Covenanturgy

The rules had been written, the boundless limits of Time had been defined. Yet, some would still meddle. It was inevitable for rules to be tested, and exceptions refined;- only the Axiomatic Truths were guarded most jealously by the guardianship of the three Concurrent Elder Beings.

It was under the purview of each of the custodians, as to the exact upholding of the Axiom, and by their interpretation outlined. As such, there existed substantial space, for one properly enlightened, empowered, and motivated to use such flexibility to act in an extraordinary fashion in regards to time.

This is not without consequence, the Axiom of Linear Time, ensures such. Attempts to slow, stop, or even hasten time would find themselves running against the Axiom of Unbounded Time, and those attempting to change the observed future, will only delay the infinitely inevitable by the Axiom of Cyclical Time.

Those would-be practitioners of this art, science, and legal finessing of Covenanturgy, would find these consequences fitting for the actions undertaken. Broadly these actions would be classified into three categories, a number that comes up often in relation to the Covenant. It is often that those Covenanturges would form their own covens of three, held to their own additional accords and constitutions to govern the burden and bounty of the magics they possess.

The most common category of Covenanturgy is that of Liminality - the manipulation of the present or the perception of. Here the effects are the limited manipulation of the passage of time, be it in part, or full. It is possible to use such magic to move faster than thought possible, react faster than otherwise possible, or be aged at a rate differing from your surroundings. Whatever the intended effect, the consequence is the same, as the pendulum is swung in one direction, it must swing in the opposite - an action causes an equal reaction. For those that may use such things to perceive time more quickly, they may afterwards find time drag lethargically - a lesser scale to the impact, but for a longer time. Alternatively those that may force themselves to not age can do so for a period, but will age rapidly afterwards. It is the channelling of these repercussions that makes a great Liminalist, to age a stone rapidly in exchange for a youthful existence is one skill, but to instead allow both a rapid growth of agriculture, and a near timeless youth is an amazing Liminalist.

The category of Paradox Covenanturgy is a far more difficult and taxing practice. Paradoxicans must hold within the burdensome duality of reality, and the previously observed misconception, both timelines being mentally perceived until their differences are resolved. Failure to maintain concentration and division on both objects, will see their differences undone as reality sharply acts to reassert itself. As such, the most important act, of observing the future, or attempting to rectify the past, is to keep it as secretive, and unknown as possible - lest others question your assertions. For example, once a future has been observed, in accordance to the Axiom of Cyclical Time, it will occur - the Paradoxican must attempt to preclude it from the near future, as per the Axiom of Linear Time, by changing the events leading to it. Ergo upon the resolution of the alternative timeline held within the Paradoxican, the burden is lifted as both perceptions reunite. A skilled Paradoxican will observe only minute glimpses of the future and from it extoll further assumptions of the world, as to be able to manipulate events surrounding it without needing to deny the observation from its timely occurrence. A masterful Paradoxican will make many alternatives, which each resolve neatly in sequence, or once.

There is of course, an exception. Time is not omnipresent. It is possible for an entity to exit the Linear Path, as indeed Anteprecedence does in his existence. Therefore under the category of Sequestration there are many forms of Covenanturgy that attempt to remove themselves from the flow of time, in order to act outside of the Axioms of Time. Such Sequestrians will find themselves incredibly powerful - normally to their own peril. Once detached from the concept of time, it is more than possible to become infinitely distracted and never return. Such ambitions will find their relative lack of power amongst those outsiders to be their undoing. Restraint is thus a key component of being a skilled Sequestrian; it is a common ritual to place oneself into a meditative trance whilst attempting to temporarily remove themselves. By focusing on an entity and time within the Linear Path they can attempt to re-enter at a point in their previously near-future. By observing the Axiom of Linear Time in this action, they will suffer little consequence for the time they have skipped, and do not face custodial retribution. A Masterful Sequestrian may focus on a range of topics as to observe them each before returning to one of them.

It can be deduced that these forms of Covenanturgy each compliment each-other, a being that could master all three would be able to manipulate time, and events to best suit their wishes. It is not, without risk, a single mistake could see the practitioner aged into non-existence, their own birth denied, or even removed from existence through a Concurrent Intervention.

[M: Action:

Create Magic System (Covenanturgy): 10 points

Contributions:

• Anteprecedence, Custodian of Linear Time: 6 points
• Ayla, Custodian of Boundless Time: 2 points
• Ouroboros, Custodian of Infinite Time: 2 points

]