Welcome to Rom v1.0
Music is magic in Rom. Children with musical aptitude are chosen at a young age to enter the Academy for rigorous training. There they learn the appropriate melodies as well as the various factors that can influence the strength of their magic. Certain locations have better acoustics, which improve the potency of a spell. The diverse timbers of various instruments can lend subtle differences as well. Alumni of the Academy are technically proficient on multiple instruments. They all know how to use their voice as an instrument as well. Most have impressively large lung capacities or well-groomed calluses to enable prolonged playing of their chosen instrument. They follow strict forms and traditions that have been passed down for millennia.
The practice of magic is highly ritualized and can be quite exacting when performed to appropriate Academy standards. It takes years of practice away from one's family to become proficient. Most of the graduates of the Academy are very focused and at times rigid in their thinking, which makes it harder for them to come up with creative new spells. In fact, it has been hundreds of years since the newest spell was added to the canon by Jack Mire. Innovation is thought to be dangerous as new spells can have untoward effects especially within the crowded populace of the Idra's cities.
Of course, there are other ways to learn music, and a bustling black market has developed over the years throughout the realms of Rom. This is especially true in areas that are more distant from the main city. Some musicians learned from graduates from the Academy that fell on hard times and needed to make some extra money. Others had the ability to mimic spells after hearing them without the proper training. These musicians are called aurophones because of this remarkable skill. In these underbellies of the cities, musicians of various ilks peddle their ability to solve problems with spells. They will sell their skills and services to those that are desperate enough to go outside the official channels. The greatest risk is being caught by the magical law enforcement, the Dyna, however the rewards are usually enough for a steady stream of musicians to try their luck. Those that are caught are often fined exorbitant amounts of thrown into custody for a period of time.
Some rebellious-minded folks wonder why the Academy and Dyna are so strict about the use of magic only by those properly trained. As far as anybody has determined, there's no limit to the amount of magic that can happen in the world. The more cynical express that it's all a power game with the haves trying to keep something valuable from the have-nots, but some fear that the side effects of less precise magic are the real reason that the authorities are so harsh. There are rumors of musicians that have maimed themselves with spells gone awry. Some have lost their ability to play any further music at least with their preferred instrument. Usually the voice is left to those that have suffered this particular misfortune. Some of those that peddle black-market music tend to travel in order to evade the Dyna. A moving target is harder to hit, after all.
Magic makes it easier to enjoy the comforts of life in many ways. It can repair, cool, heat, move, and otherwise alter objects. Most commonly it is used on inanimate objects because the melodies that are required for human and animal modification are inordinately complex. Still, there are virtuosos that have made names for themselves by cultivating these particular skills. Most of the modifications reported to date have been short-lived glamours, but some of the more ambitious of the Academy graduates continue to work on pushing these boundaries in the more fashionable parts of the Idran empire.
The practice of magic is highly ritualized and can be quite exacting when performed to appropriate Academy standards. It takes years of practice away from one's family to become proficient. Most of the graduates of the Academy are very focused and at times rigid in their thinking, which makes it harder for them to come up with creative new spells. In fact, it has been hundreds of years since the newest spell was added to the canon by Jack Mire. Innovation is thought to be dangerous as new spells can have untoward effects especially within the crowded populace of the Idra's cities.
Of course, there are other ways to learn music, and a bustling black market has developed over the years throughout the realms of Rom. This is especially true in areas that are more distant from the main city. Some musicians learned from graduates from the Academy that fell on hard times and needed to make some extra money. Others had the ability to mimic spells after hearing them without the proper training. These musicians are called aurophones because of this remarkable skill. In these underbellies of the cities, musicians of various ilks peddle their ability to solve problems with spells. They will sell their skills and services to those that are desperate enough to go outside the official channels. The greatest risk is being caught by the magical law enforcement, the Dyna, however the rewards are usually enough for a steady stream of musicians to try their luck. Those that are caught are often fined exorbitant amounts of thrown into custody for a period of time.
Some rebellious-minded folks wonder why the Academy and Dyna are so strict about the use of magic only by those properly trained. As far as anybody has determined, there's no limit to the amount of magic that can happen in the world. The more cynical express that it's all a power game with the haves trying to keep something valuable from the have-nots, but some fear that the side effects of less precise magic are the real reason that the authorities are so harsh. There are rumors of musicians that have maimed themselves with spells gone awry. Some have lost their ability to play any further music at least with their preferred instrument. Usually the voice is left to those that have suffered this particular misfortune. Some of those that peddle black-market music tend to travel in order to evade the Dyna. A moving target is harder to hit, after all.
Magic makes it easier to enjoy the comforts of life in many ways. It can repair, cool, heat, move, and otherwise alter objects. Most commonly it is used on inanimate objects because the melodies that are required for human and animal modification are inordinately complex. Still, there are virtuosos that have made names for themselves by cultivating these particular skills. Most of the modifications reported to date have been short-lived glamours, but some of the more ambitious of the Academy graduates continue to work on pushing these boundaries in the more fashionable parts of the Idran empire.
