Cherreads

Chapter 0 — Fragment from the Codex of Alkaran

"Magic is not cast. It is revealed.

Every Essence slumbers — until it echoes with the world."

I. Hidden Essence

Every being is born with an invisible signature: its Essence.

Yet only a few hold the spark capable of birthing a Core.

This revelation occurs solely through the rite known as the Runic Echo.

II. Primordial Core

When Essence resonates with a Primordial Force, the Core is born:

a living crystal that pulses within the body.

Its color, shape, and frequency are unique.

The seven known Forces:

Ash

Blood

Shadow

Storm

Sand

Root

Void

III. Manifestations

A mage does not cast. He manifests.

His body becomes a conduit for the resonant Essence.

Three forms emerge:

Runic – Inscribes marks, seals, glyphs.

Channelled – Channels Essence through the body.

Latent – Shapes environment, senses, emotions.

IV. Evolution and Risk

The Core does not level up. It shatters. It fuses. It transforms.

Raw — pure, stable.

Fragmented — unstable but potent.

Fused — born from absorbed essences.

Beware: improper fusions cause an Essence Collapse.

Incomplete beings wander the wilds, products of irreversible error.

V. Core Classifications

Silent — Essence lies dormant.

Echoing — responds, but cannot resonate.

Resonant — stable and battle-ready.

Broken — volatile, unpredictable.

Transcendent — a state that defies the laws of the world.

VI. Mystic Aesthetics

During manifestation:

Glyphs rise on the skin.

Eyes invert.

Energy crystallizes on the flesh.

Magic-infused locales throb with resonance:

strange echoes, flickering lights, visions, vertigo.

"Do not cast. Do not crave.

Tune in — or be consumed."

Fragment preserved in the Sacred Halls of Valedorn.

Author unknown. Classification: Forbidden to Silent Cores.

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