A Fellow What Wears Jeans

Greetings to fellow Jizards and Jorb Perceivers. Khakimancers DNI Isabel (she/her). I make silly things sometimes and I’m a big fan of repurposing and thrifting. I also enjoy worldbuilding. The user previously known as Dukermin. Connoisseur of the Big Steppy.

[skatezmummblz]

Its Pepper!

Here she is!

She almost killed me

I need to learn how to do hair

I love legend lark

It 1 am

Bed time

@legendlarkpod

[skatezmummblz]

@legendlarkpod

I made the train gang rats

[bejeanedfellow]

Fantastic happenings in the field of Jorbology!

A community gathered in patience, purpose, and denim. We tend the Sacred Jegg and await the day of The Hatching™.

[bejeanedfellow]

Essential Abstracts for the Inquiring Arcanist: Part 8

This is part 8/8 of Essential Abstracts for the Inquiring Arcanist. The full version can be found on my website here.

Part 1: Foreword Part 2: On Nomenclature Part 3: On Scholarly Etiquette Part 4: On the Soul Contract Part 5: On Matter and Heat Part 6: On Permeability and Inherent Ability Part 7: On Entropy and Arcane Crises Part 8: On Spell Drafting

On Spell Drafting

Time: the only difference between the mundane and the arcane.

Soraidraconix, General Herbalists Coalition

Humans can make anything happen given enough time; therefore, when casting a spell, a mage is simply speeding up the process to achieve a goal sooner. To prove this, we’ve chosen twelve common spells and recreated the results using only the required spell components and ample time. We are constrained by the limits of our lifespans, so we have chosen to highlight spells that we hypothesized would be reproducible within ten years. Our results for those twelve common spells support the hypothesis that time is the variable being altered during spellcasting.

Probability: the only difference between the mundane and the arcane.

Fellair VI, Journal of Neuromagy

Previous studies have demonstrated that time is the missing ingredient for every spell. Without access to an infinite amount of time, this hypothesis is impossible to disprove, but also impossible to fully support. We have instead hypothesized that probability is the missing variable. Anything has a non-zero probability of happening; therefore, when casting a spell, a mage is simply altering the probability to make something certain to happen. This does not contradict but rather reframes the research conducted by the mage Soraidraconix.

Location: the only difference between the mundane and the arcane.

Oaken Traverser of Ruins, The Quarterly Passenger’s Report

Previous studies have attempted to find the missing variable for spellcraft, but their research has been undoubtedly riddled with confirmation bias. Our research has revealed that many spells would be impossible to recreate using only the required components and our limited human understanding. Traces of portal magic have been discovered in everything from conjuration to divination. Because of this, we have developed a new hypothesis: since there is infinite space, the tools needed to accomplish a goal are somewhere in the universe or beyond; therefore, when casting a spell, a mage is simply bringing those tools to the target location. Future researchers and spell drafters ought to operate with this knowledge in mind, because someday, we will be able to accomplish anything using only portal magic.

Portals aren’t the answer to everything; a review of the Oaken Traverser of Ruins’s musings on location.

Fellair VI, Soraidraconix, Crown West Publication

While portal magic is an essential part of an arcanist’s repertoire, magic is more complicated than just bringing items to a location. That only works for very simple conjuration magic. If it was as simple as getting items together, then the results of previous missing variable inquiries would have been impossible.

Control: the only difference between the mundane, the arcane, and the divine.

Fellair VI, Oaken Traverser of Ruins, Soraidraconix, Private Publication

Mages have succeeded in recreating spells by changing variables in multiple ways, such as by altering probability, time, and location. Accomplishing an unreasonable goal is possible by utilizing the contracts established by the divine to exert total control over those variables. With the knowledge possessed by humanity, it is currently impossible to remove divine forces from spellcraft. However, as we deepen our understanding of the divine and of the contractual nature of spellcasting, newly drafted spells will become more specific and potent.

Haggling with the gods: the value of spellcasting components.

A thousand chainlinks enduring an ice age, The Drafter’s Journal

The laws of magic dictate that the casting of a spell requires an arcanist to diligently follow that spell’s specified pathway, which includes the establishment of intent and the consumption of physical materials (components). Until recently, we’ve accepted the theory that these pathways are determined exclusively by the gods and are immutable. In this study, we decided to challenge this immutability, and we found success in casting spells using components other than the ones dictated by the spell pathway - particularly when using components that are similar in molecular makeup. As a result, we have come to the conclusion that spellcasting components carry value for the gods, and as long as the exchange is deemed fair by both parties, spell pathways are flexible.

