Magic Lore

Magic in Chronicles is a collection of unique forms of cosmic energy, similar to radiant energy (energy from light). There are different types of this energy within this collection, and each has a unique set of properties. When in abundance in an area, this energy can manifest seemingly fantastical displays such as heat, light, or even act as a mutative agent to a living thing. This happens through a natural interaction of this energy with the particles of reality. As an element of the natural universe in Chronicles, Magic is pervasive throughout the world. This energy is caught and absorbed inside of liquids or living tissue, and from there, it can be stored and later released with small build-ups of other Magical energy. In the universe of Chronicles, although Magic produces effects which are impossible in our universe, its effects are predictable and governed by the laws of nature within their universe.

## Properties of Magic

Magic Energy most closely resembles that of radiant energy in that it can be described as particles. The particles are relatively slow moving and microscopic in size. One of the primary properties of Magic Energy is that it is attracted to other Magic Energy in a similar way to which gravity pulls objects closer to other objects. Thus, Magic Energy tends to collect in areas and the larger a collection of Magic Energy, the more likely it is to further attract more Magic Energy which is farther away. This effect is directly opposed by Reaper Energy which prevents all magic in the world from simply clumping into a big ball.

Magic Energy also exists in and out of reality in Chronicles, meaning that it travels between the physical reality and an extra-dimensional space known as the Spirit. As Magic Energy moves, it may sometimes be drawn into this extra-dimensional space where it is typically trapped. As a rule, however, Magic Energy has a strong tendency to remain in the physical reality once it arrives there. The probability for Magic Energy to move across this dimensional boundary is relative to the amount and thus particle size of the Magic Energy. The larger and more concentrated the energy, the more likely it is to cross the dimensional boundary.

Another distinct property of Magic Energy is that it tends to stay absorbed in organic tissue and liquids. Once absorbed, Magic Energy is trapped and stored until the Reaper Energy repels it out of the object, or if enough Magic Energy exists in concentration near it to pull it out. To a differing degree depending on type, a build-up of stored Magic Energy within living tissue will cause mutation.

## Magic and the Spirit

The Spirit is simply an extra dimensional realm outside of the physical reality comprised entirely of Magic Energy. It is from here that Magic Energy enters the physical reality, and also where Magic Energy returns to naturally when it becomes too concentrated. The boundary between this extra dimension and the reality of Chronicles is porous as one of the primary properties of Magic Energy is that when in concentration, it simply has a propensity to freely cross that boundary.

However, to enter the physical reality, Magic Energy leaks through pockets, best described as tears, between the Spirit and reality. The location of these tears in the world of Chronicles is deep within the crust of the planet. Often then, Magic Energy surfaces to the atmosphere by being trapped and carried along by water. Thus, the Wells are the common source of where Magic finds its way to the surface of the world. The Wells found on the world are not the only tears in reality whereupon Magic enters the universe, but because the world carries life, and one of the properties of Magic is that it is easily trapped within organic material, Magic tends to concentrate highly there.

The natural order of the Spirit is that there is a critical mass of Magic Energy required for the dimension to maintain stability. Although unfathomable just how much Magic Energy is contained within the Spirit, even seemingly insignificant imbalances regarding the amount of Magic Energy within the Spirit can cause a deterioration of the natural stability within it. Thus, when too much Magic Energy is contained within the Spirit, it is more forcibly pushed to reality, often creating new tears. When not enough Magic Energy is there, all Magic Energy in reality is more highly likely to make the dimensional shift back to the Spirit.

## Types of Magic Energy

There are 6 known types of Magic Energy in the universe. Each type has properties which are unique to that type, but all types also exhibit the aforementioned properties above.

