The body refinement stage is the beginning of an indivual's journey towards the True Dao. In this stage, the Essence of Heaven and Earth is brought into the body through specialised breathing techniques and then infused into the muscles and bones, strengthening them.

Character description:

To breakthrough (to Qi Gathering), the Essence of Heaven and Earth needs to be collected and stored in a more raw form inside the body. As such there is a plethora of technique that assist in this endeavor. The steps are as follows:

• The cultivator must truely percieve the Essence of Heaven and Earth. (Arcane + Perception check with DC 14)
• The technique being used must be understood and executed correctly. (Comprehension check with DC 3pts)
• The raw Essence must be withstood and controlled during the process. (Constitution check with DC 30)
  • Up to 2 fails are allowed. On a fail, [2d10+4] damage is taken and a Arcane check (DC 10) is made. If this successes then the process continues; on a fail the Essence dissipates and the process ends.
• The technique's energy loop that stores the energy must be stabilised. (Arcane check with DC 14)

There are many benifits to breaking through. The most immediate of which are:

• Essence has been collected and converted to Qi. Increases max Qi by [floor(physical stat average/15)].
• The mind is cleared and Essence can be more easily sensed. Increases intelligence, wisdom and charisma scores by [floor(physical stat average/10)].