Turning the arcane into the mundane: breakthroughs that have enabled spell automation.

Auto-Arcanist Otri, Otri Automation Solutions

Spell automation (sometimes called conditioning) is a modern method of spellcasting that does not require a mage to actively perform the spell pathway for a spell’s effect to be triggered. Multiple cities have started implementing spell automation into infrastructure. An example would be magical streetlights that automatically glow during the night hours, or gates that open by themselves to welcome travelers to the city. The successful development of spell automation was possible due to the work of many mages. The Valina Wield Department of Impartation has made astounding contributions to the art of divination, finding ways for humans to communicate with the inhabitants of divine domains instead of simply interpreting their messages. Prior to this, the language barrier between humanity and divinity seemed completely insurmountable. In addition, it was recently discovered that spell pathways are able to be altered and still yield the same effect. This spurred a wave of spell pathway experimentation which, thanks to the cooperation of Department of Impartation diviners, has expanded the tools available to spell drafters greatly. While automation is currently highly regulated and being used only sparingly in city infrastructure, some arcanists and arcane fellowships have secured approval to design spell automation solutions for civilian use. Otri Automation Solutions is one such fellowship. Our goal is to make useful spells accessible for everyone, even non-mages.

Essential Abstracts for the Inquiring Arcanist Part 1: Foreword

[bejeanedfellow]

Essential Abstracts for the Inquiring Arcanist: Part 7

This is part 7/8 of Essential Abstracts for the Inquiring Arcanist. The full version can be found on my website here.

Part 1: Foreword Part 2: On Nomenclature Part 3: On Scholarly Etiquette Part 4: On the Soul Contract Part 5: On Matter and Heat Part 6: On Permeability and Inherent Ability Part 7: On Entropy and Arcane Crises Part 8: On Spell Drafting

On Entropy and Arcane Crises

An introduction to entropy for the novice mage.

Time Vacant Translator, Next Generation Mages Project

Entropy is the level of disorder in a system. Disorder must always increase or stay the same in a closed system. When a person aims to create something that violates this rule, work must be put in. When the amount of work becomes unreasonable for a person, or if it will take too much time to put the work in, a mage turns to the divine (effectively, opening the system). The divine are capable of assisting mortals with creating unreasonable order.

A formal essay that draws the line between the mundane, the arcane, and the divine.

Saieus, The Daybreak Collection

The mundane is anything mortals can accomplish without divine assistance. The arcane is everything else that is within mortal capability with divine assistance (spellcasting). Mortals who seek divinity aim to accomplish arcanic feats with no divine assistance.

The increase in occurrences of arcanic crises; defining undesired entropic exchange.

Butterfly Scholar of Re-Beginnings, Eventide Tryst Curatorium

A compilation of data from all around the world demonstrates that the rate of arcane crises has been steadily rising over time. Arcane crises are mysterious phenomena that seem to defy the laws of the physical realm, such as bizarre weather phenomena or the migration of destructive creatures into the physical realm. Such things should be impossible without the intervention of a mage or a divine entity (or in other words, without sufficient work being put in). If the physical realm can truly be considered a closed system, then it is possible that something is causing the system to open between the physical realm and divine realms, inducing an undesired entropic exchange that may manifest as an arcane crisis. It is important to note that, while arcane crises are always considered detrimental, we are defining undesired entropic exchanges as any phenomena that occurs without mortal or divine intention regardless of if that phenomenon is considered detrimental, beneficial, or neutral. In order to root out the cause of this ongoing plight, scholars studying arcane crises should expand their area of interest to include all undesired entropic exchanges.

Arcane activity and location permeability may contribute to the rise of undesired entropic exchanges.

Sc. Fohnn Eyr, Draconix Academy of Enlightenment

Cross-referencing the data on undesired entropic exchanges shows that the increase of these occurrences is more dramatic in locations with high arcanist population densities. Researchers have developed a method to test permeability, and tentative data indicates that the permeability between the mortal domain and the divine domain in high-arcane-activity locations is slightly elevated. However, the results yielded many outliers. Researchers have concluded that there is a connection between arcane activity, location permeability, and undesired entropic exchanges, but more research is needed to uncover additional variables.

