Surge
Overview
Surge is a Chimera Alter Ego bonded to Atsadi. He appears as living lightning with a humanoid silhouette, fashioned from crackling light. Surge was born from the Eidolon Aurora’s power when she channeled her essence through Atsadi’s cicada to save him from a Tumult singularity.
Birth from Aurora’s Light
When Aurora was being trapped in a crystal prison by a Tumult singularity, she managed in a final effort to imbue Atsadi’s cicada companion with a portion of her power and light. She succeeded in shaping a Chimera by relying on the insect’s form.
However, the tiny cicada creature could not contain all that energy. Its carapace tore, and out emerged a new being - Surge, fashioned from crackling light as if lightning had come to life and taken on a humanoid silhouette.
Saving Atsadi
In the moment of his creation, Surge acted to save Atsadi’s life. When Atsadi’s right arm was ensnared by thousands of crystal splinters from the Tumult singularity, Surge severed the arm with searing heat and burned the wounds to stop the bleeding and cauterize them.
After rescuing Atsadi, Surge:
- Alerted Atsadi’s family to his location
- Watched over him as he lay unconscious
- Protected him from the effluvia of the Tumult singularity
- Remained by his side through recovery
On the ground near Atsadi when he regained consciousness lay the charred chitin of the cicada - the original form from which Surge had emerged.
Knowledge of Excalibur
Despite being newly born, Surge possessed knowledge about Excalibur, the mythical sword that only the heir of the King of Kings could wield. He told Atsadi that this sword could slice through mountain peaks and cleave the waters of the sea - and that only it could crack Aurora’s crystal prison.
When Atsadi asked who possessed such a blade, Surge spoke of the Lady of the Lake, the guardian of the legendary sword. This knowledge suggested that Surge inherited some of Aurora’s divine understanding as an Eidolon.
Assistance with the Crystal Prison
As soon as Atsadi could walk, he went to the glass lake where Aurora remained encased. Atsadi summoned Eidolons through Alteration to ask for their help in breaching the crystal prison, but none could break it - until Surge manifested again by his side.
Surge’s nature as a being of living lightning, born from Aurora’s light, gives him unique properties that may eventually prove crucial in the quest to free Aurora.
Appearance
Surge appears as living lightning given humanoid form. He is described as “crackling light” and “as if a lightning bolt had taken on a humanoid silhouette.” His form embodies the electrical and luminous nature of his creation, born from both Aurora’s divine light and the sacrificed cicada.
Relationship with Atsadi
Surge shares Atsadi’s quest to free Aurora from her crystal prison. His birth was an act of Aurora’s love and sacrifice - her final effort to save Atsadi’s life even as she was being imprisoned. This origin creates a deep connection between Surge, Atsadi, and the imprisoned Aurora.
Through the Musubi ceremony, Surge and Atsadi formalized their bond as Alterer and Alter Ego, uniting in the quest to obtain Excalibur and achieve the impossible: cracking the crystal prison and reuniting with Aurora.
Timeline of Activities
392 AC - Training with Atsadi
Surge served as Atsadi’s training partner, disappearing and reappearing with lightning speed and crackling ozone to test Atsadi’s reaction time while sheltering within Atsadi’s jian between attacks.
393 AC - City of Scholars Exploration
Surge accompanied Atsadi into the depths of the City of Scholars, standing guard during rest stops and scouting ahead through tunnels. When Atsadi found the cylindrical memory library, Surge slipped between obsidian blocks, following etched lines in the stone like an electric circuit. Surge observed that the chamber was “a library of memories” rather than books. During Atsadi’s subsequent duel with Fiore dei Liberi, Surge’s power contributed to Atsadi’s victory when the swordsman erupted in flames to overcome the master duelist.