Divine Magic

Magical Power Granted From A Higher Power

While the rare and exceptional among all individuals in the world may be able to command magical might through Arcane or Primal spellcasting, the vast majority of life on Alwaus is simply deaf to the spirit song of magic. While most of these people are born, live, and die without experiencing the might of magic at their fingertips, others are driven to peruse magical abilities through less conventional means.


Divine spellcasting isn't truley spellcasting, atleast not in any way that can be measured or classified by The Collegiate Arcane. A practinor of Divine does not actually cast the spell themselves, instead they merely work as a conduit (or a magical implement if you will) for a high power (Ussually a Celestial being, or The Goddess Herself.) As as result, Divine Spellcasters do not have the ability to direct magical enereries to their will, and instead must hope that the magical patron who grants them their power is watching, and willing to assist them in their time of need.


While practionars of Divine magic do have some ability to affect magical changes in the world around them, they lack the control and direction that arcane spellcasters have at their disposal. The exact nature and limitations of a Divine spellcaster is dependant on their Patron, however in most instances moments of magical influence are so infrequent and fleeting that many among The Collegiate Arcane refuse to acknolwedge that any such power exists - especially in the light of the number of high profile charlatans and lunatics to who claim to be granted great power by various Celestials throughout history. Simple requests of magic, such as lighting a campfire or levitating a small object, are almost always ignored by Patrons, and even among the Goddess' most loyal followers their powers are limited in all but the most desperate times of need.


Stories of Divine magic have a sense of wonder and mystery to them however, and legends of great miracles and horrible Demonic curses permeate throughout most of written history. While most of civilized Alvain society holds little faith in the alleged powers of Divine magic, including that which is claimed to be given through The Goddess, many in Alwaus still cling to the religious ideology that promotes it's claims. Most notably, Divine spell casting has become a near obsession for the Humans in The Western Protectorate.


At any rate, more study is required of alleged celestial magic before Divine magic is even recognized in the same way the Arcana is.

Side/Secondary Effects

While they do not cast the spells themselves (No somatic or verbal commands are given, and no magic energy can be detected in the "spellcaster" themselves) Divine spells still cause a great deal of physical and mental strain on those used to implement them.

Manifestation

While the most dramatic spell effects create a significant amount of light and noise, Divine magic can also be a lot more subtle than the more common magical arts, with some Divine practitioners claiming the magical influence being created goes undetected by the living eye. This only further intensifiers existing skeptics however, as it's impossible to distinguish an expertly stealthed spell from a drunk priest trying to convince himself he has The Goddess' favour.

Source

While most who claim to wield Divine magic claim it to be granted by The Goddess, Divine magic is a broad term that covers any magical power that is granted by a higher power. Farrow Cultists for example, are considered practitioners of Divine Magic, as the source of their spellcasting is often derived from a source far more powerful than the individual Farrow.

Discovery

Pre-history records from before the fall of The Dragons make reference to the long standing traditions and powers wielded by followers of The Goddess. Whether or not these records indicate that Divine magic has been present since before the birth of the Alvain is often hotly contested between the Collegiate Arcane and The Temple Of The Goddess.

Related Organizations

• The Pantheon Of The Goddess

Material Components

For reasons unknown, Divine spellcasting seems to take a considerable amount of energy from the one praying for Celestial assistance. Much like Arcane magic, this strain can be mitigated with an appropriate anchor, often times a magical staff or holy symbol.

Applied Restriction

Spells can only be summoned when the spellcaster's patron chooses to. While most practitioners claim to have no control over the exact manifestation of Divine magic, most seem to follow a set of rules or guidelines in an attempt to win favour with their patron to ensure their prayers are answered when called upon.