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Mike

If the world is so large.... does gravity not work the same way in this universe?

Will Wight

Part of the answer is "magic," and part of it is how this world developed differently because of magic.I made Cradle very big. Why? A few reasons.First, a lot of wuxia and xianxia stories do it so they can scale up to ridiculous numbers. Where first the character thinks a huge city has ten thousand people, later a huge city has ten BILLION people.Also, they're so special they're not just one in a million, they're one in a TRILLION! And they go from crossing a thousand miles in a single step to a hundred thousand miles!

So in part, it's an homage to the genre.In part, it's so that I can set other stories in the same world and they've never even heard of the people, places, or events in Lindon's story.And in part it's to illustrate that this isn't Earth. The Iterations are Narnia-style "worlds," not different planets, but since it's a whole new universe each time, they are ALSO different planets. I wanted a way to show that without putting a second moon in the sky, so "greater surface area and population" it is.

***As for the mechanics of it: I said "Magic" earlier, but that basically boils down to "This is how vital aura works."Vital aura is the power of the world that sacred artists harvest and use to strengthen their madra. It's the spirit of the world, basically. It makes what would otherwise be an uninhabitable planet, habitable.The planet IS less dense than earth, but because of its huge volume, it's more massive. Gravity is much greater. Humans are supported by madra from birth in part because otherwise they wouldn't be able to adapt to the gravity.You have other problems too: does this less-dense core spin fast enough to create a magnetosphere? Wouldn't continents bigger than Earth's just be massive deserts everywhere except immediately along the coast? Wouldn't the surface of such a planet be wracked by storms? Vital aura!

I'll get into it later in the books, but for me building this world, aura served a couple of functions. First, it allows people to adapt to what would otherwise be very harsh natural conditions (Sacred Valley and the immediate surrounding areas have, so far, been very mild. Conditions will accelerate as we get deeper into Cradle). Second, vital aura is generated by natural forces AND it changes natural forces.

I'll continue showing how it works in future books, but the bottom line is that aura allows me to have thriving ecosystems where everything is fire-aspect: trees with burning fruit pollinated by insects with wings of flame, and so on and so forth. Same in the depths of the ocean and on the tops of clouds.

It's magic. But it DOES work consistently according to a set of rules, and it DOES interact with physics.However, I'm not as attached to real-world physics as Brandon Sanderson is. He enjoys figuring out the physical implications of every nuance in his magic systems. I do not enjoy that, so I will not be doing it.If there's a gap between real physics and magic, I'll be filling in that gap with magic. Not physics. Just a personal preference.

Will Wight

It has many times more surface area than Earth.Also, as B pointed out, we haven't seen any REALLY civilized places yet. We'll see a city in Blackflame, but even that will be a relatively small, isolated city.Thanks to vital aura and the power of madra, there are lots of inhabited places in Cradle that would be uninhabitable on Earth. For instance, there are cities on the bottom of the ocean. And on the surface of the ocean. And on the clouds.

Mike

If the world is so large.... does gravity not work the same way in this universe?

Daniel

The planet may be hollow or it may be made of less dense matter or the gravitational constant could be significantly lower in the universe or yeah it could be magic. Though if humans exist it must have some relation to the basic model or they wouldn't be human.

Will Wight

Daniel's right.Part of the answer is "magic," and part of it is how this world developed differently because of magic.

a few moments later....

Two users now argue at length about the subject of the physics of such a large world.... we skip to Will's next comment.

Will Wight

Since it looks like this has become a real discussion, I'll give a real answer!

I made Cradle very big. Why? A few reasons.

First, a lot of wuxia and xianxia stories do it so they can scale up to ridiculous numbers. Where first the character thinks a huge city has ten thousand people, later a huge city has ten BILLION people.

Also, they're so special they're not just one in a million, they're one in a TRILLION! And they go from crossing a thousand miles in a single step to a hundred thousand miles!

So in part, it's an homage to the genre.

In part, it's so that I can set other stories in the same world and they've never even heard of the people, places, or events in Lindon's story.

And inpart it's to illustrate that this isn't Earth. The Iterations are Narnia-style "worlds," not different planets, but since it's a whole new universe each time, they are ALSO different planets.

I wanted a way to show that without putting a second moon in the sky, so "greater surface area and population" it is.

***

As for the mechanics of it: I said "Magic" earlier, but that basically boils down to "This is how vital aura works."

