Magics
The Elements are very important within the world of Irithia, both as a cultural aspect and to the individual. Elemental ties come in many forms and can affect lives and events on both a smaller and a larger scale, even for those without magic.
Elemental bonds, and thus magic, are considered very personal to Irithians and are thought to be connected to their very souls. How a person chooses to use or pursue magic is representative of them as a person and often viewed by others as a way to see what a person is like without having to talk much to them or anything. While most practice magic in a more natural and casual way, using it as a tool to complete tasks in their day to day lives, others may study magic or seek to use it in other ways.
The common people of Irithia generally use magic which pertains to their own way of life. Spells are generally passed down within a family, occupation, or other group. Those who wish to learn more kinds of magic may apprentice or get a tutor of some kind. Of course, one who may want to do more than that may also find other ways to study or even begin to experiment with their magic to find new uses and learn more.
Seeing as magic is such an important piece to your character, this page will focus on and explain the magic system as it applies to character creation and progression.
Elemental bonds, and thus magic, are considered very personal to Irithians and are thought to be connected to their very souls. How a person chooses to use or pursue magic is representative of them as a person and often viewed by others as a way to see what a person is like without having to talk much to them or anything. While most practice magic in a more natural and casual way, using it as a tool to complete tasks in their day to day lives, others may study magic or seek to use it in other ways.
The common people of Irithia generally use magic which pertains to their own way of life. Spells are generally passed down within a family, occupation, or other group. Those who wish to learn more kinds of magic may apprentice or get a tutor of some kind. Of course, one who may want to do more than that may also find other ways to study or even begin to experiment with their magic to find new uses and learn more.
Seeing as magic is such an important piece to your character, this page will focus on and explain the magic system as it applies to character creation and progression.
Elemental Alignment
Every soul in Irithia is aligned with one of the elements, which is believed to determine a lot about a person- one could think of it much like the zodiac, but it is more randomly assigned rather than being based in anything track-able like your date of birth. Some believe the element is assigned to them by deities or that they are chosen by the elements at birth, others believe that they choose their element subconsciously. The Soul's connection to the Elements is so strong, in fact, that it is incredibly difficult to alter or mask in any manner, even learning to affiliate with a new one. Of course, the closer one is to a sub-element they wish to bond with the more likely they will be able to do so.
The element an Irithian is born with doesn't just signal traits of their personality, though.... It also determines how their magic manifests. Certain characteristics are more common to different elements and, of course, the magic takes its form using the element as its base. Magic can be used or present in a variety of ways and is useful both in and out of combat! Even those who are not practiced in their magic may have some presentation or trait of their element known as Affects, even if it isn't the most obvious (think something like someone aligned with fire having a higher body temperature, or an air elemental may be inexplicably light on their feet). While an Irithian's element will affect their magic in a number of ways, that doesn't mean that the element will take physical form or entirely influence every Art,Division and spell they use. For some, the element with which they are aligned affects them only in more passive or subtle ways and the spells themselves which they cast don't involve the element directly. Some never have any magical affinity at all, but that does not erase their bond to the element and effects it may have on them.
Nearly all are born and aligned with an element from the Four, or the 4 main elements, or one of the Variants grouped with them. Less commonly, one may be born with no element at all or their alignment with it has been severed in some manner. It is also possibly for one to align with magical energy itself, known as Arcane, or with special deviants known as Dark or Light.
POSSIBLE ALIGNMENTS:
- Just a Core Element
- Just a Variant
- A Core element and one Sub-element. (One is not born this way but can achieve this through hard work or special means.)
Note that a natural combination must come from the same main elemental grouping OR a Deviant.
- A Core Element, a Sub-element, and a Deviant mask or extension (Incredibly rare and usually with great complications or drawbacks. Most often occurs through some sort of interference or odd methods of acquirement)
The element an Irithian is born with doesn't just signal traits of their personality, though.... It also determines how their magic manifests. Certain characteristics are more common to different elements and, of course, the magic takes its form using the element as its base. Magic can be used or present in a variety of ways and is useful both in and out of combat! Even those who are not practiced in their magic may have some presentation or trait of their element known as Affects, even if it isn't the most obvious (think something like someone aligned with fire having a higher body temperature, or an air elemental may be inexplicably light on their feet). While an Irithian's element will affect their magic in a number of ways, that doesn't mean that the element will take physical form or entirely influence every Art,Division and spell they use. For some, the element with which they are aligned affects them only in more passive or subtle ways and the spells themselves which they cast don't involve the element directly. Some never have any magical affinity at all, but that does not erase their bond to the element and effects it may have on them.
