Cosmoria is a dualistic universe, meaning there are two fundamental substances therein. The more familiar "sarkic energy," meaning of the body, represents roughly half of Cosmoria's substance. It is the stuff of atoms, energy, stars, planets, and all living things. The rest is "ousic energy," meaning energy of the mind. Intelligence, abstract thinking, and a component of emotion exist as ousic energy. Bridging these realms is the Pylon, a gateway between the ousic and sarkic made of both energies.
The most notable pylon is the Lux Aeterna, Cosmoria's centerpiece around which all stars orbit. Trillions of pylons orbit with these stars, each contained in the brain. They allow energy to flow between primitive structures in the brain and the mind. Every pylon casts a shadow on the Lux Aeterna in the form of a one-dimensional point of light. Colloquially, every pylon exists "within" the Lux Aeterna.
Ambipontis Pylons
The Ambipontis is the primary pylon for intelligent organisms. Like an essential organ, the ambipontis transmits information between the mind and brain. In the same way, not every organism has one. There are many ways to connect the brain and mind, but no matter the method, every organism has an equivalent structure.
The acquisition of a pylon varies from species to species. For species with long gestation periods, pylons are matrilineally inherited. At birth, the child has a nascent mind and a copy of their mother's pylon. Mistakes in the process are rare and far more likely to produce surplus pylons than none. Excess pylons usually go to the child, but occasionally stay with the mother. For the egg-laying species, pylons are "contagious." A miniscule portion of a parent's pylon goes to each egg and matures with exposure to others.
Pylon Constellations
Excess pylons form the Pylon Constellation. Pylons are gateways to the ousic world; additional pylons allow more energy to pass. Since brains did not evolve to take advantage of excess pylons (in most cases), taking advantage of superfluous pylons must be learned. This is the art of Classical Thaumaturgy, a skill restricted to a privileged few who happened to gain an extra pylon. These few, called Magi or Classical Magi, can release great amounts of energy with little effort. Classical Thaumaturgy is the most common form of "magic" in Cosmoria.
Since pylons interact with the Lux Aeterna, their energy can enter the universe as naturally as any mind could sustain a thought. Aeternal energy is in a perpetual state of excitation, like water held back by a dam. Thus, when a Magi allows for energy to enter Cosmoria, nearly all of it tries to leave at once. Each pylon, however, can only channel energy proportional to its strength. This strength is usually determined at the formation of the mind but can change over time based on several factors.
Another trait determined at formation is its wavelength or Tempo. Normal pylons create microscopic charges to transfer information. Excess pylons most commonly produce photons instead, particles with "higher tempo" on the Particle Scale. Other particles allow for other abilities but become rarer as mass increases.
Even for the strongest of pylons, the overuse of a pylon is an ever-present risk. Pylon strength can decrease after overexertion, which will result in significant injury. This is a common end for overzealous magi. This manifests in the physical universe as what is known as "shattering," or the explosive release of radiation from the brain. A dangerous phenomenon, shattering can simply disable the pylon without killing the magi. The most extreme shattering events can destroy the brain. For non-magi, the forces involved are imperceptibly minute, but enough to be a common definition for death in most disciplines of medicine. If the Ambipontis breaks down, the person invariably dies.
In the event of shattering, there is a chance the pylon breaks away and takes some of the host with it. This parasitic mind is called a Corrupted Pylon. Affixed to the original mind, corrupted pylons are usually capable of more effectively using Thaumaturgy. This parasite, a type of spirit, can only interact with the physical universe through its host and has minimal influence unless it controls a greater portion of the mind. Most corrupted pylons die with their host, but some escape to become free-floating spirits, a worst-case scenario during shattering.
Invocative Pylons
Another form of pylon is that which is used in Invocative Thaumaturgy by individuals known as Paladins. Paladins can section off a portion of their mind to form Invocative Pylons. from the rest via intense mental restructuring. Individuals can have as many invocative pylons as they have time to foster and maintain each one. They function by "coaxing" or attracting the energy around them, utilizing all the Paladin's surface area to absorb as much as possible.
The devotion to certain ideas can create this severed portion that is, in theory, similar to a spirit. This section, however, exists solely for the good of one particular ideal, the ideal that the Paladin seeks to embody. As such, Invocative Pylons occasionally rebel against their hosts if they are abused or remain neglected. Becoming a paladin can weaken an unwanted spirit as the Invocative Pylon and the Corrupted Pylon compete for space.
The main difference between an Invocative and Aeternal Pylon is their relation to energy. Aeternal Pylons hold back a great deal of power, and mistakes can result in a catastrophic failure. However, Invocative Pylons are more similar to sinkholes, absorbing sarkic energy from the outside filling up. This energy reservoir allows a paladin to increase their durability, heal, and even release it in small quantities.
Faux Pylons
A Faux Pylon is an artificial device capable of accessing the Lux Aeterna's energy. Faux Pylons are used in a great deal of applications. They typically require the death of a sapient being to create, making them prohibitively difficult for private enterprises to use. Underground uses of Faux Pylons include cheap but often low-quality Hardlight production and weapons development. Many governments use them if they employ capital punishment. The Kaiser, a title for the ancient rulers of Erstes Konsortium, was usually not a regular person but an artificial intelligence complete with numerous Faux Pylons working in tandem.
Beyond Pylons
Esoteric Thaumaturgy is most commonly described as Thaumaturgy that utilizes energy not derived from the Lux Aeterna. While using the innumerable planes beyond the physical universe is an almost universal practice among Esoteric Magi, the actual separation from the other clades comes from the distinct non-use of Pylons. Esoteric Magi prove that Pylons are not the absolute arbiter of power and that fortune at birth is not strictly required to achieve Thaumaturgy.
Magi may forgo their pylon for a direction connection with any plane or even the Lux Aeterna. This allows circumvention of the typical Pylon "limit" entirely, though such freedom comes with multiple costs. The planar energy intersecting the Magi's mind causes gradual influence from the plane's base concept on the individual. This slowly whittles away at the individuality of any Esoteric Magi who utilizes one of the planes. The other difficulty presented is the lack of a starting position. Pylons are like a third eye for thaumic energy, but finding plains is an entire journey, let alone mastering their use.
Neuromancy is an art form that does more than bypass the pylon. Using neuromancy, consciousness flows between the brain and mind through esoteric thaumaturgy. Their belief system, called Synapticism, calls to remove the pylon altogether and to make one like a spirit, which usually do not have pylons themselves.