The Dragon Wardens - Magic

[Effervescent]

Magic

• Fire
• Ice
• Earth
• Arcane
• Shadow

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  The conjuration and manipulation of fire is difficult for the caster to control at first. The fire a caster conjures cannot hurt them, but fire cast by another will. Master casters can cast fire so hot, it's blue.
  
  
  Conjuring fire is a difficult task for mages to begin with. The fire is created by will, and is often difficult to access under stress or in fear. Fire mages must learn to remain level headed and calm, for emotions of anger or frustrations can make it easier to conjure fire, but they cannot control it. Those with a magical affinity to fire are often kept within fireproof quarters and are given more leisure in their early years. Their armor and clothing is required to be made out of enchanted materials created and provided by the tailors in the Haven. It is a common prank to switch out a fire caster’s clothing for identical without enchantments so that the caster will accidentally burn their clothes off.
  
  
  Dragon Wardens who are attuned to fire are gradually subjected to more stressful situations in very small increments throughout their training. This starts even before they sense their dragon so as to build up what these casters can handle before the stress of sensing and bonding.
  
  
  There are several common cast abilities by fire mages:
  
  
  • Bursts – a stream of fire projected from their hands towards the enemy
    
  • Projectile – balls of fire hurled towards a target location. Tends to have an explosive effect if the projectile is cast for a length of time
    
  • Aura – the caster surrounds themselves in fire. They are not affected by it, and it makes it difficult for others to reach them.
    
  
  
  All fire casters must be aware of their surroundings. Friendly fire is a very real possibility, and so they are often feared by many and placed on the frontlines of battles.
  
  
  
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  Conjured ice can be manipulated into shards and protective walls or shields. It is both an offensive and defensive spell class. Master casters of this affinity are considered to be the most lethal magicians in existence.
  
  
  Ice is the most versatile of the magical affinities. It allows the caster to be both equally offensive and defensive. The cold they create does not affect them, though controlling and maintaining below freezing temperatures requires a lot of patience, dedication, and focus. Ice mages must be quick thinkers in a fight, often using offensive and defensive spells in tandem. Unfortunately, these casters cannot defend others with their magic very well, for they run the risk of accidentally causing hypothermia or frostbite to their allies. Thus, ice mages tend to use their defensive abilities to better protect themselves while aiding their comrades.
  
  
  The location of the Haven causes the Dragon Wardens attuned to ice to struggle in the summer. The summer season is fairly hot and humid, making it more difficult for these mages to maintain below freezing temperatures. This struggle is usually resolved after graduating the Haven academy.
  
  
  Common cast abilities:
  
  
  • Shards – pointed icicles used as lethal projectiles. Can be conjured from the hands or manipulated from existing bodies of water
    
  • Hail – balls of ice in various sizes used as projectiles
    
  • Armor – crystalized and sturdy ice incasing the caster. Can be either full body or parts of the body. Depending on how much of the body is covered determines the lack of mobility. This can also be cast onto someone else, but requires more focus to control and takes longer to conjure, thus making the caster more vulnerable to attack.
    
  • Shield – a block of thick ice either conjured and held in place or manipulated from existing bodies of water.
    
  
  
  Ice casters only subject others to friendly fire if they are not paying attention. They are trained to have a faster reaction time than other casters.
  
  
  
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  Earth is divided into two parts: The conjuration and manipulation of flora, or the manipulation of the earth. Earth casters can conjure vines to ensnare their opponent or raise the ground to form walls as protection. They are ideal guardians, scouts, and protectors.
  
  
  Those attuned to earth magic have a deeper sense of the world around them. They retain excellent knowledge of the lands they travel, and can even predict the weather based on how flora reacts and prepares. They are the only casters aware of the magic within plant life, and can “communicate” with and manipulate the flora through this. They can speed up the process of growth and can even will a plant to move. With larger plant life, such as trees, the caster can really only manipulate smaller and lighter appendages like roots or branches. Master earth mages can secrete poisons from their pores.
  
  
  Earth casters can also manipulate ground, dirt, and rocks. While they cannot form objects, they can still manipulate their structures to act as walls or shields. Using the earth can only be defensive, for it costs too much energy to throw it with enough force. Because of this, these mages tend to utilize their magical energy to protect their team.
  
  
  Dragon Wardens attuned to earth magic are favored due to the parameters of their magic. They are ideal for most situations, and there is usually at least one per squad. While in the air, the caster lacks flora and earth and thus tend to use what is naturally carried upon their dragon. The dragon will always grab chunks of earth within their claws before taking off in case there is need of it, and will often swoop down towards the ground to either gather more, or bring the caster closer to what they require.
  
  
  Common spells cast:
  
  
  • Vines – the manipulation of vine growth and movement, often used to root their target to the ground
    
  • Shield – the manipulation of the earth to provide mobile protection
    
  • Wall – the manipulation of the earth to provide protection on the ground
    
  • Pollen – the conjuration of pollen spores that cause the target to struggle with breathing. Tends to attract bees. Friendly fire possible.
    
  
  
  
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  With the affinity to the arcane, a caster can cast wards that fool the mind or protect from magical attacks. They can blast pure magical energy at their opponents causing lethal internal damage. The arcane attacks an opponent's mind, creating illusions within their reality. Arcane casters can create magical weapons that make the mind believe they are hit when in reality there is no physical contact.
  
