Magus

On Magic

by Sage Nicolas Carson

Introduction

First and foremost, this book is neither an attack against the scientific minds in Trelinia, nor an attempt at making myself seem superior to all other mages and scholars. It is simply a collection of my knowledge, findings, and beliefs in regards to magic. It can, if need be, act as a learning guide to magic, though it does not cover the casting of specific spells. Instead, it looks at the fundamental, divine, metaphysical, scientific, and supposedly mythological aspects of magic. Within Riiga, there are elements that make up the world as a whole. Things are created using elements and things are destroyed using elements. This is the cycle of existence. Most elements have an elemental spirit, that is to say that there is a being (usually a Hireos or Odanon) that excels at the usage of an element, and thus are a sort of vessel. As an example, Buroba is a wind spirit, and he can wield wind as a second nature, but that is not to say that it exists because of him. He has an affinity to it, and for those extremely knowledgeable on Riiga, he is the representative for the element. Likewise, just because one's house burns down, doesn't mean to say it is the fault of She, or if the weather is oddly cold, doesn't mean to say it is the fault of Iusdiho. It is like being the king of a kingdom. Though he may rule it with near utmost power, it is not an extension of his body or mind, excluding any sentimental links. It is simply an area under his governing hand and eye, and even though a king may think he sees all within his kingdom, there may well be people that slip beneath his gaze.

Nicolas Carson.

At the time Carson wrote this, some things he did not know either because his information was limited or because someone or something did not yet exist. This book was revised in 1010AH and corrected or added information is shown on the page within italicized brackets.

Zadikiel Elemeniah.

Casting

Using magic spells in Riiga is a lot like wielding an invisible weapon, in the sense that the gestures one makes and the attitude one holds greatly affects the effectiveness of the spell. A forward thrust of an open palm is the basic move for any projectile-type spell. Holding up crossed arms over one's chest is usually for a defensive or self-enhancing spell. A gentle touch of joined fingers is normally a healing spell. Clasping the fingers around an invisible sphere or similar is the common way of strengthening or enlarging the projectile, though none of these gestures are not completely adamant. As long as the movement is related to the purpose of the spell in regards to direction, strength, movement, and control, the spell will work. Though it is not required, voice can often enhance a spell, but it depends what is spoken. Again, it is similar to using a weapon. Some warriors find that vocal activity can help them focus their efforts, and speaking some kind of curse against their enemy or encouragement upon themselves can also affect their state of mind. In this manner, such activity can affect a spell. The greatest way to enhance a spell is to speak either a wish of blessing or cursing (depending on the nature of the spell) in the native tongue of the respective elemental spirit. Though such curses or blessings in the common tongue – or any other language for that matter – are nowhere near as effective, they still have some impact on how powerful the spell is. However, though anybody has the ability to learn to use magic, this does not mean everyone can or will use it. Casting magic requires direct training under a superior mage of one kind or another. As a young mage, a student is first taught the essence of magic.

Magic Essence

In order to understand the essence of magic, one must be informed on how elements contribute to and sustain Riiga. For example, if one was to learn earth magic, they need to know and understand not only that it encrusts the world, but also that it contains nutrients and comes in many forms, ranging from dirt to dust to stone. It is this basic understanding of the abundant physical manifestations of the elements that allows a student of magic to be able to easily complete the following steps. Additionally, a student should be informed on historical elements on how said element and how it has been used in the past, as well as something about the element’s spirit. It is because of this that the study of things like wind and thunder magic can progress little further than basic magic spells, as there is no information on the respective elemental spirits. Once the student has come to terms with the purpose of magic, only then can they begin to learn the gestures required.

Magic Gestures

Because the movement so greatly affects how the spell works – again this could be referred back to wielding a weapon – the teacher stresses that the student takes great care in his or her movements. Even an aggressive open-hand thrust could launch a small ball of fire or anything else from an experienced mage. Because of the nature of individual spells, it is also made imperative that the student maintains good health. Magic can be an exhausting activity, and it is almost completely unlikely that a person with little to no control over their mouth and arms would be able to cast any remotely effective magic. Magic is not something to be taken lightly, and the gestures are a large part of the importance of casting magic. The most complicated and final stage to learning magic is to be taught channelling.

Magic Channelling

In order to learn channelling, which is the action of casting magic, a student must learn the four steps involved. These are selection, channelling, linking, and projecting.

1. Selection

Selecting the spell is very important. Does the student wish to cast a ball of fire or a ball of rock? Sometimes, selection is the most difficult part of using magic, because it requires a very quick and knowledgeable mind, especially if used in self defence. Your enemy won’t stand around and let you think about what to cast. You need to be ready all the time. You need to know what you can and can’t do, and also know the circumstantial values for the spells you know.

2. Channelling

The source of the magic is usually apparent in all parts of the world – thunder lies in every sky, waiting to be formed and to strike – earth is constantly beneath us – fire comes from the sun – water always hangs in the atmosphere, as does air – and so on and so forth. All elemental energy flows in the direction that Riiga wishes it. A mage must find one of these channels by feeling its movement and then reach out for it with their own soul. This searching for elemental surges is known as channelling. Once a channel has been discovered, the mage must then latch onto it.

3. Linking

A mage must link to an elemental channel if they wish to cast a spell of that element. The closer they are to the element's spirit or the spirit itself, the greater the chance of a link being established, though, unless a spirit greatly dislikes the mage, it is extremely rare for a mage to be declined a link to a channel. Linking is not only the act of connecting one’s mind and soul onto this elemental channel, but the passage of the element through the body. This will be expanded upon in a later section.

4. Projecting

Finally, once the first three steps have been done, the mage indicates (as they have already selected) where he or she wishes the energy to go, and in what form, and the spell is attempted. Success depends on the physical and mental state of the mage, the strength of the link between the mage and the element/spirit, and the quantity of the element present. If a spell fails, nothing will happen, though the mage will feel fatigued.

