The Veins of Reality

Introduction

"Magic is not a product of the world. Magic is the world."

— Veronica Artanus, Spirit Archmage

Magic courses through every living and unliving thing, like molten veins of power pulsing beneath the skin of reality; unseen yet ever-present. To the world before the Cataclysm, magic was little more than a myth, a relic of fairytales burned away in the flames of the dark ages. But to those who dared to witness its true nature, magic was no fantasy. It was the raw essence of existence itself, a force as alluring as it was insatiable.

Since the dawn of creation, magic has shaped the world. In its earliest days, when humanity was little more than beasts armed with crude tools, magic roamed untamed and unfettered, wild and unshaped. It surged through the air, pulsed within the earth, and bled from the heavens. During this primordial era, the material and spiritual realms were not divided. The living and the dead existed in an eternal, untamed harmony, their essences flowing together like the currents of a single, vast river.

As civilizations rose and humanity’s understanding of the world deepened, magic itself began to change. It adapted to the expanding scope of mortal comprehension, reshaping the natural order to match the structure of human thought. Magic did not merely adhere to the laws of reason; it forged them, molding itself into the framework of observation and logic that mortals came to believe immutable.

Yet magic's essence has always remained the same. Only perception has changed. A spark igniting flame once seemed divine- a miracle in the eyes of an ancient soul. Today, it is understood as combustion, a scientific process governed by measurable laws. But whether seen as a divine miracle or a scientific certainty, the truth remains: the spark was magic. Perception is a lens of understanding. Magic on the other hand, is the eternal force behind it.

The Nature of Magic

Magic is often called a force of nature. In truth, it is the nature that defines all forces, the unseen blueprint that shapes reality itself. Magic is neither created nor destroyed; it predates existence and will endure long after the last star dies. It is all that was, all that is, and all that ever will be. It defies mortal observation, for to gaze upon it is to invite it to reshape itself, bending to the limits of the observer’s comprehension. It adapts, cloaking its true nature in the veil of understanding, shaping the laws mortals believe immutable. Magic is an endless cycle; eternal, inescapable, and unbroken. Yet within this ceaseless flow, there are a rare few anomalies: those who can glimpse beyond the illusion of comprehension and wield the raw essence of magic. They are not mere witnesses but participants in its flow, capable of bending it to their will. These are the mages, both blessed and cursed to wield power that can reshape the very nature of existence.

Mages are the rare souls blessed with the ability to see magic as it truly is: a raw, unbound force, unconstrained by the illusions of mortal perception. To their eyes, magic does not adhere to the laws that govern the world but exists in its purest form, fluid and untamed. This unique sight grants mages the power to manipulate the flow of magic, bending it to their will and reshaping reality in ways that defy natural order. Yet, such manipulation is never without consequence.

Magic resists alteration. It clings stubbornly to the forms shaped by humanity’s collective understanding, the patterns it has settled into over millennia. To challenge this structure is to provoke cosmic retaliation. Unpredictable ripples of magic surge outward, distorting the environment and tearing at the fabric of reality itself. For the mage, the cost is deeply personal. This defiance etches itself deep into their psyche, corroding both their mind and spirit.

Attunement

In the primordial days, magic flowed freely, unrestrained and wild. Mages wielded its power without restriction, shaping a world that reflected this chaos: an untamed expanse where the laws of reality bent and warped with magic’s every whim. But as humanity evolved, so too did its understanding of the world. The rise of early civilizations- like those of the Egyptians and Greeks- brought structure to thought and observation. Humanity imposed order on chaos, carving natural laws from the unknown and creating systems of reason and patterns to define their reality.
Magic, ever adaptive, conformed to this new framework. Its fluid nature began to harden, aligning with the collective perceptions of mortals. For mages, this transformation was monumental. What once flowed effortlessly through their will now resisted, and each reckless attempt to manipulate it triggered disastrous consequences. These unpredictable events, known as Wyld Surges, unleashed wild, uncontrolled forces that warped the world and endangered both mage and bystander alike.

