Post by Ritzz on Jan 2, 2014 2:47:16 GMT
Mana is defined already as part of a person's being, just as life force or ki is something they are born with, all beings are born with an amount of mana, though not necessarily enough to use magic most of the time. Many of those who can use magic are labeled as magicians. Though some races have worked around their lack of affinity for magic, or some lucky few are fortunate to have been born or granted power. Although, even now it is hard to understand magic to this day, especially certain classes of magic, so this thesis is to give a rough but accurate explanation on these more uncommon magic types in hopes of getting a better comprehension of it in the future.
Arcane: Arcane by definition is understood by very few and mysterious in nature. There is very little evidence of its origins but one thing is certain. It is a common magic of the undead, and the few races who use it and are not immediately hostile have very little understanding of their power and say it comes to them as innately as breathing. Visual and physical tests show that arcane magic is close to holy and demonic magic, as it has capabilities of using spells similar to the other two to a certain degree, but with an arcanic element instead. Arcane magic has been seen as a portion of two subsets of magics used by the living as well in smaller quantities; Summoning and Banishment. People have theorized that arcane may have been a form of natural checks and balance for the world, as holy magic is typically reserved for angels and priests of the church while demonic magic is reserved for demons and followers of their cults. Arcane is capable of summoning from both factions and their own unique creatures, and seeing as it is effective against both classes of magic, it has been argued that Arcane magic is the magic of the mundane life on the planet to use for themselves. Proof holds true in many objects around the world; Teleportation magic, magical gateways, summoning circles to bring divine entities or cast arcanic power, summoned beasts, summoned tools, even magic circles used by humans all have traces of arcane energy from small to massive. A general understanding of arcane may have been lost to time for the living, and the undead only understand this ancient magic by heart.
The main features of Arcane-
Summoning
Banishment
General utility
Effective against Divine forces
Mysticism: Following arcane magic, Mysticism is a magic class more generally understood, but significantly harder to master. Mysticism is spatial magic, warping reality to the whims of the caster in ways different than elementists and arcane casters . It is thought that mysticism is a combination of spatial magic, time magic, and a degree of psychic magic that can bewilder and amaze onlookers as the caster twists and bends space to attack from angle around the enemy target without even being nearby or cause damage to their psyche with mind numbing actions, and strike while their defenses are down. Seeing a man grow 10 extra arms and pummel you from 12 directions at once is awful to think about already. Mystics are far and few in the world, and even fewer can be called masters of the art.
Darkness and Light: Dark and Light magic are umbrella terms for what the general public typically sees various magic fall morally under, though some have taken a more focused approach and considered the differences between to two on a scale of how destructive or restorative they can be instead.
Dark Magic is actually less destructive than light magic can be, but the classes of magic under its name can effectively cause enough chaos and disorder to leave lasting damage in the long run. Unfortunately, many cults and morally dubious factions drag the name of dark magic through the mud. Dark magic is NOT evil by nature, its users are. It is mandatory to acknowledge that dark magic is NOT evil by nature, and spells usually considered light magic are actually related to dark magic.
Necromancy is a common type of magic found under the dark label, however there are two variants of Necromancy. The first is the most popular variant that controls spirits and the bones of the dead, bringing to life the deceased. The second variant is "Elder necromancy" which uses the power granted by the Gods of Death to mentally warp and assail targets, summoning elder monstrosities to fight with the caster.
Brightness Magic is another common class but also the most confused. It's always confused for simply being physical dark energy, but spellcasters who fire bolts of hard light are using the exact same class of magic, just on the other side of the spectrum of its capabilities.
Divine Offensive Magic is magic that was once reserved by demons and angels, and has a variety of uses and forms, from command of hellfire to casting demonic bolts of energy or summoning demonic beasts or summoning pillars of burning light and scalding holy water.
Summoning can be used for both "good" and "evil" entities, it is typically under the label of dark magic as it can be used to summon an army of any kind of entity to wreak havoc.
Spatial Magic is magic that defies the laws of physics and can control gravity and space to the caster's whims, Though few are able to master, many magicians and forms of magitech use spatial magic for everyday needs in telekinesis and warp holes to act as doors.
Light Magic falls on the other side of the spectrum, instead holding restorative and defensive magic. It is understood that some classes of dark magic can be used in special circumstances to fit the role of healing and defending, but they are by name "special circumstances" and will not be considered here.
