NOTES || Chaos Energy & Chaos Magic

CHAOS ENERGY & CHAOS MAGIC

In DEITIES Project, the very beginning of the world had been born from — and shaped by — primordial chaos, and the remnants of that ancient time manifested into a erratic, free-flowing force that continues to exist within Egypt and Duat.

This force, often referred to as chaos energy or simply “Chaos,” serves as building blocks for much of what exists. Chaos is therefore an essential part of the world, and can normally coexist fairly well with the natural Order. But as the name implies, it is also an unpredictable force, and can become destructive and work against said Order when not kept in check. For this reason, chaos energy has the potential to help create and shape aspects of the world, as much as it does to unravel and destroy parts into disorder.

Unlike the energy for True magic that is drawn from within a deity’s soul, Chaos magic originates from the free-flowing chaos energy within the world. In DEITIES, Chaos magic serves as the counterpart to True magic, in that it can be used in a similar manner.

Put another way, magic that uses chaos energy as its source can achieve much of the same results, if a deity knows how to wield it. Because chaos energy is free-flowing and often unlimited in quantity, it’s possible to use it as a source for more extended instances of magic, without depleting a deity’s energy from their ka.

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LIMITATIONS & RISKS

Chaos energy in its raw form is a very unstable, erratic force that can be hard to channel and harder to control. Despite the opportunity to rely on chaos energy for magic, very few deities attempt to do so; most deities cannot wield chaos energy even if they try, and those who can learn to use ample caution. This is largely because casting any magic with chaos has a greater chance of backfiring; injuring or exhausting its user; or corrupting them — if it doesn’t kill them first.

Chaos energy is also the main source of sustenance that demons rely on for their own energy and abilities (aside from preying upon souls; see notes for Duat Residents: Demons). Many demons tend to gravitate towards areas that become saturated with chaos energy, and some of the most powerful demons may be able to radiate chaos energy from their forms.

Furthermore, prolonged exposure to high concentrations of raw, unfiltered chaos has the potential to effect a deity’s power, health, and even their mentality, in often unpredictable ways. This tolerance can vary between individuals; some deities are more sensitive — and therefore react more adversely — to the presence of chaos energy, while others can withstand chaos up to a certain level. Chaos energy has also been known to cause weakness and illness among mortals who have been exposed to it.

STIGMAS AGAINST CHAOS

The high risks associated with using chaos energy, and its close association with demon activity, are among many of the \ reasons why chaos energy and Chaos magic have a stigma of being destructive and dangerous — and why many deities hesitate to even call it a type of “magic.” Chaos is a subject that leans towards becoming a taboo topic among the pantheon, as it goes against their general doctrine that favors the maintenance of order above all else.

But some deities, particularly the creators gods such as Lord Ra, can skillfully channel chaos energy as a source of magic, given their nature as creators. Since only a few gods can use it, and most of those gods are responsible with it, the practice of wielding Chaos magic is not outright banned, but rather discouraged if someone has no business using it.

SET’S CONTROL OF CHAOS MAGIC

Lord Set is considered an anomaly among the pantheon in many ways — something that will be explored in more detail within the project — and one reason for this is his affinity with chaos energy and his overall use of Chaos magic.

Not only is Set one of the few deities who can channel chaos energy, but it is actually the energy source he’s most comfortable using for his magic, more so than with True magic. While he can use the latter, it doesn’t come quite as easily to him, compared to using chaos.

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Set is also able to channel and use Chaos magic much more easily than other deities, and without notable adverse effects towards his person. He has a wide range of magic affinities that include elemental (lightning and darkness); ability enhancement (strength, stamina, and durability); weather phenomena (storms); and various transformations — all of which he finds easier to manipulate by using chaos energy as his source.

A GLIMPSE AT THE PAST…

Early in the history of the pantheon, and as part of the backstory of DEITIES Project, Set had been responsible with his control over chaos — at least, loosely speaking. Set still chose to frequently play with Chaos magic to his liking, but he went through the necessary training to wield it, and had always kept a certain level of control. Over his extended lifespan, Set had become an undeniable master of Chaos magic, surpassing the skills of others who could use it, and taking pride in his abilities that chaos afforded him.

Yet even after mastering the skill and earning his title as the God of Chaos, Set had his moments when he’d lose his focus and/or go too far with using Chaos magic. These moments came to a peak when Set had started to overuse and abuse his power with chaos during his brief reign as the deity king, and particularly during The Contendings. This, among other events that had taken place during his struggles against Horus, served to create a further stigma for the use of Chaos magic.

Eventually, the situation came to a point where intervention was necessary, and Set had to be restricted from using Chaos magic entirely — one of several sentences he received that limited his abilities and powers, following the results of The Contendings. The full details of Set’s sentence are expanded in the notes for The Sentencing of Set and The Chaos Seal.

INDEX || WORLD-BUILDING NOTES