“ | We human beings are fascinating creatures. We exist without knowing it in a world able to destroy us a thousand times over and, even so, we continue forward… | „ |
Been reading Anima, so why not make a blog for it. This will cover its cosmology and terminology, as well as some stuff regarding resistances.
Currently a WIP.
Creation
Simply put, creation is composed of more than one timeline.
Universes
- Tawil, who embodies the concepts of space and time, "represents the connection between all points in existence", with such being creating different timelines when invoked, which is also referred to as infinite universe(s).
- Beyond that, we have Prison of Light and Prison of Darkness, which enclose the target in "separate universe which has no interaction with our own"
- Rah nearly destroys "all of creation", forcing C'iel and Gaira themselves to intervene before it's too late. Powers in the Shadow possess technology and magic superior to what Rah used to threaten reality, and if the individual factions comprising these Powers fought among each other, all of existence would be irreparably torn apart with nothing left behind. Following the activation of Rah's machine, the Powers split the reality into three individual planes of existence.
Soul Flux
- The Sea of Souls (or commonly referred as Soul Flux) is the origin of everything that exists and has yet to exist. Everything has a soul/concept that defines their existence on reality. This soul flux is what gives birth to us and all other concepts. Simply, put the essence (or spiritual essence) is the soul/concept of any particular thing, which gives everything a shape and meaning.
- The Soul Flux gives birth to all that exists and doesn't exist, including ideas that define existence. The author uses the example of a book to explain this. A book is a physical collection of paper pages filled with ink that forms words. However, for us to say that something exists called a book, it means that there has to be a concept of “book” that defines what it is. Therefore, the book that we hold in our hands is the sum of many facets – physical and conceptual – which collectively make up a “book.” Its corporal part is the substance generated by the material world, while its essence exists on a different level, in the Sea of Souls.
- The Soul Flux is infinite and (again) gives birth to stuff that has yet to exist, including souls/concepts, theories, feelings, etc.
- It is literally referred to as a world of ideas.
- Etheldrea once accessed this place to extract conceptual materials from her perfect conceptual self that exists in the Flux, implying that the Etheldrea on the material plane is only an imperfection compared to the one in the Sea of Souls, since it's not something that she could obtain in the material world either.
- WoG referred to it as a superior/higher plane of existence.
- Magic is a force intertwined with the Soul Flux, beyond any belief or philosophy, and encompasses all elements of creation, including emotions and concepts.
All in all, the cosmology has around 6 universes (2-C) and sits around 1-A with the Soul Flux (Due to its platonic implications and giving birth/holding every possible Type 2 concept within itself). Due to the soul being the concept of existence in Anima (and vice-versa), this also grants most creatures: Unconventional Resistance to Soul Manipulation and Conceptual Manipulation (Type 2), as the opponent would need to target both the concept and the soul to destroy it.
Magic
All cultures have had their own theories about the nature and origin of magic, some even conflicting with each other. Some people considered it a gift given to mortals by the gods, others concluded that it was a force extracted from the souls of the dead, and once there was even speculation that it was the power of dreams incarnate.
But it's not that complicated. Magic in Anima just refers to the spiritual energy that encompasses and influences all aspects of creation, which includes both the Material World and the Soul Flux. Depending on the level, this results in the user being able to alter reality, laws, and concepts with their mere thoughts if they so desire.
Every living being is at once both a source of magic and a beacon for ambient magic. Each soul not only generates mystical energy, but also attracts it from the environment, feeding on that energy and growing stronger. This leads to a chain reaction: the stronger a person is at magic, the more energy is attracted to him. However, although magic thus fills every person, not everyone is able to use it. From the beginning of history, only a few exceptional individuals have had the ability to control these forces that for others are beyond imagination. These people, whether they feel blessed or cursed by their power, have the Gift. The Gift is the means by which magic manifests in a soul as an active force, allowing the individual to intervene directly in the flow of mystical energy. Not only are Gifted people capable of perceiving the supernatural, but they can also use their powers to reshape reality with spells or even thoughts.
