The mage tower

According to the theory laid out by modern Magic, the energy ecosystem is both complex and multifaceted. The Warp is a source of energy that is nigh unlimited, corrosive to mortals, chaotic, and omnipotent. The Elemental Planes act as filters or lenses that take the raw, chaotic energy from the Warp and imbue it with specific properties and patterns, related to the elements (air, earth, fire, water, and the various sub-elements). These two entities form the basic building block of our world.

The Realms extract energy from two sources: the Warp and the Elemental Planes. From the Warp, energy is extracted and partly ordered into and imbued with the theme of the Realm, but the chaotic part is scattered, forming abominations. From the Elemental Planes, energy is extracted to form the fundamental building blocks of the Realm itself. A special plane is the Arcane Realm, which extracts energy from the Warp. The omnipotency of Arcane energy is the foundation for mages to study the world and use knowledge to leverage the world, even if the knowledge is wrong. Arcane energy is omnipotent, but mages are not. Arcane knowledge needs omniscience to activate its omnipotency, but this is not possible for mortals and even most gods, so mages specialize in a particular study. This could lead to cognitive bias, but this knowledge can be used to leverage the world. So arcane energy is not suitable for combat, so mages have to find alternative sources of energy. The Goddess of Magic contained its omnipotence, making it inclined to order and strict. Arcane energy is omnipotent but requires rigorous calculations, making it slow for combat. Mages often specialize, but some explore other alternatives.

Other realms and dimensions can also be tapped for energy, which is partly ordered into and imbued with the theme of that realm. For example, the Death Realm's energy has high omnipotence for things related to death, afterlife, undead, etc., but is chaotic and unpredictable. While it might be usable in emergency situations, it's not typically relied upon.

Mages discovered that imprinting their will on extracted energy (mana) allows them to control it. A mage's knowledge affects their soul, which in turn affects the mana, making it omnipotent within the mage's knowledge. Mana can also be used to accomplish tasks beyond the mage's affinity, but with more difficulty as far as the knowledge of the related spell is known.

Norris stood at the edge of a desolate landscape, the mana in the air thick with the sense of decay. "Idiot," he muttered to himself, shaking his head. "Jumping into plane exploration without proper preparation. You'd think a mage of your caliber would know better."

He kicked at the dry earth, frustration simmering beneath his surface. His usual arsenal of spells was useless here, and he was forced to rely on arcane spells – the only ones that work on all planes. "Worse still, I've got to scrounge for materials to build a mini mage tower. No convenient market stalls or enchanted suppliers here unless I go to the Arcum realm to conduct business and order what I need, but the platform fees are so expensive." Norris's self-criticism continued, his inner voice berating him for his narrow focus on learning and creating spells to blast things up and kill people. "You've been so caught up in learning and creating spells to blast things up and kill people, you've forgotten how to think outside the box. Time to smarten up, Norris." He took a deep breath, surveying his surroundings. The barren, lifeless terrain stretched out before him, stark and unforgiving. Norris's eyes narrowed, his mind already turning to the task at hand – finding materials and building a tower that would allow him to harness this plane's energy. "Let's get to work," he said, his voice firm with determination.

Most people will try to use trees when near a forest to build homes in the mortal realm or ice to build homes in a place with winter all year round. Norris found that the best decision to build a structure in the Death Realm should be to use the most abundant resources in the Death Realm besides rocks—bones.

Norris's gaze swept across the landscape, taking in the dry earth and sparse plant life. His eyes landed on a scattering of bones, half-buried in the dry earth. He walked over to investigate, his footsteps quiet on the dusty ground. As he examined the bones, Norris realized that they were everywhere – strewn about like discarded twigs. The ground was a vast, macabre graveyard, with bones of all shapes and sizes. Norris's eyes narrowed, his mind racing with the implications. "This place is a treasure trove," he muttered to himself, a hint of wonder in his voice. "Just like trees are a natural resource in the main material realm. Bones, bones, and more bones. I guess it's odd enough to have life in a realm of death. Something has got to be the natural resources. I can use these to build my tower."

Norris began to gather bones into a large pile. Some bones felt different—heavier, denser, and absorbing ambient death energy more efficiently. Intrigued, Norris categorized them by their energy absorption rates.

The lightweight, brittle bones absorbed energy minimally. The denser, smoother bones had moderate absorption rates. Intricately patterned bones drew in energy at an accelerated rate. The rarest bones had undergone a crystalline transformation, glittering with dark energy and absorbing it exponentially. Norris envisioned using these highest-grade bones as the foundation and core of his mini mage tower.

The crystalline bones, though scarce, were ancient, likely centuries or millennia old, with etched patterns indicating their vast age. They would be key to creating a powerful tower.

As the sun set, casting a sickly yellow glow over the landscape, Norris surveyed his progress. He had amassed a sizable collection of carefully graded bones. The crystalline bones, though rare, held the potential to unlock his tower's true power. With a sense of satisfaction, Norris began the next stage.

