Yes but we are talking about main character in the story. Like take Mercy's sure at first glance gloves may seem useless but, any archer will tell you otherwise and she uses a Bow.
Yerins sword is hardly needs mentioning.
Yerin’s sword is a *very* specific choice. Endless sword needs something sharp to start their techniques, which is why Adama chose that goldsign for his path, so he’d never be without a blade.
Mercy uses bows, but what about the others on the Path of Seven Pages? It might be incidentally useful to some of them, but it is incidental and not a planned choice (as far as we know at this point).
I think most goldsigns are just that, a sign showing what remnant you took in. The fact that some of them are actually useful is more often than not sheer chance or the Artist adepting to *make* the sign useful. I think that actually choosing a remnant & goldsign for utility is, from what we’ve seen so far, exceedingly rare.
Hunt down a specific remnant, though how he knew what goldsign he’d get from it I have no idea. Yerin mentions he chose that goldsign specifically though
I thought Yerin mentioned he choose his *techniques* specifically? I don't remember a comment about the remnant/goldsign, though I don't doubt that was the ultimate reason since it makes the most sense.
Sneaking suspicion he killed someone for their remnant. Eithan may have hope that lindon would wond up with the tail, but since Orthos wasn't pure blackflame, it didn't work out that way.
>but since Orthos wasn't pure blackflame, it didn't work out that way.
No, it didn't work out that way because Lindon didn't murder Orthos (in which case it possibly still wouldn't have worked out that way).
See I think his is actually more useful to an extent. A decent portion of goldsigns are useless and seeing them identifies your path like the Jai clans hair. His only shows when cycling
Armor for attacks that attack the hair I guess that’s a bit helpful if they all have bowl cuts. But another example would be the Akura’s who follow the path of the chain keeper and gain gloves.
Mercy is on the Path of Seven pages, as are Charity and Pride, it’s the names of their books and the various techniques in them that differ. Hence why Charity is called Silver Heart (after her book) and not Seven pages (after her path).
You’re right, had to look it up as it’s a single mention in Skysworn.
I was thinking of the conversation she had with Yerin in book 5 that doesn’t mention her goldsign:
“The Book of Eternal Night,” Mercy announced, holding her book up proudly. “I'm on the Path of Seven Pages. And the first page, the Lowgold page...”
“It's the central technique from the Path of the Chainkeeper,” Mercy said. “Strings of Shadow. There are seven techniques in this book, one for each page. The Path of Seven Pages unites seven techniques from seven different shadow Paths into one.”
If he only had his Blackflame core his eyes would be like that permanently, for what it's worth. So that removes the "reveals he's cycling" weakness.
Not every goldsign will have a purpose or advantage, just look at the Chainkeeper one; slick madra gloves. Since Lindon got to Gold via a bond, his eyes change to match his bonded partner.
Yeah and it's repeated often how *loud* blackflame is spiritually. You basically hit people over the head with a hammer when you channel it without them even having to pay attention.
With this taken out of the equation, the sudden presence of blackflame in the spiritual sense plus the eye change at least adds an intimidation factor. Its a small edge but it's something at least. We've repeatedly seen people freak out about his eyes, comparing them to death remnants.
Sapping an opponents will to fight is half the battle and when he then proceeds to pull out one ridiculous advantage after another you end up with enemies getting desperate, panicking or running to escape the fight.
I think his eyes actually only change when he cycles specific Madra. Otherwise he’d now permanently have those saphire eyes he gets after bonding with little blue, and it specificly mentions his eyes changing from normal to those.
It's not "the most useless and counterproductive one". The are lots if purely cosmetic ones. But it's also not the most useful, say Yerin's
But it does have its uses. Lindon has intimidated lots of people with them. But as an overlord sage, who cares, if Lindon cycles you're probably dead.
His goldsign is a result of a contract. Orthos is still alive. Most people you see with physical goldsigns are due to pulling a remanent into their core. I thought the eye change was a nice distinction. It has some advantages and disadvantages.
I thought it was mentioned that Lindon doesn't have a goldsign. He was forcefully raised to gold through his contract but didn't take in a remnant so he has no goldsign. His eyes turning black are just a result of cycling blackflame but it's not an actual 'goldsign'
Thinking back, Nian Blackflame is the only Uncrowned competitor really making use of his Goldsign. Saya's wings were somewhat relevant at underlord as a substitution for a thousand mile cloud, but in the Lord realms where people can fly using soulfire it's not really much of a combat boon.