Nearly all are born and aligned with an element from the Four, or the 4 main elements, or one of the Variants grouped with them. Less commonly, one may be born with no element at all or their alignment with it has been severed in some manner. It is also possibly for one to align with magical energy itself, known as Arcane, or with special deviants known as Dark or Light.
POSSIBLE ALIGNMENTS:
- Just a Core Element
- Just a Variant
- A Core element and one Sub-element. (One is not born this way but can achieve this through hard work or special means.)
Note that a natural combination must come from the same main elemental grouping OR a Deviant.
- A Core Element, a Sub-element, and a Deviant mask or extension (Incredibly rare and usually with great complications or drawbacks. Most often occurs through some sort of interference or odd methods of acquirement)
The Elements
Air
Variants
Sound
Gravity |
Fire
Variants
Lightning
Smoke |
Deviants
Null
A lack of alignment or connection to any element at all.
This may be from birth or from masking or severing ones elemental connection by some means. People have varying opinions on Nulls, but it is generally agreed that they have some sort of issue or defect within themselves which has led to their state.
Neutral to all other elements, thus having no strengths or weaknesses in the cycle.
This may be from birth or from masking or severing ones elemental connection by some means. People have varying opinions on Nulls, but it is generally agreed that they have some sort of issue or defect within themselves which has led to their state.
Neutral to all other elements, thus having no strengths or weaknesses in the cycle.
Variants:
Arcane
A connection to magical energy itself rather than an element.
This special and rarer form of Null alignment allows for incredible magical affinity. It is most often achieved through hard work and skill rather than by birth, but it isn't unheard of to have a natural alignment to Arcane. Associated with a high magical energy. Not very compatible with magics which require a physical manifestation of elements. |
Void
A term for Nulls who have lost their alignments rather than having been born that way- usually in a manner against their will, though some may refer to those who have severed the alignment themselves as well.
It is generally looked at in an incredibly negative light, often with a sense of pity. Though not impossible, it is difficult and rare to recover from being Voided. Most of those who fall under this category have poor magical affinity and don't have any magic at all or else it is highly limited. |
Extra Rare Deviants
These elements are incredibly rare even in unnatural manners of wielding and alignment. They often behave and present differently than other elements.
Dark |
Light |
Magical Applications
There are many different ways which Irithians can use their magic and countless different spells to use specifically. However, most types of spells fall into one of a handful of categories known as Divisions - most people choose to specialize in learning one type of magic while others may seek to learn more than one. Of course, learning more magic takes time and learning something similar to what you know will take less time than something new altogether. That said, those who use magics in more categories generally know less specific spells.
Aside from Divisions there are other ways to use ones magic known as Arts. Arts are like Divisions but follow a stricter set of rules and have a more uniform method of casting. In general, Magical Arts must be carefully administered and have a set of specific formulas and outcomes but are known to be very powerful and useful.
Using magic takes up energy- the longer you hold up magical application or the more powerful it is, the more energy it will take from the user. Some people have more stamina than others, but in general it varies. It can take some time to recover this energy, and going past your limits can be damaging.
The more Magical Applications a person has learned the more skilled they are considered in their use of magic. Most Irithians keep their focus to a small handful or even less of Divisions or Arts and build their spells within them, often even just perfecting a little bunch of those.
Aside from Divisions there are other ways to use ones magic known as Arts. Arts are like Divisions but follow a stricter set of rules and have a more uniform method of casting. In general, Magical Arts must be carefully administered and have a set of specific formulas and outcomes but are known to be very powerful and useful.
Using magic takes up energy- the longer you hold up magical application or the more powerful it is, the more energy it will take from the user. Some people have more stamina than others, but in general it varies. It can take some time to recover this energy, and going past your limits can be damaging.
The more Magical Applications a person has learned the more skilled they are considered in their use of magic. Most Irithians keep their focus to a small handful or even less of Divisions or Arts and build their spells within them, often even just perfecting a little bunch of those.
Divisions of Magic
Divisions of magic are categories which spells may fall under. Each category is a different kind of magic, but various different sorts of spells exist under them. When creating your character make sure to explain both the Division itself and the spells they have learned under it, including exactly what those spells can do and are limited to.
