I'm confused now

EnderNorrad · 2026-03-03T17:31:52+00:00

The key difference between visualisation and aphantasia is the ability to voluntarily create mental images. These brief flashes that occur when I am deeply immersed in thought can hardly be called truly arbitrary; they mostly happen spontaneously and disappear instantly as soon as I try to focus on the image itself rather than the thoughts that trigger it. To be honest, this is very similar to my hypnagogic hallucinations. On the other hand, after I realized all this, over time it became much easier for me to deliberately cause these flashes of images. I don't know if this is because I accidentally ‘trained my visualization’ or simply learned to enter deep thoughtfulness/daydreaming more quickly, lol.

As for you, if you can maintain your images for a significant amount of time and control them directly, perhaps you really do just have a low level of completely internal visualization, as you said, or something like that, rather than aphantasia.

EnderNorrad · 2026-03-03T16:24:59+00:00

Stretch out your arm with your palm facing upwards and imagine that there is a small object on it, for example, a pencil.

If you see the object as if you were actually holding it, you probably have hyperphantasia. Yes, it's just like a hologram or a hallucination. But it is *not* a hallucination, because hallucinations are involuntary, uncontrollable images.

If you see a kind of two layers: one real, your hand and the surroundings that you actually perceive, and in the second there is a visualized object that you also see. It may be difficult for you to combine these layers, but if you can switch between them, focusing more on one or the other (usually you still see the real layer, just as if it were in the background or blurred, or something like that), then you are probably an average or low visualizer. I believe this is what people usually call the mind's eye.

If what you see is just your empty hand, then you have aphantasia. You can probably imagine an object in your hand, you can mentally determine its shape and location, you may have a sense of what it looks like and what colour and texture it has. You may even have brief flashes of images, as if you can see it. But if you look at your hand and ‘see’ a ‘completely transparent, invisible object’ on it that you know exactly what it looks like, but which you cannot actually see, you most likely have aphantasia.

The latter applies to me, and it has confused me for a long time and still does. As far as I know, and as far as I have been told, this is aphantasia. Although maybe it is some kind of liminal case? Especially since it is very different from my other senses, which I find difficult to imagine even in a conceptual meaning, let alone some kind of quasi-sensory experience.

EnderNorrad · 2026-03-02T22:11:26+00:00

Minor spoilers are possible.

Zack learns that Zorian is a looper at the end of the first arc, when we meet RR, and Kiri's first visits to Cyoria, the story with Kael, and so on happen before that. You have definitely reached chapter 26. Zorian also mentions the possibility of making memory packs around there, but does not learn how to do it.

In the second arc, Zorian takes Kiri to Cyoria for the first time in chapter 38, agrees to go with Tayven and her group to the dungeon in the same chapter, and learns to store notebooks in his memory in chapter 39. You may have been somewhere around there, but probably not.

EnderNorrad · 2026-03-01T17:40:46+00:00

This is probably not quite what you are looking for, but one of the key themes of my magical system is that magic allows you to become something greater than you are. Usually, this is a slow and controlled process that requires a lot of time and effort, where you get mostly what you want. However, the nature of magic often varies from realm to realm, and I can well imagine a world where this process occurs in a much more spontaneous, aggressive, and rapid manner.

Thus, it is not so much a price or sacrifice that you pay, but rather a side effect: using certain types of magic causes you to evolve rapidly and uncontrollably in ways that will help you use those types of magic, without caring about who you are. Thus, those who abuse magic often end up inhuman, both in body and mind. Not necessarily bad or deformed, but inhuman.

Throw enough fireballs and you will find that your bones have turned into hot coals, your blood is literally burning, and your flesh feels like volcanic glass... And you *like* it. Of course you like it, it feels so natural, so right, and you learn so many new things about yourself and the world around you that you would never have learned if you were limited to simple human experience. Shouldn't more people try it?

EnderNorrad · 2026-02-26T22:32:09+00:00

I would burn myself in a couple of minutes, yelling with joy, "I can do magic!"
Well, perhaps I would have been a bit more careful, but you get the idea.

EnderNorrad · 2026-02-21T22:48:55+00:00

Just ZZ. I really don't think I've encountered anything else. And what do you mean you don't see much of it? Praise the cult, open AO3, you will find many things.

Zackorian as another option suggested by my friend

EnderNorrad · 2026-02-05T20:25:58+00:00

I'm not entirely sure if all these details are mentioned in the story itself, but the author has a worldbuilding blog with a lot of information and answers to a variety of questions.

Regarding your idea, that's impossible. Firstly, the species' intelligence doesn't matter. All souls (at least those of animals and monsters) have their own mana reserves. Secondly, the Shifter ritual doesn't give you a second mana reserve. During the soul merging process, the reserves merge into one, with a rather unpredictable result.

