Light & Dark Magic Guide
Mar. 8th, 2005 08:34 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
sparkindarknessAt the request of Home_of_Usher - if somewhat late. I sat down and listened to Sitharensor explain it - then had a headache. A bad headache.
Ok, magic in Light & Dark.
Please ask questions if things aren’t clear, because I need to get all this clear in my own head. And use the Glossary of terms to help translations. This is a lot more complex than I expected.
There are either infinite types of magic, or just one type of magic. Magic is in everything, a part of everything, it IS everything, is absorbed by everything and is generated by everything. It is part of the matter all around, it wraps around the world in Ley Lines of pure power that lace the world in a spider web that is thought to hold the world together and make it truly real, or possibly just a manifestation of the total magic that is part of everything – since all magic is one, then it must be connected together and Ley Lines are just the connections. Even Astral lines that are said to hold the same connections between worlds.
There is magic everywhere, but it’s all different. It all carries the flavour of where it is drawn from (its Source), this flavour is called a Signature. This is where differentiations of magic come into play, of which there are untold billions of kinds, depending on the Source. There are general words for groupings (called Orders) of Sources (such as ‘Glamour’ for magic that is drawn from fantasy – dreams and imagination and is very close to the magic that is part of a fae’s very make up) but within each group there are hundreds of variations.
Mechanics
Because the sources of magic all leave their imprint on the magic itself, there are limits to what you can do with it. It may be possible to cloak someone with magic drawn from a lump of granite but it is extremely difficult because it still carries with it the magical Signature of the granite – and none of that involves stealth, illusion or disguise. The most flexible magic is Free Magic (drawn from Ley Lines) because it is free of Signature (or possibly has all Signatures in equal amount). It is also extremely powerful because it is not bound in anything so is easy to Draw and exists in large amounts. If you’re on a Ley Line, you have access to a lot of easily available power that you can do just about anything with. The only problem is that it is much like boring a hole in a dam to get some water – you get water but you get a whole lot more than you want or are capable of dealing with and in the end you forget about getting a drink and spend your time struggling not to drown or be washed away.
At its most basic level magic is taking the power from your Source and throwing it at the magic of your target in such a way that the magic of your target changes, changing the target in the process. So, a Sidhe takes (Draws) some Glamour (Source), into himself (Contains), cloaks (Shapes) their body in it (Directs at target) changing the way he looks (has altered the magic of his body so it is perceived differently - Casting).
The process if Drawing magic, Containing it, Shaping it and Directing it uses what the Sidhe group together as the Four Talents of Will. This isn’t even remotely accurate since it merely reflects that Sidhe are so good at it that to want something is to see it happen so they tend to link magic to willpower, even though it isn’t the case. You can be a weak willed, easily tempted coward and still be skilled in the Four Talents of Will.
You cannot Draw or Contain magic from a Source that has a radically different Signature from yourself. You cannot Shape magic to do something that is radically different from its Signature. You CAN Direct magic against something that has a radically different Signature – but don’t expect any good to come of it and you might want to seek cover.
Human Magic
Humans are usually much worse, one on one, at magic than the fae. Having most of the magic within them largely bound up into physical matter and being largely unaware of the magic around them. This means that they have great difficulty Drawing magic because they can’t sense it. Usually they have to resort to powerful and complicated rituals to extract magic from various sources (of course, the easiest source is a Ley Line, and humans could probably extract magic from a line with a very simple ritual or even a second’s concentration… they’d spontaneously combust or even explode, but it would be easier. Great human working do use Ley Lines but they require a lot more complicated rituals and paraphernalia to Shape the vast amount of power). Humans, being largely physical creatures, are also poor at Containing magic, meaning they need complex rituals to avoid nasty side effects caused by uncontrolled magic. Again, their inability to sense magic makes them poor at Shaping and Directing, requiring complex rituals to ensure the magic assumes the correct form.
Humans ARE better at working co-operatively though. This is partly because necessity has driven them to it – the most complex rituals require groups; because they are more used to using complex group rituals so are more accustomed to it but also because their lack of Personal Power (see below) means magic passing through them is impersonal – while fae tend to leave an unconscious Imprint (which can leave a Signature as well) on any magic they use.
