Magic

Legend

“Reality consists of mana leaking from the astral or spun into objects and fate-threads by the Vornir. At times drawn forth by gods and mana manipulators.”

“One would rather encounter a Vornir creation than something created by chaotic flux.”

—Skjald Ulrich

Description

Everything in The Void, and thus in our World, is shaped of fluid or self-crystallised mana—the very same substance that the Boriac used to create Mana Links to connect to everything they encountered in the void. Everything, even these links, could be manipulated and the energies transformed. These manipulations, and severing links was at first done by the divine races. But as mortal races came to be, some adapted the ways of the divine, or figured out how to manipulate on their own.

As leaked and shaped mana can be altered, by utilising true names and setting energies in motion, individuals utilised this and began to master manipulations. Unforeseen by all, their interactions with mana sent energies back through the energy conductor links, strengthening the Aura Colour of that Magic Realm. This made the mana sea sea colour realms offer energies back, enforcing the mana links.

Not only did mana links grow in mass, volume, and brightness due to the interactions with them, but many a link became sentient, some eventually bursted into self-existence. Thus the gods were born, and once spawned as sentient, moving, and acting entities, they whimsically began teaching back the knowledge, which they had observed from both the elder divines and the mortal races. Their mortal users, studying, learning, and practicing magic of any magic realm, strengthen its gods.

The four magic realms are utilised in various ways, and as a mana manipulator’s understanding and abilities improve, they submerge deeper into the aura colour of that realm. Engulfing them, wrapping their minds and husks, hardening the learning of opposite magic paths—as illustrated on the Magic Wheel. Utilising also afflict the mana manipulator’s aura colour, and only mentalists stay untainted.

“Using ones mind is a danger in itself, as gods naturally dislike—and fear—those free of their grasp.”

—Skjald Sejrik

History

Dark Ages

Long before the advent of aura colours, Magic Realms, Stats, Magic Academies, and Fylgia. Some of the mortal Races discovered how to influence the mana sea and bend reality to their own purposes or beliefs, and at times disasters occurred. So, came the establishment of order and safety by grouping and limiting things.

Generally, when these early pioneers spotted each other, they battled to the death, and few were those who shared their knowledge. Luckily the habit of sharing and categorising knowledge took the upper hand, creating the foundation for the now rather vast and complex system of magic.

Through time, from the enigmatic dark ages to the World Reforming and the First Age ending with the 1st Cataclysm. The Second Age saw the emergence of a large number of outstanding mana manipulators; the most outstanding was The Bullheaded God, heralding the Third Age and its evolution of everything magic. An evolution that ended in mortal mayhem in the Vular War—some say the gods feared the competition and caused the eclipse. An eclipse that brought the Arisen upon us and a new type of mana manipulators, Liches making the Fourth Age hard to handle for the commoner. Especially since the gods, as always, lurk behind everything and are willing to bring the astral swirl upon our lives.

With the cataclysmic end of the fourth age, we lost much lore about magic and many an outstanding mana manipulator. But with heads held high and clear of enchantments, we now walk into the dawn of the Fifth Age.

“The worst, even worse than the thousands of lives lost, is that Allele Diploid was somewhat crippled too.”

—Skjald El Mary

Organisation

Theres many different ways to describe each part of what makes the world of magic, but let me try flesh the overall parts out for you. You already briefly heard about the mana sea and mana threads and links, which in themselves are unparted. So, let me start with the core of a Mana Manipulator; colours of the wheel, derived from the eight major group of tints found amongst all of the races, and how a beings actions defines its magic realm.

Channelling, Essence, Mentalism, and Arcane are the four domains of magic, each ordered into eight levels of mastery. Their magic paths starting with the simplest in the centre and stretching to the edge of what is conceivable. All paths are linked to divines who are drawn to and fed by the use of energies associated with them, as such with the excepttion if manipulated by those of the Arcane.

