"I don't know. I don't think Lisa can keep us here for long, and I'm afraid to even wonder how much this taxes her mind."

Updated 4/13/15

The Codex Animus is a database of terms, characters, and mythology for the Kognition Cycle. Check back regularly for updates.

The Codex Animus will be kept and updated in alphabetical order, with new updates listed by the date added.

Animus-

The umbrella term for the collection of digital personal information while accessing the World Animus Link Network. In the earliest stages of the WoAnLiNe, circa 2035 or so, the Animus was a rarely used term aside from its placement in the WoAnLiNe name. Comprising personal user data, passwords, pictures, cookies, dive-page archives, monetary value, personal effects, and much more, the Animus grew alongside its user to make the WoAnLiNe as seamless as possible.

Around the year 2069, it was noticed that the Animus had evolved beyond a digital collection of information and into a more personal virtual identification. In fact, there are some people who believe that the Animus has become something much more intense, more akin to a digital ‘soul’ that is just as much a part of the user as any other part of their body. Animus identification—being deeply personal and almost entirely unable to be viewed by anyone except the owner—has become somewhat of a mystery as it is very difficult to take apart and study.

The Animus Outings-

An issue that began in the early months of 2049, the Animus Outings have come to represent a collection of events that took place because of an invasive update to the WoAnLiNe. Under the guise of ‘easier identification’ through the use of the Animus, the Animus Outings inadvertently correctly—and incorrectly—decided sex, gender, and sexual orientation for thousands and thousands of users, assigning them new data based on the WoAnLiNe’s user assumptions.

Brighter Tomorrow-

The first collective social answer to Tomorrow’s Blink, Brighter Tomorrow was commenced in January 2038, and launched a new ‘space race’ that led to the colonization of the moon and the first trips to Mars.

The Cataclysm-

A famous player-versus-player champion player-persona in Kognition, the Cataclysm has become infamous for her unparalleled winning streak and terrifying combat skills. Some players believe her to be a hacker (unlikely), a cheater, a product of Circle Systems, an Admin Knight, or an extremely adept Future Child.

Circle Systems-

A video game company founded in July, 2050, Circle Systems’ debut game is the universally popular Kognition. Beginning with the Birth of the Ring launch in the year 2055, Kognition was immediately praised for its breathtaking attention to detail, graphics, and unparalleled combat system. Kognition was also the first video game to ever incorporate the WoAnLiNe to an intense state of realism, causing the users to believe they were actually ‘in the game.’ Kognition was awarded by the Global Handshake movement as a ‘purveyor of the human ability to coexist.’ Since its release, Kognition has not only been praised outside of gaming culture, but been used in both governmental and educational systems the world over.

Future Child/Future Children-

The colloquialism ascribed to children within the waves of neurochip testing. Lisa Perdita, Sven Abel, and Hayden Itagaki are all second wave Future Children.

Future Children were put through rigorous psychological, educational, and virtual testing (the true extent of this is unknown). Future Children, because of their neurochip implants and extended testing, have a connection through Neurolink into the WoAnLiNe that other users simply do not have, enabling them to do amazing—and unexpected—things.

Global Handshake-

A program initiated by the United Nations in 2038, distributed widely through the WoAnLiNe. This program aimed to promote peace and goodwill worldwide. All global network separations were dissolved. Greater China did not accept the Global Handshake program.

Hub-cities-

Kognition currently has four Hub-cities, although it once had five, and the Yggdrassil is also considered a ‘Hub.’ Ortus, the lowest percent Midgardian garden city; Vita, the city of life; Mortem, a mid percent PK and PvP city; and Praeter, the high percent banquet city of light.

Kognition-

A MMORPG (now referred to as a GMG), that began development under Circle Systems Global in 2050. Kognition entered alpha and beta testing in 2053 and 2054, respectively, and was released in 2055. Kognition sees twenty-five to thirty million players per day, and the actual number of users with player-personas is yet unknown. Kognition sports the most realistic and expansive world in any video game to date.

The flavor and world of Kognition is largely based on Norse mythology and the operatic works of Richard Wagner.

Memetic Connection- (Updated 3/11/15)

The stable, spider-webbed system of personal users interacting with one another throughout the WoAnLiNe. The memetic connection is especially apparent when playing user-heavy video games or interacting with social dive pages or software. The memetic connection requires open communication with the Animus to function properly for the individual. While the memetic connection itself is just a system that has evolved from the interaction with other systems, there is the possibility that it was specifically designed, as Future Children can sometimes ‘feel’ the connection with others through the WoAnLiNe.

Midgard- (Updated 2/14/15)

In early Germanic cosmology, Midgard is the name for the world known to and inhabited by humans. In Norse mythology, it is one of the Nine Worlds. It is known literally as ‘middle enclosure’ or ‘middle earth.’

