User blog:Promestein/Agency

Reality / Fantasy
The macrocosm of our universe is formed of countless parallel worlds, layered upon each other to form a nearly-infinite structure. Of these parallel worlds, there exists two that are linked. These are Reality, our living, ever-expanding universe, including the laws and spacetime that govern it, and Fantasy - the universe of the abstract and formless. As long as conscious life has existed in Reality, Fantasy has existed, and each Reality has its own Fantasy, which exists to deny and subvert it in ways ranging from subtle to astronomical.

Fantasy is the foundation of belief, consciousness, and emotion. Unlike the physical nature of Reality, Fantasy is abstract, conceptual, and near-impossible to define or explain. It is simultaneously and paradoxically the source and the creation of conscious thought and emotion. It is not really bound by the same rules as Reality, although it is still limited by different sets of rules and a different set of structures.

Reality rejects the existence of Fantasy, but still - it slips through the cracks in the form of magic, in wellsprings and miracles, maintaining itself for long periods of time. The strongest Fantasy is capable of rejecting Reality, after all. These natural sources of magic can be drawn upon by those who understand, and sometimes are subtly shaped by various forces into the form of beings of Reality, imbued with the power of Fantasy.

Body, Mind, and Soul
Most beings exist on three levels; body, mind, and soul, with each one existing differently. A body is the sort of physical shell within Reality, containing the mind and soul. It has a simple, conventional existence, and lives by simple, conventional rules. The mind and soul exist within the body - not on any other plane or in any other universe - but can act without it.

The mind and soul have different, but similar roles and functions. The mind carries things like thought and memory, and is linked to the body through whatever neural network their body possesses. The soul exists through the circulatory system and maintains emotion and self. A mind has a hard time functioning without a soul, but a soul has even more difficulty existing without a mind to shape it and give it a drive through memory. Minds can exist on their own, while a soul without a mind loses much of its substance.

Any magic used by an experienced mage can easily punch through both mind and soul as easily as it does their physical body, though it cannot affect it in the specific ways more specialized mind and soul-directed magic does. Still - getting a magical hole punched through mind and soul is usually more than enough force in most situations. Experienced mages can also recover from and protect themselves from mental and spiritual damage and attack.

Worlds
As stated earlier, the macrocosm of the universe is formed of countless parallel worlds, layered upon and around each other throughout all of existence. It should be noted that many of these universes have little to no fundamental links to each other - for most purposes, the most relevant link is that between Reality and Fantasy.

Reality and Fantasy have already been described, but there are many other worlds of at least minor relevance when it comes to the cosmological scale of the universe. Again - Reality is the living, breathing, ever-expanding universe that we inhabit; Fantasy is the fluid, flexible world beyond.

Magic
Magic is the ultimate, truest expression of Fantasy. By channelling and manipulating its power, one can define their own laws of Fantasy and apply them to themself, using them to manipulate natural or fantastical forces with ease and reject Reality. Most magic, however, simply manipulates and alters Reality - only the most experienced mages can truly reject it.

However, in action, magic typically involves complicated and precise use of sigils, rituals, and incantations, in addition to long periods of research, calculation, and a deep understanding of both magic and the nature of the macrocosm.

In itself, magic is necessary to achieve a fuller understanding of existence and the macrocosm. To direct it, one needs to not only understand it, but also have the emotional and mental strength to tap into it. (Or, they can use a magical construct designed to do it for them.) One’s magic gains strength through their understanding, emotion and willpower.

There are two magical supertypes.
 * Henosis - direct manipulation of magical forces, and
 * Goetia - indirect manipulation of magical forces, whether through ritual, emotion, incantation, or item.

Henosis: The most natural and ancient form of magic.

Henosis revolves around a deep connection to and a direct manipulation of Fantasy. It does not require any complicated rituals or incantations, but in order to call upon it, mages require fairly high willpower and understanding.

Henosis is vital in most magical theory and research due to being the most simple and watered-down type of magic. It is extremely important and inexorably entwined with most magical calculations. As a result, most mages have at the very least a basic grasp of it.
 * Users: Kyarne and Wren are the most notable users. Virtually every mage in the story uses it, however, with the exception of SOLSTICE.

Goetia: Magic channelled in the form of rituals, sigils, and incantations.

The most common form and variable type of magic. Goetia involves the use of magical rituals, among other things, to draw upon magical energies, but also requires intense emotional connection to one’s magic. Sources for magical energy vary.