Even though all are born with an aura colour. Its the mana manipulators assimilation with one of the realms, that ends up defining their alignment towards the gods. Each manipulate in a unique fashion, and as a result, they are characterised by their performing of magic paths. We have yet to see a bearer of a realms core Aura colour, end up mastering its opposite realms core paths.

Channelling manipulators employ the energies and knowledge of their gods’ of their gods.
Essence manipulators use external ingredients and resources when modifying reality.
Mentalism manipulators use their internal, mental energy, to set energies in motion.
Arcane manipulators use the sturdiness of body, to attune the world to void energies .

“Imagine, if Arcane the firstborn, once more guided the races.”

—Skjald Vinotis

Manipulation of the mana sea may be improved by employing one of the many academies; Mana Burst, Mana Flow, Mana Husk, Mana Fill, Truename, Ingredients, Weaving, and Magic Paths, as well as by utilising Magic Shards.

The Academies are divided into two major groups:

Magic Mana Academy: Mana Burst, Mana Flow, Mana Husk, and Mana Refill
Magic Manipulation Academy: Truenaming, Ingredient, Weaving, and Magic Paths

The width and complexity of academies are far too broad and deep for me to delve into now, but they can easily be studied.

“The stories and legends one hear, from the age of no academies, are horryfying sleep disturbers.”

—Skjald Valgrif

The magic shards comes into existence when mana manipulators are careless, purposefully not truenaming discharged energy, or as a result of the astral leaking mana. There are eight coloured variations of these magic shards, and two multicoloured anomalies:

“Theres those who hunt the purest of shards for centuries, never gaining a multicoloured.”

—Skjald El Mary

Special

“fylgia have a tendency to align themselves with mana manipulators..”

—Skjald Valgrif

Story

The ability to utilise magic is perilous, especially when displayed in the wrong setting. That day at “The Prudent Mule” in Pikleby, Ivory Vale, I’ll never forget. A card-playing group suddenly erupted in a heated debate, culminating with one of them leaping to his feet in a display of ability, deep into the art of channelling heavenly forces. He began yelling numerous Truenames at a slim man across the table. However, he was dumb enough to deploy a strong, long-casting channel. The recipient of the energies had no intention of suffering whatever annoyances his opponent was causing, so he got up and showed himself to be a manipulator. Hand weaving intricately and confidently while tossing supplies towards the chanting fool. He was clearly a master manipulator of the essence, aiming for a faster release and stunning, situation-ending impact. The surrounding card players and visitors at the adjoining tables were taken aback by their behavior. Except for me and a hooded alcoholic who gazed wide-eyed and mumbled to himself, everyone panicked and began to escape or hide. It was rather amusing to watch others panic and freeze over. The channelling idiot grasped the consequence and changed his spell just as the Essence manipulator launched his miniature, devastating lightning bolt. At the corner of my eye, I noted that the mumbling alcoholic was not paralysed by terror. He clenched his teeth and squinted his eyes in a determined glare at the guys in battle. He blinked, and the Essence Manipulator’s hand twisted out of sync, flinging all of his ingredient pouches into the erupting Lightning Bolt, causing it to go out of control and grow into a pulsing ball of electricity and magma-flames sucking up the Channeler’s hazily controlled energy. Both gasped as elements and heavenly forces hit their bodies. As their trapped mana spilled out, they bent, twisted, and were ripped open. Then they erupted in a shower of coloured lights, blood, and guts, almost touching my ale mug! The resulting hush was deafening. Everyone held their breath, sat rigidly, or lay prone in terror. Except for the hooded, somewhat tipsy mentalist, who took a large swallow of his mead and stood slowly as he assessed the situation and me. I’m still convinced I noticed a power-recognition blink and a little smile twist of the lips when we shared the glance. I nodded in recognition of a well-hidden cast. “We never met again, and I still wonder, if I…” —Skjald Yell'a'Beard

Last Updated on 2025-09-06 by IoM-Christian