Metagame Warning!
The knowledge in this page may not be accessible to the average character, as it may not be common knowledge.
Please consider if your character would know this knowledge first before using it in roleplay.
Author Note: See 'public knowledge' section of psionics lore.
¶ Flux
Correctional Energy, also known as ‘Flux’ (and by a variety of other names to different cultures, such as: aether, quintessence, bioplasm, prima materia, etc.), is the result of the universe correcting anomalous conditions. Flux is the fuel for all psionic abilities, possessing exceptional qualities that make it malleable to the will of conscious minds. When the ECF (Environmental Cuil Factor) is above zero, aberrations in reality that are corrected result in flux being produced as the average of the two values, meaning a psion will be capable of naturally generating more flux if they are in an area with a higher ECF. A common analogy is potential gravitational energy, where energy can be made through the process of lifting a ball in the air. Baseline reality (0‽) can be considered the ground. In this analogy, the psion is the one lifting the ball and bouncing it, harnessing their own flux in order to enact their will upon the world.
Flux manifests as an anomalous substance possessing qualities of both matter and energy, a volatile substance teetering on the edge of real and unreal, acting as everything simultaneously. Flux is generated naturally by a psion, concentrated around their nerves and brain; it can only exist within the psion’s immediate vicinity, rapidly dissipating if it leaves. Strangely enough, a person’s flux seems to be usable only to them except for special circumstances, dissipating out of their vicinity even if in the vicinity of another psion. It is possible to find flux in other places; psionic technology can be used to contain and harness it, and flux can even be found naturally in some places with a high ECF, able to exist if there are large quantities of flux already present.
Flux is visible only with the aid of cuilsight, though it can be sensed by other psions; the greater in volume it is, the more prominent it becomes to other psions. Psions sense flux in different ways - to most it may be a feeling of simply something being ‘off’, but some may have other reactions to the presence of flux, like a sense of pins and needles. In this sense, the volume of the flux one has is often indicative of their power, with larger amounts of flux being fairly intimidating to perceive. Flux passes through most matter and tends to float; it ignores conventional laws of pressure, able to exist at different densities without exerting outward force. In most forms, such as around most psions, flux manifests as an ethereal gas. At higher densities, it manifests as an ethereal liquid, and it is even possible for it to exist as a solid at extremely high densities. When looked at using cuilsight, it takes on a color associated with the user. Some powerful psions’ flux manifests as a liquid coating their body, and extremely powerful beings may even have it coating their body like a viscous solid. In higher densities, it can become difficult for someone to move through if they are not psions or a cuil walker, and it's even possible to walk on dense enough solid flux.
¶ Flux and Abilities
Flux is vastly important for many more advanced psionic abilities. Some basic abilities are able to function simply from the flux a psion can generate at a time by instantly converting the flux upon generating it, but most useful abilities require more flux than a psion can generate at a time, so psions anticipating usage of their abilities will generate flux and shroud themselves with it in order to use it in abilities later. Psions are able to retain flux up to a certain limit, beyond which it simply dissipates as it trails off from their body. To generate flux, psions will use their will to reverberate the anomalous flow shrouding their body, generating flux like sound coming from plucked guitar strings — the way in which they do so varies from psion to psion. Some generate flux through careful meditation, whereas others may generate small amounts of flux overtime while performing mundane activities, or generating it through steeling their will - many do it unintentionally while undergoing intense emotions, or they generate it by reaffirming their desires to themselves. The amount of flux a typical psion can generate at a time is dependent on various factors, such as how focused they are in manipulating flow to generate it, the ECF of the area they are in, and their level of training. Flux can only be generated and maintained while a psion is in shrouded flow (shrouded flow is explained later). Being able to contain more flux within your shrouded flow does not mean your abilities are stronger; the direct power of a psion’s ability is determined by their skill and how fast they are able to convert their flux for use in their abilities. Having more flux, however, allows prolonged and more frequent use of abilities. Many psions perform repeated mental exercises that drill the act of flux generation into their mind as a habit, allowing them to simply passively generate flux without even thinking about it, even while they are dreaming.
For most psions, passively recharging their entire flux pool while doing light activity takes around 6 hours, or two hours of active concentration on creating flux.
¶ Drained Flux
If a psion’s flux is completely drained and they attempt to use abilities that require it, they will suffer negative symptoms to their psyche, depending on their aptitude. A neuroinvader will typically suffer from headaches, a clairsentient may suffer brain fog or confusion, an esper may suffer dulled senses, manipulators may feel fatigued or lack fine motor control, and creators will have trouble recalling memories or visualizing things.
¶ Flux Qualities
Flux is not only converted for psionic abilities, but many abilities also change various qualities with flux, giving a psion’s flux certain abilities, sometimes even unknowingly. An ability could, for example, give flux elastic and adhesive properties, or allow it to cut things like a blade, or become a strong conductor of electricity or glow. Neuroinvasive properties can be given to flux as well; for example, some invaders unknowingly project a miniscule influence of their current emotion to those touching their flux, or an ability could be utilized that makes people in contact with a psion’s feel the full brunt of the psion’s fury or bloodlust.
Changing the physical qualities of one’s flux is a metacreative feat, the extreme of which is faux matter creation. This means that creators or psions with aptitudes closer to metacreation like manipulators are able to change the qualities of their flux easier.