* Mental Energy
This is one of the more peculiar and least understood types of energy that seems to have a direct reaction to mental thought. Mental Energy is easily captured in specific nerve tissue, and the brain is the most likely candidate for trapping such energy. Magic users, not fully understanding what it is exactly they are doing, can feel and manipulate mental energy stored within them with thought, as if they were moving an arm or other limb. This energy is the most common utilized to harness magical spells. Mental Energy responds to a caster's direct thought by being ejected from the caster's body on nerve impulse to mass into an area or object, and then its mass attracts other magical energy around it as all magic does. This energy is also believed to be how Reaper Energy is able to influence the minds of its hosts. This energy is known to be highly chaotic and free flowing if the emotions of a person are irate which means a caster must have full concentration to harness this energy * Transfer Energy
Transfer Energy, in mass, tends to cause matter to replicate or simply construct itself by rearranging the makeup of nearby objects to mirror the particles that is most closely in contact with. This will generally always take the properties of the majority of matter that the Transfer Energy has massed upon. Therefore, if Transfer Energy begins to accumulate on a rock for instance, then that rock will start to inexplicably grow in size as more Transfer Energy builds on it. If used in minor doses, this energy has healing effects, able to replace blood, extend skin, or repair an object. The Reaper energy is also highly attracted to this energy however and will often break it up only minutes after it begins to clump together.* Stasis Energy
This is a much more rare energy, and is extremely chaotic and fickle to control. However it can be easily trapped in blood as found out by the Blood Cults. Once built up, it has the unusual effect of seeming to speed up time in relativity to everything else around it. This is not time travel or an actual manipulation of time but rather a warping of time. These particles can make someone feel faster if they are surrounded by them in mass. Some Artificers during the era of Spirit Refinement had even learned how to mass and then dispel these particles completely out of the blood of the body and thus seemingly extend the aging of the host.* Heavy Energy
Heavy Energy exudes a property of a very strong pull on other forms of Magic Energy. Its properties of attractiveness or greatly enhanced. This energy also is the largest of all the particles and tends to create a minor form of resistance much like air resistance. This energy also has the most resistance to the effect of Reaper Energy and will tend to keep objects from breaking up as much. However, it also has been known to cause problems to spell casters since if not harnessed, the pull of these particles will make it difficult to build up magic in predictable ways away from them. It is this energy that is also the primary cause of mutations in a subject. When it builds up enough, this energy starts to warp objects and change their physical properties likely due to causing a major build-up of magic energy around it.* Life Energy
Life Energy is a vigor inducing energy that will bolster a weakened man or make someone suddenly strong. This energy is relatively simple compared to the others and seems to be the lifeblood of the world. There is more of this type of energy than any other. Also note that the effects of this can be mutative as well if it masses too much on an organic being, causing sometimes even extreme mutation of tissue.* Reaper Energy
Reaper Energy is a special form of Magic Energy whose primary function is around the natural restoration of the balance of magic energy from the Spirit to reality by inhibiting the properties of all of the above. It is attracted to other energy as normal but other energy is repelled from it. Therefore when large clumps of energy build, Reaper energy comes in and dissipates it. Reaper Energy is also more prone to return to the Spirit than any other energy. However it will also be released in greater quatities by the Spirit when an imbalance exists in the world. Reaper Energy also does not repel other Reaper Energy and therefore if sent into the world in massive quantities, it is able to manifest in reality on a global scale.

The distinct properties of a given "clump" of Magic Energy is defined by the make-up. Since all Magic Energy attracts other Magic Energy, a given build-up of energy in a single space will often consist of multiple types. It is also therefore that any given collection of Magic Energy in a space may exude properties from all forms.

## Magic in the Human Body

All Magic Energy attracts other Magic Energy. However, the sensation that this attractiveness causes to the nerves of a human body are quite distinct and detectable to those who have the ability to store larger amounts of Magic Energy within their bodies. By its very nature, to be a wielder of spells in Chronicles requires a body which can uniquely store some or all types of Magic Energy easily. In addition, the person must be able to command Mental Energy in order to move the particles the way he or she wants them to. As such, true Magic use is rare in the world of Chronicles as most bodies are not of the right make-up for this feat. It should be understood that all living tissue can absorb Magic Energy. It is simply the degree to which it can be stored combined with the particular make-up of the nervous system of a spell caster that allows them to both absorb a large amount of Magic Energy as well as detect the presence of Magic Energy in the atmosphere or in other living tissue.

