Curious Volumes of Forgotten Lore
Ah, distinctly I remember...
Curious Volumes of Forgotten Lore
Ah, distinctly I remember...
Stability is the underlying agency of all things to find order in chaos.
In its natural state, Stability expands to fill its container; The definition of container is fuzzy, as it could refer to a channeled-spell, cohesivity-enhanced reservoir or Heart. Of course, Personification cannot occur outside of a very specific structure that is still not well understood; Artificial attempts to force more Stability into one container still somehow leaves it spread too thin.
Depending on its container, Stability is able to absorb amounts of ascension lesser than itself in a process similar to photosynthesis- larger amounts of ascension, especially when acting as a solid or cohesive weave cannot be absorbed. Equivalent amounts of Ascension and Stability form an observable gravitational binary.
Absorbed ascension refines Stability, creating a denser version of the original substance.
Cohesivity realizes Stability’s containing matter, bridging its connection to a reservoir—or the material plane—and facilitates force osmosis. The stronger source of Stability reinforces the weaker.
However, if sufficient force is applied through a concentrated source of Cohesivity, the container may leak, fracture, or break, causing its Stability to disperse.
Stability generally resists most forms of Fortune; however, when a sufficient amount is channeled into it, it produces an oscillating effect in which the source of Stability appears to exist in multiple states at once.
The mechanism by which Stability reinstates is not fully understood—as if a decision is made, at which point the source suddenly exits its superposition and resolves into a singular state.
Ascension that exists in the material plane is almost always in a volatile state, and is most often formed as a byproduct of force degradation—such as when sources of Stability are destroyed, or decay through the natural aging process. In many cases, the resulting Ascension emerges not only from the Stability itself, but from its container—often a Heart: Integral to the function and continuity of form.
Despite its volatility, Ascension exists almost everywhere at the edge of reality- This, combined with its malleability, allows those with practice to draw it forth into reality creating various physical effects depending on the metaphysical container, (i.e. spell weave) provided.
Fortune, conversely, is the furthest away from the boundaries of our reality. It does not press inward like Ascension, but flows around existence, influencing outcomes through resonance, chance, and unseen alignment.
When it does intersect with physical reality it is nearly impossible to predict exactly what will happen in any given moment.
Cohesivity, as with its interactions with Stability, is the most commonly utilized method of maintaining and manipulating any source of Force on the material plane. It serves as both a conduit and a structuring agent, allowing force to pass through, bind to, or detach from its container with intent and precision.
Entropy is the least visible force. It usually does not interact with reality directly, but instead unthreads structure over time, reducing all things to their most fundamental, inert states. Though rare, physical manifestations of Entropy exist in composite state of inert reality, and is fatal to most living things if a high enough concentration of it intersects with it's source. As with all forces, Entropy is neither good, nor evil; And it has no volition, or agency.
Therefore, Forces are not inherently inaccessible to anyone as most material-chronographic sections do not have an executive personification of any given Force with few, quite notable, exceptions. I hold it is not ones connection, lineage, or by any other external method; what decides one's aptitude for manipulating unaligned ascension.
Ascension's—in particular—unique property is that it can be found anywhere, leading some to categorize it as an interpolatory force; Many others find such an assignment needlessly reductive as all forces can, and often do, intermix to form complex interactions, and are present in most material locations even if a primary-catalyzation is not in effect.
Regardless of which interpretation you choose to use, it's crucial to remember this is simply a framework for basing your research upon, as the truth of such matters is likely far beyond our current understanding lending little benefit to squabbling over semantical issues.
I say all of this to reassure you: With diligent practice, and the proper levels of capacity, each of you have the potential to reach whatever you set your hearts to.
Sapient Lost [Classified]
Not all who become Lost entirely lose themselves. It’s unknown what phenomenon renders these individuals capable of retraining sapience.
All prior signs of turning are present—Greying of the skin, blackened blood that coagulates quickly, loss of hair, cognitive decline.
However, instead of fully turning into mindless creatures, some self-awareness remains.
Of the two such cases, both have manifested abilities similar to those of exceptionally powerful Lost. Power of this magnitude combined with a human-level of intelligence poses a serious threat to this City’s continued survival.
In both instances, they do not appear to retain memories, which does little to reassure me of their trustworthiness,
no matter how this new one may act.
Cmdr. Barret
…
Hearts [Classified]
Hearts recovered from dispatched Lost share the same outward appearance as those of human, or large beasts’. The key difference lies in the coloration, and reactivity of their contents. “Lost Hearts” are filled with a vibrant blue-light, with no trace of golden. Reports also indicate solidification occurs instantly, instead of over the course of minutes. Additionally these Hearts seem to have the potential to be used as a power source; A small heart attached with silver wires powered a series of light bulbs continuously for two weeks. This potential, I believe, has obvious connotations. I recognize that it may prove distasteful to some, but we may have been overlooking the answer to our power-related issues—Only so many functional generators remain.
…
The Shroud Containing Metal [Classified]
With confirmation by [redacted] the solid-mist dome found South of Luv, near the Old Battlefield only allows her ingress and by her report, a one meter spike made of a silver and black metal is present at the epicenter of a split in the ground. Strangely there is an observable time-dilating effect for an individual inside of the dome—a discrepancy we observed running several tests.
Suddenly there came a tapping,
As of someone gently rapping...