The Laws of Magic in Geminaea

The treatise herein serves as a primer of the fundamentals laws of magic as observed by numerous scholars and researchers and documented by Archmagister Belurian Kordunas and the Research Council of the High Scholars of the Prism University of Ravena.

The Source of Magic in the Realm of Geminaea

Aethyr, or simply "magic" in everyday use, is the name given by magic-users to the invisible currents of magical energy which flow across the world from the Realm of Chaos. This ancient, inter-dimensional force is a form of harnessable, emotionally-inflected energy that can be used by a skilled practitioner to manipulate and alter the fabric of the natural world through the conversion of possibility into reality. It is believed that the Realm of Chaos is a dimension comprised entirely of chaotic magical energy given shape and form by the desires, thoughts, and passions of mortal beings. Though this dimension has not been directly observed, the works of Scholar Demitri Olavandius examine the recounted visions of the realm to provide a glimpse of its nature. There are no physical laws akin to those that dominate the mortal world. Gravity, shape, space and reason -- all are in flux and utterly mutable to the will of an unknown, chaotic force. Though the realm of magic is unpredictable and ever-changing, the one consistent truth seems to be the Realm of Chaos serves as a reflection of all of the possible realities of the mortal realm.

The chaotic contradictions of magic can be given direction by beings with a capacity for imagination. For reasons unknown, the chaotic energies of Aethyr are attracted to the imagined thought of mortals and organizes to make the imagined thought into reality (within limitations). The limitations of how far Aethyr can reshape reality around an imagined thought has been found to correlate to how far the imagined thought deviates from the "mundane" (non-magical) reality. For example, Aethyr can successfully realize an imagined flame quite easily, but a mortal imagining a reverse of gravity, or the sudden death of another is much more difficult to achieve. This domain of what's possible to achieve with magic and its limitations to alter reality is measured by "Levels of Deviation," often referred to by spell-casters as "Spell Levels" in the context of creating a spell. There are a total of 9 Levels of Deviation which encompass the full range of what is known to be achievable through magic.

Harnessing Magic and the Practice of Spellcraft

Due to Aethyr's chaotic, and unpredictable nature, raw imagined thought is often insufficient to effectively harness the capabilities of magic. "Spells" are organized, and well understood processes that have been develop to create consistent and predictable magical effects. The practice of discovering and learning methodical ways to create magical effects is known as Ordamancy, and is the form of spell-casting used by most Wizards, Druids, Bards, Artificers and similar practitioners. Senamancy is the method used by other spell-casters to cast magical spells through intuition and intrinsic thought. This is the form of magic used by most Clerics, Paladins, Sorcerers, Warlocks, Monks, and similar practitioners. This is also the form of magic used by magically infused creatures that possess innate ability to create spell effects such as a Dragon's fire breath or a Gorgon's petrifying gaze. Unlike Ordamancy, which relies on research and procedure to create spell casting methods, Senamancy relies on the spell caster possessing an intuitive sense of the flow of the magic to create an effect. In a sense, the proper methods to successfully direct the Aethyr is simply "known" intrinsically. This innate understanding is often a power bestowed upon spell casters by a powerful magical entity, as is the case with a Cleric's Deity, or a Warlock's patron. In other cases it comes from the nature of one's birth (as with Sorcerers and magical beasts), or from meditation (as with Monks). There is also a preliminary hypothesis posed by Scholar Korendra Valys that suggests a form of Senamancy is used by highly skilled martial fighters such as Barbarians, Fighters, Rogues, and similar practitioners that don't appear "spell casters" in the traditional sense. Valys' hypothesis suggests that these fighters, at very high levels of skill, utilize Aethyr to augment their martial skill through magical enhancement. This explanation serves to accounts of some individual's ability to fall from fatal heights, accomplish impossible feats of strength, or similar actions. Further research into this hypothesis is needed, but it currently stands as the most likely explanation for these accounts of "impossible feats" by seemingly "mundane" (non-magical) individuals. Regardless of the form of magic practiced to create a magical effect, the resulting outcome, is known as a "Spell" and there is a hypothetically infinite number of possible spells. Spells that have been discovered are those with documented methods to create consistent and reliable effects. The currently known "components" (methods of casting) for a spell caster are the use of reagents or materials, vocalizations, bodily movements (somatics) and focused intent (imagination). Arcanists are continually in pursuit to discover new spell effects as well as finding alternative methods for casting known spells. For all spell casters, the act of harnessing the chaotic power of Aethyr requires the user to undergo mental and physical strain. As magic users become more skilled and practiced, their endurance for directing magic improves, but all users of magic have limits that prevent them from casting spells indefinitely. Some practitioners have found ways to go beyond this limitation, but often with unfavorable side-effects when their fatigue prevents them from sufficiently controlling the chaotic energy they direct.

Phenomena of Magical Concentration in Geminaea

There are four prominent concentrations of magical energy in the realm:

The Winds of Magic
Lyrium Crystals
Refined Aetherium
Source

Each of these substances are the manifestations of magical possibility in our realm and they possess unique properties that make them useful in various ways to magic users. The following sections outlines the characteristics, limitations, and uses for each of these substances as they are currently known. In addition to their unique properties, all of these concentrated forms of magical energy also serve as potential fuel for the powering of magical spells.

