Ardency

What is Ardency?

Ardency is the source of all magic in the universe. It is innate, meaning that people are born with it, but the skill comes in tapping into that ability. Some are more easily able to access their Ardency than others. An easy way to think about Ardency is as one possible use of a person's energy. When accessed it can be used to make changes to the energy which already exists in the material world.
Ardency is made up of three elements: Empathy, Intellect and Spirit. These impact how someone is able to use their energy for Ardency. Each has its own strengths and weaknesses. Empathy spells are energetic but unpredictable. Intellect allows for complex spells but they lack energy. Spells cast with spirit are controllable but unsophisticated.
Most beginners learn to understand Ardency with the following metaphor:

Imagine a spellcaster is a painter. The paints they have at their disposal are their energy. They could use them to do any number of things, painting a wall (moving) or painting their nails (eating) but they want to use them to paint a picture (use their Ardency).
What they choose to paint depends on their life experience and what they can see around them or imagine. Their skill at painting is dependent to a certain extent on innate skill but also on practice. Some are very good at getting the paintbrush to move exactly as they want it to, while others struggle.
The amount of paint (energy) they have is finite, but they are able to go out and buy more if they need it (eat, sleep or rest). The colours they have are their elements. Some painters only have access to the three primary colours, while others are able to combine them to create something extraordinary.

The Rules

1. Ardency draws on elements of a person's energy to affect the energy around them
2. Ardency is limited by the energy of the spellcaster
3. Ardency cannot create or destroy life
4. Ardency cannot change another's Ardency
5. Ardency cannot affect the spellcaster's energy
6. Ardency cannot affect the mind or life of another

There are six basic Rules of Ardency. These rules are true throughout the universe and clearly define the ways in which a spellcaster can and cannot use their ardency.
More details on how these rules work can be found in the article on Magic and there are some brief explanations below:

Ardency draws on elements of a person's energy to affect the energy around them

All people are made up of energy. It's how they move, eat, think and so on. Ardency uses some of this same energy source. Ardency then uses this to affect the energy (e.g light, sound, kinetic) in the world around them.

Ardency is limited by the energy of the spellcaster

In the same way that a person doesn't have enough energy to run forever, Ardency is also limited by the amount of energy held by the person using it. In that same way, someone who has trained and/or has high energy may run for longer than someone who does not.

Ardency cannot create or destroy life

Ardency is powerful, but not even the most powerful use of Ardency is able to create a life or kill someone.
It can move objects so that they harm, maim or kill someone but it is not able to simply end their life or remove their life energy.

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Ardency cannot change another's Ardency

Ardency isn't able to impact the elements which make up Ardency in another; their empathy, intellect or spirit. It cannot make someone more callous or smarter or happier.

Ardency cannot affect the spellcaster's energy

Ardency isn't able to reduce or increase someone else's energy resources, in the same way that someone can't deplete someone else's energy when it comes to running. However, they could encourage them to waste it.

Ardency cannot affect the mind or life of another

It is not possible to access the mind of a living creature or impact a life force.
The few times this has been attempted this has caused the death of the spellcaster.

Breaking the Rules

These rules have been established over the course of millennia of study, practice and constant attempts to push boundaries. All attempts to break the rules have resulted in at best a severe injury to the spellcaster trying to do so and at worst agnosing death. Some spellcasters have completely lost the ability to use Ardency. As such, it is understood that these rules are absolute, with no exceptions.

Improving

An individual's skill at using Ardency boils down to two things, as most skills do; innate ability and practice. It is possible for someone to be particularly skilled in one of the elements, but not others (like a painter who prefers a particular colour paint). Each element can be improved through practice and training in that particular skill. Below are a handful of examples for each element.

Empathy

• Spending time with others
• Volunteering
• Get feedback
• Ask questions

Intellect

• Learning new things
• Logic puzzles
• Maths equations
• Reading books

Spirit

• Spend time in nature
• Laughing
• Yoga
• Meditation

Spellcasters

While everyone has the potential to tap into their Ardency, not everyone puts the time and energy into doing it. Indeed, in a technologically advanced universe, the effort it takes for most to master Ardency is considered a waste of time.
There are a few for whom the elements of the Ardency align naturally, and the magic comes to them with greater ease than for most. However, even then some training and self-discipline are required to master it.
Anyone who attempts to tap into their Ardency can call themselves a spellcaster, but it is only those who are able to master all three elements of it at once who may call themselves an Adept.

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Related Articles

Type

Souce

Magic System

Magic

Elements

Empathy
Intellect
Spirit

Cost

Energy

Users

High: Adept
Low: Spellcaster