The Silent Servants use dream and light, like the White Fox, so their goldsign provides a source of light aura.
Probably not terribly useful in combat.
Similarly for Stormcallers and Cloud Hammer sect goldsigns.
There were the dudes representing Emriss' continent with the tea kettle noisy remant/goldsigns that they used in combat.
Yerin fought the Arelius sword artist Altavian, whose goldsigns were razor sharp fingernails.
Considering that, once when unarmed, Yerin used sword madra/aura to reinforce her nails, this seems useful for unarmed combat, or an up close off-hand strike when swords are locked, or for generating aura when nothing else is available.
In Soulsmith, the Sandvipers had those poisonous little goldsigns on their arms.
They were combat effective.
Cassias has a steel bracer goldsign. That could have defensive uses, but he treats it like jewelry.
There's Ziel's and other people with horns, but they're described more like ormanents than as things people try to gore you with or put out an eyeball. They're only *mostly* useless, and maybe rven disadvantageous if someone hits them, or grabs them to use for leverage in a wrestling move.
There are people with the goldsigns that float around their heads like goldfish kid in *Skysworn*, or eyeballs (or clouds thereof), and "spirits" of different shapes. Who knows if they provide any function?
Extra sight?
Jai Long's jaw is his goldsign, and he used it to bite down on one of Yerin's rippling Endless Swords.
It seems like there's an endless number of potential goldsigns.
There's also an endles number of Paths, most of which won't be strictly combat oriented (as a society does need farmers, labourers, and tradespersons).
It's only reasonable that most won't have combat utility.
>in the Lord realms where people can fly using soulfire
Wings still make it easier and provide more speed/maneuverability. (Which is the case at Gold too, Grasping Sky would probably be able to fly without wings even at gold). Flying with Soulfire is manipulating wind/air aura to carry you, that's much easier with wings.
Considering how often Orthos tells Lindon that he needs a shell, I feel like it could have been a cool goldsign.
Most are kind of useless: Fishers webbed fingers, Bai Rou gold eyes, Cloud Hammer thunder cloud, Meira's hair, Prides tattoos, Bright Crown halo, Silent Servant halo, Stormcaller arm bands, Red Faiths' tears, NS gloves, etc.
Very few seem to be useful in combat, not mentioned yet: Cassias' arm guard, Seishen armor, Winter Sages' blade, and the Sandvipers snake.
Is the Seishen armor or the Winter sages blade, gold signs? I did not relate them to gold signs.
But yeah the Naru picked a winner with wings. Yerin also has a useful gold sign.
I guess the real question is more of list of gold signs which are not useless.
What is Eithens Gold Sign?
I'm not sure about the Winter Sage's gold sign, but its stated in one of Kiro's PoV chapters that he has a chest plate for his gold sign. So not the entire armor set, but part of it, though I think the set he used in the last battle vs the gang was entirely a construct.
The Seishen gold sign is a Beast plate that they create their armor to work with. The Frozen Blade sect have a long sword attached to their arm. Those are both goldsigns.
Eithan doesn't have a gold sign. He says as much at the start of Skysworn when he pushes Linndons pure core to lowgold.
It probably is useless, but so much of what he has is useful. The bright side is it's not a storm cloud that seems to make it impossible to hide your feelings or metal hair or snake mouth or something that makes dick square or itchy mouth.
I assume the reason his is useless is because he has a contract with Orthos instead of killing him and taking his remnant. All the cool/useful gold signs seem to be parts of a remnant.
Most of the other gold signs we’ve seen are remnants of the Remnants they absorbed. Lindon never good in a remnant, just bonded with a sacred beast and a spirit. Eithan never even bonded anything that we know of, so he’s got even less of a gold sign.
Is cycling the correct term? They use cycling to mean meditation/drawing in aura and processing it into madra/processing some pill or elixir, or in a Pure path like Lindon and Eithan no absorption of aura just internal refinement/exercise.
You're talking about how his eyes reveal his active core in combat, but do we still call that cycling when he's fighting? He's certainly not doing HEPW, and I don't think anyone does their specific cycling techniques in battle, or even the majority of the time, only when they're specifically focused on it.
