Background
Though it is discussed in further detail elsewhere (see:
Mages), an overview of magic within
Lasair is important in understanding many of the relationships between various factions. Magic (both arcane and
divine ) is under very strict control in all known human lands. The devastation caused by the
Dragonscourge was believed to have originated primarily in the conflict between disciplined wizards and the sometimes uncontrolled
Sorcerers whose power originated with the blood of dragons. Whether this was actually the case will remain buried by time, but the winners of the war would define the land's outlook on magic for the next thousand years.
The control of magic is vested in two primary organizations.
The Council of Mages guides the processes by which humans are taught the skills and knowledge needed to perform the powerful spells and incantations by which arcane magic is known.
The Order of the Virtues, a cloistered, monkly group maintains the Scrolls of Virtue which guide both the actions of the focused and disciplined users of divine magic but also act as a more mundane guide to morality.
Though the actual execution of magic varies greatly between arcane and divine casters (and even more wildly amongst the different races capable of tapping into magic) the supernatural mechanics are the same: the individual is trained in (or gifted with) the ability to draw upon the natural, magical energies of the world. In the case of wizards, their extreme training enhances their mental capacities, and their mystical chants and hand motions serve to focus that capability to draw upon and create magic. Divine casters focus their will through discipline and internal strength, while a natural-born caster is gifted with the innate ability to see the flows of magic and to manipulate them. In each case, the world is affected in the same way, and there are few technical differences between the various types of magic users.
The Mechanics of Magic
Magic is the energy that you feel tingling against your skin when you're excited. It's the flutter in your stomach when you're nervous. It's the quiet moment between taking in a breath and shouting. Use your will to draw those feelings within you, and release your manifested thoughts into the world.
-Joansa Melsing, Elder Nature Mage
Magic, in a technical sense, is the manifested result of a practitioner tapping into invisible and natural energies that pulse through the world like a heartbeat. Magic infuses the world, binding life together, and while very few individuals have the ability to see that energy it is possible to be taught to touch it and to draw from it.
Mortal Magic
For most living beings, magic is created through the application of will. Magical practitioners are taught a method through which they focus their will in a way that allows them to draw upon magical energy and manifest their desired effects. For
Mages, precise hand gestures and spoken syllables draw their mind into a state of magical focus. For Clerics of
The Virtues, it is their powerful devotion to the righteousness of their cause. For
Orcs, drawing upon the memories of their ancestors as embodied by carved totems allows their shamans to create magic. In these and countless other ways, mortals can use natural magical energy to create spectacular effects.
Innate Magic
Certain creatures are infused with magical energy in a way that allows them to tap directly into it without the need for complex ritual or a focus of will. Such creatures are so connected to the magic in the world that their existence is directly tied to that energy. Key among them were the
Dragons, a species that was so full of natural magic energy that they caused the world around them to change at their mere presence.
Sorcerers are the lingering result of their existence. Similarly, the elementals that populate the
Firelands are manifestations of pure magical energy, brought into being by the wild magic pouring forth into those lands.
The
Elves, hidden away in their forests, are also an innately magical species. Though not as suffused with the energy as the Dragons were, most pure-blooded elves are able to see the pure magical energy within the world and can touch on it to at least a small degree. This accounts for many of the legends spoken of these beings - to humans, the long-lost elven race is one of ethereal beauty and immense power.
Control within Human Lands
To most humans, magic is a seldom-seen and little-understood part of existence. They know it is out there - and that the practitioners of the art are to be respected if not feared. To those that interact with magic with some regularity, such as the nobility of the
City-States Region, members of the
Mercenary Guild, or adventurers, see it as a powerful tool but one wielded by humans nonetheless. Like any tool, magic (and those who wield it) can be made to fit needs as desired.
The Mages
[
Main Article ] Magic users within the human-habited lands are extremely rare, not for lack of talent, but because it is under strict control. After the
Dragonscourge, the leaders of the surviving human tribes forbade the existence of uncontrollable magic in their domains. To this extent, any sign of “inner-born” sorcery was outlawed and any human showing signs of natural magic abilities was killed on sight. Only a few of the humans had the skill to practice the more difficult scholarly pursuit of wizardry took on the task of both policing the “wurmborn” and teaching future wizards. Partially out of high-mindedness (limiting the number of potentially dangerous mages in the world) and conceit (the mages were part of the tribes' leadership and considered noble) they only selected apprentices of noble birth.
