Some thoughts/ideas about links
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If the soul/person is present, you can use consensual links, and if the person is willing, you can do it without knowing the true name. There was a brief reference to this in the D’Orcing when Tom or someone commented on the fact that since the subject was there, waiting and willing, it would be much easier than a normal demonization.
The true name is required for non-consensual binding, and summoning in particular. In order to summon a soul across the multiverse you need the true name.
Does this mean that the link to a saint is established by a mortal linking themselves to a reliquary? If so, how are mortal links maintained to saints once the connection to the reliquary is cut?
So the reason why Hilda’s links to her illuminaries broke regardless of where she was (material or outer plane) was because they were SITO-O even though it was a mortal-immortal link rather than a direct connection to Tierhallon? In short the links inherited or were contaminated by her SITO and so they mimic it?
The issues of link-mechanics and the details of how the interdiction wards work have been going around for a little while now.
I have encountered two types of problems in other books where the author gets detailed in the ‘science of magic’. First is that an author can easily end up contradicting his previously stated ‘rules’ (the more specific the rules are, the easier they are to accidentally break. Especially in a series of this size and scope). The other thing is that an author paints himself into a corner (figuratively speaking), laying out rules that then limit and cramp his style latter on.
Last night I sat down and hammered out some ideas that I had about link-mechanics and the interdiction wards. I hope that a few of these ideas might be useful in some way. The details of links have gotten a little confusing for me at this point. I have tried to take into account all of the current linking rules as stated so far in the DoA books.
My multiversal physics and multidimensional math (>3 dimensions) is not what it could be, so I apologize in advance if my imaginary science is off.[b]Link Theory:[/b]
Link data / facts / things to be explained:
1. A Link is a magical-energy cable connecting two points.
2. All types of Links are variations on this (#1) theme.
3. Magical links can conduct both mana and animus.
4. Magical links can be used for targeting spells, anchoring portals and other similar tasks.
5. Magical links can be used for many levels of communication and power sharing.
6. Magical links are not constrained by material reality (not limited to 3-dimensional space).
7. Magical links break when they are run from the outer planes to the abyss or vise versa.
8. Links can be protected from damage/tampering by placing insulating spells around the links. These insulating spells are called “ciphers”.
9. Various spells can interrupt/interfere-with a link. Some wards have this effect to some degree or other.
10. Links can be anchored to both physical items and souls. A Link can be anchored to a soul by one of two means:
1. Coercive binding spells.
2. Willing recipient.
11. When a link crosses out of material reality, it will appear to extend out from it’s anchor for anywhere between 5 and 50 feet before fading out of view (Assuming you are using wizard-sight or some variation of it).In the simplest terms, a Link can be thought of as a unidirectional, extra-dimensional, magical ‘tube’ through which mana and animus can flow. While links can conduct raw mana and animus (illumination streams), they can also be used to target spells such as Inter-dimensional portals and most other distance spells.
Links are not effected by distance, a link between two items 5 feet apart will not require extra power to maintain the connection if you move the two items 500 leagues apart. Once a link is created, it does not require further powering to maintain it.
[b]Link Fail-Over:[/b]
Link fail-over is the process whereby a magical connection re-routs through a secondary link-path if the primary link-path becomes unavailable/is interrupted.
Let us use an example:
A wizard creates a link between a medalion (worn around his neck) and his personal mana pool (a jeweled embedded in a staff). He then adds two links, first is between the medallion and a magical dagger, second is between the magical dagger and his mana pool (on the staff).
Now:
The link between the medallion and the mana pool is somehow broken.
Manual Fail-Over:
The wizard mentally re-routes the connection between his medallion and the mana pool.
Automatic Fail-Over:
The wizard having anticipated this possibility crafted an auto-reroute spell into his medallion and that spell takes care of the re-routing without him having to do anything.
[b]
Inter-Planar Links (IPL):[/b]
When the endpoints of a link lie on different planes, the link will extend out of it’s physical anchor for a short distance* before punching through the wall of that reality/plain, crossing through the astral plain and punching through the wall of the destination reality/plain and finally connecting to it’s anchor on that end.
*: The direction in which a link extends from it’s anchor before exiting a physical plain will be defined by the beliefs of the person who created the link. This is why links from priests to the outer plains go up, they think of heaven as being ‘up in the sky’.
Note – STIO: When a link passes through the walls of a reality/plain, it picks up a small oscillating vibration from the interaction of the link and the boundaries of that space-time, this is the STIO (Space Time Interaction Oscillation) (need a cool name for this)(this is a hypothetical I came up with to explain the outer-plains → Abyss link breakage).[b]Localverse Links (LL):[/b]
This is a theory that I made up to explain why long-distance links within a localverse use extra-dimensional pathways to get from point a to point b.
Short distance links will take straight paths through the material world (3 dimensional reality) from one endpoint to the next.
Long distance links can behave differently depending on exactly how far apart the two endpoints are.
Links between planets in a given universe (refereed to as ‘planes of a given localverse’) will usually take a path through inter-planar space (astral plain). This is caused by the distortion of space-time from the gravitational field of the star around which a given planet orbits.
