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Magic is the act of changing the laws of physics, reality, and sometimes time, in the world of Aloria by drawing on essences from another dimension, the Gods, or Dragons to change the way things work. Magic means a great many things for different people. Some Elves might consider it part of their very being, while some Ailor consider it something alien or superstitious, while other cultures consider it a mix of the two extremes. This Page explains the logic behind Magic in the Alorian universe and how to make a Mage Character. If you are reading this Page to decide on Proficiencies and Point Buy Packs, all quick-start information is condensed at the top, with the information on the page becoming more specific optional reading as it goes on.
Quick Start Novice Mage Guide
- Read Dimensional Alignment & Dimensional Themes, then choose a “Source” for your Character’s Magic. (Void, Exist, Ordial, God)
- Decide if your character was born with magic they don’t understand or decided to learn it through formal schooling, apprenticeship, or self-teaching.
- Invest 1-2 Proficiency Points in one of the following categories: Magic Point Buy, Adapt Point Buy, Paladin Point Buy, Shaman Point Buy, Theurgy Point Buy, Cleric Point Buy.
- (Optionally) Choose a handful of Magical “Themes” from the “Spell Theming” section.
- Start roleplaying and find a Mage in-game who is willing to “teach” and guide your character. You can work with them to decide how long it takes your character to learn things and invest more points.
Quick Start Experienced Mage Guide
- Read Dimensional Alignment & Dimensional Themes, then choose a “Source” for your Character’s Magic. (Void, Exist, Ordial, God)
- Decide if your character was born with magic they don’t understand, or decided to learn it through formal schooling, apprenticeship, or self-taught.
- Invest as many points as you want into Proficiency Points in one of the following categories: Magic Point Buy, Adapt Point Buy, Paladin Point Buy, Shaman Point Buy, Theurgy Point Buy, Cleric Point Buy.
- Choose a handful of Magical “Themes” from the “Spell theming” section.
- Read the “Magical Skill” and “Magical Mechanics” sections and decide how much you want your character to know/understand.
- Start roleplaying!
Dimensional Alignment
All Magic requires some kind of fuel. In order to affect the laws of reality (which Magic essentially is), it must use some kind of disruptive force to rewrite them. Magic is powered by so-called Essence, which just means magical energy. In the case of Void, Exist, and Ordial Alignments, this means Magical Essence from the Void, Exist, and Bintaar dimensions. The only Magical Essence that is native to Aloria is God Essence, which is given to mortals by the Gods themselves. Any Character can learn to use the Essences of any number of Alignments. That is to say, a Character can connect to the Void and Exist at the same time, and draw Essences from them to cast Magic. Only one Alignment can be used per spell, but each Mage must consciously choose which Alignment to use for each spell, and that choice may have implications based on Dimensional Morality. Furthermore, God Magic is a bit unique, in that it is a gift directly given from the Gods, which means it can also be taken away. When choosing to play a Mage, you should choose at least one Alignment, but can choose multiple. You can also learn new Alignments later in Roleplay, so we always recommend you choose only a single Alignment first.
God Magic Exceptions
God Magic is a bit unique, because it is the only Essence from Aloria itself and the only Essence consciously granted by the Gods. God Magic, while readily accessible to all believers in theory, is considered a much more "goody-two-shoes" and weaker form of Magic than other forms of Extraplanar Magic. While the Abilities are the same in Combat Roleplay (they have to be for fairness reasons), in-lore, God Magic is often looked down upon by those who seek power through Magic or invest their research time in Magic as a whole. Extraplanar Magic, in lore, is always stronger than God Magic, which is why so many Mages opt for the social stigma of being Extraplanar Dimension Aligned Mages.
- God Magic is exclusive only to those who believe in a Religion. Heretics and certain Afflicted (who are unable to truly believe in Religion) are denied access to God Magic.
- Nobody is born with God Magic, it is only ever taught. In order to play a Mage who was born with Magic, one would have to play an Extraplanar Dimension Aligned Mage. The only exception to this is Godborn.
- Gods can take God Magic away from Mortals. A God Magic user who violates the divine laws of their religion, or uses God Magic callously in ways that offends their religion may get cut off.
- God Magic, while Alorian native, can be just as harmful and destructive as Void, Exist, or Ordial Magic. It can still be used as Sinistral and used to commit to murder, torture, or any other act of evil.
- Estelley dogma considers Exist Magic a form of God Magic (even if it is not). Fornoss considers Void Magic God Magic in a similar manner, while Evolism equates all forms of Magic to God Magic.
- Draconism followers call their God Magic Dragon Magic, though it is identical. Additionally, Archon gain (Dragon) God Magic, even if they are not Draconism followers.
