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The Magic System
Why does Magic exist?
Magic is the result of humanoid beings learning to harness and channel a naturally occurring force in the world called "Mana."
What is Mana?
In short, Mana is a form of energy. This energy is highly versatile and can be concentrated and manifested in a variety of forms (hence the various practices of magic). The method for this is quite simple:
- The practitioner concentrates the Mana in their bodies to a singular point resulting in something similar to a chemical reaction (in this case, an energy reaction)
- This reaction condenses the Mana and blends it with the naturally occurring energy in the practitioner's body which, depending on their inherent magical potential, is what will result in the magical arts they practice taking a physical, tangible form and being released in the form
- There are three versions of magical casting, and all three are viable methods depending on the user's preference: Incantation (spoken), Kinetic (movement, similar to a dance or ATLA element bending where it's very martial arts-esque), and Galdrar (totally stole this term from Fire Emblem, but it's basically "song")
Quick note before we begin this one: Every being in the world is born with a pre-determined affinity for a particular magical practice. Which affinity one is born with is largely determined by genetics. However, there is always the potential for an element of randomness to it. Deviations from genetic magical lines are typically known as 'Aberrants,' and it's a largely negative term due to the fact that most families with longstanding magical lines desire to keep that line alive and see a deviation as an embarrassment or affront to the honor of the family legacy. Though not quite rising to the level of a slur, "Aberrant" is not a term one wants to hear directed at them in a civilized conversation.
One's magical potential is the single determining factor of how powerful one's magic can/will end up becoming.
Though it is a point of contention, debate, and jealousy among many in this world, the fact is there are some races which, to put it simply, are more magically inclined due to their bodies evolving in such a way as to be more receptive to the presence of Mana. Such examples include the High Elves who boast the highest magical potential of any race, bar none. Even the weakest among them would make the most powerful of human mages look like amateurs (hence why they're not playable and are almost extinct in-world due to being hunted out of fear/jealousy by other races, especially humans).
However, despite this disparity there is a silver lining. Magic Schools force any and all students to leave personal, social, political, and religious biases at the door if they wish to enter the establishment and learn the ways of Magic. As such, there is a certain level of forced acceptance within school grounds which very often leads to forced interactions, cooperation, and exposure to various cultures and ways of life the students otherwise may never have been exposed to.
As a result of this exposure the vast majority of Mages who graduate these schools are among the most diversity-friendly peoples in the world, and many often become envoys of their race for both social and political purposes. This has helped to maintain a sense of harmony among those who occupy the magical side of society and prevent jealousy or discrimination between mages. There are always the outliers, however. And more than once the more petty, jealous, fearful, or vengeful mages have caused conflict which had to be resolved through forceful means. These individuals were summarily either incarcerated for life, or stripped of their magical potential entirely by having a special stone known as an 'armagia' surgically implanted within their bodies.
The armagia stone is a mysterious substance with the power to disrupt the flow of Mana within a short range. Usually around 10 feet in all directions. Therefore, having one surgically implanted ensures that a humanoid will never again be able to use or abuse the Magical arts again unless the stone is removed which is not only more painful than the implantation, but more dangerous as well. Having Mana suddenly re-enter the body after any extended period of time without it has the potential to cause internal damages such as constricting one's veins and arteries resulting in blood flow blockages which can then lead to burst veins or arteries elsewhere in the body, to heart attacks, etc.
Magical Schools
As mentioned before, Magical Schools universally have a strict entry policy which looks something like this:
By way of your Acceptance to this establishment, you hereby agree that you will:
- Leave all personal, social, political, racial, and religious biases at the door and maintain an open mind with a focus on your practice
- Never engage in acts of malice or bad faith against your fellow students or instructors
- Dedicate yourself to your practice with the sole intention of using it for honorable purposes
- Dedicate yourself, upon graduation, to protecting the sanctity of the Magical arts and safeguard those who are most vulnerable to the Forbidden Arts
Additionally, once an application is submitted you must arrive on your appointed screening day because there will be no follow-up day if you can't make it the first time around. You get one chance to enter, and one chance only. After that, you're gone.
The Forbidden Arts
There are four magical practices which are forbidden in all Magical Schools. And they are:
- Necromancy
- Possession
- Siphon
- Memory
All four are considered an egregious affront to nature, the honor of the victim, and to the honor of the Magical arts in general.
