Chain of Worlds

A Treatise Summary by Savin Thonat

1. Direct interaction with the circle versus action upon the circle. If a being tries to simply pass through a circle, then the power of their aura is the only relevant factor. If, on the other hand, they are attempting to act upon the circle in some way the factors are more complicated.
2. Directness of action. Simply attempting to brush out a circle with a stick as opposed to using one’s finger does add some indirection; but it is nearly an infinitesimal amount. On the other hand, actions that involve more natural forces (pouring water near a circle for example) have significantly more indirection.
3. Power of action. A flood is able to act more upon a circle than a bowl of water.
4. Number of steps. Each additional step in the chain also adds indirection. However, this is a case of diminishing returns. The indirection of each step is also a factor. Knocking a bowl of water over with a stick adds virtually no additional indirection. Burning the leg of a table out to cause a bowl to fall is more significant.
5. Additional intelligences. Having a being of a different parameterization adds a very large amount of indirection. The level of free will is also significant. Thus a dominated creature has less indirection than a creature who has been asked to break the circle.

6. Chance. Additional indirection can be added by adding a random factor into the chain of events being used to break the circle.
7. Intent. Attempting to interact with a circle reduces indirection when compared to unintentionally doing so. This also applies to the indirection added by additional intelligences.

Posted by Savin at 7:06 PM 0 comments  

Labels: Magic, Savin, Theory

Ancient creation myth says that the gods tricked the primordials to help them create a universe. Then in the batters fought after its creation, the universe fragmented into many world, breaking the gods and primordials up in the process. Kansul and the demons that serve him are the remains of forces created by the Primordials to unmake the worlds. The primordials no longer guide them. Angels and devils were similarly created (but by the gods) to stop the demons. Devils stick to their original mission (though with ruthless means) while angels have left the path to try to protect the beings of individual worlds.

For countless centuries, civilization has been fleeing the march of Kansul. On Haven, an effort was made to suppress this knowledge in the hopes that it would keep the gates upstream closed. This worked for a time. The gate is open again.

1. Haven. The birth world of all members of the party except Yulia. Historical records would indicate that Haven has a natural and goblinoid alignment. When the Tecera was destroyed, goblinoid energies created the orc race in both Furlough and Haven.

2. Furlough. 1 world "down stream" from Haven. Unknown alignment. During the god wars, Furlough was losing due to the division of their pantheon. This disruption allowed draconic energies from further downstream to enter Furlough and create the dragonborn and kobold races.

3. Draconic world. 2 worlds downstream from Haven. Draconic alignment. Nothing else known.

4. Detached world. We encountered the beings from here in Barera. They can, apparently, detach further worlds. Presumably they have done this before and there are other detached worlds. Alignment unknown.

5. Calubrian world. We encountered this snake race near the coast mining residium. They escaped through a portal to another world. Archeological evidence indicates they predate Eladrin, Elven, and Human presence on Haven and that they were contemporary with the goblins. It is unclear if they fled Haven or if they originate elsewhere and have colonized Haven in the past. Alignment unknown (presumably reptilian). My current understanding of planar theory would indicate that they are either nearby on the chain or they are using whatever means the devils are to reach our world.

6. Upstream worlds. Given the Barerans and Olen's own transformation, it seems clear that as Kansu's forces consume a world, it's energies and alignment shift to elemental. As a result, the destruction of Haven's Tercera allowed these energies into Haven and created the Tiefling race. We have seen records that indicate that, in the past, several worlds actively traded with one another at once. Some of the races of these times (such as an insectoid race) have not travelled downstream and have, presumably, been consumed. It is currently unclear as to how much of a worlds original alignment reminds during the consumption process ( or indeed how long it takes, or what happens to the uncollected souls on these planes, or what remains after the consumption completes, or a multitude of other questions).

7. Are their worlds that are naturally detached from the chain? How could one find them?

Posted by Savin at 7:03 PM 0 comments  

Labels: History, Magic, Savin, Theory, World

Posted by Savin at 1:11 PM 0 comments  

Labels: Savin, Summary, Theory

Montigan and Lady Kim have gone to Dunsmuir (Treacher's Folly)
Fellocial (the Lich Queen) is now being worshipped as a deity in Portsmouth. Clerics of Fellocial do have divine powers. As a result, it is clear that a Thaumological Field has formed. Powers started to occur approximately 50 years ago (coinciding to the return of divine powers in Ascension and the beginning of the spread of the shadow field from Dunsmuir.
Two recent increases in divine powers of Fellocial worshippers have occurred. The first coincides with the Lich Queen's release from Mount Ascension, the second with the confrontation we witnessed between Fellocial and the existing pantheon. This would give evidence that a spontaneous Thaumological field arose (perhaps seeded by unclaimed evil souls). Upon release, Fellocial seized control of the field (the first power jump)
The second power increase may indicate that an intelligently controlled Thaumological field is more powerful when the controlling intelligence resides on another plane.
Other religions are tolerated within Portsmouth except for worship of the Mother (which has been driven underground)
The church or Fellocial, is currently divided on the true nature of undead.
- one group, sees undead as an ideal state of being. The type of undead you return as being determined by your life.
- the second, see undead as part of the circle of life, simply another step in a circle of rebirth
- the final, undead are an ultimate state of being. Everyone should be undead. This is a militant sect.
There is some missionary work for Fellocial going on.

