Theory of sorcery lore

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The theory of sorcery is a **Thousand crown project**'s magic system intended for in game and metagame uses.

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PAGE / SYSTEM is a WIP

## The theory : summary

Any technology sufficiently advanced is indistinguishable from magic. -Arthur C. Clarke

Any sufficiently analyzed magic is indistinguishable from science! - TV tropes

## Metagame manifesto and faq :

This page is both an in lore system of magic and a meta system for usage by different nations, harmonizing the world understanding of magic, please see here Theory of sorcery meta for more detail about the meta practice of the Theory of sorcery.

## Concepts :

### Thaum (unit of measure) :

Smallest measurable unit of energy. Basic unit of the thaumaturgique measurement method. Named after the renowned sorcerer Thaum N'Jeremiah.

### Dimensions:

A direction, perpendicular to other dimensions. The Universe is composed of 4 spatial dimensions, of which 3 (x,y,z) are continuous, and 1 (w) discontinuous, and a temporal dimension (t). Because the w dimension is discontinuous, Planes of 3 dimensions can be counted.

### Planes :

A 3D space located within the Universe, sharing the same w coordinate.

### Realms:

Our Plane is composed of 2 realms: The Material Realm and The Immaterial Realm. These two realms seldom interact with each other, but in the cases they do, they manifest themselves as 'magic'.

### Energy :

Energies can be material or immaterial, depending on their original realm. Both types of energies can naturally affect their usual plane of residency. For them to affect the other realm of a plane, they need to be processed in a way (most commonly referred to magic by civilized races or wazzocks by Dwarfs).

#### Note about physical Energies :

This theory isn't made to explain the use of natural material energy, which is the domain of classical sciences. It strives to explain sorcerous energies and practices. Altough as it can be processed as part of sorcery and in a spirit of completion, here is a word about classical material energies. The physical energy is native to the material plane, it comes in different forms also known as kinetic energy or thermal energy for instance. These energies follow the laws of what is known as the thermodynamics unless upset by sorcery (immaterial energies). They can and will be processed in multiples aspects of what is communally referred to as magic.

## Magical cosmogonie : the planes of reality

### Plane of reality (definitions) :

A plane of reality is a 3D space located within the 4D Universe that shares the same w coordinate, and is ruled by a coherent rule of natural laws. Each plane of reality has its own set of rule that is unique to it, but rules tend to be shared by adjacent plans. Example of rules can range from gravity based physics to non euclidean geometry. In some plane local rules could even make it be a place where everything is made from a fire that need no combustible or air, some plane could have ice replacing air, and be on fire.

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Dimension are classified in order, from our material reality to a theoric realm of infinite pure energies that a physical brain can't start to even fathom.

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#### Pure magic plane (or prime plane, original plane) :

The pure magic plane, or highest plane of energy, is a theorized and seemingly unattainable plane consitued by what seems to be pure energies melded together and ruled by laws impossible to understand. There are varying conflicting theories about what it is, what it does and how it works. Nobody being able to prove anything about it, not even its definite existence. Some theories posit it is a system of different planes always in interaction.

What is defined about this conceptual plane is that it is the origin of all immaterial (magical) energies, and it is theorized to be the destination of their decayed remains. How it can continuously spew energy and not bloat in decayed remains of void energy is unknown.

#### Higher planes :

Higher planes are also called magical realms or dimensions in a lot of cultures around the world.

#### Local case : the Material plane

The material plane, also called the mortal world, or in layman terms : our dimension.

#### Local case : Sub-Material Planes

The material plane also connects to many sub planes. They vary in position and could be considered actual parts of the Material plane for they mostly act the same way, though also they act slightly different as not all the variables that affect the main mortal world have affected the sub-planes. Many of these planes are so small they are unnoticeable. These material sub-planes can be classified into two groups - external and internal. External sub-planes have generally weaker connections to the material plane and may even slip away into the nothing - floating forever in a sea of void that suffocates and imprisons it. They are connected through usually one point, and are able to move around easier than internal sub-planes. They are much stranger than the material plane due to their less connection with it, and also they may contain more of certain energies and can be similar to higher dimensions due to their ability to move and possibility of them interacting with higher planes. Internal sub-planes however are stuck inside the material plane and don't move as far as external sub-planes (in comparison to the entire material plane as to a person residing on a planet they would move very far). They have stronger connections to the material plane and sometimes - after much time - the dimensional porosity of them become so great that they eventually join with the material realm. Many have multiple entrances and bend our concept of space-time due to their difference in physical laws, and so may be used to travel far distances through a short journey in a sub-plane.

