ISMA Reconstruction

Moose

Squiddily diddily
Benefactor
This is where I will be putting the details of my reconstruction of ISMA, I will of course be backing up everything on my computer this time.
 
ISMA Cosmology:

The planes immediately nearby are placed in four dimensional space. Each different plane holds three dimensions of space and there is two planes per dimension, just like two directions for each dimension, left, right, up down, forward and back. Finally the fourth dimension, as all thaumaturgists who learn to interact with this dimension properly, are either noncommunicative or simply communicate on a level that we do not understand, our understanding of this dimension is limited. We can get to the two planes that are connected to ours in this way, however we can travel no other place than back to the ISMA Transitory plane once we are there. As this is not the case with the other six planes we connect to, we can only conclude that we simply cannot comprehend the nature of further direction.

Just like north needn't necessarily point up on a map, on the 3d visualization of the 4d plane, up need not necessarily be the Aetherial Plane and the Abyssal Plane needn't be down. However that is how the Ophanim projection chooses to visualize it. However, relative to the Aetherial Plane being up and the Abyssal Plane being down, the elemental planes are front, back, left and right. This is considered to be the closest assemblage to reality as it gives the easiest starting point for Thaumaturgists and Conjuration mages.

Afterlife and the Blank. On the 3d imaging of the planes, the afterlife and the blank are layered on the outerside of the ISMA Transitory plane. Two rings interlocking, each with three bands, one band being the ISMA Transitory plane, sandwiched between the Afterlife and the Blank. For simplicity sake, the Blank shall be considered on the Leeward side of the ISMA Transitory Plane and the Afterlife shall be considered on the Windward side.

There appears to be neither afterlife nor blank attached to any of the elemental planes, nor the Aetherial or Abyssal Planes. However the pattern of ISMA Transitory and elemental planes seems to repeat infinitely in all “directions” As there are infinite worlds connected to each elemental plane, each having their own sets of physics based on their laws of reality, it is recommended that conjuration mages not explore past the elemental planes, as one may become lost and be unable to find their way back. Thaumaturgists are recommended to approach this problem with caution.
 
ISMA Transitory Plane

While all planes are considered to be the domain of ISMA as long as there is one active member within it, the ISMA Transitory Plane is given special legal privileges as it is the home of the founding of ISMA. Here there are no tariffs for goods that are transported. Other than that, notable for the ISMA Transitory Plane is that there is power feeding into it from all the planes that surround it. Souls feed from the blank into the bodies of creatures, which are then fed into the Afterlife; elemental power comes from each of the elemental planes for elemental mages to harness; the Abyss and the Aether each feed their own brands of magic through, both demonic and angelic. The beings that live in each of these planes encourage their power being fed through to our world as it allows their dominion to extend into ours as much as our dominion extends into theirs.

We currently live upon one planet and our moon. Our Lunar transitory period is approximately 27 and a third days which allows us to divide the calendar nicely into thirteen months. The other planes have no such way to nicely divide up their calendars, so ISMA has kindly lent them theirs. We have a single sun and seven planets other than the one we live upon.
 
Abyssal Plane

The Abyssal Plane is the home of the Demons, they became masters of thaumaturgy and created rituals for humans to summon them. Seeing their plane leaves little wonder as to why. It is a place of dark and cold, various plumes of smoke waft through the air with no apparent source. Great stores of magical power can be found in here, but not much else. The plane seems to forbid most things within it, and the maintenance cost to keep any landforms present within it are astronomical. Many bring their own ground to prevent them from just falling forever through the void. Thaumaturgists prefer to take the tutelage of demons in the demons’ home plane to prevent them from becoming loose into our world. One inexorable fact about this plane which have baffled our Thaumaturgists and Conjuration mages is that demons cannot leave this plane on their own, they must accept help from outside. Portals may be left open, but demons will never cross.
 