Introducing the PERDI system.

Mill City Department of Regulation

Methods of measuring permeability are currently unreliable, time-consuming, and expensive. However, the theory that there is a correlation between arcane crisis rates and location permeability has been convincingly demonstrated. Since it is unreasonable to measure permeability in every location, the PERDI system was developed in an attempt to estimate a location’s permeability (and the likelihood that it will experience an arcane crisis). Locations are given a grade from 1 to 5 for the following criteria:

Population: a score of 5 indicates that the location has a large population.

Entropic Exchanges: a score of 5 indicates that the location has historically had a high rate of undesired entropic exchanges.

Regulation: a score of 5 indicates that the location has restrictions on magic that are effectively and frequently enforced.

Dependence: a score of 5 indicates that the location has a high level of arcane activity, or that if the mages in the location were to suddenly stop using magic, the location would lose functionality.

Intrusion: a score of 5 indicates that divine forces have a significant role to play in the location’s daily maintenance and/or functionality.

The scoring method was heavily debated, and ultimately, the board decided to go with the most intuitive scoring method. This is because there is no cut-and-dry link between any of these criteria and permeability. With an intuitive scoring method, the PERDI system can provide valuable insights when handling arcane crises.

Essential Abstracts for the Inquiring Arcanist Part 8: On Spell Drafting

[bejeanedfellow]

Essential Abstracts for the Inquiring Arcanist: Part 6

This is part 6/8 of Essential Abstracts for the Inquiring Arcanist. The full version can be found on my website here.

Part 1: Foreword Part 2: On Nomenclature Part 3: On Scholarly Etiquette Part 4: On the Soul Contract Part 5: On Matter and Heat Part 6: On Permeability and Inherent Ability Part 7: On Entropy and Arcane Crises Part 8: On Spell Drafting

On Permeability and Inherent Ability

A new method for altering inherent magical ability.

Xomingklarik, Mill City Drafters Association

(This paper details a method that offers a spell to perform once daily to increase magical ability. It does not go into much detail on why it works, but it was rigorously tested and eventually became the primary method novices use to increase magical ability. A business the researcher was connected to sold component packs for this particular spell for decades.)

Humans may be the only controllable bridges between the realms.

A singing campfire accompanied by crickets, Wondermill University

The concept of permeability, as it relates to inherent magical ability, has been hypothesized for decades but has never been formally tested. Inherent magical ability is, simply put, the connection that a person has to the divine world - mages with strong inherent magical ability will demonstrate excellent rates of success and high potency when practicing arcane arts. Similarly, permeability has recently been used to describe the connection that a physical location has to the divine world - the more permeable a location is, the easier it is for a deity to interact with the mundane world in that location. We hypothesized that humans have a particular permeability as well, and that it directly corresponds to inherent magical ability. We also hypothesized that humans have control over their own connection due to having a physical body as well as a consciousness, and that connection acts like a drawbridge when casting spells or rituals.

Based on our findings, the collision of the consciousness and the physical body creates a selectively permeable barrier between the divine world and the mundane world. It is through this permeable barrier that a contract can be made with whichever divine entity was convoked (contract is being used in this case to mean casting a spell).

Defining inherent arcanic ability, and why methods for developing arcanic ability are effective.

Operator of the Sky Signal, F.K.A. Signimbus, The National Arcane Journal

Inherent arcanic ability is tied to permeability, which is not uniform everywhere in the mortal realm, and similarly is not uniform from person to person. This barrier is partially physical, and is susceptible to damage and weathering. Common methods for developing arcane ability are effectively exposure therapy for a person’s permeable layer, and by sending certain things through the barrier, it will be forced to reshape itself, eventually becoming more flexible and porous. This may also explain why some experienced arcanists lose control over their magic.

The implications of consciousness permeability with regards to the origins of mankind.

Aldorinx, Solari Arcanists

Mortals are able to freely make contact with the divine world while maintaining their physical forms in the mundane world. There is no record of any divine being traversing the mundane world with a physical form and still being able to affect the material surroundings at its typical level of power. Divine beings who have successfully altered matter in the mundane world have done so with the support of a contract with a mortal. Because of this, we have theorized that it is not possible for any divine being to have created the mundane world on its own; therefore, we have theorized that mankind emerged independently of the divine, and the relationship between the mundane world and the divine world was later established.

