Magic

What is Magic

According to the ancient writings of Barathius Mox, Magic is the conscious change or redirection of flow state or form which produces a measurable effect, and Archmagus Talderon Kettle describes magic as world molding and fate changing. Almost every culture and religious belief has some form of description of Magic and its place in Anri, but all agree that it is a force of change which causes many of the greatest wonders and mysteries in the world. In common practice magic is the manipulation of flow through the use of magical devices called magitech that causes different effects on the environment. This can be anything from a lamp that glows without a flame, to a boat that moves itself, and even a sword that can cast lightning. Magic in and of itself is common all throughout roshanri especially deeper in the East where there are far more human cities, with all humans able to use it to some extent or another. That said, in order to be considered a true Mage or Meister one must possess an ability with their magitech that is beyond the ordinary use, and have a level of mastery in one of the magical disciplines.

Humans and Magic

Only humans have the natural and innate ability to perform magic. This magic requires a human to connect with their specialized magitech device, and use that device as a medium to affect and manipulate the flow around them. The end product of this process is what is known as magic, and it has been divided between three core disciplines and a multitude of other magical disciplines. What is it then that allows a human to perform magic and prevents other races from doing the same? As a race all humans possess what has come to be known as the Atmos Spark. It is a part of the human self that allows them to reach out from themselves to connect directly with the magitech device, and what gives them the ability to redirect flow around them in a certain direction. The Atmos, in addition to the make up of the magitech itself, gives a human a large amount of control over their environment in the form of magic and is the core to what makes a human human.

Atmos Spark

The term 'spark' is misleading in that it implies a feeling like electricity or power, when in fact the Atmos is simply a natural part of being a human. Like all who live in roshanri the humans are connected to The Source via their life path, but in addition to this there is another sensation deep inside ever human that resonates in time with their heartbeat. It is a feeling of self, or like being centered and can be touched consciously if desired. When a human holds their Atmos it gives a sense that they are more than just their body and their mind, that there is something within them that is in control of their physical form. Some call the Atmos a manifestation of the subconscious in humans, but when a human wishes they can reach out beyond their physical bodies with the Atmos to interact directly with the flow.

The Atmos can be used to push or to pull on the Dynamic Flow around them, which in and of itself is not magic as it does not manifest a noticeable effect. What it does mean, however, is that a human can direct the dynamic flow around them to travel into or through a magitech item of some kind even if they are not directly touching it. This is how gem 'charging' is done in Magitech. More importantly the Atmos allows a human to connect with a magitech device, making the item temporarily a part of them and giving them the ability to move and manipulate all flow states in many different ways as determined by the magitech item itself. With this connection flow can be pulled into the magitech device and utilized, transitioned, and expelled. It is also the Atmos, in addition to the other processes, that allows things to be 'catalyzed' or made susceptible to magic or magitech in the first place. It is for this reason that only humans have the ability to create magitech, and why only humans can use magitech to its full extent.

When used the Atmos is draining. It requires a significant amount of focus and conscious effort to maintain any link through the Atmos, and so after a time a person will need to rest and recover. Over exertion can cause a variety of problems, including fatigue, headaches, nausea, and in some cases delirium and weakness in the limbs. Using the Atmos requires time and patience to master, and how it is utilized differs between magical disciplines. This also limits the number of magitech items a human can use at one time. Most tend to stick with one magitech device in order to master their magical discipline, but some disciplines require a greater number of magitech items in order to function properly. Increasing the skill in a magic discipline also increases a persons ability to use their Atmos for that discipline more effectively, meaning it is possible to use more than one given enough time and training. That said, since all magical disciplines are unique in what they demand from the Atmos a level of master is required for each in order to use multiple disciplines at once.

Magic in History

It seems that magic has existed for almost as long as there has been written records of history. Even some old stories and hymns passed down from the ancient times give mention of wondrous events occurring which can only be explained as magical in nature. Human culture and society though is the primary focus of magical history, as it is theorized that it was humans who first introduced the practice of magic to the world, or at the very least refined its practical use.

What little can be found of the history before the Forgotten Era suggests that magic was bountiful, found everywhere that there were Humans gathered and farther still deep into the wilds of Rosh’na territories as well. The wonders of the world were great, nearly unbelievable by current standards such as forests that migrated and rivers that flowed through the sky. What items and ruins can be found and explored show a refinement of magic to such an extent that it cannot be reproduced with current technologies. Some of these ancient creations still function to this day, though these items are rare and hard to find and more often than not are whisked away by the Edict of Chrom. What is clear from these discoveries is that magic has always been a large part of Human culture, and it was used for everything from healing to war-craft.

Flow

Flow is described by many as the true nature of things. It courses and runs through all matter, fills the airs and waters of Anri, and even resides inside and around every living creature. The flow is considered an extension of The Source which spreads and fills everything. Some religious sects then intern claim that flow is an extension of the divine, the last traces of a higher power’s touch on the world before they withdrew from the mortal plains. Whatever the case may be, the Flow is a force in the world which influences everything, and the tool used to manipulate this force is what is now called Magic.

