In the common parlance of the Nockers, Flavor refers to the types of Monads. These flavors of monad include: Up, Down, Strange, Wyrd, Charm, Ana, and Kata.
Overview[]
Nockers have broken the six flavors of monads into three pairs. The first, up and down, is the most common and pertains to the physical aspects of the Dreaming. Wyrd and strange monads are believed to power the ephemeral aspects of the Dreaming. Finally, the ana and kata monads may actually be extra-dimensional dream entities from the Deep Dreaming.
up[]
These monads are considered responsible for the existence of "material" items in the Dreaming. Anything material, such as chimerical metal, flesh, and most voile, consists of mostly up monads.
down[]
Down monads are energy in its purest form. They are believed to form such energy beings and effects as FUBARs, balefire, and even most Legerdemain cantrips.
Wyrd (Truth)[]
Wyrd is at once the most material and esoteric of the monads. These are the only one of the six that have real-world properties such as mass and charge. Some nockers believe this may be the elusive "truth" quark long sought by human physicists. Nockers believe Wyrd monads are responsible for chimerical Wyrd effects, thus allowing changelings to effect the Autumn world in a "real" way.
At the same time, Wyrd monads also effect esoteric aspects of the Dreaming such as the forces of Fate. Many believe these monads are at work in such Arts as Soothsay.
strange (gilgul)[]
A few nockers specialize in studying these monads and believe they are responsible for the occasional occurrence of sentience in chimera (including Golems), and also cause many of Glamour's "spiritual" aspects. Some theorize that strange monads may be the force behind Arts like Chicanery and Sovereign.
ana (over)[]
Nocker scientists, especially among the Aethernauts, are racing to isolate and study this rare and evasive monad. They believe it may be responsible for the existence of trods and raths and the means for such traveling powers as the Wayfare Art. Ana monads are also believed to affect the time stream in bizarre ways and the Aethernauts have noted their strange relationship with the Sidhe. Aethernauts believe they can transport themselves along streams of ana monads to anywhere in the Dreaming. Experiments to date, though, have only led to one place: what is believed to be the Hieronymus Continuum.
kata (under)[]
No experimental evidence confirms the existence of kata monads. The most promising leads all seem to indicate their presence along nightmare trods and in relation to chimera from such places. The Aethernaut Doctor Tourette claims he detected a great gathering of kata monads emanating from nightmare trods into the Near Dreaming. He set out to prove his theory by traveling those forbidden ways and hasn't been seen since.
References[]
- CTD. Kithbook: Nockers, pp. 12, 30.