Fire Magic

The fires within us crave action, for us to fall into desire and instinct with passion. It lives fully, burns bright, until it consumes what fuels itself. Demanding that we live; fight, love, create and destroy. It cares not for the consequences we will find tomorrow or the past we have left behind. We live brightly, without the fear of the fate that awaits us all. For to live is to burn. But it is better to burn with passion than to sit still, paralyzed with fear.

— Anonymous Fire

Law Type
Metaphysical, Arcane
'Natural' Area of Influence
North-Western Continent
Behaviour
Volatile
Domains
Passion, Chaos, Heat, Action, Present

One of the four Elemental Magics that spills forth from the Realm Tear in the South Western continent into Erina, altering the natural laws of the area it collects in. This is generally the North Western continent, though as with all Elemental magics, populations of Elementals spreads the influence of the magic far beyond its 'natural' reach. Fire magic, when in visible concentrations, appears as flames producing red light (wavelength of 634 nm). As a volatile magic, these flames of Fire magic are always attempting to turn into destructive aspects, meaning that Fire magic almost without influence, quickly changes into true flames. These flames are incredibly hot, spreading out from the red magical flames as purples and pinks, before the traditional blues, yellows, and oranges normally associated with fire. Aside from this more direct relation with its corresponding combustion reaction, Fire magic has effects that directly influence behaviour of the living creatures around it. Generally, it causes a craving for action, often actions of passion or violence. As such, Fire magic is considered to be the magic of the present, chaos and passion. The emotions that most would associate with its presence or influence are love and lust or hatred and anger.

Effects on the Physical World

Fire magic can affect areas to varying degrees. Often the first alteration is that the area becomes unnaturally warm and arid, which is generally the initial effect in Erina, or the only effect in another universe (where the ward combats the stronger alterations). After this, above-ground water starts to disappear, leaving only a low water table and underground rivers. Volcanos are a common effect of the stronger effects, with lava spewing forth from the ground below.

Regions generally turn to prairies, deserts, grasslands/savannas, and shrublands, occasionally influence by the previously typical precipitation, though this can differ by the concentration of Fire magic. Mountain ranges change to be collections of volcanos, which become their own ecosystems with the fertile soils and constant disturbance. The ash from Fire magic created volcanos fall quickly out of the atmosphere, never blocking the severe heat of the sun during the summer months. The heat clings to the air even as night falls. Wildfires are common, especially during the summer months. River beds slowly are replaced by rivers of lava, which are generally the source for these fires during the dryer seasons.

Effects on living creatures

Alongside the effects on the climate, Fire magic has mutative quality, altering the living organisms in areas with higher concentrations. In this way, the magic alters the previous inhabitants to adapt to the new conditions, far faster than natural selection would allow. These changes range from being truly fire-proof, perfect night vision with light producing eyes, telepathy, to incredibly quick healing and growth. Plants quickly grow deep roots, or grow back quickly from fire damage. Most seeds are activated by the extreme heat of wildfires. Forests are populated by trees with bark that is immune to heat and fire. In areas with increased volcanic activity, altered organisms produce the enzyme sulfite oxidase, allowing them to survive the traditionally toxic gas.

Sentient organisms often have their behaviour influenced as the Fire magic integrates itself within them. They become much more aggressive, often developing more violent methods of defending themselves rather than fleeing, even at their own detriment. Aggressive animals, including prey species that also developing fast healing, often do better than those that only have their behaviour influenced. The more Fire magic integrates in an organism, the more fire-resistant/immune that organism becomes. Other effects of extreme integration include being able to treat lava as if it has the same density as water. Extreme integration is not required for using Fire magic, though those that are only resistant to fire do run the risk of self injury.

Use by non-sapient creatures

Sentient as well as sapient creatures can use Fire magic due to its volatile nature. As it does not require much knowledge or control to use, Fire magic can easily be used to create flames. Especially given the gradient of organisms that are resistant, but not immune to being burned, many species have adapted to use Fire magic to hunt their meals, or evade predators. Wildfires can be started by prey animals that light swaths of grassland to prevent less resistant predators from reaching them. Lizards may hunt their prey by spitting small balls of fire at their prey. Bird create vents of hot air to assist with gliding. Altogether, it creates an ecosystem that is extremely dangerous to those not influenced by Fire magic, as all these creatures capable of using Fire magic are also very aggressive and territorial.

Use by Elementals and Ravagers

Both Fire Elementals and Fire Ravagers are species with extreme integration of Fire magic, with the Fire magic within them being considered 'the person', rather than any organic organ. In the case of Ravagers, the Fire magic has become corrupted by the influence of Devastation syndrome, destroying what was previously there and permanently altering the magic of its victim.

For Elementals, Fire magic can be used both for destruction and creation. For example, creating familiars from flames, to massive fire-balls that may as well be a bomb, in the hands of practised Elementals Fire magic goes from being a source of random destruction to precise, deadly, and tame. Or as tame as the essence of flames, passion and chaos could ever be. Fire Elementals can easily influence the shape of heated metals with just their hands, or control lava to redirect it. Another use is purposefully altering the emotions and behaviours of non-Elementaly influenced people, usually causing these people to give into their desires, and often the most violent or passionate ones. Doing so also allows Fire Elementals to link a non-elemental into their telepathy temporarily, allowing them to give them orders.

As the corruption has affected the Fire magic within Ravagers, it can exclusively be used to destroy, and influence the worst of the emotions regular Fire magic affects. Instead of being a brilliantly strong and bright red, the magic is dark like venous blood, no longer glowing but appearing to consume all light around it, leaving it with a dark aura. In a way, Ravagers use Fire magic in a way much closer to non-sapient animals. Violently.

Phase and Areas of Strength

Like all Elemental magics, Fire magic has phases of strength throughout the year, as well as conditions that increase its strength. It is the strongest during the summer months, with a sudden peak of strength occurring on the summer solstice. During the solstice, the Fire magic is so strong over the Northwestern continent that the auroras it creates are visible during the daylight hours. This peak continues during the summer, though slightly less than the solstice. Past summer, the strength of Fire magic wanes, with the lowest strength occurring during winter, with a deep valley on the winter solstice. It is this drop in strength during the winter that allows it to actually snow in some parts of the Northwestern continent, and for it to rain in others.

Areas with high amount of Chaos and Passion strengthen Fire magic. The more general lawlessness, fighting and giving into one's desires that occurs, the stronger that Fire magic will be in that location. This means that Fire magic makes an incredibly strong weapon in a fight, as the simple act of using it to fight strengthens its effectiveness. Chaos and wild actions without care for consequences is often used as a tool by those wielding this magic, as the more strength they provide their own magic makes it more effective against the types of magic and areas that weaken it. Namely, Earth magic and lawful calm areas. However, this effect only holds back the effectiveness of Earth magic, under calm conditions Fire magic is weak to it, quickly snuffing out.