Through centuries of trial and error, mages discovered a way to tame this resistance: attunement. By aligning their soul with one of the Four Pillars of Magic, a mage could synchronize with a specific aspect of magic’s essence. This attunement forged a harmony between mage and magic. The chosen pillar’s power came to recognize the mage as part of it, flowing through them freely, unimpeded by chaos or risk of distortion.
However, this harmony came at a price. While attunement granted mastery over one domain, it locked the mage into that singular aspect of magic. Any attempt to wield power from the other pillars provoked violent resistance. The same alignment that protected them within their chosen domain intensified the chaotic backlash when they strayed beyond it. The further a mage ventured outside their attuned pillar, the greater the danger. Wyld Surges became more violent, as magic’s essence lashed out against their defiance.
Thus, attunement became both a shield and a shackle. It granted mages the power to safely wield magic within their chosen domain but forced them to respect the boundaries of magic’s relentless nature. For those bold- or desperate- enough to test these limits, the price is often catastrophic.

The Four Pillars

At its essence, magic is built upon four distinct pillars: Matter, Spirit, Continuum, and Chaos. Each pillar represents a unique aspect of the magical force, shaping reality in its own way. For mages, understanding these pillars is essential, not only for harnessing magic’s power but for surviving its dangers, avoiding the chaos of Wyld Surges that come from manipulating magic recklessly.

Matter

The pillar of substance and form.

Matter governs the physical world, shaping the very elements of existence: earth, water, fire, air. Mages attuned to Matter can manipulate the building blocks of reality, transmuting elements, shaping stone, or even altering the essence of living organisms. To those who embrace Matter, the world is a canvas, offering infinite possibilities for both creation and destruction.

Spirit

The pillar of life and essence.

Spirit rules over the intangible: the energies that connect all living beings to the world beyond the physical. Mages attuned to Spirit can commune with the dead, bind souls, and manipulate the unseen forces that influence emotions, thoughts, and instincts. This pillar is the key to understanding the deep spiritual connections between all things; living and dead, human and divine.

Continuum

The Pillar of Space and Time

Continuum governs the forces that define movement, distance, and the passage of time. Mages attuned to Continuum can bend space itself, folding reality to bridge impossible distances, or manipulate time, slowing it to a crawl or accelerating it. To those who master this pillar, distance is an illusion, and time is a thread to be twisted, unraveled, or rewoven at will.

Chaos

The pillar of dreams and unpredictability.

Chaos governs change, disorder, and paradox- the forces that drive the fundamental unpredictability of existence. Mages attuned to Chaos wield its raw, unbridled energy, reshaping reality in ways that defy logic and reason. While a true master of Chaos is rumored to be able to command all four pillars, it is a forbidden path. The volatility of Chaos makes it too dangerous, with its power often leading to unpredictable and often catastrophic consequences.

Wyld Surges

Wyld Surges are the erratic and often catastrophic consequences of a mage's attempt to defy the limits of their attuned pillar. These unpredictable events occur when a mage manipulates a form of magic outside their chosen domain, unraveling the delicate balance of reality itself. Though the spell may achieve its intended goal, it is always accompanied by a backlash; a surge of untamed, unchained magic.

The first manifestation of a Wyld Surge is the eruption of a disorienting phenomenon that warps around the mage. While the spell may still succeed, it triggers an unexpected side effect that defies the laws of nature. For example, a mage attempting to summon fire might create the flames they intended, but find the shadows around them twisting into unnatural shapes, writhing with a life of their own. These aren’t mistakes- they are glimpses into a world where magic runs rampant, where the barriers that once contained it have shattered.

However, the severity of these surges is not random. It is influenced by two key factors: the complexity of the spell and the strength of the mage’s willpower. Lesser spells, when cast with a focused and strong mind, may not produce any effect at all. But when a mage attempts to control more intricate forces, or if their will is insufficient to constrain the power, the surge escalates. Its impact grows more violent, more uncontrollable, until reality itself begins to bend.

Minor Surges

For more minor surges, the effects are eerily subtle, leaving an unsettling mark on the world around the mage. Objects may behave strangely- an inanimate stone might roll against the natural flow of gravity, a candle flickering despite no breeze, or a mirror reflecting images that don’t quite match the present moment. Whispers might drift on the wind, carrying voices from realms unseen, or glimpses of alternate realities might flash before the mage’s eyes- quick, disorienting flashes of a world that isn’t quite their own. These minor surges are unsettling, creating an atmosphere of creeping unease that lingers long after the magic fades.

A High Price

The second manifestation of a Wyld Surge is more personal, as it exacts a toll on the mage’s body and mind. Minor surges may leave lingering scars- twisted limbs, burns that never heal, or marks that mar the mage’s features, proof of their reckless manipulation of the unknown. But the true price is far more sinister: the shattering of the mage’s psyche.