Dimensional Themes
Each Dimension has specific Themes assigned to them that tend to bleed into the styling choices of their users or the aesthetics of their Spell casting. Each Dimension is outlined below.
- God Magic manifests in holy aesthetics, with different colors per religion. Themes and aesthetics are very dependent on the Religion which has granted God Magic, so there is no real definitive set of traits that can be ascribed to it. God Magic is generally positively received by nearly all Religions and societies, except societies which are specifically against Magic usage,and not of the faith that the God Magic is from. (ex. Unionist Ailor cultures that are anti-magic only see Unionist God Magic as “not magic,” but everything else is).
- Void Magic manifests as chaotic and corrosive aesthetics, usually seen as red, black, and copper. The Void represents nothingness, an empty dark void without any physicality, without any sense, and without end. Frequent visual themes include power, conquest, shadows, blood, brightness, and self-surety. The Void is considered the quintessential evil force of corruption in nearly all societies and religions.
- Exist Magic manifests as orderly and “natural” aesthetics, usually seen as white, blue, and silver. The Exist represents everything, a filled reality with every sense active at once, consciousness in all places all at once. Frequent visual themes include marble, plant-matter, statues, nature, the ordained and organized, symmetry, and perfection. Exist Magic is the most tolerated of all forms of Extraplanar Magic (Magic not from this world), though is still heavily mistrusted outside of Elven Religions and Societies.
- Ordial Magic manifests as necrotic and undeath aesthetics, usually seen as black, brass, and green. The Ordial represents a world of Death, where the living are not tolerated and the faithless dead live as shades. Frequent visual themes include bones, the undead, spirits, death, rot, and the deep dark unknown which hides horrors yet unseen. Ordial Magic is disliked in nearly every Religion and society.
Magic Limitations
This section explains the limits of Magic both In-Lore and Out of Character. Massivecraft categorizes magic into one of a few categories: things that players can do freely, things players can do with restrictions, things players can’t do for in-lore reasons, and things characters could do In-Lore, but can’t do for Out of Character reasons. The last two are covered here.
In-Lore Limitations
This is a short list of things characters can’t do with the kind of magic most Mages in Aloria use. There may be exceptions to unique entities, Spirits, or God-Blessings, etc, but generally these are things a Mage cannot just decide to learn/do.
- Resurrection: Magic usually cannot bring people back from the dead, but it can try to stop them from dying. “True Resurrection” is usually called “Life Magic” and it is extremely rare.
- Altering People’s Memories/Personality, or Reading Memories/Emotions: This kind of magic requires directly tampering with someone’s soul, which is the domain of Soul Magic, and is very rare.
- Controlling the Weather or controlling Natural Disasters/Similiar Phenomena: The amount of magic required to do this is not something a single mage can do anymore, at least not since the Cataclysm. The Natural Functions of the world are mostly managed by the Dragons, and they resist interference in it by Mages.
Out of Character Limitations
This section is a list of things that we do not allow players to do because they are OOCly unfair, unfun, or hard to moderate. These concepts may exist in the lore and may be possible, but they can’t be roleplayed out for logistical reasons. If you ever need a justification for why your character can’t/won’t do these things, you can just say they don’t know that spell or they’re not that kind of mage.
- Invisibility, Teleportation, Portal-Making, communicating with Animals, shapeshifting into animals, flight, long distance communication, telepathy.
Spell Theming
This section explains different types of ways that Magic commonly manifests in Aloria, and what the people of Aloria have come to call it. While all magic is technically ‘unique,’ there are only so many ways that the people of Aloria can manipulate their magic to cast spells, so there is frequently a lot of overlap, especially when Mages teach other Mages how to cast specific kinds of spells. It is best to think of magic like unshaped clay: someone can learn how to shape it into a tree on their own, but if they learn how to do it from another person, any trees they make will look a lot like the trees their mentor makes. This section is optional reading, so it is linked to a separate page, because it would also make this page very long. It can be found Here.
How a Mage is Made
Magic can be acquired in three ways. The first manner is to be born with it; those who are born with Magic are called Mageborn. The second manner is to learn it from another Mage; those who learn are called Magewise. The last manner is to have Magic given by a higher entity; those who have Magic given to them are called Magegiven. Generally, all three are just called “Mages” or some variant of the word. There is no inherent superiority in any of these categories, there are Mages who were born that were known to be less skillful than Mages who were taught, or those who were given Magic by a higher entity. Learning or being able to use Magic often comes down to the individual imagination or mental compatibility of the Mage, with some Mages eventually reaching a glass ceiling that they are unable to reach beyond due to a lack of imagination, while others soar much further. In history, some Mages have been known to be exceptionally skilled beyond all mortal comprehension, such as the Allorn Empress Vinnalea, who could destroy whole mountains with a faint gesture. These Mages are called Archmages, and how they manifest is not well understood. Finally, it is important that for Mageborn, Magic can be inherited. While being born a child of a Mage is not a guarantee, it does increase chances. This particularly led to mage breeding programs in the Allorn Empire before its collapse, with prestigious families planning magical pairings ahead of time to ensure Mageborn status in their children. It is supposed that for every 5,000 born individuals, one is Mageborn, though the actual number is probably higher since this estimation is based on an extrapolation of the reported Mageborn in the Regalian Empire, and many parents hid the magical status of their child due to historical repressive laws.
