Of Voidheart and Sparkmind
"To speak of the Voidheart is to speak of the true nature of death, and to speak of the Sparkmind is to speak of the very nature of life. They're impossible to truly describe nor explain, for to fully understand them would destroy the mind"
-Archmage Carstin Tokerun, on the nature of the Voidheart and Sparkmind
Legends speak of 2 primal forces, the very essence of Myros and Xetos, The Sparkmind and Voidheart. The Voidheart is the embodiment of entropy, of pure unfiltered destruction in its purest form, the slow returning of everything to the inevitable... the empty. The Sparkmind is unfiltered, unstoppable life. Constant creativity and creation crackling with energy, both lawful and lawless, logical yet chaotic. These two forces are in a constant dance, vying to become the stronger force. They don't fall under the generally agreed concept of 'alignment', and their actions can both be defined as good and evil. It is via their struggle in perfect equilibrium that life can flourish as much as it has.
"To be empty is to be full of possibility"
-A common Mantra of the Void
The Voidheart, as stated previously, is pure emptiness. Usually considered the 'evil' of the two forces, civilisations that have known of the Voidheart have either feared and/or despised it, or attempted to understand and/or worship it. Those who feared or despised it were usually fearful of its nature as the void of life. They saw it as the void, the emptiness, death and though they might not have feared death, many who despised the Voidheart were followers of the Sparkmind. Those who worshipped it or tried to understand it usually saw that emptiness as a necessity to make sure life would not destroy itself via its growth, or saw that void instead as infinite potential. Throughout Phidas' lifetime, the Voidheart has generally been associated with the Night, Dreams, Darkness, Death, Rebirth, Possibility and Magic, and often represented with the following symbol:
"It is action that makes a dream real"
-A common Mantra of the Spark
The Sparkmind, as stated previously, is life at its grandest unstoppable state. Usually considered the 'good' of the two forces, civilisations that have known of the Sparkmind have either loved and/or worshipped it, or despised it. Those who followed the Sparkmind saw it as life's dawn, the essence of existence and the ability to live. They saw its nature as the that which gave them life and loved it for that. For those who despised it, they saw the Sparkmind as uncontrolled, unstoppable, charging ahead and leading to its own self-destruction without the tempering of the Voidheart. They didn't necessarily hate life, but many who despised the Sparkmind were followers of the Voidheart. Throughout Phidas' lifetime, the Sparkmind has generally been associated with the Day, Reality, Light, Life, the Truth and Technology, and often represented with the following symbol:
"At first, I felt cold. Freezing, Bone-chilling cold. I thought I was going to die, but slowly the cold faded. Then, it became nothing. No fear, no joy, nothing."
-Ezekiel Ripley, Former host and channeller of the Voidheart
The Voidheart has interacted with the various planes more often than the Sparkmind, usually through those who show active interest in it. With its ever-present nature and the various legends surrounding it, many have attempted to communicate, make deals with or even channel small fractions of the Voidheart. These people often lose much of themselves to the nature of the Voidheart, becoming empty husks without emotion or feeling. Some with strong enough will, however, retain their personality and receive boons of power. Many consider this to be a test by the Voidheart, to see who is worthy of its power, but others also claim it to simply be the price to receive power, a price not everyone can pay. Either way, communication with the Voidheart will often lead to a loss of life. Whether it be reduced lifespan, a destiny that involves an earlier death or simply being killed instantly by the attempt at communication, the Voidheart seems to always enact its true nature upon those who dare to assume it. However, perhaps by some act of mercy, those who communicated with the Voidheart can have their lives saved to a degree. Requiring a long and often painful process, people can have their minds and even their lifespans saved, but at a price greater than what was initially given. Many who survive the Voidheart come out changed, regretting their decisions to but not always changing their opinion on the Voidheart. "'Twas foolish to assume I could handle its power" is a phrase often said, "but now I truly understand its power" is perhaps a phrase almost as common.
"It felt like there were a thousand voices in my mind at once. A million ideas, a trillion thoughts. I had never felt so utterly alive, yet so small in comparison to the grandness of the universe"
-Glaeader, Former host and channeller of the Sparkmind
Though quite rare, the Sparkmind has been known to occasionally interact with creatures of the planes. Thanks to its notoriety and fame, civilisations upon civilisations have prayed, begged for help, posed questions and simply just tried to talk to the Sparkmind. For those who have, they were often viewed as legendary prophets in no small part thanks to what the Sparkmind grants. Should one successfully initiate conversation with it, the flood of pure life that comes can quickly dominate the mind and permanently alter the body. Creatures are known to have improved in physical prowess, suddenly gain increased mental capacity or be able to channel more raw power. Inside their minds however, the stream of consciouses of all forms of life nearby quickly flood. For the strong-willed, they are able to quickly organise and handle the populous, gaining a complete understanding of everyone around them and making them masterful samaritans. For others, however, their minds become broken as the sheer volume of the voice of the masses dominates them. For those who cannot handle the Sparkmind, the power it grants seems to leave them. Though they are free from the Sparkmind, they usually cannot ever return to a normal life. For those who can handle its power, the Sparkmind may stay with them for a lifetime, or until they feel that their job is done. "It's a pulse-pounding, heart-racing experience at all times. I'm not sure if I miss it or regret it" is the words of one particular host. "I could do so much, help so many, but the expectations almost killed me."
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