Post by Admin on Feb 5, 2018 20:44:10 GMT
MAGIC AND THE PHYSICAL LAWS
Before anyone can grasp the concept of magic and science in the World of Wrought Iron one has to first understand that combustion can only occur naturally. Now, if one simply argued that combustion is already a natural process, that person would be thinking like an Old Earther, before the time in which the Universe was completely altered. What this means is that, due to the magical nature of the planet upon which Earth now resides, a simple spark cannot occur outside of a random natural process, such as a lightning strike, or volcanic eruption, what have you. Any intelligent attempt to manipulate the production of fire foils the process of combustion. For example, a tossed match into a vat of gasoline will not produce an explosive reaction. It will ignite the surface of the fuel, but the energy is constant not excessive.
The behaviour of electricity is also completely different. Alternating Current is not possible and harnessed electricity by magical or mechanical means possesses completely different properties than naturally occurring electricity. A spark of electricity will NOT produce a combustive effect, it will no longer cater to modern technology. Period.
For years, scientists racked their brains to understand why this occurs and to this day they are no further ahead than their predecessors, but innovation prevailed and engineers adapted by embracing alternative energy sources, such as steam power and the constant, unchanging properties of magnetism.
THE LAW OF FLAME
There is only ONE way to artificially produce flame and this is through MAGIC.
All Faerie come into being with the knowledge of how to make fire. The knowledge, acquired a millennia ago is simply hard wired into their ‘collective consciousness’ (which for some will include other forms of magic as well). This is how the knowledge passed to Humans and from them on they were able to modify their technology to a reasonable level, but never beyond.
To produce flame, two components are necessary. Deadwood, coal or a wick (dead flammable matter) and a pinch of potassium, and a WORD — “ATHIX” — that only need be thought with intent to produce flame to IGNITE the components into a brief burst of greenish flame. Such a small thing, but it’s a principle of physical science that everything is based on.
* THIS IS ONE OF VERY FEW SPELLS THAT FAERIES CAN CAST THAT ALLOW THEM TO UTILIZE COMPONENTS. They commonly obtain potassium from dried potatoes or potash.
Now, one might believe that if they have a large volume of both substances, one can make a bomb. This is simply not the case. A consistent reaction will always be generated, with absolutely no excess energy. This means one can spread a trail of the components, lead it to a ‘combustible’ item and start a fire by igniting a combustible but in the World of Wrought Iron, things will burn but they won’t explode.
**The range of ‘PRODUCING FLAME’ is precisely three inches from the caster, thus they usually extend a hand. This range can be increased by Spell-binders but they can still only ignite one pinch of potassium at a time. The effect is NOT cumulative.
METAL AND MAGIC
SIMPLY PUT, THE TWO DO NOT MIX.
Metal is considered the opposite of magic, alloys disrupt it. Affects will vary in accordance to the nature of the magic and the type of metal, such as Lycanthropes being susceptible to silver and such. There are no magical weapons or items that are composed of metal. Metal will NOT hold magic. A projectile weapon cannot utilize magic to enhance it's power, thus only such things like a wooden arrow loosed by a bow, or stone shot thrown by a sling could be magicked.
Magical items are usually made from stone, wood, or fabric. More macabre creations are of leather and bone, and such.
Only the LAW OF FLAME is unaffected by metal.
WARDS - FAERIE BANE
Wards are EVERYWHERE. They don't affect Humans and they're an affront to creatures of a magical nature, so naturally, they're in abundance.
Metal, which essentially repels magic, can be shaped into forms that can enhance this repulsion. Wards of various types of alloys can be highly effective in nullifying magic. Common shapes that grant power, are pentacles, stars, and religious symbols. These items offer people some protection and can lessen the affects of magic, enough wards can create a magical dead zone of sorts. Remember, however, magic also benefits society, so people focus mainly on limiting the power of Faerie.
Human society is very restrictive of magical creatures, and there are very few popular public places a Faerie can go where they are not in someway limited.
