Magic
Magical Spells
The magic system is based off of coding & historical magic.
The historical portion is how spells are physically cast. Throughout history magicians have incorporated anything and everything into their spells, likewise I incorporate anything I think of as witchy with things like blood sacrifices, lit candles, cauldrons, herbs, and chanting. In universe I present magic as very rigid and strict but I just make shit up without any deeper thought.
The coding aspect comes from the different tiers of magic and a spells repeated use. Each of the four tires of magic has a loose equivalent to a coding language (Stonic = Binary) (Runic = Assembly) (Hieroglyphic = Java) (Symbolic = Python). Stonic is the most efficient, most difficult to use, and most powerful. Symbolic is the least efficient, easiest to use, and least powerful. Similar to coding, once a spell is written it can be used very easily from that point on.
Magical Items
Items imbued with magic emit a fog which falls as opposed to rising like the magical smoke. The fog gives off the same sent as the magician's smoke who cast the spell upon the item. Magical items are common and come in all forms. Most are for everyday use but the interesting ones are for combat, both offensive and defensive.
Magic nullifiers: Magic nullifiers are objects created my magicians that can alter the conditions in a radius around them. The nature of spells can change depending on outside physical conditions, these items subtly distort reality in ways that effect spells. A common example is a ring that changes the humidity around its bearer. Multiple magic nullifiers can be worn at the same time making it increasingly difficult for would be attackers to counter the effects. Because magical items create a fog, a large amount of nullifiers cover an area in mist.
Four types of magic
Symbolic: This magic is capable of doing anything capable by a single normal human. It is the quickest and easiest to create spells, and only requires rhythmic chanting to perform the spells. Symbolic magic is very inefficient and produces the most smoke. While you can cast a push spell or create a floating hand, things like fireballs and other more spectacular means would create too much smoke for an average magician.
Hieroglyphic: It is the second easiest to create spells and produces the second most amount of smoke. Hieroglyphic spells require at least writing & chanting to cast. These spells are capable of great feats of strength, and things such as weak fireballs, or very bright lights.
Runic: Runic is very efficient and very powerful. Runic spells also require at least writing, chanting, and a large summoning circle to cast spells. These spells are capable of amazing feats of strength such as lifting several ton boulders, powerful fireballs, and even temporary body modifications.
Stonic: Anything is possible, this is the most powerful magic but also the most difficult spells to create. Produces the least smoke. Creating a stonic spells is extremely difficult and time consuming. Stonic spells are capable of rewriting reality, the upper echelon of wizards can create spells for immortality, resurrection of the dead, and creation of life. However spells this difficult would take a lifetime to create.
Smoke & Magical Limits
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Do people produce magic? | No, magic is an invisible force that is always present meaning that everyone has access to an unlimited supply of magic. |
| Is there a limit to how much magic a person can harness? | Yes, the byproduct of harnessing magic is smoke created in the lungs, the more magic one harnesses, the more smoke is created. Too powerful of a spell can asphyxiate and even kill a caster |
| If there is infinite magic, what makes a good magician? | Practice & Understanding, magic is scene as an intellectual art similar to language, history, and especially similar to math. Creating spells using the more efficient types of magic is very difficult and takes years of tutelage. |
| If there is infinite magic, can someone create a spell that would destroy the universe? | Theoretically yes / functionally no, the most base level of magic (stonic magic) is not bound by any laws of the universe. However spells of infinite power are bottlenecked by the human mind's ability create the spell the human body's ability to cast without asphyxiating |
| Can spells be taught or worked on collaboratively? | No, spells are extremely personal and rely on a number of personal factors such as time & location of birth, height, weight, eye color and so on. These create slight variation in spellwork that means the same spell wont work cast by two different people without modification. |
Rules
There are a few occasions when magic is not an option.
1. On the open ocean: it is known that leviathans can lay under the surface, and sink any boat where magic is practiced. Even on beaches or docks small parties magicians have been known to disappear.
