Building Blocks: Ralkish Study On Etheric Energies

Building Blocks: A Ralkish Study On Etheric Energies was a journal released by Sister Kava. Though short, it is the first Ralkish scientific journal ever released outside of Ralkeis, though it is surrounded by a good deal of derision by many from outside the archipelago. Within Ralkeis, it has been very well-received, particularly by Choths—who were consulted at length for insight on their own type of magic.
In Building Blocks, Sister Kava struggles to establish a link between science and magic, as well as justify the term "magic" itself.
==Introduction==
What is magic?
For hundreds of years, magic has been nothing more and nothing else. Like the sky, like fire, we did not strive to understand it. It was a religion all its own. In the Old World, few even believed in it. The Trikash Empire pioneered techniques with the help of Keepers, but these secrets were soon lost with the empire's fall. It would not be until centuries later that the concept of "organized magic" began to form within Llysos.
Initially, magic was still a religion like this. But it was managed. It was taught. This was the precursor to where we are now: Scientific magic.
So, what are "etheric energies"?
"Etheric" refers to that part of ourselves that is both outside and within. It is the aura. It is our soul projected outwards. I posit that this is the constant of magic. Even a falling stone can trigger a mechanism and imitate technology, but only a being comprised of soul—living, undead, man, nether spirit—possesses the power to wield true magic.
In this journal, I intend to explore the different types of magic, as well as certain more obviously magical creatures.
==Half-Lives==
Human and enderman may be completely alien to one another, but they do have one thing in common: They are both, in their own ways, whole. This is evidenced by the fact that both can use obviously magical effects.
Not all creatures are so simple. Undead and nether spirits are both clearly associated with magic, but neither can use magic without help.
Examine the zombie. The zombie, while not itself ensouled, is a creature animated by magic. It is a shell, but soul allows it to act. Rumors abound of Nether-dwelling skeletons that can exert real magical effects—"Wither Skeletons", as they are called. These creatures are obviously alive by magical means (they do not possess organs or ligaments and by all rights should fall apart), and what powers they have are available only because the soul magic still pervades them, giving them enough of a semblance of sentience to make this possible.
Next, examine the Nether Spirit, an apparent reverse. The nether spirit is a twisted aberration only allowed to exist by virtue of whatever shelter it finds, be it netherrack or a living body. While they do possess magic, without a host this magic is unusable. While in netherrack, most nether spirits can exert only the smallest of magics, such as possession.
What does this mean?
It means that a nether spirit is not truly ensouled at all. A nether spirit is nothing more than a shard of soul, a broken being allowed in evolution only thanks to the plentiful presence of "false bodies"—meaning netherrack. This could perhaps explain why glowstone is deadly to them. Glowstone seeks to heal, and a nether spirit will forever seem "injured" to the stone—and so the stone will forever seek to mend, to build, to untwist until, like a blast of electricity to a man, the energy is more than the spirit can ever use.
Nether spirits that have corporeal forms, such as the Glowstone Devourer, remain an enigma, and I would suggest they are not truly nether spirits at all—that they might be of an older, prehistoric variety of nether spirit, from a species long since degenerated into obsolescence. After all, however it is that the incorporeal variety perpetuates itself, it cannot be denied that it does so with great fecundity.
In essence, my theory is that the nether spirit is etheric energy—like a living scroll, a possessing nether spirit gives the host what powers the host is capable of deploying.
==The Building Blocks==
This matter has been covered in other academic journals. There are believed to be seven basic types from which all such spells stem, but it is my opinion that this categorization is somewhat less than scientific. I would reduce that number to five:
1. Mental: The control over minds. This encompasses direct emotional and mental control, but also includes nervous system manipulation such as "pain spells" and illusions.
2. Energy: The control over energy. This can be used to imitate fire and lightning, as well as simply deployed in its rawest etheric form to empower a caster's aura, reflect the etheric attacks of others, or even restore a semblance of life to a corpse. Note that this spell does not allow the caster to create energy from nothing—many would-be wizards have discovered this to their horror as they attempted to cast a spell that used more energy than they could survive losing.
3. Physical: As loath as I am to give an entire type to such a basic field, the manipulation of physical, present objects, also known as telekinesis, appears fully distinct from the rest. The repair spell is also arguably Physical.
4. Creation: The creation of matter where there was none, generally on a temporary basis. This includes creation spells such as most elemental effects and the well-documented "potato spell", as well as some healing spells. Note that simply a spell creating something does not mean it is a Creation spell—the matter must truly come from nothing, breaking one of the most important basic laws of physics, in order to be considered of the Creation sphere.