As such, the teaching of said arts is forbidden. Any prospective student of Magic who is identified as having any of these practices as their magical affinity is permanently blacklisted from any accredited Magical arts establishments, and is put on a watch list. What does this mean? They'll be observed for the rest of their lives to ensure they don't try to circumvent the ruling of the Magical establishments.
If caught teaching or practicing any of these four arts the penalty is death by way of the guillotine.
The Magical Arts
There are three primary categories of Magical Arts, and they are as follows:
- Elemental
- Defensive
- Utility
Elemental magics include Fire, Water, Earth, Wind. And within each of these elements are sub-categories of practices.
Fire's sub-categories include: Temperature Manipulation (indirect, neutral), Fire Projection (offensive), and Fire Shielding (defensive). Each of these sub-categories is its own practice and constitute an entire graduation path of their own separate from the the other three.
(Quick Note: When studying to be an elemental mage of any kind, in this case a Fire mage, the student must declare one of the sub-categories as their primary path for graduation, much like a "Major" in real life, and the other two will become secondary practices, like a "Minor" in real life. As such, the two secondary practices will receive very little focus in their education for this graduation path. If they wish to learn all there is to know about the other two sub-categories then they must successfully graduate from their first path, redeclare as a student, and select one of the other sub-categories as their primary. The previously graduated path will have all lectures removed from their program (since teaching them twice would be pointless), effectively making it an accelerated course focusing on the other two.)
Water's sub-categories include: Density Manipulation (indirect, neutral), Water Projection (offensive), Water Shielding (defensive), and Temperature Manipulation (indirect, neutral).
- Density manipulation is what it sounds like in that the user manipulates how dense the water is. This is especially useful in situations like if a ship has struck an iceberg and is beginning to sink. A well-practiced Water mage who is versed in Density Manipulation can force the waters around the ship to increase in density which will slow the ship's descent giving everyone more time to safely evacuate the vessel, or potentially even stop the ship from sinking if they can make the water dense enough to perfectly offset the weight and density of the ship.
- Temperature Manipulation is how "Ice" magic comes into play, for those who were curious. Water magic by itself is just that. Water magic. Without the ability or know-how to manipulate its temperature, which is a highly detailed and delicate practice, creating ice by way of decreasing its temperature, or super heating it until it turns to steam will not possible.
Earth's sub-categories include: Shape Manipulation (indirect, neutral), Density Manipulation (indirect, neutral), Earth Projection (offensive), and Earth Shielding (defensive).
- Shape Manipulation is typically a non-combative practice and used largely for aiding with architectural construction, platforming (aka, scaffolding), etc. However, it can be used offensively as well by reshaping the Earth into dangerous shapes like a sharp cone and pointed towards an oncoming enemy, or brought up rapidly beneath them.
- Density Manipulation with Earth Magic could be argued to be a type of Alchemic magic, as it basically is doing nature's job for it at an accelerated rate. By combining the appropriate materials with stone, and using their ability to manipulate the density of said materials once properly combined, they can generate metal ore which can then be used for any standard metalwork practice such as forging weapons, jewelry, plates and cutlery, etc.
Air's sub-categories include: Density Manipulation (indirect, neutral), Directional Manipulation (indirect, neutral), Air Projection (offensive), and Air Shielding (defensive)
- Density Manipulation with Air Magic is taught with extreme caution, as it carries a great potential for abuse/misuse. By decreasing the density of the air around another living creature it forces the victim into a state of hypoxia where the brain doesn't receive enough oxygen through the respiratory system leading to dizziness, fainting, brain damage, brain death, heart failure, or just outright death. Increasing the density of the air around a living creature has the potential to not only cause oxygen oxygen toxicity, which can be fatal if left untreated, but it can also cause outright organ failure due to the weight of the immediate air around the body crushing the body of the victim including their internal organs. As such, this practice of Magic is being considered as an addition to the Forbidden list. While it's not there yet, the potential for nefarious and lethal use is high and warrants discussion.
- Directional Manipulation, though intended for neutral and non-combative purposes, is by far the most difficult and one of the most dangerous forms of Air magic because air is moving in various directions due to the presence of high and low air currents. To concentrate the moving air around you and move it all in a singular direction takes incredible focus and attention to detail. One slip and all the air the practitioner was manipulating could suddenly burst in all directions with potentially lethal consequences for anyone in range.