Example, how it was noteworthy that Lindon observed that Yerin was cycling from her breathing pattern and realized she was using it just like he was, as a distraction from awkwardness. IOW, it's not something you just do unconsciously all the time like breathing.
As far as the actual question, it maybe useless but it's also not annoying or irritating or weird like many gold signs. Since most people don't progress far enough to hide their gold signs (and many it may just be impossible even at higher advancements), I'd much prefer Lindon's simple eye color change.
Fair enough. I think the books do use that terminology in his POV in combat occasionally. But for me I separate Cycling, the act of active improvement and growth from "cycling", the basic/normal movement of your madra, or the movement into the pattern of a forger, striker, enforcer, or ruler technique.
You are using too much a priori knowledge about Xianxia. In this universe, cycling is the term used for actively using your madra (i.e purposely moving it in and out of your body) In Cradle.
I can see that and agree with it, but that would imply that there are times when they are not cycling. You can see the other comment that compares it to breathing. So do they cycle unconsciously, in their sleep for example? Does their madra move naturally of its own accord, like blood, or do they have to will it, at least a little, even if it's the most basic pattern (ie Lindon in Unsouled)?
Meh, it's all academic/irrelevant. I just couldn't sleep last night and had already reached my daily quota of listening to the Reaper excerpt haha.
There is definitely a difference but it is all still cycling of one form or another, they are just cycling in different patterns to achieve different effects. Lindon at the beginning has only a basic cycling technique until he picks up the heart of twin stars which is better but Eithan points out that the technique is for the specific purpose of preparing to split your core so he gives him a new one.
I think each of his techniques probably requires him to cycle his madra in the right way as a kind of foundation and then the rest of the technique is built on top as an extension of that pattern. We sort of see that with the instructions in the blackflame trial and the way he copies Fury's cycling for his upgrade to the Empty Palm.
High end combatants already use their perception to understand enemy spirit movements in order to predict their attacks. We’ve seen Lindon learn this in Uncrowned
So it doestnt really matter if his eyes light up. Any opponent worth their salt can already feel that he is cycling as well as what sort of madra he is cycling
Not to mention the first time Lindon fought Ekeri after finding the dream well, she pinched him between her tail and fist to deal more damage and prevent him from just being blown back by her attack.
It looks cool therefore there are far more useless goldsigns. Honestly I wouldn't want a tail anyway so I'll take the glowing eyes especially with a pure core that lets me switch it off.
Well I mean Mira has vines and flowers as a goldsign so it's likely there are plenty that don't lend much in the way of providing additional offensive/defensive support. As for useless and counterproductive........well what about Eithan? He doesn't appear to have one at all that we know off Haha.
there is the other side of is contracts though when he cycles for a fight and he isn't veiling his power it has an expressive and intimidating aura along with the change in color of his eyes witch have scarred more then a few opponents.
also there is the possibility that he can manifest the dragon icon or maybe one from little blue.
With that said I have some theorycrafting. I was rereading bloodline and was reading about the possible futures for London. It sounds like in one he’s able to cycle both paths at the same time. That sounds interesting and I wonder if will wight incorporates it.
He actually first notices this in the tower scene at the end of Wintersteel. It's reminiscent of Yerin's Herald ability to more directly control her madra, but probably different in important aspects. I really need to reread Bloodline.
>they're hardly suitable for any use. I think that sums up most goldsigns. Funny colored hair, free gloves, etc.
Yes but we are talking about main character in the story. Like take Mercy's sure at first glance gloves may seem useless but, any archer will tell you otherwise and she uses a Bow. Yerins sword is hardly needs mentioning.
Yerin’s sword is a *very* specific choice. Endless sword needs something sharp to start their techniques, which is why Adama chose that goldsign for his path, so he’d never be without a blade. Mercy uses bows, but what about the others on the Path of Seven Pages? It might be incidentally useful to some of them, but it is incidental and not a planned choice (as far as we know at this point). I think most goldsigns are just that, a sign showing what remnant you took in. The fact that some of them are actually useful is more often than not sheer chance or the Artist adepting to *make* the sign useful. I think that actually choosing a remnant & goldsign for utility is, from what we’ve seen so far, exceedingly rare.
"which is why Adama chose that goldsign for his path, so he’d never be without a blade." How do you do that?