Vital aura is the power of the world that sacred artists harvest and use to strengthen their madra. It's the spirit of the world, basically. It makes what would otherwise be an uninhabitable planet, habitable.

The planet IS less dense than earth, but because of its huge volume, it's more massive. Gravity is much greater. Humans are supported by madra from birth in part because otherwise they wouldn't be able to adapt to the gravity.

You have other problems too: does this less-dense core spin fast enough to create a magnetosphere? Wouldn't continents bigger than Earth's just be massive deserts everywhere except immediately along the coast? Wouldn't the surface of such a planet be wracked by storms?

Vital aura!

I'll get into it later in the books, but for me building this world, aura served a couple of functions. First, it allows people to adapt to what would otherwise be very harsh natural conditions (Sacred Valley and the immediate surrounding areas have, so far, been very mild. Conditions will accelerate as we get deeper into Cradle). Second, vital aura is generated by natural forces AND it changes natural forces.

I'll continue showing how it works in future books, but the bottom line is that aura allows me to have thriving ecosystems where everything is fire-aspect: trees with burning fruit pollinated by insects with wings of flame, and so on and so forth. Same in the depths of the ocean and on the tops of clouds.

It's magic. But it DOES work consistently according to a set of rules, and it DOES interact with physics.

However, I'm not as attached to real-world physics as Brandon Sanderson is. He enjoys figuring out the physical implications of every nuance in his magic systems. I do not enjoy that, so I will not be doing it.

If there's a gap between real physics and magic, I'll be filling in that gap with magic. Not physics. Just a personal preference.

Jeremiah

You may not enjoy figuring out how magic interacts with and is subject to physics, but I would feel sure you wouold enjoy the fact that Sanderson has done so.

Will Wight

Jeremiah, what I like and appreciate is all the thought and planning that Sanderson puts into developing his magic system, and how clear the rules usually are. AND what an impact they always have on the surrounding society.That's cool, and I know from experience that it's very hard to do.But as for him figuring out all the details of how his magic interacts with physics...no, I don't really care.Harry Potter magic doesn't interact with physics, and yet each individual book in the series has a very tight magic system (the series as a WHOLE doesn't, because some magic introduced in a later book could have solved problems in an earlier book, but each book on its own is very consistent).As long as the rules and abilities are clear to me, great! I don't care if they're consistent with known physics or not. Where does the extra mass go when Professor McGonnagall turns into a cat? Magic.

April

I may be weird, but yes, things like that bug me. Less in fantasy as the author can say "because magic" and it works (though some take that to an extreme, which usually is enough to turn me off from a book) but in sci-fi that is a definite deal-breaker)

Will Wight

Apparently that's a pretty common view, April, and that's fine!

I'm just saying that MY tolerance for physics-defying shenanigans is pretty high, as long as it's consistent within the work. If a character survives getting hit by a tactical missile and then is threatened by a knife, Will is not happy.

But if we're getting into the realm of "Dragons could never grow that large because their bones couldn't support their own body weight," or "A conjuration spell could never work because it adds mass to the universe," then I don't care.

It's fantasy. Magic > Physics.

Hjorth

It seems that powers specific to iteration aren't related to biology, but perhaps instead granted by the iteration at birth.

Will Wight

Some Iteration powers are hereditary, and others are environmental. Cradle powers have elements of both, in that you can inherit some spiritual traits or powers from your parents, but madra really comes from aura, which is environmental.

Questioner

Do the other planets or asteroids or space bodies in Cradle's Iterations gather aura?

Will Wight

Yes, they do. The other celestial bodies in Cradle do have the same rules and laws of aura that Cradle does. It won't be as rich or as powerful, but it'll be there.

Will Wight

Iteration: Any universe that the Abidan recognize as capable of sustaining human existence and living out a complete life-cycle.

Every Iteration has a destined progression. A world is born, it lives out its existence, and then it quietly dies, breaking into fragments. These fragments float through the void, crashing and combining randomly until they form into a new universe.

They are called "Iterations" because the thousands of universes currently in existence are thought to be different versions of the same original world or worlds, spun out in different combinations again and again for eternity. Even the Abidan Judges do not know when this cycle began.

On its own, an Iteration should exist for billions of years, except for a certain underlying requirement: each Iteration is anchored to the Way by sentient consciousness. As long as humans* are around, the world is tethered to the natural law and order of the Way. The fewer humans there are, the looser that connection becomes.

When humanity dies, the world dissolves.

