Magic

**Magic** is a phenomenon resulting from the combustive reaction between two forms of energy classified as **mana** and **aether**. The nature of the reaction is protean, affected dramatically by psychic directives and internal stimuli, which is fundamental to the practice of spellcasting, which is the manifestation of a mage's thoughts expressed through magical processes.

Mana is sourced from living organisms, plant or animal (promafers), which produce mana at different rates and at different strengths. Mana in animals is produced by the pineal gland in the brain, which is transferred throughout the body along arterial pathways called meridians, infusing the living tissue with mana and creating what is called the *animus*—the soul, or volume content of mana in the body. Mana is affected by mental insinuation in the same manner that muscles are controlled by the nervous system and conscious mind. The animus has both automatic and voluntary functions in the body, and is "impressionable", being diversely responsive to environmental and emotional feedback, which can alter the flow and control of mana (majesty, how coherently a mage can translate his or her will into a manifest expression), as well as information recording.

Little is still known about aether. It suffuses all inanimate objects and matter, saturating the environment and most non-promafer vegetation. Modern science is unsure about where or how aether is generated, or how it is replenished in the aethos, the inhabitable space in the world filled with aether. The most commonly channeled spells utilize the aether in the air, called *aer* (aeromancy), low density gases suffused with magical energy which are easily manipulated and directed.

## History

* Pnardic dwarves observe divine lines and discover rune patterns.
* The dwarves profit off of manufacturing and exporting utilitarian wards created with their runescript.
* Dwarves begin trading runed wards with the humans of the Iotheme Kingdom in exchange for food resources. The House of Promatles comes to possess the Twelve Wonders of Iotheme.
* Iotheme relied on a collection of powerful spells they purchased from the dwarves, which they called the Wonders of Iotheme. They were highly complex ward systems (the written form of spellcasting) engraved into tablets, which the promatleans constantly tried to decipher, discovering different glyphs by trying to decipher the dwarven runes (runes being the dwarven word for primitively derived wards) which they would compile into the Promatlean Alphabet, a list of different glyphs that, when empowered with mana, would generate a unique effect.
	+ The Wonders were great spells like Rain, to help nourish dry crops in times of drought. Scientifically, it the many different wards worked to generate several chemical reactions altogether, in a ward system. Some wards would work to condense water vapor at high altitudes and thus create clouds. A following ward would then supercool that water to its precipitation point, causing rain. Other Wonders would be Quake, to cause localized seismic turmoil in enemy lands. Fire Storm, to bring a cascade of flames down on armies. And until pretty recently, these wards required a lot of energy (mana) to power, thus the imposition of blood sacrifices and taxes.
* The Twelve Wonders of Iotheme are activated by the mystical Promatleans at the behest of the Primads and other patricians who pay tribute to the Temple of Promatles, the Iotheman god of magic and power. The Wonders are each a robust, complicated system of wards designed for specific purposes (creating floods, firestorms, crop diseases, etc.) and used against Iotheme's enemies, and to improve conditions within the empire.
* The Promatleans successfully begin the compilation of the Promatlean Alphabet by dissecting dwarven runes brought from Shardam. More sophisticated, complex wards begin to be produced by the Promatleans.
* Blood Courts are celebrated in the Iotheme Empire. Gladiators fight to the death and the loser has his blood gathered and processed for its ioun. The collected blood of the sacrifices in these sports is used to power the Promatleans' Wonders. In times of crisis or war, the scheduling of these games became more frequent and the amount of slaves involved more despairingly grand.
* Primad Bartenius invents the Blood Tax. A tithe of blood is required to be paid by all adult citizens to help supply the Wonders in times of ioun deficits. The patrician class is particularly exempted from this.
* The Promatleans summon the Sorjachani into Hephestia to help them wage war against the separatist Meridoque Empire, venerating the Sorjachani as divine beings related to their own pantheon. Under demonic instruction, the promatleans begin to practice with black magic, channeling the powerful and corrupting sorjin from external sources provided by the demons. The alien mana has the tendency to corrupt Hephestian animi.
* Cymbelines, individuals afflicted by hypermanageniture, are collected by the demons throughout the empire as precious resources. The cymbelines are sacrificed to fuel their experiments, forced to channel sorjin through their animi.
* At the urging of the Sorjachani, Blood Courts become slaughterhouses where captured prisoners of war and slaves are butchered, bled, and drained for their mana.
* The Sorjachani construct the World Pillar (*Coloma Munda*) to focus and amplify their spellcasting and channel the devastation of the Twelve Wonders across vast distances as the demons sought to subjugate the mortal nations.
* The Batian school of magic pioneers and popularizes the art of internal channeling. The Order of Botiac Clerics is created to combat the Sorjachani.
* The Botiac Clerics destroy the World Pillar and the Wonders of Iotheme are lost.
* The Sublime Gates Theory is embraced by the Batian magi.
* The Botiac Clerics initiate the Great Purge to wipe out all trace of demonkind from Hephestia.
* The Oracle of Martan is revealed, condemning magi as the architects of [Doomsday].
* The Julidus Massacre occurs in [Athens], ruining the Clerics' good standing in Meridoque and adding mages to the Great Purge's intended targets.
* King Byreon the Lightbringer expands the scope of the Great Purge to discriminate against all magi as demonspawn. Arcane knowledge, its practice, and magi are all viciously scourged from Stephedist Cremalia. The Stephedist Vistern is established and dictates the condemnatory narrative of magi in Cremalia for centuries.
* The arcane trade from East to West is isolated to interchange between the dwarves of the Bagharn in Upper Cremalia, in the major trade route known as the High Road.
* Witness Veritus II proclaims that any mages that publicly reject demonkind and swear humble service to mankind and the Vistern (Thaumaturges) are to be loved and welcomed into Solemny as worthy penitents. Thaumaturges are outfitted with silver collars and manacles and are indentured to the Vistern and affiliated secular powers, serving as court arcanists or enchanters.
* Emperor Raymond IV of Austen, in need of new military options, convened the Council of Honheil and exonerated magi of the superstitions aimed against them. Magi are officially allowed to go to war in the name of God.
* Drayden rejects the Council of Honheil and remains tenaciously Martanist.
* Peter Lorell discovers the Animus in his religiously-inspired investigation of the soul.
* [Magic glass] revolutionizes military strategy.
* The Three Estates Theory is published.
* The Arais Emodun (ArEm) is founded to serve as the policymaker for the arcane for the Continental Congress.