Soma - Revision history

Tyg13: State rules positively: drop denials of unimplied negatives ("not alive", "never destroyed", "no process loses soma", "not destroyed", "consume no soma", "does not raise", "not dead"); enemies defined by differing in both qualities (via update-page on MediaWiki MCP Server)

2026-09-07T04:54:17Z

State rules positively: drop denials of unimplied negatives ("not alive", "never destroyed", "no process loses soma", "not destroyed", "consume no soma", "does not raise", "not dead"); enemies defined by differing in both qualities (via update-page on MediaWiki MCP Server)

← Older revision		Revision as of 04:54, 7 September 2026
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	'''Soma''' is the world's matter. Everything is made of it: ground, sea, flame, wind, tools, bodies~~. Soma is not alive~~. [[Pneuma\|Pneuma]] animates it. Pneuma is energy and soma is matter. A creature's pneuma is its power and its soma is its health.		'''Soma''' is the world's matter. Everything is made of it: ground, sea, flame, wind, tools, bodies. [[Pneuma\|Pneuma]] animates it. Pneuma is energy and soma is matter. A creature's pneuma is its power and its soma is its health.

	Soma is a physical quantity. It is gathered, split, recombined, traded and spent.		Soma is a physical quantity. It is gathered, split, recombined, traded and spent.
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	Soma comes in four '''elements''': fire, air, water and earth. "Fire soma" is soma of the fire element. Everything in the world is soma of one element or a '''blend''' of several. Soma of each element is a thing that can be held, stacked and traded.		Soma comes in four '''elements''': fire, air, water and earth. "Fire soma" is soma of the fire element. Everything in the world is soma of one element or a '''blend''' of several. Soma of each element is a thing that can be held, stacked and traded.

	[[File:Elemental Square.png\|thumb\|The four elements on a square. Each edge joins two that share a quality: a temperature (hot or cold) or a moisture (wet or dry). ~~The diagonals share none~~.]]		[[File:Elemental Square.png\|thumb\|The four elements on a square. Each edge joins two that share a quality: a temperature (hot or cold) or a moisture (wet or dry). Each diagonal joins two that differ in both.]]
	The four elements are related as follows:		The four elements are related as follows:

	* '''Allies''': two elements that share a quality (adjacent on the square). Every element has two allies.		* '''Allies''': two elements that share a quality (adjacent on the square). Every element has two allies.
	* '''Enemies''': two elements that ~~share no quality~~ (diagonal). Every element has one enemy.		* '''Enemies''': two elements that differ in both temperature and moisture (diagonal). Every element has one enemy.

	Ally and enemy are relations between elements~~. Pneuma bound in soma has no effect on them~~.		Ally and enemy are relations between elements.

	== The Two Laws ==		== The Two Laws ==

	'''Law I — Persistence.''' ~~Soma~~ is ~~never destroyed, only rearranged~~. Every craft ~~changes the arrangement of~~ soma. Compare Attrition on the [[Pneuma#The Three Laws\|Pneuma page]]: every shaping loses pneuma~~, and no process loses soma~~.		'''Law I — Persistence.''' The amount of soma is constant. Every craft rearranges soma. Compare Attrition on the [[Pneuma#The Three Laws\|Pneuma page]]: every shaping loses pneuma.

	'''Law II — Vessel.''' A vessel is an arrangement of soma that can carry circulating pneuma. A vessel with pneuma circulating in it is alive ([[Pneuma#The Three Laws\|Vitality]]). The arrangement determines what the vessel can do; the pneuma is the same in every vessel.		'''Law II — Vessel.''' A vessel is an arrangement of soma that can carry circulating pneuma. A vessel with pneuma circulating in it is alive ([[Pneuma#The Three Laws\|Vitality]]). The arrangement determines what the vessel can do; the pneuma is the same in every vessel.
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	\| Share a quality \|\| Allies \|\| '''Synergy''' \|\| Hold together as a hybrid		\| Share a quality \|\| Allies \|\| '''Synergy''' \|\| Hold together as a hybrid
	\|-		\|-
	\| ~~Share none~~ \|\| Enemies \|\| '''Dissonance''' \|\| Separate and release the pneuma bound in both		\| Differ in both \|\| Enemies \|\| '''Dissonance''' \|\| Separate and release the pneuma bound in both
	\|}		\|}

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	== Casting ==		== Casting ==

	An elemental spell has a body of soma. The caster supplies the soma and the cast consumes it. The soma becomes part of the effect ~~and is not destroyed~~ (Law I): a fireball is fire soma moved by pneuma. ~~Pure spells and abilities consume no soma~~ (see [[Pneuma#Casting\|Casting]] on the Pneuma page).		An elemental spell has a body of soma. The caster supplies the soma and the cast consumes it. The soma becomes part of the effect (Law I): a fireball is fire soma moved by pneuma. A pure spell or an ability spends pneuma alone (see [[Pneuma#Casting\|Casting]] on the Pneuma page).