Restoration magic is an age old class of magic that comes from several sources. Granted to priests by the gods or by fairies, awaken one day to your power suddenly coming to you or fulfilling a prerequisite grants you the power from its previous owner. Its purpose is purely for restoring things to a previous state. Note that it is not labeled as "healing" magic as that would assume it can only work against the living which restoration can do but is not its only purpose. Healing magic is a subset of restoration, and restoration can even repair undead or provide nutrients to infertile land.
Blood: A type of magic seen under negative light by bishops of the church and has been widely accepted as taboo, Blood magic is another age old form of magic used by shamans, druids, and witch doctors. It got its bad reputation due to abuse of its power and used in arcane summoning. However, blood is an excellent restorative and defensive magic as it is already full of life force. It can heal wounds and cure disease, and be used to summon powerful barriers and boons to assist from the back lines at the cost of the caster's own blood or their supply. Skilled casters can use blood magic offensively to where it can even be seen as a dark magic, but few are that skilled and often instead focus on summoning instead as it is more efficient.
Divine Defensive Magic: Opposite of the offensive types, defensive offers many options from both demonic and holy energies. Both can heal and form barriers to some degree, but holy magic is typically better and more efficient, demonic magic is better for casting boons on allies while debilitating the enemy to tip the battle scales in the caster's favor.
Psychic Magic is the magician's answer to seer's naturally born with psychic abilities, able to emulate psychic powers with mana alone, albeit as a much greater stresss to their bodies to maintain such a degree of effort of using their mind to maintain the spell and the type of mental effect they wish to use.
These lists are just scratching the surface of magic and by no means are absolute. Decisions on placements for classes of magic change often with disagreements and new understanding. Elemental magic was not considered as they are considered forces of nature, which act purely off the user's intentions and have no clear factor to settle them for one or the other type.
Time Magic is a subject of extreme care as time magic is monitored by the Chronor and offenders are dealt with oftentimes ruthlessly. Though from its name along, the magic is obvious, it allows control over time to certain degrees. Few magicians are capable of using it to stall their aging, and even fewer are able to visit time's past.
A form of magic all casters own the moment they start developing their magic is an "Aether Barrier", an arcanic shell of energy that completely covers the whole body in its invisible layer. It would be wrong to say that Aether barriers are "learned" as all living beings own one since they are born with mana, but only spellcasters can reinforce their barriers to be stronger with their growth as an magician. The stronger a magician's affinity for magic, the stronger their barrier will be as a result. However, the aether barrier only becomes useful once a caster expends energy for it as it is not a passive ability.
Arcane: Arcane by definition is understood by very few and mysterious in nature. There is very little evidence of its origins but one thing is certain. It is a common magic of the undead, and the few races who use it and are not immediately hostile have very little understanding of their power and say it comes to them as innately as breathing. Visual and physical tests show that arcane magic is close to holy and demonic magic, as it has capabilities of using spells similar to the other two to a certain degree, but with an arcanic element instead. Arcane magic has been seen as a portion of two subsets of magics used by the living as well in smaller quantities; Summoning and Banishment. People have theorized that arcane may have been a form of natural checks and balance for the world, as holy magic is typically reserved for angels and priests of the church while demonic magic is reserved for demons and followers of their cults. Arcane is capable of summoning from both factions and their own unique creatures, and seeing as it is effective against both classes of magic, it has been argued that Arcane magic is the magic of the mundane life on the planet to use for themselves. Proof holds true in many objects around the world; Teleportation magic, magical gateways, summoning circles to bring divine entities or cast arcanic power, summoned beasts, summoned tools, even magic circles used by humans all have traces of arcane energy from small to massive. A general understanding of arcane may have been lost to time for the living, and the undead only understand this ancient magic by heart.
The main features of Arcane-
Summoning
Banishment
General utility
Effective against Divine forces
Mysticism: Following arcane magic, Mysticism is a magic class more generally understood, but significantly harder to master. Mysticism is spatial magic, warping reality to the whims of the caster in ways different than elementists and arcane casters . It is thought that mysticism is a combination of spatial magic, time magic, and a degree of psychic magic that can bewilder and amaze onlookers as the caster twists and bends space to attack from angle around the enemy target without even being nearby or cause damage to their psyche with mind numbing actions, and strike while their defenses are down. Seeing a man grow 10 extra arms and pummel you from 12 directions at once is awful to think about already. Mystics are far and few in the world, and even fewer can be called masters of the art.
