Maya (Magic)
The Five Categories
Maya is the manipulation of energy. This energy is known by many names throughout different cultures—qi, aura, atman, winds of magic, vital energy, life force, soul, and many more. Some of the names refer to the energy that courses through one's body, but there are other energies that can be manipulated as well.
There are five categories of manipulatable aspects in the world. The first two are organic and inorganic material. The first, organic, usually references one's body. This energy can be manipulated to change a body's properties. Still under that category is the brain, although that is much harder to manipulate. Plants and other things classified as living also fall under this category. Inorganic material is classified as energy that is not apart of something living. The electricity that runs through wires of the flames of a fireplace.
The third category is dubbed soul material. This is what is commonly called one's soul, an energy separate from the body or brain. This is what makes reincarnation and the ability for ghosts or spirits to exist (without a body) possible. This is the most challenging of the first three common energies.
The fourth and fifth aspects have little data associated with them as they are incredibly rare. There are no confirmed sightings. These two aspects are time and space.
In order of general difficulty (from greatest to least):
- Time
- Space
- Soul Material
- Organic Material
- Mind
- Body
- Inorganic Material
- Energy/Elements
- Objects
In More Detail
The five categories provide a good basic understanding of maya. However, how the five aspects are changed is a bit more involved. In each of the five categories, one can do one of four things (depending on who one asks). They are, in order of general difficulty from least to greatest: Enhancement, Transmutation, Conjuration, and Manipulation.
Enhancement is the most simple of the four. This is just magnifying the energy. For example, increasing one's muscles (the aspect of body). It is sometimes argued that enhancement is a subsection of transmutation, which is easily argued, but because it is simple compared to the rest of transmutation, it often gets its own category.
The next is transmutation. This is changing the property of an object or person. Melting a metal or changing water from a liquid to a solid falls under this category.
The third is conjuration. Creating an object is the third most challenging because there is no object there to begin with. Creating it "out of thin air" requires creativity and copious skill.
Manipulation is the hardest to accomplish. It is also a bit of a misnomer. As said before, all of maya is manipulating energy. However, this refers to the control of an object or energy. The skill can be thought of as control, if it leads to less confusion. For example, enchanting objects to be under one's control or the tougher skill of necromancy. Necromancy is a quite misunderstood skill. The creation of mindless zombies would fit under the second easiest aspect, objects, if the body is dead and will not be resurrected. Giving the dead body any semblance of a mind (and even the most basic of free wills) would require manipulation of the brain which is much more challenging that having an object follow your commands. The user could bring the dead body back to life, but that would require the third aspect of soul material manipulation. This would not be editing the brain, but instead having the ability to procure the soul of the person and restoring it to the body. This process would also likely require restoration of the body in question, but that would be another matter.
Maya often overlaps, much like resurrecting someone would require soul material manipulation and body transmutation. Below is a chart of common results from the different types of change done in the five aspects. Remember, that maya is not an exact science, although it certainly has a basis in the property of physics.
Time is so little understood that a chart cannot be made in good faith.
Space
Manipulation
Teleportation
Space
Conjuration
Creating a domain
Space
Transmutation
Illusions, invisibility
Space
Enhancement
Dowsing*
Soul Material
Manipulation
Possesion
Soul Material
Conjuration
Creating a spirit
Soul Material
Transmutation
Editing the souls "code"
Soul Material
Enhancement
Magnifying one part of a soul
Organic Material
Manipulation
Healing
Organic Material
Conjuration
Teleportation**
Organic Material
Transmutation
Shapeshifting
Organic Material
Enhancement
Improved Physique
Inorganic Material
Manipulation
Commanding an object
Inorganic Material
Conjuration
Teleportation**
Inorganic Material
Transmutation
Melting metal
Inorganic Material
Enhancement
Making a sword more dense
Impossible
Certain abilities are not possible by the common understanding of magic. One cannot simply fly. To fly, the user must control the winds to lift them up, or something that causes the flying. Although maya seems inexplicable, it typically follows the rules of physics, they are just rules that have yet to be comprehended. But what is known, is that there is a cause and effect.
Another example would be that of reading minds. There are workarounds, but the user must be creative. They cannot simply decide to read a mind and the thoughts come to them. Instead, they could have the ability to manipulate and comprehend brain waves (both extremely challenging undertakings). This user would have to touch the subject (unless they can manipulate space, in which case theoretically they could drag the energy from the person at a distance) and manipulate the energies inside the subject's head.
The Three Forbidden Exceptions
Despite the above on the impossible, there are three exceptions. It is not understood why these are possible, but it seems they are so. The three exceptions are prophesies, oaths, and boons. All three have specific criteria that appear to be necessary for any of them to work.
Prophesies typically only accurate in and around Europe. Using triangulation software, the frequency of success rises the closer one is to Uroarbrunnr. Even then, it requires an incredible amount of skill to prophesize. Only a few known individuals have been known to accurate predict events: The Norns, The Moirai, Pythia, etc.
The second exception are oaths made on the river Styx. These appear unbreakable, always enforced in mysterious ways.
The third exception, boons and curses, are exclusive to the Hindu (Duchy) deities. It is not known why, but upon a worship strong enough, one of the devas may grant you with a boon (e.g., Ravana and other Asuras). Curses have been known to come from anyone who identifies as Hindu. Why this is so is unknown.
Needless to say, the above three exceptions to what should be impossible are quite dangerous and have caused many troubles throughout the years. As a result, the United Divinities have agreed to ban the use of these three forbidden powers.
Equation
Casting methods (incantations, finger movements) are optional; however (usually human maya users), often find them useful to channel and connect with the energy of the world.
Most deities have specialties like fire, water, or life and death. They can usually only alter aspects of the world pertaining to that domain. However, some deities do have a proclivity toward general magic, and in that case, they can typically perform a wide variety of abilities not limited by a certain domain. With that said, below is an equation that sumarizes using maya.
(Casting method) used to (manipulate, conjure, transmute, enhance) the aspect of (time, space, soul, organic, inorganic material) in the domain of (user's specialization) = Result (Desired strength and effectiveness of result can vary depending on the competency of the user)
Remove these ads. Join the Worldbuilders Guild
Comments