Simulata

Simulata is the name Eric gave to the gods of Karvalen to differentiate them from “actual” gods, since they simulated the functions of gods. The Karvalen word for them is numenae.

Typically, simulata are bodiless entities composed of energy. The exact type of energy is unknown, but it has some relation to the energy class of “psychic” energy, which apparently serves as the primary diet for these creatures. Simulata encourage humans and other sapient beings to regard them as gods and engage in active worship. This attunes the minds of the creatures to the correct psychic channel and projects their energies in such a way as to be edible–in an energy-being sense–to the simulata creature being worshiped.

The origins of simulata are something of a mystery. One theory holds that they can be spontaneously created by human or human-like thought, given sufficient psychic energy and a suitable environment. For example, if several thousand worshipers of an imaginary deity consistently project a unified idea into the raw chaos of the void, it may be possible to inflict form on that raw chaos, essentially creating the being so envisioned. Another possible origin of simulata comes from an early stage of a Big Bang universe. During the post-Bang period, while the universe is composed of primarily energy wavelengths, it may be possible for energy-state beings to evolve. Such evolution would happen much more quickly than in matter-based biological organisms, leading to rapid development of such life forms. However, as the universe cools from the Big Bang–a matter of a few hundred thousand years, perhaps–the intensity of ambient energy may then fall below the threshold where these life forms can easily survive, prompting them to look to other universes for new sources of their energy-food. Properly adapted, such creatures may then feed on the psychic energies emitted by sapient beings.

In many ways, simulata are similar to angels. They both possess areas of specialization–i.e., the Goddess of Fire or the Angel of Dawn, et al. Both types are energy-based entities. Both can take on physical forms. However, simulata are quasi-organic in their structure in the sense they are not designed to perform a function. Whatever their origins, they adapt to their circumstances and have their own motives and goals. Angels, by contrast, are clearly mechanistic, designed and constructed to perform functions. For the most part, they are not adaptable and do not generally have their own goals and motivations, being rather instructed by those above them in their hierarchy.