Yuoaman

Thanks for the food for thought! I definitely need to think about how I tackle it to avoid treating energy like "stuff" as you term it.

The rules regarding will and what exactly it represents are intended to be a little unclear in-universe, but I definitely agree that I need to come up with a better definition that "clicks" with the system a little better. I'm really into the name but I see where you're coming from with it being a little unwieldy, which is why I'm considering devising some more casual terms that might flow better, similar to the names the various flavors of Mistings and Ferrings have in the Mistborn books.

I've gotten pretty deep into plotting out a new piece of fiction and I've been working on for a little while and I was hoping to get some feedback on the magic system I've been developing for it. The system itself is called Dynatheurgy, with practitioners called Dynatheurgists. The central idea is that Dynatheurgists use their bodies and spirits to process natural energy and redirect it in different ways using Dynatheurgic Bonds. The simplest use case is simply taking the energy as it is and redirecting it somewhere else immediately, with no changes—for example, taking some of the heat from a nearby fire to set on fire a pile of dry leaves. More advanced uses for Dynatheurgy involves imprinting a small portion of your will into the Bond, which dictates various limits and variables. A 'theurgist could, for example, direct light energy into a stone and will it to release its energy over a period of days, rather than all at once, devising a simple flashlight. By expending an even greater amount of will it is even possible to reshape the energy into a different type, turning light into heat, or even applying it to the 'theurgist's own body as energy reserves to increase their own stamina. There are legends of exceptionally talented Dynatheurgists being able to transform energy into matter, but the amount of energy and will necessary far outstrips reasonable applications. Common wisdom holds that every person is born with a certain amount of inborn will and as they deplete it they begin to fracture their very soul irreparably. Anecdotal evidence seems to support this, with elder Dynatheurgists tending to be more aloof and less empathetic than their younger cohorts. Given the impossibility to measure such things empirically, however, the truth of the matter is still heavily debated.

If the power of a single Shard in the hands of an inexperienced Vessel could reshape a planet's entire ecology and change its orbit I imagine creating the necessary parts for reproduction (or even just willing the results of reproduction into existence) wouldn't be too difficult for them.

Interesting, this definitely gives me some things to consider.

I also imagine there's a (probably insignificant in the grand scheme of things) portion of Harmony's Investiture that exists far beyond the borders of the Scadrial system. You'd probably have to obliterate most of the cosmere for any Shard to regain the fullness of its power.

I have a handful of questions concerning a magic system I'm working on. The magic system is, at its base level, the redirection and transformation of energy. A character could say, take the energy from a pot of boiling water and redirect that heat to set a log on fire or, with more skill, they could transform that heat into light and create a crude flashlight. Now, my questions are: 1. How difficult is it in real-world terms to transform one kind of energy into another? And, which forms of energy do this most readily? 2. What form of energy (or energies) could be applied to something to increase its physical resilience? I assume elastic energy would play a role, but otherwise am unsure. (I may have future questions in the future, as well, but these ones are the most pressing.)

I imagine there are safe "roads" through the Cognitive Realm on Sel that require a seasoned worldhopper to guide you through, but dumb luck could also play a role in it.

Going by the map of previous signings it's very unlikely Brandon'll be stopping anywhere near me, but there's always hope, I suppose!