Ideas on Magic

[Superfluous Crow]

Well, when i start writing stuff down, i usually write it in a sort of encyclopedic way, with a lot of entries, and i end up with a jumbled mess of ideas. Well, the following ideas all concern my magic system. Not that there is one yet anywhere else than in my mind, but anyway. I thought about putting this in the campaign elements, but i wasn't quite sure whether it would fit in there, so i'm putting it up here to start with just to be on the safe side. Remember, this isn't supposed to fit in with any current system, so just look at it from a fluff-perspective (or whatever you say...). Comments, praise, critic and inspiration and ideas are all welcome.

NOTE: I realize this is a long post with many entries not all of which are interesting (or making sense), so to get a quick overview of my ideas, i have made some subentries in the Arcana entry (which is the first one, since it's the most important one. the rest of the list is alphabetical.) If you're in a hurry (or just lazy) skim or read the central concepts; then if you have more time, move on to greater Arcana and lesser arcana and then take whatever is left. There should be entries for everything i mention, but if i missed something just ask.

Arcana: Arcana, or The Secrets, are the different disciplines of magic. Each arcane discipline, or Arcanum, works magic in a different way. Magi often refer to magic as 'Arcana'; one might say he studies Arcana for example, or he studies the Aethercraft Arcanum. It can also be used as an adjective in the form of arcane. Commoners rarely use these words (or know what they mean) and just call it all magic, superstition, or witchcraft.
Central concepts: 1st bond, 2nd bond, Aether, Aethercraft, Sigilcraft, chakra, Entity of Three, Neurotheurgy, Dream Web,
Great Arcana: Aethercraft, Evocation, Neurotheurgy, Scying, Fleshweaving
Lesser Arcana: Sigilcraft, Mindwalking, Invocation, Blood Magic, Oneiromancy, Druidism, Psychometry, divination.

1st bond: The First Bond, or the Soul-Essence Connection, is the natural connection that exists between your own lifeforce (your Essence) and your Soul. Even though it's quite a natural connection, it's included in esoteric lore since it can also be used when the Essence is outside the body. It's mainly used by the Aethercraft Arcanum, but is used to fuel many rituals and talismans.

2nd bond: The Soul-Soul Connection is the connection that exists between all Souls and minds through the Dream Web. This connection is only accessible if both minds are either in a trance, in a meditative state, or just asleep (the last one of course makes it impossible for the sleeper to actually utilize the link without special training or ability).  

3rd bond: The Essence-Essence Connection is the connection between all lifeforces. This is a highly abstract bond, since no connection is immediately visible or accessible, ordinary Magi can't use it.  There exists certain people however, called druids, that, possibly due to a mutation of some sort, can access this connection. This is, according to the most supported theory, done by going through the Second Bond and then the First Bond; that is, going from your Soul to the victim's Soul and then from the victim's Soul to your victim's Essence.

(4th bond): The Fourth Bond is rarely mentioned, and has only been included for good measure. It is the natural connection between Essence and Shell, that allows the the muscles to use the lifeforce for fuel. It's seen as a completely natural process, that isn't worthy of inclusion into the esoteric lore of Arcana.

Aether: Precisely defined, Aether is the term for a non-specific type of energy that can be readily transformed into all other types of energy. It's the natural form that Essence takes after leaving through the chakras (though it'll decay into lesser types of energy). Most often, though, Aether is just used to describe energy in general (be it kinetic aether, thermal Aether, electric Aether, or pure Aether).

Aethercraft: One of the major arcane disciplines, Aethercraft is the skill of manipulating energy (or Aether, in arcane terminology). Aethyns (those who perform Aethercraft) can transform their own lifeforce into various other types of energy, and manipulate this energy through the First Bond.

Aura: The Aura is a shroud of Aether that surrounds all but a few living creatures. It's composed of the energy that constantly leaks out through the chakras. Together with other bodily functions, it generates much of the body heat, and is also a major factor in static electricity and similar phenomena. When Magi use Arcana,

Blood magic: Blood, being infused with much Essence, has always been a great source of magical power. Since it quickly goes stale, the Warlock (a practitioner of Blood Magic) usually uses either his own fresh blood, usually taken from an arm wound, or the blood of a sacrifice. Human blood contains more power than most animals, though the blood of exceptionally powerful animals and creatures (like wyrms and demons) contains much more Essence.

