Krug
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Join date : 2014-02-23
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 |  Subject: Schools of Magic Tue Mar 04, 2014 10:22 am | |
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- Arcane
Considered by many to be the core form of magic, arcane magic (or metamancy) is the blanket term for a vast collection of utilitarian magics often known in basic form by spellcasters of all types. It includes abilities such as telekinesis, teleportation and the detection and cancellation of magic but to name a few, as well as a handful of offensive attacks formed from the most basic manifestation of mana itself.
Most schools of magic teach mild arcane elements as an important part of the process, though these elements are basic and barely a scratch on the surface of the capabilities of arcane magic itself. It is possible to study arcane itself as fervently as an individual would any other school, and doing so grants a much deeper understanding of the techniques widely employed across the magical world.
Arcane magics are incredibly mana intensive, the main reason why metamancy spells are so heavily limited and mildly taught, though the rewards from investing oneself wholly are substantial. Masters of the art are able to learn a technique called scrying, divination which allows one to locate an object of their choice, identify an object with no history or name, or even prophecise the future. Such proficiency is hardly ever displayed, with spells of such an intensity taking a huge toll on even the most experienced metamancers.
It is worth noting that much like pyromancy, arcane magic is cast without verbal or somatic elements. Instead, a caster must visualise the spell within his mind and shape it from within, a technique which has proven itself one of the much more difficult kinds of mana manipulation. Long term usage does not have any noticeable physical effects.  - Quote :
- Divine
Known by a variety of different names, commonly as healing magic and more archaically as aethermancy, divine magic is believed to be the benevolent will of a god made mana. Of all the magics of the world it is said to be the kindest and most forgiving, with very few cases of severe addiction when utilised for mending injuries. This is mostly due to the natural limit placed upon casters, with the average healer only able to supplement the body's natural healing to a moderate degree. Divine magic, despite its potent namesake, is unable to bring individuals back from death, nor is it able to regrow lost limbs. The most common practitioners of aethermancy are doctors and battlefield medics, who use their art to stop any bleeding, stabilise wounded soldiers and keep critically injured parts of their body working as they should do until they can be treated.
It is primarily somatic, with some verbal elements lending themselves to protective spells. Long term usage may lead to a bolstered soul, granting a boon to an individual's fortitude and strength of will whilst slightly reducing the scale of their spellcasting.
There have been masters of the art, however, able to replenish the lifeforce of a fading soul and wash wounds away as if they had never been there. This is achieved by way of learning to surpass the normal limitations of the magic, and utilising mana much more efficiently than most think possible, but it is incredibly difficult to attain such a proficiency despite the relative ease of perfecting lower intensity forms.
Against corrupted souls, such as those of the undead or those wickedly black of heart, divine magic sees an unexpected application as a damaging and offensive force, but this brings back the danger of mana addiction and other magical dangers albeit to a marginally lesser degree. It is much less commonly used in this way, and only a certain number of the schools and monasteries which train aethermancy on the western continent teach it thusly.
Practitioners of divine magic are able to temporarily imbue others or themselves with bursts of concentrated energy, utilising a high amount of mana to grant a lasting healing effect or a finite ward against damage protecting the body. This is an intensive technique, however, and the average caster is only able to summon a protective barrier able to repel two or three strikes of a sword.  - Quote :
- Shadow
Shadow magic, or sciomancy, is the art of illusion, trickery, and guile through the medium of shadows and darkness. It is a broad magic involving numerous practices, though all of them lend themselves to the sinister and illicit pursuits most would already associate with shadow. It requires no verbal component, working through way of slow and calculated gestures, and its most powerful spells may require material components.
Sciomancers deal in deception, and are able to manipulate the minds of others to see or believe what they will them to. They can directly influence the environment around them to minimise their own presence and move undetected, darkening already existing spaces and cloaking themselves in the night they wield. It is also a common trick for a caster to hide his own shadow from sight, or even to hide his reflection in mirrors and other surfaces.
The most adept sciomancers, too often those walking the thin line between control and being controlled themselves, are able to bend and blind the minds of others to such a degree that entire areas appear devoid of light. Such intense spells, however, are far too taxing for even an expert, and condemn the soul itself to corruption if the initial strain is even survivable.
It is a very malleable magic, having little in the way of formal technique save for simple tricks of the mind. Combined with the usage of material components, sciomancy is an art almost exclusively practiced through innovation and improvisation. Often, casters of shadow will have to shape their magic on the spot to accommodate for a changing situation, or to have a better chance against the individuals they intend to decieve.
