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Prime
*Etheric Senses
A mage gains perception of basic Quintessential energy-the ndes where it collects or wells up, the ley lines and draon paths which traverse the lobe between them, the Tass in which it crystalizes, and the Quintessential ebbs and flows which mark the junctures, the times of greatest magick. He may also notice creatures and objects charged with magickal energy, though he needs Mind to perceive their particualr auras and Spirit to detect their Souls (assuming they have them).
Perceptions of Prime vary from mage to mage. Some see it as a clear, pure light or a shining mtrix of white energy. Others perceive it as a dark and primal force, the Black Egg, and see a matrix of black against gray. Others claim that it has a distinct color, neither black nor white, a magical color out of space, while some mysticks hear it as the music of the Speres or describe it as a tingle of magick in the air or a current flowing around them.
By senseing the strongest currents of Odyllic Force, a mage may allign hiself so that they flow into his own Pattern, charging his Avatar. Without the first rank of Prime, a mage cannot store free Quintessence within his own Patern beyond the amount he receives from his Avatar. Mages without Prime magick cannot gain Quintessence ratings above their Avatar Background Trait.
**Weave Odyllic Force
Fuel Pattern
A mage attains some control over the shifting Patterns of Prime force and Quintessential energy. she can divert small streams to flow diferently through the cosmos or reweave them tocreate Platonic ideals, items composed soley of Qintessence and visible to those with magickal sense.
Such items exist in the etheric, spiritual and astral planes (the High and Middle Umbrla Worlds) all at once. When a mage conceives of an object it takes on osme degree of solidity. By channeling Prome force through his concept, the sorcerer can transform it into a physical form. Creating things out of "thin air," then, obviously demands Prime 2.
***Channel Quintessence
At rare sites (Nodes) on rare days (Junctures), Quintessential forces focuses into Primal energy. The resulting flow is called "free" Quintessence and assists mages working enchantments, casting spells or creating Horizon Realms, new items, chantries or Talismans. At this rank, a mystick understands how how to draw these "surplus" energies out of the Patterns in which they are stored. The mage becomes a conduit of Quintessence, storing it in her own being or channeling it into other beings, like her Chantry's pocket Realm.
For lack of better terms, mages describe Quintessence as either "raw" or "free." The terms are for classification only; there's no real difference between the two. Raw Quintessence makes up Paterns, flows through living beings and coalesces in the tremendous pool of Quintessence form which mages draw the energies for Pattern magick. Free Quintessence is a surplus Prime that can be manipulated and transferred. Raw Quintessence energy grants life or form to everything, form a lightning bolt to a chipmunk. Free Quintessence is the extra power held by a mage as part of his Quintessence Trait. If that trait goes to zero, the mage still has the raw Quintessence that allows him to live and be human.
Sadly, free Quintessence can only flow from one established pattern to another. No one has sucessfully taped into the "pool" of free Quintessence described in Prime 2, or even drawn extra prime force from thei large pool when creating new patterns or fueling them with Quintessence. That is to say, when a mage creates an object, she can only siphon enough quintessence to make the object - no surplus Quintessence remains in anything a mystick creates from scratch.
The special properties that allow free Quintessence to flow from Patern to Pattern are beyond even the Masters of Prime. If the Oracles of Prime know more, they have said little. There seems to be a definate limit to the free Quintessence suplies that exsist on Earth, and chantries batle fiercly for control over this precious comodity.
****Expel Base Energies
While Deciples of Prime are largly limited to detecting and manipulating free Quintessence, Adepts of Prime learn to channel raw Quintessence. They can pull Quintessence out of Patterns of matter and energy, affecting a Patterns substance in reality. Each shard of inanimate matter and each spark of energy has Quintessence stored within. Adepts can expel Quintessence from these Paterns, recycling into pools of raw Quintessence. Without Quintessnce in ots Pattern, that mater ceases to exist.
Adepts who know enough about Matter or Firces can use conjunctional Effects to alter the amount of Quintessence stored in various parts of these Patterns, efectivly "disolving" different aspects or properties of this matter or energy. A sorcerer could make solids become insubstantial, cause a magnet to have only one pole, remove a chemicals ability to form nuclear bonds with other chemicals(this process would, for example, remove acids corosive properties), or cause opbjects to lose their mass yet remain solid. While Pattern magicks alone can do the same thing, extracting a targets raw Quintessence is a direct and "easy" way to alter it.
*****Alter Flow
Masters of Prime delve into truly advanced theroies. Such Masters can alter established flows of raw Quintessence - those flowing through Life Patterns.
Living being interacyt with Quintessence in a unique manner.Their Quintessence is not stored in ther Patterns, but runs continuouslt through them. Daming this flwo could extinguish the spark of life within a creature.
Masters can also increase the flow through a Pattern. This means nothing to lifeforms without strong Avatars, but awakened ones can instantly recharge their Avatars Quintessence.
Some Masters of Prime also claim to have found conections between Parodox and Quintessence, like those between positive and negative forces. This breakthrough allows mysticks to channel free Quintessnec in ways that cancel "random" Parodox energies.