This is an informational note intended to clarify potential confusions and explain the inspirational and innovative ideas behind the system.
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1. The Planet Miara and Its Mechanics
Simply put, you can think of Miara as a planet with a soul—a dead soul. This allows it to distinguish between beings and grant them power.
Miara has two voices: one male and one female. Their duties are different, and they operate on different commands. First and foremost, Miara never speaks to you freely or initiates communication. There are two ways to hear Miara's voice:
1. Achieving a great feat (an "Achievement"), upon which a voice that only you can hear in your mind will state the Achievement and explain the rewards you have earned from it.
2. Seeking information about yourself through your Soul Manifestation, where Miara articulates the things you already possess.
These interactions are simple; Miara's two voices do not come from a conscious source. They are like an article reader. A command is given, and if the command is valid, Miara "reads the article." It adds nothing extra. This is connected to fate.
If Miara deems an individual interesting and sees the potential for them to influence fate, it may bestow blessed traits. However, since this is inherently tied to fate, the source of your gain is always yourself. Miara merely rewards.
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2. The Dimensional (Tier) System
In short, beings (Elves, Humans, Orcs, Dwarves, and many others) can grow more powerful by comprehending the Awareness of different dimensions.
To elaborate, on Miara, merely training and strengthening your physical body is not enough. There are also Dimensional Awarenesses that affect everything, both physically and corporeally. The reason is this: while you develop physically, you must also develop mentally.
Grasping the Awareness of dimensions is akin to ascending to divinity. It allows you to refine your mortal body and mind, enabling you to become higher, stronger, and more intelligent. The dimensions are ordered sequentially from 3 to 11. Everyone always starts at the 3rd Dimension and can advance to the 11th. This progression allows you to become as powerful as the weak, the strong, the masters, the demigods, and the divinities.
However, there is a commonly confused point: technically, your physical dimension always remains the 3rd. You only gradually become Aware of and begin to understand the other dimensions, in order. Through this understanding, your mortal body and mind evolve, and you begin your step-by-step ascent towards divinity. Imagine a being finally reaching Awareness of the 11th Dimension, having passed through all the others. This being would still physically appear to exist in a 3-dimensional world and would itself seem 3-dimensional. It is simply god-like in its physical and mental power, possessing immense Awareness.
What if a being wants to elevate its own dimension and become a 4-dimensional entity? Would being physically 4 or 5-dimensional make it stronger? The short answer is yes. But it must be remembered: attaining these higher physical dimensions is nearly impossible, as they were the tools and instruments of the higher, more powerful divinities. Attempting to use these tools could require a lifetime, or even millennia, of effort.
The Tier System is essentially a template created by humans and other races to relativize and systematize these dimensions according to their racial perspectives. In short, a being who has attained Awareness of the 3rd Dimension is at Tier-1.
Briefly, matching them up looks like this:
· 3rd Dimension (Tier-1)
· 4th Dimension (Tier-2)
· 5th Dimension (Tier-3)
· 6th Dimension (Tier-4)
· 7th Dimension (Tier-5)
· 8th Dimension (Tier-6)
· 9th Dimension (Tier-7)
· 10th Dimension (Tier-8)
· 11th Dimension (Tier-9)
It functions like a staircase. With each step you ascend, the difference in power compared to the previous step increases exponentially. Advancing in sequence is mandatory.
Another key point: no one is born powerful. For instance, a baby can never be Tier-1, 2, or 3, as it cannot possibly have attained Awareness of the dimensions.
This Awareness system ensures that the story is not solely about raw power and brute force; it also mentally strengthens the characters and makes the problems they face powerful and torturous.
Furthermore, raising your Tier increases the potential of your physical strength, allowing you to multiply your physical power at a rate far beyond the norm. After all, you are stepping steadily towards divinity, so your body does not remain merely mortal on this path.
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3. Simple and True Names of the Soul
As mentioned, Miara can bestow blessings, but this is tied to our own accomplishments. If Miara recognizes that you have the potential to influence fate, or if you perform a great deed or become such a person (most related to significant achievements and the nature of your soul), your soul may be granted a Simple Name, or, more exceptionally, a True Name.
These are not names given by your parents. They are the first and last names of your soul. They are its personality. Each name runs parallel to the character, defines them, reflects their soul, and uniquely signatures it.
Simple and True Names can impose great potential upon an individual, bringing powerful traits and curses that may weaken them, alter their dominant aspects, or make them stronger. Simple Names are not commonly given, but within a massive planet like Miara, they can still be found, if rarely. People prove themselves, achieve great feats, and grow stronger, confirming that they are entities worthy of being named by Miara. Your Simple Name can then be evolved by Miara into a True Name.
A name does not necessarily have to have a side effect or grant a power, but it is always connected to something. Also, as stated, Simple Names can be found. True Names, however, are as rare as hen's teeth.
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4. Awareness (Unique Powers) and Curses
The term "Awareness" is often confused, but it is not the same as Dimensional Awareness. It is used here as Unique Awareness. In short, Awarenesses are your unique powers. These powers are not acquired or bestowed by another (excluding specific divinities). Your unique powers—your Awarenesses—come from your soul. They are connected to the individual's person and character and are strategic in nature. They originate from a person's soul and belong solely to them. That power describes and represents them.