Magical Skill
Magic is generally egalitarian, but some people can hit the magical genetic lottery and be born with really rare kinds of powerful magic. However, if they’re not careful, it can kill them before they can even use it. Generally the best mages are a mixture of natural skill, and lots of practice/honing. There are ways for people to “cheat” magical skill, the most common of which being born as Arkenborn or Godborn, who reflect a microscopic fraction of the magical skill of their God-parent (which is still a lot). Not all Arkenborn and Godborn are guaranteed to be more powerful Mages, and many of them are eclipsed in skill and power by those without divine heritage, but it is undeniable that they have a general advantage. On the opposite side, there are plenty of inexperienced, and unskilled mages. Usually, being inexperienced with magic quickly gets a mage hurt, killed, or possessed (see Dangers of Magic & Purism section), but there are plenty of less severe cases. When a mage fully loses control of their magic, this is known as Limit Breaking, and is lethal. However, if a mage is just careless, it is possible for them to cast smaller spells without being fully aware or in control of it. Magic is at its most dangerous when it is unattended, so the most skilled mages have very precise control over theirs, and ways to keep focus while they are casting. The concept of “magical skill” also doesn’t have to apply to just Mages. Magic has a lot of theory about it, so there are plenty of non-mage scholars, historians, and even inquisitors who know a lot about how magic should and shouldn’t work. By default, only Mages can passively sense the presence of powerful magic (in the case of Sinistral), or “feel” something is magic. However, anyone who studies magic enough can see, and deduce based on what they see, whether or not something is a certain kind of magic. This extends to the use of Spirits, too. In general, if a character knows anything about any kind of “Magic,” it is likely that if they see someone casting spells, they’ll know what that means, and this extends to the identification of certain kinds of dimensional magic (though knowing what kind of magic something is rarely gives much useful information).
Magic in Regalia
Magic in Regalia (the place where most Roleplay occurs) has always had a very dubious reputation, and many Mages have gotten used to what they call “The Magical Pendulum”. The idea is that Regalia never quite settles permanently on its stance on Magic, and frequently changes direction from a more progressive understanding to a more repressive one. This is largely due to the nature of the Empire, where the whims and needs of individual political actors influence how the Imperial Court reacts to the existence of Magic overall. To be Magical is not considered a crime, but to use Magic in public without the necessary legal documentation or approval is. Many things related to Magic are outlawed, like Death Magic or Necromancy (the act of meddling with corpses or causing death with Magic). Still, Magic has found its way into various sectors of authority, with Magic being commonly used in the State Metropolitan (the guard) and even in the Emperor’s circle. Whether a Magic user succeeds in Regalia is usually related to their connections and their social caste as well as how they use their Magic, as opposed to what type of Mage they are.
