Main | Rules | Joining | Roster | Player's Guide | Map | Lore | Tales | Message Board | Chat | Links

Magic

Ether is the stuff that keeps Nimrodel alive. An invisible sea of twisting currents, it is emitted by all living things, and even by some things nonliving. It swirls, ebbs and wanes in seeming chaos, and in places where it concentrates many miracles tend to occur. Ether is largely a mystery to the scholars of the world, and many spellcasters study it, but the oldest of Sages does not know its true secrets. Ether is completely invisible to the normal eye when it is in its own realm, although if it is given a pure material shape it appears as a white, nebulous, almost pasty tanslucent cloud. Ether does not materialize naturally, and hardly ever does it materialize unnaturally unless caused to by a Wizard. Wizards use Ether to power their spells. While Ether has no material shape of its own, it can be consumed as an energy source to create other material objects, or consumed as energy of one sort or another inside or outside of a living creature. The act of casting a spell will depend on the spell caster, and the spell in question. It requires concentration to form ether, and any mistake will result in the forming ethers dissipation. One of the first things a spellcaster will learn to do is see ether with their minds eye and know its location and form by intuition. Following this, spellcasters will develop chants and complex hand motions to form ether, using their movements and words as assists in the complex process of forming the material exactly to create the spell they want. A more powerful Wizard will need less concentration to form ether as he wishes, while a more powerful spell will take more concentration and a longer ritual. To this end a spellcaster really doesn't even need to move or speak to use magic, but it helps a great deal, and most spellcasters in Nimrodel will always keep their hands free and never impede their movement with armor. Most wizards prefer to have a magical item, normally a staff or a book, that acts as a conduit, focusing the ether around them and making it easier to form it with their free hand. Demons and elementals live in the plane of ether, sentient beings that swirl with the ebb and flow of the ether sea, though rarely interacting with the material world. They can be summoned to the material world by a wizard, and can communicate with spellcasters when they wish, and are often attracted to them. Powerful mages will often be visited by elementals during their studies or in their dreams. The complexities and chaotic nature of ether makes it at some times prefer to be moulded into one sort of element, and at others prefer to be moulded into another. This has led to six basic schools of spellcasting, as learning every secret of the ether sea is impossible. Elemental Magic Elemental magic is by far the most common type, split into four seperate schools. These wizards will mould ether into worldy matter, which will appear in the physical plane in the shape and motion of the casters desires. These schools are seen as a bit simpler than Shamanism and Necromancy, as they try to change ether into something more commonly understood, rather than try to understand ether itself. Fire Magic Fire magic governs magical fire, heat and light, and is generally associated with the color red. It is the most destructive of all the six schools, and the one most sought after for military use. However, fire magic can be used to heal or comfort as well, for the body contains an inner flame and heat, which can be augmented magically to assist friends or weaken foes. Water Magic Water magic governs water and ice, and is normally considered to be the strongest of the four elemental schools. All living things contain water, and this allows the water mage a surprising repertoire of variety in their magics. This school is known to be equally balanced between destruction and protection, and is equally frightening at both. It is associated with the color blue. Earth Magic Earth magic governs rock and stone, as well as natural plants and fungi. It is less destructive and more protective than the other schools. While an Earth mage may cause a quake or shoot spikes of stone out of the ground, they will be more often seen cultivating life, healing the sick, or creating objects to assist a traveller. Earth magic is associated with the color green. Wind Magic Associated with the color yellow, Wind magic governs not only magical winds, but also thunder and lightning. The latter part of this school is very destructive and has some crossover with the Fire school, while the former is very protective and has some crossover with the Earth school. Wind magic is seen as fickle and harder to understand than the other schools, and is the least often practiced. Shamanism While the elemental schools form ether into specific real world objects, the art of Shamanism is slightly different. Shamans study the ether itself, and learn how to control it in its natural form. They excell at the study of ether and watching it, learning its chaotic flow and materializing it as ether itself to be used in the physical realm. This school is associated with the color white, the color of ether itself. Spells of a Shaman take on a different hue than elemental magic. A Shaman will use many spells that remain in the ether world and remain unseen, using the flow of ether to enhance their knowledge or moving the waves itself. Many Shaman spells as well can materialize ether but keep it in its natural invisible state, making these spells only visible to other spellcasters. Finally, some Shamanism magiks have a somewhat chaotic nature, forcing ether into an elemental state without any choice as to what, creating very destructive and random spells. For this reason, the Varanian Academy refers to Shamanism as "Wild Magic" Necromancy While Shamanism is the art of studying where ether goes, Necromancy is the art of studying where ether comes from. Living beings radiate and create ether at all times, although most of them do so in very small amounts. Ancient dragons, elementals of the ether sea, and demons however, radiate huge amounts, and these are the beings that fascinate the Necromancer. Necromancers learn to deal with these creatures, as well as how to deal with ether as it is being formed by a body, which allows the Necromancer to manipulate the body itself. They are masters of deception and subversion, using their spells to invisibly curse or control an enemy, as well as to bless or embolden an ally. They are finally the great summoners, as while other spellcasters will happen upon magical beings in their studies and perhaps charter their assistance, a Necromancer will specifically seek these beings out in the sea. Due to this mysterious nature they are not liked by common people, who see Necromancy as a witchcraft amongst the other five, more respectable schools, and indeed many Necromancers are drawn to the school by promises of power or deluded dreams of taking control of the very gods of the world. However, there are also many benevolent Necromancers, and as with any school its powers can be used for good or evil. It is associated with the color black. Familiars and Summoning Through a mages study, they will at some point come across creatures of the ether sea and form friendships with them. Most mages have a familiar, a being of the ether sea that is attuned to them and has been summoned into the physical world. Familiars take all shapes and sizes, though most are rather small. Each familiar will be based in a single element, the wizards strongest if he works with multiple schools. The initial rite to court a familiar is complex and long, but once a mage and his familiar have bonded, the familiar can be summoned instantaneously at any time. It can share thoughts and communicate telepathically with its master, and can act as a mouthpiece for him at great distances. Familiars are immortal, killing one merely sends it back into the ether sea to be summoned again, although the familiar itself may act physically ill after recently being killed, for a forced unsummon is a very painful experience. However, familiars are rather low on the food chain of beings that live in the ether sea. Stronger elementals are often summoned as well, but while the familiar is bonded to the mage, more powerful beings must be contracted to the mage. This will often be a give and take agreement, with both parties doing something the other one wants. To this end, a Mage with an elemental summon will often only work with one elemental their entire lives. Psychics While not magic per say, the Psychics of Nimrodels human population work essentially the same way. Every human in Nimrodel is latently Psychic, and some have a strong enough affinity to this power, and enough training, to use it to amazing effect. A person with the affinity to use these powers in day to day life but with no explicit training can do simple things, such as move objects that are a few inches away from them, float a light object above one of their hands slightly, etc. There are many powers available to the true Psychics of Nimrodel however. The first is an all encompassing telekinesis, that has allowed strong Psychics to level houses and fly higher than birds of prey. Psychics must concentrate on the object in question to move it, and this becomes difficult for objects that are already moving quickly, and also objects they cannot see. It is also possible for a Psychic to move ether with his mind, but this is very difficult indeed.