Magic

The term 'Magic' refers to any number of means of affecting the world which are categorically constrained in access to specific individuals or groups of individuals. This label is implicitly applied from a humano-centric perspective, since the majority of study of magic takes place in human institutions. The definition of magic therefore, separates it from science in that- theoretically at least- anyone is capable of using the discoveries and creations of science since they require no special ability or skill beyond the use of working human anatomy (such as a hand to operate a pistol).

In practice, there is quite a bit of crossover, as scientists have been working on techniques of refining raw magical energy to create technology which makes magic more accessible. As well, Imperial Mages have worked to standardize the practice on an unprecedented scale, so that the cultural institutions surrounding the access to magic has been likened to an industry.

## Essence

At its core, magic boils down to the intentional utilization of a type of energy labeled as Essence. Essence is understood as the energy of life itself, that which animates and motivates everything from the smallest specks to sound waves to living creatures to heat mirages to lightning bolts to the growing of plants and so on. Even in the most stagnant of swamps and inert of caverns possess tiny swirling insects and growing algae and dripping water which reveals a flow of Essence to those who are capable of perceiving it. Every living creature generates Essence through its natural processes.

In contrast, any area that has been completely drained of Essence feels unnervingly quiet and still, an oppressive weight in the air, suffocating all breath and thought and speech. Luckily, such null zones are rare, as Essence naturally permeates the world.

All 'magical' abilities are actually the manipulation of Essence through a technique of limited accessibility, by definition.

# Human Magical Schools

In human nations there are many different approaches of understanding magic, largely in line with national methods of approaching its study and classification.

## Imperial Magical Research Academy

Excerpt from a 1913 IMRA Report Labeled "On the Impact of Religious Faith on the Effectiveness of Magical Applications":

> ***Introduction***
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> *Our ancestors saw the world much differently than we do today. At one point, the reigning theory of why we suffer sickness, was a belief in 'unclean air.' This theory was based upon observable reality as understood at the time, and the actions it prescribed to protect against this 'unclean air' did have some measurable beneficial impact. But it was incorrect; we know this now, using information we have gathered through means that were not available to our ancestors.*
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> *So it is with humble reservation that I present the results of my experimentation. Although the precise mechanism for magical ability is not as of yet known, we can theorize, and we can test, and we can measure. And I do have results that will no doubt be of use to our magical combat assets in the field. But part of me cannot help but wonder if these are mere incidental discoveries in the pursuit of a faulty assumption- if we are accidentally washing away germs while thinking we are scouring ourselves of 'unclean air.'*
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> *We cannot know for sure, and I can only imagine how our descendants might look back upon our conclusions, and efforts. I do not share these misgivings with any of our test subjects, for fear of impacting test results through undue influence. And I certainly do not wish these doubts upon any of the valiant men and women who will serve in the newly formed Imperial Mage program. Quite the contrary, I wish to arm them with every potential advantage that might guide us to the prosperity and protection of the Fatherland.*
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> *As you will see in the extensive documentation to follow, spiritual faith (specifically that corresponding with the membership in one or another branch of the national religion, the "Church of the Living God")- and the observation of rites associated with adherence to this faith- have a considerable amplifying effect on the efficacy of magical efforts. Until such a time as a more compelling theory is presented, or an advancement in technology allows for previously held beliefs to be dismissed, it is our conclusion at the Imperial Magical Research Academy that we- as a nation- should turn our prayers to the Living God, that he might deliver the Fatherland from the wolves that surround us, and ensure a safe future for our posterity.*
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> *Amen.*
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> ―Senior Research Director Rudolf Wexner
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The leading institution within the Grienzen Empire seeks to examine magic from an academic perspective, attempting to unravel the mysteries of magic through clinical experimentation and thorough documentation. This bureau is the Imperial Magical Research Academy, founded in 1880 after the Seruian-Marchia Austriacian War two years prior made it clear that magic could provide a significant tactical advantage in warfare.

It wasn't until 1897 that the Ellado-Osmanli War spurred the approval of the formation of the Imperial War Mage program. Using what they had learned thus far, Imperial Mages drilled recruits who exhibited the affinity to manipulate Essence. Early results were discouraging, with War Mage cadets managing only marginal improvements in battlefield effectiveness. Their lack of precision and widely varying degrees of raw capability meant that any amount of organized strategies were destined to fail. That all changed with the discovery of the War Soul.

### War Soul

Relying on elements of old myths about magic use, IMRA researchers began exploring several methods of creating an arcane focus for the purposes of improving magical abilities. Their efforts stalled after two years of unsuccessful testing and additional requests for further methods of experimentation were denied due to moral concerns, and the project was shelved.

