The black conduit is a life-force manipulating ability that has been passed down through the centuries from host to host. It allows its wielder to draw life and vitality from one source and feed it into themselves or, with training, channel it into another person. It was most famously wielded by Kazimir Volken.
Known to All
The black conduit as a stand-alone force is unknown. The general population believes Kazimir Volken's ability was his and his alone and died with him.
Known to Some
- When negated while host of the black conduit, Kazimir Volken projected a cloud of darkness out of his body. Somehow this ability resisted all attempts at negation. (Former Company agents, Deveaux Society members)
- Kazimir is the only known possessor of the black conduit to be able to override a host's identity (Former Company agents, Deveaux Society members, SESA, US Government)
Known to Few
- The term "black conduit" was coined by an 18th century apothecary and natural philosopher named Madeline Rouen and conveyed once in a dream to Gabriel Gray. (Characters directly told)
- Peter Petrelli was able to use his empathic mimicry ability to "commune" with the black conduit while he was possessed by it, learning secrets of the past hosts and sharing that empathy with the echo of Kazimir who eventually took him over and achieved a change of heart. (Operation Apollo members, ex-Vanguard, Sentinel members.)
- The black conduit is "generous" to the lives of others. When in the presence of a dying individual the conduit will sometimes, but not always transfer itself wholly to the dying victim (typically if there is a strong emotional connection between the wielder of the Conduit and the dying individual) and leave its original host. In the case of someone like Kazimir, who had unnaturally sustained his life with this ability, it would result in the host's immediate death. Or in instances of Vladimir Volken, it would result in a natural transfer of the ability, only to die from the leeching powers of the Black Conduit once it passed to the new host he was in contact with as it drained the past host for life-force to save its new host. (Characters directly told in a scene)
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Related Storylines:
(Book 1, Volume 2) On a Pale Horse
(Book 1, Volume 4) Endgame
(Book 1, Volume 8) In This Twilight
(Book 2, Volume 2) The Dragon