Kuspire

Magic System Kuspire’s magic system is unique in that it is defined by connections- to the leylines, to the different planes, to deities, to various masters, and to each other. Some leylines represent places where the Veil is thinner, and it is easier to cross over into alternate planes; some leylines are charged with a specific type of magic, and are strengthened or weakened by the use of it; some leylines are associated with specific deities, or aspects of those deities; some leylines have certain effects on the people or landscapes around them; some leylines are yet to be discovered; some leylines are just too dangerous to study. But as much as the complicated, interwoven net of magic ensnares Kuspire and its people, they are not simply beholden to the whims of magic. There are masters of magic who are able to manipulate the leylines like a spider on its web, though these are far and few between, and they tend not to stay in one place for too long. Suitably powerful magic wielders, however, can feel the presence of the arcane and sometimes shift its flow to meet their needs, or a group can work together to change a path. While all arcane magic comes from channeling the core of Kuspire in some way (which is why many arcane casters are more powerful near a leyline, but also more likely to be drained), most magic users do not have direct access to the leyline(s) associated with whatever feat they are trying to accomplish. Even if they did, for the majority of casters, that sort of direct channeling of power would burn them up before they were able to use it. Therefore, in order to channel the power of Kuspire’s core without being consumed by it, casters use a series of interpersonal and magical connections in order to sufficiently “dilute” that power. This is why relationships are so powerful in Kuspire, apart from their personal benefits; one’s relationships represent a thin connection, and the network of all of those connections, combined with the leylines and those that are strong enough to use them as a direct source, powers one’s magic.

Evolution and Mutation The only constant in life is change; there is nowhere that this statement holds more truth than Kuspire, where exposure to unfettered magical leylines and strange beasts is rampant and near-impossible to prevent. When a deal with a devil can turn one’s child into a fiend, or helping a dragon can lead to minor magical prowess, it is difficult to conceive of just how much one could alter themselves in a human lifespan, yet alone the lifespans of beings such as elves or gnomes. Magic is a part of the natural world and interacts with people as they interact with it, and it leaves its mark on whomever it touches, friend or foe alike.

Decentralization of Culture and Myth Due to the leylines and difficulty of travel, most pockets of civilization were isolated for the majority of the Post-Surge era. Communication was limited to letters sent between large traveling parties and the occasional visitor or merchant, allowing stories and beliefs to diverge due to lack of interaction. Now, of course, there are more reliable forms of transportation and communication- air travel with balloons, better marked roads, and more protective services, to name a few- but three thousand years of separation will change everyone, even races who live nearly a millennium. Religions have fallen and been created; stories have been forgotten and rewritten; belief systems have shifted and shifted once again, especially in a time where it seems like beliefs are becoming more and more based in reality (or possibly manifesting themselves in reality- the rumors of a candy cottage in the woods have certainly caught the ear of many locals).