thefarshore | text

Here's a thought: The Heavens and gods have worked in a certain way for beyond memory. Gods die and then they come back as younger versions of themselves, souls are gathered as shinki to aid them, and the ayakashi are set against them. There is a balanced rhythm to this place and how it all worked.

And then it didn't. Something happened, the balance was broken, the gods died and nothing came back. So what happened? A new way to fill in the missing pieces appeared. Us.

Now, I'm just theorizing out loud that this system is a mutation caused when a body, or The Heavens as it turns out, feels it's under attack and trying to keep itself alive and functioning. In order to do that, it has pushed to fill in the spots that it has lost too fast by doing the unthinkable - by grabbing people like us.

Does that mean there's an underlying sickness? A rot in the system that the pull of faith or belief is trying to heal through us? Or is this just an experiment to see if we are able to shore up the problems inside a collapsing system?

Any other theories, or am I just thinking too much on this?

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

To some, it's magic. To others, it is only science.

I'll take that as a "no" then, because magic doesn't work by science's rules. It has it's own rules, but they're not usually ones that scientists like, at least back in Nohr.

Regardless, I don't think those explanations you offered work. We have people from all different worlds, and in some cases the same worlds but alternate versions of them. If we were all coming from the same world then maybe that mutation theory would hold water, but as it stands I'm much more inclined to think it's some very powerful magic running amok.

Magic has rules. Science has rules. They may differ on one level, but you are still working from a set of rules that have certain variables that should have the near same results when created by other people. To say that I am looking at this wrong would also mean that the rules do not exist, which would mean nothing can work. Inertia happens where there are too many factors pulling in too many directions leading to a state of cannot be done.

As for the variables you listed, that is something to look at after the initial root is explored. Basically: What caused the Heavens to grow unstable enough to pull outsiders into it?

But magic doesn't have near same results depending on the caster. It depends just as much on their training, state of mind, and natural ability as it does what tomes they read or components they use. I can drain the life from a farm's entire crop with the right curse. Someone else could perform the exact same curse and only manage to destroy a few crops. To me, this whole fiasco reeks much more of magic because it's so unstable and unpredictable and more than a little bullshit.

Now, figuring out what's causing everything to go haywire being the most important thing--that I'll agree with. I just don't think thinking of this as pure science is going to do it.

Yes. Those are factors that you also include in your final theory. Older chemicals, variations of the environment, the stability of the source material, it is all part of the calculations. That is why when a medicine is made the factors are listed as well what happens when it encounters something odd. That's why theories always are proven as theories. Rarely do you have something in science that is stated as a fact. Facts do not exist in science, not even something as commonly given as a fact like gravity.

You still have to start with a basic idea no matter if you use science or magic. Nothing starts out purely as one or another. I can give you an example: a group of theorists took a meteorite and refined it, finding that it had unusual properties. As they worked with the material, it split into four different objects, each one encompassing an element separate from the other. They still have the same source, and thus react to each other, but their uses differ from each other. The creation of these objects is from science, yet the final forms are more of a magic.

[Leo's first thought: he wants some of that meteorite because that sounds interesting. Nerd.]

But what gives you more options when beginning to study something: going into it with expectations or going into it with none?

[ It was a very interesting meteor! Exposure to it gave Shen Wei (and Da Qing) his very very very long life, as well as finally giving Dixigren a new home. Well. Kinda. ]

Going in with none. If you have expectations, you already have a formed theory and will end up self-sabotage without realizing it.

[ In his opinion that was why Professor Ouyang ultimately failed with his miracle serum. ]

See, to me, science is all about going in with expectations. In fact, you offered one in this very post--that the reason we're here is because of some possible rot in the system. What if there is no rot? You may not be able to see the real problem, just as you said.

Granted I'm fairly certain there is rot in the system, but a more systemic and institutional rot in the bureaucracy rather than one in the way Heaven normally functions on a basic level that would cause people from all over to be yanked in here. But I digress.

That could be one of the possibilities. It's obviously that there is too much standing on 'this is what we have always done' among the older set - though I may be wrong considering that I have only been here a short time and my main interactions with them stem from that banquet and questioning. That there is rot from just that, yes, it could be there.

It gives you a point to focus on, that is not wrong to have. I just feel that if someone focuses on just one matter too much, they may overlook or even dismiss an answer that moves them away from their target.

[ Again that was Professor Ouyang. He was focused so much on making a serum that would give Haixingrens powers that he did not think of why Haixingrens never developed any when they explored the underground. ]

Trust me, you're not wrong. They've pretty much always been like that. I just don't think that would cause all of this.

I feel as if we more or less agree on key points here, it's just we're using different terms and explaining it in a way the other's not familiar with. You sound to me like someone who is much more in-line with what I'd consider a magic scholar, not a scientist.

They seem little to not concerned over their missing brethren while they are promoting their own selves far beyond what is healthy. I find those two combinations do hint at something rotten at its core. You cannot contain a stable core if you ignore cracks in its housing.

I would not know that, only that I've worked as a theorist for many years. I spend most of my time gathering research and setting out papers on what I find; other can take what I find and turn it into something useful if that is what they wish. Maybe it's because of that you find it similar?

That could be be why, yes.

And the old gods' egos are definitely a problem, I'm just not sure it's directly related to what happened to the gods we're here to replace...unless one of the old gods murdered the others, but I think by this point we'd have found them out if that were the case.

Who says that they haven't? As part of a coop, there could have been one or two working to clear out those they have deemed as 'not worthy' hoping for them to return as children and thus, manipulable. Unfortunately, we happened instead.

True. That seems to be what normally happens, if Ebisu is anything to go by. Though that makes me worry about Amateratsu.

That is something to keep aware of.

text - Xuanwu

it's okay :3

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject