Magic (Old Lore)

## Rules

Countless mages across the worlds have studied the magical secrets of the universe. Across countless centuries they have slowly developed a deeper explanation for superficial powers and the way the universes natural energy can be used and changed. They have set up five basic rules to explain their arts:

1. **Energy can only be transformed, but never created or destroyed.**
2. **Energy only exists in five elements.**
3. **Every transformation increases the universes entropy.**
4. **Every process and action can be broken down to a transformation of energy.**
5. **No one can perform a transformation that surpasses ones understanding and energetic capacity.**

The five elements are a classification of mortal minds of explain the stages (thoughtenergy), magical energy, can exist. In order to cast a spell, a mage has to transform one element to another until reaching the first. From there he may reform it into another stage.

## Origin

The true nature of magic lies in the hidden nature of the universe itself. Every world, every man and even every stone is nothing but a thought in the Antediluvians mind. Since this ultimate being, trapped in its own mind, lost its gathered conciousness, the world is not governed by a single mind but a thousand individual fragments. This (thoughtenergy) streams across the void in its most natural and chaotic form. In the material worlds, the Antediluvians thoughts are bound to a strict order and concept. Those concepts trace their origins back to its endless cycles of creation, where it forged the first worlds in its mind. This is the reason the material realms are hard to influence and change with magical energies.

Real magic usually comes in two major forms. The first, known as *Ritespeaking* is mainly bound to rituals and is based on the power of symbols. Numbers, forms, colors and their combination can have a large impact on the slumbering subconsciousness of the Antediluvians mind. The reason why some symbols, dances and actions have the ability to change the (thoughtenergy) around them is unkown, but they must appeal to hidden themes and associations in its mind. The second is known as *Witchcraft* or true magic. It is based on the fact that every soul is nothing but a tiny fragment of the allmakers conciousness and contains the key to omnipotence. Inside ones mind, one is able to create everything as the Antediluvian as a whole. The key to Witchcraft is known as Soulspreading and describes the act of spreading ones mind outside of the core of ones existence. This allows mages to activly change the (thoughtenergy) of their surroundings and perform what is known as true magic. Those who combine both forms are usually able to cast the strongest spells.

## Forms of magic

Magic summarises all forms of supernatural influences mortal minds can have on their surroundings. Some call them Forbidden Arts but there are countless powers even the wisest scholars are unaware of. The most common forms of magic are divided into two major categories. Mental disciplines and arcane disciplines.

### Mental disciplines

These forms of magic are usually not based on the strict schools and teachings of wizards and lectors. Rather they focus natural phenomoms that give people the power to sense and influence the world arround them without direclty changing it. The majority of Forbidden Arts fall into that category. Although many can be learned, they are usually developed by those with natural talents. *Foresight*, *Minddancing* and *Shadowbending* are the main representants.

### Arcane disciplines

These forms of magic include every attempt to change the visible world around the caster. The ideal of these disciplines is to shape the fabric reality to the mages will. Arcane disciplines are far harder to study but can take almost any form the caster can imagine. The possibilites are as limitless as the mind of the Antediluvian, but they are extremly hard to master. Most mages focus on specific schools that emphasize a single aspect of magic. In order to influence the world around a caster, he does not only need alot of willpower and imagination but also a deep understanding of the superficial change he is about to manifest. Should he attempt to throw a lightning into an enemy, he will need to understand what electricity is and how it works. Otherwise he will simply create a illusion. Since it takes a long training and focus on a single aspect, mages rarely master several schools but focus on a aspect they already understand. Arcane disciplines are divided into *Ritespeaking* and *Witchcraft*.

## Main articles

* Spellcraft
* Ritespeaking
* Forbidden Arts