Post by Gaea on Feb 28, 2016 19:44:19 GMT -8
In a time before the horrors of the Scouring bled magic from the world, Elibe is a land of magic, both figuratively and literally - it suffuses the world on a level that those from the distant future cannot even imagine, an omnipresent fact of life that is used to perform miracles and fuel feats of unparalleled martial prowess. Warriors and wizards alike make use of it, whether to reinforce muscles and hone reflexes far beyond the limits of humanity, or to launch lightning at foes and conjure colossal conflagrations to consume them. Despite its omnipresence in the setting, though, magic - real magic - is a surprisingly rare gift, limited to a few percent of the population at most, and even those who have the talent must still put in a great deal of work to master it. There is a certain divide between those with the gift and those without, a rift perhaps greater still than that of human and dragon; adventurers capable of superhuman feats are often seen as inhuman by the unwashed masses that toil in fields and farms.
Types of Magic
Magic is divided into three primary spheres, often known as the Great Spheres - Anima, Nature, and Primordial. Each is comprised of three primary elements, which are purchased separately. Rumors swirl across Elibe of secretive branches or even spheres of magic, of sorcerers that can see into a man's mind or rend foes with but a thought, of time travel and teleportation that could cover all Elibe in the blink of an eye, but those are mere myths and legends. ...Probably. No one really knows for sure, or if they do, they aren't telling.
Fire
As variable as it is versatile; Fire magic may be comprised of flaming lances conjured from nothingness, huge gouts of flame, or simple fireballs that detonate into horrific conflagrations. More creative and/or powerful mages are capable of using anything from flaming whips to erupting pillars and whirling cyclones of flame. The intense heat associated with this element can leave searing burns even on near misses or even be used directly in styles focusing more on heat rays and burning domes, and pyrokinetics often use the remnants of their flaming assaults as fuel to further boost their attacks throughout the fight.
Wind
Wind magic ranges from invisible blades of cutting pressure to cyclones that uproot and hurl foes about, cutting streams and massive gusts, and even visible waves of destructive magical wind that carve through foes like butter. Of course many varieties of flight magic rely heavily on the wind, though by itself Wind magic offers no more than assisted burst mobility and gliding. While it perhaps lacks the sheer destructive power of Fire and the speed of Lightning, Wind magics tend to encompass some level of subtlety and deceptiveness that make them uncannily difficult to defend against.
Thunder
As naturally destructive as fire, thunder magic ranges from pulsating rays and beams of pure destructive power to jagged bolts of golden light that come crashing down on foes from above or thunderous domes of energy that strike constantly at anything within. Lances of lightning hurled at breakneck speeds, crackling whips of light and sound, or colossal bolts of molten light conjured from above are also common themes among practitioners of this particular variety of magic, and stronger mages can even call upon the wrath of the elements to bring down the thunder on their foes.
Earth
Earth magic of course encompasses the rocks and clods of earth that spring to mind immediately, but with concentration, far greater feats are possible; geomancers and earthbenders can raise walls of earth and stone from the ground, shielding themselves from attack or creating foundations for further construction, or in conjunction with other types of magic, create sandstorms, casually levitate and hurl boulders, or even help support the weight of massive outbursts of floral magic. Its direct combat uses are far more limited than even its siblings, but clever usage of its strengths and synergies can lead to a geomancer becoming a very dangerous foe.
Water
Water magic is somewhat of a misnomer, given that most of its practitioners focus primarily or solely on the subset of ice magic, which has far more obvious combat applications. There is something to be said for the brutal, savage clarity of erupting pillars of jagged ice to block passageways, or impaling foes on frozen lances, and the viscerality of ice magic often leads to battlefields dyed crimson by the conclusion of a fight. And yet water magic is not defined by it; while hydromancers may struggle to match the raw combat prowess of cryomancers, water in its natural state has many uses of its own, fueling floral magic to realize otherwise-impossible feats, sweeping away foes in the tide, or being able to get a drink whenever you bloody well feel like it. There is somewhat of a rift between the two primary styles of water magic, but in the end both follow the same discipline.
