Time
Time is a progression of instants. This movement is ordinarily perceived by mortals as regular and determinant, functioning much like a clockwork; yet perception does not dictate reality: time is chaotic, always in flux, and completely malleable, flowing like the sands of an hourglass. While there is an infinite number of timeways, according to Nozdormu, god of time, there is only "one true timeline", although some would have it otherwise, and without the truth of time as it is meant to unfold, the fabric of reality will unravel.
Time is a construct of order and structure and can sometimes move differently according to location. The feywild is known to have a different timeflow, elves in the feywild seeing sawing decades pass after the portal with Toriel was closed while mere years happened in Toriel. Living mortals which are influenced by the force of Order perceive time the way they do. Without a tether to their mortal plane, they no longer have the same perception.
According to Nozdormu, all that matters is this moment, and living in the moment itself is that far more important than dwelling upon the past or future, serving as Time's First Lesson, and one should try not to get caught up in all the loose ends of Time's tangled web. Time itself is, from a certain perspective, an "illusion", in that the only true reality is the now, with every past moment being a memory, and every future moment a hope or fear that has not yet manifested.
Moving between different points in time is called time travel.
Once an event happens, it cannot be changed. These events and choices, made up of all creatures and forces in the cosmos, join together like a river, sharing the same reality. Different choices and different possibilities naturally spin off the river of time like small creeks and estuaries, ebbing and flowing for a while. If these shades of what could have been are left alone, they will eventually dissipate into nothing. If efforts are made to preserve them (or alter them), they can indeed remain in existence indefinitely. They can even be made to feed back into the main river—dead creatures can seemingly "live again," and the past (or future) may literally come back to haunt you. This is not a natural phenomenon, and the inhabitants of the main timeway will often find these experiences to be quite alarming.
But the only timeway that has a permanent effect on the cosmos is the main timeway. Creatures who have command of temporal magic, can see all the countless tributaries of alternate universes and timelines, and they can even move back and forth along the stream to observe the past and the future.
If that main river is disrupted, it could spell doom and disaster. All life on Toriel depends on time to flow ever forward. Without the surety that the sun will rise and set each day, the seasons would not pass, the cycle of life would become meaningless, and all living creatures would eventually die from being unable to sustain themselves. It is the most sacred mission of the dragon-god of time to keep that from happening.
Apparently, all alternate versions of the same character (from different timeways and alternate realities) are more or less part of the same being. Using an analogy of a rope with different threads which can be pulled off, but which "at some time come together to make that rope" - basically, alternate versions of various characters are able to exist as temporarily separate entities which lead separate existences for a while, but still basically part of the "same rope" which will all eventually come together.
Rarely, the essence of time can become crystallized to form an Epoch Stone: golden mineral matter that radiates the weight of ages. To form, this mineral requires rapid passage through the eras. Its presence indicates that the place or the being in which the stone is found may not exist in one time at all, but shift rapidly from timeway to timeway.
Modifying divination magic with temporal magic can allow one to see across time.
Time is a construct of order and structure and can sometimes move differently according to location. The feywild is known to have a different timeflow, elves in the feywild seeing sawing decades pass after the portal with Toriel was closed while mere years happened in Toriel. Living mortals which are influenced by the force of Order perceive time the way they do. Without a tether to their mortal plane, they no longer have the same perception.
According to Nozdormu, all that matters is this moment, and living in the moment itself is that far more important than dwelling upon the past or future, serving as Time's First Lesson, and one should try not to get caught up in all the loose ends of Time's tangled web. Time itself is, from a certain perspective, an "illusion", in that the only true reality is the now, with every past moment being a memory, and every future moment a hope or fear that has not yet manifested.
Moving between different points in time is called time travel.
Mechanics
In all known realms of the cosmos, time flows forward, ever forward. Chaotic energies in places like the Feywild can affect how quickly it flows, but it only flows forward.Once an event happens, it cannot be changed. These events and choices, made up of all creatures and forces in the cosmos, join together like a river, sharing the same reality. Different choices and different possibilities naturally spin off the river of time like small creeks and estuaries, ebbing and flowing for a while. If these shades of what could have been are left alone, they will eventually dissipate into nothing. If efforts are made to preserve them (or alter them), they can indeed remain in existence indefinitely. They can even be made to feed back into the main river—dead creatures can seemingly "live again," and the past (or future) may literally come back to haunt you. This is not a natural phenomenon, and the inhabitants of the main timeway will often find these experiences to be quite alarming.
But the only timeway that has a permanent effect on the cosmos is the main timeway. Creatures who have command of temporal magic, can see all the countless tributaries of alternate universes and timelines, and they can even move back and forth along the stream to observe the past and the future.
If that main river is disrupted, it could spell doom and disaster. All life on Toriel depends on time to flow ever forward. Without the surety that the sun will rise and set each day, the seasons would not pass, the cycle of life would become meaningless, and all living creatures would eventually die from being unable to sustain themselves. It is the most sacred mission of the dragon-god of time to keep that from happening.
Apparently, all alternate versions of the same character (from different timeways and alternate realities) are more or less part of the same being. Using an analogy of a rope with different threads which can be pulled off, but which "at some time come together to make that rope" - basically, alternate versions of various characters are able to exist as temporarily separate entities which lead separate existences for a while, but still basically part of the "same rope" which will all eventually come together.
Appearance
Temporal magic manifests as a bronze or golden light.Rarely, the essence of time can become crystallized to form an Epoch Stone: golden mineral matter that radiates the weight of ages. To form, this mineral requires rapid passage through the eras. Its presence indicates that the place or the being in which the stone is found may not exist in one time at all, but shift rapidly from timeway to timeway.
Influences
Chronomancy is the art of weaving time. Time magic is a young field of research. This discipline falls under the school of Transmutation, allowing the deceleration of events (through Feather Fall or Slow), the acceleration of events (through Haste), returning you back to your previous location (through Time Step), or the opening of temporal portals and the repairing of damaged timeways, among other possibilities.Modifying divination magic with temporal magic can allow one to see across time.
Immortality
Immortal creatures essentially stop aging when they reach adulthood, and thus, they cannot die merely from old age. It was Malygos blessing on Jaina Proudmoore which conferred her immortality, immunity to aging and disease; Nozdormu has blessed the elves with decellerated aging.
Type
Metaphysical, Arcane
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