Consequences

As fabulous as magic is, it has its consequences, and all magic users must be made aware of each. Not doing so can be fatal.

Physical

Casting magic is an exhaustive activity because the energy must first move through the body of the caster, and the weaker the caster, the faster they will lose energy. A mage with no energy is useless for magic. And because the soul is so tightly connected with all aspects of the person, all aspects suffer consequently. Repeatedly casting fireballs will make the caster feel very hot, and heatstroke is a possibility. Similarly, repeatedly casting ice can have just as dangerous effects on the caster. Though it’s difficult to study shadow magic, I believe that constantly casting shadow magic makes the user feel alone and generally bad. I see no reason for it to be under a different set of rules to other elements. Similarly, a light mage is often in a good mood because casting healing spells focuses positive energies through the body. However, if a caster is channelling the element during the non-solid effects of the spell (tongues of flame, beams of light, blasts of wind, etc) then they cannot be harmed by it as long as the element is the same element that the caster is channelling and the element is not a solid form. Just because an earth mage is channelling the earth, does not mean they will survive being crushed by a great boulder, as an example. Some mages use this rule when they select which type of magic they wish to use. Elements that cast solid effects are generally more dangerous to the caster than those that do not.

Political

If the caster uses the spell in such a way that the spirit – if present or aware – does not approve of, the consequences could be fatal. As an example, it is unbelievably unwise to assault a Keid with wind magic, as their leader and creator is Buroba, who is the wind spirit. In this example, Buroba would sense the elemental activity among his own people and take action upon the caster. As such, users of certain elements either have some kind of connection with the elemental spirit concerned, or they simply take no offensive action against anyone innocent with their magic.

The Law

In many places, it is against the law to cast magic in public. In others, it is allowed, but not in an offensive manner. The line between offensive and supportive spells is distinct and not to be blurred. Almost any kind of magic is allowed, if acting purely in self-defence, but even so, offensive magic is frowned upon, mostly because rulers are nary users of magic but also because it’s often too dangerous. For this reason, I always advise people that magic use should be kept to a minimum. It should not be used to make life easier, or to act spitefully or vengefully towards those you dislike. It is a gift that we are able to wield it, and for this alone we should be grateful and respectful.

Multiple Channels

It is not humanly possible to channel more than one element at a time because two elements of energy can not pass through the soul at once. One will block out the other, or they will clash and dissipate, or perhaps even react dangerously. This is why magic has been divided into such specific elements and ranked in order of difficulty, so that a mage is not able to confuse two elements and try to use both at the same time. The reaction between elements depends on the elements themselves and how the energy would react in normal circumstances. Even if there would normally be no reaction, both cannot pass through at the same time.

The Elements

There are ten types of magic within Riiga, and each has its own characteristics. Almost all of these elements also have an associated spirit. Common

The types of magic taught in most magic institutes. With enough practice, it is not difficult to wield these types of elements with ease at a moderate level.

Fire - Ttwei

The spirit of fire is She, who manifests herself as a great ball of fire when she is angry. It is the most primitive and savage of all the elements, as it requires constant eating of fuel to last over time and burns whatever it touches. It is mainly an offensive element and does not do well at protecting against other elemental attacks. The wise men of Tekrikri practice fire magic at a frightening level but it is within their culture to learn it and not to harm anyone with it. They believe using fire magic is the best outlet for rage and as such they are normally calm people but can be utterly ruthless when they need to be. As fire is typically a reaction of chemicals, it needs three things to be created by magic. These are oxygen, heat, and fuel. As long as the caster is on the planet, oxygen should be present. Heat is supplied through the channel and manifested wherever the caster wishes. Fuel depends on the nature of the spell. If a mage was casting a fireball in their hand, the fuel would be the energy coming in through the channel. If the mage is setting fire to something else, the fire leaves the channel and becomes normal fire, feeding on whatever it can until it dies out.

Fire Magic

Fireballs can be cast from sizes ranging to a gold coin to a person’s head depending on the level. Anything larger than a hand is classified as Moderate, whereas anything smaller is Basic. Fireballs can be thrown – not like stones – but rather like sand. They are very light and vulnerable to dissipation over long distances, but will continue to burn for a few seconds after landing. As combustion of the atmosphere is required to ignite a fireball within one’s hand, more and more air is needed to keep the fire burning, but once it leaves the mage’s hand it relies on residual elemental energy present to burn. As long as the elemental energy is channelling through the mage, the flame cannot hurt him or her. Magical fire will scold anything else as normal fire does. Similarly, one can use a small burst of flame to ignite candles and similar objects, or can try and sustain a low-energy flame within their hand to illuminate a dark place.

A fire mage can cast fire resistance upon his body and personal space. This is done by absorbing any surrounding fire or extreme heat through the channel provided by its own mere presence, thus absorbing it through one’s own body. Of course, this process takes time, and it’s very difficult to resist opposing fire attacks. Additionally, the fire element absorbed through the channel must then be used, or else the element will harm the inside of the body as it has nowhere else to go. A fire mage can also absorb fire and heat from something else, thus extinguishing a burning item or even extracting the heat from, say, a piece of metal that may have been laying in the sun.

At an extreme level, a fire mage can make objects combust or explode. This is the result of the transferral of heat energy towards another body that is not channelling the same element, and it requires physical or near-physical (a gap small enough not to fit a finger between) contact with the target. As a result, the body gives in and either bursts into flame or explodes, depending on the amount of energy transferred and the strength of the target body. This magic takes its toll on the caster, too, as a large amount of energy must first travel through the caster to be projected towards something else. As the caster is channelling fire, no harm can come to them via the magical fire or heat involved.

