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Phantom

2025-12-10T23:41:05Z

Antefyn: /* Living hosts */ Whoops—wrong bracket

'''Phantoms''' are immaterial [[ghost (Interlife Earth)|ghost]]s with no form of their own,
who exist only within other objects or creatures. To ask what a phantom looks like on its own is a meaningless question; they are more forces than objects, and cannot exist outside a [[host]]. A phantom's host, however, can be nearly anything, which gives phantoms (as a group, if not necessarily individually) enormous versatility.

==Possession==
When a phantom first [[divestment|divests]], it is already in possession of an object, generally something on his person when he died, or at least something very close by. Some phantoms simply remain in their original hosts, but most phantoms seek out a more useful and suitable form; they seem to instinctively know, on divestment, that they have the power to possess other objects.

To possess an object, a phantom must generally be touching it—that is, touching the new object with the object the phantom currently possesses. Some phantoms, however, develop the ability to possess objects at a distance, apparently instantaneously [[translocation|translocating]] somehow from one host to another. Even then, however, there are limitations to the distance; the phantoms that have developed the most ability in this regard still only seem to be able to possess objects no more than five [[meter]]s away at best, and for most the possible distance is much shorter. In any case, once contact is established or the prospective new host is in range, possession is an act of will that happens more or less instantly; the phantom simply leaves possession of its old host and takes possession of the new one. The process is somewhat fatiguing, however, so a phantom generally won't do it too often; most phantoms stay with a host for an average of at least a day or so, though there is wide variation in individual practices.

==Types of host==
A phantom can possess virtually any object, though there are some limits as to the [[mass]]. However, they do tend to prefer hosts of generally humanoid form. [[Statues as phantom hosts|Statues]], [[mannequins as phantom hosts|mannequins]], [[dolls as phantom hosts|dolls]], [[suits of armor as phantom hosts|suits of armor]]; even [[snowmen as phantom hosts|snowmen]] and [[scarecrows as phantom hosts|scarecrows]], make fairly popular hosts. Some phantoms prefer animal form, possessing [[stuffed animals as phantom hosts|stuffed animals]] (either real animals stuffed through taxidermy, or stuffed animal toys) or animal-shaped statues and other objects. Not all phantoms choose such hosts, however; some simply possess handy objects with no appearance of life. Among the most common hosts not of human or animal form are [[clothing as phantom hosts|clothing]], [[sheets as phantom hosts|sheets]], and various kinds of [[appliances as phantom hosts|electrical appliance]].

The limits of a phantom's possession seem to vary slightly by individual. Some phantoms have been known to possess objects massing as much as a dozen [[kilogram|metric ton]]s, or as little as a fraction of a gram, but for most phantoms the limit seems to be about six hundred kilograms on the large end, or fifty grams on the small end. It is possible for a phantom to possess only [[partial possession|''part'' of a larger object]] (a head or arm of a huge statue, or a particular section of a complex machine), but that does not convey the phantom any power to detach the possessed part from the whole, or to move the entire object about, so such a phantom would be severely limited in mobility. Some phantoms develop the power to possess [[collective hosts|collections of similar small objects]] (grains of sand, marbles, haystacks) or even bodies of [[liquid hosts|liquid]] or [[gaseous hosts|gas]], though this entails some danger; if the objects become separated, or the liquid or gas mixed into a larger body, the ghost may have a very difficult time collecting itself back together.

The phantom is not entirely limited to the host's usual abilities, particularly with regards to motion; a phantom can cause a possessed object to move and deform in ways normally impossible. A phantom possessing a statue, for instance, could cause it to move its limbs and articulate more or less like a living person, albeit with less fine control. A phantom possessing a marble bust, however, would have much more restricted mobility than one possessing a full statue with arms and legs; the bust would be able to twist and bend to some degree, but without limbs would still be limited in its movements. Even aside from mobility, the host, naturally, determines to a great degree the phantom's physical properties. A granite statue would be able to take more damage than a plastic mannequin, and a paper doll could be damaged on getting wet whereas a rag doll may not.

===Living hosts===
It's possible for a phantom to possess a [[living hosts of phantoms|living host]], though it's substantially more difficult, at least to maintain the possession for any length of time. Living creatures have their own [[soul (Interlife Earth)|soul]]s which typically object to the intrusive presence of the ghost and fight the possession. In the case of [[ellogy|alogous]] creatures, this opposition happens subconsciously, but it still takes place. The difficulty of establishing and maintaining possession of a living host depends to a large degree on the mind and willpower of the host in question. Unintelligent creatures such as insects and worms may be easy to possess, and easy to retain possession of indefinitely, but are generally considered less desireable as hosts. Humans, conversely, are able to consciously fight the possession, and are much more difficult to control. Nevertheless, some phantoms are able to overcome a human host's resistance and keep possession of the body, but it's a constant struggle to do so, and the host generally manages occasionally to briefly reassert itself before the phantom takes control again. Eventually, the host is generally able to gather the will to expel the phantom from its body; some phantoms are able to hold onto possession of weak hosts indefinitely, but more commonly possession of a human host lasts a few days at most, and more often only a matter of minutes while the phantom takes advantage of the temporary body to wreak havoc in the [[Mortal World]].

===Ghostly hosts===
Even other ghosts are subject to possession by phantoms—phantoms cannot possess other phantoms, since they have no physical or even [[ether (Interlife Earth)|ether]]eal form to possess, but they can possess any of the other major types of ghost; [[shade]]s, [[specter]]s, [[apparition]]s, [[wraith]]s, and [[ghoul]]s are all susceptible to phantom possession. While in possession of another ghost, the phantom for all practical purposes ''becomes'' that ghost, with the full potential to use all its powers and abilities. The original personality of the ghost it is possessing is supplanted by the phantom, not truly annihilated—after all, it will come back to the fore when the possession ends—, but suppressed during the possession.

Ghostly possession seldom lasts long. Ghosts can throw off possession even more readily than mortals, and a phantom has rarely been known to stay in possession of another ghost for longer than a few hours.

==Residence==
Many phantoms have chosen hosts in which to take permanent possession. Such a permanent host is known as a [[residence]]. Establishing a residence requires remaining in the host for a long period of time, during which the phantom focuses on joining itself with the host and claiming it for its own. The exact period of time required varies, but is at least a week. The phantom need not be consciously thinking of creating a residence, or even have any intellectual idea that such a thing is possible; there have been many cases of phantoms establishing residences apparently only by ''wanting'' to forge such a permanent possession, and subconsciously exerting the will to do so.

Once the phantom has established a residence, it cannot then leave it to possess other objects; effectively, the residence becomes the phantom's body. If the residence is destroyed, the phantom itself is usually destroyed as well, though rarely some phantoms manage to make the leap to another host at the moment of their residence's destruction. Balancing this restriction, however, the phantom does gain a number of benefits from its residency. Damage to the phantom's residence heals at a rate similar to that of wounds on a living body (though some phantoms develop the ability to heal their residences more quickly), and phantoms tend to have finer control over the motions of residences than over other hosts. Frequently, residences will alter their forms slightly to resemble the phantom's original body; a featureless mannequin that becomes the residence of a phantom, for instance, might over time develop the facial features of the person the phantom was before he died.

[[Living residence]]s are possible, but far from common. Even though some phantoms ''have'' managed to retain possession of living hosts for extended periods of time, the continual effort involved usually prevents the establishment of residency. Most of those phantoms that ''have'' established living residences reside in small, unintelligent invertebrates and fish; only a few phantoms have achieved residency in mammals, and human residences probably number in the single digits. Ghostly residences are even more unlikely, given the greater ease of ghosts to fight possession. It may be that the only practical way for a phantom to permanently reside in another ghost is for the host to willingly submit to the permanent possession. While this ''has'' actually happened in at least one case—that of [[R. Luca Veit]] and [[Trent David]], who later became part of the [[eidolon]] known as [[Styrle]]—, it's extremely rare at best. In tongue-in-cheek reference to its best (and in fact only) known "victim", this process of permanent possession is sometimes called "[[arlucavation]]".

==Phantom abilities==
Some phantoms may develop a number of unique abilities unknown to other types of ghost. Some of these abilities have already been mentioned, such as the power to heal damage to their hosts, or to possess new hosts at a distance, or to possess liquid or gaseous hosts, or multiple small objects. Other abilities some phantoms develop include [[levitation]], the ability to produce various sounds by vibrations of their hosts, and the ability to make their hosts partially or fully [[invisibility|invisible]]. Some phantoms can effect limited [[transformation]]s of their hosts—usually [[transfigurement|altering their shapes]] in minor ways, though a few phantoms can actually [[transsubstantiation|change their hosts' substance]]. A few phantoms who become particularly skilled in possessing living hosts may possess some ability to [[mind control|control living creatures]] at a distance, even those they have not possessed.

Unlike most ghosts, some phantoms are able to pass outside of [[haunt]]s in the Mortal World without entering the [[Gap]]. Like ghouls, these phantoms, when they leave the boundaries of a haunt, simply pass elsewhere in the Mortal World like ordinary [[mortal]]s. Other phantoms, however, do end up in the Gap on leaving haunts, like most other ghosts. Such phantoms bring their hosts with them when they pass into the [[Gap]], one of the few ways that material objects can enter it. Even if carried by a mortal or otherwise brought outside a haunt by outside means, these phantoms—and their hosts—will pass into the Gap when they cross the haunt's boundary. This may produce surprising results for a nearby mortal, to whom it may appear that an object he was carrying simply disappeared for no apparent reason. What determines whether a given phantom will enter the Gap on leaving a haunt or will remain in the Mortal World isn't yet understood, but it generally works consistently for a particular individual. Some phantoms develop the ability to choose whether they pass into the Gap or not when they leave a haunt, and a very few seem to randomly pass into the Gap sometimes and remain in the Mortal World other times, but these are exceptions to the rule.

Regardless of whether they can enter the Mortal World or the Gap or both, however, all phantoms can still pass between the Mortal World and the [[Spirit World]] through [[mirror (Interlife Earth)|mirror]]s, like any other ghost. However, unlike most varieties of ghost, phantoms cannot pass through just any mirror; the mirror must be large enough for the host to fit through—although they may reach ''parts'' of their hosts through mirrors too small to admit the entire host. A phantom in possession of a life-sized statue, for instance, could only enter the Spirit World through a mirror large enough for a human to enter its frame. It might be able to climb and crawl through a mirror on a medicine cabinet, but it would be a tight fit (and might break the cabinet while the phantom holds onto the frame). A typical car rear-view mirror would be far too small for the phantom to get through (unless it possesses a smaller host, at least), though it could possibly reach an arm through to grab something in the [[Spirit World]] on the other side.
[[Category:Types of Interlife ghost]][[Category:Formless entities]]

Phantom

2025-12-10T23:40:35Z

Antefyn: /* Living hosts */ No need for the main article

'''Phantoms''' are immaterial [[ghost (Interlife Earth)|ghost]]s with no form of their own,
who exist only within other objects or creatures. To ask what a phantom looks like on its own is a meaningless question; they are more forces than objects, and cannot exist outside a [[host]]. A phantom's host, however, can be nearly anything, which gives phantoms (as a group, if not necessarily individually) enormous versatility.

==Possession==
When a phantom first [[divestment|divests]], it is already in possession of an object, generally something on his person when he died, or at least something very close by. Some phantoms simply remain in their original hosts, but most phantoms seek out a more useful and suitable form; they seem to instinctively know, on divestment, that they have the power to possess other objects.

To possess an object, a phantom must generally be touching it—that is, touching the new object with the object the phantom currently possesses. Some phantoms, however, develop the ability to possess objects at a distance, apparently instantaneously [[translocation|translocating]] somehow from one host to another. Even then, however, there are limitations to the distance; the phantoms that have developed the most ability in this regard still only seem to be able to possess objects no more than five [[meter]]s away at best, and for most the possible distance is much shorter. In any case, once contact is established or the prospective new host is in range, possession is an act of will that happens more or less instantly; the phantom simply leaves possession of its old host and takes possession of the new one. The process is somewhat fatiguing, however, so a phantom generally won't do it too often; most phantoms stay with a host for an average of at least a day or so, though there is wide variation in individual practices.

==Types of host==
A phantom can possess virtually any object, though there are some limits as to the [[mass]]. However, they do tend to prefer hosts of generally humanoid form. [[Statues as phantom hosts|Statues]], [[mannequins as phantom hosts|mannequins]], [[dolls as phantom hosts|dolls]], [[suits of armor as phantom hosts|suits of armor]]; even [[snowmen as phantom hosts|snowmen]] and [[scarecrows as phantom hosts|scarecrows]], make fairly popular hosts. Some phantoms prefer animal form, possessing [[stuffed animals as phantom hosts|stuffed animals]] (either real animals stuffed through taxidermy, or stuffed animal toys) or animal-shaped statues and other objects. Not all phantoms choose such hosts, however; some simply possess handy objects with no appearance of life. Among the most common hosts not of human or animal form are [[clothing as phantom hosts|clothing]], [[sheets as phantom hosts|sheets]], and various kinds of [[appliances as phantom hosts|electrical appliance]].

The limits of a phantom's possession seem to vary slightly by individual. Some phantoms have been known to possess objects massing as much as a dozen [[kilogram|metric ton]]s, or as little as a fraction of a gram, but for most phantoms the limit seems to be about six hundred kilograms on the large end, or fifty grams on the small end. It is possible for a phantom to possess only [[partial possession|''part'' of a larger object]] (a head or arm of a huge statue, or a particular section of a complex machine), but that does not convey the phantom any power to detach the possessed part from the whole, or to move the entire object about, so such a phantom would be severely limited in mobility. Some phantoms develop the power to possess [[collective hosts|collections of similar small objects]] (grains of sand, marbles, haystacks) or even bodies of [[liquid hosts|liquid]] or [[gaseous hosts|gas]], though this entails some danger; if the objects become separated, or the liquid or gas mixed into a larger body, the ghost may have a very difficult time collecting itself back together.

The phantom is not entirely limited to the host's usual abilities, particularly with regards to motion; a phantom can cause a possessed object to move and deform in ways normally impossible. A phantom possessing a statue, for instance, could cause it to move its limbs and articulate more or less like a living person, albeit with less fine control. A phantom possessing a marble bust, however, would have much more restricted mobility than one possessing a full statue with arms and legs; the bust would be able to twist and bend to some degree, but without limbs would still be limited in its movements. Even aside from mobility, the host, naturally, determines to a great degree the phantom's physical properties. A granite statue would be able to take more damage than a plastic mannequin, and a paper doll could be damaged on getting wet whereas a rag doll may not.

===Living hosts===
It's possible for a phantom to possess a {{living hosts of phantoms|living host}}, though it's substantially more difficult, at least to maintain the possession for any length of time. Living creatures have their own [[soul (Interlife Earth)|soul]]s which typically object to the intrusive presence of the ghost and fight the possession. In the case of [[ellogy|alogous]] creatures, this opposition happens subconsciously, but it still takes place. The difficulty of establishing and maintaining possession of a living host depends to a large degree on the mind and willpower of the host in question. Unintelligent creatures such as insects and worms may be easy to possess, and easy to retain possession of indefinitely, but are generally considered less desireable as hosts. Humans, conversely, are able to consciously fight the possession, and are much more difficult to control. Nevertheless, some phantoms are able to overcome a human host's resistance and keep possession of the body, but it's a constant struggle to do so, and the host generally manages occasionally to briefly reassert itself before the phantom takes control again. Eventually, the host is generally able to gather the will to expel the phantom from its body; some phantoms are able to hold onto possession of weak hosts indefinitely, but more commonly possession of a human host lasts a few days at most, and more often only a matter of minutes while the phantom takes advantage of the temporary body to wreak havoc in the [[Mortal World]].

===Ghostly hosts===
Even other ghosts are subject to possession by phantoms—phantoms cannot possess other phantoms, since they have no physical or even [[ether (Interlife Earth)|ether]]eal form to possess, but they can possess any of the other major types of ghost; [[shade]]s, [[specter]]s, [[apparition]]s, [[wraith]]s, and [[ghoul]]s are all susceptible to phantom possession. While in possession of another ghost, the phantom for all practical purposes ''becomes'' that ghost, with the full potential to use all its powers and abilities. The original personality of the ghost it is possessing is supplanted by the phantom, not truly annihilated—after all, it will come back to the fore when the possession ends—, but suppressed during the possession.

Ghostly possession seldom lasts long. Ghosts can throw off possession even more readily than mortals, and a phantom has rarely been known to stay in possession of another ghost for longer than a few hours.

==Residence==
Many phantoms have chosen hosts in which to take permanent possession. Such a permanent host is known as a [[residence]]. Establishing a residence requires remaining in the host for a long period of time, during which the phantom focuses on joining itself with the host and claiming it for its own. The exact period of time required varies, but is at least a week. The phantom need not be consciously thinking of creating a residence, or even have any intellectual idea that such a thing is possible; there have been many cases of phantoms establishing residences apparently only by ''wanting'' to forge such a permanent possession, and subconsciously exerting the will to do so.

Once the phantom has established a residence, it cannot then leave it to possess other objects; effectively, the residence becomes the phantom's body. If the residence is destroyed, the phantom itself is usually destroyed as well, though rarely some phantoms manage to make the leap to another host at the moment of their residence's destruction. Balancing this restriction, however, the phantom does gain a number of benefits from its residency. Damage to the phantom's residence heals at a rate similar to that of wounds on a living body (though some phantoms develop the ability to heal their residences more quickly), and phantoms tend to have finer control over the motions of residences than over other hosts. Frequently, residences will alter their forms slightly to resemble the phantom's original body; a featureless mannequin that becomes the residence of a phantom, for instance, might over time develop the facial features of the person the phantom was before he died.

[[Living residence]]s are possible, but far from common. Even though some phantoms ''have'' managed to retain possession of living hosts for extended periods of time, the continual effort involved usually prevents the establishment of residency. Most of those phantoms that ''have'' established living residences reside in small, unintelligent invertebrates and fish; only a few phantoms have achieved residency in mammals, and human residences probably number in the single digits. Ghostly residences are even more unlikely, given the greater ease of ghosts to fight possession. It may be that the only practical way for a phantom to permanently reside in another ghost is for the host to willingly submit to the permanent possession. While this ''has'' actually happened in at least one case—that of [[R. Luca Veit]] and [[Trent David]], who later became part of the [[eidolon]] known as [[Styrle]]—, it's extremely rare at best. In tongue-in-cheek reference to its best (and in fact only) known "victim", this process of permanent possession is sometimes called "[[arlucavation]]".

==Phantom abilities==
Some phantoms may develop a number of unique abilities unknown to other types of ghost. Some of these abilities have already been mentioned, such as the power to heal damage to their hosts, or to possess new hosts at a distance, or to possess liquid or gaseous hosts, or multiple small objects. Other abilities some phantoms develop include [[levitation]], the ability to produce various sounds by vibrations of their hosts, and the ability to make their hosts partially or fully [[invisibility|invisible]]. Some phantoms can effect limited [[transformation]]s of their hosts—usually [[transfigurement|altering their shapes]] in minor ways, though a few phantoms can actually [[transsubstantiation|change their hosts' substance]]. A few phantoms who become particularly skilled in possessing living hosts may possess some ability to [[mind control|control living creatures]] at a distance, even those they have not possessed.

Unlike most ghosts, some phantoms are able to pass outside of [[haunt]]s in the Mortal World without entering the [[Gap]]. Like ghouls, these phantoms, when they leave the boundaries of a haunt, simply pass elsewhere in the Mortal World like ordinary [[mortal]]s. Other phantoms, however, do end up in the Gap on leaving haunts, like most other ghosts. Such phantoms bring their hosts with them when they pass into the [[Gap]], one of the few ways that material objects can enter it. Even if carried by a mortal or otherwise brought outside a haunt by outside means, these phantoms—and their hosts—will pass into the Gap when they cross the haunt's boundary. This may produce surprising results for a nearby mortal, to whom it may appear that an object he was carrying simply disappeared for no apparent reason. What determines whether a given phantom will enter the Gap on leaving a haunt or will remain in the Mortal World isn't yet understood, but it generally works consistently for a particular individual. Some phantoms develop the ability to choose whether they pass into the Gap or not when they leave a haunt, and a very few seem to randomly pass into the Gap sometimes and remain in the Mortal World other times, but these are exceptions to the rule.

Regardless of whether they can enter the Mortal World or the Gap or both, however, all phantoms can still pass between the Mortal World and the [[Spirit World]] through [[mirror (Interlife Earth)|mirror]]s, like any other ghost. However, unlike most varieties of ghost, phantoms cannot pass through just any mirror; the mirror must be large enough for the host to fit through—although they may reach ''parts'' of their hosts through mirrors too small to admit the entire host. A phantom in possession of a life-sized statue, for instance, could only enter the Spirit World through a mirror large enough for a human to enter its frame. It might be able to climb and crawl through a mirror on a medicine cabinet, but it would be a tight fit (and might break the cabinet while the phantom holds onto the frame). A typical car rear-view mirror would be far too small for the phantom to get through (unless it possesses a smaller host, at least), though it could possibly reach an arm through to grab something in the [[Spirit World]] on the other side.
[[Category:Types of Interlife ghost]][[Category:Formless entities]]

Eidolon

2025-12-10T23:36:56Z

Antefyn: Whoops... forgot to pipe link

'''Eidolons''' ({{IPA|/aɪˈdoʊlən/}}) are formidable entities of [[Interlife Earth]] that [[ghost (Interlife Earth)|ghost]]s and knowledgeable [[mortal (Interlife Earth)|mortal]]s can [[arcession|call upon]] for various services. While powerful, most eidolons seem to have little drive or [[agency]] of their own, and it's not clear where they reside when they're not being summoned. In fact, while some suspect that eidolons spend their "down time" somewhere in or beyond the [[Gap]], others theorize that they aren't anywhere at all, that they only exist when called into being. When they ''are'' called upon, however, it doesn't seem they're limited to being in one place at a time; there are multiple accounts of several people in different parts of the [[Earth]] or the [[Spirit World]] availing themselves of the services of the same eidolon simultaneously, and even a few rare stories of an eidolon meeting another copy of itself. There are perhaps a hundred or so known eidolons, though some are known only from stories, the means to summon them long forgotten.

A ghost may become an eidolon when it is [[transformation|transformed]] by some momentous event. There's not one single way for a ghost to be turned into an eidolon, and there are no known cases of its being brought about intentionally, but it always involves some kind of violent disruption in the fabric of either the [[Mortal World]] or the Spirit World. There are eidolons that can't be matched up to a known ghost that existed before the eidolon first appeared, but it's generally assumed that this is because the eidolon's ghostly precursor is unknown, not because it had some other origin. Whether becoming an eidolon is a fate that a ghost should aspire to is highly debatable. Eidolons have great [[power (celemology)|power]]s, and unlike ghosts they seem to be truly [[immortality|immortal]]—no eidolons are known to have ceased to exist—but this must be balanced against their being strictly bound in their behavior, not to mention the issue that staying forever in the [[interlife]] and never passing on to whatever [[afterlife (Interlife Earth)|afterlife]] exists may not be a desireable goal.

There are a few eidolons who are willing and able to converse with their summoners, and whose [[name]]s are known because the eidolons themselves shared them. Usually, though not always, this is a different name from the one the eidolon went by when it was still a ghost, the eidolon having chosen a new name for itself when it transcended to its current state. Most eidolons, however, do not give their names, or perhaps have not bothered to name themselves, and the names they are known by are names conferred by ghosts and mortals. Naturally, this means the same eidolon may very well be known by completely different names in different [[sovereign state|countries]] and communities.

==Etymology==
The word "eidolon" derives from the [[ancient Greek]] ''[[Wiktionary:εἴδωλον#Ancient_Greek|εἴδωλον]]'', which in turn comes from the word ''[[Wiktionary:εἶδο&sigmaf;#Ancient_Greek|εἶδο&sigmaf;]]'', "form" or "appearance", related to the [[verb]] ''[[Wiktionary:εἶδον#Ancient_Greek|εἶδον]]'', "to see", and ultimately traceable to the consignificant [[proto-Indo-European]] [[root]] ''[[Wiktionary:Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/weyd-|*weyd-]]''. The ancient Greek word was used to refer to spirits of the dead, but also more generally to anything insubstantial or ideatic. Indeed, in [[English]] too the word "[[Wiktionary:eidolon|eidolon]]" has other meanings; the [[Wikipedia:Oxford English Dictionary|Oxford English Dictionary]] traces its English use back as far as 1585, and as in Greek it has been used to refer to images and idealizations of various natures. It is only in the last two [[century|centuries]] that the word became the standard term for its current [[spectrology|spectrological]] referent; prior to that the beings now called eidolons, when they were recognized as a distinct class of entity at all, were referred to by circumlocutions such as "transcended ghost" and "summoned spirit" or by idiosyncratic coinages that differed for each user.

The [[plural]] of the Greek word was ''εἴδωλᾰ'', [[transliteration|transliterated]] as ''eidola''. While the English word ''eidolon'' is sometimes pluralized after the Greek word as ''eidola'' ({{IPA0|/aɪˈdoʊlə/}}), for whatever reason this pluralization never caught on for the word in its [[spectrology|spectrological]] meaning, and in spectrology it is almost always pluralized [[regular inflection|regularly]]—although the plural "eidola" is very occasionally seen.

The [[adjective]] for things related to eidolons is "eidolic" ({{IPA|/aɪˈdɒlɪk/}}).

==Types==
The majority of eidolons are roughly evenly split between [[apparition (Interlife Earth)|apparition]]s, [[shade (Interlife Earth)|shade]]s, and [[specter (Interlife Earth)|specter]]s, with a few [[phantom (Interlife Earth)|phantom]]s and [[wraith (Interlife Earth)|wraith]]s. This does mean that shades and apparitions have a proportionately higher representation among (known) eidolons than they do among ghosts in general, a phenomenon for which [[spectrologist]]s have no definite explanation, although it's commonly assumed that there is something about the conditions of [[arisal]] of shades and apparitions make these ghosts more likely to become eidolons. It could be, however, that the disproportion is simply a [[coincidence|coincidental]] artifact of the small [[sample size]]. There are no known [[ghoul (Interlife Earth)|ghoul]] eidolons, though that's not to say that one might not exist somewhere, or that a ghoul may not become an eidolon in the [[future]] even if none have in the [[past]].

For the most part, eidolons conform to the general characteristics and limitations of their ghost types, supplemented by whatever additional powers they were granted in their transformation. Shades cannot change their accouterments but heal quickly; specters can change their accouterments and may be capable of [[plasmofacture]]; et cetera. It is worth noting that all known phantom eidolons have [[residence]]s; if there are any phantom eidolons capable of moving between different hosts, they have not come to wide attention.

===Multiform Eidolons===
A handful of eidolons have more than one ghostly [[frame]], and had presumably been more than one ghost before their transformation. [[Nodubrada]] and [[Ureus]] are each composed of two ghosts, and [[The Amphitonics]] of three; [[Styrle]] technically comprises three ghosts, but in only two frames. [[Chornitak]], [[Gletch]], and the [[House of Bile]] are each also believed to include multiple ghosts, though the numbers are uncertain. In any case, while their components may have formerly have been distinct individuals, such [[multiform eidolon]]s now seem to function as single entities. Their constituents generally cannot be summoned separately ([[The Amphitonics]] possibly being a partial exception), and they seem to have a single will and personality. Spectrologists' opinions differ as to whether the [[corpus|corpora]] retain their own individualities and [[consciousness]]es and are merely in [[telepathy|mental communication]] or whether multiform eidolons are effectively fully [[psychodesis|psychodetic]], [[pleote|pleotic]] beings; it is, of course, not impossible that this differs between different such eidolons.

==Arcession==
Each eidolon is called by a different specific ritual, the details varying widely. In almost all cases, the rituals are complicated or unusual enough that nobody is likely to call the eidolon by accident. The ritual may involve the recitation of particular [[word]]s, names, or [[phrase]]s; it may have to be carried out in a specific place; it may involve specific motions or [[gesture]]s. Usually one or more particular types of object are also required for the [[arcession]]: commonly the objects are offered as [[sacrifice]]s, but they may be used in the ritual in some other way, or it may be that there's nothing specific the summoner has to do with them but their presence is still required.

The time it takes for the eidolon to show up after the ritual is complete likewise varies by eidolon. Some show up immediately, while others arrive only after a delay of a few [[minute]]s to an [[hour]]. Once the eidolon does arrive, in most cases the summoner can command the eidolon to perform specific tasks, in line with the eidolon's nature and powers. However, although no eidolon seems to have complete free agency, not all eidolons are constrained to obey their summoners. Those that are not instead engage in some other predictable behavior when they are called upon, which may or may not be to the caller's benefit. For instance, probably the most infamous eidolon, [[Bloody Mary]], is known for attacking everyone present when she appears. It may be that in cases like Bloody Mary's the eidolon still ''can'' be bound to service with the correct ritual, and that its aberrant behavior is a result of the ritual being performed incorrectly or even of the performance of a different, more hazardous ritual, but if so the correct ritual that would force the eidolons to service is unknown.

==Cults==
Whatever else eidolons are, they are powerful beings, and [[eidolic cult]]s have sprung up that [[worship|venerate]] the eidolons as [[god]]s. There are a few scattered [[cult]]s that worship eidolons collectively, but most eidolic cults choose one specific eidolon, or a small handful of eidolons they see as in some way associated, as the subject(s) of their worship. Some eidolons have more and larger cults associated with them than others; [[Diamater]], in particular, has an elaborate [[religion]] formed around her—most of its membership made up of ghosts, of course, though she does have a nonzero number of living worshippers. The same is true of [[Gunabhartr]], to a somewhat lesser degree, but most other eidolons have at best only small, scattered cults.

The cults' pretensions notwithstanding, eidolons are of course ''not'' gods, and it's unclear whether most eidolons are even aware of their worshippers. However, some cultists ''do'' seem to get some benisons and [[power]]s from their devotion. It's a subject of debate whether these are powers the cultists develop on their own and attribute to the eidolons they honor; whether the eidolons do have some subdivine ability to reward their votaries; or whether the reverence of their faithful, or some other factor, may indeed be in the process of [[apotheosis|raising]] some eidolons to some sort of true divinity.

==Powers==
All eidolons seem to have the ability to [[translocation|translocate]] to any location on [[Earth]] or in the [[Spirit World]], though they seem to use this power only when responding to a summon or at their summoners' command. As previously remarked, they are also all capable of [[multipresence]], existing in many locations at the same time. Aside from that, eidolons' powers vary widely, based apparently on their natures and histories and the details of their ascensions. Eidolons have demonstrated strange powers otherwise unknown to ghosts, including [[ylifaction]], [[animation (celemology)|animation]], and [[weather control]]. While the powers of different eidolons vary widely, however, a given eidolon always has the same powers in every manifestation.

One other feature all eidolons ''do'' seem to have in common is their indestructibility. This is not to say that a given [[corpus]] of an eidolon cannot be destroyed; they are much more durable and difficult to harm than other ghosts, but it's not impossible to damage their ghostly forms, and, with enough damage, to disable them. However, this does not prevent the eidolon from being summoned again later. If there is a way to permanently destroy an eidolon, no one has found it. Still, if an eidolon is causing problems, destroying the corpus responsible may be enough to stop, or at least delay, its baneful activity.

==The Juventude Paradox==
It has been noted that while the ages of known eidolons span a large [[history|historical]] [[range]], they are skewed more toward recent origins than can readily be explained on the basis of current understanding. This observation is sometimes called the [[Juventude Paradox]], and in its most common form can be stated as follows: If eidolons are truly immortal and imperible, and if the [[proportion]] of ghosts that become eidolons has remained [[constant]] over [[time]], then we should anticipate on [[average]] that the number of eidolons that originated during any given interval should be proportional to the [[population]] of the [[world]] (or more precisely of the [[Spirit World]]) at that time. The ages of the known eidolons, however, do not match this prediction; there are proportionately more eidolons from more recent timespans than should be expected.

It is true, of course, that the populations of the Earth and of the Spirit World have increased over time and that there are simply more ghosts now than there were in earlier eras, but the increase in the general population is not sufficient to explain the increase in the number of eidolons. A number of [[hypothesis|hypotheses]] have been advanced to resolve the Juventude Paradox, but they can be divided into three main categories. These categories and these explanations are not mutually exclusive, and it could very well be that there is more than one factor at play.

The first category of explanation rejects the first [[premise]] of the [[paradox]]. Perhaps the reason we don't see the expected temporal distribution of eidolons is because contrary to mainstream belief eidolons are ''not'' everlasting; they linger longer than ghosts, but perhaps they do eventually fade away, or perhaps they can be and sometimes are somehow destroyed. The fact that we have no direct evidence of any eidolons expiring doesn't mean it doesn't happen—and in fact some spectrologists point to the Juventude Paradox itself as such evidence, although the existence of other explanations for the paradox makes it less than definitive.

Other [[spectrologist]]s reject the second premise, and posit that the ''proportion'' of ghosts that become eidolons has increased over time. This could be tied to the increase in population; perhaps, for instance, the transformation of a ghost into an eidolon depends on some [[psilovium|undetected emanation]] from other ghosts, and therefore the more other ghosts there are, the more likely it is for a ghost to become an eidolon, meaning that as the number of ghosts increases the number of eidolons increases [[linear function|nonlinearly]]. Or it could be that there is some other, hidden quality or factor on which the transformation into an eidolon depends, and which has been waxing over the years.

The third category of explanation accepts both premises, and therefore concludes that there must indeed be more eidolons from earlier periods than are currently known. This leads to the inference that there are a great number of unknown eidolons of early origin—that is, the paradox is resolved not by postulating some mechanism by which proportionately fewer eidolons exist that were formed in antiquity, but by proposing that there are many ancient eidolons which have simply been forgotten. That there are ''some'' [[lost eidolon]]s now utterly unremembered is almost certainly true; old references to otherwise unknown eidolons have occasionally been discovered, and there is no reason to believe that there are no more to be found. Whether there are ''enough'' lost eidolons to explain the Juventude Paradox is, however, an open question. Nevertheless, this supposition has encouraged some ghosts (and a few mortals) to seek diligently to find some record of lost eidolons, and to recover the means to summon them. One ghostly organization, the [[Anamneseon]], is famously devoted to this endeavor.

==List of known eidolons==
Some of the best known eidolons are listed below. This list is not exhaustive; many other eidolons exist besides those listed here. Note that in most cases the name given for each eidolon here is merely the most common name that eidolon is called by, or one of the most common names; as remarked above, most eidolons are known by many different names. Also, in many cases, the year of the eidolon's first appearance is unknown; where the year (or approximate year) is given in [[parenthesis|parentheses]], this signifies that the given year is that of the first reliable report of the eidolon's sighting, but not necessarily of its ascension. A "c." after a number indicates a [[century]]; the year of "12c." given for the eidolon [[Bultungin]], for instance, indicates that this eidolon was first reliably attested some time in the twelfth century (but the exact year is uncertain). A "c." ''before'' the year stands for "[[Wiktionary:circa#English|circa]]", and indicates that the year is approximate (but within a few [[year]]s, not a century). Years and centuries are [[CE]] unless specified otherwise.

{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Name !! Ghost Type !! Year of Appearance
|-
|data-sort-value="Amphitonics"|[[The Amphitonics]] || Phantom || 1989
|-
| [[Arlet]] || Specter ||data-sort-value=1903|(1903)
|-
| [[Belial]] || Shade ||data-sort-value=1550|(1550)
|-
| [[Bloody Mary]] || Specter ||data-sort-value=1610|(1610)
|-
| [[Bultungin]] || Apparition ||data-sort-value=1100|(12c.)
|-
| [[Chatterteeth]] || Apparition ||data-sort-value=1300|(1300)
|-
| [[Chornitak]] || Wraith ||data-sort-value=900|(10c.)
|-
| [[Cosmo]] || Shade ||data-sort-value=1993|(1993)
|-
| [[Count Spatula]] || Specter ||1982
|-
|data-sort-value="Creran Serpent"|The [[Creran Serpent]] || Apparition ||data-sort-value=820|c. 820
|-
|data-sort-value="Cuca"|[[A Cuca]] || Apparition ||data-sort-value=1856|(1856)
|-
| [[Diamater]] || Specter ||data-sort-value=100|(2c.)
|-
| [[Doctor Peppermint]] || Shade ||data-sort-value=1721|(1721)
|-
| [[Faceless]] || Apparition ||data-sort-value=-1000|(10c. BCE)
|-
|data-sort-value="Flying Dutchman"|The [[Flying Dutchman]] || Specter ||data-sort-value=1674|(1674)
|-
| [[Gletch]] || Apparition ||data-sort-value=923|(923)
|-
|data-sort-value="Gold Fairy"|The [[Gold Fairy]] || Shade || 1961
|-
| [[Granny Butterfly]] || Specter ||data-sort-value=1727|(1727)
|-
| [[Gunabhartr]] || Phantom ||data-sort-value=-800|(8c. BCE)
|-
| [[Hanaichira]] || Shade ||data-sort-value=1820|(1820)
|-
|data-sort-value="Headless Horseman"|The [[Headless Horseman]] || Shade ||data-sort-value=1125|(1125)
|-
|data-sort-value="House of Bile"|The [[House of Bile]] || Phantom || 1870
|-
| [[Jindugita]] || Wraith ||data-sort-value=400|(5c.)
|-
| [[Kimmikinia]] || Specter ||data-sort-value=1832|(1832)
|-
|data-sort-value="Loping Beast"|The [[Loping Beast]] || Specter ||data-sort-value=-200|(2c. BCe)
|-
| [[Matani'i]] || Wraith ||data-sort-value=1200|(13c.)
|-
| [[Memsel]] || Phantom || 1887
|-
| [[Mirzamaa]] || Specter ||data-sort-value=1720|(c. 1720)
|-
| [[Nodubrada]] || Shade ||data-sort-value=1552|(1552)
|-
| [[Pan Omegas]] || Apparition ||data-sort-value=800|(9th c.)
|-
| [[Professor Slate]] || Shade || 1901
|-
| [[Qhawekhulu]] || Specter ||data-sort-value=1855|(c. 1855)
|-
| [[Raggedy Ned]] || Shade ||data-sort-value=1120|(c. 1120)
|-
| [[Santa Pascuala]] || Apparition || 1712
|-
| [[Smiles]] || Shade || 2000
|-
| [[Styrle]] || Shade || 1987
|-
|data-sort-value="Unseelie Hound"|The [[Unseelie Hound]] || Specter ||data-sort-value=1200|(13c.)
|-
|data-sort-value="Urchin"|The [[Urchin (eidolon)|Urchin]] || Apparition ||data-sort-value=900|(10c.)
|-
| [[Ureus]] || Wraith ||data-sort-value=-700|(7c. BCE)
|-
| [[Virgoyle]] || Phantom ||data-sort-value=610|c. 610
|-
| [[Whispering Bess]] || Apparition ||data-sort-value=1410|(1410)
|-
| [[Will-o'-the-Wisp]] || Wraith || 1550
|-
| [[Xecodius]] || Specter ||data-sort-value=-900|(9c. BCE)
|-
| [[Xuenu]] || Apparition ||data-sort-value=-1200|(12c. BCE)
|}
[[Category:Ghosts of Interlife Earth]][[Category:Eidolons|Eidolons]][[Category:Arcessites]][[Category:Articles with incomplete lists|Articles with incomplete lists]]

Eidolon

2025-12-10T23:36:18Z

Antefyn: /* Etymology */ Oops... mistake in correcting mistake in Greek letters

'''Eidolons''' ({{IPA|/aɪˈdoʊlən/}}) are formidable entities of [[Interlife Earth]] that [[ghost (Interlife Earth)]]s and knowledgeable [[mortal (Interlife Earth)|mortal]]s can [[arcession|call upon]] for various services. While powerful, most eidolons seem to have little drive or [[agency]] of their own, and it's not clear where they reside when they're not being summoned. In fact, while some suspect that eidolons spend their "down time" somewhere in or beyond the [[Gap]], others theorize that they aren't anywhere at all, that they only exist when called into being. When they ''are'' called upon, however, it doesn't seem they're limited to being in one place at a time; there are multiple accounts of several people in different parts of the [[Earth]] or the [[Spirit World]] availing themselves of the services of the same eidolon simultaneously, and even a few rare stories of an eidolon meeting another copy of itself. There are perhaps a hundred or so known eidolons, though some are known only from stories, the means to summon them long forgotten.

A ghost may become an eidolon when it is [[transformation|transformed]] by some momentous event. There's not one single way for a ghost to be turned into an eidolon, and there are no known cases of its being brought about intentionally, but it always involves some kind of violent disruption in the fabric of either the [[Mortal World]] or the Spirit World. There are eidolons that can't be matched up to a known ghost that existed before the eidolon first appeared, but it's generally assumed that this is because the eidolon's ghostly precursor is unknown, not because it had some other origin. Whether becoming an eidolon is a fate that a ghost should aspire to is highly debatable. Eidolons have great [[power (celemology)|power]]s, and unlike ghosts they seem to be truly [[immortality|immortal]]—no eidolons are known to have ceased to exist—but this must be balanced against their being strictly bound in their behavior, not to mention the issue that staying forever in the [[interlife]] and never passing on to whatever [[afterlife (Interlife Earth)|afterlife]] exists may not be a desireable goal.

There are a few eidolons who are willing and able to converse with their summoners, and whose [[name]]s are known because the eidolons themselves shared them. Usually, though not always, this is a different name from the one the eidolon went by when it was still a ghost, the eidolon having chosen a new name for itself when it transcended to its current state. Most eidolons, however, do not give their names, or perhaps have not bothered to name themselves, and the names they are known by are names conferred by ghosts and mortals. Naturally, this means the same eidolon may very well be known by completely different names in different [[sovereign state|countries]] and communities.

==Etymology==
The word "eidolon" derives from the [[ancient Greek]] ''[[Wiktionary:εἴδωλον#Ancient_Greek|εἴδωλον]]'', which in turn comes from the word ''[[Wiktionary:εἶδο&sigmaf;#Ancient_Greek|εἶδο&sigmaf;]]'', "form" or "appearance", related to the [[verb]] ''[[Wiktionary:εἶδον#Ancient_Greek|εἶδον]]'', "to see", and ultimately traceable to the consignificant [[proto-Indo-European]] [[root]] ''[[Wiktionary:Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/weyd-|*weyd-]]''. The ancient Greek word was used to refer to spirits of the dead, but also more generally to anything insubstantial or ideatic. Indeed, in [[English]] too the word "[[Wiktionary:eidolon|eidolon]]" has other meanings; the [[Wikipedia:Oxford English Dictionary|Oxford English Dictionary]] traces its English use back as far as 1585, and as in Greek it has been used to refer to images and idealizations of various natures. It is only in the last two [[century|centuries]] that the word became the standard term for its current [[spectrology|spectrological]] referent; prior to that the beings now called eidolons, when they were recognized as a distinct class of entity at all, were referred to by circumlocutions such as "transcended ghost" and "summoned spirit" or by idiosyncratic coinages that differed for each user.

