Magic - Revision history

Elanthe at 05:34, 9 April 2026

2026-04-09T05:34:04Z

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	===The Six Spheres===		===The Six Spheres===

	The six spheres are earth, air, fire, water, spirit, and void. Each was discovered, codified, and propagated separately over millennia, by different peoples in different circumstances; some through scholarly patience, others in the crucible of war. The sphere framework accurately describes how magical practice works in nearly every case a practitioner will encounter. It is the foundation of formal magical education across most of the world and is treated by most scholars as simply true.		The six spheres are [[earth]], [[air]], [[fire]], [[water]], [[spirit]], and [[void]]. Each was discovered, codified, and propagated separately over millennia, by different peoples in different circumstances; some through scholarly patience, others in the crucible of war. The sphere framework accurately describes how magical practice works in nearly every case a practitioner will encounter. It is the foundation of formal magical education across most of the world and is treated by most scholars as simply true.

	===Natural Magic===		===Natural Magic===

Elanthe at 06:55, 7 April 2026

2026-04-07T06:55:31Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 23:55, 6 April 2026
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	Arcanima is the practice of embedding magic into objects, creating effects that persist without an active caster sustaining them. It is its own specialization distinct from scholarly practice, and one that often carries significant component requirements alongside the expertise needed to work it. Materials, reagents, and prepared focuses can make arcanima an expensive undertaking even before accounting for the practitioner's time.		Arcanima is the practice of embedding magic into objects, creating effects that persist without an active caster sustaining them. It is its own specialization distinct from scholarly practice, and one that often carries significant component requirements alongside the expertise needed to work it. Materials, reagents, and prepared focuses can make arcanima an expensive undertaking even before accounting for the practitioner's time.

	The durability of arcanima varies enormously. Most constructs require ongoing maintenance: periodic attention from a trained practitioner to keep the working stable. In cities with robust guild infrastructure, this upkeep is part of the service economy, a normal ongoing expense for anyone relying on magical installations. In less developed areas, the same infrastructure either doesn't exist or has to be improvised. At the far end of the spectrum are permanent magical devices: extraordinarily rare, requiring resources and knowledge that few can assemble, correspondingly powerful, and almost without exception involving artifacts that are pre-Sundering in origin.		The durability of arcanima varies enormously. Most constructs require ongoing maintenance and periodic attention from a trained practitioner to keep the working stable. In cities with robust guild infrastructure, this upkeep is part of the service economy, a normal ongoing expense for anyone relying on magical installations. In less developed areas, the same infrastructure either doesn't exist or has to be improvised. At the far end of the spectrum are permanent magical devices: extraordinarily rare, requiring resources and knowledge that few can assemble, correspondingly powerful, and almost without exception involving artifacts that are pre-Sundering in origin.

	The sophistication of arcanima visible in a given place is a reliable indicator of how dense and organized its magical institutions are. A frontier settlement might have a hedge-trained practitioner who can charge a simple object, while a major city will have specialists capable of maintaining complex, layered works that have been running for generations.		The sophistication of arcanima visible in a given place is a reliable indicator of how dense and organized its magical institutions are. A frontier settlement might have a hedge-trained practitioner who can charge a simple object, while a major city will have specialists capable of maintaining complex, layered works that have been running for generations.

Elanthe at 06:53, 7 April 2026

2026-04-07T06:53:03Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 23:53, 6 April 2026
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	===Origins===		===Origins===
	The alatharya, the first people of Avendar, practiced magic in its original unified form. After [[~~The~~ Sundering]], the magic that survived was fragmented into discrete spheres. Artifacts made before the Sundering still function, but the constraints on casting and creation imposed by the Sundering have never been lifted~~: no~~ spell can involve more than two spheres, and access to certain spheres is conditioned on the resonance of the practitioner's soul.		The [[alatharya]], the first people of Avendar, practiced magic in its original unified form. After [[the Sundering]], the magic that survived was fragmented into discrete spheres. Artifacts made before the Sundering still function, but the constraints on casting and creation imposed by the Sundering have never been lifted. No spell can involve more than two spheres, and access to certain spheres is conditioned on the resonance of the practitioner's soul.