** Just to clarify, a magicked bullet (of any material) will lose it's power if placed in a metal gun.
MAGICAL CONDUCT
Just as laws exist to regulate weaponry they also exist to govern the use of magic. Violence caused by the use of magic is judged more harshly than any other form. This because a prejudice exists against those who excel at the art, attaining levels of control not possible for the majority of the populace. This exclusivity makes some more dangerous than others, thus the law will be far more extreme in imposing control over these individuals. It is due to this fact that magic-users tend to keep their potential as secret as possible.
APPLICATIONS
In order to utilize fire, large match-sticks topped with the correct proportions of salt and copper are used in combination with the triggering magical world/thought to produce flame. Wicks of lanterns or candles are sometimes topped with a cap to quickly ignite them.
NO MORE EXPLOSVIE REACTIONS
The reality of a world where the law of combustion doesn’t exist, means that gun powder is useless and the principle of the internal combustion engine will never work. This is why the world had adapted to using pressurized steam and magnetism to produce new forms of projectile weaponry, naturally far more successful on larger scales.
FAERIE AND SUPERNATURAL MAGIC
Faerie produce their own mana which is why they need very few components, if any. In the wild their kind often lacks the skill to perform complex incantations and thus they rely on the power of their own mana to empower their magic and abilities. These abilities vary, some more powerful than others.
DEMIHUMAN FAERIE & SUPERNATURAL SPELLS
Faerie raised in Human society and some supernatural creatures will possess the intelligence and skill to perform incantations. In this case they are able to utilize a combination of their own mana and that of the components but this can often produce a conflict that prohibits the casting. Thus Faerie and Supernatural beings will never match the proficiency of Human spell casters when performing incantations and ritual magic. Any character of non-human origin will be limited in their use of charms and channeling of components.
THE LAWS OF MAGIC - THE SPELL-BINDER / "Mancer"
There are two DOMINIONS of Magic: ‘CHARM’ & ‘CHANNELING’. ‘Charm’ is the more common of the two, the use of components and/or complex incantations to produce magical effects, or spells. The other, ‘Channeling’, is the production of magic of a person by channeling their own essence to exert their will over the magic of their environment to produce a specific effect. While both methods can create equally powerful effects, Channeling is simply a more expedient method, often having several different applications, more like an ability rather than a focused effect.
While everyone has the potential to utilize components, those who can channel are able to do so because of an inborn ability, and with it often comes a downside, such as an altered appearance of some manner or an undesirable effect caused by using the power.
In the World of Wrought Iron the practice of magic is not all powerful. The manipulations are often subtle, many spells taking time to manifest. This is not the magic of Dungeons & Dragons nor is intended to be convenient. The study of spells is an all consuming, life-long passion, and it is this obsession that more or less defines a Spell-Binder or "Mancer".
FIELDS OF MAGIC
There are several fields of which a person can delve into and study but like any other discipline, not everyone bears the aptitude for it. Those that do can choose to study any form they wish, but the reality is that developing a foundation for one takes many years, thus only older people tend to to be multidisciplinary.
The known fields of magic are:
COMMON (NEOMANCY), THAUMATURGY, SHAMANISM, SORCERY, SACERDOTAL, ELEMENTAL, ENCHANTMENT, MYSTICISM, WITCHCRAFT AND NECROMANCY.
COMMON (NEOMANCY)
This is a perquisite field, the one that all Practitioners of Magic begin with, thus all Spell-casters can be referred to as Neomancers or just Mancers. It encompasses several years of basic spell casting and craft in the form of cantrips. These are the most minor of spells, really just basic trickery and minor manipulations such as making things glow, or heating up a glass of water. All ’Spellbinders’ will be knowledgeable, to some degree of cantrips. There are some who believe that minor magic is meant to be mastered and then to the other extreme there are others who see it as a pointless waste of time.
THAUMATURGY
This discipline is the magic of the showman. It is the specialization of trickery and misdirection, the art of moving things from one location to another leaving viewers non-the-wiser of the transfer. Thaumaturgy would be considered another minor field, one that utilizes a combination of magic and legerdemain, but the perfection of this field takes no less time that any other discipline. This field is mainly for entertainers or charlatans using their skills to deceive for profit.
Spell Examples: UNLOCKING, DISARMING, ILLUSIONS.
SHAMANISM
A Shaman is able to draw knowledge from the spirit world and combine this with knowledge of flora and fauna to manipulate the natural world. They are sensitive to the impressions left by animals and are able to read them in order to gain knowledge of where to find water and food. Shaman can also know when animals are near, and how they feel.