*(The Abidan definition of "human" is pretty loose, but never too far removed from the humanity we know. When a new Iteration forms that may be able to support life, the Abidan select a new population of human pioneers and send them to inhabit a suitable planet.)

Questioner

How do you cycle force aura so you can make your own force madra?

Will Wight

So, sword aura it just an application of force aura. Ya, its just a derivative of force aura. It builds up in things that do exert great force. Not things that could, which of course anything can, anything physical. But, things that do. So, things that really do bash up against other things on a daily basis. So, like a machine or manufacturing plant would generate a lot of force aura. A rushing river does too. But you tend to not sense that. Its a lot easier to sense sword aura than it is to sense force aura until you become kind of attuned to it and you sort of cycle it some a little bit. So, the more advanced you get on a force path the easier it is to feel that, see that. One of the things I've kind of referenced a little bit, but its sort of subtle and I probably need to draw it out more explicitly, is as you get more advanced on a certain path it becomes easier for you to pick up aura of that path. So, Lindon had to learn to see destruction aura even in a place where its very prevalent. So later, its a lot easier for him to see than other people to see. 

Questioner

Like when he was cycling for blackflame during Ghostwater, he sees or at least senses destruction aura in the fire. 

Will Wight

Right. So, I mentioned that force aura would be in a rushing river. It certainly would and it would be there for anybody. But, when Lindon looked at a river he would basically just see water aura. If Renfei, who is on cloud and force, she might se, basically, the force of the white water crashing against the rocks and she would see the water aura as it interacted with the air as a big cloud. So, her vision if she opened her copper sight, her vision of the river would look very different than Lindon's.

Daniel

So it seems to me that the other multiversal powers are actually doing more to stabalise iterations just by allowing people to cross from one too the other and share tech because that would push population higher and allow them to stabalise iterations by bringing in more people.

Will Wight

Not quite! I hope to get into the mechanics of this in a Suriel storyline at some point, but basically unsupervised inter-world interaction has consequences that spill over into other worlds. THOSE Iterations might be better off, but they're shifting consequences onto other worlds.

Great for you, bad for the neighbors.

However, that's not to say that the Abidan have it all figured out. There is a reason they do what they do, but they can still make mistakes. One of the reasons Ozriel left is that he couldn't stand their policies; there's a lot of gray area between "not interfering with a world at all" and "controlling every aspect of its development."

If you'll recall, when Suriel shows up to Cradle, she considers saving some random people from harm, despite the non-interference rules. She could potentially have done that by descending and then using no more powers than an ordinary resident of the world.

By acting within the rules of the world, she's not interfering with Fate too much and not violating the Pact.

She could NOT have waved her hand and cured cancer over the whole planet.

Ozriel's argument is that they should be saving as many people as they can, as their power allows, even to the point of weakening the restrictions of the Eledari Pact. There are many worlds that he wouldn't have had to reap if the Pact would have allowed him to end a war, or destroy a particular demon, or eradicate a plague.

...boy, I've said too much. Quiet, Will.

Daniel

Hmmmmm. That's quite intriguing will. Seems like just an exchange of tech could easily exponentially increase the populations of various iterations and stabilize them without to many people going back and forth. Unless that destabilizing effect is based of something more obtuse than that.

Will Wight

A limited version of that is something that Ozriel might argue for. If there's a plague that's about to wipe out an entire planet and someone in another dimension has figured out a cure, why shouldn't we give them the cure? No magic powers necessary--we're giving them something they COULD have figured out on their own, but didn't. The Iteration gets to live at least a few thousand more years instead of getting Reaped.

Diego

Hey Will I don't quiet understand a part of this deviating from fate business. (I hope u don't take it the wrong way) I mean u mentioned that new iterations are formed from fragments drifting in the eternal nothingness or whatever.

Okay now these iterations are devoid of human life at first. (So their original fate is to actually devolve into chaos) 

Then the Abidan sort of place humans in them sort of like pilgrims to that iteration, isn't that in and of itself a deviation of fate? Not only for the world, but for those people whom were taken there as well? (I imagine they have to terraform the planet first to be suitable as well)

The only way i see it being part of Fate is if the "Way" kinna speaks to the Abidan of whom to take and from where. Again i hope u don't take it the wrong way or if u have another explanation ready. :D

Will Wight

vWell, they don't usually have to do much terraforming. The fragments tend to combine into a single, inhabitable, central planet, and then the Iteration spreads out from there into a full universe. Like a seed growing.

