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Magic is the act of changing the laws of physics, reality, and matter in the world of Aloria, by drawing upon other dimensions to break the rules of Aloria. Magic has a different meaning in nearly all societies, with many Heritages split between loving Magic and hating it. This Page explains the logic behind Magic in Aloria. The recommended reading portion is at the top, with Expanded Lore being optional reading for in-depth content.
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 [[Dragon]]s 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 [[Proficiency#Point Buy|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=
==Quick Start Novice Mage Guide==
This section will discuss how to tackle this page as quickly as possible to get into Roleplay as soon as possible. This page can be tackled in collaboration with, or without the [[Proficiency]] page, as the choices here are mostly aesthetic and do not reflect in Combat Roleplay.
* Read Dimensional Alignment & Dimensional Themes, then choose a “Source” for your Character’s Magic. (Void, Exist, Ordial, God)
* '''Step 1''' read the [[Magic#Dimensions|Dimensions]] section, and decide on 1, or multiple dimensional alignments for your Character.
* Decide if your character was born with magic they don’t understand or decided to learn it through formal schooling, apprenticeship, or self-teaching.
* '''Step 2''' read the [[Magic#Learning|Learning]] section, and decide what type of Origin and Training your Mage Character has.
* 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]].
* '''Step 3''' read the [[Magic#Regalia|Regalia]] section, so you have a general expectation of what Magic Roleplay is like.
* (Optionally) Choose a handful of Magical “Themes” from the “Spell Theming” section.
* '''Step 4''' remember this information, or write it on your Character Sheet. You are now done here, but can read Expanded lore!
* 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.
The Expanded Lore section is overwhelmingly long, and we understand if it feels intimidating. If you want to tackle it at some point, but need an indicator which sections are the most important, we recommend [[Magic#Arcane_Harmony|Arcane Harmony]], [[Magic#Magic_Costs|Magic Costs]], [[Magic#Risks_of_Magic|Risks of Magic]], and [[Magic#Magic_Schools|Magic Schools]], which are most likely to come up in Roleplay. The other sections are roughly ordered in how likely you are to run into them in conversations, but you can just feign ignorance on.  
==Quick Start Experienced Mage Guide==
==Dimensions==
* Read Dimensional Alignment & Dimensional Themes, then choose a “Source” for your Character’s Magic. (Void, Exist, Ordial, God)
Aloria is separated from other dimensions or realms by the Veil, an imperceivable magical barrier. Magic users reach beyond this Veil to access Magic from the other realms and draw it to Regalia where they use it as fuel to cast Magic. More than one realm can be Aligned with, we generally recommend two realms for a new Character, but one is also good, though connecting to more makes a Mage weaker (see [[Magic#Arcane_Harmony|Arcane Harmony]]). This Page only contains a superficial overview of the realms for the sake of making a quick decision. For more in-depth analysis, see the [[Magic Realms]] Page.
* Decide if your character was born with magic they don’t understand, or decided to learn it through formal schooling, apprenticeship, or self-taught.
<gallery mode="packed-overlay" widths="180px" heights="200px">
* 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]].
File:Voidplane.png|''The Abyss''
* Choose a handful of Magical “Themes” from the “Spell theming” section.
File:Existplane.png|''The Eidolon''
* Read the “Magical Skill” and “Magical Mechanics” sections and decide how much you want your character to know/understand.
File:Fairyplane.png|''The Anima''
* Start roleplaying!
File:Malefiplane.png|''The Hollow''
[[File:FcV 6DmX0AEOmkH.jpg|294px|thumb|right| At its core, Magic bends the laws of reality, based on the whims of the caster (albeit only temporarily).]]
File:Changeplane.png|''The Vortex''
[[File:FxQ9kFBXoAAKzcM.jpg|thumb|right|Magic usage is a defining trait of many Elven populations, with many honing the art for hundreds of years.]]
File:Ordainplain.png|''The Eternum''
[[File:FO9w5U8XsA0jiJH.jpg|294px|thumb|right|Magical Body Modding can create demonic looking appearances, even if they have nothing to do with Spirits or Demons.]]
File:Knowingplane.png|''The Dictat''
[[File:New Canvasluhlljhkljhin.png|294px|thumb|right| Shapeshifting with Magic may be seen as a skill and an art to pragmatic mages, but to many, it can be a horrifying sight to behold.]]
File:Silentplane.png|''The Silence''
==Dimensional Alignment==
</gallery>
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.  
* '''The Abyss''' is a realm of darkness, hedonism, and unrestrained freedom, where shadows and eternal red twilight seduce and overwhelm, hosting powerful Demons that seek to impose both liberation and corruption. It is opposed to the Eidolon, and allied with the Vortex.  