If one endpoint of a link is on, or very close to, the space-time horizon (see illustration) of the other endpoint, the link will take a direct path in the material plain (3 dimensional space) from one endpoint to the next.
If one endpoint of a link is below the space-time horizon of the other endpoint (see illustration), the link will pass out of the material plain and through the Astral Plain to reach the other endpoint. This is similar to a full inter-planar link (see above, IPL).
The distance from a given point to it’s space-time horizon can be found by calculating the local space-time curvature using the mass of the solar-system host star. However, these calculations are beyond the scope of this document (distance to space-time horizon is typically 1.5 to 2 planetary diameters for most habitable planets).The following illustration is a two dimensional concept-schematic of Localverse-Link routing:
[albumimg]38[/albumimg][b]Automatic re-connection of links:[/b]
Links that have been severed will automatically re-connect if the blocking influence is removed.
Not clear on how this works (currently chalked up to “it’s magic”).[b]Links between Outer Plains and the Abyss:[/b]
(Read section on Inter-Planar links first)
It has been theorized that the breakage of links between the Outer Plains and the Abyss can be explained as follows:
STIO-O = The STIO of the Outer Plains (identical for all outer plains).
STIO-A = The STIO of the Abyss.
As these two oscillating vibrations (STIO-O & STIO-A) combine along the section of link that is on the astral plain, between the abyss and the outer plains, they cause the link to oscillate at it’s resonant frequency. Over the span of about 0.01 seconds, the oscillation builds until the link is ripped apart.
It has been theorized that there are material plains that have STIO’s that would cause resonant oscillations in inter-dimensional links and thus make it impossible to link between them. However, no such pair of plains has ever been discovered by any of the very few researchers who have gone looking.[b]Interdiction Wards (IW):[/b]
The dreaded Interdiction Wards create a barrier to all inter-planar connections in a specific area.
While the IW manifests on the material plains as a sphere or dome, the ward is actually an extra-dimensional energy field which creates an impenetrable barrier just outside of the material plain (3 dimensional reality).
Any link or portal that crosses the boundaries of the material plain (3 dimensional space) within the area of effect is immediately severed when the wards are activated. Any subsequent attempt to make extra-planar connections is blocked as soon as the spell making the connection crosses the edge of material reality. This also cuts off inter-planetary (inter-plane in a given localverse) links (see LL section).So how about an ARC?
Avatar Response Center (or Console) or AARC Avatar Automated Response Center
It’s a box, an ark, a reliquary that’s linked into the main systems, and it is an avatars primary link point to the god pools and pantheon pools.
She is basically super linked to it, it functions almost as a part of her (like the Wand of Orcus) and is the principle holder of her links.Now, that will explain how she got cut off in the inferno.
In the case of the Interdiction. Suddenly all avatars are cut off from their ARCS, all connections are severed, even those local ones.
What the 5S team has to do in the wee hours is manually reconstruct all the links to the local priests to go to the avatars, these are massive consecration ceremonies or maybe a simple prayer in the presence of a local avatar by a priest.
So that’s what they are doing most of the morning, and that’s why they are tied to the chairs.
When they finally get outside, the first thing the archons have to do reconnect to their ARC and then work, for some time, reconnecting each local avatar to their arc, from themselves.
So: Once restored, the archons at the Isle of Doom are “routing” links from each avatar’s arc through themselves. Each priest connects to the avatars in the Citadel, they in turn connect to their ARC via the archon at Doom.
This is actually more complicated than the simple relay idea from before; it’s getting more detailed, but can explain a lot more.
The avatars are still very tied up, because normally their priests are routed directly to their ARC, but in this case, they have to route their priests to their ARC through the archon. So they won’t be at full operational power, but they will be a lot better off than before.
The key will be is to send down a relay archon and a team of avatars that aren’t tied to priests in the citadel, who can operate at full power, in this case, the Saint George types.
This will severely delay how soon the avatars can get into battle, and buy time for the SL to bring out the Doom Busters.
[quote=Iume;5291]Does this mean that the link to a saint is established by a mortal linking themselves to a reliquary?If so, how are mortal links maintained to saints once the connection to the reliquary is cut?[/quote]
The mortal prays or a ritual is performed that links the mortal to the saint/the saints AARC depending on the saints schedule.
I see the AARC as basically a proxy device for the saint/archon. I am sure there are times when the saint is working in live mode, in fact for rank and file like Hilda, that’s probably her day job. But when she needs a break, rest, or special mission, she hands stuff off to the AARC.
Remember, saints almost never “answer” immediately in our world. In the case where mana is needed, the avatars would need an offload mechanism as well and get alerted if his/her attention is required.
And to be clear, not every pantheon/god/avatars would work exactly this same way.
To be clear this is a celestial reliquary, in my original process it was more a big “mainfame” system, this is a bit more peer to peer.
However, I would bet that regular reliquaries on the material planes could/would have links to the ARC.
The prayer queues that are talked about in the books are basically these things, or at least these are the locus of the prayer queues. Hilda has set certain rules for various priests and this system automatically approves requests for mana, up to a certain point, beyond that threshold, the avatar gets a real time override alert for them to investigate and approve.