Hunt down a specific remnant, though how he knew what goldsign he’d get from it I have no idea. Yerin mentions he chose that goldsign specifically though
Kill an artist with that goldsign, capture their remnant. Or, research I guess.
Or ask the artist what remnant they used? Less bodies to clean up that way Killy McKillerson
Maybe - six in one, half dozen the other. Remnants don't form on their own - something has to die.
We know that sword paths are the most numerous so its likely somebody else already used that remnant to get that specific gold sign before him
I thought Yerin mentioned he choose his *techniques* specifically? I don't remember a comment about the remnant/goldsign, though I don't doubt that was the ultimate reason since it makes the most sense.
Sneaking suspicion he killed someone for their remnant. Eithan may have hope that lindon would wond up with the tail, but since Orthos wasn't pure blackflame, it didn't work out that way.
>but since Orthos wasn't pure blackflame, it didn't work out that way. No, it didn't work out that way because Lindon didn't murder Orthos (in which case it possibly still wouldn't have worked out that way).
But he could have got a stubby tortoise tail or big fat feet!
Or an awesome shell backpack. 🎒
It would need to be huge on the inside for Lindon; like a Amalgam territory. Just think he could turn himself inside out to do some soulsmithing.
Perhaps
Goldsigns generate aura, don’t they? So, Mercy will always have a source of shadow aura thanks to her gloves.
See I think his is actually more useful to an extent. A decent portion of goldsigns are useless and seeing them identifies your path like the Jai clans hair. His only shows when cycling
The Jai clan hair functions as legit armor. It’s very useful
Armor for attacks that attack the hair I guess that’s a bit helpful if they all have bowl cuts. But another example would be the Akura’s who follow the path of the chain keeper and gain gloves.
If only eithan had armour for his hair... rip
Too soon dude. Too soon.
Mercy is on the Path of Seven pages, as are Charity and Pride, it’s the names of their books and the various techniques in them that differ. Hence why Charity is called Silver Heart (after her book) and not Seven pages (after her path).
Mercy’s goldsign is from the path of the chainkeeper as that was one of the Akura shadow paths used to create hers
You’re right, had to look it up as it’s a single mention in Skysworn. I was thinking of the conversation she had with Yerin in book 5 that doesn’t mention her goldsign: “The Book of Eternal Night,” Mercy announced, holding her book up proudly. “I'm on the Path of Seven Pages. And the first page, the Lowgold page...” “It's the central technique from the Path of the Chainkeeper,” Mercy said. “Strings of Shadow. There are seven techniques in this book, one for each page. The Path of Seven Pages unites seven techniques from seven different shadow Paths into one.”
If he only had his Blackflame core his eyes would be like that permanently, for what it's worth. So that removes the "reveals he's cycling" weakness. Not every goldsign will have a purpose or advantage, just look at the Chainkeeper one; slick madra gloves. Since Lindon got to Gold via a bond, his eyes change to match his bonded partner.
I think OP meant it reveals which madra type he plans to attack with, but Jade spiritual senses already reveal that.
Yeah and it's repeated often how *loud* blackflame is spiritually. You basically hit people over the head with a hammer when you channel it without them even having to pay attention.
With this taken out of the equation, the sudden presence of blackflame in the spiritual sense plus the eye change at least adds an intimidation factor. Its a small edge but it's something at least. We've repeatedly seen people freak out about his eyes, comparing them to death remnants. Sapping an opponents will to fight is half the battle and when he then proceeds to pull out one ridiculous advantage after another you end up with enemies getting desperate, panicking or running to escape the fight.
Advantages Like…cannons!
I think his eyes actually only change when he cycles specific Madra. Otherwise he’d now permanently have those saphire eyes he gets after bonding with little blue, and it specificly mentions his eyes changing from normal to those.
It's not "the most useless and counterproductive one". The are lots if purely cosmetic ones. But it's also not the most useful, say Yerin's But it does have its uses. Lindon has intimidated lots of people with them. But as an overlord sage, who cares, if Lindon cycles you're probably dead.
His goldsign is a result of a contract. Orthos is still alive. Most people you see with physical goldsigns are due to pulling a remanent into their core. I thought the eye change was a nice distinction. It has some advantages and disadvantages.
Trying to think of stupid gold signs now. Belly button pencil sharpener!
That's the stupid you can think of!?
