Combustion

A reaction that occurs whenever soulfire is suddenly compressed, which consumes it directly as an energy source to generate conscious waves. The specific amount of soulfire consumed depends upon the magnitude of the shock and the fluidity of the medium. More pressure leads to a bigger combustion, while more fluid soulfire absorbs shock more easily.

On Infused Soulfire

When combustion occurs in infused soulfire, combustion has the additional effect of exerting an explosive force on the matter involved proportional to the amount of soulfire consumed, derived from the mechanics of combustion itself. Simple and potent, this quality is utilized to great effect in certain styles of martial arts and explosive weapons.

Reactive Combustion

One consequence of Coupling is so-called reactive combustion, the logical consequence of Combustion happening during sudden compression of Soulfire and coupling’s gathering of significant quantities of infused soulfire. The principal concept is that, upon two coupled objects colliding at speed, a certain amount of soulfire annihilates in a combustion reaction. This results in the less massive object being partially decoupled and launched backwards, and the more massive object being drained of an equal amount of soulfire and similarly pushed back.

Due to this annihilation reaction, flamebearer's armor is often coupled for the sole purpose of deterring repeated attacks by a small projectile, allowing for an easy capture if it is attempted regardless. This makes pinpoint weapons–such as bullets and arrows–less feasible as coupled implements, as controlling enough of them to eventually drain the armor of soulfire would require complex engrams and be a waste of gimynfire.

As a result, lightweight flamebearers are geared towards fighting unarmored infantrymen, and heavyweight scriptlighters are best at fighting other scriptlighters. To defeat armor, a large single weapon is needed, and to counterbalance that weight, heavy armor is also needed. As opposed to a lightweight flamebearer, who relies on inhuman acrobatic maneuvering to dodge attacks, heavyweights rely on their immense force and mass.

A unique use of this interaction is in tournament duels, where each contestant is supplied a breastplate to charge with soulfire, and their pick of weapon. The first to have their breastplate wholly drained loses. This is particularly safe because even if a plate with minimal charge left is hit with a full attack, the attack is repelled enough to at least cancel the momentum.

It is worth noting that just because coupling is the most common cause of reactive combustion, it can also happen with any sufficient density and collision speed of opposing soulfire. For example, an artery’s dagger coated in cycling blood, when colliding with a shade's immaterial flesh, might cause a number of minor combustions that excavate the wound.