Over the centuries, the slowly-growing number of mages established a regimented system of specialization and education with strict rules regarding who could learn and practice magic," further entrenching the world of magic as a “noble” pursuit. Formal schools were founded by more sedentary masters to teach slightly larger numbers of students (as many as three or four at a time for the more ambitious teachers) and a structured tradition of ranks came into being. Students were chosen by teachers through various means, though the most common would always be the acceptance of large quantities of gold or other valuables. Mages became valued aides to leaders of many rising cities along the coast and were often granted titles as these cities created their political structures. Even though many mages took positions within the hierarchies of the cities, hundreds more remained on an
island off the coast, creating an isolated homeland for the magical arts.
The Virtues
[
Main Article] The worship of the Virtues as spiritual and moral guidance predates the organization of the
City-States Region by many centuries. Coming into existence alongside an empire that once dominated the eastern shore of Lasair, the Order of the Virtues first existed to set an example of "a proper and true life". Seven tenets are espoused by the Order; those with the will and devotion to do so can draw upon their strength to manifest what can be called "divine" magic.
Even after the
Dragonscourge, belief in the Virtues remained. While the Order does not command the influence it once did in the days of the empire, it continues as a background element to much of life in human lands on Lasair.
Why the Control?
There are a few primary reasons for the hierarchy which surrounds all Magic users in human lands.
- The first is what the two organizations ensure everybody understands is their primary purpose: policing the Wurmborn. Watching for signs of Sorcerers, to ensure that those born with the Dragons' power do not lay waste to human lands once more. They take this role very seriously (especially the paladins of the Order of the Virtues), but it is not a role that takes up a particularly large portion of their time.
- The second, especially for the Mages, is to maintain possession of magic. The Mages consider themselves to be the rightful inheritors of magic, as well as the only people worthy to be the true nobles of human lands on Lasair. By selecting from among the wealthy or from those who show particular promise, the Mages ensure that magic stays in the hands of those like them. (The Order of the Virtues is less concerned with nobility but still looks for candidates who have the right frame of mind).
- Finally, both magical orders understand that magic users are dangerous. The levels of power that lays in the hands of those who can bend physical reality to their will is unspeakable. By making the use of that power contingent upon acceptance of the hierarchy, the Mages and The Order of the Virtues ensure that every individual who wields the power understands that if they use it in a way that puts other magic users at risk, they will all destroy them. The Mages in particular are not concerned with "being good" (plenty of Mages are of an evil alignment), but they are concerned with one of their number becoming too powerful for the others to stop.
Magic outside Human Lands
Other cultures across Lasair approach Magic in various ways, with various techniques and attitudes.
- The Orcs carry a strong reverence for their ancestors, believing that their spirits watch over and guide the living. This strong belief means that for the Hur'uk, magic and religion are one in the same. Orcish shamans are both priest and mage, given the role of keeping tribal knowledge and guiding the spiritual health of their people. They tend to view the human Mages as a bit mercenary - that their purely technical application of magical knowledge makes them susceptible to manipulation and a craving for power.
- Much like everything else in the world, Ratlings view magic as a tool to be taken as needed and discarded when bored. It is rare that a member of the Tch'nuk is skilled in the ability to create magic, but when they do they largely direct it through the use of items stolen from other magic users or through the bones taken by slaying a powerful enemy. Orcish shamans carry particular disgust for ratling thieves who will sometimes attempt to steal ancestral items from them in order to use their power.
- Dwarfs rarely look to magic as the solution of any problem, generally preferring the work of hands, tools, and machines. They do, however, recognize that some forms of magic are extremely powerful and helpful in military matters and in underground exploration. As such one of the clans of Bastion is dedicated to the practice of magics that are helpful to the needs of the dwarfs. In typical dwarven fashion, they approach magic as a pragmatic and systematic way to create desired outcomes. In this way they are rather similar to the Mages - though one should never point this out to them - though without the trappings of nobility and elitism.
Updated 15 Oct 2020 with adding the "Mechanics of Magic" section