Tier Rankings - An Explanation

The tier rankings are different for humans and mana beasts.

For humans, the rankings are based on how much access someone has to their bloodline, which generally means an increase in versatility, not necessarily battle prowess. Rankings are very dependent on what type of bloodline someone has, as some are harder to unlock than others and some generally have more versatility than others.

The rankings are:

Tier I (1) - little to no access to bloodline.

Tier II (2) - below-average access to bloodline.

Tier III (3) - average access to bloodline.

Tier IV (4) - above average access to bloodline.

Tier V (5) - complete access to bloodline.

For example; someone with the Ignus bloodline will have five stages of growth.

Tier I (1) - can only make a single flame.

Tier II (2) - can cover a single body part in flames.

Tier III (3) - can cover entire body in flames.

Tier IV (4) - can cover weapons and armour in flames.

Tier V (5) - can regulate the temperature of flames.

There is actually a sixth ranking for humans called "Tier Zero (0)". This ranking means that someone is able to apply their bloodline in ways previously unknown, such as someone from the Ignus bloodline being able to shoot fire from their mouths. This ranking is further divided into five others that increase in this order: Omega, Delta, Gamma, Beta, and Alpha. What ranking someone receives is based upon how versatile the new application(s) are.

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For mana beasts, it's the opposite, the rankings are based on overall battle prowess regardless of versatility, as versatility does not always mean more strength. This is determined by considering both the weaknesses and strengths of the mana beasts examining just how large or small each one is on the battlefield, and then comparing them to each other.

The rankings are:

Bronze Tier - have far larger weaknesses than strengths.

Iron Tier - have moderately larger weaknesses than strengths.

Gold Tier - have slightly larger weaknesses than strengths.

Obsidian Tier - have equal weaknesses and strengths.

Quartz Tier - have slightly larger strengths than weaknesses.

Opal Tier - have moderately larger strengths than weaknesses.

Platinum Tier - have far larger strengths than weaknesses.

Just like the human rankings, there is actually an extra ranking called "Tungsten Tier". Unlike the human rankings, there are no sub-rankings within the rank, as no one is able to accurately pinpoint if mana beasts in the Tungsten Tier have any weaknesses that are able to be exploited. It is assumed that mana beasts within this ranking are virtually unbeatable, as no one has ever successfully killed one before.

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The extra rankings, Tungsten and Zero, have not been used for centuries. However, there are records about these mana beasts and humans that are typically locked away by the ruling powers in their respective regions. There is only one Tungsten Tier mana beast that is known all throughout every region, as it caused the destruction of an entire civilization. It is said to be so strong that people mistook it for a god that descended from the celestial realm.

It is called by many names, however, it's most known one is the Abyssal Calamity: Tartarus.