GEMS OF POWER: First in a Series

GEMS OF POWER: First in a Series
RPG System: Magic the Gathering
PASSION GEMS version. 1.0
created by Thaddeus Howze ©1995, 2009
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Since the dawn of time, man has been fascinated with gems, jewels and precious stones. Magi were not proof against such fascination and as a matter of course, use precious stones in the creation of talismans and artifacts. One such set of stones were known as Passion Gems and were created by a puissant enchanter, Divinor the Mind-Seer.

It is said, she created some of these jewels for her retainers and apprentices to better serve her. Others she created for her enemies, to better vex them. And a few she created only for himself, to better wield her power, more surgically, with less stress and effort. Starting when she was an apprentice, she made several sets of these jewels during her career. Other magi, seeing them and pleased with the results, attempted to emulate her success.

Divinor was often questioned about her placement of single emotional states within these gems and her response was to ensure that she could be able to counter their use if they should fall into the wrong hands. The other reason was they were easier to create if they did not have to run the entire emotional gamut. There are rumors that he created stones that had multiple emotional states or ranges but there is no proof to the contrary.

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COLOR DESCRIPTIONS
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STONE COLOR EMOTION OPPOSING
Each magic is associated with a gemstone, a color and emotion and an opposing emotion that can counter the effect.

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PASSION GEMS: Hidden Gifts (Mind 2, Prime 3)
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These jewels would be designed to be worn as close-fitting jewelry and would have the added benefit of having a coincidental effect that would be completely unnoticeable. The would have no effect on anyone other than the wearer. The effect will last as long as the jewel is worn.

A wearer, may exert a willpower point to resist the effects of a gem for 1 scene. These magical effects allow the wearers or users to resist other mind magics that may attempt to effect their altered state. Use the Arete rating in dice to roll for counter magic against changing their altered emotional state. Any normal condition that may cause a change in emotional state, forces the device to attempt to reapply the emotion magic.

This device recharges itself slowly, and constantly, from a primal connection established during its creation. This device does not use quintessence in the normal sense. As a result, it may not reduce its difficulty to control emotions which are always at a difficulty of 6.

Ex: A chamberlain with an Envy/Greed stone on a necklace is confronted with a chance to steal a coveted tome of Law. The ST rolls 3 dice and if there are any successes, the chamberlain will attempt to as quietly and as inconspicuously as possible attempt to gain the Tome. If the chamberlain is frightened by a HIT MARK that was hiding in the shadows, the ST rolls again to see if the chamberlain would forget his envy and greed and run for his life.

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Game Mechanics
Spheres used in creation:
Mind 2, Prime 3

Background Information:
Arete: 3, # of Powers: 3, Continous Recharge

Special requirements: None

Powers:
1. Emotion Control (Mind)
2. Obscure Magical Nature (Mind)
3. Quintessence Recharge (Prime)

Limitations
1. Single Emotion (-4)
2. No Range for Effects (-1)

Background Point Cost: 6
3 – levels of Talisman
3 – Arete
3 – Quintessence: Continuous recharge
2 – 5 points in Spheres
-5 – Limitations

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PASSION GEMS: Radiant Passions (Mind 3, Prime 4)
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These jewels have a radiant area that affects everyone within the scene, including the holder or wearer. Such an effect could be overcome if the mage had his own mind-magic or countermagical capabilities. It could also be overcome with a stone that had an opposing power. The stone’s affects would only be active in the presence of the stone. Such a stone might be worn by a leader or warrior who needed his troops in a certain mindset, or to demoralize or terrify the enemy.

These jewels were made with Prime (4) so that they never need to be energized in any way and could continuously output their emotion modifying magic in a area. They would simply work in the presence of the right circumstances or with the proper control phase or gesture. It pleased Divinor to create several of these gems without any proper controls to see how they are used by enterprising magi.

Examples of how such gems were used and mounted:
Increase moral for warriors with the gem embedded in a sword pommel. Fear and cowardice with the gem hidden in the money pouch of an enemy leader. Apathy in the staff of a senator, placed in a piece of office sculpture.

