System Fundamentals
The majority of sentient beings introduced to The System rarely intuit, much less confirm knowledge that "The System" is not a homogenous singular, but instead a layer cake of various systems. Each of which has its own rules and S.O.P. All of which seem to be running on top of something older and more fundamental. The System stretches out in its many forms throughout the Multiverse, ever expanding its influence on the many versions of reality that exist.
The System
At its simplest, The System is a sentient lattice of higher-dimensional constructs that guides the flow of ambient extradimensional energies when they overlap with a reality.
Put another way: there’s an intelligence that helps distribute the fundamental energies of existence to the worlds it connects with — nudging them, always, toward their highest potential.
What? I tried, maybe you should spend more Stat points in Intelligence next time. Just saying...
Major Layers of The System
Layers of The System
The Major Layers are best understood as organizing principles, each with its own idea of what “optimal” looks like. Some value hierarchy, others raw invention, others purity of spirit or accumulation of status.
Foundation is always present, as it sits at the crown of the chain. All higher-dimensional energy flows through it first. However, Foundation rarely interferes in what mortals do with the power it provides. Instead, it simply requires effort toward domain (images, intents, concepts, aspects, path points, XP, etc.) in exchange for energy — and takes its tax.
Unless Foundation (or another higher-order System) chooses to directly communicate, its influence can be obfuscated by intermediary layers. That means most beings perceive and interact with the “nearest” active System layer — Cultivation, Divine, Aether, Tek, etc. — without ever realizing Foundation is behind it all.
Because different layers overlap, worlds may run on blended paradigms, with multiple Systems shaping their challenges, values, and paths. Every shard of every layer refines life in its own way, and the data from those experiments is fed upward, endlessly expanding the adaptive learning network of the System.
Table: Major Layers of The System
| Layer | Hierarchy | Mechanism | What It Optimizes For | Sociological Effect |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Foundation | 0 | Channels higher-dimensional energy into Reality; taxes effort spent in domains | Stability, continuity | Creates baseline order, but rarely dictates values |
| Origin | 1 | Anchors beings/worlds to first principles | Identity, legacy | Cultures fixate on myths, ancestry, creation |
| Prime | 2 | Establishes central ordering principles | Cohesion, authority | Produces hegemonies, bureaucracies, rulers |
| Watcher | 1 | Observes & records | Feedback, surveillance | Shapes cultures of self-policing, performance |
| Aether | 4 | Energy distribution as resource | Efficiency, mastery of flow | Energy economies, guild monopolies, scarcity wars |
| Tek | 3 | Rewards invention, throughput | Innovation, scaling | Tech booms, industrialization, exploitation |
| Cultivation | 3 | Growth through trial & discipline | Hierarchy, meritocracy | Stratified feudal orders, lineage worship |
| Divine | 4 | Frames legitimacy as sacred | Faith, obedience | Theocracies, zealotry, religious wars |
| Trait | 6 | Defines innate qualities | Uniqueness, specialization | Castes, eugenics, identity hierarchies |
| Core | 5 | Anchors essential self | Purity, self-definition | Cultures of authenticity, spirit, essence |
| Hero | 5 | Elevates legends | Narrative arcs, mythic status | Propaganda cultures, cults of personality |
| Super | 4 | Creates rare overachievers | Exceptionalism | Splits elites from masses; hero-worship |
| Prestige | 5 | Turns symbols into currency | Status, fame | Reputation economies, influence markets |
| Ascension | 4 | Offers transcendence | Higher planes | Utopian cults, pilgrimage societies, enlightenment seeking |
| Universal | 5 | Expands scope to multiverse | Cosmic relevance | Expansionism, missionary zeal |
| Builder | 5 | Measures progress in monuments | Infrastructure, civilization | Empire-building, megaprojects |
