As has been established - Prisma is as transformative as it is plentiful; imbuing the world and its denizens alike with raw energy ripe for the taking.
Naturally, it would follow that the societies and cultures of the world harness and study Prisma just like any other natural phenomenon - leading to robust applications in engineering, spellcasting, infrastructure, and day-to-day life.
Just as one would call this same principle applied to ores metallurgy and life biology, when applied to Prisma we get the field of Channeling.
What is Channeling?
If Prisma is moved, manipulated, imbued, or spent – it is being channeled.
There are countless ways to Channel Prisma, and each comes with various nuances and quirks depending on the context. But the most fundamental and rudimentary way of doing so is directly through the body.
Channeling via the body is possible because the bodies and souls of Living Beings are innately imbued with Prisma. One’s own Prisma can be Stained and molded by mere intent, and then directed through limbs as so desired. This is done naturally through living processes - where throwing a particularly powerful punch unconsciously Stains and then directs Prisma toward the hand. This is as natural a process as the muscles burning glucose to produce ATP in this very same punch.
Deeper understanding of oneself and one’s own Prisma makes the process more efficient and potent, where more advanced Channelers are able to shape their Prisma in increasingly complex and sophisticated ways; twisting their Prisma output to just the right color and nature for specific use-cases. This is often in the form of powerful Prismatic Spells - where one invokes their Prisma into the world in forms ranging from a powerful fireball to restorative healing
The other major method of channeling is through external artifice - devices that replicate this very same process through components such as Lenses, Conduits, and other useful devices.
These external means of Channeling Prisma might take the form of spellcasting focuses that assist in the process of staining one’s own Prisma. They are also often represented through Gear powered by one’s own Prisma output such as weapons, armor, and vehicles. The spectrum of Prismatic Engineering is as vast as it is useful, and throughout the broader world ranges from simple household appliances and Prismatic Batteries to sprawling kingdoms with sophisticated Prismatic Infrastructure and War Machines.
Those who choose to immerse themselves in lifelong pursuit of Prismatic Understanding - living exceptional lives of expertise and a deep exploration of self - are referred to as Channelers. The different classes of Channelers, such as a Mage who uses Prisma to cast powerful spells or an Artificer who uses it to enchant armor and weapons, are referred to as Archetypes.
Thus, every channeler can be described by an Archetype that encompasses their general skillset.
The first, most fundamental step to becoming a Channeler is figuring out the nature of one’s own Body and Soul. That is – their own Prismatic makeup, as unique as fingerprints upon one’s own fingers. Understanding your Prisma allows you to understand your strengths and weaknesses as a Channeler.
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What is Prismatic Inflection?
Prisma is Stained in two different ways:
First - by objective, material, worldly phenomena (granting its Expression)
Second - by subjective, immaterial, abstract phenomena (granting its Inflection)This secondary means of staining occurs when sentient, opinionated, biased beings impose those very ideas on nearby Prisma.
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One Expression, Many Interpretations
While Entropy itself is an uncaring, objective, worldly phenomenon, a religious knight in a holy order and a shady thief who prowls the slums both have their own interpretation of the phenomenon. The former might visualize Entropy as a holy smite of divine judgement, decimating unholy creatures of the night. The latter might visualize this concept as the poison that coats her dagger, melting away the flesh of an unsuspecting target.
Both are biased interpretations of the same fundamental idea of Entropy as a destructive force of decay. Yet, these abstract interpretations actually stain the nearby Prisma in a corresponding manner.
Following the example, then, the Prisma stained by the Holy Knight and the broader culture he belongs to would still have underlying expression, but it would also have underlying properties matching the Inflection. It would be more radiant and carry properties of sunlight. The Entropic Prisma would burn creatures such as Vampires and Demons, and the Stratic would have healing properties.
The Thief, on the other hand, might have Prisma with a grey tint - obscuring anything that passes through it. The Entropic Prisma might be slightly venomous to an outsider, and the Stratic might create obscuring fog as a means of cover.
A being’s origin - their hopes, dreams, biases, and cultural ideals - are reflected in their Prisma’s Inflection. A region’s Inflection mirrors this, but among its broader population.
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Let’s take a deeper dive into the hypothetical Holy Knight’s psyche and look at this idea made formal in the Inflection of Dawn -
Dawn
Dawn as a Concept
The Concept of Dawn represents a deep reverence for the sun and its warmth. Those who represent Dawn are bright and spirited - wearing their heart on their sleeves,
This ideal arose during the world’s Era of Shade, where Vampires, Werewolves, and other creatures of the night rose to prominence. Such fiends were warded away by the sunlight of the dawn, and struck down by spirited warriors of light wielding mighty smites. As such, the Dawn itself became a nigh-religious ideal in many cultures - and Entropic, Stratic, and Morphic Prisma were given a Bright Inflection to match.
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