Istredd's Notes on General Abraxas Things
Sep. 6th, 2023 02:20 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
magicalarchaeologistThe Singularity is considered the center of all magic within this realm. There are theories that it may be connected to every other sphere in the multiverse. We can see it within the Horizon, but it also exists in the real world in the Badlands, surrounded by a crater. The only time it is safe to go near the crater is during the Dimming, the end of the year when the Singularity drops in power. Otherwise it will send you immediately into the Horizon, which is the psychic plane we all have access to.
The Singularity has an intimate connection with all of us Summoned. It is not just a rock, it is a living entity, although in no way human nor should people project human traits on it. It allows us to use the Horizon for our domains. Occasionally you may find that you have new supernatural abilities that we believe is bestowed on us from the Singularity's magic. We do not know much about it, although it clearly cared enough to reach out before the monsters appeared to warn us. Thorne believes that the Singularity has been waning in power over years. The Free Cities believes that destroying the Singularity eventually is the way to stop overreliance on magic. Their plans for that may take time, but it is of serious concern. Solvunn thinks everyone should leave it be.
I (Istredd) believe the Singularity is of utmost importance. If there is any chance that it is in fact connected to every sphere, it should be protected in case of actions here having a dangerous effect throughout the universes. Because of that, we want to keep an eye on the Free Cities and their plans, and have protections in place.
There are a few types of magic known and used actively in this world. Academic Magic is primarily used in Thorne, it is learning written and spoken spells from books and trained in an official capacity. Most of this is in Thorne, but I have placed some memorized books of Academic Magic within my domain. People should be able to learn from them here, if they need to.
New Magic is the branch between Academic Magic and modern technology, primarily used by the Free Cities. I don't know much about it, so if anyone would like to add, please do. High Magic is used in Solvunn and it requires magic that also connects to the gods, requests their blessing or boon. I have heard that Wild Magic comes from emotions and instincts rather than learned. The Fey have their own magic and I don't know how they use it.
The Horizon is a place on the psychic plane, although also maybe spiritual in nature. The natives cannot get into here so it is a safe space to talk. You can create anything your mind imagines and design your own domains. You can taste food and drinks here but be aware it does not sustain your body on the outside. Whatever physically happens to you in here does not translate to your actual body.
The first time you come to the Horizon, you will lose all of your memory. That is why we recommend going with someone else for the first time, so you have a better chance of getting out of it safely. The second time you will have your memory. I always think of this as something of a mind reset, our normal minds aren't prepared for a psychic plane this strong so it clears out space for understanding it.
While it does seem like this space is completely controlled by us, it must be noted that there have been times the Horizon suffers from the same problems as the rest of us. During the nightmares, they were bleeding into the Horizon and haunting people. When the god heralds were around, they were trapping us inside our own domains or into new spaces (like a labyrinth) entirely. There is risk in being here so be aware and prepared.
Someone from another sphere told me the letters that appear in front of our eyes could be considered a "network." It connects us to one another and allows very quick communication, either to all Summoned or to specific people. Sometimes it can be very irritating and get in the way of something else you're doing when the letters keep appearing, but you can shut it off. We believe this is part of the mental connections between us and the Singularity. You can also draw pictures upon it.
There is a pantheon at my library, but I know this is a major concern for some of the Summoned. The gods do exist in this world, we have had direct experiences with them. Some bad, like when the heralds decided to affect the continent, and some good, such as a few Summoned meeting personally with one or two. There appear to be two kinds of gods, the "Old Gods" who have been around since the beginning, and "New Gods" who were created by them later.
There is some speculation that the "New Gods" may be more than they appear and connected to the original Summoned from thousands of years ago, but there is no proof of that theory for right now.****
*** We have proof now that this is accurate. Due to the group vision given to us by the clown god, and his underlining insistence that we are like them (he's a New God), it is clear that this was a sign of things to come. Zorne's message only made it more clear.
I don't believe there is cause to immediately assume that the gods are evil or want to cause chaos here. Until the Summoned arrived, they apparently were content to just appear to their worshippers and not impact everywhere. So are we the problem? Are they reacting to powerful outworlders connected to the Singularity? Unknown. But there are a few Summoned trying to find out. I caution anyone from making moves against the gods as of now. We don't know if harming them would rip apart the very fabric of this land.
There are several locations of importance. I am including places not only where we Summoned live, since it's all part of the same map.
Thorne: The original place of the Summoned. The Summoned are kept within the castle here or the nearby town. Meals, housing, and clothing are provided for us but it is not encouraged much to make our own way financially. Thorne was run by Queen Ellya and King Brydan, but they were murdered and we are now run by King Rudolph Sidwel and his wife Lia. Ambrose Rhett, the mage who started all of this, is now in Nott and the new High Mage is Mace. For now they are keeping an eye on us and we on them, but there is no trust between us. The people for now seem to have accepted their new monarchs with minimal fuss.
Castle Thorne also includes the nearby town and businesses. Other locations of importance: Nott, a poor fishing town that hates the monarchy. Hayle, a center of learning with the university that trains major mages. Borrel, the seat of the military and also a beach area.
The Free Cities: Once owned by Thorne many years ago, they fought for their independence and have a series of elected officials. They are very focused on technology, universities in science and progress, and a more bustling city life. Locations include Cadens, a desert city where the Summoned live; Aquila, a beach tourist place; Libertas, a center of art and freedom of expression; Fomalhaut, a place where those infected with Heartwood reside. There is also the Badlands where many monsters and bandits live, I'm told. Recently the war between the Free Cities and Thorne began. They attacked the Free Cities at the same time as the coup and infected them with Heartwood.
Solvunn: A farm-heavy land that also used to be owned by Thorne until achieving independence. It is said that the High Mage who was exiled from Thorne thousands of years ago for doing the first Summoning founded Solvunn. Food for thought. It is a very communal space and religion-heavy. Also apparently a great deal of goats. I don't know the differences between the settlements. Recently Solvunn moved away from its neutrality to assist the Free Cities in combat against Thorne. Perhaps they are concerned that the new monarchs will turn their eye to Solvunn after winning that war.
Nocwich: Nocwich is home to two separate groups, Ikorr, home of the vampires and Luna, home of the werewolves. Technically neither of them "own" Nocwich so it's in dispute. A long time ago a spell was cast for eternal night within the space, and the two species enjoy that aspect. The Summoned are allowed to visit the first weekend of every month to Oleuni Square and meet in person. They have excellent theater there and impressive hunting grounds. We have access now to visit both locations.
The Feywilds: Physically below Nocwich, the Fey were hunted nearly to extermination by Thorne thousands of years ago. They disappeared for a time, only to reappear and take over this piece of land, but locked everyone out of it. Until recently, they allowed the Summoned to visit. They're an interesting group with their own magic, their own hunting ground and animals, and their own customs. They're small in stature and don't particularly like tall people, so I was always at a disadvantage. They love masquerade balls and costumes. They have their own goddess and do not recognize the others, she appears to be a moon or sky goddess.
The Nether: The Summoned were recently invited to the Nether because their dragons had become ill after the rifts tore apart reality here and dropped monsters everywhere. We negotiated on behalf of the three factions for trades between us and them, and then we were allowed with new resources to go to the Nether. There we all worked hard to create a cure for the dragons. The Daemons/Draconae are withdrawn from the world but they seemed relatively friendly when we were there. They appreciate craftsmanship, blacksmithy, cooking, and seem to be an open and close environment. It is within a volcano.
