UNIVERSE : UNIVERSAL LAWS

"Unlike the easily ignored laws of mortals, Universal Laws are far more deeply ingrained and powerful. They are created and held up by actual potent and strict power; whether it be by a being of deistic identity, or forces still largely unknown to us. It is more or less impossible to break any of the Universal Laws, and if they do in fact break, then consequences can be very severe, indeed.

Mostly we look at the Universal Laws as the rules that hold our realities together. They are the real evidence of the many limits our world and us in it are held in place by, and they remain essential in maintaining the many balances that equally ensure that the structure of the Worldsoul, Nym's Eye and possibly beyond don't break apart.

They are more than just guidelines; they are everything that defines us, the world, and the universe."

'A Universe of Laws'

- Nashorn the Blue, Candlehold Scribe

Arcane Laws

Set in stone and enforced by the Creator Tiral, the Arcane Laws govern the rules and effects of magic within Nym's Eye, although they are much less restrictive outside of the Nymworld. Actual magical power in the greater cosmos is unlimited as it is fed and sustained by Aether from the Dark Beyond, which in theory means that there is nothing one can't do in conjunction with magic. However, Tiral's Arcane Laws purposefully limit the capabilities of magic within most of Nym's Eye, to ensure that mortals don't misuse it.

Magic holds the ability and potential to alter any laws, and especially Primal and Cosmic Laws. In other words magic can bend the fabrics that hold existence together, twisting and changing aspects such as gravity or growth, ignoring the laws that govern them. This is likely why Tiral became the Guardian of Magic and set up the Arcane Laws, to prevent those attuned to magic-use from completely unravelling the Arcane Threads and bringing utter chaos to reality by upsetting the magical balance.

The Arcane Laws don't require Tiral's constant watch to be active, and govern magic self-sufficiently. However, attempts at circumventing the Arcane Laws or defying them are often found out by Tiral, who won't be lenient in her punishments for those involved. But even so, Tiral has been seen to be quite forgiving, or even encouraging, in letting mortals try to bend the Arcane Laws or finding loop holes. Perhaps to the Goddess the Arcane Laws are largely just a complex, magical puzzle and game she's created to test mortals. In fact, one of Tiral's Aspects, Nyx, is known to be a playful trickster of magical illusions.

There are many Arcane Laws, and the study of magic constantly reveals new ones or bring new understanding of previously discovered laws. Mages constantly experiment and study the Arcane Laws to gain extensive knowledge of them, and in the process they might learn how to better control magic to their will. It is proven time and time again that the better one's understanding is of the Arcane Laws, the easier it is to navigate them in a way that allows for better ease of spellcasting, or even the creation of new spells or methods that benefit magic-users. By skirting the edge of what is allowed and possible, mages can unlock knowledge of the Arcane Laws that were otherwise hidden.

1st Law - Omnipresence

Magic is ever-prevalent.

Where there is Aether, there is potential for magic. It surrounds all things and beings, and is forever present in the majority of mortals in the form of mana. Some beings are born with greater concentrations than others, which in turn makes them more capable at controlling and understanding magic. Magic is with almost complete certainty always present in any existing space at any given time. And while its potency might vary and be extremely low, it is still there.

2nd Law - Mana & Aether

Magic is controlled by Mana, shaped from Aether.

As almost every living being has at least traces of Aether within them, those with higher amounts sustain greater control over it through an essence known as mana. Mana is the innate ability to shape and bend Aether, and aids in the flow of Aether through the body, and only those with a trained mind can take control over it by using their mana. A person with high traces of Aether within their body doesn't necessarily have an equally large pool of mana, but it can be expanded through mental training.

3rd Law - Vizualization

Magic can be shaped.

Magic on its own doesn't need to be visible or tangible to exist, but for it to create effects or form to a person's commands and wishes, it must be wielded, and to be wielded it must be visualized with mind and emotions. It is through visualization that magic can take on different forms and gain various properties for the purpose of being cast as, for example, spells.

4th Law - Origins

Magic must come from one of three sources: Natural, Deistic and Cosmic.

Natural magic comes from the energies of the local world, such as spirits, souls, and living beings. Deistic magic draws upon energies that surround deities and similar beings, like Celestials and other Astral entities. Cosmic is sourced from the universe itself, and is formed from within the Arcane Threads.

5th Law - Neutrality

Magic is a neutral power.

It is neither from the source of good nor evil, but rather acts on the will of those who wield it. Magic does not act on its own morality-based will. It only responds to those who wield it and to the world and universe’s needs. Magic is shaped by the wielder.

6th Law - Reaction

Magic is a reactive power.

Magic will more or less always react to other energies to transform or bend those energies to cause effects that they would otherwise never perform. The potential of such reactions lead to many interesting results, such as sped-up growth, healing, immense destruction, etc.