Kognition’s Midgard is also the realm of the humans (or players), who are known as player-personas. Kognition’s Midgard exists at the base of the gigantic World Ash, the Yggdrassil, and is contained by four Hub-cities (Ortus, Vita, Mortem, Praeter) and limitless areas. At the base of the Yggdrassil is the eternal well Urorbrunnr, and throughout Midgard there are remnants of the well—known as Primordial Pools—that allow player-personas to interact with and enter areas at will.

While many other realms exist in Kognition, Midgard is the centralized portal and the only portions of the world that most player-personas will ever see. Since the launch of Kognition, some 30 Million areas have been created and visited by player-personas. Areas remain active after their creation and endure stints of relative use and popularity, however Circle Systems reserves the right to block off access to or outright remove areas that become dangerous, as well as ‘refresh’ the area list by removing areas no longer in use. The areas created exist based on an algorithm of premade area types and keywords, though newly discovered areas will often remain hidden from new player-personas until they themselves visit them.

It is unknown how large Midgard actually is, since the many areas and Hub-cities within are all technically connected. However, accessing areas in Midgard outside of Primordial Pools is currently not allowed.

Neurolink-

The neurological network that allows users to tap into the WoAnLiNe, the true source, nature, and innerworkings of the Neurolink are shrouded in secrecy. While many believe the Neurolink functions akin to WiFi or Long-Term Evolution, its true functionality is something more along the line of ‘virtual telepathy.’

Njorun (pronounced Nee-ho-rune)-

An almost invisible character in the Prose Edda. Very little information aside from her name is provided. The name Njorun shows up in other poetry under ‘fire-Njorun’ and ‘dream-Njorun.’ The Poetic Edda cites ‘dream-Njorun’ as a word from the language of dwarves for ‘night.’ While the name Njorun might be related other god-names in Norse mythos, Njorun has been seen only as a mysterious and possibly fictional figure of whom almost nothing is known. Njorun might be a name for the earth.

The only other personal feminine name which contains the suffix -un is Gefjun.

There is a player-persona in Kognition known as Njorun, whom many also refer to as ‘the Cataclysm.’ Very little is known about her.

The System- (Updated 2/14/15)

A semi-intelligent network built into Kognition, voiced by a collection of personalized AI. While it is suspected that the system is a single program that interacts with player-personas on a personal basis, it is also likely that the system is a subset of a much more intelligent, capable AI and responds to players based on dizzyingly complex personality algorithms. The purpose of the system is to help players acclimate to the heavy Neurolink-based gameplay, however there have been reports of strange directions and bizarre messages handled by the system.

Tomorrow’s Blink-

A catastrophic nuclear accident that destroyed almost the entirety of North America in 2035. While there are many assumptions as to the actual cause of this accident, it has been ruled out as an act of war or terrorism.

Uror (pronounced Oo-ruhr; Nordic Anglicized spellings Urdr, Urd, Urth)- (Updated 4/13/15)

The entity that Njorun stumbled upon when lost in the Ginnungagap, Uror originally presented herself as a fractured avatar but revealed herself to be much more. In Norse mythology, Urdr is Old Norse for ‘fate’ and is usually a representation of the past fates of people, along with her sisters Verdandi (present) and Skuld (future). While seemingly nothing more than a schizophrenic program, Uror reveals herself to be the entity of Wyrd (see: Wyrd) that heals Njorun’s HUD and Skill/Spell access while in the Ginnungagap, as well as providing her continual updating information (similar to the Kognition system). While it is very possible that Wyrd is not the true name of the entity either, her interaction with Njorun/Lisa continues to provide her with personal growth and slowly unveils her more human aspects.

Wyrd (pronounced Word; the ancestral to Modern English weird)- (Updated 4/13/15)

A concept in Anglo-Saxon culture corresponding to fate/destiny, Wyrd is a classically Pagan concept that at some point linguistically transitioned into the English word ‘weird.’ The cognate term in Old Norse is Urdr (see: Uror) and is personalized as one of the fates/Norns. In Kognition, when Uror enters Njorun’s subspace in the form of an area memory, part of her fractured mind heals enough for her to remember that she also once went by the name Wyrd. Under the new guise of Wyrd, this entity gains new cognitive abilities and becomes Njorun’s personal informational system in Kognition and the WoAnLiNe.

Yggdrassil (pronounced Igg-druh-sill; Nordic Anglicized spelling Yggdrasil)-

In Norse mythos, the Yggdrasil is an immense, cosmic tree that is central to the nine realms. In Kognition, the Yggdrassil is a centralized Hub that all players can visit within Midgard. Praying before the Yggdrassil restores all Health, Mind, and Rings, as well as often imbuing bounties and additional bonuses on to players.