Chakra: Chakras are 'holes' in your shell that allows Essence to seep out and turn into Aether (resulting in an Aura). They can also be actively used to direct flows of energy. The Chakras have fixed locations on the human body (we'll talk about the human chakras here, even though most creatures have them): There is one in the palm of each hand; known as the Palm Chakras, they are the most easily controllable. The Spine Chakra, located between the two shoulder blades, is often considered the most powerful chakra, though it's hard to use it for anything, considering that you can't even look at it. The Central Chakra surrounds the navel, and has no special associated qualities. The Focus Chakra, located between the eyes, is the most effective chakra for psychic and sensory abilities (like neurotheurgy, mindwalking, and sensing). It also has a twin chakra in the form of the Skull Chakra, which is also a powerful psychic chakra (but because it's located in the rear part the skull, it isn't as well connected to the sensory abilities) The Heart Chakra is another powerful chakra, located in the middle of the breast. It is relatively powerful, being a major access point to the blood Essence Reservoir.  

Combiners: Combiners are strange cable-like devices that can be used to connect chakras. This effectively lets him combine the strength of two chakras (or more, if the apparatus is sufficiently complex). An example would be to combine the power of the Spine Chakra with the controllability of the Palm Chakra, or combining the Focus and Palm chakras to more easily direct neurotheurgy and to connect the minds through touch. Combiners are notoriously dangerous though, and even though the benefit is great, they are rarely used. One of the more famous groups that utilized Combiners was 'the Iron Fists', a mercenary unit who used combiners to connect all chakras to a single Palm Chakra. They were almost unstoppable, but they tended to die young.

Daemon: Daemons are extremely powerful singular demonic (or spirit) entities. They are enigmatic and dangerous, and most often left alone (though one of them is believed to be contained in the ancient city of Quenye).

Demon: Demons are spirits who have Souls focused around one specific emotion. It's often used by commoners to describe all types of spirits though, and when spoken by a commoner it usually means 'evil otherworldly creature', even though demons who focus on 'good' emotions also exist.

Demon Wheel: A demon wheel is a specially constructed wheel or cog with a bound demon in it that allows the wheel to turn by itself if provided with energy.

Divination: Seeing into the future or the past through the use of scrying is called divination. To perform it, the scryer simply enters another dimension than our own, entering either future or past dimension. The danger is, of course, that you risk entering dimensions that never have and never will happen, since the Tree of Eternity is riddled with possible outcomes and events that just never happened (but could have happened). This makes divination a discipline that isn't widely recognized, since the information you get through it is rarely of any use. Diviners do have the ability to read and follow destiny lines, though, which ensures that their predictions aren't completely random.

Dream Web: The Dream Web, or Dream Plane, is a mystical plane that overlaps the Chaos Plane that exists outside the System. It's connected to all minds and Souls, and they can sometimes access the plane (especially during sleep or through magical means.) Uncontrolled access means that you will risk seeing into the minds of others or alternative dimensions (or simply into some freak dimension of vivid supernatural imagination). Controlled access (usually achieved through Neurotheurgy) means that the Neurotheurge can read other peoples' minds, access possible futures and pasts, and create their own dreamscapes.

Druids and Druidism: Druidism is a mutation amongst magi that allows them to use the Third Bond. This allows them to access and use the energy of other creatures for their own magic. This can, of course, be resisted, but it is perfectly possible for a druid to completely drain someone of his or her lifeforce (thus killing him). Another ability of druids, gained through their access to the Third Bond, is the ability to access the energy of non-living or non-sentient energy sources. This means that they can take energy from fire and plant life and use it just as well as they can use their own energy. This isn't really covered by the current theory, and can only be explained if either the energies have another connection than the one that goes through the two other Bonds, or if every source of energy possesses a sort of pseudo-soul that is also connected to the Dream Web. Druids are often thought of as 'being in contact with nature' which isn't all that wrong when you think of what powers they have. It's true that a good deal of those who discover their druidic powers start believing that everything is alive and has a soul, and through that belief dedicate themselves to peace and nature, but most just see their druidic powers as a tool that can be used. Druids are quite rare luckily, and in addition, druids usually die young if they don't manage to get their abilities under control quickly.

