Essence

Essence Pools

In the realm of Free Form Magic, essence pools represent reservoirs of magical energy that beings can draw from. These pools are not physical objects but metaphysical concepts, symbolizing the collective magical potential within an entity or environment.

Types of Essence Pools

Essence pools are generally categorized into two primary types:

Innate Essence Pool: Certain beings, such as Elves, Orcs, and specific monsters, possess this type of essence pool as part of their natural biology. It allows them to effortlessly harness the world's magical energy.
Bonded Essence Pool: Formed through a deep bond between a being and a magical entity, such as a dragon or griffin, this shared pool enables both parties to manipulate and draw from a collective source of magical power.

Sources of Essence

Various sources can provide essence, including:

Crystals: Crystals found in the Burnt Sea release large quantities of liquid essence when shattered, which can be absorbed either by runes or beings with an essence pool capable of harnessing ambient essence.
Creatures: When a creature dies, the essence within it is released and can be absorbed by its killer. This leads some to seek essence through violent means, hoping to amass enough to ascend to godhood, though this often leads to madness.
Ambient Essence: The environment naturally produces essence, with its composition varying based on the surroundings.

How Essence Pools Work in Creatures

Tapping into an essence pool grants a creature access to a specific "flavor" of magical energy. This energy is filtered by the being's affinity, determining the type of magic they can use and the complexity of the spells they can cast.

For instance, an Elf with a strong affinity for nature magic may draw on essence imbued with the energy of forests, allowing access to potent spells related to growth, decay, and transformation. Meanwhile, a human attuned to fire magic might wield powerful spells related to heat and flame.

Early on, creatures typically have weak affinities, resulting in essence pools filled with a diluted mix of ambient essence. While they can tap into various types of magic, their access to stronger spells is limited due to the lack of concentration and small pool size. However, this does allow for a broader, albeit weaker, magical range.

How Essence Pools Work in Rune Magic

In rune magic, essence pools within materials depend on the alloy used. The base material, marked with inscribed runes, absorbs essence based on its affinity. This absorption can be accelerated using specialized runes that channel ambient essence into the material.

Once activated, the runes deplete the essence within the material’s pool, releasing its stored magical energy.

Essence and Its Role in Magic

Essence is the core substance of all magical energy. It represents the raw potential for magic, with each "flavor" of essence corresponding to a specific type of magic. Aspects of essence can be envisioned like different colors of light, with each hue symbolizing a distinct form of magic. When a being absorbs unfiltered ambient essence, it receives a blend of various essences, their exact makeup shifting based on the environment.

In Free Form Magic, essence fuels spells and incantations. The caster must draw from an essence pool and shape the energy using their magical affinity and visualization skills to achieve the desired effect.

Rune Magic and Essence

Rune Magic is a specialized form of magic, relying on the manipulation of essence through magical symbols, known as runes. In Rune Magic, essence is used to infuse the runes with energy, which is then directed toward a specific outcome.

Although similar to Free Form Magic in how it uses essence, the key difference lies in the role of the runes. Runes focus the essence, allowing materials to access specific types of magical energy and channel them in controlled ways.

The World's Essence Production

The world generates essence through various processes, each linked to a different type of magic:

Geological processes: Magical energies are released through natural events such as earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, and tectonic movements.
Biological processes: All living creatures, including plants and animals, naturally produce essence as a byproduct of their life processes.
Astral processes: Celestial bodies and the fabric of space-time itself contribute to the world’s essence, which enters the realm through astral means.

The Soul's Affinity and Essence

A soul or material's affinity acts as a filter, allowing only specific types of essence to pass through. This affinity dictates the kinds of magic a being can wield and the level of complexity their spells can achieve.

As a being’s affinity strengthens, they attune more closely to certain flavors of essence, granting access to more potent and advanced forms of magic. However, developing this affinity takes time, dedication, and practice.

Ascent to Godhood

Achieving godhood involves expanding one's essence pool by focusing on a singular aspect of essence. The deeper a being’s understanding of a particular essence, the more of that essence they can wield. This comes at a cost: as they increase their capacity for one type of essence, their ability to access others diminishes. However, their mastery of that singular essence becomes far more potent, allowing them to cast much stronger spells within that domain.

The process is perilous. The more a being aligns with a specific type of essence, the greater the risk of being consumed by it, leading to a loss of self and autonomy as they become increasingly driven by the will of that essence.

The Impossible Task

For most beings, ascending to godhood is an insurmountable challenge, requiring immense magical power and understanding. Even the most powerful creatures, like dragons and griffins, are not true gods—they have simply tapped deeply into one aspect of essence and harness its power.

The allure of godhood drives many to pursue it, but it often ends in failure. Those who strive for such power risk being overtaken by the very essence they seek to control, losing themselves in the process.