#tidbit3

Today’s tidbit is (hopefully) gonna be short- I’m tired and its late and Uni hit the ground running after the holidays- so. I want to introduce what makes The Mind at Heart a Frankenstein story as much as a Jekyll and Hyde story: the concept of the Simulacra.

What are the Simulacra? Well, to explain that I must first give a few general pointers on how Chorell’s magic system works. Essentially, it’s based upon the fact that all things contain magic within a body of matter. Living things actively interact with the magic on two distinct plains- the ‘internal’ (having to do with the magic within them) and the ‘external’ (having to do with the magic within other things outside of themselves). Living things that can’t be described as sapient only ever interact on the internal level (ex: plants growing) whilst animals and intelligent creatures have the ability to use their magic to influence the magic of other things. No-one in the world has yet to discover exactly how or why- but since I created the world I do know and will share: intelligent creatures have Souls. Souls are what enable people to use their magic to say- control the elements, or levitate things (and make the things do the dishes for them), or even form runes if they are skilled enough. One seemingly can not perform external magic without a Soul.

(Also souls enable Soulmate bonds but thats an entirely other post- let me know if that’s what I should write about next)

So what does this have to do with the Simulacra? I shall now tell you- in concept, the Simulacra is supposed to be the embodiment of ones magic and will outside of ones own body. It can be built from anything- with complicated clockwork joints or simply carved from wood- so long as it has the parts necessary for whatever task one wants it to accomplish. Once brought to a pseudo-life, it should start the task it was built to do and follow the will of its creator without hesitation- as essentially, it is just another part of the creator and their magic should flow through in naturally. Never, ever, should the Simulacra be inbued with its creator’s soul.

It should be specified that this is All In Theory. No-ones actually ever accomplished it. Natural Simulacra actually exist as well- and boi is that a thing my world’s scientists are trying to puzzle out (only two specimens have ever been observed, one was brought into captivity and did not last long).

But the essential to know is that Dr. Al’styr Jekyll stumbled upon the Simulacra theory and almost a year later succeeded in the creation of Chorell’s first runework simulacra, simultaneously mangling himself horribly in the process and setting off an absolutely terrible chain of consequences doing so.