Post by Smoke on Mar 29, 2009 18:23:49 GMT -5
Hello there. My dear friends have asked me to do a little intro-to-magic here; I must admit I'd much rather reveal small secrets and glimpses of the unknown after a long and arduous initiation ceremony, but the utility of the FAQ method must not go unremarked. Besides, it's not like I did anything that complicated.
Being able to tap into the energies that make up the universe, or however it is magic actually works- I'm a diviner, not a physicist- is a powerful opportunity. With some thought and creativity, which I and my fellows will do our best to pound into your adorable little mush-brains, you can do nearly anything. Why, I'd say "nearly anything" is an understatement... of course, you can't wield anything like that sort of power yet, or you wouldn't bother to be here, now would you?
Now, there are X schools of magic, which those of you on this path may have some preference for or inherent utility with: Abjuration, Conjuration, Divination, Enchantment, Illusion, Transmutation, and Necromancy*. These are actually far simpler than they sound.
First, Conjuration, Abjuration, and Transmutation are all three sides of the same- ah- let's start that again. Conjuration is essentially creation, the great ex nihilo: it includes summoning and most of your basic explosions, as well as things like the ability to move things around (why these are related might be an interesting senior thesis- just saying). Abjuration sends things away, and is the basic component of protective magic, wards, barriers, etc.. Transmutation is precisely what it says on the tin: changing things into other things is this school's purview.
Next we have Enchantment and Illusion. Both of these are used to affect the mind; Enchantment does so directly, while Illusion produces external effects which can be seen through with enough willpower. Obviously, Enchantment spells have been a bit restricted, but we can't stop people from having that affinity- just what you do with it.
The remaining two schools work a bit differently. Divination (my own specialty) can be described roughly as the ability to see the future, but (as you might have guessed) it's not nearly that straightforward. Time is sort of a wibbly whatsit that bends in places, and the events and themes that make up the future are not all visible from within it, even with large amounts of power. Effectively, short-term predictions tend to be pretty accurate, specific predictions tend to be accurate, and predictions that don't affect many people tend to be accurate, but varying from any of these significantly makes things go all pear-shaped- though they can still be useful- thankfully, as knowing what you're going to do in the next minute or so is rarely helpful. The best part is, according to some schools, you can actually change the future- fun, huh?
Necromancy has gotten a bad rep from some people. I mean, hey, necromancy- that's the one where you make zombies, right? Well, okay, you can do that- (theoretically, at least; not on school grounds,)- but Necromancy is magic that works with the body as much as it includes talking to ghosts and such. Healing magic and physical enhancements, though they can be done with other types of magic, can often be done better or more specifically with the energies of the mortal frame, but healing through necromancy takes out a fierce toll on the caster, requiring that they expend a great deal of energy. It is traditionally, of course, centering around death and destruction, but the necromancers of Dunehelden tend to focus on the more positive aspects of necromancy.
The precise boundaries of these fields are, of course, constructed; there's still a lot to learn about magic. I hope this is a help to some of you, and good luck in your studies.
*(Resemblance to systems living or dead is entirely coincidence. Really. We're not that lazy.)
Being able to tap into the energies that make up the universe, or however it is magic actually works- I'm a diviner, not a physicist- is a powerful opportunity. With some thought and creativity, which I and my fellows will do our best to pound into your adorable little mush-brains, you can do nearly anything. Why, I'd say "nearly anything" is an understatement... of course, you can't wield anything like that sort of power yet, or you wouldn't bother to be here, now would you?
Now, there are X schools of magic, which those of you on this path may have some preference for or inherent utility with: Abjuration, Conjuration, Divination, Enchantment, Illusion, Transmutation, and Necromancy*. These are actually far simpler than they sound.
First, Conjuration, Abjuration, and Transmutation are all three sides of the same- ah- let's start that again. Conjuration is essentially creation, the great ex nihilo: it includes summoning and most of your basic explosions, as well as things like the ability to move things around (why these are related might be an interesting senior thesis- just saying). Abjuration sends things away, and is the basic component of protective magic, wards, barriers, etc.. Transmutation is precisely what it says on the tin: changing things into other things is this school's purview.
Next we have Enchantment and Illusion. Both of these are used to affect the mind; Enchantment does so directly, while Illusion produces external effects which can be seen through with enough willpower. Obviously, Enchantment spells have been a bit restricted, but we can't stop people from having that affinity- just what you do with it.
The remaining two schools work a bit differently. Divination (my own specialty) can be described roughly as the ability to see the future, but (as you might have guessed) it's not nearly that straightforward. Time is sort of a wibbly whatsit that bends in places, and the events and themes that make up the future are not all visible from within it, even with large amounts of power. Effectively, short-term predictions tend to be pretty accurate, specific predictions tend to be accurate, and predictions that don't affect many people tend to be accurate, but varying from any of these significantly makes things go all pear-shaped- though they can still be useful- thankfully, as knowing what you're going to do in the next minute or so is rarely helpful. The best part is, according to some schools, you can actually change the future- fun, huh?
Necromancy has gotten a bad rep from some people. I mean, hey, necromancy- that's the one where you make zombies, right? Well, okay, you can do that- (theoretically, at least; not on school grounds,)- but Necromancy is magic that works with the body as much as it includes talking to ghosts and such. Healing magic and physical enhancements, though they can be done with other types of magic, can often be done better or more specifically with the energies of the mortal frame, but healing through necromancy takes out a fierce toll on the caster, requiring that they expend a great deal of energy. It is traditionally, of course, centering around death and destruction, but the necromancers of Dunehelden tend to focus on the more positive aspects of necromancy.
The precise boundaries of these fields are, of course, constructed; there's still a lot to learn about magic. I hope this is a help to some of you, and good luck in your studies.
*(Resemblance to systems living or dead is entirely coincidence. Really. We're not that lazy.)