The ability to summon lava, set fire to one’s weaponry (sustaining the fire here is the hard part), and even to draw a volcanic eruption from the earth are very powerful and difficult, and as such, I cannot explain their workings. Lava, though falling into this category, is another area of fire magic I have yet to research.

Water - Aemn

Water has no known elemental spirit, despite all my attempts at discovering who it was – if there is even a water spirit at all. Water is a very extreme element and covers a wide area. At one end, it is utterly smooth and calm, and at the other end, it can be most destructive and easily underestimated. The best water mages reside in Alacas, and teaching water magic is a strong culture there among the nobles. As their entire city is surrounded by water, this magical knowledge is required for their city to remain stable and protected.

Though there are many forms of liquids, water magic is the kind that could be referred to as pure water, as it does not have the added chemicals that most water does. For one to be able to cast water, one only needs air. Water magic cast from the body appears firstly in gas form, and as it condenses and accumulates, it becomes droplets. A large amount of water is difficult to produce by magic, though it has only positive effects on the body, unlike other elements that need to be sustained. If the air is unclean, the water will become “polluted” as it collects many particles in the air as it gathers.

Water Magic

The most basic water magic is to alter the moistness of an object either be extracting or adding to its water content. This is doable on anything that is able to hold water. To extract the water from something, it can either be absorbed into the body (as it absorbs only pure water, this is completely safe) or expelled from the object and into the ground. Wetting an object requires contact, and the mage simply creates water from their hand and directs it towards the object. Additionally, water can be formed and left to collect in a glass or other container, rather than causing an object to become wet. Though it seems like a meagre spell, it has a number of advantages. The first is that a water mage can never go thirsty, as they can have access to clean water anywhere. The second is that channelling water essentially flushes “bad chemicals” from the body, though it’s mostly involves the water within the body to be replaced with clean water. The bad chemicals are removed as subtly as our dead skin cells. The third is that any available water can be purified in the same way casting water magic purifies the body: an object absorbed with bad water can be replaced with good water and the chemicals are disposed of. The fourth is that absorbing body water is a lethal weapon and the mention of sucking someone dry of their own water content is enough to scare many wrong-doers away.

A more difficult technique is to draw existing water to another area. Of course, things such as gravity, nearby absorbent items, and the energy of the caster play a large part, but with enough expertise, a water mage can move water where they wish. An example of this is to draw water from an underground stream to the surface where it could sit to form a lake or puddle, though from then on it will act like a normal body of water and may evaporate or dissolve if the circumstance calls for it. Moving water through the air requires very careful movement, a strong mind to counter the effects of gravity and keep the water as an entire body (or else it falls like rain), and a great deal of spatial thought. Pulling water down from the sky first requires clouds that are capable of raining, and the opposite to water levitation is performed. The water must be made heavier so that it falls. Of course, this is hard to do from the ground.

Taking these techniques into account, the extent of water magic basically derives from what the mind can conceive, and from what the will can perform. Projectiles can be formed using water, though it is admittedly difficult to collect enough water in one place to throw. Levitating water is the best way to do this, but this is very difficult. One must also remember that water will be formed at the temperature of the air and atmosphere. If formed in a cold environment, the water may become ice, and the same applies to water becoming gas. In this way, casting water magic in such weather is dangerous, as the channel will become distorted and lean towards ice/wind magic respectively.

Wind - Shou

Wind magic is the magic of those who like stealth and subtlety. Wind cannot be seen or heard, and can only be felt against one’s own skin – only the effects of its movement can be noticed. Wind is a strange element in that wind magic involves changing air pressure, rather than rearranging the structure of chemicals and elements as most of the others do. Wind magic has no known elemental spirit. (Wind magic is practiced on an island called Jindiara, and its spirit is an Odanon named Buroba.)

Wind magic relies on one thing: air temperature. One a wind mage connects with a wind element channel, they simply heat or cool the air in the target area to create a micro-pressure system, and the air around it is forced to accommodate by moving away or towards the area, thus creating wind. The channel also allows the mage to direct where the wind moves, though there is bound to be some opposing excess wind unless the mage is highly experienced. It is difficult to use wind magic in very hot or cold weather, as regulating the temperature of the target air becomes harder.

Wind Magic

The simplest thing a wind mage can do is to summon what’s called a microscale wind, which dies quickly, lasts a small distance, and varies in strength. It involves either heating or cooling the air around the caster, thus creating either an outward or an inward breeze in the direction indicated by the caster. In reality, an outward wind has more uses than an inward wind does. These breezes can also be maintained with concentration, so it is possible for a mage to blow away surrounding mist or other gaseous product and continue to do so as long as he or she sustains energy and awareness. It should be noted that, though a wind mage can control the temperature of the air in their immediate reach, the channel does not allow them to alter the temperature of anything else. Though it seems to be logical to be able to do so, the magical channels have their own rules and limitations we must abide by.

Also, by manipulating the movement of air, a wind mage is able to levitate objects out of their reach. Manipulating the air away from the caster’s personal space is more difficult, but still possible. It simply requires the appropriate gestures, experience, and energy levels. As such, a mage an levitate even heavy objects and move them through the air, though it’s not exactly stable – most objects constantly try to ‘dance’ over the levitating pockets of wind and plummet to the ground.

More advanced than a breeze, there is an offensive wind spell known as a razor wind. This involves creating a pocket of hot air and restraining it in a single place for as long as possible before unleashing it at great speed towards a target. This wind feels ‘sharp’ because the particles it carries move fast enough to cut the skin when cast by experienced mages. It also has a reasonable deal of force behind it and can knock most people off of their feet. However, because air must be heated and contained at the same time, it is hard to create it in large amounts, and is easier to cast as small stone-sized attacks.