Mankind’s origins are no mystery: an enlightened response to the Solari Arcanists’ study on consciousness.

Valina Wield Academy Department of Impartation (See response in Scholarly Etiquette)

The Solari Arcanists have published a theory based on written records of the doings of the divine, which encapsulate a miniscule fraction of the Divine Story. The Department of Impartation has centuries of divination records that tell stories predating mortal existence. These records prove undoubtedly that our mortality is a gift, given to us by the Goddess that Remains and Those that have Left us Behind. The divine that we walk beside in this era are constrained because of the price they paid to give the first humans that perfect gift of death.

Essential Abstracts for the Inquiring Arcanist Part 7: On Entropy and Arcane Crises

[bejeanedfellow]

Essential Abstracts for the Inquiring Arcanist: Part 5

This is part 5/8 of Essential Abstracts for the Inquiring Arcanist. The full version can be found on my website here.

Part 1: Foreword Part 2: On Nomenclature Part 3: On Scholarly Etiquette Part 4: On the Soul Contract Part 5: On Matter and Heat Part 6: On Permeability and Inherent Ability Part 7: On Entropy and Arcane Crises Part 8: On Spell Drafting

On Matter and Heat

The malleability of matter in the Physical Sphere and the Divine Spheres. What are we missing?

Felltree-Calayus, General Conjurers Coalition

We know that matter exists in the divine spheres. We set out to discover how much control divine beings are able to exert over matter in their sphere. Utilizing a conditional contract to “lock” a divine domain to a secluded and manageable location, we orchestrated a series of arcanic events to learn the limits of one entity. We concluded that a divine sphere is fully malleable and movable by the governing divine entity. We’ve been left wondering: why can’t humans do the same with the physical sphere?

The truth about portal magic.

The Railmancer, The National Arcane Journal

Unlike what was previously believed, the physical realm has never been proven to “bend” to connect two locations. A study on portal magic revealed that teleportation works by using a divine realm as a vehicle between two destinations. This discovery highlights the rigid nature of the physical world, as well as the tractable nature of the divine world.

Understanding heat as a novelty may be the key to defining ‘mortality’.

Codracodeco, Crown North Publication

Those who have had the privilege of viewing a divine domain describe it as a place where the body of the governing deity is indiscernible from the landscape. There, matter is completely malleable and there is no autonomous life aside from the souls of humans and the deity. However, aside from these descriptions, the thermodynamic traits of divine domains are unknown. We used a modified teleportation spell in an attempt to test the temperature and pressure of a divine domain. Due to the fragility and limitations of our devices, it took several attempts and several modifications to obtain sufficient data. We have thus concluded that divine domains are eternally at absolute zero temperature and pressure. Since it has previously been theorized that matter is deprived of all energy at absolute zero, this would explain why physical human bodies cannot survive traveling to a divine domain without a heat source, and it would support the theory that all motion in divine domains is initiated by their governing deities. Heat may be the key to understanding the difference between life and death, and between mortality and divinity. If future scholars continue down this line of research, we may discover how to utilize heat to bargain with the entities that populate worlds at Absolute Zero.

The role of non-governing divine entities: considering the stasis of cold domains when casting spells.

Ferrier of the Sighing Ocean, Private Publication

Cold domains are incapable of moving without the direct intervention of its governing deity; however, the first step of any spell contract is establishing a connection between the temperate domain and a cold domain. The establishment of that connection is itself an arcane act, but how is it possible for a mortal to perform an arcane act before acquiring the aid of a cold domain? Unless our current understanding of spell contracts is wrong, this paradox indicates that there is an external force that is capable of moving cold domains in response to the initiation of a spell contract. Long ago, it was theorized that each deity had its own cold domain that it governed, but this theory cannot be proven without doubt. This is because of the increasing presence of minor deities in the temperate realm, and because we’ve documented the existence of more deities than cold domains. We theorize that deities that do not govern a cold domain are capable of taking part in the contractual exchanges between the temperate domain and cold domains, and may play critical roles in initiating and upholding arcane contracts.

Free Will is somewhat free: A long overdue response to Hadrellair’s groundbreaking soul contract study.

The Far and Close Perceiver, Draconix Academy of Enlightenment

This study expands the definition of free will to apply to not only human choice, but also animals, biological and chemical systems, and individual molecules, all of which act without divine intervention as far as current scientific knowledge indicates.

