Arcane Magic in Azeroth

Arcane Magic in Azeroth
Magistrix Victrienne Falconheart of Quel'thalas
Translated from the Thalassian original for use by the Sarceline Circle.
==I. On Magic==
Magic is a near-omnipresent field of energy that pervades Azeroth, and indeed all worlds which have been encountered beyond Azeroth. Defining 'magic' is nearly impossible, but it will suffice to say that it is a force that, when properly invoked, is capable of producing normally impossible effects.
Traditional scholarship divides magic into two forms: divine and arcane. Divine magic is that granted through conviction or faith in an Eternal, and is practiced through virtually all cultures and sentient species. Eternals – entities of immense power, typically distant – appear then to be either creators or conduits of magical energies transmitted to their petitioners. Perhaps the fundamental question of magical theory pertains to the relationship between divine and arcane magic, but answering that question is sadly far beyond the scope of this work.
The arcane, the other form of magic, is more difficult to define. In fact, it is commonly described simply as magic that does not have a divine source. But for any serious student of the arcane, a more rigourous definition of her craft is required. It shall here be argued that one can view arcane magic as magic drawn, in some form or another, from the Twisting Nether. This will be explicated, but it is necessary in order to do so to begin with the Well of Eternity.
Whether magic in some form preceded the Titans and their works or whether it followed from them is unknown, but what is certain is that the Titans left behind on Azeroth a powerful font of magic known as the Well of Eternity. However, the Well was not the true source of magic, but rather only a conduit for it. It drew on energies from the Great Dark Beyond, the vast void between the planets. The Beyond in turn is woven together with the Twisting Nether, that is, the formless, astral realm of magical energy and chaos. The magic drawn through the Well of Eternity thus stems in its original form from the Twisting Nether. All arcane magic on Azeroth draws from the Well (later wells) of Eternity, and so all arcane magic must have the Twisting Nether as its original source.
While the Well of Eternity is the font of magic in Azeroth, in practice, practitioners of magecraft do not often reach out directly to its power. Under Azeroth run flows of magic called ley lines. These ley lines are the source of magic for most, as they diffuse magic to all corners of Azeroth. Indeed, ley lines underlie the magical sites of nearly all cultures, from elven moonwells to Dalaran itself. In this way, ley lines suffuse Azeroth with the energies drawn on for arcane magic.
Ley lines, on the rare occasions that they have been observed, often appear formless, as 'rivers' of pure mana, but they are in fact patterned by a deep symbolic logic. Each ley-line holds a runic symbol representing a fundamental magical concept. Thus, for instance, the ley line of Shielding, which rests in the Great Bulwark Mountains, holds the pattern used to derive warding spells. In this way, ley lines both distribute magical energy across Azeroth, and contain within them the fundaments of magical practice.
The connection between that Well and the ley lines is that of a heart and arteries, with the former drawing magic, and the latter conveying it across the world. It is unknown precisely how this relationship changed when the first Well of Eternity was destroyed and the second came into existence, but the ley lines of Azeroth clearly shifted somehow to flow to the new Well under the roots of Nordrassil. Perhaps the outflow of magic from the Well into the surrounding soil of Azeroth met with existing ley lines to re-form the connection between Well and lines. Or perhaps the ley lines redirected themselves. If so, does this mean that magic is itself ‘alive’ or at least purposeful? And in turn, if that is the case, what implications are there for the cosmos? These questions cannot be answered here, but rather are left for the student to consider. Regardless, what we have seen is that magic stems originally from the Twisting Nether, and from thence to the Well of Eternity. The ley lines carry it out into the world, and into the hands of the mortal races.
==II: Laws of Magic==
Traditionally, there are four laws of magic, which are transmitted to new apprentices as something approaching cautionary mantras. This author contends that these four laws, which shall be detailed hereafter, constitute a confused mixture of natural and normative principles. In presenting the laws of magic, we shall endeavour to discern their factual content, removed from their often judgmental character.
Magic is Powerful
The first law states simply that magic is powerful. In Archmage Runeweaver’s writings on the subject, he states that “Magic in Azeroth is the difference between a slave and a master, a foot soldier and a king. Few races and nations can operate without powerful mages and warlocks”. Thus the law is set within a sociological context: magecraft is rare and necessary, therefore it is powerful. This may be true, but it tells us nothing about the fundamental nature of magic, only about its place within the civilizations of Azeroth. Instead, strip the law of its traditional interpretation. In this light, the law ‘magic is powerful’ comes to mean ‘magic is full of power.’ This is what I take to be the original and proper sense of this law (though Archmage Runeweaver’s usage is doubtlessly also correct). In this sense, the law makes the practitioner of magecraft aware of the fact that she is engaged in harnessing potent forces, which are not to be viewed trivially.