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Game Mechanics
Spheres used in creation:
Mind 3, Prime 4

Background Information:
Arete: 4, # of Powers: 4, Continuous Recharge and Output

Special requirements: None (Command word or gestures possible)

Powers:
1. Emotion Control (Mind)
2. Area Effect (More than one mind)
3. Obscure Magical Nature (Mind)
4. Quintessence Recharge (Prime)

Limitations
1. Single Emotion (-4)
2. Continuous Effects (-1)
3. Uncontrolled Effect (-3)

Background Point Cost: 7
4 – levels of Talisman
4 – Arete
4 – Quintessence: Continuous recharge, Continuous output
3 – 7 points in Spheres
-8 – Limitations

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PASSION GEMS: Chamberlain’s Keys (Mind 4, Prime 4)
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With Mind 4 used in their creation, the possessor now has the option of causing the emotional state of the jewel in a target creature or creatures. This effect will last as long as the Passion jewel remains in the presence of the targets. This effect will counter any other emotional state except for one directly opposing the power of the jewel. Given to desired
retainers for controlling underlings or to special agents in his employ to sow dissent. With 2 successes the emotion created will last one scene; with 3 successes, a day against a difficulty of 6.

This device is usually bound to a ring, sword, pendant or broach.

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Game Mechanics
Spheres used in creation:
Mind 4, Prime 4

Background Information:
Arete: 4, # of Powers: 4, Continuous Recharge and Output

Special requirements: None (Command word or gestures possible)

Powers:
1. Emotion Control (Mind)
2. Area Effect (More than one mind)
3. Obscure Magical Nature (Mind)
4. Quintessence Recharge (Prime)

Limitations
1. Single Emotion (-4)

Background Point Cost: 12
4 – levels of Talisman
4 – Arete
4 – Quintessence: Continuous recharge, Continuous output
4 – 8 points in Spheres
-4 – Limitations

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PASSION GEMS: Sword of the Seneschal (Mind 5, Prime 5)
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These most powerful Passion Gems are found only in the hands of the most powerful and dangerous of magi and their servants. At Mind 5, the passion gems can completely overcome the will of the subject. With 2 successes the emotion created will last one scene; with 3 successes, a day; 4 successes, a week against a difficulty of 6.

This emotional state will overcome all other emotions and can only be reduced with the expenditure of a willpower point to temporarily delay the effect for one scene.(In the case of a single scene, it is just delayed, it will take effect next scene.) In the Mind 5 jewel, there is a powerful flaw, if a subject, proves immune,(no successes are made), the subject is completely immune to this jewel and can never be subject to its power ever again. No one is sure why this takes place and can only subscribe it to a flaw in the spell design.

This device is usually worn in a ring or crown. It can sometimes be found bound to a scepter or staff. Any device of rulership can be used as a base for this gem.

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Game Mechanics
Spheres used in creation:
Mind 5, Prime 5

Background Information:
Arete: 5, # of Powers: 5, Continuous Recharge and Output

Special requirements: Command word or gestures

Powers:
1. Emotion Control (Mind)
2. Area Effect (More than one mind)
3. Obscure Magical Nature (Mind)
4. Quintessence Recharge (Prime 4)
5. Usable by Non-magi (Prime 5)

Limitations
1. Single Emotion (-4)
2. Resistance Flaw (-2)

Background Point Cost: 14
5 – levels of Talisman
5 – Arete
5 – Quintessence: Continuous recharge, Continuous output, non-magi use
5 – 10 points in Spheres
-6 – Limitations

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Date: Tue, 19 Sep 1995 09:55:54 -0800
To: wod-l@netcom.com
From: hyperion@aimnet.com (Thaddeus Howze)
Subject: Addenda to Prime version 1.0

This is an addenda that I created to create self-powered talismans and artifacts. I do not think they will unbalance the game unduly. I wrote these to be used with the Gems of Power Series (q.v.) that I am writing. These effects are counted as powers for Prime for the creation of talismans and artifacts.

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Addenda to Prime for Talismans
created by Thaddeus Howze ©1995
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Prime 1:
Needed to hold any extra quintessence

Prime 2:
Limited uses with slow recharge –
This device may recharge by a set standard time such as 6 hours, 24 hours, or 1 month. This period can be set when the device is created. It usually means that the power cannot be used after a set number of uses without allowing the device to recharge. As a example a device may have a limited number of uses that once used, cannot be used again until the period has elapsed. This is a way of creating low powered magic with a major limitation of charges.

Prime 3:
Continuously powered magic –
This device runs continuously with no need to recharge but it cannot get reduced difficulty rolls using the device’s internal quintessence store. This device does not have an internal quintessence storage area. This will power any magic set up to run continuously. At least one success per scene is required. If the device achieves 3 successes it will run nonstop for one
day. If the flow of the device is interrupted, it will attempt to restart its magic in the next scene or as soon as possible. The mage may still use his personal quintessence to reduce difficulty rolls.

