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Baylien — Magic of the World: Personal Magic

Published: 2020-04-18 05:14:04 +0000 UTC; Views: 2652; Favourites: 28; Downloads: 11
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Description

Magic has long been a force for both great good and great evil in the world. Long ago, in the Age of Chaos, it is said that the wild forces of magic were rampant and fractured the lands.  Elemental Lords and Arcane Wraiths claimed dominion over all things. Then the Titanborn came to the world and brought low the terrible tyrants that wielded such raw forces. They bound the currents of aether and banished the terrible entities that once roamed the lands. No longer could the raw forces of aether be commanded on a whim, from then on there was a price to be paid for the wielding of such power. For better or worse, this changed the world forever. 

Following the intervention of the Titans magic was divided into three distinct spheres. 


Personal Magic

Magic of the Self is awoken through the use of one of the Cardinal Runes of Magic. These symbols of power grant the wielder power over a specific domain of magic. These runes are not spoken, for they are words written in the language of the Divine and possess authority over aspects of reality itself. 

A Cardinal Rune can only be given by one who already possesses it. As such, the original Runes of Magic were given to mortals by the Titans themselves. Many remain. Some have been lost to time and catastrophe. Regardless, the recipient of a Cardinal Rune of Magic must have it drawn upon their body. This can be done with ink, carved into the flesh, tattooed, it does not matter. Once gifted by one who possesses the Rune, it becomes permanent. 

Location does not matter though some cultures and organizations place them in places of ritual significance. The exact look of the Rune of Magic often depends on the individual. They are words with cosmic meaning given a physical form, this means the appearance of the Rune shifts with that of the personality and traits of they who wield them. Regardless, anyone who stares at a Cardinal Rune of Magic will be able to glean a primal understanding of what it governs. These symbols are something understood by the very essence of the soul. 

Upon receiving a Rune of Magic, each and every person who receives it experiences what is called Threshold Sickness. The wielding of magic requires the conscious awakening of one's mind and soul to the presence of aether. It is a harrowing experience that is unique depending on the Rune of Magic one is attempting to receive. Threshold Sickness has two results. Survive it and be awakened as a rune mage or do not and perish. 

Most do not survive. 

Threshold Sickness is experienced with the gaining of each and every new Cardinal Rune of Magic. Every time. Without exception. 


Wielding Personal Magic

Magic of the Self is achieved through the utilization of the aether that comprises the individual's soul. This energy is funneled through the filter of the Rune of Magic that the mage possesses, allowing them to manifest the transmuted energy into the physical world and thus bringing about the paranormal effect they desire. However, this effect can only manifest within the boundaries provided by the Rune through which it is being channeled. While this is a simplification of the theory of magic, it is the fundamental structure. 

The many different forms of Personal Magic are referred to as Disciplines. This is because it takes great discipline and willpower to master the many different forms of rune magic. Whether one possesses a single rune or many, ones mastery over how to channel their aether in one rune does not translate to how that aether is channeled through a different rune. Each discipline takes careful reflection, time and study to grasp. 

There are no universal spells or incantations in Personal Magic. The journey each wizard takes with their powers is, as the name implies, a personal one. No two wizards wield their magic in quite the same way. Granted, there are basic techniques utilized by many across the differing spectrums of mages. 


The Known Disciplines of Personal Magic


Affliction- A controversial discipline of magic, the Rune of Affliction enables the mage who possesses it to afflict others with jinxes, hexes and at their most powerful, curses. This comes at great cost but some argue the price is worth it. In order to afflict a victim, the mage must draw what they wish to unleash upon their target into themselves first. A wizard wishing to afflict a victim with debilitating pain must first receive this pain and then absorb it into their aether to then be unleashed by them as an affliction. Absorbing their experiences into their aether saves the wizard from many of the direct effects of suffering what they wish to unleash. The pain they would have experienced in full is instead a dull ache and so forth. To an extent. Afflictionists suffer what is called "Curserot". Take for instance a mage wishing to infect another with a feverish disease. They must first be infected themselves and then absorb that disease and its effects into their aether. Doing so corrodes a piece of their soul and without rest, this damage will infect the rest of their soul leading them to become an abomination. Generally speaking, the stronger and more complex the affliction, the more persistent the Curserot. Many wizards of this discipline have stretched themselves too far, too fast only to have the full weight of all they'd absorbed suddenly manifest on their bodies all at once. While more powerful afflictionists are able to retain a handful of things as basic afflictions, the general rule is that in order to afflict, the experience must be renewed each time before being unleashed. One thing to know about this magic is that afflictions are based mostly in the physical and expand from there. Affecting first the physical senses and then augmenting what is forced upon the victims body. Affliction does not possess the power to brand someone with something so broad as "madness". But a clever combination of afflictions can drive the recipient to madness all the same. One cannot afflict a victim with just "hallucinations" but they can afflict a victim with a condition that causes them. 


