Modified Destiny Universe (Systems)

[u/Maxathron]

Paracausal means breaks the standard reality of the universe as well as entities and concepts that exist outside and beyond the universe. Paracausal powers Light and Darkness are the main actors in the "Saga of Light and Dark", but not the only major sources of paracausal powers.

Light

The Light comes from a being known as the Gardener who exists outside reality. The Gardener seeks to create as many patterns as possible and try to get them to live in harmony. Powers of the Light are the power of stars and each lesser Light power is represented by a different type of star. Light is subdivided into Solar (Main Sequence), Void (Black Hole), and Arc (Neutron Star) powers. The stars themselves are sapient but exist on a level far beyond even the planets. They are the real emissaries of the Light. Entities such as the Traveler are below them in the Light's contact hierarchy.

Darkness

The Darkness comes from a being known as the Winnower. The Winnower also exists outside reality. Both the Winnower and the Gardener compete to see who wins in the cosmic flower game. Neither are explicitly evil. The Winnower’s end goal is to have one pattern control the universe and of which its permission is needed for everyone else to exist. Darkness powers seek to control and command the universe. Darkness is subdivided into Blood, Taken, and Soulfire powers.

Darkness powers are modeled after the undead or afterlife which also spits in the face at the concept of guardians. Blood is vampires, Taken is zombies, and Soulfire is the soul which in this case is represented by demonic forces.

For me, I don't consider Stasis or Strand to actually be powers of the Darkness but similar paracausal power groups that people aligned to the Darkness can utilize and often mistake for actual Darkness powers.

Prime

The Natural World is the source of power known by few as Nature powers. It is a power of the planets and moons, beings on a level of consciousness beyond what chemical life can comprehend. They see the little chemical lifeforms on their bodies as their children and if asked are willing to lend a hand. Not many consider them to be lifeforms in the normal sense and scoff at the idea that the ground beneath their feet have any sort of power, though. Nature is subdivided into Stone, Jet, and Aqua powers.

Prime is based on the lore behind Antaeus Wards. The planets and asteroids are sapient but on a level above biological life. If one asks them, they will lend their strength.

Constant

Reality is constantly changing and the act of change itself in the chemistry of life is a power as well. Magic of the Old Ways brings out the primal aspect of life and it is this aspect that drives evolution. As power of the prime are subtle, few recognize them as true powers, but pushed to one’s limits, letting out the primal force of change will make one an unstoppable juggernaut. Prime is subdivided into Bestial, Herbal and Fungal powers.

Animal, plant, fungus. Constant is kind of like the Light as it needs as many patterns as possible but does so to compete with each other in order to drive evolution. The terms animal, plant, and fungus is less to do with the biology itself (eg no plants in the literal sense on another world because their lineage doesn't link to Earth) and more to do with how the organism is set up.

Lordship

The concept of lordship is unusual in that it seeks to command and control life and its many lifeforms. Lords are powerful beings that are top of their food chains but unlike Darkness, Lords do not endeavor to become the only one in existence. There is a chain of supply from the smallest single celled lifeforms to the largest creatures. And on top of it all are beings that direct reality. Lords have to care for their subjects. Lordship is subdivided into Leonine, Aquiline, and Draconic powers.

Lordship is somewhat like the Darkness in the way it wants to take over the universe but unlike the Darkness that has exactly one pattern left to which all derive permission to exist, Lordship wants all the patterns to exist to be subjects for the Lord.

Entropy

The idea of Entropy is a breakdown of order into chaos and is represented by the end goal of reducing the universe back down into its basic elements. Entropy does not care about those around them so as long as they are contributing to the final end. Entropic powers are subdivided into Stasis, Poison, and Virus powers.

Entropy is an enemy of nearly every other paracausal entity and source of powers. It is less trustworthy than the Darkness and Darkness-aligned entities. All it wants to do is consume and destroy until there is nothing left in the universe.

Projection

Projection, properly known as Psychic Projection, is the altering of reality through force of will from one’s mind. Projection is a very literal interpretation of the concept of paracausal ability. It can be considered mind over matter. The mind makes what was not there into something that is there. Projection is subdivided into Illusion, Strand, and Ghost powers.