kanachi
2007-01-07, 08:13 PM
I have recently been thinking of time and how I would like to see it represented within my next world. I have come up with the following to explain some of how it functions. No game mechanics are listed in here (such things will come much later) but for now I was just interested in what people thought of the flavour of the ideas I am presenting. Would the proposed ideas be something that you would find interest in? or be happy playing a character in a world where such ideas existed?
- Thanks!!
Talmiradus
Apart from the few overdeitys who are themselves also beyond linier existence none can truly know how Talmiradus created time. He was one of the eternal gods – true beings of what has and always shall be, who meet neither life nor death and command powers beyond boundary. It’s even quite possible that he was alone, existing in a time before time as the sole truly non-linier being to have ever existed.
Talmiradus granted the universe motion, time and the ability to breed both beginnings and ends. Some say he gave his life to see this vision of a linier universe completed while other consider such an idea to be utterly illogical and protest that it would be impossible for him to perish (even willingly), for he transcends the philosophy of both life and death.
His powers are regarded as being everywhere at all times, simultaneously granting all things the ability to act from one moment to the next. For this reason he has become an invisible and forgotten mechanic within the universe, constantly maintaining his great work of seemingly infinite complexity. This construction was known simply as ‘The Eternal Way’ and is perhaps the greatest of the divine tools.
In truth Talmiradus wove the eternal way from his own essence, spreading himself as an infinite weave of strands across the very reaches of the universe. Each strand was joined to every conceivable entity, granting them the gift of linier existence.
After this great dawning of time nearly all mention of him fades, though it’s said whilst still constructing the eternal way he taught the newly born deities how to manipulate, travel along and to follow the progress of those who navigate it.
Why exactly he did all this none can be entirely certain, perhaps he tired of an existence devoid of change, perhaps he even viewed his own eternal and non linier existence as a curse. Regardless, with the gift of the eternal way in their hands the deities forged ahead and the reality of linier creation became possible and with it the first building blocks of the known universe could be forged.
The Weave of Time
If one were to view the eternal way frozen in motion you would primarily see a three dimensional weave, each strand of which joins to a single entity. These strands, known as cronofibres, flows according to the path their entity is at that exact moment set to travel. The eternal way does not however, show an entities destiny (see bellow) it merely provides a means by which an entity may travel (this is Talmiradus’s gift of motion); it is free will and its effects upon the world a whole that govern where the cronofibre truly flows.
If you were to focus upon an entity, perhaps a man running, at a fixed moment in time within the eternal way you would initially see only the path which he intends to follow at that given time (taking into consideration the various events that would occur around him as he did so). Focusing more intently would revile to you that in fact each bone had its own destination along that path and focusing further still might show how every muscle, tendon and sinew would also act accordingly. It is indeed possible to focus so intently that one can preserve how each individual atom, or even smaller entities will travel over a period of time.
If so desired it would also become possible to observe the path which an entity previously followed, which would appear as a ridged cronofibre locked within its position. It is quite obvious when such a cronofibre has been altered as it appears noticeably suppler that those around it, reflecting the weakened state of temporal reality it represents. One who tampers with the past must be careful, for if enough of these ridged cronofibre become weakened they can fracture creating a temporal paradox as the eternal way fixes itself by snapping together two ends of a fractured cronofibre.
Temporal Discord
Meddling with the cronofibres of the eternal way is a dangerous game to play, for time exists ultimately to serve its own ends not those of others. A rift between a single cronofibre can prove devastating, for when split the two ends of a fibre will instantly forge together once more creating a new reality to which all things will adjust in order to compensate. Reality itself will bend, warp and distort in order to meet its new design creating outcomes impossible to comprehend, let alone match, even through the most powerful of magic spells.
It’s possible to find oneself a thousand miles from your previous location in a situation where everyone who you ever knew no longer has any memory of your existence. Even you yourself may not remember the path you had once taken before the relevant cronofibres corrected themselves.