===God Magic Exceptions===
* '''The Eidolon''' is a realm of perfect angelic tranquility and geometric divine order, where harmony is achieved through strict dogma and harsh repression of deviancy, emphasizing stability and tradition and creating balance. It is opposed to the Abyss, and allied with the Eternum.
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.
* '''The Anima''' is a realm of abundant life and beauty filled with all manner of mystical critters and magical beasts, where immortal Fae wage endless wars of trickery and deceit, conscripting mortals to fight for their amusement. It is opposed to the Hollow, and allied with the Dictat.
* 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.
* '''The Hollow''' is a necropolis realm of death and finality, where tranquility exists alongside suffering, and Demons either consume souls out of hatred of the living or guide mortals to peaceful ends in pity for their pain. It is opposed to the Anima, and allied with the Silence.
* 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]].
* '''The Vortex''' is a realm of relentless change and defiance, where chaos reigns, and landscapes shift with every blink. Above all, it is a realm in defiance of fate, that nobody is beyond saving, beyond changing, or beyond redemption. It is opposed to the Eternum and allied to the Abyss.
* 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.  
* '''The Eternum''' is a realm of eternal stability and fixed destiny, where unchanging beauty and the comfort of the familiar defy decay, yet bring the oppressive weight of immutability. In it, fate is dogmatically followed and obeyed. It is opposed to the Vortex and allied to the Eidolon.
* 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.
* '''The Dictat''' is a realm of boundless knowledge and learning, an infinite library that stores every thought, from insights to drivel. Its Demons compulsively seeking information, forcing it on anyone who mistakenly listens. It is opposed to the Silence, and allied with the Anima.  
* [[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.  
* '''The Silence''' is a realm of absolute emptiness, where knowledge and ideas are erased, and Demons destroy thoughts and histories to ensure nothing remains. Its hunger is both the gift of forgetting and the grief of unknown losses. It is opposed to the Dictat and allied to the Abyss.
* 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.
Alignment does not dictate the types of Magic you can learn. Healing Magic for example is not unique to the realm of life. Alignment is chosen for ideological reasons, and while the colors and themes are just guidelines, we recommend gravitating toward them for cohesive character design.
===Dimensional Themes===
==Learning==
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.
Magic can be learned a number of ways. While it is possible to learn different dimensions or schools of Magic at various points in one’s life, a Mage only first learns to connect with the Veil once, which is called their Mage Origin. Mage Origins are split into the following.
* '''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).
* '''Birth Origin''' refers to a Mage who was aligned to any realm from birth, and manifested from an early age.  
* '''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.
* '''Teaching Origin''' refers to a Mage who was aligned by being taught by a mentor, or book.
* '''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.  
* '''Blessing Origin''' refers to a Mage who was aligned as a gift/pact with a Demon, God, or other.
* '''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.
* '''Curse Origin''' refers to a Mage who first aligned as a result of a Curse from a Demon or Object.
This choice relates to how a backstory pans out. E.g. children born with Magic in anti-Magic societies have a harsh childhood, while they have it easy in Magic societies. No one Origin makes a Mage better at casting Magic, every Mage must be taught, as even Birth Origin Mages are amateurs despite their born inclination. Next, consider how your Character became better at using Magic and practiced. This is called Mage Training.
* '''Mentor Training''' refers to a Mage who was taught Magic by singular or multiple Mage mentors.  
* '''Book Training''' refers to a Mage who is largely self-taught, learning theory and techniques from books.
* '''Trial Training''' refer to a Mage who used a process of dangerous trial and error over any official education.
* '''School Training''' refers to a Mage who attended a prestigious Magical school or academy for learning.  
* '''Divine Training''' refers to a Mage who has their knowledge granted to them by a God of their Faith.
* '''Demonic Training''' refers to a Mage who learned Magic from a Demon, or can only use it because of a possession.
You can learn different branches of Magic with different Training at any stage in life. Generally, when someone asks “How did you learn Magic?” you should only have to reply broadly which of the above applies, none is better or worse. See [[Magic Academies]] for a list of in-lore places of learning.  
==Regalia==
Regalia, the place where most roleplay takes place, has a constantly shifting attitude towards Magic. The story goes, that Regalia is an Empire with a large Magic-using population, but with non-Mage rulers who are either afraid of or disgusted with Magic. Mages have contributed to saving the Regalian Empire numerous times from catastrophe, but are also immediately blamed for these events. Magic usage is also rife in the criminal underground, leading to a stilted view of how Magic could be used. Progressive forces always try to integrate Magic more into society, but are stymied by conservatives who fight to keep Magic hidden. Magic is generally tolerated so long as the Mage casts responsibly, and not in public or on the street without the necessary legal reprieve, for example by being a Knight or having some other form of legal exception to the law.  