Aetherial Plane
There are many names for this plane, some would call it heaven, however ISMA’s official designation for the plane is the Aetherial Plane. This plane is constantly bathed in a light that is approximately halfway between a sunny day and a moonlit night. There is a layer of orange cloud that various islands float on or above, usually connected to each other by a large woody, vining plant. The world is dominated by the angels, various species of human like creatures with wings and legs like a bird’s. They are highly intelligent and powerful, so while here, one should take care not to offend them.

Another hazard for the plane is the orange cloud beneath the islands, we have analyzed it and the gas is inert, though heavier than air. There is adequate air to breathe once inside, but there are fearsome creatures within that none survive encounters with. The only accounts are eyewitnesses who have seen a piece of these creatures as they drag someone down. Nothing is conclusive, but it is advisable that no one attempt to interact with these creatures or the orange cloud.

On the largest continent is the Elohim Empire, a kingdom of angels that have become allies with ISMA. As such we have set up a permanent portal there that allows us to transit between the aetherial plane and home at will. Check your local travel offices for details on pricing for a vacation to the Aetherial Plane.
 
Afterlife

As the name implies, this is the afterlife, conjuration mages found it long ago and we have found that one can communicate with the dead after they have left the ISMA Transitory Plane. However one unfortunate case is that all who die on other planes of existence cannot make it to this plane, so it is advisable to keep your travels to other planes safe, lest your soul be left wandering forever in a place it doesn’t belong.

The entire world is bathed in a soft fog with a dim glow. Spirits that wander through here have a glow that is greater than the background glow, however they eerily enough seem to be made of the same material except denser. No spirits have been witnessed dissolving into this and we have checked on certain spirits every so often to know that dissolving into this is not a natural process, so we are not certain as to the origin of the fog.

There is no air nor ground here except for that which people bring. However ISMA has commissioned a large island and has it encased in an air bubble which the spirits can pass through and enter to visit their loved ones. A permanent portal has been opened here to ensure that one can visit their loved ones who have passed for a small fee. Check with your local travel offices for details on pricing. Necromancers are advised that attempting to capture spirits that are within the bubble, or are travelling to or from the bubble, is strictly forbidden and punishable by eternal imprisonment.
 
The Blank
WARNING: THE BLANK IS CONSIDERED TO BE HIGHLY DANGEROUS AND TRAVEL HERE IS INADVISABLE.

The Blank is the apparent source of all souls that exist on the ISMA Transitory Plane, there is nothing here except eternal blinding white brightness. It appears to be the same material that spirits are made of in the afterlife, but concentrated. It is highly caustic to nearly everything, and anyone traveling here unprepared will be quickly dissolved into the material. It is recommended that only the most skilled of Thaumaturgists visit here.
 
Elemental Planes
The elemental planes are home to the Djinn, beings of elemental energy. Elemental magics flow from these planes to the ISMA Transitory Plane, however this is a one way street. Any conjuration mages coming into these planes who have also gained some skill in elemental magics will find that they cannot use their elemental magic if they are in the wrong plane.

Each of the planes are simply like ours, containing a planet which the inhabitants live on, they are not without the other elements, they simply primarily have the elemental energy of the plane they are named for.

The Earth Plane planet has very little water and is mostly a barren rock with fine minerals all around. It is advisable for one to bring their own food to this plane as agriculture is difficult.

The Fire Plane planet is inhospitable for the most part. Dark canyons are the only place where ordinary humans may traverse safely. Bringing ones own water is advisable here as most water contained within the plane is steam.

The Air Plane is one of complete freedom, there are occassional rocks floating throughout it, however it is mostly filled with gravity-less air that one can simply swim through. There are clouds and floating ponds and lakes with small fish in them. The Plane is mostly hazardless except for the weather conditions which may result in a quick meeting with one of the floating stones.

Finally the Water Plane. The planet that the inhabitants live on is covered entirely in an ocean, filled with megafauna and an entire food chain of exotic fish. There are merfolk who live here, though they seem to have a simple intelligence. They are smart enough to use tools and not display aggression against human visitors, however they are uncommunicative and do not use magic.
 
There are many types of magic within the society of ISMA, but they are divided into seven main categories which shall be listed below.

