Divine Gratuity

The Divine Gratuity is everywhere; permeating every inch of the Material Plane of A'arde, though it's presence cannot always be seen or sensed. It is the method by which the Dunamic power of Gratis energy is distributed, and allows the use of Holy or Divine Category magics.

The Divine Gratuity originates within the Planes of Empyrean, a diluted form of Celestial Power that can be utilised by Mortals, which filters into the Material Plane via the Astral Sea. Unlike the Weaves, it does not typically hold a specific shape, and is described as more of a gentle snowfall of the Gods' love and belief within A'arde. However, Divine Gratuity is a gift that an individual must be authorised to use, and access can be rescinded at any time.

Origins of the Divine Gratuity

While the specifics of the situation surrounding the processes have been kept vague by the Gods, the Gratuity and it's Mana component, Gratis, originate in the Planes of Empyrean as Celestial Power, Aether. Aether is a force that is eternally replenishing and breaking down, with some of that depleted Aether returning to the Cosmos, and the rest being allowed to filter into the Material Plane as a gift; a diluted version of the power of the Gods that won't tear the world apart.

Access to the Divine Gratuity on A’arde was originally theorised by Aegis as he sought to teach the newly risen True A'arden deities about their abilities, and was made reality initially by Haul at the beginning of the Age of Renewal. It is believed that, as the first beings to make their way to the Material Plane of A'arde, Dragons and Fey were the first to be granted access to the Divine Gratuity.

As the Divine Gratuity is technically a gift of the Gods, while Aether has existed for longer than Sapient entities have inhabited the Cosmology, Gratis can only exist when there is a Celestial or Ancient entity to allow it's use. It is believed that Aether may have some link to the Mycorrhizal Network, a precursor to known magics and the supposed origin of the entities known as Ancients. It has been suggested that Aether may have formed from the powers of the Primordial Origin itself, explaining why both Ancients and Deities are able to use it, making Divine Gratuity a diluted form of what is hypothesised as one of the oldest types of magic in existence.

Divine Gratuity After the Fall of the Age of Arcana

With the damage to the Arcane Weave and the weakening of the Sylvan Weave under Fiendish assault, the use of Divine Gratuity saw a necessary increase after the Floating Cities fell. The Age of Chaos saw an increase in those coming into the Vocations of Cleric and Divine Paladin, as well as more active Chosen than ever before and since. The Gods seemed to believe it a necessity; with Arcane and Sylvan magic under threat and Fiends pouring into the Material Plane, Divine Power was the most obvious and logical solution for protection.

Unaffected by the fluctuations in the Weaves, Divine Gratuity remained relatively constant throughout the Ages of Chaos and Darkness, hampered only by Fiendish attempts to create Anti-Magic Zones within the world.

The Divine Gratuity and Anti-Magic

The presence of Anti-Magic Phenomena does not destroy Divine Gratuity, rather it is a natural repellant for it. When Gratis is introduced to Anti-Magic, it is typically forced away from it like attempting to place two matching magnetic poles together. Gratis that becomes trapped within Anti-Magic decays at a faster rate than normal, rendering it inert. When Gratis enters Dunamic Organs such as the Mana Pool, it is stabilised and does not decay, but attempts to utilise it will result in the magic failing once it leaves the Mana Pool. Divine Gratuity will typically thin and move away from areas where Anti-Magic has coalesced.

Manifestation

The Divine Gratuity manifests as small particles of Mana that gently drifts down from the sky like a snowfall all across the world. Under normal circumstances, the Divine Gratuity is completely invisible to the naked eye; only visable to a See Latent Energy spell or by a creature with Enhanced Truesight.

When viewed by one of these methods, the Divine Gratuity is visible as glowing particles of white-golden light approximately a quarter of an inch across. The white-gold colour of the ribbons represents the "unstable" power of the Divine Gratuity; when it is unstable, it can decay and disperse. When Gratis is stabilised, it deepens in colour to a more yellow-gold hue. Because Divine Gratuity is decaying Aether, it continues to decay until it is absorbed into a Mana Pool or otherwise stabilised in some form of container.

The only exception to Divine Gratuity being invisible is when Gratis particles are drawn together to form a Locus, also known as a Spiritual Site. Often forming in Holy Sites or places sacred to various Deities and Spirits, these manifestations are visible as a glowing balls of warm, golden light.

Localization

The Divine Gratuity appears across all Planes of the A'arden Cosmology, finding prominence within the Material Plane of A'arde, where it is primarily funneled by the Astral Sea. It can also be found in relatively large quantities in both the The Border-Fey and Border-Shades, where it is funneled from both the Material Plane and Tìr na Sìthe or Tìr nan Dubhar respectively after passing through these Realms via the Astral Sea.

While it can be easily found within the Primordial and Lateral-Elemental Planes, where Primis is the most abundant form of Mana, it is much more difficult to replenish within the Planes of Navia, which have their own unique form of Mana that actively opposes Gratis and Aether. It is most abundant in the Planes of Empyrean, which also contain the purest form of Gratis, Aether, which cannot be used by Mortals.

In the Material Plane, Divine Gratuity is at its most concentrated at Loci, where the Gratuity coalesces and can be physically seen. These locations are often Holy Sites or places of importance to specific Deities and Spirits.

Content

Type

Metaphysical, Divine