Filial Magic

Luceti has a number of elemental spirits with whom the residents can meet and learn magic from. They are invisible to the eye and are felt, rather than properly met. Each spirit has a different personality and power, and characters must meet certain requirements in order to gain their power.
==The Spirits==
Currently the spirits residing in Luceti are:
*Nala - Healing [Alignment: good]Works as the standard RPG healing magic usually goes, sans any revival spells; wounds, broken bones and most poisons can be addressed. The magic can affect any character- the one casting it, or others around them. The spirit to communicate with is called Nala. She’s generally kind, warm and upbeat, but as all the other spirits, has no physical form. She is easy to learn from, and eager to share her knowledge with the villagers. She can be heard pretty much anywhere. It only takes about two weeks to get a decent grip on healing magic, shorter if you have a teacher who has already mastered it. Despite her "good" alignment, Nala's magic isn't limited to only inherently "good" characters; she cannot sense or feel evil, so a cruel or evil character could learn magic from her by faking "good" characteristics while they interact with her. If she witnessed their true nature, the bond would be broken and they would have to earn back her trust, but she's also very forgiving. Basically it takes more work and some caution, but it's possible.
*Some players have expressed concerns about how powerful the healing spells are. It depends on several things- the wishes of both players, the abilities of the healer, and the severity of whatever is being healed. If a strong healer tries to heal the injury of a character whose player wants them to stay wounded for a while, the healer's ability to heal it will be dampened. Basically, the wounded character has control over how much the healing magic will affect their character. Usually the Filial healing magic doesn't fix bloodloss, though, so keep that in mind.
*Eferin - Fire [Alignment: neutral]Create light and heat; nothing as drastic as summoning a fireball the size of a tank, but it can be disastrous if used improperly. The spirit of fire is Eferin (“eh-feh-rin”). He’s impulsive and very picky; usually your character will not be able to learn from him unless he or she already has an affinity to fire. He is heard most clearly in the forest, and takes at least a month to grasp the basics.
*Sona - Water [Alignment: neutral]Pulls the water from the air, manipulates shape and temperature/density. Again -like fire- nothing like pulling forth a tidal wave, but definitely enough to soak someone if your character is feeling mischievous. The spirit of water is Sona (“soh-nah”). She’s cool and collected, and can be a little snobby. She’s not nearly as picky as Eferin, but again if your character has an affinity to water, they will pick up much more quickly. Obviously heard best when near or in bodies of water. It takes two to three weeks to control water magic.
*Kipinn - Wind [Alignment: neutral]Control breezes up to the occasional gust; yet again, no tornados or typhoons, just a rush of air. Manipulates the air around the user, but doesn’t create it. Can also affect sound, if the user has enough control over the air to alter the vibrations; mute sounds, throw them farther away. Create sounds with enough practice, but it’s exceedingly difficult. The magic isn't enough to make a character fly, but it can boost their speed a little, with practice. The spirit of wind calls himself Kipinn (“key-pin”). He’s playful and quick to take to people, and very friendly. His “voice” is the loudest near or on the mountains. It only takes around a week to master the art of wind.
*Tsinku - Electricity [Alignment: neutral]Control the combined energies of heat and light kinetically; direct lightning, harness it from the natural elements. Higher level users can create electricity, but it is very difficult, and very draining on the user as it utilizes one’s own energy. The spirit of electricity is known as Tsinku (“sin-koo”) and is brash, headstrong but extremely intelligent and quick to respect people that catch his attention. He is most readily heard in wide, open areas with plenty of room to move about freely. It takes around three or four weeks to form a decent enough relationship with him to learn mid-level electrical magic.
*Faeren - Earth [Alignment: neutral]Connect with the plant life and feel the ebb and flow of life within the land. Can move/raise mounds of earth and rocks from the ground, but not to hover in the air or anything like that. Can manipulate the growth of plants to some degree; heal plant life (such as crops or flowers) but cannot accelerate the growth process. The spirit of earth calls herself Faeren (“fair-en”) and is very, very soft and timid, when first spoken to. However, her voice is the most easily heard, constantly available as long as your character is outside and standing on the ground. It doesn’t take long to get to the “awareness and rock-raising” part of the powers, but being able to cultivate plants and heal them from illness takes at least three or four weeks of practice.
*Hyt - Light [Alignment: neutral]Manipulate light to either recede or grow. The art of controlling light is a very complicated one; the spirit is fairly quiet, and difficult to hear even when in direct sunlight. The powers can increase shade or manipulate available sunlight to be a little brighter. There is not enough power to say, blind an opponent permanently with a flash of light, but there is enough to stun. Also, for more skilled users of light, illusions or "drawings" can be created by bending and refracting the light around an object so that it appears altered to the viewer. The spirit of light is referred to as Hyt (“height”), and can barely be heard as even a whisper, even when in direct sunlight. It takes at least a month to even communicate enough to earn Hyt’s trust, and it (for it is genderless) will be reluctant to teach anyone.
==General Spirit Information==
'Contacting' the spirits doesn't mean actual, verbal communication with them; plain and simple, the spirits don't talk at all. Communication is more of a vague experience involving feelings, emotions, and mental images if applicable. Characters can speak with the spirits, but the responses they might get would vary in emotion and the level of willlingness to be helpful. For example, Nala might send the character feelings of approval, eagerness, and kindness. Eferin might be more brash and easily irritated, his emotions apt to flaring out and changing on a whim. Additionally, the spirit's overall 'feeling' can also be associated with their element; Kipinn might make you feel like the wind is blowing when it's not, Hyt might make you squint now and then, etc.
Since the spirits don't talk, they obviously can't offer up any information about the nature of Luceti, or even how to get in their good graces; much of the learning curve is based on trial-and-error and the info provided by those in the village who have mastered the magic already.
If a character doesn't contact a particular spirit now and then, it's possible that their connection - and as such, their proficiency with that element - could wane, perhaps even sever. This is purely optional (the spirits are either fickle or quick to forgive), but if this were to happen, a simple reacquaintence is all it would take to reconnect. It wouldn't take nearly as long to relearn everything as the first time did, unless of course the spirit is unhappy about your character losing touch. This is more likely to happen to characters from canons that lack magic, but it's not restricted or limited to just them, obviously.
As said above, severed connections are an optional thing for people looking for something to do, and can be ignored.
==How The Magic Works==
Generally we give people the freedom to determine how powerful the spells are, and at which level they're at between the day they start and the day they master it. Due to the power cap, naturally none of them are excessive; most of the limitations and strengths are listed in the spirit-specific details.
Provided that the elements don't conflict, characters who have mastered two (or more) elements can combine them into a single use, such as a water attack laced with a lightning element. Opposing elements can't be used in tandem: one couldn't use a fire ability with a water one, for example.
Filial magic is not a matter of constant communication with the spirits, or summoning the spirits to do the work through the character. Once a character contacts a spirit and begins learning, the spirit teaches the character how to draw the magic out of themselves. It's sort of like learning a special technique from a martial arts master- the master has to agree to teach you, but he doesn't have to be around every time you use it once you know it.
Category:The Nitpicker's Guide