The Winds of Magic

The Winds of Magic are the natural currents of magical energy that flows across the realm. Although "Winds" is the most widespread term given to them, that name is not necessarily the most accurate way to describe these energies. The Magister Alchemists of the Gold College often refer to the Winds as the "Aethyric Humours," while the Hierophants of the College of Light sometimes refer to them as the "Paradigms of Magic," or even the "World Dreamings" as the shamans of the Amber College refer to them. Regardless of nomenclature, the fundamental understanding of the Winds of Magic is the magical energy that "flows" through the world. The term "wind" fits to describe the properties of this energy well for it has been observed to "blow" across the realm in currents that vary in strength and direction. For the most part, these currents have no impact on the world on their own, but there have been documented cases of "Magical Weather" that has widely varying had effects that range from mild to severe. A discussion of the Weather of Magic follows further in this treatise. Most spell casters utilize the power of the Winds of Magic to provide the fuel for their spells, but such practice has limitations. In cases of where a concentrated number of spell casters use the local Winds of Magic to power their spells, the regional Winds have become depleted, preventing additional spells from being cast for a time. Due to the varying strength of the Winds of Magic in a given region, the circumstances to cause this depletion is inconsistent, but research has derived a rule of thumb for average strength:

A total of ~50 spell levels cast over a period of ~1 hour within a ~5 mile region will cause regional depletion under average conditions.
Once depleted, it generally takes ~1 hour for the region's latent magical energy to return.

This limitation is of particular concern in places where a large number of spell casters occupy a concentrated region as in large cities, and on large battlefields. Luckily, Ravena, with its highly magical conditions, has a much higher threshold before depletion occurs, and instances of depletion on the moon not as frequent as would be caused by the Raveni population, but the limitation nonetheless poses issues for Ravenites as well.

The Weather of Magic is a phenomenon that is not largely understood due to its chaotic and unpredictable nature. It is believed that the currents of the Winds of Magic can build up in a region to a degree that the concentration of magical energy causes anomalies from the Realm of Chaos to take shape in reality. Some of the documented cases of Magical Weather include:

Temporary rifts opening to other planes of the multiverse or other locations in our world.
Sudden natural disasters (earthquakes, eruptions, etc) occurring without explanation or warning.
A temporary shift in the nature of a region such as altered gravity, time, light, or sound.
Magical mutations or enchantments affecting creatures in a region.
Extraplanar beings being transported to our realm from others or vice-versa.

There is competing hypothesis held by many that the kind of anomalies listed above are in acts of the gods and are not the result of the build up of Aethyr in the Winds of Magic. Further research is needed to establish the validity of the competing hypothesis and a combination of the two explanations may be involved in these anomalies.

Lyrium Crystals

Lyrium Crystals (and their powdered form) are solidified, concentrated chunks of Aethyr that form within the land of Geminaea. Lyrium has been found in the earth of all three celestial bodies in Geminaea, and seems to be concentrated in areas of volcanic and tectonic activity. Though Lyriium has been found in all regions of Geminaea, the greatest quantities have been discovered in Vitaea. It is believed that Lyrium is formed by the concentration of magical energy that flow through the "Leylines" of the planets and the discovery of large amounts of the crystal are used in the current endeavor of Arcane Cartographer Dido Klavish to map the leylines of Geminaea. Lyrium is the primary reagent used in creating magical items and materials with long-lasting magical effects in the practice known as Enchanting. It is believed the crystalline structure of the crystal creates a less unstable concentration of Aethyr that can recharge over time. This "recharging" effect is hypothesized to be a result of the crystal structure drawing energy in from the Winds of Magic slowly over time. The details of this, and whether recharging Lyrium has an impact on Winds of Magic Depletion have not yet been studied.

Refined Aetherium

Refined Aetherium is a plasma-like energy that is artificially created through the capture and concentration of the Winds of Magic. Large Aethyr collection farms and Aetherium Refineries are used to fill Aethercoil batteries, allowing the magical energy to be transported and used elsewhere. Use of this substance has increased in recent years to counteract challenges with Winds of Magic Depletion and has become a valued commodity for life in Geminaean cities. Though Aetherium Refinement can be done anywhere, the majority of its production takes place in Aradaea due to the planet's ideal conditions for collecting the Winds of Magic. Refined Aetherium is most often used in the powering of complex magical machines due to its volatile nature. Machines can be carefully designed to harness the chaotic energy in a measured way to power their functions. New uses for Refined Aetherium are being discovered regularly and the pursuit of new invention is one of the prominent endeavors of the Vezran Academy of Ravena.

Source

Source, or Liquid Aethyr, is blood that has been suffused with magical energy. Source is most often found in the veins of highly magical creatures and in the bloodstreams of highly capable spell casters. The strength, or concentration, or Source in blood varies between individuals and studies indicate that the level of concentration corresponds to the degree that individual has engaged in directing magic. The concentration of source in blood can be observed through its color and texture. Highly concentrated source causes the blood to appear viscous, shimmering, and metallic. My recent studies at the Prism University have found evidence that it is the build up of the concentration of Source in the blood of spellcasters that allows them to cast higher level spells over time. For reasons not yet fully discovered, the source in one's bloodstream allows an individual to achieve spells that deviate further from the mundane reality. As of yet, there have been no negative side-effects discovered resulting from having high concentrations of Source in one's blood. Some hypothesize that Source is present in all creatures regardless of their history of directing magic. This is the premise behind the practice of Blood Magic and is a domain of research that is often seen as controversial in the field of arcane research and Ordamancy. Source's most conventional and widespread use is in the creation of magical potions. Source serves as the substrate from which all other magical concoctions are brewed to create magical effects. Alchemical research from the Botanists of the Shelara Conclave suggest the magical energy of source in its liquid form serves as the necessary binding which absorbs the magical essences of the other reagents used to create a potion.