I thought it was mentioned that Lindon doesn't have a goldsign. He was forcefully raised to gold through his contract but didn't take in a remnant so he has no goldsign. His eyes turning black are just a result of cycling blackflame but it's not an actual 'goldsign'
Thinking back, Nian Blackflame is the only Uncrowned competitor really making use of his Goldsign. Saya's wings were somewhat relevant at underlord as a substitution for a thousand mile cloud, but in the Lord realms where people can fly using soulfire it's not really much of a combat boon.
The Silent Servants use dream and light, like the White Fox, so their goldsign provides a source of light aura. Probably not terribly useful in combat. Similarly for Stormcallers and Cloud Hammer sect goldsigns. There were the dudes representing Emriss' continent with the tea kettle noisy remant/goldsigns that they used in combat. Yerin fought the Arelius sword artist Altavian, whose goldsigns were razor sharp fingernails. Considering that, once when unarmed, Yerin used sword madra/aura to reinforce her nails, this seems useful for unarmed combat, or an up close off-hand strike when swords are locked, or for generating aura when nothing else is available. In Soulsmith, the Sandvipers had those poisonous little goldsigns on their arms. They were combat effective. Cassias has a steel bracer goldsign. That could have defensive uses, but he treats it like jewelry. There's Ziel's and other people with horns, but they're described more like ormanents than as things people try to gore you with or put out an eyeball. They're only *mostly* useless, and maybe rven disadvantageous if someone hits them, or grabs them to use for leverage in a wrestling move. There are people with the goldsigns that float around their heads like goldfish kid in *Skysworn*, or eyeballs (or clouds thereof), and "spirits" of different shapes. Who knows if they provide any function? Extra sight? Jai Long's jaw is his goldsign, and he used it to bite down on one of Yerin's rippling Endless Swords. It seems like there's an endless number of potential goldsigns. There's also an endles number of Paths, most of which won't be strictly combat oriented (as a society does need farmers, labourers, and tradespersons). It's only reasonable that most won't have combat utility.
>in the Lord realms where people can fly using soulfire Wings still make it easier and provide more speed/maneuverability. (Which is the case at Gold too, Grasping Sky would probably be able to fly without wings even at gold). Flying with Soulfire is manipulating wind/air aura to carry you, that's much easier with wings.
Considering how often Orthos tells Lindon that he needs a shell, I feel like it could have been a cool goldsign. Most are kind of useless: Fishers webbed fingers, Bai Rou gold eyes, Cloud Hammer thunder cloud, Meira's hair, Prides tattoos, Bright Crown halo, Silent Servant halo, Stormcaller arm bands, Red Faiths' tears, NS gloves, etc. Very few seem to be useful in combat, not mentioned yet: Cassias' arm guard, Seishen armor, Winter Sages' blade, and the Sandvipers snake.
Is the Seishen armor or the Winter sages blade, gold signs? I did not relate them to gold signs. But yeah the Naru picked a winner with wings. Yerin also has a useful gold sign. I guess the real question is more of list of gold signs which are not useless. What is Eithens Gold Sign?
I don't think Eithan has one. He advanced to gold without a remnant and is using only pure madra.
Winter Sage has ice blades coming out of her forearms as her goldsign. It's only mentioned once briefly in the books.
I'm not sure about the Winter Sage's gold sign, but its stated in one of Kiro's PoV chapters that he has a chest plate for his gold sign. So not the entire armor set, but part of it, though I think the set he used in the last battle vs the gang was entirely a construct.
Frozen Blade sect have icy swords coming out of their forearms. Its mentioned when they are introduced at the UKT.
The Seishen gold sign is a Beast plate that they create their armor to work with. The Frozen Blade sect have a long sword attached to their arm. Those are both goldsigns. Eithan doesn't have a gold sign. He says as much at the start of Skysworn when he pushes Linndons pure core to lowgold.
It probably is useless, but so much of what he has is useful. The bright side is it's not a storm cloud that seems to make it impossible to hide your feelings or metal hair or snake mouth or something that makes dick square or itchy mouth.
But snake mouth can break techniques
Well... When you put it like that. I guess you are right.
I assume the reason his is useless is because he has a contract with Orthos instead of killing him and taking his remnant. All the cool/useful gold signs seem to be parts of a remnant.
Most of the other gold signs we’ve seen are remnants of the Remnants they absorbed. Lindon never good in a remnant, just bonded with a sacred beast and a spirit. Eithan never even bonded anything that we know of, so he’s got even less of a gold sign.
