Vire & Rive
The two opposed spiritual energies that underlie all of reality.
All of reality is shaped by two opposed spiritual energies. Neither is purely good nor purely evil, both are necessary. The tension between them is the engine of the world.
Vire, the energy of order
Vire is the spiritual energy of peace, order, balance, life, continuity, harmony, protection, and stable creation.
- Mortals hold small amounts of Vire within them, this is mana, which lets them cast ordinary magic.
- Divine beings wield Vire through Viric Theurgy.
Rive, the energy of rupture
Rive is the spiritual energy of rupture, chaos, conflict, change, decay, hunger, pressure, and transformation.
- Rive exists naturally everywhere and is necessary, without it, reality would stagnate and stop changing.
- In large, concentrated quantities it becomes corruptive.
- Divine beings wield Rive through Rivic Theurgy.
The balance
| Vire | Rive | |
|---|---|---|
| Domain | Order, life, harmony | Chaos, decay, change |
| In mortals | Held as mana | Present in all things |
| Divine art | Viric Theurgy | Rivic Theurgy |
| Danger | Stagnation in excess | Corruption in excess |
The point of the cosmology is that both forces are needed. Conflict arises not from Rive existing, but from Rive being concentrated and weaponized, which is exactly what the Fracture achieves.