Abilities granted by Magic
- Conceptual Manipulation (Type 1), Life Manipulation, Dream Manipulation, Causality Manipulation, Energy Manipulation & Soul Manipulation (Magic is a fundamental element of existence that can alter the essence of reality, being a force that is beyond all belief and philosophy, shapes life, gives rise to dreams, acts as the essence/concept of everything, and is the basis for every other kind of energy, action, and reaction. Magic encompasses all elements of creation and can influence the Soul Flux)
- Extrasensory Perception (People with the Gift can perceive the supernatural)
- Non-Physical Interaction (Can interact with the real and unreal)
- Summoning (Can manifest magic in the world through the spirits that are summoned)
- Reality Warping (Can shape/reshape reality with spells or even thoughts)
Ki
The force called Ki is the energy that is present in any form of life, a kind of vital current that flows through everything. Throughout history, it has had a multitude of names, like Aether, Ruah, or Ka, and dozens of philosophical and scientific theories have tried to explain its nature. In spite of everything, the only fact that can be affirmed with absolute certainty is that Ki is born of the union between a spirit and a physical body, hatched of the spark that springs forth when the material world and the flow of souls intersect.
Although everything that exists has a spirit, Ki only exists in beings who are properly alive, because they are the only ones who completely fuse their body and soul.
Since Ki is directly tied to the soul and its workings, entities such as undeads, golems, or soulless beings, cannot use Ki. However, while such beings cannot use Ki, they have their own form of technique which is considered as the Ki counterpart, called Nemesis.
As such, Ki grants its user the following standard abilities: Soul Manipulation, Chi Manipulation, Statistics Amplification
Nemesis
As we mentioned above, while soulles beings and undead creatures cannot use Ki per se, they can use some form of "Dark Ki" or Shadow Ki", called Nemesis.
The nature of Nemesis is an enigma unto itself. Although there are dozens of philosophical theories that, in some shape or form, approach the true origin of Ki, there is not a single one that dares to assert for sure the same of Nemesis. For that reason, even for the few occultists or supernatural investigators who know something about it, its origin and function is an unsolvable mystery.
What we do know, is that Nemesis is commonly used to conjure abilities related to the shadows, void, erasure, nothingness and nonexistence, an absolute nothing "beyond even the emptiness".
Users of Nemesis becomes completely nonexistent in reality. This emptiness is the reason why the use of Ki and Nemesis are considered opposite principles: whereas the first depends on balance and synchronization between body and mind, the other completely breaks the ties of the soul and spirit from any earthly form.
As such, due to basic usage of Nemesis turning the body and soul (the latter being the concept of existence according to the nature of the Soul Flux) into pure nonexistence beyond even the emptiness, users of Nemesis gets the following abilities: Void Manipulation, Existence Erasure & Nonexistent Physiology (Type 2)
Of course, there are more applications for those who can use Nemesis abilities, but those are not the standard and it will vary from individual to invidividual.
Gnosis
The Gnosis represents the capability of someone in how much it can influence the spiritual world with their thoughts. In some ways, it indicates the power of their supernatural presence and the innate ability they posses to change the natural rules. The greater the Gnosis of an individual, artifact or entity, the greater the relevance his actions will have in the soul flux and, at the same time, the less it will be influenced by it. In reality, this ability has little to do with abilities or knowledge a person possesses. It is perfectly possible that there are first level entities who have Gnosis so great that their wishes alter the order of reality.
As a general rule, all supernatural creatures possesses a high amount of Gnosis, given that they are beings whose existence turns out to be artificial to the world. Nevertheless, there are also natural individuals provided with an uncommon potential for members of their species.
The Gnosis values vary from 0 to 50. Naturally, each level includes the Advantages offered by the previous ones. For example, a being with 35 Gnosis will have all the powers from someone with a 25 or 30 Gnosis.