			===The Six Spheres===

	The six spheres are earth, air, fire, water, spirit, and void. Each was discovered, codified, and propagated separately over millennia, by different peoples in different circumstances; some through scholarly patience, others in the crucible of war. The sphere framework accurately describes how magical practice works in nearly every case a practitioner will encounter. It is the foundation of formal magical education across most of the world and is treated by most scholars as simply true.		The six spheres are earth, air, fire, water, spirit, and void. Each was discovered, codified, and propagated separately over millennia, by different peoples in different circumstances; some through scholarly patience, others in the crucible of war. The sphere framework accurately describes how magical practice works in nearly every case a practitioner will encounter. It is the foundation of formal magical education across most of the world and is treated by most scholars as simply true.

Elanthe at 05:24, 7 April 2026

2026-04-07T05:24:22Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 22:24, 6 April 2026
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	===Learning===		===Learning===
	Magic is a trained discipline. There is no lineage that produces spontaneous, untrained casters, and no reliable shortcut past the foundational work of study and practice. How ~~that~~ training is structured varies considerably by place and culture. In the human city-states of [[Earendam]], [[Var Bandor]], [[Gaald]], and [[Harrud]], formal training follows a guild apprenticeship model, with established scholarly guilds taking on students and advancing them through structured progression. Templars and other martial practitioners who incorporate magic into their work typically pursue this same path. Elsewhere, the structures look quite different: colleges and universities in [[Daphoa]], religious and monastic institutions throughout the [[caladaran]] world and the [[srryn]], hereditary lineages, master-student pairs, and regional traditions with their own internal logic. What these share is that magical training is always organized; informal self-study is possible ~~but~~ punishing, and most practitioners reach a ceiling without a teacher to push them past it.		Magic is a trained discipline. There is no lineage that produces spontaneous, untrained casters, and no reliable shortcut past the foundational work of study and practice. How magical training is structured varies considerably by place and culture. In the human city-states of [[Earendam]], [[Var Bandor]], [[Gaald]], and [[Harrud]], formal training follows a guild apprenticeship model, with established scholarly guilds taking on students and advancing them through structured progression. Templars and other martial practitioners who incorporate magic into their work typically pursue this same path. Elsewhere, the structures look quite different: colleges and universities in [[Daphoa]], religious and monastic institutions throughout the [[caladaran]] world and the [[srryn]], hereditary lineages, master-student pairs, and regional traditions with their own internal logic. What these share is that magical training is always organized, and though informal self-study is possible, it is punishing, and most practitioners reach a ceiling without a teacher to push them past it.

	Pace of learning depends heavily on what kind of magic is being learned. A scholar focused on battle applications can reach genuine competence within a year of dedicated effort; combat magic is, somewhat ironically, the most straightforward branch of the discipline. Industrial, artificing, and advanced scholarly work are measured in years. A scholar who has been practicing for a decade is not unusual; one who has been practicing for three is formidable.		Pace of learning depends heavily on what kind of magic is being learned. A scholar focused on battle applications can reach genuine competence within a year of dedicated effort, as combat magic is, somewhat ironically, the most straightforward branch of the discipline. Industrial, artificing, and advanced scholarly work are measured in years. A scholar who has been practicing for a decade is not unusual; one who has been practicing for three is formidable.

	In practical terms, a working scholar occupies roughly the social and economic position of a skilled artisan or tradesman. The training investment is comparable; so is the professional infrastructure around it.		In practical terms, a working scholar occupies roughly the social and economic position of a skilled artisan or tradesman. The training investment is comparable, and so is the professional infrastructure around it.

	===Resonance===		===Resonance===
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	===Casting===		===Casting===

	Most magic requires nothing but willpower and knowledge~~; an understanding of what you are reaching for and the capacity to reach~~. In practice, nearly all formal casting involves speaking arcane, the language of magic: an artificial tongue constructed from pre-Sundering alatharyan runewords and loanwords drawn from languages across the world. Words and phrases in arcane are chanted during casting, and the language is used by practitioners everywhere, regardless of lineage or sphere. It is not inherently magical; neither the words nor the gestures do anything on their own. They exist to focus and direct the will of the caster, giving intention a precise form it can be channeled through.		Most magic requires nothing but willpower and knowledge. In practice, nearly all formal casting involves speaking arcane, the language of magic: an artificial tongue constructed from pre-Sundering alatharyan runewords and loanwords drawn from languages across the world. Words and phrases in arcane are chanted during casting, and the language is used by practitioners everywhere, regardless of lineage or sphere. It is not inherently magical; neither the words nor the gestures do anything on their own. They exist to focus and direct the will of the caster, giving intention a precise form it can be channeled through.

