Pulse

Written by Cyborg Starfish

"Liquid fire that sleeps at the heart of our world. Pulse. The only constant on The Eternal River. It's the beating heart of the world. And it will end the world."

- Scholar of El-Dunarikki

Pulse is the name of the substance that rests at the core of the world. Its Echo is the deepest and most intense in the world. In its pure, liquid state, the Pulse's Echo warps the Echoes of everything surrounding it. It is the reason why the deeper you go underground, the more reality itself starts to break down.
When pushed to the surface through volcanic activity, the Pulse weakens. When on the surface, it can still cause metaphysical anomalies. But as it cools down and goes solid, it will lose most of its influence.

by Pawel Czerwinski from Unsplash (edited)

The Beating Heart of the World

Pulse is named after its own Echo. A deep thrumming that cannot be heard but can certainly be felt. Originating at the center of the planet it is widely considered to be the beating heart of the world. If the Eternal River is the blood of the world, then the constant thrumming of the Pulse is what keeps it flowing.

Singing Stone

Everything in this world makes sound, although most of these sounds cannot be heard by untrained Elphin ears. Not so for the Pulse rocks. Even in their solid state, their humming is very noticeable when you stand close to it. A Pulse rock's song consists of multiple layers. The lowest layer cannot be heard, but it can be felt, causing physical unease in anyone exposed to it for too long. The highest layer can be heard, a soft, low-pitched hum that flows through the rocks like liquid.

A Devastating Song

For the protection of the land an all that dwells within, no mage that does not speak the language of the Pulse shall be allowed to use any magic near any geysir, Pulse rock formation, hot spring or ash dune. Those found in breach of this law shall be punished by death.

- Kalillikka universal law

Although Pulse is what arguably keeps the world alive, it is also a deadly force. When Pulse is pushed to the surface, it can leave untold devastation in its wake. Although its thrumming is less intense on the surface, it is still enough to tear apart anyone that comes too close. Only when the Pulse has cooled down and turned to stone, it can be approached without inviting immediate danger.

That is, unless you are a mage.

Echo magic is known to become volatile when cast near Pulse stone. Cooled down Pulse still has a subtle warping effect on its surroundings, an effect that can become a lot less subtle when interfering with Echo magic. Spells and rituals will go wrong, or cause unwanted, devastating side effects, or both. Only mages who know how to communicate with the Pulse are able to cast spells near a Pulse rock without running the risk of breaking reality.

Signs of a Strange Sentience

Due to the Pulse's influence, the lowest regions of the Tunnels, also known as the Material Chain seem to run on dream logic. However, there also appears to be some rhythm to the madness. In its pure liquid form, the Pulse is capable of some kind of decisionmaking. Or perhaps 'decisionmaking' is not the right word for it. Even the word 'sentience' may not be the best to describe the unknowable agency of the Pulse. If a mage manages to establish communication with the Pulse, they often report that the Pulse is a much more active communication partner than any other inanimate object or material. But once again 'communication partner' is not really the right description either.

by ZERIG from Pixabay (edited)

Learning the Song: the Pulse Pilgrimage

Learning to communicate with the Pulse means becoming familiar with the workings of its Echo. It isn't much different from becoming familiar with the Echo of anything existing in the world, except for the fact that Pulse Echo is much more intense and volatile than the Echoes of most other things in the world. And learning it from Pulse stone is not enough. Mages who wish to learn the language of the Pulse travel to places where the Pulse is still liquid, be it inside volcanoes, or near fissures in the Tunnels. They cannot reach the Pulse at the core of the planet, so they will never be exposed to the Pulse at the height of its power.

This pilgrimage is extremely dangerous. Only the most skilled mages can ever hope to come out of it alive, and a lot of them still perish.

When the mage finds a place where they can be alone with the Pulse, they enter a meditative state, and spend the following days just listening. Taking in the song, until it becomes just as familiar as the flow of their own blood. Then, they attempt to join the song, which is by far the most deadly part of the pilgrimage. If even the smallest thing goes wrong here, both their Echo and body will be torn to shreds.

The mage will continue to sing with the Pulse until full communication is established. This can take another few days. After that, the mage spends yet another few days communicating with the Pulse. And when it's finally time to leave, the mage slowly, very slowly, detaches themselves from the Pulse, which takes up another few days.

During this entire process, the mage never eats or sleeps. They have to remain in a constant meditative state, or they might lose their life. By the end of the process, the mage will have familiarized themselves with the language of the Pulse, and they can now use that language to communicate with Pulse rock, or even liquid Pulse if it's pushed to the surface. This power is instrumental when it comes to harvesting and processing Pulse rock. They will also be able to work together to somewhat guide the Pulse flow during volcanic eruptions. This can safe many lives, but at the cost of the mages's life. Depending on how fast the Pulse moves and in what state of matter it's in, the process of guiding it will put such a strain on the mages' bodies and Echoes that they will be torn apart in the process.

by Arcturian from Pixabay (edited)