The [[plural]] of the Greek word was ''εἴδωλᾰ'', [[transliteration|transliterated]] as ''eidola''. While the English word ''eidolon'' is sometimes pluralized after the Greek word as ''eidola'' ({{IPA0|/aɪˈdoʊlə/}}), for whatever reason this pluralization never caught on for the word in its [[spectrology|spectrological]] meaning, and in spectrology it is almost always pluralized [[regular inflection|regularly]]—although the plural "eidola" is very occasionally seen.

The [[adjective]] for things related to eidolons is "eidolic" ({{IPA|/aɪˈdɒlɪk/}}).

==Types==
The majority of eidolons are roughly evenly split between [[apparition (Interlife Earth)|apparition]]s, [[shade (Interlife Earth)|shade]]s, and [[specter (Interlife Earth)|specter]]s, with a few [[phantom (Interlife Earth)|phantom]]s and [[wraith (Interlife Earth)|wraith]]s. This does mean that shades and apparitions have a proportionately higher representation among (known) eidolons than they do among ghosts in general, a phenomenon for which [[spectrologist]]s have no definite explanation, although it's commonly assumed that there is something about the conditions of [[arisal]] of shades and apparitions make these ghosts more likely to become eidolons. It could be, however, that the disproportion is simply a [[coincidence|coincidental]] artifact of the small [[sample size]]. There are no known [[ghoul (Interlife Earth)|ghoul]] eidolons, though that's not to say that one might not exist somewhere, or that a ghoul may not become an eidolon in the [[future]] even if none have in the [[past]].

For the most part, eidolons conform to the general characteristics and limitations of their ghost types, supplemented by whatever additional powers they were granted in their transformation. Shades cannot change their accouterments but heal quickly; specters can change their accouterments and may be capable of [[plasmofacture]]; et cetera. It is worth noting that all known phantom eidolons have [[residence]]s; if there are any phantom eidolons capable of moving between different hosts, they have not come to wide attention.

===Multiform Eidolons===
A handful of eidolons have more than one ghostly [[frame]], and had presumably been more than one ghost before their transformation. [[Nodubrada]] and [[Ureus]] are each composed of two ghosts, and [[The Amphitonics]] of three; [[Styrle]] technically comprises three ghosts, but in only two frames. [[Chornitak]], [[Gletch]], and the [[House of Bile]] are each also believed to include multiple ghosts, though the numbers are uncertain. In any case, while their components may have formerly have been distinct individuals, such [[multiform eidolon]]s now seem to function as single entities. Their constituents generally cannot be summoned separately ([[The Amphitonics]] possibly being a partial exception), and they seem to have a single will and personality. Spectrologists' opinions differ as to whether the [[corpus|corpora]] retain their own individualities and [[consciousness]]es and are merely in [[telepathy|mental communication]] or whether multiform eidolons are effectively fully [[psychodesis|psychodetic]], [[pleote|pleotic]] beings; it is, of course, not impossible that this differs between different such eidolons.

==Arcession==
Each eidolon is called by a different specific ritual, the details varying widely. In almost all cases, the rituals are complicated or unusual enough that nobody is likely to call the eidolon by accident. The ritual may involve the recitation of particular [[word]]s, names, or [[phrase]]s; it may have to be carried out in a specific place; it may involve specific motions or [[gesture]]s. Usually one or more particular types of object are also required for the [[arcession]]: commonly the objects are offered as [[sacrifice]]s, but they may be used in the ritual in some other way, or it may be that there's nothing specific the summoner has to do with them but their presence is still required.

The time it takes for the eidolon to show up after the ritual is complete likewise varies by eidolon. Some show up immediately, while others arrive only after a delay of a few [[minute]]s to an [[hour]]. Once the eidolon does arrive, in most cases the summoner can command the eidolon to perform specific tasks, in line with the eidolon's nature and powers. However, although no eidolon seems to have complete free agency, not all eidolons are constrained to obey their summoners. Those that are not instead engage in some other predictable behavior when they are called upon, which may or may not be to the caller's benefit. For instance, probably the most infamous eidolon, [[Bloody Mary]], is known for attacking everyone present when she appears. It may be that in cases like Bloody Mary's the eidolon still ''can'' be bound to service with the correct ritual, and that its aberrant behavior is a result of the ritual being performed incorrectly or even of the performance of a different, more hazardous ritual, but if so the correct ritual that would force the eidolons to service is unknown.

==Cults==
Whatever else eidolons are, they are powerful beings, and [[eidolic cult]]s have sprung up that [[worship|venerate]] the eidolons as [[god]]s. There are a few scattered [[cult]]s that worship eidolons collectively, but most eidolic cults choose one specific eidolon, or a small handful of eidolons they see as in some way associated, as the subject(s) of their worship. Some eidolons have more and larger cults associated with them than others; [[Diamater]], in particular, has an elaborate [[religion]] formed around her—most of its membership made up of ghosts, of course, though she does have a nonzero number of living worshippers. The same is true of [[Gunabhartr]], to a somewhat lesser degree, but most other eidolons have at best only small, scattered cults.

The cults' pretensions notwithstanding, eidolons are of course ''not'' gods, and it's unclear whether most eidolons are even aware of their worshippers. However, some cultists ''do'' seem to get some benisons and [[power]]s from their devotion. It's a subject of debate whether these are powers the cultists develop on their own and attribute to the eidolons they honor; whether the eidolons do have some subdivine ability to reward their votaries; or whether the reverence of their faithful, or some other factor, may indeed be in the process of [[apotheosis|raising]] some eidolons to some sort of true divinity.

==Powers==
All eidolons seem to have the ability to [[translocation|translocate]] to any location on [[Earth]] or in the [[Spirit World]], though they seem to use this power only when responding to a summon or at their summoners' command. As previously remarked, they are also all capable of [[multipresence]], existing in many locations at the same time. Aside from that, eidolons' powers vary widely, based apparently on their natures and histories and the details of their ascensions. Eidolons have demonstrated strange powers otherwise unknown to ghosts, including [[ylifaction]], [[animation (celemology)|animation]], and [[weather control]]. While the powers of different eidolons vary widely, however, a given eidolon always has the same powers in every manifestation.

One other feature all eidolons ''do'' seem to have in common is their indestructibility. This is not to say that a given [[corpus]] of an eidolon cannot be destroyed; they are much more durable and difficult to harm than other ghosts, but it's not impossible to damage their ghostly forms, and, with enough damage, to disable them. However, this does not prevent the eidolon from being summoned again later. If there is a way to permanently destroy an eidolon, no one has found it. Still, if an eidolon is causing problems, destroying the corpus responsible may be enough to stop, or at least delay, its baneful activity.

==The Juventude Paradox==
It has been noted that while the ages of known eidolons span a large [[history|historical]] [[range]], they are skewed more toward recent origins than can readily be explained on the basis of current understanding. This observation is sometimes called the [[Juventude Paradox]], and in its most common form can be stated as follows: If eidolons are truly immortal and imperible, and if the [[proportion]] of ghosts that become eidolons has remained [[constant]] over [[time]], then we should anticipate on [[average]] that the number of eidolons that originated during any given interval should be proportional to the [[population]] of the [[world]] (or more precisely of the [[Spirit World]]) at that time. The ages of the known eidolons, however, do not match this prediction; there are proportionately more eidolons from more recent timespans than should be expected.

It is true, of course, that the populations of the Earth and of the Spirit World have increased over time and that there are simply more ghosts now than there were in earlier eras, but the increase in the general population is not sufficient to explain the increase in the number of eidolons. A number of [[hypothesis|hypotheses]] have been advanced to resolve the Juventude Paradox, but they can be divided into three main categories. These categories and these explanations are not mutually exclusive, and it could very well be that there is more than one factor at play.

The first category of explanation rejects the first [[premise]] of the [[paradox]]. Perhaps the reason we don't see the expected temporal distribution of eidolons is because contrary to mainstream belief eidolons are ''not'' everlasting; they linger longer than ghosts, but perhaps they do eventually fade away, or perhaps they can be and sometimes are somehow destroyed. The fact that we have no direct evidence of any eidolons expiring doesn't mean it doesn't happen—and in fact some spectrologists point to the Juventude Paradox itself as such evidence, although the existence of other explanations for the paradox makes it less than definitive.

Other [[spectrologist]]s reject the second premise, and posit that the ''proportion'' of ghosts that become eidolons has increased over time. This could be tied to the increase in population; perhaps, for instance, the transformation of a ghost into an eidolon depends on some [[psilovium|undetected emanation]] from other ghosts, and therefore the more other ghosts there are, the more likely it is for a ghost to become an eidolon, meaning that as the number of ghosts increases the number of eidolons increases [[linear function|nonlinearly]]. Or it could be that there is some other, hidden quality or factor on which the transformation into an eidolon depends, and which has been waxing over the years.

The third category of explanation accepts both premises, and therefore concludes that there must indeed be more eidolons from earlier periods than are currently known. This leads to the inference that there are a great number of unknown eidolons of early origin—that is, the paradox is resolved not by postulating some mechanism by which proportionately fewer eidolons exist that were formed in antiquity, but by proposing that there are many ancient eidolons which have simply been forgotten. That there are ''some'' [[lost eidolon]]s now utterly unremembered is almost certainly true; old references to otherwise unknown eidolons have occasionally been discovered, and there is no reason to believe that there are no more to be found. Whether there are ''enough'' lost eidolons to explain the Juventude Paradox is, however, an open question. Nevertheless, this supposition has encouraged some ghosts (and a few mortals) to seek diligently to find some record of lost eidolons, and to recover the means to summon them. One ghostly organization, the [[Anamneseon]], is famously devoted to this endeavor.

==List of known eidolons==
Some of the best known eidolons are listed below. This list is not exhaustive; many other eidolons exist besides those listed here. Note that in most cases the name given for each eidolon here is merely the most common name that eidolon is called by, or one of the most common names; as remarked above, most eidolons are known by many different names. Also, in many cases, the year of the eidolon's first appearance is unknown; where the year (or approximate year) is given in [[parenthesis|parentheses]], this signifies that the given year is that of the first reliable report of the eidolon's sighting, but not necessarily of its ascension. A "c." after a number indicates a [[century]]; the year of "12c." given for the eidolon [[Bultungin]], for instance, indicates that this eidolon was first reliably attested some time in the twelfth century (but the exact year is uncertain). A "c." ''before'' the year stands for "[[Wiktionary:circa#English|circa]]", and indicates that the year is approximate (but within a few [[year]]s, not a century). Years and centuries are [[CE]] unless specified otherwise.

{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Name !! Ghost Type !! Year of Appearance
|-
|data-sort-value="Amphitonics"|[[The Amphitonics]] || Phantom || 1989
|-
| [[Arlet]] || Specter ||data-sort-value=1903|(1903)
|-
| [[Belial]] || Shade ||data-sort-value=1550|(1550)
|-
| [[Bloody Mary]] || Specter ||data-sort-value=1610|(1610)
|-
| [[Bultungin]] || Apparition ||data-sort-value=1100|(12c.)
|-
| [[Chatterteeth]] || Apparition ||data-sort-value=1300|(1300)
|-
| [[Chornitak]] || Wraith ||data-sort-value=900|(10c.)
|-
| [[Cosmo]] || Shade ||data-sort-value=1993|(1993)
|-
| [[Count Spatula]] || Specter ||1982
|-
|data-sort-value="Creran Serpent"|The [[Creran Serpent]] || Apparition ||data-sort-value=820|c. 820
|-
|data-sort-value="Cuca"|[[A Cuca]] || Apparition ||data-sort-value=1856|(1856)
|-
| [[Diamater]] || Specter ||data-sort-value=100|(2c.)
|-
| [[Doctor Peppermint]] || Shade ||data-sort-value=1721|(1721)
|-
| [[Faceless]] || Apparition ||data-sort-value=-1000|(10c. BCE)
|-
|data-sort-value="Flying Dutchman"|The [[Flying Dutchman]] || Specter ||data-sort-value=1674|(1674)
|-
| [[Gletch]] || Apparition ||data-sort-value=923|(923)
|-
|data-sort-value="Gold Fairy"|The [[Gold Fairy]] || Shade || 1961
|-
| [[Granny Butterfly]] || Specter ||data-sort-value=1727|(1727)
|-
| [[Gunabhartr]] || Phantom ||data-sort-value=-800|(8c. BCE)
|-
| [[Hanaichira]] || Shade ||data-sort-value=1820|(1820)
|-
|data-sort-value="Headless Horseman"|The [[Headless Horseman]] || Shade ||data-sort-value=1125|(1125)
|-
|data-sort-value="House of Bile"|The [[House of Bile]] || Phantom || 1870
|-
| [[Jindugita]] || Wraith ||data-sort-value=400|(5c.)
|-
| [[Kimmikinia]] || Specter ||data-sort-value=1832|(1832)
|-
|data-sort-value="Loping Beast"|The [[Loping Beast]] || Specter ||data-sort-value=-200|(2c. BCe)
|-
| [[Matani'i]] || Wraith ||data-sort-value=1200|(13c.)
|-
| [[Memsel]] || Phantom || 1887
|-
| [[Mirzamaa]] || Specter ||data-sort-value=1720|(c. 1720)
|-
| [[Nodubrada]] || Shade ||data-sort-value=1552|(1552)
|-
| [[Pan Omegas]] || Apparition ||data-sort-value=800|(9th c.)
|-
| [[Professor Slate]] || Shade || 1901
|-
| [[Qhawekhulu]] || Specter ||data-sort-value=1855|(c. 1855)
|-
| [[Raggedy Ned]] || Shade ||data-sort-value=1120|(c. 1120)
|-
| [[Santa Pascuala]] || Apparition || 1712
|-
| [[Smiles]] || Shade || 2000
|-
| [[Styrle]] || Shade || 1987
|-
|data-sort-value="Unseelie Hound"|The [[Unseelie Hound]] || Specter ||data-sort-value=1200|(13c.)
|-
|data-sort-value="Urchin"|The [[Urchin (eidolon)|Urchin]] || Apparition ||data-sort-value=900|(10c.)
|-
| [[Ureus]] || Wraith ||data-sort-value=-700|(7c. BCE)
|-
| [[Virgoyle]] || Phantom ||data-sort-value=610|c. 610
|-
| [[Whispering Bess]] || Apparition ||data-sort-value=1410|(1410)
|-
| [[Will-o'-the-Wisp]] || Wraith || 1550
|-
| [[Xecodius]] || Specter ||data-sort-value=-900|(9c. BCE)
|-
| [[Xuenu]] || Apparition ||data-sort-value=-1200|(12c. BCE)
|}
[[Category:Ghosts of Interlife Earth]][[Category:Eidolons|Eidolons]][[Category:Arcessites]][[Category:Articles with incomplete lists|Articles with incomplete lists]]

Eidolon

2025-12-10T23:31:21Z

Antefyn: /* Etymology */ Whoops... mistake in Greek letters

'''Eidolons''' ({{IPA|/aɪˈdoʊlən/}}) are formidable entities of [[Interlife Earth]] that [[ghost (Interlife Earth)]]s and knowledgeable [[mortal (Interlife Earth)|mortal]]s can [[arcession|call upon]] for various services. While powerful, most eidolons seem to have little drive or [[agency]] of their own, and it's not clear where they reside when they're not being summoned. In fact, while some suspect that eidolons spend their "down time" somewhere in or beyond the [[Gap]], others theorize that they aren't anywhere at all, that they only exist when called into being. When they ''are'' called upon, however, it doesn't seem they're limited to being in one place at a time; there are multiple accounts of several people in different parts of the [[Earth]] or the [[Spirit World]] availing themselves of the services of the same eidolon simultaneously, and even a few rare stories of an eidolon meeting another copy of itself. There are perhaps a hundred or so known eidolons, though some are known only from stories, the means to summon them long forgotten.

A ghost may become an eidolon when it is [[transformation|transformed]] by some momentous event. There's not one single way for a ghost to be turned into an eidolon, and there are no known cases of its being brought about intentionally, but it always involves some kind of violent disruption in the fabric of either the [[Mortal World]] or the Spirit World. There are eidolons that can't be matched up to a known ghost that existed before the eidolon first appeared, but it's generally assumed that this is because the eidolon's ghostly precursor is unknown, not because it had some other origin. Whether becoming an eidolon is a fate that a ghost should aspire to is highly debatable. Eidolons have great [[power (celemology)|power]]s, and unlike ghosts they seem to be truly [[immortality|immortal]]—no eidolons are known to have ceased to exist—but this must be balanced against their being strictly bound in their behavior, not to mention the issue that staying forever in the [[interlife]] and never passing on to whatever [[afterlife (Interlife Earth)|afterlife]] exists may not be a desireable goal.

There are a few eidolons who are willing and able to converse with their summoners, and whose [[name]]s are known because the eidolons themselves shared them. Usually, though not always, this is a different name from the one the eidolon went by when it was still a ghost, the eidolon having chosen a new name for itself when it transcended to its current state. Most eidolons, however, do not give their names, or perhaps have not bothered to name themselves, and the names they are known by are names conferred by ghosts and mortals. Naturally, this means the same eidolon may very well be known by completely different names in different [[sovereign state|countries]] and communities.

==Etymology==
The word "eidolon" derives from the [[ancient Greek]] ''[[Wiktionary:εἴδωλον#Ancient_Greek|εἴδωλον]]'', which in turn comes from the word ''[[Wiktionary:εἴδο&sigmaf;#Ancient_Greek|εἶδο&sigmaf;]]'', "form" or "appearance", related to the [[verb]] ''[[Wiktionary:εἶδον#Ancient_Greek|εἶδον]]'', "to see", and ultimately traceable to the consignificant [[proto-Indo-European]] [[root]] ''[[Wiktionary:Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/weyd-|*weyd-]]''. The ancient Greek word was used to refer to spirits of the dead, but also more generally to anything insubstantial or ideatic. Indeed, in [[English]] too the word "[[Wiktionary:eidolon|eidolon]]" has other meanings; the [[Wikipedia:Oxford English Dictionary|Oxford English Dictionary]] traces its English use back as far as 1585, and as in Greek it has been used to refer to images and idealizations of various natures. It is only in the last two [[century|centuries]] that the word became the standard term for its current [[spectrology|spectrological]] referent; prior to that the beings now called eidolons, when they were recognized as a distinct class of entity at all, were referred to by circumlocutions such as "transcended ghost" and "summoned spirit" or by idiosyncratic coinages that differed for each user.

The [[plural]] of the Greek word was ''εἰĭδωλα'', [[transliteration|transliterated]] as ''eidola''. While the English word ''eidolon'' is sometimes pluralized after the Greek word as ''eidola'' ({{IPA0|/aɪˈdoʊlə/}}), for whatever reason this pluralization never caught on for the word in its [[spectrology|spectrological]] meaning, and in spectrology it is almost always pluralized [[regular inflection|regularly]]—although the plural "eidola" is very occasionally seen.

The [[adjective]] for things related to eidolons is "eidolic" ({{IPA|/aɪˈdɒlɪk/}}).

==Types==
The majority of eidolons are roughly evenly split between [[apparition (Interlife Earth)|apparition]]s, [[shade (Interlife Earth)|shade]]s, and [[specter (Interlife Earth)|specter]]s, with a few [[phantom (Interlife Earth)|phantom]]s and [[wraith (Interlife Earth)|wraith]]s. This does mean that shades and apparitions have a proportionately higher representation among (known) eidolons than they do among ghosts in general, a phenomenon for which [[spectrologist]]s have no definite explanation, although it's commonly assumed that there is something about the conditions of [[arisal]] of shades and apparitions make these ghosts more likely to become eidolons. It could be, however, that the disproportion is simply a [[coincidence|coincidental]] artifact of the small [[sample size]]. There are no known [[ghoul (Interlife Earth)|ghoul]] eidolons, though that's not to say that one might not exist somewhere, or that a ghoul may not become an eidolon in the [[future]] even if none have in the [[past]].

For the most part, eidolons conform to the general characteristics and limitations of their ghost types, supplemented by whatever additional powers they were granted in their transformation. Shades cannot change their accouterments but heal quickly; specters can change their accouterments and may be capable of [[plasmofacture]]; et cetera. It is worth noting that all known phantom eidolons have [[residence]]s; if there are any phantom eidolons capable of moving between different hosts, they have not come to wide attention.

===Multiform Eidolons===
A handful of eidolons have more than one ghostly [[frame]], and had presumably been more than one ghost before their transformation. [[Nodubrada]] and [[Ureus]] are each composed of two ghosts, and [[The Amphitonics]] of three; [[Styrle]] technically comprises three ghosts, but in only two frames. [[Chornitak]], [[Gletch]], and the [[House of Bile]] are each also believed to include multiple ghosts, though the numbers are uncertain. In any case, while their components may have formerly have been distinct individuals, such [[multiform eidolon]]s now seem to function as single entities. Their constituents generally cannot be summoned separately ([[The Amphitonics]] possibly being a partial exception), and they seem to have a single will and personality. Spectrologists' opinions differ as to whether the [[corpus|corpora]] retain their own individualities and [[consciousness]]es and are merely in [[telepathy|mental communication]] or whether multiform eidolons are effectively fully [[psychodesis|psychodetic]], [[pleote|pleotic]] beings; it is, of course, not impossible that this differs between different such eidolons.

==Arcession==
Each eidolon is called by a different specific ritual, the details varying widely. In almost all cases, the rituals are complicated or unusual enough that nobody is likely to call the eidolon by accident. The ritual may involve the recitation of particular [[word]]s, names, or [[phrase]]s; it may have to be carried out in a specific place; it may involve specific motions or [[gesture]]s. Usually one or more particular types of object are also required for the [[arcession]]: commonly the objects are offered as [[sacrifice]]s, but they may be used in the ritual in some other way, or it may be that there's nothing specific the summoner has to do with them but their presence is still required.

The time it takes for the eidolon to show up after the ritual is complete likewise varies by eidolon. Some show up immediately, while others arrive only after a delay of a few [[minute]]s to an [[hour]]. Once the eidolon does arrive, in most cases the summoner can command the eidolon to perform specific tasks, in line with the eidolon's nature and powers. However, although no eidolon seems to have complete free agency, not all eidolons are constrained to obey their summoners. Those that are not instead engage in some other predictable behavior when they are called upon, which may or may not be to the caller's benefit. For instance, probably the most infamous eidolon, [[Bloody Mary]], is known for attacking everyone present when she appears. It may be that in cases like Bloody Mary's the eidolon still ''can'' be bound to service with the correct ritual, and that its aberrant behavior is a result of the ritual being performed incorrectly or even of the performance of a different, more hazardous ritual, but if so the correct ritual that would force the eidolons to service is unknown.

==Cults==
Whatever else eidolons are, they are powerful beings, and [[eidolic cult]]s have sprung up that [[worship|venerate]] the eidolons as [[god]]s. There are a few scattered [[cult]]s that worship eidolons collectively, but most eidolic cults choose one specific eidolon, or a small handful of eidolons they see as in some way associated, as the subject(s) of their worship. Some eidolons have more and larger cults associated with them than others; [[Diamater]], in particular, has an elaborate [[religion]] formed around her—most of its membership made up of ghosts, of course, though she does have a nonzero number of living worshippers. The same is true of [[Gunabhartr]], to a somewhat lesser degree, but most other eidolons have at best only small, scattered cults.

The cults' pretensions notwithstanding, eidolons are of course ''not'' gods, and it's unclear whether most eidolons are even aware of their worshippers. However, some cultists ''do'' seem to get some benisons and [[power]]s from their devotion. It's a subject of debate whether these are powers the cultists develop on their own and attribute to the eidolons they honor; whether the eidolons do have some subdivine ability to reward their votaries; or whether the reverence of their faithful, or some other factor, may indeed be in the process of [[apotheosis|raising]] some eidolons to some sort of true divinity.

==Powers==
All eidolons seem to have the ability to [[translocation|translocate]] to any location on [[Earth]] or in the [[Spirit World]], though they seem to use this power only when responding to a summon or at their summoners' command. As previously remarked, they are also all capable of [[multipresence]], existing in many locations at the same time. Aside from that, eidolons' powers vary widely, based apparently on their natures and histories and the details of their ascensions. Eidolons have demonstrated strange powers otherwise unknown to ghosts, including [[ylifaction]], [[animation (celemology)|animation]], and [[weather control]]. While the powers of different eidolons vary widely, however, a given eidolon always has the same powers in every manifestation.

One other feature all eidolons ''do'' seem to have in common is their indestructibility. This is not to say that a given [[corpus]] of an eidolon cannot be destroyed; they are much more durable and difficult to harm than other ghosts, but it's not impossible to damage their ghostly forms, and, with enough damage, to disable them. However, this does not prevent the eidolon from being summoned again later. If there is a way to permanently destroy an eidolon, no one has found it. Still, if an eidolon is causing problems, destroying the corpus responsible may be enough to stop, or at least delay, its baneful activity.

==The Juventude Paradox==
It has been noted that while the ages of known eidolons span a large [[history|historical]] [[range]], they are skewed more toward recent origins than can readily be explained on the basis of current understanding. This observation is sometimes called the [[Juventude Paradox]], and in its most common form can be stated as follows: If eidolons are truly immortal and imperible, and if the [[proportion]] of ghosts that become eidolons has remained [[constant]] over [[time]], then we should anticipate on [[average]] that the number of eidolons that originated during any given interval should be proportional to the [[population]] of the [[world]] (or more precisely of the [[Spirit World]]) at that time. The ages of the known eidolons, however, do not match this prediction; there are proportionately more eidolons from more recent timespans than should be expected.

It is true, of course, that the populations of the Earth and of the Spirit World have increased over time and that there are simply more ghosts now than there were in earlier eras, but the increase in the general population is not sufficient to explain the increase in the number of eidolons. A number of [[hypothesis|hypotheses]] have been advanced to resolve the Juventude Paradox, but they can be divided into three main categories. These categories and these explanations are not mutually exclusive, and it could very well be that there is more than one factor at play.

The first category of explanation rejects the first [[premise]] of the [[paradox]]. Perhaps the reason we don't see the expected temporal distribution of eidolons is because contrary to mainstream belief eidolons are ''not'' everlasting; they linger longer than ghosts, but perhaps they do eventually fade away, or perhaps they can be and sometimes are somehow destroyed. The fact that we have no direct evidence of any eidolons expiring doesn't mean it doesn't happen—and in fact some spectrologists point to the Juventude Paradox itself as such evidence, although the existence of other explanations for the paradox makes it less than definitive.

Other [[spectrologist]]s reject the second premise, and posit that the ''proportion'' of ghosts that become eidolons has increased over time. This could be tied to the increase in population; perhaps, for instance, the transformation of a ghost into an eidolon depends on some [[psilovium|undetected emanation]] from other ghosts, and therefore the more other ghosts there are, the more likely it is for a ghost to become an eidolon, meaning that as the number of ghosts increases the number of eidolons increases [[linear function|nonlinearly]]. Or it could be that there is some other, hidden quality or factor on which the transformation into an eidolon depends, and which has been waxing over the years.

The third category of explanation accepts both premises, and therefore concludes that there must indeed be more eidolons from earlier periods than are currently known. This leads to the inference that there are a great number of unknown eidolons of early origin—that is, the paradox is resolved not by postulating some mechanism by which proportionately fewer eidolons exist that were formed in antiquity, but by proposing that there are many ancient eidolons which have simply been forgotten. That there are ''some'' [[lost eidolon]]s now utterly unremembered is almost certainly true; old references to otherwise unknown eidolons have occasionally been discovered, and there is no reason to believe that there are no more to be found. Whether there are ''enough'' lost eidolons to explain the Juventude Paradox is, however, an open question. Nevertheless, this supposition has encouraged some ghosts (and a few mortals) to seek diligently to find some record of lost eidolons, and to recover the means to summon them. One ghostly organization, the [[Anamneseon]], is famously devoted to this endeavor.

==List of known eidolons==
Some of the best known eidolons are listed below. This list is not exhaustive; many other eidolons exist besides those listed here. Note that in most cases the name given for each eidolon here is merely the most common name that eidolon is called by, or one of the most common names; as remarked above, most eidolons are known by many different names. Also, in many cases, the year of the eidolon's first appearance is unknown; where the year (or approximate year) is given in [[parenthesis|parentheses]], this signifies that the given year is that of the first reliable report of the eidolon's sighting, but not necessarily of its ascension. A "c." after a number indicates a [[century]]; the year of "12c." given for the eidolon [[Bultungin]], for instance, indicates that this eidolon was first reliably attested some time in the twelfth century (but the exact year is uncertain). A "c." ''before'' the year stands for "[[Wiktionary:circa#English|circa]]", and indicates that the year is approximate (but within a few [[year]]s, not a century). Years and centuries are [[CE]] unless specified otherwise.

{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Name !! Ghost Type !! Year of Appearance
|-
|data-sort-value="Amphitonics"|[[The Amphitonics]] || Phantom || 1989
|-
| [[Arlet]] || Specter ||data-sort-value=1903|(1903)
|-
| [[Belial]] || Shade ||data-sort-value=1550|(1550)
|-
| [[Bloody Mary]] || Specter ||data-sort-value=1610|(1610)
|-
| [[Bultungin]] || Apparition ||data-sort-value=1100|(12c.)
|-
| [[Chatterteeth]] || Apparition ||data-sort-value=1300|(1300)
|-
| [[Chornitak]] || Wraith ||data-sort-value=900|(10c.)
|-
| [[Cosmo]] || Shade ||data-sort-value=1993|(1993)
|-
| [[Count Spatula]] || Specter ||1982
|-
|data-sort-value="Creran Serpent"|The [[Creran Serpent]] || Apparition ||data-sort-value=820|c. 820
|-
|data-sort-value="Cuca"|[[A Cuca]] || Apparition ||data-sort-value=1856|(1856)
|-
| [[Diamater]] || Specter ||data-sort-value=100|(2c.)
|-
| [[Doctor Peppermint]] || Shade ||data-sort-value=1721|(1721)
|-
| [[Faceless]] || Apparition ||data-sort-value=-1000|(10c. BCE)
|-
|data-sort-value="Flying Dutchman"|The [[Flying Dutchman]] || Specter ||data-sort-value=1674|(1674)
|-
| [[Gletch]] || Apparition ||data-sort-value=923|(923)
|-
|data-sort-value="Gold Fairy"|The [[Gold Fairy]] || Shade || 1961
|-
| [[Granny Butterfly]] || Specter ||data-sort-value=1727|(1727)
|-
| [[Gunabhartr]] || Phantom ||data-sort-value=-800|(8c. BCE)
|-
| [[Hanaichira]] || Shade ||data-sort-value=1820|(1820)
|-
|data-sort-value="Headless Horseman"|The [[Headless Horseman]] || Shade ||data-sort-value=1125|(1125)
|-
|data-sort-value="House of Bile"|The [[House of Bile]] || Phantom || 1870
|-
| [[Jindugita]] || Wraith ||data-sort-value=400|(5c.)
|-
| [[Kimmikinia]] || Specter ||data-sort-value=1832|(1832)
|-
|data-sort-value="Loping Beast"|The [[Loping Beast]] || Specter ||data-sort-value=-200|(2c. BCe)
|-
| [[Matani'i]] || Wraith ||data-sort-value=1200|(13c.)
|-
| [[Memsel]] || Phantom || 1887
|-
| [[Mirzamaa]] || Specter ||data-sort-value=1720|(c. 1720)
|-
| [[Nodubrada]] || Shade ||data-sort-value=1552|(1552)
|-
| [[Pan Omegas]] || Apparition ||data-sort-value=800|(9th c.)
|-
| [[Professor Slate]] || Shade || 1901
|-
| [[Qhawekhulu]] || Specter ||data-sort-value=1855|(c. 1855)
|-
| [[Raggedy Ned]] || Shade ||data-sort-value=1120|(c. 1120)
|-
| [[Santa Pascuala]] || Apparition || 1712
|-
| [[Smiles]] || Shade || 2000
|-
| [[Styrle]] || Shade || 1987
|-
|data-sort-value="Unseelie Hound"|The [[Unseelie Hound]] || Specter ||data-sort-value=1200|(13c.)
|-
|data-sort-value="Urchin"|The [[Urchin (eidolon)|Urchin]] || Apparition ||data-sort-value=900|(10c.)
|-
| [[Ureus]] || Wraith ||data-sort-value=-700|(7c. BCE)
|-
| [[Virgoyle]] || Phantom ||data-sort-value=610|c. 610
|-
| [[Whispering Bess]] || Apparition ||data-sort-value=1410|(1410)
|-
| [[Will-o'-the-Wisp]] || Wraith || 1550
|-
| [[Xecodius]] || Specter ||data-sort-value=-900|(9c. BCE)
|-
| [[Xuenu]] || Apparition ||data-sort-value=-1200|(12c. BCE)
|}
[[Category:Ghosts of Interlife Earth]][[Category:Eidolons|Eidolons]][[Category:Arcessites]][[Category:Articles with incomplete lists|Articles with incomplete lists]]

Eidolon

2025-12-10T23:29:17Z

Antefyn: /* List of known eidolons */ Whoops... a few mistypings

'''Eidolons''' ({{IPA|/aɪˈdoʊlən/}}) are formidable entities of [[Interlife Earth]] that [[ghost (Interlife Earth)]]s and knowledgeable [[mortal (Interlife Earth)|mortal]]s can [[arcession|call upon]] for various services. While powerful, most eidolons seem to have little drive or [[agency]] of their own, and it's not clear where they reside when they're not being summoned. In fact, while some suspect that eidolons spend their "down time" somewhere in or beyond the [[Gap]], others theorize that they aren't anywhere at all, that they only exist when called into being. When they ''are'' called upon, however, it doesn't seem they're limited to being in one place at a time; there are multiple accounts of several people in different parts of the [[Earth]] or the [[Spirit World]] availing themselves of the services of the same eidolon simultaneously, and even a few rare stories of an eidolon meeting another copy of itself. There are perhaps a hundred or so known eidolons, though some are known only from stories, the means to summon them long forgotten.

A ghost may become an eidolon when it is [[transformation|transformed]] by some momentous event. There's not one single way for a ghost to be turned into an eidolon, and there are no known cases of its being brought about intentionally, but it always involves some kind of violent disruption in the fabric of either the [[Mortal World]] or the Spirit World. There are eidolons that can't be matched up to a known ghost that existed before the eidolon first appeared, but it's generally assumed that this is because the eidolon's ghostly precursor is unknown, not because it had some other origin. Whether becoming an eidolon is a fate that a ghost should aspire to is highly debatable. Eidolons have great [[power (celemology)|power]]s, and unlike ghosts they seem to be truly [[immortality|immortal]]—no eidolons are known to have ceased to exist—but this must be balanced against their being strictly bound in their behavior, not to mention the issue that staying forever in the [[interlife]] and never passing on to whatever [[afterlife (Interlife Earth)|afterlife]] exists may not be a desireable goal.

There are a few eidolons who are willing and able to converse with their summoners, and whose [[name]]s are known because the eidolons themselves shared them. Usually, though not always, this is a different name from the one the eidolon went by when it was still a ghost, the eidolon having chosen a new name for itself when it transcended to its current state. Most eidolons, however, do not give their names, or perhaps have not bothered to name themselves, and the names they are known by are names conferred by ghosts and mortals. Naturally, this means the same eidolon may very well be known by completely different names in different [[sovereign state|countries]] and communities.

==Etymology==
The word "eidolon" derives from the [[ancient Greek]] ''[[Wiktionary:εἴδωλον#Ancient_Greek|εἴδωλον]]'', which in turn comes from the word ''[[Wiktionary:εἶδο&sigmaf;#Ancient_Greek|εἶδο&sigmaf;]]'', "form" or "appearance", related to the [[verb]] ''[[Wiktionary:εἶδον#Ancient_Greek|εἶδον]]'', "to see", and ultimately traceable to the consignificant [[proto-Indo-European]] [[root]] ''[[Wiktionary:Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/weyd-|*weyd-]]''. The ancient Greek word was used to refer to spirits of the dead, but also more generally to anything insubstantial or ideatic. Indeed, in [[English]] too the word "[[Wiktionary:eidolon|eidolon]]" has other meanings; the [[Wikipedia:Oxford English Dictionary|Oxford English Dictionary]] traces its English use back as far as 1585, and as in Greek it has been used to refer to images and idealizations of various natures. It is only in the last two [[century|centuries]] that the word became the standard term for its current [[spectrology|spectrological]] referent; prior to that the beings now called eidolons, when they were recognized as a distinct class of entity at all, were referred to by circumlocutions such as "transcended ghost" and "summoned spirit" or by idiosyncratic coinages that differed for each user.

The [[plural]] of the Greek word was ''εἰĭδωλα'', [[transliteration|transliterated]] as ''eidola''. While the English word ''eidolon'' is sometimes pluralized after the Greek word as ''eidola'' ({{IPA0|/aɪˈdoʊlə/}}), for whatever reason this pluralization never caught on for the word in its [[spectrology|spectrological]] meaning, and in spectrology it is almost always pluralized [[regular inflection|regularly]]—although the plural "eidola" is very occasionally seen.

The [[adjective]] for things related to eidolons is "eidolic" ({{IPA|/aɪˈdɒlɪk/}}).

==Types==
The majority of eidolons are roughly evenly split between [[apparition (Interlife Earth)|apparition]]s, [[shade (Interlife Earth)|shade]]s, and [[specter (Interlife Earth)|specter]]s, with a few [[phantom (Interlife Earth)|phantom]]s and [[wraith (Interlife Earth)|wraith]]s. This does mean that shades and apparitions have a proportionately higher representation among (known) eidolons than they do among ghosts in general, a phenomenon for which [[spectrologist]]s have no definite explanation, although it's commonly assumed that there is something about the conditions of [[arisal]] of shades and apparitions make these ghosts more likely to become eidolons. It could be, however, that the disproportion is simply a [[coincidence|coincidental]] artifact of the small [[sample size]]. There are no known [[ghoul (Interlife Earth)|ghoul]] eidolons, though that's not to say that one might not exist somewhere, or that a ghoul may not become an eidolon in the [[future]] even if none have in the [[past]].

For the most part, eidolons conform to the general characteristics and limitations of their ghost types, supplemented by whatever additional powers they were granted in their transformation. Shades cannot change their accouterments but heal quickly; specters can change their accouterments and may be capable of [[plasmofacture]]; et cetera. It is worth noting that all known phantom eidolons have [[residence]]s; if there are any phantom eidolons capable of moving between different hosts, they have not come to wide attention.

===Multiform Eidolons===
A handful of eidolons have more than one ghostly [[frame]], and had presumably been more than one ghost before their transformation. [[Nodubrada]] and [[Ureus]] are each composed of two ghosts, and [[The Amphitonics]] of three; [[Styrle]] technically comprises three ghosts, but in only two frames. [[Chornitak]], [[Gletch]], and the [[House of Bile]] are each also believed to include multiple ghosts, though the numbers are uncertain. In any case, while their components may have formerly have been distinct individuals, such [[multiform eidolon]]s now seem to function as single entities. Their constituents generally cannot be summoned separately ([[The Amphitonics]] possibly being a partial exception), and they seem to have a single will and personality. Spectrologists' opinions differ as to whether the [[corpus|corpora]] retain their own individualities and [[consciousness]]es and are merely in [[telepathy|mental communication]] or whether multiform eidolons are effectively fully [[psychodesis|psychodetic]], [[pleote|pleotic]] beings; it is, of course, not impossible that this differs between different such eidolons.

==Arcession==
Each eidolon is called by a different specific ritual, the details varying widely. In almost all cases, the rituals are complicated or unusual enough that nobody is likely to call the eidolon by accident. The ritual may involve the recitation of particular [[word]]s, names, or [[phrase]]s; it may have to be carried out in a specific place; it may involve specific motions or [[gesture]]s. Usually one or more particular types of object are also required for the [[arcession]]: commonly the objects are offered as [[sacrifice]]s, but they may be used in the ritual in some other way, or it may be that there's nothing specific the summoner has to do with them but their presence is still required.

The time it takes for the eidolon to show up after the ritual is complete likewise varies by eidolon. Some show up immediately, while others arrive only after a delay of a few [[minute]]s to an [[hour]]. Once the eidolon does arrive, in most cases the summoner can command the eidolon to perform specific tasks, in line with the eidolon's nature and powers. However, although no eidolon seems to have complete free agency, not all eidolons are constrained to obey their summoners. Those that are not instead engage in some other predictable behavior when they are called upon, which may or may not be to the caller's benefit. For instance, probably the most infamous eidolon, [[Bloody Mary]], is known for attacking everyone present when she appears. It may be that in cases like Bloody Mary's the eidolon still ''can'' be bound to service with the correct ritual, and that its aberrant behavior is a result of the ritual being performed incorrectly or even of the performance of a different, more hazardous ritual, but if so the correct ritual that would force the eidolons to service is unknown.

==Cults==
Whatever else eidolons are, they are powerful beings, and [[eidolic cult]]s have sprung up that [[worship|venerate]] the eidolons as [[god]]s. There are a few scattered [[cult]]s that worship eidolons collectively, but most eidolic cults choose one specific eidolon, or a small handful of eidolons they see as in some way associated, as the subject(s) of their worship. Some eidolons have more and larger cults associated with them than others; [[Diamater]], in particular, has an elaborate [[religion]] formed around her—most of its membership made up of ghosts, of course, though she does have a nonzero number of living worshippers. The same is true of [[Gunabhartr]], to a somewhat lesser degree, but most other eidolons have at best only small, scattered cults.

The cults' pretensions notwithstanding, eidolons are of course ''not'' gods, and it's unclear whether most eidolons are even aware of their worshippers. However, some cultists ''do'' seem to get some benisons and [[power]]s from their devotion. It's a subject of debate whether these are powers the cultists develop on their own and attribute to the eidolons they honor; whether the eidolons do have some subdivine ability to reward their votaries; or whether the reverence of their faithful, or some other factor, may indeed be in the process of [[apotheosis|raising]] some eidolons to some sort of true divinity.

==Powers==
All eidolons seem to have the ability to [[translocation|translocate]] to any location on [[Earth]] or in the [[Spirit World]], though they seem to use this power only when responding to a summon or at their summoners' command. As previously remarked, they are also all capable of [[multipresence]], existing in many locations at the same time. Aside from that, eidolons' powers vary widely, based apparently on their natures and histories and the details of their ascensions. Eidolons have demonstrated strange powers otherwise unknown to ghosts, including [[ylifaction]], [[animation (celemology)|animation]], and [[weather control]]. While the powers of different eidolons vary widely, however, a given eidolon always has the same powers in every manifestation.

One other feature all eidolons ''do'' seem to have in common is their indestructibility. This is not to say that a given [[corpus]] of an eidolon cannot be destroyed; they are much more durable and difficult to harm than other ghosts, but it's not impossible to damage their ghostly forms, and, with enough damage, to disable them. However, this does not prevent the eidolon from being summoned again later. If there is a way to permanently destroy an eidolon, no one has found it. Still, if an eidolon is causing problems, destroying the corpus responsible may be enough to stop, or at least delay, its baneful activity.