## Casting Spells

The physical act of casting a Spell in Chronicles is actually manipulating the build-up of Magic Energy into a critical mass and then directing its innate properties towards a specific purpose. Thus, depending on the type of effect being sought, the exact make-up of the mass of Magic Energy may need to change. Spells in Chronicles are therefore either taught or accidentally discovered and then honed. Simply finding a way to release Magic Energy into an effective mass without controlling exact properties and other surrounding matter or energy will often simply result in that Magic Energy disappearing into the Spirit. For example, if a Blood Cult Assassin needs to manifest their world famous spell of Mirage, they must first understand the very basics of how to collect enough Heavy Energy and Stasis Energy together in order to move faster than others and keep the fickle Stasis energy bent around enemies rather than encompassing them too. Of course, for the Blood Cult Assassin, the physics of this Spell are not understood but rather that the exact nature and ability to reproduce the Spell is passed on to him from generations prior leading back to some unknown source who must have first discovered it.

To manifest any basic spell, one must create an abundance of Magic Energy and then quickly be able to manifest their desired result before that energy disappears into the Spirit. Magic Energy can be drawn directly from the atmosphere if it is present, but more often a spell caster has to have a source of it. Often, that source is his or her own body. However, sources can come from other places. The Blood Mages of the Ramal Nations long ago developed a unique ability, through the use of trapping Magic Energy inside of vials of blood whereupon it can be released to charge a spell. It should also be noted that a person must have the ability to draw upon Mental Energy to will Magic to move. Without this ability, they would have no way of commanding the Magical energies to clump in an area or object.

The perceived power of a spell is completely dictated by the amount of Magic Energy available and its properties and interactions with matter or other energy. Thus, it can be said that a more "powerful" spell is one in which more Magic Energy was available for the reaction. However, some properties of magic work against this since too much magic energy in a clump will return to the Spirit. Thereby, many a spell caster will tell you that if one generates too much Magic Energy, the spell is likely to simply fail. Therefore, the power that spells bring is often quite limited.

In short then, the exact effect of one spell over another may seem stronger or better, but it is all just the manipulation of Magic Energy along with existing matter and energy to create predictable effects. And, should too much Magic Energy start to coalesce, say if an upstart Mage thought he could burn an entire city to the ground with Light Magic, would quickly find his spells fizzling out.

Also it is extremely important to note that what you channel the Magic into will also vastly change the effect. This is observed in the disciplines of Wild Magic, Light Magic, and Blood Magic where the energy is channeled into organic matter, the air, and a liquid respectively.

**Examples of what effects can be produced**:

If a caster whom is attuned to Mental Energy (a requirement to command Magic Energy) moves the energy into the air around him and brings in Heavy Energy with it, then the energy will all be pulled in at a very fast rate. As air does not hold Magic Energy very well, it will disperse very quickly as it masses to the Spirit. Thus, the right combination of energy in the correct amount could however, before disappearing, generate an "explosion" which creates flashes of heat and light. Note however that Heavy Energy is required to hold this effect in the air for any length of time.

Another example is using Mental Energy first to channel into a plant and drag Transfer Energy along with it. This causes the plant to grow at an astonishing rate as its physical properties begin to duplicate. Heavy energy is also pulled in to retain the shape (note that it may be more effective this time since organic matter in the plant may already hold Magic Energy). This would create a mass of plant matter that builds essentially a spontaneous wall. Of course the caster could take this further, channeling even more Mental Energy into the construct and then making it move as it pulls the mass from one direction or another. This is how Blood Golems from the Blood Cults, or other constructs are created and seemingly controlled for short times.