The unchecked power of raw, untempered magic seeps into the mage’s soul, unmaking them from the inside out. Obsessions take root, compulsions arise, and irrational fears begin to crawl beneath their skin, warping their sense of reality. In the most extreme cases, the mage’s mind may fracture completely, split into jagged pieces, forever haunted by visions that twist the world around them. The worst surges leave the mage trapped in a fractured existence, their consciousness fragmented or ensnared between realms, their soul irreversibly altered. Chimeric traits may form- strange, twisted alterations to their body, signifying the extent of the damage.

For some, the cost is even greater. The most violent surges can pull the mage into foreign realms, mutating their very soul into something unrecognizable- or worse, obliterating them entirely, consumed by the overwhelming force of the surge.

Wyld Surges stand as a brutal warning: to tamper with magic beyond one’s understanding is to invite ruin. Even the most seasoned mages, once touched by the most violent surges, are never the same. They are forever marked- physically, mentally, and spiritually- bound by the very forces they sought to control, their souls scarred by the chaos they unleashed.

Momentous Surges Through History

The Birth of Vampires

The true events that led to the creation of vampires are lost to the annals of history. No written records remain, no first-hand accounts- only fragmented whispers, myths, and the shadows of forgotten knowledge. Yet this moment remains of monumental significance for both mages and vampires alike, shaping the balance of their existence for eternity.

In an age before attunement was a necessity, when magic flowed untamed through the world, four powerful mages sought to transcend mortality. Cristian, Olga, Stefan, and Keiji- each a master of one of the four pillars of magic- were the first to wield the raw, unrestrained force of magic. Unburdened by the limitations of later generations, they excelled in their respective crafts, each driven by an insatiable desire to conquer death itself. These four sought to defy the natural order, to rip themselves from the river of time and space, transcending death itself. With their immense power, they attempted to unite their magics, binding their essence through their blood and Chaos magic, hoping to reshape their fates. But what they created was not life, nor true death. Reality itself twisted, unraveled by their defiance of the first and most sacred rule: all things die.

Sanguinis

Sanguinis is a twisted reflection of true magic- a form of power that draws not from the natural world, but from the blood that defines the vampires' very existence. Unlike the magic wielded by mortal mages, Sanguinis does not invoke Wyld Surges, for the vampires themselves are the surge: an unpredictable, chaotic force of their own creation.

Transformed by their reckless union, the four were reborn in a form that was neither living nor dead. They became creatures of the night, caught between worlds, bound to the material realm by the blood that coursed through their veins. Their thirst for blood was not merely a hunger; it was the fetter that tied them to their cursed existence.

From their union, the first vampires were born.

In the wake of their transformation, the four primordial vampires discovered the unimaginable consequence of their actions: the magic they once wielded had slipped from their grasp. No longer could they channel the forces they had once mastered. The world would no longer bend to their will as it had before. Their powers had been severed, leaving them adrift in an existence where the very fabric of magic itself rejected them.

But in the ashes of their former selves, a new form of magic emerged- one born not of the world's raw power, but of their own essence. This magic was called Sanguinis.

The Burning of the Library of Alexandria

The events leading to the burning of the Library of Alexandria are shrouded in mystery and myth, though it remains one of the greatest disasters in history. Yet the true story of what transpired that fateful night is far darker than the world remembers. Ozymandias, a chaos mage of unmatched ambition, believed humanity’s survival hinged on the establishment of a perfect ruler. To him, mastery over chaos magic was the final piece that would allow him to reshape reality itself.

The Library of Alexandria was the heart of the Coven of the Eternal Axis, the largest and most powerful mage coven of its time. Composed of skilled mages, scholars, and seekers of forbidden knowledge, the coven was united by a single purpose: to uncover the deepest secrets of existence. Ozymandias, a key member of this esteemed group, had access to its vast archives, where he spent years researching a way to bring his grand vision to life.

Driven by his belief that chaos magic could control the forces of existence, Ozymandias envisioned a utopia- one where magic would align perfectly with his will, and he would reign as a god-like ruler. But the more he sought to control chaos, the more it slipped beyond his grasp. When Ozymandias invoked his final spell, the unstable forces of chaos magic became too much to contain. What should have been a calculated reworking of reality spiraled into an explosion of uncontrollable magic, reducing the Library of Alexandria to ash in an instant. Many lives were lost, including every member of the Coven of the Eternal Axis.