Dangers of Magic & Purism
Morality of Magic
Magic as a concept has been used throughout the ages to do great acts of charity and perform great feats of evil. By far and large, like a sword or an axe, Magic has been used as an extension of power by those who wielded it, which is why so many Religions and Cultures are so against Magic. Magic in itself is not evil, but it is mostly alien to the world of Aloria, which is why some organizations exist just to purge Magic (and their users) from the world, or just because they fear what they do not have themselves. Furthermore, Magic itself has a built-in enticement to be corrupt. The way Magic is cast is classified between Radiant (weaker, safe for the world) and Sinistral (stronger, damages the world). Each Mage must make an active choice with each spell, to protect the world and opt for the weaker outcome, or to damage and corrupt the world itself for a quick boost of power. The distinction between “Radiant” and “Sinistral” magic is not that one magic is always good, and that one magic is always evil, but that one magic is intentionally weaker, and that one magic is intentionally stronger, but has long term consequences. It is absolutely possible for a mage to use a Radiant Spell to commit evil, and equally possible for a mage to be pushed to use a Sinistral Spell to save a loved one in a desperate situation. People who choose to use Sinistral Magic more often do not do so because they like to see it hurt people, and hurt the world (even if these people exist, they’re not the majority), but because they think the power it grants them outweighs the damage, or even in some cases expect beings like Gods or the Dragons to fix the damage. Due to these built-in themes of the lure of power that corrupts, most societies on Aloria have turned against Magic. “Purism” is the term used to define groups, societies, and characters who are anti-magic, and value the “purity” of a life without magic. Regalia is classified as a repressive state, meaning they have restrictive laws to the usage of Magic, and treat Mages like second-class citizens in some situations. Some Mages campaign to help contain the "incorrect" usage of Magic, others hide their abilities, while others embrace the dark arts and try to establish Mage rule. Magic has no set moral definition and always depends on the intentions and actions of the user. Just keep in mind that some Characters just do not care and want to annihilate all Magic for their own reasons. Finally, regardless of all the moral underpinnings of Magic, Mages always carry the risk of limit-breaking or becoming possessed by a Spirit that feeds off their Magic. Casting Magic, even Radiant, is not without risks, and a Mage who uses Magic too rapidly without conserving their focus and energy, can overload and lose control of their own Magic, causing them to randomly cast dangerous and harmful Magic in all directions. This has the added danger of attracting Demons and entities from other realms, who wish to feed off the Mage's Magic, invading their mind and body if they are unable to resist, and possess them. When choosing to play a Mage, you should consider all these concepts. Even if your Character cannot convince a purist that they have good intentions and properly protect themselves from the dangers of Magic, at least it allows you to understand your own Character's moral implications in the world.
Dimensional Morality
Dimensional Morality is a bit more nuanced than the Morality of Magic as a whole, because it is hyper-specific to each Character and their circumstances. To create an example, A priest of the Estelley Religion uses God Magic to heal and cure the sick and wounded in her Temple. The Estelley Religion is both positively inclined to Exist and God Magic, but in this case, she only uses God Magic. One day, her Temple is ransacked by mercenaries, and she is stricken with so much grief and vengeance, that she seeks out a necromancer to learn Ordial Death-Magic and cast it to get revenge. She now has two Alignments, but in doing so has spiritually betrayed her Gods and her fellow Estelley worshipers, who see Death-Magic as a vile thing, yet she needed that extra power because God Magic alone wasn't capable of getting the revenge she wanted. Alignment morality here is very subjective to the eyes of the beholder, the priestess did not break some moral absolute truth, but there is a lot to hold her in contempt for. Yet, at the same time, Ordial necromancers might now consider her one of their own, and embrace her in their community. Some Dimensional Alignments carry more stigma than others, and reactions may vary strongly from society to society, and religion to religion. The safest option to choose, is to stick with only God Magic from the beginning, to gain a better understanding of the nuances of Dimension Morality while Roleplaying, and then change or add an Alignment later.
Magical Corruption and Mutations
The most obvious and pronounced consequence of magic usage is the presence of magical corruption in the world, especially in the form of mutations. While there are spells and types of magic that exist for the sole purpose of twisting the appearance of something based on the whims of the caster, most instances of magical corruption happen without a mage’s direct intervention, and especially without them wanting it to happen. Magical corruption occurs when magic exists in Aloria for a prolonged period of time, without anyone to actively cast, or control it. This can happen because a number of mages nearby have been casting powerful magic carelessly, because of the presence of Spirits, Demons, or Arken, or because of an excess of magic in the world (usually because of Sinistral Magic). It manifests in a myriad of horrific ways, including, but not limited to: twisting of plant-life into a warped shape, making it inedible and toxic, infection of animals, making them violent and mutated, creating toxic miasma in an area, or attracting violent spirits. When this happens, living things (people, plants, animals), frequently suffer “mutations,” which are permanent unnatural changes to their form. These changes range from lesions, to cancers, or tumors, to unnatural growths of bone, flesh, body matter, or even foreign or unnatural matter, such as a person growing vines in their lungs, suffocating and killing them. Mutated plants, conversely, can grow eyeballs, or patches of flesh. Mutations are always unintentional, unnatural, and unwelcome, and more often than not represent something that kills whoever, or whatever, acquires them, or are a permanent ailment. While certain kinds of external mutations can be surgically removed, it is not possible for magic to undo them, because most mages are not capable of reversing that kind of damage to the body. Widespread magical corruption was most common following the Cataclysm and previous Void Invasions, where the amount of wild magic in the world was at its peak. There are still regions of Aloria that are saturated with Magical Corruption, such as Drowda, or smaller, more localized places dotted around the globe. Magical Corruption is the first thing that Purists point to when they deride the dangers of Magic, because it is very real, and obvious, and often will inflict itself upon innocent bystanders who have never casted a single spell in their life. The presence of it can be mitigated by careful use of magic, but it can never be completely ignored as a threat.