Standard powers granted by Gnosis
Gnosis 0 and 5
- Resistance Negation (Can completely ignore resistances and invulnerabilities. Can bypass immunities to magic, psychic powers, and elements)
- Law Manipulation & Spatial Manipulation (Can alter the laws of reality and space itself)
- Curse Manipulation (Anyone with at least Gnosis 5, who is mired in anger, pain or fear at the moment of their death, can get emotionally carried away and lay a true curse, which can produce unexplainable and terrifying events)
Gnosis 30
- All previous
- Immortality Negation (Types 1 & 5. Beings of 30 Gnosis can permanently kill Al-Djinn, disregarding its immortalities)
- Extrasensory Perception (Able to feel the the alterations to reality in the surroundings and read the aura of people, discerning their supernatural abilities and in what specific places they have been)
- Elemental Manipulation (Can influence their own or a particular element that the user is connected to, potentially being able to influence beings of the same element of them)
- Non-Physical Interaction (Can interact with nonexistent beings, such as the Noth)
- Soul Manipulation & Conceptual Manipulation (Type 1. Holds great influence over the Soul Flux)
Gnosis 35
- All previous
- Immortality (Type 3 & 5) & Regeneration (Low-Godly. Cannot be traditionally killed due to surpassing Death and will always recover its wounds even if its life is reduced to something lower than the State Between Life and Death)
- Reality Warping (Can alter reality itself with their mere thoughts and force of will)
- Greater Soul Manipulation & Conceptual Manipulation (Type 1. In addition of holding significant influence over the Soul Flux, they now do not find themselves completely submitted to it and can ignore many of its rules)
Gnosis 40
- All previous
- Non-Corporeal (Beings of 40 Gnosis no longer has ties to the material/physical world)
- Avatar Creation (Beings of 40 Gnosis can raise many avatars, projecting their counsciouness from a distance. The avatar seemingly has all abilities from its true form and can only be truly killed if their soul/concept is destroyed)
- Fate Manipulation & Probability Manipulation (With Auspice, beings of 40 Gnosis are able to influence their surroundings and course of events so that it becomes favorable to them)
- Dimensional Travel (Perceives all planes of existence/nonexistence simultaneously, and can freely travel between or even battle across them)
Gnosis 45
- All previous
- Regeneration (Mid-Godly. Beings of 45 Gnosis can regenerate so long their soul/concept isn't destroyed)
- Dimensional Travel (Beings of 45 Gnosis can freely travel across the spiritual plane, material plane, and the Wake)
- Regeneration Negation (Mid-Godly. Beings of 45 Gnosis can permanently kill beings with Gnosis below or equal to their own)
- Greater Soul Manipulation & Conceptual Manipulation (Type 1. Completely unbound by the Soul Flux and can control part of it in any way as they please)
Gnosis 50
Resistances
- Precognition & Clairvoyance (Those with high amounts of Gnosis can change what is shown in precognition spells)
- Extrasensory Perception )Can ignore the Absolute Detection spell)
- Information Analysis (Those with high amounts of Gnosis can make analytical abilities inaccurate)
- Probability Manipulation (Beings with high amounts of gnosis can ignore probability spells)
- Soul Manipulation & Conceptual Manipulation (Type 2) (Can resist getting their soul/concept destroyed)
- Mind Manipulation (Can ignore brainwashing spells)
- Causality Manipulation, Law Manipulation & Reality Warping (Beings of Gnosis 35 are unbound by the rules of the Soul Flux)
- Subjective Reality (Beings with higher Gnosis than Kappel can ignore the Fantasy and Reality spell)
- Sealing (Closed World creates a "bubble of reality" where only beings with high amounts of Gnosis are able to enter or escape)
- Chaos Manipulation (It is possible for those with high amounts of Gnosis to ignore Baroque's passive chaos ability)
- Fate Manipulation (Beings with high amounts of Gnosis can ignore Al-Djinn spells which alters fate itself)
- Death Manipulation (Type 3) and Resistance Negation (Can resist The Nameless' Vortex of All Death, which kills everything around the user, bypassing resistances in the proccess)
- Void Manipulation & Existence Erasure (Beings of Gnosis 35 can survive the Primordial Void)
- Regeneration Negation (Can ignore Existential Damage and Slow Healing spells)
- BFR (Beings of Gnosis 40 cannot be banished if they are not willing to)
- Time Manipulation (Beings of Gnosis 40 are unnafected by time abilities in general)
- Sound Manipulation (Their sound cannot be manipulated)
Natura
Natura is the term that is used to define the ordinary Gnosis of a natural race. It is the standard value that its members have, the existential value possessed by all the members of a species by the mere fact of belonging to it. In Gaïa, each race has normal Gnostic value or Natura, that indicates how attuned they are to supernatural forces. Below is a brief reference to its base values.
Natura values varies from 0 to 20. And in the same way of Gnosis, they grant special/unique Advantages depending on the level.