Magic is Corrupting
The second law states that magic is corruptive to the souls of those who employ it. Archmage Emerson, in his influential lecture following Archmage Runeweaver, describes the chief corruption caused by magic as pridefulness, and the hubristic notion of one’s invincibility.
For the discerning student of magic, the question is this: to what extent is the warning that magic is corruptive based on conventions of morality, as opposed to actual, tangible corruption? That is, do we suppose that magic is corrupt merely because we take pridefulness to be a moral failing, or does magic in fact lead to physical or mental degeneracy?
The answer posited here is that, under certain extreme circumstances, arcane magic does cause the latter form of corruption. Fel magic and necromancy taint the body and spirit, and drawing on any magic far beyond one’s potential to handle is similarly problematic. As well, all magic is ‘addictive,’ and thus corruptive insofar as it introduces a desire not previously held prior to the use of magic. But arrogance in itself, if it does follow inextricably from the practice of magic, is not in the same category of corruptions. While pridefulness is undoubtedly harmful to the aspiring mage, in the sense that it clouds one’s vision, it cannot be said to be more than that.
There is a second sense in which magic can be taken as corruptive, however. That is in a cosmological sense, whereby magic itself lies outside the natural order of the universe, within the chaotic Twisting Nether. From this view, whenever magic touches the world, it is corruptive, introducing an outside chaos to it. It should be noted, however, that corruption in this sense implies only a form of change by a foreign force, and not degradation in the common sense, that is, of good turning to evil. The law, read in this way, gives us insight into the mechanical operation of the cosmos.
Magic is an Addiction
This law states that the power inherent in magic creates a drive to use it, and for greater and greater uses. There is considerable empirical truth to this law, and so it will not be disputed at length. All mages feel the pull of magic on their psyches, but with careful training and willpower, these urges can be mitigated. Apprentices and those new to the magical arts are urged rightly to remain cognizant of this fact, and seek guidance if faced with difficulties.
Nonetheless, this author would dispute the notion that often is thought to follow freely from magic's addictive quality, namely, that addiction is necessarily wrong. Addictiveness in itself is not a harmful quality. Rather, it is the results of the addiction in question that are harmful. If a mage can be properly directed such that her powers are harnessed for good ends, then addiction need not be a problematic feature of her art.
Magic Attracts the Twisting Nether Like Flies to Honey
As we have seen, all arcane magic draws to some degree on the Twisting Nether, which is its original source. The traditional reading of this law is that the beings of the Twisting Nether, principally demons, are drawn to concentrations of arcana. They seek it out, as the Burning Legion has done in its invasions of Azeroth. There is undeniable truth to this, and mages who practice dangerously, overdrawing or utilizing fel magic, risk terrible consequences.
However, I wish to suggest an alternate view of this law. That is, because magic stems from the Twisting Nether, the attraction of the Twisting Nether to magic in turn becomes a natural consequent. Here I mean not only beings of the Nether, but the Nether itself. Thus the principle becomes: “Magic attracts magic”, or “magic concentrates itself.” Empirically, this principle is made manifest repeatedly. The region of Netherstorm draws mana from the empty space around it, and the Nexus operates similarly. The tower of Karazhan, a place where the material world is only weakly separated from the Twisting Nether, is the point at which all ley lines in Azeroth meet. It also explains the operation of the ley lines generally: their magic does not become diffuse because of its concentration. Once more, seen in this way, the laws of magic can provide guidance as to the fundamental operation of magic.
==III: Spellcasting Methods==
While Azeroth is home to a multitude of localized magical customs and methods, this work will focus only on those commonly practiced among the mages of the Eastern Kingdoms. Among those mages there are three prominent magical traditions. The first, so ubiquitous that it often simply goes by the term ‘spellcasting’, is what I shall refer to as ‘spellweaving.’ This method is employed by the vast majority of mages across Azeroth. The second is the practice of high sorcery, sometimes called ritual magic. The third is runecasting, the use of inscriptions of special significance to manifest spell effects.