Spell Examples: CALM ANIMAL, LOCATE WATER, SPIRIT WALKING.
SORCERY
Sorcery is where magic meets science. Those who pursue this field inherently believe that magical phenomena can be explained by scientific terms and spend a great deal of their time quantifying and categorizing the process of magic. Alchemy and the mastery of infusion are among their talents. These particular Spell-Binders tend to dwell in elaborate laboratories where they day-in-day-out conduct experiments.
Spell Examples: Matter Alteration, Reverse Gravity.
SACERDOTAL
This practice applies to a wide range of devotees who use their skills to heal and spiritually guide. It is the mission of most of these practitioners to walk the path of enlightenment and share their powers with the less fortunate.. For them life is seen as a constant struggle between good and evil.
There magic is designed to assist their healing talents. These are generally medical doctors, or comparative to the skill and training of such. They employ both science and magic to save lives.
Spell Examples: Healing Assistance, Sanctuary, Slow Poison, Protection from Evil.
ELEMENTAL
Throughout history Elementalists have existed under the guise of Witches, Warlocks, Wizards and the like. They are a distinct class that are masters of the elements and as a result they are both more resilient and vulnerable against the magic they ply.
Elementalists are sensitive to sudden changes in temperature. While they can be more tolerant of cold and hot extremes it is the transition that makes them uncomfortable. The Elemental world is simply much more real to them. Flames appear to look different as if they have a mind of their own, storms scream, the life of the Elementalist can be maddening, and so often these practitioners do eventually lose their minds.
Spell Examples: Produce Magical Fire, Control temperature, Summon Fog.
ENCHANTMENT
Enchantresses and their male counterparts, Enchanters are practitioners of imbuing objects with magic. While this is a skill that other practitioners may master, those who specifically study this art possess the power to infuse some of their magic into objects in but a few moments.
They are often musical and may incorporate their magic with an instrument, or infusing projectiles with varying effects. Many of them also dabble in creating clockwork golems. Autonomous mechanical minions to follow their every command.
Spell Examples: Ghost Spears, Magical Shields, Decipher.
MYSTICSM
Mystics practice the magical doctrine of mental and physical disciplines which teaches mastery over the powers of the mind and body. They tend to have little interest in the material world, their minds transcending the physical as they seek the higher knowledge hidden within. It is not uncommon for these practitioners to combine their magical art with the martial, developing their bodies and fighting skills along with their craft. They are always knowledgable of herbs and plants, developing an instinct of understanding how to use any flora.
Mystics have strong moral codes based on their beliefs. Often the philosophy is similar to Buddhism, embodying strong idealism, but other variations will exist.
Spell Examples: Levitation, Mind over Body, Speak with the Dead, Push.
NECROMANCY
Necromancy is the magic of death or rather the manipulation of it. Their magic surrounds the creation and control of the undead. It is lonely practice, their kind shunned by most. Only the desperate and corrupt seek their services.
The components required by a necromancer are often ghastly and a prime ingredient is often their own life force which can rob them of precious years, but unlike all other Spell-Binders, the necromancer is endowed with extra life. The study of necromancy actually provides longevity, unfortunately, it is not the kind that keeps one youthful.
Spell Examples: Animate the Dead, Speak with the Dead, Paralysis.
WITCHCRAFT
Witches and their male counterparts Warlocks are often associated with the darker side of magic. Contrary to popular believe there are no ‘White Witches’, their practice is the study of Black Magic. It is, however, their choice on how to employ such magic and how to live their lives. Practicing the ‘dark arts’ does not necessarily make on evil, but employing the methods of it ever challenge one’s ‘goodness’. It is always wise to simply not to trust a practitioner of Dark Magic. There is no way to wield such spells and embrace it's nature without becoming blackened by it.
They draw their power from the malicious and unforgiving side of nature, these representations provide energy: a carcass of a felled rabbit, owl droppings, the entrails of a fawn. Witchcraft is the macabre of magic. The practice is also known for it’s promiscuity and sexual deviance. It is not a life style they all embrace but some spells require it.
Spell Examples: Dark Omen, Curse, Shape-Shift.