Affects - Refers to elemental traits which manifest in one. When embraced and honed they may lead to the first budding of magical ability. Not all of these traits are obvious or potent, but most people have SOME sign of their element even if it is more superficial. (These do not need to be included as spells but are worth knowing about and, if significant, worth mentioning somewhere in your character sheet.)
Conduct - Not quite spells but show the beginnings of magical connection. These are often very utilitarian or just plain simple, like a Fire aligned individual being able to heat up water or one who is connected to Flora making a flower bloom. These do not have to take up a slot but any significant Conducts should be noted, especially for those with more physical builds as these show magical aptitude forming.
Raw - spells which can create and manipulate the user's element the purposes of attack or offensive maneuvers.
Abjuration - spells that can create and manipulate the user's element for defensive purposes and shielding.
Summoning - Bringing things forth to your person, generally through teleportation, and often keeping it under your control. This works very well alongside the Art of Taming.
Manifestation - Creating physical, magical constructs using magic. While armor, weapons, and shields may be included and have some boost or perk from normal ones as they are magical they will not be quite the same as purely defensive magics like Abjuration or Raw spells.
Restoration - spells which can heal or purify.
Evocation - Calling upon a specific force, be it energy or being. It is most often used to get an extra boost in some manner before performing another spell or feat, but may occasionally have its own particular effects as well. This magic relies on some kind of vocalization to fulfill its purpose and is limited by the force itself called upon. More pure and strong connections to the force chosen lead to a greater answer to the call.
Glamour - Illusion spells which can alter a person's perception and affect their senses. A specialty type of these is concealment. Illusions and other glamours that involve the use of sound require great amounts of effort and skill for those not aligned with the specialized element of Sound.
Charms and Allure - Spells which influence or affect another's mind and feelings, often in regards to their perception of something. Some of these spells are considered distasteful or even in some cases illegal, so be mindful of what you use them for!
Transformations and Transmutations - Spells that can change all or part of a person or object for a limited time. The most common uses of these spells are to transform into an animal or disguise items.
Crosspoint Applications
These Applications are able to act as both a Division or an Art depending on how they are learned, studied, and applied. Learning both aspects (Division and Art) can give one an extra edge. That said, each side of them takes up its own slot. In other words, learning to use them as an Art and learning to use them as a Division are completely separate things.
Artifact Magic - Magic which is tied to a magical object or artifact. Depending on the artifact itself and the wielder it can be incredibly versatile and allow for all kinds of uses, even bending usual laws of magic or the user's usual limitations. Of course, the main drawback is that it is entirely reliant on the artifact and its stipulations.
Divination & Channeling- Seeking knowledge that is otherwise unobtainable. This art is unique in that it can also rarely be a special innate talent, though more usually it requires tools and study as the other Arts and Divisions do.
Transference- Moving things from one being or item to another through magical means. This could be a permanent or temporary affect and may involve removing from the initial owner completely or sharing it to the receiver. Of course, this can be tricky business and cause great complications to any involved if misused or overdone.
Necromancy of Flesh - The ability to manipulate and control the corpses of the dead. Highly illegal and difficult to master.
Banes & Boons - Magic which allows the user to apply their magic to affect the luck, status, or abilities of either themselves or others either directly or indirectly through objects. Forms of this magic may be incredibly finicky and near all of them are temporary. Some extreme forms may even be illegal.
Connect - Combining or transferring magic between one another to achieve more powerful or specific reactions and results. This Division differs from Combination as it implies a heavier bond between those performing it or may also be used by one single user to combine magic with others in general rather than between two specific people. In the case of two specific users forming a Connection this application will not need to use up a Slot. Solo users with spells that Connect in general do, however.
Magical Arts
The Arts are a calculated and measured form of magic that is applied to mundane skills to enhance them or increase their possibilities. These magics can take a great deal of focus and time to learn and apply properly, even when simply adding more specific uses of them because they are so involved. Due to their nature supplementing mundane skills, some knowledge of related skills is helpful (sometimes even required) in learning the Arts.
Taming -Taming allows one to connect with and have better control over their familiars or other creature companions. How Taming is done is dependent on what sort of results the user seeks, and the study usually focuses on the particular creatures they wish to befriend or command. Of course, this won't give a user total, perfect control of their target...however, it does make a significant difference and will allow them to act better in situations than a non-tamed pet would.
Alchemy - Also known as the Art of the Apothecary, this is the science of combining natural ingredients into potions, elixirs, balms, creams, and other pharmaceutical type items for varying effects and benefits. If not carefully done, these can have some dreadful consequences or just be ineffective.
