Magic Overview

Magic is the ability to affect energy by manipulating Aetheric fields through extradimensional fields. Aether is any form of energy that can be influenced by or react to conscious intent.

Chi

Most magic begins with the body. Chi is a person's internal physical energy, including their aura, chakras, and personal reserves. Trained users channel Chi to strengthen their bodies, sharpen their reactions, resist harm, power personal gear, and ward against magical dangers. Chi users are known as adepts, and it is the most common form of adventuring magic due to its incredible value in combat and survival.

Sorcery

Sorcery is the most common form of active spellcasting. A sorcerer spends internal energy, converts it into a specific Aether, and shapes that Aether into an effect. This makes sorcery practical in combat, but not free. It works best when the environment already supports the same kind of Aether. A water sorcerer on land can still matter, but a water sorcerer underwater is operating in their natural element.

Sorcery requires natural aptitude, but follows established principles. Users are often limited to spheres of magic that complement their lifestyle and natural inclinations. Cross-training is possible, but more difficult, as the mental and spiritual frameworks for different types of Sorcery sometimes conflict.

Animas

Animas sit outside ordinary spellcasting. They are rare, character-defining powers that manifest from the soul rather than from learned magical technique. They may awaken through trauma, destiny, personal identity, or major life events.

Weaving

Weaving involves shaping Aether that is already present in the environment. It is slower and less forceful than sorcery, making it effectively useless in combat, but it has significant structural importance. Rituals, imbuing, alchemy, and long-term enchantments of places is all dependent on weaving magic.

When using weaving magic, the environment matters. Fire magic is stronger in sunlight and open flame, water magic is stronger in rain and underwater spaces, and holy magic is stronger in cities and places shaped by faith or compassion. Weavers typically work in areas of extremely high Aetheric saturations.

Rituals

Rituals use time, preparation, and cooperation to accomplish effects too large or too stable for ordinary spellcasting. Rituals become more powerful with more casters, though complexity rises with each participant.

Certain forms of Aether are not conducive to rituals. Fire rituals, for example, are too volatile and fast acting to produce synchronized effects. Nature and Prana rituals, however, are very conducive to ritual work.

Enchantments

Enchantments are fixed magical fields that, once established, permanently or semi-permanently alter the flow of nearby Aether and its behavior. Enchantments cannot be moved, as they require active support from their tapped local energies and leylines to remain powered. They are the essence of all magical buildings and wonders that have been constructed within Endros.

Magic Materials

Magic materials are any material that can self-produce a reliable or persistent Aetheric field; similar to how a magnet generates a magnetic force. If magnetism was affected by conscious thought, it would be considered an Aetheric energy, and magnets would be a magical material that influences it.

Alchemical materials are materials that don't qualify as magic materials, but which serve some sort of benefit to Aetheric manipulation. This includes reagents, which can be "spent" or used in some way to produce a temporary but useful effect. Alchemical materials are often known as components, which can be often be combined or used together to produce effects that alone would not be possible.

Aethertech

Aethertech is magical technology, typically created by Dwarven artificers. It is engineered through clever combinations of magical materials and enchantment magic. Many Aethertech devices are dependent on the environment to function properly, though it varies between design and intention.

Magitech is a particular form of Aethertech that relies on one's own Chi to function. People with sufficiently strong internal essence can empower themselves by attuning their energies with Magitech devices. This also works with certain local enchantments.

Dwarven artificers dominate most of the world's advanced magical technology. In addition to its cultural significance, they also control deep mineral access, Earth-saturated environments, and a crafting culture built around Aethertech.

Relics

Relics are a grade beyond normal Aethertech. They are rare, highly efficient, divine-grade magical artifacts. They belong to institutions, champions, gods, or major historical legacies. A relic implies significant rank, importance, and strategic value. To date, only Aedron, God of Crafting, and Sutra, Goddess of the Weave, have been able to create relic-grade artifacts.

Wildzones

Wildzones are permanent extreme saturation zone of Aether. Enchanted forests are nature-dominant wildzones whose ecosystems have become partially awakened, responsive, and capable of protecting itself through a form of harmonious ritual casting with its inhabitants. Enchanted reefs are aquatic counterpart to enchanted forests. Shadowlands are corrupt, Miasma-based wildzones where demonic corruption infects the land and teaches the environment to behave according to Nether logic.

Aether Storms

Aether storms are temporary surges of saturation. They can make matching magic stronger, cause devices to overperform, create hazards, awaken beasts or monsters, produce rare materials, bless ground, or corrupt terrain.

