Overview of Magic | Avalongate

Overview of Magic Sept 6, 2021 22:10:46 GMT

Post by Admin on Sept 6, 2021 22:10:46 GMT

    Long studied for centuries, if not millennia, the properties of the arcane have many mysteries in which the magic community has searched for across time. Various schools of thought have arisen across the world, but the largest, the Nuvem Magical Society, hosts the largest congregation of scholars and acts a form of the old 'Mage's Guild'. This society's congregation of mages act as the world's premier scholarly association, and have established a number of rankings, informational, and studies on magic. The very basics of this information have been largely distributed to the community at large, including what magic is to begin with.

    In short, what we consider mana is a life force present in every object and being in the world. Every stone, every blade of grass, every person and every animal has mana. The world around us has an incredible amount of mana that never seems to end. It is believed that the core of Roan itself radiates and creates mana constantly, though objects such as stones and soil do not appear to be creating mana. At it's very simplest, mana has no form, and no characteristics that interact with the world around it - in some cases it simply leaks out of its origin harmlessly and disperses, such as from animals and most plants. Nearly everything in the world is constantly generating a degree of mana, including humans. Some cultures early on called mana by different names Qi, Chakras, Aura, Barakah, and more.

It is commonly accepted that within most humanoids, mana flows through the body through a system much like the way blood circulates, before dispersing into different parts of the body, flowing from a core in the center of the body. What makes it so unique is the ability to control this flow is present in nearly everyone, barring dwarves and giants, who have virtually none, and virtually no control over it as it is. Once a person has expended all of their mana - or as much of it as possible, they will experience mana burn, a condition that includes extreme fatigue, pain, and general weakness. It is, sometimes, possible to exert even more power, however attempting to cast magic with no mana left will result in utilizing a large portion of your life energy, often even to the point of death for a mere firebolt.

    What mages do with mana is quite simply utilize the mana in the world around them, to fulfill whatever purposes they need. For the most part, mages learn to control the flow of mana around them, and can learn to manipulate and absorb the mana of the world around them - through this, they can control, shape and utilize this mana. This is what we call magic. There are virtually endless uses for mana, and the general consensus is that magic allows us to bend the properties of nature around us to utilize mana in any way we wish. What is important to note is that the stores of mana within a person are typically quite small - drawing in mana from the world around you is what mages normally do. Mana, once drawn from the world or from within, can be shaped into other forms or be transformed to have properties more useful to a mage.

    Mana must be present for magic to be used. Barring one's own stores of mana within their body, if the world around a person is low in mana, recovering will be near impossible. This is rarely ever seen in the world, but in some of the dungeons spread across the world, mana is purposely suppressed in their depths, leaving mages incredibly weakened.

    Once transformed into a form, mana cannot change forms. Mages who cast a bolt of fire will not be able to turn it into a bolt of ice afterwards. Magic must be prepared in one form or another - although, if cancelled before being casted, then the mana will dissipate as usual, and the form can be changed. The aftereffects of a spell cannot be manipulated. A person who is set alight by magic can be extinguished by normal means, but the flames on that person cannot be manipulated by the caster.

Oddly enough, despite this limited area of control, mana can be used to bend some laws of nature around one, at least those not affiliated with mana, such as the rate of a body's healing, or the heat and speed of an object.

Throughout Roan, there are a number of different types of magic, with differences between cultures, as well as a number of self-proclaimed and made schools. Of these all, however, the largest often encompass the elements and everything related to them. Due to this, these elemental schools have largely absorbed most of the smaller styles and practices into their own. Beyond these however, are a few following schools are the most practiced:

𝐒𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐨𝐥 𝐨𝐟 𝐅𝐢𝐫𝐞

Includes: Flame, Explosive, and Lava Mastery

This school deals with that of fire, explosions and any other form of heat. Fire mages are popularly used for combat due to the destructive nature of their magic. It is one of the most damaging types, but at the same time it tends to be the most costly. Flames are hard to control once cast, and beyond that, the mana cost is very high.

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Example Spells:

Firebolt - Launch a bolt of fire. Entry level magic.
Fireball - Launch an explosive ball of fire. Entry level magic.
Incineration - Set something alight with your very hands. Intermediate level magic.
Lava Wave - Summon a wave of lava over a desired point. Intermediate level magic.
Summon Fire Elementral - Summons a fire elemental under your control. Expert level magic.
Meteor - Take a guess. Master level magic.
Etc.

𝐒𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐨𝐥 𝐨𝐟 𝐅𝐫𝐨𝐬𝐭

Includes: Ice, and Stream Mastery

The School of Frost is the complete opposite of the school of fire, utilizing ice and water for many purposes. Unlike fire magic, however, ice and water magic is utilized in a precise manner, and can be helpful at distances, though it lacks the raw destructive power of fire magics. In turn, it also does not cost as much to cast.

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Example Spells:
Icebolt - Launch a bolt of ice. Entry level magic.
Ice Spear - Launch a direct, high powered spear of ice. Intermediate level magic.
Hailstorm - Rain spikes of ice from above on a small area. Intermediate level magic.
Frost Bind - Freeze a target in place. Intermediate level magic.
Summon Ice Elemental - Summon an ice elemental under your control. Expert level magic.
Fragment - Launch a large ball of ice that explodes into a plethora of smaller ice spears in all directions. Expert level magic.