Many are driven insane, their minds breaking under the pressure as their entire existence seems to shift endlessly throughout a million different locations as time tumbles them chaotically across reality itself.
Those who seek to alter the past in the most devastating of ways often fall victim to the effects they reap themselves, even if their actions were seemingly designed to serve the forces of good. It must be remembered that two ends of a severed cronofibre must always be rejoined and that this is done so by the shortest rout possible, therefore the longer the cut the more devastating the results will be.
As an extreme example a meddler may return to a time where they can slay a tyrannical ruler at birth. This misinformed action will likely however provoke cataclysmic repercussions upon not only the targets cronofibres but every fibre the individual has ever affected, including the meddler themselves. The result may even prove futile as the ruler would still effectively exist within the future and thus be forcibly reformed at that moment as time corrects itself to accommodate its new design. It’s likely however that the affects upon the individual of being born, displaced over a period of several years and then suddenly forged within an instant would break the ruler’s mind. Regardless, such actions can destroy many hundreds of thousands of lives (including the meddlers own) in an instant and are among some of the most abhorrent misdeeds imaginable.
Fortunately projecting ones focus beyond a few seconds into the past requires great power, certainly beyond that of most mortals. Those who do meddle with the past must therefore do so most subtly and often choose to affect only a period of a few seconds previous, minimizing the potential repercussions. Such power can prove is immense in the hands of one skilled enough to wield it intelligently.
For the most part many mortals who meddle in time only do so within the near and probable future observing how and when entities are likely to perform set actions so they can better prepare themselves for what is to come.
In nearly all cases the action of tampering with the eternal way is forbidden to linier beings.
Those without knowledge of the eternal way sometimes perform action that may adjust time, such as a mage casting the stop time spell. This is however quite different from altering the cronofibres of the eternal way itself, as unbeknownst to the mage their actions have already been compensated for, indeed before they even took place.
Therefore, while a mage may dabble with time only those who know of the eternal way can truly understand the mechanics by which it functions. Such knowledge can drive the enlightened to insanity and even those who retain a sense of understanding doubtlessly find themselves profoundly changed; attaining a perspective upon existence that few others could even attempt to comprehend.
- Thanks!!
Talmiradus
Apart from the few overdeitys who are themselves also beyond linier existence none can truly know how Talmiradus created time. He was one of the eternal gods – true beings of what has and always shall be, who meet neither life nor death and command powers beyond boundary. It’s even quite possible that he was alone, existing in a time before time as the sole truly non-linier being to have ever existed.
Talmiradus granted the universe motion, time and the ability to breed both beginnings and ends. Some say he gave his life to see this vision of a linier universe completed while other consider such an idea to be utterly illogical and protest that it would be impossible for him to perish (even willingly), for he transcends the philosophy of both life and death.
His powers are regarded as being everywhere at all times, simultaneously granting all things the ability to act from one moment to the next. For this reason he has become an invisible and forgotten mechanic within the universe, constantly maintaining his great work of seemingly infinite complexity. This construction was known simply as ‘The Eternal Way’ and is perhaps the greatest of the divine tools.
In truth Talmiradus wove the eternal way from his own essence, spreading himself as an infinite weave of strands across the very reaches of the universe. Each strand was joined to every conceivable entity, granting them the gift of linier existence.
After this great dawning of time nearly all mention of him fades, though it’s said whilst still constructing the eternal way he taught the newly born deities how to manipulate, travel along and to follow the progress of those who navigate it.
Why exactly he did all this none can be entirely certain, perhaps he tired of an existence devoid of change, perhaps he even viewed his own eternal and non linier existence as a curse. Regardless, with the gift of the eternal way in their hands the deities forged ahead and the reality of linier creation became possible and with it the first building blocks of the known universe could be forged.
