Theory of Magic, Pt 3

Planes of Existence

A Plane is a large manifested reality. For the sake of instruction it is necessary to define two terms. The first, “Reality-Plane” refers to a Plane of existence with emphasis on the fact that it is a Reality. The second term, “Planar-Reality" refers to the environment created by a Reality-Plane. This environment includes physical laws and other foundations of existence.

It is helpful to think of a Reality-Plane as a container for a Planar-Reality. A Reality-Plane gives rise to a Planar-Reality by creating the physical laws and materials that make existence possible, such as: matter, energy, gravity, electro-magnetism, force, acceleration, mass, inertia, and so on. This means that a change in the Essence that affects the Reality-Plane will directly affect the Planar-Reality. The objects contained in a Planar-Reality are manifestations of the essence.

Planes classification

The difference between Planes depends upon their stability and their types of Planar-Realities. Many times Reality-Planes can intersect and give rise to other Reality-Planes with higher degrees of Strong Order. Some Planes can exist only as unions or intersections between different planes within a Nexus.

Physical plane

This is the kind of world and universe we know of as material. Physical planes are shaped and governed by the physical laws of the reality plane in which they reside. A Physical Plane has the greatest level of Order and stability but is a Reality that emerges only by an intersection of Ethereal and Spiritual Planes.

Ethereal plane

The Ethereal Plane arises from a combination of two or more Spiritual Planes with an increased amount of Mana and a higher order that emerges as a result. On the Ethereal Plane a type of Spiritual Matter emerges that envelops spiritual entities and Psyches, clothing them in Spiritual forms. It is here that the Soul manifests and can access Mana in preparation to being manifested in a corporeal form on a Physical Plane.

Spiritual plane

The Spiritual Plane is not manifested with materially as is the Physical and Ethereal Planes. Within the Spiritual Plane there is no true matter, only Psyche (the intelligent consciousness of an entity,) perceptions and emotions. It is in such a Plane that the identity, consciousness and personality of a Psyche can have a sensible manifestation. The lack of true matter means that an experience on a Spiritual Plane is shaped almost exclusively by the beliefs and perceptions of the consciousness’s of those residing on the Plane. Depending on the personality of each being, the Planar-Reality can be quite different. In fact, it is shaped dynamically by the intelligences that inhabit it.

Theory of Magic, Pt2

Reality Manifestation

When a Strong Order arises a Reality may be born. Realities are the most important manifestations because they are the vessels for all other higher order manifestations. Realities provide the structures and laws that allow the existence, growth and change of all other things. Without a reality there can be no existence as we know it.

A Reality is formed when multiple Streams of Essence converge and intersect at a point known as a Nexus. When a Reality is first formed it must attain stability. Nothing we know of can force a Nexus to become stable. It either remains or, in an instant, dissipates, descending back into chaos. Nexus are continually born and die, but every so often, one remains. Some survive for a day, some a year, some a millennium, other have persisted for eons or longer; eventually they will all perish.

Once a Reality becomes stable it is very difficult to effect permanent change in it without an equally permanent intervention in the Streams that give rise to the Reality. One way to think of a Reality is as an island of stability in an ocean of chaos.

Theory of Magic, pt1

Mana and the Essence

Magic is the substance of all things, of all life and of all manifestations. Magic, also called Mana or “the Essence,” (as in the essence of all creation) is the primal energy of the universe; the stuff from which the universe itself sprung. Many believe that Mana is a part of the original Creator or is itself the Creator. It is true that in our lands there have been a great number of god-like creatures and supernatural beings. In the heavens many say that there are a great number of Gods; but none of them created the Essence. The great truth as taught by the ancient arch mage KuKulcan is that Magic existed before all. This truth was the reason the ancient sorcerers rebelled against him. Devout to their gods they considered it a great heresy. Thankfully this heresy has freed us to pursue magic in its pure form, according to our own desires.