==The Juventude Paradox==
It has been noted that while the ages of known eidolons span a large [[history|historical]] [[range]], they are skewed more toward recent origins than can readily be explained on the basis of current understanding. This observation is sometimes called the [[Juventude Paradox]], and in its most common form can be stated as follows: If eidolons are truly immortal and imperible, and if the [[proportion]] of ghosts that become eidolons has remained [[constant]] over [[time]], then we should anticipate on [[average]] that the number of eidolons that originated during any given interval should be proportional to the [[population]] of the [[world]] (or more precisely of the [[Spirit World]]) at that time. The ages of the known eidolons, however, do not match this prediction; there are proportionately more eidolons from more recent timespans than should be expected.

It is true, of course, that the populations of the Earth and of the Spirit World have increased over time and that there are simply more ghosts now than there were in earlier eras, but the increase in the general population is not sufficient to explain the increase in the number of eidolons. A number of [[hypothesis|hypotheses]] have been advanced to resolve the Juventude Paradox, but they can be divided into three main categories. These categories and these explanations are not mutually exclusive, and it could very well be that there is more than one factor at play.

The first category of explanation rejects the first [[premise]] of the [[paradox]]. Perhaps the reason we don't see the expected temporal distribution of eidolons is because contrary to mainstream belief eidolons are ''not'' everlasting; they linger longer than ghosts, but perhaps they do eventually fade away, or perhaps they can be and sometimes are somehow destroyed. The fact that we have no direct evidence of any eidolons expiring doesn't mean it doesn't happen—and in fact some spectrologists point to the Juventude Paradox itself as such evidence, although the existence of other explanations for the paradox makes it less than definitive.

Other [[spectrologist]]s reject the second premise, and posit that the ''proportion'' of ghosts that become eidolons has increased over time. This could be tied to the increase in population; perhaps, for instance, the transformation of a ghost into an eidolon depends on some [[psilovium|undetected emanation]] from other ghosts, and therefore the more other ghosts there are, the more likely it is for a ghost to become an eidolon, meaning that as the number of ghosts increases the number of eidolons increases [[linear function|nonlinearly]]. Or it could be that there is some other, hidden quality or factor on which the transformation into an eidolon depends, and which has been waxing over the years.

The third category of explanation accepts both premises, and therefore concludes that there must indeed be more eidolons from earlier periods than are currently known. This leads to the inference that there are a great number of unknown eidolons of early origin—that is, the paradox is resolved not by postulating some mechanism by which proportionately fewer eidolons exist that were formed in antiquity, but by proposing that there are many ancient eidolons which have simply been forgotten. That there are ''some'' [[lost eidolon]]s now utterly unremembered is almost certainly true; old references to otherwise unknown eidolons have occasionally been discovered, and there is no reason to believe that there are no more to be found. Whether there are ''enough'' lost eidolons to explain the Juventude Paradox is, however, an open question. Nevertheless, this supposition has encouraged some ghosts (and a few mortals) to seek diligently to find some record of lost eidolons, and to recover the means to summon them. One ghostly organization, the [[Anamneseon]], is famously devoted to this endeavor.

==List of known eidolons==
Some of the best known eidolons are listed below. This list is not exhaustive; many other eidolons exist besides those listed here. Note that in most cases the name given for each eidolon here is merely the most common name that eidolon is called by, or one of the most common names; as remarked above, most eidolons are known by many different names. Also, in many cases, the year of the eidolon's first appearance is unknown; where the year (or approximate year) is given in [[parenthesis|parentheses]], this signifies that the given year is that of the first reliable report of the eidolon's sighting, but not necessarily of its ascension. A "c." after a number indicates a [[century]]; the year of "12c." given for the eidolon [[Bultungin]], for instance, indicates that this eidolon was first reliably attested some time in the twelfth century (but the exact year is uncertain). A "c." ''before'' the year stands for "[[Wiktionary:circa#English|circa]]", and indicates that the year is approximate (but within a few [[year]]s, not a century). Years and centuries are [[CE]] unless specified otherwise.

{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Name !! Ghost Type !! Year of Appearance
|-
|data-sort-value="Amphitonics"|[[The Amphitonics]] || Phantom || 1989
|-
| [[Arlet]] || Specter ||data-sort-value=1903|(1903)
|-
| [[Belial]] || Shade ||data-sort-value=1550|(1550)
|-
| [[Bloody Mary]] || Specter ||data-sort-value=1610|(1610)
|-
| [[Bultungin]] || Apparition ||data-sort-value=1100|(12c.)
|-
| [[Chatterteeth]] || Apparition ||data-sort-value=1300|(1300)
|-
| [[Chornitak]] || Wraith ||data-sort-value=900|(10c.)
|-
| [[Cosmo]] || Shade ||data-sort-value=1993|(1993)
|-
| [[Count Spatula]] || Specter ||1982
|-
|data-sort-value="Creran Serpent"|The [[Creran Serpent]] || Apparition ||data-sort-value=820|c. 820
|-
|data-sort-value="Cuca"|[[A Cuca]] || Apparition ||data-sort-value=1856|(1856)
|-
| [[Diamater]] || Specter ||data-sort-value=100|(2c.)
|-
| [[Doctor Peppermint]] || Shade ||data-sort-value=1721|(1721)
|-
| [[Faceless]] || Apparition ||data-sort-value=-1000|(10c. BCE)
|-
|data-sort-value="Flying Dutchman"|The [[Flying Dutchman]] || Specter ||data-sort-value=1674|(1674)
|-
| [[Gletch]] || Apparition ||data-sort-value=923|(923)
|-
|data-sort-value="Gold Fairy"|The [[Gold Fairy]] || Shade || 1961
|-
| [[Granny Butterfly]] || Specter ||data-sort-value=1727|(1727)
|-
| [[Gunabhartr]] || Phantom ||data-sort-value=-800|(8c. BCE)
|-
| [[Hanaichira]] || Shade ||data-sort-value=1820|(1820)
|-
|data-sort-value="Headless Horseman"|The [[Headless Horseman]] || Shade ||data-sort-value=1125|(1125)
|-
|data-sort-value="House of Bile"|The [[House of Bile]] || Phantom || 1870
|-
| [[Jindugita]] || Wraith ||data-sort-value=400|(5c.)
|-
| [[Kimmikinia]] || Specter ||data-sort-value=1832|(1832)
|-
|data-sort-value="Loping Beast"|The [[Loping Beast]] || Specter ||data-sort-value=-200|(2c. BCe)
|-
| [[Matani'i]] || Wraith ||data-sort-value=1200|(13c.)
|-
| [[Memsel]] || Phantom || 1887
|-
| [[Mirzamaa]] || Specter ||data-sort-value=1720|(c. 1720)
|-
| [[Nodubrada]] || Shade ||data-sort-value=1552|(1552)
|-
| [[Pan Omegas]] || Apparition ||data-sort-value=800|(9th c.)
|-
| [[Professor Slate]] || Shade || 1901
|-
| [[Qhawekhulu]] || Specter ||data-sort-value=1855|(c. 1855)
|-
| [[Raggedy Ned]] || Shade ||data-sort-value=1120|(c. 1120)
|-
| [[Santa Pascuala]] || Apparition || 1712
|-
| [[Smiles]] || Shade || 2000
|-
| [[Styrle]] || Shade || 1987
|-
|data-sort-value="Unseelie Hound"|The [[Unseelie Hound]] || Specter ||data-sort-value=1200|(13c.)
|-
|data-sort-value="Urchin"|The [[Urchin (eidolon)|Urchin]] || Apparition ||data-sort-value=900|(10c.)
|-
| [[Ureus]] || Wraith ||data-sort-value=-700|(7c. BCE)
|-
| [[Virgoyle]] || Phantom ||data-sort-value=610|c. 610
|-
| [[Whispering Bess]] || Apparition ||data-sort-value=1410|(1410)
|-
| [[Will-o'-the-Wisp]] || Wraith || 1550
|-
| [[Xecodius]] || Specter ||data-sort-value=-900|(9c. BCE)
|-
| [[Xuenu]] || Apparition ||data-sort-value=-1200|(12c. BCE)
|}
[[Category:Ghosts of Interlife Earth]][[Category:Eidolons|Eidolons]][[Category:Arcessites]][[Category:Articles with incomplete lists|Articles with incomplete lists]]

Eidolon

2024-10-24T03:04:27Z

Antefyn: /* Powers */ Whoops should have piped that to the right form of the word

'''Eidolons''' ({{IPA|/aɪˈdoʊlən/}}) are formidable entities of [[Interlife Earth]] that [[ghost (Interlife Earth)]]s and knowledgeable [[mortal (Interlife Earth)|mortal]]s can [[arcession|call upon]] for various services. While powerful, most eidolons seem to have little drive or [[agency]] of their own, and it's not clear where they reside when they're not being summoned. In fact, while some suspect that eidolons spend their "down time" somewhere in or beyond the [[Gap]], others theorize that they aren't anywhere at all, that they only exist when called into being. When they ''are'' called upon, however, it doesn't seem they're limited to being in one place at a time; there are multiple accounts of several people in different parts of the [[Earth]] or the [[Spirit World]] availing themselves of the services of the same eidolon simultaneously, and even a few rare stories of an eidolon meeting another copy of itself. There are perhaps a hundred or so known eidolons, though some are known only from stories, the means to summon them long forgotten.

A ghost may become an eidolon when it is [[transformation|transformed]] by some momentous event. There's not one single way for a ghost to be turned into an eidolon, and there are no known cases of its being brought about intentionally, but it always involves some kind of violent disruption in the fabric of either the [[Mortal World]] or the Spirit World. There are eidolons that can't be matched up to a known ghost that existed before the eidolon first appeared, but it's generally assumed that this is because the eidolon's ghostly precursor is unknown, not because it had some other origin. Whether becoming an eidolon is a fate that a ghost should aspire to is highly debatable. Eidolons have great [[power (celemology)|power]]s, and unlike ghosts they seem to be truly [[immortality|immortal]]—no eidolons are known to have ceased to exist—but this must be balanced against their being strictly bound in their behavior, not to mention the issue that staying forever in the [[interlife]] and never passing on to whatever [[afterlife (Interlife Earth)|afterlife]] exists may not be a desireable goal.

There are a few eidolons who are willing and able to converse with their summoners, and whose [[name]]s are known because the eidolons themselves shared them. Usually, though not always, this is a different name from the one the eidolon went by when it was still a ghost, the eidolon having chosen a new name for itself when it transcended to its current state. Most eidolons, however, do not give their names, or perhaps have not bothered to name themselves, and the names they are known by are names conferred by ghosts and mortals. Naturally, this means the same eidolon may very well be known by completely different names in different [[sovereign state|countries]] and communities.

==Etymology==
The word "eidolon" derives from the [[ancient Greek]] ''[[Wiktionary:εἴδωλον#Ancient_Greek|εἴδωλον]]'', which in turn comes from the word ''[[Wiktionary:εἶδο&sigmaf;#Ancient_Greek|εἶδο&sigmaf;]]'', "form" or "appearance", related to the [[verb]] ''[[Wiktionary:εἶδον#Ancient_Greek|εἶδον]]'', "to see", and ultimately traceable to the consignificant [[proto-Indo-European]] [[root]] ''[[Wiktionary:Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/weyd-|*weyd-]]''. The ancient Greek word was used to refer to spirits of the dead, but also more generally to anything insubstantial or ideatic. Indeed, in [[English]] too the word "[[Wiktionary:eidolon|eidolon]]" has other meanings; the [[Wikipedia:Oxford English Dictionary|Oxford English Dictionary]] traces its English use back as far as 1585, and as in Greek it has been used to refer to images and idealizations of various natures. It is only in the last two [[century|centuries]] that the word became the standard term for its current [[spectrology|spectrological]] referent; prior to that the beings now called eidolons, when they were recognized as a distinct class of entity at all, were referred to by circumlocutions such as "transcended ghost" and "summoned spirit" or by idiosyncratic coinages that differed for each user.

The [[plural]] of the Greek word was ''εἰĭδωλα'', [[transliteration|transliterated]] as ''eidola''. While the English word ''eidolon'' is sometimes pluralized after the Greek word as ''eidola'' ({{IPA0|/aɪˈdoʊlə/}}), for whatever reason this pluralization never caught on for the word in its [[spectrology|spectrological]] meaning, and in spectrology it is almost always pluralized [[regular inflection|regularly]]—although the plural "eidola" is very occasionally seen.

The [[adjective]] for things related to eidolons is "eidolic" ({{IPA|/aɪˈdɒlɪk/}}).

==Types==
The majority of eidolons are roughly evenly split between [[apparition (Interlife Earth)|apparition]]s, [[shade (Interlife Earth)|shade]]s, and [[specter (Interlife Earth)|specter]]s, with a few [[phantom (Interlife Earth)|phantom]]s and [[wraith (Interlife Earth)|wraith]]s. This does mean that shades and apparitions have a proportionately higher representation among (known) eidolons than they do among ghosts in general, a phenomenon for which [[spectrologist]]s have no definite explanation, although it's commonly assumed that there is something about the conditions of [[arisal]] of shades and apparitions make these ghosts more likely to become eidolons. It could be, however, that the disproportion is simply a [[coincidence|coincidental]] artifact of the small [[sample size]]. There are no known [[ghoul (Interlife Earth)|ghoul]] eidolons, though that's not to say that one might not exist somewhere, or that a ghoul may not become an eidolon in the [[future]] even if none have in the [[past]].

For the most part, eidolons conform to the general characteristics and limitations of their ghost types, supplemented by whatever additional powers they were granted in their transformation. Shades cannot change their accouterments but heal quickly; specters can change their accouterments and may be capable of [[plasmofacture]]; et cetera. It is worth noting that all known phantom eidolons have [[residence]]s; if there are any phantom eidolons capable of moving between different hosts, they have not come to wide attention.

===Multiform Eidolons===
A handful of eidolons have more than one ghostly [[frame]], and had presumably been more than one ghost before their transformation. [[Nodubrada]] and [[Ureus]] are each composed of two ghosts, and [[The Amphitonics]] of three; [[Styrle]] technically comprises three ghosts, but in only two frames. [[Chornitak]], [[Gletch]], and the [[House of Bile]] are each also believed to include multiple ghosts, though the numbers are uncertain. In any case, while their components may have formerly have been distinct individuals, such [[multiform eidolon]]s now seem to function as single entities. Their constituents generally cannot be summoned separately ([[The Amphitonics]] possibly being a partial exception), and they seem to have a single will and personality. Spectrologists' opinions differ as to whether the [[corpus|corpora]] retain their own individualities and [[consciousness]]es and are merely in [[telepathy|mental communication]] or whether multiform eidolons are effectively fully [[psychodesis|psychodetic]], [[pleote|pleotic]] beings; it is, of course, not impossible that this differs between different such eidolons.

==Arcession==
Each eidolon is called by a different specific ritual, the details varying widely. In almost all cases, the rituals are complicated or unusual enough that nobody is likely to call the eidolon by accident. The ritual may involve the recitation of particular [[word]]s, names, or [[phrase]]s; it may have to be carried out in a specific place; it may involve specific motions or [[gesture]]s. Usually one or more particular types of object are also required for the [[arcession]]: commonly the objects are offered as [[sacrifice]]s, but they may be used in the ritual in some other way, or it may be that there's nothing specific the summoner has to do with them but their presence is still required.

The time it takes for the eidolon to show up after the ritual is complete likewise varies by eidolon. Some show up immediately, while others arrive only after a delay of a few [[minute]]s to an [[hour]]. Once the eidolon does arrive, in most cases the summoner can command the eidolon to perform specific tasks, in line with the eidolon's nature and powers. However, although no eidolon seems to have complete free agency, not all eidolons are constrained to obey their summoners. Those that are not instead engage in some other predictable behavior when they are called upon, which may or may not be to the caller's benefit. For instance, probably the most infamous eidolon, [[Bloody Mary]], is known for attacking everyone present when she appears. It may be that in cases like Bloody Mary's the eidolon still ''can'' be bound to service with the correct ritual, and that its aberrant behavior is a result of the ritual being performed incorrectly or even of the performance of a different, more hazardous ritual, but if so the correct ritual that would force the eidolons to service is unknown.

==Cults==
Whatever else eidolons are, they are powerful beings, and [[eidolic cult]]s have sprung up that [[worship|venerate]] the eidolons as [[god]]s. There are a few scattered [[cult]]s that worship eidolons collectively, but most eidolic cults choose one specific eidolon, or a small handful of eidolons they see as in some way associated, as the subject(s) of their worship. Some eidolons have more and larger cults associated with them than others; [[Diamater]], in particular, has an elaborate [[religion]] formed around her—most of its membership made up of ghosts, of course, though she does have a nonzero number of living worshippers. The same is true of [[Gunabhartr]], to a somewhat lesser degree, but most other eidolons have at best only small, scattered cults.

The cults' pretensions notwithstanding, eidolons are of course ''not'' gods, and it's unclear whether most eidolons are even aware of their worshippers. However, some cultists ''do'' seem to get some benisons and [[power]]s from their devotion. It's a subject of debate whether these are powers the cultists develop on their own and attribute to the eidolons they honor; whether the eidolons do have some subdivine ability to reward their votaries; or whether the reverence of their faithful, or some other factor, may indeed be in the process of [[apotheosis|raising]] some eidolons to some sort of true divinity.

==Powers==
All eidolons seem to have the ability to [[translocation|translocate]] to any location on [[Earth]] or in the [[Spirit World]], though they seem to use this power only when responding to a summon or at their summoners' command. As previously remarked, they are also all capable of [[multipresence]], existing in many locations at the same time. Aside from that, eidolons' powers vary widely, based apparently on their natures and histories and the details of their ascensions. Eidolons have demonstrated strange powers otherwise unknown to ghosts, including [[ylifaction]], [[animation (celemology)|animation]], and [[weather control]]. While the powers of different eidolons vary widely, however, a given eidolon always has the same powers in every manifestation.

One other feature all eidolons ''do'' seem to have in common is their indestructibility. This is not to say that a given [[corpus]] of an eidolon cannot be destroyed; they are much more durable and difficult to harm than other ghosts, but it's not impossible to damage their ghostly forms, and, with enough damage, to disable them. However, this does not prevent the eidolon from being summoned again later. If there is a way to permanently destroy an eidolon, no one has found it. Still, if an eidolon is causing problems, destroying the corpus responsible may be enough to stop, or at least delay, its baneful activity.

==The Juventude Paradox==
It has been noted that while the ages of known eidolons span a large [[history|historical]] [[range]], they are skewed more toward recent origins than can readily be explained on the basis of current understanding. This observation is sometimes called the [[Juventude Paradox]], and in its most common form can be stated as follows: If eidolons are truly immortal and imperible, and if the [[proportion]] of ghosts that become eidolons has remained [[constant]] over [[time]], then we should anticipate on [[average]] that the number of eidolons that originated during any given interval should be proportional to the [[population]] of the [[world]] (or more precisely of the [[Spirit World]]) at that time. The ages of the known eidolons, however, do not match this prediction; there are proportionately more eidolons from more recent timespans than should be expected.

It is true, of course, that the populations of the Earth and of the Spirit World have increased over time and that there are simply more ghosts now than there were in earlier eras, but the increase in the general population is not sufficient to explain the increase in the number of eidolons. A number of [[hypothesis|hypotheses]] have been advanced to resolve the Juventude Paradox, but they can be divided into three main categories. These categories and these explanations are not mutually exclusive, and it could very well be that there is more than one factor at play.

The first category of explanation rejects the first [[premise]] of the [[paradox]]. Perhaps the reason we don't see the expected temporal distribution of eidolons is because contrary to mainstream belief eidolons are ''not'' everlasting; they linger longer than ghosts, but perhaps they do eventually fade away, or perhaps they can be and sometimes are somehow destroyed. The fact that we have no direct evidence of any eidolons expiring doesn't mean it doesn't happen—and in fact some spectrologists point to the Juventude Paradox itself as such evidence, although the existence of other explanations for the paradox makes it less than definitive.

Other [[spectrologist]]s reject the second premise, and posit that the ''proportion'' of ghosts that become eidolons has increased over time. This could be tied to the increase in population; perhaps, for instance, the transformation of a ghost into an eidolon depends on some [[psilovium|undetected emanation]] from other ghosts, and therefore the more other ghosts there are, the more likely it is for a ghost to become an eidolon, meaning that as the number of ghosts increases the number of eidolons increases [[linear function|nonlinearly]]. Or it could be that there is some other, hidden quality or factor on which the transformation into an eidolon depends, and which has been waxing over the years.

The third category of explanation accepts both premises, and therefore concludes that there must indeed be more eidolons from earlier periods than are currently known. This leads to the inference that there are a great number of unknown eidolons of early origin—that is, the paradox is resolved not by postulating some mechanism by which proportionately fewer eidolons exist that were formed in antiquity, but by proposing that there are many ancient eidolons which have simply been forgotten. That there are ''some'' [[lost eidolon]]s now utterly unremembered is almost certainly true; old references to otherwise unknown eidolons have occasionally been discovered, and there is no reason to believe that there are no more to be found. Whether there are ''enough'' lost eidolons to explain the Juventude Paradox is, however, an open question. Nevertheless, this supposition has encouraged some ghosts (and a few mortals) to seek diligently to find some record of lost eidolons, and to recover the means to summon them. One ghostly organization, the [[Anamneseon]], is famously devoted to this endeavor.

==List of known eidolons==
Some of the best known eidolons are listed below. This list is not exhaustive; many other eidolons exist besides those listed here. Note that in most cases the name given for each eidolon here is merely the most common name that eidolon is called by, or one of the most common names; as remarked above, most eidolons are known by many different names. Also, in many cases, the year of the eidolon's first appearance is unknown; where the year (or approximate year) is given in [[parenthesis|parentheses]], this signifies that the given year is that of the first reliable report of the eidolon's sighting, but not necessarily of its ascension. A "c." after a number indicates a [[century]]; the year of "12c." given for the eidolon [[Bultungin]], for instance, indicates that this eidolon was first reliably attested some time in the twelfth century (but the exact year is uncertain). A "c." ''before'' the year stands for "[[Wiktionary:circa#English|circa]]", and indicates that the year is approximate (but within a few [[year]]s, not a century). Years and centuries are [[CE]] unless specified otherwise.

{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Name !! Ghost Type !! Year of Appearance
|-
|data-sort-value="Amphitonics"|[[The Amphitonics]] || Phantom || 1989
|-
| [[Arlet]] || Specter ||data-sort-value=1903|(1903)
|-
| [[Belial]] || Shade ||data-sort-value=1550|(1550)
|-
| [[Bloody Mary]] || Specter ||data-sort-value=1610|(1610)
|-
| [[Bultungin]] || Apparition ||data-sort-value=1100|(12c.)
|-
| [[Chatterteeth]] || Apparition ||data-sort-value=1300|(1300)
|-
| [[Chornitak]] || Wraith ||data-sort-value=900|(10c.)
|-
| [[Cosmo]] || Shade ||data-sort-value=1993|(1993)
|-
| [[Count Spatula]] || Specter ||1982
|-
|data-sort-value="Creran Serpent"|The [[Creran Serpent]] || Apparition ||data-sort-value=820|c. 820
|-
|data-sort-value="Cuca"|[[A Cuca]] || Apparition ||data-sort-value=1856|(1856)
|-
| [[Diamater]] || Specter ||data-sort-value=100|(2c.)
|-
| [[Doctor Peppermint]] || Shade ||data-sort-value=1721|(1721)
|-
| [[Faceless]] || Apparition ||data-sort-value=-1000|(10c. BCE)
|-
|data-sort-value="Flying Dutchman"|The [[Flying Dutchman]] || Specter ||data-sort-value=1674|(1674)
|-
| [[Gletch]] || Apparition ||data-sort-value=923|(923)
|-
|data-sort-value="Gold Fairy"|The [[Gold Fairy]] || Shade || 1961
|-
| [[Granny Butterfly]] || Specter ||data-sort-value=1727|(1727)
|-
| [[Gunabhartr]] || Phantom ||data-sort-value=-800|(8c. BCE)
|-
| [[Hanaichira]] || Shade ||data-sort-value=1820|(1820)
|-
|data-sort-value="Headless Horseman"|The [[Headless Horseman]] || Shade ||data-sort-value=1125|(1125)
|-
|data-sort-value="House of Bile"|The [[House of Bile]] || Phantom || 1870
|-
| [[Jindugita]] || Wraith ||data-sort-value=400|(5c.)
|-
| [[Kimmikinia]] || Specter ||data-sort-value=1832|(1832)
|-
|data-sort-value="Loping Beast"|The [[Loping Beast]] || Specter ||data-sort-value=-200|(2c. BCe)
|-
| [[Matani'i]] || Phantom ||data-sort-value=1200|(13c.)
|-
| [[Memsel]] || Phantom || 1887
|-
| [[Mirzamaa]] || Phantom ||data-sort-value=1720|(c. 1720)
|-
| [[Nodubrada]] || Shade ||data-sort-value=1552|(1552)
|-
| [[Pan Omegas]] || Apparition ||data-sort-value=800|(9th c.)
|-
| [[Professor Slate]] || Shade || 1901
|-
| [[Qhawekhulu]] || Specter ||data-sort-value=1855|(c. 1855)
|-
| [[Raggedy Ned]] || Shade ||data-sort-value=1120|(c. 1120)
|-
| [[Santa Pascuala]] || Apparition || 1712
|-
| [[Smiles]] || Shade || 2000
|-
| [[Styrle]] || Shade || 1987
|-
|data-sort-value="Unseelie Hound"|The [[Unseelie Hound]] || Specter ||data-sort-value=1200|(13c.)
|-
|data-sort-value="Urchin"|The [[Urchin (eidolon)|Urchin]] || Apparition ||data-sort-value=900|(10c.)
|-
| [[Ureus]] || Wraith ||data-sort-value=-700|(7c. BCE)
|-
| [[Virgoyle]] || Phantom ||data-sort-value=610|c. 610
|-
| [[Whispering Bess]] || Apparition ||data-sort-value=1410|(1410)
|-
| [[Will-o'-the-Wisp]] || Wraith || 1550
|-
| [[Xecodius]] || Specter ||data-sort-value=-900|(9c. BCE)
|-
| [[Xuenu]] || Apparition ||data-sort-value=-1200|(12c. BCE)
|}
[[Category:Ghosts of Interlife Earth]][[Category:Eidolons|Eidolons]][[Category:Arcessites]][[Category:Articles with incomplete lists|Articles with incomplete lists]]

Eidolon

2024-10-24T03:03:27Z

Antefyn: /* Etymology */ Apparently I never added the brackets for this link?

'''Eidolons''' ({{IPA|/aɪˈdoʊlən/}}) are formidable entities of [[Interlife Earth]] that [[ghost (Interlife Earth)]]s and knowledgeable [[mortal (Interlife Earth)|mortal]]s can [[arcession|call upon]] for various services. While powerful, most eidolons seem to have little drive or [[agency]] of their own, and it's not clear where they reside when they're not being summoned. In fact, while some suspect that eidolons spend their "down time" somewhere in or beyond the [[Gap]], others theorize that they aren't anywhere at all, that they only exist when called into being. When they ''are'' called upon, however, it doesn't seem they're limited to being in one place at a time; there are multiple accounts of several people in different parts of the [[Earth]] or the [[Spirit World]] availing themselves of the services of the same eidolon simultaneously, and even a few rare stories of an eidolon meeting another copy of itself. There are perhaps a hundred or so known eidolons, though some are known only from stories, the means to summon them long forgotten.

A ghost may become an eidolon when it is [[transformation|transformed]] by some momentous event. There's not one single way for a ghost to be turned into an eidolon, and there are no known cases of its being brought about intentionally, but it always involves some kind of violent disruption in the fabric of either the [[Mortal World]] or the Spirit World. There are eidolons that can't be matched up to a known ghost that existed before the eidolon first appeared, but it's generally assumed that this is because the eidolon's ghostly precursor is unknown, not because it had some other origin. Whether becoming an eidolon is a fate that a ghost should aspire to is highly debatable. Eidolons have great [[power (celemology)|power]]s, and unlike ghosts they seem to be truly [[immortality|immortal]]—no eidolons are known to have ceased to exist—but this must be balanced against their being strictly bound in their behavior, not to mention the issue that staying forever in the [[interlife]] and never passing on to whatever [[afterlife (Interlife Earth)|afterlife]] exists may not be a desireable goal.

There are a few eidolons who are willing and able to converse with their summoners, and whose [[name]]s are known because the eidolons themselves shared them. Usually, though not always, this is a different name from the one the eidolon went by when it was still a ghost, the eidolon having chosen a new name for itself when it transcended to its current state. Most eidolons, however, do not give their names, or perhaps have not bothered to name themselves, and the names they are known by are names conferred by ghosts and mortals. Naturally, this means the same eidolon may very well be known by completely different names in different [[sovereign state|countries]] and communities.

==Etymology==
The word "eidolon" derives from the [[ancient Greek]] ''[[Wiktionary:εἴδωλον#Ancient_Greek|εἴδωλον]]'', which in turn comes from the word ''[[Wiktionary:εἶδο&sigmaf;#Ancient_Greek|εἶδο&sigmaf;]]'', "form" or "appearance", related to the [[verb]] ''[[Wiktionary:εἶδον#Ancient_Greek|εἶδον]]'', "to see", and ultimately traceable to the consignificant [[proto-Indo-European]] [[root]] ''[[Wiktionary:Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/weyd-|*weyd-]]''. The ancient Greek word was used to refer to spirits of the dead, but also more generally to anything insubstantial or ideatic. Indeed, in [[English]] too the word "[[Wiktionary:eidolon|eidolon]]" has other meanings; the [[Wikipedia:Oxford English Dictionary|Oxford English Dictionary]] traces its English use back as far as 1585, and as in Greek it has been used to refer to images and idealizations of various natures. It is only in the last two [[century|centuries]] that the word became the standard term for its current [[spectrology|spectrological]] referent; prior to that the beings now called eidolons, when they were recognized as a distinct class of entity at all, were referred to by circumlocutions such as "transcended ghost" and "summoned spirit" or by idiosyncratic coinages that differed for each user.

The [[plural]] of the Greek word was ''εἰĭδωλα'', [[transliteration|transliterated]] as ''eidola''. While the English word ''eidolon'' is sometimes pluralized after the Greek word as ''eidola'' ({{IPA0|/aɪˈdoʊlə/}}), for whatever reason this pluralization never caught on for the word in its [[spectrology|spectrological]] meaning, and in spectrology it is almost always pluralized [[regular inflection|regularly]]—although the plural "eidola" is very occasionally seen.

The [[adjective]] for things related to eidolons is "eidolic" ({{IPA|/aɪˈdɒlɪk/}}).

==Types==
The majority of eidolons are roughly evenly split between [[apparition (Interlife Earth)|apparition]]s, [[shade (Interlife Earth)|shade]]s, and [[specter (Interlife Earth)|specter]]s, with a few [[phantom (Interlife Earth)|phantom]]s and [[wraith (Interlife Earth)|wraith]]s. This does mean that shades and apparitions have a proportionately higher representation among (known) eidolons than they do among ghosts in general, a phenomenon for which [[spectrologist]]s have no definite explanation, although it's commonly assumed that there is something about the conditions of [[arisal]] of shades and apparitions make these ghosts more likely to become eidolons. It could be, however, that the disproportion is simply a [[coincidence|coincidental]] artifact of the small [[sample size]]. There are no known [[ghoul (Interlife Earth)|ghoul]] eidolons, though that's not to say that one might not exist somewhere, or that a ghoul may not become an eidolon in the [[future]] even if none have in the [[past]].

For the most part, eidolons conform to the general characteristics and limitations of their ghost types, supplemented by whatever additional powers they were granted in their transformation. Shades cannot change their accouterments but heal quickly; specters can change their accouterments and may be capable of [[plasmofacture]]; et cetera. It is worth noting that all known phantom eidolons have [[residence]]s; if there are any phantom eidolons capable of moving between different hosts, they have not come to wide attention.

===Multiform Eidolons===
A handful of eidolons have more than one ghostly [[frame]], and had presumably been more than one ghost before their transformation. [[Nodubrada]] and [[Ureus]] are each composed of two ghosts, and [[The Amphitonics]] of three; [[Styrle]] technically comprises three ghosts, but in only two frames. [[Chornitak]], [[Gletch]], and the [[House of Bile]] are each also believed to include multiple ghosts, though the numbers are uncertain. In any case, while their components may have formerly have been distinct individuals, such [[multiform eidolon]]s now seem to function as single entities. Their constituents generally cannot be summoned separately ([[The Amphitonics]] possibly being a partial exception), and they seem to have a single will and personality. Spectrologists' opinions differ as to whether the [[corpus|corpora]] retain their own individualities and [[consciousness]]es and are merely in [[telepathy|mental communication]] or whether multiform eidolons are effectively fully [[psychodesis|psychodetic]], [[pleote|pleotic]] beings; it is, of course, not impossible that this differs between different such eidolons.

==Arcession==
Each eidolon is called by a different specific ritual, the details varying widely. In almost all cases, the rituals are complicated or unusual enough that nobody is likely to call the eidolon by accident. The ritual may involve the recitation of particular [[word]]s, names, or [[phrase]]s; it may have to be carried out in a specific place; it may involve specific motions or [[gesture]]s. Usually one or more particular types of object are also required for the [[arcession]]: commonly the objects are offered as [[sacrifice]]s, but they may be used in the ritual in some other way, or it may be that there's nothing specific the summoner has to do with them but their presence is still required.

The time it takes for the eidolon to show up after the ritual is complete likewise varies by eidolon. Some show up immediately, while others arrive only after a delay of a few [[minute]]s to an [[hour]]. Once the eidolon does arrive, in most cases the summoner can command the eidolon to perform specific tasks, in line with the eidolon's nature and powers. However, although no eidolon seems to have complete free agency, not all eidolons are constrained to obey their summoners. Those that are not instead engage in some other predictable behavior when they are called upon, which may or may not be to the caller's benefit. For instance, probably the most infamous eidolon, [[Bloody Mary]], is known for attacking everyone present when she appears. It may be that in cases like Bloody Mary's the eidolon still ''can'' be bound to service with the correct ritual, and that its aberrant behavior is a result of the ritual being performed incorrectly or even of the performance of a different, more hazardous ritual, but if so the correct ritual that would force the eidolons to service is unknown.

==Cults==
Whatever else eidolons are, they are powerful beings, and [[eidolic cult]]s have sprung up that [[worship|venerate]] the eidolons as [[god]]s. There are a few scattered [[cult]]s that worship eidolons collectively, but most eidolic cults choose one specific eidolon, or a small handful of eidolons they see as in some way associated, as the subject(s) of their worship. Some eidolons have more and larger cults associated with them than others; [[Diamater]], in particular, has an elaborate [[religion]] formed around her—most of its membership made up of ghosts, of course, though she does have a nonzero number of living worshippers. The same is true of [[Gunabhartr]], to a somewhat lesser degree, but most other eidolons have at best only small, scattered cults.

The cults' pretensions notwithstanding, eidolons are of course ''not'' gods, and it's unclear whether most eidolons are even aware of their worshippers. However, some cultists ''do'' seem to get some benisons and [[power]]s from their devotion. It's a subject of debate whether these are powers the cultists develop on their own and attribute to the eidolons they honor; whether the eidolons do have some subdivine ability to reward their votaries; or whether the reverence of their faithful, or some other factor, may indeed be in the process of [[apotheosis|raising]] some eidolons to some sort of true divinity.

==Powers==
All eidolons seem to have the ability to [[translocation]] to any location on [[Earth]] or in the [[Spirit World]], though they seem to use this power only when responding to a summon or at their summoners' command. As previously remarked, they are also all capable of [[multipresence]], existing in many locations at the same time. Aside from that, eidolons' powers vary widely, based apparently on their natures and histories and the details of their ascensions. Eidolons have demonstrated strange powers otherwise unknown to ghosts, including [[ylifaction]], [[animation (celemology)|animation]], and [[weather control]]. While the powers of different eidolons vary widely, however, a given eidolon always has the same powers in every manifestation.

One other feature all eidolons ''do'' seem to have in common is their indestructibility. This is not to say that a given [[corpus]] of an eidolon cannot be destroyed; they are much more durable and difficult to harm than other ghosts, but it's not impossible to damage their ghostly forms, and, with enough damage, to disable them. However, this does not prevent the eidolon from being summoned again later. If there is a way to permanently destroy an eidolon, no one has found it. Still, if an eidolon is causing problems, destroying the corpus responsible may be enough to stop, or at least delay, its baneful activity.

==The Juventude Paradox==
It has been noted that while the ages of known eidolons span a large [[history|historical]] [[range]], they are skewed more toward recent origins than can readily be explained on the basis of current understanding. This observation is sometimes called the [[Juventude Paradox]], and in its most common form can be stated as follows: If eidolons are truly immortal and imperible, and if the [[proportion]] of ghosts that become eidolons has remained [[constant]] over [[time]], then we should anticipate on [[average]] that the number of eidolons that originated during any given interval should be proportional to the [[population]] of the [[world]] (or more precisely of the [[Spirit World]]) at that time. The ages of the known eidolons, however, do not match this prediction; there are proportionately more eidolons from more recent timespans than should be expected.

It is true, of course, that the populations of the Earth and of the Spirit World have increased over time and that there are simply more ghosts now than there were in earlier eras, but the increase in the general population is not sufficient to explain the increase in the number of eidolons. A number of [[hypothesis|hypotheses]] have been advanced to resolve the Juventude Paradox, but they can be divided into three main categories. These categories and these explanations are not mutually exclusive, and it could very well be that there is more than one factor at play.

The first category of explanation rejects the first [[premise]] of the [[paradox]]. Perhaps the reason we don't see the expected temporal distribution of eidolons is because contrary to mainstream belief eidolons are ''not'' everlasting; they linger longer than ghosts, but perhaps they do eventually fade away, or perhaps they can be and sometimes are somehow destroyed. The fact that we have no direct evidence of any eidolons expiring doesn't mean it doesn't happen—and in fact some spectrologists point to the Juventude Paradox itself as such evidence, although the existence of other explanations for the paradox makes it less than definitive.

Other [[spectrologist]]s reject the second premise, and posit that the ''proportion'' of ghosts that become eidolons has increased over time. This could be tied to the increase in population; perhaps, for instance, the transformation of a ghost into an eidolon depends on some [[psilovium|undetected emanation]] from other ghosts, and therefore the more other ghosts there are, the more likely it is for a ghost to become an eidolon, meaning that as the number of ghosts increases the number of eidolons increases [[linear function|nonlinearly]]. Or it could be that there is some other, hidden quality or factor on which the transformation into an eidolon depends, and which has been waxing over the years.

The third category of explanation accepts both premises, and therefore concludes that there must indeed be more eidolons from earlier periods than are currently known. This leads to the inference that there are a great number of unknown eidolons of early origin—that is, the paradox is resolved not by postulating some mechanism by which proportionately fewer eidolons exist that were formed in antiquity, but by proposing that there are many ancient eidolons which have simply been forgotten. That there are ''some'' [[lost eidolon]]s now utterly unremembered is almost certainly true; old references to otherwise unknown eidolons have occasionally been discovered, and there is no reason to believe that there are no more to be found. Whether there are ''enough'' lost eidolons to explain the Juventude Paradox is, however, an open question. Nevertheless, this supposition has encouraged some ghosts (and a few mortals) to seek diligently to find some record of lost eidolons, and to recover the means to summon them. One ghostly organization, the [[Anamneseon]], is famously devoted to this endeavor.

==List of known eidolons==
Some of the best known eidolons are listed below. This list is not exhaustive; many other eidolons exist besides those listed here. Note that in most cases the name given for each eidolon here is merely the most common name that eidolon is called by, or one of the most common names; as remarked above, most eidolons are known by many different names. Also, in many cases, the year of the eidolon's first appearance is unknown; where the year (or approximate year) is given in [[parenthesis|parentheses]], this signifies that the given year is that of the first reliable report of the eidolon's sighting, but not necessarily of its ascension. A "c." after a number indicates a [[century]]; the year of "12c." given for the eidolon [[Bultungin]], for instance, indicates that this eidolon was first reliably attested some time in the twelfth century (but the exact year is uncertain). A "c." ''before'' the year stands for "[[Wiktionary:circa#English|circa]]", and indicates that the year is approximate (but within a few [[year]]s, not a century). Years and centuries are [[CE]] unless specified otherwise.

{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Name !! Ghost Type !! Year of Appearance
|-
|data-sort-value="Amphitonics"|[[The Amphitonics]] || Phantom || 1989
|-
| [[Arlet]] || Specter ||data-sort-value=1903|(1903)
|-
| [[Belial]] || Shade ||data-sort-value=1550|(1550)
|-
| [[Bloody Mary]] || Specter ||data-sort-value=1610|(1610)
|-
| [[Bultungin]] || Apparition ||data-sort-value=1100|(12c.)
|-
| [[Chatterteeth]] || Apparition ||data-sort-value=1300|(1300)
|-
| [[Chornitak]] || Wraith ||data-sort-value=900|(10c.)
|-
| [[Cosmo]] || Shade ||data-sort-value=1993|(1993)
|-
| [[Count Spatula]] || Specter ||1982
|-
|data-sort-value="Creran Serpent"|The [[Creran Serpent]] || Apparition ||data-sort-value=820|c. 820
|-
|data-sort-value="Cuca"|[[A Cuca]] || Apparition ||data-sort-value=1856|(1856)
|-
| [[Diamater]] || Specter ||data-sort-value=100|(2c.)
|-
| [[Doctor Peppermint]] || Shade ||data-sort-value=1721|(1721)
|-
| [[Faceless]] || Apparition ||data-sort-value=-1000|(10c. BCE)
|-
|data-sort-value="Flying Dutchman"|The [[Flying Dutchman]] || Specter ||data-sort-value=1674|(1674)
|-
| [[Gletch]] || Apparition ||data-sort-value=923|(923)
|-
|data-sort-value="Gold Fairy"|The [[Gold Fairy]] || Shade || 1961
|-
| [[Granny Butterfly]] || Specter ||data-sort-value=1727|(1727)
|-
| [[Gunabhartr]] || Phantom ||data-sort-value=-800|(8c. BCE)
|-
| [[Hanaichira]] || Shade ||data-sort-value=1820|(1820)
|-
|data-sort-value="Headless Horseman"|The [[Headless Horseman]] || Shade ||data-sort-value=1125|(1125)
|-
|data-sort-value="House of Bile"|The [[House of Bile]] || Phantom || 1870
|-
| [[Jindugita]] || Wraith ||data-sort-value=400|(5c.)
|-
| [[Kimmikinia]] || Specter ||data-sort-value=1832|(1832)
|-
|data-sort-value="Loping Beast"|The [[Loping Beast]] || Specter ||data-sort-value=-200|(2c. BCe)
|-
| [[Matani'i]] || Phantom ||data-sort-value=1200|(13c.)
|-
| [[Memsel]] || Phantom || 1887
|-
| [[Mirzamaa]] || Phantom ||data-sort-value=1720|(c. 1720)
|-
| [[Nodubrada]] || Shade ||data-sort-value=1552|(1552)
|-
| [[Pan Omegas]] || Apparition ||data-sort-value=800|(9th c.)
|-
| [[Professor Slate]] || Shade || 1901
|-
| [[Qhawekhulu]] || Specter ||data-sort-value=1855|(c. 1855)
|-
| [[Raggedy Ned]] || Shade ||data-sort-value=1120|(c. 1120)
|-
| [[Santa Pascuala]] || Apparition || 1712
|-
| [[Smiles]] || Shade || 2000
|-
| [[Styrle]] || Shade || 1987
|-
|data-sort-value="Unseelie Hound"|The [[Unseelie Hound]] || Specter ||data-sort-value=1200|(13c.)
|-
|data-sort-value="Urchin"|The [[Urchin (eidolon)|Urchin]] || Apparition ||data-sort-value=900|(10c.)
|-
| [[Ureus]] || Wraith ||data-sort-value=-700|(7c. BCE)
|-
| [[Virgoyle]] || Phantom ||data-sort-value=610|c. 610
|-
| [[Whispering Bess]] || Apparition ||data-sort-value=1410|(1410)
|-
| [[Will-o'-the-Wisp]] || Wraith || 1550
|-
| [[Xecodius]] || Specter ||data-sort-value=-900|(9c. BCE)
|-
| [[Xuenu]] || Apparition ||data-sort-value=-1200|(12c. BCE)
|}
[[Category:Ghosts of Interlife Earth]][[Category:Eidolons|Eidolons]][[Category:Arcessites]][[Category:Articles with incomplete lists|Articles with incomplete lists]]

Eidolon

2024-10-24T03:01:19Z

Antefyn: /* List of known eidolons */ Corrected typo (also there was a typo in the previous edit summary; I meant eidolons, not apparitions)

'''Eidolons''' ({{IPA|/aɪˈdoʊlən/}}) are formidable entities of [[Interlife Earth]] that [[ghost (Interlife Earth)]]s and knowledgeable [[mortal (Interlife Earth)|mortal]]s can [[arcession|call upon]] for various services. While powerful, most eidolons seem to have little drive or [[agency]] of their own, and it's not clear where they reside when they're not being summoned. In fact, while some suspect that eidolons spend their "down time" somewhere in or beyond the [[Gap]], others theorize that they aren't anywhere at all, that they only exist when called into being. When they ''are'' called upon, however, it doesn't seem they're limited to being in one place at a time; there are multiple accounts of several people in different parts of the [[Earth]] or the [[Spirit World]] availing themselves of the services of the same eidolon simultaneously, and even a few rare stories of an eidolon meeting another copy of itself. There are perhaps a hundred or so known eidolons, though some are known only from stories, the means to summon them long forgotten.