Spellweaving
The infamous mage, Medivh, described magecraft as revolving around concentration on idealized forms in order to manifest those forms in the physical world. Thus, to create fire, one conceives of fire, holds that ideal in the mind’s eye, and brings it into reality. This process is typically aided by foci, gestures, and sometimes language to make concentration easier, particularly in situations of stress or danger. Its near universal popularity amongst mages is by virtue of both its relative simplicity, and the spontaneity. Despite this, relatively little is known about the precise mechanics behind spellweaving. It is a matter of intense debate amongst magical theorists as to whether conceptualizing a magical effect (say, fire) actually brings a new flame into existence, or if it summons flame from elsewhere. Regardless, spellweaving at its most fundamental involves exerting control over the universe to bend it to one’s will. This, we shall see, makes it theoretically distinct from older forms of magic, according to which mages discover principles of magic inherent in the universe’s fabric, rather than forcing the universe momentarily into conformity with their wills.
Archmage’s Ebonfire, as described in the Stormwind Circle Mage Tome, proposes a five stage process for spellcasting: intent, element, source, channeling, and school. Prospective students are advised to see that work for the details on this method. This author’s view is that it provides an excellent method for rudimentary elemental magic, particularly combat-oriented spells, but does not adequately cover advanced effects, particularly those in fields where traditional elementalism does not feature prominently (e.g. illusion, transmutation, etc). Therefore, this work will present an amended version of Archmage Ebonfire’s spellweaving schematic.
The fundamental notion behind spellweaving is that the mage holds an idea of each component of the spell in her mind simultaneously, then draws on her mana reserves or some other source of magic to manifest those effects. There are three components which a mage must consider:
I: Intent
The intent of the spell must be considered prior to anything else. That is, the mage must consider the effect that she wishes her spell to achieve in the world. This can be relatively straightforward, as with producing a simple flame, in which only a few factors are considered (namely: element, magnitude, and direction). However, it can also be extremely complex, requiring simultaneous concentration of a multitude of interlocking factors (e.g. teleportation, chronomancy, etc).
II: Subject
Having established what effect she wishes to produce, the mage must conceptualize where this effect will be produced. This can be an area, a creature or creatures, an object, and so forth. The wider the area or broader the range of affected creatures, the more difficult it will be to conceptualize, and thus the more difficult the spell will be to cast. For this reason, world-spanning scrying effects, large-scale shield spells, mass summonings or teleportations, and so forth, are performed only by the most experienced and powerful of mages.
III: Source
Casting a spell involves more than conceptualizing effects; otherwise, every thought and whim would be manifest in the world. Spellcasting also requires a power source, which does the work of producing the desired effect. Most frequently, this source will be the caster’s own latent mana reserves, but mana gems and potions, ley-lines, and body or soul energy (as with blood magic and some necromantic practices) can all serve as external sources of magical potential.
Simultaneous concentration on these three elements of spellweaving is essential. Doing so may seem simple, but intense concentration is required for all but the simplest of cantrips. Many mages employ techniques or objects to aid in concentration. Hand gestures mirroring the conceived effect of the spell – thrust forward hands for a projectile, extended palms for a shield, and so forth – can aid in the body focusing on producing the spell effect. Likewise, incantations spoken aloud act as mantras to focus the mind on casting. Foci are objects similarly employed, including staves, wands, tomes, and orbs, acting as transmission devices for spells.
Spellweaving is thus a powerful technique, and the staple discipline of the mage’s art. It should not, however, be taken as strictly superior to alternative forms of magic. These forms are often ancient and powerful, and should not lightly be dismissed by the aspiring student of magic. We turn next to one of these ancient crafts: high sorcery.
High Sorcery
High sorcery is one of the oldest magical practices in Azeroth. It is commonly referred to as ‘ritual magic’, and it is indeed the case that it operates via elaborate, multifold casting processes to bring about its effects. But equally defining to the discipline is its pursuit of universal, magically-significant patterns that hold true across the cosmos. The universe is underwritten by natural laws, and many of these are magical in nature. In cataloguing these laws, a high sorcerer establishes rituals and symbols by which they can be harnessed and used for magical purposes. Because of this, high sorcery involves an often strange assortment of practices, ranging from numerology and astrology to demonology, all of which are concerned with the discovery of underlying cosmological law. Detailing the breadth of high sorcery is outside of this work’s purview (and indeed, many sects of high sorcerers remain hostile to divulging their practices to the uninitiated), but what follows is an account of its most significant features and of ritual methodology.
