Pylons (Cosmoria)

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Dance, O Freest Aeon

This content is a part of Cosmoria.

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The Pylon is a gateway between the mind and the physical universe. For the vast majority of people, the pylon transmits information between the brain and the mind. Pylons place a natural limit on lifespans; their gradual decay causes most deaths in societies where medicine has abolished most disease.

Most forms of Thaumaturgy rely on the pylon or a parallel organ, most notably Classical Thaumaturgy. Similar concepts appear in Thaumaturgy related to Neuromancy and Invocative Thaumaturgy.

Ambipontis

Cosmoria is a dualistic universe, meaning there are two fundamental substances therein. The more familiar "sarkic energy," meaning of the body, represents 95% 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 Ambipontis, the most basic pylon. 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.

Aeternal Pylons

"For every mind, there exists a corresponding pylon in the Lux Aeterna," is a law that applies to nearly every intelligent organism. Pylons are said to exist "within" the Lux Aeterna, but what exists there is more similar to a shadow of the actual object. Thaumic ability corresponds roughly with the "weight" of the pylon, how much energy it can let through. In other words, pylons can vary in how much they can interact with the Lux Aeterna, just like how different particles interact with forces at different strengths. If a pylon is heavy enough, it can interact with the universe well beyond the central nervous system. This ability is the bedrock of Classical Thaumaturgy.

Since pylons interact with the Lux Aeterna, its 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 weight. This weight is usually determined at the formation of the mind but can change over time based on several factors.

Even for the heaviest of pylons, the overuse of a pylon is an ever-present risk. Pylons' weights can decrease after overexertion, which will result in significant injury. This is a common end for Magi, users of Thaumaturgy. 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 usually results in great damage to the pylon, sometimes to the point of removing most if not all thaumic abilities. After enough erosion from the Lux Aeterna, pylons shatter. For non-magi, the forces involved a nearly imperceptibly small, but enough to be a common definition for death in most disciplines of medicine.

In the event of shattering, there is a chance that a portion of the pylon gains an independent consciousness, the creation of a new mind. This parasitic mind, existing within the Lux Aeterna, is usually capable of more effectively using Thaumaturgy. This parasite, called a Spirit, can only interact with the physical universe through its host and has only minimal influence unless its weight is larger than that of its host's pylon. Most corrupted pylons are locked away in the Lux Aeterna as their host dies from the shattering but can escape in rare circumstances.

Invocative Pylons

Another form of pylon is that which is used in Invocative Thaumaturgy by individuals known as Paladins. Invocative Pylons are portions of the mind that can be sectioned off from the rest via intense mental restructuring. This can be done multiple times, creating more than one Invocative Pylon. They function by "coaxing" or attracting the energy around them, utilizing all the Paladin's surface area to absorb energy.

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 most useful difference between an Invocative and Aeternal Pylon is their limit. Aeternal Pylons hold back a great deal of energy and mistakes can result in a catastrophic failure. However, Invocative Pylons are more similar to a sinkhole, absorbing as much energy as they can from outside sources until it fills up. This energy reservoir allows the user 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.

Pylon-free Thaumaturgy

Esoteric Thaumaturgy is most commonly described as Thaumaturgy that utilizes energy not derived from the Lux Aeterna. This is an incomplete description. While the use of 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 can be bypassed.

Magi may choose to directly connect their consciousness 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 directly causes gradual influence from the plane's base concept on the individual. This slowly but surely 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 feeling out "where" the other planes are is an entire journey unto itself, let alone mastering their use.

The main solution to this, which has been increasingly popular among Magi posing as Classical experts and Esoteric Magi too lazy to find a plane that suits their needs, is to use the Pylon's natural sense of where the Aeterna lies to connect themselves directly to it in the most unholy fusion of Classical and Esoteric Thaumaturgies ever seen, Gestalt Thaumaturgy.