While the law is generally merciful and gentle, opinions on the ground can radically differ from person to person. While the law is generally protective of Mages and prevents their abuse, there are radicals in society who want to hurt Mages for what they are. Some Demons seek to feed off Mages or possess them, while some anti-Magic radicals want to outright kill Mages. Mages are also often easy scapegoats for noble schemes, making the day-to-day living of a Mage a careful balancing act between living free, and living with restraints to now draw too much attention. Your Mage Character will generally be liked by the majority population but may be randomly attacked by anti-Mage radicals or Demonic forces, while occasionally having to fend off the ignorant arm of the law that over-punishes and misunderstands Magic.
==Magic Limitations ==
=Expanded Lore=
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.  
This section is not necessary to read to be allowed to use Magic in Roleplay. However, it contains a lot of technical information of how Magic works, moral implications, and the place of Magic in Aloria. As such, to avoid some confusion in roleplay, it can still be a good read, but can comfortably be delayed until later, as many of the problems that arise from Magic do not present themselves early on for new Characters.
==The Veil==
is an imperceivable barrier that separates the dimensions and realms from Aloria and even each other. The best way to think of the Veil is that it is like a shell around the planet of Aloria itself, but has cracks in it through which Magic breaks into Aloria. The Veil was once whole, but due to the hubris of the Seraph Civilization, was damaged, which in turn caused the Void Invasions to take place in which legions of Abyss Demons tried to purge all life from Aloria. The Veil is currently largely intact, but is still damaged from all events in history.
==Elderlaw==
Elderlaw simply put was the Magic before Magic, a form of doing Magical things with energies native to Aloria. Elderlaw is the power of Dragons, a tool by which they shape reality in the universe, but also create the world of Aloria as it is known. The last civilization of mortals that had Elderlaw were the Seraph. After they damaged the Veil in their hunger for more Magic, the Dragons destroyed all knowledge of Elderlaw to prevent it from falling in the hands of mortals. It is still possible to learn Elderlaw, but only through direct Dragon guidance.
==Leylines==
Leylines are an extension of Elderlaw, a network of imperceivable magical highways created by the Dragons to extend their power. In Aloria, Gods and Dragons aren't omnipotent or omniscient, they are restrained by their field of awareness, which for Dragons is quite narrow. Dragons can only directly see what their eyes can see, so they created the Leylines that span over the whole world to connect Dragon Sites, vast installations of Elderlaw and Dragontech which extend their interactions across the world. One such installation for example is the Orrorey, a vast detector that the Dragons use to locate objects across the world, feeding that information into the Leylines, and allowing the Dragons to perceive it thousands of miles away. The Leylines are sometimes hijacked by Mages, purely because they present a convenient highway through which to transit information, but the Dragons are very protective of who gets to interact with them. Leylines are also seductive to Demons, because of the raw Elderlaw Magic in them.
==Religion and Gods==
While originally some Religions in Aloria had issues with Magic or outright banned it, by the modern era, all Religions have found some form of acceptance of Magic and even celebrate it within their dogma. For each Religion, the nuance is slightly different, and this will give an overview. Generally speaking, all Religions at a baseline demand the proper and responsible usage of Magic in relation to Venting and Corruption.
* '''[[Unionism]]''' views Magic as a blessed gift by the Gods, but one that can also equally be a terrible burden. To Unionisms, magic is no different than holding high political office, or having some exceptional skill, in that an expectation is attached to use it only for the good of the Empire. Frivolous and self-satisfying use of Magic is frowned upon. Unionism has no general preference for any of the realms.
* '''[[Draconism]]''' views Magic as an irrevocable reality of the world, but one that the Dragons would really prefer to live without, but can tolerate. To Draconists, the right to live a full life is more important than the impact Magic could have, and Magic is still a necessary part of life at this point. Magic is acceptable within the fight against the traditional enemies of Draconism like the Malefica, and violent Demons.
* '''[[Estelley]]''' is a Religion deeply steeped in Magic that not only encourages all of its worshipers to try Magic out, but actively worships the ideal of the Archmage Magic user. The majority of Mage supremacists are Estelley faithful, and being a Good Mage is considered a high virtue. Estelley as a Religion has a strong preference for Eidolon, Eternum, and Anima Magic, with only Abyss Magic being considered stigmatized.
* '''[[Fornoss]]''' is a Religion deeply steeped in Magic, but also with inherent themes of Magic vs. Mundane, the idea that someone should both be able to become a strong Mage, but also strong in body and mind in opposition or defiance of Magic. Both must be considered equal ideals. The Fornoss Faith has a strong preference for Eidolon and Eternum for the Eili Gods, and Abyss and Silence for the Vola Gods, but other realms are also fine.
* '''[[Evolism]]''' is a Relgion deeply steeped in Magic. It is in fact practically unthinkable that a Fornoss believer does not practice some form of Magic, as Magic is the cornerstone of their trans-dimensional ideology. Out of all Religions, Evolism is the most likely to tolerate irresponsible usage of Magic and Magic Corruption, so long as it is done for an explicit purpose other than just because or random terrorism.