Posted by Savin at 12:57 PM 0 comments  

Labels: Magic, Savin, Theory

It would appear that Baern has a connection to a religious scholar of some note, Oefa Granhelm.
One of the the books that Baern recovered from the redactionists in Ascension was by this luminary.
Before we went to Furlough (and all this madness started), Bearn and Oefa had a romantic trist. Of course, Oefa being of a noble house, this resulted in her parents being most upset. Indeed, these are the events that led to his being assigned to the Neflheim court.
In the intervening years, Oefa was not idle. 75 years after the fall, Oefa's studies into souls led her to conclude that the gods of Haven are responsible for the large number of undead present in Haven when compared to Furlough.
Her theory is that the pantheon is out of balance. The souls of good people are collected by the gods but those of evil beings are not. Since the soul cannot be destroyed, it finds a vessel and creates a "naturally" occurring undead. In comparison in Furlough, which has a more diverse pantheon, only undead created through rituals are found.
If "She who sleeps on roofs" is correct then the thought processes, personality, and very being of a deity are influenced by the souls that they collect. This is both what caused Peter Kovak to break into the existing Pantheon in Furlough and what forced him to destroy the Haven Tecera. In both cases, he was absorbing too wide a variety of souls.

It would appear that earlier worlds on the chain were lost because evil gods sided with the demons. Thus two experiments were tried: On Haven an all good pantheon was created (resulting in natural undead and the eventual ascension of an undead deity, the Lich Queen). On Furlough, monotheism was attempted (resulting in the splintering of the overstretch god)

We have finally had time to research the books we recovered from the redactionists.

Many of the more ancient books talk about old gods and their fight with the Primordials. These old gods are part of the basic creation myths of the universe. According to the books, the old gods lost to the Primordials and, in their defeat, split the universe into the current chain of universes. Thyey spread their essences across the new world and these essences have formed the nucleus of the new gods.
Kansul and his demon forces are the soldiers of the Primordials. However, where the Primordials wish to create and destroy in an endless cycle, the demons wish to destroy without creation. Thus they have been consuming world after world.
Angels and Devils both represent the soldiers on the sides of the old gods. Angels have turned away from directly fighting Kansul and instead work with the new deities to protect intelligent life. The devils continue their struggle, using whatever means necessary to win.

Thew new gods are not as powerful as the old gods. We have evidence that their essence can be collected (this collection from the previous worlds is what formed the basis of the energies used to uplift the current pantheon). However, if this collection does not occur, their essence dissipates. It is not clear if the energy is lost forever or if it will later coalesce on its own, forming a new proto-deity.

Upon fleeing to Haven, the scholars of the time believed that the god fragment that was here was that of a nature deity due to the lushness of the world. Given the drift of the Mother towards a feral, naturalistic stance, it may be that she is becoming aligned with the base alignment of Haven itself.

Posted by Savin at 9:22 AM 0 comments  

Labels: Gods, History, Magic, Savin, Theory, World

The Vault of Eladrius is a Treasure Trove of knowledge. I MUST get back there. Even the tiny amount of information that I was able to glean clarifies and solidifies my existing theories!

Consider the Tecera and the revelation that the gods of Haven are Deified Mortals. Both of these explain so much and allow me to remove one entire magical control source from my seminal treatise on magical origins.

When we originally came to Haven, we were able to displace the original goblinoid inhabitants in part due to the strength of our divine magics. The goblins relied upon deities that were little more than Collective Spontaneous Thaumological Fields. What would the effect on such a field, however, should an active mental force; a force that had experience in the mortal world was applied to it? This would take something that is effectively a semi-conscious collection of belief and apply a will to it. While this would not, inherently, strengthen the being, it would allow it to act with purpose and forethought. Consider the difference between an axe swung with purpose and one falling from a great height. Both are destructive but the second is rather randomly so.

The Tecera even further strengthens the disparity. As an anchor, it allowed the already more purposeful gods to act more directly on the world. Secondly, however, it contained the essences of the gods of our previous world (worlds?). Were these essences available as a power source?