Limit Breaking and Spirit Invasion
One of the biggest dangers to Mages (outside of the unrelated matter of Purists who hate Magic), is the concept of Limit-Breaking and related or unrelated Spirit Invasion. Limit Breaking occurs when a Mage has lost focus or energy while trying to cast Magic, causing them to lose control over their own Magic and their body to start casting Magic unpredictably on its own. This can include random spells being cast, or just really harmful Magic leaking out of them that acts like radiation to other people giving them Magic Sickness. A Mage that is Limit-breaking cannot stop unless an outside force either knocks them out, shoots them with Puretek, or uses Aelrrigan techniques to temporarily sever their connection allowing them to calm down, though these solutions are not always available, and so most Limit-breaking Mages eventually explode, or worse, become possessed. Entities from other Dimensions known as Spirits, always look for hosts in Aloria, but while in the other Dimension, they cannot "see" things in Aloria, except for Magic. When a Mage is Limit-Breaking, they become like a bright bonfire lit against the night sky, and Spirits from all over rush to try and break into the Mage's mind. Chances are while Limit-Breaking that the Mage is already unable to protect their mind while panicking or harming themselves with their own Magic, and becomes instantly possessed by a Spirit that breaks in from another Dimension, which is generally very bad. It does stop the Limit-Breaking (As the Spirit can control the flow of Magic) but essentially kills the Mage in the process as their personality is replaced by that of the Spirit (or in some cases, enslaved). A possession of this kind can be reversed, but the damage can rarely ever be undone, meaning most Mages who have become Spirit Invaded, are put out of their misery. Spirits and Demons, due to their direction connection to the Planes, and usual lack of a body, cannot Limit Break. There is a general misconception that Arkenborn are immune to Limit-Breaking. This is born from the idea that they are able to cast Magic freely of their own parent's Alignment, but it does not grant them protection against other forms of Magic at all. Mages promote the use of hand gestures, spoken spells, casting conduits (like staves, wands, and tomes) to improve focus. This is why it is very rare to see Mages who do not gesture their Magic at all, which is considered extremely dangerous and playing with fire within the Mage-Community.
Magical Mechanics
This section includes mostly OOC explanations of how Magic in Massivecraft's world functions, so that players can roleplay it out with an understanding of how it is supposed to work. Experienced Mages, Scholars, and those who hunt Mages/Demons may understand some of the following IC, but we advise that players never give their characters full knowledge of what is listed below. Please note that the explanations below may not always be something your Character can do, because of fairness or System Rules.
Pocket Dimensions
Normal people can’t make actual separate dimensions, so if mages want to store things, they create a small room/space in their home or in the wilderness somewhere and enchant it so they can reach their hand in and take things out of it. Portals are way too small to fit people in, but you theoretically could shove/take out animals if they’re still alive in the closed off room. If the room is no longer closed off (someone breaks in, opens the door, etc), the enchantment breaks, and you can’t take things from it until it is re-sealed. Additionally, items of great magical power, such as Artifacts, usually can’t be stored in Pocket Dimensions, because the magic within them is greater than the magic used to create a Pocket Dimension.
Body Modding
Magical Body Modding is the act of using magic to change something about one’s Body, permanently. This is different than Mutations, because they are not harmful, and intentional by the mage, but many Purists and even well-meaning but uneducated people will consider Body Modding and Mutations one and the same. Body Modding ranges from gender reassignment, to giving onself horns, or even to subtle things like changing eye color. It is only limited by the imagination, and what can reasonably continue to exist on a person’s body even without magic. Some examples of Body Modding are (not comprehensive): horns, tails, adding extra eyes, adding fins, feathers, scales, (non functional) wings, hair, changing things about one’s skin like adding glowing markings, adding extra arms/legs, giving oneself claws, etc. Body Modding is usually done by one or two spells to shape the body, locking in that change once the spell is complete. It can even be done to others, which has created a lucrative business for many mages. Body Modding can, however, be done to the unwilling, which makes it attractive for mages with an obsessive focus on experimenting. Body Modding can always be undone, even by someone who didn’t make the change, as long as you can find a mage capable of it. The greatest risk of Body Modding is having it done by a Mage who is not as well versed in anatomy as they should be.