Fae Magic
Fae are made of magic – not just magic bound up into magical matter, but some pure, undiluted magic makes up part of their flesh. The most basic magic that the fae use is Personal Magic. This literally uses the magic that makes up their flesh. The advantage of this is that it is incredibly easy to use, nearly impossible to sense or stop (as in, I cannot be dispelled, you can still raise a shield against the flames a Fire Elemental throws at you, you’ll just find it very hard stopping him throwing the fire in the first place) and in many ways can be used almost instinctively. The problem with it is that is usually has very specific Signatures (because it is so intimately bound into their forms and their sense of self) so is limited in its application. A Pooka can use their Personal Magic for feats of shapeshifting that wow other fae, but can’t use it for much else.
The second most common magic the fae use is, of course, Glamour. Their awareness of the connections in all things, awareness of magic and infusion with magic means that the fae are more aware and have more belief in the power of dreams and imagination. The magic that forms their Personal Magic is actually very akin to
Glamour, to such an extent that all fae can use it to help power their Glamour, and can use Glamour magic in general to empower themselves. In many ways, fae are creatures of dreams and fantasy – in a very literal sense.
Glamour is by no means exclusive to the fae, but human dreams tend to lack will to focus them or truly believe in them or their power. They aren’t fully realised – as such human Glamour is weak and rare. Usually. Occasionally you will find someone inspired enough or insane enough (or both) that they burn with Glamour – fae treasure these individuals as beings who can infuse the world with the magic of dreams in ways that few others can – even among the fae. They often work to protect them, inspire them, and drive them to greater acts of creativity and madness.
Other types of magic varies from faerie to faerie. Some faerie creatures use many Orders or only some or only a couple of Sources or even none beyond Personal Power and Glamour. It varies considerably.
Measuring Magical Power
When judging how powerful a fae (or a human for that matter) is you look at:
1) How much magic they can channel – how much magic they can draw from a source at once and still be able to control it rather than just overwhelming their Personal magic (and/or physical body) in unpleasant ways.
2) How many sources of magic they can draw from – a wizard who is limited to one source is too dependent.
3) How skilled he is at the four Talents of Will. (You can draw all the power you want and be able to control it, but if you don’t actually know what to do with it, you’re pretty limited).
Castings and Spells
Shaping magic is known as Casting. Commonly used shaped magics are the known as Spells. The difference between Spells and Castings is that a spell is rote learned. You can cast it quickly and easily without thinking. They are usually book learned and/or taught by a teacher. They are quicker and usually more effective because the magic Shaping is instinctive and highly efficient (no magic wasted – you can often tell a Casting from a Spell by random effects that accompany a Casting as magic is wasted and leaks out to affect things in unintended ways) and often much faster than a Casting that the fae may need to think about. By rote learning a spell, a fae (or human) may be able to Cast magic even though he would never have enough Talent in Shaping to do so if he cobbled it together himself.
Think of it like someone playing a tune they have practiced on the piano over and over again. They may lack the talent to actually compose the music, but practise means they can still play it – and play it better than a song they have never rehearsed. But you still need to be a good enough pianist (be skilled enough in the Shaping Talent) to be able to play the tune (so some Spells may be beyond you).
Sidhe
Sidhe need a separate mention when talking about Light & Dark magic. They are the best. No ifs buts or maybes. They are the best for several reasons:
1) They are just amazing at the Four Talents of Will. With their magical senses, magically composed bodies and supremely confident personalities, they possess the Four Talents at levels that far surpass others. They can Draw down far more magic than most, Contain far more magic than most, Shape it perfectly then Direct it to wherever they want it to go – and do it all in a Casting faster than most fae can manage with their Spells.
2) Sidhe have FAR more Personal Power than any other fae. Not only do they have more but they have more by a very large margin. In addition, because there is actually very little real physical matter in a Sidhe’s make up compared to the amount of magic, their Personal Power is actually very similar to Free Magic from Ley Lines – in other words their Personal Power is huge, instinctive (like most Personal Power) and infinitely flexible because it carries no signature. This can be detrimental, since a beneficial signature can make magic more powerful, but usually is very helpful.
3) Because of 1&2, Sidhe can use Ley Lines pretty much on the fly – no ritual, no major planning – just reach out and pull it in for super-charged Sidhe. They’re used to using Free Magic, since they are made from it, they can Contain the vast amounts of power and they can Shape it and Direct it without being overwhelmed. The legends of Sidhe raising mountains and destroying armies are true – because the army’s ran across a Sidhe while the Sidhe was stood on a point where two or more Ley Lines meet (a Node).
4) Since they are made up from near-Free Magic, Sidhe do not have radical Signatures – this means they can Draw magic from any Source.
