Paradigms

The Paradigms, or the Pillars of Being, are the six qualities that allow for the universe to exist as it does.

It is generally accepted by Veltherian philosophers that no reality could exist if one of the Paradigms was not a property of it, though it is hypothesised that other realities may be built on weaker or stronger Paradigms than the ones that support Veltheria.

All of the Paradigms are given simple names for the sake of reference, though they are complex and have facets that may not be fully understood. Indeed, some seem to 'share' aspects of reality, albeit from different perspectives. Ever Paradigm is represented, in Veltheria at least, by a Keystone.

Harmony
Harmony is the paradigm which covers ideas such as destiny (that is, that there is a state of being that is ideal for the universe to occupy), as well as the existence of consistent laws, symmetry, balance and so on. Harmony, according to Dr Favrian Margolis, is not the most important Paradigm, but is the one which allows for existence per se.

As well as its cosmic implications, Harmony also operates at a more local stratum, encouraging stability in complex systems, even social, political and economic ones. The influence of Harmony upon the human race, for instance, has been a relative lack of conflict.

On Veltheria, Harmony is represented by the Keystone Maua.

Life
The most clear role of the Paradigm of Life is that it allows for matter to become self-organising, and thus for biology to occur when the conditions on a world allow. Yet Life also represents change and syntropy; its power is seen when a machine is magically repaired as much as when a person is magically healed.

There is a sense in which a sufficiently complex system is 'alive' at least as far as this Paradigm is concerned, and this includes the array of systems present in a star, or the weather of a gas giant. Of course, like the other Paradigms, no phenomenon is wholly attributable to Life.

On Veltheria, Life is represented by the Keystone Anakhu.

Wyrd
Perhaps this Paradigm was the hardest to choose a name for. One might equally have called it Fate, or even Magic. Wyrd is an ancient word for fate, but not the fate of absolute predestination; it is the shaping of events that allows destiny (see Harmony, above) to come about. The working of Wyrd is seen in the heart of all stars, for without it, mechanically improbable events such as nuclear fusion would be impossible.

The Wyrd also represents control over the universe. The celestial beings once thought of as gods were proficient wielders of its power, and it is believed that without the Wyrd, or if Veltheria was a world in which the Wyrd Paradigm was weak, the Keystones may never have manifested, and certainly thaumatics and sorcery would not be possible.

On Veltheria, Wyrd is represented by the Keystone Jádu.

Mind
When detection becomes perception, when calculation becomes motivation, when purpose becomes intention, the difference is simplistically summarised as Mind. Mind is the Paradigm that seems almost out of place, because it has no obvious cosmic repercussions. If life, and then complex life, and then sentient life, took billions of years to come about, how can Mind be a fundamental pillar of reality? The answer to this comes about through a model known as 'panpsychism', wherein all entities have inherent, internal being. This is not to say that all entities have minds, only an inherent quality of being inaccessible from the outside.

In combination with Life, of course, Mind comes into its own, and allows for every definition of that eternally useful word, consciousness. The expression (or subjection) of will, the fundamental freedom of decision, and the ability for sensory information to be accumulated into a single contiguous experience, all derive from Mind. This has allowed the creation of eidolons, artificial minds of greater or lesser complexity.

On Veltheria, Mind is represented by the Keystone Riyu.

Bond
All of the observable world, matter and energy, is understandable through bonds between entities. What binds a planet to its sun, joins atoms into molecules, or holds together primal blocks of matter themselves, are bonds. The nature and strength of those bonds allows for the infinite wonders of creation.

More practically, power over Bond means power over substance and energy, whether that be in the creation of alchemical preparations or the curious art of trapping light and spinning it through crystal media until it is something not quite light, not quite matter.

On Veltheria, Bond is represented by the Keystone Ylias.

Continuum
Where Bond concerns what binds and divides substance, Continuum concerns what binds and divides reality itself. More specifically, continuum is what keeps all entities within a reality separate, but creates the very fabric of the universe in which they all may interact.

For human purposes, Continuum is often divided into the concepts of space (the separation of entities by distance) and time (the separation of entities by duration). Through studying Continuum, philosophers discovered long ago that place and time are but properties that an entity possesses. This has allowed a great many thaumatic advances. Perhaps the height of humanity's achievements through mastery of Continuum is the infinium, the device which allows voidships to travel instantly throughout the universe.

On Veltheria, Continuum is represented by the Keystone Cáwi.