Difference between revisions of "Magic"
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Revision as of 18:01, 21 November 2008
Magic is an essential part of Sanctuary and the planes surrounding the world. It is a force of the etheral plane that exists "under" the physical plane and can have turbulent manifestations when the two planes interact.
Contents
The Nature of Magic
The primal arcane magical force that pervades Sanctuary is usually called "Mana". Individuals skilled in sensing this power can channel the spiritual essence stored in their bodies through different techniques in order to accomplish great feats that they would be physically incapable of doing. In Sanctuary, there are several divisions of magic, and great mage clans dedicated to learning all the secrets about this force.
Magic is not commonly accessible by just any man, but some people can use a minor degree of magic power to do very basic things. A very small minority of people have the additional magical spark and the great willpower required to control magic in a way that is more significant in effect. The culture of the Western Kingdoms is more negative to magic than the Eastern ones, while they still hone the art of potion-crafting, which involves some magical components. Across the lands there are also remnants of old, and magical items like rings or amulets can still be found and used.
The two primary planes of reality are the Physical plane and the Etheral plane. The visual effects of magic becomes apparent when the two planes interact with each other and creating turbulence. Some scholars try to explain the interaction of the two by liken the physical world with the sky and the etheral realm of magic with the ocean. sky, and spells are much like the turbulence that occurs where the two interact with each other. During the Sin War, Demon and Angel alike wrought powerful magicks that threatened to tear the fabric of reality apart. The physical and magical realms began to blur and merge, which in this example would be the equivalent of a fierce hurricane.
Spells
Magic is an extremely powerful force and it has been studied my mages and scholars for hundreds of years, but the force is also very elusive and the power is never fully mastered. A "spell" is a magical incantation or kinetic movements that help weave and organise channelled Mana into a higher structure of useful effects.
The Forces of Order sought to preserve the fabric of reality by limiting the power of mortal man. This is why so few can wield magic, as much energy is lost in the transition of power between the two realms. As a practitioner of the arcane arts grows more knowledgeable he is able to create these effects with greater efficiency, resulting in spells that are more potent, have more endurance and drain less Mana in their casting.
All schooled sorcerers spend hours studying these spells to learn how to master them and to improve their efficiency or power. After years of training, they will be able to cast spells with less "wasted" Mana, and with greater precision, making the spells more powerful while using less Mana for the same effect.
Many of Sanctuary's denizens can feel the aura that shines from spells, even if they can not interact with it. Hair rising at the back of your neck does not have to be a cold wind, it can be a reaction to nearby use of magic in sensitive people.
While a powerful man might accidentally use magic without spells, it's more of opening a tap of energy to rush forward from the etheral plane, and the "spell" is as likely to kill him as doing anything else. Organised spells can be very intricate and specific or used for general chaos, depending on the intended effect. More complex spells will not necessarily require a lot more Mana, but they generally do.
Types of Magic
There are several types of magic, which depends on what type of source is used. It's unknown exactly how it works, but it's likely to come from a representation of a power in the etheral plane, and that is where you channel it from. The bits and pieces of a spell can therefore be channelled as Holy magic, Primal magic or Elemental magic, for example.
- Arcane magic
A group name for magic, but also the most advanced and powerful incantations. Can be used to manipulate the flow of time, and is considered highly volatile and dangerous. - Divine Magic
Magic channelled through other entity or source of power. Effects are subject to the source.- Demonic magic
Magic channelled from the Burning Hells. Very corrupting and unreliable, but also has great raw power. Can summon demonic entities or bring forth destructive powers. Can be obtained through just accessing demonic energies as a skilled sorcerer, or through a pact with a demon of some power. Sometimes called the power of Chaos. - Godly magic
Magic channelled from the deity of the subject. Effects are usually limited to the deity's sphere of influence (ie: a god of fire will allow the subject to cast spells of a fiery nature), and their own whims on who should have the power. - Holy magic
Magic channelled from the High Heavens. A person must be granted this ability. Used mainly to battle the Undead and other demonic forces. Elemental magic can sometimes be channelled through the Holy force, as can the essence of Life. Sometimes called the power of Order. - Natural magic
Using nature itself to channel magic energy. Nature spells are often more "primal" in nature than Elemental spells, and involves specific aspects of nature, or nature's spirits. Very different from other forms of magic, but can channel some elemental effects through it. - Spiritual energies
Additional magic in the world attached to spirits of different kinds. Not much is known about this source of power.- Death
It's not known if Death is part of the spiritual energies or not, but the essence of death is part of the Great Cycle of Being rather than only Dark/Demonic/Chaotic magic, even if they DO use death. Death is the opposite of life and death magic will hurt living creatures. - Life
It's not known if Life is part of the spiritual energies or not, but the essence of life is part of the Great Cycle of Being rather than only Light/Holy/Order magic, even if they DO use life. Life is the opposite of death and life magic will hurt undead creatures.