When a world is born in this manner, it's not yet tethered to the Way. And therefore not yet bound by Fate.

Only when the people show up does the world start to develop a connection to Fate at all.

Daniel

So if there is sword mandra that gathers on edged weapons does that mean there is club mandra that gathers around blunt objects?

not a madra expert

From what I can tell of the world and the usage of Madra in particular, I think the most analogous form of "blunt" madra would likely be named "force madra" or somesuch. Sword madra seems to have less to do with swords specifically and more to do with cutting or sharp edged implements. I'm reasonably certain (fact checking would be appreciated) that Jai Long has "sword madra" in his sacred path, yet he uses a bladed spear rather than a sword. As a side point, the name sword madra just sounds so much better then sharp madra or cutting madra that it makes sense to use it.

Will Wight

You've nailed it.

Sword aura is really force aura gathered to a sharp edge, but what they call force aura is generally weaker and diffuse, so sword aura is brighter and easier to see.

And I absolutely do call it "sword aura" because "cutting aura" or "sharp aura" sounds ridiculous.

Questioner

Who creates Iterations?  Can the Cradle world be duplicated?

Will Wight

Ok, that's a good question.  Can the Cradle world be duplicated?  In the sense that technically it could I guess...  Like in the sense that if you shuffled a deck of cards technically you could get the same order.  You almost certainly will not, but technically it is a possibility.  Now, all the people living there would not be there; they would be completely different people.  You could get a world that is very very similar.  There is not anything like parallel dimensions.  That's not a thing.  At least not as a primary universal mechanic.  There might be some Iterations that have some version of that.

And who created new Iterations?  Iterations are born as a natural part of the life cycle that Ozriel and Makiel and them are always talking about.  So as an Iteration gets closer to it's intended life span, as fate runs out and it starts to die, it splits up into fragments, which are basically like Territories from Traveler's Gate, and they float around in the void, and they eventually connect to one another based on common threads and ideas and concepts.  And then they fuse and they become the seed of a new Iteration, which over time gathers population, and becomes a new Iteration.  And the Abidan kind of, they are like gardeners, they kind of maintain that process.  So that is the idea.

Questioner

Pure madra has multiple characteristics that can be selectively emphasized. Do other madra types have multiple characteristics as well? It seems like shadow madra and dream madra do.

Will Wight

Yeah.  Yes, so, one of the things I've called them in my notes, and I think maybe I've referenced them in the books a couple of times, is I call them lesser aspects.  So what they really are, is while they are not types of aura on their own, it is a characteristic that a type of madra can be programmed or cultivated to possess.  So, the Fisher path, like Fisher Gesha, is really just force madra; it's force madra that pulls and binds together.  So connection madra is not a thing, it's not a major aspect, but it is something that can be activated in force aura.  So it's sort of similar to how sword aura is really just an offshoot of force aura, and cloud aura is an interaction of wind and water aura in a unique pattern that appears in a cloud.  And as you learn to sense that particular pattern and cultivate it in your spirit, train your spiritual perception, you can sense that more clearly and it feels like one complete aspect to you, even though technically it isn't.  So yeah.  There's lots of... All madra aspects have this.

Havoc

If there are just 'thousands' of iterations, and each iteration lasts for trillions of years, there should be billions of years between iterations ending. 

What do the Abidan do to occupy their time in between?

Will Wight

I don't think I said trillions, did I? I think I said billions.

Either way, that's how long they COULD last. That's their maximum natural lifespan. It very rarely happens that an Iteration dies of old age, because they're tethered to the survival of humanity.

Most of the time, Iterations only last a few thousand years.

Let me put it to you this way: the Abidan have never shepherded a world from its birth to its full possible lifespan. An Iteration dying when humans die is still a natural death.

Questioner

What is the relationship between aura and physical processes on Cradle? Does a rainstorm cause an abundance of aura or does the aura cause the rainstorm?

Will Wight

A little of both, up to a point. The aura causes the rainstorm and the rainstorm gathers or causes water aura, as you choose to see it, but that is not an infinite loop. Otherwise, of course, all of Cradle would be water aura. So there's a natural cap.

Corey

When an iteration is formed but there is no human life there yet, how does the Way sustain the iteration? Is there a specfic amount of time that the Abidan have to populate it before the iteration will break down?

Will Wight

There is a certain amount of time! Depends on a lot of factors, including the stability and compatibility of the fragments that combine, which is part of what the Ghosts do: they're trying to ensure that the newborn worlds remain as stable as possible for as long as possible.