Entity of Three/the Three Pillars of Life: The three pillars of life together form the Entity of Three: the living creature. The three pillars are Essence (also called life, lifeforce, qi, and vital energy), Soul (also called ka, mind and psyche), and Flesh (also called shell and body). Flesh is the most immediately obvious of the pillars, seeing that it's the only one you can see with the naked eye, while the two others are more abstract. The Flesh is simply put the bodies that act as vessels for the other Pillars on the physical plane. Essence, on the other hand, is both the force that fuels, protects and creates. Essence is, like the Soul, unique to all creatures and it's the essence that contains the genetic code of the creature. It's also the fuel that the muscles draw on for propulsion and the force that contains and protects the mind (without Essence the Soul would wither away). Essence can be seen as an Aura around creatures. The Soul is the Pillar that contains our free will, our sense of logic, our sense of perception, and our emotions. It's located mainly in the brain and partially along the nerves. It's the control center of the Entity of Three, directing Essence to the parts of the Flesh that needs it.

Essence Reservoirs: The natural reservoirs are the primary energy sources of the body: the nerves/spine, the blood, and the Pervasive Energy Field (an energy field that exists in all of the body).
Evocation/Summoning: Evocation, 'calling forth', is the Arcanum that focuses on summoning demons and spirits to this plane of existence. Evokers are usually also quite adept in Sigilcraft, and use that skill to craft magnificent Sigil Circles, that are part trap and part gateway. Evokers have also studied the ways of the demonkind, and know how to appeal to them (and if necessary control them, though the first option is more favourable since having a feud with a demon is something that you'd rather avoid if possible). Evokers use 3 types of circle: one generic one (Purification Circle), one tuned to himself (Summoning Circle), and one tuned to the spirit he seeks to evoke (Gate Circle). In addition, Evokers have to have prepared a chant (demons are led to this world through chants), suitable sacrifices (animals, valuables, books and the like) and a host body if he wishes to lead the demon all the way into our world. Demons are enigmatic beings, and can usually be convinced to do something quite cheaply (not counting preparations) if you know what strange gifts they desire. Energy-rich materials are always an alternative, but an expensive one to be sure. Of course, you could also just ignore the many warnings and dominate it to do your will.        

Fleshweaving: Fleshweaving is the art of combining different essences within a shell to form the flesh (mutate it, essentially). They are also experts in grafting stuff onto people (like extra limbs and the like).

Four Elements: There are four main elements within arcane lore: Matter, Aether, Psyche, and Void. Matter is everything that is physical and can be touched or sensed in some way. Aether is energy, the stuff that makes the world go around. Psyche is the mind, that which allows each creature to take actions (using Aether to manipulate Matter). Void is the element of nothing; the element that exists only by not being any of the other three.

Gate Circle: The Gate Circle is the actual place in which the spirit appears. After the ritual has been completed, the Gate Circle transcends this world and creates a bridge between this world and the world beyond: spirits can then be called to this world by heeding your call and stepping through the gate. When acting as 'bridge', that which lies inside the circle becomes neither of this or theirs world, but becomes a 'twilight zone' where the two worlds meet.

Gather circles: These circles draw energy from their surroundings, and then send it on to somewhere else. They are used to direct the energy of Natural Energy-gathering rituals.

Golem: A golem is a 'body' constructed of some material that isn't flesh and muscle. Their outer structure is usually constructed of metal or wood. Gold or copper is used for 'nerves', which are then connected to demon wheels to provide power that can be used to lift artificial limbs and the like. The whole body is controlled by a spirit, which is usually dominated by the Magus who crafted the golem.

Host: A host is the term used for the body possessed by a demon during its stay in this world. It's also used to describe currently possessing demons who, together with their host body, still resemble their hosts to some degree (most demons cause great mutation and deformation of their hosts).

