Magics and Sciences

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**The Elements –**
**As Science –**

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**Ability – (Intelligence, Will,**
Attunement) Based on one’s ability to understand intuitively the process or
‘strings’ of elements that exist in the world, meditation in nature with
respect to that element allows one to understand it too like monks, but
mechanical engineer understand allows nuances, but use the minds (mortals only
can achieve limited scope of mastery).

Many years of training and philosophical intrigue are necessary to understand the processes of the underlying universe and is done so in different ways.

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**Users – Only 15% have the intelligence**
to be able to practice it

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**Practitioner – 4%population**

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**Engineer – 3% population**

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**The Eight Masters**

§   **Reformed Church papalesque figureheads, but are elected based on their**
merit of their knowledge and training and ability

## Structure of The Metaphysics of Nature and the Elements

The conceptions of metaphysics are blurred between religion and science in many cases; there is no singular represtation of reality in Aegoso, of course, but each can interpret it wildly differently.

#### Elemental-Naturalism Interpretation

The most widespread approach is the Elemental-Naturalism interpretation.

**Mana/Olkn**

This underlies everything in the universe. Attaining awareness of this is akin to seeing past the illusions of the universe in Naturalism and akin to seeing the ancient God, for whom the angels and demons fight over, named Olkn

**Energy**

The is the effect of this unseen everythingness on what can be seen - gravity, the flow of energy, heat, bodily energy, ley energy (Purple-blue map), etc.

**Dark -- Light**

Energy diverges into darkness and lightness and makes up everything else in the universe. These too diverge into the elements and seem to describe everything we know of.

In Naturalism, this is seen as the product of human divergence from Mana and thus they are unable to see that dark and light reside within the same force.

In Elementalism, this divergence is antagonistic to Naturalism; dark and light are manifestations of the corruption of Mana and are personified by angels and demons that continually fight in across time and space. (This is not to say that light is good and dark is bad... the dilemma is reminiscent of Templars v. Assassains or Order vs. Chaos\* (not literally))

**Eight Elements:** (Opposites are dichotomous)

Void, Earth, Air, Ice -- Water, Thunder, Fire, Arcane

**Eight Exemplar Virtues**:

Logic, Calmness, Adaption, Tradition/Order -- Individualism/Entrepeneurism, Beauty, Passion, Creativity/Wisdom

**Eight Exemplar Vices:** (Correlates with the virtues in their undeveloped or untrained form)

Heartlessness/Apathy, Sloth/Stagnancy, Disconnection, Cruelty/Wrath -- Greed, Arrogance/Envy, Vengeance, Chaos

(Exposure, etc. with elements affect a person physically and mentally and even changes their personality if not careful.)

### Composition of the Universe

http://theplayfulsoul.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/trigrams.gif and the ba gua

The periodic table maps like the I ching - each element can combine with a another to make the substances that make up the universe

Energy can be tapped into by meditating and philosophical understanding to discover the natural paths, flows, concentrations, etc. of energy. SEE THE WANDERING TAOIST

## Effects of The Elements

### Void

Practicing void magic will inevitably lead to a corruption of the mind and body, called Demon's Mind. Void magic is the least used type of magic due to its tragic and destructive effects on the user and his surroundings. Traditionally, official users are ritually killed to prevent any tragedy from occuring. In fact, the leaders of the Abyssal Council in the religous-magical city of Otshama are ritually sacrified following 1 year of their selection.

Void magic is inherently addictive and results in the following effects:
Bipolarity\* (Extreme, Dangerous Mania and mellow depression, \*in addition to other uncontrollable emotions, especially anger)
Paranoia
Darkening of the Eyes
Skin Paling
Weight Loss
Severe Hallucinations (Usually of a demon leveraging mind and reality, canonically, though not always the case; subjects are known to learn new types of dark magics throught the demon)
Power Hungry Increasingly
Drowsiness
Increased Conduitivity for Void Magic

After roughly 2 years of regular void magic use, the user will either collapse into themselves unexpectedly or be permanently corrupted by the void's chaos and lose all faculty of reason, resulting in an uncontrollable rage. Though not ever recorded, it is suspected that these people would eventually destroy whole swathes of territory, countries, the planet of Aegoso, or possibly the universe if left unchecked, as the void is all-consuming.

Strict rules and guidelines are enforced with usage and is, and has been, outlawed in many parts of the world.
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### Arcane

Arcane magics, unlike their void counterpart, are remarkably easy to understand, control, and master. Their side effects, if not checked on, are just as costly as the destruction caused by void. Arcane users