Part 2: Magic & Mutation

Part 2: Magic & Mutation

Magic is a force that allows individuals and creatures to break the laws of nature. It can render the impossible mundane—or elevate the mundane into the spectacular. With the slightest twitch of the hand and the speaking of a simple word or phrase, the world can change in dramatic and amazing ways. At least, that’s what the wielders of magic on Etharis want the common folk to believe.

The reality of magic on Etharis is much darker, more dangerous, and often terrifying. Nature is cruel and strange enough—magic only intensifies the terrible power that roils under the placid façade of the natural world.

Magic manifests itself most visibly in two areas in the world of Grim Hollow: Transformations and spells. Each of these magical elements is a manifestation of the temptation that leads people to seek to change themselves and the world around them through a dangerous and unpredictable force.

Spells are the more manageable—and typically less powerful—manifestations of the magic of Etharis. The force, when tamed into the form of a spell, allows for effects that are limited in scope. Curses are less predictable and more gruesome spells that, when they reach their full effects, are likely to destroy their targets. They may also take a toll on their casters.

Transformations are emblematic of the unpredictable and uncontrollable manifestation of magic. Transformations originate when a curse inherent in a creature passes on to another creature, or when a person opens themselves up to a more volatile form of magic that changes them at their very core.

The mutative aspects of a Transformation often affect the mind as much as they affect the body, leaving the creatures undergoing the Transformation both enhanced and hindered by the magic. And, like all magic in Etharis, corruption lies at the very heart of Transformation's mutation.

Drakkenheim Specific

Delerium

Delerium is a strange crystal found in the ruins of Drakkenheim. It is magically powerful, extremely valuable, and dangerously corruptive. Scholars, churches, criminals, nobles, and desperate adventurers all disagree about what should be done with it. Some believe it should be studied. Some believe it should be destroyed. Some believe it is holy. Others simply know it can make them rich.

The Haze

The ruins of Drakkenheim are shrouded in an unnatural magical haze. Those who enter the city risk more than monsters. The Haze twists the body, clouds the mind, and makes prolonged expeditions dangerous. Most travelers do not enter the ruins without supplies, protection, and a reason worth dying for.

Contamination

Contamination is the name given to the physical and spiritual corruption caused by exposure to Drakkenheim’s eldritch forces. It can manifest as sickness, mutation, madness, strange abilities, or irreversible transformation. Characters may encounter contamination during play, but no character begins contaminated unless approved by the GM.

How Delerium Relates to Existing Magic

Delerium is not the same as shadowsteel, sangromancy, or ordinary arcane magic. It is its own unnatural substance. However, scholars believe it interacts dangerously with all forms of magic: arcane, divine, and primal. In Aetherra, delerium is one of the clearest examples of magic becoming a physical, corruptive force.