in the same way that mora is carved from the geo archon's body, true delusions are the blood of her majesty, the tsaritsa. within each frame is a drop of her own elemental energy, wrangled useable by humanity through steel and self-control.
when koitar fashioned anastasya, she envisioned a leader who could share divine energy with its followers. after all, snegurochka's role is to melt away the distinction between heaven and earth⸻therefore, she should be capable of distributing power to mortals who would be otherwise barred from receiving it. as such, all delusions begin as fragments of pure elemental power, dripping from the wrist of their archon.
the tsaritsa's ability to grant delusions is not tied to her gnosis, but instead her nature as an angel's artificial being. however, they are influenced by her current standing, so every true delusion is initially cryo, though more elements have become available due to the experiments of the second, il dottore.
there are two types of delusions currently in circulation: true, vs mass-produced. true delusions are fragments of anastasya's power. they are personally granted to all harbingers (on the date of their ordainment), and a select handful of top-tier fatui officials. for harbingers, it is a closed, in-person meeting, where the delusion of your elemental choice is selected and handed to you. officials receive theirs in front of their cohorts, though it is a similarly intimate process in the direct presence of the archon.
mass-produced delusions are scattered throughout the fatui ranks, and do not contain the tsaritsa's blood. they are mimicries of the real thing. they take a more intense toll on the user and have a lower ceiling of power.
delusions can have various side effects. vision-holders are inherently more resistant to these, as their innate elemental resonance protects them.
true delusions cause horrible strain on the body if used recklessly, though permanent damage is rare. they inspire loyalty and strengthen willpower, and can warp the user's mind⸻someone who is already very confident may border on egotistical with the help of their delusion. additionally, since true delusions are crafted with her majesty's personal touch, the effects can vary slightly as she believes necessary. consider them a form of manipulation, as well as her direct favour.
mass-produced delusions draw not from the elemental bank of the tsaritsa, but the user's own life. with this, they can shorten one's lifespan, or cause them to age pre-emptively.
all delusions can backfire on their user. as a channel for divine energy, uncontrolled or poor mastery of that power will cause the delusion to explode, releasing any strength stored within it in a burst.
no matter what the make is, all delusions have the snezhnayan vision frame, and the four-pointed fatui star in the centre. the glass centre glows with whatever element it is currently imbued with.