* '''[[Khama]]''' is a Religion that was until recently extremely anti-Magical, but has recently become more accepting because of their reality of their followers. Their anti-Magic stance is related to the societal trauma inflicted by Magic usage on their people, but they have come to accept Magic among them because it has become an undeniable part of the identity of some of their flock, who they do not want to reject.
* '''[[Minor Faiths]] & [[Nilthism]]''' have no explicitly stated view against or in favor of Magic, and it should generally be considered to be entirely open to interpretation from the individual. Generally speaking though, Magic should be seen as a tool mucy like a weapon.
The Gods themselves have varying Magical inclinations. Generally, every God is at least a little bit Magical, though the exact nature of their Magic is dubious. Because Gods are an extension of the realm-crafting of Dragons, they can use Elderlaw, but they never exclusively use Elderlaw. Many of the Gods are Magically aligned, though their exact nature ranged from extremely obvious to very dubious. The Fornoss Gods are for example very explicit in their Abyss-Silence and Eidolon-Eternum alignments, while the Unionist Gods are very unclear, save for Caan who is explicitly Vortex and Dictat. For more specific information about Magic nuances in each Religion, or the alignment of their gods, see the Religion pages themselves. 
==Arcane Harmony==
Arcane Harmony is the concept of Magical strength through harmonizing realms or alignments. A Mage who has aligned with opposing or many realms for example has reduced Arcane Harmony because their soul becomes conflicted by the many facets of the realms they are connected to. A Mage with low Arcane Harmony can draw upon less Magical energy from beyond the Veil and thus cast weaker spells. This does not affect Combat Roleplay Abilities or Stats, it is purely a mechanical approach for how strong Magic should be in more general Roleplay, which we allow Players to moderate themselves. When it comes to determining Arcane Harmony, the following rules apply to determine a Character's harmony:
* Arcane Harmony is at a perfect 100% so long as a maximum of 2 realms are Aligned, and neither realm is of opposing alignment.  
* Arcane Harmony is reduced by 10% for every additional dimension that is aligned beyond 2, with a maximum reduction of 60%.
* Arcane Harmony is reduced by 10% for every opposing pair that is aligned, with a maximum reduction of 40%.
* Arcane Harmony cannot go lower than 10%, but such a Mage Is in essence 10x weaker than a Mage who has 100% Arcane Harmony.
Note, an Arcane Harmony of 80-90% is still acceptable. As a ground rule, we want to discourage the over-tuning of multiple dimensions and too many opposing pairs. There are circumstances in which someone with opposing realms can have a compelling character design, however, so try not to take 100% as an absolute necessity, because you may be inadvertently green-housing yourself from interesting character concepts.
==Magic Costs==
Magic always costs something. Because Magic is inherently against the natural state of reality and the world of Aloria, there is always some kind of impact of Magic on the world, and is usually not a good one. Elderlaw enforces reality as it was intended, and while Magic can suspend or alter that state of reality, Elderlaw will always attempt to correct its own reality and snap back like an elastic band would if stretched too far. For Mages, this comes down to mitigating the damage as much as possible, but complete negation is never possible. For them, the question is whether they want to be responsible with their Magic usage through proper Venting and discipline, or careless for the sake of personal convenience or indifference. Venting describes the general process of off-loading the cost of Magic onto activities or objects, to reduce the damage to the world. Magic is only as immoral as the caster wants it to be. Each Venting process has its own moral implications described below.
====Reagent Venting====
Reagent Venting is the act of using reagents or other casting agents to reduce the amount of Magic required, thus reducing the amount of strain on reality. For example, if you were to shoot a fireball spell from nothing, you would first need to suspend the reality law of matter (for the spark), then temperature (heat), and then inertia (movement). A Mage can use a flame spark reagent (like a small pouch of spark stones) to ignite, which removes the need to magically create matter from nothing, and also allows the Mage to throw that bag-turned-to-flame thus also removing the need to suspend the law of inertia. Reagents can be used to reduce the difficulty of a spell, thus reducing its impact, which is seen as a moral benefit.
====Magestone Venting====
Magestone Venting is the act of storing Magic corruption in so-called Magestone, phone-sized tablets that can contain magical corruption. For every spell a Mage uses, some corruption builds up in their body. Small amounts are generally not a problem, but the more corruption that accumulates, the more dangerous it is to a Mage's health. Corruption can effortlessly be transferred to Magestone where it is safely trapped. Magestone in turn can be stored safely somewhere and will slowly over the span of years break down the corruption inside until it becomes completely inert. In Regalia, several Magestone storage services exist, where couriers pick up Magestone tablets from Mages and deliver them to Arcane Vaults made by Aelrrigans.


