Intrinsic Fields

## Summary

Intrinsic Fields are elemental forces that are interwoven with the foundations of Creation. They are cosmic forces connecting the natural orders together. They are both sentient and not. They live and yet are nonliving. They act on instinct, but also on thought and calculation. They both defy the natural order of things and yet also define the very same things.

The Intrinsic Fields are the sources of all naturally-found phantasmal essence in the multiverse, much like how the Overvoid is the origins of supernal essence and the Underworld being where infernal essence originated from. Each Intrinsic Field embodies a general concept, the nature of one thing, though each also carries connotations beyond its core concept and many overlaps with other Intrinsic Fields.

They are also ethereal dimensions with space enough for all the Earth and more besides. Its interior is eccentric, everything reflects the Intrinsic Field's nature. Its concept colors the realm's landscapes, creatures, and even its natural laws. Each presents unique challenges to intruders and physical difficulties are commonplace. An Intrinsic Field contains swarms of monsters, birthed naturally from its depths as a by-product of its existence. All thrive in their inhospitable environments. An Intrinsic Field has complete control over its internal features, including its spawns and terrains. It can override any number of monsters within its realm with its own directives, usually little more than instincts to swarm or flee. It can also shift aspects of the realm to make it more threatening to interlopers. Luckily for intruders, the Intrinsic Fields are absent overlord and their simple minds focus on their realms in a grand sense. An Intrinsic Field is too large and complex for a single mind to watch over every aspect of it at every moment, much less the minutiae of its innards.

Governing the realm is the Parliament, a collective body formed of the Intrinsic Field's Avatars, high-ranked Elementals, and deceased Totems. Each Intrinsic Field has its own Parliament. For example: The Green's Parliament of Trees, the Red's Parliament of Limbs, the Black's Parliament of Decay, or the Clear's Parliament of Waves.

### Intrinsic Connection

All beings in Creation are connected to the Intrinsic FIelds. For example: All biological animals have a connection to the Red; all plants have a connection to the Green; all sea life have a connection to the Clear, but those that are animals are also connected to the Red and those that are plants are also connected to the Green; and all sapient life, whether animal or plant or otherwise, have a connection to the Dreaming.

Intensity of standard connections can vary. A healthy human can have a good connection to the Red, but a dying human would have a lower connection; someone who works with animals (ranchers, animal trainers, veterinarians, etc.) would have a higher than average connection, and those who work with plants (farmers, gardeners, etc.) would also have a lowered connection to the Green. And above a general connection, there are those who are intrinsically gifted. These are people who can draw power from an Intrinsic Field beyond just having a basic one-way connection, allowing them to wield preternatural powers even without any talent in magecraft.

### Avatars of the Parliaments

Living within an Intrinsic Field are multiple aspects of its concept. Known as Avatars, these different aspects are connected with different cultures and represent different facets of the Intrinsic Field. They are entities in their own right, complete with personalities, goals, plans, and rivalries. Some of them are on-par with the mightiest of the Gods in terms of power. Many Avatars were worshiped, or at least seen, as ancient Gods by mankind, with some even becoming progenitors and/or ancestors of their affiliated pantheons.

The Avatars of an Intrinsic Field often compete with each other to establish their own authority. They make and break alliances, scheme against their fellow Avatars and wrangle advantages over other Intrinsic Fields. However, after eons spent eking out a solid pecking order one step at a time, they finally know which one of them is on top. Disagreements linger, but whichever Avatar leads the realm has had all the time necessary to cement that position... at least, until something, often an outside factor, upsets the balance.

In the case of the Intrinsic Fields and their Avatars, the whole is less than the sum of its parts. An Intrinsic Field possesses illimitable power, but only vague will to use it. It is not explicitly malicious. Rather, it possesses an instinctive urge to exercise its power, spread its concept, and protect itself from unnatural dangers. Avatars give that vague will definition, turning instinct into desire. Each Avatar commands a significant portion of the Intrinsic Field's power, wielding it with more intelligence and strategic awareness than the unguided Intrinsic Field could. As an Intrinsic Field has multiple Avatars, each brandishing enormous strength, the Intrinsic Field itself is weaker than all its Avatars working in concert.