The Weave of Time
If one were to view the eternal way frozen in motion you would primarily see a three dimensional weave, each strand of which joins to a single entity. These strands, known as cronofibres, flows according to the path their entity is at that exact moment set to travel. The eternal way does not however, show an entities destiny (see bellow) it merely provides a means by which an entity may travel (this is Talmiradus’s gift of motion); it is free will and its effects upon the world a whole that govern where the cronofibre truly flows.
If you were to focus upon an entity, perhaps a man running, at a fixed moment in time within the eternal way you would initially see only the path which he intends to follow at that given time (taking into consideration the various events that would occur around him as he did so). Focusing more intently would revile to you that in fact each bone had its own destination along that path and focusing further still might show how every muscle, tendon and sinew would also act accordingly. It is indeed possible to focus so intently that one can preserve how each individual atom, or even smaller entities will travel over a period of time.
If so desired it would also become possible to observe the path which an entity previously followed, which would appear as a ridged cronofibre locked within its position. It is quite obvious when such a cronofibre has been altered as it appears noticeably suppler that those around it, reflecting the weakened state of temporal reality it represents. One who tampers with the past must be careful, for if enough of these ridged cronofibre become weakened they can fracture creating a temporal paradox as the eternal way fixes itself by snapping together two ends of a fractured cronofibre.
Temporal Discord
Meddling with the cronofibres of the eternal way is a dangerous game to play, for time exists ultimately to serve its own ends not those of others. A rift between a single cronofibre can prove devastating, for when split the two ends of a fibre will instantly forge together once more creating a new reality to which all things will adjust in order to compensate. Reality itself will bend, warp and distort in order to meet its new design creating outcomes impossible to comprehend, let alone match, even through the most powerful of magic spells.
It’s possible to find oneself a thousand miles from your previous location in a situation where everyone who you ever knew no longer has any memory of your existence. Even you yourself may not remember the path you had once taken before the relevant cronofibres corrected themselves.
Many are driven insane, their minds breaking under the pressure as their entire existence seems to shift endlessly throughout a million different locations as time tumbles them chaotically across reality itself.
Those who seek to alter the past in the most devastating of ways often fall victim to the effects they reap themselves, even if their actions were seemingly designed to serve the forces of good. It must be remembered that two ends of a severed cronofibre must always be rejoined and that this is done so by the shortest rout possible, therefore the longer the cut the more devastating the results will be.
As an extreme example a meddler may return to a time where they can slay a tyrannical ruler at birth. This misinformed action will likely however provoke cataclysmic repercussions upon not only the targets cronofibres but every fibre the individual has ever affected, including the meddler themselves. The result may even prove futile as the ruler would still effectively exist within the future and thus be forcibly reformed at that moment as time corrects itself to accommodate its new design. It’s likely however that the affects upon the individual of being born, displaced over a period of several years and then suddenly forged within an instant would break the ruler’s mind. Regardless, such actions can destroy many hundreds of thousands of lives (including the meddlers own) in an instant and are among some of the most abhorrent misdeeds imaginable.
Fortunately projecting ones focus beyond a few seconds into the past requires great power, certainly beyond that of most mortals. Those who do meddle with the past must therefore do so most subtly and often choose to affect only a period of a few seconds previous, minimizing the potential repercussions. Such power can prove is immense in the hands of one skilled enough to wield it intelligently.
For the most part many mortals who meddle in time only do so within the near and probable future observing how and when entities are likely to perform set actions so they can better prepare themselves for what is to come.
In nearly all cases the action of tampering with the eternal way is forbidden to linier beings.
Those without knowledge of the eternal way sometimes perform action that may adjust time, such as a mage casting the stop time spell. This is however quite different from altering the cronofibres of the eternal way itself, as unbeknownst to the mage their actions have already been compensated for, indeed before they even took place.
Therefore, while a mage may dabble with time only those who know of the eternal way can truly understand the mechanics by which it functions. Such knowledge can drive the enlightened to insanity and even those who retain a sense of understanding doubtlessly find themselves profoundly changed; attaining a perspective upon existence that few others could even attempt to comprehend.