	Alongside verbal components, most workings involve somatic elements: specific gestures, postures, and physical motions that work in concert with chanting to channel the spell precisely. The demands of both scale with power, where a minor working might require only a few words and a deliberate movement of the hand and a major working may demand sustained chanting, complex choreography, and a caster fully committed to the act. Air scholars are a notable exception to the verbal component; they are capable of subvocalizing, casting in complete silence with their chanting internalized. A spell cast without verbal or somatic components is not impossible, but it is much harder, requiring more willpower, more expenditure, and less precision as the caster's will must compensate for the lost structure.		Alongside verbal components, most workings involve somatic elements: specific gestures, postures, and physical motions that work in concert with chanting to channel the spell precisely. The demands of both scale with power, where a minor working might require only a few words and a deliberate movement of the hand and a major working may demand sustained chanting, complex choreography, and a caster fully committed to the act. Air scholars are a notable exception to the verbal component, as they are capable of subvocalizing, casting in complete silence with their chanting internalized. A spell cast without verbal or somatic components is not impossible, but it is much harder, requiring more willpower, more expenditure, and less precision as the caster's will must compensate for the lost structure.

	The caladaran, who were among the first to formalize magical theory, developed the unit of measurement still used across most of the world today: ~~the~~ mana, which describes the energy expenditure required to produce an effect. The term is universal enough that most practitioners even outside of magical practice use the term without knowing or caring about its origin.		The caladaran, who were among the first to formalize magical theory, developed the unit of measurement still used across most of the world today: mana, which describes the energy expenditure required to produce an effect. The term is universal enough that most practitioners even outside of magical practice use the term to refer to personal energy expenditure without knowing or caring about its origin.

	===Arcanima===		===Arcanima===
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	The durability of arcanima varies enormously. Most constructs require ongoing maintenance: periodic attention from a trained practitioner to keep the working stable. In cities with robust guild infrastructure, this upkeep is part of the service economy, a normal ongoing expense for anyone relying on magical installations. In less developed areas, the same infrastructure either doesn't exist or has to be improvised. At the far end of the spectrum are permanent magical devices: extraordinarily rare, requiring resources and knowledge that few can assemble, correspondingly powerful, and almost without exception involving artifacts that are pre-Sundering in origin.		The durability of arcanima varies enormously. Most constructs require ongoing maintenance: periodic attention from a trained practitioner to keep the working stable. In cities with robust guild infrastructure, this upkeep is part of the service economy, a normal ongoing expense for anyone relying on magical installations. In less developed areas, the same infrastructure either doesn't exist or has to be improvised. At the far end of the spectrum are permanent magical devices: extraordinarily rare, requiring resources and knowledge that few can assemble, correspondingly powerful, and almost without exception involving artifacts that are pre-Sundering in origin.

	The sophistication of arcanima visible in a given place is a reliable indicator of how dense and organized its magical institutions are. A frontier settlement might have a hedge-trained practitioner who can charge a simple object; a major city will have specialists capable of maintaining complex, layered works that have been running for generations.		The sophistication of arcanima visible in a given place is a reliable indicator of how dense and organized its magical institutions are. A frontier settlement might have a hedge-trained practitioner who can charge a simple object, while a major city will have specialists capable of maintaining complex, layered works that have been running for generations.