So it now would appear that gods are not a spontaiously stabilized Thaumological Field but rather they are a mortal being that are using such a field as a source of power. It is not yet clear what the exact relation between the two is, however:
1. The mortal being uses the Thaumological Field as a power source but they remain two separate things (the field being a tool)
2. The two merge into a single being with the mortal maintaining control and being dominant.
3. The two merge into a single being with the field being in control. Given events, this would have to be accompanied by a corresponding uplift in the ability of the field to act independently.
4. The two merge into a single being but the resulting being is fundamentally different than either. The resulting merger might, in fact, be unstable. This would fit with legends of gods breaking apart.
Once I can re-enter the Vault of Eladrius, I will endevor to continue my research. In particular, the effect that the destruction of Haven's Tecera has had on the existing gods.

Posted by Savin at 1:21 PM 0 comments  

Labels: Gods, Magic, Savin, Theory

When we returned to Ascension, we finally deciphered Vostruk's piece of ill conceived poetry, "If fate should a soul remove, seek out she who lives on roofs"

Deducing (incorrectly as it turns out) that this might refer to Olen's current "affliction" we sought out this woman. This required our own ill conceived poetry.

We found Barasta living on the roof tops of Ascension. It turns out she is a former worshipper of the Son who claims to have renounced her worship right at the moment of the Fall.
These are the things she told us:

• The Son asked his followers to take on madness to avoid it himself. Barasta claims to have avoided this madness through her renouncement. Her own actions and speech would indicate that she was not fully successful. This occurred IMMEDIATELY before the fall. Indeed the two seem definitely linked.
• Barasta believes that her remaining clerical powers come from drawing off the Son without his knowledge.
• The Son went mad (or who he was before) he is less then he was before.
• The Son was actually a Furlough god (Petrovich) not a Haven god who was brought through from Furlough during the god wars.
• Petron (The creation god of Furlough) is the source of all other gods in Furlough. He appears to have disappeared (shattered / been destroyed / transformed)
• Petrovich appears next (The dragonborn attempting to get to the Grotius Cube during the God Wars worshipped him)
• Pet is a common father honorific.
• The Haven Gods considered the Furlogh pantheon to be a subset of their own. The kidnap of Petrovich was to complete a perceived hole in the Haven Pantheon. A hole that was predicted to be filled.
• 7 Clerics of the Son survive from the Fall (Vostruk being one of them)
• Barasta opened the gates of the cathedral on Mount Ascension to the Lich Queen. The Son thought that helping the Lich Queen would prevent him from going mad.

Obviously these statements are coloured both by Barasta's tenuous grip on reality and by her source (The Son) who would have set this information in a way that painted him in the most positive light (It would seem that even semi-stable etheric constructs can suffer from vanity.

In all of the information Barasta was providing, I forgot on crucial thing! She is the only definative Eladrin we have met (other then the blind cathedral guardian). I forgot to discuss teleportation with her! We seem to have gained this ability on our return from Furlough. Does she have this ability? If so, when did she gain it? I must seek her out again (though doing so will require more abymsal poetry)

Posted by Savin at 1:59 PM 0 comments  

Labels: Magic, Savin, Summary, Theory

I have recently had two separate conversations with two unlikely sources of information.

The first was with Baern who put forward an interesting theory. When we all passed through the portal from Haven to Furlough, we each had an encounter with beings representing themselves as the four gods of Furlough. Each of us was asked to make a choice.

The choices were as follows:
Bearn: The Mother (clearly)
Olen: The Father (again, clearly)
Myself (Savin): The Brother (The offer was of knowledge)
Voss: The Brother (likely for reasons similar to my own)
Yulia: Unknown. We did not discuss our respective encounters until very recently (for reasons of our own) and Yulia is, temporarily, not with he group.

Here is what Baern asserts:
1. Yulia chose the Father.
2. The current state of the Furlough pantheon is a direct reflection of these choices
a. Two chose the Brother and Barrera now represents this diety (where before the Brother was the least openly worshipped)
b. Two chose the Father and the Ecclesiarch (a Father aligned relio-political faction) now rules Ascension.
c. One chose the Mother. Worship is scattered and weakened. Common wisdom holds that the Mother was wounded during the fall (Those of Ascension say it was the Brother though this could be propaganda)
d. None chose the Daughter and she appears withdrawn or gone from the world.

This is a compelling theory. In fact, it allows me to place several additional pieces together.

As we know, Deities are little more than stabilized Thaumological Fields that have obtained consciousness (or at least an approximation thereof). Consider if, during our transition from Haven, something blocked the "belief field" (see my landmark paper on the sources of magic) from reaching the gods. This would have resulted in the instantaneous disruption of their being. The five of us, however, were in transition through the astral plane and thus were unaffected by the blockage.