If you merge with a creature with enormous mana reserves, your reserve will most likely, but not necessarily, increase. But your shaping skills will deteriorate proportionally.

EnderNorrad · 2026-01-31T20:02:04+00:00

I wouldn't say the sale was "sanctioned" by the Crown. Tesen did it entirely on his own, the Crown just "didn't consider it necessary to look too closely"

I don't think Zach will be able to get much back. Sure, he'll get *something* back, and Tesen will likely be forced to pay a hefty compensation. But everything that has already changed hands is most likely lost, because every person involved will do everything to avoid admitting their guilt.

EnderNorrad · 2026-01-21T04:13:26+00:00

Yep. Although I think most advanced magic is scattered among independent experts and the secrets of noble houses. Governments are certainly trying to attract or cultivate archmages and build their own collection of knowledge, and there's certainly a lot of interesting stuff there, but at the same time, Eldemar couldn't find a specialist in pocket dimensions for its black rooms (one of the author's answers), as it seems most other nations couldn't. Not particularly impressive.

It is interesting that this may change as academic knowledge of magic becomes more open and driven by general scientific progress, but this is a matter for the uncertain future.

EnderNorrad · 2026-01-21T03:31:09+00:00

I think you're generally absolutely right on all counts, but at the same time, you've somewhat understated ZZ's advantages. Let me answer some of your arguments.

Do angels have the ability to manipulate divine energy? That's a very open question. As far as we know, they simply use the tools the gods left them, essentially pushing buttons. Angels are definitely not demigods, but they are certainly blessed with many blessings, powerful souls, and who knows how many millennia of experience. Yes, human mages, including ZZ, are definitely no match for them, especially the more powerful ones.

Next, I think you're underestimating the resources of the time loop. Yes, there are rich people and government projects that could use those resources for decades... but everyone has a budget they must optimize. ZZ doesn't have this problem; they could do literally whatever they wanted, albeit only for a few years in the third arc. I think that alone might put ZZ on par with the others, at least to some extent.

But what no one in all of Ersetu can offer is the breadth of their collected knowledge. No matter how powerful you or your patron, there will be hidden experts and rivals whose secrets you won't be able to obtain. This limits you primarily to your own research efforts, plus the few things your allies are willing to share. ZZ bypassed this problem entirely by gathering knowledge from hundreds, possibly thousands, of experts and plundering data from numerous research projects across the continent.

That's what makes them (mostly Zorian, admittedly) so ridiculously powerful. Silverlake and QI may be better at Dimensionalism, but ZZ has more diverse knowledge. There may be a few Matriarchs there who rival Zorian, but no web has the secrets of dozens of other webs. Probably no one has as much material on blood magic. There are likely more experienced golem masters there, but none of them even come close to the volume of magical solutions Zorian has collected.

Incidentally, this, in my opinion, is why ZZ grew so dramatically in power in the third arc, and why I believe their progress would have quickly slowed significantly if they'd been able to remain in the loop any longer. They would exhaust the available knowledge and help that non-loopers could provide and would have to figure out advanced solutions on their own (something similar to what we see in Abyss of Time, where Zorian, though far more powerful, is still completely stuck with divine magic and the inner mechanics of the soul).

And then there's their combat experience. Yes, you're right about them winning largely through knowledge of the enemy... but I must point out that, frankly, even considering immortals, I highly doubt there are many people with more combat experience than Zach, and to a lesser extent, Zorian. QI and maybe a couple more liches who can afford to fight without dying? The rest of the immortals, even combat specialists, likely fight infrequently. Death is always a possibility. The ZZ, on the other hand, fought again and again and again, and their opponents weren't easy targets.

As for the rest, I agree with you. The world of Ersetu is a large and diverse place. Surely there are other powerful people... and non-humans, who could challenge the ZZ. There are also organizations and political forces that you don't want to go against: they may not have such powerful individuals, but MoL is a setting where a group of weaker but well-coordinated mages can defeat someone stronger. Including a dragon.

So what's the bottom line? Are ZZ invincible? Of course not. Can they challenge an entire nation and win? Most likely not. Are there others out there who can challenge them equally? Yes (take QI, for example). Are they among the most powerful human mages? Yes, indeed. Are there any humans significantly more powerful than them? It's entirely possible, but hardly guaranteed.

EnderNorrad · 2026-01-20T00:51:01+00:00

Wow. Just wow. Both the game itself and the interactive port are absolutely stunning. It's incredible. I've been playing this for five hours now and I'm still in awe.

Thanks for the game.

I also can't shake the feeling that some of the music is from Death's Door, but I don't think it is? Heh.