5) Ripping. The Sidhe are extremely good at Drawing. The Sidhe are also made up from magic that is largely lacking in signature (see 1). Their large Personal Power means they leave a very powerful Imprint on the magic they Draw. This means that any magic they Draw from any Source actually loses some of its Signature and becomes Free Magic (or, rather, GAINS the Signature of Free Magic by the Sidhe’s Imprinting. Stay with me, my head’s beginning to hurt as well). What does this mean? Basically it means Sidhe can pretty much Draw near-Free Magic from anything – and do. When you REALLY press a Sidhe, they will Rip. Basically reach out to everything around them – the ground, any local wildlife, their attackers – and yank all the magic they can out of them (usually causing them to crumble, break, rot etc) for a charge of power. Sidhe don’t like Ripping – it’s a sign of weakness and feels very unpleasant since you end up with lots of semi-Signatures in your magic and they have religious issues with it – but when push comes to shove they will destroy everything around them for a vast amount of power that can even eclipse Ley Lines if they feel threatened enough. Which is why the sagas of great Sidhe heroically going to their death are usually set against an apocalyptic setting with vast powers destroying the enemy – because the Sidhe’s going down hard.
Bad stuff from all this:
1) Sidhe don’t work with Signatures. They don’t really understand them. Use of a Signature can be a huge boost, but Sidhe generally just use Shaped Free Magic.
2) Childhood and puberty. All the Personal Power. All that Talent. And hormones. Bad. Very bad. Especially since they learn how to Draw and Contain long before they learn how to Shape and Direct. Oh, and strong emotions can lead them to Rip by accident. Bad. Very very very bad. Young Sidhe need to be accompanied – carefully – at all times.
3) To a lesser extent, agitated emotional states can also cause a Sidhe to lose it. Thankfully, it’s usually easy to recognise before it gets that far – Sidhe growl or their eyes flash when very angry – it’s pretty involuntary (they can suppress it, but with difficulty) and very hard to fake as well. This is generally seen as a very good early warning which Sidhe respect – you claim political victory from making them growl, then back down.
4) Magic saturation. Sidhe have extremely high tolerance for magic – they are usually very bad at estimating the tolerance of others. Have a habit of overwhelming or overloading people, fae or objects. This generally means Sidhe are poor enchanters and work poorly as a group.
Ok. I THINK that covers everything. If I’ve missed anything, or something needs clarifying (and ye gods, does it need clarifying) please ask so I can fit all this in my head
Ok, magic in Light & Dark.
Please ask questions if things aren’t clear, because I need to get all this clear in my own head. And use the Glossary of terms to help translations. This is a lot more complex than I expected.
There are either infinite types of magic, or just one type of magic. Magic is in everything, a part of everything, it IS everything, is absorbed by everything and is generated by everything. It is part of the matter all around, it wraps around the world in Ley Lines of pure power that lace the world in a spider web that is thought to hold the world together and make it truly real, or possibly just a manifestation of the total magic that is part of everything – since all magic is one, then it must be connected together and Ley Lines are just the connections. Even Astral lines that are said to hold the same connections between worlds.
There is magic everywhere, but it’s all different. It all carries the flavour of where it is drawn from (its Source), this flavour is called a Signature. This is where differentiations of magic come into play, of which there are untold billions of kinds, depending on the Source. There are general words for groupings (called Orders) of Sources (such as ‘Glamour’ for magic that is drawn from fantasy – dreams and imagination and is very close to the magic that is part of a fae’s very make up) but within each group there are hundreds of variations.
Mechanics
Because the sources of magic all leave their imprint on the magic itself, there are limits to what you can do with it. It may be possible to cloak someone with magic drawn from a lump of granite but it is extremely difficult because it still carries with it the magical Signature of the granite – and none of that involves stealth, illusion or disguise. The most flexible magic is Free Magic (drawn from Ley Lines) because it is free of Signature (or possibly has all Signatures in equal amount). It is also extremely powerful because it is not bound in anything so is easy to Draw and exists in large amounts. If you’re on a Ley Line, you have access to a lot of easily available power that you can do just about anything with. The only problem is that it is much like boring a hole in a dam to get some water – you get water but you get a whole lot more than you want or are capable of dealing with and in the end you forget about getting a drink and spend your time struggling not to drown or be washed away.
At its most basic level magic is taking the power from your Source and throwing it at the magic of your target in such a way that the magic of your target changes, changing the target in the process. So, a Sidhe takes (Draws) some Glamour (Source), into himself (Contains), cloaks (Shapes) their body in it (Directs at target) changing the way he looks (has altered the magic of his body so it is perceived differently - Casting).
