Prime

"Ashes to ashes, dust to dust. But ashes and dust we are not. We are sparks of beauty, a kiss from destiny, a song upon the world! From mana to mana, stardust to stardust!"

-- Maria Chantelle, Celestial Chorus

The Sphere of Prime is the most specificly focused Sphere out of the nine, and it provides the missing piece that all Awakened Magick needs to function, the one energy that Forces cannot touch: the magical energy of Quintessence. It is the breath of reality that moves through all things, giving all people the chance to become Awakened and gives all living cells and inanimate objects the ability to be changed by it. In technological terms, it is the binary that codes the universe, even if the Consensus would dictate that no one can change that.

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Plantary Alignment

Each of the Nine Spheres are associated with a Planet (technically). This is where that technically comes in, as Prime is mostly associated with the Moon! Earth as well is often regarded as it's associate, but many people don't agree. Either guess is a bit in the realm of the theoretical, however, as unlike the other Awakened Spheres the Umbral realm of this Sphere has yet to be found, only theoretically marking it's "physical" alignment with our planet and satelite. Some theorize that this might be because Earth's Umbra is particularly dense and chaotic thanks to all manner of factors, but one might also posit that if Prime is the magickal energy that weaves through everything, maybe then we are always inside it's umbral realm? A question for better minds than my own, I think.

Effect

As Prime acts as the building block for almost all other Magickal effects, a Mage who specializes in Prime can run a whole gamut of effects with this Sphere alone, not even accounting for the others. That doesn't mean their options are limitless, as they often need those other Spheres to truly shape and restrain the raw energy, but they can still do a lot with just the one tool. Much like with Mind, the progression of skills doesn't perfectly line up with the five-level system we've been using, but we can still track the growth of a Prime Mage along the stages:

• Entry Level: As they begin their journey exploring the raw strength of Prime, the young Prime Mage can sense the presence of Quintessence and when it changes, such as when someone else nearby is using magic. They can also increase their own stores of power to boost their spells, and prevent objects from being destroyed during various other effects, a must have for ones cell phone, house keys, wallets, etc
• Training Level: At the next stage, a Prime Mage is able to store Quintessence in objects and enchant them to touch non-physical things, and begin to shape Quintessence directly as apparitions of light and sound, or as violent bolts of pure energy, although the latter path brings a heavy risk of Vulgar Magick. They can also begin working with other Spheres or Mages in order to create simple objects from pure Quintessence and transmutation
• Intermediate Level: As their journey continues, the Prime Mage is able to channel Quintessence from flowing sources around them into their own body, or from their own body into various other Patterns, and even shape that Quintessence into usable objects. They're also able to enchant lifeforms directly to perform tasks such as harming magickal Patterns or, with other Spheres such as Life, create temporary Magickal lifeforms to perform different tasks
• Advanced Level: The path of the Prime Mage takes them to greater heights, as at this level they are able to greatly absorb physical sources of Quintessence as well as create them for others use to boot. On top of that, their ability to create magickal objects increases, and they can even create ones that only work for themselves by tying them to their Avatar, the innate core of an Awakened's being
• Expert Level: At the peak of a Prime Mage, they reach the finest control of Quintessence, as they are able to steal it from living beings, give them permenant enchantments, make animate items from their Avatar, or even create new wellsprings of Quintessence where they walk. They also have greater power to heal and refresh magickal wounds, physical or spiritual, with their mastery over Prime to boot

Be very cautious at higher levels, as such manipulation over the core essence of reality does not go over smoothly with the laws of reality, which would dictate that Magick does not exist in the first place, much less the power that fuels it. Unless one is careful, precise, and practiced, you will invoke the most dangerous parts of Paradox quickly.

Side/Secondary Effects

Prime is the ultimate Magick coding of the Universe, so any attempt to force it or manifest it teeters very close to the edge of Vulgar Magick if not passing it completely. That does not mean it cannot or should not be done, but caution and practice is intensely required. A Mage who gets Paradox Backlash from wielding Prime Magick is liable to have their own Quintessence jettisoned from their body, if their form is not turned to the energy completely.
Prime Mages as a passive effect will slowly become more uncannily off-kilter with the world, as they represent their magickal alignment more and more and radiate arcane power.

Manifestation

Prime manifests in jagged, electric-like waves and streaks in the rare times that they are visible, and the aura of the Magick at play is often white in color, or perhaps all colors merely being undiluted from their base form.

Source

Prime is the force of Magick throughout all reality. One might reasonably assume then that it's as much of a product of the big bang as the myriad of stars and celestial bodies in the night sky, as from beginning to inevitable end, it's a part of every single thing.

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Related Organizations

• The Celestial Chorus
• The Syndicate

Material Components

Quintessence sometimes manifests in physical states with material known as Tass. This material is often fast fading and highly sought after, and Prime Mages can detect it easily and, at higher levels, create it themselves.

Applied Restriction

Prime is a powerful and very malleable craft, as it is the first step into any number of magickal effects, but to really properly shape it or the potential it creates it will need to be used in combination with other Spheres. The energy needs a vessel to truly be harnessed.

Other Prime Focused Organizations:

The Celestial Chorus and their religious praise of Prime as Oneness have been the representatives of Prime within the Council of Nine Mystic Traditions since its inception, but they aren't the only groups specializing in the omni-magick Sphere, although few have it as their main Sphere of practice. Other groups include:

• The Syndicate, one of the Technocracy's Conventions and the capitalistic stock brokers who manage the deep pockets of the order, who look at the building block as just one more resource to bargin with.
• The Darwushim: A school of thought within the Ahl-i-Batin that uses Prime along with Correspondence in order to flow with the energy of Magick