Elanthe: /* Natural Magic */

2026-04-07T05:20:02Z

Natural Magic

← Older revision		Revision as of 22:20, 6 April 2026
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	===Natural Magic===		===Natural Magic===

	Not all magic fits neatly into the sphere framework. Natural magic as practiced most visibly by druids and rangers outside formal sphere taxonomy, drawing on elemental forces through attunement and intuition rather than codified discipline. It is a trained practice, not an innate gift, and it is genuinely effective. Formal institutions and sphere-trained scholars have a long tradition of dismissing it as glorified hedge magic, a characterization that says more about institutional bias than about natural magic's actual capabilities.		Not all magic fits neatly into the sphere framework. Natural magic as practiced most visibly by druids and rangers outside formal sphere taxonomy, drawing on elemental forces through attunement and intuition rather than codified discipline. It is a trained practice, not an innate gift, and it is genuinely effective, though the actual mechanics of what they are doing is poorly understood. Formal institutions and sphere-trained scholars have a long tradition of dismissing it as glorified hedge magic, a characterization that says more about institutional bias than about natural magic's actual capabilities.

	===Deific Intervention===		===Deific Intervention===

Elanthe at 05:17, 7 April 2026

2026-04-07T05:17:05Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 22:17, 6 April 2026
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	Magic is ~~ubiquitous in Avendar as a preternatural aspect~~ of the ~~plane's laws~~ and ~~is a necessary aspect~~ of ~~both~~ the ~~ecosystem~~ and the ~~function~~ of ~~nearly every society. Like every natural force and law~~, ~~it was woven into~~ the ~~structure~~ of the ~~plane by [[Iandir]] upon its creation. During~~ the ~~[[Sundering]]~~, ~~magic was divided into six spheres each tied to a unique resonance~~, ~~preventing mortals from ever wielding more than two types at once~~.		Magic is the manipulation of elemental forces that permeate the world. It is trained rather than innate, and anyone with sufficient aptitude and instruction can learn it. The applications of magic range from the profoundly mundane to the catastrophically powerful, and in the absence of a parallel technological tradition, magic has become the substrate of civilization itself: the forge, the road, the courier, the physician.

	~~Nearly anyone~~ is ~~theoretically capable~~ of ~~performing magic save~~ the ~~[[alatharya]], but discrimination, prejudice,~~ and ~~poverty all affect access to education and tools. As~~ a ~~result,~~ the ~~ability to become trained to perform magic may vary wildly between regions~~ and ~~even within different neighborhoods in~~ the ~~same city~~. ~~In particular~~, the ~~[[School~~ of ~~Heroes]] historically severely restricts licensure based on~~ the ~~species and study of an individual; for example, there are no~~ [[~~chaja~~]] or [[~~srryn~~]] ~~scholars among~~ [[~~adventurer~~]]~~s because the School will not issue licenses to them. This does not mean scholars are not represented (if rarely) among the broader population of srryn or chaja~~, ~~only that they are barred from being adventurers~~.		Magic is ubiquitous in Avendar as a preternatural aspect of the plane's laws and is a necessary aspect of both the ecosystem and the function of nearly every society. Like every natural force and law, it was woven into the structure of the plane by [[Iandir]] upon its creation. During the [[Sundering]], magic was divided into six spheres each tied to a unique resonance, preventing mortals from ever wielding more than two types at once. Magic is sometimes confused with [[psionics]], which is a related but entirely distinct faculty.

			==Overview==

	==~~Arcane Magic~~==		===Origins===
			The alatharya, the first people of Avendar, practiced magic in its original unified form. After [[The Sundering]], the magic that survived was fragmented into discrete spheres. Artifacts made before the Sundering still function, but the constraints on casting and creation imposed by the Sundering have never been lifted: no spell can involve more than two spheres, and access to certain spheres is conditioned on the resonance of the practitioner's soul.

	~~Arcanologists formally divide magic into~~ six spheres, and ~~each sphere is associated with a specific resonance~~. ~~All sphere magic is arcane magic~~, ~~but not all arcane magic falls within a sphere~~; some ~~very basic types~~ of ~~magic, such as rudimentary armor spells, interact with resonance but are not more than superficially affected by it~~. ~~Those whose personal resonance is too far removed from~~ a ~~sphere are generally unable to access those spheres of magic~~. ~~There~~ is ~~disagreement between academics on~~ the ~~true nature~~ of ~~magic,~~ the ~~spheres,~~ and ~~resonance~~.		The six spheres are earth, air, fire, water, spirit, and void. Each was discovered, codified, and propagated separately over millennia, by different peoples in different circumstances; some through scholarly patience, others in the crucible of war. The sphere framework accurately describes how magical practice works in nearly every case a practitioner will encounter. It is the foundation of formal magical education across most of the world and is treated by most scholars as simply true.

