I. Cor Bovinium - hypertrophy of the left ventricle due to volume overload.

It is a commonly recorded idea that the mind must create a metaphor to understand that which is intangible. It is important to note, in this opening chapter, that my good friend and I are doing no such thing when we say that the planes are by themselves, a heart. Sanguis is constantly flowing in, being transformed, and leaving. From afar, one could theoretically see it beat. It differs, in that this energy is staunchly from the membranes of Limbo and, for our intents and purposes, the Material Plane (referred to by its interplanar name, the Materia, furthermore, to avoid planar bias/planarcentrism) moving into each other.
Previous claims (Abspoel, Materia year 59) ascertained that Limbo and the planes had a cohabitation in the Beyond. As of my own research (Chiara, Materia year 1000, ‘the effect of humanity on the Membranes’) this mutualistic relationship has begun to grow one-sided. It is within our beliefs that there are the beginnings of (metaphorical, this time) tumours growing between each layer, as Breakdown is beginning too soon. The heart i beating, and yet eating itself away still. These tumours will appear as small miracles, at first, and may be harvested for good, but it is inevitable that benign become malignant, eventually. The uncontrollable nature of these tumours will be further explained in VI, with three triangulated divinations (Chiara, Materia; Chen, Feywild; Wolff, Kahl) showing the correlation of these burst vessels to be significant.

Ultimately, during later phases, changes in the geography of the Materia will begin to present. By that point, destruction of the area is inevitable. Limbo has a previously shown acidic effect on the Ethereal Plane, and thus the build-up of Sanguis in an area, ultimately tearing the fine thread of the Ethereal, would misshape the earth itself. Researchers should not confuse this with merely environmental changes, as Sanguis build-up has an immediate effect on the predisposition of those born into and left around it (Matulevicius, Materia year 986) with the main symptoms including a build-up of aggression and catharsis in destruction. Any major deviant acts against cities and communities is being closely monitored by the Brigade for the next Cycle, while further research is being conducted on the exact locations of the tumours.
As Sanguis is the direct connection each plane has to Natural magic, universities have been the centre of research into the growth of tumours. It is possible they should be removed by the Cycle naturally, but predictions made have put the Cycle 23 years slow of the end (de Jaager’s ‘22 Years and other Mathematical Callings’, Materia year 1022) and thus measures are being taken to predict, prevent and proactively reign in any further issues these breakages may have. Further data on the other Stable Planes needed to make accurate judgements on the effects of these tumours on other planes, if they occur at all.

There are a multitude of theories as to why this has occurred, on the Materia specifically, coming from all schools of interplanar thought. My partner in research has disregarded to write those here, and so we move on. There are five main stages of the tumour in theory, brought about by small term testing and further prediction by Chen, as of the year 1029. They are, in order: Breathing, Renewing, Entering, Acquiescing, Kindling.
Breathing is the stage in which a small tear in a Membrane causes Sanguis to begin to flow into the space between the plane and Limbo. Renewing happens when the area begins to flourish, often categorised by the regrowth of plants and stability in political and economic ventured of the area. Entering, as the third stage, reaches the peak positive energy from overflowing Sanguis, and major miracles will begin to occur. Matulevicius has yet ongoing research into the true capabilities of these miracles. Acquiescing is where the Ethereal barrier has significantly crumbled against the Sanguis, and the soil may take up no more, so previous miracles begin to fall as the Materia will take on more traits of the Astral Sea. Kindling being the final stage, the Materia will end its’ Cycle early. Effects of this remain unstudied.

II. Ligare - To bind something together

Across planes, living creatures have formed favourites. As soon as relationships were able to be formed between the living, bonds could be formed. In Materia, these bonds come from a reduced capillary of Sanguis, tied between each creature. Previously, this was thought to be some kind of mindbind, like the theoretical red string. Ligare itself has nothing to do with the mind, and the misunderstanding may have come from Sanguis showing up as a crimson colour to many material plane inhabitants (Klein, Materia year 964). The capillary can form in any place on a body, and can feed off of a multitude of emotions, unlike the idea of a soulmate. Ligares are usually formed in a parallel way to a spellshare, though it is entirely subconscious for both parties, and the mark may not even be noticed until the situations where it is pulled on. There are two ways to form a proper Ligare, though many minor ones tie people together without the adverse effect of a true Ligare. They are the following:

