Elemental magic
Structure
Keverynn's magic is centered around the four basic forces or elements: earth, air, fire, and water. Spirit, the fifth element, is difficult to work with and is often not mentioned. Few schools outside of the Sisterhood of Sword and Sorcery bother with it. Magic comes from the elements and using it requires the ability to tap into that energy. It’s a renewable resource. Everyone uses the same source. All things in nature generate energy fields a Gifted person can draw on. Drawing too much energy from something will destroy it. Say, for example, you're drawing from a tree. Taking too much will kill it. This is how the Stygian Plains were created. All life in the area was sucked out. Nothing will ever grow there again. Other common practices are gemology and divination (reading tea leaves, astrology, dowsing, numerology, and scrying). Elemental magic is considered the most reliable.Limitations
The use of magic uses up the body’s resources. Magic users tend to eat a lot to replenish these resources.Prevalence
All peoples of Keverynn have the innate potential to use magic. Spells as we know them do not exist to the average person. Written spells in books exist only for the highest of magics. Among these spells is the one used to aid the siathi in finding a successor for their Queen. Nearly all of these books are kept within the halls of the Sisterhood of Sword and Sorcery, though some are also kept by the siathi Tower Masters and it is rumored that the Darkriders also possess a few. Wolfings tend to be strong in earth and fire magic, humans in water and fire, siathi in air and water, chume’taly in earth and air. Wolflings have the peculiarity of also being sensitive to the rarely spoken of fifth element of spirit or essence.Training
The magic that is taught is simply manipulating the fields of magical energy that surround the user as well as the user’s personal energies. All magic can be classified into four basic elemental categories: earth, fire, air, water. There are some that fit more than one elemental type but those ones are higher up on the scale of difficulty. Healing, for example, is primarily classed under earth, but it can be used by any element with varying degrees of success. Earth elements make the most effective healers but some waters are nearly as powerful. Regarding air and fire it really depends on the individual. Magic requires years of study and is really only workable by women. Some men have tried drinking the blood of women to try and gain magical abilities. This has failed and only landed them in prison. Very few men are born with the ability to use magic. Miracles don’t exist.Magic and Gender
The main problem with magic is that it’s a female dominated art. Men are capable of practicing but it doesn’t come to them as easily and they are mostly weaker than the female of the same experience level. There are two schools that men can attain real power in, power that isn’t just base elemental power: the Four Winds school and the Sisterhood of Sword and Sorcery which, despite it’s name, does accept men into its ranks.Testing
Students are tested to see which element they will be more able to use. Some are more easily identified than others. These tests deal with a large number of factors including personality, family, background, and race. Most users can only tap into the element in which they have an affinity for. When a user is manipulating their personal power, it often comes out as a physical manifestation of their element. An air type, for example, if angered can lash out with a whip-like blast of wind. Manipulating outside energies, a user can do things such as calm the weather, bring rain to a dry field, help plants grow, and burn fields to replenish the soil. There are countless applications for it and not all are beneficial. Like all tools, it can be used for harm. Hurricanes, torching houses, earth quakes, and flash fires are negative applications of the same power. The offensive use of magic isn’t as common. This is simply due to the fact that most schools have taboos against using magic to fight someone who can’t defend themselves against magical attacks or even against people who have little to no knowledge of magic and its uses. The combat form is reserved for duels between magic users and, on rare occasions, it has been sanctioned for use in war.Usage
How a person taps into the magic largely depends on the element they feel the most connection with and their skill level. Those connected to the water element almost always need to channel their magic through a physical object, especially at lower power and skill levels. Very few spells require anything more than the force of a caster’s will. Those that require objects and elaborate rituals are either high level and difficult spells or are spells to summon elementals. While there’s no limit to the number of mages, there aren’t really that many at any one time to begin with. Certain population groups, such as the wolflings, will have a higher percentage due to thei nature. At the height of magic's popularity, people with enough of the Gift to be formally trained represented no more than 5% of the global population. The time needed to cast a spell varies on the spell itself and the skill and power of the caster. Basic magic is generally instantaneous once it’s been learned while more advanced spells take more time to cast. It’s possible to store spells in an object to be used later, but not many are capable of doing that. Spellcrafting like that is a rare gift. Once a spell is stored, however, it can be used by anyone, even someone with no gift for magic. Mages frequently work in concert to achieve their goals and some spells will only work with multiple casters. Power is determined by knowledge. If a person belongs to a school of magic, power is also determined by what rank they’ve achieved within that school. The gift typically grows stronger with age and with practice. Some women find that at the end of their monthly cycle their ability to focus on their magic decreases. Others, especially chume’taly, have difficulty using their magic while with child. Trying to cast a spell far beyond a person’s ability or using too much magic in a short period of time can burn out a person. If they’re not careful, this burnout can lead to a permanent loss of ability to use magic at best or death at worst. The ability to use magic can’t be taken from someone, but there are ways to block it temporarily. This is a high level ability and is used as both a teaching method and as a means of punishment for mages who’ve overstepped themselves.Effects