A ghost may become an eidolon when it is [[transformation|transformed]] by some momentous event. There's not one single way for a ghost to be turned into an eidolon, and there are no known cases of its being brought about intentionally, but it always involves some kind of violent disruption in the fabric of either the [[Mortal World]] or the Spirit World. There are eidolons that can't be matched up to a known ghost that existed before the eidolon first appeared, but it's generally assumed that this is because the eidolon's ghostly precursor is unknown, not because it had some other origin. Whether becoming an eidolon is a fate that a ghost should aspire to is highly debatable. Eidolons have great [[power (celemology)|power]]s, and unlike ghosts they seem to be truly [[immortality|immortal]]—no eidolons are known to have ceased to exist—but this must be balanced against their being strictly bound in their behavior, not to mention the issue that staying forever in the [[interlife]] and never passing on to whatever [[afterlife (Interlife Earth)|afterlife]] exists may not be a desireable goal.

There are a few eidolons who are willing and able to converse with their summoners, and whose [[name]]s are known because the eidolons themselves shared them. Usually, though not always, this is a different name from the one the eidolon went by when it was still a ghost, the eidolon having chosen a new name for itself when it transcended to its current state. Most eidolons, however, do not give their names, or perhaps have not bothered to name themselves, and the names they are known by are names conferred by ghosts and mortals. Naturally, this means the same eidolon may very well be known by completely different names in different [[sovereign state|countries]] and communities.

==Etymology==
The word "eidolon" derives from the [[ancient Greek]] ''[[Wiktionary:εἴδωλον#Ancient_Greek|εἴδωλον]]'', which in turn comes from the word ''[[Wiktionary:εἶδο&sigmaf;#Ancient_Greek|εἶδο&sigmaf;]]'', "form" or "appearance", related to the [[verb]] ''[[Wiktionary:εἶδον#Ancient_Greek|εἶδον]]'', "to see", and ultimately traceable to the consignificant [[proto-Indo-European]] [[root]] ''[[Wiktionary:Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/weyd-|*weyd-]]''. The ancient Greek word was used to refer to spirits of the dead, but also more generally to anything insubstantial or ideatic. Indeed, in [[English]] too the word "[[Wiktionary:eidolon|eidolon]]" has other meanings; the [[Wikipedia:Oxford English Dictionary|Oxford English Dictionary]] traces its English use back as far as 1585, and as in Greek it has been used to refer to images and idealizations of various natures. It is only in the last two [[century|centuries]] that the word became the standard term for its current [[spectrology|spectrological]] referent; prior to that the beings now called eidolons, when they were recognized as a distinct class of entity at all, were referred to by circumlocutions such as "transcended ghost" and "summoned spirit" or by idiosyncratic coinages that differed for each user.

The [[plural]] of the Greek word was ''εἰĭδωλα'', [[transliteration|transliterated]] as ''eidola''. While the English word ''eidolon'' is sometimes pluralized after the Greek word as ''eidola'' ({{IPA0|/aɪˈdoʊlə/}}), for whatever reason this pluralization never caught on for the word in its spectrology|spectrological meaning, and in spectrology it is almost always pluralized [[regular inflection|regularly]]—although the plural "eidola" is very occasionally seen.

The [[adjective]] for things related to eidolons is "eidolic" ({{IPA|/aɪˈdɒlɪk/}}).

==Types==
The majority of eidolons are roughly evenly split between [[apparition (Interlife Earth)|apparition]]s, [[shade (Interlife Earth)|shade]]s, and [[specter (Interlife Earth)|specter]]s, with a few [[phantom (Interlife Earth)|phantom]]s and [[wraith (Interlife Earth)|wraith]]s. This does mean that shades and apparitions have a proportionately higher representation among (known) eidolons than they do among ghosts in general, a phenomenon for which [[spectrologist]]s have no definite explanation, although it's commonly assumed that there is something about the conditions of [[arisal]] of shades and apparitions make these ghosts more likely to become eidolons. It could be, however, that the disproportion is simply a [[coincidence|coincidental]] artifact of the small [[sample size]]. There are no known [[ghoul (Interlife Earth)|ghoul]] eidolons, though that's not to say that one might not exist somewhere, or that a ghoul may not become an eidolon in the [[future]] even if none have in the [[past]].

For the most part, eidolons conform to the general characteristics and limitations of their ghost types, supplemented by whatever additional powers they were granted in their transformation. Shades cannot change their accouterments but heal quickly; specters can change their accouterments and may be capable of [[plasmofacture]]; et cetera. It is worth noting that all known phantom eidolons have [[residence]]s; if there are any phantom eidolons capable of moving between different hosts, they have not come to wide attention.

===Multiform Eidolons===
A handful of eidolons have more than one ghostly [[frame]], and had presumably been more than one ghost before their transformation. [[Nodubrada]] and [[Ureus]] are each composed of two ghosts, and [[The Amphitonics]] of three; [[Styrle]] technically comprises three ghosts, but in only two frames. [[Chornitak]], [[Gletch]], and the [[House of Bile]] are each also believed to include multiple ghosts, though the numbers are uncertain. In any case, while their components may have formerly have been distinct individuals, such [[multiform eidolon]]s now seem to function as single entities. Their constituents generally cannot be summoned separately ([[The Amphitonics]] possibly being a partial exception), and they seem to have a single will and personality. Spectrologists' opinions differ as to whether the [[corpus|corpora]] retain their own individualities and [[consciousness]]es and are merely in [[telepathy|mental communication]] or whether multiform eidolons are effectively fully [[psychodesis|psychodetic]], [[pleote|pleotic]] beings; it is, of course, not impossible that this differs between different such eidolons.

==Arcession==
Each eidolon is called by a different specific ritual, the details varying widely. In almost all cases, the rituals are complicated or unusual enough that nobody is likely to call the eidolon by accident. The ritual may involve the recitation of particular [[word]]s, names, or [[phrase]]s; it may have to be carried out in a specific place; it may involve specific motions or [[gesture]]s. Usually one or more particular types of object are also required for the [[arcession]]: commonly the objects are offered as [[sacrifice]]s, but they may be used in the ritual in some other way, or it may be that there's nothing specific the summoner has to do with them but their presence is still required.

The time it takes for the eidolon to show up after the ritual is complete likewise varies by eidolon. Some show up immediately, while others arrive only after a delay of a few [[minute]]s to an [[hour]]. Once the eidolon does arrive, in most cases the summoner can command the eidolon to perform specific tasks, in line with the eidolon's nature and powers. However, although no eidolon seems to have complete free agency, not all eidolons are constrained to obey their summoners. Those that are not instead engage in some other predictable behavior when they are called upon, which may or may not be to the caller's benefit. For instance, probably the most infamous eidolon, [[Bloody Mary]], is known for attacking everyone present when she appears. It may be that in cases like Bloody Mary's the eidolon still ''can'' be bound to service with the correct ritual, and that its aberrant behavior is a result of the ritual being performed incorrectly or even of the performance of a different, more hazardous ritual, but if so the correct ritual that would force the eidolons to service is unknown.

==Cults==
Whatever else eidolons are, they are powerful beings, and [[eidolic cult]]s have sprung up that [[worship|venerate]] the eidolons as [[god]]s. There are a few scattered [[cult]]s that worship eidolons collectively, but most eidolic cults choose one specific eidolon, or a small handful of eidolons they see as in some way associated, as the subject(s) of their worship. Some eidolons have more and larger cults associated with them than others; [[Diamater]], in particular, has an elaborate [[religion]] formed around her—most of its membership made up of ghosts, of course, though she does have a nonzero number of living worshippers. The same is true of [[Gunabhartr]], to a somewhat lesser degree, but most other eidolons have at best only small, scattered cults.

The cults' pretensions notwithstanding, eidolons are of course ''not'' gods, and it's unclear whether most eidolons are even aware of their worshippers. However, some cultists ''do'' seem to get some benisons and [[power]]s from their devotion. It's a subject of debate whether these are powers the cultists develop on their own and attribute to the eidolons they honor; whether the eidolons do have some subdivine ability to reward their votaries; or whether the reverence of their faithful, or some other factor, may indeed be in the process of [[apotheosis|raising]] some eidolons to some sort of true divinity.

==Powers==
All eidolons seem to have the ability to [[translocation]] to any location on [[Earth]] or in the [[Spirit World]], though they seem to use this power only when responding to a summon or at their summoners' command. As previously remarked, they are also all capable of [[multipresence]], existing in many locations at the same time. Aside from that, eidolons' powers vary widely, based apparently on their natures and histories and the details of their ascensions. Eidolons have demonstrated strange powers otherwise unknown to ghosts, including [[ylifaction]], [[animation (celemology)|animation]], and [[weather control]]. While the powers of different eidolons vary widely, however, a given eidolon always has the same powers in every manifestation.

One other feature all eidolons ''do'' seem to have in common is their indestructibility. This is not to say that a given [[corpus]] of an eidolon cannot be destroyed; they are much more durable and difficult to harm than other ghosts, but it's not impossible to damage their ghostly forms, and, with enough damage, to disable them. However, this does not prevent the eidolon from being summoned again later. If there is a way to permanently destroy an eidolon, no one has found it. Still, if an eidolon is causing problems, destroying the corpus responsible may be enough to stop, or at least delay, its baneful activity.

==The Juventude Paradox==
It has been noted that while the ages of known eidolons span a large [[history|historical]] [[range]], they are skewed more toward recent origins than can readily be explained on the basis of current understanding. This observation is sometimes called the [[Juventude Paradox]], and in its most common form can be stated as follows: If eidolons are truly immortal and imperible, and if the [[proportion]] of ghosts that become eidolons has remained [[constant]] over [[time]], then we should anticipate on [[average]] that the number of eidolons that originated during any given interval should be proportional to the [[population]] of the [[world]] (or more precisely of the [[Spirit World]]) at that time. The ages of the known eidolons, however, do not match this prediction; there are proportionately more eidolons from more recent timespans than should be expected.

It is true, of course, that the populations of the Earth and of the Spirit World have increased over time and that there are simply more ghosts now than there were in earlier eras, but the increase in the general population is not sufficient to explain the increase in the number of eidolons. A number of [[hypothesis|hypotheses]] have been advanced to resolve the Juventude Paradox, but they can be divided into three main categories. These categories and these explanations are not mutually exclusive, and it could very well be that there is more than one factor at play.

The first category of explanation rejects the first [[premise]] of the [[paradox]]. Perhaps the reason we don't see the expected temporal distribution of eidolons is because contrary to mainstream belief eidolons are ''not'' everlasting; they linger longer than ghosts, but perhaps they do eventually fade away, or perhaps they can be and sometimes are somehow destroyed. The fact that we have no direct evidence of any eidolons expiring doesn't mean it doesn't happen—and in fact some spectrologists point to the Juventude Paradox itself as such evidence, although the existence of other explanations for the paradox makes it less than definitive.

Other [[spectrologist]]s reject the second premise, and posit that the ''proportion'' of ghosts that become eidolons has increased over time. This could be tied to the increase in population; perhaps, for instance, the transformation of a ghost into an eidolon depends on some [[psilovium|undetected emanation]] from other ghosts, and therefore the more other ghosts there are, the more likely it is for a ghost to become an eidolon, meaning that as the number of ghosts increases the number of eidolons increases [[linear function|nonlinearly]]. Or it could be that there is some other, hidden quality or factor on which the transformation into an eidolon depends, and which has been waxing over the years.

The third category of explanation accepts both premises, and therefore concludes that there must indeed be more eidolons from earlier periods than are currently known. This leads to the inference that there are a great number of unknown eidolons of early origin—that is, the paradox is resolved not by postulating some mechanism by which proportionately fewer eidolons exist that were formed in antiquity, but by proposing that there are many ancient eidolons which have simply been forgotten. That there are ''some'' [[lost eidolon]]s now utterly unremembered is almost certainly true; old references to otherwise unknown eidolons have occasionally been discovered, and there is no reason to believe that there are no more to be found. Whether there are ''enough'' lost eidolons to explain the Juventude Paradox is, however, an open question. Nevertheless, this supposition has encouraged some ghosts (and a few mortals) to seek diligently to find some record of lost eidolons, and to recover the means to summon them. One ghostly organization, the [[Anamneseon]], is famously devoted to this endeavor.

==List of known eidolons==
Some of the best known eidolons are listed below. This list is not exhaustive; many other eidolons exist besides those listed here. Note that in most cases the name given for each eidolon here is merely the most common name that eidolon is called by, or one of the most common names; as remarked above, most eidolons are known by many different names. Also, in many cases, the year of the eidolon's first appearance is unknown; where the year (or approximate year) is given in [[parenthesis|parentheses]], this signifies that the given year is that of the first reliable report of the eidolon's sighting, but not necessarily of its ascension. A "c." after a number indicates a [[century]]; the year of "12c." given for the eidolon [[Bultungin]], for instance, indicates that this eidolon was first reliably attested some time in the twelfth century (but the exact year is uncertain). A "c." ''before'' the year stands for "[[Wiktionary:circa#English|circa]]", and indicates that the year is approximate (but within a few [[year]]s, not a century). Years and centuries are [[CE]] unless specified otherwise.

{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Name !! Ghost Type !! Year of Appearance
|-
|data-sort-value="Amphitonics"|[[The Amphitonics]] || Phantom || 1989
|-
| [[Arlet]] || Specter ||data-sort-value=1903|(1903)
|-
| [[Belial]] || Shade ||data-sort-value=1550|(1550)
|-
| [[Bloody Mary]] || Specter ||data-sort-value=1610|(1610)
|-
| [[Bultungin]] || Apparition ||data-sort-value=1100|(12c.)
|-
| [[Chatterteeth]] || Apparition ||data-sort-value=1300|(1300)
|-
| [[Chornitak]] || Wraith ||data-sort-value=900|(10c.)
|-
| [[Cosmo]] || Shade ||data-sort-value=1993|(1993)
|-
| [[Count Spatula]] || Specter ||1982
|-
|data-sort-value="Creran Serpent"|The [[Creran Serpent]] || Apparition ||data-sort-value=820|c. 820
|-
|data-sort-value="Cuca"|[[A Cuca]] || Apparition ||data-sort-value=1856|(1856)
|-
| [[Diamater]] || Specter ||data-sort-value=100|(2c.)
|-
| [[Doctor Peppermint]] || Shade ||data-sort-value=1721|(1721)
|-
| [[Faceless]] || Apparition ||data-sort-value=-1000|(10c. BCE)
|-
|data-sort-value="Flying Dutchman"|The [[Flying Dutchman]] || Specter ||data-sort-value=1674|(1674)
|-
| [[Gletch]] || Apparition ||data-sort-value=923|(923)
|-
|data-sort-value="Gold Fairy"|The [[Gold Fairy]] || Shade || 1961
|-
| [[Granny Butterfly]] || Specter ||data-sort-value=1727|(1727)
|-
| [[Gunabhartr]] || Phantom ||data-sort-value=-800|(8c. BCE)
|-
| [[Hanaichira]] || Shade ||data-sort-value=1820|(1820)
|-
|data-sort-value="Headless Horseman"|The [[Headless Horseman]] || Shade ||data-sort-value=1125|(1125)
|-
|data-sort-value="House of Bile"|The [[House of Bile]] || Phantom || 1870
|-
| [[Jindugita]] || Wraith ||data-sort-value=400|(5c.)
|-
| [[Kimmikinia]] || Specter ||data-sort-value=1832|(1832)
|-
|data-sort-value="Loping Beast"|The [[Loping Beast]] || Specter ||data-sort-value=-200|(2c. BCe)
|-
| [[Matani'i]] || Phantom ||data-sort-value=1200|(13c.)
|-
| [[Memsel]] || Phantom || 1887
|-
| [[Mirzamaa]] || Phantom ||data-sort-value=1720|(c. 1720)
|-
| [[Nodubrada]] || Shade ||data-sort-value=1552|(1552)
|-
| [[Pan Omegas]] || Apparition ||data-sort-value=800|(9th c.)
|-
| [[Professor Slate]] || Shade || 1901
|-
| [[Qhawekhulu]] || Specter ||data-sort-value=1855|(c. 1855)
|-
| [[Raggedy Ned]] || Shade ||data-sort-value=1120|(c. 1120)
|-
| [[Santa Pascuala]] || Apparition || 1712
|-
| [[Smiles]] || Shade || 2000
|-
| [[Styrle]] || Shade || 1987
|-
|data-sort-value="Unseelie Hound"|The [[Unseelie Hound]] || Specter ||data-sort-value=1200|(13c.)
|-
|data-sort-value="Urchin"|The [[Urchin (eidolon)|Urchin]] || Apparition ||data-sort-value=900|(10c.)
|-
| [[Ureus]] || Wraith ||data-sort-value=-700|(7c. BCE)
|-
| [[Virgoyle]] || Phantom ||data-sort-value=610|c. 610
|-
| [[Whispering Bess]] || Apparition ||data-sort-value=1410|(1410)
|-
| [[Will-o'-the-Wisp]] || Wraith || 1550
|-
| [[Xecodius]] || Specter ||data-sort-value=-900|(9c. BCE)
|-
| [[Xuenu]] || Apparition ||data-sort-value=-1200|(12c. BCE)
|}
[[Category:Ghosts of Interlife Earth]][[Category:Eidolons|Eidolons]][[Category:Arcessites]][[Category:Articles with incomplete lists|Articles with incomplete lists]]

Eidolon

2024-10-24T03:00:27Z

Antefyn: Made table of apparitions sortable, and added a few more entries.

'''Eidolons''' ({{IPA|/aɪˈdoʊlən/}}) are formidable entities of [[Interlife Earth]] that [[ghost (Interlife Earth)]]s and knowledgeable [[mortal (Interlife Earth)|mortal]]s can [[arcession|call upon]] for various services. While powerful, most eidolons seem to have little drive or [[agency]] of their own, and it's not clear where they reside when they're not being summoned. In fact, while some suspect that eidolons spend their "down time" somewhere in or beyond the [[Gap]], others theorize that they aren't anywhere at all, that they only exist when called into being. When they ''are'' called upon, however, it doesn't seem they're limited to being in one place at a time; there are multiple accounts of several people in different parts of the [[Earth]] or the [[Spirit World]] availing themselves of the services of the same eidolon simultaneously, and even a few rare stories of an eidolon meeting another copy of itself. There are perhaps a hundred or so known eidolons, though some are known only from stories, the means to summon them long forgotten.

A ghost may become an eidolon when it is [[transformation|transformed]] by some momentous event. There's not one single way for a ghost to be turned into an eidolon, and there are no known cases of its being brought about intentionally, but it always involves some kind of violent disruption in the fabric of either the [[Mortal World]] or the Spirit World. There are eidolons that can't be matched up to a known ghost that existed before the eidolon first appeared, but it's generally assumed that this is because the eidolon's ghostly precursor is unknown, not because it had some other origin. Whether becoming an eidolon is a fate that a ghost should aspire to is highly debatable. Eidolons have great [[power (celemology)|power]]s, and unlike ghosts they seem to be truly [[immortality|immortal]]—no eidolons are known to have ceased to exist—but this must be balanced against their being strictly bound in their behavior, not to mention the issue that staying forever in the [[interlife]] and never passing on to whatever [[afterlife (Interlife Earth)|afterlife]] exists may not be a desireable goal.

There are a few eidolons who are willing and able to converse with their summoners, and whose [[name]]s are known because the eidolons themselves shared them. Usually, though not always, this is a different name from the one the eidolon went by when it was still a ghost, the eidolon having chosen a new name for itself when it transcended to its current state. Most eidolons, however, do not give their names, or perhaps have not bothered to name themselves, and the names they are known by are names conferred by ghosts and mortals. Naturally, this means the same eidolon may very well be known by completely different names in different [[sovereign state|countries]] and communities.

==Etymology==
The word "eidolon" derives from the [[ancient Greek]] ''[[Wiktionary:εἴδωλον#Ancient_Greek|εἴδωλον]]'', which in turn comes from the word ''[[Wiktionary:εἶδο&sigmaf;#Ancient_Greek|εἶδο&sigmaf;]]'', "form" or "appearance", related to the [[verb]] ''[[Wiktionary:εἶδον#Ancient_Greek|εἶδον]]'', "to see", and ultimately traceable to the consignificant [[proto-Indo-European]] [[root]] ''[[Wiktionary:Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/weyd-|*weyd-]]''. The ancient Greek word was used to refer to spirits of the dead, but also more generally to anything insubstantial or ideatic. Indeed, in [[English]] too the word "[[Wiktionary:eidolon|eidolon]]" has other meanings; the [[Wikipedia:Oxford English Dictionary|Oxford English Dictionary]] traces its English use back as far as 1585, and as in Greek it has been used to refer to images and idealizations of various natures. It is only in the last two [[century|centuries]] that the word became the standard term for its current [[spectrology|spectrological]] referent; prior to that the beings now called eidolons, when they were recognized as a distinct class of entity at all, were referred to by circumlocutions such as "transcended ghost" and "summoned spirit" or by idiosyncratic coinages that differed for each user.

The [[plural]] of the Greek word was ''εἰĭδωλα'', [[transliteration|transliterated]] as ''eidola''. While the English word ''eidolon'' is sometimes pluralized after the Greek word as ''eidola'' ({{IPA0|/aɪˈdoʊlə/}}), for whatever reason this pluralization never caught on for the word in its spectrology|spectrological meaning, and in spectrology it is almost always pluralized [[regular inflection|regularly]]—although the plural "eidola" is very occasionally seen.

The [[adjective]] for things related to eidolons is "eidolic" ({{IPA|/aɪˈdɒlɪk/}}).

==Types==
The majority of eidolons are roughly evenly split between [[apparition (Interlife Earth)|apparition]]s, [[shade (Interlife Earth)|shade]]s, and [[specter (Interlife Earth)|specter]]s, with a few [[phantom (Interlife Earth)|phantom]]s and [[wraith (Interlife Earth)|wraith]]s. This does mean that shades and apparitions have a proportionately higher representation among (known) eidolons than they do among ghosts in general, a phenomenon for which [[spectrologist]]s have no definite explanation, although it's commonly assumed that there is something about the conditions of [[arisal]] of shades and apparitions make these ghosts more likely to become eidolons. It could be, however, that the disproportion is simply a [[coincidence|coincidental]] artifact of the small [[sample size]]. There are no known [[ghoul (Interlife Earth)|ghoul]] eidolons, though that's not to say that one might not exist somewhere, or that a ghoul may not become an eidolon in the [[future]] even if none have in the [[past]].

For the most part, eidolons conform to the general characteristics and limitations of their ghost types, supplemented by whatever additional powers they were granted in their transformation. Shades cannot change their accouterments but heal quickly; specters can change their accouterments and may be capable of [[plasmofacture]]; et cetera. It is worth noting that all known phantom eidolons have [[residence]]s; if there are any phantom eidolons capable of moving between different hosts, they have not come to wide attention.

===Multiform Eidolons===
A handful of eidolons have more than one ghostly [[frame]], and had presumably been more than one ghost before their transformation. [[Nodubrada]] and [[Ureus]] are each composed of two ghosts, and [[The Amphitonics]] of three; [[Styrle]] technically comprises three ghosts, but in only two frames. [[Chornitak]], [[Gletch]], and the [[House of Bile]] are each also believed to include multiple ghosts, though the numbers are uncertain. In any case, while their components may have formerly have been distinct individuals, such [[multiform eidolon]]s now seem to function as single entities. Their constituents generally cannot be summoned separately ([[The Amphitonics]] possibly being a partial exception), and they seem to have a single will and personality. Spectrologists' opinions differ as to whether the [[corpus|corpora]] retain their own individualities and [[consciousness]]es and are merely in [[telepathy|mental communication]] or whether multiform eidolons are effectively fully [[psychodesis|psychodetic]], [[pleote|pleotic]] beings; it is, of course, not impossible that this differs between different such eidolons.

==Arcession==
Each eidolon is called by a different specific ritual, the details varying widely. In almost all cases, the rituals are complicated or unusual enough that nobody is likely to call the eidolon by accident. The ritual may involve the recitation of particular [[word]]s, names, or [[phrase]]s; it may have to be carried out in a specific place; it may involve specific motions or [[gesture]]s. Usually one or more particular types of object are also required for the [[arcession]]: commonly the objects are offered as [[sacrifice]]s, but they may be used in the ritual in some other way, or it may be that there's nothing specific the summoner has to do with them but their presence is still required.

The time it takes for the eidolon to show up after the ritual is complete likewise varies by eidolon. Some show up immediately, while others arrive only after a delay of a few [[minute]]s to an [[hour]]. Once the eidolon does arrive, in most cases the summoner can command the eidolon to perform specific tasks, in line with the eidolon's nature and powers. However, although no eidolon seems to have complete free agency, not all eidolons are constrained to obey their summoners. Those that are not instead engage in some other predictable behavior when they are called upon, which may or may not be to the caller's benefit. For instance, probably the most infamous eidolon, [[Bloody Mary]], is known for attacking everyone present when she appears. It may be that in cases like Bloody Mary's the eidolon still ''can'' be bound to service with the correct ritual, and that its aberrant behavior is a result of the ritual being performed incorrectly or even of the performance of a different, more hazardous ritual, but if so the correct ritual that would force the eidolons to service is unknown.

==Cults==
Whatever else eidolons are, they are powerful beings, and [[eidolic cult]]s have sprung up that [[worship|venerate]] the eidolons as [[god]]s. There are a few scattered [[cult]]s that worship eidolons collectively, but most eidolic cults choose one specific eidolon, or a small handful of eidolons they see as in some way associated, as the subject(s) of their worship. Some eidolons have more and larger cults associated with them than others; [[Diamater]], in particular, has an elaborate [[religion]] formed around her—most of its membership made up of ghosts, of course, though she does have a nonzero number of living worshippers. The same is true of [[Gunabhartr]], to a somewhat lesser degree, but most other eidolons have at best only small, scattered cults.

The cults' pretensions notwithstanding, eidolons are of course ''not'' gods, and it's unclear whether most eidolons are even aware of their worshippers. However, some cultists ''do'' seem to get some benisons and [[power]]s from their devotion. It's a subject of debate whether these are powers the cultists develop on their own and attribute to the eidolons they honor; whether the eidolons do have some subdivine ability to reward their votaries; or whether the reverence of their faithful, or some other factor, may indeed be in the process of [[apotheosis|raising]] some eidolons to some sort of true divinity.

==Powers==
All eidolons seem to have the ability to [[translocation]] to any location on [[Earth]] or in the [[Spirit World]], though they seem to use this power only when responding to a summon or at their summoners' command. As previously remarked, they are also all capable of [[multipresence]], existing in many locations at the same time. Aside from that, eidolons' powers vary widely, based apparently on their natures and histories and the details of their ascensions. Eidolons have demonstrated strange powers otherwise unknown to ghosts, including [[ylifaction]], [[animation (celemology)|animation]], and [[weather control]]. While the powers of different eidolons vary widely, however, a given eidolon always has the same powers in every manifestation.

One other feature all eidolons ''do'' seem to have in common is their indestructibility. This is not to say that a given [[corpus]] of an eidolon cannot be destroyed; they are much more durable and difficult to harm than other ghosts, but it's not impossible to damage their ghostly forms, and, with enough damage, to disable them. However, this does not prevent the eidolon from being summoned again later. If there is a way to permanently destroy an eidolon, no one has found it. Still, if an eidolon is causing problems, destroying the corpus responsible may be enough to stop, or at least delay, its baneful activity.

==The Juventude Paradox==
It has been noted that while the ages of known eidolons span a large [[history|historical]] [[range]], they are skewed more toward recent origins than can readily be explained on the basis of current understanding. This observation is sometimes called the [[Juventude Paradox]], and in its most common form can be stated as follows: If eidolons are truly immortal and imperible, and if the [[proportion]] of ghosts that become eidolons has remained [[constant]] over [[time]], then we should anticipate on [[average]] that the number of eidolons that originated during any given interval should be proportional to the [[population]] of the [[world]] (or more precisely of the [[Spirit World]]) at that time. The ages of the known eidolons, however, do not match this prediction; there are proportionately more eidolons from more recent timespans than should be expected.

It is true, of course, that the populations of the Earth and of the Spirit World have increased over time and that there are simply more ghosts now than there were in earlier eras, but the increase in the general population is not sufficient to explain the increase in the number of eidolons. A number of [[hypothesis|hypotheses]] have been advanced to resolve the Juventude Paradox, but they can be divided into three main categories. These categories and these explanations are not mutually exclusive, and it could very well be that there is more than one factor at play.

The first category of explanation rejects the first [[premise]] of the [[paradox]]. Perhaps the reason we don't see the expected temporal distribution of eidolons is because contrary to mainstream belief eidolons are ''not'' everlasting; they linger longer than ghosts, but perhaps they do eventually fade away, or perhaps they can be and sometimes are somehow destroyed. The fact that we have no direct evidence of any eidolons expiring doesn't mean it doesn't happen—and in fact some spectrologists point to the Juventude Paradox itself as such evidence, although the existence of other explanations for the paradox makes it less than definitive.

Other [[spectrologist]]s reject the second premise, and posit that the ''proportion'' of ghosts that become eidolons has increased over time. This could be tied to the increase in population; perhaps, for instance, the transformation of a ghost into an eidolon depends on some [[psilovium|undetected emanation]] from other ghosts, and therefore the more other ghosts there are, the more likely it is for a ghost to become an eidolon, meaning that as the number of ghosts increases the number of eidolons increases [[linear function|nonlinearly]]. Or it could be that there is some other, hidden quality or factor on which the transformation into an eidolon depends, and which has been waxing over the years.

The third category of explanation accepts both premises, and therefore concludes that there must indeed be more eidolons from earlier periods than are currently known. This leads to the inference that there are a great number of unknown eidolons of early origin—that is, the paradox is resolved not by postulating some mechanism by which proportionately fewer eidolons exist that were formed in antiquity, but by proposing that there are many ancient eidolons which have simply been forgotten. That there are ''some'' [[lost eidolon]]s now utterly unremembered is almost certainly true; old references to otherwise unknown eidolons have occasionally been discovered, and there is no reason to believe that there are no more to be found. Whether there are ''enough'' lost eidolons to explain the Juventude Paradox is, however, an open question. Nevertheless, this supposition has encouraged some ghosts (and a few mortals) to seek diligently to find some record of lost eidolons, and to recover the means to summon them. One ghostly organization, the [[Anamneseon]], is famously devoted to this endeavor.

==List of known eidolons==
Some of the best known eidolons are listed below. This list is not exhaustive; many other eidolons exist besides those listed here. Note that in most cases the name given for each eidolon here is merely the most common name that eidolon is called by, or one of the most common names; as remarked above, most eidolons are known by many different names. Also, in many cases, the year of the eidolon's first appearance is unknown; where the year (or approximate year) is given in [[parenthesis|parentheses]], this signifies that the given year is that of the first reliable report of the eidolon's sighting, but not necessarily of its ascension. A "c." after a number indicates a [[century]]; the year of "12c." given for the eidolon [[Bultungin]], for instance, indicates that this eidolon was first reliably attested some time in the twelfth century (but the exact year is uncertain). A "c." ''befire'' the year stands for "[[Wiktionary:circa#English|circa]]", and indicates that the year is approximate (but within a few [[year]]s, not a century). Years and centuries are [[CE]] unless specified otherwise.

{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Name !! Ghost Type !! Year of Appearance
|-
|data-sort-value="Amphitonics"|[[The Amphitonics]] || Phantom || 1989
|-
| [[Arlet]] || Specter ||data-sort-value=1903|(1903)
|-
| [[Belial]] || Shade ||data-sort-value=1550|(1550)
|-
| [[Bloody Mary]] || Specter ||data-sort-value=1610|(1610)
|-
| [[Bultungin]] || Apparition ||data-sort-value=1100|(12c.)
|-
| [[Chatterteeth]] || Apparition ||data-sort-value=1300|(1300)
|-
| [[Chornitak]] || Wraith ||data-sort-value=900|(10c.)
|-
| [[Cosmo]] || Shade ||data-sort-value=1993|(1993)
|-
| [[Count Spatula]] || Specter ||1982
|-
|data-sort-value="Creran Serpent"|The [[Creran Serpent]] || Apparition ||data-sort-value=820|c. 820
|-
|data-sort-value="Cuca"|[[A Cuca]] || Apparition ||data-sort-value=1856|(1856)
|-
| [[Diamater]] || Specter ||data-sort-value=100|(2c.)
|-
| [[Doctor Peppermint]] || Shade ||data-sort-value=1721|(1721)
|-
| [[Faceless]] || Apparition ||data-sort-value=-1000|(10c. BCE)
|-
|data-sort-value="Flying Dutchman"|The [[Flying Dutchman]] || Specter ||data-sort-value=1674|(1674)
|-
| [[Gletch]] || Apparition ||data-sort-value=923|(923)
|-
|data-sort-value="Gold Fairy"|The [[Gold Fairy]] || Shade || 1961
|-
| [[Granny Butterfly]] || Specter ||data-sort-value=1727|(1727)
|-
| [[Gunabhartr]] || Phantom ||data-sort-value=-800|(8c. BCE)
|-
| [[Hanaichira]] || Shade ||data-sort-value=1820|(1820)
|-
|data-sort-value="Headless Horseman"|The [[Headless Horseman]] || Shade ||data-sort-value=1125|(1125)
|-
|data-sort-value="House of Bile"|The [[House of Bile]] || Phantom || 1870
|-
| [[Jindugita]] || Wraith ||data-sort-value=400|(5c.)
|-
| [[Kimmikinia]] || Specter ||data-sort-value=1832|(1832)
|-
|data-sort-value="Loping Beast"|The [[Loping Beast]] || Specter ||data-sort-value=-200|(2c. BCe)
|-
| [[Matani'i]] || Phantom ||data-sort-value=1200|(13c.)
|-
| [[Memsel]] || Phantom || 1887
|-
| [[Mirzamaa]] || Phantom ||data-sort-value=1720|(c. 1720)
|-
| [[Nodubrada]] || Shade ||data-sort-value=1552|(1552)
|-
| [[Pan Omegas]] || Apparition ||data-sort-value=800|(9th c.)
|-
| [[Professor Slate]] || Shade || 1901
|-
| [[Qhawekhulu]] || Specter ||data-sort-value=1855|(c. 1855)
|-
| [[Raggedy Ned]] || Shade ||data-sort-value=1120|(c. 1120)
|-
| [[Santa Pascuala]] || Apparition || 1712
|-
| [[Smiles]] || Shade || 2000
|-
| [[Styrle]] || Shade || 1987
|-
|data-sort-value="Unseelie Hound"|The [[Unseelie Hound]] || Specter ||data-sort-value=1200|(13c.)
|-
|data-sort-value="Urchin"|The [[Urchin (eidolon)|Urchin]] || Apparition ||data-sort-value=900|(10c.)
|-
| [[Ureus]] || Wraith ||data-sort-value=-700|(7c. BCE)
|-
| [[Virgoyle]] || Phantom ||data-sort-value=610|c. 610
|-
| [[Whispering Bess]] || Apparition ||data-sort-value=1410|(1410)
|-
| [[Will-o'-the-Wisp]] || Wraith || 1550
|-
| [[Xecodius]] || Specter ||data-sort-value=-900|(9c. BCE)
|-
| [[Xuenu]] || Apparition ||data-sort-value=-1200|(12c. BCE)
|}
[[Category:Ghosts of Interlife Earth]][[Category:Eidolons|Eidolons]][[Category:Arcessites]][[Category:Articles with incomplete lists|Articles with incomplete lists]]

Circle

2024-08-26T04:51:27Z

Antefyn: /* Associated curves and manifolds */

{{About|the geometric curve}}
A '''circle''' is the [[locus]] of [[point]]s in a [[plane (geometry)|plane]] that are a given [[distance]] from a given point, called the [[center (geometry)|center]] of the circle. Equivalently, it is a [[planespace|two-dimensional]] [[cog]].

The distance from the center of the circle to a point on the circle is called the circle's [[radius]], and is frequently [[abbreviation|abbreviated]] ''[[r (letter)|r]]''. Twice the radius—the maximum distance between two points on the circle—is called the [[diameter]] (sometimes abbreviated ''[[d (letter)|d]]''). These same words are also used respectively for a [[line segment]] connecting the center and a point on the circle, and for a segment connecting two points on the circle and passing through the center—the [[length]]s of these segments being of course the distances of the corresponding names. A circle with a radius of [[one|1]] is called a [[unit circle]], and has some special applications—it can be used, for instance, to define the basic [[trigonometric function]]s. A circle of radius [[zero]] comprises a single point.

In [[parabolic geometry]], given any [[set]] of three noncollinear points, there exists a unique circle that passes through those points. A [[line]] can be considered to be a [[degeneracy|degenerate]] circle of [[infinity|infinite]] radius, in which case the noncollinearity condition is unnecessary. This rule also holds in [[elliptic geometry]] (''sans'' the restriction to noncollinearity), but in not in hyperbolic; in [[hyperbolic geometry]] any three noncollinear points determine a unique ''[[cycle (geometry)|cycle]]''—that is, either a unique circle, a unique [[horocycle]], ''or'' a unique [[hypercycle]], but each particular [[set]] of three points determines only one of these three curves.

The [[curvature]] of a circle of radius <math>r</math> is <math>\frac{1}{r}</math>.

In [[topology|topological]] contexts, a circle is a [[compactness|compact]], [[connected|connected]], [[linespace|one-dimensional]] manifold—and in fact is the ''only'' compact, connected, one-dimensional manifold. Any [[simplicity|simple]] [[closure|closed]] [[curve]] is [[homeomorphy|homeomorphic]] to a circle. This includes any [[simple polygon]]s, as well as more exotic shapes such as [[real projective line]]s.

Circles often pay an important role in the [[physics]] of [[two-dimensional world]]s. [[Force]] [[isodynamic]]s about point sources are usually circular in shape; [[radiation]] propagates in circular fronts; etc. Two-dimensional [[mound]]s are often close to circular in outline.

==Equations==
In [[Cartesian coordinates]], the circle can be described by the [[equation]] <math>(x-h)^2 + (y-k)^2 = r^2</math>, where <math>(h, k)</math> is the center of the circle and <math>r</math> is the radius. While this is considered the "[[standard form]]" of the equation of the circle, it can also be written in a "[[general form]]" where each [[term]] is a [[constant]] times a [[power]] of ''x'' or ''y''; the general form of the circle is <math>x^2 + y^2 - 2hx - 2ky + \left(h^2 + k^2 - r^2\right) = 0</math>. For instance, for a circle with radius 3 centered at the point <math>(1, -2)</math>, the standard form of the equation is <math>(x-1)^2 + (y+2)^2 = 9</math>, and the general form is <math>x^2 + y^2 - 2x + 4y - 4 = 0</math>. For a circle centered at the origin, the standard form reduces to <math>x^2 + y^2 = r^2</math> and the general form to the trivially [[equivalence|equivalent]] <math>x^2 + y^2 - r^2 = 0</math>. (Converting from the standard form of a circle to the general form is a simple matter of [[expansion|expanding]] the [[square]]s of [[binomial]]s and combining like terms; converting from the general form to the standard form is a bit trickier but can be done with techniques such as [[completing the square]].)

In [[polar coordinates]], a circle centered on the [[origin]] has the simple equation <math>\rho = r</math>. If the circle is not centered at the origin, the equation can be written as <math>\rho^2 = 2 h \rho \cos \theta + 2 k \rho \sin \theta + (r^2 - h^2 - k^2)</math>. In [[log-polar coordinates]], a circle centered on the origin has the equation <math>\rho = \ln r</math>; the equation for a circle centered elsewhere is rather more complicated.

A circle can also be defined [[parametric equation|parametrically]] by the equations <math>x = h + r \cos t</math> and <math>y = k + r \sin t</math>, among other equivalent formulations.

===Circumference and area formulas===
The length of the [[perimeter]] of the circle is called the circle's [[circumference]]. In [[parabolic geometry]], the circumference of a circle is equal to the length of the diameter [[multiplication|times]] the [[transcendental number]] [[pi (number)|pi]] (''π'')—or, equivalently, to <math>\pi d</math>, or <math>2\pi r</math>. This was, in fact, the original basis for the [[definition]] of pi, though it has since been defined in many other ways that don't rely on parabolic geometry. The [[area]] of the circle, in parabolic geometry, is equal to <math>\pi r^2</math>.