	===~~Water~~===		===Natural Magic===
	~~Water is resonant with the concept of life, movement.~~
	~~Like Fire, it is a linear sphere.~~

	~~===Fire===~~		Not all magic fits neatly into the sphere framework. Natural magic as practiced most visibly by druids and rangers outside formal sphere taxonomy, drawing on elemental forces through attunement and intuition rather than codified discipline. It is a trained practice, not an innate gift, and it is genuinely effective. Formal institutions and sphere-trained scholars have a long tradition of dismissing it as glorified hedge magic, a characterization that says more about institutional bias than about natural magic's actual capabilities.
	~~Fire is resonant with~~ the ~~concept of destruction~~, ~~agitation~~.
	~~Like Water~~, it is a ~~linear sphere~~.

	===~~Earth~~===		===Deific Intervention===
	~~Earth is resonant~~ with the ~~concept~~ of ~~structure.~~		The spheres are not indifferent to those who wield them. The [[gods]] of Avendar hold varying degrees of dominion over the spheres, most pronounced with fire and water. An Overgod with dominion over a sphere can revoke a practitioner's access to it entirely -- and has, on documented occasions. On the scale of most lives, divine intervention in magical practice is vanishingly rare, and tends to concentrate among practitioners who have made themselves sufficiently notable to attract it.
	~~Like Air~~, it ~~is a creative sphere~~.

	===~~Air~~===		==Practice==
	~~Air is resonant with the concept of ephemerality.~~
	~~Like Earth, it is a creative sphere.~~

	===~~Spirit~~===		===Learning===
	~~Spirit~~ is ~~resonant with~~ the ~~concept~~ of ~~freedom~~.		Magic is a trained discipline. There is no lineage that produces spontaneous, untrained casters, and no reliable shortcut past the foundational work of study and practice. How that training is structured varies considerably by place and culture. In the human city-states of [[Earendam]], [[Var Bandor]], [[Gaald]], and [[Harrud]], formal training follows a guild apprenticeship model, with established scholarly guilds taking on students and advancing them through structured progression. Templars and other martial practitioners who incorporate magic into their work typically pursue this same path. Elsewhere, the structures look quite different: colleges and universities in [[Daphoa]], religious and monastic institutions throughout the [[caladaran]] world and the [[srryn]], hereditary lineages, master-student pairs, and regional traditions with their own internal logic. What these share is that magical training is always organized; informal self-study is possible but punishing, and most practitioners reach a ceiling without a teacher to push them past it.
	~~Like Void~~, it is a ~~planar sphere~~.

	~~===Void===~~		Pace of learning depends heavily on what kind of magic is being learned. A scholar focused on battle applications can reach genuine competence within a year of dedicated effort; combat magic is, somewhat ironically, the most straightforward branch of the discipline. Industrial, artificing, and advanced scholarly work are measured in years. A scholar who has been practicing for a decade is not unusual; one who has been practicing for three is formidable.
	~~Void~~ is ~~resonant with~~ the ~~concept~~ of ~~death~~.
	~~Like Spirit~~, it is ~~a planar sphere~~.

	==~~Non-Sphere~~==		In practical terms, a working scholar occupies roughly the social and economic position of a skilled artisan or tradesman. The training investment is comparable; so is the professional infrastructure around it.
	~~Other paradigms exist~~ to ~~challenge~~ the ~~traditional, mainstream academic views~~ of magic. ~~Though arcanologists dismiss those preternatural forces which fall outside~~ of the ~~traditional~~ spheres as not ~~being "true"~~ magic, practitioners outside of ~~mainstream academia~~ or the ~~arcane~~ guild ~~system~~ have ~~their own varying opinions~~.
			===Resonance===
			Every soul carries a [[resonance]]: an intrinsic quality that reflects its relationship to the poles of existence. Resonance has direct practical consequences for what magic a practitioner can access. Earth and air magic are ungated, and any practitioner can learn them regardless of resonance. Fire and void are inaccessible to strongly gold-aligned practitioners; Water and spirit are inaccessible to strongly red-aligned practitioners. Void is also empowered by deep red alignment, and spirit by deep gold. In practice, this means the shuddeni and ch'taren are excluded from these resonance-locked spheres. Certain advanced workings in void and spirit are also unavailable to practitioners who lack sufficient alignment to their corresponding pole, even where access itself is not completely blocked.