The previous essay posited that the price for free will was that deities have access to human souls after death. However, if heat is the only difference between temperate domains and cold domains, and if many things aside from humans, even non-living things, get to experience that heat (free will) without being harvested by divine entities, then isn't free will a perk of the temperate realm that is taken from humans after death?

Do we die after death?

The Eternal Apprentice of Esotery, Crown West Publication

In the mortal sphere, death occurs when the physical body is separated from the consciousness permanently, and the soul contract is fulfilled between the deceased and whichever divine sphere is the benefactor of that soul contract. Academics have accepted the theory that divine spheres lack heat. The theory that heat is the source of free will for molecules, animals, and humans has become a favored theory as well. If both these things are true, is it possible for free will to exist eternally after the consciousness has been severed from the physical body? Spiritual communications indicate that, yes, the souls of the deceased appear to maintain agency for a time after mortal death. However, this observation directly contradicts the theory that free will is dependent on heat, so which is the truth?

Essential Abstracts for the Inquiring Arcanist Part 6: On Permeability and Inherent Ability

[bejeanedfellow]

Essential Abstracts for the Inquiring Arcanist: Part 4

This is part 4/8 of Essential Abstracts for the Inquiring Arcanist. The full version can be found on my website here.

Part 1: Foreword Part 2: On Nomenclature Part 3: On Scholarly Etiquette Part 4: On the Soul Contract Part 5: On Matter and Heat Part 6: On Permeability and Inherent Ability Part 7: On Entropy and Arcane Crises Part 8: On Spell Drafting

On the Soul Contract

A revived man’s glimpse into the afterlife.

Hrb. Lonan Low, Crown West Publication

This article details a series of highly unlikely events that took place to allow one man to travel to the afterlife and then return with his memories of death intact. Combining this testimony with divination records provides a new set of theories regarding the nature of the afterlife.

Aside from the most ancient gods (most of whom are now absent), the names provided by deities to mortals are almost always overwhelmingly long and descriptive sentences that describe some sort of scene. The subject of this article had signed a contract with a minor deity that promised his soul to the deity’s afterlife realm upon death. According to divination records, this deity was named an ocean of red clay swirling in patterns of concentric circles that are fickle in regard to direction, and while bathers are at the mercy of rising and falling marble columns, they are leaning to the center, desperate to feel the grainy churn. According to the subject, this name perfectly describes the afterlife in which he found himself. The “bathers” are the souls of the deceased. It was instinctively known that the body of the deity and everything in the deity’s realm are one and the same. Despite motion being visible, the subject also remarked that a suffocating stillness is felt in the air. This has fostered the theory that everything within an afterlife realm is under the complete control of its ruling deity, and that within these places nothing can happen spontaneously. Whether the mortal souls are capable of autonomous action requires further examination, as well as the reason deities are able to (or perhaps, why it is necessary to) exert this level of control.

Free will isn’t free: what did we exchange for existence? Ponderings on the ‘Soul Contract’.

Hadrellair, General Transmuters Coalition

The origin and purpose of the soul contract is one of the greatest mysteries of this world. As far as we know, mortals are given the gift of free will in the form of a soul, and in exchange, that soul will reside in the afterlife upon mortal death. If this is the truth, then human souls must serve a purpose in the afterlife. Are souls a renewable resource? If so, of what nature? As a food source? As a labor source? Is it possible that the first humans to be granted souls lost something and the continuity of the consciousness after death was consolation? Did they lose power? Immortality?

How the rules of revival are impacted by the rules of the ‘universe’ and ‘beyond’.

The Uncovered and Covered Soul, Private Publication

Death is permanent once the contract has been fulfilled, but we do not know what conditions must be met for the contract to be fulfilled and for revival to become impossible. The time it takes for the soul contract to be fulfilled after the body dies seems to vary randomly.

Based on a previous groundbreaking study on teleportation magic, magic domains can move. It is possible that either the consciousness needs to go to the domain’s location or the domain needs to meet the consciousness. Perhaps this causes the delay that makes revival possible. We’ve theorized that if a magic domain is brought closer to the location of a soul prior to its mortal death that the time limit for revival will be decreased. Conversely, if a magic domain is brought to a distant location prior to the mortal death of a soul, the time limit for revival will be increased.