In desperation, the gods must have waylaid our travel and used us to keep their field stable during the disruption. The Father and The Brother would have maintained greater strength while the Daughter would have been largely (or completely) disrupted.

Greater research is required to confirm the validity of this theory.

The second conversation was with the Memory Devil in Eddington. While great knowledge could be gained by actually having the Devil use its powers, this conversation was with the Devil itself. It has been trapped on Furlough since the fall. Unfortunately, the creature was far from a trained Arcane scholar so any practical knowledge was hard to come by. One thing it did say, however, was that divine worshop was flawed and that, "they worshipped mortal beings rather than true gods." At the very least, this statement would indicate the existence of additional forces at work.

Posted by Savin at 6:41 PM 0 comments  

Labels: Gods, Magic, Savin, Theory

I have been pondering this for a time but am only now able to get my thoughts into some semblance of order.
This encounter has haunted me.

While in Steirhold, we encountered a dwarf who was able to create yet ANOTHER form of magic that I am unfamiliar with. He did it through the application of a Runic Language.

He said that his master had encountered a book in a room but was unable to take the book from the chamber. The book described sounds eerily like the Malefactrum (Oh to have a copy!). He learned what he could and now has passed the skill on to others.

These runes are fascinating. They appear to represent the basic building blocks of a magical focusing system. It is like all of the maths and formulae I use to channel magics were simplified to a simple alphabet. There is a simplicity and RIGHTNESS to these runes that I have never seen in any other setting. It is like seeing a horse (or at least a fine painting of one) after only ever hearing rough descriptions of the animal.

It was a revelation.

I must get a copy of the Malefactrum of my own.

Posted by Savin at 5:57 PM 0 comments  

Labels: Magic, Savin, Theory

The Squared Law of Planar Stacking and thoughts of the Cubed...

It is quite possible that the fall (as it is so colloquially termed by the layman) was triggered by energies released by the activation of the Grotius Cube during the God wars. As is my wont, I will examine my theories on the subject so that future scholars can see the thought process of what (undoubtedly) is a great historical figure in their time.

Let us start that with what we know:

1. The Grotius Cube was activated approximately 500 years ago during the God Wars. It was created by renowned artificer Nisendor Insenthel
2. The Grotius Cube works on the cubic law of Planar binding. This is NOT a law that I am currently familiar with. Indeed, the SQUARED law of planar stacking served as the basis of much metaphysical theory of my time.
3. The Cubic law was apparently forwarded by one Ansanthum Grotius, a theoretician that I am unfamiliar with (despite the fact that he predates me by several centuries).
4. The Astral plane seems to have either been removed or amalgamated with wherever it is that the gods live. This has therefore likely resulted in a large reduction of the total number of planes. Since things powered or using the Squared Law of Planar stacking were highly dependent upon this number, a reduction in the total number of planes would have greatly reduced their power
5. Trian's multi-planar divergent theory appears to be at least partially correct. I was, however, told that there significant issue with the theory. Of course there are! Anyone even glancing at his meta-stasic calculations could see that! Consider the following timeline (based upon our current apparent temporal location) and note the 400 year echo:
a. Roughly 1100 years ago the Squared law of Planar stacking was postulated leading to the creation of extra-dimensional spaces and serving as the power source for the creation of the Aeries.
b. Roughly 700 years ago (400 years later) Mount Pushkin was discovered and the link to Furlough was established. This increased the linked Realm count from one to two.
c. Roughly 500 years ago, during the God Wars, the Grotius Cube was created. This was the first (and as far as I know only) example of an application of the Cubic law of Planar stacking.
d. 97 years ago (roughly 400 years later) a magical realignment occurred. The result of this may have been the connection of a third Realm to Haven. Indeed the energies that created the tiefling may have originated from this realm.
It is now necessary to examine the Squared law of Planar Stacking before trying to recreate the Cubic law. I will also, unfortunately, be forced to examine Trian's multi-planar divergence theory.

The Squared Law of Planar Stacking
The Squared Law of Planar Stacking states that energy resistance caused by the proximity of different planes decreases by the square of their distance.

Of course, in this case distance is an abstract concept and doesn't necessarily refer to physical distance (though in the case of extra-dimensional spaces it can)

The direct consequence of this is that Planes (and extra dimensional spaces) cannot exist within the same Meta-Magical space. The planes themselves exude a repulsive force that keeps them apart. In the case of extra-dimensional spaces, this force is fairly weak on the physical plane and can actually be overcome. The result of two planes co-existing is spectacular, to say the least.