Magestone Venting has downsides however, which is that Magestone by its nature attracts Demons. Demons are attracted to Magic usage in general, but Magestone has such concentrated magic corruption that Magestone is an almost irresistible delicacy for Demons. Arcane Vaults are routinely attacked by Demons who try to break in and consume the Magestone, as consuming any Magestone empowers a Demon and makes their Magic more powerful against Elderlaw. Furthermore, there are Demon summoners who actively go out of their way to try and steal Magestone, to feed it to their Bound Demons to make them more powerful. As such, Magestone Venting while most commonly done and seen as morally good, has some danger.
===In-Lore Limitations===
====Burdened Venting====
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.
Burdened Venting is the act of using some immaterial substance or resource of Aloria to off-balance the cost and corruption of Magic. For smaller spells, one should think of using the life-essence of an animal or plant to prevent the buildup of corruption, but for larger spells this involves exchanging Divinium, Artifactsparks, and so on, to substantiate the cost. Burdened Venting prevents any corruption build-up, and thus the need to use reagents or Magestone Venting, but taking life-essence from animals, plants, or people, is considered immoral. Mages can in a pinch use Burdened Venting on themselves, shaving several years off their own lifespan to empower their Magic or to prevent any corruption from taking place.
* 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.
====Ejection Venting====
* 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.
Ejection Venting is choosing not to care about proper casting processes or responsible usage of Magic, and just ejecting all Corruption straight into the atmosphere or environment the moment it forms. Ejection Venting is obviously considered the most immoral form of Venting, as the Mage does not care what the corruption of reality does, or what the reality-snap could damage as collateral when it tries to correct itself. Corruption can take various forms, from outright making people sick with Magical ailments, killing them, or corrupting the environment, for example by turning plants and animals into rabid monsters. Ejection Venting is often done by criminals or terrorists who just do not care about the collateral.
* 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.
====Venting in Roleplay====
When it comes to the practicality of roleplaying out Venting, it is assumed most Mages Vent their reality damage off-screen. That is to say, you can roleplay one of the above techniques if you want to, but nobody will be policing the correct amount of Venting, or policing how many Magestone tablets are being stored where. When it concerns much larger spells however, like moving parts of mountains or crushing whole buildings, we ask that you do not defer the reality damage, and only use such a spell when a Lore Staff DM is present (for example during an Event) to moderate the reality effects these spells cause, because their effects are usually immediate, and the small methods for venting the reality damage are not available. Abilities, Mechanics and the like, are all classified as small Magic. Big massive spells that have an impact on the world, are big Magic.
==Risks of Magic==
Magic is always a dangerous act, even without the inherent buildup of corruption. Changing the laws of physics in the best of cases can have barely constrained outcomes, but for inexperienced Mages can have catastrophic consequences. Magic usage itself has some risks described below.
====Magic Overload====
Each Mage has a so-called Overload-threshold, the point at which their body or mind (or both) is no longer able to handle the amount of Magic they are channeling through it. Whether due to skill, teaching, biology, or just distraction, Mages constantly have to prevent themselves from reaching this limit, because Magic Overload is lethal in 95% of the cases. Magic Overload can be reached through constant casting without Venting, or being pushed beyond physical or mental limits in desperation or carelessness. When a Mage enters Overload, they are unable to close their connection to the Veil, and continue to cast Magic involuntarily until they either explode from raw Magic, or are possessed by a Demon from another realm. In the case of possession, the Mage's soul is immediately and irretrievably destroyed, and the Demon is in a state of heightened aggression, immediately trying to kill any living thing it can detect. Magic Overload can be prevented from the outside by having another Mage shut off the connection to the Veil when an Overloading Mage has crossed the threshold but before death or possession, leaving both mentally and physically exhausted.
====Magic Corruption====
Magic Corruption occurs when uncontrolled Magic energies leak and cause things, or the body of the mage themselves, to change outside of reality damage. In normal cases, Mages draw energy from the Veil and expend all of it to cast a spell, but sometimes a Mage will draw more Magic and then be careless to use up that energy or send it back. In such cases, that energy has to go somewhere, and it will attach to the nearest living being, or inanimate object if it cannot find anything living. The most common occurrence of this, is magical mutations, resulting in non-aesthetic cancers and flesh growths that are painful. An unfortunate pet in the area of errant Magic might be mutated to some horrible creature, while inanimate objects might become cursed or toxic to be around. Magic energy that has nowhere to go will become corrosive, damaging, and corrupting in nature.