5. Teleportation: As I do not believe scientific progress has advanced sufficiently for me to attempt to categorize this process within any other school, Teleportation must currently be considered its own category. Summoning would also generally fit into this category.
Most spells are a combination of these categories—such as spells which melt stone into lava and throw it about, which would be a combination of the Energy and Physical schools. Conjuring water to create steam from this would then be adding Creation into the mix. It is a mark of a School Magic expert to be able to bring two or more categories together in the same spell.
==Innate Magic==
One of the most well-known practices of magic is that type which users can be taught. This is the most linear exertion of etheric energies, and usually employs no external powers such as glyphs or spirits. Despite this, a focus is often needed—many arrive at it by use of verbal or material components, such as chants or obscure regeants like bat guano. Others use meditation, or focus items such as wands.
==Lingering Magic==
This is not a true practice—in Lingering Magic, the spells are imbued into writing, wands, or traps (among more obscure means). This grants them increased longevity and allows the spells to be used by amateurs, but I have not been able to establish in present conditions a safe application of the scientific method to determine whether reports of increased likelihood of "casting mishaps" are valid.
I will give such reports a brief run-down, however: What I have heard indicates that older applications of Lingering Magic can malfunction, causing the etheric energies to at best dissipate and, at worst, harm those nearby the object on which the Lingering Magic has been applied. This practice should obviously be applied with care.
Whether potions fit within this category is still a subject of debate.
==Mysticism==
This is a special practice focused entirely upon the manipulation of matter and energy. Certain substances contain inherently potent properties. Most notable are glowstone and netherrack, but soul sand and end stone have also been claimed to possess power to them.
Those who are able to tap into the substances' inherent potential can become incredibly powerful in their use. A glowstone mystic can use the energy in glowstone to harness massive amounts of etheric strength, allowing them to heal with and levitate the stone with ease. Netherrack mystics can take advantage of netherrack's inherently "empty" quality to store power for later, or to wield vast quantities of the stuff as if it were nothing.
==Pact Magic==
This magic can only be gained through spirits. While it is quite easy to obtain, it is incredibly difficult to control—because the magic does not come from the host, but the spirit. Those unskilled at forging pacts will inevitably be completely taken over by the spirit within them. With some spirits, not even the best-crafted pact will save the practitioner—ultimately, it is nearly impossible to secure a truly binding pact as far as I am aware, and so it comes down to what suits the spirit at the time.
The harder a host's willpower, the less magic the nether spirit can bring to bear. But the more willing the host makes himself—the more power he uses—the more control the spirit gains.
This paradox led to the Choth invention of the Orbit. Although extremely dangerous, the Orbit is considered even by its critics to be a brilliantly-crafted technique. As the name implies, the Orbit consists of the spirit and host constantly swapping roles, each waxing and waning in strength like the moon.
A member of the Orbit is constantly battling between two minds—his own, and that of the spirit he is "allied" with. Generally, the Orbit cycles in terms of hours or days—one day the spirit is given majority control (never total), the next the caster is master again.
Only the most skilled dare to go with finer or wider increments. A pact mage who allows himself to be mastered for a year may find the orbit decay as the nether spirit grows restless, while one who is battling by the minute will inevitably find his mind torn to shreds by the constant struggle.
Still, some do practice this more rapid technique, and there is no denying the impressive results it yields. But ever must a member of the Orbit beware imbalance. The pact mage must remain vigilant, for it is when the wanderer loses sight of his own shadow that he knows he is in darkness.
== Testificate Magic ==
The second-most obscure magical practice in the land, the magic of testificates appears to be based around manipulation of energy and matter. It seems to utilize runes to enhance the general effectiveness of items and even constructions, but the runes' patterns are completely incomprehensible and impossible to mimic reliably. Even now, testificates are the only ones able to replicate this magic systematically, and rumors (unfounded) persist that even now the options of their magic are not fully revealed to us.
Aside from sharpening swords, hardening gates and tightening bowstrings, testificate magic can also be used to add strange effects to items, such as an ambiguous quality they call "fortune". Testificates are also master golem makers, creating moving, feeling artificial intelligences that go beyond anything of which we have ever conceived. The iron golems we have created are dull and hollow, devoid of the spark, without any motivation.
Truly, the workings of testificate magic may ever remain a mystery, though not the greatest one.
==Glyph Magic==
Unfortunately, I am not presently able to elaborate on this practice, as its secrets are jealously guarded by those who would keep all progress for themselves.
Category:New VoldraniaCategory:RalkeisCategory:LiteratureCategory:Magic