Expedition demeter The Causality Theorem

The Causality Theorem

Cultural event

33rd
33rd

Be the butterfly that causes the storm.


 
"Go on, Jynx is probably doing something crazy.”
Tye stood up and followed Mal into the wagon. Jynx was rummaging through a chest at the foot of her bed. Her legs swung in the air, as her upper half disappeared into the chest and reappeared again with a random object in her hand. She would study it, find it lacking in whatever purpose she had planned for it, if indeed there was a plan, then tossed back into the chest, diving for another object. Eventually she pulled out a small snowglobe. She shook it.
“Woah…” she said in an elongated sigh then giggled. She practically jumped out of the chest and skipped past them without recognizing their existence. Tyler caught a glimpse of the globe. Inside the glass was a park bench and a few street lamps. On the bench sat a couple, a man and a woman, engaging in a kiss. Tyler and Mal followed her out of the wagon and further down the paved road. Jynx abruptly stopped and waited staring up into the air as if expecting something to be there that wasn't. She looked up at Mal and back to the air, then back again. She gave a slight growl, then cleared her throat.
“Ahem.” Mal looked up at the sound.
“Oh, sorry little one. Where to?”
“Anywhere!” she screamed happily, throwing her arms into the air. The sleeves of her jacket danced in a soft breeze and Mal raised her hand. A blue wooden door was created in a torrent of sand.
“How’s Chicago sound?”
“Perfect.” Jynx replied in a cheerful way. Then ran through the door. Mal and Tyler followed. Mal laughed as Jynx ran, dragging the sleeves behind her. The stopped almost immediately at the sheer drop in temperature. Tyler looked up and saw the sky scrapers of what he assumed to be Chicago. It was December and snow had fallen on the city.
“Is this the real chicago?”
“Yes,” mal replied. “But its a few weeks before you met Morrigan.”
“You can go back in time?”
“Not really, Were here but not physically. If you walked up to someone and tried to talk to them chances are they wouldn't even see you.”
Jynx tripped and fell into a pile of Virgin snow. She giggled, sat up and looked around. She eyed a park bench, looked at the snow globe, and quickly rushed over.
On the bench, a young woman sat in the sunlight reading a book. She wore the same clothes at the woman in the globe, a red pea-coat and jeans with a white beret. Jynx tiptoed up and gently placed the globe on the opposite side of the bench then ran away giggling with manic laughter.
Jynx ran to a tree behind the bench and climbed up into it, hiding within the branches. Moments later, a young man approached the bench looking concerned. He wore the same clothes as the man in the globe. A black jacket with sweat pants. He began to search the area of the bench frantically. The woman looked up and spoke. Tyler was shocked to realize he heard every word.
“Can I help you?” She asked politely, “did you lose something?”
“My book, I think I left it here.” The woman looked embarrassed as she closed her book and showed it to him.
“Is this it, I was laying here, I found it and started reading it.”
“Oh my god, yes, that's it.” The woman looked slightly disappointed and attempted to hand it back. The man noticed and shook his head.
“How long have you been reading it?”
“About two hours. It got me hooked.” The man slowly sat beside her.
“You want to borrow it? We have class together, you can give it back when your done.”
“We have class together?”
“English comp one.”
“Oh, right.” They exchanged a laugh. Jynx appeared to be impatient. She jumped out of the tree and rushed to the bench, grabbed the globe, and placed it in the space between them hard, causing a thud on the wood. They both looked down at the globe. Mal laughed and Tyler smiled.
Jynx ran back to them and stared at the couple, giddy with anticipation. It took a while, but eventually it did happen. The couple exchanged a kiss.
“Yes!” Jynx cried jumping into the air. “It is done.” She rushed through the door behind Mal and Tyler. Mal gave him a look and followed her.
“How?” Tyler said closing the door behind him. Mal shrugged shaking her head.
“She does that.” Jynx looked up at them and noticed Tyler’s confusion.
“His name is Robert E Knight. In 8 years he creates a weapon that would kill millions. Now, they will marry after she gets knocked up. They will die in a car crash in 6 years. He will never even start his research.” Mal smiled, patted her on the head, and walked toward the caravan. Tyler stared in disgust.
   

The Causality Theorem

Chaos mages use the principles of causality to create complex systems. These systems are often elaborate and when the mage is ready, the patterns that emerge result in a breathtaking cascade of events. A domino effect as one event begets another. Small seemingly insignificant changes that all lead to a single goal.
Chaos is a playful companion but destruction is only one of the many toys in her dungeon. Some choose to specialize in causality. They believe that chaos is not the opposite of order, rather she is the opposite of stagnation. Chaos doesn't oppose structure, it is simply a structure of a different kind. Chaos is the structure of change.
Chaos is not random. Its quite the opposite. Chaos is a fundamental force that exists in all things. Those who specialize in causality are quite clear to point this out. They are practitioners who care little about theory. They are those who think in systems. Every move they make and word they say is a gear in an ever changing machine. Every moment of note is a potential fulcrum. They are social and existential engineers who can make the most astonishing things happen. They have moved beyond reacting to the world around them.
They are the ones who force the world to react to them.
   

Fractals On Wings

The universe is a set of patterns. These patterns are invisible to most. The systems involved are so complex that its impossible to decipher them, even for the initiated. They can however see these patterns in the world. The more they look the more they see. They gather the variables, graph them out and suddenly, a picture emerges. They begin to see a fraction of the whole. The more data they collect, the more they can control. Oftentimes they make tiny changes to well known systems just to observe the consequences.
Causality is all about being the hand of change. One sees a system and is inherently driven to break, tinker, and restore it. They do this constantly and compulsively. The arcane effects of causality include a massive burst of chaotic energy that shifts the world in subtle ways. Its as if the world around you has moved just a fraction of an inch to the left. The feeling is unsettling, like someone stole everything from your home, and replaced it with an exact replica.
The aesthetics of the most powerful abilities in the genre tend to take the form of fractals as reality weaves and folds in on itself in increasingly complex ways. Victims are trapped in the endless patters as two folds of ground crush them to oblivion. A soldier keeps trying to advance only to stumble over rocks that he swears were not their moments before.
 

Strange Attractors

Chaos theory is another concept that does not exist in Expedition Demeter. The balance between probability and Causality is the secret to the genre. A practitioner who can utilize both concepts can only then be considered a true hand of change. Chaos needs both to do her job.
Take, for example, strange attractors. These objects do not hold any magical value. They grant no powers or special traits ,per se. Most of them lack even the stories Bards use for mementos. These objects are special only to those who share a love of discord. They notice something about an object, a presence that shrouds it but not like an aura. Its a gut feeling that reveals to those who listen a simple fact. These objects are always in flux, shrouded in chaotic energy.
When used, the effects are seemingly random. It is never clear what will happen.

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