If something comes in contact with magic, there must be a response.

7th Law - Instability

Magic is a wild power.

It is a power that will grow and lash out unless controlled effectively. There is no absolute certainty that magic will act the way one wishes it to do, but the process can be altered through control and understanding to grant a more accurate result when releasing magical energy in conjunction with mana.

Magic on its own, without supervision or without being wielded by someone, will act uncontrollably.

8th Law - Risk

Magic is a dangerous power.

It holds the power to corrupt, weaken and kill. When wielding magic, there is great risk for not only the world and other people, but for the wielder as well to have their mana or Aether become too weak or too unstable, which in turn can lead to death or cripple the wielder. Additionally, the extreme use of magic can aid in the instability of reality's magical balance.

9th Law - Persistence

Magic is a persistent power.

It cannot dissipate entirely, but can grow weaker in its presence. It will remain and shift around the world to where it is most likely to thrive under better conditions. In places where Aether is strong, so too is magic strong.

10th Law - Independence

Magic is an independent power.

It requires no aid from outside forces to exist, as it is fully capable of growing by itself. If the world, its people, the deities and the universe was to cease existence, magic would remain and slowly rebuild the universe by itself.

11th Law - Infinity

Magic is an infinite power.

It is never-ending in its quantities. It slowly grows by itself and loses very little of its overall power. When reaching limits, it releases Aether to avoid extreme density; effectively weakening itself to prevent extensive growth. This also relates to the replenishment of a wielder's mana pool, which can be replenished from outside sources, such as the Weaveglass or the Aetheric Sea.

12th Law - Exchange

Magic requires a cost.

The wielder must use their own mana to effectively use magic, which in turn means that the wielder will more often than not have to expend their own Aether to make use of it. In all things pertaining to magic, magic will require some exchange in power or Aether to become reactive. This can come in the form of draining mana or causing fatigue, but in more extreme circumstances it might cause mental or physical damages to the wielder's mind and body as well.

13th Law - Reversibility

Magic is a reversible power.

Anything caused by magic can be undone by magic. The Aether that persist in the world and the universe will always react to each other, but it mainly depends on how these energies meet and the conditions they are surrounded by. Generally a stronger concentration of magic will neutralize a weaker concentration of magic.

14th Law - Immaterialness

Magic is an immaterial power.

It cannot be materialized in any way to create new forever-lasting components or materials. It can, however, be bent and shaped into controlled Aether; either from using mana or surrounding energies to create, for example, frost-bolts or fireballs, or even temporary weapons or armour that will dissipate within a frame of time.

15th Law - Memory

Magic can be shaped and retained.

Extensive understanding, the reaction of Aether and control of magic through mana can create memorized forms of it that can be replicated by other wielders to cast specified spells. An individual would have to possess immense control and knowledge over magic to create spells that could in turn be learned and cast by other wielders.

16th Law - Association

Magic is an associative power.

Any relation between an item and a being’s Aether strengthen the association between the two; allowing for a strong connection that can cause improved effects through spells or passive magic. By associating, say, an item such as a ring or piece of clothing to a specific person, the magic cast will be more potent and more successful to succeed in favourable results.

This is a vague law and does not always work properly.

17th Law - Understanding

Magic is a controllable power.

A wielder’s knowledge and understanding of magic in how its effects may cause various results can, and most likely will, allow the wielder better control over the magical energies they possess. By understanding the basics of magic’s specific and overall effect through a spell, Aether is far more willing to be used to the point where the energies are well within desired control by the wielder. Mental acuity and a sufficient mana pool grow with knowledge.

18th Law - Integration

Magic is an integrative power.

It is possible to focus enough Aether to effectively imbue an item with desired effects. If done properly, the magical energies integrated into an object will remain within it until the object itself is either broken or completely destroyed. These objects must also be properly attuned or strengthened vessels to be able to carry the desired amount of Aether. The process of imbuing objects with magic is commonly known as enchanting or rune-inscribing, and requires substantial control and knowledge to ensure as little magical repercussion as possible.

19th Law - Repercussion

Magic will cause backlash.

If a mage should completely lose control over the Aether and mana they have built up over their lifetime, the risk of implosion by magic reaches imminent probability. The greater the Aether and mana stored, the bigger the backlash. In other words; when a mage dies, they relinquish their energies and are consumed by the magic they held. Thus a mage, upon death, will (instantly or within a short while) disintegrate into ashes and their stored Aether will return to the world.

There is usually little damage caused to anyone else near the deceasing mage, if the expelled Aether is accounted for properly.

20th Law - Sterility

Magic sterilizes.