An Avatar is not the whole of an Intrinsic Field but possesses much of its power, which is an advantage in making war. An Intrinsic Field multiplies its power by fielding its Avatars to fight, many of whom wield powers that can be countered only by the strongest Gods. Each is a separate entity, so the wounds or ailments inflicted on one affect only that one and not any of its sibling-aspects. Some magic transcends that limitation, however, most notably Enochian magic of the Angels and Solomonic magic of the Hellions.

### Venturing Inward

It's possible to enter an Intrinsic Field from several points: The Overvoid, certain Touchstones in the world that correspond to the Intrinsic Field, and the Underworld. However, a voyage into the inner space isn't a fantastic one. Like an enormous body, an Intrinsic Field contains autonomic systems that defend it from intruders. These defenses make up its internal ecosystem, a unique variety of monsters (often Typhonian Beasts) designed to consider newcomers to the environment threats or food and to act accordingly. Most have enough intelligence to attack in a way that affords them the greatest advantage and little more. The efforts of Avatars and intelligent Elementals to guard an Intrinsic Field's realm can co-exist with or displace the more animalistic defense.

### List of Intrinsic Fields

The sixteen Intrinsic Fields are:

* The Green – Connects plant life.
* The Red – Connects animal life.
* The Black (The Rot) - Connects death and decay.
* The Clear (The Blue) - Connects all aquatic life and oceanic-themed elements.
* The White – Connects all air, wind, and every single type of gas or airborne element.
* The Gray – Connects all fungal life.
* The Burn – Connects all fire.
* The Melt – Connects all earth, soil, and minerals.
* The Metal – Connects all metals and technology.
* The Divided – Connects all bacteria, amoebas, and other microscopic forms of life.
* The Light – Connects all light.
* The Darkness – Connects all shadows and darkness.
* The Dreaming – Connects all thoughts, dreams, and nightmares.
* The Speedforce – The force that pushes time forward and expands space.
* The Unity – The force the binds the Intrinsic Fields together.
* The Order – The force that maintains the balance of the natural orders.

## Trivia and Notes

### Trivia

* Dragons are reptilian creatures of great power. They have natural ties to the Intrinsic Fields, allowing them to master such disciplines with little effort. Among them, Western Dragons tend to align themselves with the Burn, while Eastern Dragons often chose either the Clear or the White.
* Using magic to temporarily tap into an Intrinsic Field isn't the same as being intrinsically gifted. However, depending on the spell or ritual used, it can establish a long-lasting connection or set the groundwork for a more permanent connection.
* Among the Intrinsic Fields, there exists an alliance among five Intrinsic Fields known as the Parliament of Earth. It consists of the Green of organic life, the Red who stands for animal savagery, the Blue who represents the power of the oceans, the White for the power of the atmosphere, and the Black who embodies decay. The alliance is formed to protect the Earth from extraterrestrial threats.
* While most - if not all - of the Intrinsic Fields have several Avatars, not all of them have its own Parliament. The most notable examples include the Metal and the Unity, though it is possible that the former may develop its own Parliament in the future.
* Despite popular beliefs, being an Avatar of an Intrinsic Field doesn't automatically mean you are created by the Intrinsic Field. To become an Avatar, one must become a master at manipulating essence of that particular Intrinsic Field to such degrees that the will of the Intrinsic Field itself reaches out to them with the proposal of endorsement. Across the existing Parliaments, you will find Avatars of various origins, the majority of whom are Gods or Dragons, with a handful of Forsaken Elders, Greater Demons, Downworlders, and even some Celestials.

### Notes

* The Intrinsic Fields are a combination of the Elemental Realms from DC Comics and the Greater Titans from Scion (First Edition).
	+ The term "Intrinsic Fields" is from the movie Watchmen.