No proper studies have been done on any detrimental effects of magic, though there are noticeable effects that magic has on people. Siathi who practice magic for an extended period of time find that their eyes become solidly coloured. It’s a defining trait of their Tower Masters. There’s no way around this and as it’s largely cosmetic, it doesn’t really bother anyone. Chume’taly practitioners don’t often show much in the way of physiological change, but individuals with spots or stripes have noted that those markings sometimes fade out over time. All chume’taly practitioners find that while use of magic tends to increase their lifespans, it also makes their eyes quite sensitive to bright lights towards their middle years. The wolflings, who’ve been using magic far longer than any other people on Keverynn, find that it becomes harder to have children. While this seems like a small price to pay, it’s quite devastating for a people to whom family is so very important. Humans who are particularly gifted can often become intolerant to certain kinds of food. This varies among individuals. Universally, sensitivity to magic presents in the form of headaches. Left untreated, these headaches will develop into a condition the siathi call stromueginn or magic sickness. If untreated, it can be fatal. Symptoms include headaches and irritable behaviour. Treatment involves being placed under heavy magical shields until the patient is recovered. It requires great delicacy to treat. The longer a person goes without treatment, the higher the risk of permanent brain damage. In the past, this was a rare occurence as people with enough of the Gift to contract this ailment in the first place were often identified before it could happen and entered into training. With magic out of favour and training unavailable, more and more cases of this pop up. The resulting brain damage has led to an increased number of beggars, homeless, and patients and the few asylums. A number of these afflicted go mad and roam Keverynn. Some are harmless, but many aren't. The vaen are a very scientifically advanced species and know a great deal about physics. They don’t share this knowledge with the rest of Keverynn, however, to avoid tainting them. If they develop this knowledge independently, then so be it. There’s a general knowledge of how magic works and where it comes from.Magic and Technology
Dragons and wyvern are also quite swift, though the swiftest of those is the green dragon. They can teleport between locations they’ve been to before. This method of travel is really only available to people who’ve bonded with these creatures. There are spells to facilitate long distance communication and some dragons can use their magic to do the same thing. It’s uncommon and used in times of great need. Magical weapons were once more common, but haven’t been around since the fall of the Sisterhood and the subsequent disuse of magic in general. When they were available, they were carefully guarded by the gifted people who made them and not allowed into the hands of common soldiers. Magic has made the smelting of metals and their subsequent forging more efficient. Ordinary weapons aren’t enchanted as that’s a waste of time and energy. Keverynn has very little in the way of technology, so magic hasn’t replaced anything. Spells and magical items can’t be mass-produced. Magic is sometimes used to increase the efficiency of farms. Teleportation spells are rare and difficult to manage. The most effective one in existence requires two mages, one at each end of the spell. They can open a gate to allow other people to travel over long distances virtually instantaneously. This spell requires an enormous amount of power and the casters aren’t capable of much after they’ve cast it.Rules of Magic
Magic cannot bring people back from the dead. Gifted people aren’t permitted to run for political office such as town mayor. While most people would prefer them not to be dragonriders, at the end of the day the dragons are the ones who make the choice. Gifted Dragonlords are few and far between, much to the relief of most people.Gifted
Some religious sects on Alastea require some skill with magic for certain levels of office while others strictly prohibit any of their clergy from having any measure of the gift at all. Becoming a mage requires inborn ability and years of study. To attain a basic proficiency with magic takes a minimum of four years. What a gifted person can do with their magic depends largely on the school that trained them and the underlying philosophy behind it. The most noted one is the Sisterhood of Sword and Sorcery, whose members act as roaming peacekeepers. Mages are organized by their school’s internal hierarchy. There are several schools of magic and they each have their own ideas on how things should work. To avoid confusion and misunderstandings, learning about these other schools is part of the curriculum in each school. Outside of the Sisterhood, it’s possible to make a living with magic if you find a place looking for a resident mage. Some wander the country doing odd jobs like helping crops grow or simple weather work. Wandering mages don’t earn a great deal. As a general rule, mages try to stay out of politics. Schools such as the Sisterhood act as a neutral party when called on. The head of a school is the one who decides if a person is ready. Only a Tower Master or a Dragonlord can challenge their decision. Common folk are sometimes wary of those with the gift. While the Sisterhood was active, wandering Quartets were mostly welcomed as it meant help. When magic was still a common thing, there were several schools around Keverynn that taught its use. The most dominant one was the Sisterhood of Sword and Sorcery There was also the Four Winds school, the Anitella College of the Arcane, Arcaril Academy of Sorcery, Sunrise Manor, and Stormy Grove University of Enchanters. Admittance requires proof of the gift, but once the school’s head is convinced that a student has enough teachable gift, admittance is assured. Some schools require a yearly fee, some have scholarships, while some (such as the Sisterhood) are entirely free of charge. Once accepted, a student is apprenticed to an existing member. If a student’s gift is high enough they may warrant one-on-one training. Untrained mages aren’t necessarily dangerous, but it’s best that they receive training as soon as possible to avoid accidentally hurting themselves or anyone around them. Spoken spells are in a specific language, one not used by ungifted people. Students are taught this language as part of their studies. While it’s safe to use it conversationally it’s generally considered disrespectful to do so. To cast a spell in that language requires both the words and intent. Science isn’t known to anyone except the vaen, who keep that knowledge to themselves. The vaen who use magic find that it melds nicely with their science. Mages aren’t above the law; they have to follow the same rules as everyone else. They have the same rights and privileges as everyone else. The power of a Province has nothing to do with mages. It has more to do with the number of ground troops they have. With the exception of the chume’taly--who find that use of magic tends to extend their lifespan--magic doesn’t typically effect lifespans. siathi Tower Masters have significantly increased life spans but it’s unclear if this is due to their magic or to the Towers themselves. Every member of the wolfling race has some measure of the gift. It’s prohibited by almost every school of magic on Keverynn to cast spells that kill instantaneously, probe a person’s mind without their permission, spells that allow you to control another person, and attempting to bring someone back to life. Infractions are dealt with by the school. Very rarely are outside authorities brought in.
Type
Natural
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