Kata

Kata is an energy produced when the molecules of matter are broken apart at the atomic level. It is possible to use this energy to influence and/or control other particles. It is observable as a particle or a wave, but not both. Kata is found abundantly in all matter, but it can only be used or manipulated by individuals to any great extent within a certain distance of an active Gap, unless they were originally born or descended from an individual born close to a Gap. The mechanism by which kata fundamentally alters the DNA of individuals is not entirely known.
Kata is, in fact, the weaker of two fundamental forces inherent to all matter in the universe. Kata operates on the atomic level while ana, the more powerful, on the subatomic. Becoming capable of using or manipulating either requires intense training and development over a long period, and due to the very specific ways that kata affects individuals, individuals are only able to specialise in one form of manipulation. Those capable of manipulating ana are, by contrast, able to make use of a range of abilities.

Properties

Material Characteristics

Kata itself cannot be directly seen, except through the use of kata-glass. However, it is visible in terms of its affects on all non-kata molecules and atoms. When Gaps are active, for example, this triggers the release of kata into the atmosphere, which then causes kata-storms (with pronounced weather effects), the spontaneous growth of biological cells in both plants and animals, and potentially damage to any physical substance in the vicinity.

Origin & Source

Kata is found in all matter, at the atomic level. It can be released by breaking the bonds in molecules and elements. This is achieved through physical touch by anybody trained in the three Amnari systems. Anyone who has been trained to be able to work with ana, is able to release this energy without touch.

Life & Expiration

Once released via bond-breaking, kata is only maintained for a brief period, usually no more than one to two hours. The instability around Gaps can prolong this effect, although the effectiveness of Gap management by the late 4500s had made it easier to predict and control for extended kata bursts into the atmosphere.

History & Usage

History

First Discovery

Although few records survive from the Five Empires period, it is understood that scientists were able to link humans with the fundamental consciousness of creation at this time. Some researchers have suggested that it was far earlier than this, and that it was only rediscovered around the late Five Empires Age. According to Amnari legend, the first known use of kata was by the High Ashad Isha, in order to heal her sister and protect the members of the First Five Tribes from the effects of the kata-storms in what would become Amin Duum during the Amnari period.

Early Amnari Use

Early documentation suggests that initially, kata was far more unpredictable, and very few were able to make any use of it. The requirement that it must be drawn out of matter in order to be manipulated by humans made it difficult to put to any use for anybody who had not had the experience and training it was believed Isha had received. This led to the establishment of three training systems: Academic (training Warriors and Watchers Service (training auxiliary staff and Guild (various forms of manufacturing and building, focused on working with non-living physical matter).

Discovery

The High Ashad Isha is the first known user of kata, although her strength is such that her predominant skill lies with the more powerful force of ana. The original discovery of both forces is shrouded in mystery, although there is frequent debate between Amnari scholars over whether it should be dated to the late Five Empires Era, or earlier.

Evidence for the Five Empires Era Discovery

Surviving documents from a location much further east, not far from the present site of Cir Nacayjl, suggest that kata at least was used in some form there. It is not known the extent to which individuals were able to harness and safely use either force, although it is understood from interpretations of the various legends surrounding the High Ashad Isha’s early life that kata use formed the basis of the Five Empires’ Last War, which eventually led to the downfall of the civilisations. Interpretation is difficult due to the uncertainty of translation of these documents. The language in which they were written has been lost, and its descendent dialects differ to such an extent that large sections of text remain untranslated.

Pre-Five Empires Discovery

Extensive work has been performed in recent decades on the ruins that constitute an area of the desert close to Amin Duum, known as the Field of the Red Queen, or just Red Queen, which point to a date much earlier than that previously recorded for the Empire of Keshwar. Keshwar is known to be the oldest and largest of the Five Empires, but recent surveys of the ruins there and at Rooks and Kings indicate that Keshwar itself was built on a much earlier, and now almost entirely lost civilisation. There is no direct evidence for this civilisation having access to kata, except through interpretation of artwork on wall and pylons at both Rooks and Kings and Red Queen, which depict human individuals using motions similar to those applied by Watchers using kata in medical treatment. This interpretation is highly disputed.

Everyday use

Kata is used for the majority of medical operations and activities in Amnar, for the manufacturing of products, and for the production of energy. It is used to power lights, slates, and screens, as well as making long distance communication possible. This is only possible within the domain of the seven Amnari Bubbles, however, and its use comes with a range of risks and uncertainties.

Hazards

Kata is a highly unpredictable force. The most pronounced dangers associated with it are: 1. Uncontrolled output from Gaps; and 2. Uncontrolled cell-growth triggered by free-floating kata particles causing rapid expansion of biological matter.

Type

Elemental / Molecular

Odor

Ozone

Taste

Metallic

Color

Blue (most common red (rarest)

Common State

Wave/particle