Conjurors: As the naming conventions may seem to indicate, many of the roles are straightforward, so too is it for the Conjurors. Conjurors can create portals to and from planes and can use them to summon creatures to their aid. This type of magic includes magic for controlling the creatures that one summons, as well as magic for resisting said control.

Enhancers: These magic users are able to enhance their bodies and the bodies of others through magic. It is one of the most universal magics as it can be used in any plane on any person that the enhancer is educated enough on.

Thaumaturgists: These are the rarest of magic users and they are considered to be the most powerful. For them, wearing the orange robes holds more prestige than even the white or black of the immortals. They are those who are able to understand and manipulate the very laws of physics that dictate our world. The upper echelons of this class are those who can become gods.

Elementals: The most basic of the magics and the one with the most people who know them. These are the mages who can manipulate the four elements.

Healers: These magic users are able to heal their bodies and heal the bodies of others through magic. They are the most common of the immortals as one with enough skill and power to repeatedly heal their body could conceivably live forever.

Psiionics: Psiionics are unique among mages, they are to mages what mages once were to normal folk. They have access to a whole set of power that they are genetically predisposed to, which no others can learn. Psiionics are able to generate power with their mind to allow them to do a variety of things, this power seems to be independent of the Plane that the Psiionic is in.

Enchanters: Enchanters are those who use their magical abilities to enhance inanimate objects. One could make constructs, strengthen steel and even make cloth that can’t be penetrated by mundane weapons.
 
Tier System
The Tier system is used within ISMA as a measure of the skill of those who practice the magical arts. ISMA enforces regulations among all countries that ensure that each tier is paid the amount that should be afforded to their level as skill. As such, while Tier Ones are technically the bottom of the totem pole, ISMA ensures that even they are able to make a liveable wage. ISMA also pays the wages of teachers of magic themselves, ensuring that the teachers are always available to allow students to gain a higher tier if they so please. The Tier system goes from Tier One to Tier Seven, with a special Tier Eight for Thaumaturgists who achieve godhood.

Conjurors have two paths which are available to them. Most choose to do both, some choose to dabble, some simply make portals and some merely subjugate. The two paths of conjuration are the paths of portal creation and the subjugation of summoned creatures. The magic for offense and defense within creature subjugation are the same, so caution is recommended that those who use this power do not over-extend themselves or open themselves up to attacks.
As a conjuror creating portals is vital, however while it is easier to summon a creature because their own power is used to fuel the portal as well as your own, it is necessary for a Tier One Conjuror to be able to create a portal independent of another creature, to another plane. Tier One denotes one's ability to open a portal to a Plane immediately adjacent to the one that you are on. The Tier system for portal creation is straightforward, adjacent planes are "One Step" away, and the more "Steps" away you can make a portal, the higher your Tier. Tier Six is the highest one can attain through this.
Conjurors wanting to summon creatures to do their bidding will need to put in some work to make sure that the creatures they summon do in fact follow directions. This is done through taking ownership of their soul. You can use their soul like a puppet to make their body respond to its commands. Simple is better, creatures are made of flesh and chemicals, give simple commands and the creature will fulfill them to the best of their ability. Learning how to hold the thread of someone's soul is the best way to prevent the control of your own, so most who dabble learn this method to prevent a conjuror from controlling them. Tier One of this power requires the ability to control two creatures of human like intelligence. The Tier system then proceeds in a straightforward exponential fashion from there. Four souls is Tier Two, Eight souls is Tier Three, etc. One can achieve up to Tier Six through this way.
By combining two disparate skills within the conjuration Tier system at the same Tier level, one may go to the next Tier. In this way a Tier One Portal Creator and Soul Subjugator may become a Tier Two Conjuror. Tier Two for each is needed for a Conjuror to be considered Tier Three, Tier Three of each makes Tier Four and so on. In this way a Conjuror may become Tier Seven without attaining Immortality.
Necromancers are included in this classification of Conjuror and as such are not differentiated either in robe designation nor the tier system. As they generally only need to make a portal to the afterlife, they do not generally attempt to proceed through portals but only through soul subjugation, which already uses humans as a reference point.
Therefore all are under the Pink robe which is used for official representation of ISMA
As Healers and Enhancers have precisely the same Tier rankings and the skill set is extremely similar, for the sake of brevity they are combined into one for the Tier System. This is also shown to encourage Healers and Enhancers to expand their skillsets into the other, thereby diversifying their skillset and making the workforce more robust.
The Tier system is ordered as such. If one gains complete biological knowledge of one species they are a Tier One Healer or Enhancer depending on how they use their skillset. The number of required species knowledges doubles for each Tier, and one may become a Tier Seven in this way.
The color for Enhancers is red, and green is for Healers.
Thaumaturgists are able to manipulate the forces that hold existence together. They require the most amount of education to be able to utilize their craft and they are the most powerful of the mages. There are Four Forces of Mundane Nature that control the universe without the interaction of magic. They are Gravity, Electromagnetic, Weak and Strong Force. Time while Mundane as the other four forces of nature, seems to exist beyond the reach of magic, though it can be warped by Gravity, it still marches inexorably on. The Four Mundane Forces of Nature are required to alter Magical forces of nature. As such the four Mundane Forces of Nature make up the first four tiers of Thaumaturgy.

