I realized today that I've got multiple different versions of how the the Realm of Ideal Forms works, and that I've also listed it as the Alchemical Universal Repository. Rather than just try to reconcile the existing text, I might as well make a clean decision and look at all the options. Let's build it up from scratch?
What kinds of items could be placed in the Realm of Ideal Forms?
- Physical objects - Yes, definitely.
- Animals - Yup. Nothing sentient, of which there are typically just one (occasionally two, very rarely 3) per Basin.
- Pure information not tied to physical form - No. Even Universal Repositories don't work this way. If the information you want from a UniRepo was committed to it in scroll form in the language of the Blernsfolk, you get a scroll in that language when you ask for it.
- Personality archetypes - Yes.
- Emotions - Leaning toward yes, but with some vague concerns.
- Forces - Probably not. Just because you're making gravity or fire doesn't mean you're instantiating ur-gravity or kindling true elemental fire, though there might be Worlds Beyond that are the home for those.
Which of those can be instantiated and how?
- Physical objects - Yes, via conjuration.
- Personality archetypes - Yes, via Self magic
- Emotions - Vague concerns and uncertainty remain.
What is the Realm of Ideal Forms tied to? That is, what forms show up there?
- Nothing, it's a universal constant across all worlds - This would be fascinating, but it's not this game's answer.
- It's tied to locations
- It's tied to cultures
- It's tied to individuals
- A mix of the above - Leaning toward this, maybe without completely universal items.
A few yes/no items:
- Does Alchemy, in fact, use the Realm of Ideal Forms directly as its Universal Repository? - Probably not. If it did, this would need some backstory and explanation, because UniRepos are not tied to cultures, individuals, or locations.
- Do people carry a set of Ideals with them from where/how they grew up?
- If so, can they also access the local set?
- If people have a personal/cultural set of Ideal Forms, can that change over time without the aid of magic?
I'm not sure about that last set of questions yet. I like the idea of people having their own set and not being able to access the local ones, but I also like the idea of only being able to draw from the local set and losing the forms of your homeland when you travel. Need to think more.
What other questions come up for you? What am I forgetting to ask?