Magic Lore

## History of Magic

The planet upon which dwell both the continents of Alyria and Eyumel contains characteristics that allow for unimaginable magical feats to occur.

The world's atmosphere is permeated with what magical scholars have termed, The Essence—or as it is colloquially known—mana. This essence stems from the world's core, branching outwards in arching tendrils, which we’ve come to know as Leylines. These leylines are the tangible roots of all ambient magic. It flows forth from the core of the world in waves, it ebbs and flows, and with the passing of the eons, there are times when it has been near intangible levels, and times when it feels as though the air itself is saturated like a swampy musk. This is largely a natural phenomenon, one that is unpredictable in nature, and only foreseen by some of the most sensitive of essence users. However, there has been only one period of the history of our world that this ebb was forcibly wrought upon by the sentient races of Eyumel. The era of the Battle Mages.

The massive use and exploitation of both the leylines of Eyumel, as well as the draining of large swaths of the ambient mana in the world's atmosphere to fuel spells of feats insurmountable, resulted in a sudden and catastrophic collapse of the balance in the essence content of the world, forcibly thrusting the entirety of the world's mana back into the core of the world; and as such a period of rejuvenation began. The practice of magic became more difficult, and many of the advancements made within lost to the history of the races. Thus, the 4th era became to be known as the Dark Ages. A period devoid of Enlightenment. While civilizations still rose and fell, they did so without the aid of impressive magical feats.

And, as though the world itself gave one final voice of vengeance, the land itself exploded outwards from the Rykujin isles, plunging the continent into a true Dark Age.

However, as was the nature of the world; eventually, an ebb returned. In what is now known as “The Age of Enlightenment”, the magic of the Leylines surged forth from the planetary core, quenching a parched world with the planet's essence once more.

## Essence

Essence permeates the entirety of the world around us. However, not all essence is the same, as every Elementalist may attest to. Near the shores of the ocean, or the banks of a river, a watery hue may make up the essence of the area. In the snowy peaks of the north, a frigid cold overtakes the essence. In the fiery depths of the Lakar Desert, the essence vibrates with a fiery ferocity. Elementalists draw upon these forces to fuel their spells, and attain the heights of their magic.

While Elementalists seek to utilize magic from without, by exerting their magical force, most other magical schools turn within, delving into their core and withdrawing magic from therein.

## Essence of Life

Life, as referenced by scholars, has always been present in our world. From the beginnings of the first era—when the gods themselves breathed life into the continents, and essence surged into being—to our present day, essence has been the core foundation of what constitutes all living beings.

Every living being has an Essence Core, as well as a Mana Network. The essence core is where all living beings store their essence—or mana. Whereas, like veins spreading from the heart, the mana network is composed of minuscule tendrils that branch from every being's core to their extremities, breathing life into the races and creatures alike. Like a muscle, the more one practices and accesses their mana, the more their Core and Networks are strengthened. The size of one's core determines the amount of essence one may hold.

Essence is naturally absorbed into the core, and it comes as instinctually to all living beings as breathing. However, through meditation, one may also increase the natural recovery of their essence—like deep breaths that calm the beating heart.

However, since time primordial the races have always had a limitation to the extent by which their core may be nurtured and grown. As the races themselves advanced throughout the 2nd era, the sudden rise of the necromages gave rise to a new development in magical history. The gods themselves granted the races the power to quell the beasts of the continent, fight against the dark forces of the evil gods, and beat back the undead that scourged the land.

This power took the form of magical artifacts, relics granted to the most ardent seekers of power. As the mana levels of the world have begun to return to their previous heights of the 2nd era, these relics have become all the more desired. By delving into underground ruins, tombs, and monuments of the past, ardent seekers of magic may discover the tools to advance their magical journey.

However, much more recently, great artificers—a new field of magic—have discovered that through the use of essence-saturated materials, these relics of the gods may be replicated. While this task may arguably be considered an even harder method of attaining ascension, there is no question that an era of great magical feats is nigh.

Unfortunately, not all possess the ability to begin using magic. At times, however, through great effort utilizing one's own will, one may achieve an “awakening”, wherein they may open the pathways that connect their essence core, and the mana network, and truly begin to delve into the journey of magic. This awakening is at times considered to occur by arbitrary means. However, one well-known fact is that the more one seems to slay monsters of a magical nature, the core absorbs the essence that these beings release. The more essence a being holds, the more that the body may absorb into its core. When a sufficient amount has been absorbed, an awakening may be achieved. This awakening occurs when one gathers a sufficient amount of materials to use as a catalyst to open the connection between their essence core, and their mana networks.