====Magic Possession====
Possession by Demons is generally dangerous outside of Magic Overload, and one of the first things Mages learn when they study Magic is how to guard their mind from being taken over by a Demon. Even Bound Demons have a hunger to assume the body of a mortal as a skin suit through which to experience Aloria naturally, a process which is generally bad for the host. Demons are always looking for Mages who aren’t careful what they are pulling from the Veil, this is why most Mages say that they have “one eye on the Magic, one eye on hunger looking back” - to illustrate that part of their focus is making sure that what energy they are drawing on doesn’t have a Demon attached to it. Demons will constantly prod at Mages to try and break into their mind even when they are not casting Magic. Most Mages protect themselves with wards and spells that reasonably keep them safe so they can enjoy life without worrying too much, but untrained Mages are an exceptionally high risk for possession, because they never learn how to deal with this threat effectively, and are also less skilled at weaving the protections necessary for themselves.
==Magic Schools==
Magic Schools are centered around techniques or teachings that help Mages suspend specific laws of reality to cast their Magic. For example, to cast a fireball, a Mage has to create an element from nothing (fire), which is from the Elemental school, and then use the Gravity school to move it towards its destination. Generally speaking, most spells appeal to several schools. Not having been taught in a specific school does not mean a Mage cannot do that specific action, it just means that they are less skilled at it. There is theoretically no limit to the number of schools a Mage can be taught, but to grasp each school adequately, a Mage needs about 2 years, and we generally ask Players to limit the number of schools to what is thematically appropriate for their Character design, and not just add Schools for the sake of having access to them or as a skill indicator. Your Character not knowing how to cast a fireball because they do not know Elemental Magic is not a weakness on your part, but a strength to allow another Character to shine and to create an even playing field where Mages can express thematic designs that are unique instead of everyone doing everything.
* '''The Elemental School''' covers the concepts of weather, temperature, and the permeable state of substances, like solids and liquids. This is thematically seen as the fire, lightning, water, earth, and air school, and the creation of these elements.
* '''The Matter School''' covers the concept of creating semi-permanent solid objects from nothing, like creating marble or a chair or a whole carriage to ride in. Matter covers the creation of solids not covered by the Elemental School.
* '''The Entropy School''' covers the concept of destruction and decay of things, commonly thought of as rust, acid, anti-matter, break-down, etc. The Entropy School is often appealed to for the use of Curses, because of their entropic nature.
* '''The Mind School''' covers all forms of Magic used inside the mind of the Mage, and the minds of others, like psionics, memory and mind reading, mind control, etc. The Mind School has a controversial reputation, due to the invasiveness of scrying minds.
* '''The Mend School''' covers the concept of repairing, restoring, or reverting humanoid or animal bodies. This is in essence healing Magic. The Mend School is almost universally thought of positively because it cannot harm, and can restore even lost limbs.
* '''The Gravity School''' covers all concepts of motion, movement, attraction, and repulsion. Traditionally it is used to suspend the laws of gravity but also covers concepts like telekinesis and distance-based object movement (does not allow flight for game balance reasons).
* '''The Enchant School''' covers the application of beneficial effects on for example weapons or objects or people. Enchants are commonly used as a term in Aloria to define an object that has been magically enhanced or appears magical in some way or another.
* '''The Body School''' covers the usage of Magic to alter the physical states of the body. This is not healing Magic like from the Mend School, but should be considered for example steroids Magic, or Shapeshifting Magic in its simplest interpretation.
* '''The Techmance School''' covers the usage of Magic to either fuel, create, or alter Technology. The School of Techmance is generally despised among mundane Technicians because using Magic to skip design stages is thought of as cheating.
* '''The Golemancy School''' covers the usage of Magic to emulate the creation of Unimatrixes to create Magically animated and automated objects, down from a self-cleaning broom, to a Magically fueled automaton that does not use Tech or Demons.
* '''The Summoning School''' covers the usage of Magic to dominate Spirits or Demons, restrain them, or add additional security to Demon summonings and contract binding. It also includes using Magic to perform Exorcisms and cast out Demons.
* '''The Alteration School''' covers changing things into other things in the same realm, for example, changing an apple to a pear, or a door to a window. This is thought of as the burglary school due to the convenience of altering a locked door to an open one.  
* '''The Strings School''' covers the usage of remote string-control like a puppeteer to animate things. It differs from the Necrotic School in that Strings Magic does not create autonomous entities, but unlike Necrotic Magic, can also be used on living people.
* '''The Counter School''' covers the concept of pure anti-magic, just using Magic to counter other forms of Magic or to even reinforce reality laws around other spells. This also includes saving others from Magic Overload, or shutting off Magic in others (with consent).
* '''The Familiar School''' covers the use of Magic to telepathically communicate with, control, or soothe wild animals and creatures native to Aloria. This allows for example the taming of animals not conventionally tamed, or to feel connected with animals.
* '''The Armory School''' covers the explicit summoning of weapons or armor for combat, either for one's self, or one's mount or battle-pets. The Armory school allows the Mage to maintain a vast pocket-dimension armory with many weapons to summon for themselves or others.
* '''The Holding School''' covers the usage of Magic to create bigger-from-the-inside places like buildings or bags. This is explicitly not pocket dimensions because those are very limited, but changing the interior size constraints of a place or object.
