#twopathsentwined

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Elements of Tiwin, pt. 1

So I not-so-briefly covered how the magic of my world works, but I didn't actually cover the elements. A big oversight on my part, so that's the next thing I'll cover. Below are the first 10 of the 24 elements of Tiwin, listed with symbol, color, name in the alien script, the romanization of that name, the translation, and a description of how they work.

Den (Solid) - Rust

The element of solid state materials. Crucial is that the object you're manipulating must be entirely made out of the same material. The more refined it is, the harder it is to control. So it's easy to control a pile of dirt, but hard to control a metal chair. And entirely impossible if the chair is made of metal, wood and plastic all at once. The same goes for creating material - only objects out of a single material can be created. Most people can only control a small group of materials that are thematically linked together. For example, dirt, sand, rocks, minerals, metals or gemstones for natural materials, and plastic, paper and glass for synthetic ones. Occasionally, Abilities show up for materials that are not commonly associated with Den but are still considered solid materials, such as ice and wood.

Tchel (Liquid) - Sky Blue

Much like Den, Tchel is also about materials. In this case, liquid ones. Water is by far the most common, but Abilities for other liquids have been known to appear. Keep in mind that the substance can only be controlled while it's liquid. Hence, someone with a Tchel Ability concerning water will not be able to manipulate ice or vapor.

Vu (Air) - Chartreuse

The third of the material elements, and the most nebulous. Fewer people possess a Vu Ability than either of the two above, and most preoccupy themselves with the same kind of Ability usage: moving the air around oneself. Theoretically, one should be able to find Akanu who can control other gases, and yet there are no records of such people.

Oshae (Plasma) - Pink

A superheated, volatile substance. Few places are safe for people with these Abilities to practice them, and as such, many Akanu with Oshae Abilities don't even bother to use their Abilities at all.

Tchir (Warmth) - Red

Akanu with Tchir Abilities can influence temperature - which includes both giving and taking away warmth. Some Akanu can do only one or the other, but many can do both, though many will have unique limitations to their Abilities. Size and material are, however, always an issue. That's just physics.

Roak (Metal) - Cool Grey

Though this element's literal translation is Metal, the more accurate name would be Magnetism. Akanu with Abilities like this can attract and repel metal objects, increase or decrease the magnetic force on something, and in rarer cases can create attraction or repellant points despite them not being metal.

Vikan (Spark) - Cyan

The element of lightning and electricity. People with this type usually have the flashy powers, capable of redirecting lightning, powering devices, silencing storms or absorbing enormous amounts of electricity without breaking a sweat.

Ivi (Light) - White

Ivi is a versatile element, its Abilities ranging from bioluminescence to illusory magic to creating glowing objects to literally blocking the light of the sun. But for the record, only the Evoze Ivi has ever managed that last bit on a significant scale.

Dhoone (Sound) - Aquamarine

Those with Dhoone Abilities may be able to manipulate the sound itself, the way it travels (or doesn't) or perhaps the way they themselves sense it. It's known to give some people sound-related synesthesia as a side effect.

Kono (Kinetics) - Green

The movement of things. One with this Ability might possess telekinesis, or simply be able to speed things up or slow things down.

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Two Paths: magic

Pictured above: Jamie using Mind Ability to send out stunning projectiles.

So the world of Two Paths has a magic system. The native inhabitants are able to channel a mysterious power coming from their world's core, known simply as Ithim (Energy), and manifest it into various Tala'i, or Abilities.

Abilities are generally agreed upon to come in 24 types:

Solid, Liquid, Air, Plasma, Warmth, Metal, Spark, Light, Sound, Kinetics, Gravity, Void, Time, Space, Dimensions, Energy, Spirit, Eco, Shift, Transmutation, Creation, Mind, Eye and Counter.

Each of these Abilities has its own Energy frequency, neither visible nor audible but very much present and detectable. It's because of these frequencies that people with the same Ability Type can counteract each other's moves, as the frequencies cancel each other out.

Some people with Eye Abilities, like Lee, are able to see Energy and Energy frequencies. The frequencies are then converted to the color spectrum, with each type getting its own color. As shown above, Mind Abilities are a dark red, but for example Spark Abilities are light blue and Space Abilities are purple.

Sometimes, however, an Ability can turn up with a frequency of a type that doesn't match the Ability's effects. Hence, some Tiwino scientists question the validity of the type system.

The people of Tiwin attach a lot of value to Abilities, and generally teach their children how to connect to and control their Abilities from a very young age.

But they are not the only ones with Abilities. Tiwino technology is built on the concept of building carefully harvested and sculpted Energy crystals into objects to power them and give them magical properties, although the Tiwino would never describe this process as being anything magical at all.