We’ve also theorized that the consciousness shows a preference toward the physical body it resides in, as the body’s complete destruction renders revival impossible even if the contract has not yet been fulfilled, and providing an alternative physical body does not enable revival after the destruction of the original physical body.

It should be noted that the methods this researcher used to test their hypotheses have been condemned in many academic circles, but the theory has yet to be debunked (possibly because there is no ethical way to contest it).

The divinity and mortality of the consciousness. A review of literature.

A toppled scarecrow in an abandoned field, Fellair Legacy Monthly Review

Modern theories on the nature of consciousness are contradictory to the conventional understanding of divinity and mortality, which is that they are opposite and incompatible. The consciousness seems to have the ability to exist in a mortal (physical) body as well as in a divine place, disconnected from its physical form, and still maintain continuity. Our recommendation for arcane students is to abandon the belief that there are no similarities between divine beings and mortal beings. If there is an overlap to be discovered, it will unlock a myriad of new opportunities for researchers and spell drafters.

The myth of the immortal: is it possible to break the contract?

Anonymous, Crown West Publication

During [Era 2], a diplomat rose to power, and their supposed immortality became common knowledge. Their autobiography described the tenuous location of their soul contract, and how that instability created an opportunity to displace the soul contract to the physical plane. The story sounds implausible, but is it possible that a soul contract is a physical item that can be taken? And is that really enough to evade death in any form?

Essential Abstracts for the Inquiring Arcanist Part 5: On Matter and Heat

[bejeanedfellow]

Essential Abstracts for the Inquiring Arcanist: Part 3

This is part 3/8 of Essential Abstracts for the Inquiring Arcanist. The full version can be found on my website here.

Part 1: Foreword Part 2: On Nomenclature Part 3: On Scholarly Etiquette Part 4: On the Soul Contract Part 5: On Matter and Heat Part 6: On Permeability and Inherent Ability Part 7: On Entropy and Arcane Crises Part 8: On Spell Drafting

On Scholarly Etiquette

Names have power: how new-age scholars are designing impactful monikers.

Maiden’s Witness to Mayday, The Quarterly Passenger’s Report

Mage names are a beloved tradition, and for many good reasons. Some mages prefer to maintain a semblance of anonymity when dealing with arcane forces. Some aim to pay homage to mentors in academic settings. Some use their mage name to align themselves with like-minded arcanists. All, however, have benefited from the level of control that is offered by a well-designed name. While there is no one-size-fits-all template for designing a mage name, there are three very distinct mage-name styles. Old-style names exude power and respect, new-style names clarify a mage’s intent, and divine-style names invoke a sense of divinity.

Old-style names are, traditionally, patchworked together from names of advisors, mystical entities, family members, etc., and are meant to sound formidable and archaic. An example of an old-style name would be “Soraidraconix”. An apprentice will often take on syllables of their teacher’s mage name, which, as those syllables are passed on through generations, may become as important to a mage’s identity as their family’s surname. It is proper to capitalize old-style names as one would capitalize a first name.

New-style names describe a mage’s personal experiences and goals rather than focusing on the influence of external forces. New-style names often incorporate the following things: [Accomplishment], [Title], and [Motivation] (also occasionally presented as [Past], [Present], and [Future]. Mages take great creative liberty with these as they must establish their originality and intent with only three key words. The order is flexible. [Accomplishment] can be a personal trait or something that reminisces on a defining event. This tells the story of their origin. [Title] is something like scholar/mage/teacher/herbalist. This title may change over time. [Motivation] is where they are going and what their goal is, summed up in a single word. Examples of new-style names would be “Ferrier of the Sighing Ocean” and “Sublimated Herbalist” (in this case, the title and motivation are the same). It is proper to capitalize all key words in new-style names.

Divine-style names are highly controversial, often seen as blasphemous or pretentious. These names describe a scene, refraining from restrictive titles. An example of a divine-style name would be “a mountain sliced thrice diagonally.” It is proper to treat these names as fragments of sentences - they will be capitalized only at the start of sentences, and otherwise left lowercase. For legibility, authors have taken to italicizing these names.

All in all, the goal for every mage is to create a name that infuses intent and power into all their doings.

Enlightened by what? The dangers of fanaticism in academia. A response to the Department of Impartation’s preachings on mankind’s origins.