There are (or were) three known exceptions to this law. They are (were) the Prime Material, the Shadow, and the Astral Plane these three Planes exist conterminously (ie their separation is effectively 0). This exception is what allowed the creation of extra dimensional spaces which are, in essence miniature planes created as bubbles within the Astral.

There were a multitude of practical consequences and applications of the Squared Law. I will outline some of the most prominent here:
1. The creation of Extra-Dimensional spaces. I discuss this above. Effectively these spaces are miniature Planes and share most of their characteristics.
2. A great energy source. Two specially created extra dimensional spaces can be kept in close proximity and the resulting repellent energy can be siphoned off and used for other purposes. Indeed, the Aeries use this as their power source. It is difficult to establish these sources and, the spaces will eventually evaporate but this discovery did result in the establishment of a powerful and relatively stable energy source.
3. Higher level magics. The metaplanes are under a constant inward pressure. It is unknown what this pressure represents (though it may be proof of an outer edge of the universe). As a result of this pressure, the outer planes were constantly generating HUGE amounts of energy as the Squared Law pushed them apart. In particular, several groups of planes or Plane Sets generated tremendous energies as dozens or even hundreds of planes resisted being forced together. Higher level magics (both Arcane and Divine) tap into this energy source to supplement the metasphere. Additionally, this is a common source of magic used by magical items.

The current planar landscape seems to have been completely rearranged. For starters, there seem to be VASTLY fewer planes. This, in part, explains my inability to access many of my former spells and the lack of function of many of my arcane implements.

Trian's multi-planar divergence Theory (Such as it is...)

I already have it on good authority that there are flaws in the following but that it is PARTIALLY correct. Thus it is worth at least a partial examination of the theory. I will skip the rambling and often flawed meta-mathmatical proofs and cut to the basis of the theory.

Haven and Furlough each represent separate realms rather than planes. Each appears to encapsulate its own set of planes (though some theorists hold that the Astral Plane is, in fact, common between the two). Up until the fall the two appeared to share the same metaphysical rules and magic worked the same in both.

Common wisdom is that there are exactly two such realms and that (in some way) they balance each other out access was assumed to always have been possible but simply was not discovered until recently. Trian's theory, conversely, postulates that there are an infinite number of realms that do not typically have access to each other. Some event in the past cause Furlough and Haven to come into contact.

Trian's theory is more compelling in a number of ways. In particular, it better explains the limited access points between the two realms as well as the timing of the contact. The specifics are where the flaws begin to creep in.

The Cubic Law of Planar Stacking (and beyond?)
The basic tenant of a cubic law of Planar Stacking would be that energy resistance caused by the proximity of different planes decreases by the CUBE of their distance. This does not match with observed results but could be explained if the additional energy was being dumped into another "place" (excuse the imprecise language).

This does, somewhat follow from the squared law. If one looks at energy output from two proximate planes on ONLY the material plane, energy output only appears to rise in a LINEAR fashion as they approach. The squared growth curve is only observable if one includes the astral and shadow planes (curious how this bears out in the new planar reality – I must get some proper instrumentation!). Thus it is conceivable that even GREATER energy is occurring but on a currently unobserved plane or "place".

It would appear that the Grotius Cube operates (operated?) by harnessing this law. Since it appears functional, the law appears to hold merit.

Here is where we get into dangerous territory. Where was that energy going? What was the consequence of interrupting its flow? Might this energy having been keeping Trian's Realms apart? By tapping into the cubed part of their energies, did the Grotius Cube set into motion the "collision" of a third Realm? And if a third, is there a fourth or more. Perhaps the truth is that the energies of planar stacking are truly INFINITE but they are all that are keeping our Realm separate from INCREASINGLY disparate ones.

Posted by Savin at 6:23 PM 0 comments  

Labels: Magic, Savin, Theory

It would appear that the changes wrought upon this world were greater even than I expected. While a shifting of the metamagical planes had obvious effects upon the performance of both Arcane and Divine conjuring, it also appears that there were additional implications.

I will be ordering my notes by topic rather than a strict chronological ordering as the usefulness of this is greater.

It would appear that the nation of Barrera has been afflicted by some form of transformational magic. The result of this is that they have been infused with extraplanar energies resulting in a change of form. I have witnessed this event in action as Olen, the brother of my challenging student Voss, was exposed to these energies. It has resulted in him growing horns and a tail. It has also had some emotional and intellectual impact upon him but I have been unable to fully determine the extent of these changes. It remains to be seen if these are simply the result of the trauma of transformation or if Olen is now being influenced by another presence.