Some more powerful spells rumoured to be possible are things like tornadoes and hurricanes, as well as the power of flight. While these are possible in theory, it would take an immeasurably vast amount of power to alter the temperature of a large enough space to create any wind disaster. Because all energy moves through the caster, it’s likely that their body would not be able to handle it. As well as this, the caster needs to be stronger than the current weather, or else the magic will be overpowered by nature itself. Just as powerful as a wind disaster, is the power of flight. Really, it would just be an advanced level of levitation, as flight requires wings and is based on aerodynamic principles. I have not tried this spell and do not intend on doing so. Throwing one’s self about the sky by rapidly creating carefully-placed air pockets of explosive qualities is nothing that sounds admirable to me. If mankind were meant to fly, we would have been given wings. All it takes is a skip of the mind, and the caster would be sent tumbling downwards.

Earth - Cfoum

The spirit of earth is He, who people know almost nothing of save his name and that he is a powerful Odanon similar to She, his sister Odanon. Earth magic, as one can safely assume, is strong and reliable, and it uses the many different inanimate forms material of the earth can come in. As it is so strong, it is often used defensively. Like fire magic, earth magic is mostly practiced in Tekrikri. Fire mages and earth mages do not so much rival one another, but rather, balance one another out. Fire mages cast magic to unleash rage, whereas earth mages cast earth to become closer to the earth itself, and this is a meditative process.

Earth magic differs to the previous three elements in that it requires there to be minerals nearby – whether they be in the form of soil, sand, stone, or metal. Items that have minerals within them, such as rocks and alloys, can also be used in earth magic. The term ‘earth’ is simply used to refer to mineral items. Essentially, if it occurs naturally and can be found on or in the planet, and is not of fire, than it is of earth. Earth magic generally involves separating the solid forms of target minerals and reassembling them according to one’s own will. Though it sounds simple, it’s difficult to sculpt a form from the mind using only gestures. It’s not often safe to touch forming earth magic. If it hardens, it will crush anything that is caught within. An earth mage doesn’t have to harden the form, either. It can remain as mineral particles and get carried by wind, acting as a dust storm or similar.

Earth Magic

The most basic earth spell is basically a stone projectile. Of course, you could simply pick one up off the ground, but in the unlikely event that there are none available (such as in a sandy desert), then you can make one, provided you know how. The caster must first select target material. It could be the ground, nearby boulders, dust, or sand – anything that fits under the above description of earth. Once the caster indicates the target material with an appropriate gesture (physical contact helps, but is not required) the form is deconstructed and the particles move to where the caster specifies and reassembled according to the desired structure. Sometimes this process can take a while, as stones and rocks are hard things to create from dust and tiny fragments, but the result is far sturdier than the product of most other magic types. A rock made from earth magic will last as long as any other rock – provided the structure in which the rock was formed gives it a strong enough build. Throwing them is the hard part.

As a quick and somewhat cheap defence, stone can be quickly assembled in such a fashion that it can slow/deflect weapon strikes. The best way to do this is usually to create a slab in one’s hand as a shield, though the caster should have a sound knowledge of geology so that they know what type of stone to create so that it is both strong and light. These shields never last very long, though, as they are not designed to be absolute barriers, but defensive mechanisms. Of course, such a shield could also act as a weapon. There are no limits as to what one can do with a piece of stone once it is formed.

Turning one’s weapon to stone is a very difficult spell, as it not only requires a grand knowledge of alloys and minerals, but also requires a delicate attention to the reformation of the weapon’s form and restructuring the composition of material. I have attempted it a few times, but bringing the weapon back to its original state is the hardest part. It’s not efficient for a weapon to stay as a ‘stone’ weapon, as sometimes it is more vulnerable to breaking, depending on how its used and what it is used against.

Earth magic has the potential to do some surprisingly powerful things, such as petrification (which is similar to turning a weapon to stone, minus the reversal process), the summoning of earthquakes by shifting the ground beneath us, and the manipulation of gravity. Mind you, the latter derives from a theory by a fellow scholar of mine, though I personally think gravity is too powerful for any of us to alter simply by casting some spells. Even natural disasters are far beyond our grasp.

Rare

The types of magic learnt only by skilled mages and taught quite exclusively. These elements work quite differently to the previous four.

Thunder - N'gui

Thunder magic involves forms of plasma, such as lightning, and as such it’s explosive, rapid, and very dangerous. The target nary receives time to react because it is so fast and accurate. There are no specific areas where thunder magic is practiced and there is no known thunder spirit. (The thunder spirit is Kagrouj – a hybrid Odanon)

Essentially, thunder magic involves electricity and lightning, and sometimes some other forms of plasma. Casting any thunder magic involves charging the atmosphere, and, like other elements, selecting target objects that are able to conduct electricity. If the target does not conduct electricity, the attack may miss and strike something more prone to lightning. As it is such a spontaneous element, thunder mages are sometimes at risk of their spells backfiring, misfiring, or simply not working because they don’t have the energy.

Thunder Magic

The easiest spell is to send a small current through a conductive object. This requires near-contact or physical contact, and the mage simply sends the current into the object. It may be used to give someone a threatening jolt but doesn’t have many more uses unless used at greater levels. On a Moderate level, larger shocks can be used – so powerful that the victim’s hair may singe as well as other effects of electrocution. It can also be used against opposing weapons, as most are made of metal and conduct electricity. It’s hard to disarm someone using a shock, though, as the muscles tense and they simply won’t be able to let go of their weapon if the grip is metallic.

It’s also possible to paralyse a living victim using thunder magic. If a shock is dealt at a high power and spread evenly throughout a grounded body, all muscles in the body will tense and they will become unable to act until the paralysis is released by the caster or until the spell is disturbed or similar. If the shock is strong enough, body tissues can burn and fuse, which is basically irreversible. Such shocks can also affect the heart and lungs and can also cause loss of consciousness. As such, thunder mages must be wary at all times.