It is not formally taught at any school or magic-oriented establishment, being one of the few schools actively outlawed by the most prominent spellcasters. How an individual goes about learning it is likely to be every bit as shady as the magic itself. Long term usage of the magic is rumoured to addle the mind with forgetfulness, consuming memories as often as mana and leaving the user's past often clouded with darkness. Unnaturally dark rings may form under the eyes, but only in the most extreme cases, and powerful spells gone awry may leave a caster forever without his sight.  - Quote :
- Necrotic
Necrotic magic, known commonly as necromancy (and more archaically as ruination), is the art of controlling death itself by way of manipulating mana. It is a wholly outlawed magic, banned universally for both its incredibly addictive properties and the damage it inflicts upon even the most experienced casters. The magic is centred around the destruction of the body outright, or the formulation of an artificial soul to plant into one that has passed. It is a high-intensity magic with very little in the way of a milder technique, often requiring all of a user's potential outright.
The method of resurrecting corpses in the form of thralls is a much disputed topic, one that even the most dedicated necromancers would dare to attempt. It involves utilising a huge amount of mana to create a corrupted imitation of a natural soul, enough to reanimate a deceased body or hold together a set of bones - yet not perfect enough a copy that the chosen reanimation is able to live without decaying away. By refreshing a thrall with necrotic mana, however, it is possible to sustain a reanimated body's lifespan.
Where any other school of magic would require meditation and contemplation, necromancy forces the mind open to unleash a torrent of horrifying images and sensory deceptions once utilised. A caster must learn to endure the onslaught, which depending on the severity and mana exposure can be potentially overwhelming. It is an art much like arcane in that it is primarily formulated in the mind, but there are many techniques requiring much in the way of verbal chants.
It is not taught in any school, and carries a heavy legal penalty for even so much as experimenting with the magic at work. Extended use of the magic, too, withers the muscles and physical condition to such a degree that after decades of magical strain a caster may very well have to employ the arcane to sustain his condition.  - Quote :
- Fire
Commonly referred to as pyromancy, the school of fire magic is one that lends itself to a fiercely destructive nature. It is characterised by the use of dangerous, high-intensity spells as damaging as they are consuming, and quick casting that leaves much to go wrong during evocation. The art as a whole is considered to be impossible to master, as even the greatest casters specialising in fire magic are only able to summon up so much mana before it becomes necessary to tap into their own lifeforce, but certain guilds in regions such as Medira and El Deya have become well versed in wielding it.
Fire magic is said to burn so fiercely that it all too easily consumes a caster's mind and body with equal measures of alacrity. It is the most addictive form of magic known today, in that wielders of arcane fire are both drawn to the power they send forth from their fingertips, and the natural enticement from burning through so much mana in so short a time. Like arcane magic, pyromancy is cast without verbal or somatic elements, and a caster must visualise the spell within his mind and shape it from within. This has proven itself the hardest technique with regards to mana manipulation, and combined with the magic's tendency to lick out at a user's soul in even the best conditions this quality gives pyromancers their signature, flaring orange eyes. When utilising particularly exaggerated spells, however, parts of a caster's body may burn permanently, leaving blackened and charred skin where a healthy tone might have existed.
Its extended form remains a seldom seen art on the western continent, long since abandoned by most arcane schools and organisations for magics more practical and much less dangerous, but low-intensity pyromancy still finds a place amongst knightly orders and those with a natural flair for it. When reduced to simple sparks and flames to light a campfire it is at its most placid state, but even then a certain care has to be taken to ensure it does not burn away at the soul.
Minor pyromancy such as this has a certain prevalence in the winter lands of Ostia, utilised as a survival skill passed down for generations, bastardised and otherwise made impotent to the point of becoming a utility for lighting fires and keeping warm.  - Quote :
- Water
Water magic, as the elements would suggest, sits at a polar opposite to fire magic. Where pyromancy deals in dangerous, damaging spells that place even the caster in harm's way, water magic (or neromancy) is a school of magic dealing with low-intensity techniques seldom seen used in combat. Higher intensity spells exist, but are either incredibly inefficient and ill advised, or simply scaled up versions of techniques such as water manipulation.
It is one of the most fluid forms of magic, with very little in the way of formal spellcasting available to a practitioner. Instead, a neromancer must utilise water according to his own improvisation and imagination, with flowing somatic gestures to heavily control and shape mana to his will. He is also able to lower its temperature to freezing point, a path commonly walked by most water mages though the offensive nature of the magic is of a naturally higher intensity.