The encounter that resulted in Olen's transformation seems to fit a pattern that was outlined on a map we obtained from some other transformed creatures. Unlike the residents of Barrera (who referred to themselves as Tieflings) these creatures did not have the same level of civilization. They resembled wolfmen or bipedal hyenas. I believe the old Eladrin wordform would be gnoll. They had captured a number of races (humans, goblins, elves, Halflings, dwarves, wolves, dogs, and cattle) and were exposing each in turn to extraplanar energies. We stopped this exposure but I was forced (as a precaution) to dispose of the goblins who seemed to be about to transform. I would have wished to hold at least one as a specimen to examine the transformation but felt that the ethical argument with the rest of the party untenable. As it was, Olen's newly agitated state seemed to have made him unable to listen to my reasoning. Perhaps if he better understood the metaphysics...

During the encounter I was, at least, able to take extensive notes on the rift itself. It seemed to be leading to a plane of anger and fire (not a plane I am familiar with further increasing the evidence of a planar flattening). We have since also encountered some undead that seemed to be animated with pieces of demonic flesh rather than the typical application of necromantic energies.

In any event, having rescued these groups, we led them back towards the elvish settlement. At the settlement, I engaged some shamen and druids in a discussion of magics. Several decades after the fall (the fall was timed at our crossing between universes) it appears that they began to draw energy through nature. Druids existed in our time, of course, but they drew their magical control through a Collective Spontaneous Thaumological Field (see: A treatise on the origins of magic in the modern world - Savin Thonät). It appears that this is different now. At first, while wading through the nature coloured gibberish of these "practitioners" I assumed that this was the manifestation of a Collective Spontaneous Thaumological Field coalescing a new consciousness. Or, given the constant reference to the Mother, simply a new manifestation of an old one.

But this is different. Before, druidic powers manifested as divine energy. Now they are something different, something more primal. Indeed, the forest itself seems to have taken on an intelligence and will of its own. We encountered this phenomena while moving through the forest to return the dwarves to Seigholm. The forest has grown wild, way more quickly than the passing of 97 years would account for. A central tree, towers over the forest and here we encountered creatures that appeared to be ambulatory fungus. They appeared to share a hive mentality of a sort so it is unclear whether they were actually intelligent or simply the puppets of a central mind. The result is that these primal powers are subtly different from the divine that they seem to have replaced. More raw and less controlled. It will be curious to see what their long term consequences will be upon their users.

Oh for access to an arcane library! All I have picked up is a basic magical primer from a goblin caster (a poorly instructed specimen to say the least). I am familiar with the book but this copy has an added introduction. It also, curiously, lacks a scrivener's mark. Clearly a scribe too embarrassed to admit to the work (I don't blame them, it is a poor tomb)

Finally, there has been an intermittent "banging" as if upon a great forcefield reverberating through the magical field (or manasphere). This event has been increasing in frequency but is, blessedly, getting less powerful. It originates to the South East (towards Barrera) and is quite annoying.

A bit of history we have heard it (I definitely question the source). It appears that Barrera and Ascension have been at war for fifty years (hence the Ascension citizens using the Barreran's transformations to literally demonize them). Local belief (at least amongst those of Ascension) is that during the fall, the Son tried to kill the Father and successfully killed the Daughter and wounded the Mother. I suspect if I could question a Barreran on the topic they would (given their worship of the Son) give quite a different answer.

Posted by Savin at 5:35 PM 0 comments  

Labels: Savin, Summary, Theory

Let us start out with a rough listing of the knowledge and facts currently at my disposal.

We have come into possession of the Grotius Cube a spherical artefact that uses the Cubic law of Planar Stacking. Originally this device was used during the God Wars as a form of prison for highly powerful Collective Spontaneous Thaumological Fields (or deities as the layman insists on calling them). Created by the renowned artificer Nisendor Insenthel roughly 500 years ago, the Grotius Cube would appear to be a highly powerful artefact.

I have not encountered this law before. Indeed I have studied in depth the squared law of Planar stacking. It is this law that prevented the interpenetration of extra-dimensional spaces (leading to the question as to the state of this effect in the new Thaumalogical order). The cubic law of Planar Stacking was apparently forwarded by one Ansanthum Grotius, a theoretician that I am unfamiliar with (despite the fact that he predates me by several centuries).

I have seen a copy of the Malecarthium (a great magical work by written by Alosius Mark). All copies were assumed to be lost. I wish I could have gotten a chance to read it. Curiously it was much thinner than I expected.

I also, now have in my possession a memory core from the lost library of Anabaris (I had assumed the library a myth perpetrated by the uncreative theoreticians lamenting lost knowledge. The core would seem to tell the lie to my beliefs). Unfortunately, the core seems to be from the meta-biology wing and focuses entirely on various species of beast. Useful to be sure, but if I could get my hand on a Metaphysical core... Anabaris is supposedly located to the East, from where the civilized races came from before they settled where they are now in Haven, and it was lost in or before the Flight. So much was lost during the Flight... The Core I now possess, as well as the Malecarthium, were both obtained by Ancillin Eladrius. This would seem to indicate that either this Ancillin has found Anabris, or has stumbled across a collection of artefacts recovered from there. Unfortunately this is a name I am totally unfamiliar with so it does little good in helping to track down more information.