Enchantment - The art of imbuing things with magical enhancements and affects, often by carving them into said object with a special ritual or even having to make it from scratch. When done improperly they may affect the integrity of their target or else fail. Many variations of this art exist, including but not limited to general usage and the creation of Artifacts, Enchanted Weapons, and Warding.
Oathkeeping / Contracting- creating magically binding agreements between two people which often include some form of consequence for those who fail to follow through on the agreements laid out.
Rare Applications
The magics in this category are highly rare in Irithia, almost all of them are also Crosspoints to at least some degree and often extremely difficult to learn to any degree or form. The magics in this category are high stakes but have an incredibly payoff. **Please acquire approval from Admins before creating a character with any of the magics in these categories.** Restrictions and limitations for these Magics are at Admin discretion.**
Passive Magics - Applied or taking affect without the user's effort or casting, these may activate via special conditions or be applied initially but not require any upkeep or focus to maintain.
Incantation - A powerful and incredibly versatile form of magic which, unlike other magics, relies completely on vocalizations to perform spells at all. The most powerful Incantation users can bend the natural laws of magic and expand their usual capabilities with these types of spells alone.
Necromancy of Spirit - Power over the souls of those who have died.
Hemomancy- Dark magic which focuses on the blood of the user or enemies.
Divine Affinity- A magic unique to Irithia's Apostles which aligns to their patron deity, the actual power itself manifesting differently for each one. This magic can be learned ONLY by an Apostle and replaces all of their other magic upon ascension to holy status. In some cases, it is even possible for the Ascension to Apostle status to shift a person's element.
Resonance - This is a potent form of Connect which can be utilized only by those with an incredible bond which brings their combined power to a new level. In order for this to work special conditions must be met: both parties must have an incredibly powerful bond with one another and work together to unlock the Application. While it does not take up any slots for either player, it does have some high drawbacks in terms of how heavily intertwined characters may become and the repercussions of that bond ever severing / Resonances not syncing. The most powerful levels of this magic also often call for a Magical Oath/ Contract between parties involved.
Magic and Your Character
Balancing and Leveling
The first and most important rule of creating characters is to make sure they are balanced- characters with more magical skill and power should have less physical ability and vice versa. It's also notable that we prefer to see a character who is on a "starter" level who can then progress and get better as they interact with the world and other characters- "leveling" is achieved simply by using your skills more in posts and having your character practice and try to learn knew things. Just like in real life, it takes time and effort!
Remember, having more Divisions and even many different specific spells/uses under them means a person is more skilled regardless of how weak each individual spell may be because more Divisions and more spells take time to learn. Spells within the same Division are easier to learn while learning a whole new Division can take a bit more time. Magical Arts take the most time and effort to learn but learning new things within them is a bit easier than learning a new spell in a Division. Aside from Eadrets who may have more and Troks who may have none at all, characters are limited to beginning with up to 2 Magical Applications Slots and may learn up to 5 in total. While Divisions take up just one slot, Arts take up 2.
Also remember that most people are born aligned to one element and must work very hard to either switch over to or add on their sub-element- most people choose simply to switch over to the new sub-element rather than tackle using both (which is even more difficult). Should one keep both their core element and sub element, they must have one that is the main and keep only a few spells/a little of the other.
Please note that any time your character learns a new Application, spell/use for them, or significantly improves on a spell we will need an updated or new Slot sent in to us so we may approve the upgrade and update our records.
Remember, having more Divisions and even many different specific spells/uses under them means a person is more skilled regardless of how weak each individual spell may be because more Divisions and more spells take time to learn. Spells within the same Division are easier to learn while learning a whole new Division can take a bit more time. Magical Arts take the most time and effort to learn but learning new things within them is a bit easier than learning a new spell in a Division. Aside from Eadrets who may have more and Troks who may have none at all, characters are limited to beginning with up to 2 Magical Applications Slots and may learn up to 5 in total. While Divisions take up just one slot, Arts take up 2.
Also remember that most people are born aligned to one element and must work very hard to either switch over to or add on their sub-element- most people choose simply to switch over to the new sub-element rather than tackle using both (which is even more difficult). Should one keep both their core element and sub element, they must have one that is the main and keep only a few spells/a little of the other.
Please note that any time your character learns a new Application, spell/use for them, or significantly improves on a spell we will need an updated or new Slot sent in to us so we may approve the upgrade and update our records.