Invocation/Binding: Invocation, 'calling into', is the art of binding the demon or spirit inside an object, and then using the powers of the particular demon through the use of the demon, or sometimes just use it as fuel or a control unit. Invocation can also be used to insert a demon into a living creature.

Liquid Essence: Though often given more advanced names by those who use it, Liquid Essence is the most common word for the primary tool in the arsenal of the fleshweaver. Simply put, this is lifeforce (along with the all-important genetic code) captured in a liquid medium.

Magus: Magus is a general word for a person who practices Arcana. In plural form it's Magi.

Mass Augmentation: An Aethercraft technique, Mass Augmentation is based on the principle that energy can be converted into matter. Unfortunately, due to some strange undiscovered Law of Magic, it's not possible to create actual matter. Mass, on the other hand, is possible. This 'Mass Energy' can be moved around and can be used to infuse objects and creatures (essentially increasing their mass). This is quite a difficult thing to do, though, and most Aethyns usually just stay away from this technique. Especially competent Aethyns have been known to find other uses for large amounts of this force. The primary use seems to be using it to change gravity (since sufficient mass attracts lighter objects), and one or two reckless Aethyns have been known to be able to create diminutive black holes.

Mindwalking: Mindwalkers enter their own minds more fully, something that allows them to manipulate their Mindscapes (imagined worlds) to their own liking, and memorize them so they can be used later. This is also used to protect yourself against Neurotheurges who try and enter your mind: beating someone when you are the one making the rules is a lot easier.

Natural Energy-gathering: Not all of those who delve into the Arcana use Aethercraft to fuel their various creations. Gather circles can be used to absorb the energy that seeps out naturally through the chakra (the Aura) and then fuel it into circles. Of course, if you could produce miracles simply by standing in a gather circle, everyone would do it, so what you basically need to produce the necessary energy is either more people (or energy-rich objects) or create a freer flow of energy (and preferably both). The first option is simple: just find some more people (or objects) and put them in the circle. Sacrifices can also come in handy here. To create a freer flow, you'll need to experience either great emotion or great calm while standing in the circle. Meditation for calmness and dancing for a sense of euphoria or joy are the most common techniques, though devout prayer and chanting are sometimes just as common. Demons are also usually easier to draw to places where their emotional state is active (Rage/hatred/fear demons to bloody battlefields etc.).

Negative Energy: Another Aethercraft technique, negative energy is an abstract concept for most initially, but it's both useful and widespread in its use. Negative Energy allows the Aethyn to counter normal energy with his own Aether, essentially creating the opposite effect. Negating thermal energy cools stuff down, negating kinetic energy slows it, negating mass makes something lighter.

Neurotheurgy: One of the Arcana, this Arcanum focuses on the Second Bond: the connection that exists between all minds. They usually use hypnosis, potions, meditation, and physical contact (achieved by putting a hand on the front of the target's head) to open up an easily accessible connection between their own mind and that of their target. After this initial process, the target's mind can be accessed and studied (and manipulated). More powerful neurotheurges can force their way into even fully awake minds.

Obliviation: This strange art is the art of forgetting information, and storing it somewhere where your mind doesn't automatically try and comprehend the information. You retain the memory of the memory, so you know you have information about something, and you know where it is and how to get it, but you have none of the knowledge contained in the memory. This skill is useful when you deal with large, and possibly dangerously complex, memories, like the dimensional impressions created through scrying. It's also useful if you want to avoid having the memories discovered by neurotheurges. As an additional benefit, it's more or less impossible to actually forget any of the stored-away memories (though it's still possible to forget the memory of the memory'¦ the life of an obliviator can be unusually complicated at times). Obviously, this discipline requires extreme mental discipline, though smaller memories are often a lot easier to obliviate. Obliviators often create mental archive systems so their forgotten memories are easily relocated, which gives obliviation the nickname 'mental archiving'.

Oneiromancy: Oneiromancy is the art of interpreting dreams. It's a highly esoteric discipline that focuses on understanding the symbols in dreams and reading between the lines to find the true message. There is room for much personal interpretation, and two experts rarely agree completely on a specific dream.

Oversoul: The Oversoul is the abstract place where souls come from. It's often envisioned as a gigantic non-sentient
soul: everyone but no-one at the same time.