Miasma storms are a particularly feared and dreadful event that triggers the "Blood Hunt" conditions. Demonic influence raises sharply, even across otherwise stable lands. They become more aggressive, active, and dangerous. Many demons will evolve or emerge during these storms, especially Chimerans.

Prana storms, by contrast, are one of the most effective times that humanity has to make progress in warding off demonic hordes.

Fey

Fey are creatures shaped by Aether-rich evolution, often emerging from enchanted forests, reefs, or the Feyweave. They tend to possess more impressive biology, intelligence, and magical competency than typical wildlife. Some Fey learn to integrate well with humanity's colonies; especially the Elves and Beastkin. Others may be neutral, hostile, or have mixed agendas. Some Fey, such as the Fairies and Dryads, are considered major races within the collective colonies.

Astralei Magic

Astralei magic is ancient, powerful, and mysterious. Endrosians don't understand the magic that Astralei wield under Adonis's influence. Only among a few elite scholarly groups is it known that the Astralei harvest a very specific type of essence known as Flux, the sub-type of Mind Aether that specifically relates to conscious decisions. Some have rumored that Sutra is secretly involved with Codex magic.

Flux is the natural essence that all beings use to wield and cast magic. The collection process is extremely difficult and requires putting people into very specific and controlled conditions. The Astralei have built dungeons, trials, and systems designed to handle this process, and will reward Adventurers that undertake these challenges. Most citizens believe the reason for the dungeons is to train Adventurers how to handle combat, including the Adventurers themselves. But its actual purpose is driven more by acquiring a certain form of energy they need for their most advanced Codex magic.

Outsiders have never been able to reproduce Codex magic. Even the greatest Dwarven artificers have failed to meaningfully invent a new magical style beyond what Aethertech has enabled. Some incorrectly believe that the Astralei runes are required, but the symbols themselves possess no inherent magic; they are simply a control language dense enough to express instructions with short inscriptions.

Portals

Astralei Portals are ancient magical infrastructure that exist along certain leyline routes and energy convergences within Endros. Portal travel costs energy, and that energy has to be replenished by the connected leylines over time. The cost depends on leyline and portal routes rather than ordinary physical distance.

There are only a few portal locations within Endros, and none of them are accessible to the public. Only the Anointed and very special VIPs ever receive access to them, and only with the permission of Concordia, Goddess of Pacts, the Queen and uncontested leader of Skywood.

Sacraments

Sacraments are divine blessings from the Gods that bestow unique powers to mortals. Gods can conserve divine essence over long periods of time, then channel it into compatible recipients. Each God's Sacrament reflects their domain and personality, granting abilities that align with their divine nature. A considerable amount of divine essence is required, limiting the frequency of a God's bestowal to roughly once per year.

Recipients of a Sacrament are known as the Anointed, who serve in the most important roles in society. A person can only obtain one Sacrament, and it cannot be unmade once acquired. Due to their long lifespans, some Gods may give Elves preferential treatment for the selection of their Sacraments. The value gained from several additional decades of service is difficult to ignore.

Warding & Aura Shells

Warding is the intentional or subconscious use of one's energy to deflect or mitigate physical damage. Adepts can learn to instinctively ward against dangerous contact, greatly improving their chances of survival in combat. Warding is a core part of the guild's training and advancement.

When properly trained, auras can be identified in layered shells: the outer aura, center aura, and inner aura. For sports and combat competitions, players are "downed" when their outer aura and center aura have been broken, ensuring that players remain safe in situations that could otherwise prove fatal.

Magical Aptitude

Magical aptitude varies between individuals but is influenced by practice, lineage, overcoming traumatic experiences, ambition, and rare anomolies. Ambition and archetype also appear to be important. Heroism, villainy, or extreme drive and zealotry can strengthen one's aptitude. Gods, who have an insatiable need to act upon their acquired archetype, benefit greatly from this effect.

The Feyweave

The Feyweave is a deep-world magical environment associated with extremely powerful Prima Aether saturation and unusually chaotic Fey. It is dangerous, difficult to access, and poorly understood. It resides closer to the Manaheart, the center of Gaia where most of Gaia's Prima Aether is sourced from. Waves of energy regularly pulsate through the Feyweave from the Manaheart, similar to leylines.

Onyx is the most familiar location for accessing the Feyweave, but it is also connected to Rune and certain Astralei sites; including their Dungeons. The Astralei have been known to excavate very deep structures, similar to the Dwarven colonies.