Magic affects and halts the process of fertility, meaning that anyone with extremely large pools of Aether and mana within their body, such as the majority of mages, can't easily reproduce. This Law acts differently depending on Kith and Kin, as some Kith are able to hold greater amounts of Aether and mana, while still being able to create natural offspring.

21st Law - Awakening

Magic awakens.

Magic typically awakens in an individual's body around puberty in the form of a larger-than-normal pool of mana. It is around this time that a person's affinity to magic becomes most evident, although in some cases it has been known to occur later.

Awakening (Arcane, Deistic, and Spiritual) seems to happen around the same time of maturity regardless of Kin or gender. An individual's Awakening is usually not predictable, meaning that its occurrence in an individual is entirely random.

However, Arcane Lineages and bloodlines do exist, though they are fairly rare depending on Kin. Individuals from these lines tend to have higher chances of Magical Awakening.

22nd Law - Sustainability

Magic can sustain.

Individuals who undergo the Awakening and thus have greater concentrations of magic within their bodies are sustained by magic. This simply means that anyone possessing high traces of magic live longer lives, so long as they maintain their control and knowledge of their magic. The longer one lives, the more powerful the Aether and mana, which means that the Law of Repercussion is always moving towards its inevitable state; when the body can no longer contain those energies, and must expel them violently.

Arcane Laws

Primal Laws

Laws pertaining to the localized sphere, typically present on a living world or minor world, are known as Primal Laws. These are laws that exist as a result of the world they are part of, and help sustain the balance that gives that world life. Specifically, Primal Laws deal with the natural, as well as the aspects of souls and spirits, and the flow which controls Aether in a world.

What determines the growth of plants, or the movement of waves? How do climates form, and how is sustenance converted into Aether? The Primal Laws determine these aspects of life and the natural world, seemingly controlling and altering them on a level which is automatic and self-sustaining.

It is agreed that the Worldsoul is at the center of the Primal Laws, as it controls the flow of Aether in the world. As Aether flows, so too do the Primal Laws feed and maintain the cycles of nature and souls. All things within a world must obey and act in accordance to the Primal Laws, with the only exception being those of interactions with magical or deistic interventions. Gods and magic both possess the ability to temporarily bend or change the Primal Laws; should proper means and process be amicable.

However, the fouling of the natural and the laws that control it can lead to imbalance, and thus tends to attract energies that corrupt and mutate, which further destabilizes the control of the Primal Laws. Even gods, who have twisted and changed so much of the Primal Laws already, must be wary of the effect their meddling might confer to the balance of the world.

Cosmic laws

Cosmic Laws

Cosmic Laws involve the overall overseeing of the universe and the Dark Beyond, and as such they are considered the laws above all laws. The greater effects on a cosmic level down to the minuscule and unknown are all equally pulled, pushed and controlled by the Cosmic Laws. The temporal aspects of the universe, the gravitational forces, the physics of movement and speed, the commandments of life and death, and the definitions and interactions of space and time come together to these laws.

The actual mortal understanding of Cosmic Laws are ever-changing as new discoveries are made all the time. Old theories are renewed with newer questions, and the unknown of the laws that govern laws keeps those who study them in a constant chase for the truth. Cosmic Laws often intermingle or directly interact with Arcane or Primal Laws; changing the definitions that are otherwise well established beforehand.

What exactly oversees the structure of the Cosmic Laws? Are they self-sufficient, or is there a greater pull that controls them, like the Worldsoul to the Primal Laws? Theories suggest that the Wellspring is at the center of the Dark Beyond, and so it could possibly be the central core that maintains the Cosmic Laws.

In truth study of the Cosmic Laws only ever lead to more questions. Not even the Creators truly seem to understand them, or at least they don't deem to share their knowledge of the Cosmic Laws with mortals. It is entirely possible that the Creators have some powerful mastery over the Cosmic Laws, as they themselves often transcend and ignore them, and were likely created from the accumulation of the Cosmic Laws' governance of the powers in the Dark Beyond.

Willed Laws

Willed Laws are individual laws that weren't necessarily created through universal or natural means. Laws set by Creators or Wildgods, often in the form of pacts or blood-bonds, are all Willed Laws that supervise smaller spheres and aspects, rather than greater, universal forces like those of temporal or spirit.

The actual enforcement of Willed Laws are less powerful, and are often easily broken with little consequence to the remaining universe or world. Instead, Willed Laws more or less focus more on individuals and groups, and act more like oaths, guidelines or promises. While there are consequences for breaking or circumventing some Willed Laws, they tend to affect only those involved.

For example, breaking Kelmora's Cycle of Souls won't cause any immediate lasting damages to the fabrics of space and time, but will at the least minorly upset the Law's designed balance between Souls and Aether.