This is basically what happened to Stevos when Teragdor did his special ritual.
I’ve always had something like this in mind because otherwise, Saints/Avatars would be continuously barraged with requests and couldn’t function on a daily basis. They could never sleep, go to the bathroom (and by this I mean take a bath as Hilda does, since they don’t do #2 or #1, as that would be profane and blasphemous)
This just codifies it better so that we can understand what can and cannot be done and what happens in situations like this.
It also answers the Sentir Fallon question. He can go to the Abyss without alerting the entire multiverse.
avatars can either handle connections manually themselves (as they did in the old days) or they can delegate a connection to the AARC. But in all cases, they are in charge of the AARC.
Now this means that only the Illuminations streams inside the Interdiction are cut off. So what Sentir Fallon sees is going to be a bit different.
In the case of Beragamos and Tiernon; I assume those two have a personal link. As do the prophets/attending archons, and I would guess that all avatars have personal non-AARC links to their boss/subordinates/colleagues
[quote]So how about an ARC?
Avatar Response Center (or Console) or AARC Avatar Automated Response Center
[/quote]I like that.
[quote=Giwdul;5283]Automatic re-connection of broken/severed links:
When the blocking influence is removed from between the two endpoints of a broken link, the link automatically re-connects. It is often asked, how does the link find the pathway to re-connect with itself? Following is an extract from a document containing a possible answer to this question:[/quote]I think there will be a lot of people with different answers, but what if: creation of a link does something similar to a quantum entanglement of the two objects. The Law of Contagion.
The two endpoints will seek each other out, however there are limits to their search potential for automatic reconnection.
If the blocking influence is removed and the same path is available they will reconnect via this path. However, if that path is not available, but there are alternate paths, someone must manually connect the objects along that path, essentially recreating the link.
Devices that can auto-reconnect know certain defined paths, these are the fail-over paths and the device will try each of those paths, if it cannot connect on any of those paths, then a user must come in and recreate the link along the newly available path.
[quote]The analogy I use today is that they are VPN tunnels through the internet. Or, in older computer parlance, the are “Sessions” something that web browsers simulate when you log into a site (in the old days they were true private/dedicated links)
Of course, I wrote the rules for this stuff around 1992 plus or minus. I had the Internet, but VPN’s weren’t so much. Dial up modem was probably a bit better.
I think of the link and it’s auto-keep up being like pings, or a “heartbeat” that says both sides of a session are present.[/quote]
The thing I am trying to figure is that those types of connections route through an existing communications-network not empty space (meaning space not populated by an existing communications network). I see something like this working if someone were to stand at a random location on the Doom-net and use it to ‘ping’ Tom.
Hmm….
Automatic re-connection of broken/severed links:
When the blocking influence is removed from between the two endpoints of a broken link, the link automatically re-connects. It is often asked, how does the link find the pathway to re-connect with itself? Following is an extract from a document containing a possible answer to this question:Decoded from a McDonalds napkin that had been scribbled on by the most ancient being in the multiverse (Note: when reading this, keep in mind that the author of this theory has, over the course of his life, consumed an amount of demon weed exceeding the mass of most habitable planets):
“When a link is created, it connects it’s two end-points via a magical cable. This is well known. What is not well known is that the link also creates a parallel connection between those two end-points within the fabric of fate. If the link is somehow severed, it can re-connect with itself by following this ‘thread of fate’ once the blocking agency is removed.”Explanatory note by the napkin decoder:
The fabric of fate is composed of all the threads of possibility/probability that indicate whether any two objects/beings will have some type of interaction. When powerful mana wielders (powerful wizards, demons, gods etc..) interact with each other, the threads of fate become snarled and convoluted due to the fact that the beings involved are creating unusual connections between multiple universes, plains of reality etc…And even more so for intergalactic distances!
I am actually excited to someday get to the OOOTA because there is a lot of very fun/unusual stuff going on out there in the border universes where technology dominates, but some magic does work. In particular shamanism and the gods work, animages work, but complex magic not so much.
The Orcs of Visteroth are also very interesting and we shall see a POV from Morok Death Stealer in this book. They are the Orc Jedi, dedicated to eradicating Unlife, who they consider the “Dark Side”
Obviously this is from a discussion point of view, no Disney/Lucas Films Intellectual Property or Copyrights will be infringed upon.
[quote]BTW your image didn’t show up, Giwdul. Image linking is a pain, but if you upload images to your albums (top links on right) you can then insert album images fairly easily.[/quote]
Oops.Fixed. I think. I am seeing it.
I am sort of leaning towards cleaning up what we can, and then people having lots of questions and discussion on WTF happened and Why didn’t this happen, as they digest things in Book 4.
The whole routing and rerouting thing is something the avatars are not used to. So it’s new to them. And team D’Orc is also figuring it out. There will be questions.
Clearly though, Exador, Ramses and Lenamare (and probably Randolf) would understand this to explain it.
BTW your image didn’t show up, Giwdul. Image linking is a pain, but if you upload images to your albums (top links on right) you can then insert album images fairly easily.
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