Ice Magic

In these frigid lands, the snow shimmers as the light bounces in the beautiful crystals. But you cannot eat beauty. We take to survive, steal away their warmth, their life. Do not feel sorry for those who fall, or were not destined from the start to share your success. If they cannot figure out how to survive, how to thrive among these snow drifts, it is not your job to teach them. This is just how the world works. How it always will be.

— Anonymous

Law Type
Metaphysical, Arcane
'Natural' Area of Influence
South-Eastern Continent
Behaviour
Stable
Domains
Beauty, Pride, Vanity, Cold, Apathy, Stagnation

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. Ice magic naturally travels to and collects in and around the South Eastern continent. As its corresponding Elementals spread, so does it range, and as does the landscape they inhabit. When in visible concentrations, Ice magic appears as an aura with a flurry of white glowing snowflakes within. Ice magic is stable, meaning that without input or high concentrations, it remains docile and passive, but one would be unwise to take this to mean safe. Even in its passive form, Ice magic vastly alters its conditions, given enough time. For faster results, or active destruction, an Elemental or an external force is required. But Ice magic will successfully kill everything it touches if given enough time. An avalanche is not always required. It just has to not stop snowing...

Overall, Ice magic tends to make the parts of the world it effects freezing cold, decorated by ice formations and blanketed by shimmering snow. It is this consistently slow, and unchanging nature that earns Ice magic the reputation as the magic of cold, beauty, and stagnation. The emotions that most would associate with its presence or influence are pride, vanity and apathy.

Effects on the Physical World/Laws of Matter

Ice magic starts slow when effecting the physical world, but it can dramatically alter landscapes and environments. Initially, the temperatures start to drop, and it may start to lightly snow, regardless of the normal temperature of the environment. Just like the snow isn't that intense, neither does the temperature become so frigid. Though in areas where the ambient temperatures rarely fall beneath 0°C, this can already cause massive issues. This is the extent of changes that occur in other universes with wards. In Erina however, as the concentration of Ice magic in an area increases, the temperature reacts inversely. Snow fall becomes heavier, as rivers and lakes freeze nearly solid. These snow storms can be violent, with snow being blown almost sideways with the wind. But as the snow does not stop, neither does it stop building up into drifts. Glaciers begin to form underneath the effects of Ice magic, massively altering the land underneath them.

Regions with lower concentrations over time change into Taiga, while those under the stronger effects of Ice magic become tundra and ice caps. The oceans bordering its regions are filled with icebergs and layers of sea ice.

Effects on living creatures

Likely the only reason there is anything living amide the changes Ice magic creates is its mutative effects. Since natural selection would hardly be fast enough to adapt to the endless winter that follows its effect. Living creatures with Ice magic integrated into them are generally immune to the freezing temperatures as long as they are alive, though upon death in species with less integrated magic they can still freeze. Given the barren nature of the landscape Ice magic creates, another common mutation is white fur or skin. In species with higher integrations of Ice magic, crystalline body parts or shimmering skin is a common effect. Many species within these areas are considered to be beautiful. Mutated plants still occasionally dot the harshest effected areas, like the Silver Leafed Snowdrop, but most plants are found within the taiga regions.

Behaviourally, many species effected by Ice magic become solitary, and do not tolerate groups well. They are extremely territorial, especially over resources. Though these behaviours are often influenced more by the resource poor nature of the land these creatures live in, they are seen in creatures where larger numbers would be highly beneficial. The vast majority of these creatures are attracted to shiny objects.

Use by non-sapient creatures

As a stable magic, Ice magic is not largely used by sentient species, even those with higher integration. It mostly tends to be passive effects, such as the ability to alter how snow is treated underfoot, either standing on it like it's solid or swimming through snow banks like they are liquid. This is often used as a tool for many creatures, assisting in ambushing prey from beneath, or assisting in a chase. This same ability allows higher integrated species to alter how they can treat frozen flesh, either as a solid or as something that can actually be chewed.