- Death
- Demonic magic
- Primal magic
Magic channelled from inside the body. Used mainly to allow the body to accomplish feats that are otherwise impossible. Can also be used to curse a target. - Elemental magic
"Standard" type of magic. Can be very forceful and full of power.- Electric
It's easy to transform Mana into electricity, but hard to control. Used for casting bolts of lightning on foes, move objects, teleport or create a damage-absorbing shield. - Fire
It's relatively easy to form Mana into a flame, and to control it into a form, like a bolt, stream ball or wall. Used almost exclusively in a destructive manner. - Cold
Drawing all heat out of a small area to create ice or frost. Used for damaging and chilling any would-be enemy of the sorcerer. Not as destructive as Fire or Electric magic, it can be more useful as a personal defence, or subduing an enemy.
- Electric
Magical Transportation
Staves
Any object imbued with magic exhibits an aura that is easily noticed. To determine the exact nature of this enchantment, however, requires intense study and an extensive knowledge of arcane materials and symbols. While none have mastered the ability to memorize a spell of this magnitude, the Vizjerei have developed a means for the untrained to discover the secrets of an ensorcelled object by using a rare crystal that is extremely sensitive to magical auras. This sensitivity makes it very fragile, however and the crystal will shatter if it is brought too close to an enchanted item. The very act of Identifying such an object also destroys the crystal. Scrolls and staves have been crafted that can be used to Identify magical auras. By using special inks and dyes that contain tiny grains of these crystals, the stability of the crystal is maintained until it is used to examine the enchanted object.
long ago the Brotherhood of Vizjerei discovered ways to use a simple wooden staff as a container for focused magical energy
creating staff = time consuming.
Recharcging staff = apprentice work by just channel magic energy
staves can have pattern for spells unknown to caster, uses the charge to cast.
need physical contact with the staff (gloves usually ok) to direct it's power, both hand grip.
infusing a staff, it gets a will of its own. some can be complex to control unless magician is powerful.
Can also be infused with passive magic force, such a make hits harder, or wielder stronger.
long relied upon wooden staves as channeling foci
Jewels
Precious gems and metals make excellent foci for magical enchantments Making of magical rings and amulets is unknown to most. Eastern mage clans know a little, besides the ones in the world, picked up by people or monsters. Jewlery pieces seem to interfere with each other. If worn on one hand, it's similar to a magnet, still not. Just cancel each other out completely, or just one work, usually the more powerful one. Only one (magical) ring on each hand, and one amulet about the neck. Rings rarely break, since they are under normal circumstances not involved in any fighting. "In fact, only three enchanted pieces of jewelry may be worn at any one time."
Potions
elixir brewing is still strong in the west. More acceptable social uses. Various positive effects on imbiber. The most common are healing potions, which can near instantly mend torn flesh and knit broken bone back together Mana potions = raw magical energy infused into with a liquid edible medium can replenish energy in a mage that has expended their power Some of this magical power or magic healing power can be made through a combination of herbs that will funnel magic into the beverage. Tristram Cathedral had lots of both. Clergy used them to care for sick and wounded. Greatest of the Horadrim alchemists created elixirs capable of permanently affect the drinker in positive ways. heal = red hue mana = blue hue pots to improve stamina or removing diseases as well as poisons or heating up a cold body also purely chemical potions used for warfare, throwing.
Scrolls
Scrolls are specially prepared pieces of parchment that have runes scribed on them with magical ink in order to work as a focus for spells. When spell is infused, a reader can cast the spell without using any of his own inherent mana, or even knowing the spell itself. The writing isn't the full power of the spell, which is infused in the ink and parchment, but mainly a keyword to use it. More complex spells need more complex keywords, and a high level of proficiency in reading these runes is needed to cast the spells from the most powerful scrolls. Even with a quite complex and cryptic writing, it would still be impossible for most mages to learn the acutal spell from the writing, or analysing the embedded spell. When the magical keywords are read up in a proper way while focusing on the spell in the parchment, the energy of the ink and scroll will release in the shape of given spell and also turn the scroll into dust.
Summoning Minions of Hell
It's very possible to use the forces of hell against it. The problem is the strong corrupting effect this have on the magician, as well as the fact that the entity or forces they summon will most certainly want to take control of the caster. Strict discipline and observance is needed to attempt to summon even smaller demons. The act of making a pact with a demonic lord or a Prime Evil is not a very clear or prudent one, and in most cases there will be loopholes in the pact to allow the demonic entity to take control of the mortal's soul without giving much back.
Summon and Subdue
Men who do not go into pacts with demons, but wield demonic energies are also likely to end up dead, or worse. Centuries ago, it was common to invoke lesser demons and subdue them in order to gain their power. One such small demon type is the Imp, who made the sorcerers underestimate their powers and be summoned as familiars. When an Imp had made their "master" trust them, the sorcerer would find his will subjugated by that of his “servant,” who would then vivisect him and create numerous homunculi from the pieces. In time, these homunculi would grow into other Imps.