Once again, a war changed the opinions of the Empire, as observers returned from the 1905 Rossi-Nipanese War with firsthand accounts of Nipanese ritualistic suicide used to empower great magical effects that had devastating effects on the Rossiyan army. The growing tensions in Uropa combined with the increasing scale of violence in recent wars lead to the approval of a new wave of tests.

As a result, IMRA scholars produced the first Kriegssele, or War Soul. Although crude at first, these amulets were eventually refined into their modern form: an amulet built around a subtly glowing crystal of solidified Essence that bears the imprint of a human soul. This arcane construct acts as a channel through which Essence can be concentrated and directed by the Imperial War Mage attuned with it.

As a matter of legal course, only volunteers who have already raised children who have their own children may offer their lives for the purposes of the formation of a War Soul. As such, they were in short supply until very recently, when the war stirred up a wave of patriotic self-sacrifices on behalf of those too old to defend their countrymen in any other manner.

## Imperial Army Ministry Corps

Transcript from the 1897 Formation Proposal Hearing for the Imperial War Mage Program:

> *With all possible respect for my counterpoint from The Academy, I must oppose the current proposal for the purely secular oversight of this new program. Just as biological alteration without moral guidance takes the form of physical degeneration, so too does man's unguided pursuit of power take the form of ineluctable corruption. One need look no further than the depravities of our Gallian neighbors to see that proven true in wretched excess.*
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> *That being said, let it not be claimed that the Grienzen Ecumenical Council would have our people disarmed in the face of pressing spiritual threats inherent to recent political machinations. We advise only that any preparations be carried out with the characteristically Grienzen capacity for satisfying every demand of a complex problem. To that end, let us turn to the submitted counter-proposal in front of you now, for the creation of a new department that would see to the religious ministry of our mighty armed forces. A chaplaincy corps that would lead jointly with The Academy into this dawning era of industrialized arcane knowledge and large-scale defensive magical needs.*
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> ―Patriarch Hermann von Schneider, Bayernian United Church Assembly
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The second largest institution dedicated to the understanding and utilization of magic in the Grienzen Empire is the militarized wing of the combined body of Grienzen churches. Titled the Imperial Army Ministry Corps, this supplementary organization began as a research-focused outreach program to ensure the continued blessing of the various Ortueist assemblies within the Fatherland. Since then, the improvement to morale and ability to inspire great zeal in the people has seen the expansion of the simple chaplaincy program into a full-fledged specialized branch of the armed forces.

The IAMC works with the Imperial Military to provide training and guidance to ministers and priests who enter the armed forces. The role of the Battlefield Chaplain is internally recognized as a separate but attached unit, much like the artillery corps and medical corps. Chaplains often act as moral advisors for the soldiers they are attached to, as well as counselors and sources of inspiration in the incredible hardships of modern war. All this in addition to being expected to fight and carry out all the normal tasks of a soldier means that the standards for recruitment of a Battlefield Chaplain are extremely rigid, selecting for the most stalwart candidates.

Beyond their mundane morale duties, chaplains have increasingly been called upon to deal with supernatural threats. The chaos of war appears to have upended the natural order of the world and disturbed the many spirits that used to enjoy a metaphysical homeostasis. The violence and dark intentions of so many humans feeds malevolent entities and gives them opportunities to enact cruel machinations upon the physical world. And even more pressing, chaplains must be ready to contend with the threat posed by the spreading shadow of the Ascendancy of Man and its vehement hatred for the Living God and His followers.

As such, chaplains are taught the means to protect themselves and others from spiritual threats, the prayers and rituals (according to the denomination of the minister) that can be used to drive the enemies of the Living God back. They are instructed on how to recognize spiritual corruption and the proper measures to help combat it, to bless the men and machinery of the Imperial Army so that it should not decay and fester in a cesspool of discord and depravity. Though some cases where supervision are called for are beyond the authority of the standard chaplain.

### The Department of Ecclesiastical Investigation

With so many citizens now serving as either Battlefield Chaplains or Imperial War Mages, the risk of a rogue ideology or cult element doing severe damage to national unity became too large to ignore. The temptation of power poses a looming peril for some apprentices, who have left behind lives of near powerlessness to be suddenly thrust into possession of incredible magical might. After several high-profile cases of War Mages caught engaging in heretical and damning practices (one regarding pagan sacrifices and two concerning communing with malicious spirits), the Grienzen Ecumenical Council established the Department of Ecclesiastical Investigation

Given a special permission to act outside of the structure of the Imperial Military, DEI is tasked with identifying, preventing, and uprooting the spread of dangerous creeds and cancerous false doctrines. A DEI Investigator has full permission to interview any Grienzen citizen or foreigner they need to, and at higher ranks have even the ability to inspect classified IMRA experiments. Some grumble about how much power the DEI is given, but they are just as merciless about finding corruption within their own organization as they are in others. Most officers simply tolerate any interruptions their presence brings with minimal resistance, as compliance is often easier than the alternatives.