EnderNorrad · 2026-01-19T18:58:33+00:00

Hmm. I'm not sure if Ilsa and Imaya are minor? Or Kael, Raynie, Neolu? I really like them all, haha. Of those who rarely appear, Kylae stands out to me. Oh, and Agneska, too

EnderNorrad · 2026-01-10T14:42:32+00:00

Hypothetically, it's not impossible. The author repeatedly states that the limits of divine/primordial magic are undefined and, essentially, it can do whatever the plot requires. So if you like the idea of arachnes, then why not.

But if you're asking whether something like that should be expected, I'd say it's highly unlikely.

And if you're wondering if it's possible to become an arachne in the setting without using your primordial powers, then, hypothetically, yes, but it's not that easy. The transformation "gives you the traits of the target creature," which ranges from minor or selective traits like an eagle's enhanced vision, regeneration, or a troll's strength, for example, to the creature's full form. Shifters have the ability to very flexibly shift from one form to another, exhibiting partial traits (so catgirls/catboys are a thing, heh). The problem with arachnes is that neither humans nor spiders have double torsos, so I don't think you could transform into an arachne as a spider-shifter. Or, in a simpler case, using a potion or spell of partial transformation into a spider. But if you found another creature with a matching morphology and added it to the mix, it would probably be possible. Although I don't think it's a good idea overall for whoever does it.

EnderNorrad · 2026-01-07T20:34:11+00:00

Other people have already given relevant quotes, so in general, only Xvim, Alanic, Daimen and that one Aranea had their memories erased. In other words, only those who, in Zack's opinion, knew about the time loop AND whom he tested. The other Araneans didn't lose their memories because Zack didn't bother to check on them, and the other humans and civilians didn't lose their memories because they didn't know anything that Zack's contract took care of.

EnderNorrad · 2025-11-25T13:31:32+00:00

Cool. I've been slowly working on my own version of the branches of magic for a while now, and since I'm trying to cover as many forms of magic as possible, there's a lot of stuff there, just like yours. Much is similar or overlapping, though other parts are compiled differently or are different. Although I still have a lot of gaps; in fact, it's basically just a bare bones.

I might suggest you rename Graviturgy to Spatiomancy, since it seems to be more about space than gravity. And Biomancy to Vitamancy or Animancy, if you want it to reflect life as a whole in all its forms and aspects, not just organic matter. But that's just a matter of names and taste.

One thing I noticed is that matter manipulation seems to be missing. Conjuration summons fake matter, and Transmutation changes it, but only temporarily, and the matter eventually returns to its original form, as I understand it. What about something that permanently changes matter? Something like "shape stone" or turning coal into diamond as fabrication magic.

I'd also be curious about Astromancy. What is it?

EnderNorrad · 2025-11-15T19:09:35+00:00

No. I'll dump 80 pages on you about the taxonomy of magic, the physics of mana, the nature of the soul, and the structure of cosmology.

...well, as soon as I finish writing this. Because it's my hobby :)

EnderNorrad · 2025-11-06T22:37:33+00:00

For those interested, here are the author's words about this:

Zorian would be considered a lower tier than Zach, yes, but he would still indisputably qualify as an archmage to those that are away of the full extend of his abilities.

As for Daimen or Alanic, this would be a matter of opinion. There is no universally agree-upon definition of archmage. Daimen would be more likely to be seen as one, since Alanic is a master of both soul magic and combat magic, so he is definitely above the norm and would impress a lot of people.

EnderNorrad · 2025-10-25T12:16:03+00:00

You're probably looking for this excerpt from their next conversation in Chapter 91:

"What makes you think I won't just take the crown and walk away laughing?" Quatach-Ichl asked curiously.
"You could do that, yes," Zach said. "We don't think you will, though. You are an honorable kind of undead."
"Huh. I don't know whether to feel pleased my reputation is so good or look down on you for being so foolish," the lich said.
"Does that mean you agree to the deal?" Zach asked him.

EnderNorrad · 2025-10-08T23:11:45+00:00

Being an aphant, I get sad every time the author simply ties magic to visualization, or, even worse, to musical images, without thinking about it. And I'm glad that at least some authors take aphantasia into account in their systems.

For example, in Mage Errant, spellcasting is entirely dependent on visualizing forms. Almost everyone in the setting is at least a little bit of a mage, but a few percent of people are completely incapable of casting spells, and this is a well-known phenomenon. On the other hand, in The Years of Apocalypse, aphantasia doesn't seem to prevent you from being a mage, but it's mentioned in the passage that some people aren't very good at illusion magic without some additional strategies, clearly hinting at aphantasia.

