Markanism

**Markanism,** known in the Nameless World by many names based off region**,** is a set of principles and belief that there exists a spiritual "mark" on everything caused by energy/magic, and living beings in turn produces marks on non-living things and give them a spiritual essence.

## Overview

This belief encapsulates the idea that every living thing contains magic, just that mages are capable of voluntarily expressing magic, while non-mages simply imprint, or "mark", their magic on non-living things, giving them a spiritual mark and therefore are capable of committing action which might be considered outside of their control by those outside of the belief, such as a rock falling.

This in a sense creates an idea of a "circle of life" where non-living things are given energy and therefore produce actions, providing things for living things which in turn give energy, in a cyclic sense.

Example: A deer steps on a rock, giving it the mark to move, and the rock falls, blocking off a stream. The stream dries up, causing the plants to die out, and the deer starves to death. The deer's corpse feeds the mushrooms and scavengers, which lets more things be born, letting them move the rocks and free up the stream, and the process repeats itself. Or a farmer tills the soil, stirring it up with the energy to help seeds grow, which in turn give the soil energy to help more plants grow, etc.

Markanism is a belief which matches up with schools of thought that regard cause and effect, and more importantly Amaranthism, with the belief that individuals who achieve that state become interconnected with everything in the universe, giving it energy and therefore causing mass action, especially great control over their reality resulting in the cycle being always upkept.

## By Culture

**In the Nameless World**

In the Nameless World, especially of the indigenous cultural groups who dominate the area, Markanism, referred in many different names and through different interpretations by many cultural groups, especially based off climate and ecosystem harshness. In the more eastern, woodland and mountainous parts of the Nameless World, Markanism is usually referred to as Hnagda (huh-nahg-dah), and in the more desert, barren, and dangerous parts it can be referred to as Ageda (ah-geh-dah). These pertain to the idea of Markanism being an action of direct intention, or consequences of action respectively. ￼

**In the Named World**

Markanism is more regarded as a school of thought in the northern area of the Named World, such as Ertho. In the more southern parts such as Midrun and especially in the regions which were influenced by the Naazcan Empire, Markanism is explained as a "domino effect" like constantly occuring event where it is constantly being caused by a previous action. According to a philosopher of the Veroht High Culture Period in the Udjh region, Markanism (referred to as the First Wind): "God (not referring to any particular god or implying monotheism, most likely referring to a universal spirit/idea of sentient energy) gave the first breath which became the wind, and the wind whistled among the oasis and sands which provided the hand to give life to the seed which became the paradise of the dying beast. And that tree which was known as paradise was the Next Wind."