Whenever I read about "nodes" and "energies", I can't help but visualize the planes as something similar to Tron or later depicitions of a computer matrix.
Or (tainted by some familiarity with quantum mechanics) like that fascinating world of vector spaces, inverse crystal lattices and what not.
(Or, in case of Mostali, something like Roborally.)
Now there are oodles of playable cyber-universe games on the market which may be stolen from. Most of these use some sort of visualisation for things which cannot be grasped by normal senses. And, let's be honest, this is what an experience in Godplane or the Spirit Realm is, too.
The most challenging problem in this approach is to combine cybercosm and a quasi-mediaeval monotheistic culture.
The Adept Plane seems to be a place of knowledge. Maybe the node is perceived similar to an ornated stained glass window in a Cathedral. Usual interaction is to gaze at it and not to enter. If you enter, navigation might be similar to the travel through the library in Umberto Eco's "Name of the Rose". And there you have your first, basic heroquest in such a plane, too...
This example also shows how a logical mind (William) will navigate easily while an imaginative, unfocussed mind like Adson's will face adversaries by giving them forms.
(An easy training run might be like a game of pacman...)
The wizard's essential body sounds very much like the "icon" of cybercosm games.
The Saint Plane I find harder to deal with. Especially since it seems to be more easily accessible to non-wizards. I guess a stained glass window might serve as basic entry perception once again, though probably miraculously mobile. (Yeah, TV screen or game console...)
The saintly node seems to hold the (key) experiences of that saint.
Once beyond the plane barrier, each character would have his own frame of reference. Characters carried along will participate in the frame created by the principal performer of the ritual (and the ritual itself, of course), but characters able to roam this place on their own may have different, equally valid perceptions.
The main difference to visiting say the Orlanthi godplane would be that undisciplined thoughts or emotions will have a much greater input on the frame of reference since the created frame of reference is a lot less stable or reinforced. An entire saint's "cult" would give pretty solid frames, but wouldn't allow much travel, not even between events.
Ok, hack away at these ideas, or improve on them.
Joerg
Powered by hypermail