			===Casting===

			Most magic requires nothing but willpower and knowledge; an understanding of what you are reaching for and the capacity to reach. In practice, nearly all formal casting involves speaking arcane, the language of magic: an artificial tongue constructed from pre-Sundering alatharyan runewords and loanwords drawn from languages across the world. Words and phrases in arcane are chanted during casting, and the language is used by practitioners everywhere, regardless of lineage or sphere. It is not inherently magical; neither the words nor the gestures do anything on their own. They exist to focus and direct the will of the caster, giving intention a precise form it can be channeled through.

			Alongside verbal components, most workings involve somatic elements: specific gestures, postures, and physical motions that work in concert with chanting to channel the spell precisely. The demands of both scale with power, where a minor working might require only a few words and a deliberate movement of the hand and a major working may demand sustained chanting, complex choreography, and a caster fully committed to the act. Air scholars are a notable exception to the verbal component; they are capable of subvocalizing, casting in complete silence with their chanting internalized. A spell cast without verbal or somatic components is not impossible, but it is much harder, requiring more willpower, more expenditure, and less precision as the caster's will must compensate for the lost structure.

			The caladaran, who were among the first to formalize magical theory, developed the unit of measurement still used across most of the world today: the mana, which describes the energy expenditure required to produce an effect. The term is universal enough that most practitioners even outside of magical practice use the term without knowing or caring about its origin.

			===Arcanima===

			Arcanima is the practice of embedding magic into objects, creating effects that persist without an active caster sustaining them. It is its own specialization distinct from scholarly practice, and one that often carries significant component requirements alongside the expertise needed to work it. Materials, reagents, and prepared focuses can make arcanima an expensive undertaking even before accounting for the practitioner's time.

			The durability of arcanima varies enormously. Most constructs require ongoing maintenance: periodic attention from a trained practitioner to keep the working stable. In cities with robust guild infrastructure, this upkeep is part of the service economy, a normal ongoing expense for anyone relying on magical installations. In less developed areas, the same infrastructure either doesn't exist or has to be improvised. At the far end of the spectrum are permanent magical devices: extraordinarily rare, requiring resources and knowledge that few can assemble, correspondingly powerful, and almost without exception involving artifacts that are pre-Sundering in origin.

			The sophistication of arcanima visible in a given place is a reliable indicator of how dense and organized its magical institutions are. A frontier settlement might have a hedge-trained practitioner who can charge a simple object; a major city will have specialists capable of maintaining complex, layered works that have been running for generations.

Elanthe at 21:04, 4 February 2024

2024-02-04T21:04:35Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 14:04, 4 February 2024
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	Magic is ubiquitous in Avendar as a preternatural aspect of the plane's laws and is a necessary aspect of both the ecosystem and the function of nearly every society. Like every natural force and law, it was woven into the structure of the plane by [[Iandir]] upon its creation. During the [[Sundering]],		Magic is ubiquitous in Avendar as a preternatural aspect of the plane's laws and is a necessary aspect of both the ecosystem and the function of nearly every society. Like every natural force and law, it was woven into the structure of the plane by [[Iandir]] upon its creation. During the [[Sundering]], magic was divided into six spheres each tied to a unique resonance, preventing mortals from ever wielding more than two types at once.

	Nearly anyone is theoretically capable of performing magic save the [[alatharya]], but discrimination, prejudice, and poverty all affect access to education and tools. As a result, the ability to become trained to perform magic may vary wildly between regions and even within different neighborhoods in the same city. In particular, the [[School of Heroes]] historically severely restricts licensure based on the species and study of an individual; for example, there are no [[chaja]] or [[srryn]] scholars among [[adventurer]]s because the School will not issue licenses to them. This does not mean scholars are not represented (if rarely) among the broader population of srryn or chaja, only that they are barred from being adventurers.		Nearly anyone is theoretically capable of performing magic save the [[alatharya]], but discrimination, prejudice, and poverty all affect access to education and tools. As a result, the ability to become trained to perform magic may vary wildly between regions and even within different neighborhoods in the same city. In particular, the [[School of Heroes]] historically severely restricts licensure based on the species and study of an individual; for example, there are no [[chaja]] or [[srryn]] scholars among [[adventurer]]s because the School will not issue licenses to them. This does not mean scholars are not represented (if rarely) among the broader population of srryn or chaja, only that they are barred from being adventurers.