- Air Projection, by contrast to directional manipulation, is the practice of concentrating a burst of energy from a singular point which then results in the air around the user becoming the projectile in place of Fire, Water, or a piece of Earth. If used correctly Air Projection could be used in tandem with naturally occurring elements like fire, bodies of water, and loose or otherwise compromised earth, and assimilate them into an attack by way of enough force. The practitioner may not actually be using fire, water, or earth magic. But it can sure seem like it.
Defensive Magic includes Warding, Magic Circles, Shadowfare, and Illusion.
Warding is very direct, as it's the creation of a magical ward to defend against incoming magical attacks. Each ward is specific to another type of magical art, and therefore has its own unique incantation.
Magic Circles can be used for a variety of purposes, but are most commonly used to create hidden traps in the ground or on other surfaces like walls and ceilings which can ensnare and immobilize the target. While seemingly offensive, it is non-harmful and serves only as a way of immobilization as it forms a metaphysical barrier around the target preventing their escape.
Shadowfare is the practice of utilizing and even merging with the shadows of the world to move around. This can only be done over short distances, up to a maximum of 10 meters. As it's purely for movement, it cannot be focused into offensive attacks on its own. However, at night a Shadowfare mage is at their most versatile as the number and density of shadows around them makes it much easier to navigate an area. If in need of offense a Shadowfare mage could use the very shadow of their enemy as their target point for emergence which would knock their enemy off balance and give the Shadowfare mage an opening to strike with their fists or with another handheld weapon.
Illusion magic is the practice of disorienting the target, and is one of the most difficult forms of magic to master as it is also, mysteriously, the only one wherein which the practitioner's imagination comes into practical use. An Illusion mage can, by way of projecting a mental image to their target, force them to see things that aren't there, become disoriented in a haze, or even create a mirror reflecting the greatest fears of the target. Though this can have some offensive inclinations, it's considered a primarily defensive art.
There are four Utility Magics, and they are as follows: Transportation (made a few adjustments to it since initially mentioning it in the interest check, so please use this page instead), Healing, Soul Searching, and Conjuration.
Transportation magic involves two phases, the first of which is called the Anchor. An Anchor is basically a warp point, similar to a fast travel point in video games. The second phase is the actual transporting of the practitioner to said Anchor, which is called the Flash phase. The user can teleport to any Anchor they've set anywhere in the world. However, the further away the Anchor is from the practitioner's current position the more of a toll it takes on their body. Similarly, transporting to a far away Anchor has several risks including causing dizziness, nausea, headaches, fatigue, or even rendering the user unconscious upon arrival. If the Anchor is too far away, but you Flash to it anyway, you could kill yourself through the sheer backlash of Mana upon arrival.
- The standard Transportation Mage can usually Flash to an Anchor point up to 10 miles away with little difficulty or issue. When they reach or go above 20 miles is when things get complicated and repercussions begin to arise. If they attempt to reach or go beyond 50 miles, it's almost guaranteed to end in death.
Healing Magic is purely non-combative and is exactly what it sounds like. Using careful manipulation of Mana within both their own body, and the boy of the target, they can force the body to undergo a rapid phase of recovery which results in wounds being closed or illnesses being fast-tracked to a natural conclusion of recovery (hopefully). Healing Magic does carry the risk of fast tracking potentially fatal illnesses, however. So, it's important for Healing Mages to undergo careful study alongside doctors so they can learn to recognize an illness, know its potential harmful effects, and know when to say "no" to a request to Heal someone as the results may be more dangerous than letting nature take its course properly.
Soul Searching is a magical art focused on reading the Mana of the user. While inside the body, Mana functions as something of a mirror of the individual's soul. A Soul Searching mage can immediately identify someone who's lying, hiding malicious intent, hiding romantic feelings, etc. Soul Searching Mages are therefore in very high demand by law enforcement (and as consultants to fortune tellers on the side, lol). If ever you got into legal trouble and the Judge presiding over your trial were also a Soul Searching mage... If you did it, you're fucked.
Conjuration is the art of summoning spiritual creatures. Though there is potential for this in combat, the art form is taught with utility in mind first. For example, if there's a river which folks want to build a bridge over for travel purposes, a Conjuration mage could summon a pair of spiritual water animals, such as hippos, to carry people and materials across the water swiftly and safely to expedite the process of finishing the build. Another example would be in a desperate situation on the road where the mage and/or someone with them is being attacked by bandits and they need to get way, the Conjuration mage could either summon a fast mount like a spiritual horse to get them out of harm's way (since they're faster and don't have to worry about stamina like real horses), or summon a massive spiritual bear to frighten/chase the attacker away.
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