1. A first party lends out a subconscious part of their soul to a second party, as a response to a large stimulus making their soul unstable. The soul piece may be accepted by the second party if they also do not have the pieces for a stable soul, and a strong bond is formed where the two share that part together. Referred to as a natural Ligare, only one of these may be formed by the first party, though the party receiving the soul may take multiple Ligares if there is enough space.
2. A third party interferes with the souls of a first and second party, manipulating one’s soul and forcing a bond, or in some cases swapping portions of souls altogether. The same bond is still formed, but a portion of a soul is often a product, so the stability of both souls can falter. These are called artificial Ligare, and a first party may technically form multiple of these, because there is an artificial change of soul via the work of a third party.
   The parts of the soul being shared are usually in relation to emotions. Ligare can further be defined into a compact bind (the emotions shared by the parties are similar) and a reverse bind (the emotions shared by the parties are opposite), with artificial Ligare mostly forming reverse binds, as the souls have not naturally come together. In more recent research, the Old Common language has been dropped to call these a Mothering bond, due to the similar look to an umbilical chord between the first and second party. The soul giver is therefore referred to as ‘mothering’ the soul of the receiver, but this language has lead to many misunderstandings as to the nature of Ligare. It is not categorised as a positive bind between people, and needs not be between blood related individuals.
   The secondary party, the receiver, will end up with a mark relating to their relationship where the Sanguis binds to them. In an artificial Ligare, this mark may be tampered with for a specific purpose, usually so the third party can tell the bind has gone through. For natural Ligare, this mark could even be a mole or new area of freckles.

The Ligare bind does not share anything between the parties by itself, as the link is entirely subconscious to begin with. However, multiple changes have been recorded as the wellbeing of both parties seem to reflect on each other.
To begin, physical harm coming to the receiver will impact the physical health of the soul-giver. Any nonlethal harm may leave the giver receptive to sickness, and in some cases their blood will refuse to clot for X weeks, leaving them incredible susceptible to slashing damage during the time period (Matulevivious, ‘Ailments of the Immaterial’, published Materia year 1002) with lethal damage making this receptiveness amplified for a short period, but last a significantly longer time. The exact amount of days seems to vary, with natural Ligare being slightly shorter due to the souls parting in a less violent manner. An artificial bind, when broken, could cause soul death for the remaining party, turning them into any of the creatures described in chapter 617 of Wolff’s 7th edition of `Scientific Phantasmagoria’.
The mental repercussions of an unnaturally broken bond have little research yet, but current theory is that the broken capillary leaves leftover Sanguis in both parties, leaving them with: nightmares, dayterrors in the case of creatures that do not sleep; hallucinations; fatigue; an unnatural amount of energy on both sides of the spectrum, and a lowered ability to distinguish the truth from lies. Myself and my research partner have studied the futures of those with unnaturally broken bonds, with naturally broken bonds having a 3 percent decrease in happiness in the future, and unnaturally broken bonds with a significantly higher 78 percent decease (Zangpo et al, Materia year 888) due to things out of their control. Whether due to the emotional toll or not, it seems the luck and fate of those with unnaturally broken bonds decreases. Further study into the anatomy of broken souls must be researched.
There have been positive correlations with teams with bonds working together well. Turning the bond to something conscious has positive effects on mental and physical wellbeing (meta-study on soul research, Zangpo Materia year 999) and a so-called enlightenment phase of the bind can grant significant positive results to each member of the bind. The exact changes have yet to be studied, and whether it is just correlation or placebo cannot be said at this current date.

III. Filum - Thread, a cord

Many old species had a way of determining the future by relating it to something physical on the body. In Materia, this was the shape of the claw, the paw, the tongue, and later the hand. This is one of two philosophies on how the future is determined; if it is carved into permanence, or able to be forged and changed. Many have argued over this, but the truth is that ultimately what happens does happen, until one can make it so that it doesn’t.
Ligare, then, refers to a non physical bond often attributed to the feelings between living beings. Filum is the physical bond between things. Closely related with the arteries of Sanguis around each plane, which is easily accessible by researchers without high levels of magic proficiency, but at the same time they are harder to manipulate. Each thing created by a plane is ultimately tied together by these chords, and that in turn holds the plane from falling into the Astral Sea. It is a complete symbiotic relationship, and the destruction of this relationship by the ruin of natural creation has a correlational relationship with the growth of tumours of Sanguis (Backus; Nirvana, Materia year 1009) in the Materia.
Recent studies (Vidot; Arcadia, Materia year 1015) have shown that there are previously undiscovered chords between each major plane, also. It is possible this is how communication occurs between planes, and why some magic cannot permeate the membrane, and some appears to be able to- it is simply the polarity in regards to these chords. Due to recent events, the research team in the Outlands is making a hypothesis for the relation of these chords and strange happenings around major planes.