Incidentally, most of the "pioneers" that the Abidan drop on a world are not aware of the Abidan or of the full scope of the universe. It would be an experience like thinking you've died, only to see a flash of blue light and to wake up in a field with a bunch of supplies and strangers. This is your life now.

J

Please tell me you plan on writing a book or seven following this plot point. That would be so cool, starting up a new civilization in a new universe with different laws of physics and magic systems for the people to figure out. God that would be a fun read....

Will Wight

That was the book I wanted to write before House of Blades. I spent so long working on it that I had taken it way too many directions, so I thought, "This is my best idea, but I don't think I'm capable of writing it right now. What is an idea I have that I can DEFINITELY write and finish?"And that's how House of Blades was born.

Diego

I'm going to just put this out there and I don't know if it's just me or if its happening but not large scale enough to affect every corner of the multi-universe you have envisioned.

Wouldn't it actually be beneficial for these world spanning Organizations to encourage most, if not all , worlds to at least be aware of some way of ascending?

I mean heck if I knew how to become an immortal u could bet I'd be at least trying. In my head at least having more immortals around means more people to combat chaos. I mean even if some turn out evil, who wants chaos to destroy everything?

Will Wight

The thing is, their priority is to let worlds develop naturally.

Cradle is an exception to the norm in that advancement is built into its magic system. In most worlds, you'll be lucky to get one low-ranked Abidan out of it during its entire lifespan.

So in most worlds, it's not possible under normal conditions to ascend.

And here's part of the reason they want these Iterations living healthy, natural, normal lives: the more healthy and ordered the Iterations are, the closer the Way is, and the more powerful the Abidan are.

***

However, they actually HAD plenty of people in the Abidan. As many as they needed.

It was only when Ozriel vanished that they all of a sudden had a personnel problem.

(I'll go into that in Ozriel's section.)

Daniel

That kind of implies that there was one starting human universe where the way was born if the new iterations don't have enough time to evolve humans normally

Will Wight

It does imply that, yeah. However, wherever humans originated, it comes from a time before Abidan were keeping records. The theory is that the original human world already dispersed into fragments.

However, it could be out there somewhere.

There's another theory that says that the Way is like an island, and the void (chaos) is like an ocean. Which means that there could be other islands out there, other multiverses, where the Way emerges from the void and existence is possible.

Therefore, the original human world could simply be separated by chaos that everyone assumes is endless.

...or not. It's speculation.

Questioner

I've noticed that spent Madra often returns to essence. Is that somehow recycled into aura? 

Will Wight

Yes/  So in the books, I establish how constructs and forged madra, well, all madra does this, it's just I pay attention to it with remnants and forger techniques, dissolves into these motes or sparks of rising light and dissolves back.  Yeah, madra dissolves back into aura.  That's what essence is.  It's kind of madra fuzzing back into aura.  So yeah, that does happen.  But because of the way it dissolves it's not useful for ruler techniques.  I mean, eventually it would be; you could sit there and let it dissolve and eventually you would have some aura to use, but it disperses quick, and aura tends to change form based on what it's around, so it's not good for fueling ruler techniques, but it is something that get cycled back into the aura of the world.

Nocturniquet

When you say universe do you mean literal full scale universe like the one we exist in or do you mean a sorta localized sphere of planets and stars, perhaps the scale of one galaxy, and nothing else exists at all?

Will

Full universe. Some of the Iterations have galactic colonies.

Nocturniquet

That would imply that the most developed and advanced iterations have multiple worlds all united under one government and/or race. Makes sense that the "Court of Seven" would rule from this iteration. I wonder if in the most advanced iterations, they are so knowledgeable that things like the Abidan are not myths, just everyday facts of life. And hell I wonder if the average citizens discuss the policies this Court of Seven implement or think about. I wonder if this iteration is so fucking advanced that even a child in this civilization would seem like a god to the strongest people on Cradle. At some point this becomes an epic fantasy space opera now that I think about it...

Will Wight

Sanctum is like you've described. It's a galactic civilization with faster-than-light travel in the form of skipping through the Way, they're fully aware of the Abidan, and they benefit from the technology of other worlds.However, it's the exception. Most Iterations, even the technologically advanced ones, are unaware (or only vaguely aware) of the Abidan. That's a result of their non-interference policy.There is at least one organization out there that unites worlds and gladly interferes in natural development. They encourage inter-universal trading, develop weapons based on the magic of several different worlds, and even raid other worlds for resources.

