Primal

The Primal Arts

The earth sighed, groaned, and let loose a thunderous crack as the ground beneath the Sorcerer's feet gave to her ministrations. She Channeled a destructive wave of crumbling stone and creeping vines, urging the earth onward as the wooden house creaked and popped under the strain. Timbers collapsed as a chasm formed like a bottomless maw and devoured the homestead whole. It left nothing behind but a patch of withered plant-life and discolored sand. It was a terrifying feat of Grand Sorcery that spoke of the immense power held within this Realm of Life and Earth.

— Excerpt from Observations of a Spellcaster by Elias Dods

The Magic of the Primal Elements

Primal Magic is the term used to refer to all naturalistic sorcery that draws from the binding elements of the Realms. It is the magic of Shamans, Druids, and Sorcerers across the Cosmos; known commonly as Elemental Magic, Primal Conduits rely entirely on their Realms to fuel their spellcraft. Its reliance on the Realm around it lacks The Glow's limitless potential but makes up for it in reliability and potency. A Primal Conduit does not shape Elemental Magic as a Spellweaver might manipulate the Glow but instead serves as a conduit to direct their sorcery through the world. They share the cost of their magic between the world around them and their own fragile, mortal forms. This relationship may appear in many ways but is most apparent with the simple twisting of the cosmos' fundamental Elemental forces. The toll Primal Magic inflicts with its use is always proportional to the created magical effect, drawing equally upon latent Elemental energies found in all Realms and the creatures that inhabit them. Primal Magic is an untamed thing, and even the most adept Conduits lack the precision and care found among most Magi. The twisting and amplification of nature required to invoke Primal Magic leave its Casters' who overexert themselves at a significant risk of being consumed by the very energies they attempt to wield.

The signs of Primal Magic are much more subtle than those that reveal the Glow. The price taken to bring about Primal displays of magic can be incredibly hard to discern at first glance. When summoning fire, a Sorcerer might pull heat from the air in their immediate area, draw upon natural sources of heat and flame, or even amplify the heat created from the friction of rubbing their hand together. Meanwhile, Druids attempting to make life sprout anew on a barren hill may use the decomposition of a corpse, the death of many lesser plants, or the brilliant radiance of the lifegiving sun to cause a bloom. When aligned with the primary Elements of a Realm, the effects of this magic can be incredibly long-lasting, while Realms with opposing Elements will often diminish or absorb its effects. Primal Magic, unlike any other form of magic, varies significantly from one Realm to another with only a few scant unifying principles shared among them all.

Type

Metaphysical, Elemental

Alternative Names

The Primal Arts, Realmshaping, Druidry, Elemental Magic, Grand Sorcery, Conduit Channeling

Caster Titles

Conduits, Sorcerers, Druids, Shamans, Elementalists

Channeling

Channeling, also known as Primal Spellcasting, is a simplistic art requiring a modicum of imagination and an understanding of the world around you. The Elemental forces that make up the Realms of the Cosmos cannot be manipulated like the Glow's Arcane Weaves but are instead Channeled to perform acts of Primal Magic. Conduits learn to amplify the natural world, drawing out its power and Channeling it through themselves at a detriment to the natural order and the Elementals that sustain it. It is a feat that is part endurance and part understanding, as they learn the limits of what can be taken from the world and what it, in turn, will demand in return.

Manifestations of Primal Magic

Primal can be found naturally within every Realm, especially in regions rampant with natural phenomena such as earthquakes, wildfires, volcanos, or even yearly rainstorms. Raw Primal Energy manifests itself as Elementals, living creatures made up of pure Elemental power. Because of the living nature of Primal Energy, Primal Spellcasters must devise unique ways of taming, enslaving, or draining these Elementals to power more than minor spells.

Inborn Talent

Natives of a Realm may develop a natural talent for manipulating their Realm's primary Elements. These inborn talents may take on many forms but often manifest as a primitive control over a single element.

The Three Laws of Magic

Three overarching principles governing the use and potential of Primal Magic, like all forms of magic in the Cosmos. They are easily summarized as the laws that govern the total cost, methods of casting, and inevitable limitations of all Elemental Magic.

The Law of Shared-Cost

The first and most vital of the governing principles, this law is defined by the readily apparent side-effects that follow any use of Primal Magic. Among Conduits, this cost is blatantly obvious to even the most mundane of individuals. A Conduit pulls directly from the environment around them to fuel their magic and often create visible disparities between the Realm's natural state and their own zone of influence. This drastic toll inflicted on the surrounding area is much more severe than that seen with the Glow's use and is the easiest way to recognize this particular form of magic.

The Law of Grounding

The second and most universal magical principle in the Cosmos that is shared by all forms of magic. This law is best defined by the mystical markings, archaic words, gestures, or other components used to manifest magic in the mortal world. It comes in countless forms, and many commonly believe that it is merely a tool used to solidify a Caster's intent and aid them in executing magic. Primal Conduits tend to lean exclusively towards the use of material components as their primary casting method, with particularly complex spells being further reinforced by elaborate hand or body motions.

The Law of Naturality

The third governing principle is Primal Magic's most significant limitation, defined by the restrictive nature of Elemental Energies and the very nature of the Realms. Going against the natural state of a Realm is to fight an uphill battle, wherein conflicting Elements will often either negate each other or produce unforeseen and unwanted side-effects. This potential opposition requires most Conduits to carefully consider their magic before releasing their Channeled spells upon the Realm they dwell within, thus creating a generally cautious and forethinking branch of skilled Spellcasters.