## Gallian Republic

### Vital Force

At the heart of the political upheaval in the Gallian Republic has been the violent dismissal and dismantling of everything remotely resembling magic. As such, it might be surprising that there is a form of magic still being practiced within the Gallian Republic. Referred to as 'the Will of Man,' this school of magic began with the positing of a hypothesis by a biologist regarding the driving factor that spurred on adaptation and evolution in animals. This then became the bedrock for a philosophical assertion by Louis Bertrand who applied the idea of a distinct form of motivating energy that inspired the persevering of a species into the field of human psychology. He called this the Vital Force, and began working on ways to measure- through physical and mental tests- the presence of this force within individuals, attempting to correlate it to their life outcomes and use it for predictions.

Eventually this theory solidified with a much better clarification of what the Vital Force really was. It is now believed that the Vital Force is a measure of the harmony of the elements of the human mind. Any imbalance between the various cognitive fields will cause a diminishment of the Vital Force as the mind must devote its energy into counterbalancing around the problem. This is believed to be the cause of moral and mental failings, and tests are under way to attempt to more directly measure such imbalances and to begin correcting them, through medication and surgery.

It wasn't until the last decade that the Vital Force began to garner interest from superiors in the Gallian government, and especially within the military. The body of evidence that proved that those who possessed greater measured Vital Force could attain success and accomplish amazing tasks in ways that others simply could not, and this had obvious application for the commanders who were seeking to gather the most competent fighting force. While it wasn't possible to be so selective in times of mass conscription, the doctrine that developed mandated the creation of a dedicated core of strong-minded individuals. These gifted soldiers were put through a grueling training regimen specifically designed to increase their resilience so that they could take on the roles of special forces as well as leadership positions in the Republican army.

## Rossiyan Federation

### Winnowed Path

> *Only in the presence of the gravest sins, can the greatest grace be found. Only in times of immense pain, does comfort truly matter. Only in the face of crushing death, can one truly live.*
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> *And I have come, that you all may truly live.*
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> ―Nicolai Rubashkin, the Greatest Fool
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In the Rossiyan Federation, the addition of Nicolai Rubashkin to the Federal Council has seen his influence on Itor Mikhail grow, and as a result the cult of Holy Winnowing has taken on a newfound national authority. In between hiring prostitutes and visiting with the wives of government officials, Rubashkin shaped his new gospel so that students might learn his message. Preaching to vagrants and nobles, criminals and former Austeric priests, Rubashkin showed his methods to all who would sit through his lengthy meditations and wild sermons. He trains his Fools at the Pg Pyotr Cathedral, an Austeric church now entitled the Lunatic Asylum, repurposed into a combination training ground and alehouse and vomitorium and whorehouse.

Those who come out the other side of his drug-fueled seminars are known as Winnowed Fools, and are said to carry a sliver of the Dark Tyrant within them. They act as his emissaries, performing miracles and preaching the cessation of previous moral foundations in order to bring about the eagerly awaited end of the world. One common feature about them is the complete lack of hygiene combined with a horrendous odor that permeates the world around them.

Winnowed Fools possess the following abilities: fleshly regeneration, mass hypnotism, divination and fortune-telling, and poisoned wind. The more powerful Fools can even bring themselves and others back to life from death. It has been said that Rubashkin himself has been murdered a dozen times over, and yet is still seen in the dark city streets and frozen forests of Rossiya daily.

## Nordia

### Inscribed Power

Very little is known to the world about Nordia's method of runic magic. Unbelievably ancient, and historically repressed, this mystical arrangements of markings comes from a time when the Primal Ways were widely practiced across central and northern Uropa. There are still active cults which keep the knowledge alive and even use their inscriptions to cast spells and to imbue artifacts with arcane power.

There have been attempts to reproduce the magical properties of runes within the religious context of Ortueism, especially within the Austeric Church and at some Synenolic monasteries as well. These efforts have achieved very limited success due to a refusal to cross certain boundaries regarding morality that followers of the Primal Ways are not afraid to circumvent.

