Arcane Magic
Acrance Magic in the Mornlands is a dangerous and tightly regulated force—viewed not as a gift, but as a tool of risk, one that can unravel minds, warp the flesh, or worse, draw the attention of unseen watchers. Its practice is tolerated only under strict oversight, and even then, only in limited forms.
The Law of the Art
By decree of the Church of Holy Law, most magic is illegal—especially spells that:
- Inflict harm on others
- Dominate or alter the mind
- Reshape natural law without sanctified purpose
- Summon demons outside of Church-designated sanctums
Those caught practicing unsanctioned magic are subject to investigation—or worse—by the Iron Precept, the Church's inquisitorial arm.
Chartered Sorcery
Arcane Magic is only permitted when practiced by those accredited through a recognized academy. Mages must carry proof of affiliation and are subject to review. The most prominent of these is:
- Lyceum of the Pale Sanctum – A archduchy-chartered arcane college known for its rigid doctrine and emphasis on controlled invocation. Its graduates are tightly monitored, often marked by wax sigils or etched bone-tokens of sanction.
Chartered magic is rote and ritualized—requiring preparation, precise gestures, and a memorized casting pattern that is lost once released. Sorcerers cannot cast freely; spells are carefully internalized, shaped, and then expended, often with great effort.
Leylines and the Deep Current
The world itself is threaded with invisible currents of power—commonly called leylines—which run beneath the surface like veins of pressure and possibility. These lines are believed to be remnants of the Age of Distant Twilight, though their true origins are fiercely debated.
- Standing at a confluence or nexus of leyline enhances spellwork, but increases the propensity for unexpected results.
- Many forbidden ruins, old Imorean sites, and ancient shrines were built upon these points of power.
- The Church allows no unsanctioned mapping of leyline networks. Possession of such charts is considered a high crime.
Some scholars claim that leylines are not natural at all, but scars—marks left where the world’s shape was forced to bend.
Common Knowledge
- Unlicensed spellcasting is a religious crime punishable by burning.
- Some borderland lords look the other way—until the Iron Precept arrives.
- All known magical traditions are believed to stem, in some way, from pre-Rupture doctrines—many of which were deliberately erased.
- It is believed that all forms of Arcane Magic is in some way tied to Chaos and the Abyss, hence why the Church strictly monitor's its use.
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