====Realm-locked Schools====
Realm-locked Schools are Magic Schools that require a specific Alignment. While general Magic Schools can be transposed onto any dimension, Realm-locked Schools can only be used by those who have the associated alignment. Each Alignment is mentioned on the School itself.
* '''The Blood School''' covers the act of using Blood as a vehicle to do things, such as hardening blood into weapons, armor, or projectiles, but can also concepts like using blood to convey magical effects or affect the blood in the bodies of others or one's self. This is an Abyss School.
* '''The Shadow School''' covers the act of using Shadows as a vehicle to do things, such as moving shadows around, concealing one's self in shadows, using shadows to attack others, or causing shadows to animate as if they are separate people. This is an Abyss School. 
* '''The Chrono School''' covers the act of reverting objects to their original states. This is in essence limited-time magic without actually being time Magic, turning a rusted sword back to a clean state, or restoring a ruin to its freshly built phase. This is an Eidolon School.
* '''The Light School''' covers the act of using light as a vehicle to affect things. For example, using light as a weapon through bright flares, or lighting an area, or hardening light itself into solid objects and using them like weapons or armor. This is an Eidolon School.
* '''The Evergrowth School''' covers using Magic to accelerate mutation and growth of plant matter, and to cause plants to become whatever the Magic wielder wants them to be. This also allows the creation of entirely new magical plants. This is an Anima School.
* '''The Moxy School''' covers using Magic to summon Fae creatures and critters, for example, to do battle or serve the Mage by fetching objects or performing simple tasks. Moxy Fae creatures can example be magical hybrids, dryads, water spirits, etc. This is an Anima School.
* '''The Necrotic School''' covers using Magic to animate dead matter into an un-living thing that can perform tasks or fight. Think for example animating a skeleton to serve tea, or a zombie to guard a basement, or animating a dead pet. This is a Hollow School.
* '''The Specter School''' covers using Magic to create Specters and other ghost-like entities either from the memories of the Mage or from the memories of others, for example summoning a facsimile ghost of someone's own ancestor to fight them. This is a Hollow School.
* '''The Flux School''' covers the usage of Magic to cause objects or places to take on warping qualities, either constantly changing shapes or shapeshifting objects into different objects to hide the original in plain sight. This is a Vortex School.
* '''The Genos School''' covers the sampling of genetic material, traits, or appearance aspects of animals or other Heritages and applying it to one's self. This is not Shapeshifting, it's more like selective self-mutation and usually more localized. This is a Vortex School.  
* '''The Stasis School''' covers the usage of Magic to suspend the progression of time on objects, places, or people. Note, that it does not make a Mage immortal, it just stops their aging, rusting, decay, rotting, etc. It can also halt inertia on objects. This is an Eternum School.
* '''The Fated School''' covers the usage of Magic to create contracts that enact Curses or magical spells on completion (or failure), but also generally extends into the act of precognition and destiny weaving by predicting the fates of others. This is an Eternum School.
* '''The Script School''' covers the usage of the act of writing, written texts, or letterwork to cast Magic. Think for example writing spells onto paper to make them reality. This also covers magically absorbing info from books without reading them. This is a Dictat School.
* '''The Codex School''' covers the usage of Magic to create physical material memory storage devices not unlike Skyborn Memkeys, which allows the storing and replaying of memories remotely or by others, or even altering them and manipulating the replay. This is a Dictat School.
* '''The Amnesia School''' covers the usage of Magic to warp the perception of reality around a person to gaslight them into mistrusting their own senses, and doubting what is real or fake. In a lesser sense, it can also alter memories. This is a Silence School.
* '''The Stillness School''' covers the usage of Magic in defiance of sound, for example robbing someone of their voice, or an instrument of sound. The Stillness School can also allow the use of soundwaves or complete silence as a weapon. This is a Silence School.
====Limited Schools====
Limited Schools are Magic Schools that either existed once but have been lost to time or Schools that are so delicate that they are not available for general Roleplay and can in rare instances only be conferred through a Custom Kit approved by Lore Staff. Limited Schools should generally not be established as some kind of OOC ambition, they are mostly written down here for posterity and Lore continuity reasons, not as attainable goal.
* '''The Oblation School''' covers the act of congesting a living person's body and soul wholly into Magical fuel to use for other Spells to increase the Magic energy limit. This School was lost to time, due to the collapse of the Allorn Empire, and the Cataclysm.
* '''The Soul School''' covers the act of altering souls themselves, like memories, emotions, and feelings. This school is known to exist, but it is so complex that it is generally unavailable to either mortals or non-Event Dm Characters without some guidance.
* '''The Space School''' covers the usage of Magic to transpose one place onto another. This covers the creation of portals and elemental gateways and allows instantaneous movement. Because of gameplay balancing and fairness reasons, this is not accessible to players.