Darkness and Light: Dark and Light magic are umbrella terms for what the general public typically sees various magic fall morally under, though some have taken a more focused approach and considered the differences between to two on a scale of how destructive or restorative they can be instead.
Dark Magic is actually less destructive than light magic can be, but the classes of magic under its name can effectively cause enough chaos and disorder to leave lasting damage in the long run. Unfortunately, many cults and morally dubious factions drag the name of dark magic through the mud. Dark magic is NOT evil by nature, its users are. It is mandatory to acknowledge that dark magic is NOT evil by nature, and spells usually considered light magic are actually related to dark magic.
Necromancy is a common type of magic found under the dark label, however there are two variants of Necromancy. The first is the most popular variant that controls spirits and the bones of the dead, bringing to life the deceased. The second variant is "Elder necromancy" which uses the power granted by the Gods of Death to mentally warp and assail targets, summoning elder monstrosities to fight with the caster.
Brightness Magic is another common class but also the most confused. It's always confused for simply being physical dark energy, but spellcasters who fire bolts of hard light are using the exact same class of magic, just on the other side of the spectrum of its capabilities.
Divine Offensive Magic is magic that was once reserved by demons and angels, and has a variety of uses and forms, from command of hellfire to casting demonic bolts of energy or summoning demonic beasts or summoning pillars of burning light and scalding holy water.
Summoning can be used for both "good" and "evil" entities, it is typically under the label of dark magic as it can be used to summon an army of any kind of entity to wreak havoc.
Spatial Magic is magic that defies the laws of physics and can control gravity and space to the caster's whims, Though few are able to master, many magicians and forms of magitech use spatial magic for everyday needs in telekinesis and warp holes to act as doors.
Light Magic falls on the other side of the spectrum, instead holding restorative and defensive magic. It is understood that some classes of dark magic can be used in special circumstances to fit the role of healing and defending, but they are by name "special circumstances" and will not be considered here.
Restoration magic is an age old class of magic that comes from several sources. Granted to priests by the gods or by fairies, awaken one day to your power suddenly coming to you or fulfilling a prerequisite grants you the power from its previous owner. Its purpose is purely for restoring things to a previous state. Note that it is not labeled as "healing" magic as that would assume it can only work against the living which restoration can do but is not its only purpose. Healing magic is a subset of restoration, and restoration can even repair undead or provide nutrients to infertile land.
Blood: A type of magic seen under negative light by bishops of the church and has been widely accepted as taboo, Blood magic is another age old form of magic used by shamans, druids, and witch doctors. It got its bad reputation due to abuse of its power and used in arcane summoning. However, blood is an excellent restorative and defensive magic as it is already full of life force. It can heal wounds and cure disease, and be used to summon powerful barriers and boons to assist from the back lines at the cost of the caster's own blood or their supply. Skilled casters can use blood magic offensively to where it can even be seen as a dark magic, but few are that skilled and often instead focus on summoning instead as it is more efficient.
Divine Defensive Magic: Opposite of the offensive types, defensive offers many options from both demonic and holy energies. Both can heal and form barriers to some degree, but holy magic is typically better and more efficient, demonic magic is better for casting boons on allies while debilitating the enemy to tip the battle scales in the caster's favor.
Psychic Magic is the magician's answer to seer's naturally born with psychic abilities, able to emulate psychic powers with mana alone, albeit as a much greater stresss to their bodies to maintain such a degree of effort of using their mind to maintain the spell and the type of mental effect they wish to use.
These lists are just scratching the surface of magic and by no means are absolute. Decisions on placements for classes of magic change often with disagreements and new understanding. Elemental magic was not considered as they are considered forces of nature, which act purely off the user's intentions and have no clear factor to settle them for one or the other type.
Time Magic is a subject of extreme care as time magic is monitored by the Chronor and offenders are dealt with oftentimes ruthlessly. Though from its name along, the magic is obvious, it allows control over time to certain degrees. Few magicians are capable of using it to stall their aging, and even fewer are able to visit time's past.
A form of magic all casters own the moment they start developing their magic is an "Aether Barrier", an arcanic shell of energy that completely covers the whole body in its invisible layer. It would be wrong to say that Aether barriers are "learned" as all living beings own one since they are born with mana, but only spellcasters can reinforce their barriers to be stronger with their growth as an magician. The stronger a magician's affinity for magic, the stronger their barrier will be as a result. However, the aether barrier only becomes useful once a caster expends energy for it as it is not a passive ability.