	== The body ==		== The body ==
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	=== Tempering ===		=== Tempering ===

	~~Density rises with damage~~ taken and recovered from. Density is independent of every value on the [[Pneuma]] page~~: baseline does not raise it, and casting does not lower it~~.		Damage taken and recovered from is the only thing that raises density. Density is independent of every value on the [[Pneuma]] page.

	=== Healing ===		=== Healing ===
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	=== Death ===		=== Death ===

	Death is the vessel breaking: the body's soma ~~is no longer arranged to carry~~ a current. ~~Its~~ soma persists (Law I). Its pneuma leaves it as described under [[Pneuma#Death\|Death]] on the Pneuma page. A creature at zero pneuma is exhausted~~, not dead~~.		Death is the vessel breaking: the body's soma has lost the arrangement that carries a current. The soma itself persists (Law I). Its pneuma leaves it as described under [[Pneuma#Death\|Death]] on the Pneuma page. A creature at zero pneuma is exhausted.

	== Open questions ==		== Open questions ==

Tyg13: Sweep agentive and possessive phrasings ("properties of the soma", "what allied elements make", "takes soma and leaves it", "holds an arrangement") into plain statements (via update-page on MediaWiki MCP Server)

2026-09-07T02:50:17Z

Sweep agentive and possessive phrasings ("properties of the soma", "what allied elements make", "takes soma and leaves it", "holds an arrangement") into plain statements (via update-page on MediaWiki MCP Server)

← Older revision		Revision as of 02:50, 7 September 2026
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	'''Soma''' is the world's matter. Everything is made of it: ground, sea, flame, wind, tools, bodies. Soma is not alive; [[Pneuma\|~~pneuma~~]] ~~is what~~ animates it. Pneuma is energy and soma is matter. A creature's pneuma is its power and its soma is its health.		'''Soma''' is the world's matter. Everything is made of it: ground, sea, flame, wind, tools, bodies. Soma is not alive. [[Pneuma\|Pneuma]] animates it. Pneuma is energy and soma is matter. A creature's pneuma is its power and its soma is its health.

	Soma is a physical quantity. It is gathered, split, recombined, traded and spent.		Soma is a physical quantity. It is gathered, split, recombined, traded and spent.
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	[[File:Elemental Square.png\|thumb\|The four elements on a square. Each edge joins two that share a quality: a temperature (hot or cold) or a moisture (wet or dry). The diagonals share none.]]		[[File:Elemental Square.png\|thumb\|The four elements on a square. Each edge joins two that share a quality: a temperature (hot or cold) or a moisture (wet or dry). The diagonals share none.]]
	The four elements ~~stand in fixed relation~~:		The four elements are related as follows:

	* '''Allies''': two elements that share a quality (adjacent on the square). Every element has two allies.		* '''Allies''': two elements that share a quality (adjacent on the square). Every element has two allies.
	* '''Enemies''': two elements that share no quality (diagonal). Every element has one enemy.		* '''Enemies''': two elements that share no quality (diagonal). Every element has one enemy.

	~~These~~ relations ~~are properties of the soma~~. Pneuma bound in soma ~~does not change~~ them.		Ally and enemy are relations between elements. Pneuma bound in soma has no effect on them.

	== The Two Laws ==		== The Two Laws ==

	'''Law I — Persistence.''' Soma is never destroyed, only rearranged. Every craft ~~takes~~ soma ~~in one arrangement and leaves it in another~~. Compare Attrition on the [[Pneuma#The Three Laws\|Pneuma page]]: ~~pneuma is lost to~~ every shaping; soma ~~is not~~.		'''Law I — Persistence.''' Soma is never destroyed, only rearranged. Every craft changes the arrangement of soma. Compare Attrition on the [[Pneuma#The Three Laws\|Pneuma page]]: every shaping loses pneuma, and no process loses soma.

	'''Law II — Vessel.''' A vessel is an arrangement of soma that can carry circulating pneuma. A vessel with pneuma circulating in it is alive ([[Pneuma#The Three Laws\|Vitality]]). The arrangement ~~decides~~ what the vessel can do; the pneuma is the same in every vessel.		'''Law II — Vessel.''' A vessel is an arrangement of soma that can carry circulating pneuma. A vessel with pneuma circulating in it is alive ([[Pneuma#The Three Laws\|Vitality]]). The arrangement determines what the vessel can do; the pneuma is the same in every vessel.

	== Alchemy ==		== Alchemy ==
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	Alchemy is the craft of soma: '''splitting''' a thing into the soma it is made of, and '''recombining''' soma into new things. Any thing can be split, and the yield is the blend the thing was made of. Most soma is obtained by splitting.		Alchemy is the craft of soma: '''splitting''' a thing into the soma it is made of, and '''recombining''' soma into new things. Any thing can be split, and the yield is the blend the thing was made of. Most soma is obtained by splitting.