At an advanced level, a thunder mage can actually send a strike of lightning towards a target. As it’s difficult to control the power of the strike at this level of magic, the effects are somewhat unpredictable. Instant death is unlikely but still entirely possible. Injuries are basically guaranteed and can come in many forms, from burns, to disturbances to the organs and nerves, singeing, blacking out, damaged hearing, chronic pain, and even amnesia.

It’s also possible to conduct one’s own weapon with energy, and as the caster is the one channelling, they cannot be harmed by the electricity. This would make one’s weapon strikes have almost the power of a lightning strike, depending on how strong the mage is. As with the other elements, it is rumoured that a thunder mage is able to summon disasters. To some extent, this is true. One strike of lightning can change the nearby atmosphere and if done correctly can induce a small lightning storm or ‘chain reaction’. However, this is obviously too dangerous to be able to used practically or even in a fight. The chance of lightning striking friendly beings is too great and damage to surrounding items and the environment would be severe. Also, it’s rumoured that if a thunder mage sends enough energy into a target, they will vaporise. This is remotely possible.

Ice - Cciaq

Again, there is no known spirit for ice, and I have not heard of any particular cultures which practice ice magic(The spirit of ice is Iusdiho, a Karithian that resides somewhere in South.). Ice magic, like some of the others, involves more than one element. The fundamental idea of ice is that it’s a step up from water magic. Items and beings can not just be moistened, but simultaneously frozen. Basically, as long as something does not repel water, it can be frozen. Perhaps it is possible to encase something within ice without targeting the target, but this would take considerable skill. Ice magic, at a basic level, allows the mage to lower the temperature of a specified area. And since it also uses water magic, water must be created and suspended in the air very close to the target, and this almost gaseous water must then be frozen. It seems like a slow and difficult process, but all we see is something becoming encased in ice, and it usually happens relatively fast. When you drain the heat from an area, it tends to discourage heat, so cold things get colder. In this way, ice magic is harmful to the caster’s body if used excessively. It will likely drop the body temperature down to a dangerous level.

Ice Magic

The easiest thing to do as an ice mage is to create an icicle. The size depends on the energy put forward. All the mage has to do is cool a long and thin portion of air, usually between the hands, until an icicle forms. The icicle could be thrown, but it won’t be very effective like this. It’s better used as a stabbing implement, as ice can be quite strong, and it will melt afterwards, so there is no worry about hiding weapons again. A really experienced mage could create them as they flew through the air, making them quite dangerous arrow-like projectiles. However, it’s quite unlikely they would penetrate metal armour unless they were very thick.

Of course, the next step up is to freeze an already existing object, rather than air. Because the temperature of an object is harder to alter than air, it takes more effort and energy, but it can come in useful – especially in a desert or other warm environment. To be able to cool a large area is also useful, and this is known as misting. It can make a good escape technique, as if a mist is thick enough, it can be used as a veil to hide one’s self or to block the view of others. Of course, it would require constant attention to be able to last a long time. The air would eventually go back to the normal temperature it was at originally. Fog could also be created, but it would be more difficult again.

Deep freezing is like freezing an object, only it is to such a degree that whatever is frozen is preserved, and sometimes the coldness can sustain itself for quite a long time, especially if there is nothing nearby to warm it up again. For example, if an entire room underground was frozen solid, it would remain this way for a long time because there is very little that could change the temperature.

To be able to summon snow is as likely as being able to summon rain. It would require a powerful combination of elements and a strength that mortals simply don’t have. To bring the temperature of a weapon so low that it freezes, is possible, but seems pointless to me. If it were so cold it would freeze what it touches, the metal itself would probably not be able to handle it and the crystals present may reduce its sharpness, and once sheathed, it would prove extraordinarily difficult to unsheathe again.

Organic - Reia

As stated, the elements get more and more unique as they increase in rareness and difficulty. Organic magic uses living things that are present and affects their willpower, but it isn’t always successful and is extremely circumstantial. Organic magic isn’t practiced in a particular area.

Also known as nature magic, organic magic is perhaps the healthiest for one’s body, excluding light, because natural life energy flows through the caster constantly. Having an affinity with nature channels is believed to be linked with extended life. It affects all organisms, from trees and plants, and creatures almost invisible to the eye they are so small, to all kinds of animals (creatures originating from The Enemy, such as Folang, are not affected by organic magic energy. Life energy does not flow through them as it flows through other animals) and even humans. Generally, organic magic involves only influencing living things to do a variety of tasks, and it’s easy to get inventive with what can be done – even at a basic level.

Organic Magic

Perhaps the most comical (yet dangerous) of the organic mage’s spells is the poisoning spell. I’ve been in many a situation where an inexperienced organic mage has ‘accidentally’ poisoned something they weren’t supposed to. Though easy to reverse, the problem here is that one must first be aware of the poison to be able to remove it. Only poisons that can be found in nature can be created (called toxins), and they are listed below. Keep in mind that the list is accumulative. Supertoxins may have any of the symptoms of above toxins.

• Microtoxin
  • Symptoms: Pain, itching, swelling, nausea, vomiting, rashes
• Mesotoxin
  • Symptoms: Fever, severe swelling, blisters, burning
• Macrotoxin
  • Symptoms: Muscle spasms, pain, contractions
• Supertoxin
  • Symptoms: Tissue damage, necrosis, likely death

Weaker kinds of toxins will die off in time and general attention to the victim as well as ice for a fever and treatment for any wounds will kill off any moderate toxins. The more serious kinds, however, need a fair amount of attention and sometimes need specific and immediate cures, depending on the exact poison. As it is such a difficult area to study and is not taught beyond a Microtoxin, I will not say anything about the other kinds. Some assassins learn dangerous toxins, but they keep their ways to themselves, and rarely use magic to create the toxin in the first place.