Prime 4:
Continuously output magic –
This device is able to output a higher level of magick than Level 3. This is required to perform magick that has an area effect or multiple targets capable of being affected. A conduit to the primal quintessence pool is opened and any active magick is able to be continuously run without use of quintessence. No reduced difficulty rolls are possible, using device’s quintessence since none is actually available to be used. The mage may still use personal quintessence to reduce difficulty rolls.

Prime 5:
Completely self-powered and recharging –
This is a self-powered artifact that is able to be wielded by non-magi. This device will recharge itself at a rate of 1 point of quintessence per day. This device will be able to hold a maximum of 25 quintessence points, that are accessible by the wielder of the device. If the device has any
continuous powers, magick or effects, they will run completely independently of any internal quintessence. This artifact will also be able to use its internal quintessence to reduce any difficulty rolls, but only in the hands of a Magus, non-magi cannot reduce their difficulties.

The Topology of the Tellurian

THE TOPOLOGY OF THE TELLURIAN
Copyright of Thaddeus Howze, December 1995 © All Rights Reserved

I began my writing of this document because I disliked and disagreed with the World of Darkness premise that Earth was the center of the Tellurian (Universe), and that its concerns were the concerns of an entire Universe. Granted, that to the humans that live in this isolated part of the Universe, it may seem to be all that there is.

Instead, I have decided to take the World of Darkness idea and apply a wider and more systematic viewpoint. I did not place it from any internal view from the game, so that Storytellers could isolate parts of it and revise it to serve their needs. This is not meant to serve as the end all or be all of the Nature of the Tellurian, more of a road map for drivers interested in where it may take them.

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THE TOPOLOGY OF THE TELLURIAN revison 1.0
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THE UNIVERSE
aka, The All, The Multiverse, Omniverse,
The Celestial Sphere, The Macrocosm.
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This is the sum total of all of creation. It is apparently limitless, and without definite form, yet filled with shapes and substances, rules and laws, ubiquitous and yet intangible, the Universe defies easy description; filled with wonderous phenomena, awesome and terrible, most beyond the reasoning capacities of mortal life forms. In this ultimate arena are all of the events, worlds and subworlds, realms and shadows, of the World of Darkness, said to take place. Are there multiple realities, side by side, just out of phase with each other, or are there multiple cosms linked together in a bubblelike matrix each phasing in and out of contact with the other? The True Nature of the Universe, defying such description, may, as so often described in Quatum Mechanics, take the form that was expected by the viewer. Meaning that the Universe itself may be the Ultimate Expression of Magick; a place that takes the form that is expected of it.

THE GRAND DANCE
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The Grand Dance is a what the swirling of energetic forces and congealing plasma combine together to call galaxies. In the Grand Dances throughout the Universe, there are billions of Living Realms and even tens of billions of Shadow or Shard Realms. The Grand Dance is the largest manifestation of magick in the Universe, save the creation of the Universe itself. Within
the Dance are bound the Elemental Aspects of the Universe. These Elemental Aspects (of which there are only known to be nine) combine to form the Grand Dances (Galaxies, Living Realms and Shard Realms).

NINE PRIMAL or ELEMENTAL ASPECTS
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These are the known Elemental Aspects that combine to form Living Realms. It is believed that there are others outside of the Living Realm of Gaia. These others are not known by the magi of the Realm of Gaia, in general, and may only be accessible by magi capable of Oracular level magic. Each of these Aspects has been considered a form of Meta-magic that combines known
spheres of magic and are responsible for magics that are not related to any particular sphere (such as Death being related to Shadowland Arcanos magic and Transformation being related to Changeling-produced pathos magic). There are some primary correlations that each Aspect shares with a sphere of magic. As an example, Creation and Prime share correlations but Creation is made up of more than just the Sphere called Prime. The Spheres of Magick are not able to completely explain the Aspects but magi continue to try and find correlations between the two.

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BALANCE:
The Maintainer of the Universe
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Balance is the Aspect that deals with the continuation of the Universe in general. Balance ensures that all forces work within their associations and continue their function. Balance has no counterfource. This Aspect does whatever is necessary to ensure that Balance is maintained. However, Balance has been known to work slowly and over extended periods. The Balance Aspect is often associated primarily with Time and is believed to be the force that prevents temporal travel into the past to less than Oracular-level magi.