Describing Your Magic for the Character Sheet
When writing your character's magic into your sheet, be sure to include not just what Divisions and Arts they know but also exactly what they can do. The more detail that you include the better, so try to include things like a magic's area of effect and what exactly it can and cannot do.
Magical Restrictions and Drawbacks are a little more tricky- we prefer to see things that are more permanent and will always affect your character no matter their development. The items in this section are meant to affect your characters magic or their ability to use it as a whole, permanently while restrictions for specific spells and branches should be included with them in the section above instead. Things that may pertain to their element work very well for this and often a drawback is situational. For example, a character aligned with fire may be unable to use magic at all when wet, or someone with water alignment may become dehydrated the more water they create to use and need a source of water to control or drink. Please do not apply points or stat systems to your magic to explain limitations as we do not use any and it is difficult to determine exactly what is meant with no overlaying system for us to reference.
Things that can change based on a situation or occur to everyone do not qualify as drawbacks and restrictions- Exhaustion upon using magic too much is something that occurs to all who use magic, and of course issues and injuries can occur if magic is wielded incorrectly or one tries to overstep their abilities. Not being very practiced cannot be used as one since this will often change during play, leaving a character with no restrictions at all. Lastly, a moral stance or other things regarding personality can also change, and anyone can be pushed into a corner and choose to go against their usual demeanor...with that in mind, these are also not passable as restrictions.
Keep in mind that a new character may begin their journey with just 2 Magical Application slots. Here is a brief outline of how we would like to see magic written out for us.
Magical Restrictions and Drawbacks are a little more tricky- we prefer to see things that are more permanent and will always affect your character no matter their development. The items in this section are meant to affect your characters magic or their ability to use it as a whole, permanently while restrictions for specific spells and branches should be included with them in the section above instead. Things that may pertain to their element work very well for this and often a drawback is situational. For example, a character aligned with fire may be unable to use magic at all when wet, or someone with water alignment may become dehydrated the more water they create to use and need a source of water to control or drink. Please do not apply points or stat systems to your magic to explain limitations as we do not use any and it is difficult to determine exactly what is meant with no overlaying system for us to reference.
Things that can change based on a situation or occur to everyone do not qualify as drawbacks and restrictions- Exhaustion upon using magic too much is something that occurs to all who use magic, and of course issues and injuries can occur if magic is wielded incorrectly or one tries to overstep their abilities. Not being very practiced cannot be used as one since this will often change during play, leaving a character with no restrictions at all. Lastly, a moral stance or other things regarding personality can also change, and anyone can be pushed into a corner and choose to go against their usual demeanor...with that in mind, these are also not passable as restrictions.
Keep in mind that a new character may begin their journey with just 2 Magical Application slots. Here is a brief outline of how we would like to see magic written out for us.
How to Submit Magic:
* You do not neccessarily need to name each spell so long as any relevant information to their magical abilities is explained.
Slot #
Application Type
*Spell 1: Description of exactly what the spell can do, including it's limitations and specifications.
Magical Limitations
Describe, in full, limitations to your characters magical ability as a whole. These should apply specifically to the character at hand (as opposed to being things which apply to magic use in general or come with their element/magic type in the first place) as well as being able to cover/affect both their current magic as well as any they may learn in the future.
Ex.
Elemental Alignment: Fire
Slot 1 : Raw - Fireballs{can shoot one fireball of fist size from each hand. Takes 5 sec. to make a fireball|
Spitfire{Shoots fire from mouth for 3 seconds with reach of 2 feet.|
Limitations: Minor burns from use. Must actually light the fire rather than producing it magically.
Elemental Alignment: Fire
Slot 1 : Raw - Fireballs{can shoot one fireball of fist size from each hand. Takes 5 sec. to make a fireball|
Spitfire{Shoots fire from mouth for 3 seconds with reach of 2 feet.|
Limitations: Minor burns from use. Must actually light the fire rather than producing it magically.
Magic in Play
The most important thing to remember when having your character use magic is to follow what you have provided in your character sheet (or has been approved by Staff in regards to learning and expanding their repertoire). Be fair and actually take your character's limitations and abilities in mind! Using magic can often have the same effects as exerting physical energy, and so one can become fatigued if they use too much or for too long. Make sure not to push your characters limits too far if you want to avoid disastrous results. Please note that any time your character learns a new Application, spell/use for them, or significantly improves on a spell we will need an updated or new Slot sent in to us so we may approve the upgrade and update our records.