Animus- Another common discipline of magic is the power bestowed by the Rune of Animus. Granting the wielder the ability to shapeshift into varying wild animals, it is a discipline that has seen much use throughout the ages. The wizard achieves their shapeshifting by acquiring various animal totems throughout their journey. Whether bones, fathers, scales or otherwise, the wizard infuses the totem with a trace portion of their own soul and links it to their very being. By tapping into the link forged between them and their totem, they are then able to take on various traits from that animal. The more powerful the mage, the more dramatic the change. Beginners can only do small changes such as gaining claws, teeth, eyesight or perhaps hearing. The most powerful Animus mages can blend together the traits of different animals and undergo full body transformations.  An Animus mage who loses their totem suffers a terrible loss. They have then essentially lost a piece of themselves and the road to recovery is a slow one. As such, most Animus mages are very protective of their totems. 


Elementalism- The Rune of Elements is a staple in the mage community. It is by far one of the most common Runes of Magic around. Upon successful initiation into the discipline, each mage starts out with power over a single element. Earth, Air, Water or Fire. As the mage grows more powerful they often grow closer to one element over the others, becoming Kin to that element, resulting in specializing. Through their Kin element, the wizard is then able to create para-elements. A mage who is Kin with Fire can blend together Fire and Air to create Lightning. A mage who is Kin with Water can blend Water and Air to create Ice, and so forth. At the pinnacle of this discipline, the masters of the elements can become living avatars for their Kin element and its variations. 


Kinetics- By awakening the mage to the presence of the Aether Flux, the wizard is able to practice telekinesis. The Flux is the theory that anything and everything exists as an extension of the substance known as Aether. Kineticists espouse that aether is what comprises all of existence and there is credence to their claims. By extending their aether and tethering, tunneling, or manipulating the flux and flow of others, the wizard is able to lift, push, pull and achieve a variety of effects on the world around them. The most powerful of these mages can manipulate things down to such a degree as to be able to shift an object's state in matter.


Masquerade- The Masquerader is an artist. Through the utilization of their aether the Rune of the Masquerade enables the wielder to paint, sculpt and project their own reality, masking the truth of what one perceives. When it comes to the Masquerade however, the devil is in the details. An illusion is only as good as what the mage can recall and while the Rune of the Masquerade enables the mage to retain things on a higher scale, it is not foolproof. Illusions are powerful tools that have been used for good or ill for millennia but no matter how powerful the illusionist, a construct of the Masquerade cannot bring direct harm to those affected by them. That is not to say illusions are harmless but the truth of the matter remains, no matter how well constructed, they are not real. Then again, reality is in what one perceives and this magic is all about perception. 


Mesmer- The Rune of the Mesmer bestows upon its wielder the power to read thoughts, manipulate emotions, and even directly manipulate the mind in the Mesmer's grasp. While a terrifying prospect for many, it is not so straightforward a matter, tinkering with the minds of sentient beings. Contrary to popular belief, the mind is never an open book. The skill of a Mesmer rests less in their magic and more in their ability to understand and relate to people. The more a Mesmer can form a bridge of understanding between themselves and another, the more susceptible they are to the Mesmer's influence. Minds are not easy things to navigate and thus the most powerful and skillful Mesmers are incredibly subtle and typically very observant of people's behaviors, motivations and desires. The less a person is aware they are being influenced, the more successful a Mesmer can be. 


Negation- The power to establish wards, barriers and shields that protect against specific programmed parameters. The mage who bears the Rune of Negation must carefully construct their wards in order to protect against the desired force. This is achieved through a process known as “tasking a ward”. The wizard establishes an anchor point for their shield, this can be placed on a person, place or object. They must then decide whether they want to erect a two-dimensional barrier versus a three-dimensional one. The shape and dimensions of a shield often determine how resilient they are and how detailed their tasking can be. Two-dimensional shields are relatively easy to build and sustain but tend to be limited in the scope of how detailed their programming can be. Three-dimensional shields are virtually unlimited in their programming potential but are costly and difficult to maintain for long periods of time. When it comes to tasking a ward, the wizard must be careful in selecting the parameters for their barrier. Attempting to program a barrier to block against something as broad as “weapons” is a recipe for failure. Weapons come in many different shapes, sizes, and can be made of materials ranging from wood to steel. There are also unconventional weapons that a mage might not be able to account for. A more suitable alternative would be to program a barrier to ward against the most common material blades (i.e. daggers, swords, etc.) are made of, which is iron or steel. While this would bar the passage of other items made of the same materials it is a more effective and controlled method of tasking. A clever Negation wizard can layer multiple barriers over the same area to achieve a more complex outcome while expending minimal aether.