The apprentice may ask, “What does Mana look like?” The Essence itself cannot be seen, instead it can only be imagined by as an infinite sea with countless waves and ripples moving across its surface. All things are made from the Essence and it continues to move through all things.

The true nature of Mana or the Essence is a pure and infinite chaos of potentialities in an eternal state of flux. It surrounds us, permeates us, it is us. Two of the great mysteries are that from this chaos there arises order and that by magnifying this chaos greater order arises. As order is produced the Essence manifests itself by creating a reality or something within an existing reality.

The Essence can exist in an infinite number of states from pure chaos to strict order. Pure chaos is really an ocean of potentialities that always produces some small amounts of order. We call these the Weak Orders. The Weak Orders continually form and dissipate back into the seas of chaos in an instant; only when they become stronger, Strong Orders, do they remain as manifestations as realities or manifestations within the realities that we inhabit.

In between the pure Chaos and Weak Orders are phenomenon known as the Streams of Essence. These Streams are the currents in the Essence that move around and through us. They are organized, but not strongly enough to produce true order; hovering at the edge of manifestation. These streams of essence can create specific manifestations. Only the manifestations of the Essence can be observed because all of the observers are themselves manifestations. 

The Väsen

No man, who is not inflamed by vain-glory into enthusiasm, can flatter himself that his single, unsupported, desultory, unsystematic endeavours are of power to defeat the subtle designs and united Cabals of ambitious citizens. When bad men combine, the good must associate; else they will fall, one by one, an unpitied sacrifice in a contemptible struggle.

I would, that it were so easy....

The world of is locked in a struggle. In-corruption puts on corruption and fires her vacuous arrows of righteousness into a darkness she cannot pierce. Not because light cannot rend it asunder but because you cannot play in the dirt without staining your clothes, and she has long been wallowing in filth.

Once, she had many names: Sol'Väsen, guardian, light bringer, slayer of the hordes, bane of the Mör’ Väsen, but she came to the realisation that rent her soul in twain and shattered her faith. Her Väsen, no longer deserved salvation.

At first glance nothing seems amiss, but even the simple common folk can smell the rot in the air. All is not well. Hidden within all of the civilizations, cultures and nationalities of Khardan are the great cabals. No one knows how these machinations came to be, only that they exist in three great combinations called the Väsen. The cabals within each Väsen share similar symbols, iconography, principles and often form political affiliations and orders which can span both races, cultures and broad geographies.

The cabals of the Väsen are most often secret orders, their memberships are guarded jealously and identification is protected by secret knowledge known only by the initiated. Sometimes common key words are used, sometimes signs, tokens or gestures identify members to each other while other less sacred signs are used to identify members of allied cabals. Almost always, there are specific rituals for induction and advancement within these orders as well as emergency calls that identify a brother or sister in need of immediate aid.

Sol’ Väsen – These Väsen often bear the symbol of the Celestial Sun. The Sol’ Väsen are the so called righteous defenders of peace, order, freedom and truth. When Sol’ Väsen are immortal species they are often ancients, who remembering the tyranny of darker times strive for the rule of law as a provider of peace and harmony. The Sol’Väsen are not, however, all benevolent. Their long struggle against the Mör Väsen has tainted many of them. They are likely to be as oppressive, dictatorial and corrupt as they are peaceful and benevolent.

Jor’ Väsen – The Väsen of the lesser light or false light, bear symbols of the moons, stars and flame, The Jor’ Väsen are somewhat benevolent and include those who may be both sympathetic and apathetic to the highly vaunted principles of morality, but are not wholly evil. Jor’ Väsen do not thrive in the full light of the Celestial but they also shun the Darkness. Jor’Väsen fight as often for what suits them as for what they believe is right. Often that can mean allying with the Mör’Väsen as often as the Sol’Väsen.

Mör’ Väsen – The brotherhoods of eternal Night vary widely in their symbols and standards and are not always easily identifiable. The Mör’ Väsen consist of combinations that are of varying degrees of wicked from the malicious to the malignant. They are not all wholly evil, but they thrive and draw power from the darkness, from chaos and the true freedom that comes from living in shadow and anonymity.