Advanced use of Goetia typically involves very complex rituals and incantations, however, that can prove extremely difficult to use without a high level of magical understanding and direction. Most mages have at least rudimentary knowledge of Goetia.
 * Users: EQUINOX, Minna, Neptune, SOLSTICE, and many, many others

Magical Glossary
Angel: A specific type of creature born from natural magical energies within Reality. Due to their magical natures, angels are naturally quite powerful, often possessing mysterious powers that are hard to explain even with magic. Although angels tend to vary wildly, nearly all angels possess wings and halos. The exact nature of an angel’s halo is unknown, although they are apparently vital to their powers and functioning. In addition, a halo designates an angel as a fundamental being of the universe, so they can only be killed through defying Reality with magic.

Angels have been compared to natural magical programs, which is fairly accurate. They have compulsions dictated by their natures, with many of them being singularly devoted to certain causes. In any case, angels are rare and seldom seen. It is possible for beings to become angels through extensive magical devotion and research, but this is even rarer.
 * Fallen Angel: A fallen angel is an angel whose magical essence has been corrupted. Not in an evil sense - more in the way data becomes corrupted. If an angel is a program, a fallen angel is a glitch. Their very existence tears at Reality and changes both it and magic in unnatural ways. The magic they wield can barely be described as magic due to the ways it defies its laws. Fallen angels tend to be erratic and destructive, although many prefer keeping to themselves.

Curse: A type of spell that manipulates Reality to inflict the target with misfortune, increasing the odds of bad things happening and decreasing the odds of things going their way. Stronger mages can make stronger and more specific curses and can resist them as well, and some mages specialize in curses.

Demon: A specific type of creature born from natural magical energies within Reality. Albeit similar to angels in concept, they are very, very different. Demons are little more than hollow magical shells that feed off of dead souls, using them to form new bodies for themselves.

Demons can be summoned through magical contracts. They tend to be predisposed towards destruction, although most demons are fairly self-absorbed and uninterested in causing problems. As with angels, their natural magical natures make them incredibly dangerous. Unlike angels, they are not deemed necessary universal constructs, and are therefore much easier to kill. It is possible, although incredibly rare, for another being to become a demon, usually through some sort of complicated magical ritual. There have even been reports of some angels turning into demons, through methods unknown.

Esper: A term used to refer to a being with a natural disposition towards Henosis, can be used more specifically to refer to those with strong mental (or ‘psychic’) powers.
 * Examples: Kyarne and Wren

Familiar: One of two things: Either way, a witch is stronger when their familiar is present, and a familiar is stronger the closer they are to their witch. Lesser Familiars typically aren’t that strong even when with their witch, however.
 * Lesser Familiar: A formerly normal animal that is magically linked to a witch’s soul and charged with magic by a complex ritual. Lesser Familiars usually take after their witch in terms of personality, thoughts, and beliefs, and are completely loyal to them, essentially functioning as extensions of their soul.
 * Greater Familiar: A magical being that fully willingly linked their own soul to that of another witch. Greater Familiars have a strong mental link with their witch, and often do develop traits similar to theirs due to this link, though this can also work both ways. Although loyal, Greater Familiars still possess free will.

Grimoire: A textbook on magic, containing extensive information on certain branches of magical theory, including rituals, spells, incantations, and other magical techniques. Grimoires are typically infused with magical energies themselves, which can make it difficult to handle them safely. Most mages possess at least one grimoire of their own construction. These personal grimoires are typically compilations of the witch’s research, involving extensive information on their rituals and spells, along with those of others, recorded for their own sake. Often, personal grimoires are specialized towards combat - these are unsurprisingly known as combat grimoires.

Reality Wheel: One of the most advanced and powerful magical techniques. A reality wheel acts as a powerful magical extension of its user. When active, a reality wheel typically manifests in the form of a varying amount of magical circles and rings around the user.

A reality wheel allows its user to change the nature of Reality and its laws within its range by applying their own Fantasy, although the nature and extent of this power varies depending on the mage’s understanding and willpower, as well as the nature of the specific reality wheel.

This does not come without risks, however. Reality wheels are incredibly difficult to use and properly control. In addition, they tend to drain a lot of energy and stamina, making it difficult to use them for extended periods of time, although this can be mitigated by more powerful mages.
 * Superluminal Wheel: A type of reality wheel, created and utilized with the intent of allowing faster-than-light movement. As it is impossible to accelerate to lightspeed or faster according to physics, reality wheels must be used to circumvent this. Most commonly, Superluminal Wheels are used to define one’s self as a distinct universe, in which the speed of light is variable to the user’s desires. This allows them to set the speed of light for themselves at a high value, and then accelerate far above the regular universe’s speed of light fairly easily. Of course, they can’t accelerate their speed infinitely with this - it has its limits. It would normally be impossible to perceive objects moving faster than light, however, magic can be used to sense others with relative ease. Unlike most reality wheels, Superluminal Wheels are not nearly as taxing when it comes to energy and stamina, although they do still drain some.