	~~What~~ two elements ~~do when recombined~~ depends on their relation:		The result of recombining two elements depends on their relation:

	{\| class="wikitable"		{\| class="wikitable"
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	\|}		\|}

	'''~~Hybrids~~''' ~~are what~~ allied elements ~~make together~~. The hybrid is determined by the shared quality and by the ratio of the two elements: different ratios of the same pair give different hybrids.		A '''hybrid''' is the result of combining allied elements. The hybrid is determined by the shared quality and by the ratio of the two elements: different ratios of the same pair give different hybrids.

	{\| class="wikitable"		{\| class="wikitable"
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	=== Health ===		=== Health ===

	A body has a '''volume''', set by its size, and a '''density''': how much soma its volume can hold. Maximum health is volume times density. Current health is the soma the body ~~holds above what~~ its structure needs to carry a current. Damage removes soma from the body. When health reaches zero, the vessel breaks.		A body has a '''volume''', set by its size, and a '''density''': how much soma its volume can hold. Maximum health is volume times density. Current health is the soma in the body beyond the minimum its structure needs to carry a current. Damage removes soma from the body. When health reaches zero, the vessel breaks.

	A giant has a larger volume than a person, so a higher maximum. A veteran and a novice have the same volume; the veteran has the higher density.		A giant has a larger volume than a person, so a higher maximum. A veteran and a novice have the same volume; the veteran has the higher density.
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	=== Death ===		=== Death ===

	Death is the vessel breaking: the body no longer ~~holds an arrangement of soma that can~~ carry a current. Its soma persists (Law I). Its pneuma leaves it as described under [[Pneuma#Death\|Death]] on the Pneuma page. A creature at zero pneuma is exhausted, not dead.		Death is the vessel breaking: the body's soma is no longer arranged to carry a current. Its soma persists (Law I). Its pneuma leaves it as described under [[Pneuma#Death\|Death]] on the Pneuma page. A creature at zero pneuma is exhausted, not dead.

	== Open questions ==		== Open questions ==

Tyg13: Prose pass to plain technical English: "element" for the type and "soma" for the substance throughout (Kinds → Elements); epigrams and examples-as-rules removed. Rule fixes from the 2026-09-06 session: health is volume × density with damage removing soma; hybrids depend on ratio; splitting folded into Alchemy; dissonance reach and ratio hybrids listed as open (via update-page on MediaWiki MCP Server)

2026-09-07T02:46:41Z

Prose pass to plain technical English: "element" for the type and "soma" for the substance throughout (Kinds → Elements); epigrams and examples-as-rules removed. Rule fixes from the 2026-09-06 session: health is volume × density with damage removing soma; hybrids depend on ratio; splitting folded into Alchemy; dissonance reach and ratio hybrids listed as open (via update-page on MediaWiki MCP Server)

Show changes

Tyg13: Soma is a physical quantity: kinds as goods, the elemental square and hybrids move here from Pneuma, new Alchemy (split and recombine; enemies react and release bound pneuma), Sources, and Casting (soma is the body of an elemental working and is consumed) (2026-09-06 session, Tyler + Bembi) (via update-page on MediaWiki MCP Server)

2026-09-07T02:27:44Z

Soma is a physical quantity: kinds as goods, the elemental square and hybrids move here from Pneuma, new Alchemy (split and recombine; enemies react and release bound pneuma), Sources, and Casting (soma is the body of an elemental working and is consumed) (2026-09-06 session, Tyler + Bembi) (via update-page on MediaWiki MCP Server)