Protoflesh: Just like many smiths dream of working with some special metal, most fleshweavers have a secret dream of once obtaining a sizeable lump of protoflesh. This both remarkable and disgusting material is basically a great gooey ball of flesh, bone, muscle, and various bodily fluids in one easy-to-transport package. Protoflesh can act as a template for any type of creature: it only needs to be provided with Essence. If you keep pouring enough of it into the lump, the genetic code stored in the Essence will gradually reshape the lump into a physical body. Using special vats, you can even perfectly mimic the womb of a creature, creating actual live creatures with this stuff. Unfortunately (for the fleshweavers) the recipe for protoflesh is long gone, and it can only be obtained from deep within ancient ruins making it an extremely valuable commodity.

Psychometry: Psychometry is the ability to read and follow energy patterns and trails. It's believed to be an inborn ability that involves some kind of strange unique sensory organ. It's much like the ability to smell creatures possessed by many lesser beasts and animals, but instead of smelling something, the Psychometrist 'feels' the Aether impression that all living creatures leave. Some describe it as seeing the trails and patterns left by creatures, while others say you can just 'feel' it in the air. The psychometrist can, through training, recognize different Aether patterns as belonging to different persons; they are believed to be unique to every person; just like a fingerprint. Seeing that all people leave both a trail in their wake and a trail on all objects they touch, this ability is useful in both crime investigation and guarding. Guards can use it to recognize the Aether impressions of the people who are allowed into the building, and can therefore recognize impostors. Some talented psychometrists can also recognize the impressions left by a soul, and can through touch or closer study identify the emotional state the person leaving the Aether trail or impression.

Purification Circle: The outer circle, this additional safety measure ensures that everything within it is preserved in its original state. It shrouds everything within it (up to a height of 3 millimetres or something like that) in an energy field that both keeps everything together and pushes away anything that tries to enter it (be it stick or foot). It's possible to walk on top of it, but it's impossible to actually touch the circles which it protects.
Sigilcraft: Sigils are powerful symbols that can be used to protect something or keep something in or out. Sigilcarving is related to geometry, and often involves concrete geometrical shapes like circles, triangles and various polygons. Stars are also very common, especially when combined with a circle, since this combination combines all of the most powerful shapes (the polygon at the center, then the triangles as its points, and finally the circle circumscribing it all). The most popular star shapes are the six and five-pointed stars, since they both create and focus the power well. The five-pointed star, the pentacle (or pentagram when circumscribed), is often only used by more advanced Sigilcrafters since an uneven number of points makes it harder to control (but more powerful and flexible).
Sigil Fields: These fields are simpler than Sigil Circles and are constructed to contain energy indefinitely (they are usually placed on floors, or across a hallway to block off access).

Scrying: Scrying is a dangerous Arcanum that allows scryers to extend their senses out into the world. To perform Scrying, the scryer enters a meditative state and enters the Dream Web. This initial process resembles Neurotheurgy to a certain degree, but scrying doesn't involve directly entering the minds of others. Instead, the scryer focuses on dimensions. Trying to perceive instead of entering (like a dreamer sometimes does), scryers draw the complete dimension into their mind. This is the most dangerous part of the procedure, since you instantly perceive everything in the world at once: every sound, every texture, every sight, every taste, and every smell is instantly perceived and understood, something that can make even the strongest of minds break. Every scryer, though, has learned techniques that allow him to focus on specific places and sensory impressions and temporarily 'forget' (see oblivination) all information that isn't needed. Scryers can automatically locate their current dimension, and it's the one that is the easiest to scry on. It becomes more difficult to perceive information that is far away or lies in the future or past.

Soul Sigils: These powerful sigils are instinctively connected to certain feelings, emotions and states of mind in the soul. When viewed by a creature, this emotion instantly surfaces (if the creature is capable of the emotion). Fear sigils are most common, and are used to guard important places and the like.

Spirit: A spirit is a general term for a creature who comes from the World Beyond.