Imps were later found in the battle for Mount Arreat. Aware that its size is a liability in battle, an Imp uses magic to teleport and attack an opponent at range, from a fortified tower position, or even while mounted on the backs of large beasts.
Creating Demonic Creatures
Another dark cabal of wizards tried to use dark powers they attained through an arcane pact with Hell in order to create a race of creatures as servants. They created a general form of bat-winged imps that they named Alae Nefastus to act as messengers and carrying out deeds that were too trivial for themselves. Each of the wizards embedded power in them that reflected their own specialization on magic and the creatures were small, nimble and possessed an unnatural cunning.
The initial impression by the corrupt sorcerers was that the experiment had been a success, until they realised that the Alae did not serve them as loyally as they had hoped. With their cunning, the creatures had taken to secretly feeding from the very essence of their masters, weakening them and eventually killing them. By this time, the sorcerers tried to undo their creations, but the Winged Fiends had been secretly breeding outside of the sorcerer's domains and they banded together in swarms, killing their former masters.
Descendants of these Winged Fiends can still be found terrorizing the contryside with their great speed, razor sharp claws, hooked wings and magical abilities.
Notes
Hidden feed of essence of fear. More demons do. live in nightmares of children dwell at edge of Physical & Ethereal Realms - unseen by mortal sight can quickly manifest strike those vulnerable wounded = retreat into the Ether to heal while invisible - creature exists partially on the Physical Realm - affected by spells and weapons
Etheral - Mystical - travel through
Mana is your character’s spiritual essence
Waypoints
The world of Sanctuary is huge and often there are great distances between towns and their outlying regions. During the Sin War, the Horadrim devised a system of magic waypoints to provide instant travel from one place to another. The magics at work have long since been forgotten as the Horadric Mages have all but disappeared. However, these waypoints remain as a legacy to the Horadrim's once-great power and the value of these devices cannot be denied.
other notes
Gods
Necromancers have the ability to reanimate corpses of most entities and to control the recently dead. The dead release spiritual energies that haunt the mortal realms. The Necromancer can focus these energies, giving them manifestation in the corporal world. Practitioners of necromancy can curse the very fate of a victim by manipulating the Prime energies flowing through all living things.
Auras - Unique to Paladins and certain creatures, Auras project a field of influence around the caster. Any allied character, hireling or minion will benefit from the aura so long as they are within the aura’s range. Those who are under the effect of an aura are indicated in the Play Area by a glowing halo beneath their feet.
Curses - Necromancers and some monsters possess the ability to influence the fate of others around them. A curse affects those within a certain radius of the caster, and victims are marked for misfortune by a fuming haze above their heads.
With this skill a Sorceress can reach out with her mind and manipulate distant objects. By manipulating the Ether that permeates the world, she is even able to retrieve items out of her reach, or send her attacks to distant enemies. Useful to a cunning Sorceress, this spell rewards quick thinking to make the most of opportunities when they present themselves.
A Sorceress trained in this arcane skill has the ability to traverse the Ether, instantly rematerializing in another location. Without the aid of waypoints or portals, she may teleport anywhere within her immediate vicinity. Though not suitable for larger distances, a Sorceress can make good use of this spell for evading capture, or to reach otherwise inaccessible areas.
Druids learned to bond with the natural entities of Sanctuary. This bonding was so absolute that eventually they discovered how to talk to the plants and animals, and these beings taught them all the secrets of the natural world. They taught them methods to call animals from far away, how to summon sentient plants from the earth, ways to change their own forms to share the strengths of their animal cousins, even, to a limited extent, techniques to control the weather.
The Druids shun the use of traditional magic, or Dubhdroiacht, as they call it. They instead practice a form of magic based in their close bond to nature. Through this intimate kinship with the world of Sanctuary, a Druid has the power to command fire, earth, and the winds. He is a friend to the animals of the wilds and can call upon them to aid in his struggle. He can also use his heightened rapport with the animals to change the shape of his own body, drawing on the strengths and abilities of his woodland companions to better serve their cause.
Long ago, the Druids confided in prayer their sacred charge to the supreme spirits of Nature. The spirits were moved by their plight and answered the Druid’s call for help. Over the many years since then, the spirits have contributed in many ways to the Druids’ cause, even offering up soldiers to serve in their campaign. A Druid educated in the language of the Natural spirits can appeal to them, and they will provide him with valuable companions. These companions fall into three groups: spirit animals, sentient vines, and minor spirits of Nature.
Order of the Light
The corrupting force of Magic
Magic = corrupting. More about power than magic?
Druids call traditional magic Dubhdroiacht
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