𝐒𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐨𝐥 𝐨𝐟 𝐄𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐡

Includes: Mud, and Stone Mastery

The School of Earth is not often used for combat - though there are a few spells which are utilized in this manner, as it is largely used for defensive purposes, such as constructing barriers and walls. Earth, however, can be utilized to strike the enemy, with columns of stone and boulders, or can be utilized to stun an enemy.

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Example Spells:

Stonewall - Summon a stone wall for cover and protection. Entry Level Magic.
Stoneskin - Summon forth stone like armor. Entry level magic.
Stone Grasp - Entrap a target in stone. Intermediate level magic.
Eruption - Fragment the earth and cause the ground to launch a target into the air. Intermediate level magic.
Stone Spines - Draw jagged spikes to impale a target. Expert level magic.
Stone Coffin - Encapsulate a target in stone and crush them under pressure. Expert level magic.

𝐒𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐨𝐥 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐦

Includes: Lightning, and Wind Mastery

The School of Storm is a solid midground between the prior schools, encompassing lightning for offensive spells, and the winds for defensive means. This school is often the first that mages pick due to it's nature, but though it has spells of both defensive and offensive nature, it is no simple school to learn.

SPOILER: Click to show

Example Spells:

Lightning Bolt - Fire a bolt of electricity. Entry level magic.
Gusts of Wind - Launch an enemy backwards with a blast of wind. Entry level magic.
Chain Lightning - Cast an arc of lightning the jumps between targets. Intermediate level magic.
Updraft - Launch an enemy into the air with a powerful blast of wind. Intermediate level magic.
Summon Wind Elemental - Summons a wind elemental. Expert level magic.
Thunderstorm - Conjure immense wind pressure and constant lightning strikes onto an area. Master level magic.

𝐒𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐨𝐥 𝐨𝐟 𝐋𝐢𝐟𝐞

Includes: Nature, and Healing Mastery

The School of Life is based entirely around nature and healing - it is this school which most healers across the world elect. Though there is healing involved in the school of light, the added bonus of natural magics that assist with a variety of issues from domestic ones like growing crops to combat.

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Example Spells:

Nature's Touch - Provide a light heal to a target. Entry Level Magic.
Instinct - Empower self to increase speed and reaction time. Entry Level Magic. (This is more for dodging.)
Springvines - Entrap a target in vines. Entry Level Magic.
Rejuvenating Blossoms - Major healing to a target. Intermediate level magic.
Poisonous Leaves - Conjure poisoned thorns and launch them at an enemy. Intermediate level magic.
Sentinels of the Forest - Summon three treent-like creatures to serve you. Expert level magic.

𝐒𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐨𝐥 𝐨𝐟 𝐔𝐧𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐚𝐥 𝐌𝐚𝐠𝐢𝐜

Includes: Object Projection, Time Altering, Gravity Altering

The School of Universal Magic is an obscure and extremely high level school of magic. It contains several forms of utilizing magic that are not widely taught, and as such, it is a mark of experience. Only the highest level mages obtain Universal Magic, even less master it, and only a handful teach it.

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Example Spells:
Conjuration - Conjure any form of object. Tools, weapons, or more. These objects can only move a certain distance from you, and will not be nearly as durable as the real thing. Entry Level Magic.
Project Blades - Conjure a set of blades and launch them at a target. Entry level magic.
Meditation - Rejuvenate your ability to use magic. Intermediate level magic.
Mana Shield - Protect yourself directly with your mana. Being hurt will drain your mana instead while using this. Expert level magic.
Time Stop - Freeze a target in place. Expert level magic.
Dimensional Door - Teleport instantaneously, anywhere. Master level magic.

𝐒𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐨𝐥 𝐨𝐟 𝐋𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭

Includes: Blessings, Buff, and Alternative Healing

The School of Light is a type of school that is, technically, no an openly taught school of magic. Proponents of the School of Light are indeed mages, but most of the time the School of Light is taught in highly religious areas, due to its ties to the deities and is believed to be a school of magic taught to those who believe in the Gods.

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Example Spells:

Light Heal - Bathe an area in healing light. Entry level magic.
Smite - Summon a beam of radiance on a target. Entry level magic.
Greater Heal - Bathe an area in stronger healing light. Intermediate level magic.
Radiant Touch - Remove poisons, toxins, and curses with ones touch. Intermediate level magic.
Blessing of Lilyma - Buff your homies immensely. Yes that's vague it's roleplay. Expert level magic.
Dawn Burst - Summon a column of light to evaporate an area. Master level magic.

𝐒𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐨𝐥 𝐨𝐟 𝐃𝐚𝐫𝐤

Includes: Necromancy, Soul Magic, Curses, and Illusion Mastery

The 'School of Dark' otherwise encompasses types of magic that are often used by criminals, necromancers, and other unsavory individuals who are often living underground or away from towns and cities. Every kingdom on Roan has a ban on necromancy for one reason or another, and curses are attached to such a school. Illusions, though not necessarily illegal, are typically often used by that of rogues as well. The School of Dark is not taught in any mage's society or guild in the world.

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Example Spells:
Clouded Mind - Blind an enemy. Entry level magic.
Dark Tendril - Impale a target with shadows. Entry Level magic.
Siphon - Leech an enemy's life force. Intermediate level magic.
Silence - Render a target unable to use magic or other martial arts. Intermediate level magic.
Ravenous Shadow - Tear into an enemy with its own shadows. Intermediate level magic.
Summon Undead - Summon undead to do your bidding. Ranges from Zombie (Entry Level), Skeleton (Intermediate), Death Knight (Expert), to Lich (Master).