High sorcery’s focus on universal patterns in practice means that it is deeply concerned with symbolism. Scholars and students of ley lines will be familiar with the designs repeated in the runic flows there, including, perhaps most famously, the tortoise design in the Great Bulwarks. Pictographs such as these form a core of the high sorcerer’s art. This practice is essentially that of runecasting or -crafting, in which a runic design corresponds to an element or effect, and indeed, the two disciplines often overlap.
One of the most fundamental symbols for high sorcery is also one of the most simple: the circle. The circle is geometrically representative of magic itself, according to ancient traditions. Its circularity mirrors the infiniteness of magic and the planet of Azeroth. Thus the circle takes an an important ritual significance, appearing in scrying orbs, summoning circles, and portals. Indeed, conclaves of mages throughout the Eastern Kingdoms traditionally refer to themselves as ‘Circles’.
The other key symbol for many high sorcerers is an equilateral triangle with a single point in its middle. This image appears repeatedly in Titan architecture and engineering, and is represented cosmologically in the constellations. High sorcerers seek after Titanic star maps, or construct vast observatories, to track the positions of these constellations. According to sorcerous traditions, when certain constellations align, or when rare astrological events occur, the effects of rituals and spells can be greatly enhanced.
Pictographs, notably the circle and triangle-with-central-point, are put into use by high sorcerers during magical rituals. Using a variety of reagents, pictographs or runes are inscribed within a defined space. This space typically makes use of the aforementioned symbols, taking the form of a circle with a triangle within that, and a central point in the middle of the triangle. These two symbols serve as focuses, absorbing mana and directing it into a spell. Along the rim of the circle, an incantation is written to determine the effect of the ritual. Powdered amethyst, representative of purity and focus, is the most common reagent for the inscribing of ritual circles, but ground herbs, flakes of gold or silver, bone marrow, or blood are all common.
In the cases of summoning demons or elementals, beyond the ritual itself, meticulous research is involved to discover the creature’s ‘true name’, that is, its linguistic representation in the universe as a magical entity. Utilizing this name gives the ritualist near-complete control over the summoned spirit.
Many students of the arcane dismiss high sorcery as antiquated and needlessly esoteric, but it has produced many of Azeroth’s greatest and most terrible feats of magic. Malygos’ Blue Dragonflight, masters of high sorcery, crafted the Nexus according to its perfect mathematical principles, and used the rituals of the Arcanomicon to redirect the ley lines of Azeroth. Kel’Thuzad employed an unholy ritual to summon the Eredar, Archimonde, into the world. This author reminds the critical student, therefore, that high sorcery has brought about the near destruction of Eastern magecraft on two separate occasions. Such power is not to be ignored, nor treated lightly.
Runecasting
Runes are arcane symbols, inscribed onto a surface. Runes match the fundamental magical patterns found in the ley lines of Azeroth, and it is from their conformity with these that they draw their power. Runes are organized into families, with ten runes in each family. Each family is a progression from extremely simple runes to a final, complex rune, with each simpler rune contained within the more complex. Essentially, then, each runic family is a single large pattern, within which are contained progressively smaller patterns.
Because of the connection between ley line symbolism and rune magic, each family corresponds to one of the identified ley lines of Azeroth. Thus the families are:
*Arcane, corresponding to the prime Dalaran-Quel’Thalas ley lines that run under much of Lordaeron;
*Awareness, associated with divination magic and the ley line running under the Stonetalon mountains;
*Fire, found at the nexus of lines under the Searing Peak in Redridge;
*Frost, connected to the vast network of ley lines traversing almost all of Northrend;
*Motion, associated with teleportation and speed, corresponding to ley lines of the Badlands;
*Restoration, a series of ley lines running through Moonglade south to Mulgore;
*Shadow, running deep under Icecrown glacier;
*Shielding, in the Great Bulwark mountains of Grim Batol;
*Stone, found in the deep valleys of Stonetalon;
*Striking, associated with weaponry and skill at arms, and connected to the nexus of lines meeting under Blackrock Mountain;
*Wind, located in a narrow line traversing Stormwind’s mountains.