The process if Drawing magic, Containing it, Shaping it and Directing it uses what the Sidhe group together as the Four Talents of Will. This isn’t even remotely accurate since it merely reflects that Sidhe are so good at it that to want something is to see it happen so they tend to link magic to willpower, even though it isn’t the case. You can be a weak willed, easily tempted coward and still be skilled in the Four Talents of Will.
You cannot Draw or Contain magic from a Source that has a radically different Signature from yourself. You cannot Shape magic to do something that is radically different from its Signature. You CAN Direct magic against something that has a radically different Signature – but don’t expect any good to come of it and you might want to seek cover.
Human Magic
Humans are usually much worse, one on one, at magic than the fae. Having most of the magic within them largely bound up into physical matter and being largely unaware of the magic around them. This means that they have great difficulty Drawing magic because they can’t sense it. Usually they have to resort to powerful and complicated rituals to extract magic from various sources (of course, the easiest source is a Ley Line, and humans could probably extract magic from a line with a very simple ritual or even a second’s concentration… they’d spontaneously combust or even explode, but it would be easier. Great human working do use Ley Lines but they require a lot more complicated rituals and paraphernalia to Shape the vast amount of power). Humans, being largely physical creatures, are also poor at Containing magic, meaning they need complex rituals to avoid nasty side effects caused by uncontrolled magic. Again, their inability to sense magic makes them poor at Shaping and Directing, requiring complex rituals to ensure the magic assumes the correct form.
Humans ARE better at working co-operatively though. This is partly because necessity has driven them to it – the most complex rituals require groups; because they are more used to using complex group rituals so are more accustomed to it but also because their lack of Personal Power (see below) means magic passing through them is impersonal – while fae tend to leave an unconscious Imprint (which can leave a Signature as well) on any magic they use.
Fae Magic
Fae are made of magic – not just magic bound up into magical matter, but some pure, undiluted magic makes up part of their flesh. The most basic magic that the fae use is Personal Magic. This literally uses the magic that makes up their flesh. The advantage of this is that it is incredibly easy to use, nearly impossible to sense or stop (as in, I cannot be dispelled, you can still raise a shield against the flames a Fire Elemental throws at you, you’ll just find it very hard stopping him throwing the fire in the first place) and in many ways can be used almost instinctively. The problem with it is that is usually has very specific Signatures (because it is so intimately bound into their forms and their sense of self) so is limited in its application. A Pooka can use their Personal Magic for feats of shapeshifting that wow other fae, but can’t use it for much else.
The second most common magic the fae use is, of course, Glamour. Their awareness of the connections in all things, awareness of magic and infusion with magic means that the fae are more aware and have more belief in the power of dreams and imagination. The magic that forms their Personal Magic is actually very akin to
Glamour, to such an extent that all fae can use it to help power their Glamour, and can use Glamour magic in general to empower themselves. In many ways, fae are creatures of dreams and fantasy – in a very literal sense.
Glamour is by no means exclusive to the fae, but human dreams tend to lack will to focus them or truly believe in them or their power. They aren’t fully realised – as such human Glamour is weak and rare. Usually. Occasionally you will find someone inspired enough or insane enough (or both) that they burn with Glamour – fae treasure these individuals as beings who can infuse the world with the magic of dreams in ways that few others can – even among the fae. They often work to protect them, inspire them, and drive them to greater acts of creativity and madness.
Other types of magic varies from faerie to faerie. Some faerie creatures use many Orders or only some or only a couple of Sources or even none beyond Personal Power and Glamour. It varies considerably.
Measuring Magical Power
When judging how powerful a fae (or a human for that matter) is you look at:
1) How much magic they can channel – how much magic they can draw from a source at once and still be able to control it rather than just overwhelming their Personal magic (and/or physical body) in unpleasant ways.
2) How many sources of magic they can draw from – a wizard who is limited to one source is too dependent.
3) How skilled he is at the four Talents of Will. (You can draw all the power you want and be able to control it, but if you don’t actually know what to do with it, you’re pretty limited).
Castings and Spells
Shaping magic is known as Casting. Commonly used shaped magics are the known as Spells. The difference between Spells and Castings is that a spell is rote learned. You can cast it quickly and easily without thinking. They are usually book learned and/or taught by a teacher. They are quicker and usually more effective because the magic Shaping is instinctive and highly efficient (no magic wasted – you can often tell a Casting from a Spell by random effects that accompany a Casting as magic is wasted and leaks out to affect things in unintended ways) and often much faster than a Casting that the fae may need to think about. By rote learning a spell, a fae (or human) may be able to Cast magic even though he would never have enough Talent in Shaping to do so if he cobbled it together himself.