Elanthe at 21:03, 4 February 2024

2024-02-04T21:03:46Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 14:03, 4 February 2024
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	==Arcane Magic==		==Arcane Magic==

	Arcanologists formally divide magic into six spheres, and each sphere is associated with a specific resonance. All sphere magic is arcane magic, but not all arcane magic falls within a sphere; some very basic types of magic, such as rudimentary armor spells, interact with resonance but are not more than superficially affected by it. Those whose personal resonance is too far removed from a sphere are generally unable to access those spheres of magic. There is disagreement between academics on the true nature of magic, the spheres, and resonance..		Arcanologists formally divide magic into six spheres, and each sphere is associated with a specific resonance. All sphere magic is arcane magic, but not all arcane magic falls within a sphere; some very basic types of magic, such as rudimentary armor spells, interact with resonance but are not more than superficially affected by it. Those whose personal resonance is too far removed from a sphere are generally unable to access those spheres of magic. There is disagreement between academics on the true nature of magic, the spheres, and resonance.

	~~===Sphere Metatype===~~
	~~Each sphere has an understood metatype, or~~

	===Water===		===Water===

Elanthe at 08:12, 15 January 2024

2024-01-15T08:12:55Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 01:12, 15 January 2024
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	Magic is ubiquitous in Avendar as a preternatural aspect of the plane's laws and is a necessary aspect of nearly every ~~functioning~~ society.		Magic is ubiquitous in Avendar as a preternatural aspect of the plane's laws and is a necessary aspect of both the ecosystem and the function of nearly every society. Like every natural force and law, it was woven into the structure of the plane by [[Iandir]] upon its creation. During the [[Sundering]],

	Nearly anyone is theoretically capable of performing magic save the [[alatharya]], but discrimination, prejudice, and poverty all affect access to education and tools. As a result, the ability to become trained to perform magic may vary wildly between regions and even within different neighborhoods in the same city. In particular, the [[School of Heroes]] historically severely restricts licensure based on the species and study of an individual; for example, there are no [[chaja]] or [[srryn]] scholars among [[adventurer]]s because the School will not issue licenses to them. This does not mean scholars are not represented (if rarely) among the broader population of srryn or chaja, only that they are barred from being adventurers.		Nearly anyone is theoretically capable of performing magic save the [[alatharya]], but discrimination, prejudice, and poverty all affect access to education and tools. As a result, the ability to become trained to perform magic may vary wildly between regions and even within different neighborhoods in the same city. In particular, the [[School of Heroes]] historically severely restricts licensure based on the species and study of an individual; for example, there are no [[chaja]] or [[srryn]] scholars among [[adventurer]]s because the School will not issue licenses to them. This does not mean scholars are not represented (if rarely) among the broader population of srryn or chaja, only that they are barred from being adventurers.

	==~~Types~~==
	~~Magic is divided by arcanologists~~ into six spheres~~, though there is disagreement between academics on the true nature of magic, the spheres, and resonance~~, and ~~many questions remain unanswered. Each~~ sphere is associated with a specific resonance, ~~and those~~ whose personal resonance is too far removed from a sphere are unable to access those spheres of magic.		==Arcane Magic==

			Arcanologists formally divide magic into six spheres, and each sphere is associated with a specific resonance. All sphere magic is arcane magic, but not all arcane magic falls within a sphere; some very basic types of magic, such as rudimentary armor spells, interact with resonance but are not more than superficially affected by it. Those whose personal resonance is too far removed from a sphere are generally unable to access those spheres of magic. There is disagreement between academics on the true nature of magic, the spheres, and resonance..