Scholars often use water as a way of describing the concept of flow to new apprentices or the ignorant masses. Like water, flow travels through the world in shifting and swirling currents called paths. Unlike a river, however, flow is not limited to one path. It may shift suddenly and violently all at once, causing strange occurrences and devastation such as droughts or earthquakes. These paths can also shift more subtly, taking years if not decades and centuries to move just slightly. This shifting is a natural occurrence in Anri, and some spend their entire lives trying to understand their cause and purpose.

Given the great diversity in the world, from different species of plants and animals to the changing seasons, mages spent centuries trying to determine how flow could cause so many different effects. In the more recent centuries the most popular and widely accepted theory is that Flow, while a singular force, can shift and change between different ‘states’ much like they can shift and change between different paths. The state which the flow is in currently dictates what effects it has on the world and the things around it, a convenient way of classifying the effects of flow for the purpose of Magic and Magitech creation. There are currently three defined Flow States: Axiom, Dynamic and Pith.

Flow States

Axiom Flow

While in the Axiom state flow imparts physical matter with its physical properties, such as a stone's hardness or a saplings flexibility. It is considered the state of substance and affects nearly every part of a person’s life in one way or another. There is a significant amount of danger which can come from tampering with the axiom flow of a creature or object. Most things exist in a balanced state with all of their properties coexisting more or less perfectly with one another. Tipping the balance one way or another could cause a thing to be destroyed, or simply crumble to dust.

Dynamic Flow

This is the more inherently ‘magical’ of all the flow states. Dynamic flow can be found freely in the environment, unbound and unrestricted to one form or another unlike Axiom Flow. It courses through the air, the ground and even in and around living creatures. Dynamic Flow is often the power source for open circuit magitech items as it can be quickly and easily collected by a trained mage from the environment. Dynamic flow has a much less defined role in the world, but it is understood that things such as heat and energy can be manipulated by redirecting Dynamic Flow.

Pith Flow

Life itself is considered a part of the Flow, and the flow which gives dictates the properties of Life is known as Pith Flow. This flow state is considered the most obscure, and very little is truly understood about it beyond the fact that it is what animates and gives creatures of Anri life. It is thought to be a direct connection to the Source itself and is similar to a loop which begins at the Source, flows through the living creature and then returns to the Source. Such things as a person's vitality, life span and mental states can be affected by manipulation of Pith Flow.

Magitech

Through the Atmos Spark, humans possess the ability to move and direct the Flow in its various states, however, in order to perform magic humans require the use of special devices known as Magitech. Magitech, or Magitek depending on where a person is from, is an item created by human hands which easily and readily accepts the touch of the Atmos, and allows flow to move freely through it to mix and combine in various ways to perform magic. The effects that can be brought on through the use of magitech are endless, and the types and variations in magitech are only limited by a person’s imagination. These items can be bought and sold in major cities, and can be created and modified if a person knows how. The history of magitech is as ancient as humans themselves, and many scholars dedicate their entire lives to uncovering all the ancient secrets their ancestors have left behind in the ruins scattered across roshanri.

Magitech itself can come in a variety of forms, both large and small, and once created it can be made to require constant human intervention or have the ability to function on its own, with humans only needing to 'charge' its source gem from time to time. Nearly every city has some form of magitech within it, either lighting the streets in flameless lanterns or platforms which raise themselves in the air without the use of pulley systems. The deeper into the East, where the human cities are larger and more expansive, magitech becomes a common good with more and more shops open for purchase of items or parts for both the casual and master magitech crafter. It is said that the city of Draklien even has vehicles that can travel through the sky, though this could be just a rumor.

Three Core Magics

There are three core disciplines in magic that are taught before anything else. This is because in order to perform any other magical discipline a person must possess a base level of mastery in the core magics associated with that discipline. For example, Summoning takes principles from both Sorcery and Thaumaturgy, and because of this a person who wishes to utilize summoning must have a basic understanding of those two core magics associated with it.

A core magic is called a core magic because it focuses on the basic use and understanding of one flow state. Mastery of a core magic opens up a number of new possibilities within the magical disciplines themselves, and has the potential to allow new discovered to be made as the flow is used and combined in new ways based on the core principles. In essence the core magics are the groundwork for all magic, and it is important that all would be mages to know and understand them at least in part.

Core Magics

• Alchemy- A core magic which focuses on mastery of Axiom Flow
• Sorcery- A core magic which focuses on mastery of Dynamic Flow
• Thaumaturgy- A core magic which focuses on mastery of Pith Flow

Magical Disciplines

If the core magics are like the primary colors Red, Blue and Green, the magical disciplines are the blending of those colors to create every shade of the rainbow. A magical discipline may focus on the manipulate of one flow state, or it may blend different flow states in varying degrees. It is important to have a basic understanding in the core magics before attempting to master a magical discipline, and so each discipline requires different prerequisites before than can be take as a skill.

• Ethalomancy- Absorbing and generating heat to cause bursts of flame
• Golemancy- The art of creating artificial life in the form of golems
• Prism- Capturing images and creating illusions using light.
• Pulse- Creating pulses of kinetic force to push or pull objects from a distance.
• Raising- Raising and manipulating corpses with magitech
• Shielding- Creating shields to protect against damage physical and magical.
• Summoning- Forming contracts with other worldly creatures.