  
  Casters of the arcane are in tune with the Aether. The Aether is a mysterious, ever present element that presides within all sentient beings, though only arcane mages are aware of it. Through this, these casters can tap into other people's aetherial presence, warping reality to varying degrees. Those affected have tended to call this affect a "waking dream" where they are conscious, but their minds are not all together there.
  
  
  Arcane mages must connect with another person's aetherial presence before they can perform any illusory magic. Masters of this magic can affect up to ten sentient beings at a time, though the common mage can only focus one. Arcane illusions take a considerable amount of will and focus, and a skilled mage can suspend the disbelief for as long as their minds are linked through the Aether.
  
  
  Illusions are not the only thing an arcane caster can conjure. They are most notably known for their warding spells which draws from their own aetherial presence. Wards can be placed to trick others into believing they see no one, allowing the caster to become "invisible." The invisibility wards can be placed on others, but only masters can place wards on more than two at a time including themselves. Wards can also null magical attacks. If cast in a shield, no magical attack can penetrate it. If cast onto another caster, the caster's connection to the Aether is temporarily blocked, and thus their magical affinity is impaired to the point where they cannot cast. This usually only lasts a few seconds, though master casters have been able to block someone's magic for minutes.
  
  
  Common spells:
  
  
  • Illusions - The caster connects with the target's aetherial presence, causing the caster to see things that aren't necessarily there. They will believe what they see within reason. If it goes too far out of the realm of reality, the connection is broken.
    
  • Conjure Weapon - The caster conjures a weapon made of pure magic. This requires a connection with their target's aetherial presence, otherwise the illusion will have no mental affect. The idea is to make the target believe they are being hit by something that isn't actually tangible to them.
    
  • Wards - These spells draw from the caster's connection to the Aether and can be incredibly draining if channeled for too long. Casters holding a warding spell past their limit have been known to go into what has been called "Permanent Slumber." They are ritualistically killed by their comrades if they do not wake within the week.
    
  • Energy Blast - A beam of pure magical energy. This beam is channeled from the caster, directly affecting the target's aetherial presence. Those who have survived such attacks have no memory of what happened to them and believe they blacked out. During an energy blast, the target experiences excruciating pain. Channeling a blast longer than a couple of seconds causes the caster to gradually feel the pain they inflict.
    
  
  
  
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  Shadow magic is a forbidden art, and practiced in secret. Those who are discovered practicing shadow magic are put to death. It is considered the most powerful form of magic, and the only form of magic that does not require affinity. This is the only magic that humans can come to know, and is often sought after for that very reason. Shadow magic twists the aether, allowing the caster to raise the dead, manipulate darkness, and cast corruptions and fear into their enemies. An adept shadow caster has the power equal to a Dragon Warden.
  
  
  Casting this form of magic is volatile and progressively corrupts a person's aetherial presence. Due to this, arcane mages can sense a Shadow Mage that has has been practicing this forbidden magic for too long. Their corrupted presences are more noticeable when casting, and eventually affects their physical appearance.
  
  
  Those who practice shadow magic have a significantly shortened life span. The magic draws from life force, effectively draining a caster of their years without aging. Casters can drain from the life force of others to add to their own and gain back a few years, but it requires a significant amount of focus and is never done in battle.
  
  
  Common spells:
  
  
  • Necromancy - Reanimating the dead. These soulless puppets are used as pawns to distract their targets while the caster performs another ability.
    
  • Fear - The caster can strike fear into the minds of their target, triggering an intense panic attack.
    
  • Darkness - The caster can create complete darkness for a short amount of time that only they can see through.
    
  • Shadow Burn - Using a target's shadow against them, this causes someone's shadow to cause crippling pain wherever it touches. If someone's shadow is cast upon another, that person feels it too.
    
  
  
  All those who practice shadow magic may be detected by arcane mages to varying degrees, but those attuned to the arcane cannot use a ward to null their magic.
  
  
  

Magical Technology

• Forcefield
• Holograms
• Glow

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  Forcefields are a combination of magical wards and machinery. The devices used to create these expansive wards are placed into tall spires throughout the desired location, and are designed to amplify the affects of a ward. Due to this, the system cannot operate constantly, and should only be turned on in times of great need. Forcefields are strong, and protect against magical and man-made projectiles as well as great forces of nature. It can withstand days of attacks, but will eventually fall and require immediate maintenance. Vuaturi make bi-yearly rounds to those with forcefields to insure their upkeep.
  
  
  
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  The Vuaturi have created devices that magically display terrain and structures in three dimensions. As the Vuaturi travel the lands, they channel magical energy into focusing crystals that read and record the world. The energy channeled into the crystals read the natural magic flow from the earth, and the information is stored within the crystals unless they are broken. The crystals are then read by the machinery which then projects the images contained within.
  
  
  
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  Glow is a magical form of constant light discovered and created by the Vuaturi. It has a life span of a year, and can be turned on or off with a flip of a switch, a command, with touch, or change with day and night, depending on the preference. Glow is contained within focusing crystals as pure magical energy which is then activated or deactivated by a mechanism that reads the programmed commands.