Common Abilities
Pyrokinesis (Fire)
Hydrokinesis (Water)
Geokinesis (Earth)
Aerokinesis (Air)
Super Strength (Not to be confused with the increased strength that all conduits have.)
Important Characters
*This is a list of MAIN abilities and what each character's powers are based around. However many conduits are capable of feats that don't necessarily match the element or enhancement that their main power is based around. For example: the way that Nyx' power was centered around Napalm yet she had the ability to teleport or the way Sasha controlled tar yet could also control minds.
Shepard - 4th Tier Electrokinesis
Jack - 6th Tier Pyrokinesis (forcefully evolved through intense experimentation. NOT an FC)
Ashley - 3rd Tier Shapeshifting
Kaidan - Biotic Conduit
Zaeed - Lava Generation (specialized from Geokinesis)
Kasumi - 2nd Tier Light Manipulation
Jacob - 3rd Tier Aerokinesis (Air)
Miranda - Forced Acoustikinesis (Sound)
James - 3rd Tier Enhanced Body (evolved from Enhanced Strength)
Jenkins - 2nd Tier Gyrokinesis (Gravity)
Anderson - 4th Tier Telekinesis
Udina - 1st Tier Telepathy
Hackett - Tier 4+ Body Supremacy (evolved from Enhanced Flexibility)
Joker - Human
Dr. Chakwas - 2nd Tier Cytokinesis (Cells)
Illusive Man - Forced Power Manipulation (4th Tier) *Highly Experimental
Kai Leng - Forced Power Replication
Nix - 6th Tier Napalm Generation
Lucy Kuo - 6th Tier Forced Cryokinesis (Achieved 6th Tier with help from Cole)
Grant Mayfield - 6th Tier Ray Field Energy Manipulation
"Caed Mors" - 5th Tier Blood Manipulation
Tracy Dench - 4th Tier Enhanced Reflexes
James Miller - 4th Tier Metal Manipulation
Marcus Jones - 5th Tier Necrokinesis (Death)
Ryan Faraday - 3rd Tier Electrokinesis
Devin Li - 2nd Tier Enhanced Speed
Alexandria Cortez - 6th Tier Space Manipulation
Ajani Williams - 6th Tier Stability Manipulation
Cole MacGrath/The Beast - 6th Tier Electrokinesis/ 3rd Tier Cryokinesis/ Longevity (in Standard form)
Pyrokinesis/ Telepathy/ Shapeshifting/ Weather Manipulation/ Size Manipulation/ Gravity Manipulation/ Matter Manipulation/ Transmutation/ Regeneration/ Ray Field Blast/ Radiation Manipulation and Absorption/ Power Amplification and Nullification/ Teleportation/ Power Activation and Transference/ Flight and Levitation (As The Beast)
Delsin Rowe - 6th Tier Power Absorption (Stolen Powers include: Smoke/ Neon/ Video/ Concrete/ Steam/ Flight/ Fire/ Napalm/ Ice/ Water/ Air/ Plasma/ Ray Field/ Longevity/ Flexibility/ Stone/ Earth/ Iron/ Weather/ Strength/ Speed) *Delsin's stolen abilities can not be upgraded past the 4th tier, however, due to achieving the 6th tier in his main ability he no longer needs to charge up a specific power to use it. Instead he only needs to drain from a single source to continuously use all of his powers simultaneously.
A/N: So, this is the start of Mass Effect: inFAMOUS. Sorry if you got this notification twice, I had to delete it because I forgot to add this Author's Note. This story is not really ready, I mainly still in the world building phase, but I wanted to get feedback on what people think of what I'm trying to do with the two worlds and especially with how I'm expanding upon the lore of Conduits and what they are capable of.
I've put so much time and brain power into this new world and I just couldn't go on any longer without knowing if any of what I'm doing is even enjoyable to people other than me.
I'm also currently working on a timeline that will cover the history between 2011 when the heroic Cole MacGrath decided that humanity needed an upgrade, and 2183 when Eden Prime is attacked. I will say that the main story won't fully play out like the game. I don't suspect that there will be heavy changes but then again I rarely plan as far ahead as I already have. Just know that Delsin and Cole and will play very crucial parts to the story, as well as Nix and Kuo.
I am honestly so excited to hear what you all think and whether or not this is worth putting effort into.
As always, my name is illFatedSuccess and I'll see you in the next one.