Floral
Floral magic is something more than just a way to kill people - it encompasses vast fields of magical research to enhance the growth of crops and multiply their bounty, as well as a level of symbiotism with existing flora to turn the forests themselves against others as needed. Whether it be as small as accelerating the growth of a flower within the palm of one's hand or as great and terrible as a massive tide of wood that constantly grows and reaches outwards to bat away the attacks of foes and strive to rush them in the inexorable grip of the mage's will, placidly increasing a field's yields or impaling assailants on gargantuan thorns, floral magic is as much a study in contrasts as it is exploration of what it means to be alive.
If there is one truth to the distrust of this sphere, it is that all three magics are as dangerous to the wielder as they are to their foes - each can influence the wielder in different ways, and each requires a level of control that no other variety of magic does. Such is the cost of meddling in forces not meant for man.
Nether
Dark magic draws power from the darkness of the Nether itself to manifest grasping shadows, tendrils of hatred and shadow, and even weakening bonds between worlds enough to allow vast quantities of raw Nether to spill over into our world to harry and crush foes. When combined with Summoning magic, it often calls forth emissaries of the Void, creatures that may be nothing more than Lovecraftian monstrosities or, perhaps paradoxically, uncannily level-headed and reliable warriors possessed of great insight into the darkness of man and strong loyalty to those who share their burden. While it is not inherently evil, Nether magic feeds off of negative emotion and amplifies it in turn, forcing practitioners to always stay on their guard. Keeping it in check requires the user to face their own failures and weaknesses, for in doing so they gain strength over them.
Aether
Divine magic in turn calls upon the light of the Aether to create dizzying display of light, ranging from devastating ion blasts from the skies to swarms of homing rays of light or massive lances formed of crystallized magic to pierce foes. Blinding and brutal, it is the light of judgement as much as it is a ray of hope, completely disassociated from human morality and religion. Much as Nether-aspected summoning magic calls on existing entities, so too does Aether, calling forth valkyries and angels both biblical and classical. While none are actual deities, more than a few local religions have sprung up in the wake of its use. Aether magic is fueled primarily by conviction, as well as the same level of ironclad willpower that is required for all Arcane magic, so its deleterious effects are perhaps even more underhanded and subtle than that of the Nether - it wears away at the restraint and compassion of its user, ever eager to right wrongs - both perceived and real, until one and the other blur together into a singular entity that must be purged. Keeping Aether magic in check requires the user to always be mindful of what is right, not merely what is wrong; to affirm their beliefs with positivity and remember the real reason they wield that power.
Arcane
Arcane magic trades the philosophical mumbo-jumbo of its brethren for unrelenting destructive power and the study of magic in its purest, rawest form, tainted by neither element nor aspect - raw destructive force unbound from all but the mage's will - and often barely even that. While its sheer intensity allows it to exert physical force and even temporary form, its extreme volatility trumps even that of Anima magic, and it quickly returns to formlessness. Its incredible instability and the intense focus and willpower required to control it, even by the standards of Primordial magic, means that Arcane magic is often an intensely personal experience, tinted and tainted by the aspect of its wielder that most reflects their relationship with it; its coloration varies far more than any other school of magic, as does its form. One practitioner might focus on making temporary constructs of emerald energy, while another might embrace its instability with angry, crackling detonations of crimson light, and another may use a wide array of pulsating amethyst beams and bursts of controlled destructive force. Constantly rebelling and pushing back against the one controlling it, Arcane magic pushes them in every direction, physically and emotionally; it lends itself to excesses, to all-consuming anger or single-minded focus that eclipses even an Aether magic user consumed by their craft, to mad science and clinical experimentation.
Types of Magic
Magic is divided into three primary spheres, often known as the Great Spheres - Anima, Nature, and Primordial. Each is comprised of three primary elements, which are purchased separately. Rumors swirl across Elibe of secretive branches or even spheres of magic, of sorcerers that can see into a man's mind or rend foes with but a thought, of time travel and teleportation that could cover all Elibe in the blink of an eye, but those are mere myths and legends. ...Probably. No one really knows for sure, or if they do, they aren't telling.
