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* '''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. | * '''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 vile 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 and rot, and the deep dark unknown which hides horrors yet unseen. Ordial Magic is generally disliked in nearly every Religion and society, except those that worship the Evolist Gods, the Cultist Gods, and the Death Isldar and Eronidas. | * '''Ordial Magic''' manifests as necrotic and vile 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 and rot, and the deep dark unknown which hides horrors yet unseen. Ordial Magic is generally disliked in nearly every Religion and society, except those that worship the Evolist Gods, the Cultist Gods, and the Death Isldar and Eronidas. | ||
==Magic in Regalia== | ==Magic in Regalia== | ||
Magic in Regalia 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 | 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. | ||
==How a Mage is Made== | ==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. 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, and so some Mages eventually reach a glass ceiling that they are unable to reach beyond, 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 | 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. 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, and so some Mages eventually reach 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 hide the magical status of their child due to the repressive laws. | ||
Revision as of 03:51, 20 December 2023
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 realm, 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 some Sihndar consider it evil itself. This Page explains Dimensional Alignment, and Magical Morality as well as the logic behind Magic in the Alorian universe. If you are reading this Page to decide on Proficiencies and Point Buy Packs, only reading Dimensional Alignment and Morality of Magic is required. We put them at the top for your convenience.
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. Due to these built-in themes of the lure of power that corrupts, most societies on Aloria have turned against 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 undebatable reasons. When choosing to play a Mage, you should take all these concepts into consideration. Even if your Character cannot convince a purist that they have good intentions, at least it allows you to understand your own Character's moral implications in the world.
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 from some place. In the case of Void, Exist, and Ordial Alignments, this means Magical Essence from the Void, Exist and Bintaar respective 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.
Dimensional Morality
Dimensional Morality is a bit more nuanced yet 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 Alignment and cast Death-Magic to get her revenge. She now has two Alignments, but in doing so has spiritually betrayed her Gods and her fellow Estelley worshipers, who see Ordial 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.
God Magic Exceptions
God Magic is a bit unique in terms of fuel for Magic, because it is the only Essence from Aloria itself, and the only Essence consciously granted by the Gods. This means a couple of things.
- Firstly, it means that God Magic is exclusive only to those who believe in a Religion. Atheists and Afflicted (who are unable to truly believe in Religion), are denied access to God Magic.
- Secondly, it means that Gods can take it away. 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.
- Thirdly, it means that heretics are unable to use God Magic. Religions have a strict set of rules that define their followers. Combining Religions or personal interpretations are not possible.
- God Magic, while Alorian native, can be just as harmful and destructive as Void, Exist, or Ordial Magic, when used as Sinistral, or when used to commit to murder, torture, or other act of evil.
- Estelley as a Religion, 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, due to how Archon work.
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, usually seen as golden or white (with the exception being Dragon God Magic, being purple and gray). 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, such as the Qadir and to a lesser degree the Eronidas, Urlan, and Allar.
- Void Magic manifests as seductive and corrupting 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 chaos, seduction, shadows and blood, dark secrets, and hidden hedonistic desires. Void is considered the quintessential evil force of corruption in nearly all societies and religions, except Fornoss faithful who see it as their Gods power, and Kathar who grow up with Void Magic.
- 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 vile 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 and rot, and the deep dark unknown which hides horrors yet unseen. Ordial Magic is generally disliked in nearly every Religion and society, except those that worship the Evolist Gods, the Cultist Gods, and the Death Isldar and Eronidas.
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.
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. 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, and so some Mages eventually reach 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 hide the magical status of their child due to the repressive laws.