But Ozymandias was not among the dead. Instead of being consumed by the destruction, he was absorbed into the chaos magic. Twisted and broken, his mind fractured, Ozymandias emerged from the ashes, his body disfigured and his form unearthly. Driven mad by the very forces he had hoped to master, he vanished into the shadows, leaving the world to believe he perished in the explosion.

The Aftermath and the Ban of Chaos Magic

In the wake of this catastrophic event, the mage world was left to contend with the consequences of Ozymandias' reckless pursuit of godhood. The destruction of the Library and the annihilation of the Coven of the Eternal Axis left a gaping wound in the mage community. The destruction caused by chaos magic have exposed the dangers it posed once and for all.
With the devastating consequences of Ozymandias' actions clear, the mage covens gathered and decided that chaos magic was far too dangerous to ever be wielded again. The spell that Ozymandias had cast, as well as the destruction it unleashed, had shattered the mage community’s trust in chaos magic and its practitioners. As a result, the covens made the fateful decision to formally ban the practice of chaos magic, solidifying the law that would govern the use of magic for generations to come.

The Salem Ritual

Thirty years ago, in a desperate bid to halt the vampire war and save a crumbling world, the mages united for the first time since the Dark Ages. Across continents, they cast aside old rivalries and fears, converging in Salem- a site steeped in history and latent power. Their goal was monumental: to sever the vampires’ cursed connection to magic and end their reign of terror once and for all.

The ritual was unprecedented in both scale and ambition. It demanded the collective sacrifice of hundreds of mages’ powers, drawing upon all four pillars of magic: Matter, Continuum, Chaos, and Spirit. By surrendering their magic, the mages believed they could weave a spell strong enough to unbind the vampires’ souls from their bodies, banishing them to the spirit realm and reducing their physical forms to ash. It was a bold, calculated plan- one that required absolute precision to succeed.

But precision was shattered by betrayal. Somehow, the vampires learned of the mages' plan and struck at the ritual’s most vulnerable moment. Their assault disrupted the delicate balance of magic, sending the ritual spiraling out of control. The veil between the material and spiritual realms, meant to be pierced and repaired, was instead torn apart.

The ritual’s failure unleashed a cascade of chaotic magic, an apocalyptic Wyld Surge that obliterated Salem in an instant. The explosion sent shockwaves across the globe: earthquakes fractured continents, tsunamis swallowed coastlines, and volcanic eruptions blotted out the sun. Billions perished in mere moments as the world was reshaped by the raw power of the surge.

Magic In the Age of Ash And Blood

The failed Grand Ritual of Salem unraveled the fabric of existence. With the veil torn asunder, the spiritual and material realms merged into a single, unstable reality, leaving behind a world engulfed in chaos and raw, untamed magic. The apocalyptic Wyld Surge that erupted from the ritual’s failure transformed the way magic operates. The natural laws that governed existence fractured, twisting unpredictably. What was once an art of precision and intent became a volatile and capricious force, dangerous even to those who sought to wield it. In this new age, magic is a curse.

Casting even the simplest spell risks triggering a Wyld Surge, often in catastrophic scales. The consequences ripple far beyond the caster, as entire landscapes can be twisted into unrecognizable forms. Worse still, magic use attracts the attention of veil creatures. These predators, drawn by the scent of magic, hunt mages with relentless fervor. The reasons behind their behavior remain a mystery, though theories abound. Some believe these creatures are remnants of the spirit realm, seeking to restore balance; others see them as manifestations of the veil’s broken state. Mages now tread a treacherous path, their greatest gift turned into their greatest burden. To wield magic is to risk madness, destruction, and the horrors that prowl the ruins of a shattered world.

The End of Sanguinis

For vampires, the Cataclysm brought a reckoning. The merging of the realms severed their connection to Sanguinis, the blood magic that had once been the cornerstone of their power. Stripped of this ability, vampires can no longer wield the supernatural prowess that once made them apex predators. However, their rule remains unchallenged. The vampire hierarchy, though diminished in magical might, still commands the remnants of the world. The vampires' physical strength, cunning, and leadership continue to dominate, ensuring their reign remains intact despite the devastation.
Yet their curse has deepened. While vampires had always hungered for blood, the Cataclysm intensified this thirst to unbearable levels. Each night exacts a greater toll, their bodies demanding more blood to sustain their cursed existence. This insatiable hunger drives many to madness, as they struggle to sate an appetite that can never truly be satisfied. Despite this, the vampires maintain their dominance, but their internal struggles and growing madness add a new layer of instability to the world they rule.