Editing Trigger Event (section)

===Second Trigger===

:''With the second trigger, the agent reaches out, makes contact with others, networks and draws on collective information to refine the restrictions and save its host... Circumstances tend to mirror the original trigger event.  The resulting power ignores restrictions that were previously set.”'' - [[Doctor Mother]] explaining second triggers to Weaver.

It's possible for a parahuman to experience a second trigger event that removes limits to their abilities<ref name="I5">"Months ago, we were talking about this subject, the Manton effect.  You mentioned how it might be possible for someone like us to have a second trigger event.  A radical change or improvement in their powers as a result of a life or death moment.  Such might explain how one broke the Manton rule." - [https://parahumans.wordpress.com/2011/12/10/interlude-5/ Excerpt] from [[Interlude 5]]</ref><ref name="SB 8">As a general rule, the second trigger effectively breaks down walls or limits that were in place prior. - [https://forums.spacebattles.com/posts/12852536 Wildbow on Spacebattles]</ref> or adds a secondary aspect to their power.<ref name="%78">'''Anchuinse:''' Second triggers modify the power, often lowering or getting rid of the Manton limit. However, they shouldn't just be a straight "power-up". Maybe a blaster's projectile moves slower, but is now explosive and slows time slightly, or maybe they get multiple projectiles at once that are smaller but 100% accurate, even dodging around cover.<br>Though we don't see many in text, I like to think of it as leaving the "core" of the power the same (if it's a shaker that involves force fields it's always gonna involve force fields) but the exterior components change (speed, size, number) including secondary power effects (if the power had a light Trump effect before it may be more pronounced or gone entirely). Maybe even gaining a small secondary power. Remember though, it's not a straight power up, so while some exterior components increase in power, others should go down in about equal measure (sans the Manton limit).<br><br>'''Wildbow:'''This is pretty accurate.<br>Generally speaking, look for secondary aspects of the power or minor bonuses and then inflate them, or identify the 'walls' the shard set in place and remove them. - [https://redd.it/87n7dj Wildbow commenting on Reddit (yet again)]</ref> Second triggers are exceedingly rare and generally do more harm than good due to the toll it takes on the host.<ref>I did some reading, and there's a pretty scary number of people who have their second trigger events and then have a bad ending shortly after.  I think it has to do with the toll it takes on you, the event. - [https://parahumans.wordpress.com/2012/10/25/interlude-15-donation-bonus-2/ Excerpt] from [[Interlude 15.y]]</ref> To experience a second trigger, a parahuman must experience a situation very similar to their original trigger event. Neither second-generation capes nor cluster capes are known to have second triggers.<ref>This wasn’t as simple as a hard shove in the direction of a second trigger.  I was pretty sure I didn’t qualify.  Second generation capes triggered ‘easier’, but there had never been a second generation cape who’d second triggered.  Whatever resources the power devoted to passing itself on seemed to rule it out, and I doubted the universe would be so kind as to let me be the first.  It would be too easy.<br><br>Multi-triggers were in the same boat.  Which might have been the universe being kind, given how many were lined up against us right now. - [https://www.parahumans.net/2019/01/15/blinding-11-8/ Excerpt] from [[Blinding 11.8]]</ref><ref name="I26e77">A confrontation had started between a young male and an older one.  A fragment of a shard against a very mature shard.  The most mature shard in this area, at a glance. - [https://parahumans.wordpress.com/2013/08/10 Excerpt] from [[Interlude 26]]</ref> Cauldron can induce capes to experience a second trigger, but they generally need help to get circumstances to match with the original trigger.<ref>“You’re involved with a lot of powerful parahumans,” I said.  “Do you have a means of causing second triggers?”<br><br>“We’ve done it for several clients in the past, with varying degrees of success.  Because of the time it takes, and the arrangements involved, we put a high premium on it.  We’ve had more clients die trying to collect the funds for this premium than we’ve had clients go through with the procedure,” she said.<br><br>“A catch twenty-two, if you will,” the Number Man said.  “If you’re powerful enough to have the necessary funds, then you don’t need a second trigger to thrive.  If you need a second trigger, you lack the funds.”<br><br>“I get the feeling you didn’t devote much attention to this,” Golem said.  “Why not?”<br><br>“Because reducing the restrictions that are in place only gives us a power that has less restrictions, when we need powers with ''none''.  We needed to luck into a formula that had an applicable power as well as a whole, untainted foreign power within, and we needed it in a vehicle we could use, an individual without crippling mental, psychological, emotional or physical deviations.  Eidolon was that, and Eidolon had a fatal flaw in the end.”<br>[...]<br> “I can check your allies, but we can’t do much more.  We used to rely on Contessa’s power to determine the exact event needed for a second trigger.” - [https://parahumans.wordpress.com/2013/10/03 Excerpt] from [[Venom 29.7]]</ref>