The magical cure for a toxin (or an illness, for that matter) is a remedy spell, which is basically the caster sending healthy energy into the body of the victim, forcing destructive energy and thus chemicals out of the body. Depending on the nature of the illness or toxin, the patient may suddenly throw up the bad things. This technique can also be used on plants to influence them to grow, and by directing the nature energy, one can instruct which way they should grow. Alternatively, a nature mage can drain the natural energy from a being or plant and weaken their immune system, opening them to any manner of illness or disease. This is quite difficult, though, because by emanating natural energy, a mage can attract animals and then influence the animal to do something basic, such as gathering an item out of reach, or checking to see if an area is clear of other people. There is no specific communication between caster and creature, as such, but there is an understanding. When one is connected to a channel of natural energy, one can often feel what other living things are feeling, so if animals around you feel fear or are nervous, you’d best feel it, too. Larger animals, of course, area attracted to larger amounts of energy, so the animals drawn in are dependant on the strength of the spell and caster. To attract anything larger than, say, a bear, is very difficult, and trying to influence animals that have an aggressive or defensive nature, or are carnivorous, is especially more problematic than trying to influence more herbivorous or timid animals.

It has been said that nature magic allows one to control the mind of another living being. I honestly do not see how. Alteration of the mind is shadow magic, not nature magic. One can only draw in and send out natural energy with organic magic and this energy is used to ‘entice’ beings to do things. There is no mind control involved.

Adumbra

Using Adumbra is a gift one is given as a privilege, and it is not taught at any institute and it never should. It is not for mortals.

Divine

The following two types of magic are quite rare at a higher level, and have a huge reputation attached to them, as they are basically the two ends of the spectrum. Because these two types contradict one another, to study and practice both at once is painful to say the least.

Shadow - Zhwia

Shadow magic is destructive, negative, and always malicious. It is merciless and cruel and dangerous to practice. It often turns its users into lesser forms that enjoy being alone and have a hatred for light or natural things like plants and animals. The spirit of shadow magic is Yasrantia, as she is the spirit of death, and she decides who goes and who stays when their time comes. Having said this, she is not unjust in her choices, even though dark assassins who worship her may make unjust choices. Also, even though shadow magic is negative, she is not necessarily so. She is feared because of the power she wields, as an untimely death is the ultimate shadow spell.

Shadow magic is not to be confused with shadows or darkness. Surely, such illusions can be created via the energy of shadow magic, but it does not manipulate or create true darkness or remove light. Because of the mental aspects of shadow magic, it is also referred to as psychic power. Anyone who has shadow energy forced unto them is open to manipulation by anyone who is channelling the same energy.

Shadow Magic

Of course, I have not studied it extensively, and I do not practice it myself, but I can share what I do know about shadow magic. As stated, one who is affected by shadow energy makes themselves vulnerable to thoughts that aren’t their own. Common reported spells are: believing they have an illness or otherwise different body, distortion/darkness of vision, sudden irrational fear or similar emotion, confusing and noisy sounds or unfamiliar voices entering the mind, and even doing things they would never do, such as attacking someone or stealing something. When one is being affected by shadow magic, they may seem utterly normal, and it isn’t always used in a manipulative manner. Simply speaking with someone in their mind will not affect them, but such an amount of shadow magic can be forced into a victim that they, too, may begin to physically weaken due to the excessive destructive energy. Even when a shadow mage has broken a link with a victim and left the area, shadow energy remains in the body for some days unless overpowered by another form of energy, so if someone claims they did something due to shadow magic, a mage can be brought in to sense whether they contain shadow energy or not. If not, it’s likely they are using it as an excuse – which happens on occasion.

A projectile of dark energy is something I have heard of but never witnessed. It is apparently similar to the projectiles of other types of magic, yet is quite painful and harmful upon impact, and because it is just energy, it moves through most solid objects. I do not know how shadow energy can be condensed and stabilised so much that it forms a form that can be thrown. This is partly based on light projectiles.

Some say that such an amount of shadow magic can be poured into a body that it will shrivel and die. This will not only be excruciatingly painful for the caster (as all energy must first travel through the mage), but will take a lot of energy and possibly a lot of time. Likewise, some say that one can cheat Yasrantia by absorbing the shadow energy she uses to end someone’s life. I mean, I suppose it’s possible if you have the power of an Odanon.

Light - Tluihb

Light magic is the healthiest of all magic elements, and as mentioned earlier, having light energy passing through the body is good for it, because light magic is positive, constructive, energising, and helpful. The spirit of light is the Odanon known as Rak. An Odanon is the representative for light magic because she is neutral and does not do what Garukavar says. Garukavar would never allow one of his Odanon to use light magic. Leuvana – the Trueblood queen – is a kind of secondary light magic spirit.

Similar to shadow magic, light magic involves light energy in varied forms, though perhaps ‘holy’ or ‘divine’ are more appropriate terms instead of ‘light’. Light energy can be drawn in and sent out, as can shadow magic, and it can also be condensed. Light magic energy is not light energy. The former is an extremely transparent form of energy that vibrates at a harmonious frequency, and emits or “burns” with pure light when collected and held. The latter is light that simply occurs due to other forms of energy, such as a fire. One may assume that a light mage would have no trouble casting light magic repeatedly, but energy is exhausting, whether it is positive or negative, so this should not be believed.

Light Magic

Light magic can heal in the sense that, when sent into a body, it forces out bad energy, and can thus dispel anything put there by shadow energy. Light magic, as said, also revitalises the body and gives one a fresh and hopeful feeling. In a way, it literally induces wellbeing and alertness. It should not, however, be used as a fix. It creates happiness, not joy or laughter, and it does not remove problems from your life. It only makes you feel harmonious. A light mage should never become dependant on the feeling of light magic. Anything magic beyond this is never taught in any institution, and is known by very few in Riiga.

