Magic in Emaxus

This article is simply a top-down summary of the lunar-arcane and magic! More information can be found on specific topics in other articles of the "Magic" category.

The Lunar-Arcane: The Energy of Magic

The lunar-arcane is the dimension of energy that suffuses almost all things. Known as the "fifth dimension," it is the lunar-arcane that is manipulated into what mortals know as magic. Alindr is credited with having organized the lunar-arcane, although the Reckoning did damage it somewhat. In its present state, the lunar-arcane functions as follows:

The moons, Luna and Lysithea, harness the excess energy of their respective positive and negative energy planes and then distribute that energy across Yophas; this is referred to as the lunar-arcane, and is the threads of magic that permeate all things.
Everything (living and non-living; material or immaterial) has a specific concentration of lunar-arcane, except for a specific few materials. This "trace" causes certain materials to be used as spell components, and it is these traces of energy that are manipulated to cause magic. For example, a pyromancer throws out a red-petalled flower to help spark a pyromancy, manipulating the lunar-arcane within the flower, then creates and launches a fireball, manipulating the lunar-arcane in the air to create the flame.
With the damage Lysithea suffered in the Year of Divinity's Fall, the lunar-arcane became weaker and more interspersed. This is why magic is less abundant and powerful than Pre-Reckoning, and how dead or wild magic zones occur. This was slightly assuaged after the Heliestheos Crisis, but not restored wholly.

System of Magic

For more information on how spellcraft and different kinds of magic work, see the article below. A brief summary is this: there are four types of magic (arcane, divine, elemental, and occult) collectively known as the Quadrilunarum. These are all drastically different systems of magic, but they all work with the same energy---the lunar-arcane.

Types of Magic and Schools of Spells

Physical / Metaphysical Law | Apr 1, 2024

In-World Understanding of Magic

Now, reading all this, you may be thinking, "Wow, this is great information for me to know, but what would my character(s) know?" That, I will seek to answer within this section. Below, you will see five general levels of understanding: ignorant, understanding, knowledgeable, well-versed, expert. Each level will have a description of the level and examples of it, and a bulleted list of things that a character of that level would know. Take the lists with a grain of salt. There are exceptions to every rule, and these are blanket statements that may not consider your exact case. Talk with your GM or your players about how your character may fit into these levels, with the lists as a guideline, not a law.

Ignorant

This level consists of most of the population of Emaxus. Farmers, merchants, mundane people who haven't had the teachings or possess the knowledge to understand how magic functions - to them, magic is truly that: magic. It is not a science with cause and effect, as it is viewed by some higher tiers. These people can't even see the picture. They're reading a book on the other side of the art museum.

Arcane magic is a strange thing that has little rhyme or reason. Some people are blessed with the ability to use it, and should be treated with deference - for good or ill. Elemental and occult magic are just arcane magic, too.
Divine magic is granted by the gods, and a sign of their maintained presence in the world. Those who can use it should be treated with respect. Likewise, the clergy's greatest are granted their god's powers, and the church should be respected.
Luna is a sign of beauty and hope. Lysithea is an ill omen which can be used to divine ill portents. They have no bearing on magic.

Understanding

This level consists of those who have been around magic enough to garner a basic understanding of it. These are citizens of cities that have robust arcane or divine societies. They have basic ideas - they can't see the full picture, but they can at least see the frame.

Arcane magic is a mortal science, with universities and places of learning devoted to it. Elemental magic is taboo and brooks with the Titans. Occult magic is the work of cults and devils.
Divine magic is granted by the gods. It is a transactional relationship in which the person granted the magic is beholden to the granter. Blessings are never specifically to church leadership; in fact, they have little bearing on the ranks of the clergy. Those who are truly their god's most devoted are granted divine blessings - whether they're a squire or a grand priest.
Items can be imbued with magic, but many of the skills needed to do so were lost in the Reckoning.
Luna is the source of arcane energy, and it radiates that magic down onto the planet.

Knowledgeable

This level consists of those who have truly studied magic or something magic-adjacent. Magical item vendors, mundane scholars, and clergy members, these people are those who have studied at least some facet of magic, and have experience or teaching related to it. They can see the general colors of the canvas, but lack concrete details and certain broad strokes that make the picture whole.

