Uhd - The Prime Duality

Uhd is the term that was used by the Elderkin to describe the ineffable source of all magics of the world - both divine and arcane.   It can be thought of as the core duality that drives all things - creation and destruction, birth and death.  Without the tension between the two extremes, no life is possible.
The stars and worlds were the first manifestation of Uhd, as the energies of creation coalesced into crucibles of life.  The Elder Gods emerged as the flipside of that process - cosmic beings of pure insatiable hunger that fed upon the new worlds across the vastness of space and time.  This was the process that saw the creation of the World of Shadowfire, at the dawn of Deeptime.

Manifestation

The energies of Uhd are woven through the very fabric of the physical world, and the strongest within the fiery hearts of the stars and worlds. The molten rock that flows around and through the core of Shadowfire was known by the Elderkin as the Blood of Uhd, and it is stiull the most concentrated form of Uhd power. This molten core has spawned all the physical elements of the world, and all things are imbued with Uhd. The magical effects of this manifest in numerous ways.

Blood magic 

The oldest of the magical traditions is powered by the Uhd that is contained in the very rocks and earth, and in the flesh, blood and sap within all living things. Manipulation of this magic releases it from its physical forms and can transmute and changes it in numerous ways - directly as energy, or in manipulating it into new forms. It is the flow of life into pure energy.
The Elder Gods themselves used Blood magic to create their slaves the Elderkin, and during the Bloodstone wars, the Arkin and Deepkin both used it to create new and terrible beings - such as the Dragons of myth, and the ancestors of the SporeMinds of Glimmertown .

Stone magic

Stone magic is an evolution of Blood magic - where magical energy can be stored back into physical things. It can be used to store and transport energy from one place to another, the amass and release again at a later date, or to power physical objects and machines. Stone magic gave rise to the creation of the Stoneforged races, and powers much of the mechanical and engineering wonders of the Stoneforged Assembly.

Divine and occult magic

Divinity and belief is palpable creative and destructive force. Uhd exists within the minds and souls of all living things, and belief itself can direct its flow. The most powerful beliefs are of the collective, and ritualised worship which, when harnessed can create new Gods and Demons alike.
Divine magic has manifested into the many pantheons of gods, godlings, avatars and cults across the history of Shadowfire. This was the force that enable the Elderkin to create the New Divinity and force the banishment of the Elder Gods themselves. It also enabled The Godlings Wars that culminated in The Destruction.

Uhd and Magic since the Destruction

The Destruction saw much of the planets molten interior ejected into the space to become the phenomenon known as the Nightbridge. The event caused a deep destabilisation of Uhd, and the magics derived from it. All forms of magic are now far more chaotic and unstable, and in in general magic is far weaker than before the Destruction. However, there are many zones around the world where chaotic Uhd energies are concentrated. All magics performed within the se zones are extremely unpredictable, and also far more powerful. It can be exceedingly unwise to perform magic in these areas, for fear of starting uncontrollable chain reactions of destructive forces.
Another effect of the destabilisation has been the rise of many people able to wield raw unfocussed power. Some are born at birth with inate magical abilities, while in others it can manifest seemingly at random later in life, or after some connection to destabilised Uhd.

Type

Metaphysical, Supernatural