Sojouner's Journal: Essence

Essence is the substance that binds everything to existance. It is in everything and nothing all at once. We living creatures, and by living I mean unliving (aka undead, living dead) too, are able to tap into our own Essence and alter reality around us.

Mortals can tap essence in different ways, invoking raw power to be shaped by rituals is difficult and takes practice to learn to channel it. This is called invocations and many mortals have learned to use hand gestures and various words to help them focus themselves and cause the changes. The often call this Magic. Some Mages have learned to invoke essence with no need of hand or word, they are often called psychics.

Finally you have those capable of calling forth power granted to them by a being far more powerful than they. These are your preists and cultists who worship immortal gods and demon princes. By committing to further the being cause they get enormous power in return.

There is another side of Essence called taint. Taint is twisted essence, wrought only from beings hailing from places outside our known precieved existence. Anything touched by taint is twisted and mutated to mimic that strange place beyond. Many scholars claim that taint replaces essence, or that they are not the same. But in my few dreaded experiences taint and essence affect each other openly.

Essence itself is neither good nor evil, it is a pure force and an energy without limit. However it is easily colored by the intentions of those who use it. A priest who calls down power to heal another out of kindness or a necromancer who binds a soul to animate a corpse both color essence with their desires. However taint is pure corruption, consuming everything it encounters.

On Terris there are three ways to use Essence. Invocations, both magical and psychic, Miracles called down by the prayers of priests, and Necromancy, the power to communicate and manipulate life and death.

If you ever choose to follow the path of the gifted, those able to tap into essence, be cautious to prejudge, and be wary of the path you tread.