Ascension

Ascension, is a term used to describe the process by which members of the Vigilant improve themselves by replacing often, but not always damaged organs with cybernetic augmentation. This path eventually leads the adherent to attempt to discard their flesh entirely, enduring perilous risks in hopes of achieving a state of higher digital being.

Stages

In its current state, Ascension is measured in three stages.

The Augmented

Stage one, referred to as the "augmented", describes a disciple who has earned their membership within the Vigilant. Their organic body remains mostly intact, though enhanced by cybernetics. Prominent among these improvements are the implants that allow them to interface with, and participate in the faction's wider digital society, albiet in a limited fashion when compared to the capabilities of the later stages.

The Cyborgs

Stage two of Ascension are individuals of veteran membership, called "cyborgs", who have implanted their brains into synthetic bodies referred to as avatars. They possess the ability to interface with virtual society on a whim, which means they can reap the benefits of a digital life without many of the drawbacks the augmented have to deal with.

The Revenants

The culmination of Ascension, labeled as a "revenant" is the emergence of an independent sapio-synthetic intelligence from an organic brain infected with the Corruption Virus, which has been left exposed to the Veil of Webs to mutate in a state of controlled isolation. This process carries with it incredible risks, as the subject endures a splintering of the mind at the hands of the Corruption. They must utilize the illusionary echo of their shattered psyche provided by the Veil to reconstruct their original intellect, while guarding their sanity against the impossible realm. If they prove able to restore themselves, the nanites that make up their new neural structure are implanted within an avatar. These beings are capable of a great many things because of their dual nature, and are one with the material and digital realms simultaneously.

Avatars

An "avatar", as mentioned before, is a sophisticated synthetic body which is controlled by an organic brain, or a Revenant's nanite neural network. Radia is known to favor shapes that resemble their former organic bodies, perhaps as a means of honoring the past, while Umbra often discards that notion by utilizing inhumanoid anatomies in pursuit of efficiency, as well as symbolism. Some particular revenants forgo the use of avatars alltogether, preferring to operate primarily in digital environments from within their starships, or Veil-bound fortresses.

Slang

It is established that the Vigilant's subfactions make use of differing colloquialisms to more aptly describe stages of the ascension process within their unique cultures. The terms used to describe them here are simply the titles the upper echelons tend to use in order to avoid miscommunication in the affairs of governance.