Shape-Changing
Magic shape-changing, or shapeshifting, is a very common form of magic for its versatility and use. Simply put, shape-changing magic is any kind of magic that radically alters what someone looks like, to the point of appearing like a whole different person, or a whole different kind of creature. Most commonly, people use it to shapeshift to disguise their identity or attempt to appear like another person, and while this is theoretically possible, it is nigh impossible to perfectly mimic what someone else looks like, because it requires the mage to know all of those details to be able to copy them. Shape-changing magic is not a permanent spell, it is cast once, and then “locks in” that appearance, until the spell is cast again to reverse it. It is for this reason, that shape-changing into anything other than a human being is inherently very dangerous. When a mage shape-changes into an animal, for example, they do not have a human brain, and while their magic somewhat preserves their awareness and consciousness, animals do not have the higher brain function to be able to use magic. Therefore, if a mage shape-changes into an animal shape for too long, they run the risk of not knowing how to turn back, until they entirely forget they were a person at all. Mages who transform into non-human forms too frequently, or for too long, run the risk of losing themselves and functionally dying. This is a common cause of disappearances in novice mages.
Magic Portals & Elemental Gateways
In Aloria, Magic that allows for travel across long distances exists in the form of “Elemental Gateways.” Elemental Gateways are extremely difficult to make, requiring rigorous enchantments and persistent spellcasting. A single mage can only contribute to the functioning of one Elemental Gateway at a time, or they risk Limit Breaking, and therefore a large number of skilled and dedicated Mages are needed to maintain even a few Elemental Gateways. Elemental Gateways are not common in Aloria for this reason, as many cultures do not foster magic usage, and do not have the number of skilled mages required to make these portals. Another danger associated with Elemental Gateways is the increased incidence of ambeint magical corruption around them, and for people who pass through them. Everyone who passes through an Elemental Gateway is not guaranteed to gain a mutation from it, but, there are are people who are unfortunate enough to be one of the unlucky few who are corrupted by the magic in the Gateways. Still, the benefit of instantaneously transporting people, goods, or livestock through these Gateways outweigh the cost for many. Once made, Elemental Gateways cannot be moved from where they are, and take the shape of a large circular portal. The maximum size of an Elemental Gateway depends on the amount of mages working to maintain it, however at their largest, they still cannot fit anything bigger than an ox-cart through them.
Contract Magic
Contract Magic is not technically a kind of magic, but a common form of a delayed curse. In essence, “contract magic” is when two parties are mutually cursed, either cursing each other or having an intermediary curse them both, with different triggering conditions. By default, the curse does nothing, but when the contract is violated, that is when the curse “activates” and inflicts some punishment on the contractor. Technically, it is possible to remove the curse before it happens, but this is often accounted for in the contract and the curse, and while the curse is removed prematurely, it is possible for it to inflict a contingency punishment. Contract Curses are not visible, or obvious, and while they are something most mages can do, it is generally frowned upon as it is a form of dark magic cursing. Contract Magic always require curses, and therefore inherits all rules on what a curse can or can’t do.
Exorcism
An Exorcism is a kind of ritual, or spell, depending on if it is Dimensional or God Magic (it can be either), that involves expelling foreign Magic or Spirits from a person or object. Generally, exorcism are mostly used to expel a Spirit from an item it is infesting, or in some cases even people, but in the latter case it is important to understand that Exorcism does not have a one hundred percent success rate. Even when successful, exorcising an Invaded Spirit , for example, can kill the person it possessed. While Exorcisms can expel spirits that are hiding in objects, they have no impact on Unbound Spirits, or Spirits who are not connected to anything, and cannot be used to banish Spirits. The act of Banishing a Spirit varies wildly per Spirit, and on their bylaws. In some cases, it can be as easy as defeating it in combat, and for others, it can be nearly impossible without some kind of Divine Intervention. Outside of Spirits, Exorcism has value in breaking certain kinds of enchantment spells, such as mind control, but notably has no effect on Curses, due to the caliber of magic required to make a Curse in the first place. Finally, while Exorcisms can be used on items with enchantments placed on them to remove the magic, Exorcisms have no effect on magical corruption that is a byproduct of Sinistral Magic, because Sinistral Magic disperses itself so quickly through an area that it cannot be removed.
Cursing
Cursing requires the usage of Advanced Roleplay Mechanics. Curses, Hexes, and Charms are a form of "delayed magic," meaning when a Mage casts a fireball spell, it is considered "instant" magic, where as soon as they cast the spell there is an explosion of fire. Delayed Magic delays the activation of a spell until a certain condition or time is met, and then activates. A curse, then, is a delayed spell with a long term effect on a person depending on what they do. For example, cursing someone so that the next time they try to drink a glass of water, they spontaneously combust. There are two kinds of Curses:
- Limited Curses: The Curse only effects one singular person, until it times out, or until they die, wherein the curse ends.
- Unlimited Curses: The Curse effects one person, but can be passed on to any number of people, via touch, or another mechanic, and can even pass on to the cursed person's children.