Aldorinx, Solari Arcanists

The Valina Wield Department of Impartation has published several responses to arcanic research papers. All of these responses have attempted to disprove valid theories by citing divination records. Divination can be useful to guide the direction of one’s research, but it must be backed up with some sort of data. If divination records could be trusted wholly, there would be no reason for arcanic research to take place.

Essential Abstracts for the Inquiring Arcanist Part 4: On the Soul Contract

[bejeanedfellow]

Essential Abstracts for the Inquiring Arcanist: Part 2

This is part 2/8 of Essential Abstracts for the Inquiring Arcanist. The full version can be found on my website here.

Part 1: Foreword Part 2: On Nomenclature Part 3: On Scholarly Etiquette Part 4: On the Soul Contract Part 5: On Matter and Heat Part 6: On Permeability and Inherent Ability Part 7: On Entropy and Arcane Crises Part 8: On Spell Drafting

On Nomenclature

Diverging understanding among academics has muddled common nomenclature.

Mage of the Brightest Sundowning, Next Generation Mages Project

When arcane researchers first began to dissect the interactions between mortals and the divine, they lacked the vocabulary to describe their theories to the general public. At first, the divine were believed to reside exclusively in the “afterlife”. Many academics still use this term and operate under the assumption that divinity, and therefore magic, is sourced from wherever mortals go after death. However, as human knowledge has grown and our definitions have expanded, this term has lost favor. “Afterlife” was replaced with “divine realm”, or occasionally, “magic realm”.

The world in which living humans reside was commonly known as the “physical realm”. It should be noted that the term “realm” may be replaced by “world”, “sphere”, “plane”, “domain”, etc., which varies simply due to preference. The discovery that physical matter exists outside of the “physical plane” caused a drop in usage amongst academics, but these terms are still very common amongst laypeople. Amongst researchers, the term “physical” is frequently replaced with “mortal”, and recently, “mundane” has started gaining popularity.

Some academics have theorized that the “mortal realm” and the “divine realm” are not two completely different worlds; they are actually part of the same realm of existence but are separated by a great distance. When discussing this theory, scholars may use the terms “Universe” or “World” or “Galaxy” to describe where living mortals reside, and “Beyond” to describe everywhere else. This term has not caught on outside of these circles.

We have seen indications that there is not one singular Divine Domain, and that the barrier separating the Divine World from the Mortal World may exist between different Divine Domains as well. As such, it has become increasingly common to refer to these in plural.

Recent research has led a small percentage of scholars to start using the terms “Temperate Domain” and “Cold Domains”. This party may also refer to “Cold Domains” as “Absolute Zero”. These terms are appropriate when discussing heat, but temperature as a sole descriptor may be misleading to the public.

In general, the terms “mortal plane/domain/realm/world” and “divine planes/domains/realms/worlds” have become the most commonly used terms, but variations continue to appear. It is imperative that scholars come to a consensus, and make arcane research accessible to everyone.

The Soul, the Contract, and the Consciousness.

Sc. Taren Dyme, Next Generation Mages Project

The Soul and Consciousness are used interchangeably in literature to describe the part of a human that maintains continuity after death. The Soul is also sometimes used to refer to the Soul Contract, which may be simplified as the Contract. This “contract” refers to the law that anything alive must die, and the location of one’s Soul Contract determines where (what domain) the Soul or Consciousness ends up. Some even believe that the Soul (or Consciousness) and the Soul Contract are the same thing and that a person is always connected to their final destination. To complicate things further, a “contract” also occasionally refers to the exchange of information that takes place between mortals and deities to perform a spell or ritual. This is a colloquial use of the term that comes from the way certain communities develop and cast their spells. In academic settings, it is more common to refer to this exchange of information as a “spell pathway”. The academic population continues to be unable to come to any semblance of agreement regarding nomenclature.

Essential Abstracts for the Inquiring Arcanist Part 3: On Scholarly Etiquette

[bejeanedfellow]

Essential Abstracts for the Inquiring Arcanist

Compiled by The Breathing Moonstone Transmuter Foreword by Bejeaned Fellow

This is part 1/8 of Essential Abstracts for the Inquiring Arcanist. The full version can be found on my website here.

