Anti-Magic

### Notable organizations

Pink Diamond Distribution Agency, a Subsidiary of Pier's CompanyThe Dysmagi Liberation Front

## Extras

### Personal Horror Level (Expert)

Did you know that your spirit is composed of magic?

## Basic Theory

Due to the potential of harm that magic enables, one of the earliest magic types invented was the opposite of it: Anti-magic.

As of currently, the main application of anti-magic is quite simply: to prevent the casting of magic within an area. The primary points of divergence is in how this is done and in what magic it prevents. Primarily, there exists two different schools of thought: the first is that of simply flooding an area with a specific polarization at immense amounts. The goal is to simply polarize the magic to such an extreme that it would take a great deal of external mana to unpolarize it. It is simple, quick, and direct, but has four major flaws. Firstly, it requires you to have a high level mana available that you are willing to expend to force the polarization. Secondly, if you still have mana remaining, you will have to utilize it to reverse the polarization if you suddenly find yourself needing to cast. Thirdly, it takes less mana to unpolarize the anti-magic than you used to polarize it (due to the natural unpolarization of arctrons back to their primal state) as such a mage of equal caliber will be able to reverse it and still have some many left over. Finally, it is unusable in terms of a sneak attack as the mass polarization of the arctrons will very quickly notify any mage of the effect.

The second school of thought is of a more precise but time-consuming variety. Instead of over-loading the arctrons to an immovable polarization, an intricate method of polarization-pathing is applied, akin to the methodology used by higher-level runic spells and enchantments. By applying varied polarizations in rapid succession with precise exposure and control, one can shift the polarization of the arctron in such a way in which it has to follow the reverse of said path to achieve a different configuration. The mechanics of this are poorly understood by Wizards across Anagrian. This system has a few keen advantages over the previous. Firstly, it is nearly undetectable as the total polarization level of the arctrons in the room will not change heavily, simply be shifted in a different direction. Secondly, more skilled anti-mages are able to create polarizations that will allow them to slip the polarization pathway, letting them cast spells with the aforementioned polarization without having to fully reverse the polarization pathway. Alternatively, one can simply path the polarization into just the polarization they wish to utilize, allowing them access to that polarization's magic. Thirdly, the amount of mana it takes to undo a polarization pathway is greater than what is put in unless the target knows the specific pathway taken, as simply pulling towards a desired polarization is often slower due to being an indirect push to the next stage in the pathway. Finally, if one knows the specific polarization's of their target's magic, they can create pathways that are impossible to resolve by application of just those polarizations. For example: if you are targeting a mage with a polarization of just fire magic, you can create a polarization pathway that terminates in a position that is unreachable by application of just fire polarization due to the fire polarization moving it in a way in direct opposition of the path. Of course, there are drawbacks to this school. Firstly, it is very precise and time-consuming to set-up as a single mistake could collapse the entire pathway's integrity. Secondly, if you do not know the magic type of your target, your pathway could involve their polarization, allowing them to cast far before you realize. Thirdly, if someone knows your slip-polarization or the pathway you utilize, they will be able to reverse it rapidly. Finally, mages experienced with this school can often pick up on the pathways that you had put into place and know the polarization that would break, being able to apply it.

## Arctron Absorbers

While the Nightborne's focus on meta-magic is responsible for the first school of anti-magic, and the paranioa of the Faionite Order of Solarion is responsible for the second form, the most prevalent form of anti-magic upon Anagrian actually exists in a third, non-magical form, that of an arctron absorber. Created by Sanctus as an investigation into a way to control the magical power that devoured it, the prototypical arctron absorber is a pink crystal known as Crescentite. The basis for how Crescentite works defined an entire generation of Anti-Magic breakthroughs following the Tenuemic Incursion.

Crescentite works quite simply. While unable to be naturally or spontaneously formed, particularly skilled mages can summon it if they know the polarizations to tap into. The crystal is pink and emits light in the presence of magic, but it is not composed of atoms and molecules in the same way that a regular crystal would be formed. Instead, it's structure is almost entirely composed of incredibly structured arctrons that have been forced into physical space. This causes their capability to attract arctrons to greatly increase, causing them to drain the surrounding space of arctrons. The attracted arctrons then become absorbed onto the mass of the Crescentite and are attached to the structure and forced into physical space, growing the Crescentite and increasing it's ability to absorb arctrons and it's area of effect, which increases at a rate of 10 feet radius per cubic foot of material. Crescentite has incredible attractive powers on free arctrons, with only the peak of mages being able to even attempt to conjure magic within the space it affects. Beyond a certain size (roughly 3 cubic feet), Crescentite also begins to tear away at bound arctrons, able to strip away the mana from enchanted objects, banish spells, and even kill most beings with long enough exposure by peeling away their spirit. Crescentite is fairly fragile and relatively easy to shatter, but inhalation of it's dust and fragments has incredible long-lasting negative effects in the forms of Crescent Infection, in which Crescentite takes root within your body and begins to grow from the inside, as such proper PPE is required for handling it. Crescentite can be neutralized through two methods. The first is to simply leave it without additional magic for a period of time. The natural environmental concentration of arctrons in non-magically rich sections of Anagrian is not enough to maintain it's form, and it will begin to decompose over-time with a half-life of one year, breaking down into free arctrons. The second method of neutralization is incredibly difficult for any but the highest of mages. It is done via simply barraging the Crescentite with an overabundance of highly polarized arctrons. This causes the structure to become overwhelmed with energy and decompose rapidly into arctrons.

Crescentite was first brought to Anagrian by the Tenuemic forces as a method to neutralize some of the incredibly magically talented members of Anagrian's defenses and after the war was left behind and alone. Seeing an immense oppurtinity, Pier's Company founded Pink Diamond Distribution Agency and acquired much of the left over Crescentite from across the continents. They began to research and develop less hazardous forms, as well as setting up growing factories for it within the Flow-Touched Land and Stentuur, away from major population centers and within highly magically rich zones. PDDA developed an immense other number of Crescentite strains through their research as well as cooperation with the Nova Renascentai. The primary one is that of Absorbite, marketed by PDDA as CrescentLite, a pink diamond that functions like Crescentite but without the ability to remove engrained magic. Absorbite is common across most of the world, with alternatives having been developed by competitors, for it's reliability and it's ability to co-exist with magical beings. More specified versions of Absorbite also exist, tailored to a specific magic type that the purchaser wants to isolate. Unlike Crescentite, Absorbite also doesn't grow, making it far easier to utilize for most of the population. It is a tad on the pricier side due to being made by the usage of other magic gems, however, the ratio of magic gem to Absorbite produced leaves it to be accessible to most middle-class individuals.