Associated Magicks
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The Balance Aspect is known to also be associated with all the Nine Spheres of Magick.
The Balance Aspect is known to be associated with all forms of Static Magic (i.e. Hedge-Magick, Numina, Amulet, Celestial, and Alchemical Magic of the Mummy and The Power of True Faith) and Arcane Magic (i.e. Magic such as the Arcanos Magic of the Shadowlands and the Pathos Magic of the Changeling) as well.

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CREATION/DESTRUCTION:
Two Primary Forces of the Universe
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CREATION
The Beginning
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Creation is a primary Aspect. It is the aspect that initiates the binding of the other Aspect forces. It shares the stage as one of the most powerful aspects with Destruction. The two of them form a Duality of Power. The Creation Aspect constantly creates new combinations of interactions, forces and energies. Anything new can be attributed to the Creation Aspect.

Associated Magicks
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Creation is most associated the sphere of Magick known as Prime but it also has spheric associations with Life, Matter and Forces.

DESTRUCTION
The End
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Destruction is a primary Aspect and is one of the most powerful forces in the Universe. Destruction is a constant of the Universe, taking place continuously at the atomic level and the galactic level. Destruction has nothing directly to do with Death except that both can deal with the Ending of a thing, person, place or entity. Death has more to do with end of Life. Destruction is part of the Creation Aspect and completes its primal balance. Destruction can be a means of Death but it is not a requirement for it.

Associated Magicks
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The Destruction Aspect can embody the spheres of Matter, Life, and Forces.

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LIFE, DEATH, and ESSENCE:
The Circle of the Living and the Dead
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LIFE
The Greatest Secret
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Life is a member of the Circle of the Living and the Dead. Life contributes the force of Life energy to allow creatures to come into being that are born, reproduce, and die. The Life Aspect is twined tightly with Death and Essence that ensures that creatures continue this process. Life deals with the mindless reproduction of living matter, whether it be carbon based or silica based life forms. Life does not necessarily imply intelligence. Intelligence deals more with the Essence Aspect of a living creature. Non-sentient life possesses fragmentary or hive-like essence patterns.

Associated Magicks
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The Life Aspect deals primarily with the sphere of Life, but can also deal with Spirit, Time and Entropy.

DEATH
The Greatest Equalizer
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Death deals with the termination of life forms and their inclusion into the lifecycle. A powerful Aspect, Death has seemingly acquired a streak of negativity associated with it. Death is neither good nor evil, it is simply necessary. Death is part of the cycle of Renewal, a necessary part of the Circle of the Living and the Dead. Gaia-dwelling humans have managed to tap into the magicks of Death in many ways.

Associated Magicks
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The Spheres of Magick most associated with Death are Entropy, Forces and Time. Necromancy is one of the ways Humanity has tapped the Primal energies of Death. The Arcanos of the Shadowlands is another.

ESSENCE
Mind and Soul
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The acknowledgment of the true mind also allows for the acknowledgment of the True Soul. Only intelligent beings may have souls. Souls that may tap into the True nature and Primal Energies of the Universe are called Awakened. Particular beings who can temporarily change the Nature of the Universe are often described as Magi. These Magi house within them fragments of the Greater Consciousness of the Universe and Gaian-dwelling Magi call it the Avatar.

It is possible to utilize forms of Magick and not be a Magi. There are subsidery magical energies that are not part of the Spheres of Magick that are tough to learn but are parts of the Essence of the Universe and as such are available to any sentient creature with a desire to learn. With Gaian-dwelling humans, these abilities are often call Hedge-magic and Numina.

Associated Magicks
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The Spheres of Magick most associated with Essence are Mind, Spirit and sometimes Prime.

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QUASUM, DREAM and TRANSFORMATION
The Understructure of the Universe
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This Trine has been considered the understructure of the Universe. Shadow makes up the un-substance, the matter and energy of the Universe; Dream, the mind of the Creator, the place where all that is Real, is, and Transformation, the changing of the Universe from one thing to the next, the constant renewal, destruction and evolution of the Universe. These make up the underlying canvas the other Primal Entities paint upon.

QUASUM
Physical Matter & Radiant Energy
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Literally, nothing is real, everything is Quasum. Quasum is the nature of matter and energy that says that they are ultimately interchanging and can neither truly be created or destroyed. All that is substance is really Quasum because of the infusion of Primal Essence delivered by the
Creator(s). The Universe exists because the Creator(s) will it such. It has even been taught that the Matter and Energy are almost interchangeable under the right circumstances. Magi learning to manipulate Matter and Energy soon discover their interchangeable natures. The nature of Quasum also deals with Time. Time is used as a measurement to understand Matter and Energy at a Cosmic scale. Hence the relationship between Time and Space. Time is also the glue that holds the Universe together in an orderly, clockwork fashion. At least as far as Humanity is concerned…

Associated Magicks
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Magicks most associated with Quasum are, Forces, Matter and Time.