It should be noted that Gnosis and Natura are completely independent of the character’s level. It is perfectly feasible that an individual with a Gnosis much higher than its Natura has a very low level; it’s the implications and significance of his actions that really make the difference.
Natura 0: These are normal individuals, the most common members of their respective races, whose actions will never have true repercussions; they are people who live simple and ordinary lives, without the slightest importance. This value is not suitable for player characters.
Natura +5: These are people whose existence stands out in some way among others; their lives will be full of important events and important developments. This level of Natura grants no additional benefit beyond role-playing ones.
Natura +10: Those with this level of Natura are individuals of transcendental importance. Wherever they go, significant events occur (or rather, history pulls them to the places where they will happen), and what normal people consider inconceivable will be commonplace for them.
Natura +15: People with this Natura have the ability to shape fate itself. They are individuals with the potential for extraordinary actions, whose impact will affect the entire world in varying degrees. For better or worse, their actions will change the lives of thousands of people.
Natura +20: This is the maximum degree by which a person can exceed his base racial Natura. When an individual’s Gnosis is twenty points higher than their ethnic group, they do not live within history: history revolves around them. From the moment in which he is born, his actions will have huge significance for existence, and with them will shape the destiny of the world. As insignificant as they may seem, each of his decisions will have enormous consequence capable of changing history and the lives of everyone in Gaïa.
As such, beings of high Natura gets Fate Manipulation & Causality Manipulation.
General Resistances Stats
In Anima, most creatures have certain atributes displayed on their paper sheets, those being PhR (Physical Resistance), DR (Disease Resistance), VR (Venom Resistance), MR (Magic Resistance), PsR (Psychic Resistance). Those atributtes represent the capability of the character to avoid any harmful effect towards certain abilities. While you can get a specific set of power/resistances through the number of Gnosis, these resistances applies in a more so general case where the Gnosis stats doesn't have much relevance over them.
- Physic Resistance (PhR): Represent the character's endurance against physical damage and shock, main resistance for avoiding Crital Hits (PhR + 1d100 vs produced damage + 1d100), strikes that vary from simply pain to instant death.
- Disease Resistance (DR): Allow the character to avoid getting sick and being affected by the plague or pestilance. A difference from any Resistance Check, passing one of these do not erase the sickness, but rather simply avoid to being harmed by it, so even resisting it wouldn't make it dissapear without time or medicine.
- Venom Resistance (VR): Its used to avoid being poisoned.
- Magic Resistance (MR): Allow the character to resist the esoteric effects of magic or any supernatural effect. This is the most broad resistance, although few of these abilities cover also PhR or PsR, in which case the character can use the higher of them to resist the effects (for example, a magic trick that erase your memory can be resisted using MR or PsR).
- Psyquic Resistance (PsR): Its the character's willpower to resist any psyquic assault and that affect the mind. It depends of willpower, that represent the mental strength, composture and tenacity of the character.
Physical Resistance
- Damage Transferal (Libera Me creates a breach in existence to transmit the blow to the enemy through the blood of the attacker)
- Light Manipulation & Energy Projection (Through the Dies Irae spell)
- Summoning (Requiem spell calls beings from the heavens down to judge the enemy. When using this Technique, the character designates a target with a gesture of his hand, causing the energy emanating from the character’s body to take the form of the four angels who guard the cardinal points, plus a fifth in representation of Metatron, the Voice of God)
- Durability Negation (With Les Epines the character creates a multitude of piercings and cuts in the body of his enemy, producing an infinity of small wounds, as if caused by the thorns of a rosebush. Supernonva spell creates a miniature supernova inside the target, exploding within the unfortunate enemy, his veins burning, his flow of Ki collapsing, and his entire body exploding in flames until he is barely recognizable ashes)
- Soul Manipulation & Conceptual Manipulation (Type 2) (The Hand of Purgatory paralyzes the body and soul. Anima spell penetrates the soul of anyone who hears it. Destructive Assault completely destroys the soul of the target beyond the reaches of the Soul Flux)