Light magic can be condensed to the degree that it forms a ball of energy that can then be thrown or “blown up” to illuminate an area, as light energy creates actual light when gathered in vast amounts. A light projectile does not normally harm on impact unless the figure is harmed by light energy itself. Creatures of The Enemy are the best example of this, as the mineral silver has a strong association with light energy; therefore they both have similar affects when used against such creatures. The light created by burning light energy could also be used to keep dark areas lit, but it must be maintained by a mage or a similar channelling source of energy.

A laser is similar to the projectile, but is constant and travels as fast as light does. It can be directed by gestures and, of course, has a great range, but is a great deal more difficult to cast because it requires such concentration to get the energy to gather in a small area and then to be directed exactly to where one wishes. A similar method would be used to enshroud one’s weapon with light energy, and this works best with silver, as the metal will naturally try and hold the energy to itself, and it will in turn magnify by its own power, but it must all move through the caster, so it cannot be maintained for long.

It is rumoured that one is able to resist death and revive the dead using light energy. Yasrantia would not really be bothered by a mortal’s attempt at light magic, so turning her away when she comes to move you across to Adumbra would be quite pathetic. Alternatively, once she moves someone to Adumbra, I don’t see how putting light energy into a corpse will bring them back again.

Pure Elements and Artificial Elements

Even though some elements seem a combination of other elements, they should not be treated thus. A magical element must be separated from the element itself. Wind magic is not wind, and wind is not wind magic. Magic is an artificial creation, or, if you like, a forged sample of the real thing. This is because it has not occurred naturally, but rather, has been forced to exist.

Example: Organic Magic

Though plants require earth, wind, fire (the light from it), and water to grow, they can be forced to grow by being given life energy via organic magic. The life energy of organic magic is a combination of those four elements in a pure form, but is NOT a combination of those four kinds of magic. Having four mages cast the four required elements on a plant would produce pure life energy because, though the elements present are artificial, the consequential reaction is naturally occurring, thus pure. The below diagram perhaps explains the process best.

As shown, it is a one-way process and it applies to many other elements. Taking it back to combining elements, it can be seen how magic life energy is not a replacement for pure life energy. The actual difference between pure and artificial elements, besides the way they are formed, links back to the steps of magic. If four mages cast fire, water, wind, and earth magic in an attempt to create pure life energy, none of them will be able to utilise this life energy like one would be able to if it were an organic mage controlling their own manifested organic energy. Pure life energy created from artificial magic acts as normal life energy does, but it could then be harnessed by an organic mage in the form of a magical channel.

The same concept applies to other elements. They are categorised as such because these are found to be the stable elements that flow in particular channels. Even though elements may contain similar processes or alter the same things (such as temperature), the end result that is considered the magic effect that the caster is able to manipulate is what defines the magical categories.

Of Enchantments - Sagic Magic

Enchantment is a skill lost to humankind, and I think it's a fair guess to say that it will remain this way thousands of years from now. Looking through history, there is only one race that knows how to properly enchant items. That race is the Truebloods. Upon reading the story of Leuvana and Enkhaedis, it becomes evident that enchantment began firstly with Daesdikhin absorbing Leuvana's knowledge of "magical properties and fundamentals". He was also a master blacksmith, thus, he had a great knowledge of minerals. To understand enchantments and indeed magical circuitry one must first understand precisely what a channel is and how it works.

What is a Channel

The earlier definition of a channel is vague at the very best. A channel has a few factors that does not make it wind, air, gas, or anything "non-magical". Certain types of air can be distinguished by obvious physical characteristics; the odour caused by the chemicals present, the thinness and effect on breathing, the temperature, the reactions to light or sparks, and so on. Channels do not have an odour and they cannot be breathed. They have no distinguishable temperature, are not flammable, and cannot be "felt" as wind can. They also do not appear to have weight, thus, they can occur as often on high mountains as they can at sea level. They have no actual measurable physical presence; they are beyond the air around us.

So what is a channel if it is not any of those things? A channel is an element in its purest state or form of energy. I do not know and nobody else seems to know how the elements came into this state or whether channels are being continuously added/removed to our surroundings. I do, however, know that for a channel to be reformed into its perceived element again, it must be cast as the magic we know and use. The most important step in casting magic is the linking stage, in which the soul is temporarily bound to the channel and the energy passes through the soul. This is felt as an interesting energetic surge through the body, as though one has both devoured a large quantity of glucose and run around a city five times; it's a peculiar mix of fatigue and energeticness. Perhaps physical fatigue and mental energeticness... or the other way around.

So, if the pure form of magic is a channel then the impure form is the magic we use. Does this make our souls impure? Certainly not, but the capacity of our soul is not enough for the entirety of nature to use, and since our body and mind and willpower are so limited, the energy passes through and comes out in a lesser form as a simple consequence of our mortality. Can Truebloods therefore cast perfect magic as they are a race that does not perish with age? This seems very likely to me. How does the energy go back to this pure form? It's possible that once an act of magic "runs out" of all its properties, all that is left is the pure energy beyond anything that we can measure. Once a fire spell has been cast, the heat has dissipated, the burning has ceased, and the flames have been vapourised, the energy still remains. It resumes its flowing about the world by rejoining the channels.

A channel cannot be detected without consciousness. It cannot be seen, felt by the nerves, smelt, tasted, or heard, but it can be sensed. It requires both trust and faith and a good stock of openness to sense a channel. Normally, channels are so frequent that it's rare for one not to be standing in the channel one requires. They cannot stand still; they are always moving and sweeping through all things and this is the energy of the world. The only thing they don't sweep through is one another; they are not absorbent things. They can mesh to an extent --much like oil and water -- but are always separable because there are aspets that separate the elements by definition, thus, the distinctions between the elements listed above.