In some cases certain Willed Laws are created with more powerful bindings, and the breaking of those laws might have heavier consequences to those who are bound to them. Some of the Willed Laws have also become integral to the world; having ingrained themselves so deeply, or just developed in a way that the world itself has become dependent on them.

Wildpact

The Wildpact was first made by the Wildgod Nahulf, who approached the Wildkith and offered them wisdom and protection, so long as they served the natural lands. It is from the Wildpact that the first shamans came to be, who dedicated themselves to watch over and serve the lands and spirits who inhabited those lands.

Through the Wildpact, Wildgods can be reborn anew through their most loyal servants, thus ensuring that the Wildgods can continue to act as the world's guardians for as long as there are those who stand by the Wildpact. However, after Nalnir offered the Wildkith the Wildblood, many of those who once dedicated themselves to the Wildpact have since turned away from the Wildgods, and instead might serve Nalnir or the Dreampact.

The Wildpact remains the most primal promise to the protection of the natural lands, and the majority of shamans in the world still hold onto the Wildpact and the worship of the Wildgods.

Wild Laws

The Wild Laws were created by the Creator Nalnir after he offered the Wildblood to the Wildkith. When most of the Wildkith turned away from the Wildpact in favour of the Wildblood, Nalnir's Wild Laws became their new creed.

In essence, the Wild Laws govern the instinctual nature of beasts and the wild, and those who follow them serve the wildness more so than anything else. The Wildgod Nahulf openly disputes Nalnir's Wild Laws, as he makes the point that the wilds should be governed by no laws or rules, as such things can't contain the primal forces of the world.

This dispute has led to a natural rivalry between Nalnir and Nahulf, and shamans or druids serving both the Wildpact and the Wild Laws find little to agree upon.

Dreampact

After Malendii's Dream was formed, she reached out to World Spirits and some of the Wildgods, and created a bond between them that would lead to the creation of the Wyld Spirits and the Dreampact. The Dreampact binds Wyld Spirits and druids to nature, as well as the Dreaming World as they work to cleanse the natural world of corruption, and heal the natural world.

All mortals who dedicate themselves to the Dreampact are druids, often chosen by Malendii herself through the Calling. The Dreampact's purpose is the safekeeping of the natural world, the eased flow of natural Aether, and the defiance against the Worldblight's effects on the world.

Tariel's Soulbind

After the War of Titans, Tariel planted the Solstree at the edge of Arkath's Divide, then entered into it. By merging with the Solstree, Tariel bound all Creators within Nym's Eye to the Worldsoul, and effectively made them dependent on it. Any Creators who leave Nym's Eye will soon find themselves weakened, forcing them to return before their connection to the Worldsoul is broken forever, which would then lead to their deaths.

Tariel's Soulbind also ensures that Creators can be reborn from the Solstree should they perish, however it is not effective when within the sphere of the Nymworld. Rebirth could then possibly take many centuries, or not work at all.

Creators can communicate with their worshipers because of the Soulbind, which gives them a source from which they can gather Aether from their worshippers, as well as grant their worshippers with some of their own deistic powers, should there be a need for it.

Tariel not only merged with the Solstree, but became one with the Worldsoul as well. As such they are now considered part of Nym, and joined with the Kal'Mar as the spiritual extension of the Worldsoul. Tariel's body remains within the Solstree, but their mind and soul is somewhere between and within the Worldsoul and Solitude.

Kelmora's Cycle

Also known as the Cycle of Souls, Kelmora's Cycle is the ingrained process of life and death, and the inbetween journey of souls. It binds mortals to a cycle of rebirth, where souls on Nym gather Aether from their surroundings, which is then broken down into purer forms as they enter through Kelmora's Soulsgate in the afterlife, and then redistributed to the worlds within Arkath's Divide through the Soulstream and the Weaveglass.

While there are exceptions, most souls within Nym's Eye will undertake the Cycle's journey. Kelmora's Cycle ensures that souls of the dead have a purpose, and in their rebirth they assist in rejuvenating the balance of souls, Aether, and spirits in the world.

Arcane Wheel

The Arcane Wheel is more a process than an actual law, but it does adhere to its cycle without fail. The arrival of chaotic Aether in Nym's Eye is caught in the Arcane Wheel to purify it, at which point it can be more safely distributed and used to both Nym and Arkath's Divide.

It begins when Lucine captures the chaotic Aether in her shawl and sends it towards the Worldsoul; where it is purified. It is then returned and caught by the Worldsea's Ebb until it is taken from the waves by Celunar's shawl and sent outwards away from Arkath's Divide.

Both Lucine and Celunar's involvement in the Arcane Wheel helps to maintain the magical balance of Nym's Eye, and especially so for the worlds within Arkath's Divide. The Worldsoul acts as the core spiral that spins the Wheel, as it similarly controls the flow of magic as it does the flow of Aether in the world.