- Sound Manipulation (Mezzo Forte creates a discordant musical note, unleashing a destructive sound wave
- Void Manipulation (Void Techniques controls the energies of nothingness, the strange power that comes from the absolute lack of all physical and spiritual things. Void Shield absorbs particles and converts all attacks received into nothingness)
- Gravity Manipulation (Gravitational Destruction spell crushes its targets using the pression of gravity)
- Absolute Zero (Cero Absoluto reduces the temperature on the surroundings to absolute zero, destroying any being, organic or inorganic)
- Death Manipulation & Conceptual Manipulation (Type 2) (Murte spell instantly induces death on a target, including body and soul, alongside spiritual and necromantic creatures)
- Statistics Reduction (Aura of Emptiness decreases the stats of a target)
- Matter Manipulation (Atomic Control spell allows the user to completely control the atomic matter on their surroundings, be it organic or inorganic matter, being able to atomically destroy its targets in the proccess if the user so wishes)
- Transmutation (Cristalizar completely crystalizes the target, with the slightest attack being able to break its entire body in the proccess)
- Corruption (Blood Rose can infect enemies with the user's own blood)
- Power Absorption (Shadow of Death can suck the enemies' power)
- Telekinesis (Via Telequinesis spell)
Disease Resistance
Venom Resistance
Magic Resistance
- Attack Reflection (Kagami spell raises a screen of supernatural ice, a mirror of souls that reflects blows back against the attacker. When the screen is hit by a blow, a reflection of the attacker rises from the screen and returns the blow upon the attacker. Aternum makes the enemy reflect any type of sorcery with his weapon, with the spell simply bouncing off him or becoming undone when approaching him)
- Creation (Kagami ni Kakera creates 25 sharpened crystal shards around the character that are launched in quick sequence, second after second, against the enemies that he selects)
- Ice Manipulation & Time Manipulation (Shitsunen no Sekai creates a around the user a glacial world that paralyzes and destroys everything, freezing even the flow of time)
- Homing Attack (Spectral Mark creates dozens of phantasmagoric arms around the user, which not only does damage to their enemies, but also leave a heavy imprint in their souls that allows the character to direct his attacks against them more easily as if, as of that moment, his blows were guided by a supernatural force, Perfect Shot can make projectiles automatically follow the target and change trajectory mid-air)
- Darkness Manipulation, Possession & Soul Absorption (Shadow of Death creates a dark portal with it from which manifests a spectral version of the user, a tenebrous and deformed image able to suck the spiritual energy from an enemy. The image not only attacks the physical body of an enemy but enters the enemy’s body, stealing part of his energy and transferring it immediately to the character)
- Fear Manipulation & Pain Manipulation (Last Nightmare spell accumulates in the user's body all the pain, fear, and darkness that there is around them in the Wake, creating a portal to absolute darkness through his eyes. The user then projects with his glance all those emotions and sensations, rending the body and spirit of his target, inducing terror and pain with a glance)
- Sense Manipulation (Destruction of Senses cuts off the senses of an individual)
- Power Nullification (Raikodou disrupts a target's soul, nullifying any kind of supernatural ability that they had active. Aternum can make an enemy spell become undone as it approaches the user. Expello denies the target access to any supernatural powers)
- Air Manipulation (Tornado spell creates an enormous whirlwind that overwhelms all those who surround the user)
- Fire Manipulation (Sirius creates a dark fire blaze that explodes on the enemy, creating a great black pillar of fire)
- Earth Manipulation (Ren Zhi Shu raises an immense stone column, wraped with hundreds of runes, that he surrounds and squashes his enemies with. Earthquake spell causes the ground to shake, triggering an earthquake towards a small area, causing the ground to open and stone splinters to spring forth to pierce the character’s enemies)
- Electricity Manipulation (Denkido generates an electrical storm around its user. For a few moments, the character rises in the air and hundreds of lighting bolts erupt from it, devastating everything that its user wishes with incredible precision)
- Illusion Creation (Ego spell allows the user to project his own energy to form an illusory image of himself, a perfect copy that acts as an extension of his own being)
- Life Absorption (The Dark Portal turns surrounding ground into a black void, able to absorb the life of all those who contact it)
- Biological Manipulation & Paralysis Inducement (Manipura affects each one of the target's nerve endings, leaving the body inert and paralyzed)