Enchanting with Minerals

Having said all this, how does one contain something that cannot be seen, felt, smelt, tasted, or heard; is always moving; cannot be combined with others of its kind; and whose direction cannot be governed by the will of beings? The answer in my mind is that it is not possible, but the illusion of containment is possible. Daesdikhin made for Leuvana a gold brooch with a white gem encased in it. It should be known that gold naturally repels "impure" magical energy, but to a slight degree, attracts pure magical energy. Automatically, this makes the brooch a potential weapon. The white gem, however, is a mystery. Silver is not a gem, and neither are platinum or zirconium. Mercury is a liquid. Lead is poisonous. Nickel is not white. So what was the gem? Due to the rarity and fragility, gems cannot be tested as thoroughly as metals and stones can. As a consequence, a lot less is known about them magically. Even if we were to know the gem, it may not be something we could ever hope to acquire.

Daesdikhin did it and also made a number of enchanted items. It may be assumed that he made many more than what was offered to Leuvana. As he is such a lover of creation, he may have made an innumerable quantity of enchanted items. But how? Clearly his creations are beyond our most advanced method, which is using a piece of silver here and a piece of sulfur there. I think, if I could speak with him on this matter, he may find me stupid. The only possible method I can think of to establish some control over the casting phase using physical items is the use of a circuit.

Of Circuitry

An enchanted circuit is, in the simplest sense, an item made of minerals with magical absorbing or attracting properties which hold the energy flow in a constant loop unless some sort of switch opens the output and the energy is released. I must emphasise that I do not believe the Truebloods -- great craftsmen as they are -- would invent such a thing. They are peaceful, loyal, and very conscious by nature, and a device that traps magical energy seems against every nature-loving instinct. It can do the world no good to try to stop the magical channels from flowing. I also must state that this idea is purely theoretical and I have not and will not attempt to create one. The reason I explain its functioning in such depth is to explain why it will do a mage no good to invent and use such a device.

A magical circuit would be comprised of a few parts. Most importantly is the input, which would be the part where the energy enters the device. I imagine it would, at some point, make contact with the caster, as the caster must divert the energy that is flowing through their soul into the device through the input sector. To use an element-attracting mineral as part of the input sector would aid in the amount of energy absorbed, but would be far too slow to gather any significant amount of energy if not aided by a mage performing channeling upon it. The second part would be some sort of filter, between the circuit and the input, to ensure that the magical flow is one-way. I honestly do not know how this could be achieved, as magic in its purest form flows through all solid objects. The only reason this energy would become trapped within a circuit is because of its magnetic nature; some things attract it and some things repel it. The circuit would have to be made primarily of gold, as it is one of the best conductors for all kinds of pure magic. Not only this, but gold's tendency to repel impure magic makes it a useful safeguard against possible backfiring of magical attacks. Second to last, the device requires a trigger that would break the circuit and release the build up of pure magic. This part is as impossible as the filter. I can not think of anything that would work. The final part is the output, which is where the actual energy would escape.

Once the trigger is flicked and the energy escapes the device, it is stronger than it was before, because it has been circling itself and becoming more potent. Adding other minerals to the circuit would change the effectiveness of this potency. The escaping energy would then have to be grasped and reabsorbed by the mage. And this is the dangerous part, as this potent wave of energy needs to pass through the mage's soul a second time and then the usual casting process is used. There are only two conveniences to using a circuit. The first is that, in theory, one would be able to "carry" different elements around with them. This saves time searching for channels and establishing connections. The second is that the energy released from a circuit would be more powerful, thus increasing the magic's effectiveness. Of course, there are many downsides, with the primary concern being in the danger of using such uncalculated quantities of energy through and out of the caster's body and soul.

This is why I believe that magical skill is simply practice, study, and practice. Magical devices are not only extremely complex and intricate machines currently beyond our means, but they are potentially too dangerous to be of any practical use. We simply do not have need of such power.

Of Channels

Almost all humans have experienced the five senses; touch, sight, smell, taste, and hearing. The whole world exists in these five ways, and many more that are indiscernable to most. They exist in the form of channels. The best way to describe a channel is an air, only physically unrestricted. Where air cannot move through solid objects, channels follow different rules. They are in constant movement, due to their colliding with other channels and the way they interact with particular objects or regions on the world.

Experienced by most, the five mortal senses are collectively known as Riiga. In terms of channels, Riiga refers to all that is seen, felt, heard, smelt, and tasted. These five channels are relatively restricted compared with other channels. Channels have several traits which are described below:

• Responsiveness: The more responsive, the easier it is to be manipulated by other channels.
• Authority: The more authority, the easier it can manipulate other channels.
• Reactiveness: The more reactive, the more rapidly it moves.

Light: The channel that enables sight is light. It is light that enables our eyes to see things as it strikes particular objects. Light only interacts with any material that can be experienced through one or more of the other mortal senses. Light cannot pass through solid material, and it is highly responsive to certain materials; it can be reflected and manipulated, and it travels instantly. Light exists in two distinguishable forms: Light magic energy is not light energy. The former is a normally invisible form of energy that vibrates at a harmonious frequency, and emits or “burns” with pure light when collected and held. The latter is what simply occurs due to other forms of energy, such as a fire. Light energy is what allows us to see, whereas light magic energy is what enables mages to use light magic.

Air: The channel that enables hearing and smell is air. Air comprises anything that is not something else. When it moves, it is felt as wind. Air acts similarly to light in that it cannot pass through solid material, and it is highly reactive with other kinds of material, but unlike light, air has physical authority; air can move objects with force. Air responds to temperature; when it is heated, it expands, and when it is cooled, it contracts. This reaction causes the winds in the sky we feel daily. It should be noted that air only transfers force, and it does not create force from nothing. Also unlike light, air is affected by the world in that it falls downwards in time. Light can move beyond the sky, but air cannot. Sound travels through air in the form of vibrations, and smell is carried through the air. That which actually carries a smell is generally not visible to the eye.

Material: One of the most responsive and important channels. Material comprises anything that can be touched and felt. Material