Anima Magic
Natural magic revolving around the three simplest and most malleable elements: Fire, Wind, and Thunder. Simple to grasp the basics, but incredibly versatile and possessed of immense destructive power as a result of the natural instability of its component elements; all tend towards entropy quickly if not controlled. A popular magic among novices and masters alike - noncombat uses generally revolve around powering other creations, magical reactors and the like, but it is most commonly seen as a primarily or entirely offensive form of magic.Fire
As variable as it is versatile; Fire magic may be comprised of flaming lances conjured from nothingness, huge gouts of flame, or simple fireballs that detonate into horrific conflagrations. More creative and/or powerful mages are capable of using anything from flaming whips to erupting pillars and whirling cyclones of flame. The intense heat associated with this element can leave searing burns even on near misses or even be used directly in styles focusing more on heat rays and burning domes, and pyrokinetics often use the remnants of their flaming assaults as fuel to further boost their attacks throughout the fight.
Wind
Wind magic ranges from invisible blades of cutting pressure to cyclones that uproot and hurl foes about, cutting streams and massive gusts, and even visible waves of destructive magical wind that carve through foes like butter. Of course many varieties of flight magic rely heavily on the wind, though by itself Wind magic offers no more than assisted burst mobility and gliding. While it perhaps lacks the sheer destructive power of Fire and the speed of Lightning, Wind magics tend to encompass some level of subtlety and deceptiveness that make them uncannily difficult to defend against.
Thunder
As naturally destructive as fire, thunder magic ranges from pulsating rays and beams of pure destructive power to jagged bolts of golden light that come crashing down on foes from above or thunderous domes of energy that strike constantly at anything within. Lances of lightning hurled at breakneck speeds, crackling whips of light and sound, or colossal bolts of molten light conjured from above are also common themes among practitioners of this particular variety of magic, and stronger mages can even call upon the wrath of the elements to bring down the thunder on their foes.
Nature Magic
In equal parts similar and contrary to Anima, Nature magic revolves around the 'heavy' natural elements that comprise Elibe: Earth, Water, and Flora. Far more difficult to manipulate en masse than the energies of Anima, but far more sturdy in turn, this complex magic is more commonly used for construction and fortification, but there's certainly something to be said for being able to launch boulders at people you dislike. Nature magic is unique among the three great spheres in that it is difficult to create its components from raw magic - it is more focused on manipulating and replicating existing matter than simply mucking about with new energies. This does come with a mix of strengths and weaknesses; a hydromancer will certainly perform less spectacularly in a desert than near the ocean, but a hippiemancer in a forest has an enormous advantage over most opponents, capable of bringing the forest to life around their foes and crushing them within its embrace. Nature magic is also relatively unique in that each of its components can be used to strengthen each other; it is not uncommon for mages who dabble in one of its elements to end up dedicating their lives to mastering them all as one harmonious whole.Earth
Earth magic of course encompasses the rocks and clods of earth that spring to mind immediately, but with concentration, far greater feats are possible; geomancers and earthbenders can raise walls of earth and stone from the ground, shielding themselves from attack or creating foundations for further construction, or in conjunction with other types of magic, create sandstorms, casually levitate and hurl boulders, or even help support the weight of massive outbursts of floral magic. Its direct combat uses are far more limited than even its siblings, but clever usage of its strengths and synergies can lead to a geomancer becoming a very dangerous foe.
Water
Water magic is somewhat of a misnomer, given that most of its practitioners focus primarily or solely on the subset of ice magic, which has far more obvious combat applications. There is something to be said for the brutal, savage clarity of erupting pillars of jagged ice to block passageways, or impaling foes on frozen lances, and the viscerality of ice magic often leads to battlefields dyed crimson by the conclusion of a fight. And yet water magic is not defined by it; while hydromancers may struggle to match the raw combat prowess of cryomancers, water in its natural state has many uses of its own, fueling floral magic to realize otherwise-impossible feats, sweeping away foes in the tide, or being able to get a drink whenever you bloody well feel like it. There is somewhat of a rift between the two primary styles of water magic, but in the end both follow the same discipline.
