Quintessence

Overview

Quintessence is the substance of reality, complementary to The Aether which is the substance of The Empyrean. It is only when Aether imbues itself onto Quintessence that the idea it carries becomes physically incarnate in reality.

Cosmological Role

The relationship between the fundamental substances is:

• Aether: The immaterial idea, the concept of a thing (like a plan or a scheme)
• Quintessence: The material substance that allows ideas to become tangible and exist within the world
• Mana: The energy that binds Aether and Quintessence together in a coherent whole

Interaction with The Tumult

When The Tumult blows over the world, Aether is sometimes torn from Quintessence like paint peeled off a canvas. This violent process disperses orphaned ideas into the world while leaving behind a blank canvas that other nomadic ideas can cover. The tearing also leaves behind droplets of bluish-glowing energy: Mana.

Stability and Saturation

The more a place is saturated with Mana, the more resistant its Quintessence becomes to the flows of the Tumult. The ideas contained within take root deep in the texture of reality. Ultimately, a place saturated with Mana can become an Oasis, capable of repelling the Tumult.

Muna Philosophy

The Muna focus their Alteration practice on Mana rather than Aether because they aim for long-term, durable transformations. By shaping Mana, they ensure that Aether and Quintessence intermingle and blend durably, creating more resilient and permanent changes to reality.