Think of it like someone playing a tune they have practiced on the piano over and over again. They may lack the talent to actually compose the music, but practise means they can still play it – and play it better than a song they have never rehearsed. But you still need to be a good enough pianist (be skilled enough in the Shaping Talent) to be able to play the tune (so some Spells may be beyond you).
Sidhe
Sidhe need a separate mention when talking about Light & Dark magic. They are the best. No ifs buts or maybes. They are the best for several reasons:
1) They are just amazing at the Four Talents of Will. With their magical senses, magically composed bodies and supremely confident personalities, they possess the Four Talents at levels that far surpass others. They can Draw down far more magic than most, Contain far more magic than most, Shape it perfectly then Direct it to wherever they want it to go – and do it all in a Casting faster than most fae can manage with their Spells.
2) Sidhe have FAR more Personal Power than any other fae. Not only do they have more but they have more by a very large margin. In addition, because there is actually very little real physical matter in a Sidhe’s make up compared to the amount of magic, their Personal Power is actually very similar to Free Magic from Ley Lines – in other words their Personal Power is huge, instinctive (like most Personal Power) and infinitely flexible because it carries no signature. This can be detrimental, since a beneficial signature can make magic more powerful, but usually is very helpful.
3) Because of 1&2, Sidhe can use Ley Lines pretty much on the fly – no ritual, no major planning – just reach out and pull it in for super-charged Sidhe. They’re used to using Free Magic, since they are made from it, they can Contain the vast amounts of power and they can Shape it and Direct it without being overwhelmed. The legends of Sidhe raising mountains and destroying armies are true – because the army’s ran across a Sidhe while the Sidhe was stood on a point where two or more Ley Lines meet (a Node).
4) Since they are made up from near-Free Magic, Sidhe do not have radical Signatures – this means they can Draw magic from any Source.
5) Ripping. The Sidhe are extremely good at Drawing. The Sidhe are also made up from magic that is largely lacking in signature (see 1). Their large Personal Power means they leave a very powerful Imprint on the magic they Draw. This means that any magic they Draw from any Source actually loses some of its Signature and becomes Free Magic (or, rather, GAINS the Signature of Free Magic by the Sidhe’s Imprinting. Stay with me, my head’s beginning to hurt as well). What does this mean? Basically it means Sidhe can pretty much Draw near-Free Magic from anything – and do. When you REALLY press a Sidhe, they will Rip. Basically reach out to everything around them – the ground, any local wildlife, their attackers – and yank all the magic they can out of them (usually causing them to crumble, break, rot etc) for a charge of power. Sidhe don’t like Ripping – it’s a sign of weakness and feels very unpleasant since you end up with lots of semi-Signatures in your magic and they have religious issues with it – but when push comes to shove they will destroy everything around them for a vast amount of power that can even eclipse Ley Lines if they feel threatened enough. Which is why the sagas of great Sidhe heroically going to their death are usually set against an apocalyptic setting with vast powers destroying the enemy – because the Sidhe’s going down hard.
Bad stuff from all this:
1) Sidhe don’t work with Signatures. They don’t really understand them. Use of a Signature can be a huge boost, but Sidhe generally just use Shaped Free Magic.
2) Childhood and puberty. All the Personal Power. All that Talent. And hormones. Bad. Very bad. Especially since they learn how to Draw and Contain long before they learn how to Shape and Direct. Oh, and strong emotions can lead them to Rip by accident. Bad. Very very very bad. Young Sidhe need to be accompanied – carefully – at all times.
3) To a lesser extent, agitated emotional states can also cause a Sidhe to lose it. Thankfully, it’s usually easy to recognise before it gets that far – Sidhe growl or their eyes flash when very angry – it’s pretty involuntary (they can suppress it, but with difficulty) and very hard to fake as well. This is generally seen as a very good early warning which Sidhe respect – you claim political victory from making them growl, then back down.
4) Magic saturation. Sidhe have extremely high tolerance for magic – they are usually very bad at estimating the tolerance of others. Have a habit of overwhelming or overloading people, fae or objects. This generally means Sidhe are poor enchanters and work poorly as a group.
Ok. I THINK that covers everything. If I’ve missed anything, or something needs clarifying (and ye gods, does it need clarifying) please ask so I can fit all this in my head