Some sentient species have specialized to be able to use some higher levels of Ice magic, though this is quite limited. In this sense, they often create spikes of ice that they can hurl forth, or freeze any liquid water that they might have managed to find to cross. Others can break the ice on command, creating crevices in glaciers to escape predators.

Use by Elementals and Ravagers

Both Ice Elementals and Ice Ravagers are species with extreme integration of Ice magic, with the Ice magic within them being considered 'the person', rather than any organic organ. Ravagers were originally Elementals, created due to the effects of Devastation Syndrome, which corrupted the magic within them, and 'killing' the person that once was. In the victim's place, the corrupted magic becomes the Ravager.

In Elementals, Ice magic can be used equally well for both creation and destruction. While it takes a large amount of energy and practise to cause Ice magic to do any else than simply freeze everything, it can then be used to create formations of ice and snow, from spikes to sculptures. It even can be used on sculptures of ice or snow to bring them to 'life', where they can be controlled like by their puppet-master, who can see through their eyes. These puppets mimic the behaviour the master assumes that they should have. When it comes to destruction, the Ice can summon blizzards, can freeze and shatter a variety of materials including metal with a command, and cause frostbite to quickly occur. As with sentient species, the sapient Ice Elementals are capable of altering how snow is treated around them, and use it to a similar effect. Like creating sculptures, Ice magic is used in great effect towards creating other works of art, and its users tend to have a natural sense for what looks good to others eyes. As well, the Ice often channel it to assist with taking over a persona, making them skilled at acting, and significantly better with the art of glamours without practise compared to other Elementals.

When it comes to influencing non-Elementaly altered people, Ice magic can be used to increase their sense of pride and vanity, as well as make them extremely apathetic to the world around them. Though some Ice would rather simply watch, as just their presence bringing the temperature of a room down brings panic to those who can suddenly see their breath in the air.

Corrupted Ice magic loses its strongest abilities to create, and as such Ice Ravagers are completely incapable of creating ice puppets. Instead, they summon harsh ice storms and blizzards, constantly causing crevasses in existing glaciers. And they delight in their ability to cause frostbite in those not influenced by Ice magic. The magic looks like it is mixed with dark grey, like snow packed with grit and soot, and appears to consume the surrounding light rather than glowing. Their influence over emotions brings no joy to those effected, only making them so apathetic that their family could be murdered in front of them, and they wouldn't lift a finger. Which is awfully convenient for a Ravager...

Phase and Areas of Strength

Like all Elemental magics, Ice magic has phases of strength throughout the year, as well as conditions that increase its strength. It reaches its highest strength during Winter, and peaks at the Winter solstice. After the solstice, it remains strong until the end of the season, where it starts to decline. It reaches its lowest strength during the Summer solstice, which is the reason that at this time even the Frosted Fields see the snow begin to melt. It never gets very far here, since there will always be more snow, but in the taiga regions it is the one part of the year when the bare ground is visible.

Areas that are experiencing stagnation, have a high concentration of shiny objects, high amounts of apathy or pride strengthen Ice magic. The more that people don't care amount the lives of others, and the less innovation or change that is occurring in that location, the stronger that Ice magic will be. Harsh and cruel caste systems and strict laws against changing the status quo tend to follow this, as this makes Ice magic stronger, which amplifies the behaviours that created them in the first place. It does have the benefit of helping the magic be stronger against what weakens it, but this comes at the cost of what those structures mean for any society.

Weaknesses

Ice magic is weakened by passion, empathy, and heat. Namely, Fire Magic. When a creature with high integration of Ice magic is exposed to Fire magic, it causes their flesh to melt rather than burn. Less integrated species do better, but enough exposure will quickly cause their demise. Directly, Fire and Ice magic react violently when mixed, bursting into an explosion of pink sparks and wind before disappearing.