The Astral plane seems to have either been removed or amalgamated with wherever it is that the gods live. This has therefore likely resulted in a large reduction of the total number of planes. Since things powered or using the Squared Law of Planar stacking were highly dependent upon this number, a reduction in the total number of planes would have greatly reduced their power.

Unfortunately, I am forced to enter into speculation for a time here. I have been told (by a Spontaneous Thaumological Field known in the standard Pantheon as the Son) that the Metaphysical redistribution that we have experienced was confined mostly to Haven. Furlough experienced some temporary effects as a result of its linkage to Haven but has since reverted to its former state. I cannot confirm this but will, for the moment assume it to be true.

If this is true then Trian's multi-planar divergent theory appears to be at least partially correct. I was, however, told that there significant issue with the theory. Of course there are! Anyone even glancing at his meta-stasic calculations could see that!
Consider the following timeline (based upon our current apparent temporal location):
· Roughly 1100 years ago the Squared law of Planar stacking was postulated leading to the creation of extra-dimensional spaces and serving as the power source for the creation of the Aeries.
· Roughly 700 years ago (400 years later) Mount Pushkin was discovered and the link to Furlough was established. This increased the linked Realm count from one to two.
· Roughly 500 years ago, during the God Wars, the Grotius Cube was created. This was the first (and as far as I know only) example of an application of the Cubic law of Planar stacking.
· 97 years ago (roughly 400 years later) a magical realignment occurred. The result of this may have been (there is scant but mounting evidence...) the connection of a third Realm to Haven.

The above timeline is accurate, to the best of my knowledge, but it raises the possibility that the creation of the Cube may have started the process that resulted in the magical shift four hundred years later. Further, the power of the exponent in the Planar Stacking law(s) may be directly tied to the total number of Realms tied to Haven. Indeed the creation of an artefact relying upon a higher exponent may result in the universe attaching a new Realm in order to restore its balance.

Posted by Savin at 2:24 PM 0 comments  

Labels: Savin, Theory

I have always questioned the usefulness of the familiars that other scholars of the arcane arts seem so fond of. They expose their owners to greater risk while offering little in the way of advantage. It is true that a simian companion dexterous hands would be helpful on occasion, but I have never considered the slight advantage to outweigh the downside.

Until now.

With the meta-mystical recordination that have recent shifted the organizational stasis of the magical fields on a sub-form level, I have lost access to much of the abilities I was able to wield but a short time ago. I have been able to reestablish or adapt several spellforms to give me some limited abilities, but my powers remain woefully under strength.

It is my belief that a familiar might aid in this problem. Serving as a secondary node for the stabilization of etheric constructs, I should be able to amplify my evocative potential by more then fifty percent. If the familiar was a construct (rather then an animal as is common) formed of a conjurally stable material (such as adamantine) this could reach an eighty percent or greater increase.
Unfortunately, I have not studied the rituals for creating and / or binding a familiar. Even if I was, the new mystical landscape would require significant meta-geometric alterations to the rituals before they could be used. This bears further study...

Posted by Savin at 8:22 PM 0 comments  

Labels: Savin, Theory

A treatise on the origins of magic in the modern world
- Savin Thonät

Magic is a conspicuous but ubiquitous part of the everyday life. Indeed, many people (the humble author included) could scarcely get through a day without it. It is surprising then how little most people understand it. Indeed, many spell casters stumble through their lives with only the vaguest of understandings as to how magic actually works and the implications of these mechanisms.

Source
Magic, as we are all aware, is (at its base) simply the manipulation of energy. In this particular case, the energy exists in a nearly uniform field[1] surrounding all things. There is some discussion (Fizban - Where the Peaches Go and Dumbledore - The conservation of magical mass in Phoenix ash being the most prominent) as to whether this magic energy actually constitutes its own coterminous plane (like the astral and shadow planes)[2] but this is irrelevant to the current discussion.

What is relevant, however, is that raw magical energy is not properly controllable directly by non-divine entities. Even in small amounts, this energy is highly damaging to the host. Indeed, I have posited that the occasional case of spontaneous combustion reported in the known lands is, in fact, the uncontrolled channelling of uncontrolled magical energy.

So how then are beings other then the gods (and perhaps a few high level angels and devils) able to use magic at all? Why aren't their pyres of burning wizards, sorcerers, and clerics on every corner? There are, in fact, at least four separate answers to this question.