All runes stem from one of these families, because it is these fundamental ley line patterns that give runes their power. However, because of the breadth of key line categories, this does not in practice prove a limitation for practitioners of runecasting.
For all their intrinsic power, however, runes must be charged with mana in order to be activated; until this point, they are mundane. Empowering a rune is straightforward, especially in comparison with the varieties of magic that have been described to this point. Because the runic form itself dictates the effect that it will create, the caster does not need to provide any direction, but has only to allow mana to flow into the rune. This simplicity is perhaps the reason why runecasting was amongst the first magical traditions produced by the early races like the dwarves and vrykul.
Within the field of runecrafting and -casting, runes are subdivided into three distinct categories: marks, glyphs, and sigils. For the layman, these terms may seem synonymous, but for the runecaster, each has a highly particularized meaning relating to the surface onto which it is inscribed.
Marks are runes inscribed onto a living creature, or a facsimile of such (as with golems). Such runes will provide their magic directly to the creature onto which they are inscribed. Their inscriber will typically either channel a portion of her own mana into the runes to activate them, or allow the runes to interface with the creature’s own mana pool.
Glyphs are runes inscribed onto an object. Glyphs are most commonly used in archaic, quasi-magical forms of enchantment, as by master dwarven smiths. The runes lend their power to the object. In the case of weapons and armour, this can produce fearsome implements of war. Such items are generally powered not by the caster’s mana pool (for in many cases the ‘caster’ is a smith, not a mage), but instead by magic-laden gems and minerals embedded in the object. Some dark weapons, like Scourge runeblades, can be powered by draining mana from the life essences of those they slay.
Sigils are runes inscribed over an area, becoming active with movement through that area. Such runes are often employed as traps, unleashing some harmful or debilitating magical effect on an unwary intruder, but can be used to produce a variety of less destructive effects.
==IV: The Elements and Schools of Magic==
For both pedagogical and empirical reasons, mages have long divided their craft along the axes of element and school. Elements refer to the substances out of which spells are formed or composed, while schools are collections of spells and techniques that produce similar effects. For the prospective student of magic, familiarity with these categories is vital both for conceptualizing an effect during the spellweaving process (see Chapter III), and because of the priority that is given to them during magical education.
Elements of Magic
Arcane magic can be divided into six distinct elements, which form the constituent parts of any spell. It is readily apparent how many spells, such as fireballs and frostbolts, are formed from an element or elements. In cases where no element is obvious, the element is usually arcana, though some obscure spellcasting methods ascribe to spells elements representative metaphorically or analogously (e.g. a hint of fire in a spell designed to bolster courage, representing a fire in one’s heart). All elements exist in their purest forms in their respective elemental planes, and it is from here that many are drawn.
Arcana
Perhaps one of the most confusing developments in magical theory is the dual use of the term ‘arcane’. It is used both to describe the broad form of magic practiced by mages, contrasted with divine magic; and it is used to describe a particular element within the school. Students of magic are advised to keep this distinction firmly in mind. To aid in this process, I shall endeavour to refer to the element as ‘arcana’, and the branch of magic as ‘arcane magic.’
Beyond terminological difficulties, what actually is arcana is no simple matter. Arcana is the most pure form of arcane magic. Archmage Firebane in his seminal text on the matter refers to arcana as a combination of many elemental forces combined into one: it is an amalgam of fire, lightning, earth, water, and so forth. However, while arcana is a combination of other elements, this does not imply that those other elements are prior to arcana, i.e. that they exist before it and through the will of a mage are combined together into it. Rather, arcana should be seen as the white light that, when passed through a prism, fractures into its constituent colours. It is the basis for other elements, and so it is more accurate to say that other elements are diluted arcana.
Fire
Fire has long held a place of prominence in nearly all civilized cultures, and so it is no surprise that it does the same within magic. Fire spells most obviously include fireballs and wards against the same, but also incorporate the summoning of fire elementals, the augmentation of weaponry, and spells that shed light. However, fire magic also overlaps with fel practices (warlock’s fire, and the summoning of fiery demonic entities like infernals), and as such mages practicing this craft ought to be cautious not to overstep safe limits.
Frost
Together with arcana and fire, frost is one of the traditional elements employed by the mages of the Eastern Kingdoms. While usually referred to as frost, this element in fact encompasses all water-related effects. It thus includes a plethora of offensive and defensive spells designed to entrap or freeze an opponent, but also more mundane effects, like the conjuring of water.
