[Whitewings]

I chose spell magic because it fits with the way I conceive of ki manipulation working at this point: lots of engineering, not much science. It's all cut-and-try, each technique highly specific, with ki theoreticans still working to get enough information to produce and test actual theories. Of course, this is complicated by the strong subjective component of ki manipulation... and the apparent violation of physics some ki techniques involve.

So far, it's been determined that ki sensitives have a few small structures in their brains that non-sensitives lack, but the genetics are unclear at best, if it's even genetic. The Imperial Family (Empress, Consort, their children) are all powerful sensitives, which strongly suggests a genetic or epigenetic origin to the ability.

Where ki comes from is currently undefined, but not all stars exist within bubbles of it. Of the two hundred human-occupied worlds, the setting world is the only one that orbits such a star. Currently, the only non-hard elements are hyperdrive FTL (which is slow, only five lights) and of course ki.