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Setting Elaboration
The last district of magic is Tear. It has--you guessed it--four categories of magic: Darkspace, Paper, Lycaon, and Psionic.
Mages: Executing Magic by School (Part 3: Tear)
Darkspace
Primary Energy Source: Void
Elemental Affinity: Electric
School District: Tear (+Paper, +Lycaon, +Psionic)
Practitioners: Darknaughts
Darkspace magic works off the principle that a section of space can be encapsulated, transported, and displaced into a new position in the universe. In essence, it is the creation of a wyrmhole to connect two otherwise disjoint points in space. It is dependent on conservation of mass; however much space is compressed in one spot must be expanded into another spot (so connecting two points in space disconnects two other points in space). Darkspace magicians usually take space from the air above them to avoid complications such as the resulting wyrmhole spewing unfavorable material, creating a vortex, or otherwise making a mess.
Still, such careless wyrmhole positions can sometimes prove useful. By inserting space from the sea, for example, between two points, the Darkspace magician can make a disastrous and sudden surge of water to launch at an opponent. Borrowing space from an inferno can spurt gouts of fire. The highest pinnacle of offensive expression with Darkspace magic is to tap into space currently occupied by a thunderstorm, thereby launching great bolts of lightning at the wizard’s command.
There have been no notable Darknaughts yet, but Telivar was capable of great feats with Darkspace magic. This is significant as he is by practice a Hedge Wizard and Darkspace is in a different school of discipline.
As for Darkspace dragons… that would be Erasmut.
Paper
Primary Energy Source: Wood
Elemental Affinity: Incendiary
School District: Tear (+Darkspace, +Lycaon, +Psionic)
Practitioners: Escribes
Paper Magic defines itself in the act of granting power to words. An escribe (no, it’s not a typo, it’s a mathematical term) writes a word of power and gives the letters the capacity to ‘cast’ spells when read, or permanently impose a magical property upon the paper. Paper Magic is also the primary means through which magical equipment is constructed; runes are inscribed on a weapon or garment and fill the material with magical potency.
When in combat, an escribe will use glyphs to lay traps, which trigger when the runes are seen. Conversely they might inscribe a rune on a piece of paper, ball it up, and launch it at an opponent, wherein the magic would trigger as soon as the paper hits another object.
The foremost escribe of note is the currently retired character Malichor, who was responsible for the invention of runic magic outside of the paper medium. As such, magical equipment is a relatively new phenomenon (within the last ten years) and is usually unbelievably expensive.
Malichor became an escribe the moment Xyvol had him place runes on the table in the Filthy Rabbit Tavern. Only practitioners of paper magic would have access to magical writing.
Lycaon
Primary Energy Source: Stone
Elemental Affinity: Incendiary
School District: Tear (+Darkspace, +Paper, +Psionic)
Practitioners: Druids
Lycaon Magic is wicked, wicked business. It is the magic of the body, and practitioners use it to manipulate their own bodies and the bodies of others. Lycaon magic can be used for personal enhancement or for inflicting curses. The signature application of this school of magic is the curse of lycanthropy through which werewolves are created. It is not the ONLY application, though, and frequently the fame of that particular curse undermines the potency of the school.
A Lycaon druid might make an enemy’s blood boil in their body. A Lycaon druid might transform into a terrifying snake and kill a victim with paralytic toxin. A Lycaon druid might turn the very forces of the wild against an opponent, driving wild animals to tear them apart.
By intention, Lycaon magic is the work of the wicked druid. The connection to nature is perverted into a dark, forceful domination. There has been one instance of a Lycaon druid in the course of the game: Cecette. She utilized the energy of the forest to transform the Audamar elves into ogres and--as a result of their reduced intelligence from this transformation--she was able to deploy them as a personal army. Telivar also plied Lycaon magic early in the plot… he combined it with Hedge magic to make werewolf flowers as a trap against intruders. None of the players fell for this trap but some of the NPCs did.
Cecette is a special case: she demonstrated Lycaon magic both as a human (elf) and as a dragon. As the only dragon to have been dismembered while retaining a physical body she is a rather special case in general.
Psionic
Primary Energy Source: Metal
Elemental Affinity: Cryonic
School District: Tear (+Darkspace, +Paper, +Lycaon)
Practitioners: Psions
Psionic magic projects the power of the mind out of the body. It is force of will made manifest on reality, and it is significant in that it requires no physical motion or incantation to perform; simply having a thought is enough to trigger Psionic magic.
A Psion attacks with terror, driving opponents to believe their limbs have caught fire, their bodies are freezing to death, or even forcing them to believe they’re being electrocuted.
There have been two instances of Psionic magic being performed thus far: the first was Telivar’s inhabitation of the various vermin within his mansion. The second was by Alisia, who used it to communicate with other characters despite her lack of a physical form.
No dragons as of yet have demonstrated prowess with Psionic magic.
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