Prior to a second trigger event, the shard is drawing from context, exploring and conceptualizing new uses for the host's powers. The shard begins splitting off to find a new but similar host, piggybacking off the original shard's context and experience. However, instead of [[Shard#Buds|splitting to a new host]], the second trigger event prompts the budding shard to catalyze and consolidate in the current host instead, altering their powers.<ref name="SB 65">Generally the trigger ''cause'' fits in the same general category. Brian had his second trigger for much the same reason he had his first. They can differ in nature. What's happening is that the entity is drawing from context and exploring/conceptualizing new uses for the powers (which are still in the metaphorical computer's memory, but not in the hardware that burned out in the trigger process). The entity begins splitting off, ready to find a generally young & similar host to target (piggybacking off the parent's context & experience for an easier triggering process/analysis) but then a major event prompts it to catalyze and consolidate in the current host instead.<br><br>If it's in an adult before finding its way to the child, it can begin this splitting-off process (generally requiring time or a degree of stress to allow for the maturation).<br><br>They are exceedingly rare (two noted in-story. Taylor ''didn't'' second-trigger in the last arc, to be clear), and generally speaking they do more harm than good. If it's a straight power-up, you're probably doing it wrong. - [https://forums.spacebattles.com/posts/12852536 Wildbow on Spacebattles]</ref>

Third and further trigger events are impossible, according to Doctor Mother, but an explanation as to why isn't provided. However, people who have already had a second trigger event can still achieve a [[Broken Trigger]] and [[Titans|fully merge with their Shard]], as seen by [[Glaistig Uaine|Valkyrie]].<ref>“Valkyrie,” Kenzie said.  “They got her.”<br><br>I swallowed, hard.  I found the notification marked out in gold.  The icon in the distance and the corresponding label too small to really see.<br><br>Titan Valkyrie. - [https://www.parahumans.net/2020/01/21/infrared-19-6/ Excerpt] from [[Infrared 19.6]]</ref>
====Double Trigger====
Not to be confused with a second trigger, a double trigger (also called a 1.5 trigger by Wildbow<ref>Second triggers aren't straight upgrades. Look at Grue's - he gained some power in one respect (fighting capes), but his cloud got a lot heavier and denser, tending to coalesce lower to the ground. Were post-S9 Grue to do the bank robbery job, he wouldn't be able to cover their retreat as effectively. Less effective vs. non-capes.<br><br>Two steps forward, yes, but one step back, or a half-step back. In other cases it could easily be unlocking a function but be one-step-forward, one-step-back.<br><br>I like terming Taylor's second trigger as a 1.5th trigger. - [https://www.reddit.com/r/Parahumans/comments/7ysdpr/spoilers_for_worm_what_if_taylor/duiuja3/ Wildbow on Reddit]</ref>) is two trigger events that occur in quick succession. This may be the reason why certain parahumans are unable to experience a second trigger, since they've already had one.<ref name=":2" /> According to [[Number Man]], Taylor experienced a double trigger that was caused by the horror of manifesting her power. This implies that double triggering may be a type of recalibration on the shard's part, occurring when the initial trigger is too much for the host to handle.<ref>"But I'm afraid that power you're digging for is out of your reach, Weaver."<br><br>I looked at him.<br><br>"Or it's already in your reach. You can't have a second trigger because you already had one," he said.<br><br>I blinked.<br><br>"Given the signature, it's very possible you had two trigger events in quick succession. Not uncommon. The horror of manifesting your power, it prompted another trigger."<br><br>"No," I said. "There's got to be ''something''."<br><br>"If there is, a second trigger event isn't it," the Number Man said. - [https://parahumans.wordpress.com/2013/10/03 Excerpt] from [[Venom 29.7]]</ref>