This technology, among many other things, also allows the accessing and use of an Ability to someone who has none of their own. They must, however, still be able to resonate with the specific frequency of the Ability Item, and most beings only have one specific, small range they can resonate in.

Likewise, technology exists, mostly as training tools, to strengthen the user's Ability and make it easier to connect to and use. Most Tiwino, regardless of skill, have one of these, and a lot of Tiwino don't ever learn how to use their Abilities without them.

There is, however, a small group of people on Tiwin who don't need such an item at all - the Evoze, or Mages. The Mages are much more powerful than normal Akanu - that is, all other Ability users - and they can attain complete control and mastery over their Ability type. There's also always only one Mage per type alive at a time - a new one is only born once the old one dies. The Mage doesn't have to be Tiwino; the only prerequisites are that they are born on Tiwin and have the capacity to naturally use an Ability.

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More drawings. This time the main six from the White Path.

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Brain said no on more character sheets. So here are the main six from the Black Path.

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Elements of Tiwin, pt. 3

Last part. Last 4 elements.

Teriz (Mind) - Maroon

A mind isn't quite the same as a soul. A soul is the very core of the self, while the mind is the set of instructions it uses to connect with the outside world, plus the archive of all memories, experiences and skills. Hence, Teriz and Erat are two separate elements.

Someone with a Teriz Ability is able to manipulate the mind. This includes telepathy, phychic attacks, brainwashing, memory manipulation, creating mindscapes, sharing thoughts, and in rare cases even creating whole new minds.

Diivi (Eye) - Gold

Another one of the rarer elements. Diivi Abilities seem to be primarily given to those who are partly or wholly from the Diivitikre tribe, though it does occur that one of the other non-Diivitikre aliens receives a Diivi Ability.

Diivi is all about extrasensory perception and the accumulation of knowledge and understanding. This includes various forms of divining information, the power to create remote points of observation, enhanced intuition, a perfect memory, the ability to see the flows of Ithim and even limited forms of mind reading.

Talaraeth (Counter) - Yellow

This element is focused on redirecting Ithim and blocking the effects of other Abilities. It is a purely defensive element. Magical shielding are usually also created by this element's Abilities.

Dor (Void) - Black

The rarest element, and the element associated with the Doroa Dor and the Void Between Worlds. Those with a Dor Ability describe it as their Ability not being entirely part of them. It feels almost alive.

Dor does not have any reactions when used in conjunction with other elements. Instead, it seems to have an infinite hunger for Ithim, as any Dor constructs absorb energy around them and all magic and life they come into contact with. Akanu Dor often have a versatile and powerful powerset, but it comes at a high cost - their own Ability slowly absorbs their Source's Ithim, leaving Akanu Dor to age faster and die at a young age. Use of the Ability only speeds up this process.

Dor Abilities can be used to form void constructs, teleport through use of the Void Between Worlds, set up anti-Ability zones, absorb Ithim and magic, augment the user's body or counteract illnesses.

Note: any Akanu Dor has the same weakness the Doroa Dor do - a sufficiently powerful blast of Ithim all at once will purge the Dor. While this doesn't kill them as it would a Doroa Dor, it does leave them permanently without an Ability.

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Elements of Tiwin, pt. 2

Apparently you can only attach 10 images to a post at maximum. Welp, here's part 2.

Kallom (Gravity) - Navy Blue

In the most technical sense of the word, gravity is about mass and attraction, but in daily life it mostly refers to a strong downwards-pointing force. Kallom is all of these things.

One with a Kallom Ability might be capable of causing objects to attract each other or change the mass of objects, but they might also be able to levitate, or change the direction of gravity in a certain area.

Drava (Time) - Cobalt

Controlling time itself may sound like a blessing, but it comes with its own drawbacks. When you start messing with time, you quickly find out that the universe is quite fragile - one wrong move in either the past or the future might break the timeline irreparably and doom everyone living in it.

Akanu with a Drava Ability may find themselves being able to wind back time for themselves, for objects, or wind them forward. They may be able to slow or speed up time, or travel backwards and forwards. They might even have more conceptual powers, like giving or taking time from objects or people.

The Evoze Drava is rumored to be the most powerful out of all of the 24 Evoze. However, they have been missing for quite a while - their last appearance was rumored to be six years ago.

Yaleroo (Space) - Indigo

Most Yaleroo Abilities preoccupy themselves with the easiest method to manipulate space - instantaneous travel, also known as teleportation. Still, there are other Abilities of this type in existence that function differently, such as increasing the range of other Abilities or manipulating the weave of space to attract objects to a specific point, known as "space bombs".