The make-up of these chords is currently unknown, but theorised to be made of material from the Astral Sea. This is unable to be proven, due to the inability to travel across this area. From the Ethereal Plane, one may view both physical and mental ties, and such main comparisons between the Ligare and Filum have been found as such:

1. It is possible to mend a broken filum chord. A ligare bond must be entirely reforged; and even then, it will not appear in the same position.
2. A filum chord has no soldered connection to that which it binds, so a severing can appear harmless to that which is severed. A broken ligare bond (as well as the formation of one) often is thought to bring a sensation, but which one depends on the circumstances of the bond.
3. A broken filum bond is dangerous as it unravels the membrane, contrastingly broken ligare bond leaves an open Ethereal Wound on the individuals it breaks off from.
   Both are to be treated with utmost care. Current research by Matulevičius into how to use this information in magic is inconclusive.

A chord can be seen with the proper equipment or focused truesight, so long as one knows what they’re looking for. Experienced Seers inform of great ropes, glowing a colour that suits the plane (except for in circumstances of new planes and dying ones) that tie innumerably around each thing. They can be picked out individually to save, in times of war, famine or natural disaster. Research into the substitution of ligare for filum into a dying realm has recently been universally outlawed in Zangpo’s doctrine, and thus this section will omit any past research paper’s inquiries into this.

One recent invention of note is Tâm and Chiara’s (Materia year 1019) instrument in the shape of a guqin, with strings of filum. It is capable of speaking to the dead and never living via tune. Though the music must be learnt, and interpretation is key, it binds the talker to Universal Truth, and thus has been affirmed to be used for future endeavours. It can be used across the Materia; the Feywild, Nirvana, Arcadia, Arborea, Wach and Siegel. For use, it must be signed off by a principality and anyone of non principality status must be watched by one for the duration of the song. Side effects are as of yet unrecorded, as only one song has been played.

IV. Excerebro - To stupefy (lit. to bash the brains in)

The Materia is, as current, following the third cycle of Autumnalis (Cyclic nature of Reality; Repetitions seen by the Timing Eye; Chiara, Materia year 38) and as such much of the current research by Inter-planar communities has been inconclusive and eluding. If the proceedings written inside are to be believed (and, on behalf of your dear translator, they are) the light age that would save humanity is prophesied to fall 7 years after the fall of humanity and the inter-psychic digestion phase of the plane itself (Honors to the End Times, Labrosse; Materia year 999). A shift into the Ver or Aestas state is likely enough to give researchers time to catch up with Time. All state shifts have been accidental in previous cycles, and yet all rivaling theories agree that the amount of energy needed to catalyze this shift would surely destroy not only the Materia but the surrounding feywild and Siegel as well. On a vote of 9-1, the principalities decided this was not the course of action to take. They did also vote, 6-4, that this matter must be re-triaged after a small illusory show of the Materia filum being cut from the major planes.

Minor measures have been put in place for each realm to slow down the process of decay, giving as much time for a shift as possible in Materia. The Soleniri government have been given as much information as required as to how to delegate legislation to protect their cities in the coming years. If procedures are followed to the letter, the casualties should be void, leaving a good path in the soil to a shift. Previous shifts came with a change in soil texture, which wilts crops due to its acidity, but seems to favor psychic intervention more. In theory, this acidic soil acts as a metabolite, as water does in the A.Tempus internal systems (De Jaager, Materia year 958). All this to say, it could be key to a purposeful shift.

Principality meetings are to be held every 2 hourglasses, rather than each 4 hourglasses, as of next week’s ruling by Zangpo. This sets the next meeting to roughly mid-1074, where all Princialities are expected to attend. The key topics will be the future, rather than discussions of the present. As always, guests may be invited under knowledge of the way these meetings work. The meeting will be held in the Outlands, under Matulevicius’ choice of refreshments for the night. Klein’s personal research is also to be discussed here, to see if her private findings can be spread outside of the circle. Keys will be supplied with keys half an hourglass before expected arrival. One Principality, according to mere speculation (not made by the original author) is going to ask for the idea of passing down the title. In an entirely unbiased and methodological opinion, this has a small chance of being granted.

V. Ad Primum Aspectum - at first sight
world history

VI. Internum Cruentamque - internal bleeding
further eplsnstion of tumours ig idk, add some illnesses that Mat discovered lol