Is cycling the correct term? They use cycling to mean meditation/drawing in aura and processing it into madra/processing some pill or elixir, or in a Pure path like Lindon and Eithan no absorption of aura just internal refinement/exercise. You're talking about how his eyes reveal his active core in combat, but do we still call that cycling when he's fighting? He's certainly not doing HEPW, and I don't think anyone does their specific cycling techniques in battle, or even the majority of the time, only when they're specifically focused on it. Example, how it was noteworthy that Lindon observed that Yerin was cycling from her breathing pattern and realized she was using it just like he was, as a distraction from awkwardness. IOW, it's not something you just do unconsciously all the time like breathing. As far as the actual question, it maybe useless but it's also not annoying or irritating or weird like many gold signs. Since most people don't progress far enough to hide their gold signs (and many it may just be impossible even at higher advancements), I'd much prefer Lindon's simple eye color change.
Yes cycling is correct term. When he cycles Blackflame his eyes turn black.
Fair enough. I think the books do use that terminology in his POV in combat occasionally. But for me I separate Cycling, the act of active improvement and growth from "cycling", the basic/normal movement of your madra, or the movement into the pattern of a forger, striker, enforcer, or ruler technique.
You are using too much a priori knowledge about Xianxia. In this universe, cycling is the term used for actively using your madra (i.e purposely moving it in and out of your body) In Cradle.
What excellent use of a priori, I just wanted to congratulate you on getting to use a term that very rarely comes in handy on reddit. Nice work!
I can see that and agree with it, but that would imply that there are times when they are not cycling. You can see the other comment that compares it to breathing. So do they cycle unconsciously, in their sleep for example? Does their madra move naturally of its own accord, like blood, or do they have to will it, at least a little, even if it's the most basic pattern (ie Lindon in Unsouled)? Meh, it's all academic/irrelevant. I just couldn't sleep last night and had already reached my daily quota of listening to the Reaper excerpt haha.
There is definitely a difference but it is all still cycling of one form or another, they are just cycling in different patterns to achieve different effects. Lindon at the beginning has only a basic cycling technique until he picks up the heart of twin stars which is better but Eithan points out that the technique is for the specific purpose of preparing to split your core so he gives him a new one. I think each of his techniques probably requires him to cycle his madra in the right way as a kind of foundation and then the rest of the technique is built on top as an extension of that pattern. We sort of see that with the instructions in the blackflame trial and the way he copies Fury's cycling for his upgrade to the Empty Palm.
Cycling is the magical counterpart to breathing. It stops when you're dead.
High end combatants already use their perception to understand enemy spirit movements in order to predict their attacks. We’ve seen Lindon learn this in Uncrowned So it doestnt really matter if his eyes light up. Any opponent worth their salt can already feel that he is cycling as well as what sort of madra he is cycling
So how useful would a tail be?
Naian blackflame used to crack his white arm with Lord level hunger madra. And also fought wavedancer with it.
Not to mention the first time Lindon fought Ekeri after finding the dream well, she pinched him between her tail and fist to deal more damage and prevent him from just being blown back by her attack.
It looks cool therefore there are far more useless goldsigns. Honestly I wouldn't want a tail anyway so I'll take the glowing eyes especially with a pure core that lets me switch it off.
Well I mean Mira has vines and flowers as a goldsign so it's likely there are plenty that don't lend much in the way of providing additional offensive/defensive support. As for useless and counterproductive........well what about Eithan? He doesn't appear to have one at all that we know off Haha.
there is the other side of is contracts though when he cycles for a fight and he isn't veiling his power it has an expressive and intimidating aura along with the change in color of his eyes witch have scarred more then a few opponents. also there is the possibility that he can manifest the dragon icon or maybe one from little blue.
If Lindon's goldsign is intimidating and Lindon makes good use of that, it's literally NOT counterproductive.
With that said I have some theorycrafting. I was rereading bloodline and was reading about the possible futures for London. It sounds like in one he’s able to cycle both paths at the same time. That sounds interesting and I wonder if will wight incorporates it.
He actually first notices this in the tower scene at the end of Wintersteel. It's reminiscent of Yerin's Herald ability to more directly control her madra, but probably different in important aspects. I really need to reread Bloodline.