Part 1: Foreword Part 2: On Nomenclature Part 3: On Scholarly Etiquette Part 4: On the Soul Contract Part 5: On Matter and Heat Part 6: On Permeability and Inherent Ability Part 7: On Entropy and Arcane Crises Part 8: On Spell Drafting

Foreword

This collection of abstracts belongs to a worldbuilding project that has been in the works for a long time. While attempting to compile some of the information that has accumulated over the years, this funky little document was born. I wanted to write summaries of some research abstracts and news articles that would actually exist in this world. I had to narrow down which information to cover, so I chose topics that one of the characters (The Breathing Moonstone Transmuter) would consider important enough to include in a published research compilation. The studies are organized by subject matter rather than chronologically.

Unfortunately, the academic communities in this world have a lot of bad habits, such as being vague about their methods to trip up their competition, and constantly changing the words they use to refer to important concepts. I considered simplifying some things (nomenclature, specifically) to improve clarity, but ultimately I had too much fun thinking about how certain characters and groups would write about their findings. I sure hope it’s equally fun to read…

The goal of a compilation like this would be to provide students with a quick overview of where arcanic knowledge currently lies, and where it is heading. However, the other characters in this world would have varying reactions to these particular topics being included in an intermediate-level essay compilation! Much like in reality, the people of this world do not have all the right answers yet (and maybe never will), and contradictions occasionally arise during research. Also, the lack of communication between academic communities and laypeople frequently causes frustration, confusion, and even fear.

For context, magic in this world functions like in D&D or Pathfinder: there are spells, and there are specific instructions on how to cast those spells, as well as components that must be consumed to cast them. Mages are aware that it is thanks to the support of divine entities (gods, deities, and monsters) that they can wield magic. For a long time, that amount of information was satisfactory. However, as spell components became scarcer and scarcer, and as the mortal plane became more and more volatile, arcane research started gaining momentum.

Essential Abstracts for the Inquiring Arcanist Part 2: On Nomenclature

[nudityandnerdery]

I saw this post on Facebook today, and was gonna make a joke about how he's so good in the lab because, when it comes to experiment samples, he knows you gotta keep 'em separated.

But I happened to search the lyric online really quick, and found this:

AMAZING. It's actually where the line came from! Bravo, sir.

Keep 'em separated

Dexter Holland, the lead singer of the punk-rock band The Offspring, has a lot of different interests. One of them is biology.

[lillypadsareneat]

Hihihi first post uhm, I drew some sketches for @legendlarkpod Nevernowhere’s player characters! They are a bit rushed \(/_\)>

[bejeanedfellow]

Fran-posting, as foretold……

[bejeanedfellow]

Guardians cosplays from @legendlarkpod featuring me and @laughingmatter00 !

Fran-posting on my page incoming……..

[pireight]

Excited about @legendlarkpod NeverNowhere

I have no idea what time period the setting is based on from the preview so I kinda gave each character a different style based on the little info we have

The only one of these I am sure about is Freidrich

[bejeanedfellow]

Part 2 - Recycled Prop-Making: Ultimate Overlord’s Mega Magic Sword

I enjoy making things out of literal garbage from the garbage can. Here’s Part 2 of how I made the Ultimate Overlord’s Mega Magic Sword from Genshin Impact.

Part 1 here: https://www.tumblr.com/dukermin/777658606752595968/part-1-recycled-prop-making-ultimate-overlords

Picking up where I left off, I primed and painted everything, then started gluing everything together. I used wood glue for the bigger pieces. Here I’m using dish soap and my grandfather’s ashes to weigh everything down while the glue dries.

The smaller pieces I used hot glue to attach.

Here it is all put together. Kinda forgot that the insides of some of the pieces would be slightly exposed. Oh well maybe I’ll fix it maybe I won’t.

Fixed some of the colors to better match the reference. It’s not perfect but my standards are low 👍

Now it’s time for decorations. The reference image has the stickers on there but the resolution wasn’t great so I just touched up some of the lines to make it a little cleaner. Here’s before:

Here’s after. It’s like a spot the differences puzzle.

I attached all my bits and bobs using rubber cement then realized that was silly and had to redo some of them with glue stick.

Here are both sides of the claymore.

If you noticed the slight differences between paint colors for each side no you didn’t.

Then it was time to break out the love of my life: mod podge. After that, it was all done. Here it is pictured with my weird roommate for scale.

I did leave off the like blue tape but that’s because I didn’t feel like adding the blue tape. Anyway this is the finished product pictured with my Navia cosplay.