Within both the Sol’ Väsen and Mor’ Väsen exist terrorist-like extremists. These individuals exhibit the most extreme ideological characteristics of their groups and are distinguished from the others by the name prefix Ren. i.e. a Ren Mör’ Väsen denotes an extremely evil character while a Ren Sol’ Väsen would be either an extremely righteous character or at least self-righteous. 

Nightmares with dreams of hope; what is Lycadican?

Lycadican is a role playing game with both fantasy and horror thematic elements. When I think about what this means my mind whispers to me "Nightmares with dreams of hope." The mood of Lycadican could very well be summed up by things I've experienced a lot of lately, sleeplessness, waking suddenly from nightmares with a sense of impending terror pierced by cherished moments of peace and a desperate hope.

I've had a lot of nightmares and a lot of dreams but for 20 years there are some that have stayed with me. No matter what I was doing or what I was aspiring to these ghosts have always possessed me.

Soucouyant

The first was a role playing game that brought the fantastic possibilities of magic and the supernatural to life. Not with conventional wizards that need to memorize spells and priests who pray to gods for 'blessings' that are essentially spells; but instead one where magic of all kinds and forms could exist in a way that is connected to the fabric of life. One that engages players to be the creative forces behind their own magical practices. Player characters should have their own arcane tomes and these they should covet greedily, passing their secrets on only to other characters they choose to mentor.

Loup Garou

The second was a way to infuse the fantasy I read with the superstition from my childhood, but not in a familiar way. It should be something new with echos of the familiar. It should be fantasy but feel somewhat like a story of the supernatural; fantasy but feel like horror. I wanted to create something new and someone once told me that my greatest strengths would be in my own experience.

At an early age my life was consumed by stories and a belief in the reality of the supernatural. In the dark of night my brothers and cousins told each other terrifying stories of evil spirits and tales of Caribbean monsters like the Soucouyant and Loup Garou. Our parents followed superstitious practices designed to ward off or keep these unholy forces at bay and we had what we believed were direct interactions with evil spirits. At times our home was besieged by the forces of darkness. We had dreams of evil portents and called holy men to say prayers and lay blessings to guard us. I still recall as vividly as if it were yesterday, being attacked by evil spirits on a number of occasions as a young child. Now we have a scientific word for that, sleep paralysis, but it was so terrifying that it has forever embedded itself into my consciousness.

But that was a long long time ago, a time that seems as much a disturbing dream you had a week ago than something you lived.

I grew up and forgot all about the magic of my past. I went to university and there was a logical/rational explanation for everything. But those ghosts were never exorcised; I studied Anthropology, Religious Studies and Archaeology. Then I got married, had kids and took a career in technology. Like a Soucouyant I shed my old skin and blazed a new trail of the rational and practical. I never told my children about evil spirits. I didn't play another role playing game for more than 20 years. I became a successful enterprise architect (IT super geek) and yearned to become an entrepreneur.

Corrupted Angel

Then a few months ago I stopped sleeping and when I did I dreamed terrible dreams. In one of those
dreams I saw the heavenly light of the world dim and the forces of darkness from my childhood spilled out from the recesses of my mind where they had stayed, locked away. The light fought to hold it back but it could not. The light had become just as corrupt as the darkness and in so had lost all moral authority to rebuke it. When I awoke the following thought came to mind:

"He who fights monsters should see to it that he himself does not become a monster. And if you gaze for long into an abyss, the abyss gazes also into you."

— Friedrich Nietzsche, Beyond Good and Evil

This is Lycadican, a fantasy horror game that weaves magic and myth together; where the world is slipping into nightmare and the light has become the very thing it was fighting. You can no longer distinguish between good and evil which is unfortunate because evil will follow you home and strangle you in your sleep if you do not know how to ward it off.