The next force of nature up from there is Planar. This is the interactions of the Planes in the Universe and give people the power to travel from plane to plane. Especially talented individuals with Planar Magic can create their own demiplanes, not infinite as the true planes, but they require travel to and from in the same way as interplanar travel.

The final force of magical nature is that of the very flow of magic in the universe. One who is capable of using this ability is Tier six, however masters of it skip from tier six to tier eight. As they gain the realm of godhood.
Those of this designation wear orange robes
Elementals, while they have the simplest to control of magics, have the most complex Tier system. Controlling the elements may be simple as if it is sport, but each of the elements behaves independently in their own way. Therefore an Elemental Mage controlling more than one must be skilled in the combination thereof.
Therefore the first Tier is for Elementals who have obtained control of one element, Tier Two is for those who can control two. Tier Three is for those who can control two elements in perfect unity, or those who can control three elements. Tier four is for those who can control four elements. Tier five is for those who can control three elements in perfect unity and Tier Six is for those who can control all four elements in perfect unity.
Their official color designation is Yellow.
Psiionics are to mages as mages once were to normal people, as such their normal power isn't as well explored as magic and is thus categorized as a school of magic in it of itself. The Tier system is similarly limited in this way so the skill reflected may require higher tiers for individuals who have the ability. As such the tier system is likely to be adjusted in the future.
However as it stands Psiionics exist and deserve a Tier designation. Therefore future adjustments may increase the current ranks of Psiionics, but future tier changes will not reduce the rank of Psiionics.
Tier One: Psiionics are able to speak to and read the minds of others by the end of puberty, as such Tier One is related to the ability to push and lift. A Psiionic, to gain Tier One designation, must be able to push a 20 kg weight up to three meters from them with their mind, and lift the same weight one meter off the ground.
Tier Two: To gain the designation of Tier Two, Psiionics must be able to produce a beam of energy at least one cm in diameter that extends two meters from their body.
Tier Three: For Psiionics to obtain Tier three, they must be able to weave the energy they produce into solid objects that continue to exist after they stop feeding energy into them.
Enchanters are those who can enhance mundane objects with magical power. Tier One is for individuals who can enhance traits that are already there in the object, ex: making steel harder. Tier Two is for those who can imbue power in objects that is not already present, ex: Making cloth that mundane blades cannot pierce. Tier Three is for those who can have magical power stored in objects, allowing people to draw on their energy for later use. Tier Four is a designation reserved for those who can store the effects of other schools of magic in items.
 
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Races
There are many races that are held within ISMA's society and the union does not discriminate, though humans are the most numerous. Additionally, while ISMA does not discriminate, there are those within its ranks who do. Keep in mind that ISMA does not allow discrimination to interfere with placement, magic is magic, worth is worth and all races are equal within the eyes of ISMA. With the preamble out of the way, the races are as follows.