In [[nonparabolic geometry]], of course, these values vary. In [[uniformity (geometry)|uniform]] [[elliptic geometry]] with [[curvature]] ''K'', a circle of radius <math>r</math> has a circumference of <math>\frac{2\pi}{\sqrt{K}}\sin\left(r\sqrt{K}\right)</math> and an area of <math>\frac{4\pi}{K} \sin^2 \left(\frac{r\sqrt{K}}{2}\right)</math>; in uniform [[hyperbolic geometry]] with [[curvature]] ''K'', such a circle has a circumference of <math>\frac{2\pi}{\sqrt{-K}}\sinh\left(r\sqrt{-K}\right)</math> and an area of <math>-\frac{4\pi}{K} \sinh^2 \left(\frac{r\sqrt{-K}}{2}\right)</math>, where "sinh" represents the [[hyperbolic sine]]. In terms of the [[radius of curvature]] <math>R = \frac{1}{\sqrt{|K|}}</math>, these formulæ simplify to <math>C = 2 \pi R \sin \frac{r}{R}</math> and <math>A = 4 \pi R^2 \sin^2 \frac{r}{2 R}</math> for elliptic geometry and <math>C = 2\pi R \sinh \frac{r}{R}</math> and <math>A = 4 \pi R^2 \sinh^2 \frac{r}{2 R}</math> for hyperbolic.

==Associated curves and manifolds==
Because circles are such a simple and fundamental [[geometry|geometric]] shape, there are many other curves and manifolds that have been defined in relation to it—as parts of the circle, or resulting from [[transformation (mathematics)|transformation]]s of the circle, or as the [[envelope (mathematics)|envelope]] of lines or [[locus]] of points generated by processes performed with or on the circle.

The piece of a circle between two points is called a [[circular arc]]—or just an "arc" if from context it's clear that it's the arc of a circle that's referred to. More formally, an arc is the part of the circle [[subtension|subtended]] by an [[angle]] with its [[vertex]] at the circle's center, which is called a central angle; the measure of the arc is defined as the same as the measure of the central angle that subtends it. The [[arc length|length]] of the arc is simply <math>\frac{\theta d}{2}</math> or <math>\theta r</math>, where <math>\theta</math> is the measure of the arc in [[radian]]s. The line segment connecting the two endpoints of an arc is called a [[chord]]; a line that includes a chord is called a [[secant (geometry)|secant]]. The [[sagitta (geometry)|sagitta]] of an arc is a measurement equal to the distance from the arc's midpoint to the center of the corresponding chord, and is equal to <math>2 r \sin^2 \frac{\theta}{2}</math>, where <math>r</math> is the radius of the circle and <math>\theta</math> is the measure of the arc. An arc with a measure of <math>\pi</math> radians (180°) is a [[semicircle]]; its chord is a diameter of the circle, and its sagitta is equal to the circle's radius.

A [[trochoid]] is the [[roulette]] [[tracing (geometry)|traced]] by a point fixed relative to a circle as that circle [[rolling|rolls]] along a line. If the point is outside the circle, it is a prolate trochoid; if inside the circle, a curtate trochoid; and if the point is on the circle itself, then the traced curve is a [[cycloid]]. If instead of a line, the circle rolls around the outside of another circle, then the roulette produced is an [[epitrochoid]]—or an [[epicycloid]], if the point lies directly on the rolling circle—; if the circle rolls around the ''inside'' of another circle, the roulette produced is a [[hypotrochoid]]—or [[hypocycloid]], if the point is on the rolling circle.

===Angles and polygons===
An angle is said to be an inscribed angle of the circle if the [[angle]]'s vertex lies on the circle and each of the angle's rays intersects the circle in an additional point. An angle is said to be a ''circum''scribed angle of the circle if its vertex is exterior to the circle and both its rays are tangent to the circle. If every vertex of a [[polygon]] lies on a circle, then every angle of the polygon is an inscribed angle of that circle, and the polygon is said to be [[inscription (geometry)|inscribed]] in the circle. Conversly, it can also be said that the circle is [[circumscription|circumscribed]] around the polygon. If each side of a polygon is [[tangency|tangent]] to the circle, then every angle of the polygon is a circumscribed angle of the circle, and the polygon itself is said to be circumscribed around the circle, or, equivalently, the circle is inscribed in the polygon. Not all polygons can have circles inscribed in them, or have circles circumscribed about them. If a circle can be inscribed in a polygon, then that circle is unique, and is called the polygon's [[incircle]]. A polygon that has an incircle is called a [[tangential polygon]]. Likewise, if a circle can be circumscribed around a polygon, then that circle is unique, and is called the polygon's [[circumcircle]]. A polygon that has a circumcircle is called a [[cyclic polygon]]. All tangential polygons are [[convex polygon|convex]], and all cyclic polygons are strictly convex; however, not all convex polygons are tangential or cyclic.

For example, all [[triangle]]s are both tangential and cyclic. All [[regular polygon]]s, including [[square]]s, are both tangential and cyclic, while non-square [[rectangle]]s are cyclic but not tangential, and non-square [[rhombus|rhombi]] are tangential but not cyclic. [[Parallelogram]]s which are neither rectangles nor rhombi are neither cyclic nor tangential.

A circle can be thought of as a [[limit]] of a [[sequence]] of [[regular polygon]]s as the number of sides approaches [[infinity]] and the length of each side approaches [[zero]]) while either the [[apothem]] or the [[perithem]] retains a fixed value. If the apothem is fixed, then all the polygons in the sequence are circumscribed around the limit circle; if the perithem is fixed, then all the polygons in the sequence are inscribed in the limit circle. As the number of sides increases, the perimeters and areas of the polygons in the two sequences both [[convergence|converge]] to those of the circle from opposite sides—indeed, this fact has been used since antiquity to [[estimation|estimate]] the circumference and/or area of the circle and hence the value of <math>\pi</math>.

In the [[Poincaré disk model]] of hyperbolic geometry, [[hyperbolic line|line]]s, [[horocycle]]s, and [[hypercycle]]s all appear as circles or circular arcs (or as straight lines, which, again, may be considered circles of infinite radius). This does not, however, hold for other models of hyperbolic geometry, and does not imply that these curves ''are'' circles in any deeper sense.

===Two-dimensional manifolds===
The [[interior]] of a circle—the locus of points such that the distance from the center to the point is ''less'' than a given value—is called a [[disc]]. The area bounded by two radii and an arc that they intercept is called a [[sector]]. The area bounded by a chord of the circle and the arc that it intercepts is called a [[circular segment]].

The [[trace]] of a circle as it moves along a line perpendicular to the circle is a [[cylinder|right circular cylinder]]; if it moves along a line ''not'' perpendicular to the circle, the trace is an [[oblique cylinder|oblique circular cylinder]].

[[Rotation|Rotating]] a circle about a line that includes a diameter traces a [[sphere]]; rotating a circle about any other line coplanar to the circle traces a [[torus]]—a [[ring torus]] if the point is outside the circle; a [[spindle torus]] if the point is inside the circle; a [[horn torus]] if the point is on the circle itself. Rotating a circle about a line ''not'' in the plane of the circle produces a [[surface of revolution]] the meridianal sections of which are [[anacardioid]]s, [[quartic curve]]s satisfying the equation <math>\left(x^2+y^2-a^2\right)^2=b^2\left(x^2-c^2\right)</math>. (The torus can be considered a special case of this where <math>b=0</math>, in which case the anacardioid reduces to a pair of circles.)

==Properties==
The circle has a number of special properties. In parabolic geometry, it is the only two-dimensional manifold with constant nonzero curvature, and the only such manifold with infinite axes of [[rotational symmetry]]. It also has the smallest [[ratio]] of perimeter to area of any shape. Every circle is [[similarity|similar]] to every other circle.

There are also consistent relationships between the lengths of various angles and segments related to a circle in parabolic geometry. The measure of an inscribed angle of a circle is always equal to exactly half the measure of the arc it subtends, or of the central angle that subtends that same arc; a circumscribed angle of a circle is always [[supplementary angle|supplementary] to the central angle that subtends the same arc. As a trivial corollary of the former fact, any inscribed angle that subtends the diameter of a circle is always a [[right angle]]. Two chords of a circle are [[congruence|congruent]] if and only if they are the same distance from the circle's center. A radius of the circle that intersects a chord always [[bisection|bisects]] that chord—and, conversely, the [[perpendicular bisector]] of a chord always passes through the circle's center.

Through any point <math>P</math>, if we draw a line that intersects a given circle, then the product of the distance from <math>P</math> to the nearer point of intersection and the distance from <math>P</math> to the farther point of intersection is a [[constant]] no matter where we draw the line. (If we draw a tangent line, then there is only one point of intersection and the two distances are equal, but the relationship still holds. Similarly, if <math>P</math> actually lies on the circle, then the distance from point <math>P</math> to the nearer point of intersection is zero and the relationship, again, still holds, with the constant in question being zero.) This constant is called the [[power of a point|power]] of point <math>P</math> (relative to the circle in question), and can be written as <math>\Pi(P) = OP^2 - r^2</math>, where <math>O</math> is the circle's center and <math>r</math> its radius. Note that <math>\Pi(P)</math> is [[positive number|negative]] when <math>P</math> is outside the circle—and zero if the point lies on the circle itself.

There are three special cases of this "power of a point theorem" that are often taught in basic [[geometry]] as separate [[theorem]]s:

* The ''chord theorem'', or ''intersecting chords theorem'': When two chords of a circle intersect, the products of the measures of the two segments into which the point of intersection divides one chord is equal to the same product for the other. (That is, for example, if chord <math>\overline{AB}</math> and chord <math>\overline{CD}</math> intersect at point <math>X</math>, then <math>AX \cdot XB = CX \cdot XD</math>.)
* The ''secant theorem'', or ''intersecting secants theorem'': When two secants of a circle intersect outside the circle, the products of the measures of the point of intersection of the secants to each point where one of the secants intersects the circle are equal. (That is, for example, if two secants intersect each other at point <math>X</math>, and one secant intersects the circle at points <math>A</math> and <math>B</math> and the other at points <math>C</math> and <math>D</math>, then <math>XA \cdot XB = XC \cdot XD</math>.)
* The ''tangent-secant theorem'': When a tangent and a secant of a circle intersect, then the product of the distances from the point of intersection to each point where the secant intersects the circle equals the square of the distance from the point of intersection to the point where the tangent intersects the circle. (That is, for example, if the secant and the tangent intersect at point <math>X</math>, the secant intersects the circle at points <math>A</math> and <math>B</math>, and the tangent intersects the circle at point <math>C</math>, then <math>XA \cdot XB = XC^2</math>.)

==Generalizations==
There are several curves that could be considered "generalizations" of the circle—[[family of curves|families of curves]] that include circles as a special case. Perhaps the best known is the [[ellipse]], which can be seen as a circle that has been stretched or squashed along one axis. An ellipse aligned to the [[coördinate axis|co&omul;rdinate axes]] can be described by the equation <math>\frac{x^2}{a^2} + \frac{y^2}{b^2} = 1</math>, where <math>a</math> and b are the "semimajor" and "semiminor" axes (not necessarily in that order), essentially the ellipses' greatest and smallest width. Of course, when <math>a=b</math>, this equation reduces to <math>x^2 + y^2 = a^2</math>, and the ellipse becomes a circle.

Another circle generalization is the [[supercircle]], a shape described by the equation <math>|x|^n + |y|^n = |r|^n</math>, for some positive value ''n''. When <math>n = 2</math>, this of course reduces to the equation of a circle; as n increases toward infinity, the shape tends toward a square. If <math>n < 2</math>, then as <math>n</math> decreases, the quarters of the circle tend to "flatten out" and eventually bow inward; at <math>n = 1</math> the supercircle becomes a square (rotated 45\deg; (and halved in area) from the limit square as <math>n -> \inf</math>), and then as <math>n</math> further decreases toward zero it becomes [[concavity|concave]]. Just as the circle can be generalized to an ellipse, the supercircle can be generalized to a [[superellipse]] with different semiminor and semimajor axes, described by the equation <math>\left|\frac{x}{a}\right|^n + \left|\frac{y}{b}\right|^n = 1</math>.

The basic definition of a circle—the locus of points the same distance from a given point—also yields different curves in [[metric space]]s that use different [[metric]]s from the standard [[bowstring metric]]. In a metric using the [[taxicab distance]], for instance, a circle is a square, its sides at [[half right angle]]s relative to the coördinate axes. In one using [[Chebyshev distance]], it is a square with the sides ''[[parallelity|parallel]]'' to the axes. More exotic metrics may give rise to correspondingly exotic circles; in the [[discrete metric]], for instance, a unit circle includes every point in the space except the circle's center, while a circle of any other nonzero radius is [[empty set|empty]].
[[Category:Circles|Circles]][[Category:Conic sections]][[Category:Cogs]][[Category:Zindler curves]]{{Unlisted}}

Circle

2024-08-26T04:49:39Z

Antefyn: /* Associated curves and manifolds */

{{About|the geometric curve}}
A '''circle''' is the [[locus]] of [[point]]s in a [[plane (geometry)|plane]] that are a given [[distance]] from a given point, called the [[center (geometry)|center]] of the circle. Equivalently, it is a [[planespace|two-dimensional]] [[cog]].

The distance from the center of the circle to a point on the circle is called the circle's [[radius]], and is frequently [[abbreviation|abbreviated]] ''[[r (letter)|r]]''. Twice the radius—the maximum distance between two points on the circle—is called the [[diameter]] (sometimes abbreviated ''[[d (letter)|d]]''). These same words are also used respectively for a [[line segment]] connecting the center and a point on the circle, and for a segment connecting two points on the circle and passing through the center—the [[length]]s of these segments being of course the distances of the corresponding names. A circle with a radius of [[one|1]] is called a [[unit circle]], and has some special applications—it can be used, for instance, to define the basic [[trigonometric function]]s. A circle of radius [[zero]] comprises a single point.

In [[parabolic geometry]], given any [[set]] of three noncollinear points, there exists a unique circle that passes through those points. A [[line]] can be considered to be a [[degeneracy|degenerate]] circle of [[infinity|infinite]] radius, in which case the noncollinearity condition is unnecessary. This rule also holds in [[elliptic geometry]] (''sans'' the restriction to noncollinearity), but in not in hyperbolic; in [[hyperbolic geometry]] any three noncollinear points determine a unique ''[[cycle (geometry)|cycle]]''—that is, either a unique circle, a unique [[horocycle]], ''or'' a unique [[hypercycle]], but each particular [[set]] of three points determines only one of these three curves.

The [[curvature]] of a circle of radius <math>r</math> is <math>\frac{1}{r}</math>.

In [[topology|topological]] contexts, a circle is a [[compactness|compact]], [[connected|connected]], [[linespace|one-dimensional]] manifold—and in fact is the ''only'' compact, connected, one-dimensional manifold. Any [[simplicity|simple]] [[closure|closed]] [[curve]] is [[homeomorphy|homeomorphic]] to a circle. This includes any [[simple polygon]]s, as well as more exotic shapes such as [[real projective line]]s.

Circles often pay an important role in the [[physics]] of [[two-dimensional world]]s. [[Force]] [[isodynamic]]s about point sources are usually circular in shape; [[radiation]] propagates in circular fronts; etc. Two-dimensional [[mound]]s are often close to circular in outline.

==Equations==
In [[Cartesian coordinates]], the circle can be described by the [[equation]] <math>(x-h)^2 + (y-k)^2 = r^2</math>, where <math>(h, k)</math> is the center of the circle and <math>r</math> is the radius. While this is considered the "[[standard form]]" of the equation of the circle, it can also be written in a "[[general form]]" where each [[term]] is a [[constant]] times a [[power]] of ''x'' or ''y''; the general form of the circle is <math>x^2 + y^2 - 2hx - 2ky + \left(h^2 + k^2 - r^2\right) = 0</math>. For instance, for a circle with radius 3 centered at the point <math>(1, -2)</math>, the standard form of the equation is <math>(x-1)^2 + (y+2)^2 = 9</math>, and the general form is <math>x^2 + y^2 - 2x + 4y - 4 = 0</math>. For a circle centered at the origin, the standard form reduces to <math>x^2 + y^2 = r^2</math> and the general form to the trivially [[equivalence|equivalent]] <math>x^2 + y^2 - r^2 = 0</math>. (Converting from the standard form of a circle to the general form is a simple matter of [[expansion|expanding]] the [[square]]s of [[binomial]]s and combining like terms; converting from the general form to the standard form is a bit trickier but can be done with techniques such as [[completing the square]].)

In [[polar coordinates]], a circle centered on the [[origin]] has the simple equation <math>\rho = r</math>. If the circle is not centered at the origin, the equation can be written as <math>\rho^2 = 2 h \rho \cos \theta + 2 k \rho \sin \theta + (r^2 - h^2 - k^2)</math>. In [[log-polar coordinates]], a circle centered on the origin has the equation <math>\rho = \ln r</math>; the equation for a circle centered elsewhere is rather more complicated.

A circle can also be defined [[parametric equation|parametrically]] by the equations <math>x = h + r \cos t</math> and <math>y = k + r \sin t</math>, among other equivalent formulations.

===Circumference and area formulas===
The length of the [[perimeter]] of the circle is called the circle's [[circumference]]. In [[parabolic geometry]], the circumference of a circle is equal to the length of the diameter [[multiplication|times]] the [[transcendental number]] [[pi (number)|pi]] (''π'')—or, equivalently, to <math>\pi d</math>, or <math>2\pi r</math>. This was, in fact, the original basis for the [[definition]] of pi, though it has since been defined in many other ways that don't rely on parabolic geometry. The [[area]] of the circle, in parabolic geometry, is equal to <math>\pi r^2</math>.

In [[nonparabolic geometry]], of course, these values vary. In [[uniformity (geometry)|uniform]] [[elliptic geometry]] with [[curvature]] ''K'', a circle of radius <math>r</math> has a circumference of <math>\frac{2\pi}{\sqrt{K}}\sin\left(r\sqrt{K}\right)</math> and an area of <math>\frac{4\pi}{K} \sin^2 \left(\frac{r\sqrt{K}}{2}\right)</math>; in uniform [[hyperbolic geometry]] with [[curvature]] ''K'', such a circle has a circumference of <math>\frac{2\pi}{\sqrt{-K}}\sinh\left(r\sqrt{-K}\right)</math> and an area of <math>-\frac{4\pi}{K} \sinh^2 \left(\frac{r\sqrt{-K}}{2}\right)</math>, where "sinh" represents the [[hyperbolic sine]]. In terms of the [[radius of curvature]] <math>R = \frac{1}{\sqrt{|K|}}</math>, these formulæ simplify to <math>C = 2 \pi R \sin \frac{r}{R}</math> and <math>A = 4 \pi R^2 \sin^2 \frac{r}{2 R}</math> for elliptic geometry and <math>C = 2\pi R \sinh \frac{r}{R}</math> and <math>A = 4 \pi R^2 \sinh^2 \frac{r}{2 R}</math> for hyperbolic.

==Associated curves and manifolds==
Because circles are such a simple and fundamental [[geometry|geometric]] shape, there are many other curves and manifolds that have been defined in relation to it—as parts of the circle, or resulting from [[transformation (mathematics)|transformation]]s of the circle, or as the [[envelope (mathematics)|envelope]] of lines or [[locus]] of points generated by processes performed with or on the circle.

The piece of a circle between two points is called a [[circular arc]]—or just an "arc" if from context it's clear that it's the arc of a circle that's referred to. More formally, an arc is the part of the circle [[subtension|subtended]] by an [[angle]] with its [[vertex]] at the circle's center, which is called a central angle; the measure of the arc is defined as the same as the measure of the central angle that subtends it. The [[arc length|length]] of the arc is simply <math>\frac{\theta d}{2}</math> or <math>\theta r</math>, where <math>\theta</math> is the measure of the arc in [[radian]]s. The line segment connecting the two endpoints of an arc is called a [[chord]]; a line that includes a chord is called a [[secant (geometry)|secant]]. The [[sagitta (geometry)|sagitta]] of an arc is a measurement equal to the distance from the arc's midpoint to the center of the corresponding chord, and is equal to <math>2 r \sin^2 \frac{\theta}{2}</math>, where <math>r</math> is the radius of the circle and <math>\theta</math> is the measure of the arc. An arc with a measure of \pi radians (180°) is a [[semicircle]]; its chord is a diameter of the circle, and its sagitta is equal to the circle's radius.

A [[trochoid]] is the [[roulette]] [[tracing (geometry)|traced]] by a point fixed relative to a circle as that circle [[rolling|rolls]] along a line. If the point is outside the circle, it is a prolate trochoid; if inside the circle, a curtate trochoid; and if the point is on the circle itself, then the traced curve is a [[cycloid]]. If instead of a line, the circle rolls around the outside of another circle, then the roulette produced is an [[epitrochoid]]—or an [[epicycloid]], if the point lies directly on the rolling circle—; if the circle rolls around the ''inside'' of another circle, the roulette produced is a [[hypotrochoid]]—or [[hypocycloid]], if the point is on the rolling circle.

===Angles and polygons===
An angle is said to be an inscribed angle of the circle if the [[angle]]'s vertex lies on the circle and each of the angle's rays intersects the circle in an additional point. An angle is said to be a ''circum''scribed angle of the circle if its vertex is exterior to the circle and both its rays are tangent to the circle. If every vertex of a [[polygon]] lies on a circle, then every angle of the polygon is an inscribed angle of that circle, and the polygon is said to be [[inscription (geometry)|inscribed]] in the circle. Conversly, it can also be said that the circle is [[circumscription|circumscribed]] around the polygon. If each side of a polygon is [[tangency|tangent]] to the circle, then every angle of the polygon is a circumscribed angle of the circle, and the polygon itself is said to be circumscribed around the circle, or, equivalently, the circle is inscribed in the polygon. Not all polygons can have circles inscribed in them, or have circles circumscribed about them. If a circle can be inscribed in a polygon, then that circle is unique, and is called the polygon's [[incircle]]. A polygon that has an incircle is called a [[tangential polygon]]. Likewise, if a circle can be circumscribed around a polygon, then that circle is unique, and is called the polygon's [[circumcircle]]. A polygon that has a circumcircle is called a [[cyclic polygon]]. All tangential polygons are [[convex polygon|convex]], and all cyclic polygons are strictly convex; however, not all convex polygons are tangential or cyclic.

For example, all [[triangle]]s are both tangential and cyclic. All [[regular polygon]]s, including [[square]]s, are both tangential and cyclic, while non-square [[rectangle]]s are cyclic but not tangential, and non-square [[rhombus|rhombi]] are tangential but not cyclic. [[Parallelogram]]s which are neither rectangles nor rhombi are neither cyclic nor tangential.

A circle can be thought of as a [[limit]] of a [[sequence]] of [[regular polygon]]s as the number of sides approaches [[infinity]] and the length of each side approaches [[zero]]) while either the [[apothem]] or the [[perithem]] retains a fixed value. If the apothem is fixed, then all the polygons in the sequence are circumscribed around the limit circle; if the perithem is fixed, then all the polygons in the sequence are inscribed in the limit circle. As the number of sides increases, the perimeters and areas of the polygons in the two sequences both [[convergence|converge]] to those of the circle from opposite sides—indeed, this fact has been used since antiquity to [[estimation|estimate]] the circumference and/or area of the circle and hence the value of <math>\pi</math>.

In the [[Poincaré disk model]] of hyperbolic geometry, [[hyperbolic line|line]]s, [[horocycle]]s, and [[hypercycle]]s all appear as circles or circular arcs (or as straight lines, which, again, may be considered circles of infinite radius). This does not, however, hold for other models of hyperbolic geometry, and does not imply that these curves ''are'' circles in any deeper sense.

===Two-dimensional manifolds===
The [[interior]] of a circle—the locus of points such that the distance from the center to the point is ''less'' than a given value—is called a [[disc]]. The area bounded by two radii and an arc that they intercept is called a [[sector]]. The area bounded by a chord of the circle and the arc that it intercepts is called a [[circular segment]].

The [[trace]] of a circle as it moves along a line perpendicular to the circle is a [[cylinder|right circular cylinder]]; if it moves along a line ''not'' perpendicular to the circle, the trace is an [[oblique cylinder|oblique circular cylinder]].

[[Rotation|Rotating]] a circle about a line that includes a diameter traces a [[sphere]]; rotating a circle about any other line coplanar to the circle traces a [[torus]]—a [[ring torus]] if the point is outside the circle; a [[spindle torus]] if the point is inside the circle; a [[horn torus]] if the point is on the circle itself. Rotating a circle about a line ''not'' in the plane of the circle produces a [[surface of revolution]] the meridianal sections of which are [[anacardioid]]s, [[quartic curve]]s satisfying the equation <math>\left(x^2+y^2-a^2\right)^2=b^2\left(x^2-c^2\right)</math>. (The torus can be considered a special case of this where <math>b=0</math>, in which case the anacardioid reduces to a pair of circles.)

==Properties==
The circle has a number of special properties. In parabolic geometry, it is the only two-dimensional manifold with constant nonzero curvature, and the only such manifold with infinite axes of [[rotational symmetry]]. It also has the smallest [[ratio]] of perimeter to area of any shape. Every circle is [[similarity|similar]] to every other circle.

There are also consistent relationships between the lengths of various angles and segments related to a circle in parabolic geometry. The measure of an inscribed angle of a circle is always equal to exactly half the measure of the arc it subtends, or of the central angle that subtends that same arc; a circumscribed angle of a circle is always [[supplementary angle|supplementary] to the central angle that subtends the same arc. As a trivial corollary of the former fact, any inscribed angle that subtends the diameter of a circle is always a [[right angle]]. Two chords of a circle are [[congruence|congruent]] if and only if they are the same distance from the circle's center. A radius of the circle that intersects a chord always [[bisection|bisects]] that chord—and, conversely, the [[perpendicular bisector]] of a chord always passes through the circle's center.

Through any point <math>P</math>, if we draw a line that intersects a given circle, then the product of the distance from <math>P</math> to the nearer point of intersection and the distance from <math>P</math> to the farther point of intersection is a [[constant]] no matter where we draw the line. (If we draw a tangent line, then there is only one point of intersection and the two distances are equal, but the relationship still holds. Similarly, if <math>P</math> actually lies on the circle, then the distance from point <math>P</math> to the nearer point of intersection is zero and the relationship, again, still holds, with the constant in question being zero.) This constant is called the [[power of a point|power]] of point <math>P</math> (relative to the circle in question), and can be written as <math>\Pi(P) = OP^2 - r^2</math>, where <math>O</math> is the circle's center and <math>r</math> its radius. Note that <math>\Pi(P)</math> is [[positive number|negative]] when <math>P</math> is outside the circle—and zero if the point lies on the circle itself.

There are three special cases of this "power of a point theorem" that are often taught in basic [[geometry]] as separate [[theorem]]s:

* The ''chord theorem'', or ''intersecting chords theorem'': When two chords of a circle intersect, the products of the measures of the two segments into which the point of intersection divides one chord is equal to the same product for the other. (That is, for example, if chord <math>\overline{AB}</math> and chord <math>\overline{CD}</math> intersect at point <math>X</math>, then <math>AX \cdot XB = CX \cdot XD</math>.)
* The ''secant theorem'', or ''intersecting secants theorem'': When two secants of a circle intersect outside the circle, the products of the measures of the point of intersection of the secants to each point where one of the secants intersects the circle are equal. (That is, for example, if two secants intersect each other at point <math>X</math>, and one secant intersects the circle at points <math>A</math> and <math>B</math> and the other at points <math>C</math> and <math>D</math>, then <math>XA \cdot XB = XC \cdot XD</math>.)
* The ''tangent-secant theorem'': When a tangent and a secant of a circle intersect, then the product of the distances from the point of intersection to each point where the secant intersects the circle equals the square of the distance from the point of intersection to the point where the tangent intersects the circle. (That is, for example, if the secant and the tangent intersect at point <math>X</math>, the secant intersects the circle at points <math>A</math> and <math>B</math>, and the tangent intersects the circle at point <math>C</math>, then <math>XA \cdot XB = XC^2</math>.)

==Generalizations==
There are several curves that could be considered "generalizations" of the circle—[[family of curves|families of curves]] that include circles as a special case. Perhaps the best known is the [[ellipse]], which can be seen as a circle that has been stretched or squashed along one axis. An ellipse aligned to the [[coördinate axis|co&omul;rdinate axes]] can be described by the equation <math>\frac{x^2}{a^2} + \frac{y^2}{b^2} = 1</math>, where <math>a</math> and b are the "semimajor" and "semiminor" axes (not necessarily in that order), essentially the ellipses' greatest and smallest width. Of course, when <math>a=b</math>, this equation reduces to <math>x^2 + y^2 = a^2</math>, and the ellipse becomes a circle.

Another circle generalization is the [[supercircle]], a shape described by the equation <math>|x|^n + |y|^n = |r|^n</math>, for some positive value ''n''. When <math>n = 2</math>, this of course reduces to the equation of a circle; as n increases toward infinity, the shape tends toward a square. If <math>n < 2</math>, then as <math>n</math> decreases, the quarters of the circle tend to "flatten out" and eventually bow inward; at <math>n = 1</math> the supercircle becomes a square (rotated 45\deg; (and halved in area) from the limit square as <math>n -> \inf</math>), and then as <math>n</math> further decreases toward zero it becomes [[concavity|concave]]. Just as the circle can be generalized to an ellipse, the supercircle can be generalized to a [[superellipse]] with different semiminor and semimajor axes, described by the equation <math>\left|\frac{x}{a}\right|^n + \left|\frac{y}{b}\right|^n = 1</math>.

The basic definition of a circle—the locus of points the same distance from a given point—also yields different curves in [[metric space]]s that use different [[metric]]s from the standard [[bowstring metric]]. In a metric using the [[taxicab distance]], for instance, a circle is a square, its sides at [[half right angle]]s relative to the coördinate axes. In one using [[Chebyshev distance]], it is a square with the sides ''[[parallelity|parallel]]'' to the axes. More exotic metrics may give rise to correspondingly exotic circles; in the [[discrete metric]], for instance, a unit circle includes every point in the space except the circle's center, while a circle of any other nonzero radius is [[empty set|empty]].
[[Category:Circles|Circles]][[Category:Conic sections]][[Category:Cogs]][[Category:Zindler curves]]{{Unlisted}}

Circle

2024-08-26T04:46:49Z

Antefyn: /* Circumference and area formulas */

{{About|the geometric curve}}
A '''circle''' is the [[locus]] of [[point]]s in a [[plane (geometry)|plane]] that are a given [[distance]] from a given point, called the [[center (geometry)|center]] of the circle. Equivalently, it is a [[planespace|two-dimensional]] [[cog]].

The distance from the center of the circle to a point on the circle is called the circle's [[radius]], and is frequently [[abbreviation|abbreviated]] ''[[r (letter)|r]]''. Twice the radius—the maximum distance between two points on the circle—is called the [[diameter]] (sometimes abbreviated ''[[d (letter)|d]]''). These same words are also used respectively for a [[line segment]] connecting the center and a point on the circle, and for a segment connecting two points on the circle and passing through the center—the [[length]]s of these segments being of course the distances of the corresponding names. A circle with a radius of [[one|1]] is called a [[unit circle]], and has some special applications—it can be used, for instance, to define the basic [[trigonometric function]]s. A circle of radius [[zero]] comprises a single point.

In [[parabolic geometry]], given any [[set]] of three noncollinear points, there exists a unique circle that passes through those points. A [[line]] can be considered to be a [[degeneracy|degenerate]] circle of [[infinity|infinite]] radius, in which case the noncollinearity condition is unnecessary. This rule also holds in [[elliptic geometry]] (''sans'' the restriction to noncollinearity), but in not in hyperbolic; in [[hyperbolic geometry]] any three noncollinear points determine a unique ''[[cycle (geometry)|cycle]]''—that is, either a unique circle, a unique [[horocycle]], ''or'' a unique [[hypercycle]], but each particular [[set]] of three points determines only one of these three curves.

The [[curvature]] of a circle of radius <math>r</math> is <math>\frac{1}{r}</math>.

In [[topology|topological]] contexts, a circle is a [[compactness|compact]], [[connected|connected]], [[linespace|one-dimensional]] manifold—and in fact is the ''only'' compact, connected, one-dimensional manifold. Any [[simplicity|simple]] [[closure|closed]] [[curve]] is [[homeomorphy|homeomorphic]] to a circle. This includes any [[simple polygon]]s, as well as more exotic shapes such as [[real projective line]]s.

Circles often pay an important role in the [[physics]] of [[two-dimensional world]]s. [[Force]] [[isodynamic]]s about point sources are usually circular in shape; [[radiation]] propagates in circular fronts; etc. Two-dimensional [[mound]]s are often close to circular in outline.

==Equations==
In [[Cartesian coordinates]], the circle can be described by the [[equation]] <math>(x-h)^2 + (y-k)^2 = r^2</math>, where <math>(h, k)</math> is the center of the circle and <math>r</math> is the radius. While this is considered the "[[standard form]]" of the equation of the circle, it can also be written in a "[[general form]]" where each [[term]] is a [[constant]] times a [[power]] of ''x'' or ''y''; the general form of the circle is <math>x^2 + y^2 - 2hx - 2ky + \left(h^2 + k^2 - r^2\right) = 0</math>. For instance, for a circle with radius 3 centered at the point <math>(1, -2)</math>, the standard form of the equation is <math>(x-1)^2 + (y+2)^2 = 9</math>, and the general form is <math>x^2 + y^2 - 2x + 4y - 4 = 0</math>. For a circle centered at the origin, the standard form reduces to <math>x^2 + y^2 = r^2</math> and the general form to the trivially [[equivalence|equivalent]] <math>x^2 + y^2 - r^2 = 0</math>. (Converting from the standard form of a circle to the general form is a simple matter of [[expansion|expanding]] the [[square]]s of [[binomial]]s and combining like terms; converting from the general form to the standard form is a bit trickier but can be done with techniques such as [[completing the square]].)

In [[polar coordinates]], a circle centered on the [[origin]] has the simple equation <math>\rho = r</math>. If the circle is not centered at the origin, the equation can be written as <math>\rho^2 = 2 h \rho \cos \theta + 2 k \rho \sin \theta + (r^2 - h^2 - k^2)</math>. In [[log-polar coordinates]], a circle centered on the origin has the equation <math>\rho = \ln r</math>; the equation for a circle centered elsewhere is rather more complicated.

A circle can also be defined [[parametric equation|parametrically]] by the equations <math>x = h + r \cos t</math> and <math>y = k + r \sin t</math>, among other equivalent formulations.

===Circumference and area formulas===
The length of the [[perimeter]] of the circle is called the circle's [[circumference]]. In [[parabolic geometry]], the circumference of a circle is equal to the length of the diameter [[multiplication|times]] the [[transcendental number]] [[pi (number)|pi]] (''π'')—or, equivalently, to <math>\pi d</math>, or <math>2\pi r</math>. This was, in fact, the original basis for the [[definition]] of pi, though it has since been defined in many other ways that don't rely on parabolic geometry. The [[area]] of the circle, in parabolic geometry, is equal to <math>\pi r^2</math>.

In [[nonparabolic geometry]], of course, these values vary. In [[uniformity (geometry)|uniform]] [[elliptic geometry]] with [[curvature]] ''K'', a circle of radius <math>r</math> has a circumference of <math>\frac{2\pi}{\sqrt{K}}\sin\left(r\sqrt{K}\right)</math> and an area of <math>\frac{4\pi}{K} \sin^2 \left(\frac{r\sqrt{K}}{2}\right)</math>; in uniform [[hyperbolic geometry]] with [[curvature]] ''K'', such a circle has a circumference of <math>\frac{2\pi}{\sqrt{-K}}\sinh\left(r\sqrt{-K}\right)</math> and an area of <math>-\frac{4\pi}{K} \sinh^2 \left(\frac{r\sqrt{-K}}{2}\right)</math>, where "sinh" represents the [[hyperbolic sine]]. In terms of the [[radius of curvature]] <math>R = \frac{1}{\sqrt{|K|}}</math>, these formulæ simplify to <math>C = 2 \pi R \sin \frac{r}{R}</math> and <math>A = 4 \pi R^2 \sin^2 \frac{r}{2 R}</math> for elliptic geometry and <math>C = 2\pi R \sinh \frac{r}{R}</math> and <math>A = 4 \pi R^2 \sinh^2 \frac{r}{2 R}</math> for hyperbolic.

==Associated curves and manifolds==
Because circles are such a simple and fundamental [[geometry|geometric]] shape, there are many other curves and manifolds that have been defined in relation to it—as parts of the circle, or resulting from [[transformation (mathematics)|transformation]]s of the circle, or as the [[envelope (mathematics)|envelope]] of lines or [[locus]] of points generated by processes performed with or on the circle.

The piece of a circle between two points is called a [[circular arc]]—or just an "arc" if from context it's clear that it's the arc of a circle that's referred to. More formally, an arc is the part of the circle [[subtension|subtended]] by an [[angle]] with its [[vertex]] at the circle's center, which is called a central angle; the measure of the arc is defined as the same as the measure of the central angle that subtends it. The [[arc length|length]] of the arc is simply <math>\theta d</math> or <math>2 \theta r</math>, where <math>\theta</math> is the measure of the arc in [[radian]]s. The line segment connecting the two endpoints of an arc is called a [[chord]]; a line that includes a chord is called a [[secant (geometry)|secant]]. The [[sagitta (geometry)|sagitta]] of an arc is a measurement equal to the distance from the arc's midpoint to the center of the corresponding chord, and is equal to <math>2 r \sin^2 \frac{\theta}{2}</math>, where <math>r</math> is the radius of the circle and <math>\theta</math> is the measure of the arc. An arc with a measure of \pi radians (180°) is a [[semicircle]]; its chord is a diameter of the circle, and its sagitta is equal to the circle's radius.

A [[trochoid]] is the [[roulette]] [[tracing (geometry)|traced]] by a point fixed relative to a circle as that circle [[rolling|rolls]] along a line. If the point is outside the circle, it is a prolate trochoid; if inside the circle, a curtate trochoid; and if the point is on the circle itself, then the traced curve is a [[cycloid]]. If instead of a line, the circle rolls around the outside of another circle, then the roulette produced is an [[epitrochoid]]—or an [[epicycloid]], if the point lies directly on the rolling circle—; if the circle rolls around the ''inside'' of another circle, the roulette produced is a [[hypotrochoid]]—or [[hypocycloid]], if the point is on the rolling circle.

===Angles and polygons===
An angle is said to be an inscribed angle of the circle if the [[angle]]'s vertex lies on the circle and each of the angle's rays intersects the circle in an additional point. An angle is said to be a ''circum''scribed angle of the circle if its vertex is exterior to the circle and both its rays are tangent to the circle. If every vertex of a [[polygon]] lies on a circle, then every angle of the polygon is an inscribed angle of that circle, and the polygon is said to be [[inscription (geometry)|inscribed]] in the circle. Conversly, it can also be said that the circle is [[circumscription|circumscribed]] around the polygon. If each side of a polygon is [[tangency|tangent]] to the circle, then every angle of the polygon is a circumscribed angle of the circle, and the polygon itself is said to be circumscribed around the circle, or, equivalently, the circle is inscribed in the polygon. Not all polygons can have circles inscribed in them, or have circles circumscribed about them. If a circle can be inscribed in a polygon, then that circle is unique, and is called the polygon's [[incircle]]. A polygon that has an incircle is called a [[tangential polygon]]. Likewise, if a circle can be circumscribed around a polygon, then that circle is unique, and is called the polygon's [[circumcircle]]. A polygon that has a circumcircle is called a [[cyclic polygon]]. All tangential polygons are [[convex polygon|convex]], and all cyclic polygons are strictly convex; however, not all convex polygons are tangential or cyclic.

For example, all [[triangle]]s are both tangential and cyclic. All [[regular polygon]]s, including [[square]]s, are both tangential and cyclic, while non-square [[rectangle]]s are cyclic but not tangential, and non-square [[rhombus|rhombi]] are tangential but not cyclic. [[Parallelogram]]s which are neither rectangles nor rhombi are neither cyclic nor tangential.

A circle can be thought of as a [[limit]] of a [[sequence]] of [[regular polygon]]s as the number of sides approaches [[infinity]] and the length of each side approaches [[zero]]) while either the [[apothem]] or the [[perithem]] retains a fixed value. If the apothem is fixed, then all the polygons in the sequence are circumscribed around the limit circle; if the perithem is fixed, then all the polygons in the sequence are inscribed in the limit circle. As the number of sides increases, the perimeters and areas of the polygons in the two sequences both [[convergence|converge]] to those of the circle from opposite sides—indeed, this fact has been used since antiquity to [[estimation|estimate]] the circumference and/or area of the circle and hence the value of <math>\pi</math>.

In the [[Poincaré disk model]] of hyperbolic geometry, [[hyperbolic line|line]]s, [[horocycle]]s, and [[hypercycle]]s all appear as circles or circular arcs (or as straight lines, which, again, may be considered circles of infinite radius). This does not, however, hold for other models of hyperbolic geometry, and does not imply that these curves ''are'' circles in any deeper sense.

===Two-dimensional manifolds===
The [[interior]] of a circle—the locus of points such that the distance from the center to the point is ''less'' than a given value—is called a [[disc]]. The area bounded by two radii and an arc that they intercept is called a [[sector]]. The area bounded by a chord of the circle and the arc that it intercepts is called a [[circular segment]].

The [[trace]] of a circle as it moves along a line perpendicular to the circle is a [[cylinder|right circular cylinder]]; if it moves along a line ''not'' perpendicular to the circle, the trace is an [[oblique cylinder|oblique circular cylinder]].

[[Rotation|Rotating]] a circle about a line that includes a diameter traces a [[sphere]]; rotating a circle about any other line coplanar to the circle traces a [[torus]]—a [[ring torus]] if the point is outside the circle; a [[spindle torus]] if the point is inside the circle; a [[horn torus]] if the point is on the circle itself. Rotating a circle about a line ''not'' in the plane of the circle produces a [[surface of revolution]] the meridianal sections of which are [[anacardioid]]s, [[quartic curve]]s satisfying the equation <math>\left(x^2+y^2-a^2\right)^2=b^2\left(x^2-c^2\right)</math>. (The torus can be considered a special case of this where <math>b=0</math>, in which case the anacardioid reduces to a pair of circles.)

==Properties==
The circle has a number of special properties. In parabolic geometry, it is the only two-dimensional manifold with constant nonzero curvature, and the only such manifold with infinite axes of [[rotational symmetry]]. It also has the smallest [[ratio]] of perimeter to area of any shape. Every circle is [[similarity|similar]] to every other circle.

There are also consistent relationships between the lengths of various angles and segments related to a circle in parabolic geometry. The measure of an inscribed angle of a circle is always equal to exactly half the measure of the arc it subtends, or of the central angle that subtends that same arc; a circumscribed angle of a circle is always [[supplementary angle|supplementary] to the central angle that subtends the same arc. As a trivial corollary of the former fact, any inscribed angle that subtends the diameter of a circle is always a [[right angle]]. Two chords of a circle are [[congruence|congruent]] if and only if they are the same distance from the circle's center. A radius of the circle that intersects a chord always [[bisection|bisects]] that chord—and, conversely, the [[perpendicular bisector]] of a chord always passes through the circle's center.

