The Metanet is a complex system that connects the Internet--the mostly mundane worldwide network of computers and information--to The Seams, the interconnective plane of existence that connects various realities within the universe. Accessing the Metanet is easy; almost any connected device can do it. But certain features of the Metanet are inaccessible to any but those with special computers that have a special kind of networking/processing unit called various things, but most commonly a "Cerulean Key."

Most of the Metanet is just like the Internet, just impressively coded websites, search engines, and other nodes in the vast cloud of information that reaches beyond the bounds of the primary plane. Imagine a website built not just with mundane code but also with code that controls radiant energy and dumaqu. It will look pretty amazing. Imagine a computer with a harddrive improved by draconic power, able to improve itself as it fills up so that it actually gets faster and hold more information. Imagine using Theuwissean magic to code a virus. This is Esoteric Computing, one of the most advanced forms of Superscience in the world. These things can even be accessed by mundane computers (and phones and tablets and so on), but certain more technical aspects of them that are involved with the Metanet are inaccessible without a Cerulean Key. So you can use esoteric computing to build an impressive machine, but without a Cerulean Key, it cannot connect to the backend of the Metanet.

The Metanet is possible because of something called Seamspace, the backend. Seamspace is not a space at all, but rather, the code and energies that were crafted throughout the Seams to connect computers from different realities. This is made possible because of a paradoxical energy called "complexity." Complexity is one of the rarest and most, err, complex energies extant, a byproduct of paradox that is infinitely vast and difficult. The use of complexity is only possible through technological intervention, which is what the Cerulean Keys do. No one knows who invented the Cerulean Keys, but they are the tools that allow anyone and everyone who can afford to own one to interact with other realities. It is known that the first Cerulean Keys were magical--complexity famously can be interacted with by any other form of energy--and that later versions utilize every kind of energy imaginable.

Because different energies interact in different ways, many computers have to be carefully built. Magic and void do not mix on computers, nor do aether and msawhat, nor qi and msawhat. Infernum and heavenly light would not work, either. And so on. So there are a plethora of ways to build an esoteric machine, and some energies are better for somethings than others. Similarly, a machine running on certain kinds of power cannot handle programs crafted with certain other kinds, following much the same pattern. This gives talented and malicious users the ability to crash other machines by hiding incompatible code in unlikely places.

So there's hardware and software and the interaction between the two to consider, and there's networking esoteric channels.