Norris began to ponder how to reshape the bones into a usable form. He had a basic understanding of alchemy, but it wasn't his area of expertise. As an educated person from his previous life, he knew that bones were primarily composed of calcium, a metal that reacts quickly, though he wasn't sure how it would react in this world.

Alchemy, in this world, was the process of reorganizing matter at a spiritual level, manipulating the physical by tapping into the conceptual. It was a realm where the gods of Alchemy wielded immense power, capable of transforming stone into dragon bones through intricate rituals and sacred ceremonies.

However, Norris found that Alchemy was chaotic, with no precise measurements or predictable outcomes. It relied heavily on feelings and intuition, which Norris had to adapt to, as this world wasn't governed by scientific principles. Alchemy, in this world, was like an equation with the alchemist himself being part of the equation. This made it so there was no unified standard, only vague formulas around, as individuals were always different, and even individuals could change by drastic experience, additional knowledge, etc. This made alchemy very unpredictable.

Norris persevered, driven by his need for security and a foothold in this desolate world. He eventually grasped the intricacies of Alchemy. The crystalline bones were left behind as Norris planned to utilize them directly, as he wasn't sure he could create a better material through alchemy since they had transcended the calcium form. However, he used alchemy to separate the other bones into a uniform, calcium-rich material and slags.

Norris discovered that calcium reacts with energy to form a naturally enchanted metal, which he called death metal. This metal robs vitality, making it potentially valuable for creating alloys for weapons. But for Norris, it was currently useless. So, he enchanted it with solidity, turning it into a more stable material.

Norris will use this material to construct a part of his mage tower. Later, he ventured further into the desolate world, collecting twisted, silicon-like formations and blackened wood that seemed to writhe and twist in the flickering sunlight.

With his materials in hand, Norris returned to his construction site, ready to begin the next phase of building his mage tower. He cast the spell "Build Sanctuary," an ancient ritual that drew upon the fundamental concepts of home, mage, and arcane. Norris added the concept of death since it was one of the core concepts of the Death Realm, making it easier to draw upon. Rituals draw upon power from higher-level existences, which could be gods, artifacts, or the laws themselves. The Arcane Realm is home to many concepts, with arcane and mage being two of the core concepts and home being there too. This ritual used the available materials to create a home from the concepts of home, arcane, and mage, meaning home of the mage, and death meaning necromancer. With gems equivalent to equal exchange, though it cost more as the Arcane Realm power that infiltrates the Death Realm experiences loss.

The prepared materials began to shimmer and take shape, coalescing into a majestic tower that blended dark, gothic spires with sleek, modern lines. The tower stood as a testament to Norris's mastery of the arcane. The mage tower was designed solely for combat and to ensure Norris's safety, with no other purpose.Norris stood back to admire his creation. The mage tower, looming tall against the desolate landscape, was a formidable fortress built with precision and purpose. Each room within the tower served a critical function, ensuring that Norris could thrive in this harsh environment.

The foundation of the tower, constructed from the highest-grade crystalline bones, provided an incredibly resilient base. These bones, ancient and infused with dark energy, absorbed and stabilized the ambient death energy, ensuring that the entire structure was secure.

At the heart of the tower was the arcane chamber, a specialized room designed to draw energy from specific realms. With the concept of death integrated into its design, this chamber efficiently harnessed the Death Realm's energy, allowing Norris to study it up close. As a sublimated creature, a magical subspecies of humans, he had an innate sense of magic. This chamber was essential for his experiments and refining his mana.

The sanctuary room served as a safe haven within the tower. Protected by powerful wards and enchantments, it provided Norris with a space to rest, meditate, and recover without the threat of external dangers. It was a place of tranquility amidst the chaos of the Death Realm.

The portal room, equipped with magical portals, allowed for instantaneous travel within the range of the tower. This room was crucial for Norris's ability to escape quickly and travel efficiently between different locations.

Throughout the tower, various defense mechanisms were integrated. Traps, wards, and magical defenses were strategically placed to protect against intruders and hostile forces. These defenses made the tower a nearly impenetrable fortress.

Finally, the mana conduits ran through the entire structure, distributing mana to every room and ensuring that each component functioned effectively. These conduits channeled the ambient magic, making the tower a hub of energy.

With his mage tower completed, Norris felt a sense of liberation. He could now call upon his true strength without worrying about covering up his life force. His previous struggles to conserve energy, seal the environment to prevent leakage, hold back in fights, and avoid disrupting the environment were now behind him. The tower's power was at his command, and the death energy of this realm would fuel his abilities.

With the tower's and Norris' flaws rectified, Norris felt a sense of liberation wash over him. He could finally call upon his true strength without worrying about covering up the aura of life that's can smelled from his mana. His previous struggles to conserve energy, hold back in fights, seal the environment to prevent his leakage of energy to avoid tracking, and avoid disrupting the environment were now a thing of the past.

Norris had been hamstrung by his inability to effectively harness his mana, forcing him to ration every bit of energy. His mana also held the fact that he was living, and the undead could sniff it out, making it even more dangerous for him. But now, with the tower's power at his command, Norris felt a surge of confidence and strength. He can also escape with the tower summoning him.