THE DREAM
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The Universe is but the Dreams of the Creator(s). The Allspace is but a conceptual window into the Nature of the Universe. The Allspace is everywhere and some magi think every-when. The Allspace is accessing that Universal Consciousness to see and exist in all spaces and potentially all times. People who can access the Allspace can appear to see into the future or the past, have the ability to move themselves or any matter to anyplace or any time. Think of it as a link to the Realm of Forms or a leap into the Quantum Field. Accessing this Universal Consciousness deals with the concept of Logos, where the idea of perfect objects and ideas are stored and accessed by mortal minds during the creation process. In this Logos realm, the perfect chair awaits mortal minds to try and conceive of this chair and make variations on it attempting to reach that ultimate
perfection. Everything exists there in one form or another. The Allspace is the filter that is used to find that thing and bring the magi to it or it to the magi.

Associated Magicks
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Magicks most associated with The Dream are Correspondence, Time, and Prime.

TRANSFORMATION
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This is the nature of the Universe to change and evolve. This is a natural tendency of the Universe. Nothing is constant, save that everything continues to change. Transformation is mostly concerned with Entropy and Randomness. It is one of the understructures of the Universe because what Matter makes real and what the Shadow reflects, what the Dreamer dreams and the Universal Consciousness knows, the Transformation Aspect changes and creates variation, to prevent stagnation and eventual death.

Associated Magicks
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Magicks most associated with The Dream are Entropy, Time, and Prime.

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THE CELESTIAL MOVEMENT
The Beginning of a Living Realm
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A Celestial Movement is the gathering of the Primal Forces that combine to form a Living Realm. This is believed to be the greatest expression of Magick capable of being performed by a mortal being. A mortal would not gather the primal elements, they would simply initiate the Celestial Movement that causes the creation of the Living Realm. A Living Realm is capable of supporting Life but not always necessarily Life as Humanity understand it. The Celestial Movement also creates and supports all Realms that are a part of it. Gaia is an example of a Living Realm. Gaia also supports a number of Shard Realm nearby and the other planets in the Solar System may also be Living Realms as well.

It is said that Oracles imitate the incredibly complex natures of the Celestial Movement by the creation of their personal Shard Realms. There is only one other Magic as powerful as the Celestial Movement and it is called The Final Movment. The Final Movement is the catastrophic explosion of a star and the destruction of the Living Realm(s) near it.

A LIVING REALM
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A Living Realm is made up of Nine Primal Elements: Creation, Destruction, Balance, Life, Transformation, Death, Essence, Quasum, and The Dream. This symbiotic relationship creates a sphere of local influences that center on a particular Realm. In this case, the central Realm is Earth. These interactions are local meaning not spread across the entire universe (local implies a region of approximately 6 billion miles from the center of the local gravity well, the Sun). This is a significant amount of space to house nearby Shard, Reflected and Incomplete Realms.

THE REFLECTED REALM
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Gaia has a single reflected Realm called the Umbra. This spiritual reflection houses the spiritual essence of Gaia and her inhabitants. The Umbra, has several Penumbral levels which are sometimes called the Reflected Realms, the Spirit Realms or The Astral Plane , since much of the
landscape in this realm reflects that of Gaia.

The Reflected Realms which include the Higher Umbra, a realm of reason visited primarily by Magi, the Living Umbra, most often visited by Shamen and Garou and the Shadowlands, the hidden realms of the Restless Dead are all the same place, a reflection of the Living Realm of Gaia.

The Higher Umbra is an abstract realm of ideas that shares some of the Dream Essence. (This Higher Umbra is not to be confused with the Deep Umbra, which is the area beyond the orbit of the Moon.)

The Living Umbra most accurately reflects the Living Realm of Gaia and this realm seems to possess many of the same characteristics of the Real World but filled with the essences of spirits and spirit beings of nature.

The Shadowlands are also in the same Umbra but are only visible to beings who are seeking the restless dead. The magicks most associated with Shadow are Matter, Forces, and Entropy.