Forms of Control
The forms of magical control are arranged by their relative antiquity. The oldest being discussed first.

Innate
Certain creatures (Dragons, Phoenix, and certain salamanders) as well as their part-blood offspring (kobolds being the most common example) seem able to channel magical energy at will. Indeed the dragon could not even fly if it were not for magical assistance[3]. It would appear that each of these species contains, within its makeup, the ability to protect itself from the dangers of interaction with raw magic. In the case of dragons (and their brethren) this control takes the form of tiny projections of crystallized Will[4] that focus and channel the magical energy while protecting the body. The dragon has no knowledge of these crystals but is still able to make use of them.

Recently there has arisen amongst the civilized races a form of spell caster known as the Sorcerer. Wildly undisciplined, they seem to ignore the spellforms of proper wizards and channel magic with abandon. In every documented case of Sorcery, Will crystals were discovered within the host. Indeed, there are several documented cases of Dragon ancestry within their past. Several scandals have been caused due to this fact.

Divine
In the case of divine spell casters, the source of control is easy enough to determine. Since divine entities can channel the raw magical forces directly, they are able to transmute it into a form that can be handled by standard divine casters. Small amounts of magic are transmuted without conscious thought[5] but larger levels require a more direct divine intervention. Thus divine casters who deviate too far from their god's chosen ideals typically do not lose their powers until they attempt to access a stronger spell (thus alerting their deity to their transgressions).
Of course, deities are little more than stabalized Thaumological Fields (see below) that have obtained consciousness (or at least an approximation there of) it isn't clear whether these two sources truly deserve seperate secions.

Spell forms
Fenor, known for his love of change and trickery, desired to allow greater access to magic to the general intelligent races. Since direct contact with a significant amount of raw magical energy is fatal in nearly all cases, Fenor devised the spellforms. Spellforms allow the tiniest amounts of raw magic to be used to form a matrix through which much greater amounts of magic can be channelled.

The spellforms are a means for anyone to access the abilities of magic. They do not require a particular birthright (like Sorcery) or dedication to a specific deity (as with divine magics) but rather simply dedicated study.

Each spellform is a specific series of gestures, words, and mundane components used to trigger a specific spell. Each part of a spellform is used to focus a small piece of raw magic into the lattice that forms the larger spell. Rather like weaving, the individual threads of magic are woven into the desired shape and outcome. Thus raw, uncontrolled magical energy can be shaped into nearly any form imaginable with the use of the correct spellform.

Raw magic is still extremely powerful. This power explains the physical drain imposed upon the caster. Further it is the cause of the destruction of most material components used in spell casting.

Collective Spontaneous Thaumological Fields
It has been noted that the Goblin races are able to exhibit powers that closely mimic those shown by divine casters. Since their gods are non-existent delusions, the above method of channelling employed by clerics of the civilized races is not applicable. So what, then, is occurring?

A first guess would to assume that goblinoids (like kobolds) have a magically attuned ancestor. This assumption would be flawed in two ways:

1. Such an ancestor would lead to an arcane expression of magical control rather than a divine one

2. The extensive testing done on Goblins to determine their connection to the Feywild (See Savin Thonät - Goblins, Elves, Eladrin, Nymphs, and the Feywild: a Comparative Meta-anatomical Study)

Despite continual efforts from missionary groups to prove the falsehood of their gods, goblinkind remains unified and fervent in their belief of their "gods". It is my assertion[6] that this unified belief forms a metamagical field around each member of the goblinoid race. This field (and the corresponding belief in the abilities of their clerics' powers) serves the same purpose as the spellforms introduced by Fenor. It mediates the contact with the raw magic and thus allows what appears to be divine magic to come from a race that possesses no pantheon of gods.

Further evidence of this comes from the elaborate gestures required by goblin casters to invoke their divine spells. These gestures are reminiscent of the somatic components of a wizard's spell. Without these movements, their shaman and witches cannot perform their magic and are rendered powerless.

This "belief field" is a great weakness to the goblinoid races as (should it be disrupted in some way) they would lose all access to divine magics.


[1] See (Elminster - Elminster Elminster, I like my name) for a detailed measurement study of variations of magical field strength.
[2] Personally I think that Fizban's inverted Divination theorem is superior to the Phoenix ash based nonsense that Dumbledore spouts.
[3] See Oz - The Aeronautical Inadequacies of the Wyrm Class for a detailed examination of the specifics
[4] See Savin Thonät - Physical will the continuation of mind over body.
[5] Indeed some suspect that there may be another mechanism involved in lower level divine channelling
[6] See Appendixes 32-65 for the corresponding mathematical, divinational, and alchemical proofs.

Posted by Savin at 7:15 AM 0 comments  

Labels: Magic, Savin, Theory