EnergySorted ascending Classification Strengths Flaws Incompatibilities Requirements
Antifaith Nommos (Soul) Protection Requires rejecting the Divine; limited uses Rending, Divinity, Law, Magic Programming: antifaith
Hardware: antifaith
Arnum Infernal Malware, protection, high volume sound cards, feedback, power supply Can be unstable; bad for benign programming; can cause actual pain to user Heavenly, Qi, Body, Rending, Yahas Programming: cacophonic language
Hardware: tribulation techniques
Astral Aether Aether Power supply, movement of information or hardware, moving parts, casing, RAM and storage, graphics Does not work well with small things; can be unstable Msawhat, Void, Rending Programming: elemental language
Hardware: zodiacal crafting
Bestial Aether Aether Power supply, searching, processing, automation Unpredictable Msawhat, Void, Rending Programming: elemental language
Hardware: inscripting
Blasphemy Ambrosia Protection, malware Requires rejecting the Divine; limited uses Rending, Divinity, Law, Magic Programming: Blasphemy
Hardware: Blasphemic invocation
Blood Nommos (Body) Varies by blood Varies by blood; cannot be used in programming Arnum, Rending Programming: n/a
Hardware: Blood
Bone Nommos (Body) Varies by bone Varies by bone; cannot be used in programming Rending, Arnum Programming: n/a
Hardware: Bone
Brumal Aether Aether Cooling, stasis Can sap one's emotions; can slow the machine Void, Sol Angelic Aether, Rending, Resonance Programming: elemental language
Hardware: heartdraining
Collective Subconscious (Psionics) Nommos (Mind) Networking, storage, memory, search, protection, most programming Limited in interactions; must be innate to user Rending Programming: psionics
Hardware: psionics
Complexity Paradox Anything Requires rare power to harness None Programming: the infinite language
Hardware: outside energy manipulations
Curse Nommic Anything negative Can't be used positively; must be applied after-the-fact Rending Programming: curses
Hardware: curses
Damaskian Power Shebv Heya Processing power, search, malware, casing, complicated programming, power supply Requires more energy than most; not user-friendly Rending Programming: figgum
Hardware: figgum
Divinity Ambrosia Anything Requires faith Rending, Void, Blasphemy, Antifaith Programming: Prayer
Hardware: Prayer
Draconic Power Shebv Heya Accumulative programming, storage, processing, RAM, protection, power supply Hard to find sources of draconic energy; hard to work with; while it is only incompatible with Rending, it is notorious difficult to get it to work with any other non-shebvic energy Rending Programming: draconic language
Hardware: special materials
Dream Poioumenon Graphics, non-linear logic Unpredictable Msawhat, Rending, everything else is Circumstantial Programming: fey language
Hardware: fey materials
Dumaqu Heavenly Elegance and beauty in hardware and programming Fragile; requires rare materials Infernal Programming: jewel code
Hardware: sabu
Earth Power Aether Protection, casing Slow; rigid and hard to work with Msawhat, Void, Rending Programming: elemental language
Hardware: druidic infusion
Elysian Heavenly Anything so long as it is not evil Impossible to control or predict Infernal Programming and hardware: must have innate Elysian abilities or chance upon a miracle
Entropy Infernal Malware programming, temporarily high end processing Cannot be permanent; hard to harness for hardware Heavenly, Law, Rending Programming: Zeronysian language
Hardware: chaos-tech
Ethereal Energy Ethereal Unknown Currently undiscovered Rending Programming: unknown
Hardware: unknown
Fate Poioumenon/Shebv Heya Search, predictive programs, RAM Rigidity; very very rare Fortune, Rending, Flux Programming: djinn language
Hardware: special thread
Fate Shebv Heya/Poioumenon Search, predictive programs, RAM Rigidity; very very rare Rending, Fortune, Flux Programming: djinn language
Hardware: special thread
Flesh Nommos (Body) Power supply Rots; varies by flesh; cannot be used in programming Arnum, Rending Programming: n/a
Hardware: Flesh
Flux Paradox Changes and alterations and movement and speed Can go too fast; very difficult to harness; hard to predict; unstable None Programming: varies
Hardware:varies
Fortune Poioumenon High performance programming and hardware, especially processing Unpredictable, impossible to control Fate, Rending Programming and hardware: specific materials
Foundation Heavenly Motherboards, fundamental programming Requires specific materials for hardware; rare Infernal Programming: Foundational/shemir language
Hardware: aedificarium
Fundamental Aether Aether Power supply, power flow, basic programming, push/pull, electromagnetism Very difficult to use; very difficult to understand Msawhat, Void, Rending Programming: elemental language
Hardware: hyperphysics
Gebvel Shebv Heya Protection, casing Rigid; inherently difficult to work with Rending Programming: shebvic language
Hardware: static binding
Greenlight Aether Power supply, cooling, regenerative programming, storage Requires constant tending; especially weak to msawhat Msawhat, Void, Rending Programming: elemental language
Hardware: alternational crafting, druidic infusion
Heavenly Light Heavenly Protection, benevolent programs, cooling, networking, subroutine and services, power supply Cannot be used by evil; hard to use even by the neutral; cannot be used to make malware Infernal Programming: angelic language
Hardware: angelology
Hegnh Heavenly Protection, backups, hard-to-damage hardware Rigid, any error means complete failure Infernal Programming: hieronic language
Hardware: angelology
Infernum Infernal Malware programming, automation, high end processing and storage, networking, databases, searching, protection, power supply It comes with non-monetary costs; cannot be freely given; cannot make benevolent programs well Heavenly, especially Hegnh, Rending Programming: demonic language
Hardware: demonological infusion