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
 '''Soma''' is the world's matter. Everything is made of it — ground, sea, flame, wind, tools, bodies. It holds no life of its own; [[Pneuma|pneuma]] is what animates it. The two are the world's dual: pneuma is energy and soma is matter, pneuma is mind and soma is body. A creature's pneuma is its power and its soma is its health.
 == Kinds ==
-Soma comes in four kinds: '''fire''', '''air''', '''water''' and '''earth'''. These are the elements. Everything in the world is one kind of soma or a blend of several.
+Soma comes in four kinds: '''fire''', '''air''', '''water''' and '''earth'''. These are the elements. Everything in the world is one kind of soma or a blend of several, and every kind is stuff in its own right — a handful of fire soma is a thing in a bag.
-The four stand in the fixed relation the [[Pneuma#Forms|elemental square]] describes — allies share a quality, enemies share none — and the [[Pneuma#Reactions|reactions]] between them (synergy, dissonance, hybrids like lightning and magma) are things somas do to each other. Pneuma bound in soma is only along for the ride.
+These relations belong to the soma. Pneuma bound in it is only along for the ride.
 == The Two Laws ==
@@ Line 12: / Line 20: @@
 '''Law II — Vessel.''' A vessel is soma arranged to carry a current of pneuma. Fill it and it lives ([[Pneuma#The Three Laws|Vitality]]). What a vessel can do is decided by its arrangement: the same pneuma glows in a stone and thinks in a person because the stone and the person are different arrangements of soma.
 == The body ==
@@ Line 34: / Line 80: @@
 === Healing ===
-Re-knitting loosened soma takes matter. Food is soma, and eating supplies what the body needs to close its wounds. Healing consumables are soma's counterpart to [[Pneuma#Physical form|condensed pneuma]]: matter to rebuild, where condensed pneuma is energy to spend.
+Re-knitting loosened soma takes matter. Food is soma, and eating supplies what the body needs to close its wounds. Healing consumables are soma's counterpart to a [[Pneuma#Physical form|phial]]: matter to rebuild, where a phial is energy to spend.
 === Death ===
@@ Line 43: / Line 89: @@
 * '''Origin.''' Where the world's soma came from is unsettled.
-* '''Numbers.''' Blend proportions, resistance strength and the density curve are all undecided.
+* '''Numbers.''' Blend proportions, resistance strength, the density curve and the soma cost of a working are all undecided.

Tyg13: New page: soma as the matter dual of pneuma — four kinds, persistence and vessel laws, body composition, health as amount × density, tempering, healing, death (2026-09-06 session, approved by Tyler) (via create-page on MediaWiki MCP Server)

2026-09-07T02:07:29Z

New page: soma as the matter dual of pneuma — four kinds, persistence and vessel laws, body composition, health as amount × density, tempering, healing, death (2026-09-06 session, approved by Tyler) (via create-page on MediaWiki MCP Server)

New page

'''Soma''' is the world's matter. Everything is made of it — ground, sea, flame, wind, tools, bodies. It holds no life of its own; [[Pneuma|pneuma]] is what animates it. The two are the world's dual: pneuma is energy and soma is matter, pneuma is mind and soma is body. A creature's pneuma is its power and its soma is its health.

== Kinds ==

Soma comes in four kinds: '''fire''', '''air''', '''water''' and '''earth'''. These are the elements. Everything in the world is one kind of soma or a blend of several.

The four stand in the fixed relation the [[Pneuma#Forms|elemental square]] describes — allies share a quality, enemies share none — and the [[Pneuma#Reactions|reactions]] between them (synergy, dissonance, hybrids like lightning and magma) are things somas do to each other. Pneuma bound in soma is only along for the ride.

== The Two Laws ==

'''Law I — Persistence.''' Soma is never destroyed, only rearranged. Mining, smithing, cooking, building and every other craft take soma in one arrangement and leave it in another. A ruin is soma that lost its arrangement and kept its substance. Energy dissipates ([[Pneuma#The Three Laws|Attrition]]); matter persists.

'''Law II — Vessel.''' A vessel is soma arranged to carry a current of pneuma. Fill it and it lives ([[Pneuma#The Three Laws|Vitality]]). What a vessel can do is decided by its arrangement: the same pneuma glows in a stone and thinks in a person because the stone and the person are different arrangements of soma.

== The body ==

=== Composition ===

Every body is a blend of the four somas, fixed by its kind. A salamander is mostly fire soma; a fish is mostly water. The blend decides '''resistance''': typed damage lands hard on a body with little of that element in it and lightly on a body with much. A body's blend is set for life.

=== Health ===

A body's health is its soma — how much there is, and how densely it is knit.

* '''Amount''' is set by size. A giant is made of more soma than a person and has more to break.
* '''Density''' is set by a life. Damage loosens the knit. A body whose soma has been loosened all the way can no longer carry a current, and the vessel breaks.

Health is amount times density. Growing tougher means growing denser: a veteran and a novice are the same size, and the veteran's soma is knit far tighter.

=== Tempering ===

Density grows from damage taken and recovered from. It is its own track, answering to nothing on the [[Pneuma]] page: a practitioner with a vast baseline is no tougher for it, and a fighter who has never cast is no less.

=== Healing ===

Re-knitting loosened soma takes matter. Food is soma, and eating supplies what the body needs to close its wounds. Healing consumables are soma's counterpart to [[Pneuma#Physical form|condensed pneuma]]: matter to rebuild, where condensed pneuma is energy to spend.

=== Death ===

Death is the vessel breaking. The body's soma is all still there (Law I), but it no longer holds an arrangement that carries a current, and the pneuma leaves it as the [[Pneuma#Death|Pneuma page]] describes. Running the pneuma pool dry is exhaustion; only a broken vessel kills.

== Open questions ==

* '''Origin.''' Where the world's soma came from is unsettled.
* '''Numbers.''' Blend proportions, resistance strength and the density curve are all undecided.