Lightning
While associated more with shamanic practices, lightning can be wielded by arcane spellcasters. Amongst magi of the Eastern Kingdoms, such spells are sometimes used by gnomish wizards to empower their mechanical constructions. Lightning spells can unleash immense devastation, and can also be used to energize.
Nature
‘Nature’ magic is an ungainly term for spells that draw on the natural world for their power. Shifting rocks, poisoning a foe, and growing plant matter all fall under this element. Some scholars have thus postulated that it is in fact an amalgam of other, more precise elements, but the rarity of its use by mages makes this an understudied area.
Shadow
Shadow magic includes effects that draw upon darkness. Intriguingly, this darkness includes not only literal absence of light, but also pestilence, death, and negative emotions. Regardless, shadow magic is often associated with forbidden practices of necromancy. However, it also plays a key role in many spells that invoke illusory images or false emotions.
Schools of Arcane Magic
Arcane magic is divided into eight schools. It should be noted that these schools are more a matter of organizational expedience than fundamental difference: a frostbolt and frost ward are highly similar spells, despite being assigned respectively to the schools of evocation and abjuration. Nonetheless, each school has its own techniques and practices, such that it is worthwhile for the aspiring student of the arcane to consider each separately from the others. In the chapter that follows, I shall detail each school as it is conventionally defined, and suggest problematic areas in the classification of certain spells that merit further study and investigation.
Abjuration
Abjuration concerns itself with protective and defensive magics, and as such is often the first school in which mage apprentices are instructed. The staple spells of abjurers are wards, shields, and barriers (sometimes called transitus shields). Wards are weak, easily-cast spells that are primed to resist a single element. Their quick casting time makes them a mage’s first line of defense against the unexpected.
Shields are translucent, impenetrable barriers that are formed around a creature or object. They deflect all elements, and also physical attacks. The most common such spell is the mana shield, which forms condensed arcane energy into a hard bubble around the caster. Some mages weave elemental energies into their wards. Because of ice’s natural defensive properties, it is the most common such element.
The height of abjuration magic is the barrier. These wards are erected over an area of terrain, ranging from as little as a few meters, to spreads of several miles. Essentially, barriers act as enlarged mana shields, preventing access or deflecting attacks. They can also be interwoven with illusion magic to conceal those within the barrier from sight by those without.
Conjuration
Conjuration relates to the transportation and creation of matter. Such a definition encompasses much of the schools of abjuration and evocation within it: conjured water is not fundamentally different from the ice used in an ice ward. Indeed, it is a matter of much debate amongst scholars as to whether evocation and abjuration are more properly defined as subschools of conjuration. However, as a matter of tradition and the different uses to which each school is put, the three remain distinct.
Conjuration spells can be divided into two areas: summonings, which allow a mage to call an existing entity or substance to her; and creations, whereby the mage creates something wholly new (for example, weapons, elemental constructs, or food and water). Summoning spells often involve complex rituals or extensive knowledge of the summoned entity in order to function properly. Because of their placid nature in comparison with other elementals, the most commonly summoned beings are water elementals. Warlocks and other practitioners of dark magic summon demons from the Twisting Nether. Such practices may not be inherently evil, but they are dangerous in the extreme, and highly corruptive to all who engage in them. It is therefore the recommendation of this author that such things are avoided altogether.
Divination
Divination concerns itself with the acquisition of knowledge through magic. Scrying spells are the staple tool of a diviner. Scrying is the observation of something beyond one’s natural sight through magical means. Such spells require a reflective surface, onto which the observed area will be shown. Mirrors, clear water, crystals, and orbs are all common scrying implements. For subjects unknown to the caster, or whose locations are unknown, diviners require some trace piece of the subject: a lock of hair, bit of skin, and so forth. Expert diviners are even able to use an individual’s residual magical aura to scry.
Diviners are also capable of interfacing with a subject’s mind to detect surface thoughts and emotions and discern truth from falsehood. Reputedly, some diviners are able to enter the realm of dreams, but such claims are often difficult to distinguish from madness.
Enchantment
Enchantment deals with the enhancement or augmentation of objects and, less frequently, living beings. Enchantments typically draw on the magical essence of a focal crystal for their power, though a multitude of power sources have been used by different races and cultures.