Through any point <math>P</math>, if we draw a line that intersects a given circle, then the product of the distance from <math>P</math> to the nearer point of intersection and the distance from <math>P</math> to the farther point of intersection is a [[constant]] no matter where we draw the line. (If we draw a tangent line, then there is only one point of intersection and the two distances are equal, but the relationship still holds. Similarly, if <math>P</math> actually lies on the circle, then the distance from point <math>P</math> to the nearer point of intersection is zero and the relationship, again, still holds, with the constant in question being zero.) This constant is called the [[power of a point|power]] of point <math>P</math> (relative to the circle in question), and can be written as <math>\Pi(P) = OP^2 - r^2</math>, where <math>O</math> is the circle's center and <math>r</math> its radius. Note that <math>\Pi(P)</math> is [[positive number|negative]] when <math>P</math> is outside the circle—and zero if the point lies on the circle itself.

There are three special cases of this "power of a point theorem" that are often taught in basic [[geometry]] as separate [[theorem]]s:

* The ''chord theorem'', or ''intersecting chords theorem'': When two chords of a circle intersect, the products of the measures of the two segments into which the point of intersection divides one chord is equal to the same product for the other. (That is, for example, if chord <math>\overline{AB}</math> and chord <math>\overline{CD}</math> intersect at point <math>X</math>, then <math>AX \cdot XB = CX \cdot XD</math>.)
* The ''secant theorem'', or ''intersecting secants theorem'': When two secants of a circle intersect outside the circle, the products of the measures of the point of intersection of the secants to each point where one of the secants intersects the circle are equal. (That is, for example, if two secants intersect each other at point <math>X</math>, and one secant intersects the circle at points <math>A</math> and <math>B</math> and the other at points <math>C</math> and <math>D</math>, then <math>XA \cdot XB = XC \cdot XD</math>.)
* The ''tangent-secant theorem'': When a tangent and a secant of a circle intersect, then the product of the distances from the point of intersection to each point where the secant intersects the circle equals the square of the distance from the point of intersection to the point where the tangent intersects the circle. (That is, for example, if the secant and the tangent intersect at point <math>X</math>, the secant intersects the circle at points <math>A</math> and <math>B</math>, and the tangent intersects the circle at point <math>C</math>, then <math>XA \cdot XB = XC^2</math>.)

==Generalizations==
There are several curves that could be considered "generalizations" of the circle—[[family of curves|families of curves]] that include circles as a special case. Perhaps the best known is the [[ellipse]], which can be seen as a circle that has been stretched or squashed along one axis. An ellipse aligned to the [[coördinate axis|co&omul;rdinate axes]] can be described by the equation <math>\frac{x^2}{a^2} + \frac{y^2}{b^2} = 1</math>, where <math>a</math> and b are the "semimajor" and "semiminor" axes (not necessarily in that order), essentially the ellipses' greatest and smallest width. Of course, when <math>a=b</math>, this equation reduces to <math>x^2 + y^2 = a^2</math>, and the ellipse becomes a circle.

Another circle generalization is the [[supercircle]], a shape described by the equation <math>|x|^n + |y|^n = |r|^n</math>, for some positive value ''n''. When <math>n = 2</math>, this of course reduces to the equation of a circle; as n increases toward infinity, the shape tends toward a square. If <math>n < 2</math>, then as <math>n</math> decreases, the quarters of the circle tend to "flatten out" and eventually bow inward; at <math>n = 1</math> the supercircle becomes a square (rotated 45\deg; (and halved in area) from the limit square as <math>n -> \inf</math>), and then as <math>n</math> further decreases toward zero it becomes [[concavity|concave]]. Just as the circle can be generalized to an ellipse, the supercircle can be generalized to a [[superellipse]] with different semiminor and semimajor axes, described by the equation <math>\left|\frac{x}{a}\right|^n + \left|\frac{y}{b}\right|^n = 1</math>.

The basic definition of a circle—the locus of points the same distance from a given point—also yields different curves in [[metric space]]s that use different [[metric]]s from the standard [[bowstring metric]]. In a metric using the [[taxicab distance]], for instance, a circle is a square, its sides at [[half right angle]]s relative to the coördinate axes. In one using [[Chebyshev distance]], it is a square with the sides ''[[parallelity|parallel]]'' to the axes. More exotic metrics may give rise to correspondingly exotic circles; in the [[discrete metric]], for instance, a unit circle includes every point in the space except the circle's center, while a circle of any other nonzero radius is [[empty set|empty]].
[[Category:Circles|Circles]][[Category:Conic sections]][[Category:Cogs]][[Category:Zindler curves]]{{Unlisted}}

Circle

2024-06-15T07:03:40Z

Antefyn: Created page with "{{About|the geometric curve}} A '''circle''' is the locus of points in a plane (geometry)| that are a given distance from a given point, called the center (geometry)| of the circle. Equivalently, it is a two-dimensional cog. The distance from the center of the circle to a point on the circle is called the circle's radius, and is frequently abbreviated ''r (letter)|''. Twice the radius—the maximum di..."

{{About|the geometric curve}}
A '''circle''' is the [[locus]] of [[point]]s in a [[plane (geometry)|plane]] that are a given [[distance]] from a given point, called the [[center (geometry)|center]] of the circle. Equivalently, it is a [[planespace|two-dimensional]] [[cog]].

The distance from the center of the circle to a point on the circle is called the circle's [[radius]], and is frequently [[abbreviation|abbreviated]] ''[[r (letter)|r]]''. Twice the radius—the maximum distance between two points on the circle—is called the [[diameter]] (sometimes abbreviated ''[[d (letter)|d]]''). These same words are also used respectively for a [[line segment]] connecting the center and a point on the circle, and for a segment connecting two points on the circle and passing through the center—the [[length]]s of these segments being of course the distances of the corresponding names. A circle with a radius of [[one|1]] is called a [[unit circle]], and has some special applications—it can be used, for instance, to define the basic [[trigonometric function]]s. A circle of radius [[zero]] comprises a single point.

In [[parabolic geometry]], given any [[set]] of three noncollinear points, there exists a unique circle that passes through those points. A [[line]] can be considered to be a [[degeneracy|degenerate]] circle of [[infinity|infinite]] radius, in which case the noncollinearity condition is unnecessary. This rule also holds in [[elliptic geometry]] (''sans'' the restriction to noncollinearity), but in not in hyperbolic; in [[hyperbolic geometry]] any three noncollinear points determine a unique ''[[cycle (geometry)|cycle]]''—that is, either a unique circle, a unique [[horocycle]], ''or'' a unique [[hypercycle]], but each particular [[set]] of three points determines only one of these three curves.

The [[curvature]] of a circle of radius <math>r</math> is <math>\frac{1}{r}</math>.

In [[topology|topological]] contexts, a circle is a [[compactness|compact]], [[connected|connected]], [[linespace|one-dimensional]] manifold—and in fact is the ''only'' compact, connected, one-dimensional manifold. Any [[simplicity|simple]] [[closure|closed]] [[curve]] is [[homeomorphy|homeomorphic]] to a circle. This includes any [[simple polygon]]s, as well as more exotic shapes such as [[real projective line]]s.

Circles often pay an important role in the [[physics]] of [[two-dimensional world]]s. [[Force]] [[isodynamic]]s about point sources are usually circular in shape; [[radiation]] propagates in circular fronts; etc. Two-dimensional [[mound]]s are often close to circular in outline.

==Equations==
In [[Cartesian coordinates]], the circle can be described by the [[equation]] <math>(x-h)^2 + (y-k)^2 = r^2</math>, where <math>(h, k)</math> is the center of the circle and <math>r</math> is the radius. While this is considered the "[[standard form]]" of the equation of the circle, it can also be written in a "[[general form]]" where each [[term]] is a [[constant]] times a [[power]] of ''x'' or ''y''; the general form of the circle is <math>x^2 + y^2 - 2hx - 2ky + \left(h^2 + k^2 - r^2\right) = 0</math>. For instance, for a circle with radius 3 centered at the point <math>(1, -2)</math>, the standard form of the equation is <math>(x-1)^2 + (y+2)^2 = 9</math>, and the general form is <math>x^2 + y^2 - 2x + 4y - 4 = 0</math>. For a circle centered at the origin, the standard form reduces to <math>x^2 + y^2 = r^2</math> and the general form to the trivially [[equivalence|equivalent]] <math>x^2 + y^2 - r^2 = 0</math>. (Converting from the standard form of a circle to the general form is a simple matter of [[expansion|expanding]] the [[square]]s of [[binomial]]s and combining like terms; converting from the general form to the standard form is a bit trickier but can be done with techniques such as [[completing the square]].)

In [[polar coordinates]], a circle centered on the [[origin]] has the simple equation <math>\rho = r</math>. If the circle is not centered at the origin, the equation can be written as <math>\rho^2 = 2 h \rho \cos \theta + 2 k \rho \sin \theta + (r^2 - h^2 - k^2)</math>. In [[log-polar coordinates]], a circle centered on the origin has the equation <math>\rho = \ln r</math>; the equation for a circle centered elsewhere is rather more complicated.

A circle can also be defined [[parametric equation|parametrically]] by the equations <math>x = h + r \cos t</math> and <math>y = k + r \sin t</math>, among other equivalent formulations.

===Circumference and area formulas===
The length of the [[perimeter]] of the circle is called the circle's [[circumference]]. In [[parabolic geometry]], the circumference of a circle is equal to the length of the diameter [[multiplication|times]] the [[transcendental number]] [[pi (number)|pi]] (''π'')—or, equivalently, to <math>\pi d</math>, or <math>2\pi r</math>. This was, in fact, the original basis for the [[definition]] of pi, though it has since been defined in many other ways that don't rely on parabolic geometry. The [[area]] of the circle, in parabolic geometry, is equal to <math>\pi r^2</math>.

In [[nonparabolic geometry]], of course, these values vary. In [[uniformity (geometry)|uniformity]] [[elliptic geometry]] with [[curvature]] ''K'', a circle of radius <math>r</math> has a circumference of <math>\frac{2\pi}{\sqrt{K}}\sin\left(r\sqrt{K}\right)</math> and an area of <math>\frac{4\pi}{K} \sin^2 \left(\frac{r\sqrt{K}}{2}\right)</math>; in uniform [[hyperbolic geometry]] with [[curvature]] ''K'', such a circle has a circumference of <math>\frac{2\pi}{\sqrt{-K}}\sinh\left(r\sqrt{-K}\right)</math> and an area of <math>-\frac{4\pi}{K} \sinh^2 \left(\frac{r\sqrt{-K}}{2}\right)</math>, where "sinh" represents the [[hyperbolic sine]]. In terms of the [[radius of curvature]] <math>R = \frac{1}{\sqrt{|K|}}</math>, these formulæ simplify to <math>C = 2 \pi R \sin \frac{r}{R}</math> and <math>A = 4 \pi R^2 \sin^2 \frac{r}{2 R}</math> for elliptic geometry and <math>C = 2\pi R \sinh \frac{r}{R}</math> and <math>A = 4 \pi R^2 \sinh^2 \frac{r}{2 R}</math> for hyperbolic.

==Associated curves and manifolds==
Because circles are such a simple and fundamental [[geometry|geometric]] shape, there are many other curves and manifolds that have been defined in relation to it—as parts of the circle, or resulting from [[transformation (mathematics)|transformation]]s of the circle, or as the [[envelope (mathematics)|envelope]] of lines or [[locus]] of points generated by processes performed with or on the circle.

The piece of a circle between two points is called a [[circular arc]]—or just an "arc" if from context it's clear that it's the arc of a circle that's referred to. More formally, an arc is the part of the circle [[subtension|subtended]] by an [[angle]] with its [[vertex]] at the circle's center, which is called a central angle; the measure of the arc is defined as the same as the measure of the central angle that subtends it. The [[arc length|length]] of the arc is simply <math>\theta d</math> or <math>2 \theta r</math>, where <math>\theta</math> is the measure of the arc in [[radian]]s. The line segment connecting the two endpoints of an arc is called a [[chord]]; a line that includes a chord is called a [[secant (geometry)|secant]]. The [[sagitta (geometry)|sagitta]] of an arc is a measurement equal to the distance from the arc's midpoint to the center of the corresponding chord, and is equal to <math>2 r \sin^2 \frac{\theta}{2}</math>, where <math>r</math> is the radius of the circle and <math>\theta</math> is the measure of the arc. An arc with a measure of \pi radians (180°) is a [[semicircle]]; its chord is a diameter of the circle, and its sagitta is equal to the circle's radius.

A [[trochoid]] is the [[roulette]] [[tracing (geometry)|traced]] by a point fixed relative to a circle as that circle [[rolling|rolls]] along a line. If the point is outside the circle, it is a prolate trochoid; if inside the circle, a curtate trochoid; and if the point is on the circle itself, then the traced curve is a [[cycloid]]. If instead of a line, the circle rolls around the outside of another circle, then the roulette produced is an [[epitrochoid]]—or an [[epicycloid]], if the point lies directly on the rolling circle—; if the circle rolls around the ''inside'' of another circle, the roulette produced is a [[hypotrochoid]]—or [[hypocycloid]], if the point is on the rolling circle.

===Angles and polygons===
An angle is said to be an inscribed angle of the circle if the [[angle]]'s vertex lies on the circle and each of the angle's rays intersects the circle in an additional point. An angle is said to be a ''circum''scribed angle of the circle if its vertex is exterior to the circle and both its rays are tangent to the circle. If every vertex of a [[polygon]] lies on a circle, then every angle of the polygon is an inscribed angle of that circle, and the polygon is said to be [[inscription (geometry)|inscribed]] in the circle. Conversly, it can also be said that the circle is [[circumscription|circumscribed]] around the polygon. If each side of a polygon is [[tangency|tangent]] to the circle, then every angle of the polygon is a circumscribed angle of the circle, and the polygon itself is said to be circumscribed around the circle, or, equivalently, the circle is inscribed in the polygon. Not all polygons can have circles inscribed in them, or have circles circumscribed about them. If a circle can be inscribed in a polygon, then that circle is unique, and is called the polygon's [[incircle]]. A polygon that has an incircle is called a [[tangential polygon]]. Likewise, if a circle can be circumscribed around a polygon, then that circle is unique, and is called the polygon's [[circumcircle]]. A polygon that has a circumcircle is called a [[cyclic polygon]]. All tangential polygons are [[convex polygon|convex]], and all cyclic polygons are strictly convex; however, not all convex polygons are tangential or cyclic.

For example, all [[triangle]]s are both tangential and cyclic. All [[regular polygon]]s, including [[square]]s, are both tangential and cyclic, while non-square [[rectangle]]s are cyclic but not tangential, and non-square [[rhombus|rhombi]] are tangential but not cyclic. [[Parallelogram]]s which are neither rectangles nor rhombi are neither cyclic nor tangential.

A circle can be thought of as a [[limit]] of a [[sequence]] of [[regular polygon]]s as the number of sides approaches [[infinity]] and the length of each side approaches [[zero]]) while either the [[apothem]] or the [[perithem]] retains a fixed value. If the apothem is fixed, then all the polygons in the sequence are circumscribed around the limit circle; if the perithem is fixed, then all the polygons in the sequence are inscribed in the limit circle. As the number of sides increases, the perimeters and areas of the polygons in the two sequences both [[convergence|converge]] to those of the circle from opposite sides—indeed, this fact has been used since antiquity to [[estimation|estimate]] the circumference and/or area of the circle and hence the value of <math>\pi</math>.

In the [[Poincaré disk model]] of hyperbolic geometry, [[hyperbolic line|line]]s, [[horocycle]]s, and [[hypercycle]]s all appear as circles or circular arcs (or as straight lines, which, again, may be considered circles of infinite radius). This does not, however, hold for other models of hyperbolic geometry, and does not imply that these curves ''are'' circles in any deeper sense.

===Two-dimensional manifolds===
The [[interior]] of a circle—the locus of points such that the distance from the center to the point is ''less'' than a given value—is called a [[disc]]. The area bounded by two radii and an arc that they intercept is called a [[sector]]. The area bounded by a chord of the circle and the arc that it intercepts is called a [[circular segment]].

The [[trace]] of a circle as it moves along a line perpendicular to the circle is a [[cylinder|right circular cylinder]]; if it moves along a line ''not'' perpendicular to the circle, the trace is an [[oblique cylinder|oblique circular cylinder]].

[[Rotation|Rotating]] a circle about a line that includes a diameter traces a [[sphere]]; rotating a circle about any other line coplanar to the circle traces a [[torus]]—a [[ring torus]] if the point is outside the circle; a [[spindle torus]] if the point is inside the circle; a [[horn torus]] if the point is on the circle itself. Rotating a circle about a line ''not'' in the plane of the circle produces a [[surface of revolution]] the meridianal sections of which are [[anacardioid]]s, [[quartic curve]]s satisfying the equation <math>\left(x^2+y^2-a^2\right)^2=b^2\left(x^2-c^2\right)</math>. (The torus can be considered a special case of this where <math>b=0</math>, in which case the anacardioid reduces to a pair of circles.)

==Properties==
The circle has a number of special properties. In parabolic geometry, it is the only two-dimensional manifold with constant nonzero curvature, and the only such manifold with infinite axes of [[rotational symmetry]]. It also has the smallest [[ratio]] of perimeter to area of any shape. Every circle is [[similarity|similar]] to every other circle.

There are also consistent relationships between the lengths of various angles and segments related to a circle in parabolic geometry. The measure of an inscribed angle of a circle is always equal to exactly half the measure of the arc it subtends, or of the central angle that subtends that same arc; a circumscribed angle of a circle is always [[supplementary angle|supplementary] to the central angle that subtends the same arc. As a trivial corollary of the former fact, any inscribed angle that subtends the diameter of a circle is always a [[right angle]]. Two chords of a circle are [[congruence|congruent]] if and only if they are the same distance from the circle's center. A radius of the circle that intersects a chord always [[bisection|bisects]] that chord—and, conversely, the [[perpendicular bisector]] of a chord always passes through the circle's center.

Through any point <math>P</math>, if we draw a line that intersects a given circle, then the product of the distance from <math>P</math> to the nearer point of intersection and the distance from <math>P</math> to the farther point of intersection is a [[constant]] no matter where we draw the line. (If we draw a tangent line, then there is only one point of intersection and the two distances are equal, but the relationship still holds. Similarly, if <math>P</math> actually lies on the circle, then the distance from point <math>P</math> to the nearer point of intersection is zero and the relationship, again, still holds, with the constant in question being zero.) This constant is called the [[power of a point|power]] of point <math>P</math> (relative to the circle in question), and can be written as <math>\Pi(P) = OP^2 - r^2</math>, where <math>O</math> is the circle's center and <math>r</math> its radius. Note that <math>\Pi(P)</math> is [[positive number|negative]] when <math>P</math> is outside the circle—and zero if the point lies on the circle itself.

There are three special cases of this "power of a point theorem" that are often taught in basic [[geometry]] as separate [[theorem]]s:

* The ''chord theorem'', or ''intersecting chords theorem'': When two chords of a circle intersect, the products of the measures of the two segments into which the point of intersection divides one chord is equal to the same product for the other. (That is, for example, if chord <math>\overline{AB}</math> and chord <math>\overline{CD}</math> intersect at point <math>X</math>, then <math>AX \cdot XB = CX \cdot XD</math>.)
* The ''secant theorem'', or ''intersecting secants theorem'': When two secants of a circle intersect outside the circle, the products of the measures of the point of intersection of the secants to each point where one of the secants intersects the circle are equal. (That is, for example, if two secants intersect each other at point <math>X</math>, and one secant intersects the circle at points <math>A</math> and <math>B</math> and the other at points <math>C</math> and <math>D</math>, then <math>XA \cdot XB = XC \cdot XD</math>.)
* The ''tangent-secant theorem'': When a tangent and a secant of a circle intersect, then the product of the distances from the point of intersection to each point where the secant intersects the circle equals the square of the distance from the point of intersection to the point where the tangent intersects the circle. (That is, for example, if the secant and the tangent intersect at point <math>X</math>, the secant intersects the circle at points <math>A</math> and <math>B</math>, and the tangent intersects the circle at point <math>C</math>, then <math>XA \cdot XB = XC^2</math>.)

==Generalizations==
There are several curves that could be considered "generalizations" of the circle—[[family of curves|families of curves]] that include circles as a special case. Perhaps the best known is the [[ellipse]], which can be seen as a circle that has been stretched or squashed along one axis. An ellipse aligned to the [[coördinate axis|co&omul;rdinate axes]] can be described by the equation <math>\frac{x^2}{a^2} + \frac{y^2}{b^2} = 1</math>, where <math>a</math> and b are the "semimajor" and "semiminor" axes (not necessarily in that order), essentially the ellipses' greatest and smallest width. Of course, when <math>a=b</math>, this equation reduces to <math>x^2 + y^2 = a^2</math>, and the ellipse becomes a circle.

Another circle generalization is the [[supercircle]], a shape described by the equation <math>|x|^n + |y|^n = |r|^n</math>, for some positive value ''n''. When <math>n = 2</math>, this of course reduces to the equation of a circle; as n increases toward infinity, the shape tends toward a square. If <math>n < 2</math>, then as <math>n</math> decreases, the quarters of the circle tend to "flatten out" and eventually bow inward; at <math>n = 1</math> the supercircle becomes a square (rotated 45\deg; (and halved in area) from the limit square as <math>n -> \inf</math>), and then as <math>n</math> further decreases toward zero it becomes [[concavity|concave]]. Just as the circle can be generalized to an ellipse, the supercircle can be generalized to a [[superellipse]] with different semiminor and semimajor axes, described by the equation <math>\left|\frac{x}{a}\right|^n + \left|\frac{y}{b}\right|^n = 1</math>.

The basic definition of a circle—the locus of points the same distance from a given point—also yields different curves in [[metric space]]s that use different [[metric]]s from the standard [[bowstring metric]]. In a metric using the [[taxicab distance]], for instance, a circle is a square, its sides at [[half right angle]]s relative to the coördinate axes. In one using [[Chebyshev distance]], it is a square with the sides ''[[parallelity|parallel]]'' to the axes. More exotic metrics may give rise to correspondingly exotic circles; in the [[discrete metric]], for instance, a unit circle includes every point in the space except the circle's center, while a circle of any other nonzero radius is [[empty set|empty]].
[[Category:Circles|Circles]][[Category:Conic sections]][[Category:Cogs]][[Category:Zindler curves]]{{Unlisted}}

Umbilicus

2024-05-28T08:24:22Z

Antefyn: Created page with "{{otheruses|the location on Plex|the anatomical feature|navel}} The '''Umbilicus''' is a location on the living world of Plex that for some reason seems to be a disproportionately common arrival point for newcomers. Located in a relatively flat and fleshy part of Plex's surface, the Umbilicus appears as a great circular pit, some three hundred and fifty meters in diameter. Spiraling ledges form paths down the sides of the..."

{{otheruses|the location on Plex|the anatomical feature|navel}}
The '''Umbilicus''' is a location on the [[living world]] of [[Plex]] that for some reason seems to be a disproportionately common arrival point for newcomers. Located in a relatively [[flatness|flat]] and [[flesh]]y part of Plex's surface, the Umbilicus appears as a great [[circle|circular]] [[pit]], some three hundred and fifty [[meter]]s in diameter. [[Spiral]]ing ledges form paths down the sides of the pit, although these are not "natural", but were formed by Plex's inhabitants cutting into Plex's flesh and inducing [[cicatrization]] to make the modifications more or less permanent—although given Plex's [[healing]] abilities, the paths must still be maintained and regularly rehewn.

The Umbilicus was originally so called not just because it bears some resemblance to an umbilicus, or [[navel]], in the [[anatomy|anatomical]] sense, but because some of the first settlers there thought that it really ''was'' an umbilicus, that this part of the world was originally the navel of the [[Plex as a living entity|creature that would become Plex]]. Later, as Plex was more fully explored, this idea was cast into doubt; the [[world]] of Plex bears many strange features that are unlikely to correspond to any [[organ]]s or [[appendage]]s it had prior to its [[teratization]]. Recently, however, some [[divination]]s and investigations of Plex's interior in the vicinity of the Umbilicus have lent credence to the proposition that the original explorers were right after all, if more by luck than through real insight; the evidence increasingly suggests that the Umbilicus actually ''is'', or was, Plex's literal navel. (If true, this of course necessarily implies that [[Plex as a living being#Origin|Plex's original form]] was a [[life form|creature]] that ''had'' a navel, which presumably means it was a [[Placentalia|placental mammal]]. This is compatible with the [[hypothesis]] that Plex was once [[human]], but of course does not necessarily [[implication|imply]] it.)

==Geography==
The great hole in Plex's surface that is the Umbilicus is very close to [[cylinder|cylindrical]], though its outline is not a perfect circle. The eased edges of the pit give way to nearly vertical walls that drop about half a kilometer to the pit's bottom. Said bottom is lumpy and irregular, full of fleshy knots and knolls, though on average its elevation tends to rise toward the center. [[Oil]] collects in the lowest crevices, forming long, thin ponds and pools of irregular outline, including a ring around the rim of the Umbilicus's base called the [[Moat (Umbilicus)|Moat]].

The otherwise flat surface of the Umbilicus's sides is broken by the [[helix|helical]] paths carved into it, often known as the [[Threads (Umbilicus)|Threads]]. There are two broad primary Threads, almost directly opposite each other and both curving counterclockwise as they descend, but a number of narrower paths also split off from or join them. The two primary Threads and a few of the secondary Threads are referred to by names of their own. The primary Threads are called the [[Upper Road]] and the [[Lower Road]]. Despite their names, there is no appreciable difference in altitude between them; in fact, the top of the Lower Road is very slightly higher than that of the Upper Road. The names came about because originally the intent was that the Lower Road be used for traffic going down ''into'' the Umbilicus, and the Upper Road for traffic coming up ''out'' of it. This distinction didn't take, and now people travel in both directions on both Threads, but the names stuck. Other Threads well known enough to have names include the [[Spar (Umbilicus)|Spar]], which connects the Upper and Lower Roads about halfway down; the [[Ghost Road]], which goes up to a now-abandoned meatmine rumored to be [[haunting|haunted]]; the [[Stone Road]], an early attempt at creating a firmer surface by [[petrifaction|petrifying]] part of Plex; and the [[Third Road]], which splits off the Lower Road just above the Spar and continues downward to the Umbilicus's floor in between the two major Threads. Where the Threads reach the base of the Umbilicus, [[bridge]]s provide dry crossings of the oily Moat. In addition to the Threads, the sides of the Umbilicus also bear the openings to a number of [[meatmine]]s, which are the destinations of several of the secondary Threads. One circuitous Thread, the [[Meander (Umbilicus)|Meander]], connects a number of meatmines, but others are reached by smaller, nameless Threads—or by [[flight]] or by somehow scaling a pathless part of the Umbilicus's vertical face.

Perhaps the most prominent feature of the Umbilicus's walls is the [[Bilefall]], a [[waterfall|cataract]] of [[yellow]]-[[green]] [[liquid]] about seven meters wide that emerges from a horizontal gash about halfway up the wall and plummets into the Moat below. Cut as they are into the flesh of the walls, the Threads are sufficiently recessed that the Bilefall does not fall upon them, though some prefer to use [[umbrella]]s when they pass behind the Bilefall to protect themselves from stray [[droplet]]s. The Bilefall had its origin about five hundred years ago when a group of [[meatminer]]s accidentally cut into some large [[duct]] deep within Plex, and the fluids from the duct leaked out through the mine tunnels until they emerged in the Umbilicus. For some reason, the breach in the duct and the tunnel through which its contents flowed did not heal as damage to Plex usually does, but in fact the tunnel slowly widened over time, though it eventually seems to have stabilized and has not appreciably grown in the last two [[century|centuries]]. Despite the name, the liquid of the Bilefall is not in fact [[bile]]; while its composition is not an exact match to any known [[bodily fluid]], it is closest, oddly, to [[cerebrospinal fluid]], though with a few extra [[compound]]s that give it its cholic color. Although the Bilefall ends in the Moat, its liquid does not mix with its content; heavier than and immiscible with the oil of the Moat, the fluid of the Bilefall sinks to the bottom and drains away through subolear channels.

===Surroundings===
The Umbilicus lies in a relatively [[flatness|flat]] part of Plex's surface, with no major hills or ridges nearby. In its immediate vicinity is little but pink [[skin]] covering a thick underlayer mostly of [[muscle]], broken only by the occasional [[hair]] or [[cilium]] or scraggly bit of [[florum|flora]]. A few hundred meters further out, there is a little more variation. About a third of the way around the Umbilicus, in the direction of the Upper Road, this fleshy expanse extends for many kilometers, forming what is called the [[Barebelly Plain]]. The Umbilicus itself is often considered to be within the Barebelly Plain, but if so it's near the edge. In another sector the hairs grow larger and more numerous until they form into a dense [[hair forest|forest]] called the [[Middlewood]], where bushy ciliary [[arbuscle]]s serve for [[undergrowth]]. In the final tertiant, in the area called the [[Pustulance]], the hairs grow individually stouter, though not nearly as dense or tall as in the Middlewood, and the cutaneous ground is submerged under several decimeters of [[sweat]] and dotted—and in places nearly covered—with huge [[blister]]s that under [[pressure]] may burst and release a mildly [[acid]]ic, foul-[[smell]]ing serum.

As such a societally central location on Plex, the Umbilicus is a [[crossroads]] both literally and figuratively. Four main [[road (Plex)|road]]s lead away from the Umbilicus, all joining the circular [[Rim Road]] that embails the pit's top (and that also connects to the Upper and Lower Roads). The [[White Line]] goes through the middle of the Barebelly Plain, while the [[Coastal Road]] roughly follows the border between the Barebelly Plain and the Pustulance. The [[Shadow Road]] and the [[Golden Trail]] both pass through the Middlewood, but almost at right angles to each other. There are also three major [[subcarnal road]]s with embouchements the bottom of the Umbilicus: the [[Red Road]] beneath the Barebelly Plain, the [[Dower]] beneath the Middlewood, and the [[Nevermind Way]] beneath the Pustulance. A fourth, "natural" tunnel called the [[Urachus (Plex)|Urachus]] also descends from near the middle of the Umbilicus's floor, topped by a [[valve]] that keeps out the oil but that determined explorers can push through. Where the Urachus ultimately leads remains a mystery; weird and dangerous creatures lair within, and no one is known to have followed it all the way to whatever lies at its other end.

==Magic==
The same [[integrative magic]] that works elsewhere on Plex also functions in the vicinity of the Umbilicus, but there also seems to be some extra [[rhegus]] here with additional effects. People and [[beast]]s alike in the vicinity of the Umbilicus [[healing|heal]] faster from both wounds and [[disease]], and [[harmalia|require less sustenance]]. Some have learned ways to focus and heighten these magical effects to not only further accelerate healing but enable [[regeneration]] of lost body parts and and even [[resurrection]], though since these channeling methods only work in the immediate vicinity of the Umbilicus they are of limited use.

[[Spell]]s and [[power (celemology)|power]]s involving growth and [[transformation]]—especially [[transfigurement]] and [[transevitation]]—are also easier to bring about in and near the Umbilicus. The details of exactly how these magics are affected, however, and how this can best be taken advantage of, remain murky to most; few have made a detailed study of this phenomenon, and those that have have generally kept their discoveries close to their chest.

==Life==
While the [[ollie]]s and [[partenet]]s of the Barebelly Plain sometimes wander near the Umbilicus's verge, there are no [[organism]]s larger than a [[rat]] found within the Umbilicus itself. There are, however, plenty of smaller ones. Various [[mold]]s, [[polypore]]s, and other [[fungus|fungi]], as well as an assortment of [[slime mold]]s, grow on the walls of the Umbilicus, and serve as fodder for [[centipede]]s, [[springtail]]s, and numerous types of [[slug]] and [[snail]] that graze on them. These in turn are preyed upon by [[gecko]]s and small [[bat]]s. There are also many fossorial [[animal]]s that live within the surrounding [[flesh]] and occasionally emerge from their burrows in the Umbilicus, including [[creatic caecilian|caecilian]]s; [[creatic mole rat]]s—not the [[giant creatic mole rat|giant]]s found elsewhere in Plex but smaller types very similar to the [[pantachon|pantach]] [[naked mole rat]]s —; and diverse varieties of [[meatworm]]. Apparently unique to the Umbilicus—at least in the wild—are the flightless and near-[[feather]]less [[bellybird]]s that creep along the pit's walls.

The Moat and the other [[oilpool]]s in the Umbilicus's base harbor endemic life of their own. Some of these [[faumum|fauna]] are oddly similar to those found in [[tide pool]]s on [[water]]y worlds, including the [[oil urchin]], the [[zincfish]], and the [[sea anemone|sea-anemone]]-like [[buttonflower]]. Others are more distinctive, like the [[spider]]y [[dridget]] and the [[feather limpet]].

==Resources==
What the Umbilicus is perhaps best known for is the fact that it is the most common place where new exiles to the prison world appear. However, there are other resources harvested from the area besides potential recruits and allies from the newcomers. By [[volume]], far and away the largest "export" of the Umbilicus is [[plexmeat]], flesh of the world itself carved out from meatmines. While meat can be found all over Plex, the fact that the Umbilicus's surroundings are nearly solid [[muscle]] along with the vertical faces of its walls making for the easy excavation of mine entrances make this a particularly convenient place to obtain it. Additionally, many hold that the plexmeat from the Umbilicus has a particular—and pleasant—flavor and texture. It's also widely believed that the unusual magical effects active in the Umbilicus infuse the meat here as well and make it especially salubrious, though there's no hard evidence of this.

But plexmeat is not the only material resource obtained from the Umbilicus, though it is certainly the one gathered in the greatest quantity. [[Chemical]]s with [[medicine|medicinal]], [[dye|tinctorial]], or [[psychotropic]] properties are extracted from some of the fungi that grow on the pit's walls. [[Telesm]]ata related to healing and transformation are produced in and near the Umbilicus with the aid of its local rhegus and sold elswhere. Some of the animals of the oilpools are exported as rare and exotic [[cuisine|culinary]] delicacies, and bellybirds have become popular [[pet]]s across Plex, to the extent that there are now several times more bellybirds in captivity elsewhere than there are in the Umbilicus itself.

==Structures==
A number of structures have been erected along the Rim Road around the edge of the Umbilicus to serve (and exploit) the new arrivals there and to take advantage of the available resources. Most of these locales are jointly run by two or more of the neighboring bosses, who coöperate on these ventures not out of any spirit of camaraderie but in order to prevent their rivals from gaining an uncontested foothold in the area. These establishments include the [[Umbilicus Placement Agency|Placement Agency]], the [[Central Hostel]], the [[Umbilicus Garrison|Garrison]], and the [[Umbilicus Station|Umbilicus Bloodrail Station]].

Standing near the upper terminus of the Upper Road, the Placement Agency is the most ornate of the Rim Road buildings, decorated with stately [[pillar]]s and [[statue]]s. Newcomers looking for an entry into what passes for society on Plex are directed here to meet with agents of various bosses interested in recruiting new agents and attracting useful people to their territories. Nearby is the Central Hostel, a ramshackle structure that has had wings and stories added on at different times, and looks it; no visible effort went into matching its various parts to each other. It provides a place for new arrivals to stay until they can find a more permanent place—but the lodging isn't free, and those who don't have suitable payment may go into debt and end up effectively [[indentured servant]]s to some boss or another; in this way the Central Hostel is perhaps as much a recruitment center as the Placement Agency is, but in a more subtle and more insidious way. The forces of the Garrison keep some semblance of order in the area of the Umbilicus, although there is a danger of its becoming a source of conflict itself; one boss in particular, [[Rags]], has managed to gain an outsize influence over the Garrison, and the other bosses with territories near the Umbilicus are worried and considering how to wrest some of that power from her. Umbilicus Station is part of the [[bloodrail]] network that serves as a form of rapid [[transportation]] around much of Plex; it is one of the largest terminals of the rail system, and a number of vendors have kiosks within where they hawk snacks and other goods to travelers.

Other Rim Road locations are more or less independent of the bosses, or at least not directly and overtly run by them. The [[Codmarket]] is a large open-air market, a sprawl of tents and stands, that extends for some distance into the Barebelly Plain. The [[Turris Novatorum]] is a [[tower]] whose inhabitants devote themselves to studying and making use of the magical effects of the Umbilicus. Last, the [[Welcome Center]], a large, [[rectangle|rectangular]] building, provides new arrivals with information about Plex and gives them counsel on where to go. While it's funded mostly by charitable donations and not under the official oversight of the local bosses, the guides here are not above taking kickbacks to funnel their advisees into service to a particular sponsor.

Only one real building is sited within the Umbilicus itself: a tall but narrow [[black]] tower called the [[Splinter (Umbilicus)|Splinter]] near the center of its floor. The Splinter has been there for hundreds of years, and no one now remembers who built it or why, but whoever it was, they seem to be long gone now. The tower today is uninhabited, even by squatters, because the word has gotten around that those who spend too long inside it tend to disappear.

==Government==
Since the signing of the [[Omphalodic Treaty]] four hundred [[year]]s ago, all of Plex within a kilometer of the Umbilicus, including the Umbilicus itself, has officially been neutral territory, under the dominion of none of the [[boss (Plex)|boss]]es who claim neighboring territories. For some time immediately prior to the treaty's introduction, the Umbilicus was the site of intense warfare between competing warlords all of whom coveted the location mostly for the possibility of recruiting the many new arrivals who showed up there into their own forces and for its magical effects. Wearying of the unending conflict, three of the bosses, [[Crystal Maggie]], [[Airon Arion]], and [[Guhundurata Vong]], convened and forged an agreement to designate the Umbilicus and its environs as a permanent [[no man's land]], not to be claimed by any boss or ruler. They strongarmed the bosses of the other two nearest territories, [[King Skeleton]] and [[Lepidonald]], into going along with their plan, and then the five of them signed the treaty that would, in theory, establish the lordlessness of the Umbilicus in perpetuity.

This state of affairs has more or less held to this day. The Umbilicus's fragile independence has persisted not because of any sense of honor or principle possessed by the nearby bosses, but in fact for exactly the opposite reason. The fractiousness and jealousy of the bosses ensures that none of them want to risk a rival gaining control of the Umbilicus, and so if any does make a move toward taking possession of it, the other bosses will quickly express their displeasure. Not wanting to risk a war in which they're clearly outnumbered, the ambitious boss has so far always relented, leaving the Umbilicus still unclaimed. This certainly doesn't mean the neighboring bosses have left it alone; they have stationed [[espionage|spies]] and agents there, established some measure of influence in various somewhat subtle ways, and tested the limits of how much their neighbors are willing to allow them before they're pressured to pull back. Thus a number of nearby bosses do have some sway in the Umbilicus, but none can claim to own it uncontested. At the moment, the bosses with the most power there are Rags, whose minions make up the majority of the soldiers in the Garrison; [[Rastigarn the Gleeful]], to whom the master of the Turris Novatorum has some level of loyalty; and [[Zamzama]], who has no single notable power base in the Umbilicus but has slightly above average influence in most of the establishments there, thus giving her ''in toto'' disproportionate sway.

==Inhabitants==
A number of people, of course, live within the structures that surround the Umbilicus: the staff and clientele of the Hostel, the [[mage]]s of the Turris; even many of the Codmarket vendors make their homes there, sleeping in or under their stalls. But the Umbilicus proper, despite being little more than a giant circular pit, is also not without its [[ellogy|ellogous]] denizens.

While people do venture onto the floor of the Umbilicus to harvest creatures from the oilpools, it is too irregular to readily build on and offers little reason for anyone to try to make a home there. Nevertheless, the floor does have two known permanent inhabitants. A [[marmenill|tritoniform]] being called [[Oily Gee]] is often seen splashing around the Moat and the oilpools; she wanders all about the floor of the Umbilicus, except that she gives the Splinter a wide berth. A lithe [[fairy|fae]] being known only as the [[Grim]] lives behind or perhaps somehow within the Bilefall and claims to be able to commune with [[Plex as a living being|Plex]] itself.

The walls of the Umbilicus are more populated—more specifically, the parts of the walls along the Threads. While these walls bear no buildings, per se, many people have holked hollowed-out homes into the walls of the Umbilicus—and redig them, or dig new ones, when they inevitably heal. These hole-dwellings, which range from single-room hovels to multistory complexes, almost all lie along the major Threads wherefrom they can be easily accessed, and are collectively known as the [[Threadtowns]]. (Despite the use of the [[plural]], the Threadtowns effectively function as a single community, although the sets of buildings along different Threads are sometimes referred to as separate towns.) A plurality of the inhabitants of the Threadtowns work as meatminers, though many harvest other resources from the Umbilicus, and some provide goods and services to other Threadtowners. Though the Threadtowns have no formal government, there is one person who's managed to gain enough respect and deference from the other Threadtowners to effectively be their ''de facto'' leader: [[Iron Rose]], a [[bicephale|two-headed]] woman of uncertain [[species]]. Since she claims no territory ''outside'' the Umbilicus and does not threaten the neighboring bosses, they do not consider her rulership of the Threadtowns a violation of the Omphalodic Treaty and mostly leave her to her own devices—akthough they may try to curry her favor if there's something they want from her domain.
[[Category:Locations on Plex]][[Category:Pits]][[Category:The Umbilicus|The Umbilicus]]

Umbilicus (Plex)

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#REDIRECT [[Umbilicus]]

The Umbilicus

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#REDIRECT [[Umbilicus]]

Index of worlds

2024-03-03T20:11:22Z

Antefyn: These should maybe be listed as separate worlds...

This page is intended to list all the worlds currently described in the Wongery. The definition of "[[world]]" is somewhat fuzzy, however, and not everything here may be universally considered a distinct world. (Conversely, there may be some other places described in the Wongery that some ''would'' consider worlds that are not listed here.) Worlds here are listed hierarchically, in that worlds are listed below worlds that contain them, if applicable. For instance, [[Dadauar]] is a [[rew (Charos)|rew]] of the [[conspect]] of [[Qabede]] within the [[universe]] of [[Charos]], which is in the [[cosmos]] of [[Ses]]. Most of the innermost worlds listed here are [[planet]]s or analogous [[mound]]s; smaller areas are not typically considered to be discrete worlds for the purposes of this list, with the exception of some [[eder]]s or parts of [[asperse worlds]]. This list will grow over time as more worlds are described in the Wongery.

Note that not all of these worlds are at the same level of development. Some of the newest worlds just added to the Wongery may have only one or two articles about them, while others may have dozens (and, eventually, hundreds or (some time in the future, we hope, maybe?) thousands).

If you're looking for a specific ''kind'' of world, you might be better served by browsing through the appropriate [[Wongery:Category|categories]], starting with the top-level [[:Category:Worlds|Worlds category]].

