Pylons (Cosmoria)

For thousands of years, philosophers have argued about whether or not the Mind was a distinct entity in the universe or simply an illusion created by a purely physical brain. With time, a single answer emerged, there was a distinct "substance" that made up the mind, called Meta-Potential, which gave rise to abstract thought and imagination broadly. While these things could be emulated physically, without this Meta-Potential, there was no mind.

The mind, as it were, has a set of properties that cause it to be very important when it comes to non-physical forces, in particular Thaumaturgy. This force, a collection of related non-physical forces capable of interacting with the physical universe, is influenced directly by the mind. The Pylon is the manifestation of the mind in the Lux Aeterna, the most widely-used form of thaumaturgy. Similar concepts to the pylon appear in Thaumaturgy related to the Dark Core and Esoteric Thaumaturgy as well.

Lux Aeterna Pylons

"For every mind that exists, there exists a corresponding pylon in the Lux Aeterna," is an unbreakable law. Any being with a mind has the ability to interface with its pylon, which can be thought of as simply a part of the broader mind. The strength of the mind corresponds roughly with the "weight" of the pylon, how "real" the pylon is within the Lux Aeterna. In other words, pylons can vary in how much they can interact with the Lux Aeterna, just like how different particle interact with forces at different strengths. A greater weight allows for the mind to more easily interact with the Lux Aeterna and vice versa.

Energy from the Lux Aeterna can be channeled through a pylon just as naturally as any mind could sustain a thought. The amount of energy that can be channeled is directly proportional to the weight of the pylon; however, the weight of the pylon will increase as energy is channeled through it. While normally harmless, rapid increases in weight can cause incurable damage to the pylon. This is a common cause of death among new Magi, users of Thaumaturgy.

The death of a Magi from this overexertion manifests in the physical universe as what is known as "shattering," or the explosive release of radiation from the brain, the house of the mind. A dangerous phenomenon, shattering usually results in great damage to the pylon, sometimes to the point of removing most if not all thaumaturgical abilities that rely on the pylon. The weight of the pylon is greatly reduced and this is what causes the radiation.

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 directly within the Lux Aeterna, is thus usually capable of more effectively using Thaumaturgy. This parasite, called a Corrupted Pylon, 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. The devotion to certain ideas can create this severed portion that is, in theory, similar to a corrupted pylon. 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 masters if they are abused or remain neglected. Becoming a paladin can weaken an unwanted corrupted pylon as the Invocative Pylon and the Corrupted Pylon compete for space. It goes without saying that this method is unreasonably dangerous and suppression of corrupted pylons through the diligent increase in one's own strength is often the preferred route for dealing with this problem.