orsakt

Orsakt is a term used in fictional and worldbuilding contexts to denote a particular mechanism of causation. It refers to a set of ideas in which events are linked by interdependent causes, sometimes allowing non-linear timelines or retroactive influence within a story world. Orsakt is not a real-world scientific concept; it functions as a narrative tool or game mechanic used by writers, designers, and creators.

Etymology and usage: Orsakt is a constructed word with no singular official origin. In various works, the term is presented as a label for broader themes rather than a fixed theory. Writers employ orsakt to explore how choices, actions, and their consequences form a network of causes that can loop back or unfold in parallel strands.

Conceptual variants: Within fiction, orsakt is used in several ways. It can describe a causal loop in which an outcome becomes its own preliminary condition, a complex feedback system driving events, or a hidden layer of causation accessible only to certain characters or technologies. Some interpretations treat orsakt as a cultural or magical principle that shapes what is possible in a given world.

In practice: In worldbuilding and games, orsakt may underpin lore, technology, and social structures, providing a unifying logic for how past decisions influence present and future states. It can serve as a thematic device to examine responsibility, fate, and the fragility of causality within a fictional setting.

See also: causality, retrocausality, time loop, worldbuilding, narrative mechanics.