Suddenly she understood. Like snapping the last piece of a puzzle in place. After weeks of incomprehension, she understood. It was as if the things that used to confound her, that defied her attempts to interrogate them, were suddenly explaining themselves to her, effortlessly. She saw the invisible threads that stitched the world together, how the higgs field interacted with her own perception of reality to give rise to the physical world. She saw the world flatten around her, the city blocks that stretched for miles in every direction, and she drifted higher and higher above it all. She could see into every room, every balcony. She could see people, their paths through the world, the things that bore on their minds, the things they tried to hide from, the things they tried to forget.
She looked directly below her, and to her shock, she saw herself. She suddenly looked up from the book that June had given her, and looked around. She was suddenly, disconcertingly aware that she was looking at herself, but still felt herself connected to her own body. She saw how the threads of reality wound around her, connected her to Rally, to June, to everyone else they'd met. She was suddenly aware of a massive bundles of threads, thicker than anything, winding off into the distance, in a direction alltogether different than the ones leading to any place within the city. She saw Rally performing magic tricks in the park to buy food for her-- his body didn't need much, but her growing human form demanded it-- she become dimly aware of her own growing hunger, and resolved to thank Rally later.
She understood herself as a node in a vast network of... not exactly connections to other people, but narrative beats. She saw how vast, how amazing even the most banal human life was, how they stretched themselves between all the possibilities of who they could be, the bundles of narrative threads connecting them all together.
"Come here often?" croaked a voice from behind her, and she turned around to see a stooped figure hunched on a stool.
"N...no I..." Rourke was surprised to find that she was able, once again, to speak. "Wha... I can talk again?! I lost my voice years ago!"
"Lost your voice?" the figure said with a honking laugh, "How ridiculous! Here, your voice is all there is to you. If you lost your voice you've lost yourself!"
"I... I'm not so sure that's not the case!" Rourke replied, haltingly. "I don't even know where I am! And who..."
"Hahaha! I am Minogame Higgs. That's not my name, I'm just a Minogame called Higgs. I'll... explain later."
"You're the one... the higgs field?!"
"Yep. That's the principle I'm responsible for. How do you like it? You know.... Being able to touch things, being able to throw a ball, or exist in a different place from everyone else? Isn't it cool?"
Later Rally would explain: "Oh! Yeah, Higgs. Dont' bother with her, she's not real. She's just a kind of... misinterpretation. You hooked into something real, and it kind of translated it into a form that makes sense to you. If that makes sense." But for all his assurances that Higgs was just an unfortunate side-effect of the structure of things, the way things are put together, Rourke couldn't help but think of her as a real, breathing person.
Siol are individuals of any sapient origin who, through a natural process, gain the ability to perceive a "truer" reality. This has huge consequences for their lives. They can transcend normal physical and mental limits, gaining the ability to manipulate reality in ways unique to each Siol. Their transformations are driven by intrinsic, subconscious desires to explore the universe, gather knowledge, and influence the worlds they encounter. Siol are central to the cycle of creation and destruction within the multiverse, as they eventually transform into Crann—world-like entities that become the foundation of new planes of existence.
Siol possess the ability to reshape reality through methods tied to their own perceptions and skills. These abilities often resemble "magic," though they are driven by highly personal mechanisms, such as computer interfaces, mathematical patterns, or natural forces, depending on the Siol's background or personality. Despite their vast powers, Siol are subject to pushback or "snapback" from the universe, often manifesting in ironic or unintended consequences when they use their abilities recklessly.
Each Siol has a unique connection to the forces of Base Chaos and Base Stasis, fundamental forces that represent extremes of entropy and order. Siol sometimes channel these opposing forces to maintain balance, but overuse of either can lead to disastrous consequences, such as attracting chaotic entities or becoming trapped in a state of stagnation.
As a prerequisite to undergoing the transformation, Siol are very curious, intelligent, and open-temperamented. While they can be as covetous as anyone, the type who would use the powers to do things like build empires don't have the patience to do the mental work necessary, and if they somehow manage it through sheer force of will, they universally destroy themselves very soon after as seeing the universe as a Siol does is not usually compatible with such a worldview.
Siol also have an innate compulsion to travel, to meet new groups of people, become entangled in their lives, learning from them, and then moving on. The purpose of this behavior is to gain experiences for their ultimate transformation into Crann.
As a rule, Siol do not fight. It's way too risky to channel the energies destructively, and are very likely to result in one's death. Ones who try to use their abilities violently usually meet an early end.
Siol eventually undergo one of two fates:
Natural Transformation: After achieving a sense of personal fulfillment or satisfaction, Siol may naturally settle down and transform into a Crann. This process happens unconsciously, often without the Siol realizing their fate until the transformation is complete. Upon their "death," a new plane of existence forms, shaped by the Siol's experiences and personality.
Untimely Death: Siol who are killed through violence, accidents, or the snapback of their own powers will not undergo the transformation into a Crann. Their journey ends prematurely, and their influence on the universe ceases without the creation of a new world.
Siol are not bound by the limitations of their previous mortal forms. They can manipulate their surroundings, traverse realities, and even duplicate themselves to be in multiple places at once. Despite their powers, Siol are not invincible. They must manage their abilities carefully to avoid triggering reality-altering consequences.
They are not even that formidable, all things considered, and most die from misues of their abilities before they even realize the full scope of them.
Siol powers are often represented in whimsical or abstract ways, such as computer terminals or windows, through which they write code that reshapes reality. The complexity of their abilities and their reliance on personal creativity makes them unpredictable and unique compared to other entities in the multiverse.
Siol powers can take literally any form, but here are some concrete examples:
these are all in addition to the more risky and dangerous kinds of ability any sane siol would avoid, kind of stuff you see in fantasy shows. Direct manipulations like what you see there, without any kind of narrative hook risks the loose threads you leave behind causing snapbacks... for example, attempting to use Siol powers to transmute lead into gold would almost certainly cause severe ionizing radiation, and a pretty quick death afterwards because there's no way to control exactly how many neutrons and protons each atom gets. It's too much for an individual to handle in their head.
Siol are destined to become Crann upon reaching the end of their lifecycle. Crann are the worlds that house new life and are fundamentally linked to the Siol that created them. Each Crann reflects the Siol's personality, experiences, and desires, becoming a unique and self-sustaining reality. Siol, however, are not aware of their ultimate fate until they are close to achieving it.