## Body Mutations

Similar to radiation, Magic Energy trapped within living tissue, depending on the make-up and genetics of the tissue, can have dramatic effects. This is especially true of Life Energy, which in abundance can elicit dramatic mutations on organic material. Often, then, spell casters who have bodies attuned to storing Magic Energy experience minor mutations. This could be as simple as a wild change in hair color, or it could be as grotesque as growing a third arm or horns. Further, a large abundance of Life Energy within tissue has been found to cause extreme growths. This can be seen in Chronicles through Druids or other geomancers who can manipulate Life Energy, Transfer Energy, and Heavy Energy along with latent matter or organic tissue around them to construct walls of plant growth or even stone. In fact, the entire Great Forest can be seen as the pinnacle of exactly what Life Energy, Transfer Energy, and Reaper Energy is capable of.

## Human Understanding

Magic Energy is not at all well understood by the people of Chronicles. Although many scholarly reports exist which describe particular spells, the exact nature of how those spells are crafted and how some people can detect or utilize Magic while others cannot is not understood. The people of Chronicles do not know or understand their physical reality as closely as we do in our modern world, and as such many believe that Magic Energy comes from a deity or other supernatural effect. The people of Chronicles do not know what the Spirit is nor have a name for it. They do not know nor understand how Magic enters the world nor where it goes. It is safe to say that after having read this entry, you are far more educated on the reality of Magic than even the most educated scholar on Indagar.

## Wells and Humans

Wells are actually natural springs where upon Magic Energy that enters reality within the crust of the planet finds its way to the water table and eventually pours out onto the surface. The water carries Magic Energy with it. These natural springs can be found in some varying places on Indagar, and people have long ago realized that these waters carry Magic Energy. Drinking or tapping into the water can store Magic Energy within the body. Once in the body, the mutative effects of Magic Energy can take effect. Typically, the Magic Energy in any given ounce of water from a well is extremely low, else it would disappear into the Spirit. However, it is often enough for a mutative effect to occur which are generally experienced by most humans as positive effects such as longevity, mental acuity, or other other health benefits. Sometimes, however, the mutations are undesirable and could cause madness or distressful body mutations.

## Spirit Refinement

Spirit Refinement is the process developed to take the waters of the Well and encapsulate it for its mutative effects on the human body. This is an especially important footnote to the lore of Magic because so much of the history of Indagar and the current world has been altered by the refinement of Magic Energy. The exact process of Spirit Refinement is actually the ability of Magic attuned individuals to detect Magic Energy in the waters and strain those waters through organic material. At first this was done through yeast based liquids, like alcohol. But after many years, it could be encapsulated in organic plant material and hardened into a semi-crystalline form. Essentially, then, a refined Spirit is actually the encapsulation of a small Spell. When ingested, this Magic gets absorbed into the body and produces a desired mutative effect. Obviously, the amount of Magic Energy stored in this form is small, and the effects of Spirits are noticeable by quite low as compared to spells that a user of Magic may wield. If not, then Spirit Refinement would fail as the contained Magic Energy would eventually disappear into the Spirit.

## Schools of Magic

The mages of Indagar throughout time have begun classifying spells created by other mages into what they refer to as Schools of Magic. In reality, magic is magic, and this classification of the effects of magic is merely a perceived, human, notion. However, by separating spells into schools, scholars have begun to inadvertently dig a bit deeper into the reality of magic, noticing that certain spells are manifesting in a common way. What they are actually doing is classifying the effects of the various Magic Energy particles and noting that the massing of certain particles produces commonly predictable effects.

Schools of Magic are thus attributable to the varying properties and inherent draw backs commonly found among a grouping of spells. Further, the peoples of Indagar, often due to the lineage of the mages, typically specialize in a School of magic or two. Thus, many Schools of magic are commonly attributed to a group of particular people.

Light Magic - Spells notable for the intense heat and light they produce. Often referred to as Fire Magic.

Dark Magic - Spells notable for the intense cold they produce when cast.

Wild Magic - Spells notable for their massive amount of magic energy as well as growth, mutation, and transformations.

Blood Magic - Spells generated by encapsulating magic energy in blood and releasing it. Notable for their tremendous power and portability.