Only Gods, Spirit Sovereigns, Dragons, Arken, and beings of those levels can apply Unlimited Curses, most Mages (including Player Characters) can only ever apply Limited Curses onto people. There is a loophole to this, when it applies to lesser Spirits, wherein if a Spirit possesses someone they can act as an Unlimited Curse, meaning for as long as they're possessing them, it applies, and they can pass this "curse" on via their possession. For both kinds of Curses, a Curse will remain for as long as it was meant to, or until the cursed person dies. The Mage who does the Cursing does not have to be alive for their Curse to persist, even killing someone immediately after they curse you will not remove the curse. However, only skilled mages can create long-lasting curses. The vast majority of Mages can only cast Curses that last for a few months, but even this is plenty enough time to ruin's someone's life or kill them. The limit of Curse application is based on Magic Investment, but only for Planar Magic (Void/Exist/Ordial), God Magic is not potent enough to Curse others:
- 2 Points in Magic: Maximum 1 Hour Curses.
- 3 Points in Magic: Maximum 1 Day Curses.
- 4 Points in Magic: Maximum 1 Week Curses.
- 5 Points in Magic: Maximum 1 Year Curses.
- 6 Points in Magic: Maximum 5 Years Curses.
- 7 Points in Magic: Maximum 10 Years Curses.
- 8 Points in Magic: Maximum target's whole Lifespan Curses.
It is functionally "easy" for a Mage to curse someone, usually only requiring them to be in close proximity to cast the spell, which is almost always Hidden. Curses are, however, very potent forms of Magic, so a Mage who over-uses them is often much more liable to Limit Break. A Mage can also cast a curse into an object, which will pass it onto the next person who picks it up, even long after the Mage dies. What a Curse can actually do is also nearly unlimited, as magic is mostly unlimited, but it is always limited to using the cursed person as a conduit. For example, you cannot curse someone to instantly kill anyone within 5 ft of them, but you could curse someone to severely burn the skin of any person they touch. Curses like these can only work once, or be perpetual. While it would be too cumbersome to write out a fully exhaustive list of what a Curse could be, below is a set of guidelines and rules on what Curses cannot do, or cannot be. These limitations are a mixture of IC (not possible with magic) or OOC (an unfair/unfun mechanic), and can generally be rationalized In-Character as Mages not being strong enough or experienced enough to apply these kinds of curses, the general limitations of cursing magic, or being a severe societal taboo that the character will not break:
- Curses are always (Hidden), meaning they cannot be sensed, or supernaturally found out, even by the person who is cursed. The only way to 'know' someone is cursed, is to experience the negative effect of the curse, or for a friend to determine it exists based on the behavior of the cursed person.
- Curses cannot fully Shapeshift, Disguise, or radically transform someone to the point of being unrecognizable.
- Curses cannot do what the Spirit Duke Curses can do, listed on the Spirit page. Treat that section like a "ceiling."
- Curses cannot influence or alter the Soul, as this is generally reserved for higher powers or Soul Magic, which has its own limits.
- Curses cannot convey information to the person applying the curse, like where the cursed person is, or if they've said/done something, but they can activate on these triggers. The person applying the curse just won't know about it instantly.
- Curses cannot be overly specific, for example you can curse someone to always tell the truth when they speak, but you cannot curse them to only tell the truth when asked a question by a specific person.
- Curses cannot have too many complicated conditions or pre-requisites, they should generally only have one general trigger, and either be active in perpetuity or only activate when that trigger is met.
- Curses can alter the cursed person's perception, but not alter other people's perception of the cursed person. A good rule of thumb is a Curse should only effect or apply to the Cursed person, or something they directly touch.
- Curses cannot work as "boons," and cannot be applied in reverse. For example, you can curse someone to be weaker, but you can never "curse" them to be stronger. A good rule of thumb is a Curse should always be a bad thing for whoever it is applied to.
- Curses cannot permanently alter someone, and should always be reverted when removed. Any secondary negative side effects are not removed, for example cursing someone to stab a friend, the stab wound would not be reverted.
It is difficult to defend oneself from the application of Curses, because they are so secretive, and because they are usually applied with potent magic. There is an exception to this, however, which is the presence of Gods and Religion. Very pious, faithful worshippers will often have their souls protected against weaker Curses, or Curses that are cast without any "agreement" or pre-requisite. For example, a good Unionist might have resistance against a weak Demon or Mage casting a Curse on them just by looking at them, but would not be protected if they accepted a gift from them or invited them into their home. This resistance takes the form of delaying the Curse, meaning the Unionist would still be cursed, but instead of the curse activating and doing what it meant to, it may take the form of some kind of scar or marking, giving the Unionist some time to try and stop it or have it removed before it takes effect. There are other kinds of Resistances to Curses that exist, such as for things like Archon, but there are rarely, if ever, outright immunities to curses. Even if someone themselves is resistant to a Curse, the people around them likely aren't, and the same goes for their possible children. An example list of types of peoples who may have resistances (of varying levels) to curses: Archon, Sihndar, Narim, Bralona, Urlan, Sihai, Songaskian, Godborn, Arkenborn, Afflictions. Removing Curses is a more complicated matter, as many Curses cannot be removed prematurely at all, at least by means accessible to Mortals. The list of ways to "remove" a Curse are, as follows (depending on the kind of curse it is):
- Waiting it Out: Some Curses cannot be removed early, except by God-tier beings, and in order to get rid of it, especially if it is a shorter Curse, the person suffering it just has to wait for the Curse to end. This is especially common for "one time" Curses, where the victim just has to mitigate the harm of whatever the Curse does, and then they're free of it.