Additionally, these powers have side effects known as Curses. There is a law on Miara, a dimensional law: without a counter-pressure, there is no development, and one remains the same forever. Curses are the counter-pressure for Awarenesses. There is no power without a price. These prices—these Curses—manifest once, occurring when a person first attains their Unique Awareness. (For example, Lanert's curse of never being able to attack anyone. His ability to become incorporeal allows him to phase through any attack, strike, or spell and protect others. However, if he himself tries to attack, his attacks inadvertently materialize in the same way, and he cannot strike.)
Furthermore, one does not possess only a single Awareness, and it is not selective. There is no class system on Miara. Is one person a mage and another an assassin? No, such things do not exist. A person's powers are a reflection of who they are. When you ascend a Tier, new Awareness traits come to you. These traits do not have any curses. The only curse, as stated, comes with attaining your first Unique Awareness. Such a situation does not occur again.
Also, as your Tier increases, you gain Awarenesses from different angles. For instance, suppose you have a power that allows for sudden bursts of speed, enabling finishing moves in a single strike, but you are also very fragile. This trait came from your soul; you didn't choose it, nor did it come randomly—it was always yours. Now, let's say you attain Awareness of the next dimension. You now have another Awareness. This new trait could be a tank-like ability that negates your fragile nature? Or it could be a stealth-based Awareness that complements your speed for ambushes. It comes according to your personality and soul. It can be varied or it can focus on mastering a single aspect.
This will allow us to witness characters' battles not just as contests of raw power, but also as strategic conflicts. It will be easy to ask "Who is the strongest?" but as readers, we will also ask, "Who will use their traits most effectively? Who is the smartest?"
Moreover, these Unique Awarenesses also have their own tier system.
Lanert's Unique Awareness might be Tier-5, maybe 3, maybe 6. This gives characters goals to achieve and potentials to reach beyond their Dimensional Tier.
For example, imagine you are a human with Tier-1 Dimensional Awareness, but your Unique Awareness is Tier-9. What this means, simply put, is that your inner self is like a small pond. Your Tier-9 Unique Awareness is like tsunamis and furious waves trying to destroy everything, break free, and surge out expansively from that small pond. To use it at its full potential, you must raise your own Dimensional Awareness.
Do you think these tsunamis and angry waves perform better in a pond, or in an open, boundless ocean?
Furthermore, if we consider this pond your "Awareness Pool," it is the same size for everyone at the same Dimensional Tier. The difference between your pond and others' ponds lies in the mineral content and structure of the water within it. Unique Awarenesses can be likened to these minerals and structures. They are unique to everyone and specific to each individual; no two are alike.
This creates a multifaceted conflict system, balancing a lot of action and creating a compelling dynamic.
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5. Soul Manifestation
To attain Dimensional Awareness, you must know what your soul looks like. Soul Manifestation serves this exact purpose. It is your personal dimension, an indicator of what your soul resembles, where you can commune with Miara, ask about your own traits as commands, and learn them. It is different for every being. In short, it is the reflection of your soul in the mirror.
Beings with Tier-5 Dimensional Awareness can summon their Soul Manifestation into Miara to use in battle or for other tasks. This varies greatly from person to person. In summary, a Soul Manifestation is a realm of your soul; it is an area that runs parallel to your personality and soul. This place might be a happy, warm meadow of grass, a forest, a beautiful seaside, a rocky, arid area surrounded by deadly mountains, or a freezing hell. Remember, this is the reflection of your soul and your personality in the mirror.
These realms also have names. They are formed when you first attain Awareness from scratch, and they receive a unique name. The names of these areas are different from your Simple and True Names. They are specially given by Miara to everyone, for identification and for you to know the place.
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6. Weapons, Equipment, and Runes
On Miara, things like weapons, armor, and runes are as important as powers. They can be extremely varied and can bond with their wielder. Even the weakest weapon can become a deadly tool in the hands of the right user. However, a key factor is the weapon's ability to withstand its wielder's power without breaking or deteriorating. The materials they are made from, what they are dedicated to, and what they represent significantly define their power.
Armor is similarly powerful and multifaceted, down to the materials used. When we see a mage wearing a suit of heavy armor, we can understand they have made a strategic choice.
Runes are highly variable things. In the time before the gods shed their final tears, they created these runes to empower their tools and instruments. Now, many beings still demonstrate mastery in rune crafting. Runes can channel elements and powers, and can allow the user to wield them even if they have no innate affinity for that power. Furthermore, rune craft can be advanced to the point where they can be branded onto a person's very soul. Removing these brands is difficult, and implanting them into the soul is equally demanding.
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Tarot Cards (Special Section)
In short, the meanings of the Tarot cards in the story will represent the events we will witness, and all major characters will have Tarot cards that represent them. These Tarot cards may become the main theme of story arcs or be woven into events and character development. They reflect the characters.
(Future innovations will be added here.)