==[[Magical world]]s==
* [[Doun]]
** [[Piobagh]]
*** [[Ecemere]]
**** [[Yudis]]
*** [[Norg]]
**** [[Axa]]
**** [[Chee]]
**** [[Lnnai]]
**** [[Meed]]
**** [[Numlle]]
**** [[Thaior]]
**** [[Therqin]]
**** [[Xos]]
* [[Dverelei]]
** [[Lothenmydhe]]
*** [[Arianiga]]
*** The [[Hatching Lands]]
*** [[Ufmarkt]]
*** [[Vlastach]]
* [[Eidecia]]
** [[Aarven]]
** [[Aeol]]
** [[Hax]]
* [[Goetogenia]]?
** [[Forest of Teeth]]
* [[Inji]]
** [[Ym]]
* [[Loge]]
** The [[Sacred Sea]]
*** [[Diddu]]
*** [[Nalw]]
* [[Mogn]]
** [[Lajia]]
*** [[Gala]]
* [[Nanben]]
** [[Ijian]]
** [[Sent]]
*** [[Tegn]]
* [[Oocada]]
** [[Tutun]]
*** [[Ranthis]]
* [[Plex]]
* [[Ses]]
** [[Charos]]
*** [[Qabede]]
**** [[B'gor]]
**** [[Dadauar]]
**** [[Jhembaz]]
* [[Usm]]
** [[Zien]]
*** [[Curcalen]]
*** [[Varra]]

==[[Science fiction]] or [[space opera]] settings==
* The [[Dupliverse]]
** [[Cocoro]]
** [[Kadis]]
* [[Icathiria]]
** [[Cauldron]]
** [[Meptus]]
* The [[Multivirt]]
** The [[Eversky]]
* The [[Second Konabian Empire]]
** [[Khalan]]
** [[Oe]]
* [[Thorgh]]

==[[Alternate Earth]]s==
* [[Gallerra]]
* [[Ganyak]]
* [[Interlife Earth]]
** The [[Gap]]
** The [[Spirit World]]
* [[Meliauth]]
* [[Nuclearth]]
[[Category:Worlds]]

Circle (disambiguation)

2024-03-01T22:34:22Z

Antefyn: Created page with "A circle is a geometric shape comprising all of the points equidistant from another point within a two-dimensional plane. '''Circle''' or '''circles''' may also refer to: * Circle (carminical taxonomy), the second highest taxon of dream magic * Circle (Metcitan calendar), a division of the Metcitan calendar * Circle (Osrodica), part of the government of the nation of Osrodica * The Circles (Thamarand), a location within the floating castle of Thamara..."

A [[circle]] is a geometric shape comprising all of the points equidistant from another point within a two-dimensional plane.

'''Circle''' or '''circles''' may also refer to:
* [[Circle (carminical taxonomy)]], the second highest taxon of dream magic
* [[Circle (Metcitan calendar)]], a division of the Metcitan calendar
* [[Circle (Osrodica)]], part of the government of the nation of Osrodica
* The [[Circles (Thamarand)]], a location within the floating castle of Thamarand
* [[Travel circle]], a common means of transport in the onirarchies of Dadauar

==See also==
* [[Wikipedia:Circle (disambiguation)|Circle (disambiguation)]] on Wikipedia
{{Disambig}}

Circles

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#REDIRECT [[circle]]

Circular

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#REDIRECT [[circle]]

Power

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Antefyn: Added power of a point

'''Power''' may refer to:
* [[Power (celemology)]], an innate or granted magical ability of a creature or talisman
* [[Power (physics)]], a measurement of energy over time
* In mathematics, an [[exponent]] is often referred to as a power
* The [[power of a point]], a geometric property related to the distance of a point from a circle
{{disambig}}
==See also==
* [[Wikipedia:Power|Power]] on Wikipedia

Convergent etymology

2023-12-24T19:33:51Z

Antefyn: Created page with "{{Stub}} '''Convergent etymology''' refers to the phenomenon in which the same word in a pantach language has a different etymology on different worlds. A word may, for instance, in one world be an eponym named after a specific individual, while on another world the same word is borrowed from a different language. Comparative etymology apparently arises as some consequence of the same principle of ontological resonance responsible..."

{{Stub}}
'''Convergent etymology''' refers to the phenomenon in which the same [[word]] in a [[pantachon|pantach]] [[language]] has a different [[etymology]] on different [[world]]s. A word may, for instance, in one world be an [[eponym]] named after a specific individual, while on another world the same word is borrowed from a different language. Comparative etymology apparently arises as some consequence of the same principle of [[ontological resonance]] responsible for the existence of [[pantachon]]es in the first place.
[[Category:Ontological resonance]][[Category:Etymology]]

Baderscatch

2023-09-04T06:43:05Z

Antefyn: Whoops... missing an equals sign for the heading

{{Automatic taxobox
| taxon = Gambarus chymotes
}}
The '''baderscatch''' (pronounced {{IPA|ˈbædɚskætʃ}}) is an [[ellogous]] [[arthropod]] native to the [[sea]]s of the [[world]] of [[Tegn]], as well as some of the adjacent [[eder]]s. It is able to pass freely between [[monal]]s—parts of the sea made up of different [[liquid]]s—by [[transformation|transforming]] itself to adapt to its new environment. Baderscatches are found through all monals of Tegn, but are most common in the [[freshwater]] monal of [[Osi]], the [[acid]] monal of [[Funar]], and the [[alcohol]] monal of [[Reidhen]].

==Description==
A typical baderscatch is about two and a half [[meter]]s long, its body consisting of three main [[tagma]]ta: the [[head]], or [[cephalon]]; the [[trunk]], or [[urosome]]; and the [[tail]], or [[telson]]. The urosome is, however, itself composed of ten [[articulation|articulated]] [[segment]]s, each bearing a pair of [[leg]]s. The telson seems to have developed very late in the baderscatch's [[evolution]] from the [[fusion (etory)|fusion]] of three urosomal segments, and some [[biologist]]s consider it to be a part of the urosome rather than a separate tagma. Indeed, some baderscatches are still born with [[vestigiality|vestigial]] telsonic legs.

The head of the baderscatch bears two [[eye]]s on short stalks, three pairs of [[mouthpart]]s (two [[maxilliped]]s, two [[mandible]]s, and two [[maxilla]]e), and one pair of [[chiroped]]s, or [[arm]]s. These last appendages end in a complex series of jointed branches called a [[cheir]] that possesses a dexterity comparable to that of [[human]] [[hand]]s, and serves as the baderscatch's primary means of manipulation.

Like most arthropods, the baderscatch is enclosed in a hard [[chitin]]ous [[exoskeleton]]. The baderscatch's carapace is usually dark [[red]]dish to [[blue|bluish]] on the top, and paler or even [[white]] on the bottom. The [[tergite]]s of the urosome often bear complex [[maze]]like or [[flower]]like patterns of white lines, which vary widely between individuals.

==Anatomy==
Most of the space inside the baderscatch's head is taken up by its large [[brain]] and its [[mouth|oral cavity]]. The rest of its prominent vital [[organ]]s reside mainly in its urosome, including the remainder of its [[nervous system|nervous]] and [[digestive system]]s. A thick [[nerve cord]] runs [[anatomical axes|ventrally]] down the length of the baderscatch's body from the [[brain]], with [[nerve]]s branching off it into other parts of the body and [[limb]]s. As for the digestive system, the baderscatch has partially internalized the function of the external [[preoral cavity]] of its ancestors (and of related arthropods like most [[chelicerate]]s today); small pieces cut from its food by the mouthparts are inserted into its mouth and bathed in [[gastric juice]]s produced by the [[stomach]]. Only when the food is fully liquefied is it pumped by the the [[muscle|muscular]] [[pharynx]] through the [[&oelig;sophagus]] and into the [[stomach]], with any solid remnants ejected through the mouth. Most of the [[digestion|digestive]] process takes place in the stomach and [[intestine]], and finally any indigestible matter accumulates in the [[hindgut]] until it is excreted.

The baderscatch's [[circulatory system]] is an odd hybrid between an [[open circulatory system|open]] and [[closed circulatory system|closed]] system. While it does have a [[hæmoc&oelig;l]] bathing some organs in [[hæmolymph]], it is much reduced and only fills part of the body. A [[tube|tubular]] [[heart]] running along the baderscatch's back pumps light blue hæmolymph through numerous [[artery|arteries]], some of which terminate in the hemocoel while others further branch into [[capillary|capillaries]] that interface with organs directly before connecting to [[vein]]s that return the hæmolymph to the heart. Hæmolymph from the hæmoc&oelig;l passes through tiny organs called [[colulum|colula]] that filter the hæmolymph before returning it to the heart. With this system, the baderscatch does maintain some separation between its hæmolymph and its [[interstitial fluid]], albeit not as much as in an [[animal]] with a fully closed circulatory system.

[[Respiration]] takes place through [[book gill]]s attached to the base of each of the baderscatch's legs. Each book gill consists of a flap covering about sixscore thin [[membrane]]s called [[lamellæ]] through which [[gas exchange]] takes place. From the book gills, veins carry [[oxygen]]ated hæmolymph to the heart for distribution through the body.

Perhaps the most distinctive anatomical feature of the baderscatch is the [[spagyric organ]] or [[mistorium]], an organ in the front ventral part of the baderscatch's urosome where [[alchemy|alchemical]] processes take place. The mistorium is connected to the mouth by the [[pseudopharynx]], which conveys alchemical [[reagent]]s from the mouth to the mistorium just as the true pharynx does from the mouth to the stomach. Within the complex of [[sinus]]es that make up the interior of the mistorium, the reagents are mixed and treated to create various alchemical products, which are then either used internally by the baderscatch or expelled through the mouth for later use, encased in membranous [[vesicle]]s.

==Origins==
While now widespread in Sent, baderscatches actually originated in the neighboring eder of [[Athrigane]], in the [[brackish water|brackish]] [[monal]] of [[Esterek]]. At first confined to that monal, they were [[intelligence|intelligent]] enough to develop both some primitive [[technology]] and some ability in [[spell]]casting. It is this that allowed them to spread beyond their home monal; baderscatches did not originally have mistoria and were confined to Esterek. However, they were aware of another creature of Athrigane, the [[ulligar]], that was able to move between monals, changing its substance as it did. Studying the ulligar, baderscatches discovered the organ that made this feat possible—and then by means [[surgery|surgical]] and [[magic]]al, they contrived a procedure to extract this organ and implant it in subjects of their species.

This was neither a smooth nor an instantaneous process. At first, as the techniques were developed and refined, the implantation process often went wrong, resulting in some cases in [[death]] and in others in unfortunate magical mishaps. Even when the operation became well understood and relatively safe, it was still time consuming and performable only by highly skilled individuals, and only a small proportion of baderscatches were given the implant. It took [[generation]]s before the baderscatches devised a means of effectively altering their [[genetics|genetic]] code to enable baderscatches to be [[birth|born]] with mistoria rather than have to have them implanted. Once this was achieved, however, it enabled baderscatches to radiate well beyond their home monal of Esterek and even into other eders. Now, though there may be some small clans of baderscatch back in Esterek that lack mistoria, the vast majority have them, and it is for all practical purposes a regular part of baderscatch [[anatomy]].

==Reproduction==
Baderscatches are [[di&oelig;cism|di&oelig;cious]] creatures, [[female]]s on [[average]] about twenty [[percent]] larger than [[male]]s. Although the female baderscatch is capable of producing ([[fertilization|unfertilized]]) eggs without the presence of a male, it is a taxing endeavor. To produce enough nutrients for the eggs, the female baderscatch eats voraciously for at least a [[week]] before laying, swollen to almost twice her usual size—and [[ecdysis|moulting]] much of its shell to make room for the expansion. The baderscatch then lays her [[eggs]], usually eight to twelve at a time, each about twenty-five centimeters in [[diameter]]. Exhausted, she then must spend several days recovering and regaining her strength. During the time just before laying when she is bloated to near-immobility, and during the time just after when she is enervated and expended and her moulted exoskeleton is regrowing, the female baderscatch is all but helpless and relies on her mate to feed and care for her. Fortunately, egg production is a voluntary process for baderscatches, and a female baderscatch will very rarely choose to lay eggs if she doesn't already have a willing mate present. While it's possible in theory for a female baderscatch to produce eggs as often as six times a [[year]], in practice relatively few opt to do so more than once in their lives.

Once the eggs are laid, the male tends to the female baderscatch until she has mostly recovered from her ordeal and regrown her carapace, and then, moulting ''his'' shell, takes most of the eggs into a ventral cavity called a [[brood pouch (baderscatch)|brood pouch]], where they are [[fertilization|fertilized]], and where they are [[incubation|incubated]] as the [[embryo]] within fully develops. Until the time of fertilization, the [[embryo]] within the egg still comprises a single [[cell]], the vast majority of the egg's [[volume]] being taken up by the [[vitellus]]. Within the brood pouch, however, the embryo gradually develops and differentiates over about a hundred [[day]]s, absorbing the nutrients from the vitellus to fuel its growth. During this period, it is the male that is distended and disabled by the eggs developing within its body, and the röles are reversed as the female must care for him. At the end of the incubation period, the [[larva]]l baderscatches hatch from the egg and exit the brood pouch. Typically fewer than half of the eggs are successfully fertilized and develop into larvæ, and generally three to five larvæ end up emerging from the brood pouch. These larvæ are similar in shape to adult baderscatches, and take about fifteen years to grow to full size. As they grow, they moult many times, though the [[frequency]] of moulting decreases as they develop. A [[juvenile]] baderscatch usually moults seven times in its first [[year]], but then the frequency drops off to three or four times a year, then to once a year, and once the baderscatch reaches full size it no longer moults except during the reproductive process.

One curious detail of baderscatch reproduction is that—partly due to the male's smaller size, and partly due to the fact that the ventral cavity takes up a proportionately smaller part of its body—the male baderscatch often cannot fit all of the eggs laid into his brooding pouch, and it's very common for a few eggs—usually one or two but sometimes as many as four or five—to be left outside and unincubated. These eggs are generally still fertilized; the male baderscatch takes all the eggs into its brood pouch, but not all at the same time; once there is no more room he expels some of the now-fertilized eggs to make room for the others. The unincubated eggs rarely hatch, and if not tended—as is commonly the case—are very likely to end up as [[food]] for some passing [[scavenger]]. However, even neglected eggs do occasionally hatch on their own, and baderscatches that hatch from such eggs, sometimes called [[coldborn]], often get reputations—not necessarily deserved—as survivors or obstinants.

==Alchemy==
Although it may not have been an innate ancestral ability, probably what baderscatches are best known for now is their alchemical aptitude. By mixing and treating reagents in their mistoria, baderscatches can produce an endless variety of [[potion]]s and other alchemical products. The pseudopharynx leading into the mistorium is tough and well protected by [[chemical]] coatings against most toxins and irritants, allowing the baderscatch to take into its mistorium even many substances that would otherwise be [[poison]]ous or [[causticity|caustic]]—although particularly hazardous substances may be ingested inside capsules of some material that will last only long enough to pass through the pseudopharynx and then quickly [[dissolution|dissolve]] within the mistorium.

The baderscatch does not exercise precise [[consciousness|conscious]] control over all the processes of the mistorium, but can with practice exert enough influence to engage the effects necessary to produce particular potions. Still, in order to create a specific potion, a baderscatch must know not only what reagents must go into it but also roughly how they are to be combined and treated. A few alchemical [[recipe (alchemy)|recipe]]s the baderscatch seems to know almost [[instinct]]ively, an instinct perhaps borrowed from the ulligar along with the organ. The [[adaptation elixir]] that allows the baderscatch to alter itself to survive in different monals falls into this category; in addition, almost any baderscatch can produce a simple [[healing potion (Nanben)|healing potion]], a [[steelskin salve]], a [[potion of celerity]], or an [[invisibility ointment]]. Others, however, must be either stumbled upon by experimentation—a dangerous process at best—or, more likely, learned from other baderscatches, or from other sources. Processes designed for traditional alchemy with [[flask]]s and [[flame]]s and other apparatus can usually be adapted to be performed by the baderscatch's internal process, though it may take a bit of trial and error. Most adult baderscatches know how to make a couple of dozen different alchemical products, though some know many more than that. Recipes are often passed down through families, so closely related baderscatches often know the same recipes, though of course nothing prevents some family members from learning additional recipes on their own.

Baderscatches who deal with other [[folk]]s often find selling their alchemical products to be a lucrative source of income. Even within baderscatch society, some trade in potions takes place, since not all baderscatches know the same recipes. Few baderscatches make a living entirely from their alchemy, unless they do so by establishing a trade with other folks without this faculty, although there are a few who do so manage to support themselves by dint of their knowing a large number of recipes or by knowing one or a few that are little-known and jealously guarded.

==Society==
In general, baderscatches are not especially social creatures, uncomfortable in large crowds. As they developed societally they found value in interchange of goods, services, and ideas, but even so they tend to interact as little as possible, and avoid gathering in groups of more than a half dozen or so. The design of baderscatch [[city|cities]] and communities reflects their semisolitary nature. Roads and walkways tend to be lined by [[wall]]s or [[hedge]]s to block the surroundings and give the illution of isolation even in bustling neighborhoods; broad thoroughfares are divided into multiple lanes each lined with such visual barriers, with staggered openings between the lanes. There are few if any large [[shop]]s or other places designed for large numbers to gather, but many small, specialized shops big enough to be patronized by a few people at a time.

Baderscatches do, however, form close and lasting bonds with specific individuals. These bonded baderscatches are often referred to in English as [[mate]]s, but the relationship does not carry the connotations of [[marriage]], which is unknown in most baderscatch socities. Baderscatches that have children together almost always do become mates, if they were not already, but baderscatches also form mate relationships with no sexual implications, between individuals of the same or different sex. Mates may or may not live or travel together, but if they do not they will certainly frequently visit each other. It is almost unknown for unrelated baderscatches to share a residence ''unless'' they are mates; it may happen in circumstances where shelter is too hard to come by to avoid it, but it inevitably leads to stress and tension. If two baderscatches that had children together do not cohabit, the children are usually raised by the father, but since the parents will usually be mates the mother will be well known to the children.

The shed shells of moulted baderscatches often are given special significance, though the exact nature of that significance depends on the [[culture]]. The exuviæ of immature baderscatches may be kept to mark the child's growth, or disposed of with special ceremonies thought to bless the child's development. In some societies, they are ground up and [[ingestion|eaten]], either as part of some venerated ritual or as an unusual delicacy, or they may be used as alchemical reagants to make some special potions. The moulted exoskeletons of parent baderscatches after reproduction may likewise be kept as a memento of the occasion; often they are dismantled and refashioned into [[clothing]], [[toy]]s, or [[furniture]] for the children.

==Religion==
Although there are certainly individual dissenters—baderscatches who have turned to other [[god|deities]], or who are [[leipotheism|uninterested in honoring any god]]s—as a whole baderscatches tend to be devout [[worship]]pers of a [[phylic pantheon]] they have hewn to since they were confined to Esterek. Called the [[Gambaran pantheon]] by [[comparative theologist]]s, this goddery comprises dozens of deities, though there are seven (the "[[Septenar]]") that are generally considered the most powerful and important. Leading the pantheon is [[Zurunan]], god of [[nature]] and creation. Other significant gods include [[Celcelane]], goddess of [[war]] and competition; [[Enendane]], goddess of knowledge; [[Odergan]], god of fertility and birth; [[Telspane]], god of [[storm]]s and [[current]]s; and [[Wistlock]], goddess of health. Finally, [[Rexen]], mercurial god of change, was originally an obscure and very minor god, but since the baderscatches' installation of spagyric organs and spread beyond their home monal has risen in importance to almost rival Zurunan.

Worship of the Septenar usually takes the form of [[prayer]] and ceremonial [[dance]], supplemented occasionally with [[sacrifice]] of valuable substances. Some gods, especially Celcelane and Telspane, occasionally demand sacrifice of finished goods; rumor has it that in Athrigane [[animal sacrifice]] was common up to and including the sacrifice of baderscatches and other [[ellogy|ellogous]] beings, but if so that practice has long been discontinued, except perhaps in some secretive cults. [[Temple]]s, usually shaped like [[ziggurat]]s, are common, some devoted to individual gods of the Septenar and some to the pantheon as a whole; temples dedicated to gods outside the Septenar are rare, but not unknown. Most temples are home to at least one full-time [[priest]], and for larger temples several priests, who intercede for the nearby communities and give spiritual advice, their livelihoods provided for by a [[tithe]] paid to the temple.
[[Category:Arthropods of Tegn]][[Category:Ellogous arthropods]][[Category:Megacheirans]]

Eidolon

2023-09-03T07:10:51Z

Antefyn: Created page with "'''Eidolons''' ({{IPA|/aɪˈdoʊlən/}}) are formidable entities of Interlife Earth that ghost (Interlife Earth)s and knowledgeable mortal (Interlife Earth)|s can call upon for various services. While powerful, most eidolons seem to have little drive or agency of their own, and it's not clear where they reside when they're not being summoned. In fact, while some suspect that eidolons spend their "down time" somewher..."

'''Eidolons''' ({{IPA|/aɪˈdoʊlən/}}) are formidable entities of [[Interlife Earth]] that [[ghost (Interlife Earth)]]s and knowledgeable [[mortal (Interlife Earth)|mortal]]s can [[arcession|call upon]] for various services. While powerful, most eidolons seem to have little drive or [[agency]] of their own, and it's not clear where they reside when they're not being summoned. In fact, while some suspect that eidolons spend their "down time" somewhere in or beyond the [[Gap]], others theorize that they aren't anywhere at all, that they only exist when called into being. When they ''are'' called upon, however, it doesn't seem they're limited to being in one place at a time; there are multiple accounts of several people in different parts of the [[Earth]] or the [[Spirit World]] availing themselves of the services of the same eidolon simultaneously, and even a few rare stories of an eidolon meeting another copy of itself. There are perhaps a hundred or so known eidolons, though some are known only from stories, the means to summon them long forgotten.

A ghost may become an eidolon when it is [[transformation|transformed]] by some momentous event. There's not one single way for a ghost to be turned into an eidolon, and there are no known cases of its being brought about intentionally, but it always involves some kind of violent disruption in the fabric of either the [[Mortal World]] or the Spirit World. There are eidolons that can't be matched up to a known ghost that existed before the eidolon first appeared, but it's generally assumed that this is because the eidolon's ghostly precursor is unknown, not because it had some other origin. Whether becoming an eidolon is a fate that a ghost should aspire to is highly debatable. Eidolons have great [[power (celemology)|power]]s, and unlike ghosts they seem to be truly [[immortality|immortal]]—no eidolons are known to have ceased to exist—but this must be balanced against their being strictly bound in their behavior, not to mention the issue that staying forever in the [[interlife]] and never passing on to whatever [[afterlife (Interlife Earth)|afterlife]] exists may not be a desireable goal.

There are a few eidolons who are willing and able to converse with their summoners, and whose [[name]]s are known because the eidolons themselves shared them. Usually, though not always, this is a different name from the one the eidolon went by when it was still a ghost, the eidolon having chosen a new name for itself when it transcended to its current state. Most eidolons, however, do not give their names, or perhaps have not bothered to name themselves, and the names they are known by are names conferred by ghosts and mortals. Naturally, this means the same eidolon may very well be known by completely different names in different [[sovereign state|countries]] and communities.

==Etymology==
The word "eidolon" derives from the [[ancient Greek]] ''[[Wiktionary:εἴδωλον#Ancient_Greek|εἴδωλον]]'', which in turn comes from the word ''[[Wiktionary:εἶδο&sigmaf;#Ancient_Greek|εἶδο&sigmaf;]]'', "form" or "appearance", related to the [[verb]] ''[[Wiktionary:εἶδον#Ancient_Greek|εἶδον]]'', "to see", and ultimately traceable to the consignificant [[proto-Indo-European]] [[root]] ''[[Wiktionary:Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/weyd-|*weyd-]]''. The ancient Greek word was used to refer to spirits of the dead, but also more generally to anything insubstantial or ideatic. Indeed, in [[English]] too the word "[[Wiktionary:eidolon|eidolon]]" has other meanings; the [[Wikipedia:Oxford English Dictionary|Oxford English Dictionary]] traces its English use back as far as 1585, and as in Greek it has been used to refer to images and idealizations of various natures. It is only in the last two [[century|centuries]] that the word became the standard term for its current [[spectrology|spectrological]] referent; prior to that the beings now called eidolons, when they were recognized as a distinct class of entity at all, were referred to by circumlocutions such as "transcended ghost" and "summoned spirit" or by idiosyncratic coinages that differed for each user.

The [[plural]] of the Greek word was ''εἰĭδωλα'', [[transliteration|transliterated]] as ''eidola''. While the English word ''eidolon'' is sometimes pluralized after the Greek word as ''eidola'' ({{IPA0|/aɪˈdoʊlə/}}), for whatever reason this pluralization never caught on for the word in its spectrology|spectrological meaning, and in spectrology it is almost always pluralized [[regular inflection|regularly]]—although the plural "eidola" is very occasionally seen.

The [[adjective]] for things related to eidolons is "eidolic" ({{IPA|/aɪˈdɒlɪk/}}).

==Types==
The majority of eidolons are roughly evenly split between [[apparition (Interlife Earth)|apparition]]s, [[shade (Interlife Earth)|shade]]s, and [[specter (Interlife Earth)|specter]]s, with a few [[phantom (Interlife Earth)|phantom]]s and [[wraith (Interlife Earth)|wraith]]s. This does mean that shades and apparitions have a proportionately higher representation among (known) eidolons than they do among ghosts in general, a phenomenon for which [[spectrologist]]s have no definite explanation, although it's commonly assumed that there is something about the conditions of [[arisal]] of shades and apparitions make these ghosts more likely to become eidolons. It could be, however, that the disproportion is simply a [[coincidence|coincidental]] artifact of the small [[sample size]]. There are no known [[ghoul (Interlife Earth)|ghoul]] eidolons, though that's not to say that one might not exist somewhere, or that a ghoul may not become an eidolon in the [[future]] even if none have in the [[past]].

For the most part, eidolons conform to the general characteristics and limitations of their ghost types, supplemented by whatever additional powers they were granted in their transformation. Shades cannot change their accouterments but heal quickly; specters can change their accouterments and may be capable of [[plasmofacture]]; et cetera. It is worth noting that all known phantom eidolons have [[residence]]s; if there are any phantom eidolons capable of moving between different hosts, they have not come to wide attention.

===Multiform Eidolons===
A handful of eidolons have more than one ghostly [[frame]], and had presumably been more than one ghost before their transformation. [[Nodubrada]] and [[Ureus]] are each composed of two ghosts, and [[The Amphitonics]] of three; [[Styrle]] technically comprises three ghosts, but in only two frames. [[Chornitak]], [[Gletch]], and the [[House of Bile]] are each also believed to include multiple ghosts, though the numbers are uncertain. In any case, while their components may have formerly have been distinct individuals, such [[multiform eidolon]]s now seem to function as single entities. Their constituents generally cannot be summoned separately ([[The Amphitonics]] possibly being a partial exception), and they seem to have a single will and personality. Spectrologists' opinions differ as to whether the [[corpus|corpora]] retain their own individualities and [[consciousness]]es and are merely in [[telepathy|mental communication]] or whether multiform eidolons are effectively fully [[psychodesis|psychodetic]], [[pleote|pleotic]] beings; it is, of course, not impossible that this differs between different such eidolons.

==Arcession==
Each eidolon is called by a different specific ritual, the details varying widely. In almost all cases, the rituals are complicated or unusual enough that nobody is likely to call the eidolon by accident. The ritual may involve the recitation of particular [[word]]s, names, or [[phrase]]s; it may have to be carried out in a specific place; it may involve specific motions or [[gesture]]s. Usually one or more particular types of object are also required for the [[arcession]]: commonly the objects are offered as [[sacrifice]]s, but they may be used in the ritual in some other way, or it may be that there's nothing specific the summoner has to do with them but their presence is still required.

The time it takes for the eidolon to show up after the ritual is complete likewise varies by eidolon. Some show up immediately, while others arrive only after a delay of a few [[minute]]s to an [[hour]]. Once the eidolon does arrive, in most cases the summoner can command the eidolon to perform specific tasks, in line with the eidolon's nature and powers. However, although no eidolon seems to have complete free agency, not all eidolons are constrained to obey their summoners. Those that are not instead engage in some other predictable behavior when they are called upon, which may or may not be to the caller's benefit. For instance, probably the most infamous eidolon, [[Bloody Mary]], is known for attacking everyone present when she appears. It may be that in cases like Bloody Mary's the eidolon still ''can'' be bound to service with the correct ritual, and that its aberrant behavior is a result of the ritual being performed incorrectly or even of the performance of a different, more hazardous ritual, but if so the correct ritual that would force the eidolons to service is unknown.

==Cults==
Whatever else eidolons are, they are powerful beings, and [[eidolic cult]]s have sprung up that [[worship|venerate]] the eidolons as [[god]]s. There are a few scattered [[cult]]s that worship eidolons collectively, but most eidolic cults choose one specific eidolon, or a small handful of eidolons they see as in some way associated, as the subject(s) of their worship. Some eidolons have more and larger cults associated with them than others; [[Diamater]], in particular, has an elaborate [[religion]] formed around her—most of its membership made up of ghosts, of course, though she does have a nonzero number of living worshippers. The same is true of [[Gunabhartr]], to a somewhat lesser degree, but most other eidolons have at best only small, scattered cults.

The cults' pretensions notwithstanding, eidolons are of course ''not'' gods, and it's unclear whether most eidolons are even aware of their worshippers. However, some cultists ''do'' seem to get some benisons and [[power]]s from their devotion. It's a subject of debate whether these are powers the cultists develop on their own and attribute to the eidolons they honor; whether the eidolons do have some subdivine ability to reward their votaries; or whether the reverence of their faithful, or some other factor, may indeed be in the process of [[apotheosis|raising]] some eidolons to some sort of true divinity.

==Powers==
All eidolons seem to have the ability to [[translocation]] to any location on [[Earth]] or in the [[Spirit World]], though they seem to use this power only when responding to a summon or at their summoners' command. As previously remarked, they are also all capable of [[multipresence]], existing in many locations at the same time. Aside from that, eidolons' powers vary widely, based apparently on their natures and histories and the details of their ascensions. Eidolons have demonstrated strange powers otherwise unknown to ghosts, including [[ylifaction]], [[animation (celemology)|animation]], and [[weather control]]. While the powers of different eidolons vary widely, however, a given eidolon always has the same powers in every manifestation.

One other feature all eidolons ''do'' seem to have in common is their indestructibility. This is not to say that a given [[corpus]] of an eidolon cannot be destroyed; they are much more durable and difficult to harm than other ghosts, but it's not impossible to damage their ghostly forms, and, with enough damage, to disable them. However, this does not prevent the eidolon from being summoned again later. If there is a way to permanently destroy an eidolon, no one has found it. Still, if an eidolon is causing problems, destroying the corpus responsible may be enough to stop, or at least delay, its baneful activity.

==The Juventude Paradox==
It has been noted that while the ages of known eidolons span a large [[history|historical]] [[range]], they are skewed more toward recent origins than can readily be explained on the basis of current understanding. This observation is sometimes called the [[Juventude Paradox]], and in its most common form can be stated as follows: If eidolons are truly immortal and imperible, and if the [[proportion]] of ghosts that become eidolons has remained [[constant]] over [[time]], then we should anticipate on [[average]] that the number of eidolons that originated during any given interval should be proportional to the [[population]] of the [[world]] (or more precisely of the [[Spirit World]]) at that time. The ages of the known eidolons, however, do not match this prediction; there are proportionately more eidolons from more recent timespans than should be expected.

It is true, of course, that the populations of the Earth and of the Spirit World have increased over time and that there are simply more ghosts now than there were in earlier eras, but the increase in the general population is not sufficient to explain the increase in the number of eidolons. A number of [[hypothesis|hypotheses]] have been advanced to resolve the Juventude Paradox, but they can be divided into three main categories. These categories and these explanations are not mutually exclusive, and it could very well be that there is more than one factor at play.

The first category of explanation rejects the first [[premise]] of the [[paradox]]. Perhaps the reason we don't see the expected temporal distribution of eidolons is because contrary to mainstream belief eidolons are ''not'' everlasting; they linger longer than ghosts, but perhaps they do eventually fade away, or perhaps they can be and sometimes are somehow destroyed. The fact that we have no direct evidence of any eidolons expiring doesn't mean it doesn't happen—and in fact some spectrologists point to the Juventude Paradox itself as such evidence, although the existence of other explanations for the paradox makes it less than definitive.

Other [[spectrologist]]s reject the second premise, and posit that the ''proportion'' of ghosts that become eidolons has increased over time. This could be tied to the increase in population; perhaps, for instance, the transformation of a ghost into an eidolon depends on some [[psilovium|undetected emanation]] from other ghosts, and therefore the more other ghosts there are, the more likely it is for a ghost to become an eidolon, meaning that as the number of ghosts increases the number of eidolons increases [[linear function|nonlinearly]]. Or it could be that there is some other, hidden quality or factor on which the transformation into an eidolon depends, and which has been waxing over the years.

The third category of explanation accepts both premises, and therefore concludes that there must indeed be more eidolons from earlier periods than are currently known. This leads to the inference that there are a great number of unknown eidolons of early origin—that is, the paradox is resolved not by postulating some mechanism by which proportionately fewer eidolons exist that were formed in antiquity, but by proposing that there are many ancient eidolons which have simply been forgotten. That there are ''some'' [[lost eidolon]]s now utterly unremembered is almost certainly true; old references to otherwise unknown eidolons have occasionally been discovered, and there is no reason to believe that there are no more to be found. Whether there are ''enough'' lost eidolons to explain the Juventude Paradox is, however, an open question. Nevertheless, this supposition has encouraged some ghosts (and a few mortals) to seek diligently to find some record of lost eidolons, and to recover the means to summon them. One ghostly organization, the [[Anamneseon]], is famously devoted to this endeavor.

==List of known eidolons==
Some of the best known eidolons are listed below. This list is not exhaustive; many other eidolons exist besides those listed here. Note that in most cases the name given for each eidolon here is merely the most common name that eidolon is called by, or one of the most common names; as remarked above, most eidolons are known by many different names. Also, in many cases, the year of the eidolon's first appearance is unknown; where the year (or approximate year) is given in [[parenthesis|parentheses]], this signifies that the given year is that of the first reliable report of the eidolon's sighting, but not necessarily of its ascension. A "c." after a number indicates a [[century]]; the year of "12c." given for the eidolon [[Bultungin]], for instance, indicates that this eidolon was first reliably attested some time in the twelfth century (but the exact year is uncertain). A "c." ''befire'' the year stands for "[[Wiktionary:circa#English|circa]]", and indicates that the year is approximate (but within a few [[year]]s, not a century). Years and centuries are [[CE]] unless specified otherwise.

{| class="mw-collapsible wikitable"
|-
! Name !! Ghost Type !! Year of Appearance
|-
| [[The Amphitonics]] || Phantom || 1989
|-
| [[Arlet]] || Specter || (1903)
|-
| [[Belial]] || Shade || (1550)
|-
| [[Bloody Mary]] || Specter || (1610)
|-
| [[Bultungin]] || Apparition || (12c.)
|-
| [[Chatterteeth]] || Apparition || (1300)
|-
| [[Chornitak]] || Wraith || (10c.)
|-
| [[Count Spatula]] || Specter || 1982
|-
| The [[Creran Serpent]] || Apparition || c. 820
|-
| [[Diamater]] || Specter || (2c.)
|-
| [[Doctor Peppermint]] || Shade || (1721)
|-
| [[Faceless]] || Apparition || (10c. BCE)
|-
| The [[Flying Dutchman]] || Specter || (1674)
|-
| [[Gletch]] || Apparition || (923)
|-
| The [[Gold Fairy]] || Shade || 1961
|-
| [[Gunabhartr]] || Phantom || (8c. BCE)
|-
| The [[Headless Horseman]] || Shade || (1125)
|-
| The [[House of Bile]] || Phantom || 1870
|-
| [[Jindugita]] || Wraith || (5c.)
|-
| The [[Loping Beast]] || Specter || (2c. BCe)
|-
| [[Memsel]] || Phantom || 1887
|-
| [[Nodubrada]] || Shade || (1552)
|-
| [[Professor Slate]] || Shade || 1901
|-
| [[Smiles]] || Shade || 2000
|-
| [[Styrle]] || Shade || 1987
|-
| The [[Unseelie Hound]] || Specter || (13c.)
|-
| The [[Urchin (eidolon)|Urchin]] || Apparition || (10c.)
|-
| [[Ureus]] || Wraith || (7c. BCE)
|-
| [[Whispering Bess]] || Apparition || (1410)
|-
| [[Will-o'-the-Wisp]] || Wraith || 1550
|-
| [[Xecodius]] || Specter || (9c. BCE)
|-
| [[Xuenu]] || Apparition || (12c. BCE)
|}
[[Category:Ghosts of Interlife Earth]][[Category:Eidolons|Eidolons]][[Category:Arcessites]][[Category:Articles with incomplete lists|Articles with incomplete lists]]

Summoned spirits

2023-09-03T07:08:24Z

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Summoned spirit

2023-09-03T07:07:58Z

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#REDIRECT [[eidolon]]

Transcended ghosts

2023-09-03T07:07:36Z

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#REDIRECT [[eidolon]]

Transcended ghost

2023-09-03T07:07:04Z

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Transcended ghost

2023-09-03T07:06:21Z

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Eidola

2023-09-03T06:08:34Z

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Eidolons

2023-09-03T06:07:58Z

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Baderscatch

2023-09-03T04:06:48Z

Antefyn: Created page with "{{Automatic taxobox | taxon = Gambarus chymotes }} The '''baderscatch''' (pronounced {{IPA|ˈbædɚskætʃ}}) is an ellogous arthropod native to the seas of the world of Tegn, as well as some of the adjacent eders. It is able to pass freely between monals—parts of the sea made up of different liquids—by transforming itself to adapt to its new environment. Baderscatches are found..."

{{Automatic taxobox
| taxon = Gambarus chymotes
}}
The '''baderscatch''' (pronounced {{IPA|ˈbædɚskætʃ}}) is an [[ellogous]] [[arthropod]] native to the [[sea]]s of the [[world]] of [[Tegn]], as well as some of the adjacent [[eder]]s. It is able to pass freely between [[monal]]s—parts of the sea made up of different [[liquid]]s—by [[transformation|transforming]] itself to adapt to its new environment. Baderscatches are found through all monals of Tegn, but are most common in the [[freshwater]] monal of [[Osi]], the [[acid]] monal of [[Funar]], and the [[alcohol]] monal of [[Reidhen]].

==Description==
A typical baderscatch is about two and a half [[meter]]s long, its body consisting of three main [[tagma]]ta: the [[head]], or [[cephalon]]; the [[trunk]], or [[urosome]]; and the [[tail]], or [[telson]]. The urosome is, however, itself composed of ten [[articulation|articulated]] [[segment]]s, each bearing a pair of [[leg]]s. The telson seems to have developed very late in the baderscatch's [[evolution]] from the [[fusion (etory)|fusion]] of three urosomal segments, and some [[biologist]]s consider it to be a part of the urosome rather than a separate tagma. Indeed, some baderscatches are still born with [[vestigiality|vestigial]] telsonic legs.

The head of the baderscatch bears two [[eye]]s on short stalks, three pairs of [[mouthpart]]s (two [[maxilliped]]s, two [[mandible]]s, and two [[maxilla]]e), and one pair of [[chiroped]]s, or [[arm]]s. These last appendages end in a complex series of jointed branches called a [[cheir]] that possesses a dexterity comparable to that of [[human]] [[hand]]s, and serves as the baderscatch's primary means of manipulation.

Like most arthropods, the baderscatch is enclosed in a hard [[chitin]]ous [[exoskeleton]]. The baderscatch's carapace is usually dark [[red]]dish to [[blue|bluish]] on the top, and paler or even [[white]] on the bottom. The [[tergite]]s of the urosome often bear complex [[maze]]like or [[flower]]like patterns of white lines, which vary widely between individuals.

==Anatomy==
Most of the space inside the baderscatch's head is taken up by its large [[brain]] and its [[mouth|oral cavity]]. The rest of its prominent vital [[organ]]s reside mainly in its urosome, including the remainder of its [[nervous system|nervous]] and [[digestive system]]s. A thick [[nerve cord]] runs [[anatomical axes|ventrally]] down the length of the baderscatch's body from the [[brain]], with [[nerve]]s branching off it into other parts of the body and [[limb]]s. As for the digestive system, the baderscatch has partially internalized the function of the external [[preoral cavity]] of its ancestors (and of related arthropods like most [[chelicerate]]s today); small pieces cut from its food by the mouthparts are inserted into its mouth and bathed in [[gastric juice]]s produced by the [[stomach]]. Only when the food is fully liquefied is it pumped by the the [[muscle|muscular]] [[pharynx]] through the [[&oelig;sophagus]] and into the [[stomach]], with any solid remnants ejected through the mouth. Most of the [[digestion|digestive]] process takes place in the stomach and [[intestine]], and finally any indigestible matter accumulates in the [[hindgut]] until it is excreted.

The baderscatch's [[circulatory system]] is an odd hybrid between an [[open circulatory system|open]] and [[closed circulatory system|closed]] system. While it does have a [[hæmoc&oelig;l]] bathing some organs in [[hæmolymph]], it is much reduced and only fills part of the body. A [[tube|tubular]] [[heart]] running along the baderscatch's back pumps light blue hæmolymph through numerous [[artery|arteries]], some of which terminate in the hemocoel while others further branch into [[capillary|capillaries]] that interface with organs directly before connecting to [[vein]]s that return the hæmolymph to the heart. Hæmolymph from the hæmoc&oelig;l passes through tiny organs called [[colulum|colula]] that filter the hæmolymph before returning it to the heart. With this system, the baderscatch does maintain some separation between its hæmolymph and its [[interstitial fluid]], albeit not as much as in an [[animal]] with a fully closed circulatory system.

[[Respiration]] takes place through [[book gill]]s attached to the base of each of the baderscatch's legs. Each book gill consists of a flap covering about sixscore thin [[membrane]]s called [[lamellæ]] through which [[gas exchange]] takes place. From the book gills, veins carry [[oxygen]]ated hæmolymph to the heart for distribution through the body.

Perhaps the most distinctive anatomical feature of the baderscatch is the [[spagyric organ]] or [[mistorium]], an organ in the front ventral part of the baderscatch's urosome where [[alchemy|alchemical]] processes take place. The mistorium is connected to the mouth by the [[pseudopharynx]], which conveys alchemical [[reagent]]s from the mouth to the mistorium just as the true pharynx does from the mouth to the stomach. Within the complex of [[sinus]]es that make up the interior of the mistorium, the reagents are mixed and treated to create various alchemical products, which are then either used internally by the baderscatch or expelled through the mouth for later use, encased in membranous [[vesicle]]s.

==Origins==
While now widespread in Sent, baderscatches actually originated in the neighboring eder of [[Athrigane]], in the [[brackish water|brackish]] [[monal]] of [[Esterek]]. At first confined to that monal, they were [[intelligence|intelligent]] enough to develop both some primitive [[technology]] and some ability in [[spell]]casting. It is this that allowed them to spread beyond their home monal; baderscatches did not originally have mistoria and were confined to Esterek. However, they were aware of another creature of Athrigane, the [[ulligar]], that was able to move between monals, changing its substance as it did. Studying the ulligar, baderscatches discovered the organ that made this feat possible—and then by means [[surgery|surgical]] and [[magic]]al, they contrived a procedure to extract this organ and implant it in subjects of their species.