Humans-they are the most common amongst the ranks of ISMA and are perhaps the simplest race to sum up, if you are reading this you are likely a human. If you are not, you have met a human, they are a robust people whose primary trait is endurance. They tend to live 100 years at most with a few special making it up to 120 without magical assistance. However they are the quickest to wither and die of the races. They are most commonly Elemental mages, and healers.

Dwarves- Dwarves are the second most common race within ISMA, they live only a little longer than humans and they are very gifted craftsmen. They are quite short and stocky, about half the height of humans. Sturdy folk, they tend towards being enchanters, preferring to work with their hands on material than on flesh.

Elves- Elves are the third most common race among the ranks of ISMA, they live ten times the length of the average human, but their oldest don't live much longer. Humans are notable for their disparate lifespans. Elves are easy to mistake for humans, they are simply more effeminate, a bit shorter and have pointed ears. Other than that they are very similar to humans. Their distribution of mages is generally the same as humans, but they have more thaumaturgists than other races as their longer lifespans allow for a greater breadth of study.

Vampires- Vampires necessarily have a cap for how many there can be among their ranks. They cannot feed upon elves or dwarves as both of them have blood that is incompatible with the thaumaturgical ritual that gives them their power. They are disliked by other immortals and the average man alike, thought of as distasteful by society. However there are some misconceptions to be broken of them, they do not kill when they feed, they simply take years from their prey; how many years is dependent upon the vampire's choice. Second, they do not turn their prey into blood sucking thralls, one who is bitten may feel a craving for blood for a short time after but it will recede shortly, but giving into it will cause the craving to increase and continue; and you will become a vampire, so do not feed unless you wish to join their ranks. Third they are not reliant on blood and they need not even feed often, being able to go for years without feeding nor aging. Fourth, they do eat food like humans. And finally they will not turn into ash upon going into the sun, their true age is however revealed.

Djinn- Djinn are the children of humans and elementals. These spawn of the two are ageless and very difficult to kill, in fact none have been killed as of yet. There are four types as there are four elements and among them they each have their own unique traits. Earth Djinn are large and bulky individuals, their bones are dense and their skin is hard, their skin colors range from hues of grey, black and brown. Fire Djinn are lithe and muscular, they burn hot and their skin reflects this being the colors of fire. Red, orange, yellow, white and blue. Air Djinn are thin and pale, they are extremely light and tend to be literally blown away by the wind. Finally Water Djinn simply take on the appearance of their non-elemental parent, as an almost perfect clone. With their agelessness and compatibility with humans, Water Djinn tend to take on vampires as pets, giving over some of their infinite years to keep their "pets" out of trouble.

Demons- While there are technically no true demons that are a part of ISMA, there are plenty of those who were once demons and now in humanoid form. Demons are masters of thaumaturgy due to their eternity in the abyss, and they have used their talent to make it childs play to summon them. As they cannot leave the abyss on their own, and without help they cannot stay out, they look for loopholes. Therefore the most common thing a demon will ask for in a deal is the next born child of the summoner. Originally humans were unenlightened as to the meaning, but these days it is common knowledge that the demons collect before the birth. They stay with the humans and are raised as one of their own, but this is a double edged sword as the demon often forgets their past life. The cold and dark of the abyss is enough to keep demons coming regardless, and with the knowledge of the demon taking their next born, some less savory and more ambitious folk have begun to willfully sell their future children for an improved lineage.

Angels- While it may be tempting to call angels the opposite of demons, this is not at all the truth. Angels are simply humanoids that are smaller than humans, not by much, 1.2-1.5 meters instead of 1.5-2 meters. They have large wings so that they may fly over the orange ocean of their world, and clawed feet to hold onto the branches of the tall trees in their world. The Elohim Empire is the largest faction of the angels and they have gratiously aligned themselves with ISMA.

In addition to these, there are various other member races who are too few, and too numerous in variety to list individually. These creatures are most often summoned by conjurors and either choose to stay, or the conjuror is unable to send them home. As regretable as these incidents are, ISMA wishes to help them make a happy life here, so we wish for all to accept them.
 
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