* '''The Time School''' covers the act of altering the flow of time. This School was known to exist at some point but was made impossible when the Dragons destroyed knowledge of Elderlaw among mortals, and locked down the laws of Time so hard it became immovable to Magic.
* '''The Telepath School''' covers the usage of Magic to communicate over long distances without saying words, but speaking in minds. This is unavailable for gameplay balancing and fairness reasons because it becomes impossible to moderate metagaming otherwise.
* '''The Unseen School''' covers the usage of Magic to render objects or people completely invisible. This is unavailable for gameplay balancing and fairness reasons because invisible people are impossible to defeat conventionally.
* '''The Life School''' is a School that theoretically exists and allows the outright resurrection of the dead, however since the removal of Elderlaw, this has not been possible. Only Dragons can resurrect the dead from the afterlife.
==Magic Detection==
What is Magical and what is not Magical isn't always as easily determined in the world of Aloria. To complicate things further, it is possible for Mages to hide certain aspects about their Magic, or create self-obfuscating Curses or spells on objects that make their Magical nature not easily detectable. This section will discuss the visibility of Magic, and what tools Mages (and anti-Mages) have available to hide or detect Magic. The rules and other things to do with Magic Detection or hiding Magic are described below.
* All Mages can be detected by other Mages and even some technological devices that detect Mages. However, this is not immediate. In order for a Mage to be detected, another Mage (or technician) has to activate their Magic Detection, and Magic Detection only works in touch range.
* Active spellcasting can never be hidden, even from non-Mages or people who have never seen Magic before. Any Point Buy Abilities, Mechanics, or Attack Emotes using Magic of any kind are immediately telegraphed, even if their explicit spell effects cannot be told.
* Mages who are shapeshifted or disguised, can suppress their Magic. While they are suppressing their Magic, however, they are unable to use any Magic, either Magic inclined Point Buy Abilities, Mechanics, or Attack Emotes that derive off Magic Proficiency Stat.
* Cursed Items generally hide their own Magic, meaning a Mage (or technician) cannot detect their Curse until it has activated. Some Cursed objects will reveal their own nature on purpose, and Artifacts can never be hidden. Some Dm Characters may also detect Cursed objects.
* Magic Sight is an aesthetic form of Magic detection that allows each Mage to have a customized personalized silhouette with colors and lights to identify their Magic. This can only be used to identify a Character past disguises or shapeshifting with consent.
* When a Mage or piece of technology has detected the Magic inside an object or person, they are generally able to distinguish from which realm or dimension it is aligned, and whether it is a mortal, object, or Demon, though sometimes Demons can tamper with the effects.
One might observe that, with these rules in place, it is difficult for a Mage to cheat at a game of dice. Rather than the simple method of hiding a spell under the table (which is not possible), Mages just need to think a bit harder on how to apply their Magic in a hidden manner. A spell cast on a rolling dice before the game is started for example to cause it to land on the desired number, is more effective than casting Magic at the dice rolling table.  


==Cursing==
===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.


==Archmages==
==Spell Theming==
The concept of Archmages is largely lost to time due to the reduction of Magic in the world. An Archmage is a Mage who is so powerful, that they are able to destroy whole mountain ranges, or flood whole valleys with Magic just with their mind, without it immediately Magic Overloading them. Archmages are so immensely powerful that they reach the approximation of Gods, but there are no Archmages in the modern world. When Cataclysm happened, Magic received such a shock in the world, that it took centuries to recover even a portion of the amount of Magic present in the world. The reality is that less than a tenth of the amount of Magic that was present during the time of the Allorn Empire remains, so Magic simply is not as prolific as needed to birth Archmages. That being said, some people who were Archmages many centuries ago, are still alive in the modern era, albeit with their Magic reduced or completely lost. Archmages are almost universally reviled when regarding them historically, as they destroyed much of the political stability of the Allorn Empire during the Mage Wars era, and generally are a prelude to a Mage seizure of power as no mundane people can stand in their way.
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 [[Schools_of_Magic | Here]].


==Magic Powerlevels==
==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.


==Magic Prevalence==
==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 Scholars==
==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. 


==Mutations and Bodymodding==
==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 [[Mystech | 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 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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Latest revision as of 20:47, 16 December 2024

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!
At its core, Magic bends the laws of reality, based on the whims of the caster (albeit only temporarily).
Magic usage is a defining trait of many Elven populations, with many honing the art for hundreds of years.
Magical Body Modding can create demonic looking appearances, even if they have nothing to do with Spirits or Demons.
Shapeshifting with Magic may be seen as a skill and an art to pragmatic mages, but to many, it can be a horrifying sight to behold.

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 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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ProcessorsMonMarty, FireFan96, SevenBirds
Last EditorMonMarty on 12/16/2024.

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