Arcane magic is a mortal science, with universities and places of learning devoted to it. Elemental magic simply embraces the natural chaos of the lunar-arcane. Occult magic is the work of a balancing act of magical chaos and mortal intellect.
Divine magic is granted by the gods and their creations to those who have earned it. Sometimes, this choice makes no sense in the minds of mortals. Thus is the will of the gods. Those granted divine magics have a duty to maintain their relationship with their god to maintain their divine blessings.
Items can be created magically, or mundane items can be infused with divine or arcane magics. Many - but not all - of these techniques/circumstances have been forgotten or lost.
The moons function in tandem to create the lunar-arcane, and then that is distributed across the planet on arcane winds and through lunar radiance. Luna was Alindr's creation to fuel arcane magic, and Lysithea was Laaelum's counterbalance.

Well-Versed

This level consists of those who have dedicated a significant portion of their lives to studying magic's inner-workings. Mages, studied sages, and wise church leaders, these people are those who have begun to truly grasp at magic's greatest secrets - even if they can't use it themselves. Often, these people have begun to study a specific side of magic, divine or arcane, and even specific schools within the latter. They all possess the knowledge - whether it's true or false - of those of the Knowledgeable tier, but they have also begun to glean the deeper secrets of their specific field, noted below. They have begun to see the details within the picture, and devote their time in the museum to studying specific facets of it.

Arcane magic is a mortal science, with universities and places of learning devoted to it. Elemental magic simply embraces the natural chaos of the lunar-arcane, but can be and often is bound to a specific element. Occult magic is the work of a balancing act of magical chaos and mortal intellect.
Divine magic is granted by the gods and their creations to those who have earned it. Sometimes, this choice makes no sense in the minds of mortals. Thus is the will of the gods. Those granted divine magics have a duty to maintain their relationship with their god to maintain their divine blessings. Those who receive the blessings can be figures of power in their own right, or can be those who have yet to realize their potential. Whichever the case, their patron divine entity has taken an interest in them, and they can grow their divine abilities by garnering their personal strengths and fostering their relationship with their god-spirit.
Items can be created magically, or mundane items can be infused with any kind of magics. Many---but not all---of these techniques/circumstances have been forgotten or lost.
The moons function in tandem to create arcane energy, and then that is distributed across the planet through a subterranean system of Alindr's design. Luna was Alindr's creation to fuel arcane magic, but Lysithea's origins are unknown. Whether it was created by the Obsidian Lords, corrupted/destroyed, or something else entirely is still a matter of debate.

Expert

This level consists of those who have spent their entire lives studying magic. Archmages, cloistered geniuses, and legendary champions of the gods, these people push the boundaries of arcane and divine understanding. At this point, they tend to keep tabs on all major discoveries in the arcane or divine fields, but they devote their own time to the expansion of knowledge in a specific school of magic or god. This tier requires much more specificity than the others, and the list below hardly covers everything even a single expert would know. Experts see the entire picture, and keep track of all the details they can. They spend their time studying a certain aspect of the painting, but keep an open ear to the studies of their comrades.

Arcane magic is a mortal science, with universities and places of learning devoted to it. Elemental magic simply embraces the natural chaos of the lunar-arcane, but can be and often is bound to a specific element. Occult magic is the work of a balancing act of magical chaos and mortal intellect.
Many facets of arcane magic have been lost or destroyed. It is the job of those capable to reclaim magic's secrets.
Divine magic is granted by the gods and their creations to those who have earned it. Sometimes, this choice makes no sense in the minds of mortals. Thus is the will of the gods. Those granted divine magics have a duty to maintain their relationship with their god to maintain their divine blessings. Those who receive the blessings can be figures of power in their own right, or can be those who have yet to realize their potential. Whichever the case, their patron divine entity has taken an interest in them, and they can grow their divine abilities by garnering their personal strengths and fostering their relationship with their god-spirit. With the Reckoning and the physical death of the gods, divine blessings are much more rare and weaker today. It is in the hands of the recipient of the blessings to strengthen their control over divine magic and open their ability to receive more divine power.
Items can be created magically, or mundane items can be infused with different magics. Many - but not all - of these techniques/circumstances have been forgotten or lost. The feats of the Age of Rebirth put much of the present day to shame.
The moons function in tandem to create arcane energy. This system was tampered with heavily by Laaelum and her Veil. Luna was Alindr's creation to fuel arcane magic, and it is believed Lysithea once served the same goal. What happened to it in the Reckoning is a mystery, but one that, if solved, could open the way to fully reclaiming the infinite magical potential of the Age of Rebirth.

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Emaxus

Magic in Emaxus

The Lunar-Arcane: The Energy of Magic

System of Magic

Types of Magic and Schools of Spells

In-World Understanding of Magic

Ignorant

Understanding

Knowledgeable

Well-Versed

Expert

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