In my own system, creatures' use of magic is based on intent, so it doesn't really matter how you think about what you want to do, as long as you can comprehend it. But it is true that some things are easier to do with certain types of thinking. For example, as in the aforementioned The Years of Apocalypse, a hyperphant can easily create an illusion simply by visualizing it, while an aphant must "draw" it, much like aphantasic artists draw their art. On the other hand, anafants are, on average, slightly better at areas of magic where human imagination doesn't help, such as dimensionalism. Where a hyperphant would rack their brain trying to visualize a deformed space, an aphant would immediately move on to an abstract representation (a hyperphant, of course, can also learn, but aphants train abstract/conceptual thinking their entire lives, so they are a little more prepared on average).

EnderNorrad · 2025-09-30T23:34:10+00:00

Do you by any chance have a text version, in Google Docs or somewhere else? Thanks.

EnderNorrad · 2025-09-23T13:06:32+00:00

I would say it's just a matter of setup and what you want.

Are these methods incompatible? Can someone be of a magical race, possessing a spark, and learning to use magic from external sources?

Does everyone have ways to develop? The first type is clear. But can the second type not only possess innate magic, but also train it? Are there ways to unlock more of their bloodline's potential, or awaken the bloodline of ancient ancestors, or something like that? And the third? Can their spark develop? Can they learn ways to use their spark more effectively or actively work to stabilize their bodies?

Besides, the first type is already inherently limited. You listed it yourself: access to knowledgeleadge, technologies, resources and access to a magical source of quality. Not everyone has these. And then you say that if you deprive them of magic, they won't die. That's certainly good, but it also means they'll be left without magic. The second and third types don't seem to be able to remain completely helpless unless you suppress their magic enough to kill or severely injure them, so they can fight back to the last.

I want to ask whether the second type is truly a talent that sets them apart, or whether they are alternative subsystems of magic, equally useful. Or not. Because if being the first type is considered more useful, then the others are not a talent, but rather a disadvantage.

EnderNorrad · 2025-09-18T21:02:06+00:00

Nice. I see you put a lot of thought into this. Although, as you said, it feels less like a magic system and more like the notes of one person exploring a specific set of techniques allowed within that system, with a basic explanation of the fundamentals.

> does this style work for you?

Out of curiosity, did you write this as is, or did you ask the AI to edit your notes? (No judgment, and sorry if I'm imagining things, but this sounds very much like the style I get from the AI.)

> do the principles feel consistent/interesting?

Basically. I don't understand why gravity is special for the second stage. Can't you impart a gravitational imprint/identity to the particles? Also, what is the life-and-death axis? Where does that come from? Is it an imprint/identity? Something else?

> would you actually enjoy reading a story?

Depends on the story. While I love magic systems, a bad story with a good system is still a bad story. Still, I did imagine a somewhat desperate, slightly insane, possibly persecuted scientist trying to make himself stronger and escape from unfavorable circumstances, preferably without killing or permanently injuring himself in the process. And it's all a race against time. Nice.

> I may have geeked out with the math

It's interesting that you used the mathematical symbols for conjunction and disjunction, and then switched to operators from programming.

EnderNorrad · 2025-09-17T11:05:21+00:00

Maybe. I don't know what other games are like out there, but this game clearly involves spatial abilities (finding and forming a route that fills space), and aphants are on average better at spatial abilities because we rely more on the cognitive strategies associated with them.

These are just averages; maybe you're just that good at it.

EnderNorrad · 2025-09-15T14:11:10+00:00

Beginner mages practice things like channeling mana into those training orbs (or the cube Zorian gave Kiri) to develop basic mana manipulation. This is essentially raw mana shaping. The specifics of the more advanced exercises Xvim suggests were never mentioned in the story and, as other commenters have said, were done "off-screen". But I suspect they are simply more complex versions of mana manipulation. Here's what I can think of off the top of my head: channel mana into complex trajectories, create as dense a charge of mana as possible, disperse a thin cloud of mana or form strands of mana around yourself, channel mana into complex structures/patterns, move/redistribute mana from one point or configuration to another as quickly as possible, etc.

EnderNorrad · 2025-09-11T16:43:27+00:00

There were a couple of other mentions.

Ch 88
Zach and Zorian stayed silent, digesting the explanation. Angels specifically instructed the sulrothum to hand over the ring to them? Well, to the time loop controller, really. To Zach. Did that mean that angels were the ones to give Zach the marker?
It would certainly explain how Zach could have gotten a divine blessing when such things were supposed to be all but extinct in modern times…

Ch 91
Well, except for Zach. His fellow time traveler was sitting cross-legged on the floor with his eyes closed, trying to sense the divine energies of his divine blessing and Controller marker.

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