Semblance- Semblance is one of the oldest forms of magic known to the world and forms of it predate the intervention of the Titans. The Rune of Semblance bestows upon the wielder the power to perceive the aura of that which is within their sight. Additionally they are able to use their own aura as a proxy for their senses (i.e. sight, sound, taste, touch, smell). By focusing on the aura of that which is within their sight the mage is able to glean information about the object. If it is a person, are able to read their mood, follow the trend of their emotions and at the most advance even gain insight into intentions. While this is not mind-reading, such as with Mesmers, it is often enough to be able to get an adequate reading on people and creatures in general. Furthermore, contained within the aura of all things is the codified information about that particular object. Study an aura long enough and one can glean the exact properties of a particular person, place or object such as what a sweet roll tastes like without having to actually consume it or the components used in baking it. This is mages go-to power for discerning the properties of anomalous magical occurrences, items and even people. The most powerful of these mages can conceal and manipulate their own auras in order to disguise their properties.


Transposition- A decidedly uncommon form of magic is the ability to fold space between two points and the power to form a bridge between the two. The Rune of Transposition is that of teleportation and spatial manipulation. This discipline of magic is uncommon due to the dangers it poses to the wielder and those around them. A discipline that requires the utmost concentration and awareness of both location and one’s own limitations, a misstep with Transposition can often be either fatal or cause serious injury to the mage themselves. Teleportation requires either being able to see where one is going or to have a reasonable idea of the location one has in mind. Portals created via transposition can be draining upon the mage depending on the distance they desire to travel. While being able to travel hundreds, if not thousands of kilometers in a single day is something that the most powerful of these mages is capable of, it is ill advised. Distance determines difficulty. The closer a desire location, the easier it is to teleport to. The further away a location, the more the mage risks exposure to disaster. Transposition also bestows the ability of spatial manipulation, as mentioned previously. One of the most common techniques is the folding of space and opening small portals not intended for travel but for viewing, thus enabling the mage to scry on a location from a distance. 


Summoning- The conjuring of spirits and other entities is that which is bestowed by the Rune of Summoning. These eldritch creatures from other planes of existence are not native to the realm traversed by mortals. They hail from Beyond and in exchange for the aether supplied by the mage, these creatures are summoned into being on the material realm and usually do the mage’s bidding. The stronger the creature, the more powerful the mage required to summon it but these summons can backfire if the mage is not careful. The most staggeringly powerful of the creatures conjured into being on the material realm have often been the work of multiple summoners working in tandem. 


Lost Disciplines of Personal Magic


The following are disciplines of magic that, while known, have either fallen completely out of use or have such a small amount of practitioners as to be considered dead forms of magic. Some were closely guarded secrets, others were simply lost to the mists or time or to great catastrophe. Others still were intentionally wiped out for one reason or another.


Eminence- Once practiced by the Dawnmartyr Knights of the Avyarae people, the Rune of Eminence augmented the physical body enabling superhuman levels of physical strength, vitality, endurance and speed. It was lost with the extinction of the Avyarae in general.


Reaving- Not much is known about the details of this powerful form of rune magic. What is known, is that mages who received this Rune of Magic would form what is referred to as the “Pact” and would forge one with a weapon of their choosing. Through this pact they would then be able to perform extraordinary feats with their pact weapon. This discipline was practiced almost exclusively by the Dawnmartyr Knights of the Avyarae people. With their extinction, the magic seems to have faded with them. 


Thaumaturgy- Stories say that practitioners of the Rune of Thaumaturgy were able to manipulate the very essence of the universe itself unbound by the normal restrictions of other forms of magic. This profound manipulation of aether, the substance of raw potential and magic, rendered them able to rewrite the very laws of reality around them. In ancient times, a great purge was declared by the ancient Clockwork Empire and practitioners of this magic were hunted to total eradication.


Vitalis- By sacrificing bits of their own vitality, the Rune of Vitalis enabled the practitioner to tap into the power inherent in the essence of all living things; their blood. Through the manipulation of blood the wizard was able to perform astounding feats of regeneration or inflict terrible suffering upon their victims if brought to wrath. Stories say they were even able to glean knowledge through the consumption of the blood of other living beings. 


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Comments: 5

Wormwood77 [2020-04-20 19:38:42 +0000 UTC]

The amount of work you put into your world is simply amazing... and fascinating!   

👍: 1 ⏩: 1

Baylien In reply to Wormwood77 [2020-04-21 09:07:03 +0000 UTC]

Thank you very much! I have an ungodly amount of notes. Far too many. Lol

👍: 1 ⏩: 0

DresdenskinsArt [2020-04-18 19:57:53 +0000 UTC]

👍: 1 ⏩: 1

Baylien In reply to DresdenskinsArt [2020-04-21 09:09:30 +0000 UTC]

I'm so glad you enjoyed reading it! Your work on the world map of Rengarth and the timeline motivated me to put this all together this way. I'm always stuck between wanting to share things and wanting to let the explanations unfold organically through story and action.

👍: 2 ⏩: 1

DresdenskinsArt In reply to Baylien [2020-04-21 17:09:26 +0000 UTC]

👍: 2 ⏩: 0