Kor Poioumenon Power supply, complicated programming Relies on a Moment, Feat, or Opportunity to activate Rending Programming: feats
Hardware: feats
Law Ambrosia Anything Risks the wrath of the Divine Rending, Blasphemy, Antifaith, Entropy Programming: Lawcasting
Hardware: Lawcasting
Lunar Aether Aether Graphics, cooling, power supply, reflections in programming, searching Subject to cyclical changes in efficiency and effectiveness; does not work well in sunlight Msawhat, Void, Rending Programming: elemental language
Hardware: reflective technology
Mana (Magic) Poioumenon Almost everything Mostly just its incompatibilities Void, Ambrosia, Rending, Antifaith Programming: magical language
Hardware: magic
Mashoaab Shebv Heya Storage, efficiency, commercial and transactional programming, networking Requires many transactions Rending, Msawhat Programming: shebvic language
Hardware: hoarding
Msawhat Infernal Corrupting malware, viruses, automation, storage, cooling Can damage the soul of the user; bad for benign programming Heavenly, Qi, Void, Aether, Rending, Mashoaab Programming: nectroic whispering
Hardware: various, see msawhat
Mystery (Arcanum) Shebv Heya Obfuscation, security, cooling Hard to learn Rending, Nommic Programming: arcanum
Hardware: arcanum
Paradox Paradox Anything Impossible to harness None Programming: Samfie
Hardware: Samfie
Pattern Aether Aether Power supply, pattern-finding programing, databases, connectors, processing, power flow Can be unstable Msawhat, Void, Rending Programming: elemental language
Hardware: meteorotraction
Poioumenon Poioumenon Almost everything Circumstantial weaknesses depending on uses Rending, everything else is Circumstantial Programming: lore code
Hardware: lore crafting
Possibility Paradox Predictive programming; RAM; processing Requires rare power to harness None Programming: tertial power
Hardware: tertial power
Qi Nommos (Body) Protection, automation, performance Requires using up lifeforce; bad for corruptive programming Rending, Msawhat, Arnum, Gates Programming: ashar-use
Hardware: ashar-use
Radiance Heavenly High performance programming, processing, networking, power supply, performance enhancement Fragile; often requires proximity Infernal Programming: radiant language
Hardware: radiant touch
Recursion Paradox Anything Impossible to harness None Programming: unknown
Hardware: unknown
Rending Infernal Destruction, deletion Destroys pretty much everything Anything except Paradox, destructive spirits Programming: hexology
Hardware: hexology
Resonance (Emotion) Nommos (Emotion) Varies by emotion Varies by emotion Rending, Brumal Aether Programming: poetry
Hardware: emotional-binding
Rubedian Aether Aether Deletion and heat resistance, power supply, malware, consumptive programs Burns out quickly Msawhat, Void, Rending, Gebvel Programming: elemental language
Hardware: ars ignis
Seasonal Aether Aether Power supply, cooling Seasonally empowered Msawhat, Void, Rending Programming: elemental language
Hardware: druidic infusion
Shadow Infernal Malware that consumes and gathers information, obfuscation, cooling, sound-dampening, networking Difficult to code; comes with non-monetary costs Heavenly, especially Heavenly Light, Rending, Gebvel Programming: shadow language
Hardware: shadowweaving
Shebv Heya Shebv Heya Decision-making programs Must remain neutral to work effectively Rending Programming: shebvic language
Hardware: special materials
Sol Angelic Aether Aether Power supply, deletion, protection, heat resistance, revelation Rare; subject to cyclical changes in power; does not work well at night Msawhat, Void, Brumal Aether, Rending Programming: elemental language
Hardware: dawntread-crafting
Soul Nommos (Soul) Anything Circumstnatial depending on Soul(s) Rending, Circumstantial for other energies Programming: soulsight
Hardware: soul-binding
Spirit Ambrosia Varies by spirit Varies by spirit Varies by spirit Programming: Spiritcasting
Hardware: Spiritcasting
Symbolism Poioumenon Simple associations Too simple Rending Programming: archos language
Hardware: specific materials, inovcation
Temporal Aether Aether Speed, clocks and other time-oriented programming Look, if you mess with time, bad things can happen; very difficult to use Msawhat, Void, Rending Programming: elemental language
Hardware: chronotech
The Currents Aether Networking, cooling Can interact poorly with electrical elements; requires actual water present for some functions; hard to control Msawhat, Void, Rending Programming: elemental language
Hardware: metapolitics
The Gates Shebv Heya Deletion, access, connectors, networking certain specific planes, malware, termination Delving beyond the Gates can kill you Rending, Qi Programming: valkyr language
Hardware: special materials
The Winds Aether Cooling, power supply, movement, speed Very unstable; very very very unstable Msawhat, Void, Rending Programming: elemental language
Hardware: windsinging
True Name Nommos Anything Circumsantial depending on use Rending Programming: Namecasting
Hardware: Namecasting
Viridian Aether Aether All Aetherial strengths Can have any of the above Aetherial flaws, depending on how it is used Msawhat, Void, Rending Programming: elemental language
Hardware: druidic infusion
Void Infernal Nullifcation-based programming, deletion, high end processing, improving the speed/capacity of RAM and hard drives, networking Creates unstable memory and storage; large list of incompatibilities Magic, Heavenly, Aether, some forms of Shebv Heya, Faith, Msawhat, Body, Emotion, non-void Souls, Rending Programming: irritological language
Hardware: irritology
White Tiger Aether Aether Casing, wiring, anything metallic, protection Can become too rigid Msawhat, Void, Rending Programming: elemental language
Hardware: esoteric smithing, bai laihu xiao
Yahas Poioumenon Connections, networking, circuitry, motherboards, search, communication Fragile Rending, Arnum Programming: y gylched
Hardware: special materials
Topic revision: r2 - 06 Dec 2015, SallyJaneBlack
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