Weltik (Dimensions) - Purple

Universes are neatly self-contained, but such a universe isn't just a single reality. No, it's more like a a gigantic pile of timelines all stacked on top of each other in several directions. These are what "Dimensions" refer to, and it's possible to interact with nearby dimensions through the use of machines and Abilities.

Such Abilities can do various things. It might be possible to travel to or between dimensions, transport other things or people back and forth, or simply gaze through the cracks into these alternate realities.

The Rift Lab on Izra preoccupies itself with researching other dimensions and universes and have on multiple occasions opened gateways to them. This is how the Doroa Dor first arrived on the island.

Ithim (Energy) - Silver

This is the source of Abilities and life on Tiwin in its natural and purest state. Few possess the means to manipulate Ithim directly without changing its frequency, and those that do are regarded with equal amounts of respect and utmost caution. Ithim Abilities are powerful, but unrefined. Great for producing borderline miracles, not so great for use in daily life.

Erat (Soul) - Light Grey

All sentient beings possess a soul - the source of their life, and the very core of their being. Few dare to tamper with it, because what will happen to you if your soul itself is damaged?

Nothing pleasant, that's for sure.

Still, those that do hone their Erat Ability may find themselves potent healers, or able to provide extra strength to those around them. Those with darker intentions will find themselves very efficient executioners.

Anlir (Biota) - Moss

The safer method of manipulating life is through an Anlir Ability, the domain of animal and plant life. Abilities of this element often involve communicating with animals or plants, commanding or controlling them, and encouraging growth. But just as life is part of the Anlir element, so is decay. Powers of death and rot are not uncommon.

Neri (Shift) - Orange

The first of the change elements. Neri literally means "Not I", and the element concerns the changing of shapes. Exchanging or simply shifting shapes, whether it applies to yourself, other beings or both, and on what scale the changes can be, can vary from person to person. Some can only provide minor changes to appearance, while other can turn into objects.

Ne'ere (Transmutation) - Violet

The other change element. Ne'ere means "Not It", and Akanu with Ne'ere Abilities preoccupy themselves with changing objects. Objects may change their shape, material, colours or phase. Most Akanu can only do one or two of these things.

Faya (Creation) - Any Colour

The existence of this element has only been known for a few decades, since it doesn't have its own colour or frequency. Faya Abilities are usually very specific subsets of a domain so incredibly wide in scope that even the Evoze Faya doesn't know all its potential uses.

People with Faya Abilities can usually create objects in a particular theme, like 'cups of tea' or 'primitive shapes' or 'robots'. The colour of their Ability will most often align with an element similar to their theme, but it's been known to happen on occasion that it aligns with the Akanu's favourite colour instead.

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Character Sheets pt. 1: Lee Finch

Meet the primary protagonist of Two Paths - the White Path, Lee Finch. They write the journal that provides the narrative frame of the White Path and semi-lead their group of friends in trying to manage and move forward in a new, alien world.

Lee is shy at first, always observing and trying to figure out the rules of any new encounter before they throw themself at it. It would be terribly embarrassing if they fucked something up, so... better be safe than sorry. They only ever stand their ground in defense of someone else, but when they do, it's beautiful. They would go to the ends of the earth to keep their promises and help the people they've sworn to protect, never letting go of their ideals. In the other world, Lee feels... a little out of place. They're so used to adults not taking them seriously all the time, and though they look like an adult now too, they sure don't feel like one. Their aged-up body gives them a little confidence, though, and they genuinely enjoy hanging out with the adults from the Black Path. Especially Jake, but maybe that's just because he's the first one they encountered, and he's the type to make friends with everyone. Lee is nonbinary, agender and considers themself gay, as they have a relatively masculine gender expression and tend to be attracted to other masculine expressing people. They know 'gay' isn't exactly the correct word, given they're also asexual, but... what do you even call that? Gah, sexuality is hard. 

Their canonical partner is Lucas Markusson, who they affectionately call Luc. Among their other friends they count Isa and Ryan, although they have a complicated history with the latter. 

*****

STATS:

HP: AVERAGE Energy: OK

Block: BAD Dodge: GREAT Speed: OK

Aim (ranged hit chance): GOOD Strength (melee damage): TERRIBLE Technique (melee hit chance): BAD Luck (crit rate): GOOD

Potential (Ability damage): NONE Will (magic resistance): AVERAGE Resolve (resistance to psychological warfare): TERRIBLE

Intelligence: OK Creativity: GREAT Charisma: BAD

Leadership: FLAWED (Increases Dodge and Luck of surrounding characters by way of sharing insights and warnings.)

Empathy: GREAT (Lowers opponents’ Resolve when using non-violent combat options. Increase chance of healing injured combatants when left on auto-battle.)