Magic

Magic is a very real thing in the world of Vitaria, made possible by the Weave, the Gods, and careful study. Magic is a normal phenomenon, much like gravity or oxygen, and can do all sorts of things otherwise impossible.

Staves are the signature tool of the mage, and each contains a specially consecrated catalyst, a crystal, that greatly strengthens the mage's innate connection to the Weave and serves as a bridge between it and our world. By using magic, mages are able to alter the Weave, and bring its mysteries into tangible form, through spells.

## Modern Magic

There are three major forms of modern magic practiced in Vitaria.

* **Divine Magic** is power granted by the Gods, Themselves, to Favoured, those that practice Their respective faiths. Favoured are expected to act in accordance with their Gods' teachings, and as long as they continue to do so, receive Their blessing. Divine magic varies just as much as any other kind of magic. A Favoured may be able to heal the injured, call down fiery vengeance upon those that oppose them, or protect those in their care. Unlike the other types of magic, Divine Magic is invoked by a quick prayer to the Favoured's God. If a Favoured acts against their God's wishes, their powers may be taken away, therefore becoming Fallen. A Fallen is often shunned by society, their fate marked by hypocrisy, shame, and insincerity. In history, some Fallen have managed to become Favoured with another God, and a token few have even redeemed themselves in the eyes of their original God, thus regaining their Favoured status. Velaj is famous for having the least number of Favoured of any of the Gods, and even then, His Favoured have been known to lose their powers at His fickle whims.

* **Elemental Magic** draws its strength from the various elements of the world and the Weave; fire, water, air, and so on. By using the Weave to shape the elements as the mage wishes, and speaking Eldyr to bind this energy to his or her will, mages are able to perform spells of incredible power. Those that exclusively study a single element are known as Adepts, but there are a few mages that study two or three of the elements, instead. Elements created by magic are often incredibly temporary, compared to their natural forms. For example, a magically created flame will burn out quicker than that created by a torch, unless the mage that created it is exceptionally powerful.

* **Metaphysics**, or Arcane Magic, is the art of altering the Weave in its most basic and purest form. Metaphysical spells can create meta-magical barriers that are as light as air, hasten or slow time, and even alter someone's composition at a molecular level. Hinodeans practice metaphysics almost exclusively, since they see it as the purest form of magic, and not a danger to the elements, which they believe form the natural balance of life. Metaphysical spells are arguably the most difficult to master, since many of them are comprised of frequencies, formulae, and patterns that are incredibly alien and complicated.

## Magic Subtypes

There are many subtypes of magic in the world, and all require intense study and time spent in practice.

* **Arcanima**, or **Enchantment** is the art of binding powerful spells into an item, itself, and is practiced exclusively by Arcanists. Such an effect could be causing a sword to burst into flames when wielded, or making a hat increase its wearer's speed to a heightened level. While no enchantment is truly permanent, incredibly experienced Arcanists are able to make their enchantments last for decades, or even centuries, before they lose their strength.

* **Familiae**, (pronounced Fa MIL ee ay) or the art of creating Familiars, is a fairly new field of study, and is again only practiced by Arcanists. To create a Familiar, the Arcanist binds a magical essence retrieved from the Weave to a corporeal, inanimate object, or body. This art is incredibly dangerous, since the Arcanist's soul leaves his or her body while in the Weave, and even there, the process has many opportunities to go awry. The Arcanist could lose themselves in the Weave's vastness, fail to find a suitable essence at all, or even have their own body taken over by the essence, itself. The power of the Familiar is greatly related to the strength of the Arcanist. Stronger Familiae are able to speak, think for themselves, and have emotions, while others merely serve as mindless guardians, obeying their creator's commands without question, until the magic within them burns out.

* **Demonology**, the practice of summoning demons, is a complex and dangerous form of magic. The worldwide belief is that demonology is an advanced form of metaphysics, but this is false. Demonic rituals are actually Ancient Eldyrian Spells. Deceptively, these Spells require the casters to speak Eldyr, instead of the complicated Ancient Eldyr. By summoning a demon, the caster creates a bridge of sorts between the demon's plane to a space they've specifically marked in the ritual, and allow them to close the distance instantly. After the demon arrives, the caster engages in a mental battle, where they attempt to break the demon to the caster's will. Even if the caster has overpowered the demon, it will overcome the caster in time, and great care must be taken to banish it before this occurs. Even more frightening, however, is that even if the caster fails to overpower the demon, they will be given no knowledge of having done so, and the demon will often act like it is under complete control, until it decides otherwise. All spells that summon demons require the caster or those nearby to pay some form of life, and the more life given, the stronger the caster becomes during their fight for control.
* **Necromancy** is the practice of binding elemental energy from the Weave with the bodies of the dead, in order to create undead. Depending on the element used, the created undead can have a variety of temperaments. Undead created with fire essences are often prone to fits of anger and rage, for example. Necromancy is viewed as an incredibly vile and disrespectful, almost blasphemous action, since corpses are defiled and taken from their peaceful resting places, in order to be used for nefarious means.

## Ancient Eldyrian Spells

Lastly, there is one form of magic that is different from all others, **Ancient Eldyrian Spells**. While modern magic has mostly temporary effects, Ancient Eldyrian Spells are so powerful that they can affect the composition of time, itself. The metaphysical spell Time Stop, despite its name, actually slows everyone affected to an incredible level momentarily, but an Ancient Eldyrian Spell can truly stop time or reverse it, for example. All Ancient Eldyrian Spells require many reagents, precise hand gestures, a series of symbols and glyphs to be drawn around the caster, words spoken precisely in Ancient Eldyr, and sufficient time for the spell to be cast. Ancient Eldyrian spells are incredibly difficult to cast, and the mage can quickly face his or her doom if they make even a single mistake upon casting. Death is often the reward for novice mages trying their hand at these incredible Spells, and even casting one successfully can have the same results. Ancient Eldyrian Spells are always written with a capital 'S', to denote their difference from other spells.

### Known Ancient Eldyrian Spells

* **The Spell of Entrapment** - Imprisons a person or creature's soul in an artifact or object, where they remain for an indefinite amount of time. Cast by Cormac Trevelian of Guinevere, when he trapped Malthael, an aspect of the Eldyrian, Goldarion, greatly reducing his power. A side-effect of casting this spell incorrectly is the petrification of its caster.

* **The Spell of Erasure** - Utterly removes an object or person from existence. Cast by Magister Wisteria Calafiore of Guinevere, in order to destroy Eldyrian weapons meant to attack the Archmage, Rohasia.

* **The Spell of Life** - Brings someone back from death, despite old age and/or their willingness to return. This Spell has only been cast successfully once, and not by humankind.

* **The Spell of Petrification** - Turns a number of targets to stone, permanently. An incredibly difficult spell to cast, since it can encompass miles. Cast upon the Guineverian city of Berholven, where almost the entire population was encased in stone. The Spell was undone by a powerful Favoured who paid for their actions with their life.

* **The Spell of Sealing** - Restores separated, damaged, or fragmented Spells, objects, or souls, then puts them to rest in a humane, painless way. Cast by King Uriel Valendis of Guinevere, when he reunited Goldarion with his brother, Ivarin, before they passed on, together.