essence planes

        I think the essence planes are confusing because the untrained and those that misunderstand their true nature see them as changing, even though they do not change (well, thats the official story, anyway).

        In the mundane world, the form of things remains constant and fixed, but their symbolic meaning can change. In the essence planes, the symbolic meaning remains constant (well, in the case of living creatures etc undergoes subtle shifts), but the physical form may appear less fixed. I think this manifests (as Anaxials roster suggests, but does not make explicit) often not as the actual physical form perceived changing so much as the viewers response. Essence creatures often create strong emotional responses (or are capable of such) in those who sense them - the beauty of an Eskaval, the frightening roar of a Kivis. In the mundane world, these responses would be subjective, in the essence plane they are as objective a property as colour (or perhaps actually more so). Colours or forms may shift in ways they should not, but the symbolism is more constant. Creatures can turn such properties on or off to some extent - just as a physical creature can change its appearance by presenting different sides of itself to the viewer.

        Some creatures, such as memovores, can be senses ONLY by the response they engender, having no physical symbolism that translates to mundane senses.

        I think sorcerers initially learn to navigate and understand the essence planes via elaborate tables of correspondences etc. A particular type of essence has not just a rune, but an associated colour, scent, sound, animal form, effect on elements perhaps, shape, etc. As they learn the symbolic sight, what was rote learning becomes the underpinnings of an instinctive magical sense.

        As you go higher and higher into the saint planes etc the symbolism becomes more abstract and harder to truly perceive without well developed symbolic sight. The properties may manifest in more complex ways - not just something you can put in a table of correspondences, but via complex transformations.

	Regards
		David


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