2. Magic nullifiers: These items subtly distort reality in ways that effect spells ability to function.
3. Unfaithfuls: If an intelligent beast receives the blessing of more than one of the seven gods they are considered unfaithful. When an unfaithful practices magic imbued with multiple god's blessings, the presiding god will take notice and kill the transgressor.
There are two exceptions to the above rule:
A. Inside any domain of a demigod.
B. Inside domain of Ubiquity. Ubiquity is the most powerful god and does not share the monogamous opinions of the other gods. They will freely give their blessing to anyone who requests it even if they have already received one from another god.
Daisy Chaining
Magic is often not very practical in a an unprepared setting. High level spells can require writing, summoning circles, candles or flames, ect. The work around for preparation is called daisy chaining because it links the types of magic together. A sorcerer starts by using symbolic magic (which requires only chanting) to prepare for, or cast a hieroglyphic spell (which requires only writing), to prepare for or cast a runic spell. which do not led themselves well to impromptu casting. Extremely well practiced sorcerers can d
Magic
- No permanent drawback for magic use, when someone uses magic smoke is created in their lungs and escapes out their mouth and nose. If a magician holds a spell for too long or attempts a spell that produces more smoke then they run the risk of asphyxiation and death.
- No special tools needed aside from the user's knowledge
- Magic is taught in colleges where the other liberal arts are taught. Magic is uniquely taught in a separate building or wing because of the smoke produced ventilation is a necessity.
- All people are capable of learning magic but some people are more naturally gifted than others the same as any other skill.
- Magic is bottlenecked by human capability to create spells, and to cast spells without asphyxiation. The more outside of the realm of nature an action is, the more smoke it requires, if it requires to much smoke, it is impossible for normal humans. Resurrection, eternal Life, and the creation of life are all at the upper bounds of human capability. to bring someone back to life with a fresh body is possible but only for professionals and to resurrect someone without amy part of a body is theoretically possible but never been done. A resurrection spell would take a team of very skilled and specialized magicians about a year to create the spell specific to the person. There are bands of magicians who specialize specific kinds of magic who roam the continent searching for a willing buyer.
- It is not possible to permanently take someone's magical abilities away, however enchanted items can prevent magic use when worn.
- Magic is largely a scholarly pursuit meaning that generally the older the practitioner, the more skilled the magician. However as a person gets too old their lung capacity diminishes and their magical ability with it.
- Emotions do not effect magical ability.
Sun's Spell
Sun's spell works by separating a demigod into its three core components: (1. The mind/soul physically symbolized by the brain and eyes) (2. The body: physically symbolized by the heart and the gut) (3. The power/magic: physically symbolized by the blood and lungs)
A step by step guide to casting Sun's Separation Spell:
- Prepare the space:
- A large stone alter with blood gutters is necessary at the location.
- Light candles and place them surrounding the alter.
- Have a small table with 6 empty jars close at hand.
- Have surgical equipment for clean incisions, breaking bones, and a hand drill.
- It is best to have the spell memorized up to this point.
- Prepare the target for transference:
- Begin by pouring out libations over the alter, the stronger the better.
- Place target on the alter and the demigod sedated and close at hand.
- At this point it is best to cast a sleeping spell on the target to avoid natural undue trauma responses.
- Make an incision for the acceptance of power by cutting an arterial vein, stemming the blood flow with a tourniquet.
- Gouge the eyes for the acceptance of of the mind.
- Transfer the demigod's attributes
- Move the target off the table and the demigod onto the table
- Drain the demigod's blood, preserve a cup of its blood in a small jar
- Preserve the linked organs by placing them in jars: Brain, Eyes, Lungs, Viscera, and the Heart
- Remove the demigod from the alter and replace it with the target
- Place the eyes of the demigod into the target's empty sockets to transfer the soul
- Pour blood down over the incision and down the throat of the target to transfer the power
- (Note that while the transference of the power is not specifically necessary, it greatly increases the likelihood of survival for the target.)
- By this point there will be a lot of smoke so save enough lung capacity for a smoke clearing spell.
- Sew the open wounds