Magic

The Four Kinds of Magic

THEURGY

Theurgy is arguably the oldest form of mortal magic in Caelwhyn, granted by higher powers, whether through the divine light of the Lumeni, or pacts with the mysterious Spirits. The magic user acts as a conduit, channeling power granted to them by their patron or deity. This often requires maintaining a relationship with the higher power, whether through prayer, worship, ritual or perhaps more of a bargain that involves fulfilling certain obligations.

While divine light magic through the Church follows strict traditions and hierarchies, spirit pacts can take many forms, and cover a variety of domains. A village wise woman might maintain a simple agreement with a local well spirit, while an ambitious warlock might forge complex deals with powerful entities from beyond the Myst. The nature and extent of the magic often reflects the power and disposition of the being granting it.

Alternate names: Divine Magic / Covenet Magic / Pact Magic

WIZARDRY

A new development in the world of magic, Wizardry represents the systematic study and practice of magic itself. Unlike other forms of magic that rely on external forces or innate abilities, wizardry is based on understanding how the interaction of light and Myst creates magical effects, then learning to replicate and control these interactions through careful study and precise technique.

This form of magic only became possible after the Shadow Plague, when the stars in the firmament began leaking both light and Myst into the world. The first wizards were scholars who realized these new conditions could allow mortals to harness magical power directly, without divine or spiritual intervention. Through careful observation and experimentation, they developed the foundations of arcane theory that modern wizards still study today.

While traditional wizards pursue this knowledge through academic study and spellcraft, others apply these principles in different ways. Artificers combine magical theory with mechanical innovation to create powered devices. Bards understand how to weave magic into performance and music, and even some fighters and rogues study enough basic theory to enhance their martial abilities with magic.

Alternate names: Arcane Magic

SORCERY

Others suggest that Caelwhyn itself is becoming more magical, leading to more spontaneous manifestations of power.Sorcery is magic that comes from within, manifesting as an innate power rather than something learned or granted. Unlike wizards who study or clerics who pray, sorcerers must learn to control power that wells up from within themselves. This often leads to dramatic and unpredictable displays of magic in young sorcerers before they learn to master their abilities.

Sorcerous magic is unpredictable and wild, with each individual sorcerer often has a different theory as to how they got their strange powers. Like wizardry, a lot of sorcery has come about as a result of the fallout of the Shadow Plague. Some scholars theorize that prolonged exposure to these magical forces can awaken latent magical potential in bloodlines.

Alternate names: Blood Magic

DRUIDISM

Those who practice Druidism work with the fundamental forces of the natural world - the changing of seasons, the growth of plants, the behaviour of animals, and the patterns of weather. Druidism doesn't just include the work of shapeshifting, animalistic druids - anyone who draws their power from nature itself is considered a practitioner of druidism. This includes rangers, and even some paladins or monks.

This final type of magic is potentially the most mysterious, as there's contention over its true source. The religious of the world would claim that, as creators of the world, the Lumeni are the source of magic in nature. Some wizards would argue that nature power is just an extension of magic from the Myst. The druids themselves state that nature has a power separate from, but as old as, the Myst itself.

Alternate names: Primal Magic, Witchcraft

A Magical History

In the early days of Caelwhyn, when the world was young and gods still walked amongst the mortals, we didn't use the word magic to describe marvellous creation - we referred to it as miracles. The Lumeni were the source of all known magic, using it to provide for and defend their mortal creations. This was the case until their flight to Solas, and mortals were left to fend for themselves.

In search for new and better ways to survive a godless world, the first magic users in the world were the warlocks - Those who went to the great spirits for power in exchange for deals or servitude. Warlocks were feared by most mortals. Though not all were evil, having a tiny population of people have powers was frightful, and warlocks were persecuted. At the same time, small conclaves of others began focussing on the innate power of nature, and druidcraft was born, though it was often hidden away and secretive.

Eventually the gods decided that it would not do to have the warlocks be the most powerful people in the realm. They gifted their power to their followers, and divine magic became a thing. Clerics became increasingly common, acting as mediators between mortals and gods, able to do miracles in their stead as their conduits.

This remained the case for thousands of years, until the Shadow Plague came along. During this time of darkness and strife, many clerics powers were stifled by the lack of access to the sun and the light. A climactic battle between a band of heroes and the minions of Skathfada resulted in tears in the firmament, and magic began seeping more strongly into the world. For a while this seemed to have not much consequence, until the first known sorcerers started to appear - people who could control magic without having some kind of divine spiritual source. Scholars began studying this new phenomenon, and wizardry was born.
META: Apart from wizards (always studied), and clerics (always divine), each playable class could arguably access magic through any of these methods / subtypes, depending on the background of the character. These subtypes aren't likely to have any mechanical relevance when playing a campaign, but it helps give a little bit of flavour.