### Dimensional veils :

Barriers between dimensions / planes of existence. This is measured in distance between Planes through the w coordinate.

#### Dimensional porosity :

Property of the dimensional veils, letting energy slip from one realm to another.

WIP

## The immaterial energies

### Vitae or Life energy (energy) :

Also known as life/vital essence or life energy. A creature vital's essence, what enable it to move, produced and consumed at varying rates by every living thing. As every living organism generate vitae, even bacteria, it is omnipresent in the material plane, even if quite inert. Some beings are able to manipulate and refine vitae itself inside their anima or with their spiritual roots, either by reshaping their vital essence or absorbing more of it from the environment. If not properly stored inside a living being, vitae tend to degrade over time once it has been used by the organism (see Lacunae).

### Sophiae or Qi (energy) :

Also named Qi in Razgatal or spiritual energy, it is a form of refined vital energy, filtered through the spiritual root.

### Idae or Mana (energy) :

Also known as mana and astral energy, an energy coming in the material plane from higher more magical dimensions. It seeps in the material plane thanks to the dimensional veils porosity. "Mana" is a type of astral energy that enables an agent to inflict its will upon the material world to create unnatural phenomenon, like magical fire, lightning or raising a wall of pure force.

#### Materialization of mana :

As a force interacting with the material world, mana has the ability to combine with lots of substances like water or iron ore and modify their natural properties, the purest form of material mana accretion would be the mana crystal.

### Lacunae or Necrotic (energy) :

The fourth and last, is void energy, also called necrotic energy. Very unstable and short-lived, it does appear as the other three tend to degrade. Of these, only vitae normally degrades naturally as time goes. If materialized long enough, necrotic energy has a propensity to combine with the other energies to replicate itself at an exponential rate. It tends to be attributed by valkadian scientists as the prime source of cell degradation in living beings.

## Vessels :

### Will (unit of sentience) :

The unit of conscience and sentience. Any life or object that is able to pass judgement and act is said to have Will.

#### Categorization of Will:

Will must have a Vessel with which to interact with the world. Its Vessel in the Material Realm is called the Body, while its Vessel in the Immaterial Realm is called the Soul (Anima). A Will with Body and Soul is Life, Will with Body but without Soul are Homunculi, Will without Body but with Soul are Spirits, while Will without both cannot interact with the world, and is thus irrelevant.

Classification of Will (As proposed by Miron)
 Without Soul

Just as the Body labors on the Material Realm to change it to its liking, the Soul labors on the Immaterial Realm to change it to its liking. This is called 'Sorcery', and if the effects of Sorcery can be seen in the Material Realm, it is called 'Magic'.

Just as the Body uses Material mediums such as light and sound to communicate, the Soul uses Immaterial mediums to communicate with each other. This is called Telepathy.

### Anima (vessel) :

Anima, sometimes also called the soul, (a point of contention between many cultures and religions,) is a vessel for the multiples types of energy that happen to congregate in most sentient beings in the material plane. Nobody knows if anima is a cause or a consequence of sentience, or even a requirement to evolve sentience. As a vessel it is also what seems drives sentient being, it's the immaterial imprint of someone mind, holding it's potential, emotions and memories.

#### The anima's structure :

The soul has three parts, the shell, the amygdala and the core.The shell is the concrete manifestation of a being's will, it's the defensive part of the anima, made to resist outside intrusion and keep the vessel cohesive. The amygdala is a metaphorical storage chamber made to hold and process energies, as the anima engine (see other definitions), permiting it to continue to stay in the material plane as one coherent manifestation, and sometime use the energies to produce material (physical) or ethereal (sorcerous) effect. The last part is the core, which holds the memories and the emotions of a sentient being.

#### Resiliency of the anima :

The Anima itself can't be fully destroyed by another being. It can be mangled, drained, recycled, refurbished, modified and harmed even fused together, but the core cannot be fully extinguished by another being's action, only death might make it vanish. Upon death and without outside interaction, most of the anima will dissolve back into the higher planes of reality, while its core might stay within the material real, for better or worse.

### Spiritual root (vessel) :

Is a metaphysical part of a being that anchors their immaterial Anima to the material part of the being ; it also serves as a filter for energies passing through it, most notoriously vitae that gets refined and transformed into sophiae.

## Key figures of the field :

* Thaum N'Jeremiah : conceptualized the Thaum
* Miron : Discovered the source of Telepathy, and proposed the Categorisation of Will