Prima given form is called Prisma. The word itself is a useful shorthand for this concept – where a type of Prisma represents Prima of a particular nature.
Prisma’s nature is obtained through a process called a Prismatic Stain.
Energy Given Form
Prima is Stained into Prisma upon every interaction it makes with the world, no matter how seemingly insignificant.
A volcanic shelf saturates the Prima above it with heat and force. A glacial basin imposes its patience and weight. A coastal storm charges the air with restless, shifting energy.Prima absorbs all of it indifferently, taking on the character of whatever surrounds it. Thus, Prisma’s fundamental properties - its color, shape, and feel - directly reflects the nature of its accumulated Stain.
It follows, then, that at a microscopic level, all Prisma has its own individual history in the world, and exists as a reflection of that history. Because of this fact, no two samples of Prisma are identical - and even two that are ostensibly identical and harvested from the same exact environment will differ upon microscopic scrutiny.
In practice, however, only the broader differences truly matter. Given two samples of Yellow Prisma, one might technically have a more vibrant hue than another - which in turn might crackle with slightly more energy. But just as river and lake water both look and behave like water, both samples of Prisma would have a Stain similar enough to look and behave like Yellow Prisma.
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The different recognized categories of Prisma are known as Prismatic Expression.
What is Prismatic Expression?
Prismatic Expression serves to differentiate Prisma into categories based on color, shape, and physical properties. Not all Expressions are equal in scope or origin, however — they are organized into orders that reflect the magnitude of the force that shaped them.
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Prismatic Expressions are divided into into the following categories:
Lower Order Expressions - Morphic, Stratic, and Entropic Prisma - considered more basic, representing the world’s most fundamental forces.
Higher Order Expressions - Cyclical, Surging, and Disruptive Prisma - considered more complex, representing the overlap of these forces.
Living Beings as Prismatic Beings
Just as the world itself is filled with Prisma - its various regions marked by a dominant Prismatic Expression - so too do all living beings contain Prisma as a fundamental aspect of being alive, with their own unique blend of Prismatic Expression.
A creature’s soul - which some consider arcane and metaphysical, others a simple network of material internal organs - is, in fact, one of the most potent ways of intentionally Staining Prisma - or Lenses - known to the world. Thus, a creature exhibiting Entropic tendencies in a deeply Morphic environment will demonstrate deeply Red Prisma mirroring their own intent that stands out from the surrounding environment.
The body as a broader entity, likewise, acts an extremely efficient Prisma Storage Vessel and Conduit - passively consuming Prisma during periods of rest and consumption, and directing Prisma of the proper color to support efforts of the body and mind. In the Prismatic realms, this process is as fundamental to life as breathing air or eating food, and even a warrior who considers themselves wholly mundane and martial uses Prisma to swing their axe and raise their shield.
The Body as a Lens
The color of one’s own Prisma follows the same principles of Expression as any other Morphic, Stratic, or Entropic Prisma - mirroring one’s dynamic, creative, and destructive tendencies.
A simple insect whose primary purpose is the decomposition of organic matter would likely contain straightforward, simple Red Prisma mirroring the decay of their basic life’s purpose - with trace amounts of Yellow and Blue as needed. In most bestiaries and day-to-day conversation, such a creature would simply be called a Red Creature or an Entropic Creature.
Inversely, a sentient human with a diverse, complex, and often contradictory nature - just as capable of birthing new life as slashing down an opponent on the battlefield - would likely demonstrate a similarly complex blend of Prisma…a gradient of Red, Blue, and Yellow across their very essence, evolving over the course of a long life.
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