The process for enchanting an object is difficult to master, requiring countless hours of practice. However, its basics can be set down. Enchanting an object requires a source of mana to power whatever effects the enchanter wishes to apply. Because such effects typically must be permanent, the caster’s own mana pool is not an option (because that will involve a perpetual drain so long as the item exists). Thus enchanters make use of mana-filled crystals, which are carefully shattered in the course of the enchantment, transmitting their power into the object. Magical dusts, powders, and essences act as fortifiers for enchanting, strengthening the effects that are produced. Master enchanters are even able to imbue objects with rudimentary intelligence in order to create golems.
Evocation
Evocation deals with the direction manipulation of arcane energies, without converting them into the source of another effect. It thus deals with ‘pure’ magic in the most direct sense, which in many cases means elemental blasts. This author laments the fact that the evoker’s art is more associated with war magic than with the fine manipulation of arcane currents, but acknowledges that the discipline has immense destructive potential that is naturally channelled for combat.
All evocation spells use one or more element to cause their effect. The traditional elements in which mages are trained are frost, fire, and pure arcana. Less common elements include nature (including lightning, earth, and poison) and shadow. In the latter case, these spells are usually amalgams of necromancy and evocation.
Illusion
Illusion concerns itself with the creation of imagery, sounds, sensations, and emotions, without the conjuring of actual physical substances or entities. Because of its association with tricking the mind, illusion is looked on by some as a school practiced by scoundrels and worse. Indeed, thieves, assassins and other dabblers in shadow magic often employ a range of limited illusion effects. Nonetheless, students of magic are reminded that illusion is no more innately nefarious than any other school of magic.
A staple illusion spell is the invisibility incantation. To cast such a spell, a mage either creates a field through which light can pass around himself, or directly manipulates the senses of his viewers to instantaneously erase any trace of his presence. Invisibility spells can also be cast on inanimate objects, with the difficulty of doing so depending on size. Spells similar to invisibility can mask magical auras, employing the same method to avoid or erase detection.
Beyond invisibility, Archmage Firebane defines two categories of illusions. Figmentary illusions alter the senses to create false perceptions. However, the perceptions have no reality, and are unable to interact with the physical world (except insofar as creatures in the physical world react to their supposed presence). Phantasmic or phantom illusions, on the other hand, create images with a modicum of reality to them, generally by infusing the illusions with shadow magic. Mirror image spells are the most common form of phantasmic illusion.
Within magical theory, there is some debate as to whether the mind-reading effects of the divination school are in some manner related to illusion. Both deal with the mind and its contents. In the case of mind-reading divinations, information is extracted, while for illusions, information is implanted.
Necromancy
Necromancy as a school deals with death and associated powers over life-essences. As a consequence of its morbid subject matter and the horrific legacy of its practice in Lordaeron, necromancy is shunned by most magical establishments. Indeed, necromancy is highly corruptive to its wielder, inducing maladies both of the psyche and the corpus. Its chief spells are those that raise the dead and allow a necromancer to control undead minions, and those that drain and manipulate life-essence. This author urges against the study of necromancy with anything more than purely theoretical intent, and thus will say nothing more about its practice.
Transmutation
Transmutation is concerned with the manipulation of the key properties of matter. Such properties include form, place, and even the way time flows around the matter in question. Because many of these properties can be understood only at a conceptual level, transmutation is a discipline that requires exceptional spacial and logical reasoning.
Transmutation spells can be divided into three categories: form, space, and time alteration. Form alteration, the most basic of the three, involves changing the physical properties of a creature or object. The iconic spell of this class is polymorph, which radically alters the shape and composition of its target into that of a small, typically-mammalian animal. Such spells can also involve physical enhancements to strength or speed, or transmuting substances.
Space alteration shifts matter’s position in space, and are commonly known as teleportation and portal spells. Such spells allow transmuters to rapidly move matter by sending it through the Twisting Nether to another destination. Because of its role in transporting pre-existing matter, and its connection with the Twisting Nether, there is some ambiguity as to whether teleportation spells are more accurately classed as conjuration.
The final category are time alteration spells, also referred to as chronomancy. Such spells can send matter backward or forward through time, or alter the flow of time to make it slow down or speed up relative to other matter. Even more so than other branches of transmutation, chronomancy is exceptionally difficult, requiring a mind capable of abstract thinking and the ability to grasp the nature of the timeways.
Category:Library of Sarceline
Category:Victrienne Falconheart