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THE ASPECTS OF THE LIVING REALM OF EARTH
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These names are the vulgar argot used to describe the nature of the Elemental Energies the create the Living Realm of Gaia. Please understand that different groups will call these things different names and give different aspects to them. It is subject to interpretation.

The Wyrm is the Balancing Aspect
The Wyrm is also the Destruction Aspect
The Weaver is the Creation Aspect
The Wyld is the Transformation Aspect
The Gaia Lifeforce is the Life Aspect
The Umbra is the Shadow Aspect
The Oblivion is the Death Aspect (found in the Shadowlands)
The Allspace is the Dream Element
The Phoenix* is the Essence Element (not covered in the World of Darkness text) The Phoenix embodies a Universal primal essence tapped for many different sciences and magick.

SHADOW, PHANTOM or DREAM REALMS
Shadow Realms are smaller incomplete realms that lack one or more of the Nine Primal Elements. These realms often have a single element that is the primary element of that realm and often seems to be the aspect that therealm revolves around. These are smaller realms that spin off from a Primal Realm (usually the Divine Realms or pocket realms of Oracles), or the Shard Realms (Arcadia, Gor, Wonderland, Atlantis, Mu) that splinter off from a
Primal Realm due to natural, unnatural or catastrophic reasons. These realms are often known as Incomplete, Dream, or Phantom Realms. These realms usually lack some vital aspect that would make them appear normal to normal creatures of Living realms. The more primary aspects a realm has the more powerful the realm. Most Shard or Shadow realms only have one primary aspect.

Examples of Shadow Realms from popular literature:

Mt Olympus:
An incomplete realm whose primary primal aspect is Creation.
An incomplete realm whose primary primal aspect is Life.
An incomplete realm whose primary aspect is Phoenix.
An incomplete realm lacking the Primal Element of Death.
An incomplete realm lacking the Primal Element of Time.
An incomplete realm lacking the Primal Element of Entropy.
A powerful Shard realm, the beings who reside here are immortal and have significant powers of creation and metamorphesis. The passage of Time is unknown for all who live here. Unfortunately for these inhabitants, they are also unable to change their natures despite the passing of the years.

Arcadia:
An incomplete realm whose primary primal aspect is Dream.
An incomplete realm lacking the Primal Element of Time.
To creatures of the Living Realm of Earth, the nature of Time is unable to be tracked or even be sure that it is flowing in this realm. Creatures living in this realm seem immortal by normal standards.

Alice’s Wonderland:
An incomplete realm whose primary primal aspect is Life.
An incomplete realm lacking the Primal Element of Randomness.
The creatures of Wonderland lack the ability to change their natures. They are doomed to repeat their actions without variation. Only creatures from other realms may experience change in this realm.

Shadowlands:
An incomplete realm whose primary primal aspect is Oblivion.
An incomplete realm whose primary primal aspect is Entropy.
An incomplete realm lacking the Primal Element of Life.
The creatures of the Shadowlands are dead and divorced from the living. They may mimic the living for a short time and beings who go to the shadowlands almost inevitable have to be dead.

FINAL NOTES:
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The reason that the nature of this study seems Garou-centric is that Magi and the Garou acknowledge that there are living forces that underly the Creation of the Realm of Earth. These are called by their Garou equivalents (Wyrm, Wyld, the Weaver and Gaia) because these are the most commonly known forms of these Entities. The could have just as easily been identified as
Jormangandur, the Wyrm that Devours the World; Ydrassigal, the Tree of Life; The Fates and the Force of Mother Nature. I am not against using another format to describe these Aspects and as such they may not be immediately recognized.
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There is no direct correspondence between the Aspects of a Living Realm and the Spheres of Magic. The Spheres of Magic are conventions by which magi perform their modifications of Reality. The Aspects are also conventions that Magi use to understand the Universe on a large scale. You might consider them a form of metamagic, that subsumes certains spheres within
it. It is possible for an single Aspect to affect more than one sphere. As such there is no direct relationship between them. Any correlation between them is the same as comparing a hand grenade (Sphere) to an atomic bomb (Aspect).
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Are these Aspects Universal? It is difficult to tell. Magi that have travelled to distant Living Realms rarely return. Some magi theorized that the Universe should have universal constants because the underlying theories of Magick seem to form the Grand Dance, indeed the Universe itself seem familiar to Magi from our realm. Creatures from other Realms may or may not work with or acknowledge different Aspects. The Nine Aspects mentioned here may not be all that is known. These are simply the most well established of the Aspects of our Living Realm.
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