Questioner

[From a reddit post regarding Little Blue]"Sylvan Riverseeds were natural spirits—beings like Remnants, only born of accumulated vital aura rather than the death of a sacred artist. They only formed in places where the aura was both extremely strong and in perfect balance. If the aura slanted toward one aspect or another, a different natural spirit would form. Typically, you would find that balance of aura in the heart of a forest, next to a spring or a river. In such a place, air and earth, heat and cold, life and death all coexisted at the same point in roughly equal amounts." Location 9460 in cradle foundationInteresting. Except Ghostwater reiterates the life & water line about Sylvan Riverseeds, and explains that Sylvan Dreamseeds are created when a different two elements are in balance:“Sylvan Dreamseeds,” Dross explained. “Just like Riverseeds are pure spirits that are born in areas with a strong balance between water and life aura, these little guys are born under the influence of dream aura. From the dream tablets, you see. The library and the Well are here purely to create the right conditions for their birth.Wight, Will. Ghostwater (Cradle Book 5) (Kindle Locations 2364-2367). Hidden Gnome Publishing. Kindle Edition.

Will Wight

When Dross says what he does about life and water, it’s a simplification. The first answer is more technically correct.

Altonahk

Is there such a thing as Gravity Aura, or is it just Force Aura? If there is: are there gravity paths? If it's force aura: do any force paths cycle it?

Will Wight

I actually had a real difficulty about that! When I initially came up with the Fishers, they were using gravity aura, they were using attractive force aura so it was effectively the power of gravity. That's what they were doing because gravity was a constant power....so I ended up saying no, what they call connection madra or whatever was just directional force madra. So I ended up saying no on that, sometime in development that's what earth power was going to be, was just gravity, kind of like the dresden files where earth magic is gravity magic, but I steered away from that.

Sage Of Quotes

Do Fury's kids have to abandon their paths and start on a new magic system? Are they able to advance without cradles aura?

Will Wight

So one of the things that I have... One of the tenants of this multiverse I guess is when you advance under your own power you have almost completed the definition of yourself if that makes any sense. You have finished defining yourself, you have... now transcended your mortal being. You are now this person. Now, of course, you can change and grow over the course of infinite lifetimes, as indeed we have seen from the Abidan. Some of them grow weary and retire. Some of them change from who they were as mortals. So you do change and grow but not as much as you would. In a way, your origin is somewhat fixed.

But people who are taken beyond their world are not subject to that principle. So they can continue to practice sacred arts if they have a source of aura. Can they get other sources of aura outside of Cradle? Yes, they can, that is something they can do. It's not inherently on other worlds that are not cradle but there are ways of doing that. And they can perceive sources of aura that other people who grew up in other worlds cannot. So that's the kind of thing that they could... they could find a way to keep practicing their sacred arts

OR

They could learn new magic systems from another source, another world, another... There would be other energy systems that they might be compatible with. Usually, they would be compatible with something that is reminiscent or... shares an icon you might say with the path they are already on. So if they're, talking about Akura family so if they are on a shadow path and there were some sort of shadow elemental path they would be able to learn that more easily. 

So.... Yeah, that's the answer. They would be able to learn new magic systems or they would be able to continue their own if they found an appropriate source of aura to continue to cultivate.

Alex

How does ascending to higher iterations work? Is it like a ladder, where there is one iteration that is higher than the one before, or is it like a pyramid, where there are many "infant" level iterations and as you go higher there are less and less iterations.

Will Wight

"Higher" isn't literal, it just means "more advanced." Cradle prepared people for interdimensional combat better than most Iterations do, and once you learn that lesson, you're ready to participate in the truth of the multiverse.

Nosna

If iterations are destroyed be under population, which creates corruption, then how are uncorrupt worlds created? In other words, iterations are created from pieces of other destroyed iterations. But iterations are destroyed from under population, and under population creates corruption. So how are uncorrupt worlds created?

Jay

I don't think under-population necessarily equals corruption. It seems more like under-population creates a scenario where corruption can more easily take hold, unless actively tended to/guarded by the Ghosts from Abidan.

From the description of Darandiel, "guiding the development of new Iterations and protecting them from malign influence during the vulnerable cycle of destruction and creation."

Will Wight

Jay's got it!

You're not automatically corrupt as soon as you fall within a certain population range. It just makes you vulnerable.