## Grand Breteyne

### The Learned Arts

In addition to the Vital Force, the other form of magic most often purported to be mundane in master is the Learded Arts of the Commonwealth. Also called the Cunning Craft, the Hidden Science, the Eighth Discipline, the Forgotten Path, and many other names, the Learned Arts is a collection of individualized esoteric practices considered dangerous by the Church of Ortues. While there have been numerous cults and covens that practiced the Learned Arts throughout all of Uropa, the prominence of the Church has kept them at bay and operating only in the shadows. It is only the recent dissolution of national churches by the Ascendancy of Man movement that provided the opportunity for the Learned Arts to blossom and fill the void.

While looked upon with extreme skepticism in the Gallian Republic, the Learned Arts have a long tradition of being practiced by the British and as such there is more of an attitude is acceptance of the claimed scientific legitimacy of them within the Commonwealth. It is only the presentation of rigorous (albeit highly personalized) formulaic practices that manages to assuage the rabid hostility that the Ascendancy of Man holds toward anything considered superstition or mystical. While their Art may be obscure and sometimes inscrutable, the Learned Few insist that they are obedient practitioners of science, following only what the experimentation and data had lead them to. And they are willing to teach skeptics, though few of the more politically-involved are willing to take them up on that offer.

As for what one can do with the Learned Arts, it can be very difficult to detail given how varied the practices of each coven are. Much of the focus is on various forms of alchemy and herbalism, creating potions and poisons that modern chemistry simply cannot yet recreate. They also employ many elements pilfered from other magical systems, such as divination, the use of runes, the communing with spirits, etc. There have also been reported cases of Learned Few manipulating the spirits of the dead or the raising of corpses to do their bidding.

## Other Human Magic Systems

### The Thousand Voices

On the distant isles of Nipan, the reigning belief states that every aspect of creation has in itself a governing spirit that lays claim to the element or object it inhabits. Nipanese magic accordingly relies upon requesting that these spirits exhibit their abilities in the world and perform a desired action for the requester. The act of making the request takes the form of a ritual, but very few of these rituals have been observed by outsiders. Sacrifices seem to be an important part of the process, along with prayers and specific clothing, but beyond that not much is known.

### Exalted Revelation

On the archipelago and peninsula nation of Ellada, the traditional form of divination magic is still occasionally practiced. The Exalted Revelation is the name for this type of magic that revolves around consulting oracles, who put themselves into drug- and sex-fueled trances which are said to allow them to see the future. Unfortunately, their prophecies are often vague and the meanings of them are usually only understood after they are are said to have been fulfilled.

# Non-Human Magic

In addition to human magical studies, the various non-human races also possess abilities considered magical by humans. To those races, the abilities are as natural as the capacity of a human to grip a tool with five fingers, yet because these talents are not possessed by humans, they are still classified as magical.

## Night Raven Magic

### Night Magic

Night Ravens can learn to use their access to the darkness of night in a way that no other race can. Their reach can extend into the realm of sleep and dreaming, able to invoke the onset of sleep in others, see into people's sleeping minds, as well as to manipulate the content of their dreams. They are often blamed for nightmares, and might- as a favor- grant pleasant dreams to friends.

Additionally, the darkness itself can be used by a talented Night Raven. The creation of shadows (or blocking of sunlight) can be used through fine control so that an area or person or object might be masked in darkness. A Night Raven is never blinded by darkness, but one who is skilled with Night Magic can even peer from distant, deep shadows as if standing there in person. And a master Night Magic practitioner can even entirely step within the shadows, to appear elsewhere from within another shadow, instantaneously.

### Keen Eyes

One capacity all Night Ravens have is exceptional eyes which can see the flow of Essence in the world around them. Naturally, so that this additional visual information is not overwhelming, they are able to tune this out when desired, but the ability to examine and observe closely for unnatural fluctuations in Essence grants them the ability to see all manners of magical abilities. Every sort of illusion is easily spotted by an alert Night Raven, as are normally subtle magical effects or spells.

## Wolfen Magic

### Shapeshifting

Wolfen magic is entirely focused within their ability to alter their form into one of three different shapes. None of their forms are technically their 'real' form any more so than any other, as all three are equally comfortable and natural shapes for them to inhabit. There is no limitation to the amount of time that can be spent in one shape or another, and no technical limit to the amount of switching back and forth, outside of exhaustion.

Wolfen shapeshifting utilizes surrounding Essence to provide the animating energy to alter their body. This can be very taxing in terms of concentration and stamina, but is not magically depleting as their nature circumvents the necessity for a focus.