- Vibration Manipulation (Muladhara allows the character to cause any body he comes into contact with to vibrate. When an enemy carries out an attack against him, he interposes his hands or his weapon in the path of the blow and, with a quick movement, produces a deafening sound accompanied by an intense vibration)
- Technology and Nanotechnology Manipulation (Techniques based on the Legacy of Solomon allows the user to imbue Ki into the nanomachines so that they act on their own account in the most convenient way)
- Information Analysis (Search Protocol grants the user a supernatural scan of the area around them. Know Weakness spell reveals the imperfections and weakness of someone or something)
- Chaos Manipulation (Via Manipulate Chaos and Control Chaos spells)
- Law Manipulation, Logic Manipulation, Reality Warping & Spatial Manipulation (Primal Chaos completely alter the laws of reality and distorts space in the proccess. A road leading a character up may actually take him downwards; miles are traveled in seconds and feet in hours. A person can be young and old at the same time, a storm may pummel the area on a sunny day. Nothing makes sense, because the concept of logic has ceased to exist)
- Probability Manipulation (Targets of the Alter Luck spell gets their luck changed, for either good or bad. Any situation the target is involved in whose result is determined by chance will always have improbable results, whether for good or ill)
- Fate Manipulation (Tragedy can alter people's fates in a literal way, bringing any outcome of their desire upon the victim)
- Supernatural Luck (The Probability Alteration spell changes the nature of either the user or a specific target of the user's choice, making the possibility of very lucky or very unlucky actions much greater)
- Causality Manipulation (Predestination spell can manipulate causality to achieve a certain destination or result. False Reality manipulates causality to bring events into reality)
- Status Effect Inducement (Allegro creates a melody that stuns and ethralls targets)
- Empathic Manipulation (Targets affected by the Lust spell become immensely attracted to the user. Targets affected by Sloth spell fall into a state of deep laziness, where they dont take any action, unless passive)
- Blood Manipulation (Via Slow Pulse, Exsanguinate, Tears of Blood and World of Blood)
- Dream Manipulation (Disturbing Dreams spell allows the user to alter the dreams of someone in any way they wish. Eternal Dream traps people in a dream that they cannot escape from until the wizard allows them to, no matter what happens to their body)
- Teleportation & BFR (Banish to the Wave sends either the whole body or just the mind to the Wake Realm)
- Temporal BFR (Time Jump sends the target to another time period)
- Subjective Reality (Can make dreams and what derives from it into a reality with Make Dreams Real spell)
- Time Stop (Via Stop Time spell)
- Time Manipulation (Undo Time makes time itself flow backwards, rewinding events and actions. This ability bypasses resistances)
- Resistance Negation (Destruir Resistancias destroys all resistances of the target)
- Vector Manipulation (Desviar Trayectoria allows the user to change the trajectory of a target in movement, redirecting to the direction the user desires. This affects any type of mass, be it something small like a bow, or big like a ship. Due to being vector based, it cannot move a target that is stopped in place or standing still)
- Age Manipulation (Age Control can freely influence and change someone's age)
- Power Mimicry (Via Technique Imitation)
- Statistics Reduction (Zone of Weakness weaknes the fibers of reality itself, making everything fragile and vulnerable)
Psychic Resistance
- Mind Manipulation (Control Mental grants the user absolute control over the mind of someone. Muerte Psíquica destroys the mind of the target)
- Perception Manipulation (Genmai creates several phantasmal copies (illusions) of the user. These images, in spite of being incapable of causing damage, deceive the senses of the character’s enemies completely, making them think that the attacks are perfectly real and even cause pain)
- Memory Manipulation (Destruir Recuerdos affects and/or erases the memories of someone)
- Illusion Creation (Genzou no Sekai creates a strange fog that distorts reality through illusions at the whim of the character. Like in a separate dimension, within which everything happens according to the character’s will, he becomes a kind of virtual god by completely controlling his surroundings)
- Social Influencing (Via Pleasant Conversation, Grandeur and King of the World)
- Fear Manipulation (Whispers from the Other Side fills an area with whispering voices that causes primal terror in targets)
- Madness Manipulation (Type 2. Trail of Madness fills the target's mind with insane ideas and concepts, making them go mad)
- Willpower Manipulation (Spiritual Damage spell weakens the target's very will to continue living)
- Telekinesis (Via Psychokinesis)