Floral
Floral magic is something more than just a way to kill people - it encompasses vast fields of magical research to enhance the growth of crops and multiply their bounty, as well as a level of symbiotism with existing flora to turn the forests themselves against others as needed. Whether it be as small as accelerating the growth of a flower within the palm of one's hand or as great and terrible as a massive tide of wood that constantly grows and reaches outwards to bat away the attacks of foes and strive to rush them in the inexorable grip of the mage's will, placidly increasing a field's yields or impaling assailants on gargantuan thorns, floral magic is as much a study in contrasts as it is exploration of what it means to be alive.
Primordial Magic
Aether, Nether, and Arcane magics comprise this esoteric branch of magic. Bound together more conceptually as fundamental magics of reality than by the elemental binds of the other spheres, each discipline here is wildly different - few sane men would conflate Aether and Nether magic as the same thing - and yet those differences pale in comparison to the similarities they share. Some say that each represents a level of spirituality - the divine, the infernal, the mortal; some even assign morality to each, labeling one as evil and the other as good. The truth is far simpler; each just taps into a different underpinning of reality, whether it be drawing strength from the roiling shadows of the Nether planes or the raw and volatile properties of Arcane magic. Nonetheless, all three magics are viewed with a certain level of distrust by many, and as a result they are far less widespread in both practice and teaching than their elemental cousins in Anima and Nature magics.If there is one truth to the distrust of this sphere, it is that all three magics are as dangerous to the wielder as they are to their foes - each can influence the wielder in different ways, and each requires a level of control that no other variety of magic does. Such is the cost of meddling in forces not meant for man.
Nether
Dark magic draws power from the darkness of the Nether itself to manifest grasping shadows, tendrils of hatred and shadow, and even weakening bonds between worlds enough to allow vast quantities of raw Nether to spill over into our world to harry and crush foes. When combined with Summoning magic, it often calls forth emissaries of the Void, creatures that may be nothing more than Lovecraftian monstrosities or, perhaps paradoxically, uncannily level-headed and reliable warriors possessed of great insight into the darkness of man and strong loyalty to those who share their burden. While it is not inherently evil, Nether magic feeds off of negative emotion and amplifies it in turn, forcing practitioners to always stay on their guard. Keeping it in check requires the user to face their own failures and weaknesses, for in doing so they gain strength over them.
Aether
Divine magic in turn calls upon the light of the Aether to create dizzying display of light, ranging from devastating ion blasts from the skies to swarms of homing rays of light or massive lances formed of crystallized magic to pierce foes. Blinding and brutal, it is the light of judgement as much as it is a ray of hope, completely disassociated from human morality and religion. Much as Nether-aspected summoning magic calls on existing entities, so too does Aether, calling forth valkyries and angels both biblical and classical. While none are actual deities, more than a few local religions have sprung up in the wake of its use. Aether magic is fueled primarily by conviction, as well as the same level of ironclad willpower that is required for all Arcane magic, so its deleterious effects are perhaps even more underhanded and subtle than that of the Nether - it wears away at the restraint and compassion of its user, ever eager to right wrongs - both perceived and real, until one and the other blur together into a singular entity that must be purged. Keeping Aether magic in check requires the user to always be mindful of what is right, not merely what is wrong; to affirm their beliefs with positivity and remember the real reason they wield that power.
Arcane
Arcane magic trades the philosophical mumbo-jumbo of its brethren for unrelenting destructive power and the study of magic in its purest, rawest form, tainted by neither element nor aspect - raw destructive force unbound from all but the mage's will - and often barely even that. While its sheer intensity allows it to exert physical force and even temporary form, its extreme volatility trumps even that of Anima magic, and it quickly returns to formlessness. Its incredible instability and the intense focus and willpower required to control it, even by the standards of Primordial magic, means that Arcane magic is often an intensely personal experience, tinted and tainted by the aspect of its wielder that most reflects their relationship with it; its coloration varies far more than any other school of magic, as does its form. One practitioner might focus on making temporary constructs of emerald energy, while another might embrace its instability with angry, crackling detonations of crimson light, and another may use a wide array of pulsating amethyst beams and bursts of controlled destructive force. Constantly rebelling and pushing back against the one controlling it, Arcane magic pushes them in every direction, physically and emotionally; it lends itself to excesses, to all-consuming anger or single-minded focus that eclipses even an Aether magic user consumed by their craft, to mad science and clinical experimentation.
