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[[include :scp-wiki:theme:oceanbound]] [[module css]] .text-blur { filter: blur(.175rem); } [[/module]] The topic of divinity is a complex one in a universe where there are so many complex classifications for thaumatology, reality bending, and trans-dimensional access. In 1955 the GOC defined, shortly before it was dissolved, the Codeword system. Wherein they broke several divine levels down into digestible form. Type Blues, Type Greens, Type Ochres, and Type Blacks. In more general terms, Thaumaturge, Reality Bender, Narrative Manipulator, and God/Demi-God. These classifications were useful and adopted for our purposes in delineating different entities. But the deeper our penetration into the paranatural and anomalous worlds and their undercurrents, the more inadequate these terms become. Well, I hear you say we could develop an entirely new system, right? But where would we begin, how would we set the categories? It seems a daunting task to definitively put in place a new system, though I know some of you would very much like that. That discussion is, thankfully, unnecessary. In part thanks to a massive incursion by rogue actors friendly to the Foundation, we have recovered materials from the Finnfolk. Those of you here for Operation High Tide, you'll know who they are, those of you who have no idea who they are or what I just said is, you're probably in the wrong lecture and I need you to rise in an orderly fashion and go see Mrs. Koukou at the back. That said, the Finnfolk did an immense amount of work for us on the topic of Divinities. It is like their entire civilization dedicated themselves to fully and completely understanding the inner workings of the Divine and their interactions with the Astral plane. The Finnfolk effectively broke down Divinity into 8 separate classifications. These classifications have been further validated in our hands through experience in the field, direct interaction with the Finnfolk, and elucidation through a number of scientific methods. The following slide defines the broad categories and states. || Category || Traditional Assignments || Akiva Threshold || || Inert || Majority of Humans, some Finnfolk || 0-5 || || Magister || Most Finnfolk, Type Blues, Devout Religious followers || 6-100 || || Pre-Ascension || Most Religious Leaders, Heroes, Type Greens, Royal Family || 101-1000 || || Ascending|| Demi-Gods || 1000-2000 || || Ascended || Celestials, Infernals || 2000-5000 || || Gods || Type Blacks, Noosphere Disruptors, Ontological Deformities, Carissa Decimus, Medea || 10,000-100,000 || || Beasts of Nature || The Library, Abigail Im-Immarru, Aleah Im-Immaru, Emily Kurr, Alagadda, Adytum, Ion, Robert Bumaro, Hege Aquailian || Minimum threshold of 1,000,000 || || Óðr || All thirteen identified E-001 entities. || Akiva counter readings maxed out and shattered upon attempted measurement. || Now the first thing you will notice is that these readings are wildly different from what has been discussed previously. That is because the Finnfolk completely shifted what they defined as a divinity based on the disruption effects to the noosphere and ontological framework of reality. You will also notice there are three states associated with the concept of ascension. This is critical to understand the Finnfolk's perspective on Divinity, and why it recontextualizes our understanding of ontological delineation. We will not go into depth about the more general aspects of the Ascending, Ascended and Pre-Ascension states because they are already well defined in other places. We do need to discuss Ascension because it is not as straight forward as it looks. ++ Ascension According to the Finnfolk and our discussions with Dr. Emily Kurr and her sisters, Ascension begins when enough Astral Mass has accumulated within a person's body to begin a slow thaumic cascade. Astral Mass is exceptionally volatile in the material plane and tends to alter the person or organism in ontological terms over an extended period. This process can be accelerated or slowed down based on Astral injection or ejections. However, the largest hallmark of ascension is the onset of Reality Bending, or a Type Green state. The ability to ontologically twist the fabric of the material plane goes hand in hand with sudden onset of exacerbated personality shifts, usually dramatically amplifying pre-existing traits. We used to think this was just a consequence of power-accumulation and power-corruption, but this is not the case. Ascension twists the neurochemistry of the mind, and it can manifest in many different ways. Sociopathy and what was traditionally referred to as Psychopathy are quite rare, we just happen to have had to deal with an outsized portion. Agoraphobia, megalomania, sharp mood