Summoning Circle: Though the name often leads the uninitiated to believe that this is the circle where the demon arrives in, this is actually the summoner's circle (he is summoning in it, hence the name). It protects him from both the summoned creature and the general effects that the World Beyond has on the minds and bodies of those who spend too much time with it. Every summoning circle is tuned to a single Evoker, but if you temporarily break the purification circle, it's quite easy to 'retune' the circle of another evoker to suit yourself.
System, the: The System is a synonym to the universe. It simply means everything that isn't pure chaos (i.e. the world/universe).

Totem Reading: A skill originally discovered by tribal shamans, some psychometrists have learnt to get additional information from other peoples' aether impressions. Through the patterns of the impression, the psychometrist can discover personality traits, skills, hidden strengths and the like. In many cultures, the psychometrist also places the person in an Archetype category, called a Totem, depending on his traits.

Undead: Undead is a word used by commoners to describe Hosts that are still recognizable as their former selves (that is, they haven't mutated much). They also usually show signs of their often untimely deaths, which leads the common folk to believe that they have risen from the dead. Most Magi know them for what they are though, and would never use the word undead (the correct term is Host).

Wands and staffs: The ultimate tool of the magus, the wand (or the more powerful, but cumbersome, staff) enables the magus to apply his magic with pin-point accuracy, exquisite skill, and perfect detail (okay, maybe not all of that, but it does increase his ability quite a lot). Wands and staffs are quite simply put tools for those who practice Arcana. They focus the Aether of the hand chakra into a much more controllable shape. Wands and staffs are highly personal, and only provide their full benefit to the person who it was made for. Additional energy sources are also included in the wands sometimes, so the wand not only steadies the spells, but actually enhances them.

World Beyond: The World Beyond is a plane that lies somewhere between Chaos and Order, on the edge of the universe. As a plane, though, it doesn't have an actual location in our universe, and it can therefore be accessed (but not entered) from anywhere through different esoteric techniques (usually within the discipline of Evocation).  

Well, hope you like it.
Oh, and by the way, if you encounter any errors (which you probably will) please tell me about them instead of just ignoring them, so i can correct them and make it easier for the next person.

[Stargate525]

the enter button... the ENTER button... At least split them up if you're too lazy to bold them.

[Superfluous Crow]

ah, will do... sorry about that. it's late. Well, that's a lousy excuse, but anyway.

[Superfluous Crow]

Hey, guys, i would really like some comments on this... Is it too long or is there anything i can do to make it more interesting to read and comment?

[Matt Larkin (author)]

Honestly, making a reference guide is good for oneself, but rarely something most of us want to read through.

I would say collecting the related ideas into groups, using bold, ic/occ/note tags, and other stuff to break it up and make it more visually interesting would get you more reads.

Organizing it also allows us to see where you are going with all this. Especially for those of us not real familiar with your setting (or who have read it but don't remember much -- there are so many on here now to keep track of), it makes it easier if we can look at a clear vision depicted. You know, this is how I see magic in my setting, this is how this fits together.

Just some thoughts.

[Lmns Crn]

Hey, guys, i would really like some comments on this... Is it too long or is there anything i can do to make it more interesting to read and comment?

I am working my way through it, but it is quite hefty and not very reader-friendly. It reads like a reference-style supplement to help me understand some other narrative.

I'm also not sure what kind of comments you are looking for. I mean, this is basically a dictionary-style list of mystical terms and their definitions, many of which I've heard before, all over the place. There are many more effective ways you could present this information, that would make more sense than alphabetically and in short spurts. Fit some of the terms into a narrative, where they have some context and some interest to pull readers in. Make illustrations or diagrams, to show how things relate to one another. Write a scientific-style article on it, in-character. If you absolutely must post definitions, group them thematically. As-is, your organization does little to aid the comprehension of new readers trying to understand it.

[Superfluous Crow]

Generally, these entries are attempts to combine some of the often used terms of magic and in RPG's and the real world into one great system with a scientific ring to it. I realize that this is extremely hard to get a grip on, so maybe i'll just wait until i've written something a bit more reader-friendly then. For those who are still trying, i did add a note in type with some reading guidance (probably not much help though). But if any of you have read some and have gotten some ideas or something (changes, whatever) i'd still be happy to hear them. Otherwise, i'll return with something some other day.