Divine Magic : "Religious Sorcery"

***A Legendary tale…** This player-written lore is non-canon and may not exist within Elysium until revived and approved by Staff upon request.*

***This is WIP - Treepuncher2014 -- I promise to continue to add to this until I truly declare it's ""Finished"", and even then I may add edits.***

## **Introduction to :** *Divine Magic*

Note : Deities can be of any religion, or maybe even concept : Such as the Earth. Deities are generalized. Only do things that are allowed within your religion, of course.

Also Called :

* Holy Magic
* Sacred Magic
* Faith Sorcery

Divine Magic comes from an outer being, (a deity) that grants some of it's believers Divine powers. That means it is a religious based form of magic, which is typically holy rather than 'Un-holy' or evil. This sort of magic is very ancient, and understood competently by few. People who are paladins, clerics and possibly druids are typically tied to Divine Magic, though of course their deity must grant them capable of so. Divine Magic is a sometimes unpredictable source also, and may cause accidental results. Divine Magic is slowly becoming more prominent within Elysium.

 A divine character is any character for whom worship of a greater power—often a deity but sometimes a more abstract force or philosophy—is an important part of daily life. Divine mages aren’t always clerics and druids, although it’s hard to imagine a cleric for whom the divine relationship isn’t important. For brevity, we call these characters “divine mages,” although they aren’t divine or immortal themselves. They’re mages with an essential connection to divine forces. If your character’s allegiance to a deity is important, or if divine magic is a powerful force in your character’s life, then Divine Magic for you. Giving your character an allegiance to a set of beliefs and a connection to forces beyond the
mortal world can enrich the roleplaying experience, no matter the makeup of your character.

Divine Magic users and scholars are especially tied to their patron deities. Their alignment and actions must closely reflect their deity's faith to avoid drawing their patron's wrath or losing their powers. Users can also channel their deity's energy through their bodies and into others'. Every Divine Magic user must have a deity. And they can also use a secondary form of that, which is they can use faith as well as their mana/energy to power their magic. Divine users gain spells from their divine patron, often preparing them through prayer and meditation, and possibly carry-on items (Ex: a cross.) . *The magic dosn't come completely from them self, it comes from an outside force.* It takes users many years, and study, to harness their Divine potential. Divine Magic is a bit more defined in terms of it's culture, background and liability, but it's very broad in elements and uses. Though, Divine Magic is especially useful against dark entities, like Vampires, Undead and so on.

## ***Why do you serve?***

The reasons for serving a divine authority can vary dramatically, even within the same faith or philosophy. Players of divine characters should decide what motivates their character’s behavior, because this can add depth to the character’s interactions with others

**True Belief**: You believe in the righteousness of your faith’s cause. No other deity, philosophy, or way of life “gets it right” the way yours does. The level of this belief can vary from quiet certainty to full zealotry, depending on your character’s personality and the nature of his faith. Recent converts often fall into this category, as do holy warriors such as paladins and clerics.

**Tradition:** In many cultures, particularly nonhuman societies, people practice a religion as a matter of course. Individual practitioners probably do not agree with every church precept, and may violate church rules when they figure they can get away with it. Traditionalists enjoy the benefits of their religion—holidays, grand ceremonies, or certain ways of thinking—but often don’t concern themselves with the limits it may place on their daily lives. Still, they usually view themselves as devoted to the faith and never really think seriously about giving up their religious practice.

**Power:** Your devotion to the cause gives you power, whether physical, temporal, political, or spiritual. This motivation is common among leaders, who realize that their acceptance of the faith can aid them in their ascent to (and keeping of) rulership. A drive for power need not go hand-in-hand with hypocritical behavior—a cleric may see his sincere and loyal devotion to the deity as a perfectly reasonable trade for the power gained by that devotion.

**Hypocrisy:** Some individuals profess or even demonstrate devotion (whether from mere habit or with other gains in mind), but know full well that their hearts aren’t in it. Their secret thoughts and public deeds reveal that their purportedly pious words are hollow. Though they still must convince their deity, and pull through. They're typically weaker.

You may not just serve a 'Deity' , though that is what we will refer to throughout this, you may serve a Pantheon, a number of gods. Or even, a principle - an idea. Or, nature.

## The Steps toward : *Becoming 'Divine'*

To become 'Divine' in a sense, you :

1. Become extremely close to your deity
2. Practice and study immensely
3. Rid of as many 'Sins' as possible (Redeem)
4. Swear fealty to your deity, and yourself

   Divine people should try to become a great role model for other followers of such religion or ideology. You don't have to be absolutely perfect, though it helps and is rare for one to not stride for such.

Divine magic users, if they wish to get very in-depth and proficient in Divine magic, can acquire become an apprentice to another follower who is higher than you. Apprenticeships are common, and also create good bonds and ideas to follow and work with. You can speak to a religious figure, or another user to seek advice from, though you need to earn trust. There is secrecy within Divine Magic for a reason, for safety.

## Effects of : *Divine Magic*

With Divine Magic, or following any religion closely at all, you may expierience or gain certain effects, if they fit with your beliefs. One could be, glowing white eyes or beginning to have a Holy Aura surround you. You'll notice you will be a lot more in touch and understanding with your enviornment, along with yourself.

## Discovering : *Divine Magic*

People can find their spells and uses for the sorcery by self-discovery, books, runes, fellow users, and from instinctively from their deity. Some go on personal crusades to find them self. It takes time to learn new ones, but after awhile - it gets easier and easier to advance and become competent at the subject. You may be able to purchase or find information about this magic from a merchant, place of worship, the Ruins, or Great Library \*Ancient\*. (The Ruins, and Great Library are a roleplay areas.)

 Divine Magic has no recorded or official beginnings, though the first teachings and writings come from a man named Althalos Gerhaut - A renowned philosopher, and cleric for his religion. The man has past on long, ago - his remains among the Ro'ark Cemetery.

## Examples of : *Divine Magic*

Divine magic uses a lot of elements, and sometimes miracles to complete tasks. They are very general in elements, opening many combinations.

## "Classes"

Classes are not at all required, it's simply used to describe a group/type of people that'd maybe use this magic. They are not in any way the only ones limited to using this. Classes aren't a true thing on Elysium, just a concept or imitation. They're mainly derived from the tabletop game - DnD. This is placed here for better understanding to the references above. If you wish, consider them examples.

Also, these reference certain religions. You can use any religion for these.

Paladin ---

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paladin\_(character\_class)

Cleric ---

(Mainly a more magical, priest-like person.)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cleric\_(Dungeons\_%26\_Dragons)

Ranger ---

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ranger\_(Dungeons\_%26\_Dragons)

Druid ---

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Druid\_(Dungeons\_%26\_Dragons)

## May your adventure bid well, may the god(s) be with you.

Now you're on your path to become truly divine, and a religious hero. Tread wisely, and truthfully.

***| Ego justum, redde qui occultis tenebris ad lucem, et non vindictam accipere. Semper! |***