This was neither a smooth nor an instantaneous process. At first, as the techniques were developed and refined, the implantation process often went wrong, resulting in some cases in [[death]] and in others in unfortunate magical mishaps. Even when the operation became well understood and relatively safe, it was still time consuming and performable only by highly skilled individuals, and only a small proportion of baderscatches were given the implant. It took [[generation]]s before the baderscatches devised a means of effectively altering their [[genetics|genetic]] code to enable baderscatches to be [[birth|born]] with mistoria rather than have to have them implanted. Once this was achieved, however, it enabled baderscatches to radiate well beyond their home monal of Esterek and even into other eders. Now, though there may be some small clans of baderscatch back in Esterek that lack mistoria, the vast majority have them, and it is for all practical purposes a regular part of baderscatch [[anatomy]].

==Reproduction==
Baderscatches are [[di&oelig;cism|di&oelig;cious]] creatures, [[female]]s on [[average]] about twenty [[percent]] larger than [[male]]s. Although the female baderscatch is capable of producing ([[fertilization|unfertilized]]) eggs without the presence of a male, it is a taxing endeavor. To produce enough nutrients for the eggs, the female baderscatch eats voraciously for at least a [[week]] before laying, swollen to almost twice her usual size—and [[ecdysis|moulting]] much of its shell to make room for the expansion. The baderscatch then lays her [[eggs]], usually eight to twelve at a time, each about twenty-five centimeters in [[diameter]]. Exhausted, she then must spend several days recovering and regaining her strength. During the time just before laying when she is bloated to near-immobility, and during the time just after when she is enervated and expended and her moulted exoskeleton is regrowing, the female baderscatch is all but helpless and relies on her mate to feed and care for her. Fortunately, egg production is a voluntary process for baderscatches, and a female baderscatch will very rarely choose to lay eggs if she doesn't already have a willing mate present. While it's possible in theory for a female baderscatch to produce eggs as often as six times a [[year]], in practice relatively few opt to do so more than once in their lives.

Once the eggs are laid, the male tends to the female baderscatch until she has mostly recovered from her ordeal and regrown her carapace, and then, moulting ''his'' shell, takes most of the eggs into a ventral cavity called a [[brood pouch (baderscatch)|brood pouch]], where they are [[fertilization|fertilized]], and where they are [[incubation|incubated]] as the [[embryo]] within fully develops. Until the time of fertilization, the [[embryo]] within the egg still comprises a single [[cell]], the vast majority of the egg's [[volume]] being taken up by the [[vitellus]]. Within the brood pouch, however, the embryo gradually develops and differentiates over about a hundred [[day]]s, absorbing the nutrients from the vitellus to fuel its growth. During this period, it is the male that is distended and disabled by the eggs developing within its body, and the röles are reversed as the female must care for him. At the end of the incubation period, the [[larva]]l baderscatches hatch from the egg and exit the brood pouch. Typically fewer than half of the eggs are successfully fertilized and develop into larvæ, and generally three to five larvæ end up emerging from the brood pouch. These larvæ are similar in shape to adult baderscatches, and take about fifteen years to grow to full size. As they grow, they moult many times, though the [[frequency]] of moulting decreases as they develop. A [[juvenile]] baderscatch usually moults seven times in its first [[year]], but then the frequency drops off to three or four times a year, then to once a year, and once the baderscatch reaches full size it no longer moults except during the reproductive process.

One curious detail of baderscatch reproduction is that—partly due to the male's smaller size, and partly due to the fact that the ventral cavity takes up a proportionately smaller part of its body—the male baderscatch often cannot fit all of the eggs laid into his brooding pouch, and it's very common for a few eggs—usually one or two but sometimes as many as four or five—to be left outside and unincubated. These eggs are generally still fertilized; the male baderscatch takes all the eggs into its brood pouch, but not all at the same time; once there is no more room he expels some of the now-fertilized eggs to make room for the others. The unincubated eggs rarely hatch, and if not tended—as is commonly the case—are very likely to end up as [[food]] for some passing [[scavenger]]. However, even neglected eggs do occasionally hatch on their own, and baderscatches that hatch from such eggs, sometimes called [[coldborn]], often get reputations—not necessarily deserved—as survivors or obstinants.

=Alchemy==
Although it may not have been an innate ancestral ability, probably what baderscatches are best known for now is their alchemical aptitude. By mixing and treating reagents in their mistoria, baderscatches can produce an endless variety of [[potion]]s and other alchemical products. The pseudopharynx leading into the mistorium is tough and well protected by [[chemical]] coatings against most toxins and irritants, allowing the baderscatch to take into its mistorium even many substances that would otherwise be [[poison]]ous or [[causticity|caustic]]—although particularly hazardous substances may be ingested inside capsules of some material that will last only long enough to pass through the pseudopharynx and then quickly [[dissolution|dissolve]] within the mistorium.

The baderscatch does not exercise precise [[consciousness|conscious]] control over all the processes of the mistorium, but can with practice exert enough influence to engage the effects necessary to produce particular potions. Still, in order to create a specific potion, a baderscatch must know not only what reagents must go into it but also roughly how they are to be combined and treated. A few alchemical [[recipe (alchemy)|recipe]]s the baderscatch seems to know almost [[instinct]]ively, an instinct perhaps borrowed from the ulligar along with the organ. The [[adaptation elixir]] that allows the baderscatch to alter itself to survive in different monals falls into this category; in addition, almost any baderscatch can produce a simple [[healing potion (Nanben)|healing potion]], a [[steelskin salve]], a [[potion of celerity]], or an [[invisibility ointment]]. Others, however, must be either stumbled upon by experimentation—a dangerous process at best—or, more likely, learned from other baderscatches, or from other sources. Processes designed for traditional alchemy with [[flask]]s and [[flame]]s and other apparatus can usually be adapted to be performed by the baderscatch's internal process, though it may take a bit of trial and error. Most adult baderscatches know how to make a couple of dozen different alchemical products, though some know many more than that. Recipes are often passed down through families, so closely related baderscatches often know the same recipes, though of course nothing prevents some family members from learning additional recipes on their own.

Baderscatches who deal with other [[folk]]s often find selling their alchemical products to be a lucrative source of income. Even within baderscatch society, some trade in potions takes place, since not all baderscatches know the same recipes. Few baderscatches make a living entirely from their alchemy, unless they do so by establishing a trade with other folks without this faculty, although there are a few who do so manage to support themselves by dint of their knowing a large number of recipes or by knowing one or a few that are little-known and jealously guarded.

==Society==
In general, baderscatches are not especially social creatures, uncomfortable in large crowds. As they developed societally they found value in interchange of goods, services, and ideas, but even so they tend to interact as little as possible, and avoid gathering in groups of more than a half dozen or so. The design of baderscatch [[city|cities]] and communities reflects their semisolitary nature. Roads and walkways tend to be lined by [[wall]]s or [[hedge]]s to block the surroundings and give the illution of isolation even in bustling neighborhoods; broad thoroughfares are divided into multiple lanes each lined with such visual barriers, with staggered openings between the lanes. There are few if any large [[shop]]s or other places designed for large numbers to gather, but many small, specialized shops big enough to be patronized by a few people at a time.

Baderscatches do, however, form close and lasting bonds with specific individuals. These bonded baderscatches are often referred to in English as [[mate]]s, but the relationship does not carry the connotations of [[marriage]], which is unknown in most baderscatch socities. Baderscatches that have children together almost always do become mates, if they were not already, but baderscatches also form mate relationships with no sexual implications, between individuals of the same or different sex. Mates may or may not live or travel together, but if they do not they will certainly frequently visit each other. It is almost unknown for unrelated baderscatches to share a residence ''unless'' they are mates; it may happen in circumstances where shelter is too hard to come by to avoid it, but it inevitably leads to stress and tension. If two baderscatches that had children together do not cohabit, the children are usually raised by the father, but since the parents will usually be mates the mother will be well known to the children.

The shed shells of moulted baderscatches often are given special significance, though the exact nature of that significance depends on the [[culture]]. The exuviæ of immature baderscatches may be kept to mark the child's growth, or disposed of with special ceremonies thought to bless the child's development. In some societies, they are ground up and [[ingestion|eaten]], either as part of some venerated ritual or as an unusual delicacy, or they may be used as alchemical reagants to make some special potions. The moulted exoskeletons of parent baderscatches after reproduction may likewise be kept as a memento of the occasion; often they are dismantled and refashioned into [[clothing]], [[toy]]s, or [[furniture]] for the children.

==Religion==
Although there are certainly individual dissenters—baderscatches who have turned to other [[god|deities]], or who are [[leipotheism|uninterested in honoring any god]]s—as a whole baderscatches tend to be devout [[worship]]pers of a [[phylic pantheon]] they have hewn to since they were confined to Esterek. Called the [[Gambaran pantheon]] by [[comparative theologist]]s, this goddery comprises dozens of deities, though there are seven (the "[[Septenar]]") that are generally considered the most powerful and important. Leading the pantheon is [[Zurunan]], god of [[nature]] and creation. Other significant gods include [[Celcelane]], goddess of [[war]] and competition; [[Enendane]], goddess of knowledge; [[Odergan]], god of fertility and birth; [[Telspane]], god of [[storm]]s and [[current]]s; and [[Wistlock]], goddess of health. Finally, [[Rexen]], mercurial god of change, was originally an obscure and very minor god, but since the baderscatches' installation of spagyric organs and spread beyond their home monal has risen in importance to almost rival Zurunan.

Worship of the Septenar usually takes the form of [[prayer]] and ceremonial [[dance]], supplemented occasionally with [[sacrifice]] of valuable substances. Some gods, especially Celcelane and Telspane, occasionally demand sacrifice of finished goods; rumor has it that in Athrigane [[animal sacrifice]] was common up to and including the sacrifice of baderscatches and other [[ellogy|ellogous]] beings, but if so that practice has long been discontinued, except perhaps in some secretive cults. [[Temple]]s, usually shaped like [[ziggurat]]s, are common, some devoted to individual gods of the Septenar and some to the pantheon as a whole; temples dedicated to gods outside the Septenar are rare, but not unknown. Most temples are home to at least one full-time [[priest]], and for larger temples several priests, who intercede for the nearby communities and give spiritual advice, their livelihoods provided for by a [[tithe]] paid to the temple.
[[Category:Arthropods of Tegn]][[Category:Ellogous arthropods]][[Category:Megacheirans]]

Gambarus chymotes

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Baderscatches

2023-09-03T04:04:59Z

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Librarians

2022-02-01T05:15:41Z

Antefyn: Created page with "The '''Librarians''' are a fraternity (Nuclearth)| of North America (Nuclearth)| on Nuclearth devoted to the gathering, maintenance, and dissemination of knowledge, both from before and after the great war, though in most places they focus on the former. In some settlements, they fulfill the literal meaning of their name, collecting or producing books and operating libraries that are open to all visit..."

The '''Librarians''' are a [[fraternity (Nuclearth)|fraternity]] of [[North America (Nuclearth)|North America]] on [[Nuclearth]] devoted to the gathering, maintenance, and dissemination of [[knowledge]], both from before and after the [[World War III (Nuclearth)|great war]], though in most places they focus on the former. In some [[settlement]]s, they fulfill the literal meaning of their [[name]], collecting or producing [[book]]s and operating [[library|libraries]] that are open to all visitors—or at least all visitors that have properly registered with the fraternity. In other settlements, they guard their knowledge jealously, treating the results of their research and records as arcane secrets not to be shared with the uninitiated. Overall, however, the Librarians are perhaps the most neutral of the major fraternities, and the one least likely to take sides in interfraternity conflicts—though, as with most things involving the fraternities, there are certainly local exceptions.

The symbol of the Librarians is an open book.

==Philosophy==
While various subgroups pursue their philosophy in different ways, what all Librarians have in common is that they place great importance on the preservation of knowledge—and, to a slightly lesser extent, in the gathering of new knowledge. The guiding principle of the Librarians is that knowledge is an important ideal in and of itself, and should be cherished, sought after, and protected. At least, this is their guiding principle in theory; in practice, many Librarians care little for such abstract precepts, and pursue knowledge not entirely for its own sake but as a means to an end, be that [[money]], power, or simple self-fulfillment.

As a whole, the Librarians specialize in knowledge retained from preapocalyptic times—be that knowledge of the [[world]] as it was before the war, or subjects such as [[astronomy]] and [[chemistry]] that are still applicable today but were easier to study in depth with the resources and equipment available then. Individual subgroups or local organizations, however, or individual members within a subgroup or localization, may focus on more uniquely contemporary matters, such as [[mutant]] [[biology]], postapocalyptic society or [[geography]], or even the [[psychics (Nuclearth)|psychic]] powers that some postapocalyptic people are rumored to have. In some settlements, all or most of the Librarians share a particular specialty, but in others Librarians mingle who focus on many different fields of study. When there are no other Librarians of a similar specialty nearby—or often even if there are—a Librarian is likely to keep in communication by correspondence with other Librarians of similar interest all over the [[continent]]. This gives rise to networks of Librarians of shared specialization

==History==
Ironically for a group so focused on knowledge, less is known about the origins of the Librarians than of any other major fraternity. This is probably because the Librarians started as a [[secret society]]—or, according to what available evidence does exist, more than one secret society that later joined forces. Two such organizations in particular have been singled out by name as important contributors to the fraternity's foundation: the [[Acolytes of Truth]], and the [[Keepers in Shadow]]. There may very well have been other societies beyond these two involved in forming the Librarians, but if so they have remained even farther from common knowledge—and of course it's not impossible that even the two foundational societies that ''are'' "known" didn't really have an important role or may not have even existed at all, and that the traditional account of their formation has been distorted over time, or is even a product of intentional misinformation.

Regardless, if they did exist, little is now known of these societies—the names of their founders are mysteries, as well as the nature of their foundation, or even exactly ''when'' they existed, and when they first joined forces to create what is now the fraternity of the Librarians. The only information that is known about them—and even this may be inaccurate—is their basic philosophies. The Acolytes of Truth apparently literally [[worship]]ped knowledge in a [[religion|quasireligious]] manner, or according to some accounts even in a ''fully'' religious manner, personifying Truth as a [[god|divine]] or even [[overgod|superdivine]] figure to whom they owed their devotion. It has been questioned, however, to what extent their [[rite]]s represented genuine worship of entities in which the Acolytes really believed, or whether they were [[allegory|allegorical]] [[morality play]]s not to be taken literally. As for the Keepers in Shadow, they appear to have seen it as their mission as much to keep dangerous knowledge out of the wrong hands as to discover new, or rediscover old, facts. Widespread rumors have it that among the dangerous knowledge the Keepers secreted was that of how to create the [[nuclear bomb]]s that devastated the world.

In any case, the Librarians first began to make themselves known around the year 100, by the [[postapocalyptic calendar]]. Even then, they maintained a low profile, making themselves known at first as information brokers who would [[trade]] in kind for useful knowledge—and usually demand a little financial garnish on the top, on the grounds that the knowledge they were providing was more immediately useful to the recipient than the knowledge they were receiving, so the extra renumeration was necessary to make the exchange equitable. It's unclear just how expansive the organization was at that point; even if it did reveal part of its operation to outsiders, it did still retain much of the nature of a secret society, and kept the full extent of its membership and operations close to its chest. Regardless, it gradually grew in both prominence and openness, to the point that other nascent fraternities became concerned at what mysteries this then nameless cabal might be hiding and what power it might be gathering. Perhaps it was to defuse such worries—and so to forestall any offensive actions that might be taken against it in their consequence—that in 160 the organization finally came out into the light, dubbing itself the fraternity of the Librarians and proclaiming its purpose to be to gather and safeguard knowledge for the presence of all inhabitants of the land. It still took some time after that for the group to really earn the trust of the other fraternities, but since then the Librarians have become a valued part of North American society in Nuclearth—which is, of course, by no means to say that they no longer hide any secrets, or that there is no chance that factions of the Librarians may not have some sinister ends.

==Membership==
In most places, to become a member of the Librarians it suffices to demonstrate a sincere interest in knowledge and learning. The means of showing this interest vary; to join most branches of the Librarians, one need only express one's enthusiasm, but some require potential inductees to pass examinations—either tests of general knowledge, or trials geared toward whatever subject they claim as their particular specialty. Especially in those branches that are more lenient with their initial entrance requirements, the Librarians may require new members to undergo a probationary period before they are trusted with any sensitive information or access to the fraternity's resources. After a few months to a few years during which the initiates prove their interests and intentions are genuine, they become full members. This process helps to weed out would-be [[espionage|spies]] and infiltrators who are motivated only by access to the information the fraternity holds and have no desire to help advance its goals, though the filter isn't infallible.

While dual fraternity membership is still rare among the Librarians, it is at least slightly more common than in other fraternities. This is not because the Librarians are less demanding of their members; Librarians are expected to work at least as diligently toward the organization's ends as those of any other fraternity toward theirs. But the local leaders of other fraternities may be somewhat more tolerant of their members splitting their time with the Librarians because it gives them an in who can access the Librarians' accumulated learning.

==Activities==
The name of the Librarians is not purely figurative; in most [[town]]s where they have any significant numbers, the Librarians do indeed maintain physical [[library|libraries]] where their information is collected. The details, however, vary. Some of their libraries are open to the public, the local Librarians happy to share their knowledge with the community. Others are closed to all but fraternity members, and guarded by various means against illicit entry. Still others are hidden, either behind the façades of other buildings or in [[underground]] complexes. The libraries often double as the local base of operations of the Librarians, and may even include living quarters for the leading members; in other cases, however, the librarians maintain a separate administrative headquarters, and leave the library devoted solely to its bibliothecarial function.

Different branches of the Librarians may have different specialties. In some places, the Librarians see themselves primarily as [[archivist]]s; they keep and preserve [[book]]s and other informational media, and may be happy to accept new materials brought to them, but do not take an active role in seeking out new knowledge themselves. Other Librarian groups are more proactive in generating knowledge, devoting themselves not just to collating and collecting prior learning but to active noegenesis. Some of these groups of Librarians may go out on expeditions to distant lands and explore dangerous areas to look for rare and novel resources, though most will hire [[adventurer (Nuclearth)|adventurer]]s for these tasks, either to accompany and assist the fraternity members or to go in their stead.

Maintaining libraries, buying books and other resources, and funding expeditions takes [[money]], and while the Librarians do collect dues from their members like all the fraternities, they often have additional sources of income as well. Some branches take donations, and there may be enough locals appreciative of the services they provide to let them get by this way—though these branches will seldom attain much wealth. Others charge for access to their libraries, or hire themselves out as advisers and scholars, or both. Some librarian branches own their own [[printing press]]es, and [[manufacture]] their own books—either copies of books they already possess, or new books written by fraternity members (or sometimes perhaps by other authors). A few branches may make these books for their own use and to stock their own libraries, but it's common for them to sell books to outsiders. Books in general are of course in short supply in Nuclearth, but many Librarian branches produce books that may be especially valuable for their exquisite kalotypography.

There are rumors of some secretive factions within the fraternity that focus on more esoteric subjects. The [[Dragons]] supposedly study some sort (or more than one sort) of [[magic]]—not the [[psychics (Nuclearth)|psychic]] powers that some people apparently manifest, nor the murmurated [[savage magic|abilities of the salvage men]]—or not ''only'' those—but other [[arcanum|arcana]] more ancient and exotic. The [[Chrononauts]] are said to study the nature of [[time]] itself, with a particular eye to achieving [[time travel]]—by most accounts, they hope to find a way to go back in time to prevent the [[World War III (Nuclearth)|war]] that made Nuclearth what it is, but some would have it that they have already attained the ability to travel through time, and for some reason have chosen not to put it to that purpose—or have been incapable of doing so. The [[Haggerstone]]s reputedly believe that the Earth is [[hollow Earth|hollow]], and seek to find a way into its interior—or, according to some, already know how to reach that interior and focus on exploring and exploiting it. The existence of all three of these alleged factions (and others similarly but less commonly spoken of) is dubious, and even if they do exist they are almost certainly misguided in their beliefs, but stories about them continue to circulate.

==Relations==
For the most part, relations between the Librarians and other fraternities are civil, if not cordial. While most of the fraternities are involved in deep webs of alliances and rivalries, in most places the Librarians have few enemies. [[Hedonists]] often tend to be somewhat cool toward them, thinking that the Librarians' pursuit of knowledge misses the point of pursuing true satisfaction, and some extremist factions of [[Feudals]] believe that some of the information disseminated by the Librarians would be better forgotten, but even these resentments seldom flare into open hostility.

This neutrality is not so much due to any perceived affability of the Librarians as to a perceived indispensability. The Librarians, after all, are the primary controllers of knowledge in Nuclear North America, and knowledge is useful enough to all the fraternities that none are eager to get on their bad side. Many Librarians are not above exploiting this advantage; they know the other fraternities need them, and they're skilled at employing leverage to get what they want.

Because they remain on reasonably good or at least nonantagonistic terms with most or all fraternities, Librarians in many communities also often find themselves put into a position as [[diplomat]]s or moderators. In very few places is this an official function of the fraternity, but when two fraternities want a stightler to resolve some difficult issue between them, it is more often than not a Librarian to whom they will turn—and a few Librarians make a living serving as mediators.

The Librarians are the best known information brokers of postapocalyptic North America, but not the only ones. A number of [[scavenger (Nuclearth)|scavenger]]s specialize in books, though few of them are nearly as concerned with the information inside them as with the money they can get by selling them. A minor fraternity called the [[Grangers]], active primarily in the [[Lakes]] area, prides itself on keeping knowledge alive through [[memorization]] and oral recitation, and its members are willing to declaim their assigned works for a fee. Finally, the [[Persibi]] are a mysterious organization that sells not just general knowledge of the world and of history, but of more intimate matters, secrets that powerful people would rather keep undivulged. All of these groups are often positioned to be rivals of the Librarians, though they have also been known to work with the Librarians on occasion.

==Centers of influence==
The Librarians' influence is wide and diffuse; they have a presence almost everywhere in [[North America (Nuclearth)|North America]], but in few places are a dominant force—at least, not overtly. Nevertheless, they do have more power in some places than in others. The places where the Librarians are particularly influential can usually be discerned by the prominent libraries, though it's not entirely clear whether that's a cause or effect of their power there. [[Community|Communities]] where the Librarians are particularly pollent include [[Nineveh, Indiana (Nuclearth)|Nineveh, Indiana]]; [[Herculaneum, Missouri (Nuclearth)|Herculaneum, Missouri]]; [[Bagdad, Arizona (Nuclearth)|Bagdad, Arizona]]; and [[Parchment, Michigan (Nuclearth)|Parchment, Michigan]].

Probably the Librarians' greatest center of power is in the [[floating city (Nuclearth)|floating city]] of [[Alexandria, Virginia (Nuclearth)|Alexandria, Virginia]], the site of the [[Great Library]], widely said to be the largest physical [[library]] in the [[world]]. While in truth there are several other contenders for that title, the Great Library is certainly the largest library in North America. The staff of the Great Library is an exclusive corps that calls itself the [[Library Company]] and functions much like a fraternity within a fraternity, and that claims to predate the larger fraternity and to be the main core around which it formed—though other fraternity members dispute that account.
[[Category: Fraternities of Nuclearth]][[Category: Organizations focusing on knowledge]]

The Librarians

2022-02-01T04:44:18Z

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#REDIRECT [[Librarians]]

Nogan

2022-01-29T21:09:35Z

Antefyn: Created page with "The '''nogan''' (pronounced {{IPA|/ˈnoʊgən/}}) is a breed of kake resembling a human brain with a single eye on the bottom. More specifically, it resembles a human cerebrum; there is no exterally visible cerebellum or medulla. Although its shape bears a close resemblance to a cerebrum, the coloration may be different; some nogans are the same pinkish-orange color as brain tissue, but others tend toward white,..."

The '''nogan''' (pronounced {{IPA|/ˈnoʊgən/}}) is a [[breed]] of [[kake]] resembling a [[human]] [[brain]] with a single [[eye]] on the bottom. More specifically, it resembles a human [[cerebrum]]; there is no exterally visible [[cerebellum]] or [[medulla]]. Although its shape bears a close resemblance to a cerebrum, the [[color]]ation may be different; some nogans are the same pinkish-orange color as brain [[tissue]], but others tend toward white, silver, or lavender.

Nogans have an innate [[power (celemology)|power]] of [[flight]], and spend all their time in the [[air]], never touching the ground if they can avoid it. If possible, they try to stay above any other creatures in the area, the better to bring their powers to bear against them if necessary. A nogan somehow [[amerdism|deprived]] of its flight ability is completely helpless, lacking any means of [[motility|motion]].

==Abilities==
Aside from its flight, which seems to work through similar principles, the most obvious power of the nogan is its [[telekinesis|telekinetic]] ability. The nogan can produce a [[force]] up to about 1.8 [[newton]]s within a [[distance]] of five [[meter]]s or so, or about half that force up to about twice the [[distance]], which is the maximum extent of its range. Although it can and frequently does use this ability to lift and move small objects, it can also use it offensively. While it can manage a crude attack by telekinetically throwing things at enemies, with practice a nogan can focus the force over a very small [[area]], creating a high [[pressure]] capable of stabbing through [[skin]] and [[flesh]]. Because this takes some amount of concentration on the part of the nogan and is not an instantaneous process, the nogan finds it difficult to use this telekinetic impalement against a fast-moving target, and it can in principle be dodged.

Another standard power of nogans have is that of [[electroreception]], though technically this is not a true power in the [[celemology|celemological]] sense, since its cause is entirely [[biology|biological]], not [[magic]]al. In any case, nogans can detect [[electric field]]s around them, and in this way have some awareness of what lies in [[direction]]s they cannot [[sight|see]] with their one eye. Because of this, nogans are not as easy to take by surprise as is often assumed; while many people with little or no direct experience with nogans assume you can take them unawares by approaching them from the direction opposite their eye, their electroreceptive ability prevents this.

Many nogans can and do develop additional powers—in fact, they cannot [[appreciation|appreciate]] without doing so. While there may be other powers possible to nogans beyond these, the powers most commonly observed include the following:
* A [[augabole|beam]] of [[heat]]
* Weak [[thelxis]]
* [[Plasmation|Creation]] of small amounts of matter
* [[Sartion|Healing]]
* [[Soporation]]
All of these powers, where applicable, seem to emanate from the kake's eye.

Nogans grant a weaker version of their telekinesis as their [[obverse power]]. The obverse kake often appears to have a slightly swollen [[head]], often with a corrugated, brain-like texture.

==Anatomy==
The nogan's encephaloid appearance is not coincidental or misleading; the nogan actually is composed almost entirely of [[nerve|neural]] [[tissue]]. It has no [[muscle]]s of any kind except within its eye, and moves entirely by [[magic]]. Even the eye itself is loose within its socket—a [[hemisphere|hemispherical]] depression in the ventral surface of its cerebriform [[body]]—and is held in place and [[rotation|rotated]] by the same telekinetic ability that enables its motion rather than being moved by [[extraocular muscle]]s. (The fact that the eye is not physically connected to the rest of the nogan's body leads many [[etorist]]s to consider it a [[pleote]], though the fact that its parts always remain in contact makes it a borderline case.) The only actual muscles the nogan possesses are the [[sphincter pupillae|sphincter]] and [[dilatator pupillae]] muscles that control the size of its [[pupil]].

The amount of cerebral tissue in the nogan, and the pattern of [[sulcus|sulci]] and [[gyrus|gyri]] on its [[surface]] like those on the human brain, lead many to assume that the nogan must be especially [[intelligence|intelligent]]. In fact, it is not; while the nogan is perhaps more intelligent than the average kake, it does not approach human intelligence or true [[ellogy]]. Part of this discrepancy is because some of the space within the kake is taken up by its cerebellum and medulla; while these parts are not externally visible, it does have them, internally embedded within its cerebrum. Also, part of the nogan's tissue is devoted to bringing about its abilities. Still, neither of those factors, nor both combined, are nearly sufficient to account for the disparity between the nogan's amount of cerebral tissue—and the additional [[surface area]] provided by the gyri and sulci—and the creature's intelligence. One possibility that has been bruited is that the excess brain matter does not directly benefit the individual nogan, but facilitates some kind of coördination between them, that each nogan, while still an individual [[organism]], is also in some sense an [[organ]] or [[appendage]] of a [[sangate|greater being]]. While on the surface this may seem a far-fetched idea, some studies have claimed to find evidence for it—though other etorists do dismiss it as strained speculation.

==Behavior and environment==
Lacking a [[mouth]] or any obvious [[digestive system]], the nogan does not [[ingestion|eat]] in the conventional sense. In part, it [[harmalia|sustains itself magically]]. It does, however, require some physical sustenance, in the form of certain [[gas]]es usually released from [[decay]]ing matter. Because of this, wild nogans are most often found in places where such decaying matter is plentiful: stagnant [[swamp]]s, [[landfill|waste heaps]], [[bat]]-infested [[cave]]s with plentiful [[guano]]. They are sometimes seen on [[blood]]y battlefields and near [[mass grave]]s, where they get their nourishment from the gases released by the putrefying [[corpse|bodies]].

When more than one nogan is in the same vicinity, the creatures have a tendency to move around each other in complex patterns, an activity that is often informally called the [[brain dance]]. The purpose of this "[[dance]]" is unclear; the leading theory is that it has something to do with their jointly altering the surrounding electric fields and then moving through and electroreceptively experiencing the new field configuration.

==Reproduction==
Nogans have no obvious [[genital|external reproductive organs]], but they do [[procreation|reproduce sexually]], using their telekinetic ability to facilitate the process. The nogans do have two [[sex]]es; they cannot be [[vision|visually]] distinguished by external inspection, but apparently have slightly different electrical fields that allow the nogans themselves to tell them apart. Both sexes have a [[sexual aperture]] which, again, looks identical in the two sexes, but serves a different purpose. The [[male]] nogan ejects [[sperm]] from its aperture and then uses its telekinetic ability to move it into the aperture of the [[female]]. After a [[day]] or two, the female nogan will lay a couple of dozen small, [[pearl]]y [[egg]]s that eventually hatch into tiny [[larva]]l nogans. Aside from their size, these newly hatched nogans look similar to adults, though their eyes are covered by [[skin]] for the first [[week]] or two of their lives. The [[mother]] looks after her young for a few months, by which time they will have almost reached their adult size.

==Appreciation==
The nogan is a [[germinal breed]] which does not [[appreciation|appreciate]] from any other breeds of kake. It does, however, have the potential to appreciate into more "advanced" breeds. It cannot appreciate, however, without developing at least one additional ability beyond its initial telekinesis. It still must also accumulate sufficient [[keki]] before appreciating; developing an additional ability is a necessary condition, but not a sufficient one. A nogan that has focused on one additional ability appreciates into the [[gegan]]. This includes the common case of a nogan that has already accumulated the requisite keki and then learns an additional ability just for the sake of appreciation. A nogan that has diversified its abilities appreciates into the [[tagan]]. These two kake can further appreciate into the [[geme]] and the [[aibar]], respectively.
[[Category:Germinal kake breeds]][[Category:Cerebriform creatures]]

Nogans

2022-01-29T19:50:55Z

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#REDIRECT [[nogan]]

Wanderers

2021-12-28T07:52:49Z

Antefyn: Created page with "The '''Wanderers''' are an enigmatic group of people that seem to circummigrate across many (perhaps all) worlds and cosmoi, performing some incomprehensible mission. They are sometimes called the Wenders, and there are those who say that this is the correct term and that the "Wanderers" is merely a corruption, but the Wanderers/Wenders themselves will answer to either, and call themselves neither. When they must refer to themselves collectively, they re..."

The '''Wanderers''' are an enigmatic group of people that seem to circummigrate across many (perhaps all) [[world]]s and [[cosmos|cosmoi]], performing some incomprehensible mission. They are sometimes called the Wenders, and there are those who say that this is the correct term and that the "Wanderers" is merely a corruption, but the Wanderers/Wenders themselves will answer to either, and call themselves neither. When they must refer to themselves collectively, they resort to circumlocutions such as "all of us" or "our fellows".

Each Wanderer is [[multilocation|multipresent]], existing in multiple [[corpus|corpora]], which may vary in appearance and even in [[gender]]. One corpus of a Wanderer does ''not'' know of the current activities or experiences of other corpora, but ''does'' share [[memory|memories]] of (some if not all) other corpora up to a certain point in the past. Just how far back that point is is uncertain, and may vary by Wanderer or even by corpus of the same Wanderer; evidence suggests, however, that it is not less than a [[year]], and not more than a [[century]]. The exact number of corpora of each Wanderer is likewise unknown, but may be very large... since they wander over all the [[plane]]s and cosmoi, even if they numbered in the billions they would still cover only a tiny fraction of the available territory. A few [[æalogist]]s believe the Wanderers' corpora to be literally [[infinity|infinite]] in number—given that the planes and cosmoi are likely themselves infinite, this is certainly not impossible.

The Wanderers have no [[name]]s, in the conventional sense, but are merely distinguished by [[adjective]]s. (For this reason, they're sometimes called the "Nameless Wanderers"—or (rarely) "Nameless Wenders"—when it's necessary to distinguish them from wanderers in the general sense.) One, for instance, is the Silent Wanderer, who never speaks; another is the Legless Wanderer, who lacks lower extremities. This adjective may refer to a behavioral quirk, to a physical property, or to any other distinguishing characteristic. The Wanderers refer to each other by the same adjectives, but without the "Wanderer"; the other Wanderers would refer to the Clockwork Wanderer, for instance, as "our clockwork fellow", or by similar circumlocutions. Although different [[corpus|corpora]] of a particular Wanderer may vary in many details, the quality that is defined by the adjective is a constant. This does not mean that no other Wanderer can ever have that quality; for instance, there may be corpora of other Wanderers who have [[redhead|red hair]], but ''all'' the corpora of the Red-Haired Wanderer have it (or the nearest equivalent in their [[species]]). As much as the corpora of the Wanderers may vary, the characteristic that gives each Wanderer their name is not necessarily the ''only'' constant among their corpora, merely the most notable. For the most part, the Wanderers seem to be of a dominant [[ellogy|ellogous]] [[species]] in the areas they travel through—which means that most corpora of Wanderers seen in [[human]]-dominated areas are human, though sightings have been reported of Wanderers of more exotic [[race]]s.

A very few æalogists devote themselves to studying the Wanderers, hoping to divine patterns in their peregrinations, or to learn more about their principles and purposes. This rare discipline is called [[erronology]].

==Behavior and goals==
As the name implies, the Wanderers wander the [[plane]]s, staying in one place seldom more than a [[month]] or so (though rarely less than a few [[day]]s). Sometimes they do so by using known [[portal]]s—the Wanderers seem to somehow be aware of portals near their location, whether or not anyone else in the vicinity knows about them. More often, however, when they need to move to another plane they seem to somehow create [[crepature]]s in their vicinity, to cause their origin and destination planes to temporarily impinge and overlap so that they are temporarily in both before the planes separate again and leave them in a different one than they started.

There are at least a score or so of Wanderers, and maybe as many as a few hundred, but they rarely if ever all travel together. At least one of them, in fact, the Lonely Wanderer, ''never'' travels with other Wanderers, which is how she gets her name. (Her path does frequently cross those of the other Wanderers, however, even if she doesn't travel with them.) In most cases, though, the Wanderers travel in groups of three to ten or so—sometimes on foot, sometimes in wagons, sometimes in more elaborate conveyances. Occasionally the group splits, or two groups of Wanderers meet and travel together. Multiple corpora of the same Wanderer, however, are never known to meet. This seems to be less because of conscious effort on the part of the Wanderers as just a result of some [[casual enchantment]] that some [[celemologist]]s have tied to the [[Law of Necessity]]—though it's unclear just how the meeting of multiple corpora of the same Wanderer would violate this law.

To the extent that the Wanderers have any sort of clear goal, it is simply to put right injustices, make the world better, and fight for good where they travel. Given the vastness of the cosmoi and the small number of Wanderers (even taking into account their [[multilocation]]), this may seem ultimately insigificant, but there is one important factor that gives the Wanderers' efforts more impact than they would otherwise have. The Wanderers' destinations are frequently—perhaps always"[[umbril]]s, locations that have some sort of intermundane [[ontological resonance|resonance]] such that what happens there echoes and affects happenings elsewhere throughout the planes and cosmoi. There have been theories that the Wanderers' presence ''converts'' a location temporarily into an umbril, but there's little evidence of that; it seems more that the Wanderers' travels take them to preexisting umbrils, or places where umbrils are about to arise. In any case, the fact that the Wanderers do their deeds in umbrils ensures that their effects rebound and resonate across the worlds and planes.

==Life cycle and origins==
The Wanderers do not [[aging|age]], but they are not immune to harm, and can be [[death|killed]]—or [[achresis|achresed]]—like ordinary [[mortal]]s. However, they do have a way of replenishing their numbers, or rather their number of corpora—while there have been no verified cases of entirely new Wanderers being added within living memory, there have been many accounts of Wanderers "[[recruitment of Wanderers|recruiting]]" new members—that is, not entirely new Wanderers, but new corpora of existing Wanderers. This does not violate the rule that two corpora of the same Wanderer never meet; the group of Wanderers recruiting a new corpus will never include a corpus of the same Wanderer being enlisted. While the "recruitment" is always voluntary, there is no known case of the new Wanderer turning down the invitation, though there have been some instances in which they considered it. The Wanderer-to-be at the time of induction—and usually at the time of their encountering the other Wanderers—invariably already conforms with the appropriate descriptive adjective: a prospective Hooded Wanderer will already be wearing a hood at the time of contact; a prospective Snake-Tongued Wanderer will already have a serpent's tongue for some reason; and so forth.

The Wanderers require sustenance like most other living [[organism]]s, but they get it by living off the land or by taking up temporary jobs to pay for their needs.

The origins of the Wanderers are a mystery; there is no reliable account of how or when they came into being. Even the Wanderers themselves cannot say how long they have been around, since the [[median]] current corpus seems to only go back a few hundred or thousand [[year]]s. If any of the original corpora still remain, they have not made themselves known. That has not, of course, prevented a great deal of speculation. Some believe the Wanderers were created by some group of extremely powerful [[god]]s, or [[overgod]]s. Others think they arose from [[human]] belief and needs (and that of other races) in much the same way that gods do—that in effect the Wanderers ''are'' a special kind of god, or quasigod. Whatever the case, it seems that the Wanderers have been around for a very long time, and perhaps there have been Wanderers as long as there were [[ellogy|ellogous]] creatures.

There seems to be a link between the Wanderers and [[passivite]]s, though the exact nature of that link is uncertain. Certainly some Wanderers are known to be [[aliterium|aliteria]] of passivites, and very possibly they all are. Many æologists believe that there is a [[bijection|one-to-one correspondence]]—that every Wanderer is the aliterium of a passivite, and that for every passivite there exists a Wanderer. This has not been proven, however, nor have any convincing [[theory|theories]] been propounded as to why this should be the case. A handful of [[pollachologist]]s have speculated that in fact the Wanderers are the reason that passivites exist in the first place, that the primary purpose of the passivites' other aliters is to be potential Wanderers, but this belief, called [[meatorism]], is not widely respected.

==Relations==
It is difficult for the Wanderers to form long-term relationships or alliances; their perpetual peripateticism puts them essentially in a constant state of xenization, always strangers wherever they arrive, and gone before they can become anything else. Nevertheless, while the probability of anyone encountering the Wanderers more than once on different planes by chance would seem to be negligible, there are some people who nevertheless ''do'' run into the Wanderers multiple times, their paths apparently somehow linked to the Wanderers'. Such people are sometimes known as [[synodite]]s. As a general rule, a synodite will repeatedly meet the same group of Wanderers, or a group that shares at least some members the synodite has met before, and most if not all synodites become sympathetic to the Wanderers and help them on their missions. There is some evidence that the Wanderers are able to grant the status of synodite to people who have greatly aided them and whom they hope to meet again, but it seems that some synodites have attained that status without the Wanderers' intervention.

While synodites are usually friends of the Wanderers, and the Wanderers' good deeds help them win other allies wherever they go, the Wanderers are not without enemies. Perhaps their most mysterious foes are a group of beings called the [[Hight]], who work a form of [[name magic]] that somehow functions in any (or nearly any) [[dition]]. The Hight all have multiple complex names, which due to their unique [[magic]] grant them special powers; they can induct new members into their number by bestowing suitable names upon them. The Hight actively hunt down the Wanderers, though their efforts have not notably diminished the numbers of the Wanderers' corpora. While the Hights' focus on names certainly places them in contrast to the Wanderers' namelessness, it's not clear whether this is at the root of their conflict, or whether it's just a coincidence; it may be simply that the Hight have plans for the cosmoi—and perhaps for umbrils in particular—and they want to prevent or at least minimize the Wanderers' interference.

That, at least, is almost certainly the motive of another enemy of the Wanderers, the cosmos-spanning [[Hyphatic Empire]]. Aspiring to spread its already considerable dominion further, the Empire certainly sees the Wanderers, with their opposition to [[tyranny]] and oppression, as an obstacle to its goals. At least some elements in the Empire also recognize the Wanderers' connection with umbrils, and seek the Wanderers out specifically with the hope that if the Empire attains a victory in an umbril that will increase its chances of victory elsewhere.

The [[Nithos]]a and their agents also come into frequent conflict with the Wanderers, though this seems to be more because these [[archdemons]]' activities put them at odds with the Wanderers' ends than because of any personal animosity.

==Known Wanderers==
The following is a partial list of the known Wanderers. This list is not necessarily complete.

* The [[Broken Wanderer]]
* The [[Clockwork Wanderer]]
* The [[Cold Wanderer]]
* The [[Dark Wanderer]]
* The [[Dead Wanderer]]
* The [[Devoted Wanderer]]
* The [[Ghastly Wanderer]]
* The [[Giant Wanderer]]
* The [[Golden Wanderer]]
* The [[Graceful Wanderer]]
* The [[Hooded Wanderer]]
* The [[Hungry Wanderer]]
* The [[Legless Wanderer]]
* The [[Lonely Wanderer]]
* The [[Long-Nosed Wanderer]]
* The [[Merry Wanderer]]
* The [[Naked Wanderer]]
* The [[Purple Wanderer]]
* The [[Red-Haired Wanderer]]
* The [[Silent Wanderer]]
* The [[Snake-Tongued Wanderer]]
* The [[Two-Headed Wanderer]]
* The [[Unseen Wanderer]]
* The [[Venomous Wanderer]]
* The [[Whistling Wanderer]]

[[Category:Intercosmic travelers]][[Category:The Wanderers| ]][[Category:Umbrils]][[Category:Nameless individuals]][[Category:Articles with incomplete lists]]

The Nameless Wanderers

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Nameless Wanderers

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The Nameless Wenders

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Nameless Wenders

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Nameless Wender

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Nameless Wanderer

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The Wanderers

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The Wenders

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Wenders

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Wender

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