- Priestly Absorption: Any Priest of a Religion can self-sacrifice by absorbing a Curse from someone. The cursed is spared, but the Priest suffers the full Curse in their stead. If a Priest has absorbed 3 Curses, and keeps all 3 Curses at the same time (of consequence, not low-impact or short timer Curses) the priest automatically generates 1 Static Divinium (which is usually used to then ask to have the Curses removed).
- Dispelling the Curse: Dispelling a Curse is only available to Mages who are more experienced than the Mage that cast the Curse in the first Place (greater or equal Magic Investment), which undoes the magic of the Curse and instantly ends it. However, if the Player of the Cursed Character wants to remain Cursed for longer, they can decline this working.
- Divine Intervention: Beings like Gods, Arken, Dragons, etc are all generally capable of removing any kind of Curse. If a character spends Divinium to summon a God, they are guaranteed to remove a Curse, if asked. If a God is asked without spending Divinium, they may not always agree. Other Event Entities (Arken, Powerful Demons, etc) may also be capable of removing Curses on request, but will almost always ask for something in return.
In-Lore Magical Concepts
Allorn Magic Theories
Much of the known theories in lore are inherited from the Allorn Empire. Regardless of the individual opinions of the victims or survivors of the Allorn Empire, it progressed Magical research to such a degree that most modern theories and understanding of Magic is based on their work. Allorn Magical Theory can usually be split up into various subcategories, each covering a specific aspect of Magic that can be used in Roleplay for conversations between Mages, or how Mages should consider each other in relation to Magic.
Magical Tiers
Allorn Mages were obsessed with the classification of Mages, so they could categorize some Mages as superior to others and identify which Mages were suitable as rulers and which were suitable as workers. This Magical Tier system is anything but absolute, it has flaws, but it is still used in the common era to gain a rough understanding of how strong a Mage is in comparison to others on a somewhat flexible scale. The scale goes as follows, note that Tier Eight to Ten are considered "God-Tiers", as this is the level at which a Mage becomes indistinguishable from a God. Magic derived from the Proficiency System or Abilities usually caps off at Tier Five, because no Ability or Heritage Mechanic allows for the creation of permanent matter (like Artifacts). Some Custom Kits may form exceptions to this.
- The First Tier belongs to Mages who are only able to affect themselves (think enchanting their own body or soul).
- The Second Tier belongs to Mages who can affect external things by touch (think changing the shape of metal with touch).
- The Third Tier belongs to Mages who can project things away from them (think shooting a fireball).
- The Fourth Tier belongs to Mages who can affect external things remotely (think blinding someone from a distance).
- The Fifth Tier belongs to Mages who can create immaterial entities (think casting illusions that are almost real).
- The Sixth Tier belongs to Mages who can create permanent matter (think creating lasting furniture and walls from nothing).
- The Seventh Tier belongs to Mages who can bend reality itself (think removing gravity, changing light to dark).
- The Eight Tier belongs to Mages who can control Life (think non-necromantic resurrection, becoming truly immortal).
- The Ninth Tier belongs to Mages who can bend the world (think creating/crushing mountains on a whim, sinking whole cities).
- The Tenth Tier belongs to Mages who can end reality itself (a theorized, but seemingly unattainable rank even for Gods).
Oblation Magic
Oblation Magic is a kind of Magic that, while it no longer exists in the world, is critically important to the context of the late Allorn Empire, and many of the cultures who suffered from it. Oblation Magic was, pre-Cataclysm, a type of Magic of the Ordial and Exist planes, that used the souls of dead people for magical “fuel.” The spells captured the souls of dead people, and eviscerated them (including all their memories, emotions, personality, and feelings), to create a singular “pearl” of condensed magical potency. These pearls, when held by a Mage, increased their magical output and potency considerably. Because of the Cataclysm, it is no longer possible to use Oblation Magic, but some of the pearls do still exist in the world, and many people have not forgotten how their ancestors suffered to create them.
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