			===Sphere Metatype===
			Each sphere has an understood metatype, or

	===Water===		===Water===
	Water is resonant with the concept of life.		Water is resonant with the concept of life, movement.
			Like Fire, it is a linear sphere.

	===Fire===		===Fire===
	Fire is resonant with the concept of destruction.		Fire is resonant with the concept of destruction, agitation.
			Like Water, it is a linear sphere.

	===Earth===		===Earth===
	Earth is resonant with the concept of structure.		Earth is resonant with the concept of structure.
			Like Air, it is a creative sphere.

	===Air===		===Air===
	Air is resonant with the concept of ~~creativity~~.		Air is resonant with the concept of ephemerality.
			Like Earth, it is a creative sphere.

	===Spirit===		===Spirit===
	Spirit is resonant with the concept of freedom.		Spirit is resonant with the concept of freedom.
			Like Void, it is a planar sphere.

	===Void===		===Void===
	Void is resonant with the concept of death.		Void is resonant with the concept of death.
			Like Spirit, it is a planar sphere.

			==Non-Sphere==
			Other paradigms exist to challenge the traditional, mainstream academic views of magic. Though arcanologists dismiss those preternatural forces which fall outside of the traditional spheres as not being "true" magic, practitioners outside of mainstream academia or the arcane guild system have their own varying opinions.

Elanthe: let the great unfuckening begin

2024-01-15T03:34:49Z

let the great unfuckening begin

← Older revision		Revision as of 20:34, 14 January 2024
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	Magic is ubiquitous in Avendar as a preternatural aspect of the plane's laws and is a necessary aspect of nearly every functioning society.		Magic is ubiquitous in Avendar as a preternatural aspect of the plane's laws and is a necessary aspect of nearly every functioning society.

			Nearly anyone is theoretically capable of performing magic save the [[alatharya]], but discrimination, prejudice, and poverty all affect access to education and tools. As a result, the ability to become trained to perform magic may vary wildly between regions and even within different neighborhoods in the same city. In particular, the [[School of Heroes]] historically severely restricts licensure based on the species and study of an individual; for example, there are no [[chaja]] or [[srryn]] scholars among [[adventurer]]s because the School will not issue licenses to them. This does not mean scholars are not represented (if rarely) among the broader population of srryn or chaja, only that they are barred from being adventurers.

	==Types==		==Types==
	Magic is divided by arcanologists into six spheres. Each sphere is associated with a specific ~~ethos~~ and ~~cosmic alignment, known to arcanologists as resonance. Those~~ whose personal resonance is too far removed from a sphere are unable to access those spheres of magic. ~~The accepted arcane designations for each sphere are thus:~~		Magic is divided by arcanologists into six spheres, though there is disagreement between academics on the true nature of magic, the spheres, and resonance, and many questions remain unanswered. Each sphere is associated with a specific resonance, and those whose personal resonance is too far removed from a sphere are unable to access those spheres of magic.

			===Water===
	Water is resonant with the concept of life.		Water is resonant with the concept of life.

			===Fire===
	Fire is resonant with the concept of destruction.		Fire is resonant with the concept of destruction.

			===Earth===
	Earth is resonant with the concept of structure.		Earth is resonant with the concept of structure.

			===Air===
	Air is resonant with the concept of creativity.		Air is resonant with the concept of creativity.

			===Spirit===
	Spirit is resonant with the concept of freedom.		Spirit is resonant with the concept of freedom.

			===Void===
	Void is resonant with the concept of death.		Void is resonant with the concept of death.

	These are greatly simplified but broadly understood to be more or less true. There is disagreement between academics on the true nature of magic, the spheres, and resonance however, and many questions remain unanswered.

	~~==Learning magic==~~
	Nearly anyone is theoretically capable of performing magic save the [[alatharya]], but discrimination, prejudice, and poverty all affect access to education and tools. As a result, the ability to become trained to perform magic may vary wildly between regions and even within different neighborhoods in the same city. In particular, the [[School of Heroes]] severely restricts licensure based on the species and study of an individual; for example, there are no [[chaja]] or [[srryn]] scholars among [[adventurer]]s because the School will not issue licenses to them. This does not mean scholars are not represented (if rarely) among the broader population of srryn or chaja, only that they are barred from being adventurers.