swings, manifestation of other biochemical and neurochemical personality disorders, the list goes on but the factors in these situations are the same. Our biological tissues are not equipped under normal circumstances to manage such a massive influx of Astral Mass, and it builds and twists and twists until **Pop**. What I just described is the Pre-ascension state. This is, to our best understanding, in large part why an exceptionally large majority of myths ranging from a plethora of cultures depict the gods as deeply problematic, awful people. Or at least that is what we believe. So, I just said that ascension completes with a pop. What do I mean by that? Well actual Apotheosis occurs in a violent release of thaumic discharge, which reshapes the flesh essence of the individual in question. To ascend you must die. That death, to some extent, is usually associated with the Noospheric or Ontological authority the person will come to be associated with. Not always, but usually. Apotheosis also completely resets the person's personality, sometimes they come out at the other end a different person than when they went in. We have not had much of an opportunity to study this process in detail, because the actual ascension tends to result in a violent explosion of Astral discharge that obliterates most things around it. ++ Post Ascension The actual post-ascension state also depends on the person. A particularly powerful type green that accumulates massive amounts of Astral Mass can become a god, but a lesser type Green may, in fact, never accumulate enough mass to be anything but a Celestial or Infernal. The process is very subjective, and once Apotheosis finishes, stratification of individuals is a lot more static; due to the sheer volume of Thaumic capability needed to rise to the next strata. That said, Gods, as we traditionally depict them have divine authorities. Aspects of their Ontological state which they have absolute control and mastery over. They are deeply in touch with that ontological condition to the point of being able to grip the Fabric of the Noosphere and bend it at their whim. With that said, Gods are incapable of an HK Class Deific subjugation scenario, they can be toppled and bested through negation of their divine authorities. ++ Beasts of Nature Beasts of Nature are, however, a different matter. Separating a God from a Beast of Nature is trivial. There are three major characteristics that immediately make something a Beast of Nature. # The capability of passive warping of the Noosphere and ontological meshwork of material reality. # Stable maintenance and/or expansion of a pocket or demi-dimension. # Complete embodiment of their Divine Authority. To further expand on these three characteristics, a God is capable of actively shaping and sculpting large swathes of the Noosphere and ontological framework at will. But they must actively try to do this. Conscious thought. A Beast of Nature alters the Noosphere and ontological framework merely by being present, by existing. If they actively sculpt reality, that is an HK-Class Deific Subjugation event unless it is narrow and specified. The second characteristic is the presence of a pocket or demi-dimension. As an example: The Library exists in a pocket dimension of the Astral plane. Adytum and Alagadda as well. The third aspect is especially important. Beasts are, in their entirety, the embodiment of their Divine Authority. The Library //is// the concept of stored and shared knowledge. You get the idea. When wielding their authority, they cannot be stopped in the sculpting of that ontological concept except by another Beast, and even then, not all beasts are created equal. This makes Beasts of Nature a threat that can only be managed by the utilization of Eigenweapons designed to kill them, or intervention by other Beasts. If a Beast does not want to be contained, it will not be contained. Fortunately, none of the extant Beasts we are aware of are endemically hostile. That does not mean they do not exist; it just means we have been fortunate enough to not run afoul of one. ++ Óðr This brings us to the Óðr classification. In a simple word, the Óðr can never be reached. Beasts cannot ascend to this classification because the Óðr are the Noosphere. They are the fabric of reality in both the Material and Astral planes. They are unknowable, impossible to fully grasp conceptual entities that transcend every form of existence imaginable. The Presence of an Óðr has a proclivity to shatter the Astral Mass of Gods and Ascended. Beasts of Nature can survive the aura of Óðr's, but eventually they will be warped or subsumed into its mass, especially if their Divine Authority aligns with the Óðr's concept. They cannot be killed, and it is a miracle that seven of them were ever sealed.