Neromancy is a meditative art, following disciplines centred around the conditioning of the mind and the value of peace. It is taught across the world away from the larger cities, at small temple-like schools scattered throughout the more scarcely populated country lands. There is little danger posed to the body, but it is still a form of mana manipulation and thusly worthy of caution as to the usual risks and addictive properties.
A neromancer may feel cold to the touch often for hours after using their magic, and their breath may be able to be seen leaving them as mist when casting. They have a characteristic blue hue to them after many years of mana exposure, often glazing over as if touched by ice.  - Quote :
- Air
Air magic, or aeromancy, is the art of shaping the sky itself, both an offensive and defensive magic in its own right. It is characterised by the command of the arcane to take a host of new forms, such as gusts of wind, thunderous booms, and concealing clouds. It is a relatively low intensity magic compared to other schools, especially when used defensively, but deceptively consuming of mana when concentrated and used in offensive spells.
Aeromancy in all its forms exemplifies the meditative side of magic, with the process of learning it heavily steeped in mysticism, introspection and conditioning of the body. This is not to say that the usual risks of magic use do not apply, of course, and even the level-headed wielders of air must take care not to overstep their own boundaries.
The majority of air magic practiced today is heavily based around the defensive, though a handful of establishments exist throughout the world dedicated to utilising it offensively. It is taught widely, though it has a particular prominence in the eastern lands of Ryoshu, and is a magic that comes highly recommended to those who would seek a much more placid art. It is seldom practiced verbally, though spells may be made easier by use of a whisper alongside traditionally graceful somantic gestures.
Aeromancers are often lighter than most, with an airy step seldom heard. Their hair, too, will rise and fall like the tides of the wind when casting. Their eyes may lighten, as if clouds themselves were forming within them.  - Quote :
- Lightning
Once a branch of aeromancy, lightning magic was recognised as its own art following a divide amongst the air mages that first discovered it and its vastly destructive powers. It is known now as astramancy, to distinguish it from its placid ancestry.
It is a volatile and deadly magic to both the caster and his target, and the process of casting spells is incredibly prone to misfires, failures, and other unfortunate accidents and mishaps. Astramancy is easily the most difficult magic to wield of all, though not because of its consuming or addictive properties. It is entirely somatic, with very few spells requiring more, and the required gestures need to be perfomed with both the speed and accuracy of lightning itself. Even a hint of a mistake causes the mana form in an imperfect way, and the magic contained within to act against its intended purpose. Rather than draining himself dead, a caster of air with a fatal flaw in his technique is more likely to end his own life with a wayward sky bolt. Control of the formed magic is incredibly difficult, making astramancy very much the art of directing destructive force rather than guiding it.
Some small schools and guilds exist for this offensive practice, aimed at those seeking to pursue a more electrified path, but even they dare to tread upon more mana intensive territory for fear of consigning themselves to an unfortunate fate.
Astramancers may be prone to twitches, or lapses in concentration that can interfere with their casting. Their hair might often stand on end after casting, delivering mild shocks if kept unchecked, but these symptoms of arcane use are able to be countered.  - Quote :
- Earth
Earth magic, known to many as geomancy, is the school of magic by which the very ground a caster stands upon can be shaped. Much like aeromancy, it is a magic capable of a solid defence as much as it is able to deliver attacks to devastating effect, though it is much more mana intensive. It is, however, one of the most controllable of the arcane arts, with a combination of somatic and verbal gestures holding the mana firmly as it is shaped. Should an earth spell fail, it is much more likely to simply crumble away or recede than it is to explode dangerously, and casters of earth have to learn to resist the strain of larger spells rather than the unpredictability of others.
It is worth noting that a geomancer is unable to create their element from nothing, a defining feature of the school. Manipulation of the earth beneath them, too, does not lessen the magical strain by way of it already existing as fire does for a pyromancer.
Geomancers are hardened types, wielding a magic that takes a heavily physical toll on the body. They train in fortitude and endurance as much as they train their mind, though the practice is at its core focused around mana manipulation through what is essentially brute strength. The art has deep roots upon the eastern continent, and is mainly taught throughout it in countries such as Medira and El Deya especially, but schools of geomancy run by eastern migrants have begun to spring up in Aldinor.
A geomancer's skin may harden slightly, like the skin of an old workman's hand, and in extreme cases it has been known to tan as to match the earth itself. | |
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