## The Mindsets of Magic

### Ethereal:

Ethereal mages study and seek to produce detailed information on magic, and practice spells of a dimensional sort. They attempt to bridge into other realms such as the Netherworld and the world of the Void. It is from these individuals that some of the greatest calamities have befallen Eyumel, as improper usage of dimension-spanning rituals have resulted in great degrees of corruption throughout the continents history.

Ethereal Magic attempts to project outwards, to meld and bend the foundations of reality and the planar laws of our realm. It taps deep into ones core, using ones core essence to fuel their spells. Some of the most advanced spells have been known to exact a terrible toll upon their users.

Basic manifestations of Ethereal magic make themselves present through instances of short-range teleportation, or *phase-walking*, where the wielder attaches their core essence between two locations within viewing distance.

More advanced instances of phase-walking take the form of *way-phasing,* when an Ethereal mage embues a magical artifact with their own core essence and as such forming a permanent connection with an object, allowing for instances of phasing over vast distances.

As an Ethereal user delves further into the path of the magic, the stranger still become their effects. As dimensional gates become possible and communication with otherworldly beings; the Ethereal Mage treads a path analogous to the forbidden.

However, some of the more-renowned aspects of the Ethereal mage comes in the form of illusions, invisibility, divination—the process of seeing through the folds of reality to find that which ahs been lost or is unseen—*shield-phasing* of offensive spells, and the summoning of contracted ethereal beings.

### Dream:

Dream mages are condemned by the greater magical community for widely apparent reasons. Their usage of chaotic, abyssal, and necromantic magics bring great ruin to those around them. This was the same magic wrought by the great necro-mages of the 2nd era, the same which laid waste to entire Empires.

Discord, or chaotic, magic disrupts the balanced nature of essence in the ambience air; forcing an unholy will on the essence and corrupting it for ones gain. Discord magics were widely utilized by the Battlemages during the schism war, and in conjunction with Abyssal magics and Hexcraft—the art of curses, directly attributed to the creation of the Wastes, and eventually the Morire Forest. These rampant magical users are characterized by the selfish and the outcasts of society, and when a Dream user is discovered, an execution near-always follows.

Abyssal magic deserves a class in and of itself. Abyssal magic falls beyond the forbidden boundaries of the Ethereal. Contacting dimensions deemed forbidden by the very gods, these users summon beings of a most unholy nature. They have been known to craft rifts that split the fabric of reality, rendering complete corruption when uncontained The magic that brought the corrupted wastes of the Morire Forest, and that seems to emanate from the Mana Springs of Alyria... It is this magic that has been foreseen by many as what my ultimately undue our world should it be left to be used rampantly and invite the return of the Dark Gods.

### Artificer:

Artificers are a newer field of magic in that it has gained mainstream prevalence amongst the races. As the whole of the continents entered the 5th era, technology began to progress, replacing many acts once performed by simple magical rituals. The artificer seeks to combine both elements—technology and magic—to produce an even greater whole.

Known for their great Runecrafts, Runesmiths, and creation of Golemic beings, the Artificers have advanced the whole of Eyumel and the Alyrian continent into an era of Enlightenment, allowing the races to utilize the means to delve ever deeper into the core of our world.

### Holy:

The religious magics. This field of magic is attributed to the very gods of the continents, and mages practicing this mindset are near-unanimously ardent believers of their particular faith. This mindset affects the magic casted by these individuals, creating paladins and clerical mages.

### Elemental:

The Natural Magics bear host to that which utilizes the elements. Elemental magics are considered wtihin two categories. The *Contained* and *Uncontrollable*. The uncontrollable path—of fire and air— is one of difficulty. It is less tangible in for and requires enduring the initial phases of its nature. While less powerful at first, it eventually gains utility increased utility. The contained path practices within that which is most tangible, Earth and Water. While the Earth is enduring, strong, and steady, water flows like the stream, coursing through obstacles, and rushing forth like the great torrent of the river. Great strength becomes those who tread the path of the Contained magics, however, with what they gain in power, they sacrifice in flexibility.

## The Path of Magic

Magic isn’t utilized by anybody right off the bat. One must nurture its growth to first attain an awakening. Once an awakening is achieved, then one will progress on their path until one hits their natural limitations. Which must then be overcome through a process known as ascension.