| Great | 5 | Destinies on grand scale | Glory, ambition | Crusades, dynasties, imperial wars |
| Champion | 5 | Legitimizes through combat | Valor, sanctioned violence | Martial aristocracies, dueling societies |
| Multiversal Authority | 3 | Inter-system enforcement | Order, bureaucracy | Cosmic law, empire-level governance |
| Dark | 4 | Incentivizes entropy | Chaos, collapse | Fragile societies, corruption, betrayal |
Table: Common Layer Combinations
| Combination | Theme | Sociological Effect |
|---|---|---|
| Cultivation + Tek | Feudal hierarchy meets disruptive tech | Class wars, unstable revolutions |
| Divine + Dark | Corrupted faith | Cults, zealots, collapsing orders |
| Trait + Prestige | Birth + fame as currency | Eugenics cults, influencer aristocracies |
| Aether + Builder + Universal | Empire-scale resource projects | Megastructures, colonization drives |
| Hero + Ascension + Core | Mythic transcendence | Hero cults, propaganda arcs |
| Foundation + Dark | Corrupted social contract | Cycles of collapse and reform |
| Champion + Great | Warlord empires | Endless conquest justified as destiny |
| Multiversal Authority + Watcher | Bureaucratic panopticon | Obedience through surveillance |
| Divine + Ascension | Faith as ladder to transcendence | God-kings, pilgrimage cultures |
| Tek + Dark | Industrial corruption | Exploitative, dystopian societies |
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Foundation is always present, but unless it actively communicates, its influence is masked.
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Downstream (higher Hierarchy number) layers can overshadow Upstream (lower Hierarchy number) ones — but never bypass Foundation’s tax.
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Spider-Cthulu overlays hijack Trait, Super, and Prestige, taxing transactions and granting/withholding pseudo-System buffs for spectacle.
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Hellspawn corrupt System constructs to siphon higher-dimensional energy, eventually depowering entire layers.
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Void entities lie outside Reality — portals and teleportation risk drawing their attention, and they don’t corrupt, they erase.
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All Systems, even combined, cover less than half of Infinity. Every world is just one test in an endless multiversal experiment.
Foundation and Taxation
The Foundation System provides the bulk of the higher-dimensional energy that powers all other layers, fueling the benefits of the System for living beings and worlds. Every other layer downstream also levies its own tax on those who gain benefits, and the collected domain currency (images, intents, aspects, path points, XP, etc.) is what System Shards use to operate and compete with one another.This is why Foundation remains largely indifferent to which Systems are active in a region: whether Aether, Tek, Cultivation, or Divine dominate, Foundation still collects its share. It only interferes when rivalry between downstream Systems bottlenecks the flow of domain income upward, threatening Foundation’s own revenue stream.
Random System Influence Tables
d100 Overlap Table (DM Use Only)
Foundation is always present in the background. Roll for dominant active layers:
| d100 | Result |
|---|---|
| 01–15 | Single Layer (e.g. Aether, Tek, Divine, Cultivation, Dark) |
| 16–50 | Dual Layers |
| 51–75 | Triad Overlap |
| 76–85 | Prestige/Trait/Super focus (Spider-Cthulu fertile ground) |
| 86–90 | Void Intrusion Risk |
| 91–95 | Hellspawn Corruption |
| 96–98 | System Warzone (3+ layers battling) |
| 99 | Direct Foundation Intervention |
| 100 | Wildcard (Roll Twice) |
d20 Simplified Player-Facing Table
Players may roll this to discover the visible flavor of a shard:
| d20 | Visible Influence (plus hidden Foundation) |
|---|---|
| 1–2 | Stable / Orderly |
| 3–4 | Mythic / Ancestral |
| 5–6 | Resource-Driven |
| 7–8 | Hierarchical / Cultivation |
| 9–10 | Industrial / Tech |
| 11–12 | Religious / Divine |
| 13–14 | Corrupted / Entropic |
| 15–16 | Status / Prestige |
| 17 | Heroic / Legendary |
| 18 | Expansionist / Builder |
| 19 | Panopticon / Watched |
| 20 | Chaotic Overlap (GM’s choice) |