Overview   |      Edeiology     |     Setting     |     Organizations    |     History     |     NPCs

The Edeia originate from an "urban fantasy" world, a world much like ours but where magic has been revealed to humanity. Some areas in the world have more magic-related activities, and some areas remain almost completely mundane—in those places, people can go their entire lives without ever encountering a magical individual. 

The only form of magic that originates from this world is idea magic, magic from the power of an Idea. Any other kinds of magic and supernatural abilities come from entities from different dimensions,  often involving an Edeia bringing back an entity or object with that kind of magic.

Mundane society and magic societies still govern separately, but there have been advancements in innovation that use both science and magic—and both mundane and magical worlds have changed and intermixed.

This provides a brief overview of Ideation world history, which may be sufficient for general needs in character development. For more detailed world history, see the History page.

The Ancient Era / The Age of Magic

There was no division; everyone lived with the fact that magic was real and something you had to deal with. "The Age of Magic" is often used for the time closer to the Age of Secrecy. 

In the very beginnings of civilization, humanity was very superstitious and believed in gods, spirits, demons, etc—though all of these were essentially Edeia. No one truly understood what Edeia were at first, but some Edeia who sought knowledge and understanding began to compile knowledge and theories. The term "Edeia" began being used around 2000 BCE, but only sparingly and usually only among the Edeia themselves.

As the years progressed, some societies/groups gained more understanding of idea magic, Edeia, and the process of Actualization, while others did not. There were also conflicting views and beliefs in some cases; some had it correct, with idea magic/Actualization having to do with identity and personal development (with the term "Idea" to refer to the origin of magic coming into use over time), while others held onto various other beliefs. 

The Age of Secrecy

The age in which the world of magic and the world of the mundane attempted to completely isolate themselves from each other.

An Edeia known as Order along with some others called a convergence with as many Edeia as possible—they had seen possible futures with Possibility, and decided that the best path forward for the sake of order and advancement of society, the magic and the mundane should separate.

The separation had varying degrees of success. Edeia and other magical entities simply stopped appearing, and while the early generations knew Edeia were real, later generations had only the stories. Magic became myth, and those that fell into the world of magic were often told to keep things secret. Those who showed signs of becoming an Edeia would often be contacted and spirited away—or the family was told and brought into the fold of secrecy. In this stage, the mundane world is as close as it gets to ours, with a few differences: there are unexplored regions of the world due to magical effects (both deliberate and natural—such as places that would mysteriously turn you around or just never let you leave), and there are any number of fictional locations. 

It was during this time that some Edeia began to work together to truly understand their kind, and to standardize various terms and establish social norms among themselves. 

The Age of Reunion

The age in which magic society and mundane society reunited. 

Order decided the time had come to reunite the magic and mundane, and did so with the help of many other Edeia, including Data. This led to collaborative governing bodies, magical entities hiding in mundane society revealing themselves, intersections of magic and science, etc. With the reveal came all the knowledge of Edeia, organized and presented for all to understand if they desired. 

Currently, there is advanced technology and magitechnology in use, though there are only a few "futuristic" cities.

In ~2030, a supergovernment with some degree of control over all countries was established, along with the Registry.

The current time can be considered to be exactly 100 years from now, i.e. 2100s. 

Edeia do not have a centralized governing body or culture, but many may choose to integrate themselves into mundane society. 

Convergence

Edeia do not have organized law enforcement, but if an Edeia is causing trouble, a meeting of Edeia can be called. This is referred to as a "convergence." An Edeia can send out an energy signal for others to gather, and each signal might attract about three to ten more Edeia. They then decide on a course of action; it is generally agreed that if a decision is made at a convergence, it should only be contested by another convergence decision. 

As for what those decisions are: they might decide to try to talk down the Edeia, or seal them within their Abstraction - which is possible through the combined effort of multiple Edeia. It could be indefinitely (which essentially means until dissociation) or for a set amount of time. 

It is possible to visit those within Abstractions, including those sealed away. In general, if an Edeia knows the energy signature of another Edeia, they can metaphorically knock on the door of that Edeia's Abstraction. Whether they let them in is up to them, though it is possible to force your way in. 

Energy Signature Exchanges

Edeia are capable of recognizing specific energy signatures—it may even be their most precise sense, since it is their only "default" one. Generally, an Edeia can recognize another to some extent if they spend some time in proximity, make contact, or both enter either's Abstraction, but it is much more socially acceptable to seek out Edeia you know less well after "exchanging" energy signatures by making physical contact and letting out a small flare/burst of energy.

For Edeia with hands, this is often done by holding each other's hands for a moment. Any kind of contact with any part is fine, and for those who prefer not to be touched, they can acknowledge an exchange by flaring their energy without making any contact. 

Interactions with Human Society

Relatively few Edeia remain in human society—they don't need to eat, sleep, and work to live, after all. They outlive all the humans, as well.  Many wander the parts of the world untouched by society, such as magical environments that may be dangerous or protected, possibly by an Edeia. 

That isn't to say they don't interact with human society. Some might want to contribute to science or magiscience, or create things for mundane society to partake of. They aren't allowed to take mundane political positions, but there are Edeia-specific roles that they may take. They might also act as advisors or Edeia representatives, running businesses (usually pretty small ones, since they have no significant need for money), or simply living among mundane society.

These are characters who play a significant role in shaping the world of Ideation. You may see them on their own page here.